Baby it's HOT outside!

If you are like most of us in the US - you may have been faced with some pretty high temperatures and humidity over the past few weeks. So other than sitting in an air condition from morning to night - what should we do to operate the best under this pressure of oppressing heat?

DRINK MORE WATER!! OK so it may be sort of a no brainer, but still, really be conscious of how much water you're getting in. Obviously the heat can dehydrate us quick, and then being dehydrated has many ripple effects. Your blood is mostly water, so when your body is low on water, blood volume is lower which in turn lowers the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reach your organs and tissues. Dehydration also SLOWS your metabolism. Lack of water puts pressure on the kidneys and the liver, which slows fat metabolism. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.



EAT! But wait, don't load up on a couple of big meals or processed and fatty foods that require a lot of work for our body to digest 'cause you'll be ready to zonk out in no time. We should eat many small meals, every few hours on a regular day - but it is even more important when you are constantly exposed to high heat and humidity. Eat small, light meals every few hours, consisting of a lot of fruit and vegetables that will aid in getting more water in, and lean protein. It's also good to get some salt in to help absorb water as well. Drink healthy fruit smoothies or make healthy smoothie popsicles that even the kids will love and help keep everyone cool.



WORKOUT Early! Hey, I'm not exactly a morning person either - but in the heat it's best to get up before the sun does and get your workout in before it heats up outside. Otherwise, if working out later in the evening doesn't cause you to have a hard time falling asleep, that's another option.







And of course, if it's super hot and you don't have air conditioning or access to a pool and the hose or sprinkler just ain't cutting it, visit a local community pool or head to the library, local museum mall or movie where it is air conditioned to get a break.

Take care of yourselves in this heat - and everyday!

OWN A SMALL BUSINESS? THEN DON'T FALL BEHIND! THIS CAN BE CRITICAL TO YOUR GROWTH & SUCCESS!

Everyone gets their news from the quickness of their fingertips! It's all online! Wanna know if you have an ailment? You search online! Searching for a house? Online! Want to know reviews of a certain product? Online! Want to know how to fix a broken floor tile, search online!

It's all online and word of mouth and finding you online can either CRUSH or GROW your business!

So get ahead of the game! This is a training I'm not going to miss, and with the success I have had in my personal home business, I still want to keeping blowing it up!

It's money back guaranteed, so what is the risk except for HUGE growth! I have trained with Chalene Johnson personally and professionally for the past 11 years, she is my mentor, and she always knows what's hot before it's hot.

If there is any one business developer you can trust, it is her. So trust me, trust her, and register!

WATCH THIS VIDEO to find out more & to register!

http://www.chalenejohnson.com/guest.html?w=VIAREG&p=PP

Lead by Example

“A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.” Unknown

I know what you're thinking, and I'm not talking work here. I'm talking about some of the most precious people in our lives ~ our children! Sometimes we need to take a step back and make sure that what we are teaching them day after day by the way we live is what we want them to learn and replicate. Walk the walk, don't just talk the talk. We've got a huge responsibility raising children, so we want to show them the way by the the way that we live ourselves, not just telling them.

Attitude is Everything! Do you put your smile on out in public but at home - you're short, easily agitated, talk down or negative? Stop. Now granted we will all encounter circumstances that are difficult to deal with - but how we deal with them in the privacy of our home where the little ears hear and little eyes are watching is huge. Be positive. Use your manners - use please and thank yous at home too! Make the best of difficult situations. Be nice to one another - especially your family! Don't talk bad about people behind their backs. Don't use foul language. Display a positive, strong attitude at home just as you do in public. Say you're sorry. Your little ones will learn that it is possible to be strong and positive regardless of the situation.



Work Ethic! Of course, we all want our kids to have everything we didn't have and more. But the answer is not to just give it to them. Sometimes we want our kids to 'live the good life' and we don't require them to 'do' much, but in doing that, we're not teaching them how to live the good life permanently. We've got to make them understand that work is important, valuable and necessary. And then have them 'work' as well. Of course, small shores to start, and it can be things done together as a family, but we've got to involve them in jobs around the house. Sit down with your kids to figure out what needs to be done, when and by whom so that the whole family can have time for other activities and some relaxation. Make it routine, so that they learn at an early age how to work consistently, certain jobs in the morning, others in the evening, some things are certain days of the week and so on. And just like the real world, there should be compensation for a job well done, and repercussions if not. Teach them how to balance their time, build in routines, and be contributing members of the family and they will take this work ethic with them as they grow.

 

We use this responsibility chart with my 5 year old and he LOVES doing it. He even thinks of completing tasks without me telling him so he can put a magnet up.

Health! So you know I cannot leave this topic untouched. Seriously though, this area is huge. Of course, we are going to talk to our kids and be a good example about not smoking, drinking and using drugs. But do we teach them how to live as healthy as possible? Most of our schools unfortunately are not helping our cause with the types of school lunches that are served, we need to be proactice in teaching our children how to eat healthy and incorporate exercise into their lives. Surely we're not making them do P90X, but they can get involved while we do our home workouts, we can jump rope, ride bikes, roller blade, go for walks, and a ton of other things to get them off the couch, away from the tv and video games, and moving. We can make healthy breakfast, lunches and dinners, have healthy snacks in our pantry, and not make the fast food drive throughs a regular visit. We set the standard.

 

Our children will copy and imitate what we do - so we must be extremely careful that the behaviors we display are what we want our children replicating. Lead the way - by doing!

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
John Quincy Adams

 

Suffer from Fat Phobia?

Ok, I'm not talking about extra pounds we may carry around; I'm talking about EATING fat. I get asked a lot about whether we should eat fat or what kind of fats. Fat free, Low-fat, non-fat, trans fat, saturated fat…what’s good for me and what’s gonna kill me?

So here's the thing - we NEED fat in our diet. Why?

What does healthy fat do for our body?

• Absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, S, E, K, and prevent deficiencies of these vitamins.
• Play a huge role in helping you manage your moods, stay on top of your mental game, fight fatigue, and even control your weight.
• Helps food to stay in the stomach longer, and leaves you feeling more satisfied and less hungry later.
• Provides back-up energy if blood sugar supplies run out (after 4-6 hours without food).
• Provides insulation under the skin from the cold and the heat.
• Protects organs and bones from shock and provides support for organs.
• Surrounds and insulates nerve fibers to help transmit nerve impulses.
• Fat is part of every cell membrane in the body. It helps transport nutrients and metabolites across cell membranes.
• Make a variety of other building blocks needed for everything from hormones to immune function.

What happens when we don't have enough fat in our diet?

• Dry, scaly skin
• Hair loss
• Cold intolerance
• Bruising
• Poor growth
• Lower resistance to infection
• Poor wound healing
• Can cause weight gain as we're likely eating to many carbohydrates and sugars

The key is to know which ones to eat, and which to avoid.

Saturated fats and trans fats are NOT healthy fats as they raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease.

But monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good for you, lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease.

Also remember that a “fat-free” label doesn’t mean you can eat all you want without consequences to your waistline. Many fat-free foods are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and calories.

Ok - so what should we do?

• Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. Check food labels for trans fats. Avoiding commercially-baked goods goes a long way. Also limit fast food.
• Limit saturated fats by reducing red meat and full-fat dairy foods. Try beans, nuts, poultry, and fish instead of red meat and switching from whole milk and other full-fat dairy foods to lower fat versions.
• Eat omega-3 fats every day. Good sources include fish, walnuts, ground flax seeds, flax seed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.
• Eat less red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) and more fish and chicken
• Go for lean cuts of meat, and stick to white meat, which has less saturated fat.
• Bake, broil, or grill - don't fry
• Remove the skin from chicken and trim as much fat off of meat as possible before cooking.
• Choose low-fat milk and lower-fat cheeses like mozzarella whenever possible; enjoy full-fat dairy in moderation.
• Use liquid vegetable oils such as olive oil or canola oil instead of shortening or butter.
• Avoid cream and cheese sauces, or have them served on the side.

Enjoy a moderate amount of healthy fat each day with the peace of mind that you are protecting your heart, brain and your body with every bite!

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!

How focusing on everyone else's business de-rails you!

All you need to do is take a step back, and start looking at the direction many people take with reading social media, posting on YouTube, or even shooting out mass emails- that its easy to get too involved in other people's business!
People love to know what the "Jones'" are doing. Funny since I used to be a Jones (maiden name) and I didn't have the life of interest!

We are filled with voyeurism! Reality Show, Gossip Mags, and yes- social media! It's our version of local celebrities as well as knowing how the "Jones'" live.

Have you ever gotten stuck in the viscous cycle of surfing YouTube? Stuck in the mass photo gallery of someone you don't even know?

When it comes to business, we can easily get sucked into this voyeuristic tunnel as well!


Constantly searching to see how someone else does it. Or let me try this techniques cause I know "so and so" does it like this. And when that doesn't work after a couple weeks, you try what "sue and sue" does.


You might think that focusing on the competition is good business, but it can be distracting. Even if they're in your rear view mirror, you ought to spend more time looking ahead than behind.

So take your focus off of everyone else's business, and put it back onto your own dreams and aspirations.

Ask yourself:
1. Is my first action steps of my "work day" actually move MY business further?
2. Do I find that time passes fast and I haven't accomplished 1 step on my to-do list?
3. At the end of each day, have you completed your top 3 HIGH priority items on your task list for the day?


Stick to the basic plan of action that is set for movement in your business everyday.


There’s nothing wrong with an occasional glance over the other side of the fence as it were but don’t let it become an obsession.
Be decisive, be proactive and let your competitors worry about you.

HOW TO WIN AT REMEMBERING PEOPLE'S NAMES

My name is Christine, but when I introduce myself, many of the times the person returns my name back at me as "Kristina" or "Chris". Funny since when I was in 7th grade, a late bloomer, not allowed to wear makeup, with my boy style haircut so my "rattail" could look longer- I actually wanted to go by Chris. Now, I actually do not prefer it. But oddly enough, I don't mind when my closest friends call me that. Hmmm

But learning, remembering and properly pronouncing other peoples’ names is more than just good manners, it's good business and smart sales and service. What's in a name? Everything! A person's name is the sweetest word in their "dictionary."

When you refer to someone by their name, they feel noticed, appreciated, and not just another number. It's a constant challenge to find ways on how to remember people's names, especially when you just meet them for a quick moment!

When I was in high school, I took a Dale Carnegie course, taught by our social economics teacher- oddly enough- his name escapes me! I know it was Italian, and was a Mr D! at least if I saw him, I can at least get by! ha!

One of the techniques I learned in that course was to do a name association with the person themselves. So nothing that could easily change that the next time you see them, if they weren't wearing that same scarf you won't remember their name. But something about them, their mannerisms, what they remind you of, their quirkiness.

So if Tom was introduced to me- and he had a beard, was a big guy, very comfortable and warm demeanor...I might think of "Tom Cat" Tom is a Cat. Meow!- repeat that name over and over.

Anne has red curly hair and some freckles- Raggedy Anne!

Now, I am not perfect, but do pride myself on remembering names. I train groups up near 40 and 50- and my goal is to remember their names within our first 30 mins.

I also use their names frequently back to them in my training. If I mistake their name- I ask them to correct me and I won't forget again.

Here are some additional tips I've used in my years:

1 ) When you hear someone's name repeat it out loud as soon as possible in conversation.

2) Append it to the beginning or ending of your greeting to that person: "It's was so nice to meet you Sue" or "Jack, how nice to meet you."

3) Make written notes to yourself, at the time or later. Don’t tax your memory. Notate on the back of their business card or in your PDA or notebook in the car.

4) Learn the story behind the person's name. When you have a story with the person, they become more "real" and you will connect that with them.

5) Ask for help with complicated names or ones in a foreign tongue. It's not an insult to them, they would actually prefer it!

What’s in a name? Gold. Learning, using, and properly pronouncing friends, family, acquaintances, or customers' names is a great first step to building solid relationships built on trust, respect and admiration. Be a winner at the name game!