1. Exercise at least five times a week. Do not put it off; just make it a habit and do it!
2. Avoid dieting. Adopt a healthy, balanced eating plan, using the food pyramid as guide for number of size of portions.
3. Do not smoke. It increases your risk of every single disease I have ever read about – every single one. It’s expensive, it ages you and it makes you smell terrible.
4. Maintain a healthy weight and waistline. Having a waistline larger than 35 inches increases a woman’s risk of heart disease.
5. Get enough sleep. Most adults need 7-8 hours. Figure out how much sleep you need nightly, avoid ingesting caffeine or alcohol late in the day, and have a regular time to go to bed and wake up.
6. Practice prevention. Give yourself breast exams. Wear sunscreen whenever you’ll be outside for more than ten minutes. Commit to having only safe sex. (Sane sex is even better!)
7. Go to your annual OB/GYN appointment and have that colonoscopy when you turn fifty. While you’re at the doctor, ask about what supplements you may need, such as calcium, iron, or glucosamine.
8. Nurture your soul and have some fun every day. Keep a joke book on your night stand, and if you cannot remember laughing that day, read something funny before you turn out the light. As you drop off to sleep, count ten blessings you experienced that day.
9. Lower your risk of periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease by flossing your teeth daily. Have that semi-annual dental exam.
10. Eat five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits every day. They are loaded with nutrients and low in calorie. They and exercise are how I manage my weight so well.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
How is Your Work-Life Balance?
Did you know that in 1973, the median number of hours worked per week was 40.6? By 1997, it had climbed to 50.8 hours per week. Work, as defined for this research by Louis Harris & Associates, includes working for pay, keeping house, and going to school. The median number of leisure hours per week has dropped from 26.2 hours in 1973 to 19.5 hours in 1997. I doubt it’s any better today. With the explosion of electronic communication options employees have, people can work anywhere at any time, if they choose to.
Work-life balance is a combination of activities that produces both achievement and enjoyment. Balancing work and home life does not mean an equal balance in every area. Consider that working full-time and commuting to work takes about 60% of a workday, given 8 hours of sleep per night. Also, weekday activities and schedules are different than weekends for most people.
Your best individual work-life balance will vary over time, often daily. Life is dynamic, so we need to stay flexible. If we stay centered and focused, we can maintain our equilibrium, like a juggler balancing plates in the circus. Lifestyles, and therefore balance, shift as our lives change – career, children, aging parents, and health needs.
Remember, there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all, balance. We can’t judge our balance according to someone else’s balance. Our needs, personalities, abilities, likes and dislikes are unique, so our sense of balance must be tailored to accommodate these.
Work-life balance is a combination of activities that produces both achievement and enjoyment. Balancing work and home life does not mean an equal balance in every area. Consider that working full-time and commuting to work takes about 60% of a workday, given 8 hours of sleep per night. Also, weekday activities and schedules are different than weekends for most people.
Your best individual work-life balance will vary over time, often daily. Life is dynamic, so we need to stay flexible. If we stay centered and focused, we can maintain our equilibrium, like a juggler balancing plates in the circus. Lifestyles, and therefore balance, shift as our lives change – career, children, aging parents, and health needs.
Remember, there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all, balance. We can’t judge our balance according to someone else’s balance. Our needs, personalities, abilities, likes and dislikes are unique, so our sense of balance must be tailored to accommodate these.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Twelve More Ways to Enjoy Vegetables
I am the vegetable queen in my house, so here are another 12 ways to enjoy those veggies:
1. Stir fry any combination of veggies (using Pam), seasoning with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, curry, etc.
2. Steam veggies (such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, string beans) on stove or in microwave; lightly season or spray with liquid margarine.
3. Turn a baked potato into a meal by topping with broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, low fat chili etc. and low fat cheese or FF sour cream.
4. Microwave sliced zucchini and canned tomatoes (add a can of sauce if preferred) with Italian seasoning and garlic powder; top with shredded low fat mozzarella.
5. Broil tomato halves seasoned with Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.
6. Use low fat salad dressing, mustard, tomato sauce, salsa, and other “disguises” to eat more vegetables and learn to like them.
7. When dining out ask to substitute salad or steamed veggies for fries.
8. For variety, choose broth-based vegetables soups instead of salad as an appetizer.
9. When attending a lunch or dinner meeting, ask the server if there is a vegetarian choice – it’s usually delicious!
10. Prepare a portable snack of bite-sized carrot and celery pieces mixed with grapes or raisins – great for the car or at the desk.
11. Remember that soups, casseroles, and tomato sauce are excellent ways to add vegetables while masking the taste, if you need to.
12. Heat a can of stewed tomatoes. Add seasoning if desired, and eat as a chunky tomato soup.
1. Stir fry any combination of veggies (using Pam), seasoning with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, curry, etc.
2. Steam veggies (such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, string beans) on stove or in microwave; lightly season or spray with liquid margarine.
3. Turn a baked potato into a meal by topping with broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, low fat chili etc. and low fat cheese or FF sour cream.
4. Microwave sliced zucchini and canned tomatoes (add a can of sauce if preferred) with Italian seasoning and garlic powder; top with shredded low fat mozzarella.
5. Broil tomato halves seasoned with Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.
6. Use low fat salad dressing, mustard, tomato sauce, salsa, and other “disguises” to eat more vegetables and learn to like them.
7. When dining out ask to substitute salad or steamed veggies for fries.
8. For variety, choose broth-based vegetables soups instead of salad as an appetizer.
9. When attending a lunch or dinner meeting, ask the server if there is a vegetarian choice – it’s usually delicious!
10. Prepare a portable snack of bite-sized carrot and celery pieces mixed with grapes or raisins – great for the car or at the desk.
11. Remember that soups, casseroles, and tomato sauce are excellent ways to add vegetables while masking the taste, if you need to.
12. Heat a can of stewed tomatoes. Add seasoning if desired, and eat as a chunky tomato soup.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Yes You Can Eat More Vegetables
Here are 13 ways to begin working toward that three to five servings of vegetables health experts recommend we eat each day:
1. Start with what you know you like – most people like corn, lettuce, and tomato sauce – and build from there.
2. Add vegetables to your sandwiches – lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pepper, sprouts, mushrooms.
3. Top pizza with vegetables.
4. Add a bag of frozen vegetable when making frozen bag meals (such as Lean Cuisine) – there’s enough sauce, and it serves four.
5. Make vegetable fajitas using red, green, and yellow peppers, onion, zucchini, etc. and fajita seasoning.
6. Make omelets with egg substitute or egg whites, adding your favorite vegetables.
7. Try tomato sauce in your omelets (trust me on this; it’s my favorite!)
8. Add tomatoes, shredded carrots or zucchini, and/or mushrooms to your spaghetti sauce.
9. Make crockpot ratatouille (a vegetable stew consisting of eggplant, zucchini, onion, garlic, tomato (fresh or canned), bell pepper, Italian seasoning); freeze and have on hand.
10. Make a low fat or fat free cole slaw using bagged cole slaw mix (without dressing), adding fruit and/or nuts for variety. Use low fat or fat free mayonnaise in your favorite cole slaw dressing recipe.
11. Grill veggies (onion, peppers, portabella mushrooms, zucchini, etc.) for sandwiches or as a side dish; brush with FF Italian dressing or a mix of olive oil and flavored vinegar.
12. Grill skewers with onion, mushrooms, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, pineapple, and chicken or lean pork, if desired.
13. Don’t assume you don’t like unfamiliar vegetables – try them! Remember that our tastes change over time, so try them again if it’s been more than a year.
1. Start with what you know you like – most people like corn, lettuce, and tomato sauce – and build from there.
2. Add vegetables to your sandwiches – lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pepper, sprouts, mushrooms.
3. Top pizza with vegetables.
4. Add a bag of frozen vegetable when making frozen bag meals (such as Lean Cuisine) – there’s enough sauce, and it serves four.
5. Make vegetable fajitas using red, green, and yellow peppers, onion, zucchini, etc. and fajita seasoning.
6. Make omelets with egg substitute or egg whites, adding your favorite vegetables.
7. Try tomato sauce in your omelets (trust me on this; it’s my favorite!)
8. Add tomatoes, shredded carrots or zucchini, and/or mushrooms to your spaghetti sauce.
9. Make crockpot ratatouille (a vegetable stew consisting of eggplant, zucchini, onion, garlic, tomato (fresh or canned), bell pepper, Italian seasoning); freeze and have on hand.
10. Make a low fat or fat free cole slaw using bagged cole slaw mix (without dressing), adding fruit and/or nuts for variety. Use low fat or fat free mayonnaise in your favorite cole slaw dressing recipe.
11. Grill veggies (onion, peppers, portabella mushrooms, zucchini, etc.) for sandwiches or as a side dish; brush with FF Italian dressing or a mix of olive oil and flavored vinegar.
12. Grill skewers with onion, mushrooms, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, pineapple, and chicken or lean pork, if desired.
13. Don’t assume you don’t like unfamiliar vegetables – try them! Remember that our tastes change over time, so try them again if it’s been more than a year.
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