I used to love to watch the (late) comedienne Joan Rivers—she would crack me up with her sarcasm, and when she wanted to approach a touchy subject she would say, “Can we talk?”

Well, I’m saying that to you today and here’s why.

I recently exhibited at an event for local businesswomen and had several delightful ladies come to our table to talk to me about their health concerns.

Sadly, one vibe that I sensed a lot of was that many women think it’s too late for them or they are too far gone to make a difference in their health.

But that’s simply NOT TRUE!

And if you are one of the women (or men!) that thinks this way, then I pray that you read my message today and take it to heart.

It’s NEVER too late!

Many people who suffer from health challenges or are overweight give up, feeling it’s too late for them and they shouldn’t bother trying to feel better.

But it’s never, ever too late to improve your health or lose weight, regardless of your age or how long you’ve been this way.

No matter where you’re starting from, your body will benefit from adopting healthier habits--that is a certainty.

Get this—I didn’t start really eating healthy until my early 30s!  Plus I didn’t begin karate training and long distance running until my 40s.  And I ran my first full marathon at age 50!

Yeah, it’s never too late.  And if I can do it, you can too!

Ignore the Negative Nellies

If anyone criticizes you or tries to tell you that you can’t do it, or you’re not good enough or strong enough or smart enough, walk away.

Then prove them wrong.

Someone once told me that my karate fighting skills were terrible and I’d never succeed in the martial arts.  Mind you, this person’s fighting “expertise” consisted of watching Mohammed Ali back in the day.

Well, I’m a 4^th degree Master blackbelt now.  I wonder if that person would like to put their money where their mouth is and meet me on the sparring floor.

Be your own inspiration

We’ve all had experiences where people that inspired us ended up letting us down. 

Someone that you looked up to may have turned out to be deceitful, a sociopath or simply not who you thought they were.

You may have been used, fooled, unappreciated, hurt or rejected.  We all have, including yours truly.

When it comes to inspiration, you have to rely on the only person you can always count on.

Yourself.

Be your own inspiration.  Become healthier for YOU and no one else.  You deserve it, you are worth it, you can do it and you WILL do it!

And remember, I believe in you too.

Refuse to make excuses

If you allow excuses to enter your mind, forget it--you’re done before you start.  There is no room for excuses when it comes to improving your health.

Think long and hard about your past excuses and put an end to them. 

For example, have you avoided exercise by telling yourself you didn’t have the time?  Well, there are 168 hours in a week—I think you can carve 2 or 3 of those out for exercise.   

Or how about eating healthy—have you told yourself you’re too busy to cook?  Well, if you’re not too busy to watch your favorite TV shows or poke around on Facebook, you’re also not too busy to cook.

Face your excuses and admit they are hogwash.

Start with baby steps

If you’re ready to make a significant difference in your state of health, know this: It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or difficult!

Start with baby steps—little things that can have a huge impact like these:

1- Work more real foods into your diet

If your diet is not-so-great (or downright abysmal), gradually work in more wholesome real foods.

• Have a tossed salad with your dinner every day. Even a lettuce wedge drizzled with dressing counts!
• Instead of chips or crackers, snack on carrot and celery sticks, a cube of cheese, or a handful of nuts.
• Choose oatmeal or scrambled eggs for breakfast over donuts, bagels, pastries or cereals.
• Try soups or salads for lunch instead of burgers or pizza. Add grilled meat, chicken or fish to your salad to make it more filling if you’d like.
• Swap out one soda or coffee a day for water.
• Seek out healthier convenience options. For example, instead of ordering pizza for dinner, sauté up a chicken breast and serve with steamed frozen green beans and a bagged salad—it doesn’t get easier than that.

2- Support your gut health with probiotics

Your gut determines your health from head to toe—it absorbs the nutrients your body needs to survive, eliminates dangerous wastes and toxins, houses 80 percent of your immune system and even makes 90 percent of your body’s serotonin (your natural antidepressant)!

But your microbiome is always taking a hit from things like sugar and refined carbs, medications, lacking sleep, stress and tap water.

Plus, your intestinal good guys are not “permanent residents” to begin with—they only “vacation” inside of you for 12 days or less! 

So, it’s vital to keep your friendly gut flora population strong and healthy—and the best way to do that is with an full-spectrum, multi-strain probiotic formula like Super Shield!

3- Get some form of exercise

When it comes to attaining better health, exercise is not optional. 

But you don’t have to get fancy!  Even brisk walking is great, and you can work that in any time of the day. 

Here are some tips for your success:

• Choose an activity you like or will at least tolerate.
• Commit to exercising for at least 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times per week.
• Create doable goals. Don’t say you’re going to run 5 miles a day if the farthest you’ve ever run is from the couch to the refrigerator and back during a commercial.  Make your goals achievable and realistic.
• Get a buddy! It’s hard to skip a workout if you have someone counting on you to show up.
• Celebrate your little victories along the way. Always look behind you to see how far you’ve come.

Just be sure to get your doctor’s OK first.

Remember, when it comes to improving your health, start with baby steps and go from there.

You’ll soon see wonderful changes taking place for you and you’ll never regret it!

May God bless you.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia