Robin has made me want to do more for myself…
“When I began to work with Robin as a client, she immediately recognized that my success involved more than treating issues relating to my heart. Her knowledge and caring has given me the opportunity and confidence to improve my overall health and mental outlook for the future. I have received excellent care from many doctors but what may be more important is that Robin has made me want to do more for myself.”
—Pat G., Client
Your Heart Matters
Something terrific happened this morning while Grace and I were enjoying our morning walk on the ditch.
Two women approached us, coming from the opposite direction. I had seen them several times in the past, typically in the afternoons, but that was before summer arrived. They walk at a fast pace, as intent on the exercise as they are in the animated conversations they share. One of the women looked as though exercise was a relatively new habit, while the other appeared fit and as though she is the “cheerleader”.
I had not seen them for a couple of months, I realized. I noticed immediately that the woman who just months prior was seemingly new to exercise had clearly lost weight and changed her shape! She looked marvelous!
As we met up on the trail, we exchanged pleasantries about the cool morning temperatures, how hot it would be later in the day, and crazy Grace with the soccer ball imbedded in her mouth. I commented with exuberance over the changed appearance of the new walker, and she with well-deserved pride told me that she had lost over 30 pounds by eating well and adding in a routine physical activity program. How fantastic.
The cheerleader then said “You’re Robin, aren’t you? Your business is HeartMatters”! Surprised but pleased, I confessed to her acknowledgment and I asked how she knew about me. Excitedly, she recounted that she had heard me speak twice in the past few months—in early Spring, I had presented at a Soroptimist luncheon, and more recently, the Nevada County Association of Realtors had invited me to speak at their quarterly business meeting. This woman had happened to be at both of those presentations!
The focus of the program for the Soroptimist group had been bringing balance into our lives; women tend to take care of others first, allowing themselves to be last on the priority list. I discussed the opportunity to shift this way of life, as well as strategies to find time during the busy day to sit quietly and create a state of relaxation, to choose real foods that support physical and emotional health, and to establish a routine physical activity program.
The Association of Realtors presentation had a different theme; called Your Heart Matters, I addressed the opportunity to decrease risk factors that lead to disease states (cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes to name a few), and focused on behavior change. The key elements were deep breathing to increase mindfulness and relaxation, positive affirmation, and small step goal achievement.
Back to the conversation with these two fellow walkers… the woman who in the past had seemed to be a newbie to walking, excitedly offered this, “Oh yes, she [her walking mate, the cheerleader] told us all about what you said, about breathing, about setting small step goals, about eating real food…”; “Yes”, said the cheerleader, “you gave us great information and each day I breathe to relax, and to lower my blood pressure! It’s been very helpful.”
I was truly touched, not only by the recognition, but more so by the fact that I had been able to impact the life of a Nevada County community member. What an honor it is for me to share my knowledge with others, and to know that in that sharing comes a motivation, a forward movement towards optimal health. For that opportunity, I am grateful.
Relax! 60 seconds is all it takes…
Relax!
60 seconds is all it takes…
It is well accepted that in our society, we are immersed in a fast paced way of life. Much is known about the potential negative consequences of unrelieved stress on both our physical and emotional health. While there may be some opportunity to alleviate your own personal stress triggers to some extent, two more realistic and immediate choices are available to you. One is to modify the manner with which you respond to a stress trigger, and the other is to practice the elicitation of a relaxation response on a regular basis.
Both of these choices are appealing, because both are attainable, pleasant, and very beneficial. Read the rest of this entry »
Navigating the Food Highway
Navigating The Food Highway
Or How To Enjoy Eating Well
Food temptation is everywhere! Tantalizing samples in the grocery store, candy and chips at the checkout stand, chocolate covered strawberries in the downtown specialty store window, and who can resist the aroma wafting from Cinnabon at the mall?
The food industry employs brilliant scientists who work on just how to make food attractive, stimulating, and irresistible. When foods are developed for packaged sales at the grocery store or to be sold from a big box drive through window, the recipe includes just the right combination of fat, sugar, and salt to enhance the appeal and addictive qualities of that product. This is done intentionally by the food manufacturing industry, without regard for our health or well-being—their focus is on the company profits.
We have become captive to this line of thinking by the food manufactures to a large extent because we have been propagandized to believe that we are too busy to cook real food for ourselves. This mere fact gives the food industry a foot-in-the-door; once we taste their “convenient” wares a time or two, we literally want more—because the combination of fat, sugar, and salt arouses our brain—specifically the area of our brain that houses emotions, and like it or not, our emotional state has a tremendous impact of what, when, and how much we eat. Read the rest of this entry »
A Hot Afternoon Run
A Hot Afternoon Run
Most morning I walk with Grace, most afternoons I run with her, along the “ditch” that runs for miles in either directions as it meanders through our property. It’s an irrigation ditch, maintained by the local water works entity, and it looks like a natural stream flowing through the forest. The ditch provides a lovely path that is enjoyed by our neighbors whose homes are tucked into the trees. Regardless of the activity choice: walk or run, ride a horse or bicycle, push a stroller (the off road type), we all feel fortunate to have this trail right out of our front door.
Wildlife is abundant in our forest, on and off the trail. Fish, frogs, and many bugs live in the water, attracting birds of the usual variety as well as an occasional Great Blue Heron or Kingfisher as special guests. I have seen deer, black bear, raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote, many times, especially in the early morning.
The ditch is much different in the afternoon—with more neighbors out enjoying, more dogs, more sunlight, and more heat than the cool and very pleasant mornings offer. Grace likes it either way, hot or cool. Loves it, is more accurate, that crazy dog lives to swim! She is a familiar site on the ditch, running along with her soccer ball in her mouth, hoping for a passerby to kick it into the water for her to retrieve.
In preparation for a hot afternoon run, I ate a light fresh fruit salad snack around 3 PM, and drank 24 ounces of water. Off Grace and I went at 4:30, into 93 degrees of dry heat. She immediately jumped into the ditch to cool off and over the 30 minutes that we were out, she stayed wet as she chased the ball. Grace’s tongue decreased its’ flapping in the wind and her panting diminished as she cooled off. I, on the other hand, was very aware of the heat. Sufficient water intake prior to going out had been vital—I was now using my own natural cooling system by perspiring to combat the internal heat. And OK, maybe I was panting a bit as Grace had been earlier, but being well hydrated kept me from losing too much fluid from sweating or panting.
After hosing off the dirt and removing the stickers from Grace’s coat, we retreated to the slightly cooler inside-of-the-house temperature. Over the next hour, I drank a 32-ounce bottle of cool water and felt my internal temperature normalizing. Exercise in the heat may not be a choice for everyone; if that is what your schedule allows, plan wisely—hydrate well prior to and after enjoying a hot afternoon run.
Robin’s continual encouragement to pick a quit smoking date inspired me to finally do it.…
“Robin’s continual encouragement to pick a quit-smoking date inspired me to finally do it. She gave me the tools and strategies I needed to become a successful non-smoker!”
—Kathy D., client
The skills that standout the most about Robin are her dedication to her clients…
“The skills that standout the most about Robin are her dedication to her clients, her passion for motivating others to achieve better health, and her endless energy to teach. Her depth of knowledge in cardiac care, wellness and healthy living contribute to her one of a kind personality.”
—Debbie Wagner, RN, Director Occupational Health and Wellness