Imagine a world of healthy people

Imagine a world full of healthy people.

Seriously. Stop and think about it. Think about what it would look like. Perhaps people are rarely sick. They have energy. They are not tired all the time.  People have passion for life. They feel good. They feel great! They fall asleep quickly, sleep soundly, and wake up roaring for a new day. They don't have back pain. They don't have head pain and foot pain. When they get athletic injuries, they heal quickly. They don't have indigestion, or heartburn, or stomach aches. They don't feel sluggish and just want to veg on the couch. They don't feel "stuffed" after big meals.

They simply go about their days in a full state of health, with no ongoing physical ailments or hindrances brought on by poor choices. They live life to the fullest, enjoy each day, and look forward to the next.

Imagine you are one of these healthy people.

If your imagination does not align with reality, what are you doing about it? The choice is yours.

Persevere through struggles to find success

My 3.5-year-old wanted to build a puzzle. It was a 100-piece puzzle with a 5-year-old age appropriateness. Seemed like a simple enough task, so I got the box and we spread out the pieces. Three seconds later, my son lost interest and thought it was more fun to jump over the pieces than to create the picture we had set out to reconstruct. But I figured I would show him how it was done.

Maybe I'm just dense, or maybe I don't do puzzles enough, but it was tough! I looked for end pieces, and try as I might, there were two pieces I couldn't find (I eventually found them). Then I started into the middle. I tried option after option. Occasionally I would find a connection, but mostly I just grew more frustrated that I could not figure this 5-year-old puzzle out quickly.

When I got about half way done, which took far longer than it should, things started clicking a bit easier. There were less pieces, less options, and it made sense. By the final quarter of the puzzle, I was cruising! I picked up a piece, looked at it, and knew exactly where it went.

The whole experience caused me to stop and think.

My first thought? "I better not let my wife know how long it took me to do this puzzle."

But my second thought was that this is an analogy for many of the challenges in life. We start off struggling. Not making much progress. Not really knowing if we are ever going to get going. But we keep moving forward. Keep trying to put different pieces together to find the right formula. Piece by piece we move forward, sludging along wondering if we'll ever get done. Then... things start to click. It makes more sense. We can see and feel and experience the progress. Until, all of a sudden, we are cruising along, getting results, feeling great. The thing that seemed so difficult a short while ago now seems easy and its actually fun!

Persevering through the struggle is the tough part. But the reward of success is worth it!

Stay the course.

40 percent of cancers preventable

Caught an interesting article in the Observer the other day. You can view it here.

"About 40 percent of cancers could be prevented if people stopped smoking and overeating, limited alcohol, exercised regularly, and got vaccines targeting cancer-causing infections..."

So for every 10 people that got cancers, 4 of them could have been prevented with some basic changes. Wow.

We can help. If you are already a client, we appreciate your referrals to help people prevent this nasty disease. Check us out at www.CharlotteNutritionCompany.com.

Super Bowl: What to eat?

Ahhhh... the fantastic festivities of our newest national pastime... NFL and, ultimately, the Super Bowl!

It seems to be just tradition and expectation that we all must eat the absolute worst foods possible on this evening. Kind of like we just HAVE to eat multiple slices of pies (or even entire pies) on Thanksgiving!

But everyone has a choice. And that choice can include enjoying the evening, the game, and your health long afterwards. Here are some ideas for better snacks during the game.

• Vegetable Quesadillas
• Fruit Salad with a low-fat yogurt dip
• Vegetable platter with a low-fat dip
• Baked corn chips and salsa (baked is always better than original)
• Salsa instead of dip - usually a better option!
• Popcorn - light butter or 98% fat free
• Trail Mix - Create your own! Get almonds, walnuts or other unsalted nuts, mix with various types of dried fruits, throw in some small pretzel bites, and then complete it with high-fiber cereal like Wheat Chex, Fiber One, or something along those lines.

This may go against the traditional snack fare, but it will be much better for those trying to reach health and weight goals.

Of course, a great way to prep for snacking is to get some great nutrition in your body before the fun starts. Start your relaxed evening with a great tasting Meal-Replacement Shake/Smoothie. You'll be less hungry during the game, so you'll eat less, but still enjoy your favorite foods!

Go Colts!

Monday: Movitational Tip of the Day

Today is Monday. Let's begin the week with a "bang" on Monday with a great meal plan. If you're on my plan and focused on losing weight, start the week with your 2 shakes today, and be sure to get your supplements with all 3 meals. At a minimum, be sure to get 1 shake in today. The shakes have a ton of nutrition, taste great, and help your body function at peak levels. And when that happens, your body sheds pounds!

Maintaining your health is about being intentional. Someone once said, "Success is not a matter of idle chance, its a matter of making the right choices." Make the right choices today to consume the right foods. Don't worry about what will happen in 2 or 3 weeks or months.

Today is what matters. Make a good choice today! I appreciate your commitment to yourself and your health! Keep on keeping on!