What is healthy eating? Even though this question seems simple the answers will vary greatly depending on who you ask. No wonder that eating healthy becomes very confusing for a normal person like you or me.

There are plenty of theories about healthy eating nowadays but most of them won’t work for you. A diet/nutrition plan created without consideration of your preferences, goals, budget and simple likes/dislikes is just a waste of time.

I personally don’t like turnips and celery and there is no way that I can tolerate anything slimy in nature (like boiled okra or runny eggs…yuck!) If somebody told me that I had to eat those items every day to stay healthy I would say “Forget it!”

If you want to create a healthy diet that you can stick to then you need to answer the following questions:

1. What is your budget?

Do you know how much you spend on food monthly? How much would you like to spend ideally?

In August I decided for the first time to track my monthly expenses. The number shocked me (to say the least!) Writing down every little thing that we were paying for made me realize how many useless purchases we were making (especially for food.) Obviously, eating out was the biggest problem but even grocery shopping was way too high for our family. In January we managed to cut our grocery expenses by 56% and I am very satisfied with the result.

When you are in a budget-saving mode you need to eliminate expenses that are not imperative to you. Obviously the budget will be different for every person and your healthy eating plan will depend upon it. For John from New York $200/week on groceries will look like a major cut back while for Jane from Alabama $75/week actually means splurging.

Homework: Start tracking your current food expenses and figure out your ideal budget. If you want to make this process a little faster download the Grocery Budget template and make a list of all your pantry, freezer and refrigerator staples. Include the prices and how often you buy them – this will give you a general idea of how much you are currently spending on food.

2. What are your personal considerations?

Make a list of all goals that you would like to achieve with healthy eating. Include your personal likes/ dislikes, food intolerances or allergies. A healthy eating plan should satisfy every single point on your list.

Right after you are done creating this list write down how you can achieve these goals.

I am lactose intolerant so obviously I have to consider this when creating my personal healthy eating plan. I used to buy lactose-free milk but I felt that my body still wasn’t processing it right. This month I am moving to soy milk (which I disliked most of my life) and am trying to acquire a taste for it.

If you feel that something isn’t working for your body then now is the time to try a different diet.

Here are some common considerations for you:

1. Gluten intolerance (Celiac disease) affects 1 in 133 Americans. Read the most common symptoms of gluten intolerance.
2. Lactose intolerance affects about 60% of the world population. The degree of intolerance differs greatly but you can read the most important facts and symptoms here.
3. Artificial sweeteners can cause allergic reactions and keep you from losing weight.
4. 9 out of 10 Americans eat too much salt every day, and many of them get more than twice the recommended amount (2300 mg or 1500mg according to the new guidelines.) High sodium intake increases chances of dying prematurely of any cause by 50%

3. What are your food preferences?

Going from eating pizza to munching on broccoli overnight is a recipe for disaster. In order to stick to your new diet you need to adjust it to your taste and your food preferences. Make a list of taste/items that you love and the list of items that you despise and can’t eat at any condition.

During the Healthy Eating on a Budget Challenge you will focus on making healthier choices to satisfy your taste and avoiding at all costs ingredients that you hate.

4. Where are you right now?

In order to make healthy eating changes you need to look critically at your current diet. What are the healthiest/unhealthiest meals that you eat? What changes will be the easiest ones to make?

Download a Food Diary template and commit to filling it out for the next few days. In the Notes section of the template analyze what you ate during the day, what choices were healthy and which ones not so much.

Also pay attention to how much money you spend on eating daily especially if you buy your lunch or coffee daily. All these little things make a big difference for your health and for your budget.

5. How are people around you involved in your healthy eating plan?

If you cook for the entire family then obviously you need to consider everybody’s tastes. Trying to fix 2 or 3 different meals to satisfy everybody’s preferences will be an absolute nightmare. Write down everything you need to remember about members of your family before you start the challenge. You can use the questions 2 through 4 to guide you through the process.

6. What is your personal idea of a healthy diet?

Take a look at all of the answers that you just wrote down. Where do they take you?

A lot of diets are based on extremes like

• eating very few carbs as opposed to being a carbohydrate-junky,
• going vegetarian or vegan as opposed to being a determined carnivore,
• eating only raw foods as opposed to eating highly processed foods,
• cooking everything from scratch as opposed to buying everything premade,
• eating no sugar at all as opposed to having sugary treats all day long,
• going low-to-no fat as opposed to devouring greasy foods all the time.

In order to make your healthy eating plan work you need to find a golden middle between these options. Don’t let fads influence your health choices but rather listen to your body and choose what is right for you. The next 30 days is the perfect time to try something new and if it doesn’t work for some reason, then you can always go back to your old lifestyle or try a different approach.

My personal take on healthy eating

If everything you just read still seems confusing then let me tell you what healthy eating on a budget means for me. Feel free to follow in my steps but I greatly recommend that you create your personal healthy eating plan.

1. I am not a vegetarian but I eat red meat once every 3-4 months, eat low fat poultry 2-3 times during the week, cook fish at least once a week (more if possible) and enjoy vegetarian meals the rest of the time.
2. For every meal I try to stick to the 4/1/1 carb/protein/fat ratio. I am not on a low carb diet but I choose carbs rich in fiber, whole grains and vegetables most of the time. Refined carbs (cookies, sugary cereals, white bread, candy etc.) are just occasional treats and not every-day staples.
3. I love sweets (and frankly speaking I couldn’t imagine my life without them until recently) but now I stick to natural “candy” (a few pieces of dried apricots, bananas and fruit low in sugar like apples and berries.) A few times a week I will treat myself to a small piece of dark chocolate or a small bowl of natural ice-cream (I can’t imagine my life without it even though I am lactose intolerant )
4. I don’t drink any soda or any other sweetened drinks. My favorite drinks are water, flavored green tea without sugar (hot or cold), an occasional glass of juice or a cup of black coffee.
5. I have a rule: every meal should have at least one green or brightly colored item in it. For breakfast I add frozen berries to my cereal, for lunch I have an apple or add a small salad to my meal and for dinner I always make vegetables the main ingredient.
6. 95% of the recipes that I use take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Anything longer than 30 minutes is cooked during the weekend when I have some extra time.
7. I avoid buying processed foods (like canned soup or pasta sauce) due to high contents of sodium and preservatives. However, I LOVE hot dogs (so does one of my girls) and I have this treat every once in a while (I choose turkey dogs with no nitrates added.) Some processed foods like thin-crust pizza (no pepperoni) and canned vegetables (corn, beans, peas etc.) are still staples in my house because they are easy, time-saving and pretty healthy.
8. I say a definite NO to:
   • artificial sweeteners;
   • High Fructose Corn Syrup;
   • Partially Hydrogenated or Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats);
   • grocery items with ingredient lists longer than 4 lines.
9. Vegetables are usually minimally processed in my house (sautéed or steamed for a few minute, sometimes grilled or roasted.)
10. Healthy fats (nuts, vegetable oils) are an essential part of my diet. I don’t cook low-to-no-fat meals however I limit the amount of saturated fat by using lean meats, avoiding heavy cream and enjoying butter sparingly.
11. I stick to all these rules only 90% of the time and enjoy myself (in moderation) the remaining ten.

It took me and my husband several years to come up with these diet guidelines but they work for us. If you decide to follow my example please pick only 1-2 habits at a time, otherwise you will be overwhelmed and disappointed.

A healthy balanced diet is a harmonious combination of all of the mentioned above factors without sacrifices that you can’t sustain for a lifetime. There is a healthy alternative pretty much for anything and with a little creativity and some research you will be able to find it.

Homework for the week:

• Answer the following questions:
  1. What is your budget? –use the Grocery Budget template
  2. What are your personal considerations?
  3. What are your food preferences?
  4. Where are you right now? – use the Food Diary template
  5. How are people around you involved in your healthy eating plan?
  6. What is your personal idea of a healthy diet?
• Based on these answers create your personal Healthy Eating Plan.
• Share your answers or your plan in the comments below.

Please remember that this is just the first “draft” and you will be updating it along the challenge.

Do you have any questions? Please ask them in the comments and start your question with QUESTION.

If you like this article and are enjoying this challenge please invite your friends or family members to join us. Please Tweet, Facebook or email the link to this article to your friends.

Keep it balanced!

P.S. If you made it here from Twitter, Facebook or a,link from friend, why not join our Healthy Eating on a Budget Challenge (HEBC)? This is part 2 of the challenge so you still have time to join our FREE challenge. Click here to join the Healthy Eating on a Budget Challenge.

Photo credit: dreamstime

Health one bite at a time

Every year, every month or every time that we overeat and feel bad after it we make a resolution to eat healthier. But how often do we keep that promise?

Sometimes we stick to a healthy plan until the next big family event. Or maybe until a party with delicious and diabolically tempting food. Or maybe until the next stressful day (and we have plenty of those.)

An easy and obviously important goal like healthy eating sometimes seems unrealistic to achieve.

At the beginning of the year I ran an annual BalanceInMe survey to see how balanced all of us are and the results are in.

The majority of the BalanceInMe community has trouble staying healthy and the results haven’t changed much from last year (if anything, in 2011 the number of those who couldn’t keep their health in balance increased by 3%.)

Isn’t it time to change this vicious cycle?

I invite you to join a Healthy Eating Challenge (it’s absolutely free.)

When it comes to improving health it’s best to start one step at a time and nutrition is the foremost and most vital step. Our bodies need balanced and high quality fuel to produce the energy that will help us deal with everyday tasks and stress, find power for exercise and keep all our vital systems humming in harmony.

Why is it so hard to eat healthy?

Eating healthy should be the most natural and easiest thing to do but in reality it’s quite the opposite. If you’ve tried to eat healthy before but didn’t succeed then you are not alone.

Healthy eating is hard today.

Our society and our lifestyles make healthy eating difficult. Let’s look at just a few factors.

1. Scientific confusion. If you’ve tried a healthy nutrition plan before then you probably got confused with all the information (often contradicting each other) that is available today.

   One day we hear that eggs are our worst enemies, the next day they are our best friends.

   One day we hear that vegetarianism is the healthiest way of living, next day we read studies that meat is vital for heart health.

   Some experts say that wheat products are okay to eat while others are screaming that it’s the cause of all evil.

   How can you not be confused with all this?
   
   What facts confuse you? Ask your questions in the comments so that we can find the truth.

2. Healthy eating is expensive. We all understand that if we could buy all things organic and use only high-buck nutrition power-houses then our health would be in perfect balance. I don’t know about you, but there are not many things that I can afford to buy organic before going bankrupt. And is organic eating really that good or is it just hype to make consumers, you and me, pay ten times more for a product that is worth only a few cents?

   Did you ever read a healthy recipe that is more expensive to fix from scratch than buy a meal for two at a restaurant? I did, and honestly, it’s very discouraging for a person who is just trying to eat healthy on a budget.

   Is it possible to eat healthy without ruining your family budget? Yes, it is and we will focus on it during our Healthy Eating Challenge.

3. Healthy eating (and mainly cooking) takes too much time. I have a question. What’s faster, going through a drive-through on the way home from work or fixing a healthy dinner from scratch?

   I would imagine that the drive-through would seem like the right answer to you but it doesn’t have to.

   So many healthy meals take only 10-20 minutes to cook and use cheap ingredients that are already in your pantry. The rule in my house is not to fix a meal during the work week that takes more than 20 minutes. I am sure that each one of us can find this time (even after the most stressful or busy day) to take care of our health and the health of our loved ones.

4. Healthy eating is not tasty. The tastiest things in the world are not healthy, it’s true. I wish a bowl of ice-cream were as healthy as steamed broccoli. Or a slice of pizza as nourishing as brown rice with steamed fish.

   We are hard wired into craving fatty, salty and sugary foods and there is no telling why God created us this way.

   BUT it is possible to acquire taste for healthy food and you can enjoy delicious meals without sacrificing the taste that you love.

   It’s a proven fact that we get addicted to unhealthy food (soda, fatty or salty foods, sugary deserts etc.) and the modern food industry does everything they can to put us on the hook. But just a month without this junk in your body will give your taste buds a complete makeover.

What challenges do you face when it comes to healthy eating?

Whether you are trying to eat healthier or you have accomplished this goal already and want to share your knowledge and experience with others, I invite you to join the 1 Month of Healthy Eating Challenge.

No matter how busy or laid back our lifestyles are we can all take a little bit of time for ourselves and do something nice for our bodies – nourish them with love, care and budget-friendly healthy meals.

What can I expect from the Challenge?

In order to make this month a success we all need to set specific goals that we will be working towards. This week please think of the goals that you would like to reach (lose weight, lower cholesterol, cut back on grocery bills etc.) and share your goals in the comments.

• Every week I will post one article that will focus on a healthy eating concept.
• Every few days I will post healthy recipes that I fix during the week and I would love for you to share yours (a lot of recipe sharing will be going on on Facebook.)
• Every week I will answer your questions about healthy eating (please start asking them in the comments and start each question with QUESTION: so that I can easily spot them.)
• We will commit to supporting each other and keeping each other accountable in the comments, on Facebook or in any other way.

When does the challenge start?

I know that we all need a little bit of time to get mentally prepared for a challenge (or finish a bucket of ice-cream in the freezer that might be too much of a temptation during the challenge, LOL.)

We will start the challenge in 1 week, on January 27th. Please mark this day on your calendar.

How do I join the 1 Month of Healthy Eating Challenge?

Joining us is easy.

1. Please leave a comment on this post introducing yourself and explaining
   
   • what challenges you are facing with healthy eating,
   • what goals you are trying to reach with a healthy meal plan,
   • what questions (if any) you have about healthy eating (please start a question with QUESTION so that I can easily spot them.)

2. If you are an expert on healthy living already please introduce yourself and tell us a few things about how you managed to stick to a healthy meal plan. We would love to have you here.
3. Please enter your name, email and preferences in the form below so that I can send you important information and motivation during the challenge.
   
4. Please LIKE BalanceInMe on Facebook because some of our conversations will be going on over there. I would love for all of us to share pictures and recipes of our favorite healthy meals on FB but we’ll get there later.
5. Do you know anyone who will enjoy and benefit from the challenge? Please share this post with your friends. The more people who will join us the more fun this challenge will be.
6. Please remember that this challenge is absolutely FREE. All you need is the desire to transform your eating habits, learn new healthy-tasty recipes and have fun along the way.

See you on January 27th here on BalanceInMe.

Keep it balanced!

Photo credit: andi.vs.zf

Did you ever have to think of a last-minute present? It’s stressful!

Maybe you got really busy at work and completely forgot to order the gift.

Maybe your gift can’t be delivered on time (it happened to me before.)

Or maybe the gift that you carefully picked out is simply not available at the stores right now (I wanted to give my husband a pair of running shoes one year and of course none of the nearby stores carries his size.)

And maybe sometimes you just want to give something extra special to a person you love but no matter how many sleepless nights you spend thinking about the present you still can’t come up with anything even remotely close to the perfect gift.

If you are in this situation this year then I have several very interesting and balanced gift ideas that I would like to share with you. Even if you got all presents under the tree already you can still keep reading to see if there is something that you want to give yourself this season (after all, taking care of yourself is a vitally important part of living a life of balance.)

1. The gift of farm-fresh produce. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get a bushel of farm fresh produce every week? You know that tomatoes that you get were on the vine just a few hours ago versus a few weeks ago. The fruit that you get is ripe and has just been picked versus being sprayed with chemicals to keep it looking pretty and fresh for weeks in a row. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a wonderful gift that will keep your loved ones healthy all year long. Go to Local Harvest (US), Making Local Foods Work (UK) or Food Connect (Australia) to find a farm new you. Call the farm today or order an online gift certificate that you can print and display under or on the Christmas tree.
2. National park membership. What can be better than spending time in nature? In my opinion nothing can bring you more balance than just a few minutes outside. A lot of national parks, refuges and botanical gardens offer annual passes that will let you (or your loved ones) enjoy peaceful minutes in nature any time of the day or year.

   How wonderful will it be to go camping with your family during the weekend?

   Do you feel stressed out after a long day at work? – Just get in your car and go for a relaxing walk under century old trees … Peace and serenity…

   Check online if your state offers park memberships (South Carolina – the state where I live – offers an annual family membership for just $50.)

3. Digital subscription. Do you want to help your loved ones transform their lives or try something new? Pick one (or several) magazines that you think they will appreciate and give them a digital subscription. This gift will be green, eco-friendly (no trees were harmed to deliver that magazine to their inbox) and useful. If your loved already owns an iPad or Kindle Fire then they will be able to read the magazine absolutely anywhere.
4. Mind and Body Program. Gym memberships are becoming too boring and impersonal. Even more, most people who get gym memberships go to the gym only for the first month or two and after that they revert back to their old lifestyle. I personally haven’t set my foot in the gym for over two years and I LOVE exercise.

   If you want to give your loved ones a gift of a balanced body that they will actually appreciate then how about trying something new?

   • A gift card to a local Pilates or Yoga studio. If the person you are giving this gift to is a total fitness beginner then I would recommend purchasing several private sessions (most good studios will actually insist on teaching at least 1-3 private sessions before allowing you to join a group class.) If you (or the person receiving this gift) has already tried Yoga or Pilates on DVD or in a regular gym and wasn’t too impressed then I am asking you to give it another try. The only common thing between gym/DVD Yoga and Pilates and a studio session is the name. Even most men enjoy these sessions after they try them and realize that Mind & Body exercise is not a Female Only thing (I got my husband into Pilates and have several male clients at the studio who love their workouts.)
   • An online Pilates video program. If a person you are preparing this gift for doesn’t have time to go to the studio or gym then an online program is the best fit for them. A blogging friend of mine Robin Long is launching her Pilates Body program on January 2. It’s a 6-week virtual Pilates and nutrition program. The registration is open right now.
   • If you are ready to try (or give) an online Yoga program then I would recommend 30 Days of Yoga. I took Marianne’s Yoga program this fall and it was amazing. I am not a Yoga person but I thoroughly enjoyed this class. She has Yoga for everyone: beginners, busy people, curvy yoga and of course everyone else.
5. A well-grounded gift for women. If you are looking for a gift for a busy mom who wants to have more energy and have a healthier lifestyle then Designed for Wellness is something I would recommend. Lisa Byrne created this course for moms who need more healthy balance in their lives and have little time to achieve it. The best thing is that if you purchase this course by January 2nd then you also get to enroll for free yourself.
6. An apology. Sometimes the best gift that you can give someone is not the one that you can buy. Do you feel that you weren’t appreciative enough of the people who love you? Did you offend someone this year? Did you say something you regret? Let your loved ones know how much you really love them by apologizing to them this Christmas if an unfortunate incident has occurred during the year. Write a long letter where you tell exactly you love this person and how sorry you are for not showing it more often. You know the words that you have to say, and now is the best time to say them.
7. Healthy cooking lessons. Another ingredient of balanced living is healthy cooking. When you try to juggle healthy ingredients, simple recipes that don’t take half of the day and tasty cooking can quickly become overwhelming. Jules Clancy of StoneSoup.com has created a Virtual Cookery School that will teach anything from reclaiming a waistline to cooking like a chef. Jules also has several eCookbooks and video cookbooks that are wonderful gift ideas for anyone.
8. New hobby. An important part of living a balanced life is enjoying leisure time. The life that is only about work, family and other necessities can put us into a rut very fast. Our lives often get so busy that we completely forget about devoting time to our leisure and even have no idea what hobby we might enjoy. Let your loved ones try one (or several) new hobbies. Take a look at this list of the most popular hobbies. Which ones do you think will be fun? Schedule a class that will teach the basics of the hobby, buy the first kit or the necessary accessories and make sure that you can give your loved one the time to try this hobby out.
9. Balanced Life. Do you feel that your loved ones will benefit from a more balanced lifestyle? Do they seem to be overwhelmed and overworked most of the time? Do you feel that the person you love has changed recently and lost connection to his/her authentic self? Give them the gift of the Reclaim Your Life course and take one copy for yourself (I told you that you deserve a gift this season too.) Presenting an ecourse can be difficult (after all you can’t put an email with a download link under the Christmas tree.) Here are a few suggestions:
   • buy a pretty flash drive and upload the course on it;
   • print out the course and put it in a personalized binder (the course comes with several motivational posters -you can print them on high-quality paper and frame them.)
   • send the download link for the ebook via email to a person who won’t be spending holidays with you this year.

Giving and receiving gifts is a wonderful tradition but it is not what this holiday season is about. Spend time with your family celebrating the real reason of Christmas, enjoy your time together and don’t worry about little things like presents. People you love will remember the time spent with you and not what gift you gave them this year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

P.S. You can receive an unexpected holiday gift and win a free hard-cover copy of the book Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions. Click here to see how.

P.P.S. Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. However, I endorse these items only because I love them and believe in them. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.

Keep it balanced!

Last week a client and I were discussing her decision to resign from her job and take some time to rest before deciding on her next career move. When I asked how she felt about the decision, she was very positive, commenting ‘to rest is delightful’.

It was a description I had never used myself in relation to resting.

Sure I thought of rest as refreshing, restorative and necessary. But delightful? This was not something that had ever occurred to me.

My life had not led me to come to see rest as a thing of beauty or delight.

Why? Quite simply, I had never valued it as much as I valued activity. Certainly I viewed it as important, but as a reward for performance; as something which came after, not prior to activity.

In my world and the world of most people I have been surrounded by, the approach to rest has been this; first come the activities of the day – washing, cooking, exercising, socializing, taking meetings, writing, making phone calls, and/or spending time with friends and family.  Then, and only then, is it time to rest. By the time this occurs, rest is certainly a welcome relief, but not necessarily something to be valued in and of itself.

Looking back, I realize that I didn’t respect rest. Even my holidays were spent traveling, jumping on and off planes, arriving in new cities, and immersing myself in new languages and cultures.

Thankfully I found my way to yoga almost 20 years ago, because for many years, those 5-10 minutes of savasana (deep relaxation) at the end of each class were the only truly restorative moments in my week.

Contracting chronic fatigue in my early thirties was therefore a great gift. Certainly I didn’t view it as such at the time – so busy was I trying to keep doing what I perceived ‘needed to be done’. I struggled against it for a long time but in the end, it was the only teacher that I could really hear when it came to understanding the value of stopping.

Completely.

Chronic fatigue is utterly debilitating. Hours, days and weeks pass as you stare at your bedroom walls, too tired to read, too tired to watch television, too tired to talk or walk and feeling just as exhausted after hours and hours of sleep as you did before you slept.

For me, it was the result of many, many years of putting rest at the bottom of my priority list.

Once I stopped fighting against it though, chronic fatigue became an incredible teacher.

It was the beginning of understanding what it might be like to live in a world where:

• not every moment was filled with activity,
• I didn’t need to get to the end of each day and feel that I had ‘achieved’ something,
• I wasn’t being woken at 3am to the bell of my overactive mind.

It was the beginning of really coming to value myself and my life, not for my achievements and experiences but rather for the simple act of being.

And still….

It took me to the conversation with my client last week to realize that I had become like the soldier who is happy to have a break from warfare but who doesn’t necessarily come to see the true humanity of those he labels ‘enemy’.

Any war I’d been waging with rest had come to an end, but I certainly wasn’t embracing it as a dear friend – as a delight.

And so my investigation into valuing rest continues.

As it does, I take comfort in the words of English philosopher Thomas Hobbes who said; “Leisure is the mother of philosophy“.

It takes a moment to really feel the importance of this quote.

Hobbes is not just saying that leisure is important to philosophy. He’s not saying it’s a nice thing to engage in, after you’ve spent a day deep in philosophical thought.

He’s saying that without leisure, there is no philosophy.

In that sense, Hobbes is saying that leisure – having time for rest and relaxation, not being occupied, and not hurrying – is the number 1, most essential element to every great philosophical work ever written.

In this Hobbes is not talking about the sort of activity which people view as rest – zoning out whilst sitting in front of the television, or scrolling through social media on their phone or computer. This is not rest. It’s rare to feel refreshed when you’re done or to be inspired to great thought. In truth, this is often a form of marking time until you deem it an appropriate time for sleep.

What Hobbes is speaking about is being willing to be still or idle.  To be empty of thought, of goals, of ambition, of perpetual motion or entertainment.

Simply being.

In such a short and simple statement, Hobbes turns my former priority list – socializing with family and friends, work, exercise, household chores, then rest – completely on its head. He says; rest and leisure first. Then see what comes from that.

Imagine for a minute a world in which this was the predominant way of living.

• The very idea of annual leave would become strange to us, so entwined would rest and leisure be in our day to day existence. Carving out time for these things would be viewed as not only unnecessary, but downright odd.
• People who took no time for rest and leisure would be viewed as unlikely to generate anything of great significance – having skipped such an essential element in the creative thought process.
• The incidence of certain illnesses would rapidly decrease as people gave their bodies the requisite time to heal as they’re naturally designed to do.
• Relationships would take a turn for the better as people had more energy and vitality to actually be present with their beloveds and engage with them, rather than being too exhausted to really see or hear them.

And quite possibly there would be a flourishing of creative and philosophical thought.  For in a nutshell, I hear Hobbes saying this; genius and inspiration slip into the spaces between moments of activity and leisure, rest and relaxation grow these spaces exponentially.

Perhaps you’ll take a moment to examine your own assumptions about work, rest and leisure. Are you like me who assumed for so long that these things were things that were to be regarded as rewards once you had achieved your goals for the day, week or quarter? Or do you view these things as an essential part of your working week – indeed, as pivotal to your health, wealth, happiness and every great achievement you’re ever likely to attain?

Samantha Nolan-Smith works with women who are interested in creating changes in their lives, focusing on generating change from the inside, out.  Her weekly blog investigates this different path to creating change.  When she’s not exploring the delights of resting, you can find her here on facebook and twitter.

Photo credit: Erlin1

Why stay alive? Many of us ask ourselves this question when we are saddened, upset, discouraged, and when we are in severe depression. Negative thoughts ruminates in our head that there is no meaning to the life we are living, and so be it.

I completely empathize if you are on edge right now and want to give up – I’ve been there before, and still go to that juncture every so often these days. But give me a chance and hear my experience on how you can lift yourself out of this devilish state.

1. Accept your depression

I was in denial for some months since my GP first suggested I might be mildly depressed due to stress, and should see a psychologist. I thought it was a “phase” and that eating ice cream suffice to bring me out of my zone. I had no idea what depression was about, and thought it was something that only affects others and that I was not as “weak”.

So I delayed proper treatment unnecessarily and spiraled even further down. I slept 20 hours a day for more than a month, I stopped eating and lost 15 kg, I didn’t see anyone except my boyfriend with whom I lived, and I couldn’t go to work.

Once you accept you are depressed, then you can start looking for a solution.

2. Feel how you are feeling

Is “hell” even enough a word to describe how being depressed feels? I doubt anyone can describe it aptly unless you have been there – those endless nights of crying for no reasons, wanting to disappear and become invisible, inability to talk to anyone or maintain any kind of social contact… the list goes on.

I felt angry, revengeful, bitter, anguish, despair, devastated, hopeless, helpless, sad, frustrated, disappointed. But I allowed myself to cry and to hide under the blankets and feel the full extent of my emotions.

For once in my life, I stopped suppressing my feelings – only then can we start to confront them.

3. Think about how you are feeling

Allowing yourself to feel the emotions is not sufficient however, but spend the time to understand why you feel such a way. The thoughts behind the feelings were what I had to tackle and address. Was it my upbringing, or work that made me feel rejected and dismissed?

Delve deep into your thoughts to understand why you feel the way you feel.

As soon as I could identify my feelings and the thoughts behind, I slowly started to see what aspects of my life needed change for me to be happy again.

4. Regain control

Yet, how do we be happy again? What can we actually do after sitting there inactive and unmotivated for a prolonged period of time? Part of why depression is such a ghastly illness, is because we feel as if we have lost complete control of everything possible. The worst is that we seem to have lost control over ourselves, and unable to make ourselves “feel better”.

To regain control, I suggest you write a list of things you’d like to change or make happen, and then be patient – pick ONLY one little thing to change. Give yourself no time pressure and no deadline. Do what you can and how much your energy allows.

I wanted to become healthy physically again and started to force myself to go running again. I used to be so sporty so I hated my own pale, unhealthy reflection and body. I told myself, once a week I would go run on the treadmill for 15 minutes. At the beginning, I managed about once every 3 weeks, and maybe 5 minutes before I felt faint and had to stop. But slowly over the course of about 6 months, I improved, and as I improved I felt like I had some control back over myself.

Little by little change your habits, but don’t beat yourself up over it.

5. Create

Allow your depression to take you to a level of creativity you had never imagined possible. Do it even if the world thinks you are mad.

I found my solace in “Bearapy” . I had a GUND Snuffles bear which I started taking out with me for a walk. Yes of course everyone stared at me, a 30 year old walking around with a stuffed toy! But I ignored all of them. Slowly I became interested in this brand of bears and started purchasing more, one at a time. I gave them names, I took photos of them, I created stories for them in my head. And it made me giggle. Silly perhaps, but it lifted my spirits.

With spirits lifted, I felt again, more control over myself, and then a sense of accomplishment, and the positive recovery cycle starts to pick up.

6. Explore your Spirituality

Use this chance of a helpless and hopeless state to revisit your spirituality and religion. Whether you have strong beliefs already or not, keep an open mind and explore other ways. Different religions or spirituality, however it is termed, need not be mutually exclusive.

I grew up a Christian, went to Sunday school and played piano for the church choir. I adopted all these principles and values but during my worst depression I started to question them. Eventually I started reading Buddhist teachings, Taoism philosophies and other new age theories. I can’t say I subscribe to any one exclusively, but I take what speaks to me from different thoughts, and why not?

There is no rule that you must strictly follow one and only one thought that prevails, create your own spirituality.

One particular teaching that inspired me is the Buddhist thought that while pain and hurt is inevitable, suffering is by choice. We define our own sorrow, and attribute it because we think we should feel saddened by a certain event. Stereotypes have taught us to classify different things as negative or positive. Indeed, depression was not enjoyable, and it hurt, and I felt sad all the time, but can choose to not suffer, and not lament. Rather I could accept it as simply a life experience and move on.

7. Stay away from doubt and discouragement

Some friends asked me “Why do you need to be depressed?”, “Snap out of it!” – if I have not de-friended these people by now I certainly have kept my distance.

When your mind is weak, the last thing you need is someone pushing you down further.

I felt so guilty as if I was committing a heinous crime being depressed. These people who questioned my depression only succeeded in making me feel worse about myself. Eventually I learned that I had to stop listening to these people because they were not constructive for me at that point in time. I had to protect my already fragile mind. So I blocked all contact with them for almost a year. I had to take care of myself first instead of answering to anyone else.

8. Be grateful for your depression

I never thought I’d say this, but “Thank you depression”. Depression forced me to slow down, to re think my life and decide to quit my corporate job. I have no idea what I will do after, but that does not matter. Right now, I’m just taking care of my health in mind and body.

There must be some new window depression has opened for you. Be grateful for it.

9. Know you are not alone

At this very moment, there are another 120 million people in this world suffering from depression.

Enough said.

10. Go through number 1-9 again

All the above is a habit that needs to be formed so keep repeating the steps over and over again until you feel your spirits lift.

It WILL take time, but it WILL happen.

These techniques are not substitute for appropriate medication and psychological therapy, and best if practiced in conjunction with other methods medical practitioners suggest, such as proper exercise and diet.

Noch Noch worked in banking as an international executive for the last 7 years and had to quit her job last year due to major depression and severe migraines, and now reflecting on different recovery methods and how to be true to herself at “Be Me. Be Natural.” .

Photo credit: NuageDeNuit

Did you ever fail at your health or fitness goals? You can be honest here, we’ve all been there.

So many of us (myself included) fall in to the trap of “all or nothing” thinking, especially when it comes to diet and exercise. Breaking free of this cycle made an incredible impact on my life and allowed me to make physical changes in my body that I had been trying to guilt myself into making for years!

Before I introduced the theme of balance into my life, I‘d frequently skip exercising all together if I didn’t feel like I had enough time to go hard and make it worthwhile. Life is busy, so as you can imagine, this led to a lot of skipped workouts; a lot more days of inactivity than days of activity. Maybe you can relate…

Exercising is a commitment (especially for us women. When we commit to exercise, we’re also committing to the entire “getting ready” process afterward…showering, blow drying, make up, hair, you get the idea). In many cases if we don’t have time for this whole process, we often end up doing nothing when realistically we could have fit in some form of exercise in by taking a more balanced approach.

Passionately pursuing balance in all areas of life, including my fitness regimen, has helped me embrace health & exercise as a way of life – not as something to put on my to-do list. I encourage you to explore what that could look like for you.

I believe that consistency is the number one key to getting in shape and staying in shape. My clients who see dramatic changes are not the most intense, they are the ones who keep showing up, day after day, year after year. Expanding your view of what constitutes a “workout” and dropping the all or nothing approach got me in the best shape of my life and it can do the same for you.

Next time you’re tempted to take a week off of exercises because you don’t have enough time, remember that every little positive step you take toward better health counts. If you only have 20 minutes, take advantage of it! You’ll be much more successful in the long run if you can learn to incorporate exercise into your daily life.

To help you think outside the box, here is a list of sneaky ways to fit more exercise into your busy day:

• Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood.
• 10 minutes of abdominal work + 10 minutes of arm work (sit ups, planks, the Pilates hundred, push-ups, triceps dips, light weights if you have them, etc.)
• Lay down on the floor and stretch. (Bonus points if you include deep breathing.)
• Pilates (visit Pilates Anytime for fabulous online classes or visit my website for a free 10-minute workout that you can download straight to your ipod)
• Jump rope. Do 3 five-minute intervals.
• Go for a short, fast-paced run.
• Run the stairs at a local stadium.
• Dance around the living room with your kids or by yourself!
• Lunges, Squats & Calf Raises (just 3 sets of 15)
• Do sit ups and push ups during commercial breaks while watching TV.
• Call a friend and meet for a walk instead of coffee or happy hour.

Hopefully one or two of these stand out to you as an option that could work for you. Next time you’re tempted to skip a workout for lack of time, remember that consistency can be more important than intensity. When you realize you’re getting trapped in an “all or nothing” attitude, reframe your thoughts. Remind yourself that some days you’ll have more time than others and that’s okay. It’s nothing to feel guilty about and it’s certainly not worth throwing in the towel on your fitness goals all together.

Finding balance on your journey to health is incredibly challenging and the messages we’re sent from the media certainly don’t make it any easier. Make one healthy decision at a time, incorporate a little bit of extra exercise here and forgive yourself when you slip up. Finding balance is the secret that will help you accomplish your fitness goals and keep you moving forward.

P.S. I’m honored to guest post here on Balance In Me today. Anastasiya and I have a lot in common. We both love health & fitness, in particular Pilates, and we both are passionate about pursuing balance and sharing our journey with others.

Robin Long blogs over at The Balanced Life. She is a Pilates instructor that has set out to make an impact in the fitness industry by challenging the messages we receive and the impact they have on our self image, motivation and success.

Photo credit: Dollen

Imagine that you are in a dark forest. You know that it is daytime but the trees here are so thick that hardly a single ray of sunlight can get through. You don’t have a flashlight or any source of light (and you are not a boy scout who can make fire practically from thin air.) You’ve been following a trail for a while and just now you realized that it was not a trail, it was just a path that rain water created after a recent shower. You don’t know where to go next and you don’t know how to get back. This forest stretches for thousands of miles and it will take you months to get from one side to another one.

You understand that you shouldn’t panic because there are dangerous creatures in this forest and you don’t have enough supplies to survive for more than a few days.
How do you feel?

The feeling of loneliness starts creeping inside of you. Here is another thought running through your head “I’m doomed. I will never get out of here…” You lose your hope. You even lose your desire to stay alive.

Not a very pleasant visualization, isn’t it? This is what your life is or will be without a spiritual spark.

Now imagine that in the same situation you have a magical flashlight. This flashlight can of course help you find your way back. It will help you discover the real trail that will lead you to a destination both meaningful and satisfying to you. This flashlight can even attract other travelers in the same forest and you won’t have to wander alone for the rest of your life.

This is life with spirituality. At least how I see it.

What is natural spirituality?

I can’t give you one single definition of spirituality. Just like life balance, it is very personal and reflects your inner world in the most amazing ways.

One thing that I know for certain is that each and every one of us has a spirit. It is not our body that defines us; it is our spirit that reflects who we are. Our mind is just a steering mechanism (or a processor if you are into technology) that can’t function properly without the spirit.

Today, more than ever, we need to work on nurturing our spirits. I can go on for pages about why we are rapidly losing our spirituality today: the loss of value of real connection (in favor of a thousand Facebook friends), complete domination of the world of technology and the loss of importance of natural living, stress at work and a complete absence of personal time, to name just the most obvious ones.

The loss of spirituality leads to the increasing number of suicide attempts, rapid growth of the epidemic of depression, development of unnatural lifestyles (I’ll keep my mouth shut on this one otherwise too many “unbalanced” words can seep through into this article.)

And yes, Spirituality is not necessarily related to religion. However, very often the development of natural spirituality leads to the questions that only religion can answer. But let’s stay open-minded and impartial (I’ll try to, at least) for right now.

Practical ways to develop your natural spirituality

Spirituality is not something you can learn by reading a book or doing a home-study course. It is the work that you do inside of yourself, day after day, year after year.
I personally tried reading different resources on how to be spiritual but none of them made any sense to me. I personally don’t pray to the stars, and I don’t think that Mother Earth and Father Sun created this incredible world after a fun date together.

I found my spirituality when I was not looking for it. I lived my life, enjoyed what I could, tried a lot of things and didn’t think that a well-educated person like myself needed anything else to live happily and fulfill my dreams.

All of a sudden, my life stopped going in the right direction. My long-term relationship turned from fun and exciting into boring and a “I-can’t stand-it-no-more” type. My other attempts to find my other half led me to losing part of my personality and making bad choices. The loss of control over my life led to bad habits (smoking.) And all of a sudden I asked myself, “Where am I going?” The answer that popped up in my head wasn’t really what I planned for. It was the moment that I turned to God for guidance and help. It was the moment when I realized that in order to stay balanced I needed something else besides cute clothes, a pretty diploma on the wall and unfulfilling relationships.

If you feel lost right now or if you are looking for a new direction in life let me tell you several practical steps to uncover your natural spirituality (and it doesn’t have to be the same as mine.)

1. Stop being in control. I have an exercise for you. Right now make a decision that you will stick to a particular habit at a certain time every day for a year. Now write a check on the amount equal to your annual income in the name of your friend. Give him/her this check immediately (I am not crazy, keep reading.)

   Every day for the rest of the year you have to call your friend right after you complete the action mentioned above. The very first time that your friend doesn’t hear from you or you are late with your “report” he/she has to cash the check and spend all the money immediately. Are you hesitant about doing it?

   Of course you are, and anybody in their right mind will be hesitant as well. Circumstances may happen, you can be out of town, you can get sick or you can simply forget. So, we can’t be in control even over a simple action like that. Can we be in control of our entire lives?

   If you want to develop your spiritual side you need to let go of several beliefs, and the myth of control is the first one to go.

   There is a grand scheme of things that determines meaning and purpose for everything that happens. We are just part of that scheme and we should enjoy being the integral part of something that is amazing.

2. Believe in something greater than you. Every once in a while I love to surf the channels and watch some history or travel show. I am particularly interested in documentaries like 10 of the Tallest Buildings of the World, 7 Modern Wonders of the World etc. It always fascinates me how the human mind can create such unbelievable designs and, even more so, how someone can actually bring those bold designs into life.

   Just think about it, Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai, is the tallest building in the world reaching unbelievable 828 m (2717 ft.)

   Allure of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship with the capacity of 6300 passengers (bigger than population of many towns.)

   Just think for a minute about the magic of Disney World!

   Isn’t it amazing?

   We can look at all these projects with awe and admiration, but is it real magic?

   To me magic is giving birth to a child and knowing that this precious beautiful baby developed from two tiny cells. What factory can boast building something as complex and amazing as that?

   Magic is the beauty of natural coral reefs and the fact that every coral in the world spawns on the same day, at the same time once a year. Now, who could organize such perfect symphony?

   Spirituality is believing in something greater than humans. We have no control over the world or ourselves. We have no ability to create magic because the ultimate magic is already around us; we just have to open our eyes and see it.

   Most of the things that we create by hand perish at one point or another while natural wonders are eternal and ever so fascinating.

3. Spend more time in nature. You just read the previous paragraph so it shouldn’t require a lot of explanation. Nature is where you can see magic and feel connection to the grand scheme I just talked about.

   Imagine that for several years you have to live in a closed-in room with white walls, no windows, and no access to the outside world. By the time you get out (if you are still sane at that time) you will see the entire world as a bright and colorful canvas filled with miracles.

   Open up your eyes to this world right now and stop spending so much time behind the screen of your computer or your smart phone.

4. Keep asking yourself, “What is the meaning of all this?” until you find the answer. When you discover all the miracles mentioned above you will naturally ask the question, “Who created this world?”, “Who is in control of our lives?” “Who is in charge of the grand scheme of things?” I found my answer and it makes all the sense in the world. But you are not me and you have to find that answer on your own.
5. Explore different roads of spirituality. When it comes to making a decision on whether to go to church or not, whether to follow the teachings of a spiritual guru or not a lot of people base this decision on the people they meet and teachers they hear. Some preachers/teachers have an amazing talent to convince you of anything in the world but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have found the true meaning of life.

   Try to separate the natural spirituality from your personal attitude towards a person preaching it. Before you make a decision on whether something is your true path or not give it some time, try a few different sources. There are religions or a “spiritual guides” that can support anything you want and make you constantly feel good. However, the simple road is not always the true one. Just keep it in mind when you make your decision.

6. Look at people around you. If you don’t know where to go and what to believe then look at people around you. Which of these people live happily? Which of them live according to the values that are important to you? Which lives seem inspiring and meaningful? How do their lives support their spiritual beliefs?
7. Start enjoying life as part of a divine creation. Your life is not just about you, it is also about people around you. We are all connected in one way or another and our actions and words can influence the lives of people around us. Start living for others the same as you live for yourself by being generous and grateful.
8. Use spiritual techniques. Prayer and meditation are powerful techniques that help you get a deeper understanding of your spiritual side. I don’t meditate but I do pray daily and this is the only “tool” that I need to connect to God. It’s not how much you do or what fancy technique you choose but what you put your heart into that matters.

How do YOU develop your natural spirituality? What answers did you find during your journey?

P.S. This is the last part of Live a More Balanced Life Challenge. There is much more we can talk about while looking for a perfectly balanced life but one year won’t be enough to cover all the topics. I have something special coming very-very soon for you. It will be available for three days only and is intended for your eyes only. Basically it’s a secret. Don’t miss it…

In the meantime, go to the BalanceInMe Facebook page to join our fun discussion. It’s another way for us to connect and to live more balanced lives together.

Photo credit: Bogdan Suditu

As we say in Chinese, icebergs do not stand at 30ft in only one day’s cold. Everything accumulates, slowly, stealthily, silently and surreptitiously, especially when it comes to our health – and ending up in ill health. What good would our prioritization skills be if we were laying in the hospital on an IV drip? And how would we realize our passions if we were drugged by endless pills and medication?

One crucial element in finding our balance in life is to first listen to our body.

Two years ago, I started to suffer from severe migraines, not a little headache that would go away with some sleep, but jackhammer pounding migraines. I was completely debilitated, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t watch TV, and I couldn’t focus during meetings at work. So many times I’ve had to force myself to ignore the pain whilst discussing a contract with a client, and yet to excuse myself suddenly so I could run off to the bathroom and throw up.

Panadol and paracetamol (Tylenol) stopped working on me, and the doctor kept prescribing stronger painkillers. I had X-rays and MRI scans done but all seemed normal, and yet the migraines kept coming. I would get dizzy spells and feel nauseous; locking myself up in a dark, eerie quiet room didn’t do much to help. The only relief I found was banging my head on the floor so that the pain of impact could crowd out the throbbing of the migraines.

Eventually, the doctor forced me to take medical leave from work for my own sanity. They said my migraines were caused by stress.

As I sat at home every day, with no energy to even pick up my glass of water from the coffee table, I tried to work out when, and how this all started, for it seemed so sudden since I’ve never had a migraine before that fateful day.

Yet, was it really so sudden? In fact, there had been so many forewarnings in even just the previous year, which I systematically ignored. Career was my first priority then and I was on the way up the corporate ladder, so I chose – perhaps unconsciously – to shove away the symptoms that my body had reached boiling point and that it could not handle another late night.

In the course of pursuing our goals, many of us tend to get distracted from taking care of ourselves.

These were simple tell tale signs, and yet so easy to overlook and dismiss.

I used to get stomach aches everyday in the afternoon for a few months continuously, just a slight cramp but enough to make me wince in pain. What did I do? I went on filling in the excel spreadsheets – we had a deadline of 12pm, after all. The economy was crumbling down. I was responsible and I needed to do my job, and do it well.

At one point, I averaged a cold or minor viral flu every 3-4 weeks, my GP probably didn’t even need to see me to know what to prescribe each time I slouched in, tired and exhausted, but just eager to grab my medicine from the counter and go back to the office.

Unbeknownst to me, these were all warning signals from my body that I was stressed, and I needed rest – not the spa trips or gym work outs that I believed were part of coping with stress, but a complete step back from what I was doing for I had too much on my plate.

Even as my assistant once whispered in my ear, ” maybe you should put some make up on before seeing the client, you look very tired and pale…” I still stubbornly insisted I was invincible. It paid off – I got good performance ratings at the end of the year – but that was about it. The little “1” on my scorecard was not very helpful when I was rushed to ER from fainting yet again due to dehydration from vomiting too much as a result of the excruciating migraines.

My immune system was breaking down as a result of stress, and eventually I collapsed, physically and mentally.

We are all trying to find some sort of balance that works for us in our life, in our time and space. But sometimes we can get so caught up in achieving the goal of “balance”, that we actually forget to take care of our most basic self – the body and its health.

So before you get to my juncture, take a few minutes for introspection. Is your body trying to tell you something?

Here are a few steps I suggest you take:

1. Review your physical health for the past year

In a notebook (or OK, on an excel spreadsheet if you must), record all the times you were ill, even a little sneeze, or pain in your thumb (oh blackberry addicts!), and try to document the time, the severity, the duration, and what you did about it. Leave it for a day or two and come back to it and try to write more down as your memory is jolted.

It will surprise you how much you actually remember if you put your conscious thought into it, and perhaps it would surprise you also, that you had more days of back pains than you remember.

2. Review your physical condition everyday

In the same notebook but in a new section, start reviewing your physical condition everyday. You can start reviewing weekly then gradually more frequently.

Create a system for yourself to record your energy level and also your moods:

• Were you tired that day, more than usual? Why?
• Were you generally happy? Sad? Frustrated? Why?

Also take note if you recognize pain in any part of your body, and document fatigue or trouble areas – the neck, the spine, lower waist, feet etc? Do you get headaches around the same time every day?

After two weeks, see if you start noticing trends. Compare it with your record from the previous year. Has anything changed? Do you notice patterns?

3. Stop if you need to

Once you notice physical patterns, ask yourself, what do you think caused them? Were there any particular activities that could lead to this kind of pain? Identify these actions and stop the behavior.

If your eyes are tired from staring at the computer screen for too many hours a day, stop reading this blog post right now and come back later.

Every little discomfort counts, and must be stopped.

4. Change habits

This is when the prioritization and time management skills you have read about on this blog come into handy. Plan your ideal situation and think about how you can eliminate this pain – are you exercising enough? Are you working too many hours? Is sleep your problem? Make plans to change undesirable behavior using the skills you’ve already learned.

Unless you identify the issues, there would not be solutions or improvements. So listen to what your body is telling you, every little pain or wince matters and is a message to which you should pay attention.

Today, I review my body condition every evening before going to bed. I have a log of when my migraines occur and when I feel more bubbly and energetic. My log also consists of how my body reacted after I started practicing meditation through Chinese calligraphy and taichi martial arts.

Baby step improvements and adjustments, and every week I take a look at my own physical condition to see what needs to be tweaked.

Everyone has to find the optimum way and balance for themselves. I urge you to listen to your body in the process.

Are there warning signals you have been snoozing too?

Noch Noch worked in banking as an international executive for the last 7 years and had to quit her job last year due to major depression and severe migraines, and now reflecting on different recovery methods and how to be true to herself at “Be Me. Be Natural.” .

Photo credit: Only Sequel

“There’s no such thing as overtraining, only under-recovery.”  -Unknown

Overtraining has long been a concern for competitive athletes who push the envelope of human performance, but it can affect anyone who exercises regularly.  The businessperson who does spinning classes on her lunch break can be equally susceptible to overtraining as the professional triathlete.  As an Ironman, finding balance in my workout plan has been key to avoiding overtraining and maximizing my athletic performance.

Overtraining is a physical, behavioral and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual’s exercise exceeds their capacity to recover.  They cease making progress and can even begin to loose strength and fitness.  But those negative performance effects are only the tip of the iceberg.  Overtaining can also lead to excessive and unhealthy weight loss, heart palpitations, injuries, constipation, diarrhea, interrupted menstrual cycles, infections, insomnia, low testosterone and depression to name just some of the possible effects.

But the term “overtraining” can be deceiving.  While training volume and intensity are key factors, they are only part of the equation.  What may be excessive training for me could be optimal for you.  We all have different levels of fitness and need to train accordingly.  Recovery is the key to finding balance in the overtraining equation.  And if you can find that training vs. recovery balance, not only will you avoid overtraining, you’ll also maximize your fitness gains and progress more quickly towards your goals.

So how do you know if you’re overtraining?

Common symptoms include:

Lack of interest and motivation – Sure, exercise can be hard and realistically we can’t always be excited to push ourselves in training.   However, if you regularly look for ways to skip workouts or if you’re just going through the motions, you may be overtraining.

Persistent muscle soreness – Exercise breaks down muscle fibers resulting in muscle soreness, but that soreness should not persist. If your muscles remain sore for more than a couple of days, even after the most intense workouts, chances are your muscles are not recovering as quickly as they should.

Persistent fatigue – Fatigue following exercise should be short lived.  In fact, regular exercise should increase your overall energy levels, not lower them.

Injury – Have your shin splints flared up for the first time after years of running?  Maybe you pulled a shoulder muscle on that last set of shoulder presses?  If you are suddenly experiencing more injuries than usual you may be pushing your body harder than it can handle or you’re not allowing for adequate recovery.

Irritability, depression and mental breakdown – Are you snapping at your spouse?  Maybe you’re feeling depressed or you’re overwhelmed and had a breakdown in the office.  Overtraining doesn’t just affect us physically, it also wears us down mentally.

Elevated heart rate – Granted, most of us don’t track our heart rate on a regular basis.  But, those athletes who train with a heart rate monitor can use the data as an indicator for overtraining.  If your heart rate is higher than usual, and remains high for a number of workouts at the same level of exertion, you may be overtraining.

Susceptibility to infections – Are you suffering from a summer cold when everyone around you is thriving in the sunshine?  Are you getting sinus infections or a sore throat more frequently than before?  Your body may be telling you it’s overtrained.  When your body continually works overtime to recover from training it can’t do an effective job of fighting infections.

If you find yourself suffering from any of the above symptoms, you may be overtraining.  If you are seriously overtrained, the only solution may be to take a break from all exercise and allow your body to recover fully.  But, if you recognize symptoms of overtraining early, some simple steps can usually put you back on track.  And the great thing is that the steps to help you recover are the same things you should do to avoid overtraining in the first place.  So don’t wait, find balance in your workout plan now.

Here are some tips to achieve balance in your workout plan and avoid overtraining:

Eat well – Your mother was right, you are what you eat.  Exercise breaks down your body and needs proper nutrition to recover.  Eating a healthy diet is probably the most important step to ensuring proper recovery from training.  Not sure what a healthy diet consist of?  Check out this simple strategy for a healthy diet.

Sleep – The body repairs and strengthens itself between workouts, mostly during sleep.  Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to effective recovery and helps to regulate cortisol levels, which in turn assist with enhanced performance. Read more and discover how to get your most restful sleep ever.

Cycle your training – You can’t perform at 100% capacity all the time.  Even elite athletes must cycle their training to maximize progress and prevent overtraining.  Cycling workouts may be as simple as taking one or two rest days per week, or developing a more complex plan that incorporates less intense periods of exercise.  This is essentially a form of active recovery that allows you to train while giving your body “active” rest.  The concept is similar to a runner’s pre-race taper.

Listen to your body – Plans can and should be adjusted as needed.  Sometimes we don’t have the necessary energy or fitness to meet the requirements of a workout plan.  In those cases, adjust and do what is appropriate.  Exercise should be challenging, but by listening to your body you can better identify those times that you should take it easy.  And who knows, your body may actually tell you that it can work harder.  Meditation is an excellent compliment to a workout plan and helps you tune in to your body’s needs. For a beginners guide to meditation, check out Walking Meditation.

Have fun – While exercise can be challenging, it should also be fun.  Find ways to exercise that you enjoy and you’ll lessen your chances of overtraining.

If you catch symptoms of overtraining early, they can be handled with relative ease.  Simply implement these steps and continue to monitor your performance.  But don’t wait until you’re overtrained.  Implementing these strategies now will help you achieve balance in your workout plan and avoid overtraining.

What tips do you have for finding balance in your workout plan?

Jason Billows is the creator and writer of Stop & Breathe, a blog dedicated to savoring life one breath at a time. Jason believes that by slowing down, reflecting, learning and focusing on what is truly important to us, we can create happy, healthy, balanced and fulfilling lives. Stop & Breathe provides insights, information, inspiration and tools to help readers create the life they’ve always dreamed of.

Photo Credit: targphoto

Science has shown that willpower is a very limited resource in us and it only works in short bursts. So I want to share with you a secret I discovered that uses heart-power to conquer cravings instead! You’ll spend less time and effort dealing with temptation, you’ll give in less often and you’ll feel warm and fuzzy instead of guilty and frustrated.

It all started with a choice to get healthier.

Several years ago I decided to do a major cleansing program that involved radically restricting my diet. Imagine, if you will, 8 months of no sugar, no wheat or gluten, no dairy, no red meat and no fruit except lemons and cranberries.

(Most people generally ask at this point “What’s left?” A surprisingly long list actually, but that’s another blog post.)

What I didn’t know when I started the cleanse was that I was about to get a very in-depth look at temptation.

And I mean, we got intimate!

I lived with it for days and weeks on end and just when I thought (in my safe little apartment) that I had it beat, I would have to go to the grocery store and go another round with it.

Finally, I had a major breakthrough and an insight that led to one of my most successful tactics for facing down temptation. In fact, I still use it to this day!

What I discovered is this:

Remembering something I loved, gave me the inner power to stare down temptation and win.

I didn’t really know why this worked so well at the time, but since then I’ve come to understand what was really going on.

Here’s why it works:

• Heart power is always the strongest motivational force within us and it lasts way longer than will power.

• Recalling what you love in a moment of temptation provides an immediate distraction from your obsessive focus on the tempting object.

• Remembering love creates a major “state change” or emotional shift from craving and agitation to warmth and fondness.

• Craving comes from an empty place that wants to be filled up, while love creates a filled up feeling deep inside.

..
But my big AHA moment came when I realized that:

The loving state and the craving state cannot co-exist!

So of course, I immediately started trying to find a love antidote for each tempting thing. And that was when I made another major discovery.

The beloved person, place or thing did NOT have to relate in any way to the thing I was being tempted by. They could be totally unrelated and it STILL worked.

So for example, you could be in the middle of a long put off de-cluttering of your bedroom closet and feeling incredibly tempted to go to the corner store for ice cream instead.

As your antidote, you could call up the feeling of how much you love your dog in that moment (let’s say you REALLY love your dog…) and suddenly find yourself feeling pretty good, not even thinking about the ice cream anymore, and having enough energy to finish the closet after all.

So the beloved thing and the tempting thing don’t need to relate to each other at all. It’s feeling the love inside that does the trick.

Once I figured this out I began my trips to the grocery store with a beloved person in mind. I would then walk the aisles repeating inside my head like a mantra:

I love you more than these brownies, more than these cookies, more than this cheese….

Now, I happened to use some “love comparison” language there – but there’s no comparing needed.

In our earlier example, you could just stand in front of the closet breathing in the warm feeling of love for your pet, perhaps remembering fond times or the look that cracks you up – with no comparisons needed at all.

In trying this out over the 8 months with many different cravings, I made one more discovery:

The stronger the craving or temptation, the deeper we need to get into the feeling of love to counteract it.

Mostly, this means it just takes me a few minutes longer to remember a deeper feeling, perhaps a really special moment when love was very deeply present with someone or something.

Or, if the craving was particularly strong and not ready to give up yet, I would simply have to repeat the process several times. During my grocery shopping trips, when temptation was constant, I would simply repeat this over and over again – calling up love almost like a mantra, on every breath.

So the next time you’re feeling tempted by a craving, instead of battling it with will power, try finding a heart-centered, love-antidote to it and you’ll see just how well this works.

Susan Johnstone offers essential guidance and wisdom to those seeking a more purposeful & authentic life. A coach in private practice since 1997, she specializes in transforming procrastination, self-sabotage and obstacles of all kinds into powerful fuel for transformation. She tweets and writes on these subjects at The Heart’s Voice.

Further reading:

• A valuable Guide to Resisting Temptations in Life
• 5 Golden Rules that Have Helped Me to Lose Weight for Good
• 77 (+7) Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy and Happy for 100 Years or Longer

Photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography