The Power within You

Changing your lifestyle is not as difficult as you may think. This quote by George Sheehan inspires me everyday "It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit." This quote is not just about running, but about life. It is all up to us, we get as far as we allow ourselves, we all have the ability to make it to the top it is only a matter of how bad we want it and how much we value ourselves.

We are all afraid of a change that is why many of us stick to our daily routines, although it might make us miserable. When I first ran my Five mile race, two years ago I was scared, the thought of not being able to finish terrified me but when I finished I knew that day I could do whatever I set my mind to do. I started to make small changes in my life that made a huge difference in the way I felt throughout my days.

I start my mornings mediating followed by a four to five mile run. There is nothing like waking up and thanking the one above for another day. For me it is important to stay connected with my faith, it helps tremendously to finish my runs and gives me the patience to deal with the stresses of the day.

I walk everywhere I am able to, if I have a doctor's appointment that is three miles away from my house, I give myself extra time to get there. It is a goal that I have set for myself and when I arrive on time, I am the happiest patient in the office. I know many of you will probably think, "I don't have the time" you don't have to start by doing three mile walks start at a mile it's only twenty blocks, believe me you are going to feel great.

I no longer drink my calories with my meals, I only have water. If you love the fizz I recommend sparkling water with a lemon wedge, I also came across these great options fruit soda and my favorite Cherry Chia Kombucha. Throughout the day if I want some flavor I have unsweetened teas like green or hibiscus.

Start your meals with a salad you will be surprised how satisfied you will be. I add sprouts to my salads such as Azuki, Alfalfa, Garbanzo and lentils; these will transform your salad into a nutritional powerhouse.

I do not eat out; I love to cook for my husband and myself. I also like to have control of what is being put into our food. I take no longer than one hour in preparing and cooking our dinner. If I know I have a busy day I prepare the food the night before. Not eating out is not only healthy; it also saves you a lot of money.

My husband and I love sweets. I no longer purchase packaged or bakery goods. If I have a craving for a cookie, I bake it. Again, when I make it myself I have control of how much sugar I am adding and I only use high quality ingredients.

After dinner my husband and I unwind with a walk or a run. This is our evening quality time, we talk about our days and we enjoy it. Yes, we all come home tired from work but when you come back from walking or running you feel like the wind has literally taken your stress away.