Getting Well: Are you ready for love again?

It is no secret that roughly 50% of all marriages in this country end in divorce. And divorce rates for second marriages are even higher. The latter has, in part, been attributed to rebound dating which has been known to prevent you from healing emotionally.

It is important to take some time to reconnect with yourself, do some self-examination, and discover what you want and need out of life. Doing this work may help you make better choices in your next relationship. Sounds reasonable, right? You are not the same person you were 5, 10, or even 20 years ago. It stands to reason that your potential mate should support who you are today and who you strive to be in the future.

What you may not have considered, however, are the other areas of your life that need some time and attention. Divorce can be ugly and the process can be long and arduous. Consider the tension, fighting, financial stress, custody battles, relocation, and interruption of daily routines. The dissolution of a union that you thought would last well into "happily-ever-after" has some alarming effects on your overall health and wellness.

According to an article that appears in Prevention Magazine, "8 Surprising Ways Divorce Affects Your Health", you might experience some or all of the following:

1) Anxiety
2) Drastic Weight Change
3) Metabolic Syndrome
4) Depression
5) Cardiovascular Disease
6) Substance Abuse
7) Insomnia
8) Chronic Health Problems and Mobility Issues

Let me be frank. Divorce can send you straight up out of your right mind. The goal here is to find some balance. Give yourself permission to mourn the loss. See your doctor and address any health issues you may have. Eat well, hydrate, exercise, and get good sleep. Engage in activities that you enjoy. Be social. Breathe. Meditate. Pray. Atone. Set new goals for yourself.

Whatever you do, take your time and take care of yourself. Your happiness depends on it!

Be good to yourself! More next time...

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Sources: http://www.prevention.com/sex/marriage/divorce-and-health-effects

A Big Announcement! At Least It Is for Me...

Those of you who regularly read Raychelle Writes know that I enjoy interviewing authors and artists. I love blogging about all things writing and hosting other writers. Oh, and I have a thing for children's books, so I write them, illustrate them, and review them, too. All and all, I see writing as a way to share what I am learning. It is cathartic and a true outlet for me.

There are many other subjects that I am passionate about and wellness is one of them. I am a certified personal trainer and I have a degree in the wellness and fitness field. For the last several years, I have been posting about health, fitness, and wellness on Journeys Fitness. It has been said that we teach what we need to learn and I will admit that I am always on the quest for better and more balanced ways to live.

So, I am excited to announce my first project in the self-help genre! The Living Well: Taking Your Journey to a Balanced and Successful Life is a collection of original essays and published blog posts where I offer my take on success, conquering fears, atonement, finding your balance, setting goals, motivation, and happiness. My intention in writing this book is inspire each of us to consider our place in life, decide how to improve it, and then take action. My hope is that The Living Well becomes a resource for living which will be revisited as often as needed for years to come.

The Living Well is scheduled for release this summer. Stay tuned for other exciting news!

Be good to yourself! More next time...

*Re-Post* What Does Being Overweight Say About Your Health?

Your attitude about gaining weight and your understanding about how the human body works will determine your number on the scale. Many people believe that exercise alone will fix the problem of being overweight. Others believe that if they go on a diet for a period of time, they can resume "normal" eating habits once they reach their goal weight. Some believe that they are destined to be fat because "everyone in the family got fat at my age." Those whose health has declined and now rely on prescription medications to help correct the damage have been told by their doctors that the medicines will make it difficult to lose weight. Really?

The human body was designed to follow the universal law of cause and effect: "For every action, their is an equal and opposite reaction." If you put the right things in, you get the desired results. Each of our body's major systems has homeostatic controls. Homeostasis is "the tendency of a living body to maintain relatively stable internal conditions in spite of greater changes in its external environment." (Saladin, 2007) Consider the thermostat on a central air conditioning unit. The purpose of the thermostat is to trigger the unit to start cooling the room when it gets too warm and to shut off once the set temperature is reached. Our bodies are designed to function optimally in a state of balance.

If you are overweight, then your vital organs are unable to process the quantity and quality of the foods you have elected to consume. Any or all of the following conditions may exist: fatty liver, stones in the kidneys or gallbladder, high blood cholesterol, plaque in the arteries, impacted colon, or a clogged lymphatic system. These conditions also indicate that even when a nutritionally dense meal is consumed, your body is unable to properly metabolize it and extract the nutrients from it. It will rot in your body and poison it before it will provide much-needed benefits.

The key to managing your weight is simple. Avoid behaviors that upset the natural state of balance in your body. Examples of these bad behaviors are:

1) Overeating;
2) Poor nutrition;
3) Lack of physical activity;
4) Lack of proper rest;
5) Smoking, taking drugs, and drinking alcohol.

The things that you should do include:
1) Eating the right foods;
2) Eating the the right amounts of the right foods in the proper proportions from each food group;
3) Drinking adequate amounts of water;
4) Exercising moderately/intensely for at least 30 minutes per day 3 to 4 days per week;
5) Sleeping 7-8 hours per night most nights of the week;
6) Taking periodic fasts to allow your body to rest, heal, and eliminate waste and toxins;
7) Seeing your doctor regularly for a physical assessment and following-through on the plans to correct health issues and nutritional deficiencies.

Be good to yourself! More next time...

What's Eating You? Day 5: Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are organic substances found in foods that are essential for growth and development of the human body. They are classified as water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and can easily be transported through the bloodstream. The B vitamins, vitamin C, and choline fall into this category. Since the body stores very little of these vitamins in the body, they must be consumed regularly. Fat-soluble vitamins, however, do not dissolve easily in water and require fat for absorption in the intestines as well as for transport through the bloodstream. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored in bodyfat, the liver, and in other organs of the body in smaller amounts. Consuming excess amounts of fat-soluble vitamins, especially through vitamin supplements, can lead to a toxic build-up in the body.

Minerals are inorganic elements which contain no calories, are required by the body in small amounts, and are essential to a variety of system functions. They are classified as major minerals and trace minerals. If the body requires more than 100 milligrams per day, it is considered a major mineral. Conversely, a trace mineral is required in amounts less than 100 milligrams per day. Examples of major minerals include: calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, and sulfur. Trace minerals include: iron, zinc, chromium, fluoride, copper, manganese, iodine, molybdenum, and selenium. Minerals are stored in the body. Excess mineral supplementation may lead to toxic levels in the body.

The human body cannot survive without vitamins and minerals. Depending on one's age, gender, health condition, and level of physical activity, the required amounts of each will vary. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies will lead to rapidly declining health. Therefore, a healthy, well-rounded diet is a must for optimal health.

Be good to yourself! More next time...

It's Not Hard to Say Goodbye...

This is the last day of 2011. Like many of you, I had an action-packed year. I am sure that each of you has had just as many triumphs as failures. It is not unusual to take a moment and be reflective about all of the things that you did or didn't do, things that did or didn't happen, the people who came into and went out of your life, the people who loved you and hated on you, the people who stuck with you and who turned their backs on you, all of the lessons you learned, and so on...But reflection is one thing, and holding on to "what had happened" is something else.

There is a lesson in everything--that is what the living is all about--so be present in every moment. See people for who they are and recognize that they are in your life to teach you something. Some will support and inspire you while others serve as an example of what NOT to be. Embrace that. Don't waste time on petty vendettas. Accept that we all have insecurities about something and those insecurities manifest themselves in our attitudes and behaviors. We can often feel threatened by the successes of others if we don't understand that the gifts we have are what we are supposed to have. There is a place in this world for everyone. The only person you should compete with is YOU. Stay in your lane, define your success on your own terms, and keep it moving (moving forward, that is).

If I am blessed to be here tomorrow, I vow to try harder than I ever have, challenge myself more than I ever have, ignore distractions and detractors, believe in myself, have faith in what Allah (God) has in store for me, strive to be a better sister, mother, partner, and friend, embrace love, shun jealousy and envy, and help somebody who needs it. I encourage each and every one of you to do the same.

So in case I don't "see" you, Happy New Year! Make it your best year yet!

Be good to yourself! More next time...

Finding Balance in Your Life

According to Dr. Bill Hettler, wellness is comprised of six dimensions: occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional. To be considered "well", one must strive to enhance areas of his life that take away from overall happiness and (ultimately) peace. This model proposes the following tenets for living a healthy, balanced life.

Occupational Wellness:

• It is better to choose a career which is consistent with our
personal values, interests, and beliefs than to select one
that is unrewarding to us.
• It is better to develop functional, transferable skills
through structured involvement opportunities than
to remain inactive and uninvolved.

Physical Wellness:

• It is better to consume foods and beverages that enhance
good health rather than those which impair it.
• It is better to be physically fit than out of shape.

Social Wellness:

• It is better to contribute to the common welfare of our
community than to think only of ourselves.
• It is better to live in harmony with others and our
environment than to live in conflict with them.

Intellectual Wellness:

• It is better to stretch and challenge our minds with
intellectual and creative pursuits than to become selfsatisfied
and unproductive.
• It is better to identify potential problems and choose
appropriate courses of action based on available
information than to wait, worry, and contend with major
concerns later.

Spiritual Wellness:

• It is better to ponder the meaning of life for ourselves and
to be tolerant of the beliefs of others than to close our
minds and become intolerant.
• It is better to live each day in a way that is consistent
with our values and beliefs than to do otherwise and feel
untrue to ourselves.

Emotional Wellness:

• It is better to be aware of and accept our feelings than to
deny them.
• It is better to be optimistic in our approach to life than
pessimistic.

For more information on how to find balance and achieve wellness in your life, visit the following link: http://www.nationalwellness.org/pdf/SixDimensionsFactSheet.pdf

Be good to yourself! More next time...