March 29, 2015

A few tips for Spring Cleaning your health

Well, Spring has certainly sprung which means time to break out the shorts and t-shirts, start your Spring cleaning, make sure you have something for your kids to do over summer break, and of course, settle into your busy weekends as the madness of the end of the school year will be upon us before we can say “where has the school year gone.”

Speaking of Spring cleaning, my inbox is overflowing everyday with ideas on how I can live a better life (and you too). From Oprah and Deepak’s 21 day meditation project (which is very good by the way), to the many blogs debating whether grains are good for you or not, to the debate over intensity of exercise, how to be happier, cleansing, sleeping, turmeric vs Advil, ginger and its many health properties, autoimmune disease and diet, and the list goes on and on. Sometimes it is just too much! My philosophy on learning has always been, learn everything you can, apply what is authentic to you, process what seems to make sense, incorporate what feels right, then let go of the rest. Sometimes “the rest” comes back to me at another time and I make changes accordingly, but my life has always been a work in progress, embracing the journey while enjoying the destinations along the way. So, instead of forwarding all those emails to you, I will offer you what I have learned, what has worked for me and maybe you can incorporate a few changes to your routine that might make your journey more enjoyable.

So here are a few tips for Spring Cleaning your health:

1. Upon waking, think of 2-3 things for which you are grateful.

2. Dring 1 glass of warm lemon water (I squeeze half a lemon in a coffee mug and add warm tap water).

3. Meditate for 5 minutes (just start by deep breathing in a quiet place).

4. When you are done with the 5 minutes of meditation, ask yourself what you are going to do today to create an impact, create change, or make progress. This could be personal or professional.

These first 4 steps should not take more than 10 minutes when you get in the habit.

5. Exercise or make sure exercise is on your schedule. Even 20 minutes of exercise daily can be enormously effective.

6. Take regular movement breaks throughout the day or just change your habits to encourage movement (parking further away from your destination, taking the stairs, walking the golf course instead of using a cart, etc.).

7. Before the end of the day, evaluate what went well and what could have gone better.

8. Get in bed before 10pm and make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep.

And don’t forget, the closer you can get to eliminating processed foods from your diet, the better you will feel.

If you need a Spring goal, one of my favorites is signing up for a fun race! The Big Bear Run at Menlo-Atherton High School is coming up on May 3rd, and is a super fun 5K, low key, and a great family event. If you are interested in signing up, please go to http://www.m-aboosters.org/big-bear-run.

We have a full week of classes this week! One note, the Thursday Atherton class will be held at Stanford Hills again this week. Don’t forget, my Spring Break is the week of April 20th – 24th, so there will be no group classes that week. If you are coming to class, please sign up online at www.stellafit.com. You will need to purchase a class card if you do not have one on file. If you currently have one on file, please go ahead and email me if you are coming to class. As your cards run out, you will need to start using MindBody to sign up for class. You can also use MindBody to check the schedule as it is posted online and will stay current.

Hope to see you this week!

Cheers!

Stella