CrazyBusy Mama! (Dot Calm)

By Mellisa McJunkin

It’s no secret we all need energy and I think it would be safe to say, we could all use more of it. Many things can leave us seriously energy deficient; lack of sleep, lack of proper nutrients, sickness, disease, not to mention the treatments for many diseases. That aside, here are five secrets to having an abundance of energy all day long.

I like to use acronyms to learn and remember things, so for learning these secrets let’s use the acronym S.H.A.P.E.

Secret #1 – Sleep – Deep, Deep Sleep
We all know we need about 7 or 8 hours of good, quality sleep. But there is an element to sleep this is often overlooked. It is not necessarily the number of hours we sleep but the time frame in which we sleep. Our bodies secrete a natural sleep hormone called melatonin which causes you to sleep in such a way that not only let’s your mind rest, but also helps your body heal, repair and rejuvenate. This hormone begins to kick in at about 10:00pm and tapers off at 2:00am. Which means the secret you get your best sleep from 10:00pm to 6:00am.

Secret #2 – Hydration
No, I am not taking about hydrating with a pot of coffee. The first thing you should do when you wake up in the morning is drink a tall (12-16 oz.) glass of water. I often add a spoonful of stevia and lemon juice as well. Since you have been a sleep for several hours, your body wakes up in a state of dehydration. Water will not only refresh your mind and body, it will also help expel viruses and toxins. So it’s important to drink plenty of water through out the day as well.

Secret #3 – Air
Breathing is good, I do it all the time you say. But most of us don’t take in enough deep, cleansing breaths. Deep breaths through the nose and out through the mouth not only infuses you with life giving oxygen, you are also expelling build ups of harmful carbon dioxide. Also, many diseases proliferate in an oxygen deficient environment, so an abundance of oxygen will not only give you more energy, but it will also keep disease from running rampant.

Secret #4 – Protein
Sugar and caffeine may give you a high for awhile. But you now what they say, “What goes up, must come down.” Protein on the other hand gives your body what it needs for sustainable energy. It burns slow and steady giving you an even boost in energy. The fastest and most convenient form of protein I have found is in protein powder. You can add it to water, milk, or even oatmeal or plain yogurt. Eating almonds or cottage cheese are also fast and easy too. Ideally you should consume a small amount of protein at every meal and snack time for your energy to last.

Secret #5 – Exercise
Most people resist the exercise routine for a number of reasons. Some say it’s too hard or they don’t enough time. But you don’t have make it complicated to make it work for the objective at hand; More energy. Walking or even bouncing on a rebounder for 15 – 20 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon can increase your blood flood and oxygen levels enough to boost your energy all the way until bed time. Sweating a bit is also beneficial too because it helps release toxins as well.

Most of us know all this stuff, so I guess you could say these really aren’t secrets. The real secret is in consistency. Follow these steps and it won’t be long before you will find yourself waking up before your alarm, with an abundance of energy and mental clarity that will last all day.

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Mellisa McJunkin has been a health and fitness lifestyle coach for more than a decade. She has a passion for researching and writing about many different health and wellness issues. Visit with her at her blog for more tips and free gifts at http://extremehealth.digi-info-broker.com/blog.

An interesting re-think of time management by guest blogger Cindy Dachuk. Enjoy.

If you are anything like me, then you likely find yourself overloaded with more things to do in a day than can possibly be accomplished. We use technology more to stay on top of things, and to keep in touch with everyone, than to free up our time. We try to cram as much as possible into our workday, to be as productive as possible, in the vain hope that perhaps we won’t have to work late or take work home to catch up.

Is it little wonder then that we are always on the search for the latest tool or tip that helps us manage our time more efficiently? After all, that’s the real issue, isn’t it? Not having enough of that precious commodity – time. Or… is it?

Maybe, instead of continuing to work at managing our time and tasks more effectively, we need to reframe our thinking. The issue with time is that it’s finite. No matter how you do the math, there are only 24 hours in a day. Instead of learning to manage your time more efficiently you have to learn manage the Energy you bring to your tasks.

Much of the early research on energy management comes to us from the world of sports, but it is just as applicable to our day-to-day work lives. Heck… to our lives in general! As a professional athlete, it is essential to understand exactly what it takes to achieve consistent, peak performance. Research has shown that though it is important to hone the technical skills each athlete brings to their respective sport, it is essential that they maximize the Energy output in order to increase performance.

We may not be operating our daily lives at the same physical level as professional athletes, but the machines we’re using to accomplish our work (our bodies) are the same. The challenge for us though, is that we are typically asked to ‘perform’ for 8 hours a day, a minimum of 5 days a week, without the benefit of the knowledge or training that athletes receive.

A key training method of elite athletes is known as Periodization, first introduced by the early Greeks. Periodization is the concept of improving performance through balancing periods of activity with periods of rest. Consider your typical work day though. You likely…

- Wake up to an alarm clock blaring at you

- Race through your morning routine to get out the door as quickly as possible to beat the traffic

- Move from one task to another, one meeting to another, with no pause

- Take lunch at your desk so you can continue to work… you wouldn’t want to ‘waste’ time!

- Race home, work tucked under your arm

- Fix dinner – Spend time with the kids (that all-important ‘quality’ time!)

- Squeeze in a little more work

- Collapse in front of the television to ‘vegetate’

- Drag yourself to bed so you can get up tomorrow to do it all again!

Where was the rest, the renewal, in your day? Oh… right… it’s called vacation and it doesn’t come daily, it comes annually! We live in a world where ‘busyness’ is worn like a badge of honour and where renewal and recovery get ignored. However, our ability to be fully engaged at work, to be optimally productive, depends upon our ability to periodically ‘disengage’ successfully.

Building moments of recovery into your work day will enable you to engage in your tasks more fully and passionately. Research has clearly shown that productivity increases when people build in periods of renewal into their work day. Even though they are ‘breaking’ more, they get more done than those choosing to work ‘flat out’. Some of the most creative thinkers (such as daVinci and Einstein) were strong advocates of breaks, to allow their subconscious minds to work out the problem at hand.

I have clients that will not schedule any meeting exceeding 90 minutes in length, without scheduling a break, recognizing the link of our energy levels to our body’s natural Ultradian Rhythms. And… really… most meetings run needlessly long anyway!

Consider breaking your day into 90-120 minute blocks of time. Rather than fighting these natural body rhythms, defer to them instead. A break needn’t be long in duration for it to provide you with enough of a rest for your energy and focus to improve. Potential ideas for workday renewal breaks?

- take a walk

- read a chapter of a book, or listen to one

- listen to music

- do some light stretches

- prepare and eat a light, healthy snack

- work on a puzzle, crossword, sudoku

You get the idea! Whatever activity would work best for you and relieve you of some of the physical and mental stress you’ve experienced so far. Allow your mind to switch gears, take a break from the task at hand, so that it can be more focused when you return. Odds are that the solution to the problem you were stuck on before the break, is waiting for you upon your return!

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About the Author: As the President of the Titan Training Group, Cindy Dachuk has traveled throughout the United States and Canada delivering workshops and training programs, primarily in: Understanding Style Differences, Personality-Based Persuasion, Executive Presence, Personal Branding, Gender Differences, Personal Presentation Skills. Cindy’s work as a Personal Coach has provided her with the opportunity to work with clients on a one-on-one basis, mentoring them in the development of a personal plant of action. Her book, It’s Time Now, is based on her experiences in helping others identify and achieve their life goals. http://www.titantraining.ca

Article Source: Ezine Articles

I’m guilty. Guilty of turning to convenience foods to fill my grumbling tummy during the course of a long afternoon working on my laptop. Guilty of feeding similar convenience foods to my family because I’m too tired to make the extra effort to cook something healthy. Guilty of turning to antacids because I’ve spent the day eating the wrong things.

Are you guilty, too? And do you feel yourself lagging after a so-called “snack” of chips or a candy bar? Or perhaps you turned to an energy bar — although a Snickers bar is healthier than certain varieties of those. (Stop! That doesn’t mean you get to run out and buy a Snickers candy bar because it’s “healthy.” Nice try, though. )

What is the secret to a long and healthy life? (Besides having a positive attitude and good genes, that is.) The secret is that we must eat the best possible food for our bodies.

As you well know, all foods are not created equal: Those created by the Creator are obviously preferable to those “created” in a factory or processing plant. One type of food enhances your life; the other can make you downright sick.

Did you know that choosing and eating the right foods may help increase your life expectancy as well as the quality of your life right now? It’s true.

Here are ten of the top power packed foods designed to give you energy, vitality, and all around good health!

1. Beans – Yes, beans. The musical fruit. If they give you gas, take precautions before you eat them.  Soaking them first can help. You can also purchase Beano to help head the gas off at the pass (I’d be lying if I said no pun was intended).

Beans of all kinds (kidney, navy, lentils, chickpeas, pinto, northern) are high in protein. Because beans are plant protein, they contain very little fat, carbs, or calories.  If fiber is a problem in your diet, eating a healthy portion of beans each day can keep your digestive system healthy.

2. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is coming into popularity as a food that lowers blood cholesterol.  You can make it yourself with rolled oats or eat the instant kind if you are in a hurry (try not to do the latter too often, as those packets tend to be full of sugar).  Oatmeal is a filling grain that also provides much needed fiber to keep hunger at bay and your blood sugar constant. I like to top my oatmeal with cinnamon, a teaspoonful of ground flax seeds, and a small handful of walnuts or pecans.

3. Fruits – Fruits are filled with powerful antioxidants such as Vitamins C and A.  Antioxidants are like little superheros fighting free radical damage in the body, thereby reducing the risk of cancer.  Berries such as blueberries and grapes have the highest amount of antioxidants. However, you’ll want to choose an array of fruits in a wide variety of colors for maximum health.  The antioxidants found in fruit boost the immune system to fight the effects of aging in the body. In the words of Charles Dickens’ Oliver, “Please, sir, I want some more.”

4. Allium foods – This class of foods includes garlic, onions, leeks and shallots.  Never mind what they do to your breath — this is a powerful family of bulbs! Garlic, for one, is known for lowering cholesterol and fighting illness.  Allium vegetables healp guard the body against the risk of cancer and many other ailments.  They also help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots.  Eating these power packed vegetables in their natural state — especially garlic — increases their health benefits.  

5. Salmon – Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of heart disease and other conditions like atherosclerosis.  Wild salmon is a fatty fish but it contains good fats that have been shown to improve health not only in adults but in children, as well.  Salmon is also rich in protein.

6. Flaxseed – Like salmon, Flaxseed contains omega-3 , omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids.  You get a lot of power to fight high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes with this seed.  Ground flax seed can be added to fruit smoothies, sprinkled in yogurt, eaten with cereal (like oatmeal, as I’d mentioned above), or added to pancake mix, to name just a few uses.

7. Peppers – My sister, an RN, once told me that the more colorful your diet is, the more healthy you’ll be. Peppers are a great way to add some of that healthy color to your diet.  The vibrant colors of peppers tell you that they’re full of many of the good things your body needs. For example, they contain antioxidants like beta-carotene and Vitamin C.

Peppers come in many varieties, so there’s something for everyone. As far as “heat,” they range from mild and sweet to so hot you’ll want to call the fire department.  All peppers contain a substance called capsaicin. Capsaicin has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties,  and lowers the risk of cancer and heart disease. Peppers are excellent in salads and many other dishes.

8. Nuts and seeds – Peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, and pistachios are all providers of good fats and protein, and even help to lower cholesterol. Toss a handful into a salad or finely crush them to use as a coating on chicken instead of higher carb bread crumbs. Keep a bowl of almonds around for some healthy snacking. 

9. Açai –  I’ll admit I don’t know a lot about acai (pronounced something like ah-SIGH-ee), but this berry has been given quite a bit of press lately.  Apparently, it’s rich in antioxidants and increases energy, so I guess that means you can get more done and look and feel better while doing it! You can get acai juice and supplements in your health food store. Be wary, though, about clicking on online ads for acai — some of those ads are scams (though the above link is not).

10. Yogurt –  In my opinion, the best thing about yogurt is that it contains friendly bacteria to help promote a healthy digestive system. Yogurt contains calcium, Vitamin B, and protein.  If you don’t drink milk, yogurt is an alternative to get your calcium in to build strong bones and teeth.  Lowfat or fat free yogurt is best. (Yes, you can eat yogurt if you’re lactose-intolerant.) Make sure the kind you buy states on the label that it contains “live, active cultures.”

If you’re not a fan of yogurt, the beneficial bacteria your body needs (a.k.a. probiotics), can also be taken in caplet form.

Here’s a bonus tip: Drink your water. A lack of energy can also be caused by dehydration. Keep a bottle or glass of water within reach while you’re working.

Building a better, healthier body — and being a more productive work-at-home mom — begins with what you eat.  Try some of the super foods mentioned above to get that energy you’re needing.

What kinds of snacks do you eat to keep yourself going during the mid-day slump?
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