Recent Favorites in Self-Care

We are six weeks into the new year and the enthusiasm for goals or resolutions may be waning or have been abandoned. Since health and wellness are almost always on everyone's let for improvement,  wanted to share some of my favorite tools and products I have been recommending and personally using for health promotion and disease prevention.

You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren
Long, steady state cardiovascular exercise may have it's place when training for races, but in the real world, functional training that encourages strengthening of the muscles you use most for activities of daly living should be the focus of any exercise plan. This book has over 100 body-weight exercises, some of which incorporate common household items, with 10 different methods of combining them for an optimal 20 minute fitness routine 4 times per week.

Personal Training With Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start
This DVD offers two 20-minute workouts, one upper and one lower body, where you combine two exercises in sets of increasing reps. Short, powerful, effective with minimal equipment needs.  It is a great addition to her XTreme Timesaver DVDs and book This is Why You're Fat.

Pure Lean Protocol Weight Management
All the supplements you need in one box without a lot of unnecessary additives. This set includes choice of pure or blended whey protein powder in chocolate or vanilla, pure lean fiber, and a daily pure pack containing a multivitamin, Omega-3,  magnesium, alpha lipolic acid, and taurine. For about $2/day, it is a great way to establish a baseline of nutrition. These are hypoallergenic and made in the USA.

Fertility Friend
My favorite app, website, and community support system for women to understand and track their menstrual cycles. There are tutorials on how to chart, factors that impact cycle regularity, and expected signs and symptoms. The majority of the site is free, and they offer a VIP subscription for a few extra bells and whistles that you may or may not be interested in.

emWave Biofeedback
This is an amazing daily tool to help train you to bring the mind and body into cohearence.  It is best used in conjunction with a health professional to learn the basics, track your progress, and troubleshoot issues.  For those with stress, anxiety, panic, or emotional lability, you can learn to control your reactions by staying calm and present in the moment. It may be part of a self-improvement plan or used in conjunction with other therapies to manage mood and anxiety disorders.