Not just a detox... but a total life reset!

Have you ever flown into a big city and as you descend you literally watch the sky turn from a pure, crystal-clear blue into an ugly, yellowish-brown haze?  It's kinda scary to see the kind of air we were meant to be living in compared to the air we actually do live in.  It's like a toxic soup we absorb into our bodies all our lives, not to mention the air we breathe, the food we eat and and water we drink. 

How do we find a way to get those toxins out of our bodies?  Can we? Or is it a hopeless situation?  Why would we want to be concerned about it? 

I sometimes wonder if some of us have so much toxin built up inside that it prevents us from losing weight, causes excessive bloating and digestion issues and in the long run causes more serious complications. We workout consistently but seem to still struggle.

The good news is that our bodies are very resilient machines, able to neutralize the chemical onslaught. The bad news is that even our bodies can be pushed to the limit! We feel the effects in the form of lower energy, weight gain and weakened immune system.  We end up struggling to do what we used to do much more easily.  Again I ask is there anything we can do since we can't really change the environment we live in... 

I think so... It starts with looking inside... If we are serious about being healthy, it's just as important to take a look on the inside of our bodies as much as we do on the outside of our bodies. We can eat good and healthy, but do we ever take time to flush out our system with say a detox/cleansing process or even just fasting for a 24 hour period? 

I have been looking into the idea for myself.  I love the idea of change!  You can't always do the same thing and expect to get different results... I love trying new things to see what happens, how my body responds, how I feel not only physically, but emotionally, and spiritually.  The cleanse I'm looking into encourages you to look at it as a not just a cleanse but a total life reset.  You are encouraged to do it during a time in your life when you won't be especially distracted or stressed by events, at a time when you'll be able to focus completely on the task.  It is also best not to do any strenuous exercise during the duration of the cleanse (3 weeks) because it will be giving your body a serious internal workout, so it's important to allow you nervous system to remain in a relaxed state and to refrain from asking your body to repair muscle tissue at the same time it is cleansing and releasing toxins.  

I will have a hard time with the idea of not exercising for 3 weeks, but I love the idea which makes so much sense, that during the cleanse you are creating an internal system that works more efficiently than it previously did and a muscular system that's been allowed to rest, recuperate and recharge! We so often want to work our bodies hard because we know that in order to see change we have to push our bodies past the limit to get stronger and have more endurance, but we also need to consider balancing that out time and again with recuperating and recharging in more restful/internal ways.

It's also encouraged to journal about the process, noting how your body feels each day, how it responds, how you experience anything emotionally or spiritually.  I love the idea that it can be experienced almost like it's a personal retreat if we take it seriously enough and really carve out the time to let go of the rest of life for a while!  

In a few weeks the Wagner's are retreating it to the mountains!  I think that will be the opportune time to try out my own detox/cleanse!  I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.

Want to join me?  Check out this link for more info... and then inbox me on facebook to let me know!  I would love to share the experience with YOU!

www.beachbodycoach.com/donnakwagner  Click on "ultimate reset"

  

"Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well!"  

~Marcus Valerius Martial (Roman Poet)    

What's it Worth?

I recently read somewhere that the best investment we can make in life is in personal development. Why? Because that is the one investment that can't be stolen or taken away from you.  

Even if it costs you more than you want to spend or even what you can afford to spend it's a wise investment because the return on the investment is HUGE.  It's true... whether it's your health you're investing in, your skill set for a job, or relational skills the return is 100X the investment in regards to the ultimate quality of your life.  

Instead 98% of people spend and waste money on dumb things that give no return (like overpriced shoes, handbags, or starbucks). Why do we think we can afford to spend here and there on such pointless stuff and ignore the more important areas of personal development... why not take an inventory of everything we waste our money on and instead funnel it toward what will give us a greater return?  It's because our society produces consumer mind-sets that only think about how to spend money on worthless things rather than on how to save or to have an investor's mindset... We spend on worthless stuff and ignore important areas.There are many important areas we could consider that would give us a return on our personal development investment... but since we need a focal point in this post and since I'm a fitness professional let's talk about health..YAY!. What if we chose to invest in that area over worthless areas?  What returns would we get on that investment? 

More energy, strength and endurance to live our lives to the fullest!
More fulfillment and confidence when we actually like how we look!
Huge financial savings because we avoid heart disease, stroke and diabetes in our future (top 3 preventable killers)!
Pain free, strong bodies that carry us into our older season of life still able to have fun and be adventurous!


I don't know about you but that sounds totally worth it to me! Think about the alternative... being lethargic and lifeless, having no confidence or drive to go for our dreams, forking out thousands of dollars for health care and drugs because we are sickly and feeble as we age, being stuck in our rocking chairs longing for someone to visit us because we can't get out and take initiative to enjoy life... wow, that's gloomy.

 I was recently feeling burdened by what I invest in my personal health... but then was reminded of these principles and knew right away what I needed to do was change my thinking to line up with the idea of it being an investment!!!  It's worth what I pay for my gym membership, worth what I pay for my health food and supplements, worth what I pay for anything I need to help me workout effectively, worth it to be involved with a community of others who will help me press on, worth what I pay to get up a little earlier to complete my workout... and the list goes on... 


You were designed with all the right parts to succeed in many areas of life... what you might still lack is the skill... If it's worth the investment and will give you a return, get the skill, the help and support you need to grow and develop in profitable areas and don't get sucked into the mold of society... spending on worthless things and having nothing left to invest in what really matters and in what can't be taken away.

If you need some help to take your first steps toward investing in your health and in ensuring better quality of life as you age, I'd love to have you be part of my health and wellness support group!  We get the tools we need to workout effectively, we challenge each other in various ways to stay after it until we see the results, we have a great meal plan we follow, and we invite others we know who want to be part of a caring committed community!  For more information find me on facebook and inbox me!!  The best part is you don't even have to live near me to be part of this group!!!  

I'll be waiting to hear from you!!!  
Donna 

Find me on FB... mention my blog in your friend request so I don't scratch my head wondering who you are and whether I should befriend you!!!   
My FB name is "Donna Clark Wagner"

Daily Choices Add Up!

Most days I get up super early to get myself off to work. What a beautiful day it was today!  I don't enjoy getting up early, however, when the sunlight is peeking it's way through my window and I just know it's going to be a beautiful day... it makes it alright to be up so early.

On mornings like that I love to sit a few extra minutes in my sun room and sip my morning green tea with my oatmeal, blueberries and a fried egg or two... to be alone in the quiet is a great stress reliever not to mention a great way to start the day, to acknowledge God and read from His great Book for wisdom and insight to guide my life and lift and feed my soul... the deeper and more real part of who I am.

I'm blessed when I get to work because not only do I get to see a bunch of wonderful people that I sincerely like being with but we get to workout together and I get paid for working out... I just love that!  Today we focused on core stability and metabolic fat burning cardio bursts. After such a workout I love to refuel with a power-packed recovery drink.. not only does it quench my thirst effectively but also helps gives my hard worked muscles what they need to recover and get stronger. A must for my day!

By mid-morning I'm famished and take a few minutes break between meeting with clients to enjoy a whole, natural snack... almonds, apples and extra water. Now I'm energized for the rest of the morning.

A great part of my day is seeing my clients come in each day... I always feel a sense of joy when I see them coming to faithfully get in the trenches with me to move and give their body new life as they condition their muscles and cardiovascular system for long-term preventative self-care. I'm grateful I get to do what I love!

After my morning appointments I love stopping by Naturally Yours Grocery Store to pick up more real food!  Blueberries, broccoli, peppers, spinach, cherries, apples, bananas, avacados, almond butter, gluten free bread, eggs and a rotisserie chicken! For lunch I'll have some of the chicken with a big green salad and a big bowl of bananas and cottage cheese and a few cherries for dessert.

As I pick up the gluten free bread I remember what I heard... that wheat is really not as good for you as we once thought... I hate when the "experts" change their mind, however, when new suggestions arise I check them out and give their recommendations a try just to see if I get results... So I hear wheat causes the belly to bulge!  Whoa!  If that's true then wheat is gone for me.  I did try the gluten and wheat free bread and gotta tell you that my belly is less bloated!  Wooo hooo! Try it and see what you think.  It doesn't taste the best but if it delivers greater health and wellness I'm sold and will force my taste buds to adjust!  They do that ya know!  Interesting, since I eliminated processed sugar from my diet I no longer crave it and when I do have it... well, I feel a little ill. So just a bite or two is all I can handle and I'm better for it.

Think about your day too... what are your daily habits?  The little things we do each day add up over the years either for our good or for our detriment.  Stopping long enough to examine our days and evaluate what we're doing or not doing will go a long way to helping us get on our way to better health and wellness! 

Have a healthy day!!!
Donna