You and all your friends are invited to a FREE Healthy Habits 7-Day Challenge starting Monday, August 11, 2014! The object of this healthy challenge is to implement healthy habits, get in a little exercise and have fun doing it! Anyone and everyone is invited. We'll meet in a private group here on Facebook. The challenge will be filled with supportive people who want to be healthy, vibrant people.
The foundation of my nutrition coaching program is to work with people one-on-one to develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime. My belief is that, for some people, it can be very overwhelming to try to fix everything at once. For those folks, I highly recommend working with me one-on-one. However, for some people it can be good to take a bit more of a running start. For those people I have developed this Healthy Habits 7-Day Challenge. But, anyone is welcome - those who like to start at a crawl or those who like to hit the ground running (or anyone in between). If you're considering nutrition coaching this FREE challenge will give you an overview of my program.
Each day I will introduce the Healthy Habit of the Day that you'll be working on. Also, we will have an exercise challenge (it won't be too hard, I promise!). And there will be encouraging words throughout the day. I’ll be there to support you all the way – as will your fellow challengers!
Click the link below to join the group!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/aug2014healthyhabits/
Can't wait to have you part of the group!! It's going to be FUN!
Itching for something sweet but don't want to blow your diet? Try a baked apple! It takes just minutes in a microwave.
Baked Apple for One
1 apple - cored, but leave some on the bottom of the apple to hold the following ingredients
1/2t brown sugar
1/4t cinnamon
1t raisins
1t butter - Kerrygold is best as it's grass fed
Fill cored apple with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and butter. Put in a microwave safe dish, cover, and cook on high for 3 minutes (or until the apple is very soft). If you would prefer (and this is my favorite way), bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-30 min (all depends on the size of the apple). Just poke a knife into the apple to determine if it's soft all the way through.
Note: let the apple cool for a few minutes before consuming as the sugar can get very hot.
Bon apetito!
Weight loss can be such a mental game. We eat because we're bored. We eat because we're mad. We eat because we're sad. We eat because we're hormonal. We eat because, because, because.... Our mind and emotions are a powerful force for either good or bad, success or failure.
I just came across this quote from The Compound Effect and it made me think about weight loss:
"Our brain is always trying to align our outer world with what we're seeing and expecting in our inner world. So when you instruct your brain to look for the things you want, you will begin to see them. In fact, the object of your desire has probably always existed around you, but your mind and eyes weren't open to see it."
What do you think would happen if we chose to continually tell ourselves we are capable of being the healthy, fit individual we want to be? We adopted a thought like the little train that said, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can"? Would we start to align ourselves with that thought? Perhaps we would start doing the things that allowed us to reach that goal. We'd drink a big glass of water and walk away from that cookie. We'd walk an extra 15 minutes. We'd push a little harder getting that heavy weight up on our bench presses. We’d go to an exercise class we’ve avoiding for so long because we felt awkward or weak.
So, today, I want you to CHOOSE to start believing you CAN achieve whatever health goals you've wanted for a long time. Write your goal on a paper and stick it to your refrigerator, your computer screen, and your bathroom mirror. Find others that will support you and maybe even join in with you. Having the right mindset and pairing that with being in a supportive environment can make all the difference.
So, starting believing you can today. Adopt the mindset “I can…I WILL.” If you’re struggling to find a supportive person in your world give me a call. 925-876-5891. I’ll help you find the right mindset, show you ways you can be successful and help you achieve your goals.
Is organic really better than conventionally grown?
Short answer: Yes. Emphatically, yes.
Longer answer:
Organic food is grown without the use of chemical pesticides. Because the pesticides are systemic to the food one cannot simply wash off all the pesticides. The chemicals are systemic to the food (all throughout).
Also, a recent study from Stanford University, along with a review of over 300 other studies by European scientists, show that organic foods have 48% lower amounts of cadmium which is a toxic metal which causes cancer.
And though I could go on for much longer about the benefits of organic food, I will leave you with just one last thought. The same study I mentioned above discovered that organically grown foods have 18-69% more antioxidants than conventional foods. And why is this important? Antioxidants protect your body from damage by free radicals. And damage from free radicals can lead to chronic disease including cancer, Alzheimer, and Parkinson's.
Can't afford to go all organic? You're not alone. Try switching over a few of the "dirtiest" fruits and veggies, which have the most amount of pesticides, over to organic.
Here they are:
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes
Snap peas (imported)
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Blueberries (domestic)
Want to read more about the benefits of organic foods? Check out this article by Dr. Mercola, a well known naturopathic physician.
http://tiny.cc/wbkrjx
We all know we should be eating our veggies, every day, with every meal, right? Well, if you didn't know that - now you do. But, here's a little peak into the science of it.
We will take broccoli, for instance. Broccoli has compounds called isiothiocyanates. The liver has specific genes which detoxify (get rid of) cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins. BUT - and here is where it gets really cool - these genes in our liver stay DORMANT, or inactive, until we enter isiothiocyanates into the equation. Those genes in our liver, which could do a whole heck of a lot of good, won't do anything for us unless we give our liver what it needs to turn on these genes. Broccoli "turns them on".
Another example is cooked tomatoes. This one is probably a bit more familiar to you due to advertising. Cooked tomatoes have a compound called lycopene. Lycopenes switch OFF genes in the prostate that increase risk of cancer. So, if men eat more cooked tomatoes, this gene gets turned on and their risk for prostate cancer decreases. Lycopene has also been shown to protect against cervical cancer.
Moral of the story: eat your vegetables. Your health depends on it.
What if I told you the ONLY way you could change your physique, lose weight, and be healthy was to completely overhaul your life by giving up every bad habit, start exercising daily and generally do everything "right" towards your health RIGHT NOW. No ramping up, no easing in - you just have to do it now. What would you say to this? You'd probably tell me I was crazy, right? No way, no how, you couldn't do it.
But isn't this the way most of us approach our health? We turn over a new leaf? We make a New Year's Resolution? We start that new diet program which restricts us from everything we love? And we try this for about 5 days (if we're lucky) and then we give up because it's just too dang hard. If anyone else in our world tried to overhaul every habit overnight we would think THEY were crazy. But, we will try to do it overnight.
So why do we do this to ourselves? I think it’s because we've been frustrated with our weight or lack of energy for years now and we're just tired of it. We just want results and we want them NOW. We want to feel better and we want to be skinnier and we want it all yesterday.
But we all know life doesn't work this way. Results take time. But, getting them really doesn't have to be as painful and arduous as an overnight, dump every bad habit process. You can change your life one step at a time.
When I work with clients, in either improving their fitness level or overall health, I take them one step, one habit at a time. Together we find one thing they can work on (something small but with a lot of payback) and focus on just one habit. Every day the only thing they try to change is one behavior. Sometimes it's a bad habit we replace with a good habit and sometimes it's simply starting a brand new one. Whatever it is, it's a small, sustainable change that will reap them big rewards in the long run (or even the short run). The next week, if they have been successful, and they usually have, they work on another habit. Remember it was a small change. Over time my clients change many habits and find themselves dramatically healthier, fitter and thinner.
So next time you’re thinking about working on your fitness, health, weight loss or any other aspect of your life try just choosing one habit you want to change and focus on just that one habit until you have it down. You’ll find that it’s much easier to find success in one habit rather than trying to do it all at once.
Need helping finding those habits? Give me a call. (925) 876-5891. I work with nutrition clients anywhere in the country. I’d love to be a part of your journey towards a healthier, happier, more vibrant life.
Having a cheat meal every once in a while is fine. But most of the time you should be asking yourself....
I find it very hard to consume an adequate amount of vegetables when my life is very busy. Being a full-time mom who is starting her own business and studying for a certification all at the same time makes my life feel a tad chaotic some days. In order to maintain my healthy eating habits I need to use a few strategies. This is especially true when it comes to veggie consumption.
I have two main strategies to make sure I keep eating enough vegetables. The first is blending vegetables in my protein shakes. I started this practice a number of years ago. At first the only thing I added in my shakes was spinach. And trust me when I say it really doesn't add much flavor. Cucumber can also be added without too much flavor. When I first started adding veggies I used a Magic Bullet. And it worked just fine for the easily blended spinach or other greens. Today, however, I add a lot of stuff to my shakes and my palate has adjusted to all the flavor "boosts". In fact, I CRAVE these shakes. I add all sorts of greens including kale, spinach, collards, and chard. I add small bits of beet, celery, cucumber, and carrots. Today I have a Vitamix and it was one of the best investments that I have ever made. Every smoothie is SMOOTH. (By the way, be sure to add fat into your smoothies. It has a lot of health benefits but the purpose here is for your body to absorb those antioxidants in the veggies (and fruit) more easily.)
My second strategy for increased/adequate veggie consumption is chopping up a huge batch of salad veggies and eating at least one salad every day. Today I chopped up cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, cucumber, and celery. I've chopped enough for about 5 days. It doesn't take that much time to chop the vegetables. You can spend 30-45 minutes (depending on your knife skills) and you've got an easy meal for almost a week. I add avocado or nuts and a homemade salad dressing and I'm ready. Sometimes I also add precooked chicken strips that I get at Costco or some other protein. (True Story organic roasted chicken breast is delicious. And quick!)
Eating healthily does not have to be hard or laborious. Just find a few strategies that help you easily consume healthy foods. Veggie Up!
Fasting. The second most people hear the word "Fast" in regards to food they freak out and say, "No way I could do that." We live in a culture that says you're hungry (or you THINK you're hungry) - EAT.
But amazing results can come through fasting. And there are all different ways to fast. Fasting doesn't always mean nothing but water all day. Sometimes fasting is only eating certain hours of the day. Sometimes it's only eating limited calories every other day or 2 days a week. My point is there are options to all day fasting which will still produce great results.
Recently, I listened to a talk given by Dr. John Berardi, of Precision Nutrition. He outlined these amazing benefits of fasting:
Reduced
1. Blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides)
2. Blood pressure
3. Inflammation (CRP, IL-6, TNF, BDNF - linked to alzheimers)
4. Oxidative stress
5. Risk of Cancer
Increased
1. Cell turnover and repair
2. Fat burning (fatty acid oxidation later in the fast)
3. Growth hormone (longer fast goes (24-36hr+ 500% increase)
4. Metabolic Rate
5. Mental clarity
Currently, I am following an intermittent fasting program where I stop eating 3 hours before bed and don't eat again until after my workout (which is close to 11:30am most days). On my rest days I often won't eat until after noon. At first it was hard. I'll admit it. But after a day or two I found that my hungry "pains" passed fairly easily after drinking a glass of water. I've lost a few nagging pounds. I can see my ab muscles just a bit better. And in a few months I'll retest my blood to see what benefits have been had in that area.
So, give it a try. Not sure how to proceed with an intermittent fast. Want to talk more about your options? Give me a call. I'd love to help.
