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Top 12's
Here are some tips to get started making gradual shifts!

12 Tips for Weight Loss
1.
 Bring healthy snacks with you wherever you go (car, office, gym bag, etc.) to avoid fast-food solutions to hunger or cravings.
2.
 Drink lots of water or liquids (about half your weight in ounces, low or no sugar and caffeine-free).
3.
 Eat regularly scheduled meals consisting of lively, nutritious foods. You will likely have more energy and an increase in activity.
4.
 Take time to understand your cravings and whether it’s a mouth-feel craving, actual hunger or emotion-based.
5.
 Eat breakfast!! Focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables and a small amount of protein to balance your sugar.
6.
 Make lunch your largest meal of the day and include dark leafy greens and bright vegetables.
7.
 Exercise — at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to five days a week — will burn calories and strengthen your heart and lungs.
8.
 Redefine your work and life standards. Are your standards too high forcing you to max out on time, stress and energy? When working in overdrive all the time, your body responds as if in a crisis and stores fat for protection.
9.
 Forget “dieting.” Make a commitment to slowly modify your lifestyle so that it is never a problem again. Aim for permanent change, not a quick fix.
10.
 Believe that you can be, or are, thin. Over half the battle is your mind arguing. Focus on a positive attitude and positive self-talk.
11.
 Notice sugars on labels and aim only for natural or fruit sugars.
12.
 “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” does not work in weight loss. You are what you eat. Take time to learn about natural foods. It’s a whole new world!
12 Tips for Low-Stress Living
1.
 Eat non-packaged, “alive” and nutritious food for at least 50% of your meals.
2.
 Prepare healthy snacks and bring them with you to fend off cravings.
3.
 Drink water — up to a gallon a day if you live in a hot, dry climate and are highly active.
4.
 Rest. Schedule and take breaks. Get out of your chair! Sleep six to eight hours a night. Renew.
5.
 Practice putting yourself first (you are no good to anyone else if you are falling apart).
6.
 Spend one day a week technology-free. Turn off the TV, computer, etc.
7.
 Focus on your relationships to increase the amount of love you are giving and receiving.
8.
 Get creative! Try music, dance, cooking, sculpture, writing, building, etc.
9.
 Breathe — learn and practice conscious breath, yoga or a martial art.
10.
 Journal — about dreams, goals, worries, anger, ideas.
11.
 Express your emotions — anger, frustration, joy. Stuffed emotions suppress immune function and can lead to disease.
12.
 Exercise in a way that combines cardiovascular, muscular and mental elements.
12 Tips for Your Immune System
1.
 Get more rest. When you start to feel fatigued, take a break. Have “do nothing” time, and get some extra sleep. Resist the urge to push through, and you can shorten or prevent fatigue altogether. 
2.
 Drink extra water. Staying hydrated will outweigh the frequent restroom breaks so you’re better able to fight infection. 
3.
 Eat really well. Load up on the fresh, organic veggies, especially dark, leafy greens and bright vegetables, which are packed with vitamins C and A. 
4.
 Get a massage. It improves lymph system circulation for more energy and cold fighting.
5.
 Watch funny movies and find ways to laugh more. Studies show that laugher boosts immune function. 
6.
 Try acupuncture to stimulate areas of stagnant energy and support low-functioning organs.
7.
 Reduce your sugars. Sugars lower your immune system for about an hour after ingesting it, making you more susceptible to germs.
8.
 Ginger root tea. A few thin slices of fresh ginger root steeped in hot water is great for breaking up mucous, as well as improving immune function.
9.
 Garlic. This amazingly small but potent vegetable has antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. If chopping and swallowing it raw is too much, try adding a little to every cooked meal or check out garlic supplements. However, fresh is best. (Onions have similar properties.)
10.
 Reduce your animal foods (red meat, pork, poultry). If you feel illness coming on, shift to simple and easy-to-digest foods, like whole grains, cooked vegetables or light soups.
11.
 If you start feeling sick, deal with it early. Like any issue, if ignored it rarely goes away. Whether you try vitamins, supplements or herbal remedies — like echinachea, goldenseal, osha, oil of oregano, homeopathic remedies — for immune support, pay attention to the first signs of illness and cut its course short.
12.
 Positive attitude. The mind is powerful, and the more time you spend on negative thoughts and worry, the more likely things are to go wrong, like getting sick. The more attention you give to positive thoughts, the more you attract those things.
12 Tips for Better Sleep
1.
 Create a nighttime ritual that allows you to start slowing down at least an hour before bedtime. Turn off the TV and read a relaxing book. TV can be mentally over-stimulating and get your mind racing as you are trying to wind down. 
2.
 Exercise, but no fewer than three hours before you go to bed. 
3.
 Eat regular meals that are nutritious and contain “lively” foods. 
4.
 Reduce your caffeine intake, especially the last few hours of the days.
5.
 Take a bath. 
6.
 Use aromatherapy — try aromatic candles or diffusers with essential oils.
7.
 Have a hot drink. Chamomile or kava support relaxation.
8.
 Take a closer look at your job. How many hours are you working? What’s the stress like? Most people don’t need pills to sleep but to reduce job or life stress.
9.
 Write in a journal. Before you go to sleep, put all those worries to rest on paper and as you close the book, let it go for the day.
10.
 If you snack, choose your late-night snacks wisely — eat something light and low in sugar or you may get a sugar rush and have digestive troubles from eating and lying down to sleep.
11.
 Make your room cozy and conducive to sleep. Check out Feng Shui practices to create a room layout that supports sleep.
12.
 Rub your feet with some Mandarin essential oil or lotion to stimulate relaxation.


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12 Tips for Increased Energy
1.
 Create a morning ritual for yourself that you look forward to and that sets the tone for a powerful, yet calm day. Read, drink decaf tea, exercise, do yoga, practice breathwork, journal.
2.
 Do the “breath of fire.” Take a full, deep breath, and exhale forcefully out of your nose like a sneeze. Repeat several times one after another for 15 seconds. Use your diaphragm muscle to force the air out. Once you get the hang of it do it more quickly… each exhalation is individual, and you want to “allow” your lungs to fill in between exhalations. Do two or three sets of 15 seconds (more can lead to hyperventilation). This circulates oxygen through your system to counter fatigue. Very cleansing and detoxifying! 
3.
 Go for a walk outside. Take your child, dog, a friend, a neighbor’s dog or just yourself on a walk! Most of us are just not getting enough fresh air! If you live some place that's bitterly cold in the winter, try “mall walking” (for exercise, not window shopping). Not as scenic, but it works. 
4.
 Take your shoes off and rub! That’s right, it’s time to get over foot-phobia and massage your feet, toes, etc. Reflexology (foot massage) stimulates immune function, increases energy, relaxes muscles, etc.
5.
 Quit doing things out of obligation. As soon as you start saying “no” to things you don’t really want to do or have in your life, you have more room to say “yes” to things that you enjoy. You will be amazed at the energy you can tap into! 
6.
 Eat greens. The really dark ones like chard, kale, collards. Rinse them, rip 'em and steam them until bright green, and top with whatever makes them taste good to you. Romaine, red or green leaf lettuces are good, too, but the first bunch are super-powered.
7.
 Take a vacation or some time off. Why are you working so hard anyway? To be your best and work your best, your body needs time to play every so often. Overworking or boredom on the job can make you feel snoozy.
8.
 Play with kids or pets. Fun, healing and laughter-inducing, playing relaxes and energizes us.
9.
 Try essential oils. Peppermint, spearmint, rosemary and citrus scents are great to refresh and increase focus and energy. Put a little on a tissue and take a whiff whenever you need it.
10.
 Stop OD’ing on sugar. White bread, white pasta, white rice, candy, chocolate… too much of a good thing leaves you dragging your knuckles with exhaustion. Try whole-grain breads, pastas and rices. Try natural or fruit-sweetened goodies. You’ll feel a world of difference.
11.
 Try thymus thumping. Imagine Tarzan pounding his upper chest. Now mimic him (with or without the AAAAaaaaAAAA) to stimulate your thymus glands, which are across your chest near your collarbone. Do this for a minute or two.
12.
 New beverages. Drink water instead of soda. You may wish to mix sparkling water with a fruit juice if you crave the carbonation. Also VitaWater or FruitWater are tasty flavored drinks. Drink decaf herbal tea, green tea, or Teechino (a tasty coffee substitute), instead of coffee. Caffeine creates the illusion of energy but it often leaves you more depleted than when you began, and it draws calcium and other minerals out of your system, which compounds the problem.