My Obsession with Skecher's Shape-Ups - A Shape-Ups Review
They are just a sneaker, right? No, they are not! They are an incredible boost to your daily activities. And they feel great! Just yesterday, in a hotel lobby some 250 miles from my home, three separate individuals asked me about my shoes.My husband was floored.
They look different for sure. And they feel different. They are designed to help you walk with just a bit more effort, so that you use your calves, thighs, and butt differently than in eveyday shoes. But once you own a pair of these, they will become your everyday shoe.
Here is my full review:
Finding sneakers has never been easy for me. Mine always wear behind the Achilles heal and I end up developing blisters towards the end of the sneaker's life. I have yet to develop this issue in these sneakers. If you were to walk in these sneakers as you would in everyday sneakers, you would find that your toes fall forward against the front of the shoe, but once you become accustomed to walking in your Shape-Ups, this will end. That is the whole idea behind the fitness aspect of the sneaker. You need to use different leg muscles to walk.
They are extremely comfortable. You may not believe it by looking at them. Everyday chores like household cleaning become less of a chore. My legs feel like they are always getting a workout. I can wear them all day without an issue, but when the day ends, my legs are relieved! Not from pain or any sort of "ache" but in exhaustion. That is why I know they work.
I wear my Skecher's Shape-Ups all day. Plus, I have a pair that I reserve for my indoor workouts. Doing a workout like ChaLEAN Extreme, or P90X in Shape Ups makes it a bit more challenging. If you have ever worked with a balance board, the effort is comparable, although on a smaller scale. Yoga, stretching, and basic moves are emphasized with the Shape Ups because you are forced to hold your body weight in balance.
My posture has improved incredulously with my Shape-Ups. In fact, I had recenly been getting reports from my doctor that my height had come down to first 5'3 3/4" then to 5'3 1/2" from 5'4"! When you are that short, you can't afford to lose inches. But at my last visit, I was officially 5'4" again! Now, tell me that isn't from the sneakers! I'm so sure of it!
While on the topic of height, the sneakers add 1-2 inches to your height in general...always a plus for us shorties married to tall guys. And the issue of foot or ankle rolling? None. I have never had a foot or ankle roll in my Skechers, where as I have them in frequently in high heels.
I find that Skecher's Shape-Ups fit true to size. No need to size up or down. They stimulate blood flow as well, so in other sneakers where I sometimes ended up with numb toes, especially in winter, the Skechers Shape Ups eliminate that issue.
I'm not a runner, but I do walk regularly, and do a few 1 minute sprinting intervals embedded in my walking routine, and have had no issues with shin splints. I find my Shape-Ups hold up a bit longer than regular sneakers, needing to replace them every 4 months or so. (Or when a cool new color comes out!)
Overall, I highly recommend Skecher Shape-Ups to the sneaker enthusiast. I truly believe they will change your life!
Five-Spice Chicken and Lettuce Wraps
This is another family favorite! And a great way to get your kids to eat lettuce in an enjoyable way. You can use any kind of lettuce for this recipe, but I prefer to get a full head of dark green, leafy Romaine. Romaine lettuce is full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Folate, Iron, and Calcium. Rinse it well, and keep the leaves big!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Minute Rice ready to serve brown rice
2 tsp Avocado Oil or good Olive oil
1 lb. shredded rotisserie chicken, or pre-cooked chicken breast
1 tbls. minced fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 8-oz can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbls. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. five-spice powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1 large head of Romain lettuce or 2 heads of Boston lettuce
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs. I use cilantro, basil, mint, and chives
1/2 cup shredded carrot
Heat a fry pan on low. Add oil, chicken and ginger and simmer until hot. Stir in the pre-cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt. Continue cooking until heated through. Remove from heat and top with carrots and herbs.
Serve in an open pan and spoon mixture into lettuce leaves. Roll up and enjoy! You can try out some sauces with these, like some garlic chili sauce, duck sauce or soy sauce!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Minute Rice ready to serve brown rice
2 tsp Avocado Oil or good Olive oil
1 lb. shredded rotisserie chicken, or pre-cooked chicken breast
1 tbls. minced fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 8-oz can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbls. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. five-spice powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1 large head of Romain lettuce or 2 heads of Boston lettuce
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs. I use cilantro, basil, mint, and chives
1/2 cup shredded carrot
Heat a fry pan on low. Add oil, chicken and ginger and simmer until hot. Stir in the pre-cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt. Continue cooking until heated through. Remove from heat and top with carrots and herbs.
Serve in an open pan and spoon mixture into lettuce leaves. Roll up and enjoy! You can try out some sauces with these, like some garlic chili sauce, duck sauce or soy sauce!
Gadgets for healthier living
I love gadgets! Anything that can simplify my life is a plus. Especially when it comes to a healthier lifestyle. We all know that time is precious. We are super-humans; trying to work our jobs, play with our children, fitting our workout in. It is always great to be able to save time where most of us feel like we spend the most time...in our kitchens!
These are some items I can't live without. I use them everyday. They save time, energy, and leaving them out reminds me that I need to eat healthier.
Apple Corer - These are great! Sometimes biting into an apple means pieces stuck in our teeth, and that means we deny ourselves the pleasure. This will slice and core your apple in one step, making them easier for kids to handle too! Try dipping your apple in 2 Tbls. of natural peanut butter for a healthy, protein packed snack!
Mango Slicer - Mangos are awesome! I never quite realized how good they were until my children spotted them in the produce section and insisted we try them. After our first taste, we were all hooked! Mangos are loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Potassium, not to mention alot of other good stuff. Be sure to choose mangos that give slightly when pressed but aren't too soft or too firm. Mangos can be a chore to prepare, but this little gadget saves alot of time! Simply place the pointy end of your mango under the center of this splitter and let 'er rip. You get a perfectly pitted piece of fruit. Score each remaining half into bite size chunks and just peel the chunks from the skin! This is a must have if you love the Mango!
Pineapple Slicer- Nothing in this world makes me happier than fresh pineapple! It has been known to aid in digestion therefore I eat a bowl of fresh pineapple every morning before I put anything else in my tummy. But, handling a fresh pineapple can be torturous! Yep, they're prickly! After I bought this gadget, I buy a pineapple at every supermarket visit, without the guilt. Simple cut off the top of your pineapple, and using the proper size slicer, start screwing the slicer into the top of the pineapple. This handy little gadget not only cores the fruit, but makes spiral slices at the same time! Be sure to do this over a plate so that you can save all the juice it creates and drink it down with your pineapple! Also, the remaining pineapple shell can be used to make a lovely tropical drink, if you are so inclined. Order the pineapple slicer with the three different sized corers for different sized pineapples!
Mini Chopper - Hate chopping onions? This tool is for you! Just cut your vegetable into large chunks and use this to finish the job. This is a great tool for chopping veggies for soups or salads. It also does a great job with garlic! Try chopping mini carrot sticks for quick additions to recipes, or even herbs! My step-son got me one of these years ago for Christmas, and for certain, it is one of the most used gifts I ever received!
Here's hoping these kitchen gadgets help you just as they have helped me! Making healthier food choices for your family is so rewarding! These can help that effort be, well, less of an effort!
These are some items I can't live without. I use them everyday. They save time, energy, and leaving them out reminds me that I need to eat healthier.
Apple Corer - These are great! Sometimes biting into an apple means pieces stuck in our teeth, and that means we deny ourselves the pleasure. This will slice and core your apple in one step, making them easier for kids to handle too! Try dipping your apple in 2 Tbls. of natural peanut butter for a healthy, protein packed snack!
Mango Slicer - Mangos are awesome! I never quite realized how good they were until my children spotted them in the produce section and insisted we try them. After our first taste, we were all hooked! Mangos are loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Potassium, not to mention alot of other good stuff. Be sure to choose mangos that give slightly when pressed but aren't too soft or too firm. Mangos can be a chore to prepare, but this little gadget saves alot of time! Simply place the pointy end of your mango under the center of this splitter and let 'er rip. You get a perfectly pitted piece of fruit. Score each remaining half into bite size chunks and just peel the chunks from the skin! This is a must have if you love the Mango!
Pineapple Slicer- Nothing in this world makes me happier than fresh pineapple! It has been known to aid in digestion therefore I eat a bowl of fresh pineapple every morning before I put anything else in my tummy. But, handling a fresh pineapple can be torturous! Yep, they're prickly! After I bought this gadget, I buy a pineapple at every supermarket visit, without the guilt. Simple cut off the top of your pineapple, and using the proper size slicer, start screwing the slicer into the top of the pineapple. This handy little gadget not only cores the fruit, but makes spiral slices at the same time! Be sure to do this over a plate so that you can save all the juice it creates and drink it down with your pineapple! Also, the remaining pineapple shell can be used to make a lovely tropical drink, if you are so inclined. Order the pineapple slicer with the three different sized corers for different sized pineapples!
Mini Chopper - Hate chopping onions? This tool is for you! Just cut your vegetable into large chunks and use this to finish the job. This is a great tool for chopping veggies for soups or salads. It also does a great job with garlic! Try chopping mini carrot sticks for quick additions to recipes, or even herbs! My step-son got me one of these years ago for Christmas, and for certain, it is one of the most used gifts I ever received!
Here's hoping these kitchen gadgets help you just as they have helped me! Making healthier food choices for your family is so rewarding! These can help that effort be, well, less of an effort!
That's Always Enough
This is a quote out of one of Tony Horton's P90X videos. It is from the Plyometrics workout. (After you purchase the DVD's, pay close attention to find the conversation. Then take notice to whom the line is directed.) In the DVD, Tony instructs one of his workout buddies to do a more challenging move. The fellow replies, "I'll do my best". And Tony says "Did you hear that? Did you hear what he just said? He said he'll do his best. That's always enough."
Do your best. Three simple words.
DO - You have to attempt to do it. Do something...do a workout, do a walk, do a run, do your chores, do your homework. Don't think about doing it. Don't talk about doing it. Don't try to do it. Do it.
YOUR - It has to be done by you. No one else can do it for you. If someone else tried to do it for you, then guess what? They'd be doing it for themselves, not for you. You can't wait for someone else to do it for you. You'll be wasting your life. You need to take charge of it. You need to realize that you are the only one who can make the changes in your life. You and only you.
BEST- This means that as you're doing, you do what you can do. This doesn't mean that you let your mind tell you that you are finished. This means that you let your body tell you that it has had enough. You must do and do it until you are sure you can do no more. This definition of best will change daily, weekly, monthly, yearly...it can even change day to day, but I promise you that if you stick with it, it will always improve. Your best will always get better.
And you know what? That's always enough.
Do your best. Three simple words.
DO - You have to attempt to do it. Do something...do a workout, do a walk, do a run, do your chores, do your homework. Don't think about doing it. Don't talk about doing it. Don't try to do it. Do it.
YOUR - It has to be done by you. No one else can do it for you. If someone else tried to do it for you, then guess what? They'd be doing it for themselves, not for you. You can't wait for someone else to do it for you. You'll be wasting your life. You need to take charge of it. You need to realize that you are the only one who can make the changes in your life. You and only you.
BEST- This means that as you're doing, you do what you can do. This doesn't mean that you let your mind tell you that you are finished. This means that you let your body tell you that it has had enough. You must do and do it until you are sure you can do no more. This definition of best will change daily, weekly, monthly, yearly...it can even change day to day, but I promise you that if you stick with it, it will always improve. Your best will always get better.
And you know what? That's always enough.
Tortellini and Green Beans
Here is a quick and easy Friday night recipe the whole family will love! While I'm not a huge green bean fan, I do love to get them fresh and just cook them until they are al dente, like my pasta...so to save time and pots and pans, I just plunge the beans into the same water that the pasta is cooking in for the final 3 minutes or so. Then drain them together.
For this recipe, I used fresh 3-cheese tortellini, the kind you find in the grocery's dairy section. Butoni has a good selection, but if you have a Super Target, then try Archer Farms brand. It is really outrageously good.
Tortellini and Green Beans
1/2 pound fresh green beans
2 packages refrigerated tortellini
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved.
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls good cold pressed olive oil
Asiago or Romano cheese, grated
Boil water for tortellini. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the tortellini. Wait a minute and add the green beans. Boil an additional 5 minutes or to package directions. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Toss and sprinkle with Grated Asiago or Romano Cheese.
For this recipe, I used fresh 3-cheese tortellini, the kind you find in the grocery's dairy section. Butoni has a good selection, but if you have a Super Target, then try Archer Farms brand. It is really outrageously good.
Tortellini and Green Beans
1/2 pound fresh green beans
2 packages refrigerated tortellini
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved.
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls good cold pressed olive oil
Asiago or Romano cheese, grated
Boil water for tortellini. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the tortellini. Wait a minute and add the green beans. Boil an additional 5 minutes or to package directions. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Toss and sprinkle with Grated Asiago or Romano Cheese.
Weight loss made simple
Weight loss is simple, burn more calories then you consume. If you can fully understand that then you are on your way to losing weight. There are 6 simple steps. Here they are:
1) Count how many calories you eat in a normal day. That's right, wake up, and eat like you would normally eat and count the calories in everything you eat and everything you drink and keep track of it on a piece of paper or on the computer some where. You might be thinking to yourself, "yeah right, I'm not gonna sit around counting calories all day." Well, if you're thinking that, then you're obviously not dedicated enough to losing weight. If this is the case, then feel free to go waste your money on the newest useless weight loss pill. But, if you are dedicated enough to take 10 minutes out of your day and count the calories, then keep on reading.
2) At the end of that day, add up the number of calories you ate/drank. Be as exact as possible. Once you add it all up, you now have the total number of calories you consume daily. Also, weigh yourself.
3) Starting the day after you counted calories, eat 500 calories LESS then you normally do. So, lets pretend that the day you counted calories you counted 2000. For the rest of the week, you would eat 1500 calories a day. Understand? All you have to do is subtract 500 from the total number of calories you consume in a normal day, and eat this new number of calories every day for the next 7 days.
4) Instead of eating 3 big meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), or eating all day all the time, spread those calories out over 5 smaller meals. Eat one meal every 2 and a half to 3 hours. Doing this will speed up your metabolism.
5) Cardio is an important part of weight loss. If you're serious about losing weight, but don't want to do the cardio workouts, then you are requiring your diet to do all of the work. Jog, walk, swim, jump rope, ride a bike, take an aerobics class, whatever... cardio + proper diet = better than just doing one of the two. All it takes is 30 minutes a day, 3 - 5 days a week. I say 3-5 days a week because I don't know if you have 5 pounds to lose, or if you have 50 pounds to lose. So, depending on how much your looking to lose, figure it out. 3 times a week is good starting point though. (For information on the most effective time of the day to do your cardio workout, read doing cardio for maximum weight loss)
6) At the end of that week, weigh yourself. You'll notice a difference just after one week! Now, don't expect to see a 20 pound difference. Losing anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthly. So look for a 1 or 2 pound weight loss at the end of the week. Don't sound like much? You can lose 5-8 pounds a month! That's around 75lbs a year! So if you have A LOT of weight to lose, you can lose it. If have just a few pounds to lose, you can lose it.
1) Count how many calories you eat in a normal day. That's right, wake up, and eat like you would normally eat and count the calories in everything you eat and everything you drink and keep track of it on a piece of paper or on the computer some where. You might be thinking to yourself, "yeah right, I'm not gonna sit around counting calories all day." Well, if you're thinking that, then you're obviously not dedicated enough to losing weight. If this is the case, then feel free to go waste your money on the newest useless weight loss pill. But, if you are dedicated enough to take 10 minutes out of your day and count the calories, then keep on reading.
2) At the end of that day, add up the number of calories you ate/drank. Be as exact as possible. Once you add it all up, you now have the total number of calories you consume daily. Also, weigh yourself.
3) Starting the day after you counted calories, eat 500 calories LESS then you normally do. So, lets pretend that the day you counted calories you counted 2000. For the rest of the week, you would eat 1500 calories a day. Understand? All you have to do is subtract 500 from the total number of calories you consume in a normal day, and eat this new number of calories every day for the next 7 days.
4) Instead of eating 3 big meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), or eating all day all the time, spread those calories out over 5 smaller meals. Eat one meal every 2 and a half to 3 hours. Doing this will speed up your metabolism.
5) Cardio is an important part of weight loss. If you're serious about losing weight, but don't want to do the cardio workouts, then you are requiring your diet to do all of the work. Jog, walk, swim, jump rope, ride a bike, take an aerobics class, whatever... cardio + proper diet = better than just doing one of the two. All it takes is 30 minutes a day, 3 - 5 days a week. I say 3-5 days a week because I don't know if you have 5 pounds to lose, or if you have 50 pounds to lose. So, depending on how much your looking to lose, figure it out. 3 times a week is good starting point though. (For information on the most effective time of the day to do your cardio workout, read doing cardio for maximum weight loss)
6) At the end of that week, weigh yourself. You'll notice a difference just after one week! Now, don't expect to see a 20 pound difference. Losing anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthly. So look for a 1 or 2 pound weight loss at the end of the week. Don't sound like much? You can lose 5-8 pounds a month! That's around 75lbs a year! So if you have A LOT of weight to lose, you can lose it. If have just a few pounds to lose, you can lose it.
Disposition
Disposition
dis·po·si·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌdis-pə-ˈzi-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin disposition-, dispositio, from disponere
Date: 14th century
a : prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination b : temperamental makeup c : the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances
I am not a priest or a preacher, nor do I like to discuss religion. In my opinion, it is a very private matter. However, this weekend, our parish priest gave a homily that I feel I should share. Much of what he said coincides with some of the roadblocks people may face when determining whether to change their lifestyle in terms of fitness and healthy living.
The main story behind the homily was based on two brothers. Each were given half of their father's wealth. The younger son moved into the city and squandered his inheritance, ending up penniless, while the older son stayed with his father and continued to work for him.
When the penniless son returned home, he planned to tell his father that he was not worth being the man's son anymore because of all the wrong he had done. The father, however, was so moved to see his son return, that he ordered a big party be held in his honor.
The older son was furious. And he refused to take part in the celebration. He said to his father, "Here I worked for you, always did as you asked of me, and yet you never held a celebration in my honor." The father then replied, "Son, you have always had me with you. But your brother...for he was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found!"
Now, I may not have it exact word for word, but you get the idea.
In life, your disposition can make or break you. Think about it a minute. A poor disposition, or one filled with anger, hopelessness, fear, unhappiness...that disposition will get you nowhere. It will always hold you back. It will make you unwilling to participate in wonderful opportunities. Are you afraid that it is too late for you? Do you fear that others will have a laugh at your expense? Are you so glued to your everyday unhappiness that you are afraid, for just one moment, to show happiness? The older brother could not see the wonderfulness of the moment. He couldn't be happy about the younger brother's return because he was so filled with anger about not receiving a party in his honor. Basically, he missed the point. His disposition did not allow him to "see".
The moral is a simple one. Be happy. Look forward to what you can become. Realize that if you start now, you have an entire lifetime ahead of you where you can enjoy life to the fullest, without worrying about whether you will be around to meet your grandchildren, or grow old with your spouse. Acceptance brings forth hope. Hope brings about faith. Faith brings about pride. And pride brings about happiness. Be happy and participate. Be happy and be useful. Be happy and face it all. Change your disposition. And the rest will take care of itself.
dis·po·si·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌdis-pə-ˈzi-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin disposition-, dispositio, from disponere
Date: 14th century
a : prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination b : temperamental makeup c : the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances
I am not a priest or a preacher, nor do I like to discuss religion. In my opinion, it is a very private matter. However, this weekend, our parish priest gave a homily that I feel I should share. Much of what he said coincides with some of the roadblocks people may face when determining whether to change their lifestyle in terms of fitness and healthy living.
The main story behind the homily was based on two brothers. Each were given half of their father's wealth. The younger son moved into the city and squandered his inheritance, ending up penniless, while the older son stayed with his father and continued to work for him.
When the penniless son returned home, he planned to tell his father that he was not worth being the man's son anymore because of all the wrong he had done. The father, however, was so moved to see his son return, that he ordered a big party be held in his honor.
The older son was furious. And he refused to take part in the celebration. He said to his father, "Here I worked for you, always did as you asked of me, and yet you never held a celebration in my honor." The father then replied, "Son, you have always had me with you. But your brother...for he was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found!"
Now, I may not have it exact word for word, but you get the idea.
In life, your disposition can make or break you. Think about it a minute. A poor disposition, or one filled with anger, hopelessness, fear, unhappiness...that disposition will get you nowhere. It will always hold you back. It will make you unwilling to participate in wonderful opportunities. Are you afraid that it is too late for you? Do you fear that others will have a laugh at your expense? Are you so glued to your everyday unhappiness that you are afraid, for just one moment, to show happiness? The older brother could not see the wonderfulness of the moment. He couldn't be happy about the younger brother's return because he was so filled with anger about not receiving a party in his honor. Basically, he missed the point. His disposition did not allow him to "see".
The moral is a simple one. Be happy. Look forward to what you can become. Realize that if you start now, you have an entire lifetime ahead of you where you can enjoy life to the fullest, without worrying about whether you will be around to meet your grandchildren, or grow old with your spouse. Acceptance brings forth hope. Hope brings about faith. Faith brings about pride. And pride brings about happiness. Be happy and participate. Be happy and be useful. Be happy and face it all. Change your disposition. And the rest will take care of itself.
Avocado & Corn Salsa Recipe! Perfect for the weekend!
Avocado & Corn Salsa
* 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
* 1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
* 1 medium avocado, diced
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 teaspoons lime juice
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation:
1. Toss avocados, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving
Calories 50 kcal
Calories From Protein -
Calories From Carbs -
Calories From Fat -
Carbohydrates 5 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Monosaturated Fat -
Polysaturated Fat -
Protein 1 g
Potassium 169 mg
Sodium 37 mg
Iron -
Cholesterol 0 mg
Folic Acid -
Nutritional Bonus:
Per serving
What you get: Fiber, vitamin C, potassium.
Set yourself up for success!
Diet is a four letter word. No one, in all honesty, needs to diet. There is no reason to deprive yourself from the foods that you most enjoy, but your food choices should make you feel good. They should provide you with energy, keep you satisfied, and they should keep you healthy. All this is possible. All that is needed is some basic nutrition education, and understanding how your food choices effect your life.
Basic Nutrition 101 starts with healthy eating. You need to learn how to eat smart, and not just in what you eat, but how you eat. Healthy food choices will do just that…keep you healthy. Those choices will reduce your risk of illnesses like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. They will help reduce anxiety, stress and thus reduce the risk of depression. Healthy eating can boost your energy, help your memory, and keep your mood stable. Therefore, learning how to choose your food, and how to plan ahead will put your new healthy lifestyle to your advantage.
Let’s set ourselves up for success! Think about taking small steps at first, instead of changing everything completely. Big changes too soon will surely make us fail because it will overwhelm us. Approach the changes gradually, and you will find that they are easier to commit to. Here are a few starter tips:
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify! Don’t start weighing and measuring your food right away. First, focus on buying the right foods! Stick with the items around the perimeter of your supermarket. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, poultry and fish. It includes your dairy, yogurt, cheeses, and healthy snack choices like nuts and whole grain breads. Stay away from anything that comes in a can or box. Fresh is always best! Replace any enriched white flour products in your home with whole grain items instead. Choose brown rice instead of white rice, and whole wheat pastas instead of the traditional dried pastas. Keeping your diet fresh is a great first step in switching to a healthier lifestyle!
Give it time. Trying to change everything immediately isn’t always the best for everyone. Drastic changes lead to cheating or giving up entirely. It is important to take small steps, like adding a colorful salad to your diet once a day. Replace your fruit juice in the morning with a bowl of fresh fruit. Switch from butter to olive oil or another natural oil when cooking (stay away from the unhealthy vegetable oils). Eventually your body will be begin to crave more, so you can start adding other items every week.
Every step counts. Just remember that you can’t reach the finish line if you aren’t headed in the right direction. Every step counts. Every correct food choice you make will help you become that much healthier, that much more energetic, that that much more in control of your own destiny. When the changes start happening, you’ll be ready to take on the extra steps of adding additional exercise to make that checkered flag come into view. This will be a change that you will want to incorporate for the rest of your life. So remember, do it right. Start making the right choices today!
Basic Nutrition 101 starts with healthy eating. You need to learn how to eat smart, and not just in what you eat, but how you eat. Healthy food choices will do just that…keep you healthy. Those choices will reduce your risk of illnesses like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. They will help reduce anxiety, stress and thus reduce the risk of depression. Healthy eating can boost your energy, help your memory, and keep your mood stable. Therefore, learning how to choose your food, and how to plan ahead will put your new healthy lifestyle to your advantage.
Let’s set ourselves up for success! Think about taking small steps at first, instead of changing everything completely. Big changes too soon will surely make us fail because it will overwhelm us. Approach the changes gradually, and you will find that they are easier to commit to. Here are a few starter tips:
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify! Don’t start weighing and measuring your food right away. First, focus on buying the right foods! Stick with the items around the perimeter of your supermarket. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, poultry and fish. It includes your dairy, yogurt, cheeses, and healthy snack choices like nuts and whole grain breads. Stay away from anything that comes in a can or box. Fresh is always best! Replace any enriched white flour products in your home with whole grain items instead. Choose brown rice instead of white rice, and whole wheat pastas instead of the traditional dried pastas. Keeping your diet fresh is a great first step in switching to a healthier lifestyle!
Give it time. Trying to change everything immediately isn’t always the best for everyone. Drastic changes lead to cheating or giving up entirely. It is important to take small steps, like adding a colorful salad to your diet once a day. Replace your fruit juice in the morning with a bowl of fresh fruit. Switch from butter to olive oil or another natural oil when cooking (stay away from the unhealthy vegetable oils). Eventually your body will be begin to crave more, so you can start adding other items every week.
Every step counts. Just remember that you can’t reach the finish line if you aren’t headed in the right direction. Every step counts. Every correct food choice you make will help you become that much healthier, that much more energetic, that that much more in control of your own destiny. When the changes start happening, you’ll be ready to take on the extra steps of adding additional exercise to make that checkered flag come into view. This will be a change that you will want to incorporate for the rest of your life. So remember, do it right. Start making the right choices today!
7 Days, 7 Snacks
The toughest part of the day for a lot of us is the time in between meals. The temptation to graze through the office or kitchen, while dipping into candy dishes, doughnut boxes, and chip bowls, can be great. We may not count these "found" calories, but our scales and measuring tapes absolutely do. The best strategy is to prepare for attacks of the munchies by having your own healthy snacks on hand.
#398 3/2/2010 QUICK AND EASY SNACKS - Newsletters - Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site
Sunday: Tony Horton's Sticky Bar
Banana and Granola BarThe father of P90X® has created the granddaddy of all snacks, as far as I'm concerned. The worst cook in the world can mash up these three ingredients for an easy, healthy bite. The key to this recipe is the quality of those three ingredients. The banana's pretty easy. Better to look for organic, but most bananas come in their own protective gear. The peanut butter should likewise be easy to choose. Just get the one with one ingredient: peanuts. No sugar, no salt, no problems. The granola is where things can get crazy. While ostensibly a wholesome cereal, all manner of sins have been committed in the name of granola, like soaking the poor oats in high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. Just read the label to make sure you know what you're getting. A good granola should be low in fat, low in sugar, and high in fiber. If your local supermarket isn't giving you what you need, you might consider investigating making your own so you can control what goes in.
* 1/2 medium-size banana
* 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
* 1 cup unsweetened granola
Mix and mash all three ingredients into a bowl. Spoon onto a sheet of wax paper. Roll up the contents into a hot dog/cigar shape. Stick in the freezer. Ready in about 90 minutes. Cut off little bites or eat the whole thing. Eat it frozen or throw it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Serves 2.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Freezing Time: 90 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 389 Fat 17g Carbs 47g Fiber 9g Protein 14g
Monday: Orangeberry Shakeology®
Glass of Shakeology and OrangeWhile I think Greenberry Shakeology is delicious on its own, it's even better when mixed with orange juice. Some have even commented that the flavor resembles a popular shopping-mall beverage that has the same name as a famous Roman emperor.
* 1 scoop Greenberry Shakeology
* 1 cup orange juice
* Ice to taste
In a blender, mix all ingredients until frothy.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 252 Fat 1g Carbs 43g Fiber 3g Protein 19g
Tuesday: Cottage Cheese Surprise
Cottage Cheese with Hot SauceI'll leave it to historians to decide Richard Nixon's place in the presidential firmament. For my own life, his greatest contribution would be his love of the odd culinary mash-up of cottage cheese and ketchup. Much as I departed with some of his policies, I wasn't a big fan of ketchup. Most ketchup these days is just a bottle of corn syrup with an odd tomato or two thrown in (not technically a vegetable, as one of President Nixon's succeeding administrations would have had us believe). I'm more of a hot sauce man, but Nixon did inspire me to enjoy cottage cheese as a savory snack instead of a sweet one. Most of the leftover condiments in my refrigerator have made it into a protein-rich bowl of cottage cheese at some point along with other leftover veggies. Hot sauce and Parmesan cheese are my standbys, but I also recommend kimchi, salsa, chopped herbs, garlic, chives, or anything else that is flavorful and low-cal in the fridge (that's the surprise!).
* 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
* 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
* Hot sauce to taste
Mix ingredients in bowl. (If only one cup of cottage cheese left, mix ingredients in cottage cheese tub for easy cleanup!)
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 216 Fat 7g Carbs 8g Fiber <1g Protein 29g
Wednesday: Edamame
EdamameThis has become my go-to snack for watching TV. Full of protein and a slightly salty treat (but careful not to make it too salty), these soybeans are delicious and nutritious, and if you shell them yourself, the unshelling process will slow down your chow time, so you get fuller faster on fewer pods.
* 1 cup edamame
Buy frozen or fresh edamame, and steam or reheat according to package directions.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 189 Fat 8g Carbs 16g Fiber 8g Protein 17g
Thursday: Trail Mix
Trail Mix in a JarTrail mix is a great way to combine some of your favorite snacks and avoid the world of nacho-flavored fatty and salty snacks. You can mix up the recipe to create your favorite crunchy treats. The best ingredients include nuts, dried fruit, and unsweetened granola. Try and steer clear of less wholesome ingredients. If you're adding M&M'S® or chocolate chips to your recipe, who are you kidding? You could trade in your favorite nuts or dried fruit into this recipe. This is a good time to bust out the individual serving bags, so you don't end up going down the trail of oversnacking.
* 1 cup peanuts, shelled
* 1 cup unsweetened granola
* 1 cup raisins
Combine ingredients into airtight container. Shake to combine. Serves 6.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 320 Fat 17g Carbs 27g Fiber 5g Protein 10g
Friday: Chalene Johnson's Crispbread
Peanut Butter and a StrawberryHere's a quick little snack to tide you over between meals inspired by Turbo Jam® and ChaLEAN Extreme® trainer extraordinaire Chalene Johnson. She recommends the following recipe, although you could try some other fun variations with cottage cheese instead of peanut butter or different fruits or vegetables, both fresh and dried.
* 1 Wasa® crispbread (or similar low-fat cracker)
* 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
* 2 fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced
Spread peanut butter on cracker, and pile sliced berries on top.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 241 Fat 16g Carbs 17g Fiber 6g Protein 9g
Saturday: P90X Peak Performance Protein Bar
P90X Peak Performance Protein BarsSometimes the easiest snack just involves opening a wrapper. If you haven't tried Beachbody's P90X Peak Performance Protein Bars in a while, treat yourself. All of the flavors have been recently reformulated and taste even more delicious, plus there are new flavors like Chocolate Fudge and Wildberry Yogurt. With 20 grams of protein per bar, you’ll feel full and have energy for hours. And you can't beat the preparation time!
* 1 P90X Peak Performance Protein Bar
Preparation time: 1 minute (longer if you don't have opposable thumbs)
Nutritional information (per serving; for Café Mocha flavor):
Calories 260 Fat 7g Carbs 29g Fiber 1g Protein 20g
Feel free to eat any of these snacks on any day of the week. And repeat your favorites. Most of these can be integrated into your favorite Beachbody meal plan, including P90X. Bon appétit!
#398 3/2/2010 QUICK AND EASY SNACKS - Newsletters - Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site
Sunday: Tony Horton's Sticky Bar
Banana and Granola BarThe father of P90X® has created the granddaddy of all snacks, as far as I'm concerned. The worst cook in the world can mash up these three ingredients for an easy, healthy bite. The key to this recipe is the quality of those three ingredients. The banana's pretty easy. Better to look for organic, but most bananas come in their own protective gear. The peanut butter should likewise be easy to choose. Just get the one with one ingredient: peanuts. No sugar, no salt, no problems. The granola is where things can get crazy. While ostensibly a wholesome cereal, all manner of sins have been committed in the name of granola, like soaking the poor oats in high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. Just read the label to make sure you know what you're getting. A good granola should be low in fat, low in sugar, and high in fiber. If your local supermarket isn't giving you what you need, you might consider investigating making your own so you can control what goes in.
* 1/2 medium-size banana
* 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
* 1 cup unsweetened granola
Mix and mash all three ingredients into a bowl. Spoon onto a sheet of wax paper. Roll up the contents into a hot dog/cigar shape. Stick in the freezer. Ready in about 90 minutes. Cut off little bites or eat the whole thing. Eat it frozen or throw it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Serves 2.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Freezing Time: 90 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 389 Fat 17g Carbs 47g Fiber 9g Protein 14g
Monday: Orangeberry Shakeology®
Glass of Shakeology and OrangeWhile I think Greenberry Shakeology is delicious on its own, it's even better when mixed with orange juice. Some have even commented that the flavor resembles a popular shopping-mall beverage that has the same name as a famous Roman emperor.
* 1 scoop Greenberry Shakeology
* 1 cup orange juice
* Ice to taste
In a blender, mix all ingredients until frothy.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 252 Fat 1g Carbs 43g Fiber 3g Protein 19g
Tuesday: Cottage Cheese Surprise
Cottage Cheese with Hot SauceI'll leave it to historians to decide Richard Nixon's place in the presidential firmament. For my own life, his greatest contribution would be his love of the odd culinary mash-up of cottage cheese and ketchup. Much as I departed with some of his policies, I wasn't a big fan of ketchup. Most ketchup these days is just a bottle of corn syrup with an odd tomato or two thrown in (not technically a vegetable, as one of President Nixon's succeeding administrations would have had us believe). I'm more of a hot sauce man, but Nixon did inspire me to enjoy cottage cheese as a savory snack instead of a sweet one. Most of the leftover condiments in my refrigerator have made it into a protein-rich bowl of cottage cheese at some point along with other leftover veggies. Hot sauce and Parmesan cheese are my standbys, but I also recommend kimchi, salsa, chopped herbs, garlic, chives, or anything else that is flavorful and low-cal in the fridge (that's the surprise!).
* 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
* 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
* Hot sauce to taste
Mix ingredients in bowl. (If only one cup of cottage cheese left, mix ingredients in cottage cheese tub for easy cleanup!)
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 216 Fat 7g Carbs 8g Fiber <1g Protein 29g
Wednesday: Edamame
EdamameThis has become my go-to snack for watching TV. Full of protein and a slightly salty treat (but careful not to make it too salty), these soybeans are delicious and nutritious, and if you shell them yourself, the unshelling process will slow down your chow time, so you get fuller faster on fewer pods.
* 1 cup edamame
Buy frozen or fresh edamame, and steam or reheat according to package directions.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 189 Fat 8g Carbs 16g Fiber 8g Protein 17g
Thursday: Trail Mix
Trail Mix in a JarTrail mix is a great way to combine some of your favorite snacks and avoid the world of nacho-flavored fatty and salty snacks. You can mix up the recipe to create your favorite crunchy treats. The best ingredients include nuts, dried fruit, and unsweetened granola. Try and steer clear of less wholesome ingredients. If you're adding M&M'S® or chocolate chips to your recipe, who are you kidding? You could trade in your favorite nuts or dried fruit into this recipe. This is a good time to bust out the individual serving bags, so you don't end up going down the trail of oversnacking.
* 1 cup peanuts, shelled
* 1 cup unsweetened granola
* 1 cup raisins
Combine ingredients into airtight container. Shake to combine. Serves 6.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 320 Fat 17g Carbs 27g Fiber 5g Protein 10g
Friday: Chalene Johnson's Crispbread
Peanut Butter and a StrawberryHere's a quick little snack to tide you over between meals inspired by Turbo Jam® and ChaLEAN Extreme® trainer extraordinaire Chalene Johnson. She recommends the following recipe, although you could try some other fun variations with cottage cheese instead of peanut butter or different fruits or vegetables, both fresh and dried.
* 1 Wasa® crispbread (or similar low-fat cracker)
* 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
* 2 fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced
Spread peanut butter on cracker, and pile sliced berries on top.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 241 Fat 16g Carbs 17g Fiber 6g Protein 9g
Saturday: P90X Peak Performance Protein Bar
P90X Peak Performance Protein BarsSometimes the easiest snack just involves opening a wrapper. If you haven't tried Beachbody's P90X Peak Performance Protein Bars in a while, treat yourself. All of the flavors have been recently reformulated and taste even more delicious, plus there are new flavors like Chocolate Fudge and Wildberry Yogurt. With 20 grams of protein per bar, you’ll feel full and have energy for hours. And you can't beat the preparation time!
* 1 P90X Peak Performance Protein Bar
Preparation time: 1 minute (longer if you don't have opposable thumbs)
Nutritional information (per serving; for Café Mocha flavor):
Calories 260 Fat 7g Carbs 29g Fiber 1g Protein 20g
Feel free to eat any of these snacks on any day of the week. And repeat your favorites. Most of these can be integrated into your favorite Beachbody meal plan, including P90X. Bon appétit!
Eat like a kid again! Well, sorta...
Remember the comfort foods when you had as a kid? There were boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. And who could beat a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup with a grilled cheese sandwich! It sure brings back memories!
But, I have to admit, my favorite is the ole' Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich! There is nothing quite like it, especially when the sweet tooth strikes. Try this little variation which will turn your kiddie craving into an adult indulgence!
Grilled Almond Butter and Berry Sandwich
1. Take two slices of whole grain bread (160 cal)
2. Make your own jam! Mash 1/4 pint fresh raspberries and spread it on one slice of whole grain bread (29 cal)
3. Spread the other slice with 2 Tbsp almond butter (203 cal)
4. Lightly coat outsides of bread with cooking spray. Place sandwich on large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, turning halfway through, to brown both sides. Cut in half and serve.
Total calories: 392
But, I have to admit, my favorite is the ole' Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich! There is nothing quite like it, especially when the sweet tooth strikes. Try this little variation which will turn your kiddie craving into an adult indulgence!
Grilled Almond Butter and Berry Sandwich
1. Take two slices of whole grain bread (160 cal)
2. Make your own jam! Mash 1/4 pint fresh raspberries and spread it on one slice of whole grain bread (29 cal)
3. Spread the other slice with 2 Tbsp almond butter (203 cal)
4. Lightly coat outsides of bread with cooking spray. Place sandwich on large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, turning halfway through, to brown both sides. Cut in half and serve.
Total calories: 392
Overcoming Laziness
So many times we are pestered by a lack of confidence in the things that we can do, hindering us from moving forward and accomplishing our goals.
Those feelings may come from things like losing your job, settling into your routine or simply boredom.
Other times, distractions and just a general feeling of complacency pushes us into a place of laziness, keeping us from doing our best and performing at our most effective.
Never fear! There are ways of countering that lull in energy and lack of confidence. Some of them may be easy to do while others may seem like they are a little bit more difficult to achieve. But they're worth a shot, especially when you're stuck in a rut.
1. Get out of bed, or the couch, or the house....you get the picture!
When we are unmotivated, it's very easy to just stay home, under the covers, or on the couch...you name it. All the more reason, then, to get off your behind and move.
Go for a walk.
Get in your car and go for a drive.
Go visit friends, or buy some flowers, or go pay some bills.
Anything to get you out of the house and absorbing some sunshine.
2. Run errands
Face it: the electric bill isn't going to pay itself. The packages you need to mail won't hop to the post office on command. Your groceries won't magically arrive at your doorstep.
Running some errands will not only get you moving, but it will inject in you a real sense of urgency and need.
If you don't get these things done now, you'll have to do them eventually. So why not do them now, when you need some motivation anyway?
3. Keep a positive things journal
Create a journal in which every day, you make a list of ten things that you are good at, things that inspire you (people, places or things: anything that inspires you), things that you see yourself doing in ten years, ten months, ten days, ten hours, even ten minutes!
The idea is to create a positive flow of thoughts and feelings that keep your confidence up.
4. Post a bulletin board in your house or your office with things that inspire you.
I have one in my home office that has everything from phrases and headlines from magazines, to poems, to articles about inspirational people, to comic strips and even notes and drawings given to me by friends.
I look at it every day and add to it when I see something worthy. These things remind me that I have reasons to remain confident and they keep me from gravitating towards laziness.
5. Listen to some music
Find something that will keep you energized and ready for anything. Listen to feel-good, catchy songs. Cheesy pop music, as much as you may hate it, is great for revving up some much-needed energy!
Don't worry. Go ahead and dance your butt off. You're at home; no-one's looking.
6. Drink LOTS of water
Why? This may not seem obvious, but the way we feel mentally often is affected by the way our bodies react to stress. Keeping yourself well hydrated will keep you energized and awake and will give your body some much-needed fuel.
Caffeine, while a quick energy boost, will ultimately dehydrate you, which will not only not help you, but it may also give you more issues like headaches and sudden drop in energy.
7. Surround yourself with motivating people
When I lose confidence in myself or get a little lazy, I have a list of about 10 people that I can call that will make me feel instantly better.
Some of them are gentle pushers; others are the ‘get-off-your-butt-and-do-something-already!’ sort of folks.
Regardless of their methods, sometimes family and friends know exactly what to say to get you going. Let them.
When life hits us with abrupt changes, or even when it just teases us with quirky little annoyances, it can be easier for us to fall victims to our own self-doubt and laziness.
The key is to have a plan of action so that we don't succumb to those self-defeating vices.
Author's Bio
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation.
Those feelings may come from things like losing your job, settling into your routine or simply boredom.
Other times, distractions and just a general feeling of complacency pushes us into a place of laziness, keeping us from doing our best and performing at our most effective.
Never fear! There are ways of countering that lull in energy and lack of confidence. Some of them may be easy to do while others may seem like they are a little bit more difficult to achieve. But they're worth a shot, especially when you're stuck in a rut.
1. Get out of bed, or the couch, or the house....you get the picture!
When we are unmotivated, it's very easy to just stay home, under the covers, or on the couch...you name it. All the more reason, then, to get off your behind and move.
Go for a walk.
Get in your car and go for a drive.
Go visit friends, or buy some flowers, or go pay some bills.
Anything to get you out of the house and absorbing some sunshine.
2. Run errands
Face it: the electric bill isn't going to pay itself. The packages you need to mail won't hop to the post office on command. Your groceries won't magically arrive at your doorstep.
Running some errands will not only get you moving, but it will inject in you a real sense of urgency and need.
If you don't get these things done now, you'll have to do them eventually. So why not do them now, when you need some motivation anyway?
3. Keep a positive things journal
Create a journal in which every day, you make a list of ten things that you are good at, things that inspire you (people, places or things: anything that inspires you), things that you see yourself doing in ten years, ten months, ten days, ten hours, even ten minutes!
The idea is to create a positive flow of thoughts and feelings that keep your confidence up.
4. Post a bulletin board in your house or your office with things that inspire you.
I have one in my home office that has everything from phrases and headlines from magazines, to poems, to articles about inspirational people, to comic strips and even notes and drawings given to me by friends.
I look at it every day and add to it when I see something worthy. These things remind me that I have reasons to remain confident and they keep me from gravitating towards laziness.
5. Listen to some music
Find something that will keep you energized and ready for anything. Listen to feel-good, catchy songs. Cheesy pop music, as much as you may hate it, is great for revving up some much-needed energy!
Don't worry. Go ahead and dance your butt off. You're at home; no-one's looking.
6. Drink LOTS of water
Why? This may not seem obvious, but the way we feel mentally often is affected by the way our bodies react to stress. Keeping yourself well hydrated will keep you energized and awake and will give your body some much-needed fuel.
Caffeine, while a quick energy boost, will ultimately dehydrate you, which will not only not help you, but it may also give you more issues like headaches and sudden drop in energy.
7. Surround yourself with motivating people
When I lose confidence in myself or get a little lazy, I have a list of about 10 people that I can call that will make me feel instantly better.
Some of them are gentle pushers; others are the ‘get-off-your-butt-and-do-something-already!’ sort of folks.
Regardless of their methods, sometimes family and friends know exactly what to say to get you going. Let them.
When life hits us with abrupt changes, or even when it just teases us with quirky little annoyances, it can be easier for us to fall victims to our own self-doubt and laziness.
The key is to have a plan of action so that we don't succumb to those self-defeating vices.
Author's Bio
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation.
Is Your Chicken Too Fat?
Interesting article about the chicken you eat.
Most shoppers think chicken is good for their health. Little do they know that their favorite bird is loaded with “additives” that are bad for their heart.
About 30% of chickens sold in the U.S. – even those labeled “100% all natural” – are “plumped.” That’s a fancy word for poultry that’s processed with saltwater, chicken stock, seaweed and other ingredients to make it juicy and tasty.
These additives are also a hidden source of sodium, which at high levels is linked with high blood pressure,heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 1,500 milligrams per day – about 5/8 teaspoon.
But Americans consume more than twice that amount of sodium, much of it from processed Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (University of California Press). “Consumers are paying for water, not meat, and nobody needs extra salt anyway.”
A 4-ounce serving of unplumped chicken has less than 75 milligrams of naturally occurring sodium. A 4-ounce serving of enhanced chicken can contain up to 440 milligrams – as much or more than a large order of fries. And if you eat half a chicken breast for dinner, you may be getting even more sodium, because a cooked chicken breast half weighs anywhere from 4 -1/2 to 6 ounces.
(MORE)
Is Your Chicken Too Fat? | Lifescript.com
Most shoppers think chicken is good for their health. Little do they know that their favorite bird is loaded with “additives” that are bad for their heart.
About 30% of chickens sold in the U.S. – even those labeled “100% all natural” – are “plumped.” That’s a fancy word for poultry that’s processed with saltwater, chicken stock, seaweed and other ingredients to make it juicy and tasty.
These additives are also a hidden source of sodium, which at high levels is linked with high blood pressure,heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 1,500 milligrams per day – about 5/8 teaspoon.
But Americans consume more than twice that amount of sodium, much of it from processed Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (University of California Press). “Consumers are paying for water, not meat, and nobody needs extra salt anyway.”
A 4-ounce serving of unplumped chicken has less than 75 milligrams of naturally occurring sodium. A 4-ounce serving of enhanced chicken can contain up to 440 milligrams – as much or more than a large order of fries. And if you eat half a chicken breast for dinner, you may be getting even more sodium, because a cooked chicken breast half weighs anywhere from 4 -1/2 to 6 ounces.
(MORE)
Is Your Chicken Too Fat? | Lifescript.com
Change (and NOT the Obama kind)
I am so NOT perfect! Nor do I pretend to be. I do strive to do what is right for me, even if it means sacrificing something else in my life. That is probably the difference between me and most other people. I'm not afraid to change it up at the risk of sacrificing something I love or have become accustomed to.
It's funny, but I can equate this to so much of my previous life, and not just in fitness and weight loss. My former career went forward in much the same way. Just as my life seemed to settle, and I was used to a job and a city, and had a circle of friends whom I loved, an opportunity would be thrust in my face. I could have just stayed complacent and kept that job, but there was always something in me that said "This is your opportunity to move forward. This is your opportunity to change it up." So I did. And each time, it was just that much better. And if I hadn't of take those chances that I did, I never would have met my husband and his wonderful kids, had the children that we had together, and I wouldn't have this wonderful life where I get to influence my friends and family to get their lives back on the fitness and good health track.
Every minute of every day offers an opportunity to change. It doesn't always have to be the same day in and day out. We all have the incredible ability to change the direction we are headed at a moments notice. The problem is that some of us are so complacent in our actions and our decisions and our lives that we forget just how amazingly wonderful a little change can be. And I mean a small change. It doesn't have to be huge, like the changes I have made in my life. They can start small...because even a small change will lead to bigger changes down the road. Why? Because change opens up doors. Change invites opportunities. Change is what can take you from a life of despair to a life filled with hope. Change turns the "what if's" into "I'm so grateful I did's". Change is what we all need once in a while.
If I were granted one wish, it would to be able to have everyone know how wonderful that feeling of change can be and how it can turn your life around in an instant. And how changing something so slight, like adding that fitness routine to your life, or eating healthier, or making positive choices will turn it all around for you. And it is a thrill to see someone I love see that light. When they realize that it is their time to change, the hope and enthusiasm they hold is like experiencing it myself for the first time. There is nothing quite like it!
The thing that we all need to realize is that no one can make these changes for us. Not our spouse, not our children, not our friends, not our government...We need to change it ourselves. We need to be the ones who make the change. Or else, we won't appreciate the effort that we put into it.
Everyday, I am grateful for my life. I am grateful I have made this change to be healthy and fit. I am grateful that I influence my family and friends to do the same. And I am grateful that they listen. Because I want them to be in my life for a long time.
It's funny, but I can equate this to so much of my previous life, and not just in fitness and weight loss. My former career went forward in much the same way. Just as my life seemed to settle, and I was used to a job and a city, and had a circle of friends whom I loved, an opportunity would be thrust in my face. I could have just stayed complacent and kept that job, but there was always something in me that said "This is your opportunity to move forward. This is your opportunity to change it up." So I did. And each time, it was just that much better. And if I hadn't of take those chances that I did, I never would have met my husband and his wonderful kids, had the children that we had together, and I wouldn't have this wonderful life where I get to influence my friends and family to get their lives back on the fitness and good health track.
Every minute of every day offers an opportunity to change. It doesn't always have to be the same day in and day out. We all have the incredible ability to change the direction we are headed at a moments notice. The problem is that some of us are so complacent in our actions and our decisions and our lives that we forget just how amazingly wonderful a little change can be. And I mean a small change. It doesn't have to be huge, like the changes I have made in my life. They can start small...because even a small change will lead to bigger changes down the road. Why? Because change opens up doors. Change invites opportunities. Change is what can take you from a life of despair to a life filled with hope. Change turns the "what if's" into "I'm so grateful I did's". Change is what we all need once in a while.
If I were granted one wish, it would to be able to have everyone know how wonderful that feeling of change can be and how it can turn your life around in an instant. And how changing something so slight, like adding that fitness routine to your life, or eating healthier, or making positive choices will turn it all around for you. And it is a thrill to see someone I love see that light. When they realize that it is their time to change, the hope and enthusiasm they hold is like experiencing it myself for the first time. There is nothing quite like it!
The thing that we all need to realize is that no one can make these changes for us. Not our spouse, not our children, not our friends, not our government...We need to change it ourselves. We need to be the ones who make the change. Or else, we won't appreciate the effort that we put into it.
Everyday, I am grateful for my life. I am grateful I have made this change to be healthy and fit. I am grateful that I influence my family and friends to do the same. And I am grateful that they listen. Because I want them to be in my life for a long time.
Drink your water, people!
Water. It's all you hear about when you start a weight loss or fitness routine. How much water are you supposed to drink? I'm sure you've heard anywhere from1 liter to 2 gallons. The suggestions are all out there. But who should you believe?
I've always been one to believe that you should drink when you are thirsty. Sounds easy, doesn't it? I think most of the time, we do just that. The problem is, we don't drink the right thing when we get thirsty. We reach for the cola, or the sweetened beverage. Sometimes we reach for the coffee, and sometimes even the beer or wine, or the alcoholic beverage. The simplest thirst quencher seems so out of reach. Why is that?
The fact of the matter is that our bodies are comprised mostly of water. The human body is made up of over 70% water. Our blood is more than 80% water‚ our brain over 75% water‚ and the human liver is an amazing 96% water!
I've always been one to believe that you should drink when you are thirsty. Sounds easy, doesn't it? I think most of the time, we do just that. The problem is, we don't drink the right thing when we get thirsty. We reach for the cola, or the sweetened beverage. Sometimes we reach for the coffee, and sometimes even the beer or wine, or the alcoholic beverage. The simplest thirst quencher seems so out of reach. Why is that?
The fact of the matter is that our bodies are comprised mostly of water. The human body is made up of over 70% water. Our blood is more than 80% water‚ our brain over 75% water‚ and the human liver is an amazing 96% water!
Our energy level is greatly affected by the amount of water we drink. It has been proven that a 5% drop in body fluids will cause a 25% to 30% loss of energy in the average person... a 15% drop in body fluids causes death! Water is what our liver uses to metabolize fat into usable energy. It is estimated that over 80% of our population suffers energy loss due to minor dehydration.
All this because we don't drink enough water.
Now, you can be one of the "green" people who refuse to drink water from a plastic bottle. Or, you can be one of the "naturalist" group who refuse to drink water from the tap. Or, you may just not appreciate the taste of plain old water. I don't particularly care which group you fall in. Just find a way to drink your water.
There are a few ways to become a water drinker. And I'm not against bottled water drinkers. In a pinch, it is better than nothing. But it gets warm quickly and if you don't have any refrigeration nearby, then the cold water lovers like myself are out of luck. But I found a great solution that might be worth the investment for you.
I had, for years, been searching for the right "sippy cup" for my girls. After much trial and error, I found the solution for them. It was a Thermos with a straw insert. Seemed simple enough. One hot day, I happened to pick up their "sippy cup" to take a swig for myself and realized that even after 8 hours, the water was still ice cold and refreshing! It is no wonder my girls were better water drinkers than I was...I had found the perfect drinking container! Immediately, I gathered them up and we headed right to Target so that I could purchase one for myself. I was so surprised and excited to see that they made a larger version...perfect for moi!
These are made by Thermos brand. They are thermos's but not the breakable kind. They are all steel, with a handy little straw insert inside a plastic cap that is spill proof, yet can be covered with a quick flip of the lid. You can also go to the Thermos website and order extra straw inserts (because after a few months, they can get a little gnarly). The best thing about this Thermos is that you fill it full of ice water, and it stays cold ALL DAY, or OVERNIGHT. I'm not kidding! I find myself drinking so much more of it because it is that darn delicious. They are a little pricey...but if you are against the water bottle thing, then I'd invest in one. The smaller kid size (I believe they are 12 oz) are about $14.99 but the larger adult size (18 oz) will cost about $19.99. These are the best thing on the market. They are convenient and easy to drink from. They don't spill down your shirt, and they don't break.
I carry mine everywhere. And I find that I fill it up about 4 times a day. So, that being the case, 4x18=72 oz, which is well over the gallon of water that some recommend drinking daily. Granted, one of those fills is usually some green tea that I brew beforehand. I love my green tea, and this particular kind is awesome! It has great flavor without the aftertaste, and it is a great thirst quencher. I highly recommend Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orchard DECAF Green Tea. I use about 6 tea bags per 2 liters of hot water. I make a new pitcher about every three days and keep it in the fridge for a little change up from the water.
I can't stress enough that just changing what you drink can change your whole life. Get off the soda kick. Even the diet sodas. It just isn't what your bodies were meant to ingest. Coffee in moderation and an alcoholic beverage now and again is OK, but make the water the main thirst quencher of your day.
10 Reasons Your Workouts Aren't Working
Here is a great article that discusses exercise plateaus and how to overcome them. When I started my fitness journey some 4 years ago, my weight was actually increasing by 1-2 lbs a year and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. It wasn't until my coach, Jan Hicks, suggested I try her workout. It combines a little of everything, whereas I was focusing on just the treadmill for 50 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I figured I'd give it a go. Within the first month, I had dropped 4 pounds! I had found the magic pill!
The best thing about Beachbody workouts is that they ALL incorporate "the fixes" in the following article. And since it comes in DVD form, your workout is all lain out for you...every day, week after week...all you have to do is put in the DVD and push play and follow along.
If you need someone to discipline you, if you need someone to push you, if you need someone to motivate you, please get a Beachbody workout! I guarantee it is exactly what you need.
10 Reasons Your Workouts Aren't Working
The best thing about Beachbody workouts is that they ALL incorporate "the fixes" in the following article. And since it comes in DVD form, your workout is all lain out for you...every day, week after week...all you have to do is put in the DVD and push play and follow along.
If you need someone to discipline you, if you need someone to push you, if you need someone to motivate you, please get a Beachbody workout! I guarantee it is exactly what you need.
10 Reasons Your Workouts Aren't Working
Children and Food Choices
As enforcers of food rules, parents seek the delicate balance between setting rules about food choices and ensuring that they are followed. Parents are a major influence on the food choices of their children. They make decisions about which foods are available at home, and where and when foods can be eaten in the house. As enforcers of food rules, parents seek the delicate balance between setting rules about food choices and ensuring that they are followed. For example, a parent may decide to limit the supply of treats like chips and cookies that are stocked in the kitchen.
Rigid Food Restrictions May Backfire
Guiding food choices helps children learn to make smart decisions rather than simply learning that foods are either OK to eat or forbidden. Banning particular foods can make them even more appealing to children. The best strategy is to include some of these foods in the child's choice of treats.
Striking a balance is particularly crucial when parenting a child who is trying to reach a healthy weight. Rigid food restrictions may teach the child that healthy weight is about following a highly structured regimen. The negative effects may be compounded if the same rules are not enforced in thin or healthy-weight siblings. To avoid this, it is vital that parents provide the same food guidelines to everyone in the household.
Healthy Foods Served Without Fanfare
Parents who are overly enthusiastic about healthy foods as a way to encourage children to eat them may find that the strategy backfires. Extreme verbal responses and obvious body language affect the child's beliefs and preferences for foods, so the best approach is neutral and equal reactions to all foods.
When the Child Is a Picky Eater
Virtually all young children have the potential to become "picky eaters." This is because they are naturally neophobic, that is, they are afraid of new things, including foods. The way that parents introduce new foods can help lessen food neophobia. For example, research has found that it may take up to 10 "exposures" to a new food for a child to feel brave enough to try it. A useful strategy for parents is to keep serving the same food day after day, but without calling undue attention to it. In time, and without prodding, many children will try the new food. Seeing parents eating a new food also takes away some of the fear factor for the young child.
From Weight Watchers.com
5 Steps to a 5-Star Body
SELF.com
By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief - Posted on Thu, Mar 12, 2009, 4:16 pm PDT
Getting your best body can be as simple as counting to five every day. Really! No matter what goal you’re pursuing—shedding those 10 pounds that have been hanging around too long, toning your trouble zones or simply eating healthier. It's so easy. I think of it as my five-star day. The five-star day is so simple—you just give yourself a star for everything you do right. You get stars for:
Sleep! Try to catch 7 to 9 hours each night. This, I know from personal experience, can seem like an unrealistic goal, but the amount of research that supports the connection between shut-eye and health makes me shoot for this star every day. For starters, catching enough zzz’s can help you lose weight. In a study of more than 68,000 women, those who dozed seven hours a night weighed 5.5 pounds less than women who slept five hours or less. Ample sleep encourages your body to make more of the fullness hormone leptin and less of the hunger hormone ghrelin, so you’re not as hungry. Snoozing can also curb anxiety and depression, both of which can lead to emotional eating. As if that’s not enough reason, too little rest can cloud moral judgment, too. Try going to bed just 30 minutes earlier each night to see how much you’ll benefit.
Exercise! Yes, breaking a sweat can help you lose weight, but it can also curb cravings, help you live longer, reduce stress, undo some of the damage of eating fatty foods—and those are just a few of the benefits. Aim for 30 minutes a day—even a walk counts toward your tally—and give yourself a star each time you fulfill that goal with any one of your favorite workouts.
Eat right! No, you don’t have to count calories. You can eat healthy and have delicious, filling and satisfying meals (snacks, too!). If you’re doing the 2009 SELF Challenge, give yourself a star for every day that you eat according to the Challenge meal plan and log your meals in your online food diary. If you’re not doing the Challenge, you can still snag a star when you’ve eaten in a way that makes your body feel good—and you feel proud. For me, that’s when I opt for yogurt with berries rather than a muffin at breakfast, have a salad with tofu for lunch and choose salmon over steak at dinner, then skip the ice cream pig-out late at night. Yes, it’s that simple! I’m not perfect, and there are definitely days when I have a second glass of wine or a too-generous square of my favorite dark chocolate bar, but I find that once I start building that five-star day, I get invested in it and want to keep it up.
Stretch! Limbering up is a way to thank your muscles for all the hard work they do for you each day. It can also help you increase your overall range of motion, making exercise seem less difficult. And when workouts are less daunting, you’ll not only enjoy them more, but you also will probably do them more often, too! To me, yoga and pilates count, as does just stretching at the kitchen counter as I watch the headlines in the morning. No need to set aside a huge block of time! However you choose to go Gumby, give yourself a star for treating your body to a break.
Talk yourself up! This might be the most important part of the five-star plan: Giving yourself a well-deserved pat on the back for simply being strong, smart and healthy. Even on days when you only notch one or two other stars, take a moment to give yourself credit for being a truly amazing human being. Talking yourself up carries over to other areas of your life: Not only will you feel more confident, but research shows you will also get sick about 30 percent less frequently, stave off emotional eating and reduce your cancer risk. There are plenty of other reasons to celebrate your body. Pretty impressive for a few pats on the back!
Create your own five-star days: When you join the Challenge, you can use our free online logs to track the stars you earn each day. Counting stars is motivating, and rewarding yourself for smart, healthy behavior is more inspiring than the negative mind-sets required by most "diets." I had to create a system in my own head that was simple, easy to track and optimistic. The best part is that you get to start fresh every day, so even if you only manage one or two stars one day, you can stay with it by going to sleep early and telling yourself, like Scarlett O’Hara, tomorrow is another day!
By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief - Posted on Thu, Mar 12, 2009, 4:16 pm PDT
Getting your best body can be as simple as counting to five every day. Really! No matter what goal you’re pursuing—shedding those 10 pounds that have been hanging around too long, toning your trouble zones or simply eating healthier. It's so easy. I think of it as my five-star day. The five-star day is so simple—you just give yourself a star for everything you do right. You get stars for:
Sleep! Try to catch 7 to 9 hours each night. This, I know from personal experience, can seem like an unrealistic goal, but the amount of research that supports the connection between shut-eye and health makes me shoot for this star every day. For starters, catching enough zzz’s can help you lose weight. In a study of more than 68,000 women, those who dozed seven hours a night weighed 5.5 pounds less than women who slept five hours or less. Ample sleep encourages your body to make more of the fullness hormone leptin and less of the hunger hormone ghrelin, so you’re not as hungry. Snoozing can also curb anxiety and depression, both of which can lead to emotional eating. As if that’s not enough reason, too little rest can cloud moral judgment, too. Try going to bed just 30 minutes earlier each night to see how much you’ll benefit.
Exercise! Yes, breaking a sweat can help you lose weight, but it can also curb cravings, help you live longer, reduce stress, undo some of the damage of eating fatty foods—and those are just a few of the benefits. Aim for 30 minutes a day—even a walk counts toward your tally—and give yourself a star each time you fulfill that goal with any one of your favorite workouts.
Eat right! No, you don’t have to count calories. You can eat healthy and have delicious, filling and satisfying meals (snacks, too!). If you’re doing the 2009 SELF Challenge, give yourself a star for every day that you eat according to the Challenge meal plan and log your meals in your online food diary. If you’re not doing the Challenge, you can still snag a star when you’ve eaten in a way that makes your body feel good—and you feel proud. For me, that’s when I opt for yogurt with berries rather than a muffin at breakfast, have a salad with tofu for lunch and choose salmon over steak at dinner, then skip the ice cream pig-out late at night. Yes, it’s that simple! I’m not perfect, and there are definitely days when I have a second glass of wine or a too-generous square of my favorite dark chocolate bar, but I find that once I start building that five-star day, I get invested in it and want to keep it up.
Stretch! Limbering up is a way to thank your muscles for all the hard work they do for you each day. It can also help you increase your overall range of motion, making exercise seem less difficult. And when workouts are less daunting, you’ll not only enjoy them more, but you also will probably do them more often, too! To me, yoga and pilates count, as does just stretching at the kitchen counter as I watch the headlines in the morning. No need to set aside a huge block of time! However you choose to go Gumby, give yourself a star for treating your body to a break.
Talk yourself up! This might be the most important part of the five-star plan: Giving yourself a well-deserved pat on the back for simply being strong, smart and healthy. Even on days when you only notch one or two other stars, take a moment to give yourself credit for being a truly amazing human being. Talking yourself up carries over to other areas of your life: Not only will you feel more confident, but research shows you will also get sick about 30 percent less frequently, stave off emotional eating and reduce your cancer risk. There are plenty of other reasons to celebrate your body. Pretty impressive for a few pats on the back!
Create your own five-star days: When you join the Challenge, you can use our free online logs to track the stars you earn each day. Counting stars is motivating, and rewarding yourself for smart, healthy behavior is more inspiring than the negative mind-sets required by most "diets." I had to create a system in my own head that was simple, easy to track and optimistic. The best part is that you get to start fresh every day, so even if you only manage one or two stars one day, you can stay with it by going to sleep early and telling yourself, like Scarlett O’Hara, tomorrow is another day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
