Balanced blood sugar helps us to regulate overall energy levels, keep total weight in check, and prevent cravings that can lead to overeating. It is something we should all pay attention to on a daily basis as we strive for lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time™.

Outlined below are some daily habits and healthy regimens from eatingwell.com that may help regulate your blood sugar.

• Eat six times daily. According to Harvard Health, this is critical when it comes to balancing blood sugar. Meals that are more frequent (every 2-4 hours) can help you with taking the weight off, controlling hunger, reducing blood insulin and lowering cholesterol.
• Balanced meals are important. On a daily basis, it's important to eat meals and snacks that contain select vegetables and the right amount of protein, as this provides good nutrition that will help you feel full while keeping blood sugar levels within normal ranges.
• Keep moving. Exercise and movement also help to normalize blood sugar and promote weight maintenance. Try to work in 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise, such as walking, yoga, or Pilates per day. You'll see, and feel the difference.
• Sleep is critical. Individuals with poor sleep habits may suffer from more erratic blood sugar levels. Aim for the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night to benefit your overall health and to keep your body fresh.

Your OPTAVIA Community is always here to support and guide you. Ask me for other ideas on regulating your blood sugar!

Stress is something we all face on a daily basis, and it has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.

What you do with your stress is what's important. Your journey to lifelong transformation is one way to counteract stress, but you can also beat it and achieve Optimal Wellbeing with these healthy activities.

• Get a massage. Try to find 30 minutes to an hour per month and indulge yourself in a massage. There is nothing like human touch to get your blood flowing and promote feelings of well-being.
• Practice yoga. With yoga you'll take away ways to overcome stress by building skills like deep breathing, stretching, and slowing down your mind, which you can practice during mini-breaks scheduled throughout your busy work day.
• Disconnect with a warm bath. Step away from the hectic pace of life and relax for 20 minutes in a hot bath. A bath gives you built in time away from phone calls and emails, and you can make it more lavish with essential oils or scented Epsom salts.
• Laugh. Go see or watch your favorite comedian, tell jokes around the dinner table, meet with friends and reminisce. There are many ways to find ways to laugh, and studies show that this is a verified way to reduce stress in the process!
• Create a comfy and inviting home. Make small adjustments to de-stress your home such as playing relaxing music, placing plants and other fragrant flowers, hanging artwork, finding a place for meditation. You can also add a wind chime to your porch to relax yourself to sleep in the evenings.

Ask me for more details on how to de-stress your life, and achieve Optimal Wellbeing.

Major Life Changes

"Hindsight is 20/20, and looking back, I can see how certain things in my past contributed to me having a poor self-image whether or not I realized how much it affected me at the time."

Life went on for Hilah and it seemed with every major life change she gained weight. Marriage, moves, and children. She used food for celebration, coping with stress, or sadness and didn't realize how much she unconsciously snacked."

"I specifically struggled after having my 3rd child due to a traumatic delivery and I ended up very depressed and suffering from posttraumatic stress and anxiety."

After seeing a counselor and gaining victory, Hilah found out she was expecting another baby. The month after having her 4th child, she gained 10 more pounds, which sent her to rock bottom, thinking weight loss was impossible. She decided she had no option other than stomach surgery and she went to the doctor and was referred to the bariatric clinic.

"The clinic couldn't get me in for a month, but I did not want to wait that long. I had a friend who had lost a lot of weight and I talked to her and got in touch with her OPTAVIA Coach."

Hilah decided to commit 100% to doing the OPTAVIA Program. She had done so many diets but always with the mindset that she would lose the weight and then go back to eating whatever way she wanted.

"I realized I had to truly change my life, surgery would change my life, why not change my health habits and mindset for the rest of my life."

Hilah's journey with OPTAVIA has really been an inside out transformation. She realized that she needed to take care of herself so she could better take care of her family and be an example of health for her children.

"Some of the changes I have experienced in the physical are losing 105* pounds (and counting). My clothes were 6 sizes smaller, my rings were too big and had to be sized down 2-2.5 sizes. I enjoy life now, I take part of life now."

Hilah also jumped on the trampoline for the first time ever with her children and she went skydiving!

"Now I am paying it forward, as an OPTAVIA Coach! I help people achieve their health goals and hope to inspire others and be an example for others to look up to."

*Average weight loss for Clients on the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan^® with support is 20 pounds. Clients are in weight loss, on average, for 12 weeks.