Did you know that the simple strategy of chewing can make a big difference with your eating habits? Chewing your food adequately allows your body to absorb and assimilate more nutrients and improves digestion. Because you’re taking more time to chew, you’ll also notice that you feel full sooner, which means you’re much more likely to consume fewer calories while still feeling full. This can help with weight loss and/or weight maintenance. It may also be helpful for reducing symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn and acid reflux.
 
Taking time with a meal, beginning with chewing, allows for enjoyment of the whole experience of eating: the smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance in our lives, and to develop patience and self-control.
 
The power of chewing is so great that there are stories of concentration camp survivors who, when others could not, made it through with very little food by chewing their meager rations up to 300 times per bite of food. For most of us 300 chews is a daunting and unrealistic goal. However, you can experience the benefits of chewing by increasing to 30 chews per bite.
 
Try this at your next meal:  Before you eat, take a deep breath or two and relax.  Focus on the meal in front of you.  Give thanks for the food and those who grew it and prepared it. Then, do your best to chew each bite 30 times and see how you do and how you feel.  After you do this for a while, you won’t have to count anymore; you’ll know by the texture of the food, which should be completely liquefied before you swallow.  Your stomach doesn’t have teeth, so the more you can break down the food in your mouth; the easier it will be for your body to digest it.
 
Also be aware of your surroundings as you eat. Turn off the TV or computer and put down your iPhone or newspaper. And notice your eating habits when you are alone versus with noisy company. Pay attention to the food and to how you are breathing and chewing.  This kind of quiet can be disconcerting at first, since we are used to a steady stream of advertising, news, media, email and demands of others. But as you create this new habit, you will begin to appreciate eating without rushing. You have to eat every day - why not learn to savor and enjoy it.  Choose a meal and try it this week to take a step forward for better health. 
 
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Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health & Lifestyle Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.

Over the last few weeks we have been focusing on tips for a healthy new year, including stress and goal setting. This week we will focus on adopting three wise habits as a strong foundation for your best health:
 
SLEEP: Lack of sleep is the biggest thief of good health. Make sleeping 7 or more hours each night a priority. Your task list can wait, your health can not.  Shut off all electronics and begin a nighttime routine at least 30 minutes before bed. Wean yourself from over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids. They may help for the short-term but will have long-term consequences.  Implementing a natural go-to-bed routine is the best gift you can give yourself.  Having solid sleep hygiene is imperative for living your best life now.
 
WATER CONSUMPTION:  Dehydration is the root of many health issues.  Having a healthy water intake is incredibly important for your overall health.  Commit to drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water throughout your day.   Cravings are often caused by dehydration.  When you feel a craving coming on, drink a tall glass of water and wait 15 minutes.  Tune into your body and see if your craving has dissipated, or if you are actually physically hungry.
 
PUT SOME GREENS IN YOUR MACHINE!  Greens are packed full of essential nutrients, antioxidants, phytonutrients and tons of other health-promoting goodies.  A few examples of greens to absorb these fantastic health benefits include spinach, kale, arugula, collard greens, Swiss chard, and endive.  Greens are extremely beneficial to your health because they purify the blood, assist in improving circulation, improve immune system and function, provide natural energy and promote intestinal health.
 
Which step will you start this week to improve your habits? Take a step forward for better health. 
 
Follow these links for other posts in this New Year series:
New Year Focus #1: Stress Management, Naturally
New Year Focus #2: Goal Setting Tips For Success
 

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Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health & Lifestyle Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.
 

Last week we focused on the topic of stress. Next up is the topic of setting and achieving your goals.  There are several important aspects of our life but sometimes life gets in the way and our vision gets blurred. Setting goals helps paint your vision and give you something to actively work toward.  Goal setting also helps you measure your accomplishments and pride yourself in getting closer to your goals. Goals can be set in many areas of your life, such as: finance, career, education, family and relationships, physical well-being and health, travel and leisure.  Try these helpful tips to create and achieve your dreams:
 
TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR GOALS

• Be realistic. Set your goals in a manner that will allow you to succeed at reaching them.
  
• Write your goals out on paper. Keep this list handy, and include deadlines for yourself.
  
• Next, make a plan. How will you achieve your goals? Create step-by-step guidelines for you to stay on track.
  
• Now, go for it! Stay focused and on track with your deadline. Pride yourself in your accomplishments as you achieve your goals over time.
  

 
STAYING ON TRACK

• Break down each goal into action steps you can take slowly.
  
• Be realistic with your time schedule for your goals. Setting a deadline that may be hard to reach in a small amount of time may cause disappointment.
  
• Learn from your mistakes. Are things not going as planned with your goals? Understand why this is, re-evaluate, and tackle your goal with your new understanding of yourself.
  
  
• Find someone trustworthy and supportive to keep you accountable –a friend, co-worker, coach – and schedule regular check-ins to give progress reports and make adjustments to your plan, if needed.
  

 
REMEMBERING YOUR REASON

• A fantastic way to stay on track is to remember the end result you are working toward.
  
• What will change for you once you reach this goal you have set for yourself?
• Write this down beside each goal to remind you why you’re on this journey, and to feel excited about getting there!
• Consider having a single-minded focus – avoid overwhelm by working on only one goal at a time.
   
  Take action this week by determining your “Why?”. What is your number one reason for working toward this goal? Make a plan and take your first step. Next week’s topic will cover healthy tips as we continue our focus on making the best of this new year. 
  
  

Want to read more? Follow these links for other posts in this New Year series:
New Year Focus #1: Stress Management, Naturally
New Year Focus #3: Three Wise Habits For Best Health 

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Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health & Lifestyle Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.

The stress, the Holiday parties, the gift-wrapping, the cooking – done!  The Holidays are over. 
As we transition from the Holidays to the excitement of a new year, we set goals and create hopes for ourselves for the year ahead.  Statistically, those goals don’t make it past January.  For the next three weeks, I will focus on three important topics to make this year different.  We will journey through them together but it’s up to you to make the commitment so that you may accomplish the change you desire.  Our first topic is stress and how to deal with it naturally.
 
Stress is defined as anything that poses a threat to our well-being. Stress isn’t always a negative thing -- sometimes it gives us that kick into gear that we need to complete our tasks.  What IS important is how we deal with stress.  Consider these helpful tips to combat stress naturally:

• JUST BE.  Set aside a 30-minute time during your day to just be.  Be alone with yourself and be present.  Journaling, taking a yoga class or getting a massage would be very beneficial.
  
• CUT OUT THE CHEMICALS. Stay away from caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, and other chemicals that may be causing more harm to you.  If you can’t cut them out completely, greatly reduce your intake. 
• BREATHE. Take a deep breath.  Hold it for five seconds.  Release.  Learn some breathing exercises to use throughout your day.  They are incredibly beneficial in combating stressful situations.
• CUT BACK ON NON-ESSENTIALS. Do you have too much on your plate?  List your responsibilities on paper.  See what can be put on hold or eliminated completely.  Can any of your responsibilities be given to someone else?  Divide your tasks, if possible, and do not take on any extra responsibilities until your stress is under control.
• EXERCISE. Hit the gym and release those endorphins.  Nature’s pharmacy is right at your fingertips.  Commit to at least 20 minutes of movement per day.  Your health is incredibly important - find an exercise routine that will fit best in your day – and do it!
• EAT HEALTHY. Your diet is essential in keeping your mind and body healthy.  Add more whole foods into your diet to begin feeling better overall.  Cut out processed foods, or at least reduce your intake.  Baby steps create habits that yield lasting results.
• SEEK A COUNSELOR.Sometimes talking to someone is the best medicine.  Find a trusted counselor to meet with if you feel you are unable to handle your stress on your own.
• GET YOUR LIFE ORGANIZED. Organization creates a peace of mind. De-clutter your life to promote feeling more in control of your surroundings.  Create lists of to-do items for yourself daily, and check them off as you go along.  This feeling of accomplishment creates pride and helps keep you organized throughout the day.
• PUT DOWN THAT PHONE.We are a society that’s constantly connected to the internet through smart phones, iPads, and laptops.  Turn off all of your technical devices for at least 30 minutes per day.  Disconnect from the world, and be present.  

What is your biggest stress trigger? Take action this week by committing to lower your stress using one of the suggestions above. Setting goals is next week's topic as we continue our focus on making the best of this new year.



Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.