Just about everything we do affects our health in some way, That donut you ate today isn't going to make you fat tomorrow. But if you ate a donut every day for years, that's another story.
Watch this little video to get an idea of the effect of lots of tiny actions, one after another.  Then after the video, I will share some tiny actions I have discovered that could turn things around for the better. 

People often ask me - what should I take for this? Maybe they have high cholesterol or digestion problems, or you fill in the blank. But we are talking about food supplements, not medicine. The key word here is "food." Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." The difference between food and medicine, is food needs to be eaten every day, and feeds our cells so they can keep us healthy. Medicine, on the other hand, is taken after something goes WRONG, and is meant to be taken for a limited time until the crisis is averted. 
With medicine, we expect a quick response.
​With food, response time can take longer, especially if we are trying to change something.
Some food supplements take a week or two to be fully integrated into your system, so they need to be taken every day, for a month or so, before you can tell the difference. Other supplements can show a dramatic result even the same day. Stress Relief Complex is one of those - you can feel relief in a very short time.

Make sure your food supplements are actually FOOD. If they are mostly chemicals, your body won't recognize them as food, and even may reject them as invaders. The supplements I use are tested thousands of times, from raw ingredients to final product, to make sure they are completely safe from contaminants and toxins. You have probably heard of recalls of vitamins and even baby food, for unsafe ingredients. I wouldn't take anything that didn't have proof of safety.

So what are some little things you can do?

First of all, you could get an assessment of your current health and recommendations of what might help you get on a better track. This assessment is called Meology, because it is unique to YOU. You would enter what you know from your last doctor visit, plus your lifestyle and eating habits. There is more information on Meology right here on this website. You can learn more on that page and even link to take the free assessment - it only takes 5 minutes.

Then, look over the results of the quiz and the recommendations. Decide small actions you will take to change your state of health. Some examples might be:

• Make your meal times regular instead of random. 
• Don't eat after 8:00 pm (or decide a time that gives you a 12-hour window between last meal/snack and breakfast.)
• Eat breakfast - and make sure you get some protein. No sugary cereals!
• Learn the benefits of eating less, or no, meat.
• Get some exercise every day
• If your weight is in the overweight or obese caegory - do something about it. (Contact me - I can help steer you in the right direction.) Overweight increases the risk factors for many life-threatening diseases. Here's a  Health Chat about healthy weight.

Jump to the Meology Quiz
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Let's chat about your personal health status
Contact me for a personal conversation about your unique needs. I would love to meet you! 
​Donna Turner

Here's a Proven Way to Lose the Weight Gained in 2020
The vaccine is here, and it's time to think about going out in public again. For me and maybe you too, that means getting serious about losing the "Covid weight." 

We all have been trying to get our exercise, and eat right. But sometimes it just hasn't been possible. And other times we just lost our will power. No sense kicking ourselves now - let's just get busy and do something about it. 
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There is a program that is guaranteed to help you lose weight, and I can tell you all about it if you'd like to make an appointment. Watch this 14-minute video to learn about it, then let's chat. ​

Happy New Year!
If you are reading this, you survived 2020. It’s a sad fact that many people did not. Let's honor those we lost by being the best we can be this year. 
So, how to prepare for 2021? I have a few ideas, and they are a bit mellower than my normal New Year plans.
1 – If you are recovering from Covid, that is your priority. Do everything you can to get proper nutrition, and build back up to regular exercise. Take your time and be kind to yourself.
2 – If you are grieving someone that you lost to Covid or natural causes, that is your priority. It seemed to me that an unusual number of people died from non-Covid causes this year.

• Take time to journal regularly. Just write a page or more every day – it doesn’t matter what you say.
• Make a list of all the things you learned  from your loved one, and the things that made them unique. Those are things that can’t be taken away from you.
• Think of something you can do or make that will honor your loved one.

3 – If you are looking for work, create a schedule and a plan for that. Be sure to include stress relieving activities such as walking and breaks for mindfulness. Contact me for some personalized ideas just for you. Or take a look at my Work from Anywhere page.

4 – If you are still working, but from home, own it. Make sure you have a chair that is good for your back, and place your screen where your head can be in a normal position, where your eyes can look straight ahead.  If you use your smart phone a lot, make sure to hold it up, or put it on a tripod, to relieve your neck. Consider adding a standing desk, or set your laptop up higher so you can stand for a while. If this is going to go on for a long time, create a space that you enjoy spending time in. One trick I learned a long time ago – at the end of each day, clear your desk, put things away. It makes such a difference to come into an organized space in the morning.

5 – If you are responsible for making sure your kids follow their education at home, get them involved in your New Year’s plans. Get new calendars and planners or time management apps, and let them participate in organizing their schedule and school working space. Be sure to plan fun activities they can look forward to.

6 - If you are working in your regular workplace, still take time to dream and plan what this year could hold for you.

End of Year Assessment
My husband, Mark, and I like to take a day around New Year’s for a planning retreat. We go over the past year and write down accomplishments, challenges, and note any goals that were set aside for whatever reason. It is often heartwarming to realize that we actually accomplished something when it seemed like such a crazy year. After that, we take time to dream.
Dreams and Plans
Think about what you would like to accomplish in the next year - in your work, your family life, in personal growth, whatever category is important to you.
Think about where you would like to be in the next 5 years. I say this only because it is traditional “wisdom” to plan ahead. Most of us learned that no amount of planning or dreaming can stop a pandemic from upending your life. But still, it is a known fact that people with goals end up accomplishing more.
Let’s Talk
I hope these ideas give you something to go on. If you are having trouble thinking through this on your own, I would be happy to brainstorm with you. Just choose a time on the Appointments and Solutions page, and we can have a real conversation.  Let’s get going on this New Year with HOPE. 
Happy New Year!
​Donna

Where I live in San Diego, we just started 3 more weeks of lockdown. That's after 8 months of mostly locked down, with a few windows of opportunity when we could at least gather outside. So I looked up an article I found when this all began that has helped me cope. I hope it will benefit you as well. 

Here are some suggestions from Dr. Thompson to help us get through this challenging time:​​

1. If possible, change your location of work in your home. This may be challenging, but different physical locations within your home over time gives your body the awareness of movement by virtue of being in a novel location.
2. When possible, stand while doing work, especially when using a screen. This practice enables your body to work even while being less mobile.
3. As you are able, limit the number of people on videocalls to three or less. This may sound unreasonable, or impossible. But the fewer people your brain—and body—has to keep track of, the less tired you will be. This may simply sound like common sense. That’s because it is.
4. Greet as many people as you can whenever you are able. There is little cost to acknowledging the presence of another person, and we need to be acknowledged even by strangers. Not only will your thinking mind give and receive it, your body will as well.
5. Plan for daily singing/worship while standing. Sing along with your most loved YouTube worship video as a means to use your body to tell your mind and soul that you are quite alive—and that you are not alone.
6. Talk about your anger. There may be nothing more important than having a close friend or counselor validate that your anger is real and isn’t crazy. Not to mention that talking to someone about your feelings connects you to another person, which in and of itself will reduce your irritability and give you a greater sense of agency.
7. Practice contemplative prayer. This form of prayer, especially while standing, strengthens your capacity to live in the present moment which protects against the irritability that emerges in the face of immobility.

Make it a practice to take at least three 5-10 minute walks every day. Shorter, more frequent movement not only extends your body’s movement over the course of the day, it also gives you something to look forward to throughout the day, thereby reducing your anxiety along with your irritation. Our bodies are hard at work. And although we are in a season in which we are asking them to work differently and harder than usual, know that you are not alone, and your work is not in vain.​