Simple Wisdom: Do just one thing

I got an email from my client Greg yesterday. He was frustrated that he hasn't been able to make time for some of the suggestions I had given him.

Greg is the president of his non-profit organization and a published, respected writer. When we started our sessions together, I asked him to come up with three short term and long term goals. He came back with SIX for each! It is a trend I often see in highly accomplished people, like Greg - they love pushing their limits. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be counter-productive.

Our first month together started off really strong. Greg began cooking breakfast for himself (making steel cut oatmeal), eating more greens (especially bok choy), and scheduling some much needed downtime.

Yet, eventually his life began to get in the way. He started traveling regularly for work. Eating what was available, and putting off his workout routine. He's now looking to get back on track.

My advice to him: Simplify. Do just one thing each day. It can be a relatively simple act - taking the stairs, visiting the juice bar instead of Starbucks, getting on the treadmill.

Many of us tend to focus on what is wrong (perhaps the weight that doesn't want to come off). Or what we don't want to do (like going to the gym). My suggestion: shift your focus on what you CAN and WANT to be doing right now. It can be very powerful.

For an added challenge, try doing one different thing each day. You'll see that over time these healthy habits will work into your DNA.

Are you regular?

Other than clinical settings, breaking the ice with a question on digestive health might earn you an odd look. Yet I find it such an important way to truly know what’s going on with someone. Much more so than the unconscious response that often follows “How are you?”

As a health counselor, I’ve learned that digestion is linked to so many of the areas in life that influence one’s health and well-being, including food/diet, stress level, and exercise.

I often ask my clients regularly about their digestion. I’m often surprised by the responses. “Oh yeah, I’m regular.” Is a common one. Only to learn they are having a bowel movement every three or four days! To me that is a sign of imbalance.

If you were to benchmark yourself versus others, this would seem fine. (We are a constipated nation!) Yet, we are all meant to have one bowel movement a day. When this is not the case it can lead to toxins accumulating in our bodies that lead to unpleasant things like colon cancer. Not to mention make one rather unpleasant to be around (irritability, short-temper are common signs of constipation).

But what causes this imbalance? Often it can be the foods we are eating. It might be allergies to common culprits: dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, corn. Or perhaps it is our diet (too much meat, not enough vegetables). Even the temperature of our food can have an effect (hot/cold, raw, cooked)! It also very much linked to our lifestyle. When we are stressed, our bodies often shut down normal digestive function. And we are sedentary, our bodies have a hard time moving the food through our systems.

Even the best of us digestive artists can go awry now and then. Including myself. So today I made it a point to take a yoga class (all this blogging has its consequences) and also order some delicious cooked food prepared by my friend Ella, The Regal Vegan, which is easier for my body to digest.

We’ll figure this thing out. In the meantime, if you see me on the street, you know what to ask…