Lots of cool beneficial stuff happens when we eat slow. By doing so, we

- Reduce our level of stress - creating a sense of feeling calmer and in control

- Become aware of when to stop eating

- Improve digestion

- Maximize nutrient absorption

- And just plain increase the enjoyment of our meal

As most time management gurus profess - every calendar should have a time block of “personal focus.” Mastering the art of being intentional and disciplined with our time is certainly a gift we give ourselves to maximize productivity.

This “focus” time block is one that we want to protect, because more likely than not, something will come out of that time that will be the most meaningful action or experience of our day.

Face it. It’s easy to feel scattered. And I’m going to stick with the positive mindset that it’s not the advancing years that are addling my brain.

It’s just a seemingly never ending long to-do list, with a little lack of focus sprinkled on top. That lack of focus typically comes from not finding the time to be proactive with daily planning.

When we eat foods that create glucose spikes, our body reacts by releasing insulin into the blood to carry that glucose to our cells for energy. But when we’re flooded with too much glucose too often, our body stops performing this function optimally.

These spikes lead to consequences like unhealthy cravings, wrinkles, hormonal imbalances, sleep issues, weight gain, and ultimately put us on the path to pre-diabetes/diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

The red flag coming out of the latest list from EWG is a cancer causing agent called dachthal, which is found in particular abundance on the kale, collards and mustard greens crops. In 1995, the EPA cited it as a possible carcinogen, linked to liver and thyroid tumors, as well as damage to lung and kidneys. It has been banned in Europe for years. Unfortunately the EPA has continued to allow the use of it on our crops.

I’m hoping with a little more explanation, I can arm you with an understanding of which blood labs to ask your doctor for, and help you understand how to interpret the lab results when it comes to blood sugar balance.

The wisdom that comes along with that ownership can make a huge difference for our health.

Sugar can overwhelm us. We crave it; some might even say we’re addicted to it. It’s everywhere we look. And it hides.

So today, I’m focusing on what “owning your health” might look like when you're preparing for your annual physical, particularly when it comes to thinking about understanding your cholesterol panel.

But first and foremost, social connection. Being with “good friends.” A very important health plank.

We know how good it feels to be with others, especially family and friends that we care about. Getting together with friends creates memories, and allows us to decompress, relax, and laugh.

Meeting a friend for a hike or a cup of coffee, or reconnecting with an old friend on the phone, allows us to step out of our moments of craziness, for a slow wind down of just being in conversation with another person.

Our stressful jam-packed lifestyle is put on hold for a while.

“Owning your Health” or being the “CEO of your Health” has offered layers of meaning for me over the past couple years as I’ve worked through my Health Coach program and certification.

I came to it with a deep interest in learning about health for myself, my family, as well as the opportunity to create a practice that could help others become more aware of what taking control of one’s health really means.

After all, I was getting a bit older, beginning the wind down of actively raising children, and finally had some time to think, and think about me.

One of the memories that I reflect on from time to time connects back to a family vacation in Maine when I was a teenager.

We had booked a kayaking trip to explore the islands of Eggemoggin Reach, and we were excited about getting out on the water, in a kayak no less, which I think was a first for all of us.

But we awoke that morning to a gray, foggy and rainy Maine day. Not the weather we were hoping for. We were faced with the decision - do we go, or do we cancel.

What would you think if you left your doctor’s office with this type of prescription:

Eat one cup of blueberries per week

Eat 2-3 cups of tomato sauce per week

Eat a handful of walnuts every day

I’ve talked about this before, but I’ll say it again - I hate the word diet. Diet conjures up limitations, sacrifices, and just generally a feeling of yuk. But what is a good substitute for the word diet?

It’s not easy to determine, but I landed on the word “menu.” The word MENU is exciting, liberating, and represents a series of choices.

Of course it is not lost on me that the word “menu” is also exciting as it implies we’re out! We’re relaxed and not cooking!

But let’s put that thought aside for the moment.

As the diet economic machine pushes out 5 million diet books a year and racks up 78 billion in revenues … at some point we just need to face the truth.

We know what we’re supposed to eat … and we know what we should avoid.

Knowing and doing are two different things however. And that’s where this “diet” stuff can get hard.

Let’s transition from thinking and planning to some tactics.

And I'm starting with dairy. Often when people are experiencing a range of health issues, from acne to digestive issues, milk (as well as dairy in general) can be the culprit. Eliminating dairy from your diet might be the first step to helping you feel better.

My husband and I both experimented with a 30 day reset diet last year (the goal of which is to figure out which foods might be bothering you), and when we introduced dairy back into our diet, we were surprised at how uncomfortable it made us feel - bloated and gassy.

And that’s the magic of intention, practice, and reworking the conditions if necessary to make success happen.

When I talk to people about what I do as a Health Coach, I respond: “I work with clients to help them figure out how to optimize their health.” And I know so many people respond thinking … “I feel good” … “I don’t need to do anything differently” … “I’m healthy.”

I get that. But what I’ve learned more than anything on this health journey is that you have to work at optimization … even when you think everything is going swimmingly.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - GO!

Memory flashback. With that simple countdown, did you think back to standing on the 50 yard dash starting line in 2nd grade?

And, no matter what you were doing the moment before, as soon as you heard the countdown and “Go," you were running as fast as you could.

That count down cleared your head, enabled focus on the task at hand, and moved you forward. You didn’t have time to consider that you hate running … you hate losing … or that you really weren’t wearing the right shoes at the moment. It’s just time to run.

I took myself to “Tiny Habits” School last week. I didn’t pass with flying colors, but I did learn a thing or two. And one of my key learnings? If you don’t succeed at first, rethink your plan.

So, just what are “tiny habits?” Well, actually they are just tiny habits. Very simple, but quite profound.

If you’ve already found the time to sit down and reflect on how you want your year to look - bravo! Because one thing is for sure, writing things down on paper just makes them real. And of course, it provides a hard copy of what's in our head and therefore personally meaningful.

If you’re still mulling things over, or maybe haven’t had the time to think things through, the following framework may provide useful in terms of thinking through the dimensions of your world.

Celebrations … well, they’re important. Do you know that from an evolutionary perspective, we are designed to experience and remember negative events almost triple-fold to positive ones?