FamilyInShape

Eat all day

Fruit Salad by yikesleanne

I had a discussion with my friend Lisa who is trying to loose weight and said she was failing, nothing seems to work and what little she looses one week she gains the next.  She shared her daily menu during the week when she was loosing weight and it would seem to her that she had established good eating habits.  She was eating more fruits and vegetables and refraining from late night eating as well. He schedule was what we've all known since forever, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at AM, noon and 6 pm, respectively.  However, this schedule was also the problem as she felt hungry, tired, and cranky around 3:00 pm every day and then she found herself splurging just before dinner because she was just too hungry to wait.  To make matters worse, the late night munchies came back into the picture.

Obviously, this schedule is not working for her so told her to try a new way of eating.  "I want you to eat 5-6 times a day." "What!? Are you crazy? That's way too much food," she said.  "Actually, no, it's about the same amount your eating now but we're going to break those up into smaller meals, that's all.  Just try it for a week or two."

• Old Breakfast:  Bowl of whole wheat cereal, 1/2 cup fat free milk, Yogurt, fruit, tea or coffee.
• New Breakfast: Bowl of whole wheat cereal with fruit or 100%fruit juice, tea or coffee.
• Add a snack about 2 hours later:  Yogurt with granola or plain OR fruit. 

  

• Old Lunch:  Grilled Chicken salad (Romain lettuce, tomato, carrots, celery, radishes and light dressing), Soda and a bag of sun chips.
  
• New Lunch:  Keep the salad and dress it with lemon juice and olive oil instead. Drink water or Crystal Light and drop the chips.
• Add a snack about 2 or 3 hours later: fruit salad OR 1 apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter OR a Cheese Stick with 6 wheat thinks or Triscuit crackers OR a Banana.

• Old Dinner: Usually grilled chicken or fish, side of either rice or mashed potatoes and a cup of green veggies or salad.
  
• New Dinner:  Keep the grilled meats lean, but good choice there.  Switch to brown rice and sweet potatoes or eat less off them if you're not ready for the brown version or if sweet potatoes are not your thing.  Definitely keep the veggies, add more of them and/or a salad.
• Evening snack: Not a problem, keep it sensible:  Hot Cocoa made with water, yogurt, fat free pudding or gelatin, popcorn, any fruit, hot tea.

• Drink green tea through the day.
• Drink water in between meals.
• Stay a step ahead of those cravings by keeping protein bars, hand fruits, nuts, and water bottles in the car, gym bag, purse, etc.

The first week she lost 5 lbs, the second and third week she lost 3 lbs, now she is loosing between 1 and 3 lbs each week.  She has since started walking because, she has the energy in the afternoon or after work and she doesn't feel so cranky at the end of the day.  She really didn't have to change much to get her going. 

Personally, I try to keep protein bars and hand fruit in my gym bag and my purse as well as bottles of water.  I really don't like going shopping on an empty stomach because crazy things happen, like the other day my car just automatically turned into a Starbucks.  I don't remember ordering my grande- skinny-vanilla-latte-with whip but there it was in the company of a low fat blueberry muffin, as if that was a good thing.  

I do the same for my kids if I know I will be out running around for more than 2 hours - pack good, healthy snacks and drinks then I will be less likely to buy junk food on impulse or out of desperation.

Are you a scheduled eater or do you eat sensibly all day? I want to know what works for you!

Stay well,

12 days to a new you - stress

Since I started this series, on December 12, we have covered drinking more water, eating more fruits and vegetables, sleep and cutting back on bad carbohydrates. By the 24th you should have a nice collection of ideas that will help to improve your body and mind and prepare you to tackle a brand new year with a brand new you.

Today I would like to chat a bit more about stress, the good and the bad.  Enjoy this article contributed by the author of The Inner Peace Diet, a tasty little recipe follows the article.  

Stay well,

Finding Inner Peace During Times of Stress

Are you feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by the conflicting demands of work, home and holiday preparations?  Do you find it difficult to find the time and energy to eat nutritious, healthy meals due to your fast paced lifestyle?  You are not alone.   Unfortunately, life does not come with an instruction manual and most people don’t have personal chefs at their disposal.  One surefire way to attain serenity is to eat healthy foods, breathe mindfully, and feed your soul with joyful thoughts. 

Stress and fatigue are rampant in our society. Sometimes, mild stress can have positive health benefits. For example, it can serve as a motivator to achieve a desired fitness or educational goal.  However, over time, poorly managed stress can lead to medical problems such as anxiety, depression, digestive issues and obesity. In modern life, it is imperative to learn stress management techniques in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

One of the most effective stress management techniques is breath work.  Breathing exercises are free, are easy to learn and can be practiced virtually anywhere.

Breathe Your Stress Away

Breathing is of one of the most grounding and calming experiences we can attain. Does it seem silly to you read instructions about a concept as fundamental as breathing? Breath is something that most of us take for granted.  It is an involuntary response that we rarely think about. Air is one of our basic survival needs.  Without breath, human beings can only survive a maximum of ten minutes. Most of us do not breathe properly and deprive ourselves of the vital energy we need to prosper. By training our lungs to effectively take in and dispel air we can literally transform our lives and our bodies. 

The ffirst step to inner peace through breathing is to simply notice your own breathing patterns.  Sit quietly in a space where you will not be disturbed. Take a moment to close your eyes.  Become aware of your body drawing in air.  Do not attempt to change or alter anything. Simply notice your own unique and conditioned way of inhaling. Gently observe how you exhale. Do you empty your lungs completely?  Or do you hold your breath? Is your breathing rapid and shallow?  Does your chest expand when you take in oxygen?  Do you fill your belly with air or simply just inflate your upper lungs?  Is your breath even or is it jerky? Sit and notice your breath for ten minutes.  Our breath is often an accurate reflection of how we live our lives.  For example, does your rapid, uneven breathing mirror your chaotic and fast-paced lifestyle?   In your journal, write any thoughts feeling and behaviors that this exercise stirred within you.

Here are some breathing exercises to help you  reduce your stress level.

Breathing from your belly

Gently close your eyes.  Place your right hand over your heart center and your left hand over your belly. Placing your hand over your heart is an act of self-love that provides an instant sense of tranquility. By placing your hand over your belly you will be able to sense your deep breaths and learn how to breathe more effectively.   Allow yourself to breathe normally for three complete breaths. When you are ready, gently inhale. Fill you belly with a long cleansing breath.  Sense this breath with your left hand. First fill your belly with air, then fill your lower lungs with air and finally fill your upper lungs with air.  Imagine that you are filling a glass of clean, refreshing water.  Pour the water from the bottom of your belly to top of your lungs.  As you exhale, imagine that you are emptying the same glass of water. First empty the air from your upper lungs, then your lower lungs and finally empty your belly.  Practice this breath for ten minutes.  In order to enhance belly breathing, you may wish to visualize your belly as a large red balloon that expands during inhalation and deflates during exhalation.

Healing Breath

Gently close your eyes.  Lie down on the floor or assume a seated position that is comfortable for you.  Practice breathing naturally for a few moments.  Either silently or aloud ask yourself what part of your body most needs healing in this moment.  Place your dominant hand over the area of your body that requests therapeutic touch.  This area may be injured, infected or simply just calls out for your mindfulness.  Place your other hand on your abdomen.  Slowly inhale.  As you inhale, visualize a healing energy flowing into your dominant hand. Picture this energy as a repairing and rejuvenating white light.  With each inhalation, imagine this healing light purifying and cleansing this area of your body. As you exhale, imagine the pain and negativity washing out of your body and your life. Continue breathing deeply and visualizing the healing, white light for ten minutes.

In conclusion, here is a healthy, gourmet recipe that is a great way to use nourish your body and put that leftover holiday turkey to good use.

Relaxing Rice and Turkey Salad

10 ounces vegetable stock, organic and ready to serve
1 cup water
1 cup brown rice, long-grain, uncooked
1 cup whole kernel sweet corn
1 fresh tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup fresh parsley
3/4 cup turkey, cooked
1. In large stockpot over medium high heat, blend vegetable stock and water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add brown rice, corn, peas and carrots. Stir well.
2. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the water is absorbed.
3. Gradually add lemon juice and olive oil to mixture. Mix well. Add cheese, tomato, parsley and turkey. Toss well to coat
4. Transfer mixture to bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours. Serve.

 

Aileen McCabe-Maucher, RN, MSW, LCSW is co-author of The Inner Peace diet which will be published by Alpha/Penguin Books and released nationally on December 2, 2008.  She is a registered nurse, licensed clinical social worker, and nationally recognized mental health expert.  She is a professional psychotherapist and widely quoted health expert.  She can be reached at www.innerpeacediet.com.

Hugo Michael Maucher, is co-author of The Inner Peace Diet.  He is a graduate ofthe prestigious Johnson & Wales University.  He is a professional chef and former resaurant owner with over 20 years of experience in culinary arts and recipe design.  He has appeared as a guest chef on Philadelphia cooking shows and has worked wih the Food Network.  He can be reached via the website www.innerpeacediet.com.

12 days to a new you- fruits & vegetables

Photo by mundoo

Continuing on this journey of adding a positive something to each day over the next twelve days is still a bit of challenge.  But here we are, day three with both days two and three additions: fruits and vegetables.  You are still drinking your water.

You might be eating fruits and veggies throughout the day, however it doesn't hurt to assess how you are eating them and which ones.   Again, eating cold foods during the winter is not appealing to many people and is used as a crutch to avoid eating important nutrients. However fruits can be cooked, just as veggies so no excuses.

Besides the easy to find, everyday, local or imported fruit, there are so many more options to choose from.  The problem is sometimes we're just afraid, we don't know how to eat certain fruits, they can be a little expensive, etc.  However, it is a good idea to treat yourself and your family to a new fruit every once in  a while.  We eat grapes, apples, bananas, and strawberries like they're going out of style.  During the summer months we also add anything citrus such as oranges, tangerines, Clementine, and grapefruit.  But once in a while we step outside the box and try something new, such as pomegranate, persimmon, mangoes, and peaches.

As with fruits, there are vegetables we seem to always have on hand such as corn, green beans, legumes, carrots, celery and some type of lettuce.  That's great but to keep it interesting try new combinations, new vegetables and find ways to include these in your meals every day.  I know there are some interesting vegetables out there we just don't know what to with them.  Unfortunately, it is very easy to eat veggies that have been sauteed in butter, covered in creamy dressings, and over cooked.  Try adding a bit of olive oil instead of butter, add garlic or other salt-free spices, squeeze a lemon, broil, bake or blanch your veggies instead of boiling or microwaving.  You want your cooked vegetables to be crispy tender with bright colors, not wilted and tasteless.  

Get the kids involved in the selection and preparation process but be mindful of what you use as a dip or seasoning on your fruits and vegetables.  Avoid canned foods choosing frozen instead. Some fruits and vegetables are seasonal, so take advantage when they are in season to try them out.  Read about them online, learn about the benefits and how to eat or prepare them.  Knowing in advanced makes for a more positive experience for your and your family.

So we are drinking water, eating fruits and vegetables.   Great start! 

Stay well,

Resources for information on fruits and vegetables:

Fruits and Veggies: More Matters!

The World Healthiest Foods

Don’t give up during the holiday season

Many people give up their normal wellness routine or put off starting until after the holidays; the good old New Year's resolutions that start the first week in January and end about 8 weeks later. You know how crazy things get in January when everyone suddenly realizes they ate too much over the holidays and "starting now, I'm going to get my health under control" and it's all high energy, high motivation for a while.

Unfortunately, it doesn't last and then you're back to square one- finding excuses for not exercising. Yes, you're busy with work, the kids, life everyone is busy doing something pretty much all the time. Is that ever going to change? Will you ever have "extra" time? You have to make time, it belongs to you. I've said it before, take care of your body and it will take care of you. How else will you fight disease, seasonal and life threatening?

I do realize we eat more, not just during the holidays but during the cold season. Personally speaking, I sometimes struggle to find warm and cozy meals and snacks that are within the boundaries of healthy nutrition and it can be a bit of a challenge. There are times I give in to a thick, creamy soup or a rich dinner meal just because steaming-hot foods are inviting when I'm cold. Another common threat this time of year is the "cookie exchange parties" I love so much, not just because there are hundreds of delectable, home-made cookies but also because I love the social time with friends. I wouldn't want to hurt someone's feeling by not trying their cookie. Thank goodness I manage to keep those parties far apart. I already know I have to create a deficit of calories and fat intake in my meals and I work extra hard at the gym to keep up with my added caloric intake. It happens.

 

Instead of thinking of this time of year as an opportunity to give up or not start a new routine, let's put a positive spin on the season. If you are already following a wellness plan (eating healthy, exercising, getting enough rest, managing your time) these tips are for you:

1. Continue to manage your time with your to-do list, your family or personal planner. You have to keep the balance and not let yourself fall behind in the name of the holidays.
2. Increase your exercise routine: Add more high intensity exercises, more aerobic and anaerobic activities and increase your weight lifting by a day, a few pounds or a few extra sets. This next six weeks you should be working harder and burning more fat and calories.
3. Find healthy substitutes for your meals and snacks, particularly during the cold days and nights: some ideas for warm snacks are Hot Cocoa with Whipped Cream instead of Marshmallows; hot herbal tea at night; oatmeal; broth soup; cooked vegetables; baked apple with raisins and a little brown sugar and spices makes a very tasty desert, a bowl of whole grain cereal with warm milk….

If you are not following a wellness program and are thinking to start in the New Year—why wait. You deserve to do this for yourself, especially during these busy weeks – getting started means:

1. Prepare a Gym bag and fill it with a water bottle, iPod and headphones, hand fruit (apple, orange), protein bars, a towel and your workout clothes –KEEP IT BY THE FRONT DOOR or in the car!
2. Set aside 1 hour as many times a week as possible, at least 4 times a week, to go to the gym, go for a long, fast walk, to exercise with a video tape at home, to be active in your own back yard. It doesn't matter when but make it happen.
3. Make a list of all the healthy foods you know you need and stock up your pantry with fresh fruit, oatmeal, hot cocoa, pudding, whole grain cereal, granola, brown rice, unsalted nuts. Stock your fridge with 1% or fat free milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen vegetables, 100% fruit juice. You decide, but read that nutrition label and make sure you are not eating foods that are high in salt, sugar, fat, instead opt for high in protein and fiber.

Results – the benefits are obvious but I'll give you a hint—you will, no doubt, feel better, more energized, more alert and in the end you will be one less person talking about a New Year's resolution. Why wait until January or until Monday, START TODAY! Start NOW!

Stay Well,

Stress...it sometimes does that to you

 

Photo by Inkygirl

Over the last few days, weeks, maybe even months (not sure, I've lost track of time), I've been working through all my to-do's and following the schedules given to me by my children's schools, my job and my own schooling.  As one would imagine, something had to give eventually.  Remember me? I was the one feeling excited because the kids were going back to school and we were going back to a "routine."  Oh wow, routine it is.  Unfotunately, the kids' school schedule is not flexible, therefore, many things have to be planned around them, not me.  Anyway, somewhere along the way I skipped a chore, postponed an appointment and procrastinated on a project which means I personally threw the schedule off balance, leaving me with more to do in a shorter period of time.  Great!  Just what I needed.  However, I think if I stay up all night for several nights I will be able to get back those lost hours and hopefully get all  the projects done yesterday.  Have I learned my lesson about procrastination -- YES!  If you're gonna do it, do it right!

But seriously, I started to feel the pressure of what I HAVE to do last night when I was up at two A.M. working on a simple 250 word essay about Hammurabi's Code.  Then I spent the next few hours dreaming about how it really didn't take much for someone to get severly punished back then.  Well, at least he had the laws written in stone, pun totally intended.  An hour later the alarm went off and it hit me... this was my last chance at sleeping until bed time tonight.  CAFFEINE, where are you my friend!!  

Now, here's what happens when I'm stressed AND tired:

1.  I eat more carbs than usual because I want fast energy.  Who cares what happens an hour later, I can always eat more carbs.

2.  I crave salty and sweet foods because sometimes I can justify how I feel and treat my symptoms with food crap!

3.  My workouts are not efficient and I do repeat to everyone within ears shot "I didn't sleep well last night," as if they cared.

4. I don't sleep well because for some reason I need to go over my to-do list in my head.

5. I'm cranky (not be confused with hormonal).

Unfortunately, this causes a cycle of bad choices and bad attitudes and more stress because even though I have a to-do list dictating what I HAVE to do as opposed to the general chores that should get done before company comes, I stress about each and everyone one of those items on my list I should have done two weeks ago.  Meanwhile, nothing gets done and I get overwhelmed.  What the hey!  I got up this morning with a plan to get over this issue because the last thing I need is to add bad carbs and inefficient exercise to my routine. (oh yes and lack of sleep zzzzzzz).

1.  I will do the bare minimum chores because no one is coming to visit--but if someone shows up, just put them to work.

2.  I will break down my projects (school essays, redecorating, organizing closets, etc) so that I do a little everyday, therefore completing the project over several days or weeks instead of several hours.

3. Take a nap... I will take a nap today... I must!

4.  I will continue to exercise--that's a habit not worth breaking.

5.  I will make a concious effort to feed my body not my cravings

Check out this article about Stress on MedicineNet written by  Peter J. Panzarino Jr., MD, FAPA  where he states that "Stress is related to both external and internal factors. External factors include the physical environment, including your job, your relationships with others, your home, and all the situations, challenges, difficulties, and expectations you're confronted with on a daily basis. Internal factors determine your body's ability to respond to, and deal with, the external stress-inducing factors. Internal factors which influence your ability to handle stress include your nutritional status, overall health and fitness levels, emotional well-being, and the amount of sleep and rest you get."

I like the first step solution; according to this article "Exercise on a regular basis helps to turn down the production of stress hormones and neurochemicals. Thus, exercise can help avoid the damage to our health that prolonged stress can cause. "

Well then, go to the gym, get a really good workout, eat a healthy lunch, drink plenty of water and get some well-needed rest.  Most of us know this but it doesn't hurt to hear it, read it and do it again!  As a last resort or maybe I'll put this higher on the list, Get a professional MASSAGE!

Stay Well,