A Healthy You!

Il vaut mieux prévenir que guérir. -French proverb

(It is better to prevent than to heal.)

There are several techniques on being healthy and becoming the best version of yourself. As you focus on your health, it is important to pay attention to all three aspects of what makes you who you are, to really know yourself. How do you feel spiritually, emotionally and physically? One effects the other. How is your relationship with the Lord? How do you feel about your surroundings, the people in your world, how you spend your time and the actions you take? What do you like about your appearance? Do you take care of yourself? These questions are not meant to overwhelm you, but to clarify areas in your life that are either in line with your values, improving who you are, or depleting you of your ability to be your best self. We must first begin with asking thought-provoking questions that nurture positive and effective behavior. As we take steps to change and improve, we become more empowered. My hope is that the information I share in this section will enable you to take care of YOU, insuring the prevention of illness, rather than having to heal.

Spirit | Mind | Body

Spirit / Soul

The spiritual aspect of who I am, comes down to my Christian beliefs and values. I believe the spiritual part of who we are is most important. When we know that God has everything under control, we turn to Him and pray. When we really grasp who He is and how much He loves us, we can let go and surrender. It is a great relief to learn that we do not need to be perfect. We were made to make mistakes! God can handle it. Pray in the morning and throughout the day; ask for His help. Forgive anyone who has hurt you. Keep your spirit at peace. Let go of hate. Say, out loud, that you forgive until your feelings catch up. Forgiveness sets you free, not the other person!

My relationship with the Lord is where I find peace, strength and hope. He directs me, at each step. Daily, I set aside some time to get quiet, reflect on the spiritual aspect of my life and why I do the things I do. I journal often and encourage you to do so as well. Write out your thoughts, worries, questions and listen. You will hear the Lord. Write it down! Ask yourself, “where does my hope come from? How do I find peace? What do I believe in and what do I stand for?” The goal is to shrink the gap between what you believe in and your actions/behavior. Be authentic.

Stay in gratitude and have child-like faith! Make a conscious effort to choose to be joyful. Remember, gratitude releases the blessing!

I challenge you to keep a Gratitude list! At the end of your day, list out what you’re grateful for, document it and keep it. This keeps you focused on the good. It’s also great to review over a period of time.

The Lord is my strength and my shield. Psalm 28:7

Mind / Emotions

life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond, our attitude!

How you think will effect all areas of your life and especially your physical body. If you find yourself having mostly negative thoughts during the day, there are many techniques to help re-train your mind. Your brain is like a map. The way you think will happen more easily the more you do it. If you feel angry most days, it’s because your mind has handled past situations with anger, if unchecked, and allowed to continue this route, it will get easier and easier to get angry. My husband always says, “think about what you’re thinking about.” Are your thoughts coming from a place of love or fear? Do you assume the positive in people? How is your self-talk? I promise, you can re-train your thought patterns! Evaluate your journal entries for negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. Talk with someone - Let’s Chat, sing worship music and read the Bible! Pay attention to what you listen to, who you listen to and what you watch on TV/Internet, etc. Be protective of your mind.

Sometimes the hardest lesson to learn for the mind is letting go of the past. Take the lessons of the past and let go of the heartache. Learn to laugh at yourself and laugh everyday! Let yourself and others off the hook. Take yourself out of the judgement seat and just do your best and trust that others are trying to do the same. Stay away from people who really don’t have your best interest at heart. Negative people who assume negativity in others can be extremely toxic and my best advice is to remove them from your “inner circle.” They should not be in a place of influence in your life.

Get with your girlfriends regularly, talk and laugh. It has been proven that women need to build the hormone Serotonin to feel good. Being nurtured such as: a day at the spa, spending time in the sun, shopping (as your budget allows) and spending time with your friends help to build your Serotonin.

There is one other major point to be made here, imbalanced hormones! Most women will deal with imbalanced hormones at one point in their life. My advice? Find yourself a reputable Naturopath and have your hormones checked regularly. If your doctor wants to put you on some form of hormones, ask for Bio-Identical hormones.

Que vous pensiez pouvoir ou que vous ne pouviez pas ... vous avez raison!

(Whether you think you can, or think you can’t…you are right!)

Body / Physical

So much of this section is about nutrition! Your body needs proper fuel! Many of us do not realize how processed foods, vitamins and supplements, are labeled as natural or healthy, when they are not. Click HERE for a complete list of helpful tips when grocery shopping. Starting with simple changes in your diet can make a huge impact on your health!

Having a healthy diet of organic, non-gmo foods and vitamins/supplements is key to good physical health. Invest in it! Get into a schedule of not eating after 8pm and limit alcohol, carbohydrates and sugars. When you eat right and your body gets the nutrients it needs, you will not need to eat as much. It is imperative that you take care of your gut, so you can absorb the nutrients that you are feeding your body. One of my favorite products is Suzanne Somers’ Gut Renew smoothie.

Exercise, exercise, exercise! Everyday find something physical to do. Keep in mind, if you enjoy the activity, you will have a much better chance of repeating it. Make it fun! Click HERE for a list of ideas on staying active.

Sleep is so important. Did you know exercising daily will help you to sleep better and sleeping also assists in maintaining a healthy body weight. We heal while we sleep. If you drink wine, try not to have it after 5pm as it can effect sleep patterns. It’s also high in sugar! Turn off all electronics an hour before bedtime…this is a great time to read a good book! Cutting back on caffeine and taking Magnesium, such as the Calm drink, can really help. A great supplenment for sleep is Melatonin which also has healing properties.

l'esprit, l'esprit et le corps; ce qui affecte l'un affecte l'autre.

(spirit, mind and body; what affects one affects the other.)

You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3

Have you heard about BLOOM? BLOOM is an acronym I created to help guide women in achieving their best self as they balance five main principles. In March, my team and I hold our annual BLOOM Ladies’ Conference where I teach on the BLOOM Method. For more information and to get your tickets click HERE!

“I’ve known and interacted with Danielle for several years and have always found her to be kind, approachable, honest and wise beyond her years. I trust her integrity and have always benefited from her input.” - Nancy M.