Wellness Works (10/04/17): Calm Your Mind, Ease Back Pain and Brew Some Powerful Broth

Welcome to Wellness Works!

As a nutrition and fitness professional, I’ve created this series to help you achieve a healthful balance between your mind, your body and your fuel. I’ll offer up tips and strategies for mental, physical and nutritional alignment. The way I see it, when those three systems are ready and raring to go, you’ll run your business better than ever!

This week’s hot topics: How to calm your mind, ease your back pain and brew delicious, immune-boosting broth.

Your mind

Want to quiet the incessant “monkey chatter” in your brain? One sure-fire way to combat mental chaos is to get organized with a nightly to-do list. Here’s my trick: When I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I spend a few minutes before bedtime writing down everything I need to do the next day. Then I assign a positive word or phrase next to each appointment, meeting or task. For example, if I’m on tap to “lead a meeting,” I might write down “inspire others” or “teach others” next to that item on my list. This simple process helps me set my intentions for the activities ahead and reminds me to stay positive and grateful, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Another plus? The very act of writing down my upcoming obligations and events often makes me realize I’m more prepared than I thought.

Balance booster: Try making a “positive” to-do list every night for a week straight. Be aware if it has any impact on how you approach your daily responsibilities. Don’t forget to do it on the weekend, too, especially if you’re facing an event you’d rather not attend!

Your body

Today I want to share with you a program that has changed my life -- and many of my clients’ lives, too. Like so many people (especially those of us who spend a lot of time sitting at a desk), I’ve dealt with chronic pain (for my clients it’s been back pain, for me it’s been hip pain due to my previous dance career and long distance running). This common back pain is typically exacerbated by having a weak core (see: desk, sitting, above). Fortunately, I discovered Essentrics and shortly after became a certified instructor. Essentrics is a fusion of yoga, Pilates, tai chi and ballet. It strengthens, lengthens and stretches every muscle in the body in only 22 minutes! The physical training program leaves you with better balance (something we lose as we age), increased mobility and improved core strength. It helps combat weight loss, too (another pesky milestone of getting older).

Best of all, you can try Essentrics in the comfort of your own home. If you have a WiFi connection and a web browser, you can pick from dozens of 22-minute (or longer) exercise videos. For those of you who travel a lot, Essentrics TV makes working out on the go easy and convenient.

Balance booster: Challenge yourself to 30 days straight of Essentrics. Start your day or end it with this short, fun program, or take a health “time out” in the middle of your busy schedule. Don’t forget to let me know how you like it!

Your fuel

We all know chicken soup is good for our colds and our souls. This cold and flu season, however, think about skipping the can of sodium-saturated store-bought soup. Instead, make your own nutrient-dense broth.

Here’s my almost-effortless recipe:

• First, cook up a whole chicken or a bunch of parts in a slow cooker.
  • Using the bones from a store bought, precooked rotisserie chicken will save you time and help you get more bang for your buck :smileywink:
• When the chicken is ready, separate out the meat from the bones (now you’ve got lots of delicious protein to use in different recipes all week).
• Add the bones, plus the fatty skin, back into the pot.
• Cover with filtered water and add some combination of carrots, celery, onion, garlic or any of your favorite veggies, plus salt, pepper, a Bay leaf and any other seasonings you like.
• Cook on low for 18-24 hours. Strain the broth and store in the fridge for up to five days or freeze until you’re ready to use.  

Balance booster: Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to your broth to help pull the nutrient-rich marrow out of the bones. Don’t worry, you won’t even taste it!

Before you go

QB Community members, I am so excited to share my love and passion for all things wellness! If you have questions about your mind, your body and your fuel, please ask in the comments below. I’ll do my best to answer all your questions in an upcoming Wellness Works post.