Healthy Inside/Healthy Outside

Food, Mood and Attitude

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Too often our food consumption is based solely on our mood and/or attitude. We might have good intentions of eating well all the time or this week or just for today – taking it one day at a time but then something happens that alters our mood and changes our attitude and we slip.

I eat healthy 99% of the time and I set good intentions every day but I, like everyone else, don’t always follow through. We slip up because we get frustrated with someone or something at home or work, or even by a complete stranger, a bad commute and many other positive attitude corrupters.

Slipping up on your intentions to eat healthy or exercise has no limits; it will occur in ways that might seem healthy but aren’t such as you choose healthy food options but your portion sizes are over the top like eating the entire pan of stir-fry or the whole bunch of bananas, (okay, that might be a far stretch, who can eat that many bananas?!) but you get the idea.

We let our moods be affected by things not going our way or by letting someone else’s frustrations become ours too. When we do slip up, our mood gets worse and we develop an attitude; it become a vicious cycle that leaves us whirling out of control.

What’s the difference between mood and attitude? Your mood is your state of feeling, your emotional tone or frame of mind. Your attitude is your manner, tendency, orientation or disposition. I like to refer to our attitude as our disposition because it’s a strong descriptive; ‘dis’ = absence of, position – usual or proper place leaving us with absence of our usual position or proper place.

Have you ever found yourself in either a bad mood or a sullen mood and when it comes time to eat or exercise you listen to that negative self-talk telling you that it’s okay to have this food or more food or skip exercise today as though it were positive? Do you find yourself justifying your actions by assigning excuses due to a bad day? If so, it’s time to take control, change your mood and attitude yourself; don’t let others do it for you.

When we’re fully committed to something that we truly want we don’t let anyone sway our decision, we stand tall and follow through, Let that same attitude carry you through your personal wellness journey as well. Don’t let go of your self-control, we all have it; we just don’t use it enough; when you do use it you will find yourself on the good-mood road to success.

Set your intentions, stick with them no matter who or what tries to derail you, remind yourself of why you set them in the first place, always stand tall in your intentions, desires and beliefs.

 

Healthy Inside/Healthy Outside

Reduce Your Stress

Every one of us encounters stressful situations from time to time. Stress will always be a part of life but you don’t have to let it take over your well-being and sanity. Stress often is the result of how we interpret a situation. How we handle stress that comes our way is the key to managing and dealing with it.

There are a few different types of stress including internal, external, social, environmental and emotional stress.

Internal stress can be brought on by us individually by not planning well, having a negative attitude, setting unrealistic deadlines and even imagining worst-case scenarios.

External stressors include things that both are and are not in our control such as issues at work, traffic situations, family situations, death/illness/injury and even happy occasions such as weddings and similar events.

The demands of daily living also play a big role in our day to day stress levels.
Types and reasons for stress are not limited to the examples above but the following are trusted ways to manage most types of stress including those not listed.

Managing stress is important for our overall health and well-being. Stress can affect our thinking, our sleep, our diet, our blood-pressure, digestion, muscle and joint pain and more.

Stress-Less Tips

Give yourself permission to relax either for a period every day or a day every week to a weekend every month; there is no wrong way if it works for you personally.

  • Eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet. Food can either fuel our thinking or “fog” our thinking.
  • Exercise regularly. Physical activity releases endorphins; a feel good, feel positive hormone. Something as simple as a 15-30 minute walk can make a difference.
  • Sleep enough – Sleep reboots the brain, aim for 7-8 hours per night.
  • Get organized and plan well. Set realistic goals, accept your limitations and ask for help when needed.
  • Find balance between work and your personal life.
  • Keep a good social circle, stay in touch with friends and family members you support and who support you.
  • Stay positive. See the lesson in each circumstance; view them as opportunities rather than disasters.
  • Practice deep breathing, daily meditation and relaxation; 5-10 minutes each day can help in big ways by slowing your mind and body down allowing you to process your thoughts and let them go.
  • And finally, and importantly, don’t rely on alcohol and drugs to relax you or to reduce tension. Get professional help of a doctor, therapist, or health coach if you feel overwhelmed or hopeless.

Stress is normal – staying stressed is not. Take steps to reduce your stress. Contact me if you’d like to work on releasing yourself from stress learn how to live a less stressed life.

Healthy Inside/Healthy Outside

Do You Have Aderenal Fatigue?

Headaches, Tired, Craving Salty or Sweets, Feeling Overwhelmed, Dizziness, No Energy, Excess Thirst…are signs of adrenal fatigue.

If you feel overstressed, overwhelmed, no energy or feel like you have more energy after 6pm than you do all day maybe your adrenals are fatigued. Your adrenals are your stress receptors and if you’re constantly under stress your adrenals get overworked and end up not knowing what is a true stressor and what is daily stress. This causes them to work overtime and become drained.

Causes for adrenal fatigue are stress, overwhelm, too much responsibility and no time to unwind, slow down or relax.
Learn the signs and a few easy steps you can take to support your adrenals that are healthy for your whole body by reading Signs, Symptoms and Nutritional Choices for Adrenal Support 

In addition to eating and drinking properly it’s vital that you find ways to de-stress. As a health coach I work with my clients to find easy and do-able ways to find peaceful calm each day; I can help you too! Please feel free to contact me at Dawn@InitiateWellness.com or at 508-243-4523 to find out how I can help you on the road to better health, more energy and peaceful calm in your everyday life.