In the last article, we talked about taking responsibility for our body’s health both physically and emotionally. But how do you go about doing that exactly? What does that look like? It won’t be the same for everyone.You are UNIQUE! Your divine path to optimal fitness, health, and well-being will be a blueprint tailored to you.Clearly, this is easier said than done because if you knew exactly what that blueprint was then you would be doing it already. You have probably got your dance pole set up and your are exercising. You probably even tried a few diets that quickly shed the fat but couldn't get it to stick. This is great, it shows you are progressing, but you need it to stick right?FIRST, if you didn’t read last week’s post, I want to encourage you to do so because it mains focus was to really ground you in the idea that you must take responsibility for your health and commit to progress. You are worth it!Success in decoding your blueprint will require those two keys. If you can’t commit to progress and take an honorable oath to yourself that you will take responsibility for your health then you might as well stop now. The reason I say that is because if you can’t do those two things, then you are looking for a genie in a bottle or quick fix for fat loss and this series about a life transforming path to peak fitness through a process that takes time.Now that we are clear, you’re pumped, and ready to go, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of decoding you.Your body knows what it needs to be fit. It doesn’t matter if you want to be ultra-lean like a fitness model or if you just want to shed a few pounds so you can keep up with the kids, your body knows how to get there.Your mission is to start listening to it! You listen by accepting and honoring your current symptoms. Symptoms are unique to you, it could be weight gain, hair loss, no energy at about 3 pm every day, anxiety showing up at certain times, pain, gassiness after eating (we all know pole fitness dancing and gas are not a fun mix, haha!), etc. The list is endless.Start writing down your symptoms and taking mental notes about when or why they showed up. What happened? What time of day was it? What did you eat? Where you stressed out? If so, what were you stressed out about? Etc. And yes stress is VERY important because underlying stress can be causing your symptoms! Too much belly fat is a symptom of stress!Your goal is to catalog them and build an awareness of what your body is telling you through your symptoms. Then you will take responsibility and support your body to heal itself (which we will get into later in this series.) I am talking about inner healing, not taking another toxic pharmaceutical or herbal remedy to mask the symptoms. - Just to be clear, I am a huge fan of herbal remedies, I use them to heal bruises from dancing on my dance pole - but even herbal remedies can be a band-aid masking deeper problems.Much like the dandelion, your current state of health can be viewed as a weed OR and medicinal herbal offering a path to healing. You see, your symptoms are like the dandelion you can see growing above ground. You wouldn’t even know it there unless you saw its leaves and yellow flower. And we all know that if you don’t pull it up by the root, it will just grow back again.Your goal is to see and honor your symptoms, recognize then so you can begin to find the ROOT of your problem. Once you find the root and remove it then you will have the optimal health and well-being you crave.Another nice analogy is that the dandelion plant is also good for detoxing the body. In a way, when you get to the root and solve this then you will be releasing negative toxins, both physically and emotionally from your life!Symptoms help you find the root which in turn will help you design your unique blueprint to optimal health. Don’t overlook anything you find disturbing. For example, we are taught that gas and acid reflux are part of life. We almost just pop a pill to temporarily treat it and consider it normal. But to a healthy body in peak condition, it isn’t normal.The best way to begin understanding your unique symptoms and get to the root is by keeping a food diary or journal. Write down what you ate, what time, and how you felt throughout the day. As time passes, you will start to see recurrent patterns in your symptom profile which will help you pick the right supplements to heal your body. You will be able to isolate food sensitivities as well.If you really want to shred body fat, have an abundance of energy at any age, and emotionally feel calm with a sense that life it good – then you will need to start respecting what your body says in every way.Learning the basics of health regarding the metabolism, digestion, hydration, destressing, detoxing, hormones, emotional wellness, and exercising for your fitness level is important. When you have an awareness of your unique symptoms then you will be able to take some of the information I am going to share with you and decide if IT’S RIGHT FOR YOU.Learning about yourself, assessing your symptoms, and working to correct them for optimum health and energy is a journey. Make learning new things about health a priority, implement the new things you learn, test them in your life to see if they work for you (don't just take someone's word for it), and progress forward. It's a lifetime journey that ultimately raises the quality of your life and happiness. :)In the meantime, keep dancing, keep smiling, and keep doing your exercises on the dance pole and enjoy yourself!
