Kim's Fitness and Nutrition

From a Personal Trainer perspective optimal health is about having a healthy, strong, energetic and capable physical body but many of us Trainers have come to realize this is a seriously inadequate description. Humans are complex creatures who, in my humble opinion, need to ‘feel’ and ‘think’ healthy, as well as, cultivate and maintain a spiritual connection in order to enjoy optimal health. A body, mind and spirit approach to well-being has been my strategy for many, many years and has been the only formula I found for true success. The question than is, “ How does one go about achieving optimal health when there is so much to take into consideration?” Answer, “Chunk it down and create a plan and work the plan.”
I like to break it down into the above three categories beginning with ‘mind.’ Starting here is important because with each thought we think, good, bad or indifferent, affects the body and spirit. Tied into our thoughts in a kind of boondoggle are our emotions. The feelings we experience are directly linked to the thoughts we are consciously or unconsciously thinking. This can be tricky to sort out but the good news is it can be made pretty simple. Does the thought you are thinking feel good or does it make you feel bad? Honestly, if you pay attention to how you are feeling, you will be able to identify the corresponding thoughts. Once the connection has been made you can then make a conscious choice to continue those thoughts or choose to focus elsewhere. Without exception every client who has ever come to me with specific fitness goals, they all had one and only one real goal, to feel happy. In fact, my belief is that we only ever have one reason for doing anything; we believe or at least hope it will make us happy. Happiness truly is an inside job though and it can be anyone’s experience right now if they stop and direct their thoughts to something slightly more pleasant. Depending on just how deeply negative you have become on each subject as it arises, depends on how long it will take to turn yourself around. One thing is for sure, no one can leap from pessimism to joy; it simply defies law. We can gradually, continuously reach for thoughts that feel somewhat better though until after some time we are in fact, in a better, more positive place. This can sound too easy or too good to be true but if you give it a try you will see how this works. Making happiness last…now that’s quite different and takes clear desire, conscious choice, practice and determination. The point is, our minds have an enormous impact on our physical health and so it is crucial to entertain thoughts that best serve us. Step one. Become willing to watch your thoughts. Just watch and notice the general attitude that you run most of the time. How does it make you feel? Is it optimistic or negative? Are you looking for solutions or dwelling on the problems? It all boils down to choice. We are powerful beings and yet we forget that our minds and our thoughts are ours to control, choose and carefully select. We are always at choice moment to moment, day in and day out and we can change our attitude by choosing to care about how we feel. By feeling good most of the time our bodies function much better and the chemical/hormonal production becomes one of health and ease verses distress, toxicity and corrosion. I don’t know about you but it makes sense to want to feel good no matter what the cost. In other words, if it means admitting I’m wrong, agreeing to disagree, well, that’s okay particularly when I remember that approach contributes to my wellness instead of my illness. Step two, practice, practice, practice.
The next article will tackle the category ‘body’ and the one after that, ‘spirit’. That way I can give more information and focus more in depth than if I were to attempt to jam it all into one article. Thank you for you continued interest. Wishing a year filled with optimal mind, body and spirit fitness.

Many of us have been hearing about a shift that is taking place on our planet, the so called end of an era and the beginning of a new way of being. With the Mayan calendar ending in 2012 it has been said that life as we know it would end. There are a great number of people who believe we are facing “the end times” or an apocalypse but that is not my belief. I do think humanity is embarking on a new way of ‘being’ human with one another though. It has become very apparent that we cannot continue along the same lines and survive as a species therefore, something has to change. The days of “me, myself and I” are what is transitioning into “us, we and everyone”
The greed, selfishness and lack of compassion that has had the world by the throat is at last weakening its hold on humanity and THAT is a large piece of the awakening. IT actually is not releasing its grip willingly however; we are making it do so. We (the people) can no longer stand idly by and watch while 7/8 of the world’s population suffers needlessly. We have pulled our heads out of our daily grind long enough now that we can clearly see we are being used as pones in a deadly game where none of ‘us’ win. “They’ on the other hand, those large corporate families that have had us believing for decades that they had our best interests at heart, have nothing of the sort. What they do is their business however, we too can also choose and, many of us are choosing to no longer play their heartless game. The people want ‘all’ of us to thrive and frankly, with all the wealth and resources available on this magnificent planet, there simply is no reason why that cannot be our NEW reality. Thankfully, we still have our freedom and that means we can make choices every day that take the power away from those ‘in power’ and give it back to the people. Start today becoming very conscious as to what you support via what bank you choose, what fuel you buy, what foods you purchases and list goes on. The more we can pool our resources into the ‘local’, small town businesses and the more we can grow our own foods or buy from our local farmers, the more we can stop feeding into supporting ‘the grid’, the better for us and the worse for them. Mind you, I wish the powers that be no ill-will; trust me, they will forever be fine, I just believe it is high time that they stop growing fat at our demise.
An even larger and much more important piece of the awakening is the role each of us plays on an individual level. Making peace with ourselves and our many aspects, this needs to be priority one. Awakening to all the diverse parts of ourselves, getting to know them and ultimately accepting and loving them; this is the work which is crucial and needs precedence. As we truly learn to forgive, love and release judgment within ourselves, we are then free to expand that out into our families, communities, countries and the world. THIS work is where each of us can genuinely make a difference right NOW.
Regardless of what faith you follow, which spiritual path you walk or if you walk one at all, this is irrelevant. Choosing to love yourself unconditionally (under any and all conditions) and those in your immediate world is a practice that is long overdue and that I believe is finally arriving on our planet. THAT is the shift which has begun and we are all here to participate, contribute and expand along with it…or not. As always, we are free will beings that are at choice in every moment of every day with every thought we think, action and choice we make, we impact ourselves and all that we touch. We are born lovers who have simply become lost, overwhelmed, complacent or whatever but as we re-awaken/ remember and begin to BE who we came forth to be, harmony, peace and well-being will also return and not just too a infinitesimal few, but to us all! Blessings, love and optimal health within your mind, body and spirit are my wish to you all.