LEGALLY HEALTHY Health & Lifestyle Strategies For Attorneys In The Case Of Their Lives

Summer = farmers markets.

You can’t walk through the farmers markets in New Jersey in June without seeing blueberries in every direction.  Piles and piles of blueberries stacked on tables over here and over there. Blueberries, blueberries everywhere.  What’s not to love about those little, baby blues? 

Eating blueberries regularly seems to help protect the brain from the effects of aging. There’s a link between eating at least one half-cup serving of blueberries each week and a delay in cognitive aging.  That’s right.  Eat these blue pearls each week, and your ability to think, remember and reason will stay sharper than those who aren’t jumping on the blueberry bandwagon. Blueberries contain anthocyanidin, an antioxidant that crosses the blood-brain barrier and has beneficial activity in brain areas responsible for memory and learning.

Previously, studies had found that berries and other fruits containing antioxidants called flavonoids can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancers. Other research recently found that blueberries also appear to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease in men.  With all of these health benefits, the blue gems seem like a natural addition to everyone’s table.

It doesn’t have to be a chore to use fresh blueberries.  Pies, cobblers, muffins and pancakes are all delicious, agreed.  But adding blueberries to your diet can be a cinch and require no lengthy prep time at all.

1. Add fresh blueberries to greek yogurt with walnuts and honey.
2. Drop a handful of the blue gems into your oatmeal or whole grain cereal.
3. Blend a smoothie using a cup of blues, a frozen banana, milk and cocoa powder.
4. Blueberries are delicious on frozen yogurt or ice cream.
5. Try adding blueberries to a salad with greens, nuts and goat cheese.
6. And, of course, you can eat them by the handful straight from the container.

How do you like to eat your blueberries?  Let’s hear about it in the Comments below. 

What are you looking at?

Did you know that the Plain View Doctrine may be your answer to reaching your health, fitness and lifestyle goals?  Just as items in a police officer’s plain view may be admitted into evidence under the right circumstances, strategically leaving things in plain view is a game changer.  You can use this to your advantage.

Think about it this way – – out of sight, out of mind, is one of the biggest obstacles to living a healthy life.  We’re preoccupied.  Our brains are crowded with dozens of different things in any given moment.  It’s so easy for our health to fall between the cracks.  Using the Plain View Doctrine can be a great way to set yourself up for success.

Make choosing healthier options and following through no-brainers. Here’s how: 

1. Use Post-it notes on your computer screen and set calendar reminders on your phone.
2. If you want to eat healthier, leave fruits and veggies in plain view on your desk, in your car and in your kitchen.
3. Keep healthy snacks or cut up veggies in the fridge, at eye level, in a clear glass bowl so it’s the first thing you see.
4. Leave a water glass or refillable bottle on your desk in your line of sight.
5. Keep your running shoes, workout clothes and weights in your doorway so they become hard to miss.
6. Stash your pedicure flip flops in your purse so you remember to take time out for some self care.

If you see them, you’ll use them!

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Let us know how the wisdom of the Plain View Doctrine helps you accomplish more of what you want in your life by leaving a comment below.

Is it peaceful in your work space?

Your office is where you spend all day doing your thing.  Your work thing.  How well are you able to do that there?  Many of us start the day focused and motivated to cut a chunk out of our to-do list, but then, by mid-morning, you’ve lost your way.  This has probably happened to you.  Somehow, the entire day goes by in a blur, and the urgent projects are left undone. Where did the time go?  What happened to the peaceful work space? 

If, after a long day, you go to sleep at night thinking about all of the things you didn’t get done, we’ve got a better plan.

Here’s a less stressful approach to starting and ending your busy, hectic days.  Every morning, commit to doing one thing that’s important to you.  Begin with the things that have been lingering for a little too long.  Find the projects with the looming deadlines.  Return the calls or emails that you’ve been putting off.  Start the day with laser-focus to get it done. Stave off distractions and interruptions so you can do your one thing, in peace.

Too many distractions for you to find peace in your office?  Try these six tips to create some peace and quiet: 

1. Close your office door.
2. Ask the receptionist to hold your calls.
3. Turn off the email chime.
4. Set your cell phone to silent.
5. Don’t answer the telephone intercom.
6. What knock at the door?

Start checking items off of your list and place them in the done pile.  Let your secretary close the files.  Send the memo out to the team.  File the pleading. You did it.

As you drift off to sleep, you’ll rest well knowing that you accomplished your one thing – and probably a whole lot more.  Continuing this strategy will boost your productivity, decrease your stress and improve your sleep.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes!  Let’s hear about it in the Comments section below. 

How often do you reach for a snack during the day?

Keeping a jar of trail mix in your desk is a great way to avoid raiding the candy jar when the late afternoon slump hits. Did you ever buy a sack of packaged trail mix and you pick through to avoid the things you just don’t like?  It’s great for practicing your aim at the trash can, but it doesn’t make much sense.

Making your own trail mix is the easy answer!  Choose a combination from your favorite types of raw nuts and seeds (cashews, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds) and add in some unsweetened, dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates, cherries, mango, apple, banana). Add some coconut flakes, cacao nibs or mini dark chocolate chips or chunks if you want.

For the best variety, choose from the selections in the bunk foods aisle at health food stores or supermarkets and buy only as much as you need for your mixture. Store in a small jar or portion it into individual snack bags in your desk drawer.

Simple, healthy snacks that are ready when you are!

What are your favorite desk drawer snacks?  We’d love to hear about them in the Comments section below.

It’s farmer’s market season, so we’re going to bring you some of our favorites.  Up first?  Sugar snap peas.

Excuse me, do you have the time?

Do you ever wonder how you will possibly accomplish all that you plan to do in a day, week or month?  Do you always feel like time is slipping away from you?  Where does the time go?  Does time really fly?  We all know people who manage to get everything done and then have time to spare. It seems like their days have extra hours built in.  Do they?  Of course they don’t.  We each have the same amount of time in a day.  So how do we make the most of our time?

It may not be vital to cross off every item on your to-do lists, but it is important to make some time for yourself.  Living a stressed out, constantly moving lifestyle is doing damage to your health.  So, where do you fit downtime into your already packed schedule?  Think about how you spend a typical day.  Does just thinking about this make you feel exhausted?  It may help you to write out your schedule for a week so that you can get a clear picture of where your time goes.  Once you see how you spend your hours, you will be able to start thinking about how you can streamline your life.

Find at least one area of your schedule that you can consolidate, cut down or cut out altogether.  Do you spend hours in front the television or computer?  Click the off switch a half hour earlier each day.  Do you spend too much time during the workday chatting with colleagues and then end up staying late to get your projects finished?  Limit these chat sessions to lunch time or hourly water breaks.  Do you find yourself running errands several times in a day or week?   Plan to run all of your weekly errands at one time rather than spreading them out over multiple days.

By consolidating your errands, shortening the gossip fests and turning off the tv or computer, you will find that you have time on your hands.  What could you do with this gift of time?  Would you read a book?  Would you take a yoga class or maybe a bubble bath?  Would you call a friend to catch up?  Would you spend more time with your family?

Time is what you make of it, so start making the most of your time. 

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25 minutes isn’t a whole lot of time.  So, now is the time to schedule your Double Your Downtime Strategy Session with us!

Your nose can detect thousands of different scents.  In an instant, your smell receptors send information about aromas to your brain where the messages get sorted.  Certain smells can make you calm, energize you, relax you enough to put you to sleep or stimulate you to perk you up.  Different smells can ease your pain, lower your stress and improve your mood.  Let’s make sense of some everyday scents.

Ever wonder why so many sachets are filled with lavender?  It isn’t only because lavender keeps the moths and other insects away.  Lavender has a soothing scent that reduces stress levels, relaxes you and helps you to fall asleep.  Stash some sachets in your clothing drawers and some more on your bedside table.  You can spray your sheets and pillows with a lavender scented spray for a calming smell as you doze off to sleep.

Why do many household cleaners smell lemon fresh?  In addition to their natural antibacterial properties, lemons are energizing, refreshing and natural mood lifters.  Need a boost?  Cut open a fresh lemon, and take a whiff.  Grind lemon rinds in your garbage disposal to freshen the drain and scent the kitchen.   When you do your Spring cleaning, notice how the scent puts an extra spring in your step.  The clean smell will linger throughout your home and lift your mood for days to come.

Feeling tired or the workday is dragging?  Reach for the beans.  Smelling coffee or chocolate perks you up and helps you complete tasks more efficiently.  Keep a package of coffee on your desk, and take a whiff when you catch yourself in a yawn.  It will heighten alertness so that you can focus on the tasks at hand.  Need a cognitive boost to finish a difficult project or the Sunday crossword puzzle?  The scent of chocolate helps you to process visual information more quickly.  Keep a box of dark chocolate on hand and inhale deeply when you need help concentrating.

When you want to change your mood, consider changing what you smell.  A simple sniff can transform how you feel, reduce your stress and get you through the day.  Now that you know how lemons, lavender, coffee and chocolate affect you, what other smells will you start to notice?

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We want to hear about your favorite smells.  Post your favorites in the Comments below.  

Where do you fall on your to-do list?

Whether in summer camp, on a high school sports team or on a work project, you’ve probably heard the saying, there is no “I” in team. Well there is an “I” in prioritize, actually three of them.  So why not use your two eyes and take a fresh look at your daily life.  Ask yourself this: Do I prioritize myself?  It’s a question that deserves an honest answer.

You’re busy.  We get it.  You have a long list of clients waiting on a longer list of work that needs to get done.  You have a family and friends who depend on you.  You have colleagues and Partners who rely on you.  Understood.  You’ve probably also heard that if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to care for others.  When you’re tired and run down, you’re doing no one a service, least of all yourself.

How can you move yourself higher on your own list of priorities?

Start by thinking about these:

1.  Do you plan your meals and snacks in advance?

2.  Do you make time to shop for nourishing foods that will keep you fueled up to handle the challenges of your typical day?

3.  Do you regularly take the time for recreational activities that you enjoy?

4.  Do you make time for exercise?

5.  Do you wake up feeling rested?

6.  Are you happy?

If you answered with a resounding “Yes!” to most of these, then you’re doing great.  If not, what are you waiting for?

We meet so many brilliant people who are stressed out and exhausted. We hear all too often that people would like to feel better but they have “no time” for themselves or they wish they could “find the time.” Well, that can’t happen. Time is a constant – – there are 24 hours in every day. We will not “find” any more time than that. So what’s a dedicated, hard working lawyer to do? Just like you learn everything else, you’ll need to learn how to prioritize yourself without neglecting all of the responsibilities on your shoulders.

You’ll have to shuffle your schedule.  You’ll have to make the time.

Small changes go a long way in paving the path to health, happiness, and energy!  You’ll get there.  One step at a time. 

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That’s where we come in.  We’ll show you the way, and we’ll be there to support you. Everything and everyone else in your life will benefit (and maybe even follow your lead). It’s amazing how quickly things can turn around with a few lifestyle changes.

Ready to schedule your Double Your Downtime Strategy Session?  Email us today!

Do you ever find yourself in a food rut?  

Are you eating on autopilot, having the same breakfast, lunch and dinner every day?  You’re not alone.  Many people eat the same dozen foods again and again.  Expanding your food rotation has many benefits. Variety is the spice of life, after all!

If you always eat lettuce, swap it for arugula. Exchange your spinach for chard, kale or dandelion greens.  They’re all delicious sautéed with garlic and olive oil.  Are you a fan of red apples?  Have a green one next time.  Love cheese?  There are so many different kinds to tempt your taste buds, one more yummy than the next.  Whole wheat varieties of breads and pastas are a great place to arrange a swap.  Love ice cream or frozen yogurt?  Taste some of the new frozen Greek yogurts.  See how simple it is to squid pro quo? 

Here are 6 more quick tips for adding more variety to your diet (and no, you don’t have to eat squid):

1. Be Adventurous – If you see something you don’t recognize, buy it. If you’ve never eaten something before, try it. If you’ve never cooked something before, do it. If you haven’t seen a food in awhile, maybe it was out of season and it’s back now.  When dining out or ordering in, challenge yourself to choose something new instead of your usual suspects.

2. Get colorful – Different foods contain different nutrients; add a rainbow of veggies and fruits to your shopping cart.

3. Choose Seasonal – What’s in season are the freshest and often most economical options, too.  Shopping at Farmers’ Markets is an easy way to get local and seasonal produce.  Go early for the best selection.

4. Add Texture – Texture is what makes salads memorable.  Combine a variety of textures to make your salads and meals interesting and delicious.  Choose foods that are soft (boston lettuce, watercress, fresh herbs such as basil), crunchy (sprouts, romaine lettuce, cabbage, nuts, croutons), creamy (avocado, blue cheese) and chewy (cranberries, raisins).

5. Savor the Flavor – Choose foods that are sweet (fruits, squash, beets, milk), sour (lemons, vinegar, yogurt, pickles), salty (seaweed, nuts, sea salt), bitter (arugula, olives, cabbage, zucchini), pungent (garlic, onions, cayenne pepper, herbs, spices), astringent (broccoli, apples, peanuts, coffee, tea). Different flavors will keep your palette entertained and keeps things interesting!

6. Think Ethnic – A simple way to bring more variety into your daily diet is to use ethnic flavors and ingredients.  Consider Mexican, Thai, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French or Greek cuisines.  If you’re feeling adventurous, seek out ethnic markets where you can find specialty ingredients that may inspire you even more.

Next time you’re shopping at the market or out to dinner, don’t automatically order the same chicken or steak.  Why not go squid pro quo and try something new or different for your appetizer or entrée. Grilled calamari, anyone?

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Let us know what new choices you make in the comments below.  Who knows, you may even inspire someone else to step out of their culinary box.  

How often do you find yourself talking about how busy you are with someone who is also explaining, in cumbersome detail, their overloaded schedule?  These conversations take the form of a competition with the prize going to the most overwhelmed.  The prize, of course, is stress, lack of self-care, minimum time with loved ones and a multitude of unglamorous health concerns.  Not exactly a prize that you aspire to, is it?

Being busy, working long hours, even overwhelm have all achieved a sort of cause celebre in today’s culture. But, what are you really celebrating? 

It’s very easy to get swept up in busy-ness, but that doesn’t always translate into productive business.  Don’t buy into the belief that you “have no choice” or “it’s just the nature of the beast.” There is another way.  There’s a better way.  Taking some time to deliberate how you want to spend your time versus how you actually spend your time can be quite eye-opening.  We guarantee it will start saving you time.

Here’s what you can do to streamline your schedule and get things done (and it only takes a few minutes):

1. Write down how you WANT to be spending your time.  What needs to get completed?  Think about your highest leverage activities and what deadlines are approaching first.  Determine which activities you need to do now to: keep existing clients happy, cultivate new business leads, put the final touches on those documents that linger on your desk far too long, review that important file or whatever else ranks highest on your priority list.

2. Then, evaluate how you actually spend your time.  Review your timesheets from the past week, look at your calendar, notice what is hanging around in those piles on your desk. Pay attention to what gets left undone.

3. Compare your findings of what you need to do versus what you actually spend all day doing, and adjust your activities for the next several days.

4.  Start each day working on a big project that must get done. Save the smaller items for later in the day when your attention is less than full tilt.

5.  If there is anything that you can delegate, assign that to someone now so you can focus your energy and efforts where you want them.

6.  Spend your newfound free time getting a massage, enjoying dinner with your family, reading a book or catching up with a friend over the phone. 

However you decide to spend your time, enjoy it.  You’ve certainly earned it. 

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In the comments below, let us know what you discover.