In this world’s changing climate, many people are finding themselves filled with worry, fear and confusion. Where do I go from here? Let me help you.
Dr. Peggy Gleason, RN MS NHD
PO Box 508
Creedmoor, NC 27522
Phone: 919.283.4397 eMail: peg@iHealthCoach.net
Chamber Executive Women’s Luncheon
| October 14, 2010 | ||
| 11:30 am | to | 2:30 pm |
At this panel discussion, you will have the opportunity to
engage medical experts at Duke Medicine about several prevalent health and
wellness related issues for women, as well as their correlation with each other
and with your overall health and well-being. Topics will include:
- Heart Health. Learn how stress, sleep and other lifestyle
factors may be contributing to your risk for heart disease. - Sleep. Growing evidence suggests that chronic lack of
sleep can increase the risk for developing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, and infections. Learn about common sleep disorders and new
leading-edge options for treating them. - Stress and Well-being. Learn how to pay attention to how
you feel and to respond to your body’s needs and achieve a sense of overall
health and well-being.
Panel members include: Carla Hollis (Moderator), Peggy
Gleason, RN MS NHD, Dr. Radha Kachhy, and Dr. Paul Peterson.
Please visit the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce for more information.
sgaskill@raleighchamber.org to register.
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
Take I-40 East towards Raleigh
Take Exit # 289 Wade Ave.
Take I-440 North/HWY 64 Rocky Mount (Inner Beltline)
Follow I-440 North Approximately 6 Miles to Exit #10 (Wake Forest Road)
At the end of the exit ramp, take a left at the stoplight on to Wake Forest Rd.
The North Raleigh Hilton is located approximately 1/8 mile on the left across
from Raleigh Community Hospital
From Wilmington, NC and Points South East
Take I-40 west into Raleigh until exit #301 for I-440 North (outer Beltline)
Follow I-440 North to exit #10 (Wake Forest Road)
At the end of the exit ramp, make a right at the stoplight
The North Raleigh Hilton is located approximately ¼ mile on the left across from
Raleigh Community Hospital
Mindfulness MBSR
I finished a Mindful Based Stress Reduction program and Duke recently.
It sounded interesting and I wondered if it was just a review for me on meditation or how pay attention more and slow down a bit. It seems that everyone including me is always in such a rush.
The first night was fascinating I gained a real eyeful about myself and my speed – not only in the things I do, but in how I think.
I’ve meditated in the past on and off so it wasn’t difficult for me to sit quietly for a few minutes to “settle down”. But when I began to bring this mindful practice into other things during the day, it was then I realized that I was only slowing down while I meditated and then resumed full speed when I was done.
It occurs to me now that the behavior seems rather redundant.
To be mindful, means to bring awareness to each thing I am doing throughout the day, so as to not miss any part of my life. How many times have you driven somewhere, only to get there and not remember the trip?! I realize that
going through life this way IS missing the journey – isn’t the journey what your life is all about?
So with this in mind, I have decided it is a practice that I must embrace so I can truly live each moment of my life. Time is far too precious to miss anything.
Each moment – this includes eating. I can attest that I had not taken time during meals to embrace what was before me – to look at it and notice the different textures of the food, the colors, the aromas, the sounds and the arrangements of the food before me. Perhaps noticing where it came from (hopefully not a can) – maybe think of the seeds that were planted, the harvesting of the item, the processing to package it – the people who have participated in the food reaching me. And yes the preparation of the food –whether in the restaurant or in my own kitchen.
Then to take a bit and feel it in my mouth, experiencing the tastes on the different parts of my tongue. To do this is quite interesting. It opens up a whole world of what we experience at mealtime.
So – in my quest to develop this proficiency, I have found that it is indeed a skill! Imagine just to sit and enjoy the quiet, your breath, your swelling abdomen as your breathe in, embracing each moment as you are right now, right here. It is quite profound. Not only at mealtimes, but in each moment you live.
How much do we miss in our lives while we are busy getting to the next task?
Hmm….. it is now that I find myself not missing a thing. Each moment is a blessing.
Tags: Integrative Health Coaching, MBSR
What is an Integrative Coach Anyway?
The term coach is so loosely used these days that I find it hard to articulate what makes me stand apart from all the other coaches.
First of all, I suppose I can start with my training. I studied at Duke Integrative Medicine and just as the name implies, Duke certainly has some high standards and holds the gold standard of any program.
I was honored to be a part of this professional training.
Coach – If you think of playing a sport, you know the coach it is someone who assesses you, strategizes with you, plans with you and puts you into action. She’ll hold you accountable, cheer you on, pick you up when you fall but will never give up on you.
This also describes why we are called coaches in my work.
The integrative health component is about exploring your life as a whole – how are you taking care of yourself in terms of your nutrition, your movement, you relationships, your spirituality and your environment. This also includes how you are being taken care of on a professional level – what pharmaceuticals, supplements, medical treatments, alternative treatments or preventative care you practice. With all these things in mind, I assess to see where there is an imbalance – because, when there IS an imbalance – there will be a consequence to your health – total health – mind, body, and spirit.
Keeping mindfulness in the center of all things, I help you to identify what you want to change. We form a partnership and discover what’s stopping you from achieving this change, and uncover the obstacles. Together, we co-create a strategy that resonates with you, using small, manageable, achievable goals –often times baby steps toward a greater goal. With these we agrees on a time frame you feel comfortable with to achieve forward movement towards your goals. Working together in a partnership ensures your success in the path you are creating. And yes – I do hold you accountable so you get to the place you are striving for. That’s what a good coach does – they stay with you till you win the game.
I challenge you to ask yourself this question, “what is your vision of optimal health mind, body, spirit?” Once you have an idea of what your want to change, let me help you toward your ultimate goal.
Peace & Wellness,
Peggy
Tags: committment, Duke, Duke integrative Medicine, goals, health coach, Integrative Health, Integrative Health Caoch, Mind body spirit, mindfulness, total health, wellness
Mindfulness
I went on a recent vacation and realized half way into it that I was sleeping more soundly. Yes – I will acknowledge I was with my loved ones and not feeling very rushed. I’ve had restful times away before but this time it was indeed different. So what was so remarkable?
Perhaps, because this time, I decided to make time for something that I hadn’t always adhered to when I wasn’t home. I made some time for myself that included quiet, mindful reflection. In the past I would find excuses or feel my circumstances did not lend themselves for this alone time.
Each morning I got up before anyone else and sit quietly, looking out a lovely window at the sky – sometimes not even sunlit yet! I would take time to let my surroundings sink in, noticing the colors, the quiet, and my own presence. I would then enjoy my journaling.
I noticed that I had less mental list making and more calm for the rest of the day.
What a wonderful way to start the day…. Now I realize how important this practice is whether you are home OR NOT!
Happy Valentine’s Day – not just for lovers.
I wanted to address this day of “love”.
Most people approach this day thinking it is a Holiday only for lovers.
We teach the kids to give out cards to their friends to show them they care, and on that special day, if you are in a relationship… there are cards, candy, flowers and romance. But I want to think of this day as a day to show appreciation for who YOU are. I keep thinking of all the ways we show love for others, but how do we show it for ourselves? I want to ask you… what are you doing to honor yourself today? You know the old quote “ you have to love yourself before you can love someone else.” Let’s put that into action. Do something nice for YOU. Celebrate and love YOU. If you treat yourself with respect and love – you will have so much more to give!
Have a wonderful day!
Winter Blahs
I am having many of my clients tell me that they are struggling with their exercise commitment this month. The reasons they cite are: I do better with outdoor activity but it is too cold lately, I just don’t want to budge from my cozy warm chair and comfort of my home, I just want to finish something I am doing first (this translates to procrastinating to the next day and the day after!)
Hey wait a minute!
You can do this! Think for a moment… When you ARE on an exercise roll, what do you normally do to get ready? Do you put your sneakers on?
How about putting your sneakers on first thing before you sit down to that comfy chair. Certainly – looking at your shoes will be a reminder of your intentions! And who can snuggle up on the couch with their shoes on?
Or, how about logging in your exercise every time you do some movement – maybe on a calendar that is plain to see with a highlighted color RED or YELLOW each time you do something to look at your successes!
It is important to see what you ARE doing right, not what you are skipping.
Visualize what would it feel like if you were to do some activity for just 10 minutes? How about dancing to some music? How about running in place? Even going up and down some stairs… Remember – 10 minutes is all you have to do to get started.
Here’s a challenge for you. See if you can do anything for just 10 minutes a day… log it, highlight it and see how many days are in color by the end of the month.
Let me know what happens…
Triggers?
Do you notice how you give up your healthy intentions when your friends are around?
I’ve had some friends visiting for the weekend and observed yet another trigger that often plagues all of us.
Is this you?
You’ve been doing great for 4 weeks. You’ve been incorporating healthy habits with your eating and exercise. You’ve been able to resist the high fat, high sugar foods and even exercise a few times a week. You may even plan to stay on track before they arrive. But, within a short period of time, you throw caution to the wind and WHAM you are right back in the “old habits”.
What is really happening here? Do you want to mimic them? Are you embarrassed to admit you “can’t have some forbidden food”? Do you feel deprived? Do you feel rude saying no to a food they have prepared? Do you feel isolated if not joining them with indulging? Have you had a drink or two letting your inhibitions go? Take a minute and ask yourself how all your efforts are compromised so quickly.
Don’t feel so defeated. This happens to all of us. The key is to prepare, commit and be kind to yourself.
Next time this situation comes up, plan ahead. Make sure you have foods that are in line with how you want to eat. If someone offers you something special they have made – take a “taste” not a plateful. Drink plenty of water between sips of wine. And focus on why your were working so hard over the last month.
The most important thing is not to punish yourself with negative talk. If you do slip – tell yourself – “it’s okay” and immediately get right back onto your plan. Don’t wait till the next morning! Some of my clients carry around a small item to remind them of their reason to change. It might be a piece of jewelry, a picture, or a small stone. Be sure to have it with you to glance at to remind yourself of the importance of your change.
You may be surprised at how your guests may need the encouragement to stay on track too!
Stress in the Sandwich Generation
Title: Stress in the Sandwich Generation
Location: Greensboro, NC
Description: Keynote speaker for the American Case Management Assoc Spring Conference.
Start Time: 8:00
Date: 2010-04-30
Resolutions or Defeat
Are they resolutions or defeats?
I was sitting here thinking about New Year’s resolutions. It is almost 2 weeks since New Years and I wonder how many people are still steadfast about sticking to the commitments they made to themselves on January 1st. How lofty are your goals?
When you set goals, often times you are looking for instant gratification instead of for a true life change. You make a list of what you are going to change. Overnight, you will change all your bad habits without regard to situations, circumstances, and triggers. These goals although exciting and motivating are put in place without a road map. How are you going to accomplish your goal? What do you need to do to overcome an obstacle to reaching your goal? Have you ever achieved this before? How did that go? What would you change? What can you change? Without a clear path to how you will reach your goal, it often ends up a failure. After a couple weeks, you can’t understand why you haven’t lost 5 pounds, why you garage is still disorganized, why you still haven’t written those thank you notes, and why you are stressed and disappointed. So – You just give up! During this defeat, you feel as though you have failed when really, you didn’t fail, you just didn’t complete the process for effective change.
When it comes to lifestyle changes – it is about changing gradually to achieve permanent success. Baby steps in a constant forward movement are going to get you much further than a few giant steps that you can slip back from.
Make a plan. Figure out what you want and then break it down into do-able,
small steps. Notice how much easier it is to stick to and watch how they become habit. No deprivation or feelings of frustration if you learn to handle on change at a time. And while you’re at it – pat yourself on the back at a job well done!
Tags: committment, goals, new years, resolutions
Is Stress making you gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight? Need coaching for weight loss? Have you tried everything to lose weight?
It is not surprising that on January1st every year, people come out of the workwork looking to lose weight.
But lets disect this a little closer – why in January? Is it only because it represents a new beginning with new resolutions? Or is it because Jan 1st follows 2 months of eating rich, sweet, high fat foods. Or is it becasue during the hustle and bustle of the holidays your exercise regime has taken a back seat to shopping and cooking?
What else is happening?
The last part of the year is generally the most stressful. There are extra expenses of gift giving and spending money on entertaining family and friends. There is the stress of having company including some that you are not so happy to entertain. It is your own expectation that the holdiays should be a certain way – from the food to the gifts to the conversations. So in turn, it is a time for a certain amount of disappointment for some. Did I give the right gift? Was it enough? How will I find time to decorate and clean the house? Did my guests feel at home? What if someone does like the menu I planned? When are they going to leave? I don’t have time for a run. I don’t have enough money. My job is driving me nuts – I don’t have time to do all that I need to do. I don’t have time for ME!!!
What is this doing to you? The stress is creating a perfect set up for weight gain.
When we look at stress – a certain amount is necessary – it is when it becomes an excess that our bodies begin to respond in an unfavorable way by releasing too many stress hormones. This results in a myriad of health hazards – high blood pressure, stomach issues, headaches, and yes…. weight gain!
The increase of the stress homone cortisol is responsible for the belly fat – another risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
So while you are making your New Year’s resolutions, maybe you can start with learning new stress reduction techniques and get some help to stay on track for a healthier you this year.
Let me know if you need a coach!
A Health Coach
"We start with basic things like listening skills," says Julie Kosey, Duke's integrative health coaching manager, who also was Kathy Hare's coach. "We teach how to be present with a person, to listen deeply and understand their goals and motivation. We let the client hold the agenda."
Also critical to helping people adapt a healthier lifestyle, says Linda Smith, director of programs for Duke Integrative Medicine, is understanding and appreciating the patient's idea of an ideal lifestyle -- be it walking three miles a day or simply being able to perform basic household chores -- rather than telling the patient to lose 30 pounds or lower his or her cholesterol 50 points.
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iHealthCoach Blog
- Mindfulness MBSR Peggy Gleason
- What is an Integrative Coach Anyway? Peggy Gleason