Healthy Living with Jilisa Ghareeb: Focus on the New Year

Happy New Year! 2022 is here and you are here for it. There are a couple of memes going around and yes, we laugh at them and maybe they make us a little anxious, but we need to let go of 2020 and 2021 (except for doing your taxes) and fully immerse ourselves in 2022. Your current life deserves to be living in the present and thinking/dreaming/planning for the future. No more living in the past. In the famous words of Elsa, “LET IT GO.”

As we go into the new year, I feel like we need to focus on our relationships with the people around us. The last couple of years there has been a lot of talk and focus on self-love and that is a wonderful thing. We have to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others. The last 2 years has also brought a lot of division and seclusion. I believe that we need to get back to taking care of our relationship with live people (not exclusively on social media platforms).  In doing this I am not saying to not take care of yourself. This focus list is short, but it encapsulates a lot of areas.

1. Family – this does not have to be blood relations; this is who you believe is your family. If you do have relationships to mend in your family, try taking the first step. If nothing is reciprocated, then know that you have opened that door and it is now up to that person to walk through it.
2. Friends – honestly the same as above. You know who need or do not need in your life. Be kind and open the door but know that not everyone has to be in that circle.
3. Career – I had a job for years that I did not like. I stayed because I felt that I could not go anywhere and make the same amount of money that would pay my bills. Fear kept me from moving forward or any direction. It had me locked in place. You can make moves. Create the plan and take action! What you do every day for the most hours of your life needs to bring you joy.
4. Spiritual – I know what this means for me and I know that it may not be the same for you (and that is ok). Find what this means for you and go all in. Find that peace that your soul needs in this tumultuous world. Practice gratitude every day. Start writing down what you are thankful for in your life. This is not a grandiose list; coffee is on my list every day!
5. Financial – this one does not have to hold hands with your career. Obviously, you will need to use money from your job to meet your financial goals. However, the money you make from your daily job is not solely going to meet those goals. You need to branch out and find ways to supplement, invest and grow your money.
6. Physical – Do I really need to say anything here?! HAHA! My feelings on this subject are well known. Please do all the things that create you to be the healthiest version of yourself. Get in intentional movement and eat whole delicious foods that allow you to be at the top of your game. You deserve it!
7. Intellectual – last on my list and certainly not the least (no order to these, they are all equally important), work on your brain! Learn new things all the time. Never stop. Learn to play an instrument. Learn about the history of your community. Take a class about glass blowing, cooking, farming. Anything! The possibilities are limitless.

Add to this list. Drill down to specifics for you. I am not one to make resolutions because I feel that most people set themselves up to fail. Reason for that for most people is because if they do not reach their goal in 2 weeks they quit. They feel that because they did not lose 25 pounds in 2 weeks that they are never going to lose the weight so why try.  Or because they did not write a novel, or master painting in an unrealistic amount of time they never will so again, why bother. All these things (referring to the list above) take time, some take years. You have to stop wishing for it and start working for it. It is hard but all of it is possible.

The last couple of months have been challenging. We decided to open a second location of our business, move to that area, and make changes for our business. I have wanted to quit and stay in my comfort zone more than once. I have been angry, sad, happy, confused, excited and any other emotion you can come up with. Sometimes all within minutes of each other. But the one thing I have not done is quit, even when it was a half-step forward and 400 steps back. Do not give up. Go scream in your pillow or cry on the couch then stand up, smile, and move forward.

People picks songs, words, mantras or even themes for the year. I do not necessarily believe that one word will last the entire year, you may need to change it up or even add to it. Do what you need to do to make 2022 a wonderful year for you. Do not compare it to anyone else. Your progress is different than mine. My word to start the year off is ADVENTURE! We have made momentous changes in our family and are embarking on lots of new adventures (which started in September), the biggest adventure (so far) happened about 3 weeks ago, and I know even bigger ones are coming. We are a little nervous but full of hope (which may be a word to add to the list).

Because of our new adventures I did not make time to try new recipes to share with you this month. Which leads me to ask, what kind of recipes would you like to see: sweet or savory? I am all for quick and simple but sometimes things to need to be a little more in depth. I love using whole foods and lots of herbs and spices. I want the flavor in my food to come from the food itself and be enhanced by the herbs. I love salt but there is more to life than salt and not every dish needs it. (I said it, fight me on it 😊). Next month I will have a great new recipe for you! In the meantime, add this move to spice up your day.

Standing ab twists (with or without weight).

Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart and with your toes ever so slightly turned out. With or without weights in your hands, have your arms bent and by your chest. Don’t just suck in your stomach but hold your abs in tight. Twist to the left/right (using your obliques {muscles on your sides}) and at the same time turn your right leg in, squeeze your cheek and push your arm to the side. Your arm can stay midlevel or raise above your head. Return to the starting position. Stay on one side for 30 seconds and then switch sides. If you are turning to the right, you would be pushing your left arm to the right (crossing in front of your chest). The modification is no weight or using the one weight that is moving (instead of having weights in both hands). You can also start with alternating sides and working towards 30 seconds on one side at a time. A progression would be holding one weight static and working one side for a minute and then switching or upping the weight. As always listen to your body…drop or go lighter with the weights if you need too.

I pray that you have a happy and blessed 2022. Don’t forget to drop me a message about what kind of recipes you would like to try or if you have any questions about working out, nutrition or making and taking action on your plans!

Jilisa Ghareeb has been a Beachbody coach for 6 years.  Her favorite part of being involved with fitness and nutrition is watching her clients change and open up a whole new world.  As a coach, she is able to help others by introducing them to a change that is often scary, intimidating, and full of “what ifs” to an encouraging and inspirational lifestyle full of “I cans”. She uses her own story to show others that everything is possible with hard work and determination.  If you’re interested in reaching out to Jilisa for more information you can contact her via email, on Instagram, or Facebook.