Are we taking care of ourselves?

Hi to the best women's networking group around!

The last few times we talked, I had left us with the challenge of doing one thing every day to increase our health, eating habits, or fitness. How is that going?

Here are a few things that I am trying on this journey. I did go out and join a Gym. If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you would know that I usually don't advocate the need of a formal fitness place to get in shape. One thing I have found about me is that I don't push myself quite as hard at home as I have at the Gym. I'm going to attempt to work out twice a week with the weights and machines, Friday mornings for Zumba and I have reserved Saturday and Sunday early mornings for a long fitness walk with my husband as I have a strong need to be outside to work out. So, that is good, I'm working out a little harder and we'll see how that fits into my schedule and I'll keep you all posted on how that is going!

This past week, I've also tried to be very mindful of adding in an extra serving of vegetables during my day. It has been going pretty well, (for this week). For instance, at dinner I have been having two large servings of non-starchy vegetables and a small amount of protein. And in the afternoon, instead of a junky snack, I have actually cut up a cucumber or had some baby carrots.

Speaking of the baby carrots, I have found a product that tastes really amazing and it is totally good for you. It is a soft, spreadable cheese that tastes like a decadent dip for veggies or pita bread, etc. The brand is called Allouette. My favorite flavor is the Garlic and Herb Light, believe it or not the "light" tastes better than the full-fat version. I have only found it at Publix, it is by all the other spreadable cheeses. Get this, for 2 tablespoons, it only has 50 calories, 4 gms of fat, and the cool thing is, it tastes great!

Another cool find is the freeze-dried fruit at Fresh Market, by Bell Tower in Ft. Myers. My problem with fruit is it usually goes bad by the time I get around to finishing it. There is a product that comes in single serving size bags and each bag equals one piece of fruit. They are called Crispy Green (they are crispy), and there are no preservatives, colorings, or additives of any kind. The ingredients for the Asian Pears for instance says, "Asian Pears". They have bananas, mangoes, etc. So far, my favorite is the pears.

So, whether you are a "work from home mom", a "stay-at-home mom" or will be busy out training women in business this week, I hope you find these tips useful.

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
LDWaldron@yahoo.com
www.takecontrolnow.TSFL.com

What should your e-mail signature look like?

Every single email you send should have a signature.

1. It should be plain text, no pictures, no logos. Why? More than half the corporate world uses BlackBerrys to communicate. Overly ornate signatures will produce highly unexpected, and possibly unreadable, results on a BlackBerry. Many spam filters may kick your email into the corporate trash if there is a logo or picture in the signature.
2. What should you include in your email signature?
3. Personal signature: your name, email and the phone number(s) that are most relevant to your average recipients.
4. Business signature: All of your contact data. Name, title, company, office address, your email, your phone numbers and the company website. It should be all text and neatly stacked flush left. (no more than 6 lines)
5. It is completely OK to leave the line, “Sent from my blackberry” or “Sent from my iPhone” at the bottom of a mobile email. It lets the recipient know that you are answering their email from your mobile device and that may get you a pass on some small typos and spelling errors.

Marsha Marsiglio

www.thesoftwarecoach.com

239-431-5456

Musings of a Health Coach

Hey to the best women's networking group in Southwest Florida!
I was looking over my other blogs and got to thinking about how much my life has changed since I became a health coach. I thought I knew a lot about nutrition and exercise. I felt like I 'knew' how to eat right. But a funny thing happened the other day. I was cleaning out some papers and came across an old food journal from one of the countless times I had tried to lose weight. Some of the entries made me laugh.

It seems that the more you learn about nutrition, the more you learn that you had no clue as to what was proper nutrition. I was obviously trying to live my life on on all the "diet" foods, the low-fat frozen entrees, the low-fat cookies, mini-cakes, brownies, etc. What was I thinking? Now that I've learned about the dangers of sodium, I was aghast to see the sodium levels of these so called "healthy alternatives"! You may be asking yourselves, why is salt such a problem? The bad news is that high sodium is silently damaging your insides, namely your heart and your kidneys. I don't know about you, but I want my heart and kidneys to function and function well for a good long time to come. So, educate yourselves, read the labels, and try for about 1500 mgs. of sodium a day. The easiest way to do this is by eating fresh, whole foods that are not processed. A tip I read said to try and balance the calorie content of food with the sodium level, for instance something with 150 calories really shouldn't have more than 150 mgs. of sodium. This won't always work but can be a helpful guideline.

Where did I learn all of this? As a health coach for a nationwide weight-loss company that uses portion-controlled meal replacements, how can I sit here and tell you to eat all fresh, unprocessed foods? The portion-controlled meal replacements that my company offers are the highest quality, pharmaceutical grade meal replacements that can be purchased. If you follow the "5and1" plan from my program, you will only be getting about 1200 mgs. of sodium a day. And our whole program is about education, education, education, so that after you have reached your initial health goals, you will be able to maintain that good health for the rest of your life!

So, whether you are educating women in business, going to womens' networking groups, or are a "stay-at-home mom", I hope you will be mindful of your sodium intake and keep those beautiful hearts beating strong!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com
LDWaldron@yahoo.com

"Commo Check" - Part II

Hi Everyone,


As I sit and write this I remember clearly, six years ago yesterday, the events of August 5, 2004 when a platoon under my command was ambushed in the city of Najaf, Iraq. SPC Raymond Faulstich was killed in action (KIA) and had many others wounded (WIA) as the convoy sustained heavy gunfire, rocket propelled grenades (RPG’s) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). As this day always weighs heavy on my heart I can’t help but think back to the exact moments of the experience and note the importance of the communication process and flow. Through the chaos of battle, communication between the command post and the convoy, between drivers of the trucks, and between security forces is critical to maintaining command and control and getting everyone to safety as quickly as possible. Stress and uncertainty is added when the distance between forces is hundreds of miles and when the loss of trucks guarantees the loss of primary communications devices. The chaos of this day can’t be described in this short blog but we can learn and compare to many trying times that happen regularly in our lives.

When a breakdown in communication occurs on the battlefield, in business, or in life, the sooner it is dealt with and repaired the quicker the road to success. Tragic and unexpected events happen all the time. The better we understand ourselves and those around us, the better equipped we are to communicate with purpose, effectiveness and clarity. Two weeks ago I asked you to do a “commo check” in your own life and your own relationships and I did the same. It was quite fun, wasn’t it? To make this quick and easy let’s just relate back to the DiSC. There are four primary behavior styles. When we understand our own behavior we can then “FLEX” our behavior to get better, more effective results from others. Here are the DiSC styles again and tips on how to “FLEX” when dealing with each style.

The “D” Dimension

Dominance

Direct and Decisive: D’s are strong willed, strong-minded people who like accepting challenges, being in charge, taking action, and getting immediate results.

Be prepared for: blunt, demanding approaches, lack of empathy and sensitivity, little social interaction.

FLEX: Be brief and to the point, let them initiate, stick to the point eliminate time wasters.

The “i” Dimension

Influence

Optimistic and Outgoing: i’s are “people people” who like participating on teams, sharing ideas, and energizing and entertaining others.

Be prepared for: A need for the limelight, overselling ideas, vulnerability to perceived rejection, a lot of talking and social interaction.

FLEX: Approach them informally, be relaxed and sociable, use humor, let them verbalize thoughts and feelings.

The “S” Dimension

Steadiness

Sympathetic and Cooperative: S’s are helpful people who like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and being good listeners.

Be prepared for: Friendliness to colleagues and supervisors, resistance to change, difficulty identifying priorities, difficulty with deadlines.

FLEX: Be systematic in your approach, use sincere appreciation, let them know how things will be done, show their importance to the organization.

The “C” Dimension

Conscientiousness

Concerned and Correct: C’s are sticklers for quality and like planning ahead, employing systematic approaches, and checking and re-checking for accuracy.

Be prepared for: Resistance to vague or general information, desire to double check, little need for affiliation with others, need for excessive details, trouble making decisions because they hate to be wrong.

FLEX: Provide clear expectations and deadlines, show dependability, demonstrate loyalty, be tactful and emotionally reserved, be precise and focused, value high standards.

Happy Flexing and remember part one: Slow down: LISTEN first, think, and respond later.

Back to the battlefield!

Inflammation, A Problem?

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a beautiful week out networking for business! Last week I left us all with an assignment to toss in a few extra servings of vegetables in place of something not quite so healthy. How did you do with that? I worked extra hard on it and did manage to have lower carb veggies with dinner instead of so much rice, potatoes or pasta.

I've been reading about inflammation and the role it plays in our health. I always thought inflammation was just like a pulled muscle or something. I had no idea that our arteries can actually get inflamed and that when that happens that is how cholesterol or plaque starts building up. I'm not sure I understand this concept clearly, but as I learn more, I will share it with you!

This is of concern to me because there is a lot of heart-disease in my family. We all seem to battle cholesterol, even me, and I think I eat pretty well. I have noticed that some will go on my program and have dropped 100 points off their cholesterol in just a few weeks and then there are others that the program doesn't seem to help that much. Could the ones possibly be dealing with inflammation? I plan on figuring this out!

Bottom line is: we need to eat a low-sugar diet, with the emphasis on fish, nuts, olive oil and vegetables. How do we do this in real life?

I have discovered lightly grilling vegetables really bring out the flavor without added sauces or butter. For instance tonight I had shrimp on the grill and zucchini and a few cherry tomatoes. All I did was wash the zucchini, slice it lengthwise and I brushed it with a little olive oil and some garlic seasoning and grilled it for a few minutes while the shrimp was cooking. Add a peach sliced in half and brush it with oil and grill for a few minutes and then you have a tasty dessert. Okay if you must, you can have ½ cup of low-sugar ice cream on the peach while it is still warm!

So, for this coming week of business networking, working from home or if you are a stay-at-home mom, I hope you will take a few minutes to educate yourself on health and nutrition so we can all get out and give our best to the world and at the same time still take care of ourselves!

Health and happiness to all!

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
takecontrolnow.tsfl.com
LDWaldron@yahoo.com

How To Beat The System Of Customer Support Voice Mail Menus

www.gethuman.com

1. Look up the company phone number online
2. Before you call that number click on www.gethuman.com to see the steps to get connected with a PERSON (not voice mail)
   
3. Call U.S.-based call centers during the morning hours on the West Coast
4. If you are not satisfied with the results (after talking to a human) you can say these magic words: "If you cannot fix my problem, I will be switching to company XYZ!

Marsha Marsiglio

www.thesoftwarecoach.com

239-431-5456

Forgive Yourself

Forgiveness

Hi to the best networking group in Southwest Florida!

Forgiveness! Wow, such a powerful word! Are there things in life we need to let go of? We are who we are because of past experiences. Whether good or bad, we need to look ahead. For example: Can we help it if we weren't taught to enjoy simple, nourishing food? The good news is: habits are just that, learned behaviors, we can choose to “unlearn” a behavior also.

In order to move forward on your journey to good health, you may find that you need to forgive yourself for the past. This may include forgiving yourself for short-term mistakes, such as eating a bag of chips or skipping a workout. But you may also be faced with the "big picture" - forgiving yourself for the long-term habits that led you to be overweight and unfit in the first place.

What does it mean to forgive? It has been described as "giving up all hope of having had a different past." After all, you can’t turn back the clock to skip the chips, follow through with your workout, or change all the little and big things that brought you to where you are now. Forgiveness allows you to let go of the past and focus on what you can control: the present and the future.

So, the future is today!!! Make the decision to take control of your health and learn healthy habits for a lifetime of good health! So, whether you are out training women in business this week, a work-at-home mom or you own a home-based business, plan your meals for the next week, toss in a few extra servings of veggies where you would habitually eat something not-so-healthy and we'll check in next week and see how we all did! I'm going to go and join that Zumba class right now, who's with me?

Lynda Waldron, Health Coach
takecontrolnow.TSFL.com
239-691-7960