A New Year: Stay Enlightened, get Motivated!

You need a complete overhaul of your life in terms of health, diet, energy levels and creativity but you do not know where to start? Here's some advice ...

In order to make any change in your life you first of all need to be "MOTIVATED" - that's the only "real key to success" ... !!

Secondly you need to analyze your way of living in terms of nutrition, activities and lifestyle ...

We all know more or less which nutrition is bad for or health. But we think that if we cut down on calories the nutritional part of the job is done ... Because let's face it, usually we want to eat healthier to loose weight and not to be "healthy" ... It all starts with believing lean and skinny = healthy: Wrong!

Food = energy …We need energy to function well... We need energy to perform ... We need energy to think! In the end we need energy to feel good! When we feel good, we are automatically more optimistic and more motivated ... A positive spiral, which works as well the other way around ...

We can be intolerant to certain foods or have allergies without knowing it. So, it is not only important that you cut down on calories, but you should also carefully evaluate what you put in your mouth! If you decide to cut 500 kcal... cut your chocolate and alcohol... NOT your apple, avocado or brown rice ...

Some foods can cause bloating, some foods make your sugar levels fall dramatically, some foods slow down metabolism and some foods just take way too much time to digest (which results in lethargy, low energy and ultimately depression) ...

So: do some extensive reading on what foods are good health choices and what foods are bad for you. Do not ONLY take into account the calories but also look at the nutritional value and determine your own problem areas. Experiment by cutting certain foods and evaluate the effect it has on your body and mindset...

As a rule you can say you should eat as much as possible only whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits and leave out refined foods, sugars, too much diary products, alcohol, caffeine, too much meat and butter ... Not all fat is wrong by the way: best choices are coconut oil, olive oil and ghee ...

If some foods are bad, try to find out WHY! READ about it. INVESTIGATE and ask yourself questions ... You'll be devastated, disgusted and even SCARED if you find out what you have been swallowing down all those year!!! And THAT is the best motivation you can have to NOT indulge in those so called "goodies" anymore ... Knowledge and common sense is the "buzzword" here!!

So .... now you have gotten that right and have been making healthier food choices for a while, you will notice an increase in energy and you will most likely feel the need to move, to do something with your life and to UNDERTAKE a challenge!

That's when you start looking for some sort of sport or activity ... Start with defining your goal! What do you want to reach?

1) being more fit
2) being more lean and toned
3) improve your quality of life
4) or do you dream about an amazing body and an extraordinary form and condition?

Go to the doctor and have yourself a medical check-up first (to see if nothing stands in the way of achieving your fitness goals) ... If your health care provider gives "the green light", go to a fitness center for a "fit test" so that you can determine at which level you are ... Ask for GUIDANCE ...

Depending on your life style and your personality, you will want to work out alone, in group, at home or in a fitness center ... Keep in mind that when you are on a tight schedule, sometimes working out at home is the better option because you do not loose time commuting! Make sure though, that you try and stick to fix hours and a fix schedule in order to avoid just postponing the work because you just did not "find the free time" that day ...

When you work with a fitness instructor, just be clear about your goals and draw-up a program together (generally they know their profession very well and are very conscious about it). In that way you can start out with a tailor made, relatively "safe” and doable fitness routine ...

If you choose to "do it on your own" ... Invest in some video's, a stepper, a treadmill (or just go out running for the matter), a yoga mat, some weights, or subscribe to an online fitness channel ...

Be aware that although most video's or online programs provide ample instructions, doing an exercise WRONG almost always causes injury ... Personally I ALWAYS do some sessions with a professional trainer first, or seek guidance on some exercises BEFORE I embark on a "at home video session".
Especially if it concerns activities that risk overstretching in the muscles or joints such as Power Yoga and all types of muscular structure work!

Also, wear the right clothes! Choose the right shoes - even if it means you need to switch footwear during your workout because you do a mix of dance, running and yoga ...

Choose an activity that attracts you, not one you hate to start with.
(It is better to work low intensity for an hour, then high intensity for 10 minutes because you just do not like aerobics) ...

READ, read, read! ... and COMPARE. Go on forums before you buy material, video's and books or subscribe to a new fitness hype. READ comments from people who already have experience ...

As soon as you are decided, make sure you do not start out to harsh - since you might get injured, OR demotivated because it is too big of a change and too tough at ones ... BUT, bear in mind though, to not go too "light" either ... since you most likely will not have results quickly enough and that again is a HUGE DEMOTIVATOR ...

If you have been eating right, exercising regularly and feeling more fit, energetic and less tired , creativity starts to flow automatically ... you will be getting ideas during your cool down, warm-up or long distance runs, or encounter a "spark of genius" during your breathing sessions ...

When this starts to happen, just go over the same routine to find a creative process or activity that will suit your lifestyle and goals and stay ENLIGHTENED ...