Can You Spare Some Change?

Recently I listened to a radio show interview with Oprah's trainer, Bob Greene, and the topic of the hour was the effect of making small changes in one's daily habits to create huge changes in health. This is something I teach my clients about as well. So often when someone decides to finally give up smoking or losing their spare tire, they approach the change from the standpoint of all or nothing. Often they clear out the cupboards of goodies, cigarettes or whatever, and imagine that they are on the road to succcess. Instead, what usually happens is they can hang in for a couple of days or weeks but soon they are back puffing away or tucking into a meatlover's pizza with extra cheese.

When a client first hires me to help them create a change in their life, I first educate them on Prochaska's Stages of Change and help them to identify which stage they currently occupy with regard to their attitude toward creating permanent change in their life. (If you are unfamiliar with the Stages of Change model, please visit my website and click on the "How I Work" tab. Then scroll down to the highlighted text which says "Prochaska's Stages of Change" and click on that link. This will open up to a new page which a clear discription of the five stages of change.) Once we have become clear about where the client is, then we can begin to create some shifts in behavior and attitudes to help him or her move closer to achieving their goals.

Rather than looking to make huge changes (that you may or may not be able to stick with), here are a few small changes that you can put into play that will reap huge rewards with regard to your health.

1. Give up the competition for the "Clean Plate Award." This means get into the habit of leaving food on your plate. In doing so, you will tune into your body's signals of satiety and you will begin to learn when your belly is full vs. eating simply because the food is in front of you. Suggestion: Next time you are at your favorite restaurant, ask the server to bring the to-go box with your meal and divide the plate in half before you take the first bite.

2. Drink more water. I once heard Dr. Mehmet Oz state that he believes the only water most Americans swallow during the day is the saliva in their own mouths and as surprisng as that may sound, I agree. Most clients I work with struggle to drink 3 glasses of water a day. Water helps flush your body of toxins and keeps your organs functioning properly. Additionally, water provides you with a sense of fullness. A good habit to get into is drink a glass of water upon rising, a glass before each meal and snack, plus one glass before going to bed. By sticking to this schedule, you will easily consume 6-8 glasses of water each day.

3. Break out some moves. You've heard it before but here it is again: aim to walk 10000 steps per day. If you do, then you are well on the road to improved health. Although 10K sounds like alot, it boils down to about 30 minutes a day of putting one foot in front of the other and repeating. If walking is not your thing, here are some ABCs that will do your body good: aerobics, bellydancing, canoeing, dumbbells, eliptical trainer...you get the idea. Figure out what movement activity you enjoy and do it at least 3 times a week. When you move, you lose (pounds and inches)!

4. Find a rainbow and eat it. Most people don't eat enough complex carbs and fiber daily. Americans eat plenty of carbs, just way too many of the refined white ones and not enough of the ones that don't involve a plastic wrapper and a microwave. I encourage my clients to think about eating a rainbow of colors each day. ROYGBIV translates into: red (tomatoes to raspberries), orange (nectarines to persimmons), yellow (squash to bananas), green (peas to kiwi), blue (blueberries to blackberries), indigo (grapes to figs), and violet (eggplant to plums). And, no, starburst candies nor Lucky Charms count as a rainbow food! Deeply hued fruits and vegetables provide the wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals your body needs to maintain good health and energy levels, protect against the effects of aging, and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

5. Quiet, please. From the moment we awaken to the blast of the bedside alarm clock to viewing the latest local and world mayhem on the 10 pm news, we are bombarded throughout the day with stimuli. Incorporating even 10 minutes of quiet time a couple of times a day helps to soothe frazzled nerves and recharge energy. I encourage my clients to practice meditation throughout the day to recenter themselves in the here and now and to slow the pace for a period of time. Studies show that meditation significantly reduces the risk factors for coronary heart disease (such as blood pressure and insulin resistance)and other disorders.

6. Catch some zzzzz's. Americans are, on the whole, a sleep-deprived lot. Between childrearing, job demands, tv addiction and general stress, most folks do not get a healthy amount of sleep each night. Once a body reaches 30, it's more difficult to pull the all-nighters we used to do back in high school and college and still be able to function. Fatigue is implicated in greater health risks and more vehicular accidents. Lack of sleep also promotes junk-food eating because when we are tired, we look to foods that will artificially boost our energy. Sugary foods help release the diminished supply of chemicals in your brain to make up for the lack of sleep. But take note of this: Folks who get enough sleep tend to be thinner because their bodies are getting the time needed to rejuvinate. Bottom line, there's a reason it's called "beauty sleep."

So now you have a handful of change that will help you move closer to a healthier you. Remember that any small change will help you move closer to your goals. Feel free to email me or post your comments or other small-change ideas to share with others!

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990