It’s spring cleaning time, Sonoma, and I’m not just talking about garages and closets. I’m talking about the most important asset you own, your most important piece of machinery. Your body.
We spend a lot time and energy cleaning out our homes, cars, garages, offices, etc., yet we actually spend very little time thinking about, let alone actually cleaning out … ourselves!
Here in Sonoma we are fortunate to enjoy a culture of food and wine unlike anywhere else in America. Combine this with the greatest community of people in America and you have one big reason to party, and we do, which is why we need to find a way to have healthy balance in our lives … so we can live longer, better quality lives in this great city of ours.
If you’re like me, it may have never occurred to you the inside of your body may actually need a good detoxifying. The truth is, when working properly, the body is an amazing cleaning machine all on its own, one that is a 1,000 times more sophisticated than any drive-thru car wash you have ever seen – even the ones with pretty psychedelic-colored soap. No matter how effective a cleaning machine it is, a combination of environmental and lifestyle factors over the past decades has made it difficult for even the healthiest of bodies to keep up with the job.
Here’s a “dirty” little secret for you – our exposure to toxins is over 100 times greater today than it was 100 years ago. The amount of chemicals that have been created in the last century is in the hundreds and thousands and these chemicals are taking a toll on our poor cells daily. Disease is on the rise at alarming rates, and for the first time in history, life expectancy is going backwards. This, along with poor eating habits, high levels of stress, poor sleep habits, sedentary life styles, etc., creates a total toxic burden greater than what our bodies can handle.
That’s the bad news. The good news is there is a solution. It takes you being willing to take charge of your health. Are you? This is important, because it is going to take you, along with everyone else, to get educated and to be proactive about taking care of your health from the inside out, which is not the norm. Most people care for their health from the outside, focusing on the things they can see, rather than the things they feel. Your body talks to you long before you end up in the doctor’s office. You just have to learn to listen and how to respond.
The solution:
• Get inspired. Something has to spark inside of you that says, “I am ready.” Hopefully it will be before you end up on the pharmaceutical highway of no return.
• Get motivated; either find a buddy to get healthy with or a coach to guide you.
Make a plan. One that involves what you eat, when you eat, quality of sleep, proper exercise, and stress and relaxation.
• Get educated. There are numerous books, classes, DVDs and Web sites out there talking about healthy living.
• Get committed. Set goals and commit to living a healthy lifestyle. Put them in writing and have an accountability person working alongside you, making sure you are walking your talk.
Spring cleaning is a good place to start. The best way to do this is to eat and or perhaps juice clean, fresh, local organic fruits and vegetables. Give your body a break from coffee, alcohol, processed sugar, fried foods, and other toxins that build up in your system. Go to bed early, rest and relax, exercise and engage in spiritual practice such as prayer or meditation.
To hear more about how to make lifestyle changes and how to join our upcoming community juicing program listen to my radio show, Body Talk, on SUN FM 91.3, Tuesdays at 2 p.m. and join the healthy living revolution.
Heather Morgan, MS, NLC, has worked as a nutrition and lifestyle coach for the past seven years. She has taken numerous certifications in the field of nutrition, holistic healing, weight loss and lifestyle coaching, and has grown a successful practice that includes work with corporations, public lectures, coaching through various forms of media, work with celebrities, and on movie sets.
