As I was sitting at my desk today, thinking about what to write in this blog, I glanced at my LWS certification. While I know it's cheesy- I have it framed and sitting on my desk. What caught my eye was the date of certification 6/29/2010. Hey, that was one year ago today! Suddenly I knew what I was going to write about!

Wellness means a lot of things to different people; to me the basics of wellness are health (nutrition and exercise) and being happy! 15 months ago, my personal journey to real happiness began with decided to get certified in something I was passionate about. But this journey is continuous...

So.. I sit here today, again embarking on another journey to happiness. There are many branches to the path ahead. I've been talking about and writing down plans for a couple of weeks now.  Those of you who know me personally will watch it unfold over the next few weeks and months. It's fun! It's exciting! It's scary!

Isn't making yourself happy thrilling?! Have you charted a course to happiness? Where does your path lead - is it s new job, weight loss, adopting a puppy, organizing the closet? How do you plan to get there? Start working on it! It's a journey well worth the effort!

My new Summer hours at work have me getting up earlier and working later. This means that the most convenient time for me to hit the gym, is right during its busiest time. The last thing that I want at the end of my day is to be frustrated with crowds at the gym and stressed out about dealing with them!

So, I needed to find another answer to my weeknight workouts.

Running or biking seemed like obvious solutions, but I haven’t been much of a runner in years. Maybe this was my opportunity to get back into it.

2 weeks ago, I went out and bought a shiny new pair of running shoes. I even asked the salesman for help in finding the right pair for my needs! After spending those couple of weeks breaking them in with walks, Monday night I went on my first run!

My new shoes felt GREAT! With no blisters looming, I was able to push myself through parts of the workout when normally I fail because my feet are burning! I achieved my workout goal! What a great feeling! I felt so good about the run, I shared the story with people at work, and inspired myself to go out again Tuesday night. So last night I did another run, it was a little harder but still felt great.

This week, I ask you to find something that inspires you to be healthy. Maybe it’s a new pair of shoes, or a new pan to cook in! Maybe it’s buying fresh veggies at the Farmer’s Market. Whatever your choice, I hope it inspires you to be healthy!

Summer is finally here! But with the warm weather comes crazy schedules! Not sure what it is about Summer in particular that makes our calendars get out of control, but it seems like when I flip my calendar to June, everything gets crazy! I’ve been thinking about some things that make me feel better—quick tips that make life slow down for a second. I thought I’d share 5 of them with you.

1)    Make your bed. I grew up in a household where we made our beds each day, so this is a habit for me, but still every once in a while, I can’t seem to get my cat up and out (and I don’t want to disturb her), and my bed is left unmade or partially made. I come home at night and it seems sloppy and unwelcoming. There is a sense of calm and accomplishment with fixing your bed each day. One thing off the list.

2)   Pack a Snack! Make it Healthy and you know you have at least ONE good thing happening that day! A piece of fruit or veggies and dip, or even a granola bar! It’s something yummy to look forward to! And p.s.- an apple provide more energy than a snicker’s bar- without the guilt!

3)   Stretch! Each morning I do 3 minutes of yoga right when I get out of bed! I understand for a lot of people, this would be impossible, so try stretching at your desk instead. Link your fingers, and straighten your arms (palms out), stretch infront of you, then reach over your head and lean to each side—think about pushing your hands up- more than leaning over. A quick 20 second stretch every couple of hours, can help relax those work stressed muscles!

4)   Organize and prioritize! Whether you are a home maker or office bound, a clean work environment will leave you less frazzled. At the end of each work day, take a minute to organize your work space. Pile papers in a stack, make a list of tomorrow’s priorities. And then- leave it at work. It will be there tomorrow, and you won’t have to think about it at home! This also works for the kitchen table (also known as the “to do” pile, at my house)

5)   Unplug. Turn off the TV, phone and computer for at least 30 minutes before you go to bed! Your brain needs the down time before it can settle into a good sleep! And when I say “unplug” that includes checking facebook on your phone!!

Let me ask you a question! What is your most prized possession? Is it your TV? Your car? Your iPod? Some other piece of technology that you just can’t live without?

Let’s just say that it’s your car. So, let me ask you this: Would you put diesel in the gas tank, when it really wants unleaded? Do you change the oil and replace it with beer? Do you drive it fast, and slam on the brakes at every stop light?!

I’m going to guess that the answer to all of these questions is “no!”. You probably are thinking- I would never treat my car like that, it needs clean oil, premium gas, and a gentle touch to run at peak performance!! Am I right?

Tell me- why do you treat your body like that? Why do you feed it junk food, when it runs best on vegetables and lean protein? Why do you attempt to rehydrate with sugary sodas and toxic alcohol? Why do you burn the candle at both ends, running yourself ragged until you simply crash?!   Don’t you think that your health is more valuable than your car?

My body is my most prized possession.  Sure, sometimes I hit the brakes too hard, but generally, I try and treat it like the fine oiled machine it wants to be!

This week- ask yourself- what is my body worth? How much would I pay for good health?  Sure, fresh fruits and veggies might cost a little more than a box of Mac-n-cheese, but the money you save by not being on cholesterol meds, and long term health care needs, but just even that out. Think about it.