Just Plain Irony or Actual Hypocrisy?

Each day we are inundated by conflicting information surrounding our health care. Mixed messages send us into a confusion spiral in which we are forced to dump it all, proceeding with the status quo. As if that isn't difficult enough, we're also flooded with information from those who don't have a stake in our health, but have a lot to gain financially and politically for the positions they take. It simply drives us to the point of exhaustion. This morning I happened to catch Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, in an interview commenting on the soda ban proposed by New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg. If you are not familiar, Mayor Bloomberg, in his attempt to make his contribution to fight the war on fat has proposed a soda ban. The proposed ban targets 16oz and larger size sodas.

I found Schultz's response to Charlie Rose's question regarding the ban quite intriguing. Schultz exclaims, "I applaud the approach, and obviously the objective", and later comments, "I am not sure it's the right approach, but we are obviously going to follow suit and respond to him because he is doing something that is quite important." I am curious how Starbucks intends to "respond" to Mayor Bloomberg. Let me be clear, I am for free enterprise and capitalism, as well as allowing grown adults to make their own health choices and parents to make the choices for their children. What I find questionable is the stance Starbucks takes regarding their responsibility and potential contribution to the obesity problem in this country. From Schultz's comments one might infer they are supportive of this ban.

Let's take a look at the data here. A 20oz bottle of Coke has 65 grams of sugar.
Ironically, Starbucks does not give specific sugar information in their nutritional data listed on their website. Based on information given at Livestrong.com, which I consider an excellent source, lists a grande (16 oz) vanilla Frappacino with regular whole milk contains 64 grams of sugar. Interesting.

Is Schultz not recognizing the irony here? A Frappacino holds a cute name, in a fancy cup, but call a spade a spade, it's junk food, and every bit as much as soda. I have no problem with soda, Frappacino's, any other candy or junk food in moderation. We all want a treat from time to time, and when eaten responsibly, I see no legitimate concern. I do take issue with Schultz promulgating support to fighting obesity where food is the primary contributing factor. Personally, my stance doesn't promote banning specific foods to change the root problem of the obesity epidemic. But, perhaps Schultz should consider holding up a mirror. It's the overall hypocrisy I found somewhat amusing, the elephant in the room nobody wanted to address. I had hoped Charlie Rose would challenge him, but sadly, he did not. I, on the other hand, almost fell off the treadmill in laughter by the overall ridiculousness of it all.

What I hope you will take, is the proverbial grain of salt from all the information being blasted at you. Do your best to keep you and your family healthy and safe! Be well, and take care of all of your pieces.

What Can I Get at Cafe Well? Hint... It's not coffee.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Nicole Mundt, Client Relations & Implementation Director at Cafe Well. She also happens to be a cool, smart and funny chick. Contrary to the title, Cafe Well, is not a place to get a caffeine jolt or a sugar spike. It is in fact, a cyber meeting space where you can connect with others, learn more about your health care plan, get information on various health issues and share stories of success and failure. They are a social networking site providing a community of support to it's members. Anyone can join, it's free to you, and you can remain anonymous if you prefer. Even better, no ad's on the side of the pages.

It's also a place where health insurance companies can connect with their members. Cafe Well does not represent the insurance companies, but does offer the space to connect companies to members, thus bridging the gap between us. The health insurance companies who are affiliated with Cafe Well are showing their commitment to customer service and connecting in a positive way. Let's face it, we don't always have the greatest relationship with our health insurance companies, but this really could help rebuild it and as a result positively impact our care.

Another great feature of the site allows you to create challenges. You can do these with people you know, or people you don't. Make your own challenge, or join another's. How much water can you drink, servings of vegetables, days a week of exercising, and even how many books you can read in a year. This makes putting your health first fun and exciting. As a health coach I know tracking, and little wins are the benchmarks to making a larger phenomenal change. This is EXCELLENT!

You will also find blogs, and discussions for almost any health topic you want to read about or discuss. You can start private groups to discuss anything that's on your mind without everyone and their Mama seeing your thoughts and struggles.

This is my new favorite site and I am so happy to share with my clients, and all of you. Please check out Cafe Well and sign up for an account today and connect with me, wpcoach! What will you get from Cafe Well?

May Champion: Ruth Cornish

I knew right away when I decided to start this piece who would be the perfect spotlight for the first installment. She is one of my absolute hero's and truly one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out.

Ruth is a dedicated wife to Ken and mother to 3 beautiful girls Abbey, Lindsey, and Kelsey. She is an amazing nurse, and pretty much is headed for canonization I'm quite sure. Ruth came into my life in the disguise of a neighbor to my parents. I say disguise because I truly believe she was an angel sent to help my family through the most difficult period of our lives. As my Mom lived with cancer, and all that comes with that, Ruth and her generous family were there every step of the way. She did things that you could never ask a friend or neighbor to do, and she did them without us asking. She has this uncanny ability to know exactly what you need at the exact time you need it. She is constantly thinking of others, and how she can serve. The picture above is Ruth and my Mama, shortly before she passed on.

Ruth is an avid runner, having completed 11 marathons. Just last month she flew to Texas to run a half marathon with Abbey, where she finished in 1:41:32, first in her division. Have I mentioned she is over 50! The very next weekend traveling to Tennessee completing another half marathon with Kelsey,who was running her first. Kelsey was so grateful for her Mom, and said to me "she stayed with me the whole time, even though I run much slower than her".

It wasn't always like this for Ruth, she tells me she was a heavy child, and that physical activity wasn't part of their family's lifestyle. It was only later in her teens and into young adulthood where she began to run and incorporate fitness. These days she works out for at least an hour, EVERY day, mixing it up between running, yoga, bike riding, and the elliptical machine. She combines fitness with a low fat diet and watches portion control. Her motivation is two fold; she doesn't ever want to go back to that overweight teen, and her goal is to always be able to run a half marathon without training, or notice.

I feel very strongly one the most important parts of being well is our connection to our spirit. Ruth is a Catholic, and attends mass each day, a habit she picked up from her Dad. She comments to me, "you know, there are 9 kids in my family, 8 of us are girls, with 23 grand-kids between us. There is not one instance of cancer, no serious illness at all, what are the chances of that?" She attributes this to their strong faith. Running she says keeps her very connected to her spirit. It's in those early morning runs when she is saying her prayers and feeling enormous gratitude.

She is reluctant to give advice but contends when it comes to nutrition and fitness you gotta do what works for you. You will hear a lot of experts give all kinds of tips and tricks. She admits in the past her weight has yo-yo'd a bit, but what she knows now, is that ultimately, it's a balance, and what works for you, and your body is the best advice you can follow.

She doesn't use a mantra when she runs, through laughter she explains though when her and Ken are coming up on a big hill they say, "it's not a hill, it's scenic". I think that pretty much sums up her outlook on life. It's all about how you view the path that impacts how WELL you live.

Thank you so much, Ruth, for being such a great role model and mentor to me, inspiring me to run, and to be a better person.
If you are interested in running a half marathon this year, the Rock and Roll Series is a terrific option, they have races all over the country!

Do you have a champion in your life that embodies great wellness? Let me know about them and maybe they will be Whole Pieces Champion next month. julie@wholepieces.com

Whole Pieces Champions

One of the most exciting things about life is that we have the capability to constantly grow and evolve as human beings. Often times, we are motivated to change by seeing someone else succeed. We can see ourselves in their successes and even their struggles. Surrounding yourself with healthy and well people who are continually raising their game motivates you to do the same. This is why I decided to do a monthly post that spotlights one person who exemplifies true wellness.

These individuals are doing it right, and by more than just eating well and staying active. They are also honoring their spirit, as well as serving others. The foundation of Whole Pieces is ensuring you are taking care of mind, body, and spirit. Through these stories of everyday folks, I think you will see yourself, learn how you can become better and raise your game. No celebrities or famous people here, just the real deal. I hope their stories will provide you with great inspiration. As my good friend, Bill Delisio, says, we are all in the process of "becoming it".

Stay tuned, the May spotlight is coming up....

Why Should I Come to Coaching?

I thought today I would talk about something that I get asked constantly as a health and wellness coach. What's the point of coming to coaching? It's a great question, and one you should definitely consider before seeking out a coach, whether it's for health and wellness, lifestyle or career.

The first thing I want to find out is why are you considering getting a coach? The answer is almost always something along the lines of, I want to feel better, have more energy, and live the best life I can. For most of us (and if this is not you, please introduce yourself, I would love to talk with you)there is some aspect of our lives with which we are not completely satisfied. We are maybe a 5 on a scale of 1-10. This might be your overall health, weight, work/life balance or relationships. We have all mastered some things pretty well, but generally there is something that eludes each of us.

My next question might be, how long have you been working on this aspect of your life? This is the good stuff right here. The answer is typically, "my whole life". That really answers the question doesn't it? If it's not working on your own, you probably could use a little help. I know about resisting help, and wanting to do it on your own. I fought my parents on getting a math tutor in high school for probably at least a year, while I struggled. Finally, I gave in and my grades went up, right away. If you can find someone to guide you and help you with pitfalls, why wouldn't you give yourself every opportunity to succeed? I mean, would you climb Mt. Everest without a Sherpa?

Many people see asking for help as a sign of weakness. I know I did for a long time. To me it meant I wasn't good enough on my own, it made me feel inadequate. Fortunately, I realized it's actually the smarter people that ask for help. It's a sign you are more evolved and want to be the best you can be without letting your ego get in the way. The most successful people in the world have coaches, advisers and mentors. The absolute best thing you can do in any aspect of your life is surround yourself with people you can learn from. We aren't meant to know everything, be great at everything and have every answer. Picture your perfect life, whatever that looks like to you. I promise, you can achieve it, sometimes you just need a little help getting there.

So, maybe the real question is: Your greatest life is waiting, do you really want to continue putting it off?

Book Review : Fitness Beyond 50

Recently I was introduced to a fascinating author and fellow wellness enthusiast, Harry Gaines. He has penned a book called, 'Fitness Beyond 50. Turn Back the Clock'. After reading the book in a matter of a few short days I knew I had to get this into the hands of some of my coaching clients. One of the biggest struggles we all face at one point in our lives or another is motivation. "I want to lose weight, but I just can't, I have no motivation". I have heard that time and time again. I deal with motivation, or the lack thereof on a daily basis in my coaching business. We all want to live our lives more fully, have more energy, and have a greater sense of purpose. However, finding and keeping the motivation to change and evolve is our biggest hurdle.

As a general rule, I am looking for a client that has intrinsic motivation. That's the motivation that comes from within. Wanting to lose weight because you want to feel better, live longer. External or extrinsic motivation is the one we get from the outside, generally these are fueled by winning a reward, or based in fear. Extrinsic motivation can be good, but generally only works in the short term. This book provides great motivation and is illustrated by ordinary people going out of their comfort zone to change their lives. It shows you how you can change your life by making small lifestyle changes.

Gaines uses lots of anecdotes to show what is possible when you just make the effort. These are everyday people in his community making lifestyle changes to not only prolong their lives, but feel better on a daily basis, for as long as possible. Gaines is not an MD, or a personal trainer, or a nutritionist. He is a 70 year old man who looks incredible, feels great, and shows what each and every one of us is capable of doing. What is more motivating than that? It should also be noted there is a ton of complex and interesting science based material in the book. It is well researched and cross checked with experts, but written in an easy to understand fashion.

If you are looking to start taking control of your health for the first time, or just need a nudge to get back in the game I highly recommend this book. Who knows, maybe this is the day you stop putting off feeling great? You can get your copy now at Fitness Beyond Fifty Website, as well as Amazon