Hi there:) I wanted to share with you a little about my story. My journey to health and happiness began out of necessity. At the time, I couldn't walk into a Barns~N~ Noble without seeing myself on the cover of a health or fitness magazine. The pressure was high to maintain two totally different figures depending on the type of magazine I was shooting for.
In fitness, they liked you tan and toned. In the more glamour type magazines it was pale and a little plump. I developed a terrible eating disorder called bulimia and although I didn't realize it at the time, it turned out to be a HUGE blessing!
In the midst of my disease I found myself alone at my mothers home in Ohio one night at 2am with my head in a toilet bowl. It was Valentines day and I had just ended a ten year relationship. I had been there (hovering over the toilet) for over three hours vomiting after a HUGE binge! I had drank a syrup that hospitals use to induce vomiting and it had back fired on me to the point of me blacking out. That was my rock bottom! I swore that night that I would NEVER make myself sick again!
Fast forward to today! I'm healthy, happy, have better skin than when I was twenty and I'm living out my passion helping others reach their goals in both fitness and cellular health! I'm sharing this with you because I want you to know that no matter where you are in life God has a plan for you! One thing is for sure however, the quality of your life is EXTREMELY important! In order to achieve a better quality of life you must develop the following seven healthy habits!
1) Crush the toxic conversation in your head that is saying "I'm not good enough" or "I'm broke" or I'll never get in shape! Look if you don't believe and love yourself where you are at right now then who will? Become your biggest cheerleader!
2) Ditch the negative people and toxic abusive relationships in your life now! How do you expect to move forward with your goals hopes and dreams? I realize that this is sometimes very hard to do especially with family or close friends. Maybe down the line the relationship can be rekindled but right now its just not a good fit.
3) Keep a schedule when it comes to eating sleeping and fitness! Have you ever seen a baby when it gets off schedule? They cry or throw a tantrum! Guess what~ we never really grew up! We too need schedules! Try to keep a journal of mindfulness when it comes to procrastination and time wasting! Keep a food journal to prevent mindless snacking. Before long you will notice your goals begin to take shape!
4) Do what you love for a living! Easier said than done, right? Sure, the nay-sayers you just cut out in tip #2 may think so but who's to say you don't THRIVE when you step away from the tribe! Is it true that what you are doing is for you because you went to school for it 1000 years ago? Certainly not! Maybe you're caught up in the 9-5 rat race that has you feeling stressed or stuck? Journal and feel your way through this~ask the important questions and find the truth!
5) Workout daily! Yes~DAILY! If you think you have all the time in the world to get your body in the shape you want, think again! I like to always remind people that it's not how long you live, it's the QUALITY of the life you are living NOW that matters!
Alright I know what you're saying. I don't have the time and what about a day of rest. Nonsense! Your lymphatic system gets sluggish on its own! Besides the better you feel about yourself the more confident and better you are to this World! Ahhh I feel the endorphin rush coming on now!
6) Get adequate sleep! Try to go to bed at the same reasonable hour each night. Use things like Lavender essential oil or stress away by Young Living oils to ease away daily tension! Keep a journal of gratitude next to your bed. At the end of the day write just 5 things that you are grateful for. Make sure you turn down the lights about 2 hours prior to bed so your melatonin balance isn't disrupted.
7) Keep your food simple! You know how you feel after you've visited your family at Thanksgiving? That bloated lethargic I've eaten enough for 17 people feeling? Whats that for anyway? Why would you eat that way in everyday life? The salad pictured below is coming out in my new book "Sexy on Salads"! Although it only has 7 ingredients, its delicious and filling! I even had room for a vegan cookie after! Its about quality remember! I want you to care about the food that comes into your body!
I really want you to achieve all of your goals both in your personal and professional life! What I want for you more than anything is for you to be able to actually ENJOY them!
It's about being able to walk up and down stairs without heavy breathing. It's about playing ball with your children without having to sit down and take a break! It's about dancing all night long with your husband without feeling tired. Your life is happening NOW! If you went tomorrow could you honestly say you lived your life to the absolute fullest? If you said no and if it has anything to do with excess weight or toxicity holding you back then today is the day to start fresh!
To feel healthy on a cellular level is to experience life, people and places like a child!
I love you~you're welcome!
Andrea L Cox is the owner of www.thehealthyhaven.net & www.alkalizewithandrea.com She is a fitness model turned health coach who has written two books on the raw vegan healthy lifestyle and detoxification! Andrea has appeared on numerous news stations TV shows and magazine publications. She runs yoga juice cleanse retreats both in San Diego and Mexico! Her You Tube channel is approaching close to 2Million views. Her website for retreats is www.alkalizewithandrea.com Her other programs may be found at www.thehealthyhaven.net
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