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. Lifestyles, and therefore balance, shift as our lives change – career, children, aging parents, and health needs. Our needs, personalities, abilities, likes and dislikes are unique, so our sense of balance must be tailored to accommodate these.
Remember, there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all, balance. We can’t judge our balance according to someone else’s balance. To help achieve greater balance in your life, consider taking the Birkman Preview Report. It’s a great way to clarify what you need most in your life to look, feel, and be your very best.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Creating Positive Habits
Last week we looked at the impact positive habits can have on virtually every aspect of our lives. So how do you go about adding new positive habits to your life? It's really quite easy. You simply begin repeating an action, attitude or thought process every day for at least 21 days. Research has shown that an action that is repeated for a minimum of 21 days is likely to become a permanent habit. But be careful – from my experience it takes much less than 21 days to lose a good habit, like walking the dog. When life gets challenging and I can’t do the daily good things I usually do for myself, such as going to the gym, I make it a point to go at least once a week. This way the habit is maintained, and it’s much easier to get back on schedule when things settle down.
Another way to incorporate a positive habit in your life is to swap one habit for another. Say dessert is a habit you enjoy, but would like to eliminate or at least reduce. You might consider swapping your typical dessert for something you’ll still enjoy, but would have had as part of your meal, such as a cup of flavored low fat yogurt or fresh fruit with ½ ounce of chopped walnuts on top. Consuming this food at the end of your meal or even later in the evening would make it feel like dessert, without the extra calories and being a lot healthier.
Remember that positive habits have positive benefits, and you will reap those benefits for as long as you maintain that habit. So think about one positive habit you'd like to acquire, and begin today to put it into action!
Another way to incorporate a positive habit in your life is to swap one habit for another. Say dessert is a habit you enjoy, but would like to eliminate or at least reduce. You might consider swapping your typical dessert for something you’ll still enjoy, but would have had as part of your meal, such as a cup of flavored low fat yogurt or fresh fruit with ½ ounce of chopped walnuts on top. Consuming this food at the end of your meal or even later in the evening would make it feel like dessert, without the extra calories and being a lot healthier.
Remember that positive habits have positive benefits, and you will reap those benefits for as long as you maintain that habit. So think about one positive habit you'd like to acquire, and begin today to put it into action!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Positive Habits are Powerful
Did you know that habits are incredibly powerful tools for personal growth and success? Habits affect virtually every aspect of your life. Your weight and health are influenced by your eating habits. Your relationships with people are affected by your social habits. Your success at work is impacted by your work habits and your sleeping habits dictate how well you sleep. You have sexual habits and even buying habits. Your character, health, career success, and virtually every aspect of your life are indeed determined by your habits.
The dictionary defines a habit as an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. The most important words in this definition are acquired and almost involuntary. You may not realize it, but it really is east to acquire positive habits to change your life. Consider the phrase almost involuntary. This means the habit is so powerful in your mind that it is almost unstoppable!
What is a positive habit? A positive habit is simply a habit that produces the positive benefits, actions and attitudes you want to acquire and make a part of your life. Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect change? Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent.
The power of positive habits can propel you toward success, happiness, and a healthy weight.
The dictionary defines a habit as an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. The most important words in this definition are acquired and almost involuntary. You may not realize it, but it really is east to acquire positive habits to change your life. Consider the phrase almost involuntary. This means the habit is so powerful in your mind that it is almost unstoppable!
What is a positive habit? A positive habit is simply a habit that produces the positive benefits, actions and attitudes you want to acquire and make a part of your life. Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect change? Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent.
The power of positive habits can propel you toward success, happiness, and a healthy weight.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Keep Your Food Safe
Do you know how to keep your food safe? Try this true-false quiz to see!
1. To keep most bacteria in a state of suspended animation, keep your refrigerator below 40 degrees F.
2. Although using a thermometer is the only way to know for sure the temperature of your refrigerator, only one in four households uses one.
3. Looking at and sniffing food is a reliable way to determine if most foods are safe to eat.
4. It’s okay to trim away the mold from hard cheeses or firm fruits or vegetables, such as carrots or bell peppers, and eat the rest.
5. The five-second rule, that it is safe to eat a food if it is picked up within five seconds of being dropped, is a myth.
6. Foods kept frozen continuously at 0 degrees F or colder are safe to eat indefinitely.
7. During a power outage, meat and seafood should not be refrozen if the power has been out for over 8 hours.
The answers: 1. T 2. F, only one in nine uses a thermometer. 3. F., this will detect the presence of spoilage microorganisms, not necessarily food pathogens. 4. T, it’s difficult for the mold to penetrate dense foods. However, if you find spots of mold on porous foods like bread or soft foods such as yogurt, discard the food because it could be contaminated below the surface. 5. T, this is a myth; the food picks up bacteria immediately on contact. 6. T, although the taste and appearance may deteriorate over time. 7. F, they can be refrozen if they still contain ice crystals or the freezer temperature has not risen above 40 degrees F.
Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter November 2011
1. To keep most bacteria in a state of suspended animation, keep your refrigerator below 40 degrees F.
2. Although using a thermometer is the only way to know for sure the temperature of your refrigerator, only one in four households uses one.
3. Looking at and sniffing food is a reliable way to determine if most foods are safe to eat.
4. It’s okay to trim away the mold from hard cheeses or firm fruits or vegetables, such as carrots or bell peppers, and eat the rest.
5. The five-second rule, that it is safe to eat a food if it is picked up within five seconds of being dropped, is a myth.
6. Foods kept frozen continuously at 0 degrees F or colder are safe to eat indefinitely.
7. During a power outage, meat and seafood should not be refrozen if the power has been out for over 8 hours.
The answers: 1. T 2. F, only one in nine uses a thermometer. 3. F., this will detect the presence of spoilage microorganisms, not necessarily food pathogens. 4. T, it’s difficult for the mold to penetrate dense foods. However, if you find spots of mold on porous foods like bread or soft foods such as yogurt, discard the food because it could be contaminated below the surface. 5. T, this is a myth; the food picks up bacteria immediately on contact. 6. T, although the taste and appearance may deteriorate over time. 7. F, they can be refrozen if they still contain ice crystals or the freezer temperature has not risen above 40 degrees F.
Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter November 2011
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Safe Kitchen Practices
How you handle food, dishes, and cleaning aids in the kitchen can make a big difference in the safety of your kitchen. Here are some tips I picked up from the November 2011 issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter, published by CSPI, the Center for Science in the Public Interest:
- Most sponges and dish cloths are contaminated with coliform bacteria, yeast, and mold. Microwaving a wet sponge at high power for one minute eliminates most of these. (Make sure the sponge is wet to avoid setting it on fire.) Running it through the dishwasher is almost as effective. For dish cloths, use a fresh one each day.
- Wash your counters with soap and water; chemical disinfectants are not necessary for generally healthy people.
- Clean your plastic or wood cutting boards with soap and water, run small ones through the dishwasher, and replace any that have ruts so deep that food remains after cleaning.
- Dishwashers use less water than washing dishes by hand and they help prevent foodborne illnesses. As much as possible, run everything through the hot water and heat-dry cycles of the dishwasher. It also helps to rinse the dishes as soon after use as possible, to make it easier to clean the bacteria off.
- Regularly clean the inside of your dishwasher, including the rubber seals, with a disinfectant or bleach solution to remove harmful black yeast, found in 56% of the homes sampled.
- Finally, wash your hands before and after handling food. To do this effectively, scrub your hands with soap (not antibacterial soap or dish detergent) under running water for 20 seconds, rinse with clear water, and dry them with a clean towel. It’s the scrubbing with soap, not the temperature of the water, which does the trick.
- Most sponges and dish cloths are contaminated with coliform bacteria, yeast, and mold. Microwaving a wet sponge at high power for one minute eliminates most of these. (Make sure the sponge is wet to avoid setting it on fire.) Running it through the dishwasher is almost as effective. For dish cloths, use a fresh one each day.
- Wash your counters with soap and water; chemical disinfectants are not necessary for generally healthy people.
- Clean your plastic or wood cutting boards with soap and water, run small ones through the dishwasher, and replace any that have ruts so deep that food remains after cleaning.
- Dishwashers use less water than washing dishes by hand and they help prevent foodborne illnesses. As much as possible, run everything through the hot water and heat-dry cycles of the dishwasher. It also helps to rinse the dishes as soon after use as possible, to make it easier to clean the bacteria off.
- Regularly clean the inside of your dishwasher, including the rubber seals, with a disinfectant or bleach solution to remove harmful black yeast, found in 56% of the homes sampled.
- Finally, wash your hands before and after handling food. To do this effectively, scrub your hands with soap (not antibacterial soap or dish detergent) under running water for 20 seconds, rinse with clear water, and dry them with a clean towel. It’s the scrubbing with soap, not the temperature of the water, which does the trick.
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