5 Physical Self-Care Boosts for Your Diet – and Your Life
There comes a time in everyone’s diet routine when it’s time to get physical. You’re doing good things to lose weight but you need something else to offer a boost.
But what?
Move those muscles, that’s what!
But there’s a secret to this success. It’s called planning.
If you don’t plan to schedule exercise, it won’t be a part of your life.
First: Start off super simple. Plan to meet a friend for a workout session of something…a brisk walk, a tennis game, a swim at your local Y.
Make it a weekly event.
What’s important is that you get out your calendar and schedule regular sessions with friends. When you schedule regular dates with friends, they’ll probably happen.
There are only a few details you need to work out:
Where will you exercise? Home, Park, Gym?
What will you do: Walk? Aerobics? Feldenkrais? Pilates? Golf?
When will you meet? Before work? Lunch hour? Weekends? After work?
Second: Use your watch to track your steps. My first fitness watch was a Garmin. My second, a FitBit. My third love is a Samsung. Each of these watches overperformed. My Samsung even takes phone calls.
But, don’t get distracted by all the wonderful things this wrist jewelry does. Use the treats which attract you. For me, it’s the magic number I check throughout the day which tells me how many steps I’ve taken.
Your fitness watch is a step counter. Mine tracks my steps throughout the day. My goal is 10,000 steps a day. I don’t worry about whether the intensity is low, moderate, or high. I’m concerned with the total. My goal is to enjoy myself when I know I’ve reached the magic number: 10,000.
Whether you have a Garmin, a Fitbit, a Samsung, or a simple pedometer, when you count your steps, you have a constant coach who travels with you and supports you in your health goals.
Third: While you’re at it, go for some strength training. This is not the same thing as exercising with a friend.
Strength training happens when you work all your muscles under the direction of a trainer. Whether you call it resistance training, weight training, or muscle training, you’re giving your body a bonus class once a week. Strength training is not painful.
The idea is to improve your bone density, firm and trim your body, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increase your self-esteem, and prevent falls. WOW
Find a qualified teacher and schedule a weekly class on a different day from exercising with a buddy. This is the training where you’ll start slow and set no upper limits for yourself. The sky is the limit.
Remember: strong is healthy.
Fourth: Join a yoga class. Yoga is therapeutic. It’s uplifting. It’s fun. It’s also an exercise where you compete only with yourself. There are many, many kinds of yoga and every teacher is different. Shop around.
I, personally, prefer restorative yoga. My current teacher, Carolyn Abedor, teaches Iyengar yoga. I love every minute I’m in her class. When you join the right yoga class for you, you’ll feel the same way about your teacher.
Fifth: Give yourself the gift of a regular reflexology session. Your feet are the command center of your body. A reflexology session honors you – physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Each reflexology session brings homeostasis to your whole body. Go for it!
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Thurman greco
www.thurmangreco.com
Spirit is a Change Agent: 5 Ways to See. 6 Questions. 3 Lists.
Sometimes, when spirit reaches out, we rejoice.
Spirit speaks, whether or not we are interested. The message may be loud or soft, depending on your self-care situation.
Lately, I’ve been hearing from people, each of whom is in dialogue with spirit. One thing, spirit brings change. I think about change this way:
When I choose change, the words in my life are different:
I can love myself more.
I release resentment so forgiveness can become part of my life.
I move from the old to the new.
I express love in more ways.
Today’s article focuses on one prompt instead of the usual list of 5-7 self-care suggestions I’ve been offering. I’m interrupting the series with this one focus because it needs attention.
Do you feel resentment when a client, a relative, a neighbor, a manager, a stranger asks something of you?
Do you want to spend more time with someone but cannot?
The tendency is to swallow your feelings and press on. Whatever the message, spirit speaks truth. However spirit reaches you, the message is an opportunity. Eventually, when spirit bubbles your feelings up, you cannot pretend you don’t feel the tug. Spirit is a change agent.
How does spirit speak to you? Do you feel anger, depression, fear? Do you feel love, calm, excitement? Do you smell roses?
Do thoughts enter your head? “I really don’t want to do this job, see this person again, drive this commute, feel this stress, stay in this apartment, live in this town, put up with this pandemic stress even one minute more.”
Do you see answers in clouds, on pages of books you find open?
Eventually, spirit convinces you to honor your situation and yourself. It’s time to honor change.
A good next step is a list. After all, “if it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist.” Right?
For starters, I propose two lists. A heart list comes first. This is an ongoing document you create while traveling on your life path.
I first found the Heart list in a book, “Fireflies” by Coleen Murtagh Paratore – a successful and spiritual writer:
Take a piece of paper and draw a large heart on it. What words make you happy? What words make you smile? Put those words in the heart you just drew.
Set this heart list aside for the moment while you create your Change list.
On a second piece of paper, list things to change in your life. You are creating your Change list.
Now, ask yourself:
How can I turn the Change list entries into action?
What should I do to improve my situation?
What can I give away, move, rearrange?
Change is a gift. Is it time to allow gratitude into my life?
Can I get comfortable with change? Do I even want to get comfortable with change?
How long do I want to live with negativity in my life: Ten minutes? Ten days? Ten weeks? Ten Months? Ten years?
Put your two lists away. But, don’t hide your heart list. Place it where you can see it whenever you want. Add add words to your heart list often.
When tomorrow comes, look at your Change list. Your positive future may lie in this list. Seek ways to create what will work for you.
Find ways to graciously and generously reduce contact with stressful people, places, and situations.
Are there people and aspects in your life you want to draw closer? Do you want to spend more time with others? What places do you want to know better? Are there positive activities you want to include in your life?
What are the best ways to remove unwanted habits? Changes shift outcomes. Situations move and create a rejuvenating ripple effect in your life.
The third list, my Ben Franklin Change List, is important now. I’ve used this list for years when taking action becomes confusing. .
Sometimes I’m trying to decide what to do. My options have narrowed down to two or three and I’m still trying to decide. I haul out another piece of paper and draw two or three lines on it. I list everything that can happen if I move down path A, and then I list everything that can happen if I move down path B.
I include “the best thing that can happen if I…” in each option of my Ben Franklin list. I also include “the worst thing that can happen if I…”
After I’ve written down everything and anything, I examine the opportunities these lists created. One list will be longer than the other.
Listing all the options and then seeing them for what they are on the page clears my head and my heart. This information usually points me in a direction.
And, finally, if I’m at a yes/no point and have not reached a decision, I dowse for an answer. My trusty pendulum always helps.
If you don’t dowse, there are still things you can do:
Several years ago, I was in a real quandary. I felt I was going in circles. Confusion reigned.
Someone invited me to visit New York City for a weekend. On that visit, I wound up walking through Washington Square Park late on Sunday afternoon.
I’ve been there many times – there were always people enjoying themselves in this park. People sat around visiting with one another. People walked their dogs. Watching everyone was always fun.
On this afternoon, the place was deserted. Seated all by himself on a bench, sat a smallish, older man wearing an unusual hat.
I was drawn to him. How could I not be? The dogs, the college students, and the tourists were gone. Even the pianist playing songs for tips on his grand piano was gone. There was only the quaint little man and me. As I got closer, I saw a tarot deck next to him on the bench.
You know how this story ends.
I walked over to him and we chatted. He read my cards. His words coaxed my own intuition to pull what I needed from his message. His voice, his posture, his cards, were perfect for me at that moment.
– – – – – – – – – – –
My book, “Healer’s Handbook,” dealing with the spirituality of health, discusses change in several entries.
People get angry when they aren’t comfortable with change. Sometimes this anger surfaces as health issues or disease. Arthritis, boils, burns, carpel tunnel syndrome, cold sores, depression, diarrhea, kidney infections, laryngitis, menstrual problems, obesity, pink eye, sprains, and warts are just a few.
Sometimes, when contacted by spirit,, we see our souls hanging out in front of us. Messages we didn’t ask for show up at a time when we don’t want change in our lives.
When that happens to you, acknowledge the situation and move on. Maybe you’ll be up for change soon.
Take whatever steps you can when you are ready.
Consider this: You may be more ready than you think. After all, spirit is connecting with you and you are listening.
I’m reminded of the old children’s game: “Ready or not, here I come!”
Change is the journey we travel.
Change is opportunity in the face.
Change is a naturally occurring life event.
Change surrounds us all.
Change can create joy. Joy allows you to love yourself and everyone else.
Doing what you can, connect with however many things in your life bring joy.
Change can sometimes be ungrounding. That’s where reflexology comes in. Schedule a session. Grounding is something to appreciate during stressful times.
Reflexology sessions bring the change of homeostasis. With homeostasis, you can take responsibility for your health and find the person you are meant to be.
When working for change, I focus on the immune system and nervous system together for the first part of the reflexology session. This can be transformative.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer this blog post to your preferred social media network.
Please share it with your friends.
Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
7 Self-Care Tips to Boost your Diet
This post gives you a week’s worth of life-changing tools to help you boost your diet. Try them if they attract you in some way. If something feels good to you, then it probably is good for you.
The timing has to be right. Maybe you’ve tried one or two (or even all) of them in the past and they didn’t seem to work for you. That was then and this is now. Don’t go for them unless they attract you for some reason.
These tools will boost your energy, calm your mind, and help prevent or minimize some health problems.
TIP 1
Go for homeostasis! This means reiki or reflexology.
Include one or both of these modalities in your schedule this week…and every week. I suggest distance reiki. Self-reflexology is a good option.
Hand reflexology is easy to use. Does the thought of hand reflexology seem challenging to you? Your library should have hand reflexology books on its shelves.
To simplify your hand reflexology journey, I’ll send you a hand chart and detailed instructions for reflexing your own hands.
Just send me your mailing address to thurmangreco@gmail.com and I’ll return them to you. There is no charge or obligation for this chart and instruction list.
TIP 2
Eat whole, fresh, locally-grown food.
Whatever diet plan you’ve chosen, this is a good tip for you and your diet. When you say “Yes!” to fresh foods, you minimize processed, packaged, shipped products.
When you eat fresh, your food will taste better. Your calories will not be so empty. Your food will be authentic.
You’ll find authentic food on the outer perimeter of your local food store or at a nearby farmers market.
TIP 3
Don’t skip your breakfast.
This meal can be anything from a serving of yogurt to a platter of eggs, bacon, and a hearty whole grain bagel.
Whatever you choose for your breakfast, include powerful berries. Their antioxidents can’t be overemphasized. Let a banana give you the potassium you need.
TIP 4
Skip the sugar. This doesn’t have to be a shock to your system. Begin sugar avoidance by skipping it one day a week. On this day, instead of sugar, include a sugar substitute on any food or in any beverage you would ordinarily use sugar.
There are many brands available. Try several until you find one you like.
If you feel weird without sugar, snack on some chocolate.
TIP 5
Water! Water! Water!
I know. My message is stuck when it comes to water. But, I mean it. Water gives you energy, moves toxins out, and makes your skin look younger. It also has 0 calories.
What more can we ask for?
If you’re not accustomed to water, I suggest this:
When you feel tired, drink a glass of water. No, don’t drink a glass of water. Instead, chug it right down. Now, wait a few minutes to see if you feel better.
When your lips feel dry, drink a glass of water.
What about your urine? What color is it? Concentrated urine has a murky color you don’t need. Drinking more water will get rid of the murky color.
TIP 6
Go Nuts
Daytime snacks are an essential taste treat between meals. They boost your energy midmorning and midafternoon. They are a welcome break from the day’s activities.
One snack which is good for your diet boost is nuts.
Walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts give you energy, satisfy your appetite, and are high in anti-inflammatory fatty acids.
They do lots of other things too. Each nut is different and unique. Take a moment to read about all the wonderful things they do .
Instead of reaching for a sugary food, go for the nuts.
Thanks for reading this article, the first of several to help you boost your diet.
To get your free hand reflexology chart and instruction sheet, please email your mailing address to thurmangreco@gmail.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thurman Greco
thurmangreco.com
Please share this article with your preferred social media network. And please send it along to a friend.
Thanks again for reading this article.
Reflexology, Homeostasis, and Your Diet. 9 Ways They Help
Your body continually changes throughout your daily activities. Sleeping, dancing, or taking out the trash, your body tries to maintain a healthy balance – homeostasis.
When you visit a reflexologist, other bodyworker, or healthcare professional, you may be trying to address one or more ongoing, persistent, health problems in addition to your diet. You seek solutions while saying to yourself “I may have to learn to live with fatigue ( insomnia, constipation, headaches)”. A reflexology session does much for you.
Sleep comes easier as patterns change.
More regular bowel movements emerge.
Your body begins a mild detox.
Your tensions relax.
Your overactive or underactive glands and organs begin to normalize.
Your nerve and blood supply improve.
You begin to feel refreshed, relaxed, and energetic.
Pain and discomfort disappear.
The truth is, we don’t know how a person’s body will respond to or react to a particular reflexology session. Whatever the reaction, it is a sign that the therapy is working.
Things happen after a reflexology session because they need to happen – whether it’s sleep, relaxation, tension reduction, or pain loss.
These reactions and responses are important when you diet because of changes brought about by your weight loss as you change the foods you eat and you move more.
These reactions are also important because they tell you that you are self-healing.
One thing people don’t really mention is that both reflexology and your diet encourages you to tune in to your own feelings and your body to see what feels best for you.
This is a major change. I hope this sensitivity will stay with you long after the diet and extra pounds have moved on.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please refer it to your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
www.thurmangreco.com
Beginning with the next post, I will be blogging about self-care during a diet. I feel that a diet is the ultimate self-care experience. It is your opportunity to care for yourself spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Go for it!
Dieting? Water Works to the Rescue! – 5 Tips and 2 Secrets .
DO NOT FINISH
So, what does that mean?
Finding the best beverages to support your weight loss is crucial. Like everything else you eat or drink or do, there are a few pointers: Water works!
- Stop drinking anything with calories.
2. Get sodas and diet sodas out of your life today!
But, it’s one thing to read Do Not Drink Sodas or Diet Sodas. It’s another thing altogether to replace this habit with something better.
3. Begin by drinking water, infused water, and/or strained, homemade broth.
The truth is that you have more options than you thought. All those different brands of water on the shelf have different flavors. Check them out. Find the one you like best.
Beyond that, stevia drops can enhance your water choices.
Try out decaffeinated herbal tea and broths prepared without MSG.
When I lived in the Washington, D.C., metro area, several friends of mine were patients of a weight-loss physician. He guided them through a successful diet program.
His secret? Drink 50 glasses of water a day, every day. Can’t go his guideline?
4. Drink at least 80 ounces of fluids daily.
So what does that mean? Water works!
It means you carry a water bottle and drink from it all day.
5. Skip beverages during meals because liquids can move your food out of your stomach too fast. When this happens, you have a smaller opportunity to feel full from your meal.
6. Does food make you thirsty? Wait 20-30 minutes after your meal and then enjoy your water to your heart’s content.
TWO WEIGHT LOSS SECRETS:
Begin every meal well-hydrated. You feel less hungry when you are thirsty. Water Works!
Begin each meal with a reiki therapy or reflexology session. It doesn’t have to be an hour long, or even a half hour long. A 10-15 minute session, or even a 5 minutes session can be enough to calm your mealtimeCalm meals encourage a more successful diet.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
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Thurman Greco
reflexologyforthespirit@gmail.com
On a Diet? – Reflexology Self-Care Takes You the Extra Mile to Success.
Are you on a diet? Are you trying to “cut back” on foods? Or, are you just thinking about thinking about it all.
Whatever your situation, regular reflexology or Reiki sessions are important. If a reflexology session does nothing else, it will calm and balance your body and your soul. Homeostasis. That’s not peanuts, guys. It’s self-care!
Your first step to your ideal weight is calm. Your first step to calm is a reflexology session . Regular sessions bring calm, peace. They bring homeostasis to your life and your body.
People who receive regular reflexology sessions sleep better, chew their nails less, have more regular bowel movements, experience less heartburn.
When you are calm, it is easier to congratulate yourself on your successes, no matter how small they seem.
There is one other thing reflexology sessions do: Regular reflexology sessions invite mindful and enjoyable activities in your life.
Your diet will work better when you are able to make eating a mindful and enjoyable activity.
Eating becomes mindful at the start, when you set the table for your meal. Use a placemat or table cloth when you set out your dishes. Use nice dishes. Set a calm scene for your meals – especially if you eat alone.
When eating alone, have a special plate and napkin that you use.
Whether you eat alone or with others, you want your experience to be enjoyable.
Do not eat food in your car – or on the bus – or train. (Your car is a good place to drink water.)
Don’t let yourself get distracted by your TV, computer, phone, or IPad. You will do this by reserving your meal as a special time for calm. You want to enjoy your meal. Taste each bite. What are you eating? What color is each food? How does it taste?
Notice your feelings.
Eat slowly. Make each bite small – smaller than your thumbnail. Chew each bite.
Notice your feelings. Have you eaten enough? You can check in with your hunger level. When you are no longer hungry, stop eating.
Have you eaten everything on your plate? No?
It’s okay. The important thing is to enjoy your meal in calm and mindfulness.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please share with your friends.
Thurman Greco
8 Easy Tips for Losing Weight
When you were a child, did you ever hear “Eat everything on your plate. Hungry children need this food.” ?
I certainly did. It never occurred to me that I was never going to help a hungry child get enough food by eating everything on my plate.
As an adult, I found a better way to help alleviate hunger. I donated food to a food pantry or soup kitchen. (And, that led to a whole new career path!)
Leaving food on my plate has no impact on whether another person a block away or around the world gets enough to eat. Donating food to a food pantry or soup kitchen will help.
Do you see that extra serving of lasagna sitting on a shelf in your refrigerator as something you don’t need? Toss it in the garbage instead of eating it. Better yet, toss it before it even gets to the refrigerator.
It’s better to throw the food away before you feed yourself something you don’t need. Eating too much food is bad for your health and well being.
Instead of eating that extra slice of apple pie, get it out of your life.
There are things you can do to prevent overeating:
Tip 1
Schedule a weekly healing reflexology or Reiki session. You will be calmer. Your life will be less stressful. The homeostasis offered by regular reflexology sessions will help make your diet experience easier.
Tip 2
Learn a new hobby: painting, knitting, boxing, walking, singing. Your choices are endless.
Tip 3
Join a gym. When you work out at the gym, you’ll feel better, meet new friends, and look better too.
Tip 4
Learn some healing skills to use on yourself, friends and family. Both Reiki and Reflexology are fun to learn and use.
Tip 5
Replace your hunger for food with water. Your body may be telling you it’s thirsty – not hungry. The moment you feel hungry or thirsty, drink something.
Water is the most important fuel you can give your body. Drink water at the first sign of fatigue. Why? Your body is about 60% water.
Tip 6
Have a water bottle you like and carry it with you everywhere.
Tip 7
There are several hydration apps to remind you to drink water throughout your day, all day. Add one to your smart phone. One example: Waterlogged.
Tip 8
Don’t like the taste of water? Add lemon, lime, sliced cucumbers, frozen berries to your water.
I hope the information on this post has been interesting and helpful. Please forward it to your preferred social media network.
Share it with your friends.
www.refrexologyforthespirit.com
Thanks for reading this article.
Thurman Greco
Reiki: When Your Diet Changes Your Destiny – a Reader Request Article
A Reiki moment surfaced several years ago when a co-worker embarked on a diet. 100+ pounds overweight, when she told her husband her plans, he didn’t hesitate :
“NO. I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU IF YOU GO ON A DIET. ”
My co-worker was rewriting her destiny and he simply didn’t want to share her experience.
It was time for Reiki.
Diets are all about weight loss and spiritual offloading.
As your diet progresses, you first become more conscious of yourself and others.
Second, you become responsible for your own healing.
Third, you make changes to support your wellbeing.
Many times, when you release your past, you understand how it connects with your present situation.
Do you want to make necessary changes in your life? This moment offers three paths.
First, this moment sometimes stops the diet completely. Second, your weight loss may pause for several days. Or, third, the weight loss continues on.
Whatever happens, this is a good time to add regular Reiki sessions to your schedule.
When it comes to Reiki therapy, most of us never give it a second thought – until we need it.
Why do you need Reiki? What can it do for you? Again, the situation offers three options:
Do you know about Reiki? Have you received Reiki in the past? Do you receive sessions now?
Jump right in! Take a Reiki 1 class. Then a Reiki 2 class.
That’s how I learned Reiki. I knew I needed it but didn’t even really know what it was. I looked around for a teacher and scheduled an introductory (Reiki 1) class from Mary Ruth Van Landingham at Terra Christa in Vienna, Virginia.
For starters, Reiki offered me a spiritual support system when I needed it. Neither religion nor cult, Reiki is a destiny tool giving me much when I was open to its light touch.
Second, I found Reiki when it was time to change my old patterns and declare freedom from some baggage I’d been dragging around for years. I wanted to see beyond a limited reality.
It worked. I saw an expanded one, filled with light.
When I became a Reiki practitioner, I sent the light.
Third, you won’t read much about Reiki in diet books, but it’s there for you. It works well and smooths the transition to your new life when you rewrite your destiny.
What more can you ask for?
Thank you for reading this article.
Please forward it to your preferred social media network.
Please share this blog post with your friends.
Thurman Greco
P.S. This post was a special request. If you have a reader request, please contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
What are the most important meals of your day? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Why?
When you eat something every three-to-four hours, you provide energy to your body. You’ll be less likely to overeat.
I begin each day with a 5-ounce serving of nonfat plain yogurt which has about 90 calories. I mix the yogurt with a 1/4 cup serving of Trader Joe’s Muesli which has about 125 calories. This mixture is delicious, nutritious, and a good breakfast because it prevents hunger until noon.
Meals don’t all have to be large. The goal is to give yourself nourishment so you’ll be less likely to overeat.
When you plan your meals so that you schedule something every 4 hours, you can choose what you’ll eat in advance. This scheduling not only prevents overeating, it minimizes your chances of grabbing a candy bar.
For lunch, I may have a nourishing smoothie or 1/2 an avocado, or sliced tomatoes.
When you plan your meals, you’ll also be able to avoid pizza, Chinese food or other fast foods.
Another choice is a meal replacement shake with a protein powder base.
This shake will ideally have 20-30 grams of protein powder and a maximum of 5 grams of carbohydrate. There are several brands and flavors on the market. Try them out until you find one with the flavor and texture you prefer.
Sample both pre-made shakes and the protein powder mix. Use unsweetened almond milk or water to make your own shake.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network. Share it with your friends.
Thurman Greco
Winter Solstice – 2020
December 21st is the Winter Solstice – the first day of winter. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
Today, we celebrate the annual rebirth of the sun.
People throughout our planet are falling ill with coronavirus. The numbers of sick and dying are so large and changing so quickly that it’s hard to keep up.
Find a few moments sometime today to reflect on our planetary need for rebirth, regeneration and renewal. Reflect for a few moments on how it will feel to live on a healthy planet where all beings experience wellness and coexist to honor and support one another.
What will it mean for wellness and healing to become real in the coming year. Expand your vision to include every living thing on earth.
Take a moment to release those things which no longer serve you. When you do this, you create space in your heart for healing, acceptance, and positivity in the new year.
Thank you for reading this meditation.
Please share this meditation with your preferred social media network. Forward it to your friends.
Thanks again
Thurman
