Showing posts with label is. Show all posts
Showing posts with label is. Show all posts
Saturday, March 21, 2015
You Can Quote Me Planning Is Key
I started smoking when I was 12 years old. Smoking and Dexatrim™ became my diet of choice for many years. A dozen years ago, I had a desire to change my relationship to tobacco. I was a Sacred Pipe carrier and smoked a pack and a half of cigarettes a day. It seemed conflicted to me that I would use tobacco in prayer and ceremony, and then mindlessly abuse it throughout the day. I set a goal: July 4, 1997 would be my Day of Independence, freedom from smoking. Then, I came up with a plan to work toward my goal.Success! Eleven years and counting, smoke free!
Of course, I put on 100 pounds in the meantime. Transferring one addiction for another is not freedom.
With the extra pounds, came a host of chronic physical symptoms – heartburn, headaches, edema, aches, pains, fatigue, depression, shortness of breath – and quite frankly, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, all the time.
On the last summer solstice, I set an intention to change my relationship to food and regain my health and vitality. The goal, for me, wasnt so much about the number on the scale. I wanted to find freedom from mindless, compulsive eating. I wanted to begin living a healthier lifestyle that was more in alignment with my core beliefs. And I knew that having a PLAN was the key.
And so began my transition from highly refined and processed foods to a diet of primarily fresh, organic, plant-based foods.
First things first: planning my meals. This actually involves forethought and grocery shopping. Imagine that. And, it means ensuring that I have plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts, seeds and nuts on hand. I also like to stock an assortment of fruit in the freezer, cut and ready to throw into the blender for delicious green smoothies.
Have mason jar, will travel
Ive learned from experience that when Im away from home and hunger strikes, its just too easy for me to make poor food choices. For years, my car was set to auto-pilot to the nearest drive-thru window. So now, if I know Im going to be out running around for more than several hours, Ill plan on taking a mason jar of green smoothie with me. Little bags of organic baby carrots, crunchy sprouts, dried fruits, and nuts are great take-alongs too.
Heres what raw food chef and author Kristen Suzanne says about having things planned and ready to eat:
Living the Raw Vegan lifestyle is really easy, there is no doubt about that. Whether youre eating a simple apple for breakfast or making a pate-stuffed tomato for lunch, it can take very little time out of your day. The key when starting out is to be focused and organized, which also makes it easy to stay on your Raw diet. I have found that half the battle for most people trying to stick to a diet is simply having things planned and ready to eat. Once you have that figured out, there is no guess work, making it less likely for you to fall off your chosen path to optimal health. (Continue reading)Fail to Plan. Plan to Fail. Simple. And, you can quote me on that.
What are some things you do to PLAN for success on your diet?
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Is Your Family Really Benefiting When You Work at Home
Youve beaten the obstacles and found a way to work at home, whether by finding a job or starting a home business. But is your work getting in the way of time with your family? It may be time to make sure you are finding balance between working at home and your family.
Lets take a look at some easy things you can do to ensure that you are spending time with your family.
1. Make time for play. Family activities are a great way to relax away from work. It can be as simple as taking a walk or going to the park, or it could be a full day excursion to a museum, amusement part or beach. You dont have to leave the house, of course. You could play games, make cookies or do other fun activities around the house. The point is to simply have fun as a family and have time to talk to each other.
Lets take a look at some easy things you can do to ensure that you are spending time with your family.
1. Make time for play. Family activities are a great way to relax away from work. It can be as simple as taking a walk or going to the park, or it could be a full day excursion to a museum, amusement part or beach. You dont have to leave the house, of course. You could play games, make cookies or do other fun activities around the house. The point is to simply have fun as a family and have time to talk to each other.
One way to start is to plan a family night. Tell everyone they have to be home on a particular evening each week and do things as a family. Even if you just rent a movie to watch together, its something youre doing together.
If youre married, make sure you plan a regular date night with your spouse. Frequency may depend on how old your children are and how often you can get babysitting, but it is important for your marriage to have time as a couple.
You dont have to spend a lot of money to have fun with your family. Just make time for fun.
2. Be there for your childrens activities. If your children are involved in sports, acting, singing or other activities, make sure you are there for all the games, performances or other important events. It will help your children to know that they are very important to you.
3. Set rules and enforce them. If your children understand when they can interrupt your work you will be able to get more done in less time, giving you more time for your family.
Of course, you need to be consistent. If kids get away with breaking the rules some of the time, they will test the rules often. Consistency will save you time in the long run, even if you arent sure you want to spare the time at a particular moment.
4. Pay attention to what kind of attention each child needs. Every child is different. Some demand attention while others are so quiet its easy to forget that they need you too. Make sure you spend time with each child as an individual.
5. When the kids come home from school, take some time to talk about their day. They will appreciate your interest. You should also make sure they understand their homework and start it at whatever time they do best at finishing it. Some do best starting homework immediately on getting home, while others do better if they can play for a while first. Be aware of your childs needs.
6. If your work is something the children can help with, let them be involved. If not, you can still at least talk to them about what you do. This sets a good example for your children by helping them to know what working is really about.
Its easy to get buried in the needs of your work when you work at home. A little bit of planning can go a long way toward making working at home a wonderful experience for all. Your family is why you decided to work at home, so dont let your time with them get put aside.
Its easy to get buried in the needs of your work when you work at home. A little bit of planning can go a long way toward making working at home a wonderful experience for all. Your family is why you decided to work at home, so dont let your time with them get put aside.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Eggplant is in Season
Once in a while I like choosing a vegetable that not many people are familiar with thats in season. I do it because a varied diet is very important just like a varied training program is. In addition, vegetables are packed with antioxidants (compounds that help us fight "toxins" in the body) as well as other important minerals and vitamins. I dont want you to miss out, especially if you are avoiding it because you have no idea what to do with it.
Today I chose one of my favorite vegetables, the eggplant. Egg what?! Yes eggplant.
Eggplant, also called aubergine, is a night shade vegetable originally from India (eggplant is actually classified as a fruit but we treat it like a vegetable). It comes in multiple shapes and colors but the most common one in north America is dark purple and oval shaped on the outside but cream colored on the inside. It is used in many cuisines including: Italian, Indian, Turkish, Greek, Thai and more. Eggplant is eaten cooked, not raw.
Nutritionally it is low in calories and carbohydrates, fat free and cholesterol free. It is a very good source of fiber and contains a phytonutrient called Nasunin thats located in the peel of the eggplant. The peel also contains phytonutrients called anthocyanins. Nasunin and anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that help us fight inflammation and some cancers as well as help us protect multiple cells including brain cells and heart cells. Eggplant is a good source of potassium, manganese, copper and several B vitamins. B vitamins are important for metabolism and the minerals help with multiple functions in the body including bone health, electrolyte balance and wound healing just to name a few.
Eggplant can be used as an appetizer, side dish or even as part of the main dish. Here are some ideas of how to experiment with this fantastic vegetable:
Baba Ganoush - Middle Eastern eggplant spread
Ingredients
1 Medium size Eggplant
2 Tbsp Tahini Paste
1 tsp Minced Garlic
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
Salt & Pepper for taste
2 Tbsp Cilantro chopped fine (Garnish)
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover eggplant with aluminum foil and bake until completely soft (20-25 minutes). Alternatively you can roast on the grill (about 10 minutes) until soft and peel is charred. If roasting on the grill, aluminum foil is not needed (for the smokey flavor).
2. Let cool for 15-20 minutes.
3. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and with a spoon take out all the pulp and move to medium bowl.
4. Depending how smooth you like it, you can smash the pulp with a fork or put in the food processor for a smoother texture.
5. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the eggplant pulp and stir.
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Note; this tends to taste even better after it sits in the fridge for a while. Serve with crackers or pita bread.
Here is a great eggplant parmesan recipe
Baked Eggplant - A tasty and easy side
Ingredients
2 Eggplants cut into rounds
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp of Fresh Rosemary (can use 2 Tbsp dried)
0.5 tsp Kosher Salt
0.5 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spread eggplant on baking sheet.
3. Brush the eggplant with oil
4. Sprinkle the rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic evenly as you can
5. Bake until soft and brown (about 20-30 minutes)
6. Serve as a side for fish, steak or chicken
Press here for more easy eggplant recipes.
Make sure that next time you go to the grocery store you pick yourself an eggplant and try one of these tasty recipes. Feel free to post here how it came out.
Happy Eating!
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Today I chose one of my favorite vegetables, the eggplant. Egg what?! Yes eggplant.
Eggplant, also called aubergine, is a night shade vegetable originally from India (eggplant is actually classified as a fruit but we treat it like a vegetable). It comes in multiple shapes and colors but the most common one in north America is dark purple and oval shaped on the outside but cream colored on the inside. It is used in many cuisines including: Italian, Indian, Turkish, Greek, Thai and more. Eggplant is eaten cooked, not raw.
Nutritionally it is low in calories and carbohydrates, fat free and cholesterol free. It is a very good source of fiber and contains a phytonutrient called Nasunin thats located in the peel of the eggplant. The peel also contains phytonutrients called anthocyanins. Nasunin and anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that help us fight inflammation and some cancers as well as help us protect multiple cells including brain cells and heart cells. Eggplant is a good source of potassium, manganese, copper and several B vitamins. B vitamins are important for metabolism and the minerals help with multiple functions in the body including bone health, electrolyte balance and wound healing just to name a few.
Eggplant can be used as an appetizer, side dish or even as part of the main dish. Here are some ideas of how to experiment with this fantastic vegetable:
Baba Ganoush - Middle Eastern eggplant spread
Ingredients
1 Medium size Eggplant2 Tbsp Tahini Paste
1 tsp Minced Garlic
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
Salt & Pepper for taste
2 Tbsp Cilantro chopped fine (Garnish)
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover eggplant with aluminum foil and bake until completely soft (20-25 minutes). Alternatively you can roast on the grill (about 10 minutes) until soft and peel is charred. If roasting on the grill, aluminum foil is not needed (for the smokey flavor).
2. Let cool for 15-20 minutes.
3. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and with a spoon take out all the pulp and move to medium bowl.
4. Depending how smooth you like it, you can smash the pulp with a fork or put in the food processor for a smoother texture.
5. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the eggplant pulp and stir.
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Note; this tends to taste even better after it sits in the fridge for a while. Serve with crackers or pita bread.
Here is a great eggplant parmesan recipe
Baked Eggplant - A tasty and easy side
Ingredients
2 Eggplants cut into rounds
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp of Fresh Rosemary (can use 2 Tbsp dried)0.5 tsp Kosher Salt
0.5 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spread eggplant on baking sheet.
3. Brush the eggplant with oil
4. Sprinkle the rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic evenly as you can
5. Bake until soft and brown (about 20-30 minutes)
6. Serve as a side for fish, steak or chicken
Press here for more easy eggplant recipes.
Make sure that next time you go to the grocery store you pick yourself an eggplant and try one of these tasty recipes. Feel free to post here how it came out.
Happy Eating!
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Is Weight Loss Your New Years Resolution
How many times have you made your New Years resolution to be about losing weight? Once, twice, maybe three times? How about five, possibly 10? Okay, we get the picture.And how many times has it worked?
I’m guessing if you’re making it yet again for 2015, then chances are it’s not been too successful in the past. Even if the weight has come off initially, you’ve dipped back into old habits, either due to boredom, complacency or fatigue, meaning you end the year in almost exactly the same shape as you started it, only to vow once again to lose weight next January.
That’s the big trouble with new years resolutions in general – they’re doomed to fail. And when it comes to weight loss, this is even more the case perhaps than with any other January goal.
Gyms are at their busiest in January, due to an influx of newbies. Seasoned gym goers know to avoid peak times in January, but if you’re not aware of this, the gym can feel more like being in a tin of sardines than having the luxury of a fitness club membership.
Not only that, but I’ll wager good money you still have plenty of Christmas food sitting around the house. Every time you go to the fridge, the tantalizing aroma of the Christmas cheese selection greets you. Bowls of sweets still adorn every coffee table, mantelpiece and spare gap on the work surfaces and that chocolate Santa eyes you evilly from his perch on the larder, just begging to be eaten.
Also, it’s highly likely you’ve been planning your resolution for weeks, if not months.
And during that time, all you’ve been doing is putting off starting.
Had you made an effort to lose weight, hit the gym and get on a diet plan back in October or November, you’d be going great guns by now. With a little discipline, Christmas would have been enjoyable, but not an all out binge fest, you’d have already made a start in the gym, and would be in much better shape than you are now.
All that being said, you can’t change the past, and a gluttonous December has happened, whether you planned it or not.
The key now is to make sure you stick with your weight loss resolution and achieve your new year goals for the first time ever.
First thing’s first – write down your goal. Not only should you write it down once, you should do in 10 times. Write it on post it notes, on small scraps of paper, and on massive sheets. Use different pens, colours and fonts – go crazy. The more times you write it down, the more likely you are to remember it and have it at the front of your mind all the time.
Done that? Good. Now take every piece of paper and go and put it somewhere you’ll see it at least once a day. The biggest piece can go on your bedroom door or on the inside of your wardrobe. Stick a smaller one on the sun visor in your car, and attach others to the fridge, microwave or your hallway mirror. Now there’s no chance you’ll forget your goals.
By Mike Samuels
Source: http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/is-weight-loss-your-new-year-s-resolution-a3442.html
Running For Weight Loss 4 Ways That Running is Best for Weight Loss
Looking to slim down? Heres why you should be running.
Any exercise is good exercise, but when it comes to losing weight, it’s hard to beat running. After all, running is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories and get fit without having to restrict your diet. If you’re already a runner, keep on keepin’ on. If you’re not a runner yet but interested in losing weight, here are four reasons running can be the best exercise for weight loss.
1. Running works even when you’re at rest. High-intensity exercise like running stimulates more “afterburn” than low-intensity exercise. That is, even when comparing running with walking the same distance, studies find that running will lead to greater weight loss, most likely because your resting energy expenditure stays elevated after you run. In a long-term comparison study of runners and walkers, calories burned through running led to 90% more weight loss than calories burned through walking.
2. Running is time-efficient. Even if the myth that running a mile and walking a mile burn the same number of calories were true, running is a considerably faster way to burn those calories. Most people can run two or three times as far as they can walk in a given amount of time. At the other end of the spectrum, super-intense but short workouts, such as the "Scientific 7-minute Workout" from the Human Performance Institute, may burn more calories per minute per running, but because theyre so short, your total caloric burn isnt as great if you ran.
3. Running is convenient. Though many of us have accumulated a vast arsenal of GPS gadgets and tech tees over the years, little is actually required to go running. You can do it alone. You can do it almost anywhere. You don’t need any equipment beyond a pair of running shoes. (And if you’re careful about injury and build up slowly, you may not even need those.) For this reason alone, running is the best workout for weight loss because it’s cheap, it’s accessible, and there are fewer barriers to maintaining a routine, even while traveling.
4. Two words: runner’s high. The first rule of exercising for weight loss is that if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick with it. Fortunately, studies support what many runners have experienced on an anecdotal level—running can actually get you high. Scientists have found links between moderate to intense exercise and morphine-like brain chemicals called endocannabinoids, which suggest endorphins alone aren’t responsible for the occasional flood of euphoria that rushes over you during a hard run. That floaty, happy sensation you had after your last race—makes you want to go for another run, right?
By Caitlin Giddings
Source: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/4-ways-that-running-is-best-for-weight-loss
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