“Your Source For A Happy and Healthy Lifestyle” DIGESTAugust 2021

IN THIS ISSUE: Simple Food Choices | Drink Water Today Something To Look At | Back In Balance | Choose Happy

TO MOVEINSPIRE

BACK IN The SaddleRiding a bicycle can offer basic transportation, fun and fitness. Whether you are an avid rider, thinking about dusting off your bike or just getting started, there are lots of great reasons to ride.

A FEW INCLUDE: • Getting some exercise.• Breathing the fresh air.• See your environment at a slower pace.• Sense of freedom, adventure and joy.

If you are getting on a bike for the first time in a long while, getting started is simpler than it seems. The basic necessities for cycling are just you, a bike and a helmet. Biking is a great way to burn calories, reduce stress and enjoy the outdoors.

A FEW WAYS TO KEEP YOUR RIDES SAFE AND ENJOYABLE ARE:• Be realistic and start small. Your body will need to adjust to a

totally new activity. Aim to ride a certain number of days per week to stick with it.

• Stay safe and wear a helmet. When riding alone, always carry a form of identification, cash and your phone in case of an emergency.

• Follow traffic laws. This includes coming to a complete stop at all stop signs and red lights.

• Never wear headphones or earbuds while riding outdoors. If you need tunes for motivation opt for a small blue tooth speaker.

• Bring water. An effective cycling workout will make you thirsty.

“The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine.”

John Howard

Water is the source of life. A person can survive without water for only about 3 days! The body is unable to function correctly without water. The effects of dehydration come on quickly, especially in extremely hot conditions when a person sweats.

Water intake is so critical to health, yet drinking water and staying hydrated is the simplest behavior you can accomplish daily. Eight glasses a day is the standard recommendation, but can differ based on the person and environmental factors. Generally, your thirst will guide you when it comes to how much water you should drink.

Eating foods that contain a high amount of water also helps hydration. Food alone isn’t likely to provide an adequate amount of water to sustain you, but it can help.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF WATER INCLUDE: • cantaloupe• strawberries

When you are thirsty. Drink water. When you are hungry. Drink water.

When you are hot. Drink water.If you are tired. Drink water.

Drink water.

DRINK WATER Today“Simplicity is a beautiful thing.” Unknown

RECI

PEOF

THE

M

ONTH Easy Baked Salmon Foil Packets

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Preheat oven to 400°F. Take two 12" long sheets of foil and add half the potato slices to each in the center. Drizzle the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of oil, season with salt and pepper. Top each pile of potatoes with 1 salmon fillet. Evenly drizzle

each salmon filet with 1 tablespoon of oil. Squeeze half the orange and lemon over each filet. Seal the foil packets making sure to tightly crimp the seams so

the juice doesn’t leak. Place on backing sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

1 medium potato, sliced into very thin rounds

4 Tbsp. olive oil, dividedSalt and pepper

2 salmon filets, about 6 ounces each

1 orange halved1 lemon, halved

YOUNOURISHING

SIMPLE Food ChoicesSometimes choosing what to eat and what not to eat can just get exhausting. Late summer is a great time to conserve decision making energy and keep food extra-simple. Having healthy options to turn to when life gets hectic can be flavorful, delicious and easy.Start with the basics. Avoid processed sugar and stop eating when you are full. Enjoy the foods you eat. Choose nutrient-rich foods that are familiar, easy to find and represent the five basic foods groups. Fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole-grains and dairy.Stock up on staples of a few natural ingredients, to mix and match options for the week including, whole grain bread, apples and bananas, eggs, plain Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds, carrots and celery, hummus and low-fat cheese.Keep ready-to-eat fruits in the refrigerator for a quick snack.

• watermelon• lettuce

• cabbage• celery

PHYSICAL HEALTH

SPIRITUALITY

CREATIVITYCAREER

LIFE VISIONPERSONAL GROWTH

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

RELATIONSHIPS

BACK IN Balance

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HEALTHHARMONY

PRIORITIZE YOUR HEALTHPrioritizing your overall physical, emotional and mental health should be your main concern.• Establish boundaries.• Set goals. • Be flexible.

Balance is a meaningful goal to set. When life is busy, or when focused on a special project or issue, it’s easy to find yourself not paying enough attention to other important areas of your life. What parts of your life have you ignored in order to focus your attention elsewhere? A balanced life takes into account all of our needs: friends, work, love, family, play, private time, recovery time and spiritual time. A tool to help consider each area of life and identify areas that need more attention, is called the Wheel of Life.*

1. Start by listing 6-8 life areas that are important to you. The example diagram has suggestions. Draw your own balance wheel in your journal, on a piece of paper or wherever you like.

2. When thinking about how fulfilled you are in each life area, draw a dot between the center, and outer edge of the wheel to indicate how satisfied you are in that area. The center of the wheel represents 0% and the outer edge represents 100%.

3. After placing all your dots, connect them all together and the shape you make will show you where you are out of balance.

4. Reflect and set meaningful goals to create a more evenly shaped wheel by reflecting on the strong points and growth you’ve made, then identify which areas require more of your immediate focus.

Remember in life some areas need more attention and focus than others at any given time. Choices and compromises need to be made, but this visual representation can act as a tool for your ideal balance goals to keep you on track.

Something TO LOOK ATSight is one of the five senses and it translates light into shapes, colors and the details we see in the world around us. Vision is a complex process, but if we focus in on sun safety for the eyes, then we can appreciate why protecting our eyes and the sensitive tissue around them is so vital. THE SUN HARMS YOUR EYES FROM UV RADIATION AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS EYE CONDITIONS INCLUDING:Cataracts. The most common cause of treatable blindness. Macular degeneration. Vision loss caused by cumulative UV damage to the central portion of the retina. Keratitis. Or Corneal sunburn also known as “snowblindness,” occurs because of the sun’s intensity at altitudes and its reflective nature off of water, snow and ice.Conjunctive cancers. Tumors that grow on the outer surface of the eye.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR EYES AND VISION ARE:Look cool. Wear sunglasses year round to block UVA and UVB rays and to look better.Fashion a hat. A wide-brimmed hat looks amazing at the beach and keeps the rays off your eyes.Don’t cloud over. Even if it’s hazy, keep the eye protection on. Trust Reflection. Take extra care near water, sand and snow. 80 percent more of the sun’s rays reflect off these surfaces.

“The eye is the jewel of the body.”

Viktor Frankl

SET UP YOUR WHEEL

*Wheel of Life was created by Paul J. Meyer

Choose HAPPY

DECISIONSGOOD

When unhappiness has taken a hold of us, it can be hard to find our own way out. There is a choice to be made here. Identifying and understanding the unhappiness we feel, then naming the emotion, can help manage it, and lighten the mood. A FEW CONCEPTS TO CONSIDER ADOPTING TO PRACTICE EMOTIONAL SELF-REGULATION INCLUDE:Worry never solved anything. If you don’t have the power to fix something, worrying won’t do it either. Don’t fret over things beyond your control.

There are always things to feel grateful for. Recognize things in your life that are good, beneficial or in abundance to bring you back into a more pleasant state of mind.Focus on yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others or look to another to make you happy. Do something you enjoy and relish in all the small achievable goals you accomplish. Let go and move on. Stop dwelling on old hurts. Forgive and allow yourself the freedom and time to heal.

“Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.”

Mark Twain

HALCYON SERVICES CAN HELPAfter the havoc wreaked by the pandemic last year, you and your child may be feeling a mix of emotions – from excitement and anticipation to anxiety and dread – as the new school year approaches. Having a plan can help.

Halcyon provides confidential counseling, resources and referrals to assist your family's educational journey, no matter what it may look like this year.

Phone: 1-888-HAL-4800 (425-4800) Confidential Assistance, 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year Web: www.halcyoneap.com Username: (your company name, with no spaces)

Mobile App:

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The information in this publication is meant to complement the advice of your health care providers, not replace it. Before making any major changes in your medications, diet or exercise, talk to your doctor. ©2021 Inspired Perspectives LLC. www.InspiringPerspectives.com • info@inspiringperspectives.com • 904.641.1208

WEBINAR: Preparing Kids fo School • Available August 1, 2021 • Located in the Monthly Feature TileLearn strategies to reduce stress and ease back into the school year.

SUPPORT FOR EVERYDAY ISSUES. EVERY DAY.