Mixed nuts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Get Your Happy on…

The Beatles claimed happiness is a warm gun, but there are definitely much more peaceful ways to get your happy on.  Research shows that foods such as nuts and seeds can aid in mood stabilization and can actually boost self-esteem.  Most nuts are composed of about 20% protein, large quantities of vitamins E and B6 and omega-6 fatty acids.  Vitamin B6 helps to make serotonin so a deficiency could lead to mood swings (and cravings!).  These ingredients combine to boost your mood in a very similar way to anti-depressants.

Go Nuts—or Nuts to Go

We can all stand to get a little nutty, so why not make yourself a little happiness to go.  Combine some assorted nuts and keep them handy in your car, purse or gym bag.  I usually bring a banana to go with them and make that my mid-morning snack.  Just remember that nuts have a good amount of calories, (while they vary, you can approximate that about 10-12 nuts have close to 100 calories)  so eat them slowly and remember that portion-control is the key to weight management!

As Mother Nature continues to roar, I am keeping good thoughts for all the people effected by yesterday’s disastrous tornadoes.  Remember to make each and every day special and be grateful for all you have.

Come Monday (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For most of us, Monday marks the start of a new week and I can’t think of a better day to commit to get fit.  The first thing you need is to put your money where your mind is, because your success is dependent upon first, what you think and then, what you do.

Tips of the Trade

There are several very effective tools in your tool box, you just need to pull them out and use them.  If you are thinking that they aren’t for you, keep in mind the quote about what defines insanity—doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results.  Let’s make this the week that things turn around for you by trying some of these tried and true tips.

*TAKE A PLEDGE.  Sign a simple contract with yourself, committing to move yourself from the thinking stage to the doing stage.  Taking this one step will makes you 10X more likely to achieve your goals.

*BE DETAIL ORIENTED.  Instead of vague goals like “I will exercise more this week,” be specific.  Take out your calendar and set up not only specific times to workout, but also be clear about what your workout will involve.  An example might be, “this week I will walk for 30 minutes on Monday and Friday and ride my bike for 30 minutes on Saturday I will walk and ride my bike for a total of an hour.”  Research shows the more specific you are the more likely you are to do it.  I would always suggest that you also have a B plan, in case of weather…Don’t let weather sabotage your goals.

*KEEP A LOG.  Whether with a pen and paper or on the computer, or smart phone, log your workouts as this will make you feel very accomplished.  More importantly, log your food intake!  Those that do both lose twice as much weight as those that don’t.

Question mark (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And the Question is…

These are just 3 of the tips that will help you jump start your new you.  Before you click out and begin your new week, ask yourself this question…Will I exercise this week?  Just asking this of yourself, and answering “yes,” had the power to double the workouts you will do.

Keep YOUR mind connected to your goals and….Just Do It!

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

–E.E. Cummings

Happy Saturday everyone!

We can learn a lot from animals!  Hoping you can make some time to simply “purr” (or OM) yourself this weekend.  Happy Friday to you!

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What a huge statement from Kaiser Permanente, as they published an article in its medical science journal recommending that physicians consider a plant-based diet for ALL patients.  The article states, “Healthy eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet, which we define as a regimen that encourages eating whole, plant-based foods and discourages meats, dairy products and eggs as well as refined and processed foods.” The article goes on to say that, “physicians looking for cost-effective interventions to improve health outcomes are becoming more involved in helping their patients adopt healthier lifestyles. Research shows that plant-based diets are cost effective, low risk interventions that may lower body mass index, blood pressure, HbA1C, and cholesterol levels.  They may also reduce the number of medications needed to treat chronic diseases and lower ischemic heart disease mortality rates.  Physicians should consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.”

If you would like to read the article in its entirety visit www.ForksOverKnives.com  This site is chock-full of great articles, videos and recipes, and they will be happy to send you their newsletter.  This week there is also a Q&A with Rip Esselstyn about his new book, “My Beef with Meat.”  What a great title!!!!!  There are also a couple of recipes including caramel apples!

Before I sign off, I thought vegan Thursday was as good a day as any to share a picture of one of the pineapples growing in our yard.  With berries on the bushes, mangoes and lemons in the trees and pineapples growing in the front yard, it’s a great season to be a plant-based eater!

Who knew when we moved to Florida 30 years ago, that someday we’d become pineapple growers!  They are so easy to grow here.  You simply twist off the top of a pineapple and stick it in the ground and wait.  It will take a couple of years, but one day you will notice a little acorn like thing growing out of the center and again, all you do is watch and wait.  You will know when it’s ready to come off the base when it starts to turn sideways.  Again, Mother Nature really knows her stuff.

Hoping YOU will consider a plant-based meal or two on this day…and every day.  It’s as good for your health as the health of your planet and the animals that share it with us!  As always, I am greatly appreciative for the time you took to visit and read….Make it a great day!

Another beautiful thing about being outside is the dose of vitamin D we get.  There is no supplement that can hold a candle to that big ball of light in the sky.  The thing about the sun is, though, as we all know, is that in order to get enough of it for a tan, we have probably gotten too much.  Did you know, though, that colorful, carotenoid-rich fruits and veggies are nature’s self-tanners?  In research done in Scotland, people who added more fresh produce to their diets found that their skin took on a warm golden glow, which was seen as more attractive by study participants that the skin tone of the people who ate less produce.  Bonus:  eating antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables protects your skin from free radicals and sun damage.  Just one of the many reasons to eat colorful foods!

English: Mother Nature Română: Mama natura (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mother Nature has done this incredible job of giving us everything we need to be happy, healthy and look terrific.  Thanks, momma N. You always take care of everything.

English: Bare feet running (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This morning I would like to thank Iris for a super interesting article about the poor misunderstood….cholesterol.  While I gleaned tons of info from this article, I would like to focus in and share a couple of sentences from Dr. Mercola*.  This is part of a list of way to optimize your cholesterol profile and prevent heart disease.  Of course, we know, at the top of the list are…exercise and diet.  (Dr. Mercola strongly feels, as many do, that sugar is much more responsible for heart disease than cholesterol.)  Down lower on the list he suggests the following and I love it:

“Walk barefoot to ground yourself to the earth.  Lack of grounding has a lot to do with the rise in modern diseases as it effects the inflammatory process in your body.  Grounding thins your blood, making it less viscous.  Virtually every aspect of cardiovascular disease has been correlated with elevated blood viscosity.  When you ground to the earth, your zeta potential quickly rises, which means your red blood cells have more change on their surface, which forces them apart from each other.  This action causes your blood to thin and flow easier.  By repelling each other, your red blood cells are also less inclined to stick together and form a clot.”

I never heard this before but I can say that I have always been a big fan of walking barefoot and when I donate blood it does flows very, very quickly.  Thinking about all those barefoot runners, and how they may be doing more good for their health than they even know!  Perhaps the best thing we can do for our heart is get out there and take a nice long walk on the beach–barefoot, of course!

*Dr. Mercola is an alternative medicine physician and author and it’s important to note that a good deal of controversy surrounds his thinking, as is the case with most physicians and health care professionals who tout natural remedies.  Big Pharma doesn’t like ANYONE who suggests that there are other, more natural, paths to wellness.  This is especially true with statins, as they are one of the most prescribed drugs on the market and are the NUMBER ONE profit-makers for the industry.  Mull that around in your head for a bit!

Get out there and seize YOUR day!

BALANCING SCALES.  TO WEIGH OR NOT TO WEIGH?

English: Old Weighing scale (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The scale is just one way to measure our weight and weight loss (or gain!) journey.  Sometimes, the scale can be a very helpful tool and other times it can work against our efforts.  Personally, I have a compulsion to weigh in much too often, and I am not proud of it and don’t advocate it!  There are too many variable that can effect our fluctuations.  In a perfect world, I would advise weighing only once or twice a week.  I would also advise using other tools like tape measures, clothing and HOW YOU FEEL!  Here’s one reason the scale can work against us:

Water Water Everywhere…

Did you know that a side effect of regular exercise is holding onto a few extra pounds?  I’ll explain in a minute, but reading this last night was the first time I thought about this and how much sense it actually makes. Working out, especially in the early stages, but after that too, can cause us to retain water.  Apparently, our incredibly smart bodies are designed to prevent dehydration so they hand on to some extra water to compensate for the workouts.  According to Michele S. Olson, Ph.D.  those of us who workout regularly, store an extra two to four pounds of water in our plasma.  Dr. Olson adds that “this is not fat or muscle, but simply super hydration.  It’s a good thing.”  This explains a lot to me with regard to why, when I take some time off from work, my weight actually goes down.  I now understand, it’s nothing more than fluid fluctuations. It also explains why I am such a good floater!!!

Making Peace…

So, if you have been working out regularly and sticking to your goals, don’t hate the scale and by all means DO NOT cut back on your water.  Drink MORE water.  It will tell your body it doesn’t have to hold on so tightly to prevent dehydration.  Be excited about how much stronger you are and how much more you can do.  Easing off on exercise a day or two before a big occasion might help you shed those extra pounds, looking much more defined, but remember…

Tara-Jackson-Collage (Photo credit: idccollage)

Wishing all the mom’s a very happy Mother’s Day.  To my 2 moms, you are always in my heart.  To my children, thank you for making every single, solitary day a good day to be your mom.

English: Mother's Day card (Photo credit: Wikipedia)