I was quite surprised to come home to a clean kitchen and no dishes in the sink -- especially since there was quite a Jenga mountain of dishes in the sink when I left. Other than the pleasant surprise of not having to do the dishes, I realized how happy and energetic I felt coming home to a clean kitchen. Not only that, but my mind felt clearer, and I finally accomplished a lot of work tasks that needed to get done.

It made me realize how many things could be draining people's energy, and therefore affecting their ability to achieve their fitness goals. What do you do? You feng shui! What in the heck is feng shui -- and how can it relate to health and fitness.

To put it simply, feng shui is an ancient Chinese art and science of changing and improving one's environment to improve and balance energies for increased health, success and wellness.

There are several methods, techniques and philosophies.

Some involve the use of color and furniture placement. Did you know studies have shown dining rooms painted red have been shown to increase one's appetite?

People typically paint bedrooms in soft, relaxing colors That's along the lines of what feng shui is about, helping you to benefit the most from your environment.

Being organized and clutter free helps save time and energy. Ever notice the difference in how you feel when you walk into a neat, clean and organized room versus one that looks like a tornado hit it? If you had a long, hard day at work and you come home to messy house, it will just drain your energy even more.

Let's say you had plans to go the gym that evening. That messy house might just zap your energy reserves, leaving you stressed out, eating cookies on the couch and watching television instead of hitting the gym.

See my point? The first book I read on feng shui was about clearing your clutter. The book claimed by clearing the clutter in your ife, you could increase your energy and improve your health. It seemed interesting, so I thought, "Hey, it can't hurt; it's worth giving it a try."

I organized, cleaned out my closet, moved furniture around and put it to the test. Guess what? It worked. I noticed how much better I felt walking into my home. I had more energy and didn't feel as drained as I normally would. More energy meant more energy to work out, more energy to get to the grocery store and more energy to cook healthy food.

Being able to come home and feel relaxed meant I wasn't as stressed, which equated to improved health and better sleep. I slept better, I felt better. It did wonders for me, and it could possibly do some pretty amazing things for you as well. Feng shui, it's the way to go!