A Message from Cat Wilson

Do You Listen to Your Body for Wellness?

You hear your stomach growl and look down, "Shhhh," you say. After a few moments it growls a little louder. You look around embarassed and say to your stomach, "As soon as I finish checking these 189 e-mails I'll get you a some lunch, or ... wait a minute... I guess it's dinner... or after dinner. Just a minute.. I'm almost done." After a while, you realize that your shoulders are hunched. Your body feels achy and stiff. It's almost 11pm and you're tired. You realize you are still wearing your exercise clothes, but you never made it to the park for that walk. Do you have a "wellness plan"?

Are you listening to your body and planning wellness?

Wellness depends on how "well" you take care of yourself. This means everything from what you put in your mouth, how you think, and the activity you give yourself.

Many of us are good enough to show up for our clients and doctor's appointments, and even a movie at the theatre or tv show, but are you taking your body where it needs when it calls out, "I'm hungry," "I'm weak," or "I'm stressed." Here are some pointers to consider to live a higher, healthier and happier life.

Exercise can boost your immune system. When you exercise, you are keeping the body happier with regular use. Sue Grossbauer, RD, CD in her article "Exercise: Essential Know-How for the Flu and Cold Season," says, "the Average American suffers one to six colds each year. Exercise at the right intensity and frequency may help you avoid some of the cold viruses." She goes on to explain that research indicates that people who exercise moderately have higher levels of T-cells, the immune cells that fight viruses and cancer. Check out her article on www.cyberdiet.com.

Handy, Healthy, Sweet and Sour. Is your body asking for sweet, spicy, sweet and sour, or comfort food? There is a reason why your body is talking to you. If you just ate, you might look back on what you had in your meal. Maybe your body wants variety. Maybe you need a hug. Making interesting meals can actually help you enjoy your food more without eating more. There are hundreds (probably thousands) of diets that will promise you this or that, but in the end your body still needs certain nutrients and minerals to stay alive and well. Meals for You is a great website to find recipes that can appeal to the gourmet or kids, as well as food suggestions that save time and even provide the nutritional breakdown of the meal. You'll find lots of really great information on diet, taste, time-focussed meals, nutrition, health guide, and special features. Check out www.mealsforyou.com.

Self Care and Wellness Manuals. Did you know that a female soldier in training can burn between 2000 to 4000 calories per day and that a man can burn 3000 to 6000? The US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventitive Medicine (USACHPPM) has compiled information and developed manuals on how to manage wellness if you are a soldier or a family member. If you have Adobe Acrobat on your computer, you can pull up the manuals. One that I found interesting was Module 1: Peformance Power... The Nutrition Connection. Check out http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/dhpw/Wellness/ppnc.aspx .

Employee Wellness Programs. In a Case Study done for the Kailo Employee Wellness Program, using Karen Carrier's Life's Odyssey tool (a 70-item, self-scoring questionnaire) employees were asked to score their health and life satisfaction based on seven dimensions: 1) Life and health attitudes, 2) Social connectedness, 3) Emotional well-being, 4) Rest, 5) Pleasure and play, 6) Purpose and meaning, and 7) Self-Care. This Iowa company learned six (6) key lessons while building what they call a "Platinum Well Workplace." There are lots of free reports. You can check it out on the site for Wellness Councils of America: www.welcoa.com .

Benefits of Physical Activity for Women. Many women are too busy listening to the needs of their families and ignore their own body when it talks to her. My mother listens to her body, taking it to all the places it wants to go. She works out at the gym, dances, and has a healthy life, which keeps her bones strong, reduces depression and anxiety, and prevents high blood pressure. In addition, she's met lots of new friends her age along the way and gets to talk to them, and remembers them, because when you exercise your memory actually improves! Click on Illinois Department of Public Health page of Facts About Women's Wellness-Exercise . www.idph.state.il.us/about/womenshealth/factsheets/exer.htm.

Listen to Poetry . Words can bring healing. Much of the clinical hypnotherapy that we use has highly hypnotic language; there is a great power of healing through the mind. The mind hears words and can especially appreciate them from someone they believe. Click on Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center to read inspirational words by Paula Jones Gardiner of Seattle, Washington. http://transit.metrokc.gov/prog/poetry/2002/atthescctwc.html

Communication is an interesting aspect of life. Even when there is silence, communication is still taking place. By listening to your body you can increase your wellness, joy in life, and live longer! Here are some reminders.

• Exercise to Boost Your Immune System
• Keep Healthy Food on Hand and Try Interesting Recipes
• Read Books on Self-Care and Wellness
• Support Employee Wellness Programs
• If You Are a Woman, Take Care of Yourself as Well as Others
• Read Poetry, Sing a Little, and Live a Lot

Remember to listen to your stomach and your heart.

If you just ate, and you are still hungry, ask yourself, "Am I hungry for food or do I need something else?" (Like a hug?) Keep a journal of your eating for a week to see what you actually eat, and write down how you were feeling at the time. This will raise your awareness and your understanding of how your body is communicating with you. It is time, isn't it, to listen to your body?

Sing to Your Body for Wellness! This special song was taught to an NLP group by Suzie Smith at NLPU in Santa Cruz, California. (Sung to the melody of "Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortening Bread.") Suzie Smith is at www.nlpco.com.

All my little cells are happy and healthy,
All my little cells are happy and well.
All my little cells are happy and healthy,
All my little cells are happy and well.

I can tell... all my little cells,
All my little cells are happy and well!
I can tell... all my little cells,
All my little cells are happy and well?

(AGAIN) (AGAIN) (AGAIN) (AGAIN) (That's Right. Keep going....)

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CONGRATULATIONS! Just by simply taking the time to examine your beliefs you raised your communication quotient! You can say, "I made a positive change!"