Choice of Rewards

A pat on the back has never been enough when we achieve some sort of goal or worthwhile accomplishment. Is the constant rush to go eat out at a restaurant as a reward good either? "You made an A sweetie? Let's go eat! You made the team? Let's go eat! It's your birthday? Let's go eat! You're happy? Let's go eat! Are you depressed? Let's go eat! He scored a home run! Let's go eat! The team won! Yeah! Let's go eat pizza! You're broken hearted? Here's some ice cream! Movie time? Here's the popcorn, candy and coke! Are you sad? Here's some chocolate!" Are all of these answers wrong responses to certain emotions, accomplishments or events? NO! But there are other ways we can reward ourselves and others. Take time to identify what what rewards you would associate with each individual situation. After that, try the following:


Know yourself and try saying, "Can we go somewhere else?"


There are countless things that we can engage in that will reshape our lives, but first we have to develop new meanings for what we currently do. Eating out has become our culture's family and friendship bonding time. But who really engraved this meaning? Years back, we used to sit in our homes and enjoy time with our families indoors. This sitting inside mentality has become the go-to solution for everything. Start asking family members, colleagues, coaches, friends and lovers to take you elsewhere as a reward for a job well done instead of an indoor food rendezvous. Be creative! Use your mind-- heck, it's yours! I hear this statement a lot, "I don't know how I got this big!" I can tell you how, but does that really matter? It's easier to tell you how to start making changes to stop it and prevent it from happening again. That is what I am here to do. Get creative! Start by saying, "Can we go somewhere else?"


Make small changes


Try this-- When you get emotional, go blow off steam by working out, walking, biking, swimming or doing some type of physical activity. Listen, our bodies are designed to move and not sit and mope! When you're depressed, lift your head and walk tall...it will make you feel better anyway! Skip the ice cream, chocolate, candy and other sweets that have come to be your go-to temporary solutions. Do just the opposite. Replace sweets with fruits and instead of sitting and crying, get up and run. Get the picture? Ask your boyfriend to go for a walk with you. Ask your girlfriend to do something active with you. Parents, walk with your children. You would have time for them if they needed you, right? Why not choose to give them attention and time before they need you?


Ask for the healthy choices


Recently, I finally understood the meaning of one of life's biggest laws, "Ask and you shall receive." Instead of getting gifts that you will become bored with after a few weeks, ask for a gymnasium membership, workout clothes, workout shoes and motivational information. You can even ask for sessions with a personal trainer as a gift. Plan to use other methods of being fulfilled. These ways have transformed the lives of some of my clients.


To sum it all up, "Start doing something different, make small changes, and ask for healthy options for gifts or rewards. use your brain!"
Edited by Ashley Austin

Tips for Meal Times

These are few things that one can do that will make a significant difference in their meal time routine; take a snowball at a top of the hill, as it rolls down the hill it gathers and becomes bigger and stronger. Starts with these tasks, stick to them and soon you will begin to see that these small changes (your snowball) build up and see the differences in your body. I am looking forward to your reactions.

Make it Look Big

Fill up the plate and most people will eat it all. If this is you then try this, get a smaller plate than you’re used to (try a salad plate) and fill it up with food. Another way of making your meal look bigger is to increase the amount of greens and veggies (salads are wonderful but stay clear of creamy dressings, and also try steamed veggies without too much oil and butter). Eat balanced meals which include protein, carbohydrates, fiber rich foods and a small amount of fat.

Drink Water

Water has become an outdated important part of life, thanks to new tides in health field it is coming back. I recommend starting you meals with a glass of water or 2 glasses. Try drinking water with all your meals, drink sodas, tea or coffee between meals. Keep water handy at all times, you are more likely to drink if it is available. Try it! I promise you won’t die nor float away.

Sodas, Dessert and Cravings

I do not object to any of the above but like always I preach 3 rules to successful nutrition. They are:

1. MODERATION

2. MODERATION

3. MODERATION

As many researches have pointed out sodas are loaded with sugar and they are high in calories, caffeine, and sodium. Alongside many diet drinks have aspartame which is believed to increases appetite in some people and decrease appetite in others, either way they are chemicals so drink them occasionally. If you must drink them I suggest you cut back on the amount on a daily and weekly basis. Follow this simple rule: 3 glasses of water per glass of tea or 8oz of soda. Desserts are not a must, if you need to eat it here is a simple rule: Don’t eat your dessert right after your meal; wait for about 1 or 2 hours before eating the desert. If you still want it after the 1-2 hours then eat it. On cravings, if you want it, EAT IT! But remember the 3 rules to successful nutrition mentioned above. Carefully consider your cravings, and then weigh its benefits and risk before you indulge.

Remember this: “An ounce of prevention is better than a ton of cure” – Peter Drucker

Vic.

Edited by Nicole Oubre

Nuts: Good or bad???

Listening to a nutritionist scare some of my precious clients about nuts made me dig more into the above subject. As everyone is entitled to their opinions, my nutritionist
pointed out the effects that oil based foods (including nuts) will have on certain areas of the body, for 71 young girls and myself this is not what might be refered to as good news.

I hold the opinion that nuts are good (a handful, or realistically for me 2 handfuls). I find nuts to quite delightful when they decorate my bowl of cereal or oatmeal in the morning, matter of fact i would rather have them than any other ingredients with my cereals. I particularly don't eat peanut butter more than once or twice a month, and I dislike the idea that peanut butter goes well with/in oatmeal. Enough about me, let's go nuts!
For the USDA (U.S Department of Agriculture) to suggest that nuts can be sub for protein source foods (including poultry and meat), I believe there has been a conclusive research that supports the nutritious value of nuts, go to http://mypyramid.gov/ for more details. Nuts do contain the following vitamins E, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, and even fiber and it is believed to lower cholesterol; how it does this I don't want to bore anyone with details, just like I don't know want to clutter my brain with how omega fatty acids does it's magic. However, Nursing school taught me that when a patient has a condition that causes major adverse reaction from eating seeded foods or nuts they are not safe to have it, especially if you are allergic to it please forget the above mentioned benefits, the nutrients can be acquired by other means (foods or multiviatmins)...
Matter of fact on this website http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_6_32/ai_89812954 it pointed out that as much as 200 thousand plus subjects have been tested in several tests and the conclusion is that nuts been a good source of protein and fats is a more beneficial than detrimental to health.

It is ok to eat nuts but don't go nuts about it. Remember too much of anything is bad.

I like to know what you think.

Thank you.

Vic