Bonnie Koenig, LAc

Very often when we are trying to eat healthy or when we are trying to loose weight we forget about good fats. We want to include things like olives and all natural almond butter because having some good fats in our diets will allow our bodies to feel more satisfied.

You might want to try having a salad with a bit of fattier dressing on it next time you find you’re craving sweets. See if the extra richness of the dressing cuts the need for that chocolate chip cookie. You might find that the salad is more satisfying. Dressings are not typically the best fats, but are often an easy way to add them if you are in a restaurant.

Really need a hit? How about some apple slices with a bit of almond butter on them! You get the sweet and some good fats and even a bit of protein. That should really satisfy a hungry body!

I think using positive thinking and affirmations are great health tip. What you think about and focus on is often what happens.

I say this with a caveat. It’s not so easy just to keep repeating, “I am healthy” or “I am thin.” In both cases, we often find ourselves denying the affirmation as quickly as we think it. It can help to listen to the denials and perhaps give your subconscious a way to take steps to overcome the problems associated with creating the desired outcome.

Still stuck? Then maybe the affirmation is too far off for you. Try thinking, “I am thinner today than I was yesterday.” If you have been staying on your diet and exercising, this could be an affirmation you can embrace. You might find the pounds melting off.

Similarly, if you are suffering from a chronic and long term health problem, focus on what you can do that day and congratulate yourself. Be grateful it was day when you could brush your teeth if that doesn’t happen every day. If it does but nothing else does, then focus on the fact that you can always brush your teeth and then focus on the next step you may want to take, like spending a half an hour standing up or sitting up (depending upon your level of disability). See if that works a bit better than a general overall, I am healthy affirmation.

Affirmations work by reprogramming our minds to think more positively.Sometimes our subconscious programming is so strong that it will take time for the good outcomes to manifest. As we see challenges to our affirmations, it’s good to look inside and see if maybe there is more work to be done.

So in using affirmations, remind yourself that you are a wonderful and successful person, no matter what the outcome of your affirmations. Â They are tool to help, but not a magic wand.

Many times if we start getting sick, we just push through because there’s so much to be done. Did you know, if you take the time to rest before you are really sick, you can increase your chances of either fighting off the bug or at least minimizing it’s impact?

At the first sign of illness in addition to adding in any supplements you may take, allow yourself some extra time to rest and maybe take a nap. Your body can use it.

We all struggle with exercise. I think the optimal amount is about 4 or 5 hours a week. I’ve been doing yoga which I love. I also walk regularly and I ski. It’s taken me awhile to get to the place where I can fit exercise in regularly. I’ve done this by making a regular commitment to it. Moving to North Bend where I have a commute, has made sticking to my commitment harder.

I bring a yoga mat to work so that I can do some stretches in my office between patients. I also try to walk at least around the block when I have a break. This keeps the energy moving and flowing. I don’t count those short walks as exercise, but every little bit helps. Remember, movement is good. We don’t move our bodies enough. Even a short walk at a break can help. Who knows? You might enjoy it and then find you have more time to start moving.

I want to have an area where I can leave tips and tricks on creating a healthier life.

I have a hard time sticking to diets and remembering to not eat certain things. A friend was a junk food junkie. She wanted to clean up her diet. Instead of trying to restrict her junk food, she just made a big bowl of veggies in the morning and said she had to finish that that day. She could eat anything else she wanted. This made her eat less junk food because she was less hungry AND she got more vegetables. If she really wanted something that was junk food, she was free to eat that and with no guilt.

Try it. Set out your fruits and vegetables and make sure you eat them before bed. If you can, cook them up to take to work with you and then you can nibble all day, which is what my friend did. Then see how you feel.