The Cold Truth-Can You Get A Cold From Just Being Cold?

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Did you know?You use 67 muscles to cough. That’s 10% of all of your muscles.The fastest sneeze recorded was 166.7 km/h. Now you know!

Can you catch a cold from just being cold?

When you talk to people about why they have a cold you get the same old answers “It must be the change in temperature. One day it’s warm, the next it’s cold.” Is that why we seem to get more colds in the winter months then in the summer months? You would think so, right? WRONG.

Despite what mothers have been saying for generations, you’re not going to get a cold from not dressing properly for the elements. Sorry mom.

The reason why we seem to get more colds floating around is because in cold weather and with the air being drier, a virus can spread easier and live longer. Add to that the fact that you’re inside more often and therefore are more exposed to each other.

If you get a cold, get plenty of rest. Now is not the time to exercise. Your body needs its energy to recuperate; not to expend on a treadmill or lifting weights.

A natural cure for nasal congestion would be a saline nasal spray and sore throats can be relieved with lozenges or a salt water gargle. The hype about Echinacea is just that, hype. Recent studies have proven that it is not effective in preventing colds or lessening the duration of them.

Nothing CURES a cold but what has been proven to help is good old fashioned chicken soup. There’s something special in it that helps plus the steam helps to clear the nasal passages. It’s true. FEED A COLD. Along with rest, your body has to be well nourished to help it recover.

Most importantly try to prevent getting a cold in the first place by washing your hands with soap and water and by keeping your immune system strong. Try to keep fingers away from your eyes, nose and mouth as these are the entrances for the virus.

If all else fails and you end up with a cold, look after yourself or better yet, have someone look after you.

Thank- You, Thank- You, Thank- You.

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Those are two words that I never get tired of saying or hearing. I think that gratitude is something so easy to do and it should be practiced as often as possible.

At the end of every single training session that I have with my clients, we stand face to face, close our eyes and with every deep breath that we take, we think of one thing that we are grateful for. We do this three times and my clients and I always are grateful for the chance to practice gratitude. It is one of those things like meditating that I make a point of adding into my day. It feeds me in a way.

So many people are more than happy to tell you about all of their complaints all day. “I’m so fat, I hate my job, I have no money, my relationship sucks and my( fill in the blank) hurts all the time.” Now the funny thing is that all of those above mentioned things can be changed by the person’s choices. Instead of complaining about your weight, be thankful that you are fortunate enough to have food on your table. Millions don’t. You also have the ability to make better choices regarding what you are feeding yourself whereas many don’t.  If you are able to move, be grateful for that; many are bed ridden. Moving and nourishing your body will get the weight off if that is what’s needed.

Unfortunately, many people hate their jobs. In fact it is said that 4pm Sunday is dread time- the time when people start thinking about returning to work on Monday. How sad is that? When someone complains to me about their job I always tell them to be grateful that they have one as many don’t. That immediately shakes them out of their thoughts.

No matter what your situation is you are always better off than someone else. Remember that. Many people would love to complain about the little things that most of us routinely complain about.

I remember a few years ago on social media a photo was going around with a young girl who was crying and clearly having a tantrum because for Christmas she didn’t get the correct colour for her new cell phone. At the bottom was another photo of a person who without proper shoes had tied pieces of cloth onto large pop bottles and attached them to their feet. Kinda puts everything into perspective real fast, doesn’t it!!!! That person would give anything to walk a mile in YOUR shoes. Would you do the same?

Appreciate everything that you have been given, good and bad. Always be grateful!!

What are three things that you are grateful for on this day?

So Many Choices. Which Way To Go? What To Do?

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I think that one of the worst ways you can travel through your life is by allowing another person’s inabilities, fears or insecurities to enter your mind and take away your possibilities.

We all have that inner voice which is uniquely ours. It is waiting deep inside you to help you along your journey if you are open to tapping into it.

You have the choice to go there, listen to that voice and to act upon it. It is up to you and you alone. On the flip side you also have the choice not to go there, listen or act upon it.  You can let the voice of someone else voice ring in your ears and change your mind; someone who would love to make your life like theirs but in the end that may not be right for you.

When you follow directly in someone else’s footsteps, it ends up showing only one person on a journey and not the reality of two.

You were given your life to live in your way with all of the pleasures, struggles, happiness and unhappiness that life will inevitably present to you.

Get to the life you were meant to live by taking your journey with your own unique set of footprints. Claim your path!

Pure Joy For Me is…. MUSIC!

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One of the best compliments that I ever got was when someone that I dated said that he loved that I was such a joyful person; what a nice perception that he had of me. Usually I do not define myself or my life by the perceptions of others but that was one compliment that really stayed with me.

I do consider myself to be a joyful person and the thing that makes me more joyful than anything else is music. You know this if you are a regular follower of this journey.  I love love love music. In fact, I would consider it to be my true love. Music moves me emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. My dog and I have dance parties whenever the opportunities arise. She thinks I’m crazy in the best way possible (I think).

Music takes me to another place. That place is usually a high priced concert which I do have to admit is one of my two addictions, the other being really good chocolate. Put the two together and I am in heaven.  I go to many many  concerts and love everything about them including the energy of a good large crowd.  I listen to music all the time. When I’m working with a personal training client there is no music on. NOT MY CHOICE!! One day one of my male clients noticed that I was whistling and commented on it. He told me that he never hears women whistling. Women don’t whistle. What? I had to think about this. My natural curiosity made me want to know whether this was true or not. After many months of observation and  the questioning of females in my circle, I seem to be the lone whistler. I am ok with that because I am a really good whistler and am in tune. I have also been told that I hum “yum yum yum” when I am eating something that I am enjoying. Pretty funny, I think.  Again it must be the wanting to have music surround me so when it’s not, I make my own.

Right now as I write this I have headphones on, volume up and am listening to some old Foo Fighters. What a blast!!!!Music inspires me and brings out the best of me in any situation. There is a universal law (not scientifically proven though) that I wholeheartedly believe in. You cannot be in a bad mood when you’re dancing. It’s impossible, right? I love watching men who believe they can’t dance when they are dancing; the goofier, the better I say. Pure joy is the name of the game.

There is a great Canadian guitarist named Jesse Cook. I have seen him play live a few times and every time I see him get into what he is doing, I honestly see pure joy. It is amazing to watch. Check him out if you have the opportunity.

What brings you pure joy and are you incorporating it into your life every day?  If not, what are you waiting for?

The Best Of You

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Every time I hear someone say they are a perfectionist, I cringe. I actually feel bad for them and yet they  seem to wear it as a badge of honour. I think that we are all perfect imperfections. That is what makes us unique.

We all have amazing talents and gifts to give to others and the world; many have just not discovered theirs yet. When you go inward you will see just how perfect you are and the need for wanting to project a false image of perfection to others will simply dissolve.

I think that instead of claiming, “I am a perfectionist” one should declare” I try hard to show up and do the best that I can in every situation. Sometimes it happens and other times, not so much but I will keep trying.” That I think is a much gentler way to live.

We humans need to learn. That is why we are here, isn’t it? We need to make mistakes and we need to learn how to fix them. We need to fail and we need to fall.

Show off those bumps, bruises and scars that you have earned. They show that you had lived and you have experienced life. We need to grow into ourselves and we don’t get that chance if you perceive yourself as anything other than perfection just as you are;  a human being, being human. Let’s hear it for Impurfekt   PERFECTION.YAAAAAAY!

What’s been your biggest screw up lately?