Reflection; Guest Post by Life Coach Paul

How many times have you taken the time to Reflect on the events that you experienced that day? Why should you take time out of your day to Reflect on your experiences?

Most have heard the idea that experience is a tough teacher because the test is given before the lesson. This idea rings true at any age. However, Reflecting on the day's events will allow maximum Growth to occur in the individual.  People experience several events each day.  

Some of these events could be life changing. Sometimes the life change is like a lightning bolt, an obvious sign of something big. Other times it takes careful investigation and thought into the significance of the event. If the time is not given to Reflect on this event, the lesson may be lost forever.  

Reflection of events also allows one to categorize the lessons learned to best be used in the future. Once a person has a catalog of events, experiences and results they can begin to change themselves to impact the situation to produce an outcome that is more beneficial.
This benefit can be for themselves, a group or an organization. Whichever it is, it all started with someone taking time to Reflect on an event.

Some things to help good Reflection occur are:

Find a place and designate a time to Reflect on the day's events.
John Maxwell, a leader in teaching the ideas of Growth, states, "...if you go to the trouble of creating a place to pause and think, and you schedule the time to go there, you will most likely use it."

Ask yourself questions that will make you more aware of your feelings.  Be open to the true answers that come with those questions.  How do I feel about what happened?  What can I do about it?  How did the event impact the rest of my day?  Did the event impact any relationships (good or bad)?

Finally keep thinking about these things.  Again, the lesson and Growth may not hit you like a lightning bolt when you first encounter it.  Keep investigating, keep probing and follow your instincts until the lightning bolt does strike.

As a Life Coach I will help you investigate these life events and discover the best meaning and lesson for you.  I will keep you focused on the importance of taking time to Reflect.  

Feel free to contact me for Life Coaching sessions.

Tips for Re-Thinking Eating for Better Heart Health

Spring is here, making it the perfect time to find ways to re-think what we eat in order to help lead us to better heart health. It’s an issue that most of us need to pay attention to, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women. In fact, each year there are around 610,000 people who die from heart disease, accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. Further, each year there are around 735,000 Americans who have a heart attack. The good news is that there are things we can do to help reduce our heart disease risk, with what we eat playing an important role.

“Considering how many times per day and week that we eat, it’s important to consider our food choices,” says Dr. Nimali Fernando, a Fredericksburg, Virginia-based pediatrician who founded The Doctor Yum Project. 

“This is especially true when it comes to our children, because their bodies are developing and they are learning habits that may last a lifetime.”

According to the CDC, some of the risk factors for heart disease include diabetes, being overweight or obese, having a poor diet, being physically inactive, and using alcohol excessively. 

Improving the diet is likely to also help with the weight and diabetes issues. 

Here are some tips for helping to re-think your eating for better heart health:

·                Breakfast. Reach for whole grain toast, whole grain cereals and don’t forget a serving of vegetables and/or fruit. To get in even more servings, try a quick and healthy fruit and veggie smoothie, like the “Green Dragon Smoothie” featured on doctoryum.org.

·                Lunch. Pack a quick and healthy lunch that includes items like salads, hummus and veggies, tuna salad with wholegrain crackers or bread, or homemade low-sodium soups that you can make ahead of time and take a couple of days in a row. The “Meal Maker Machine” on doctoryum.org has a “Souper Soup recipe” that allows you to customize a soup recipe using ingredients on hand.

·                Dinner. Opt for seafood, which has heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Other good options include beans, salads with dressing, quinoa, whole grains, veggie burgers, chickpeas, lentils, and filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Try to reduce processed foods, and fast food (which is often loaded with sugar and salt), high sodium foods, and unhealthy oils by cooking more at home.

·                Snacks. Skip the chips and cakes and opt for food like unsalted nuts, fruits and veggies, seeds, rice cakes, bell pepper slices, vegetables and hummus, or whole grain toast with all natural peanut butter.

·                Drinks. Leave the sugary drinks behind, and opt for water, sparkling water, plain soymilk, unsweetened coffee and tea, or water steeped with fruit.

·                Dining out. When dining out, opt for dishes that are lower in sodium and fat content, such as those that are baked, grilled, or broiled, rather than ones that are fried. Minimize the sugar intake by opting for unsweetened beverages and sticking to mostly fruits for sugar cravings. Choose seafood, fish, lean meats, vegetarian options, vegetable dishes, and beans. Portion sizes for restaurant meals tend to be oversized, so box a portion of your meal for lunch the next day.

“Heart healthy foods are all around us, it’s just a matter of opting for them over the other ones that are also available. Common barriers to eating healthy are cost, convenience and taste. By following the 3 P’s (prep, plan and prioritize) these barriers can be overcome” adds Dr. Fernando. “With some initial effort, we can all focus on eating healthier and feeding our children better. The more people make changes and stick to them, the more it will become a more natural habit.”

About The Doctor Yum Project
Founded by Dr. Nimali Fernando, The Doctor Yum Project is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to transforming the lives of families and communities by providing an understanding of the connection between food and overall health, as well as empowering them with the tools to live a healthy life. They offer a variety of community programs to help with those efforts. They are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and feature an instructional kitchen and teaching garden for holding classes. To learn more, visit the site at: www.doctoryum.org.

The Adventure Club – Sweet Movie for Young Explorers

The Adventure Club is an independent movie now available on Demand.  The quaint story about three spunky kids who pursue adventures for fun. Ricky lives with his mother (Gabrielle Miller), and a new boyfriend (co-writer Robin Dunne). He’s got a happy home life, but he’s looking for some excitement.  

Over a family dinner, they reminisce about his grandfather, an archaeologist who sounds like he would have been friends with Indiana Jones. Ricky (played by Sam Ashe Arnold), wants to follow in his footsteps, so he starts looking around at his grandfather’s old things one night when he can’t sleep. 

Things have been a bit quiet for the Club, until Ricky comes across some mysterious artifacts from his grandfather. He’s eager to share it with his club members. Meanwhile his friends Sandy, Dalila Bela, and Bill  (Jakob Davies) are supportive, but skeptical.

Sons of Anarchy alum Kim Coates is the local pawn shop owner, Ozzie, who’s their mentor, and a source of arcane knowledge. He’s a trip as he works with the kids to help them in their quest. Billy Zane plays another key role, bringing his trademark charm and menace.

The pacing of the movie is a bit challenging. While it’s a nice throwback to the 80s movies like The Explorers (1985), kids today might find it too slow.  The writers Robin Dunne and Fred Ewanuick sprinkle in some charming old time goodies like the kids using walkie-talkies to communicate late at night. 

The special effects look predominantly practical and basic, but director Geoff Anderson and team work within the budget creatively. As the lead, Sam Ashe Arnold does a great job – he’s earnest, but can handle a heavy emotional scene. Ms. Bela is great with her deadpan delivery, and Jakob Davies harkens back to the hilarious Rupert Grint.

The writers Robin Dunne and Fred Ewanuick developed a sweet nostalgic story that is an antidote to the gadgets and screens that threaten to destroy childhood. This is a fun family movie perfect for the weekend or a rainy afternoon. No dumb phones allowed!

 Order from iTunes: http://apple.co/2iImbcm

By Staff Writer DL Cooney