CRAVINGS! (ugh)

OK. so we all get them... cravings... what are yours?  Chocolate, salty snacks, booze... when you get a craving, do you ever pause & wonder WHY?  There could be many reasons.. eating sweet makes us crave salty, eating salty makes us crave sweet, but WHAT ELSE.  How about when you come home from work & start eating mindlessly, giving in to all those cravings.  WHAT IF... when you came home from work there was someone stand there telling you how much they loved you, how beautiful you are, and gave you a big hug?  Would you then go & raid the fridge?  Could your cravings have NOTHING to do with hunger (um.. yep!).  Start to think about your world in terms of your relationships, career, spirituality, and activity level, then see if changes in those areas of your life could change your "cravings".  Maybe what you're really craving is outside of the kitchen!
What is your experience with cravings?

ATKINS?

How many of you have tried the Atkins Diet?  I have to admit, that I had a wrong perception of it. My program at school presents all diet theories. Atkins being one of them, I'm really amazed at how they are misrepresented in the media (and therefore wrongly interpreted onto peoples plates & stomaches!).  From what I'm hearing, it sounds pretty balanced & they even make accomodations for vegetarians who get their protein from plant sources.  The "diet" seems to encourage healthy, greens, and lots of dark colored veggies. They support healthy carbs & the elimination of white sugar & processed foods.  I'm going to keep listening. So far, it's not the hype I thought it was... seems really balanced & not a program that just pushes bacon, burgers, and sausage for all 3 meals. Any comments?

KEEP YOUR GOALS IN SIGHT!

Hello & welcome back after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend!

If you "fell off the wagon" this past weekend, please let it go...leave it in the past.

Starting today, re-affirm your goals & intentions for the program and for living a healthy lifestyle.  Then each day take steps toward reaching your goal.

REMEMBER... what you resist, persists.  What does that mean?  Well, if you resist the change (to lead a healthy lifestyle), then your same old unhealthy, overweight, lethargic body & mind will persist.  It's a good line to remember... what you resist, persists.

The greatest teacher lies within your own heart.  Be true to yourself & live an authentic lifestyle, it will all come together! :)  Please post how you're doing or what you need for support!

Eat Seasonally

I've been studying more about Ayurvedia and the very natural recommendation to eat seasonally. The recommendation is to eat what is available "from the land" during that time of year.  See if you can incorporate more Fall foods into your diets.  Consider, sweet potatoes, pumpkins & squash, apples, ALL KINDS of nuts and seeds.  Also, when the weather gets colder, it's a great time to add a nice warm lunch to your schedule.  Eating a hearty warm soup at lunch time (maybe with some multi-grain bread or small salad) will help you feel great & get you through to dinner.  Some people fear the fat in nuts & seeds but this is what your body needs to get you through the long, cold winter.

SERVING SIZE

So, you're all doing a great job adding lots of fruits & veggies (and water) into your lifestyle.  Now, how much food are you actually eating at each meal?  In today's world, even the plates that we eat from are SUPERSIZED!!! If we're filling up those HUGE plates, guess what? We're eating way too much!!!

Your stomach is roughly the size of your fist & can expand slightly with the meal.  When eating a meal, consider this... can all of the food fit into my hands (when held together to make a bowl shape).  That's about how big your meal should be.  Remember, SIZE MATTERS! :))

Veggies

Quick & delicious green veggie with dinner: saute organic spinach in a little olive oil & garlic. At the very end of the cooking (which isn't long) toss in some chickpeas! Cook for another minute or two. YUM!!!

Quick & easy is key!  What ideas can you share?

Question For You

What is the next small step you will take to move forward toward your goal?

SOO TRUE!

had to borrow this quote...

"Surround yourself with high-energy people.
Choose to be in close proximity to people who are empowering, who appeal to your sense of connection to intention, who see the greatness in you, who feel connected to God, and who live a life that gives evidence that Spirit has found celebration through them." - Dr. Wayne Dyer

If At 1st You Don't Succeed...

so let's face it, we all "fall off the wagon"... whether it's the darn Halloween candy, or a dinner out, or just something tempting sitting in the fridge... sometimes we fall.  NO WORRIES! 

Don't call it quits, never to eat another healthy thing again! 

With each sunrise, there is a new opportunity. In fact, with each breath, there is a re-newed sense of self.  Let go of your "mistakes" let go of the past, and learn to enjoy this moment right now! Make a better choice in THIS MOMENT.  If the "falling off the wagon" is happening ALL THE TIME... then we should talk. Let's take a closer look at what's going on. 

Let me know how you're doing this week so far.  I was happy to fit in some yoga this morning. Yoga creates better balance in my body, mind, and spirit!

GO GREEN!

How colorful is your plate of food?  If you're eating a plate of "beige" foods, go for the color!  Add lots of dark greens, oranges, reds, yellow, purple, etc.  Tell me the most colorful meal you ate today! Mine was a drink!  Yep, Matt juiced some kale, carrots, and apples!  Post here!

learn more!

Hopefully this 8 week program will inspire you to LEARN MORE! To read labels, to research, investigate, and to literally become your own doctor!  Here are some great movies that you might want to watch! FOOD, INC., SuperSize Me!, and FoodMatters.  All very informative!

Status Update!!

Hey Everyone! If you're on the blog, post an update here to let me know how you're doing!

It's Wednesday & I'm starting my morning with some oatmeal (NO WAY the sugary packet).. just old skool oats & added some raw almond slivers & dried wild blueberries.  Delicious!  Adding some running & weights into my own program today.  What kind of exercise have you participated in lately??

Read the Labels!

Does your bread have high fructose corn syrup in it?? YIKES!  How about your cereal, snack bars, kids snacks, etc... it's worth it to read the labels to avoid ingredients like HFCS. High fructose corn syrup is a contributing factor in obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and it FEEDS cancer cells (they literally eat &  grow on HFCS). It's worth avoiding! Good luck!

WEEK 2

Welcome to Week 2!  Hopefully you've received your Week 2 email from me & are already filling it out!  I'm snacking on some homemade applesauce (no sugar, just apples & cinnamon!) & it's delicious!  This week, focus on eating some of the great veggies that are in season! Acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, apples. Enjoy! 
Let me know what's new & good! :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

OK, how much Halloween candy did you eat??? I had 2 pieces!  Sadly, it was up there with the Stop & Shop cake (which if you came to the meeting, you know what we're talking about!). It really wasn't that good & I'm glad. Doubtful I'll eat any more of it! 

How did your 1st week go? Highs & lows, post them here! You'll get WEEK 2 worksheet on Monday.

ALSO... post if you've lost some pounds!! We want to congratulate you!!

DAY 5

Your first week is almost over!! If you haven't posted or emailed me, YOU SHOULD! I want to know how you're doing. Support is such an important part of developing these healthy habits & making great choices!  I've heard from some of you about really great changes regarding snacking & still some challenges with working out.  Keep up the amazing progress you're making & try to get on track with some exercise!  Hope to hear from you soon! :))

DAY 4

The crock pot is GREAT! Made 2 delicious & quick dinners so far!  How have you all been doing? Meals? Snacks??  Matt's making organic "chocolate" avocado mousse as we speak... hope it's yummy! POST!! ;))

DAY 3

OK, I'm using my crock-pot to make homemade lentil soup. It smells really good!  It took less than 15 minutes to chop & throw it all in this morning. Hope to have more good options that don't take a lot of time to prepare. 

HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING?  Post here & let me know!!!

DAY 2

My mission is to find ideas for all of you that are healthy, quick dinners. Let's share ideas. I love the crock pot idea. I think I'm going to buy one today! :))  Who fit in a workout??

DAY 1

So, you guys were great last night! Thanks for sharing & best wishes as you tranform your life!! :))

Welcome

Welcome to Just for the Health of It, an eight week program designed to help you meet your health and wellness goals. Our first meeting will be held on Sunday, October 24th at my house. Please email me if you plan to attend.