What will you be FOCUSing on?

Today we kick off 3 weeks of FOCUS on our Health & Wellness. The challenge for today is to determine what you will FOCUS on everyday for 3 weeks. To do this we must: 1. Set a goal   2. Be specific with that goal  3. Write it down!

You can do this and we will be with you every step of the way to inform, educate and inspire you to living a healthy lifestyle.

Word of the day: CONCENTRATE

A definition of FOCUS: an act of concentrating your interest or activity on something. So, today (and everyday for 3 weeks) we want to be sure that we CONCENTRATE on our our goal, on our Health & Wellness.

Download your copy of the book FOCUS: a simplicity manifesto in the age of distraction free version here (a pdf download).

Watch the video to hear the question of the day, send in your answer and be entered to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble.

Fitness 101

A recent University study found that walking briskly for 15 minutes will cut your desire for junk food! It doesn't take much to feel healthy and want to live healthy. If you don't belong to a gym or need to try something new we have 2 offers for you:

One day FREE trial at LifeWorx in San Jose. Try their Crossfit program or Zumba class. They also have some amazing personal trainers to get you in shape. Check out their website here. 1-888-599-1722

Also, we have a complimentary One-week membership at Club One Fitness at Santana Row. A great facility with everything you need to keep you motivated and FOCUSed! (408) 985-5555.

Congratulations to Alondra Beltran from San Bernardino, Ca - Winner of the $25 Gift Card to Barnes & Noble for her response to 'What is your biggest challenge getting in the way of FOCUSing on your Health & Wellness and what are you going to do to overcome those challenges?'

This was her answer: My biggest obstacle is my own flesh! It tells me, "you can't do that"..."you can't finish the hour of exercise just quit!"... "you're too tired just rest".
I'm commited to focus on growing spiritually to be able to tell my flesh to be quiet so I may continue with my weight loss journey successfully. :-)
Starting with this... Philippians 4:13

Got Water?

Today's focus is the importance of drinking water.  Did you know that about 75% of adults are chronically DEHYDRATED! We tend to drink other fluids (like soda) in place of water. Check out this link for some crazy info on what happens to our body when we drink a can of soda on a regular basis. The challenge of the day is NO SODA - only WATER!

Watch the video to hear the Question of the Day for your chance to win a $25 Gift Card to Whole Foods!

Don't Lose Your FOCUS!

The weekend is here, but that doesn't mean it's ok to slack off and lose focus. Did you know the average adult eats about 250 more calories on the weekend than they do on a weekday?!

Stay strong and overcome the usual temptations that come our way during the weekend. You can do it!

Congratulations to the winner of our Question of the Day Raffle and a $25 Gift Card to Whole Foods: Cynthia Camarillo from Morgan Hill. She answered correctly (the human body is made up of ~65%-75% water) and her name was pulled from all the entries.

Did You Eat Your Wheaties Today?

Did you know that people who don't eat breakfast are 460% more likely to be overweight! Don't be a part of that crazy stat - make the time to eat breakfast everyday. You will feel better and it will be much easier to stay FOCUSed!

Activate That Prefrontal Cortex!

Today is the longest day of 2011 - will it be filled with excitement and meaning? Today we take a few pointers from Dr. Daniel Amen's book 'Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.'

Submit the correct answer to the Question of the Day and you can win a $25 Gift Card for the San Francisco Giants.

Day 10

NO EXCUSES!
Want to feel less stressed? Well, people who exercise at ANY intensity just 17 minutes a day feel 61% less stressed, say Danish researchers.

We can always make excuses of why we don't exercise: "I don't know what exercises to do"  "I don't have time to go to the gym" "I don't have extra cash to hire a personal trainer". Well, today I want to help you get rid of those excuses with a TRIO of links to great exercise websites that you can use anytime and FREE of charge. Do them at home, at work or learn some new workouts and do them at the gym. Here's the websites:

Exercise TV - Do individual workouts or follow their monthly guide.

SLIMTREE.com - Sign up for your free account and have access to various workouts including Yoga, Pilates, Aerobics and more.

FreeTRAINERS.com - Sign up for your free account, fill in your info and they will put together a workout and diet plan for you!

And congratulations to Ronnie Guerra from Sunnyvale, winner of the $25 Gift Card to the San Francisco Giants for answering correctly the Question of the Day: The human brain is made up of ~ 75-80% water.

Day 11

STRETCH IT OUT!

If you know me, you know I'm a BIG believer in stretching. So many of our aches and pains can be alleviated with regular stretching. When done correctly, stretching will not only lengthen muscles, but it can lower blood-pressure, and alleviate stress.

Here are a TRIO of simple, but very effective stretches we can and should do on a daily basis, especially if we sit at a desk all day. Click on the picture to get a larger view:

Reverse Shoulder      Reaching Lateral Side    Assisted Tricep

Here are a TRIO more that you can do at home or at the gym:

Lying Whole Body       Rising Stomach        Lying Knee Rotation

SIT UP STRAIGHT!

Many of our aches and pains in our neck, shoulders, and back can be traced to our bad posture. Today we take a closer look at our posture, FOCUS on our poor posture habits and speak with Dr. Kyle Elliott to see what we can do to improve it. (FREEZE! - What's your posture like as you read this post??!!)

KILL THOSE A.N.T.'s
Don't let your negative emotions get in your way of achieving your goals and staying FOCUSed. Read this great article from HealthHabits.ca that speaks about the importance of getting rid of the negative emotions that hinder us from achieving our goals.

According to Dr. Amen's book, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life", we must kill those A.N.T.'s (Automatic Negative Thoughts) before they get out of control! "Whenever you notice ANTs, you need to crush them or they'll affect your relationships, your work, and your entire life."

Do you have/use a foam roller? Today we discuss the many uses and great benefits of this therapeutic tool we all should own. Don't have one? Well, answer the Question of the Day for your chance to win one.

Here are a couple of great sites that give some sample foam roller stretches and exercises:

BodySpex.com     ShareCare.com      SteadyHealth.com

CANDY, CHIPS, SODAS...OH MY!

Two days left and today we talk about nutrition and the importance of staying away from junk food. When we eat junk food on a regular basis, it increases our chances of being depressed by 60%! Let's eat like we know we should - it will help us to remain FOCUSed!!