Holistic Health 101: 12 Holistic Health Tips

     Holistic does not imply religion.  It simply means treating your body as a whole physical, spiritual, psychological entity and approaching your health from all these aspects with equal attention and nurturing.  It means welcoming all healthy living philosophies & strategies, as to learn from all of them, take what works best, and blend them into your own lifestyle.  It also means taking care of yourself and being your own and greatest healthcare advocate!  I certainly did not invent the holistic ideology, but my family & I have been making an effort to incorporate holistic concepts into our lifestyle and we have noticed a positive difference, from less illness to how we manage stress!  And it turns out that a holistic-health lifestyle will also promote longevity & ideal body composition – optimal leanness and therefore an aesthetically appealing physique!

     I have compiled a short list of 12 things you can do daily to incorporate a holistic method into your life.  Some will seem very simple & even common sense.  In fact you may already be doing many of these little acts, but all combined they are powerful!  This list is by no means all inclusive and this is not an exact science, but rather an ideology.  Remember too, that this list spans all holistic-lifestyle aspects to include physical, psychological & spiritual.  Feel free to add to this list and tailor it to your needs – it is a process of constant evolution and awareness for all of us.  It’s a journey.

 In no particular order:

Learn Something From Your Kids: Get Outside & PLAY!

...Learn how to be active and PLAY again!  Learn how to get out of your chair, get off the sidelines and truly move your body for sport and FUN again.  Get out there and join your kids and get more involved at their level.  What's the alternative?...Continue to stiffen up, atrophy and LOSE what you're not using.  Bond with your kids.  Maybe its a bit much to ask you to actually play their respective sport with them, so how about getting more involved by coaching or assisting their practices?  Or helping them build a tree house or a BMX track in the backyard?  Teach them how to plant a garden or do yard work together - chores rock!  What's that?...You bond with your children by playing VIDEO GAMES??

Beach Lifestyle: Inherently Healthy:)

     Taking a break this week from PURELY FITNESS...

     I owe the beach a lot.  My family & I have built a lifestyle around it and it is a part of who we are, whether we're surfing, looking for shells, enjoying a sunset, tossing a frisbee or bumping the volleyball.  The waves we surf in the ocean inspire us when we 'surf' on land.  The beach is inherently holistic-healthy and is Mother Nature at her finest.  And now my daughter Bryce & I have formed a very special bond as I coach her in surfing - she now loves the beach and ocean experience - where the dolphins play among us!  Enjoy these photos that really share a lot about my love of the ocean, my life & my fitness-style:)

Out for 2012: FAD Diets. IN for 2012: HEALTHY Eating!

     Welcome to 2012 and if you made a resolution for this new year, all the best to sticking with it!  The good folks often ask me about the latest brand-'X' diet they're thinking about trying - Atkins, Zone, Paleo, SouthBeach, BiggestLoser, etc - and I wonder what new, trendy diet 2012 will bring.  While many have had lasting weight-loss success with these commercial, mass-marketed diets, hopefully what they also end up taking away is how to simply eat HEALTHY and make independent smart food choices.  Once you discover the concept of healthy eating and to think for your self, you realize that it becomes a lifestyle and that becoming leaner & healthier is not an exact science or one-size-fits-all plan.