Sustainable Lifestyle Coach

“Sustainable Lifestyle Coach” is a new term I think I coined. When a close friend, Kathy Powell of Lexington, KY, very versed in health and wellness after surviving cancer and staying in remission for 25 years, began coaching us recently on how to remain healthy as we age, I was thrilled to get her tips and suggestions.

I’ve probably tried every diet and am an avid reader of tips that contribute to health and wellness (as well as a Marketing Professional representing  Melaleuca’s superior products- one side hustle I’ve maintained for 13 years- check it out here.)

But her word “sustainable” caught my attention. As we age, Reen and I want strong and healthy bodies to do the work God created us to accomplish according to Ephesians 2:10 in the Amplified version, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].”

But how do we do this? I’ll explain some of her tips in the future, but the word sustainable fascinated me. She said, “Linda, the key is sustainability. Whatever you do, do nothing that you can’t sustain. If you are going to apply intermittent fasting, don’t plan on it every day… how about two times a week to begin? If you start walking, how about 20 minutes three times a week? And begin with a short distance, building up each time you get out to walk.

Make whatever choices you make, sustainable, repeated faithfully each time you’ve chosen. Start small and add to your progress.

So, here are a few of her first suggestions:

1. Reen needs protein in the morning for energy. Two eggs, one each of a piece of healthy multigrain toast spread with avocado is a great first meal for the day. Add ½ a cup of fruit like strawberries, blueberries, or grapes to keep him filled until lunch if you like.
2. She and her husband sit in the sun without sunglasses at least once a day to get their needed amount of vitamin D. The value of D passes through the eyes into the body. We now walk without our glasses (which have transition lenses) every morning. (Melaleuca has a D3 Complex supplement joined with K2 which we use daily, and they just came out with a uniquely healthy gummy in their Vitality for Life product line.)
3. Walk at least three times a week for a comfortable distance and build up your amount of time spent walking. We are beginning to do this again first thing in the morning after several years as we seek a SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE.

These are a few examples of what we are learning She checks into our progress weekly and we keep track of our progress. With intermittent fasting ( Reen fasts dinner and I fast breakfast) we each lost 5 pounds the first week we tried our new lifestyle. That was before vacation, but we are back on the program again tomorrow!

She also encouraged us, “Don’t expect to do it perfectly. Just be consistent as often as possible. And when you mess up, start again tomorrow.”  Great advice! I hope we can help you feel better and healthier to live your best life, too, as I continue to share positive tips for a healthy lifestyle in the future!