February is Heart Month.
How do you love your heart? Let us count the ways.
Do you give it cozy cardio? Heart healthy meals? What’s your favorite cozy activity?
I’ll bet if I asked you how you show your loved ones love, you’d have a plethora of answers. When I work my health coaching clients, I’ve noticed that when it comes time for my clients to answer how they practice self-care, there is usually a hesitation followed by a number of “ummm’s.” There’s a reason Flight Attendants tell us to place the oxygen masks on ourselves first. Self-care is not selfish. Practicing self-care is giving others the best of us instead of what’s left of us.
Raise your hand if you’re celebrating Mardi Gras AND Valentine’s Day this week.
Growing up extremely Catholic, Mardis Gras was our Fat Tuesday, translation (Eat all the sweets we would give up for Lent: 40 days of NO sweets!)
We had a “PIG OUT” Party and binge until we couldn’t fathom wanting another sweet for the rest of our lives. And, it was double penance when Valentine’s Day fell in between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
Of course, as a Certified Integrative Health Coach, I’ve learned the “Morsel of the story” that deprivation and bingeing almost always go hand-in-hand and lead down a spiral rollercoaster.
If you observe Lent by giving up some type of food, please be sure it’s not going to set you into a downward spiral. There are healthier and more productive ways to observe/abstain.
Please click here for helpful heart health tips and facts.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations.
Happy Mardis Gras, Lent, and Valentine’s Day to ALL of you!
xo,
Mo