Health Matters: Fifty - Two Ways to Get Your Body to Love You Back

By Rosie Bank

Learning to love our bodies can be among the most transformational things we do in life. But how do we get our bodies to love us back? In her guidebook Health Matters, Rosie Bank shares fifty-two practical lessons that will help others gradually improve their lives, health, and overall vitality in order to create lasting change.

Rosie, a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, relies on her personal and professional experiences to provide a yearlong weekly plan intended to help anyone achieve a happier, more balanced life.

Health Matters will inspire you to become not just a master of your health, but also a loving, encouraging, committed, and forgiving boss of your body.

“… A wonderful program to help you recover your health and discover the most that you can be.”
—Susan M Kleiner, PhD, RD, FACN, CHS, FISSN,
Author of The Good Mood Diet and co-author of Power Eating, 4th edition

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jun 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483451886

Rosie Bank

Rosie Bank is the founder of Manifesting Vision International, a global network marketing organization. She is a regular contributor to Networking Times Magazine where she was recently featured as “Master Networker.” She is the author of Bodies, Health, and Consciousness and Lessons in Embodiment. Rosie lives in Foster City, California. For more information, please visit www.rosiebank.com.

Book preview

Healthy

HEALTH MATTERS

Fifty-Two Ways

to Get Your Body to

Love You Back

ROSIE BANK

Copyright © 2016 Rosie Bank.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means---whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic---without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state, and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights: If you are reading the EBook version, be aware that you are not allowed to make copies of the EBook or to give or sell it to anyone else. No copies of this book in any format may be made without the explicit permission of the author. If you are aware that a copy has been made without such permission, please contact the author via email to notify her ([e-mail]).

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence. Although the author has made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy of the content in this guide, she assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information as you see fit and at your own risk. Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; in fact, it's likely that your situation won't be the same, and you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly.

The cost of this book is modest and designed for anyone to be able to get this valuable information in her or his hands. Kindly respect the efforts of the author and notify her if you would like your own copy of Health Matters. For more information, speaking invitations, or bulk orders, please send an email to [e-mail].

You should not undertake any diet/exercise regimen recommended in this book before consulting your personal physician. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be responsible or liable for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions contained in this book.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5187-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5188-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016907462

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 5/18/2016

Table of Contents

Endorsements

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

PART ONE

ORIENTATION

Your Life Is About to Change!

Why One Year?

A Ten-Thousand-Foot View

Tips to Help You Get the Most out of Health Matters

PART TWO

LESSONS FOR FIFTY-TWO WEEKS

Week #1 Learn about You

Week #2 Create Your Why

Week #3 Prepare

week #4 Eat Your Way to Optimal Health

week #5 Eat Your Veggies

week #6 Share Your Intentions

week #7 Take Your Measurements

week #8 Stop Before You Are Stuffed

week #9 Shake Your Booty

week #10 Put Your Fork Down

week #11 Connect with Loved Ones

week #12 Curb Your Carbs

week #13 Maintain a Schedule

week #14 Enjoy a Meatless Monday (or Any Day of the Week)

week #15 Try Something New

week #16 Get into the Kitchen

week #17 Consider the Never (or Almost Never) Eat Category

week #18 Forgive Yourself

week #19 Get into a Discussion

week #20 Crowd Out

week #21 Go All Natural

week #22 Have a Win Day

week #23 Single-Task (Don't Multitask)

week #24 Fatten Up

week #25 Practice Self-Honoring

week #26 Eliminate Toxins

week #27 Have a Piece of Wedding Cake

week #28 Have a Pro-Health Splurge

week #29 Make a Dream Board

week #30 Adopt a Mind-Set for Being Well

week #31 Name Your Feelings

week #32 Write a Love Letter to Your Body

week #33 Supplement for Optimal Health

week #34 Breathe and Relax

week #35 Try Something New, Again

week #36 Dine Out

week #37 Be a Role Model

week #38 Say Good Night

week #39 Assess Your Environment

week #40 Give Yourself a Makeover

week #41 Inspire a Loved One

week #42 Have a Bio Day

week #43 Think Ahead

week #44 Wait Until You Are Hungry

week #45 Find Ways to Nurture Yourself

week #46 Give Thanks Before You Eat

week #47 Change Your Story

week #48 Take Your Body with You

week #49 Adjust Your Calendar

week #50 Get Spiritual

week #51 Befriend Time

week #52 Take an Inventory

Afterword

Further Reading

Online Resources

About the Author

Dedication

This book is dedicated to those who know that being radiantly healthy is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. And to others who are about to discover this for themselves.

If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.

(Hippocrates, the Father of Western Medicine, ca. 460 BC to ca. 370 BC)

Endorsements

"In a world of superficial fixes that usually leaves us feeling disappointed, Integrative Nutrition Coach Rosie Bank offers 52 distinctions to help us create lasting change in our health---both body and mind. In a world of noise and confusion, where conflicting ideas clamor for our attention, Rosie's steady voice of experience and insight brings clarity and confidence when it comes to creating a healthy life. If you are looking for a guide to help you take better care of yourself, then let Health Matters be your coach for the whole year."

Dr. Steve Hryszczuk,

Author of Royalty Income: The Business of Getting Paid More Than Once

"Health Matters is a great book to support you to step into the best version of yourself. I love the time-release formula that allows you to go step by step on an adventure of self-discovery. Each week offers practices that build on the previous weeks. It is written in a clear and practical way. As Rosie will show you, achieving vitality is not about being 'perfect,' but about learning and building habits for optimal health in a supportive environment. Rosie Bank is a reliable guide. Reading and implementing these lessons will help you get dramatic improvements in your health and life that you can sustain for an indefinite period of time."

Dr. Karen Wolfe, MBBS MA,

Author of Is Your Lifestyle Killing You---Eight Simple Steps for Lasting Weight Loss and Optimal Health

"As a medical professional, I am absolutely enthused with Rosie's work, Health Matters. This is a book that I wish I had 20 years ago, one that I could recommend to my patients as a week-by-week guide to the body, mind, and life that people want. I love how she starts with the concept that you are already 'good enough' and lovable, and, without judgment, guides you with easy-to-follow weekly concepts and assignments that will result in your getting what you want. This is more than a 'don't do this, but do that' kind of book. It is one of self-reflection, changing beliefs about what is holding you back, and the simple, steady steps you can follow to bring about lasting results. I believe everyone can benefit from Rosie's book. Learning about and applying true medical and psychological action steps in most areas of your life will create lasting results for an energetic mind and body. It is my belief that this book should not be on everyone's shelves, this book should be in everyone's hands, to be utilized, studied, and followed."

Ladd McNamara, MD, Author of Cholesterol Conspiracy

"Sustainable long-term life changes are best achieved by a series of successful small steps, rather than one great leap that falters. Rosie Bank has created a smart, strategic guide to lead readers through 52 weeks of steady, small steps to improve their health over a year. Rosie's intelligent, science-backed discussions regarding behavior, psychology, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and relationships make you feel like you are sitting next to her and she is giving you a personal consult. Her guidance is motivating and she provides the tools you need to make the changes you desire. Health Matters is a wonderful program to help you recover your health and discover the most that you can be."

Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, FACN, CNS, FISSN,

Author of The Good Mood Diet and Co-Author of Power Eating, 4th ed.

"Knowing just how important our health is, what stops people from making health a top priority? It is not a lack of ability, it is a lack of motivation. We just get scared and tired of sifting through the plethora of health solutions marketed to us every day. Rosie Bank's Health Matters is the answer to this problem. Rosie has passionately and clearly created a path towards better health that we can follow. As you implement her simple strategies, your health will improve. As your health improves, life will begin to look brighter as you step into your role of impacting the lives of people around you."

Jordan Kemper, Founder of OneBody International

"Every once in a while a book comes around that really speaks to you. Rosie Bank's Health Matters is one such work. We have been fortunate to preview and enjoy the benefits of following the recommendations in Health Matters. As a Physician and as a Health Coach we feel the lessons and wisdom Rosie brings to the table will benefit many. We will be using her carefully laid out step by step and week by week program of self-acceptance, reflection and growth to create lasting lifestyle change for our patients and clients. We recommend Rosie's Health Matters to anyone who looks to utilize motivational behavioral change to create positive lifestyle transformation for themselves or in their practice."

Peter W. Rugg, MD, FACEP, Assistant Professor,

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Patti Rugg, Certified Holistic Health Coach, AADP

Rosie Bank leaves no stone unturned in this very complete guide to creating the healthy life you desire. Her non-dogmatic, practical approach is guaranteed to guide anyone who actively participates for 52 weeks to vibrant health.

Deborah Kern, PhD,

Author of Everyday Wellness for Women and Create the Body Your Soul Desires

"As a pediatrician who also treats teens with eating disorders, I know that children see what is modeled by their parents. Making sure that you, as an adult and potentially as a parent, are well-balanced when it comes to health, is extremely important. In Health Matters, Rosie Bank's wisdom, based on what she learned from battling and then overcoming an eating disorder from the past, creates an inspirational message, especially for parents who have their own issues around nutrition. Making small changes on a weekly basis and not striving for perfection are important lessons that Rosie teaches. Incorporating the lessons in Health Matters will not only change your life, but can change the life and health of your children as well."

Christine Wood, MD, author of How to Get Kids to Eat Great and Love It

"What I love most about Health Matters is not the bounty of gently wise health advice, or even the wonderfully bite-size morsels in which that good counsel is served. Rather, I love that Rosie recognizes health as being in the service of living well. This is really a book about many ways to have a better life. It is accessible, sensible, and empowering---but above all, it is indelibly human."

David Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP,

Yale University School of Medicine, Author of Disease-Proof and Nutrition in Clinical Practice

"I tell my patients that achieving great health is best treated as a project. Give yourself one year of implementing the lessons in Health Matters to help you build habits that will last a lifetime. Rosie Bank sorts through the overwhelming amount of health information that's out there and turns it into weekly 'bite-size' chapters with knowledge and practices that are easy to start and maintain. Health Matters is fun and fact-filled! Thank you, Rosie, for helping us find freedom around food, nutrition and optimal health."

Liz Lyster, MD, Author of Easy Guide to Menopause

"Fantastic! Finally a program that will change you, not in 30 days, but in a year. This is not only realistic, but it is a plan that almost anyone can implement. Rosie does an outstanding job of guiding and coaching you along the way. A true expert is one who has already done this and succeeded, and now wishes to pass knowledge to others, which is exactly what Rosie does in Health Matters. This is a book that is full of solid facts instead of media hype. I simply love it and its simplicity. Thank you Rosie for helping to change lives in a fun and interesting way."

Sue Ward, MS, Integrative and Functional Medicine Nutritionist,

Sanoviv Medical Institute

Foreword

R osie Bank's Health Matters: Fifty-Two Ways to Get Your Body to Love You Back stands out from the crowd of self-help health books by way of two important distinctions.

First, this book isn't about making you a better person---but rather is about helping you take better care of the good person you already are. In contrast, most self-help books start from the premise that there is something wrong with you, which you need to fix. They generally propose that, by using their method, you can fix your health or your mind, reduce your stress or your waistline, organize your closet or your life, and, in doing so, become a better, healthier, happier person. Rosie takes the drastically different approach of starting from the compassionate premise that you are already a person who deserves love. She wants to help you love the person you already are. In realizing this self-love, you will make better choices about diet, exercise, and self-care, because we take care of those we love.

Rosie's approach is grounded in the science of behavioral change. Psychologists who study behavioral change have found that telling people that the things they are doing are bad for them does not motivate them to change. It just makes them feel scared and guilty. For instance, when smokers are given fear-based warnings about the dangerous consequences of smoking, many smokers end up smoking more---because, for many smokers, smoking is a strategy for coping with anxiety. Similarly, when asked to read an article about how employers discriminate against overweight workers, overweight women ate more junk food than women in a control group, because for many overweight people, eating junk food is a strategy for coping with anxiety. Shame, guilt, and fear are terrible motivators. Love, compassion, and self-acceptance, on the other hand, have been proven to have fantastic power for helping us change without effort. In research studies, when people who stress about eating begin to practice restorative yoga, a gentle yoga practice focused on relaxation, they often lose weight without any actual effort toward weight loss. The simple practice of relaxation and self-acceptance allows the change to simply unfold. Loving yourself is a powerful thing. Rosie Bank taps into its power to help you build a healthier life.

Second, Rosie's approach offers you the time and guidance to slowly, methodically, and deliberately improve your health, your well-being, and your happiness, in a way that you will sustain. Many self-help books offer a quick fix: a ten-minute exercise program, ten days to a better you, six weeks to thinner abs. Again grounded in the science of behavioral change, Rosie takes the long view rather than a shortcut. She offers a one-year program purposefully and deliberately. Learning about health is easy. Putting it into practice---that's the hard part. Among those who make New Year's resolutions, only 64 percent are still on track by February 1, and only 46 percent of people are still committed by the first of June. When we approach change as a quick fix, we inevitably set ourselves up for failure. Likewise, when we approach change as a drastic overhaul, we find ourselves overwhelmed and we give up. But small, deliberate changes consistently implemented and practiced over time can lead to true, substantial change. Rosie's program offers you the opportunity to achieve change that lasts long beyond merely another year of resolutions.

You could choose any number of things to focus on for the next fifty-two weeks: losing weight, learning a craft, preparing for a new career, overhauling your finances. If you choose to spend the next fifty-two weeks following Rosie's compassionate guidance, you will find in a year that you have truly transformed yourself and every aspect of your life through self-acceptance and self-love. And as the Beatles once said, Love is all you need.

Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness.

Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, PhD, RYT, Professor at the Great Courses

Acknowledgments

I t takes a village to write a book. Thanks to you, my esteemed friends and colleagues, for your generous words that have added such richness to this project. And thanks for how much I have learned from each of you. Dr. Kimberlee Bonura, the forward you wrote is beautiful, and so are you. Dr. Steve Hryszczuk, Dr. Ladd McNamara, Dr. Karen Wolfe, Jordan Kemper, Dr. Peter Rugg, Patti Rugg, Dr. Deborah Kern, Dr. Liz Lyster, Sue Ward, Dr. Christine Wood, and Dr. David Katz---how fortunate I am to have such authoritative, smart, and generous friends, teachers, and colleagues in the health field. I greatly appreciate your endorsements and wisdom. Thank you, Dr. Tim Wood, for your insightful and constructive feedback that helped shaped the organization and tone of this book.

I have a special tears-in-my-eyes appreciation and thank you for Dr. Susan M. Kleiner. Dr. Kleiner generously stepped forward to offer corrections and constructive criticism. What Susan did is an example of the precious gems that are placed gently on the side of the road along the journey of book writing.

To my clients who have been my teachers: You will see bits from your lives sprinkled throughout the pages here because of the lessons you have shared with me. No one except me will know that you are the subjects of these stories. Your transformation is the underbelly of my decision to write this book. Thank you.

To the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and to Joshua Rosenthal: I loved what I learned attending IIN, and I love who I became in order to serve others to change their lives at a more significant level.

Thank you to Bhovidhya Pawan for the gorgeous cover design and for being such a delight to work with.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to Barbara Fuller, director of Editcetera, based in Berkeley, California. Barbara provided brilliant editing plus invaluable coaching to me as a writer. In my opinion, she is a world-class editor.

Thanks to Arvee Robinson, who insisted that I tell my story so that others could learn and benefit.

To my husband, Mark Waldman: Thank you from the bottom of my healthy heart for being my Chief Encouragement Officer and expert proofreader. I've always wanted my own IT genie sitting on my shoulder. Who knew it would come in the form of such a loving, handsome, supportive, generous partner. Thanks for your continual refrain of Go Rosie! Thank you for pushing me just the right amount.

Thanks to me for hauling myself back from the brink of devastating poor health to love my body and to get my body to love me back. And thank you, Dear Reader, for joining me on this journey of transformation.

Introduction

I f you are unhappy with how you look and feel, I offer you more than hope. If you picked up this book because you want an exit strategy from having not enough energy or not enough good health, I promise you that you will find what you need here. If you are looking for higher levels of vitality, you have come to the right place. As you will learn, based on what I and others have overcome, if you are ready for lasting transformation, you can achieve that as well.

If you could take a peek into my life and lifestyle, you would see someone who plays hard, works hard, and enjoys radiant good health and an abundance of vitality. I love how I feel almost every minute of every day. I weigh thirty pounds less than I did in high school, and I perform better in sports today than when I was in my twenties. I continually give thanks for how much my body supports me to be the best I can be, to do the most significant work I am able to do, and to help as many people as possible. Also, I have a lot of energy, for which I am grateful.

Things were not always this way. As you will see in Health Matters, I have hauled myself back from the brink of serious health issues. I believe that if you are looking for solutions to unresolved health, energy, weight, and food issues, you will love what you learn, and soon you will also love how you look and feel. You are about to learn how to create lasting change through a proven, time-release formula.

Because of how much my life has changed and improved over the decades during which I have practiced the lessons I am sharing here---the same lessons I continue to practice---I feel that I must give back. My commitment is to help you see that keeping your health optimized is among the most worthy endeavors of your life. The world is a better place when all of us make taking care of ourselves a priority.

I don't know that disease can be eradicated. However, I do know for certain that we can practice pro-health strategies consistently to upgrade our experience of living in our uniquely human bodies. When your health gets better, your life gets better.

It is because of this deep belief that I bring you these fifty-two distinctions, or lessons. We can and ought to make practicing these lessons habits for life.

I'll be with you every step along the way. In addition, I'll be with you at the end of this journey, eager to celebrate your wins and your discoveries.

I can't wait to meet the new and improved you.

Rosie Bank

Part One

Orientation

HelloIamnametagImage1.jpg

Your Life Is About to Change!

T he following fifty-two lessons are yours to use and to enjoy. They are to bless your life and to lead you to a dramatically different and improved experience of living in your body. Imagine moving steadily to feel so much better that you might not recognize yourself in one year. This can be a very good thing. By adopting these proven strategies for your body, your health, and your life, you will invariably grow and evolve. Getting healthier is a journey and a process; it is not a destination. I suspect that you will be amazed by how much improvement you can make when you practice simple disciplines consistently over time.

This is what happened to me, so I know this is possible. Many years ago, my days were filled to the brim, like a bowl of ice cream spilling over, with egregious and self-destructive habits. As hard as it is to write this, I need to tell you that I struggled with bulimia. To this day, that word reminds me of the pain I used to endure. In the past, I was hooked on eating copious amounts of sugar-laden foods, then gorging and purging. In many ways, I was a completely different person than I am today. Also, at this same period in my personal history, I was lugging around a few serious health problems, which made everything I tried to do more difficult than it needed to be.

During those years, I felt helplessly and hopelessly barricaded behind this food addiction and eating disorder. Some very good things happened in my life during that time, but looking back, many of my memories of various events are blurred through the lens of my previous preoccupation with food. For example, I spent a month studying yoga in Florence, Italy. Perhaps you