It's all about habits…

The Health Up Newsletter

Created Weekly by Teri Yunus

Health Up With Teri Health & Wellness Coaching

September 8, 2022 | issue 105

What's Inside This Week:

The Habit Poem
How to Create a New Habit
The Best Intentions - The Power of Habit
Did You Know?
Recipe of the Week
Book of the Week
Resource Tip of the Week
My Favorite Quotes

The Habit Poem

I am your constant companion.

I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to

failure.

I am completely at your command.

Half of the things you do you might as well turn

over to me and I will do them - quickly and

correctly.

I am easily managed - you must be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done

and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of great people,

and alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine though

I work with the precision of a machine

plus the intelligence of a person.

You may run me for profit or run me for ruin -

it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and

I will place the world at your feet.

Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I? I am Habit.

How to Create a New Habit

According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day. Dr. Dean Sherzai, behavioral neurologist, says it's more like 99% of what we do! Most of us do the same things repeatedly. It's no surprise, knowing that, how difficult it is to do something different. We are programmed to do things a certain way through repetition. What we do becomes what we do…all the time. We wake up at the same time everyday. We eat the same foods on a regular basis. We do our laundry in a particular way and then either fold and put it away the same way or leave it in the dryer for several days…like we always do. Has anyone ever said to you…that's just how we do it here? It's all based on the habits that we have created. So how can we change it up and begin to do it differently and create new habits that serve us in the way we want? It can be done…it's done every day. It takes planning, implementing and sticking with it. Do it and do it and do it until you are automatically doing it without thinking. That is when it has become habit.

Here are a few tips adapted from James Clear's book, Atomic Habits. It's an excellent read if you are interested in learning more about habit. It drives so much of what we do. You may want to check it out. Meantime, try these out:

Start small. Start with something that will be incredibly easy for you. Something that does not take motivation or willpower or determination. None of it. Something like walking in place for 1 minute. Or doing 1 sit up. Or closing your eyes and being peaceful for 30 seconds. Starting with something very small almost always leads us to building it up. When we say we are going to go for a 2 minutes walk outside, it is likely that will extend to 5 or more minutes. When we say we will do just one sit up, we often challenge ourselves to do more. Give it a try.
The power of tiny gains…Clear discusses a 1% increase everyday to begin new habits. Start where you are and commit to doing 1% better or 1% more each day…before you know it, you are rocking it. Humans are naturally competitive and we want to win. Win a little at a time for the big win.
Split up your goals. If you ultimately want to walk for an hour a day, start by splitting it up into smaller chunks. If you are not walking at all in the beginning, start with short walks…maybe 10 minutes long. Add another 10 minute walk later in the day or even 2 more 10 minute walks. Breaking it up into smaller chunks may lead you down the path of getting closer to your bigger goal over time.
When you get off track, get back on NOW. Do not tell yourself you will start over tomorrow or on Monday…do it now. Missed your walk? Go now. Ate a food not aligned with your goals? Plan a healthy meal for the next time you eat. Waiting til later to start again may cause you to delay even further. Get back on track right away.
Be patient with yourself. Creating a new habit can be done but it cannot be done just because you don't want to wait for it. Mark Twain said, "Habit cannot be tossed out a window. It must be coaxed down the stairs one step at a time." Keep doing the thing you want and you will achieve the outcome you desire. Perseverance is key.

The Best Intentions - The Power of Habit

It’s probably safe to say that most, if not all, people who become ill did not intend for it to happen. We believe we are making mostly healthy choices when it comes to our lifestyle. When we smoke or drink excessive alcohol, we pretty much know we are doing it. We know the risk, but since these habits often do not create illness immediately, we continue our habit until something happens to get our attention. It could be a loved one being diagnosed with cancer, a car accident with a drunk driver, a former classmate having a heart attack at age 34 years, or worse yet, having a heart attack ourselves.

Many of my clients tell me that they know what they should be doing; they just can’t seem to stick with healthier lifestyle behaviors for more than a couple of weeks. Often, they start strong, determined that this time will be different. They tell themselves, “This time, I will make it!” Then they twist their ankle, go on vacation or something else gets in the way, and all their efforts derail. It is far too easy to revert to old habits that have ~~not~~ served us well over the years.

So how do we achieve sustainable change? What is the secret? How are some people successful, and so many of us not so much? There are several factors, and not all apply to each of us as individuals. What we know is that habits are formed by doing the same behavior routinely. We are creatures of habit, and when we eat the same foods, drink the same beverages or move our bodies in a certain way, we learn to love the way we are doing these things. When we consistently behave in a particular way, it can become an unhealthy habit.

Think about brushing your teeth. When you were a kid, your parents likely had to remind you to brush your teeth. Now, this healthy habit is deeply ingrained, and if you were to leave the house without brushing your teeth, you would not feel normal. You would likely be bothered by this occurrence for the remainder of your day until you brushed your teeth. The same is true of good habits. Eat an apple after work every day for a month or two and then leave the apple at home. You will feel like something is missing like you forgot something at work or left without finishing an important task.

More often we think of our “bad” habits such as overeating, smoking, or staying up too late. We don’t consider all the “good” habits we have created or the possibility of what we might create. As we head into Fall, let’s shift our thought process to consider creating habits that serve us in a way that will bring us better health and well-being. Ask yourself, What is one thing I can do daily for the next several weeks as an experiment? It might be eating an apple a day or a 5-minute meditation session before bed. You decide. Do it every single day and see how a healthy habit will form that will start you on a path to better health and energy.

REQUEST YOUR FREE HEALTH STRATEGY SESSION

Ever wondered why there are mirrors in front of the cardio section at gym? Watching yourself run in a mirror can make a treadmill workout go by faster and feel easier.

Recipe of the Week

A vegan chocolate pudding made with avocados. It’s delicious, healthy and incredibly decadent. Super easy to make and ready to eat in as little as 5 minutes! If you are in weight loss mode, you may want to skip this recipe. It's tasty and calorie dense so not a great option for weight loss.

Ingredients

1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt

Suggested Toppings

Fresh raspberries (blueberries or strawberries)
Toasted almonds
Drizzle almond butter over the top
Non-dairy chocolate chips
Shredded coconut

Instructions

In a food processor or high speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor or blender until all the little chunks of avocado are gone.
Transfer to a bowl and store in fridge until ready to serve.
Top with raspberries, chocolate chips or other favorite toppings.

Power Foods for the Brain

An effective 3-Step plan to protect your mind and strengthen your memory while preventing chronic illnesses that plague so many of us today.

Listen to my Health Tip Tuesday video on Facebook on Tuesdays around 10:30am to hear my book review!

"Our cells are highly flexible and can recover from many great insults if we avoid things that hurt them and give them what they need to heal.”

Dr. Brooke Goldner, recovered Lupus survivor, neurologist and author of Goodbye Lupus and Goodbye Auto-Immune. She's lived the life and shares her story to inspire others to take back their health through hyper-nutrition.

Important Disclaimer

The content in this newsletter is intended for educational/informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional.

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