lifestyle coaching

New Year, more Vitality with Valerie

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Happy New Year readers! I hope you enjoyed your holiday season as much as I did, and your 2017 is off to a good start!

With the start of a new year comes many resolutions and goals to become the best version of yourself. I wanted my viewers to get a better glimpse into my past to learn more about me and my journey toward a better lifestyle. I hope this is something many of you can relate to because I want to assist you all on your health journeys as well. Everyone is different, but just recognizing the need for change is the hardest part in this process.

Enjoy the video, and allow me to help you live a life of Vitality- with Valerie! 🙂

Soda=No, Water=Yes!

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Hi all! Since it is summer, I thought I would discuss something very important when the weather is hot: hydration, or more to the point proper hydration. This is a subject that means a lot to me because I think proper hydration is key to a life full of vitality. After all, the human body is mostly water, right? So what I put into my body is critical for my continued good health.

Sodas are bad, but diet sodas are even worse!

Sodas are bad, but diet sodas are even worse!

  • Sodas are a giant no-no- I cannot overemphasize this point enough. Sodas are not a healthy choice, they have no nutritional value, are loaded with sugar, and if drinking a diet soda, are full of chemicals that can be toxic to your body. Studies have linked diet soda with certain cancers because of the fake, toxic chemicals they contain. STAY AWAY FROM SODAS! They should be an “every once in a while” type of indulgence, if at all. I drink water as my go to drink, and if I’m craving a soda, which is seldom, I will drink Izze soda which is natural and contains real fruit juice with no added sugar. I love all of the flavors and know I’m not putting toxic chemicals in my body which is an added bonus.

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  • Water, water everywhere and we should drink a lot of it- I’ve discussed my dislike of soda and how I drink water all day long, however, I need to clarify my feelings regarding water. First of all, I make sure the water I drink is filtered, preferably through reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a process in which water is driven through a membrane that takes out impurities like total dissolved solids, asbestos, lead and other heavy toxic metals, chlorinated pesticides, and other impurities. The process is effective at removing between 90-99% of all contaminants. The only disadvantage I know is that the flow rate is low because of the process of RO, and so the amount of water produced is somewhat less than other processes. When I moved to a more rural environment and drank well water for the first time, I researched filtration processes, and RO was my choice to provide the most pure water for me and my family. What I love most about drinking RO water is that it has no flavor and there are no weird things floating around in it. Water shouldn’t have either of these things, unless it’s intentional. I also stay away from bottled water too. Many of the bottled water companies say their water is from “pure mineral springs” when it is actually from US municipal water, and then they filter it and add minerals. Also, even though the bottles themselves can be recycled, most of them end up in the trash, which isn’t good for the environment. I have a good, BPA free water bottle, I fill it with filtered tap water, put it in the fridge to get cold, and take it with me for the day. I never use the artificially flavored powders to add to my water, if I am in the mood for flavored water I add a slice of organic lemon and that provides lovely, natural flavor to my water. Other great flavored additions to water: an organic orange slice, a chunk of organic pineapple, a sprig of mint, an organic strawberry, really anything is possible here.
Organic fruit in my water- my favorite way to drink it!

Organic fruit in my water- my favorite way to drink it!

So this summer make sure to make a healthy hydration choice, stay away from sodas, especially diet ones, and drink filtered tap water in an eco friendly glass container. Happy hydrating!

VV

Start your day in a healthy way!

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Hello wonderful readers!

Ok, now that the “getting to know you” part is done, I can get to the reason I began this blog, which is to share tips about living a life with vitality. I thought I’d start with first thing in the morning. I have to admit that I’m not a happy camper when I first awaken, and I don’t really speak until I’ve been awake for at least 30-45 minutes.  I get up, use the restroom, brush my teeth, take my thyroid supplement, and put on my workout clothes. I find that if I put on workout attire when I get out of bed, it motivates me to workout. If morning workouts aren’t your thing and you exercise after work, then put your workout wear on as soon as you get home to motive you to “just do it”. If I don’t workout, which is extremely rare for me, then I feel really guilty that I have workout clothes on and I didn’t exercise. It’s a small thing, but it works for me! Anyway, back to my morning routine, I then feed and take my dogs out, make my daughter’s lunch and get her out the door, and I make my coffee.

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First thing in the morning, no makeup, unedited, no filter, unbrushed hair selfie!

Now you may think, “Hmmmm, is coffee part of a healthy life?”, but coffee has many benefits to a life of vitality. Studies have shown that coffee is rich in antioxidants, and that the antioxidants are better absorbed by the human body from drinking coffee than by eating fruits and vegetables! That was a happy surprise for me when I began researching this topic. Another benefit to drinking coffee is that it is good for your liver, especially if excessive alcohol is consumed. Remember how in old tv shows and movies they’d always give a tipsy person coffee to drink? It turns out that was a good idea but maybe not in the way they thought it was. Also, coffee is linked to reducing depression, feeling happier and lower suicide rates. I know coffee always makes me happy but I didn’t know that was a proven fact, I thought it was just me.  It is known to increase athletic performance if consumed prior to a workout too. I usually will finish the cup of coffee I’ve been carrying around with me all morning before my workout and I have a better workout on the days I drink coffee beforehand, versus the days I’ve forgotten to do so. I usually wander around all morning, coffee cup in hand, sipping as I clean the kitchen, and have my quiet, meditation time. By the time I’ve finished with it, it is ice cold but I don’t mind it that way, though some of you might think that is gross and you’re welcome to warm it up if you want to.  Then I drink water the rest of the day.

I know there are benefits to drinking many cups of coffee each day, like four or more, but I just drink one. I drink espresso which has more caffeine in it than regular coffee, and I have a Nespresso espresso machine and an electric milk whipper that I use. I feel like a real barrista when I’m making my coffee! I use organic half and half and NO SUGAR in my coffee, I just add a little locally sourced honey for sweetness. I will expand on my thoughts about sugar in a later post but suffice to say that I believe, and scientific evidence abounds about this too, that sugar is not part of a healthy life! But I’ll blog more about that later.

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I also make sure to spend a few moments of quiet, meditation time each morning. If it’s a really busy day it may be only 5 minutes but I still try to make time every day. Whatever your religion or lack thereof might be, it is great for the mind, body and soul to spend time trying to quiet the mind and get in touch with your higher power. I also pray at that time, but if that’s not your thing, then think good thoughts about those you love, and those who need it most. I have a sunroom and that is where I spend my quiet time, but just choose a place in your house where you’ll feel a sense of peace. I find that when I’m in my sunroom the kids are more hesitant to bother me, and when they do come in they seem to be more peaceful too!

So to summarize my healthy tips- 1. Get up and put your workout clothes on if you’re working out in the morning to provide additional incentive to get your work out in. 2. Coffee is a beverage that provides many health benefits (and it’s yummy too!). 3. Spend time in quiet reflection each day- you’ll feel more peaceful and calm, and everyone will benefit from it!

Once again, thank you for reading this post, I am honored you spent part of your day with me! Enjoy the long weekend and thank you to all men and women who serve in our armed forces. Your sacrifice is appreciated!

If you’d like more information on my lifestyle coaching services, please email me at valdecap@gmail.com. Also, feel free to leave any comments here!

Valerie

 

 

Welcome to Vitality with Valerie!

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Hi! Welcome to my blog, Vitality with Valerie. My goal is to share all that I’ve learned about healthy eating and living with anyone who might be wondering exactly how to eat and live in a healthy, or vital way. I’ve come to learn all that I have about living with vitality the hard way and I want to share what I’ve learned with you, my readers, so that you can benefit from my experiences.

I have chronic fatigue syndrome, and I’ve suffered from it since 1996. However, all of my symptoms are under control and I feel energetic and marvelous these days. I contribute much of my current state of wellness to my healthy lifestyle and I truly believe that healthy living can help manage most illnesses. Even if you have no major illnesses, we all experience the effects of our stressful lives, and my strategies can help overcome some of those.

I earned my lifestyle coaching certification through the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine in concert with the University of South Florida in 2013, which contributed to what I have learned and help me focus my experiences into the goal of helping people live more healthfully.

My girls, Jacqueline and Danielle

My girls, Jacqueline and Danielle

I should start by telling you a little about me, I am 48 years old, a mother of two daughters who are 18 and 20, I’m divorced, and I live in Fishers, Indiana, which is a small but bustling town northwest of Indianapolis. I have a B.A. in communications with a concentration in Public Relations and Journalism from Purdue University. I am in the process (almost done) of writing a book about my life’s experiences filled with healthy living tips and when it’s completed I’ll share how to get a copy if you’re interested in reading it.  I have two nutty dogs, Chewie and Delilah, (picture of dogs)and I’ve utilized my healthy living strategies on them as well as my children and they are the healthiest dogs around! I’ll share my healthy dogs and kids tips with you as well. I love to cook, write, read, grow my own vegetables and

My dogs, Chewie and Delilah

My dogs, Chewie and Delilah

herbs, listen to music of all kinds, and spend quiet time meditating and connecting to my spiritual nature.

For all those who took the time to read this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and hope in some, small way that it helped you. It is for you that I make this humble attempt. I’d love to hear from you about the blog, or anything else you’d like to share so please feel free to add your comments. If you’d like to contact me about my lifestyle coaching services, please email me anytime at valdecap@gmail.com for more information!

Peace and love to all!

Valerie