Get lean, Mean and Green This Summer
In the summer, we need to pay special attention to ourselves
mentally, physically and attitudinally, and to the special
summer needs of our consumers/clients.
Get lean--eat light. Get mean--watch your focus and
intentionality, and be optimisitc, and don't let the high
temperatures make you 'mean' in that other sense of the word.
Get green--use special marketing strategies in the summer to
grow your practice/business/nonprofit like a head of lettuce!
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1. The only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than
you burn. Find out how many calories your activities burn with
this handy calorie calculator:
http://womencentral.msn.com/fitnesshealth ools/caloriecalc.asp
2. Calculate your daily calorie needs. Go here:
http://www.bhg.com/cgi-bin/dailycalorie.cgi
3. Refresh your memory about the calorie count in food you eat.
Here's a plan for 1500-1800 calories a day:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/pdf/1500calories.pdf
4. Add soy to your diet to protect your heart and arteries.
According to a study done at Wake Forest University in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina [cited on www.msn.com], you could
lower your cholesterol by 11% in 6 weeks and reduce your
diastolic blood pressure by 6 points in the same time period by
adding soy to your diet. Just 2T of soy powder daily, or 1/2 c.
tofu, a scoop of soy protein powder, or a handful of roasted
soybeans. [Gregory Burke, M.D., of Wake Forest's Department of
Public Health Sciences]
5. Find out what types of food work best for your blood type.
According to Dr. D'Adamo, author of "Eat Right for Your Type,"
our blood type determines what foods act like medicine, food, or
poison for us. Type Os, for instance, need lots of vigorous
physical exercise and need to eat meat. Type Bs are the only
type that tolerate dairy well, and their best exercise is
moderate and non-competitive.
6. Try using a "sports drink." A study which appeared in the
April issue of "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise" reveals
that "athletes stave off fatigue 37% longer if they drink sports
drinks -- the kind with electrolytes and carbohydrates in them.
They also run faster, have better motor skills, and are mentally
sharper". [reported on www.msn.com]
7. Do some reading on emotional intelligence to learn how to
keep your attitude up, your energy high, and your focus
sharp--optimism, resilience and intentionality. Go here for
distance learning courses: http://www.susandunn.cc/courses.htm
or http://www.addeq.com/
8. If you're going through a transition, or need to, or simply
need an energy-boost, get some coaching.
9. To get "green," know the seasonal patterns of your
particular consumers. For instance, if you work for a
non-profit, summer's slow. Plan some seasonal outdoor benefits
for the whole family (doggie derby, swim-a-thon) or cool indoor
diversions (fashion show, bowl-a-thon). Use the extra time to
plan ahead for the big push in the fall. Redo your brochures,
revamp the website, plan the year's marketing strategy, and work
ahead on newsletter interviews and articles.
10. Have special programs, courses and offers in place catered
to the needs of your particular consumer. For instance, if
you're a parenting coach, anticipate the need of parents for
resources for summer activities for kids, tips on how to travel
with kids, knowledge of resorts that cater to kids, how to get
pet/house sitters, how to deal with problematical in-laws, what
camp experience is appropriate for what age group, etc.
Be prepared -- be lean, mean and green -- and watch your energy
levels soar and the money roll in.