Ahhh the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Canada. A great time to cheer on our countries athletes and watch the best in the world excel in their sports. Those of us who are now glued to the television are enjoying hours and hours of thought provoking stories, and phenomenal demonstrations of athletic performance.
So far the Olympics have been met with both tragedy and success! Is there a sport that I don’t like to watch? Not yet…Most of the winter sports have me sitting on the edge of my chair and seem to be for speed demons!
Last night the commentators were quick to point out that Winter Olympians are a fearless bunch, and I have to agree.
Here’s a quote from American Todd Lodwick on his comparison of real-life to ski jumping.
“The best way I can describe it is to go up onto the thirtieth floor of any building, and then get in the car and drive that car off the top roof, and then land safely. That is pretty much what it is.”
So I’ve got to ask…
- Would you willingly volunteer to take a wild ride like this? And not just once…but over and over again until you’re confident, in control, and know that 99% of the time you’re going to land safely!
- Would you even consider jumping if you had the slightest thought that you might fail?
- Does this sound like FUN to you?
These great athletes from all over the world have spent endless hours practicing their sports, paying attention to diet, nutrition, cross-training, injury-prevention (or rehabilitation) and many have still had to work, take care of their families, and handle other responsibilities.
And they are now reaping the benefits of their dedicated efforts by being the best in their sports and selected to represent their country in the Olympics! Way to go – I’m proud to cheer you on!
If these athletes can juggle life with Olympic training to achieve success in their sports, perhaps those of us with regular lives can also strike a balance to achieve success, whether it’s for fitness, business, or other endeavors. The drive, determination, and motivation that these athletes share definitely lights a fire of inspiration under me to make better choices and continue striving for success until I reach my own “Olympic-sized” dreams.
Do the stories of Olympic athletes help to motivate you? I’d love to hear what’s helped inspire you to stay focused on achieving your dreams.
Tags: 2010 Winter Olympics, Goal Setting, Goals, motivation, Olympic athletes, Olympic dreams
Posted in All Posts, Diet and Nutrition, Exercise and Fitness, Fitness, Goal Setting, Olympics by Aliesa George on February 19th, 2010.
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I’ve always followed the mantra of “drink only when you’re thirsty.” And funny thing…I am rarely actually thirsty! So in the past, I’ve consumed very little water throughout the day. It’s an actual effort to take the time and remember to drink.
There are two sides to every coin and since the not drinking much has gotten me to where I am now and I’d like to change, I’m now headed to the drink more water side of the fence to see how this new “drink-more-water” habit affects my weight-loss efforts and overall health.
There seems to be some debate about the philosophy of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Is it true, does, it work, has it really been proven that it’s a required health fact that we need eight glasses of water a day to survive? I found an article on Web MD, “Benefits of Drinking Water Oversold?” that says evidence is lacking. And in his book “Water: for Health, for Healing, for Life: You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty!” Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD shows the crucial benefits of drinking water for our health.
So I suppose we each need to listen to our bodies and decide what’s best for us! Since our body is made up mostly of water, and coffee, tea, and colas are documented to cause dehydration, it makes sense to me that perhaps a little more H2O in my daily diet isn’t such a bad thing!
My water glass is empty, and I’m actually getting kind of thirsty… Time for me to close this post and head to the kitchen for a refill, but before I go, I’m curious… How much water do you drink daily and why?
Leave me a comment below, share your thoughts, and let’s explore the benefits of drinking water for health together!
Tags: 8 glasses of Water a Day, Benefits of Drinking Water, Drinking Water, Health Benefits of Water, Hydration, Thirst, Water, Water and Health, Water for Health
Posted in All Posts, Diet and Nutrition, Health by Aliesa George on January 21st, 2010.
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So it’s a new year, and everyone’s back on the band-wagon to get healthier (myself included). There are so many choices and things to do it can be overwhelming. And then there’s the caveat that not every exercise, supplement, or wellness activity is safe and appropriate for everyone.
If you feel like you’re wandering and confused about your choices and what to do to really get results from your exercise program and weight-loss efforts, I’d encourage you to seek the wise counsel of an experienced health and fitness expert, or perhaps a nutritionist to help you sort out the details and fine-tune a fitness and eating plan that is realistic for your schedule and will help you confidently move forward in the right direction.
Another thing to keep in mind which has helped me a lot this week is a bit of advice from David Wolfe’s Longevity Now Program: We feel deprived and like we’re missing out when we start taking things away. Kind of like taking candy from a baby! Instead focus on adding good healthy things to your day, whether it’s exercise, more rest, meditation, better food choices, or supplements.
By focusing on what your ADDING to your lifestyle to become healthier, you might discover that the not-so-healthy habits will disappear without you feeling deprived.
This shift in perspective has made a huge difference in my mindset and the choices I’ve made this week. Hope that perhaps it will help you on your journey too!
Have a Fit and Fabulous Day!
Tags: fitness plan, Healthy, Healthy Lifestyle, Longevity Now Program, supplements, weight loss, Wellness
Posted in All Posts, Diet and Nutrition, Exercise and Fitness, Goal Setting, Health by Aliesa George on January 7th, 2010.
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Here’s an interesting story… 
A few weeks ago I was in Key West. There was a Palm Reader on the street that we passed by every day we were there. Now I’ve NEVER had my palm read, but felt drawn to this guy. I didn’t do it the whole week – and on the last night finally got up the courage to sit in his chair! It was interesting, his comments were spot on – and he gave me a remedy to help my stomach. Mind you I didn’t tell him anything, or ask any questions – I just sat down and showed him my hands.
I have had some sort of inflammatory issue in my gut for many years…(I’m thinking since I was about 12) Know that it has prohibited any type of weight loss and proper usage of nutrients. I also tore my rectus more than 8 years ago, and things in my belly are slow if impossible to heal. It’s much better, but I can do almost nothing and feel it begin to tear again and I don’t really know what will set it off until it’s too late. So it’s been a long haul getting me back to health, and after quite a few years of not being able to use my abs for support – I’ve managed to create all sorts of compensation patterns for torso control, support, and movement!
I can either laugh or cry about this since I teach how important it is to have your center working properly for whole-body health! I continue to learn new things all the time about my body and what it needs to continue on the journey to optimal wellness, and to get there ALL of our muscles and organs have to function properly.
Ok, back to my palm reading experience… He told me to drink the juice of 1 raw potato, 1 raw carrot, and a handful of grapes, every morning for a month. On the first day of my juicing experience, as I was sitting at my computer and slowly sipping on my potato juice, I decided to surf the web and see what I could find about the benefits of potato juice, since it’s not something I’ve ever considered putting in my juicer, and here’s a bit of the info I found:
Raw Potato Juice Has the Following Medicinal Virtues:
- It is one of the most alkaline foods
- It dissolves away uric acid and lime
- It helps prevent the fermentative process in the intestines
- It helps the growth of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract
Raw potato juice has been used to benefit scurvy, rheumatism, digestive system disorders, skin blemishes, swelling, and I even found an article about the benefits of drinking raw potato juice to help cure cancer!
I’m not sure that I can condone or believe that Potato juice is a cure-all. This is food not medicine we’re talking about here.. But I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and we get the information we need when we are ready and open to receive it. I know that this interesting little drink is definitely beneficial for me and my stomach (and how from reading my palms was I given the info is beyond my comprehension…) But I’m grateful for the messenger, and that I took a bit of time to research why it was recommended.
It’s been a few weeks now… I feel stronger, more energized, and it’s getting easier for me to push my abs to do more without strain. My food and diet choices are changing too. Don’t know who’s out there reading this that’s looking for something interesting to consider for improved digestion, but you might look into the benefits of potato juice and see if it’s appropriate for you!
Tags: alkaline foods, digestion, Health benefits of raw potato juice, potato juice recipe, Raw foods, Raw potato juice
Posted in All Posts, Diet and Nutrition, Health by Aliesa George on January 6th, 2010.
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Healthy eating seems to be such a challenge with today’s hectic lifestyle. Eating out seems to be “faster” than fixing a good meal at home. I have teetered back and forth on being “good” and eating well, and falling into not-so-great food choices with too many high calorie, high fat meals out.
But it’s a new year and time to re-focus and get back on track with better habits. I know I can’t do it all at once, it will take small steps everyday to keep me headed in the right direction with my eating habits. I’ve been cleaning out closets and cupboards this week and am looking forward to moving myself forward to a thinner and sleeker me in 2010.
I had an opportunity to listen to David Wolfe give a raw foods lecture a few years ago, and have continued to be interested in moving my lifestyle to more of a fresh, whole, and raw diet. The best I’ve felt in my whole entire life (and the easiest it was for me to maintain a healthy weight, was 5-6 years ago when I was consistently doing and teaching Bigu Qigong for weightloss and weight management. I believe we know the right things to do to make better choices, but time, habits, and emotional patterns sometimes hold us back in fear from reaching our healthy potential.
David’s lecture was very inspiring and I’ve been ordering products from Sunfood Nutrition
for the past couple of years. If you’re looking for some great resources, information, and healthy food products, this is a great place to go!
I’m getting back on track for better nutrition…will post updates on my progress for discipline, consistency, and overcoming my emotional fears and challenges that, in the past, have gotten in the way of my achieving optimal nutritional health! I hope that perhaps this link to Sunfood Nutrition will help you on your journey to better health too!
Have a Very Happy and Healthy New Year!
Tags: David Wolfe, Healthy eating, Raw foods, sunfood, sunfood nutrition
Posted in All Posts, Diet and Nutrition, Health by Aliesa George on January 2nd, 2010.
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