The word 'move' has many meanings and is intimately tied to many of the connotations of the words 'health' and 'wellness'.  What physically moves me is more often than not, two feet and a heartbeat!  I am making a concerted effort to walk, rollerblade and cycle to as many of my appointments and destinations as possible and when not, I choose public forms of transit.  These choices, I make for total health and total wealth.  

The short and long term physical benefits of using our bodies to move us are many and continue to be uncovered as the science of exercise evolves.  Similarly, the economic benefits for myself and our community that stem from these choices are vast and varied.  They range from infusing the local economy that sells and cares for our bicycles and blades, drives our buses, conducts our trains and railways to personal savings in not owning or operating a car less often and even reduces the burden on our health care system.  Further promotion of health occurs through these choices by reducing the burden on our environment by choosing to move in these ways.  Reducing the carbon load on our ecosystem and encouraging my friends, family and neighbours to make similar choices to stay well moves me in yet more ways too.

What is not to be forgotten or dismissed is the way choosing to stay well can make differences in peoples lives.  There are real benefits and rewards to be reaped not only by yourself and your neighbours by making these healthy choices in life.  It is almost impossible to measure the full extent of the ripple effect of choosing to stay well, no matter how you define 'wellness', but we all need to start somewhere, so make your move today.  How are you choosing to stay well?

Eat Breakfast and lower your chances of becoming obese, developing heart disease, diabetes, lower your risk for experiencing strokes, intestinal polyps and colon cancer.  However, be wise with your food choices, avoid high fat, sugar and salty foods (ie. most fast food breakfast choices) and opt for real food and lots of fibre to maximize your potential health benefits from making a habit of a healthy breakfast!

Like any healthy habit, forming them requires committing to making changes in your timetable, be realistic and do your math.  It took me less than 15 seconds to make my granola (sweetened with acai) and trail mix (unsalted) with soy milk breakfast this morning and I sat for another 15 minutes to enjoy it and think about my day.  Every morning, eating a healthy breakfast and taking the time to enjoy it, I decrease my risk for all of the above diseases, I ramp up my metabolism and get my brain and body the fuel it needs to work effectively and where possible I eat locally and organically grown products to increase the potential for my community and environment to benefit from my breakfast too.

Find your local farmers market and take advantage of the fresh and delicious berries and fruit in your next breakfast and whether its cereal, oatmeal, fresh whole grain bread or a delicious veggie packed omelette, enjoy that morning meal!