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.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Make Friends with Leafy Green Vegetables
If you’re interested in nutrition at all, you’ve probably read that leafy green vegetables are associated with lower risk for various diseases. Just what is meant by leafy green vegetables and why are they so good for us? This category of vegetables includes spinach, kale, swiss chard, turnip greens, mustard greens, beet greens, dandelion greens, romaine lettuce, and collards. They are nutritional powerhouses, loaded with antioxidants, vitamins C, K, and A; folate; potassium; magnesium; iron; lutein; and phytochemicals. These substances benefit our bodies in many ways:
Eyes – Two pigments in leafy greens, lutein and zeaxanthin, may protect the lens and retina of the eye, acting as antioxidants. Greens are so rich in these micronutrients that just two servings a week are all that’s needed.
Bones – The vitamin K in leafy greens is thought to protect bone, helping it rebuild as it naturally breaks down. In studies, people who consumed leafy greens had lower risk of hip fractures and greater spine and hip bone density than those who didn’t.
Memory – Cognitive decline has been observed to be less in women eating the most leafy greens of those studied.
Diabetes – Overweight women can lower their risk of diabetes by eating leafy greens, according to researchers.
Stroke – Incidents of the most common form of stroke were reduced in women who ate leafy greens on a daily basis. The vegetables lower risk by 20% for every serving consumed each day.
If you’re convinced to increase your intake of these nutritional powerhouses, that’s great. Just note that vitamin K is known for its ability to help blood clot, so if you take a blood thinner, be sure to talk with your doctor first. Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter July/August 2007
Eyes – Two pigments in leafy greens, lutein and zeaxanthin, may protect the lens and retina of the eye, acting as antioxidants. Greens are so rich in these micronutrients that just two servings a week are all that’s needed.
Bones – The vitamin K in leafy greens is thought to protect bone, helping it rebuild as it naturally breaks down. In studies, people who consumed leafy greens had lower risk of hip fractures and greater spine and hip bone density than those who didn’t.
Memory – Cognitive decline has been observed to be less in women eating the most leafy greens of those studied.
Diabetes – Overweight women can lower their risk of diabetes by eating leafy greens, according to researchers.
Stroke – Incidents of the most common form of stroke were reduced in women who ate leafy greens on a daily basis. The vegetables lower risk by 20% for every serving consumed each day.
If you’re convinced to increase your intake of these nutritional powerhouses, that’s great. Just note that vitamin K is known for its ability to help blood clot, so if you take a blood thinner, be sure to talk with your doctor first. Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter July/August 2007
Friday, July 23, 2010
Myth Busted – I Just Can’t Eat Breakfast
Many people have gotten out of the breakfast habit they had as babies. Yes, if we were blessed to have someone to care for us, we woke up hungry and insisted we be fed, first thing in the morning. We had breakfast every day. Yet many people tell me that they don’t wake up hungry and/or just can’t make themselves eat breakfast. Others say they don’t have time or there is nothing in the house to eat. As a result, they think it’s okay to skip breakfast regularly, especially if they’re trying to lose weight.
However, after sleeping 6-8 hours, our bodies need the energy (calories) breakfast provides to start the day. The brain needs carbohydrates to function, so if you plan on thinking before lunch, breakfast is a must. That’s why teachers encourage parents to have their children eat breakfast, especially on days when standardized testing is going on. It always disturbs me to see parents require their kids do something they themselves don’t do, such as wearing a helmet when bike riding. Breakfast is the same kind of thing. What’s good for your kids is good for you.
Eating breakfast also gets the metabolism started. Just as a fire goes out without enough wood, so too does metabolism slow when calories are reduced or we don’t eat regularly. It’s no wonder then that in a survey of people who have lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for at least one year, 78 percent eat breakfast every day (Source: The National Weight Control Registry).
How about the time crunch? If you have time to shower, dress, shave, and/or apply makeup, you have time to eat something. Shop and prepare things ahead of time. Quick, nutritious choices for breakfast include fruit, hard boiled eggs, cheese sticks, yogurt, cereal bars, whole wheat toast with peanut butter, instant oatmeal, and cereal. But don’t feel limited to traditional breakfast foods. Leftovers from last night’s dinner work just as well. If you don’t feel hungry enough to eat any of these, start with juice and take something with you for later in the morning. Start with something light, such as a 6 ounce yogurt cup. In time, you will get used to eating breakfast and will become easier. Studies show that people who eat breakfast eat fewer calories later in the day. Give it a try and find out how good you feel when if you give your body the nourishment it needs.
However, after sleeping 6-8 hours, our bodies need the energy (calories) breakfast provides to start the day. The brain needs carbohydrates to function, so if you plan on thinking before lunch, breakfast is a must. That’s why teachers encourage parents to have their children eat breakfast, especially on days when standardized testing is going on. It always disturbs me to see parents require their kids do something they themselves don’t do, such as wearing a helmet when bike riding. Breakfast is the same kind of thing. What’s good for your kids is good for you.
Eating breakfast also gets the metabolism started. Just as a fire goes out without enough wood, so too does metabolism slow when calories are reduced or we don’t eat regularly. It’s no wonder then that in a survey of people who have lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for at least one year, 78 percent eat breakfast every day (Source: The National Weight Control Registry).
How about the time crunch? If you have time to shower, dress, shave, and/or apply makeup, you have time to eat something. Shop and prepare things ahead of time. Quick, nutritious choices for breakfast include fruit, hard boiled eggs, cheese sticks, yogurt, cereal bars, whole wheat toast with peanut butter, instant oatmeal, and cereal. But don’t feel limited to traditional breakfast foods. Leftovers from last night’s dinner work just as well. If you don’t feel hungry enough to eat any of these, start with juice and take something with you for later in the morning. Start with something light, such as a 6 ounce yogurt cup. In time, you will get used to eating breakfast and will become easier. Studies show that people who eat breakfast eat fewer calories later in the day. Give it a try and find out how good you feel when if you give your body the nourishment it needs.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
You’re Sweet Enough
You are sweet enough. I hope you know this, because I’d like to see you avoid the 400 calories worth of added sugars the average American consumes each day. When you consider that it takes 3500 extra calories to gain a pound, it’s easy to see why so many people are overweight today. Besides the toll sugar takes on the waistline and teeth, sugar in its various forms causes the following concerns for health experts: it raises triglycerides, increasing the risk of heart attack; it might boost visceral fat, deep abdominal fat linked to a higher risk of heart disease; it raises the risk of gout and high blood pressure; it could promote overeating; and it’s generally found in foods of little nutritional value – junk food (Nutrition Action Health Letter, Jan./Feb. 2010).
To be fair, there are a couple of common myths about sugar that are not supported by research. First is that sugar causes diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, it does not. It does contribute to obesity and overweight, and these are very much linked to diabetes, however. Second, there is no scientific evidence that sugary foods cause hyperactivity. Health experts believe that it’s the events where sugar is consumed in large quantities, such as birthday parties, that promote the high energy.
It’s not realistic to eliminate all sugar from your diet since some occurs naturally in foods and food labels don’t distinguish naturally occurring sugar from added sugar. If you’d like to reduce your sugar consumption, or at least be more aware of it, watch for these ingredients on food labels: dextrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, fruit juice concentrate, malt syrup, molasses, invert sugar, honey, sorghum, and cane sugar (Environmental Nutrition, March 2010). Don’t be fooled into thinking that some of these are better for you than others – they’re not. Added sugars are added sugars.
To be fair, there are a couple of common myths about sugar that are not supported by research. First is that sugar causes diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, it does not. It does contribute to obesity and overweight, and these are very much linked to diabetes, however. Second, there is no scientific evidence that sugary foods cause hyperactivity. Health experts believe that it’s the events where sugar is consumed in large quantities, such as birthday parties, that promote the high energy.
It’s not realistic to eliminate all sugar from your diet since some occurs naturally in foods and food labels don’t distinguish naturally occurring sugar from added sugar. If you’d like to reduce your sugar consumption, or at least be more aware of it, watch for these ingredients on food labels: dextrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, fruit juice concentrate, malt syrup, molasses, invert sugar, honey, sorghum, and cane sugar (Environmental Nutrition, March 2010). Don’t be fooled into thinking that some of these are better for you than others – they’re not. Added sugars are added sugars.
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