http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/weight-management.aspx Healthy Recipes Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots Recipe Quick Info: Servings Vegetarian Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 87, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 180mg, Dietary Fiber: 4g, Total Fat: 3g, Carbs: 13g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 4g Carb Choices: 1 Recipe Source: Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 h 20 mins Total Time: 1 h 40 mins Ingredients 24 small shallot(s) 2 tablespoon oil, olive, extra-virgin 2 pounds Brussels sprouts 1 teaspoon salt, Kosher See Italian Dinner Recipes! Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 2. Peel shallots, leaving the root ends intact so they'll hold together. Place on a large sheet of foil; sprinkle 1 tablespoon oil over the top. Seal the packet and bake until the shallots are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from foil and set aside to cool. 3. Meanwhile, remove the outer leaves from Brussels sprouts and trim the stems. Cut the small sprouts in half and quarter the larger ones. Place the shallots and brussels sprouts in a roasting pan. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and salt. 4. Increase oven temperature to 400° F. Roast, tossing twice during cooking, until the brussels sprouts are tender and lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes.

5 Ways to Increase the Wonder in Your Life

5 Ways to Increase the Wonder in Your Life By David Hochman Feeling jaded? Take one (or all) of O's 5 steps to start noticing, appreciating, and flat-out marveling at the world around you. 1. Shake Things Up "Awe is a response to things you don't have a mental template for," says psychologist Michelle Shiota. "You have a mental template for getting up in the morning, drinking your coffee, and driving to work, but not for listening to a piece of music you haven't heard before or sightseeing in Thailand." 2. Go Outside Nature is the ultimate source of awe. "Just being outside can conjure up feelings of wonder and give you perspective," says psychologist Dacher Keltner. "Or better yet, plan a hike or a camping trip in a spot that's known for its vast spaces or natural beauty." 3. Crowdsource Spending time in large groups, whether at rock concerts or political rallies, often stirs feelings of awe. "Ecstatic social experiences have a way of lining everybody up emotionally, and that's very powerful," says Keltner. 4. Turn Your Gaze Upward Whether you're checking out Mars Rover images at NASA.gov or just looking for constellations in the backyard, "if there's anything that illuminates just how much we still don't know about the universe, it's looking up at the nighttime sky," says Shiota. 5. Find a Daily Dose of Inspiration Maria Popova, known by her Twitter followers as @Brainpicker, posts a stream of awe-inspiring images on her feed: slow-mo footage of a lightning strike, a sunset seen from space, sculptures carved into a pencil point. "I want people to stop a second and go, 'How amazing is that,'" she says. Stay Inspired The science behind the health-boosting effects of awe 6 steps to get your creativity flowing How to get unstuck Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/How-to-Experience-More-Awe#ixzz2FiZrcdT6

http://www.oprah.com/health/Slimming-Food-Combos-for-Your-Body-Type My friend, The link (above) is interesting. I notice that you can all gung-ho about dieting like I have for the past few years. Recently, I have been losing by doing something different. I try to eat the foods I love. Have you ever heard of Skinny Cow? They make these ice cream sand- wiches that are better than any full fat ones. I eat one almost every night. The idea is that if you find a diet that works for you, you are more likely to stick to it. In my case, I love ice cream. I am not a fan of meat, myself, so I do not do well on Atkins. Angelo, on the other hand, loves meat (much to my chagrin). He has lost 30 lbs. eating only meats & veggies. I remember you asking me about the Greek yogurt. I figured out why you don't like it. The ones with fruit are sour. If I accidentally buy it, I add a little honey to it, but I have discovered the vanilla & honey ones are not sour. For lunch, I add cereal and eat it with an apple. At night, I might eat a creamy yogurt instead of other sweets. I also use Truvia sweetener which is actually good for you. And don't forget that popcorn when popped yourself is very low in calories & high in fiber. I hope I am not being presumptuous here. Sherrie

Tips to Lose Belly Fat

Get Fit: Real Fitness Information You Can Trust The American Council on Exercise® (ACE®) Fitness Tips from the American Council on Exercise® June 23, 2011 Tips to Lose Belly Fat By Ken Alan The desire and need to lose belly fat is not just a matter of vanity, but also a necessity for staying healthy. Abdominal fat is linked to major health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In fact, studies have shown that men with waists greater than 40 inches and women with waists greater than 34 inches have the highest risk of heart disease, especially if the fat is stored around the organs. Losing Belly Fat No matter how many twists, side-bends or crunches you do, you will not shred belly fat. Spot reduction seems like it should work, but it doesn’t. You need a well-rounded exercise program that includes cardio and strength training to shrink your belly. Here are some exercises and tips that may help: Aerobic activity draws upon fat that is stored for energy. Perform aerobic exercises that elevate the heart and breathing rate, such as bicycling, brisk walking, dancing or jogging. If you’re just starting out, five to ten minutes may be all you can do comfortably. Over time, progress up to 30-60 minutes three or four times a week to really see results. Exercise also reduces stress and insulin levels. When insulin levels go up, cortisol – another hormone – goes up as well, which makes you more predisposed to storing body fat. Regular exercise is a key factor in reducing stress and maintaining healthy insulin levels. Build Muscle to Lose Fat Strength training offers many benefits, including building lean body mass or muscle. Muscle tissue is metabolically active and burns more calories than fat tissue; so as you increase the amount of muscle you have, you will also increase your resting metabolic rate. Not only does strength training exercise consume a lot of energy, it also raises your metabolism! If you’re just starting, it’s a good idea to work with a certified professional trainer or instructor to get you moving in the right direction. Total Body Transformation In your quest to lose belly fat, you may start to lose fat from all over your body. Although fat can be lost throughout the entire body, the last areas to become lean are those areas where we tend to gain fat first. For many people, the abdominal region is the most difficult area to trim…so try to be patient, continue to remain motivated and you’ll eventually get your midsection to a place you can feel good about! Remember to get extra movement in anytime you can. For example, take the stairs or park farther away from the office. The more physical activity you can get during the day—even if it seems minor—the more calories you burn, and every little bit helps you move closer to your goal! Consistent physical activity isn’t simply important to shedding belly fat, it can also help you prevent health risks and make you feel better about being in your own skin. Ken Alan is a Spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise® (ACE®) and a lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University Fullerton. He is a chapter author in a number of textbooks and his company, AeroBeat, was the first to produce music CDs specifically for active workouts.

50 Small Steps to Start Living Healthier Now

http://www.ivillage.com/50-small-steps-start-living-healthier-now/4-b-498646?nlcid=wh|11-28-2012| Read More http://www.ivillage.com/50-small-steps-start-living-healthier-now/4-b-498646#ixzz2DZjQdJGd Sign up for iVillage Special Offers

How to Throw a Healthy Dinner Party

How to Throw a Healthy Dinner Party Keep it simple; and healthy; by nixing high-fat appetizers and skipping lengthy preparations that can keep you tied up in the kitchen. By Beth W. Orenstein Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH Serving healthy dishes at a dinner party can be tricky, especially if your guests have very different tastes or are following diverse health regimens. Related: How to Spice Up Your Cooking But choosing party food becomes less of a challenge when you follow a few simple guidelines and create healthy recipes that will please every palate. Choose cuisines that are high on flavor, and you and your guests will enjoy delicious dishes that just happen to be healthy. Do’s for a Healthy Dinner Party or Supper Club These steps make party prep easier and the party food tastier: Keep it simple and fresh. The closer the foods are to their natural state when you serve them, the healthier they are, says Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD, a nutritionist in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Start with wholesome, fresh ingredients — preferably seasonal food — and don’t cook them in fat or dress them with sauces and creams, she stresses. For example, build your appetizer tray around fresh vegetables that you’ve simply washed, peeled, and cut into bite-size pieces. Select veggies of different colors, such as bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and snap peas, and serve them with a dip of hummus and whole wheat crackers. Think “do ahead dishes.” Another reason you want to keep it simple is that complicated dishes require a lot of prep time. “You want to be socializing with your guests, not stuck in the kitchen slaving away,” says Beth Thayer, MS, RD, of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Decide on the menu from your collection of healthy recipes and prepare as much as you can the day before or earlier, suggests Thayer. Keep it colorful. Having three or more different colors in your meal can brighten up the room and be part of the décor, Thayer says. But more importantly, doing so ensures that you’re providing your dinner party guests with a variety of vitamins and minerals. You can do with fruit what you did with the veggies — cut up melons and seasonal fruits, such as apples, pears, grapes, and bananas. Fruit can be an appetizer or served toward the end of the meal as a sweet and healthy dessert. Sprinkle fruit chunks with nuts, such as almonds and walnuts — eaten in moderation, nuts provide fiber and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Plan smaller portions. Here’s how to calculate how much you’ll need to serve each guest: “You should figure about 10 to 15 bite-size appetizers or hors d’oeuvres per person,” Thayer says. An appetizer, soup or salad, main course with a vegetable, brown rice, or whole grain pasta, and dessert is more than enough. Speaking of portion sizes, sinful fare doesn’t have to be off the menu as long as it’s in moderation. Even that rich chocolate cake for dessert won’t ruin anyone’s healthy diet if the portion is small. Think lean meat, chicken, or fish for the main course. When you go over your guest list, you might want to ask attendees if they have any preferences, food allergies, or religious or cultural adherences, suggest Thayer. Are any guests vegetarians? Knowing what your guests like and being sensitive to their needs will make your party food more appealing to them. If you are serving meat, stick with leaner cuts. Or opt for chicken or fish that can be grilled with herbs and little, if any, fat. “I like to offer my guests a choice and may have a salad or a pasta station so they can make their own meals the way they like them,” Thayer says. A healthy way to serve chicken, fish, or lean meat is with a fruit salsa. Buy it by the jar or make your own. Here is one of Giancoli’s favorite recipes: Peel and chop a large mango. Toss the mango with 2 tablespoons of finely diced red and yellow peppers, 1 tablespoon of minced Serrano chile, and lime juice to taste. Each recipe serves four, so multiply by the number of people attending your dinner party. Provide containers for leftovers. If you have take-home containers, you can give your guests the leftovers. They won’t feel obligated to overeat, which can be unhealthy, and when they heat them up at home, they will be reminded of the good time they had, Thayer says. Don’ts for a Healthy Dinner Party This advice translates to less stress and a healthier time for everyone: Don’t force guests to eat what you’ve made. If a guest doesn’t want to try something, don’t make him or her feel bad about it. Do consider making copies of your recipes for your guests — people like to know what they’re eating and may discover something they never had before. Never talk about the calories or fat in a food. “It can be tacky and the food should be enjoyed,” says Thayer. “If you’ve labeled the food or given your guests the recipes, they’ll do the talking for you.” Don’t push alcohol. Some alcohol in moderation is fine, Thayer says. If you’re serving wine, figure on one 700 ml bottle for every two people, which would be about two glasses each. A serving of beer is 12 ounces per person, Thayer says; figure one to two servings per person. Don’t use cream, butter, or oil-based sauces. Giancoli says, “You can do so much with vegetable- and fruit-based sauces or tomatoes, olives, and capers. You don’t have to add fat and calories with creams and butter.” Nutritionists recommend planning a menu with soup or salad for a first course because they will fill up your guests and prevent them from overeating during the courses with more calories.

5 Steps to the Most Vibrant, Healthy You!

5 Steps to the Most Vibrant, Healthy You! By Gillian B (Follow on Facebook) Looking to take your health to the next level? Here are my suggestions to help you optimize your vitality and look and feel your absolute very best. 1-Remove most if not all processed foods from your diet. This is going to take a little self-discipline, but it will all be worth it I promise. Filling up on fresh, organic, un-processed foods that are packed with live enzymes will give you a new lease on life. If you maintain this lifestyle free of processed foods your energy levels will sky rocket and stay consistent throughout the day without any help from coffee or energy drinks. 2-Eat at least one raw meal a day. The process of cooking foods zaps somewhere between 50-80% of the available vitamins, minerals and live enzymes, which is problematic because the conventional foods we eat have very little nutrition to begin with. I suggest having one meal a day that is uncooked in order to maximize the benefits. This can be a big colourful salad or you can get creative and try some of the many raw food recipes online. The preparation of raw food may seem daunting at first but it is really very simple. No need for ovens or microwaves, its time to teach yourself how to un-cook! There are plenty of recipes out there that you can find that do not require some of the tools like a dehydrator, Vitamix or spiralizer (but those are fun too!). Give it shot! 3-Try green juice. Get as much goodness as possible in your cup.Next time you stop at Booster Juice or Jamba Juice, choose one of the freshly squeezed juices instead of the sugary blends they so commonly whip up. They say the juices are ‘all natural’ but really they have been heavily processed and made into sugary sorbets and fruit ‘cocktails’. Don’t be fooled by this deceptive marketing, go with the simpler choice. Look for a juice blend with kale, spinach, beet, cucumber, celery, carrot, apple, ginger or lemon! If you really want to optimize your health you can invest in your own juicer and get busy in the kitchen and come up with your own marvelous creations. Fun, fun, fun! Wheatgrass and E3 Live (blue-green algae) shots are also PACKED full of nutrition and are a much better choice than some of the other menu options. Can’t handle the taste? Chase it with a little bit of freshly squeezed orange juice. 4-Find an activity that you really enjoy and do a little each day. By now, we all know about the importance of exercising and living a healthy active life. But what benefit does it have if we don’t truly enjoy every last moment? If you find yourself straining and pushing yourself in your workouts to the point where you hate it and want it to be over, than you may want to reconsider your workout. Having negative thoughts during your intense workout just will not yield the same results as if you have fun in the process. Negative, angry thoughts bring about stress and a hyper vigilant state, which in turn makes the body more acidic. Happy, playful thoughts do just the opposite, they relax you and reduce the risk of disease. If you haven’t found your place in the world of fitness, don’t fret. There is something out there for everyone. Try a new activity each week until you find something that really clicks. I find it really helps is you bond with others in the class or try new activities with a friend. Camaraderie makes the process of working out more fun and the benefits on the body more profound. 5-Take the time to learn about what foods are best for your body. Knowledge is power! The more that you know food the better choices you can make on the fly without relying on a meal plan. The Internet is the greatest tool when it comes to researching how to eat a well balanced diet. Keep a list of healthy recipes that you would like to make in the future and try to get in the habit of cooking a new one each week. This will help to broaden your healthy meal repertoire, which is beneficial for you and your loved ones. Be well, Gillian

The Happiness Secrets You Keep Forgetting, by Leigh Newman

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Happiness-Secrets-You-Keep-Forgetting

Moments When Life Is Looking-Glass Magical, By Erin Morgenstern

Moments When Life Is Looking-Glass Magical Author extraordinaire Erin Morgenstern—and the genius behind The Night Circus—shows us those brief, unexpected times that elevate life into a mirror-shimmering otherworldliness that's still undeniably real. By Erin Morgenstern When It's 3 a.m. I like to call it nighttime brain: the way your mind seems to function on a different frequency than it does during daylight hours—which can be good or bad but also can lead to unexpected epiphanies or experiences that wouldn't be the same at any other time of day. They say it's darkest before the dawn, but it also tends to be quietest, and the quiet lets you hear yourself better. When You Experience Kitchen Alchemy You don't have to be a chef or even a particularly good cook to experience proper kitchen alchemy: the moment when ingredients combine to form something more delectable than the sum of their parts. Fancy ingredients or recipes not required; simple, made-up things are usually even better. Apples made luscious with cinnamon and sugar and butter or fresh tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with sea salt. It tastes even better because you made it yourself. When You Find a Kindred Spirit When you meet someone new who instantly gets you, your sense of humor and your attitudes and your worldview, even if theirs are different—and you get them in return. You both talk and talk and agree and laugh and nod and yes, yes, of course you should get another round of drinks. When You're on Page Number Lost That wonderful stage during the reading of a book when you've taken enough plot turns to be thoroughly absorbed and properly lost. You're still a good ways from the ending, desperately curious to see what happens but at the same time dreading being finished and not wanting to leave. You look up from the pages and feel a bit surprised and confused that you're still sitting on a chair or on a beach or on a bus or a train, since, of course, you've been somewhere else entirely. When You Receive an Unexpected Cupcake Especially if it has cream cheese frosting. And sprinkles. When the Veil Is Thin It's said that All Hallows' Eve is one of the nights when the veil between the worlds is thin—and whether you believe in such things or not, those roaming spirits probably believe in you, or at least acknowledge your existence, considering that it used to be their own. Even the air feels different on Halloween, autumn-crisp and bright. You can wander out after dark, brushing shoulders with the walking dead of the zombie variety—but there are carved pumpkin lanterns to guide every lost soul home, just in case. When You Haven't Quite Kissed...Yet That anticipation-heavy moment just before, when the kiss is inevitable and your lips are so close but not yet touching. This is especially true for first kisses—but even better when that shivering anticipation carries over into subsequent ones weeks, months or even years later. When You Extinguish Your Birthday Candles Once a year you get a wish all your own to use as you please and you never need to tell anyone. In fact, it's a wish that's meant to be personal and maybe a tad self-indulgent—a hope-laden deep breath to cast over your candles and carry you into a brand-new year of living. (I like to think that the strength of the wish increases with the number of flames to extinguish...and that your wish is strengthened if you eat an extra piece of cake.) When an Evening Involves Twinkly Lights on Strings I'm a firm believer that lighting affects mood, and twinkly lights on strings bring something magical to occasions ranging from concerts to weddings, though I'm fond of using them as year-round home décor. There's a reason why they're sometimes called fairy lights. When the night is right, there aren't any strings at all. Erin Morgenstern is the author of The Night Circus (Knopf Doubleday). More Ways to Experience Life's Magic 5 things you can do to feel wonder 8 simple actions that create delight 10 breathtaking marvels of our world Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Moments-When-Life-is-Magical-Erin-Morgenstern#ixzz2DMe06PBC

Mediterranean Diet

Mediterranean Diet includes healthy amounts of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and nuts, and limits red meats to avoid unhealthy fats. It encourages the use of monounsaturated fats (mainly olive oil) in cooking, which is traditional among people of the Mediterranean region. This diet focuses on the types of fat (healthy fats) consumed rather than the amount of fat. It also includes red wine in moderation — no more than a glass a day. “The Mediterranean Diet is recognized for its role in reducing cardiovascular risk factors, one of which is high blood pressure,” says Andrea Frank, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago.

Getting Fiber Without Excessive Gas, By Diana Rodriguez

Getting Fiber Without Excessive Gas A high-fiber diet offers many health benefits, but unfortunately it also comes with an unpleasant side effect. Here's how to fit fiber into your diet without all that intestinal gas. By Diana Rodriguez Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH Many people have an image of bland, tasteless foods when they think of fiber. And according to the American Dietetic Association, the typical American eats only about 11 grams of fiber a day, even though most adult women should shoot for over 20 grams and men should aim for over 30 grams. But fiber doesn’t deserve its dull rap — in fact, when you eat a balanced diet that’s rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, you’ll likely get most of the fiber you need. Fiber has also been shown to help manage weight and lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease. Unfortunately, when you start to include more fiber-rich foods in your diet, you may start to notice an undesirable side effect: excessive gas. Flatulence and bloating can result, which can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, to say the least. Foods That Cause Gas Many carbohydrates can cause stomach gas, as they can be tough for the digestive system to process. Some common high-fiber foods that can cause excessive gas include: Beans Whole-wheat products, such as cereals, breads, and pastas Bran products Oatmeal and oat bran Vegetables, especially asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage Fruits, especially pears, peaches, prunes, and apples Fortunately, you don't have to eliminate these healthy, tasty foods from your diet to get relief from excessive gas. Ease Into High Fiber Converting to a high-fiber diet is a great idea, but you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to fiber. One way to prevent uncomfortable intestinal gas is to slowly increase the fiber in your diet. Rather than adding high-fiber foods all at once, add just one or two servings a day to your regular diet for a week — maybe switching from white to whole wheat bread for your sandwich at lunch, or adding a salad at dinner. Let your body adjust, then add another serving the following week, and so on. Giving your body a chance to get used to processing the increase in fiber will make the transition easier and reduce the amount of intestinal gas you'll have to deal with. Ward Off Excessive Gas There are a few other things you can do to prevent a gastrointestinal protest as you introduce more high-fiber foods to your diet: Eliminate other foods that cause gas. If you're already overwhelming your gut with fiber, cut out other foods that create gas. Try limiting or avoiding sugar-free candy and gum that contain sorbitol and gassy carbonated beverages. Load up on water. Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water will help to prevent uncomfortable intestinal gas and bloating. Watch your air intake. When you eat, drink, and chew gum, you swallow a lot of air, which can result in excessive gas. Eat slowly, avoid smoking, and spit out the gum to cut down on how much air gets into your belly. Keep a list of what you eat and when you experience excessive gas. Maybe some foods affect you more than others, and simply cutting out those specific items can help reduce intestinal gas. Keep a journal of the foods that you eat, and write down when you get a bad bout of stomach gas — look for patterns that tell you which foods to avoid. Most importantly, just give your body a chance. Once you’ve had time to get used to digesting all of this bulky fiber, you'll probably notice that your excessive gas symptoms subside. Don't give up on your healthy, high-fiber diet — know that this gas too shall pass.

Get Fit: Real Fitness Information You Can Trust

Get Fit: Real Fitness Information You Can Trust The American Council on Exercise® (ACE®) Fitness Tips from the American Council on Exercise® 7 Fitness Tips for 2011 By Jessica Matthews The start of a new year typically consists of making resolutions to get in shape and stay healthy. But the truth is many people don’t know how to start a safe and effective workout regimen. Implementing a new fitness program doesn’t mean you simply hop on a treadmill and start running. There are questions to ask yourself, your trainer (if you choose to use one) and even your physician before you start planning your exercise routine. To help kick off 2011, here are a few tips for you to consider when determining a fitness plan that’s right for you: Set achievable goals. By setting goals, you’ll have a better idea of what your exercise program should look like and what you will want to get out of it. Understanding your fitness objectives, such as losing weight, toning up or becoming stronger, will define what kind of regimen will work best and offer the most success in the long run. Be sure to make your goals specific and accomplishable. Work with a certified personal trainer. A trainer is not always necessary, but it’s generally recommended to meet with a certified fitness professional when starting a new exercise program. He or she will be able to offer advice on the best ways to reach your goals, provide specific exercises and ensure that you’re performing them correctly. Be careful when picking your trainer―not just anyone will do! Here are some tips on how to pick a personal trainer, which includes making sure he or she is certified. Keep a fitness journal. Before you begin, write out all of the exercises—including the number of reps and type of cardio―you plan to accomplish daily or weekly to help you visualize your new fitness program and see how much time you will need to dedicate to it. By writing in this journal each time you work out, you’ll be able to keep track of your progress, as well as adjust the level of intensity of any of the exercises as needed. Consult your physician. Once you set your goals and desired fitness program, it’s important to meet with your physician before getting started. If you’ve ever had a heart condition, take blood pressure or heart medications, have joint or bone problems or are over age 45, then it’s especially important to visit or call your doctor before getting started. If you have a preexisting medical condition, there could be potential risks in adding physical activity to your daily routine. Start slow. Upon creating your exercise program and getting your doctor’s blessing, it’s time to begin! If you’re not used to exercising regularly, set a goal to exercise once or twice a week. As your body adjusts to this schedule, slowly increase the number of times you exercise until you find a comfortable weekly routine. Listen to your body. Like everything, fitness is different for everyone. It’s important to be in tune with and nurture your body. If you start feeling fatigued, lessen the intensity of your workouts or reduce the amount you exercise by one less day per week. When your body is ready for a little more physical activity, add another day onto your routine or find ways to safely challenge yourself during exercise. Don’t get discouraged. If you miss a day at the gym, or even a whole week, don’t get down on yourself—just get back on track when you’re ready and keep your goals in mind. Chances are, once your fitness program becomes part of your daily routine, your body will start craving that extra physical activity and you’ll want to go for a run or hit the gym more often. | Jessica Matthews develops and delivers fitness education as an Academy Exercise Scientist for the American Council on Exercise® (ACE®). Matthews, who is also an ACE-certified Personal Trainer and a registered yoga instructor, specializes in basic wellness, women’s fitness and mind-body exercise.

Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life?

Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life?: I took a personality test, "Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life?", and I got "You Are Grateful for What You Have".

Top 10 Tips to Getting the Results You Want By Andra Campitelli, ND

By Andra Campitelli, ND Top 10 Tips to Getting the Results You Want Most people have tried one diet or another and just can’t seem to find one that works, or one that maintains their results. There are many different reasons why this occurs and I’m going to give you my top 10 tips to getting (and keeping) that weight off! #1) Avoid Fad Diets! Every time you turn around, there is a new diet being marketed that promises you extreme amounts of weight loss in very short periods of time. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Crash diets and losing extreme amounts of weight in short periods of time is not only unsustainable, but unhealthy! The average weight loss is 2 lbs per week, so be patient, get on track the right way and your body will lose the weight (and keep it off) as it naturally should. To get that balance in your life and to start you on the way to healthy weight loss, complete your personal profile in the 5 key areas of health: Nutrition, Vitamins, Exercise, Attitude and Sleep. If you live well, you will never have to diet a day in your life (hard to believe, but very true!) #2) Supplementation When it comes to supplementation, the key is making sure our body has the nutrients it needs! Oftentimes, we find we are doing all the right things, but just can’t seem to shed the pounds. If you’re going to take on a new exercise program or weight loss plan, make sure you’re giving your body everything it needs. If you’re deficient in any vitamins or nutrients, it could be working against you. For example, if you’re low in B vitamins, this could be contributing to fatigue and to making your workouts a challenge. Or, if you’re lacking joint support, joint pain can make your workouts painful or even impossible. Other times, your metabolism may have slowed to a crawl and could use a little help getting back on track. We want to make sure we use our Truestar supplements to keep our body healthy so that they can naturally assist us in reaching our health and fitness goals. Try some of my favorite supplements: TrueLEAN Extreme, TrueThermo and TrueCraving Control. #3) It’s okay to cheat, sometimes! We all have our little treats that we enjoy and the goal of weight loss is not to miss out on the things you love. Life is all about balance. Often, when we restrict ourselves so severely, we fall off the wagon and we fall hard! Instead of having one small bite of chocolate, or a few pieces of your favorite candy, you end up eating the entire chocolate bar with a whole bag of candy followed by ice cream for dessert. This is not going to help your weight loss goals! As long as you eat well 80% of the time, you’re doing well! Allow yourself that treat every now and then and avoid those unhealthy binges. #4) Exercise: It’s more than just cardio! Many people assume that weight loss is all about cardio, especially women, who are terrified to “bulk up” when they lift weights. It’s actually quite difficult to build large amounts of muscle, but you do need some! Muscle burns fat and boosts the metabolism. So, if you want to lose weight, you need to mix weight training with cardio for the best results. #5) Nutrition Many people think that losing weight means they have to cut out an entire food group. This is completely false! All of the meals on Truestar.com are hormonally balanced with the perfect ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in EVERY meal. Our bodies NEED those nutrients for a reason so if anyone tells you to cut them out, be skeptical! Your body relies on these nutrients to function and as long as you are eating them in the right proportions, then you don’t have to be concerned! #6) Manage Stress Have you ever noticed that you seem to gain weight when you’re stressed? It’s not all in your mind or in the treats that you reach for when you’re feeling overwhelmed (although emotional eating will definitely work against your weight loss goals!). When we’re stressed, we release an excessive amount of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol actually causes our body to pack on the pounds and it sends it right to the midsection! So, be sure to manage your stress accordingly! #7) Drink, Drink, Drink Often we mistake thirst for hunger! And, what our body really needs is water, but we find ourselves reaching for food instead. Hydration is key! Chronic dehydration can trigger misleading hunger cues and food cravings as the body turns to food to satiate its need for water. Additionally, dehydration can make us feel fatigued, give us headaches or cause our energy levels to crash, making us think we need food or sugar, and then we pair that with a coffee to get that energy kick. So, be sure to keep hydrated and avoid unnecessary calories! #8) Make wise drink choices! I prefer to consume my calories from food rather than from drinks! Juice and alcoholic beverages are full of unneeded sugar and calories, not to mention additives, chemicals and aspartame, which our bodies really don’t need. So, make smart choices when it comes to what you drink. If you have a glass of juice, make sure it is 100% natural with no sugar added and count that as one fruit consumed that day. Even though it’s a natural sugar, it’s still sugar and can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels and excess sugar can be stored as fat. Same goes for wine, so just be wise when making your drink choices. #9) Eating fat won’t make you fat! Often, people think that eating fat will make them fat. This couldn’t be further from the truth! As mentioned above, our bodies need fat, but the right KIND of fat. Eating healthy fats, such as avocadoes or olive oil, is actually good for you and will NOT contribute to weight gain when eaten in the right proportions. #10) Stay motivated! Don’t let setbacks or slip-ups discourage you and cause you to give up! We all make mistakes, so be patient and realistic with your goals and expectations. And, keep at it, no matter what setbacks you face. Dr. Andi’s Weight Loss Supplement Recommendations: TrueDETOX and Cleanse TrueLEAN Extreme TrueCraving Control TrueThermo Best of luck! Dr. Andi

Deepak Chopra: A Freer (Happier!) Way to Think

Deepak Chopra: A Freer (Happier!) Way to Think Deepak Chopra, co-founder of the Chopra Foundation and the author of God: A Story of Revelation, shows us how to bring lasting joy back into our lives. By Deepak Chopra Every day unwanted thoughts enter our minds: "What's wrong with me?" "I keep doing this to myself," "I'm stupid," "I'm all alone," "I never get a break" and "How will I ever get out of this?"' 'Our minds are vulnerable to negative thoughts, causing us doubt, worry, anxiety—and frequently, it's the same negative thoughts that return over and over. Repetition is a sign that you need to change. A part of you is calling out to get your attention. These thoughts are like having a rock in your shoe. It's not reasonable to ask the rock to quit hurting you or to see it as your enemy. The pain the rock causes is only asking for a remedy. The first step is making a decision, one that only you can make: to walk away from the false solutions and futile tactics that have kept you stuck in your mental misery. It's not the thoughts that are making you miserable; it's the lack of a viable strategy. Psychologists have asserted for decades that there is a huge difference between having a negative thought and turning it into action. Yet this lesson never seems to sink in. Thoughts are just fleeting mental images. They have no consequences until you choose to make them important. Let's look more closely at the five choices that will help you take the mental rock out of your shoe. 1. Turn Negativity into Positive Action If an obsessive thought is a cry for help—and it is—bring the help that's asked for. You wouldn't neglect a crying child, yet we all neglect our negative thoughts, which are the mental equivalent. Let's say you are in a difficult situation and you start thinking, "What's wrong with me?" or "How will I ever get out of this?" Acknowledge that you are feeling scared, which is the real event occurring in your mind. Don't push the anxiety away. Take a break and walk away from the immediate stress. Sit quietly and take some deep breaths. Do your best to center yourself. Once you feel calm enough to address the situation, make a plan. Write down the possible steps you can take that will be positive, achievable actions. (The point here is to use the rational side of the brain rather than giving in to runaway emotion.) Once you have your list, put the positive actions in order of which to do first, second and third. Now take the first step. Turning an emotional event inside yourself into a set of rational steps is one of the best ways to rise above the level of the problem to the level of the solution. 2. Get a Healthy Outside Perspective If a negative mental habit—like feeling insecure, scared or helpless—has been with you for a while, you need to check if your plan for action is workable. Seek outside validation. Go to someone you trust, preferably someone who displays the qualities you want to acquire (e.g., a firm sense of self, a lack of fear and plenty of self-reliance), and discuss the practical things you intend to do. I'm not talking about the kind of adviser who says things like "Get over it," "Everyone feels that way" or "Poor thing." Such statements are copouts. Seek someone who genuinely empathizes and can validate your plan to change. 3. Don't Indulge the Level of Futility We've already discussed our propensity to keep doing what never worked in the first place. But futile tactics are insidious. They keep coming to mind over and over, despite their record of failure. The difficulty is that you have wired your brain, setting down a groove that is all too easy to fall back into. Grooves can be erased only by forming new grooves. If you find yourself falling back into self-defeating thoughts, stop and say, "That's how I've been approaching the problem. And it doesn't work." You will have to do this more than once, and yet each time is useful. The more you stop indulging the level of futility, the more mental energy can be devoted to new tactics. Please note, I'm not saying that you should fight your old mental habits. That's a recipe for more misery, as all wars are. Your aim is simply to notice what doesn't work, which is a form of mindfulness or self-awareness. 4. Expand Your Awareness When the mind is constricted, it becomes like a tight muscle—you can't expect it to move as long as it's cramped. The things that constrict the mind: old conditioning, outworn beliefs, ritualized thinking, habit, inertia, fear and low expectations. These are challenges you need to confront as honestly as possible. Having a closed mind doesn't feel good, so whenever you detect any kind of inner discomfort, the first tactic should be to expand your awareness. Let's say that you feel resentment toward someone else. Clearly, that is a contracted mindset. If you were more open-minded, you'd start to tolerate that person, see their good side, and stop waiting for something new to blame and dislike them for. In and of itself, open-mindedness solves all kinds of problems that are the result of narrow-mindedness. But to achieve it, you need to stop believing that being stuck, judgmental, opinionated and self-important ever works. You must learn to know yourself better, to follow the model of tolerant people rather than prejudiced ones, to turn away from victimization and so on. For years I've recommended meditation as the most effective way to expand awareness. Also useful are mindfulness, self-reflection, prayer, contemplation and counseling. 5. Take Full Responsibility Your mind encompasses the best of yourself and the worst. It holds the greatest promises and the greatest threats. Our minds create our reality. Once you face this fact, it can be overwhelming. We all secretly want to escape responsibility for creating the situation we find ourselves in. We don't want to face painful truths. Change feels like risk. Our minds are used to projecting blame and judgment upon others. So much promise goes unfulfilled this way. In truth, the power to create your reality, which begins by building a mature self, opens the way to life's greatest joys. 6. Develop a Higher Vision of Your Life It would be sheer drudgery if you took responsibility for only the bad things in your life. You are also responsible for the good things. If you have a vision for yourself, you can aim higher. The good things become more meaningful because you are heading for long-term fulfillment. This is much better than a string of short-term pleasures, nice as they may be. People without a vision can amass a lot of small pleasures. This kind of immediate gratification is everywhere in our society; distractions are a multi-billion-dollar business. Look at your daily quotient of idling around the Internet, video games, channel surfing, movies, snacking, shopping, and merely hanging around. These distractions are hangovers from adolescence, when immaturity was a natural state. They drop away when life moves on and you undertake the project of building a self. The point isn't to become self-serious and reject having fun. The point is to aim for higher satisfactions that last. By developing a vision of what your life is about, you are asking, "Who am I?" and then turning your answer into positive actions. 7. Make Full Use of Your Successes We began with the universal problem of mental misery, tracing it back to the mind being an enemy instead of an ally. When you start making your mind into a friend, each step forward needs to be reinforced. That's how the brain gets new neural pathways that last. Without reinforcement, your successes will seem to float away while your problems will seem to stick around. In reality, negativity has no power to defeat positivity. Both forces exist in everyone's mind. The real issue is to bring in as much light as you can. Negativity acquires its power through repetition, being unconscious, judging yourself and focusing on setbacks. Positivity gains its power by celebrating our successes, associating with people who are good role models, learning to be emotionally resilient, being objective about your situation and, above all else, acquiring self-awareness. I realize that I've set out a plan for overcoming mental misery that sounds daunting if you are used to following futile tactics—most of which only postpone the day when you make a tremendous discovery, that you are not life's victim or fate's pawn. But you are the creative center of your own existence. The greatest power we have is the power to create reality. Mental misery denies you that power. Taking positive steps to turn our mind into an ally is the escape route everyone has been seeking for centuries. The essence of wisdom is to see that there is always a solution once you realize that the mind, which seems to create so much suffering, has infinite potential to create fulfillment instead. More From Deepak Chopra How to get out of a sad slump 3 questions to ask when things go wrong Advice for dealing with difficult people Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Stop-Anxiety-and-Obsessive-Thoughts-Deepak-Chopra/3#ixzz2BlEo5lRn

6 Nutrients You Need Daily and Where to Get Them

http://bettereats.com/blog/post/6-nutrients-you-need-daily-and-where-to-get-them?xid=nl_EverydayHealthDietandNutrition_20121022 6 Nutrients You Need Daily and Where to Get Them SEP 28, 2012 AT 12:14PM BY BETTER EATS We all know that the right nutrients are critical to our overall health. But have you looked at those nutrition facts on the back of the package? It can be pretty overwhelming. Here's your simple cheat sheet to provide an at-a-glance guide for a few essentials! CALCIUM WHAT IT DOES: Strengthens our bones! HOW MUCH TO GET: This is dependent on your age, 19 to 50 year olds should aim for 1000 mg a day, and those above the age of 50 should shoot for 1500 mg a day. WHERE TO GET IT: Dairy products, leafy vegetables, canned salmon (or any fish with bones) WE SUGGEST: 1 cup of plain 2% yogurt has 415 mg of calcium, 1 cup of kale has 180 mg, and 4 oz of salmon has 225 mg. Check out our recipe for Southern Kale. MAGNESIUM WHAT IT DOES: Helps to maintain muscle functions and supports strong teeth and bones. HOW MUCH TO GET: 320 mg to 360 mg per day WHERE TO GET IT: Spinach, okra, artichokes, nuts, seeds, beans, and potatoes. WE SUGGEST: Chow down on extra leafy spinach salads (a cup of spinach contains half your daily magnesium minimum!) and snack on cashews, peanuts, and almonds (in moderation) to be sure you are fulfilling your daily magnesium needs! Try out our Almond Granola for starters! FIBER WHAT IT DOES: Reduces our risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease. Fiber also promotes a healthy weight and promotes digestive health. HOW MUCH TO GET: At a minimum 25 grams per day. WHERE TO GET IT: Fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, nuts, seeds, and beans. WE SUGGEST: The best way to consume fiber is in its purest form - fruits and veggies! So grab an apple as your midmorning snack and chow down on salads and a whole grain roll at lunch! Looking for an added fiber bonus? Add beans to your salad! Or give our BBQ Baked Beans a try! OMEGA-3 WHAT IT DOES: Supports brain and heart health and is shown to help your body fight cancers HOW MUCH TO GET: At least 1.1 grams per day WHERE TO GET IT: Fish like salmon, tuna, and herring all contain omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association suggests eating fish twice a week. Not a fish fan? While it is always best to get your nutrients directly from food, omega-3 is also widely available in supplement form. WE SUGGEST: Enjoy grilled salmon on your salads, this adds protein to your already fiber rich lunch plus gives you a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids. Or why not have a Salmon Burger? Perfect! POTASSIUM WHAT IT DOES: Potassium allows your cells, tissues and organs to function optimally as well as builds protein and metabolizes carbohydrates and aids in regulating the activity of your heart. HOW MUCH TO GET: About 4,700 mg per day WHERE TO GET IT: Bananas are a popular source, but potassium is also found in potatoes, white beans, yogurt, avocados, and sirloin steak. WE SUGGEST: Avocados have a ton of potassium with 708 mg per cup, bananas are another great source with 537 mg per cup. Try our Avocado Corn Salsa to load up on potassium! WATER Ok, so you have heard this one your whole life - drink more water! Your mom has told you, your doctor, your 7th grade health teacher…but it’s true! Yet 75% of all Americans are chronically dehydrated. So get to drinking! WHAT IT DOES: Where to start? Water eases back and join pain, decreases risk of cancer, helps regulate your metabolism, and keeps you from getting fatigued, just to name a few benefits! HOW MUCH TO GET: This varies from person to person, but the goal is to never feel thirsty. You should be drinking water all throughout the day! If you feel thirsty, reach for water over sodas and sports drinks. Use the old guideline of 8-10 glasses per day and adjust accordingly. WHERE TO GET IT: There is no substitute for sitting down with a cold glass of water! WE SUGGEST: Bring a travel water bottle with you wherever you go, that way you always have access to hydration! HOW DO YOU GET YOUR DAILY NUTRIENTS? BE SURE TO COMMENT IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

9 Foods that Help You Shed Pounds

http://bettereats.com/blog/post/9-foods-that-help-you-shed-pounds 9 Foods that Help You Shed Pounds OCT 1, 2012 AT 3:03PM BY BETTER EATS Can eating help you lose weight? Yes! Here are nine foods you can eat to support your healthy diet and help you to shed pounds. MUSHROOMS Studies have shown that people find mushroom-based entrees as satisfying as those made with lean beef. Mushrooms are far lower in calories than beef, and certain varieties such as shiitake and maitake mushrooms have been shown to reduce inflammation. Try a variety of mushrooms in this lovely Rustic Mushroom Tart recipe. EGGS Starting the day with protein-rich eggs will keep you feeling full longer. Serve them to the whole family with this recipe for Quick and Easy Breakfast Tacos. APPLES Apples have less than 100 calories each, and they’re full of fiber. Try them in this refreshing recipe for Apple-Jicama Slaw and save a few to slice and pack in your kids’ lunches. SOUP Starting a meal with soup prepares your body for digestion and curbs your appetite before you dig into more calorie-dense dishes. Try starting your next family dinner with this Spinach Soup With Rosemary Croutons. HOT CHILI PEPPERS Studies have shown that people eat less when the dish they’re eating is spicy. Test this out with our spicy Sirloin and Portobello Stew recipe. You can make a milder version for the kiddies and add extra heat to your portion to taste. BEANS Beans are high in fiber, meaning it takes longer to digest them. Translation: you’ll feel full longer than when you eat low-fiber foods. Try this recipe for our Shredded Turkey and Pinto Bean Burritos. This lean, protein-filled meal is a perfect lunch or dinner for any young athletes in your house, too. GREEN TEA Green tea contains antioxidants that speed your metabolism. Try brewing a hot mug of your favorite variety, or make a delicious Iced Mint Green Tea. This can double as a great afterschool snack. PEARS Pears have even more fiber than apples. The next time you're doing a grown-up gathering, try using our Pear and Dried Apricot Salsa! It's unexpected and will get you a hostess star for sure. CINNAMON Cinnamon can help curb post-meal insulin spikes. Try sprinkling it on your morning oatmeal or make cinnamon toast for your kids. It tastes great on Eating Well's recipe for Overnight Oats!

Lose Weight The High-Fiber Way

Lose Weight The High-Fiber Way Watch the pounds disappear with our "never be hungry" eating plan By Kathy Keenan Isoldi, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. Americans spend 33 billion dollars every year on weight-loss products, many of which are not backed by scientific research. Why not save your money and avoid disappointment by choosing a proven weight-loss substance that's readily available in a wide variety of foods? It's called fiber. When it comes to fighting fat, fiber packs a powerful punch. Fiber-rich foods are inexpensive, and it's easy to work them into your daily meals. Plus, a diet that's high in fiber not only will help you lose weight, it will improve your prospects for better health and longevity, giving you more time to show off that svelte figure.* *Always check with your physician before starting a new weight-loss plan. How Fiber Fights Fat There's more and more evidence to suggest that eating a high-fiber diet can help you lose weight. When researchers at Tufts University reviewed published studies on the effects of fiber on hunger, they found that people who consumed an additional 14 grams of fiber a day ended up eating 10 percent fewer calories than before. In another study, researchers at University Hospital in London, Ontario, used detailed food diaries to compare the fiber intake of study participants at different weights. They found that those who maintained a healthy weight ate 30 percent more fiber than the overweight participants. Fiber helps people to lose weight in two ways. For one thing, it provides bulk, which makes you feel full. But fiber also slows digestion, which makes you feel satisfied longer. What and Where Is It? We may joke about fiber, but many of us aren't sure exactly what it is or how to be certain we're getting enough of it. Fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods, most of which passes through our system unchanged. Since we lack the enzymes to digest fiber, we can't absorb any calories from it. But we can reap a multitude of health benefits. There are two types of fiber: water-insoluble and water-soluble. The former, found in wheat bran and the skins of some fruits and vegetables, exits the body basically unchanged. It provides bulk and helps regulate the bowels. Water-soluble fiber is found in oats, beans, lentils, barley and most fruits and vegetables. This type of fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract, which is what helps you feel full and slows your digestion.

Think Bigger: You Can Have It All

http://blog.californiapsychics.com/blog/2012/10/think-bigger-you-can-have-it-all.html?lid=117780&utm_source=newsletter101812&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=article-think-bigger-you-can-have-it-all Think Bigger: You Can Have It All October 18, 2012 at 12:00 am By Theresa Danna Learning the Secret of Balance in Life Have you ever wondered how some people manage to have it all? They enjoy a happy family life, fulfilling career, good health, fun hobbies, and time with friends. What’s their secret? Are they cloned? No, they’ve just mastered the art of balance, and you can, too. Here’s how: Eliminate Time Suckers We’ve all got the same 24 hours each day. How well you manage yours starts with paying attention to how much time you spend on activities or people who don’t contribute to your goals. For example, the Internet, especially social networks, can suck up precious hours if you don’t monitor yourself. A few minutes each week on Facebook or Twitter is all you need to stay in touch with long-distance friends and follow events that enrich your life. As far as email and text messages go, don’t feel obliged to read every “forward” or answer each message as soon as you receive it. While some interruptions are necessary, such as work-related ones, most others can wait. Don’t Bring Work Home Now that we all have easy access to computers anytime and anywhere, it’s tempting to do some work from home outside of regular office hours. However, those who successfully balance their home and work lives resist that temptation. “I help many of my clients in their struggle to achieve balance between work and romance,” explains Psychic Gina Rose ext. 9500. “For many, it is part of their karma to learn balance in this incarnation.” Establish boundaries and then stick to them. Work happens between certain hours in a certain place, and then home life happens outside of those hours in a different place. These days, one of the most loving things you can do for your significant other is leave your work at the office, turn off your cell phone, and simply pay attention to them. Even if there are household chores to do, you can do them together as a family. Get Up Earlier Regardless of what time you wake up in the morning now, start waking up at least a half hour earlier. Many people who are successful in all aspects of life start their day early. Use that extra time to do whatever you feel you don’t have time to do right now, whether it’s exercising or reading for pleasure. Even though 30 minutes might not sound like much, when you spend it doing whatever you please, it can be quite empowering. “Focus on the lightheartedness and awe of what you are achieving,” advises Psychic Anya Dawn ext. 9179. Believe That You Deserve it All Besides setting boundaries and managing your time efficiently, having it all also requires believing that you do, in fact, deserve it all. Psychic Rivers ext. 5273 reminds us: “Everything we manifest begins with a thought… so choose your thoughts carefully.” If a part of you believes that you are not good enough to be successful in all areas of your life, then you will subconsciously create imbalance. If some aspect of your self-esteem needs healing, work on that issue so that your inner thoughts eventually reflect self-love and self-respect. With both your inner thoughts and your outer efforts working in unison, you will create the life of balance that you desire.

10 Ways to Show Someone You Love Them

http://blog.californiapsychics.com/blog/2012/10/think-bigger-you-can-have-it-all.html?lid=117780&utm_source=newsletter101812&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=article-think-bigger-you-can-have-it-all 10 Ways to Show Someone You Love Them October 18, 2012 at 12:00 am By Natasha Jervis Actions Speak Louder Than Words Have you really wanted to show your partner just how much you love them, but are unsure how to? Don’t worry, many people don’t know how to express their feelings through actions. But it really isn’t as hard as you think and there are numerous ways you can show your loved one just how truly amazing you think they are. Surprise! Surprise them with a gift when they least expect it. Gifts that aren’t expected are always a sign that you care deeply for someone. They will know that you love them because you took time to think of them. Leave a Note Have you ever left a heartfelt note for your partner? Have you left the house covered with cute little sticky notes and sweet messages so that they find them when they arrive? Surprise notes are always a great way to say, “I love you.” Leave a note on the bathroom mirror, in his/her pocket, on their favorite snack, in a book or on a sandwich you made for them to take to work! Give the Gift of a Hug A hug goes a long way! Greet your partner with a hug when they get home from work. Climb into bed and give them a snuggle when they wake or hug them when they least expect it. When you give the gift of a hug to your loved one out of the blue, they will feel how much you truly adore them. Hold Hands in Public: Couples Unite Even though this may seem to come easy for some couples, it is actually difficult for some. If you are one of those people who do not like public displays of affection, think again. By taking your partner’s hand in public you are making a public announcement that you love the person you are walking with and that you are proud of who you are with. It can do wonders for intimacy and relationship development. It won’t hurt, so give it a try! Do you feel like your partner is ashamed of you? Christian ext. 5175 can see into their heart for your answer! Make an Effort to Help With the daily routine of households, school days and workloads, we can sometimes forget to do our share. If you don’t usually do any household chores, lend a hand and do it without your partner having to ask. Do the laundry, clean the windows, do some yard work or do the job your partner hates most. By chipping in, your loved one will know just how much you care. Active Listening Listening is part of the communication process and it is extremely important where loving relationships are concerned. Take time to listen to your partner. Don’t try to fix everything. Sometimes all your loved one needs is for you to listen to them. Make the time, commit to listening and allow your loved one to express how they are feeling and let them discuss anything they need to get off their chest. A Massage: A Win-Win Situation for Couples By offering to give your partner a massage, foot or neck rub, you are showing them that you care about their well-being and that you love them. Massage is an art of intimacy and can be a fantastic way to show that you care about your partners pain, relief and comfort. Make Time for Connection Life can be busy and sometimes couples forget to connect with each other. You may think you always spend time together because you go to the gym together, watch movies together and keep active with the kids as a family, but when do you actually talk to each other, face to face, with eye contact? Dedicated “couple time” is essential to a deep and meaningful relationship. Show your loved one how much you love them by planning a night out or weekend just for the two of you to connect. Put it in Words If you want to express your feelings in words, you can by putting it in a card. By taking the time to sit down and think about how special your partner is to you and by writing more than a few sentences, you will show your deep love for your partner. Be Thoughtful: Put Them First Couples can get so caught up in their daily lives and activities that they can forget to perform acts of kindness for each other. It’s easy for some to put themselves first. Next time you are driving home and feel like getting yourself a tea or coffee at a drive-through, bring your partner one. If you want to go to the movies, ask them what they would like to see. It’s important to put them first sometimes and be considerate. Stop putting them first if they don’t deserve it! Learn to put yourself first with the help of Morgana ext. 5471. Learn to Compromise The more you show that you can accept change and that you can compromise when making plans or weekly schedules, the more you show how much you love someone. Relationships are not one-sided and both parties need to feel respected. Work together and you are guaranteed to build a strong, loving relationship for the future.

8 Tips for Healthy Eating

Weight Management Center 8 Tips for Healthy Eating By following some basic dietary guidelines, you can turn healthy eating into a lifestyle instead of a chore. Follow these suggestions: 1) Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. Breakfast also gives you energy and helps you think and learn. 2) Choose whole grains more often. Try whole-wheat breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, and bulgur. 3) Select a mix of colorful vegetables every day. Vegetables of different colors provide different nutrients. Choose dark, leafy greens such as kale, collards, and mustard greens, and reds and oranges such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and tomatoes. 4) Choose fresh or canned fruit more often than fruit juice. Fruit juice has little or no fiber. 5) Use fats and oils sparingly. Olive, canola, and peanut oils; avocados; nuts and nut butters; olives; and fish provide heart-healthy fat as well as vitamins and minerals. 6) Eat sweets sparingly. Limit foods and beverages that are high in added sugars. 7) Eat three meals every day. Don't skip meals or eat snacks instead of meals. 8) Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand. Keep them at home and at work, and carry them with you to combat hunger and prevent overeating. Last updated: April 2007 I would suggest buying low calorie sweets such as Skinny Cow if it helps you to eat less, knowing you can have a treat later. Also, I have had great luck with Kellogg's Special K products. I love the cereal. I sometimes eat it as a snack at night!

Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid

Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid

Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid

Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid

10 Healthy Breakfast Ideas

10 Healthy Breakfast Ideas Take a fresh look at what makes a nutritious breakfast and what foods are good to eat at the most important meal of your day. By Kristen Stewart Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. This is especially true for dieters who will find it easier to manage their weight and stay on track with a start to the morning that’s high in nutrition. The trick, however, is making smart choices. “A healthy breakfast should be a variety of foods like whole grains, low-fat protein or dairy sources, and fruit,” says Andrea Gorman, MS, RD, manager of clinical nutrition at Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence. “All these food groups provide complex carbohydrates, protein, and a small amount of fat. This combination of nutrients can delay hunger symptoms and keep you feeling full throughout the day.” Healthy Breakfast Ideas Related: The Importance of Breakfast Here are some ideas to get your day started right: Build on a healthy cereal. Top a high-fiber cereal with a sprinkle of granola, bananas, and low-fat milk or plain yogurt. This combination provides good fiber and protein intake, plus calcium and potassium. Get off to a berry good start. Another possibility for breakfast is berries and low-fat Greek-style yogurt with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of toasted sliced almonds. These foods are high in protein and volume, which can help you feel full longer. Take your nutrition to go. Smoothies are another smart choice when made with Greek-style low-fat yogurt, berries, and a touch of sugar. It’s a meal that’s high in protein, dairy, and volume, and it’s very portable if you’re in a hurry. Get a good “warm-up.” Susan B. Roberts, PhD, author of The Instinct Diet and professor of nutrition at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts University in Boston, recommends hot cereal: Microwave 1/4 cup each of instant oatmeal and coarse wheat bran with a cup of 1 percent milk. Served with berries and a little maple syrup, it’s the perfect start to the day with plenty of fiber and volume. Don’t skip the eggs. Hot breakfasts extend the range of possibilities. Scrambled eggs — one whole egg and one egg white — along with a piece of whole-wheat toast, lightly buttered, and some fruit on the side are high in protein and volume and make a great combination. Wrap up some burritos. Breakfast burritos can spice up your morning meal. Use the same scrambled egg recipe as in No. 5 as the filling for a low-carb, whole- wheat (for extra fiber) wrap along with some salsa, low-fat sour cream, and a sprinkle of cheese. Call on cottage cheese. Cottage cheese along with fruit or nuts can be a good breakfast choice that’s high in protein plus some calcium. Look for cottage cheese brands that offer extra fiber. Ham it up. Even ham and eggs can be healthy when using one whole egg and one egg white in the scramble and two slices of lean Canadian bacon. Add half a grapefruit on the side and it’s a meal full of protein, fiber, and vitamin C. Don’t rule out a.m. vegetables. You can enjoy veggies with breakfast if you add them to some eggs. Dr. Roberts suggests cooking one and a half cups of sliced button mushrooms or one cup of lightly steamed vegetables (like broccoli or spinach), two beaten eggs, salt, and freshly ground pepper in a non-stick pan with one-half teaspoon of tub margarine. Add a dollop of ketchup, if desired. Think whole grain. Whole-grain English muffins with peanut butter or another nut butter and sliced fruit like apples or pears, along with a glass of milk, can be filling while providing protein and calcium. Related: How Skipping Meals Stops Weight Loss

What Painful Situations Can Teach You About Yourself

What Painful Situations Can Teach You About Yourself The author and founder of the Seat of the Soul Institute shows us how to use our painful experiences to grow spiritually. By Gary Zukav Everyone wants to learn the same thing from painful situations: how to avoid repeating them. For example, when you do your best to take care of someone and then that person pushes you away, you feel unappreciated. Or when you expect to be thanked and the opposite happens. Or when someone betrays your trust: You expected honesty and instead experienced dishonesty. The list of painful situations that you can learn about yourself from is very long, and you have probably experienced many of them. If you treat each of these experiences as a separate, freestanding, random event in your life, you will continue to be surprised by them and, eventually, become frustrated. "Why is this happening to me?" will turn into "Why is this happening to me again?" These are good questions, but when you look outside yourself for the answers, you will not find anything of spiritual value. For example, my wife, Linda, and I once hired a manager to help us. We chose him because he was interested in what we teach, seemed capable and was excited to work with us. A year later, we discovered that he had lost a lot of the Seat of the Soul Institute's money, left it with debts we did not know about and stole a laptop computer when he departed. Of course, we learned to do a much better job of due diligence from that painful experience—checking references, verifying qualifications, researching previous work experience, etc. It was a lesson that I did not forget, but there was an even more important lesson that I learned from this painful experience. After feeling shocked (an experience of a frightened part of my personality, which is also a not-loving part of my personality) and blaming him for my emotional pain (also an experience of a frightened part of my personality) and feeling like a victim, I discovered something completely surprising, interesting and humbling: In shame and blame—both of which are very painful to experience, provided that you do not distract yourself with drinking, eating, shopping, sex, smoking, etc.—I saw this person as someone whose intention from the beginning was to get the most for himself from our interactions, and he did. What I discovered about myself truly jolted me: I had held the same intention toward him! The very same intention. I expected him to relieve me of my responsibilities, expand the institute and bring it revenue, and as long as he did that, I would be satisfied. In other words, my intention was to exploit him just as his intention was to exploit me. I got exactly what I gave. My real intention did not create the benefits for the institute that I had envisioned. It was to obtain as much from him as I could. I intended to exploit, and I created exploitation. It was a big lesson for me to learn. I am so grateful for it because it taught me to look carefully and honestly at my intentions, and showed me how powerfully they create my experiences. This is how to avoid re-creating painful situations: Take the time to discover your real intention before you act. If it is to change someone or the world so that you will feel safe or better about yourself, don't act on it, because it is an intention of fear and can create only painful consequences. If your real intention is to create harmony instead of discord, cooperation instead of competition, sharing instead of hoarding, and reverence for life instead of exploitation, act on it, because it is an intention of love and can create only healthy and wholesome consequences. When you do this, you are creating authentic power. Read more: http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Gary-Zukav-Why-People-Hurt-Us-and-How-to-Stop-Them#ixzz29QEPkrrB

Deepak Chopra "Advice Handling Hard Times"

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Deepak-Chopra-Advice-Handling-Hard-Times

52 Little Changes for Big Weight Loss results

http://www.ivillage.com/52-little-changes-big-weight-loss-results/4-b-394731?nlcid=dt|10-12-2012|

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease -- Health & Wellness -- Sott.net

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease -- Health & Wellness -- Sott.net: http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease

It's time to re-think how we think about healthy food. It just may save your life!

How to Tune In to the Voice Within By Martha Beck

How to Tune In to the Voice Within By Martha Beck Following Your Inner Buddy Exercise 1: WWBD? Think of a challenging circumstance or difficult decision you happen to be facing right now—something that's been keeping you up at night. With this situation in mind, write the first answer that comes up when you ask yourself the following questions. Don't overthink the answers. In fact, don't think about the answers at all—just blurt. With regard to your difficult situation... What would calm do now? What would peace do now? What would relaxation do now? (Note: I don't include "What would love do now?" because so many people have such misguided interpretations of love. They think love would sacrifice its own happiness, or throw a tantrum, or hide in an ex-boyfriend's garage wearing nothing but night-vision goggles and a leopard-print thong.) The more often you ask yourself these strange questions, the more open you become to the gentle energy of your own inner wisdom. When you feel your body begin to let go of tension, you know you're headed in a wise direction. And that's what Buddy would do. Exercise 2: Nightmare Board, Wisdom Board Perhaps you've heard of vision boards: collages you assemble from pictures of things that appeal to you. Most of us go through life carrying something similar in our minds—except that instead of pictures that appeal to us, they're crowded with pictures that torment and terrify us. I call these nightmare boards. Your nightmare board, curated, assembled, and prominently displayed by your inner Fang, contains images of everything that frightens and upsets you, including all your most hideously painful experiences. Fang is continuously adding new pictures to the board and lovingly retouching the old ones. Here's a radical assignment: Make your nightmare board real. Glue up some actual images of every frightening thought that haunts you. But don't stop there. When you're finished, you're going to make another board. This new board must contain three or more images that contradict every picture on the nightmare board. For example, if your nightmare board shows a devastating oil spill, your vision board might feature three photographs of people tenderly swabbing oil-coated ducks. For every image of violence, come up with three examples of loving kindness; for every crisis, find three beautiful, ordinary moments of calm. When you're finished, ceremoniously shred, burn, or otherwise trash Fang's nightmare board. Then put your wisdom board where you can see it. Focusing on hope in a world of fear isn't naive. It's the irrational essence of wisdom. Exercise 3: Vocab Rehab Take ten minutes and write a description of your life—stream of consciousness, no self-judgment, no editing. Then go over your description, looking for every word that carries frightening or painful associations. These words have more power than you might think. Studies show that after focusing on words having to do with aging, people walk more slowly; when they see words associated with anger, they're more likely to be rude. This phenomenon is called affective priming, but it works both ways. You can use it to connect with your inner wisdom by changing every stressful word in your self-description to something more freeing, relaxing, or exhilarating. If you wrote "I'm nervous," see whether "I'm excited" may also fit. The word unsure could be replaced by open. As you change your story, Fang's voice will begin to soften, and the peace that comes from your wiser inner voice will begin to arise. Practice Makes Permanent All these exercises can divert your attention from bossy, self-righteous Fang and help you appreciate the brilliance of your inner Buddy. Wisdom will never be the loud, obvious one in this odd couple. It will never shout down its opposition or barge in uninvited. But each time you choose wisdom as your adviser, you come closer to making the choice a way of life. Trust me, that's advice you want to take. Martha Beck is the author of six books, including Steering by Starlight (Rodale). Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Finding-Your-Inner-Voice-Developing-Intuition-Martha-Beck/3#ixzz27W8etJEo

About the Diet - The Eat-Clean Diet®

About the Diet - The Eat-Clean Diet®

What the Old Folks Are Saying

What I am hearing from people in their 80s, 90s and even a hundred or more years old is 1) Enjoy your life. Do what makes you happy and DON'T Do what Doesn't make you happy. -One of the things I started doing was having my in-laws' caregiver clean my house once a month. I was using the dirty house as an excuse to NOT do my writing. And my writing this novel is very important to me. Finishing it would make me very happy. Now, all I have to do is start limiting my time on the net. Social networks are taking up too much of my time. 2) Stay active. Walk. Travel. Do the things that make you want to get out of bed in the morning. The more active you are, the faster your metabolism is so pretty soon, the weight is coming off without you even thinking about it. That, in turn, makes it easier to STAY ACTIVE. ;-) 3) Don't overeat. Overeating is what is killing Americans. We are eating too much of the wrong foods and it is what will end our lives too soon IF WE CONTINUE doing it. Watch WHAT & HOW MUCH you eat, and before you know it, getting out of bed is easier. You will start to feel less pain and you will be happier, which brings us back to #1. BEAT OF LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY TO A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER LONG LIFE!!

The "Eat What You Want" Diet, by Sherrie Miranda (yes, by me - for a change)

I finally found the diet that works FOR ME! The thing is I have a sweet tooth and most of the diets I have tried required me to give up sweets and anything else that I love. I started thinking about the fact that when I visit my family, I lose weight. AND I EAT DESSERTS every night! So, how could this be? Well, my family doesn't really eat very healthy. So, I don't eat as much as I normally would at home. I normally buy and eat mostly health foods so I am very cognizant of the food I eat. I don't even want most unhealthy food. It no longer tastes good to me. So, I eat breakfast when I am visiting, usually something healthy, but sometimes it is a donut if someone brought them home. Then I skip lunch and have maybe a peach or mango or some other fruit. For dinner, I eat like a small child, always knowing in the back of my mind that I am having dessert in the evening. So that is what I am doing now at home. I eat my breakfast of whole grain cereal with blueberries and milk, coffee a little later, and a snack, usually fruit. Then I eat about half what I normally would eat for dinner. It is easy because I know I will have dessert later, either after dinner or later before I go to bed. I usually buy Skinny Cow ice cream, but even if it isn't low calorie, I am still eating less and losing a lb. or two a week, sometimes more. I love this diet. AND I am calling it a diet, not because I am doing it to lose weight but because it is the way I plan to eat for the rest of my life. It is my long life diet, at least for the rest of my life. So, don't do it the Atkins way or the South Beach way. DO IT YOUR WAY!! That's the only way that is going to work FOR YOU! Best of luck to you. And do let me know how it is going!

Gary Zukav on "Why People Hurt Us—and How to Stop Them"

Gary Zukav: Why People Hurt Us—and How to Stop Them The author and founder of the Seat of the Soul Institute shows us how to understand the reason others inflict pain on us—and who's really responsible. By Gary Zukav Everyone wants to learn the same thing from painful situations: how to avoid repeating them. For example, when you do your best to take care of someone and then that person pushes you away, you feel unappreciated. Or when you expect to be thanked and the opposite happens. Or when someone betrays your trust: You expected honesty and instead experienced dishonesty. The list of painful situations that you can learn about yourself from is very long, and you have probably experienced many of them. If you treat each of these experiences as a separate, freestanding, random event in your life, you will continue to be surprised by them and, eventually, become frustrated. "Why is this happening to me?" will turn into "Why is this happening to me again?" These are good questions, but when you look outside yourself for the answers, you will not find anything of spiritual value. For example, my wife, Linda, and I once hired a manager to help us. We chose him because he was interested in what we teach, seemed capable and was excited to work with us. A year later, we discovered that he had lost a lot of the Seat of the Soul Institute's money, left it with debts we did not know about and stole a laptop computer when he departed. Of course, we learned to do a much better job of due diligence from that painful experience—checking references, verifying qualifications, researching previous work experience, etc. It was a lesson that I did not forget, but there was an even more important lesson that I learned from this painful experience. After feeling shocked (an experience of a frightened part of my personality, which is also a not-loving part of my personality) and blaming him for my emotional pain (also an experience of a frightened part of my personality) and feeling like a victim, I discovered something completely surprising, interesting and humbling: In shame and blame—both of which are very painful to experience, provided that you do not distract yourself with drinking, eating, shopping, sex, smoking, etc.—I saw this person as someone whose intention from the beginning was to get the most for himself from our interactions, and he did. What I discovered about myself truly jolted me: I had held the same intention toward him! The very same intention. I expected him to relieve me of my responsibilities, expand the institute and bring it revenue, and as long as he did that, I would be satisfied. In other words, my intention was to exploit him just as his intention was to exploit me. I got exactly what I gave. My real intention did not create the benefits for the institute that I had envisioned. It was to obtain as much from him as I could. I intended to exploit, and I created exploitation. It was a big lesson for me to learn. I am so grateful for it because it taught me to look carefully and honestly at my intentions, and showed me how powerfully they create my experiences. This is how to avoid re-creating painful situations: Take the time to discover your real intention before you act. If it is to change someone or the world so that you will feel safe or better about yourself, don't act on it, because it is an intention of fear and can create only painful consequences. If your real intention is to create harmony instead of discord, cooperation instead of competition, sharing instead of hoarding, and reverence for life instead of exploitation, act on it, because it is an intention of love and can create only healthy and wholesome consequences. When you do this, you are creating authentic power. Read more: http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Gary-Zukav-Why-People-Hurt-Us-and-How-to-Stop-Them#ixzz2796wzysa

Coming Into Focus: An Artist's Journey Through Weight Loss and Self-Discovery Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/Jen-Davis-Self-Portraits-Weight-Loss-and-Photography#ixzz25RK7QCpn

A photographer loses the inspiration that fueled her work—and finally finds what she was searching for all along. By Diana Spechler Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/Jen-Davis-Self-Portraits-Weight-Loss-and-Photography#ixzz25RKGLRA7 http://www.oprah.com/health/Jen-Davis-Self-Portraits-Weight-Loss-and-Photography This is a very profound story!

7 Superfoods We All Should Enjoy

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/super-foods-44030408 Just click on the link and check it out. Or copy & paste into your browser.

Copy & Paste into your browser - 10 Ways to Treat Yourslef

http://www.ivillage.com/me-time-10-ways-treat-yourself-and-boost-your-mood/4-b-440662?nlcid=wh|08-28-2012| do little things that make you happy We often worry that it's selfish to want to be happier, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth, according to Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project. Sometimes a little “me time” is just what you need to unwind when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed. “When we feel happy ourselves, we have the emotional wherewithal to turn outwards. Taking the time to boost your spirits and your energy will help you contribute to the happiness of others,” Rubin says. Make a list of all the things that make you happy or write down what you're grateful for. The little reminders of what is going right in your life will help you let go of those things that aren’t. Read More http://www.ivillage.com/me-time-10-ways-treat-yourself-and-boost-your-mood/4-b-440662#ixzz24rfkGwef Sign up for iVillage Special Offers

Do You Trust Yourself Enough?

Do You Trust Yourself Enough?: I took a personality test, "Do You Trust Yourself Enough?", and I got "Take Ten". Take the quiz at Oprah.com!

My Result:

Take Ten

You're very intuitive, but you could dial up your inner voice even more clearly. Set aside ten minutes a day to consciously practice. Sit somewhere peaceful with a notebook and pen. Drop into your body and identify your emotions as described above. Find the thought behind your dominant emotion. Write it down.

If your dominant emotion is glad, elaborate on the thoughts that cause it. Write about each wonderful facet of love, or gelato, or whatever else is pleasing you. Luxuriate in enjoyment. That's your inner voice talking.

If the emotion is unpleasant, consider that your thoughts may be erroneous (I'm not good enough). Feel for the truth (I may be pretty awesome).

When the thought is accurate, your inner voice will give you appropriate instructions. Anger or fear signifies that you need to set boundaries, get distance from something unhealthy, or stand up for yourself. If you feel sad, your intuition will tell you to rest and lead you to people who can comfort you.

Write down your ideas about what you can do to improve your situation. Then follow your inner voice's advice. It will lead you from bad to good, from good to awesome. Requiz and continue.

The Payoff
As you improve your ability to pay attention to your core instincts, you become your own free psychic. You can ask your inner voice the same questions you'd blurt out if you went to a professional clairvoyant on a lark: "What should I do about my career?" "Does Bob really love me?" "Should I write a novel or just start drinking?" Your intuition won't always be right, but very often it will be. And that's enough motivation to keep parsing the cocktail party in your head, to focus on the one voice whispering your name.

Martha Beck's latest book is Finding Your Way in a Wild New World(Free Press). 

Your Inner Voice is In There "Somewhere"

"Somewhere in there, among the worries, questions, advice and advertising jingles, lives your intuition, your true 'inner voice.' You can hear it to the extent that you give it your attention." — Martha Beck

Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life?

Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life?: I took a personality test, "Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life?", and I got "You Are Grateful for What You Have". Take the quiz at Oprah.com!

15 Ways to Keep weight After hitting Your Goal

http://www.ivillage.com/15-ways-keep-weight-after-hitting-your-goal/4-b-461801?nlcid=td|08-17-2012| Copy and post the link in your browser. I have been taking ThermoRaz and have lost 15 lbs. This has not been easy, what with a wedding that lasted from morning to night and family parties, etc. But I have stayed busy (the ThermoRaz came in handy for this), and I have been cutting my portions, sometimes in half. The thing that is helping me continue to eat more healthy is keeping desserts in the freezer. I eat less knowing that I have a little treat for later IF I WANT ONE. I have Frozen Kefir and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. Some of the treats are NOT low calorie so I try to be happy with just a couple bites. No one says we have to have an entire serving to feel satisfied, right? The main thing is eating healthy: whole grains, fruit and lots of veggies, which can be a lot of fun when you fix them right. Like a homemade taco salad with black beans, black olives, ground beef and cheese on lettuce, topped with my husband's homemade salsa. Yummy! So, enjoy the food you do eat and watch the portions AND give yourself a little treat when you get the urge. You might be surprised to see that it actually works!

The Optimal Menopause Diet

The Optimal Menopause Diet Adding the right foods to your diet as you approach menopause can actually reduce or prevent menopause symptoms. And the earlier you make these dietary changes, the easier menopause may be. By Marie Suszynski Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH Some menopause symptoms are just bothersome, such as hot flashes and dry skin. Other changes related to menopause can lead to long-term women’s health problems, from bone loss to high cholesterol. Controlling Menopause Symptoms Following the optimal menopause diet can help to reduce or even prevent menopause symptoms and protect you from illnesses, such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. There are some foundation foods that are great for women’s health and can help with menopause symptoms like dry skin, bloating, weight gain, hot flashes, and bone loss, says Lisa V. Bunce, RD, a member of the American Dietetic Association and owner of Back to Basics Nutrition Consulting in Redding, Conn. The earlier you make sure these foods are staples in your menopause diet, the easier menopause and the years beyond may be. Related: Menopause and the Soy Question Water. Vaginal dryness and dry skin caused by a decrease in estrogen during menopause are common complaints among women at this time, but getting eight glasses of water a day can help maintain your skin’s moisture and offset dryness, Bunce says. Drinking water also helps decrease the bloating that occurs with hormonal changes, she adds. This kind of symptom is most common in the years just before periods end for good, often referred to as perimenopause. Calcium. Your calcium needs increase during menopause because the loss of estrogen can speed up bone loss, Bunce says. If you’re not taking estrogen replacement, aim to get at least 1,500 milligrams of calcium a day. If you do take hormone replacement therapy, aim for 1,000 milligrams a day, she says. Because that’s difficult for most women to achieve that through diet alone, consider a combination of calcium-rich foods in your diet, like milk and nonfat yogurt, and calcium supplements. Vitamin D. Getting enough vitamin D is also critical for protecting your bones during menopause. Vitamin D comes from the sun, but many experts say it’s vital for women’s health to take a vitamin D supplement to ensure you’re getting enough, especially in winter and in non-sunny climates. Although the official recommended daily dose is only 400 international units for most people, Bunce says that many doctors recommend getting 1,000 to 2,000 international units of vitamin D a day. Talk to your doctor about the right amount for you. Fruits and vegetables. Your metabolism slows down as you get older, and women in their mid-forties tend to become more sedentary. This all adds up to weight gain, one of the most dreaded menopause symptoms. By filling up on low-calorie fruits and vegetables, you can help minimize weight gain while getting the nutrients you need to stay healthy. Whole grains. Some whole grains, such as steel-cut oatmeal, quinoa, barley, and brown rice, provide B vitamins — which help boost energy, manage stress, and keep the digestive system functioning, Bunce says. Folic acid and fiber, also found in whole grains, help lower risk for cardiovascular disease, which rises after menopause. Iron. Your iron needs actually go down during menopausal years, Bunce says, so focusing on eating lean cuts of beef, eggs, iron-rich cereals, and grains should put enough in your diet. Iron supplements (and that includes multivitamins with iron) are generally not recommended for women after menopause unless your doctor prescribes them. Related: Choosing an Alternative Menopause Treatment Soy. Some experts recommend soy for relief of hot flashes, but the research is inconclusive, Bunce says. Soy compounds, called isoflavones, mimic estrogen in the body. Studies of the benefits of soy for women in menopause focus on women in Asia, who get their soy from food, Bunce says. If you want to try soy, eat edamame, tofu, and other soy foods as much as possible instead of processed foods like soy burgers. “Any time you can add plant-based foods to your diet, it’s a benefit,” she says. Flaxseed. Flaxseed is a wonderful plant-based food with omega-3 fatty acids. Try sprinkling ground flaxseed on cereal, yogurt, and salads; it adds fiber to your diet, keeps your arteries healthy, and has some estrogen-like compounds, Bunce says. Low-calorie foods in general. The plain truth is that your calorie needs decline with every decade of life. The less weight you gain during menopause, the better your menopause symptoms in general, so it’s worth adopting a diet of low fat, healthy foods that will help you maintain your weight. What to avoid. Steer clear of alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and spicy foods, which can trigger hot flashes, aggravate urinary incontinence (another common problem during the menopause years), increase mood swings, and increase bone loss, Bunce says. Among Bunce’s clients, the women who handle menopause symptoms the best are the ones who approach this time as a natural progression of their lives and roll with the punches, rather than seeing it as a struggle, she says. “Many women have spent their entire lives taking care of others,” she says. “This is the perfect opportunity to look in the mirror and say to yourself, ‘I need to take care of myself now so I can have the quality of life I’m looking for.’”

I'm a Smiler! That may sound good, but it has drawbacks.

Cucumbers have nothing on your cool facade—even when you're hurt or stressed, your smile doesn't waver. But people-pleasing can be a dead end: Your opponent doesn't know what you truly want, and you're mad at yourself for saying one thing when you mean another. Rules of Engagement: Stating what you really think may feel abrasive at first, but it grows easier with time. If you're flustered by a request, resist a knee-jerk assent. Instead, use a set answer—"Let me check my calendar first"—so you can respond after giving it some thought. If you feel pressured to bow to someone's opinion, an empathetic statement ("I understand where you're coming from") can placate an opponent without compromising your stance. This exercise was created by Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7-Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life (Jossey-Bass). See what your conflict style is, and post a comment here. Peace, Sherrie Read more: http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Whats-Your-Conflict-Style-Quiz-Dealing-with-Conflict/13#ixzz234nYDDh3

Dairy Fat Intake Linked to Better Cardiovascular Health and Less Risk for Diabetes | Health and Wellness News

Dairy Fat Intake Linked to Better Cardiovascular Health and Less Risk for Diabetes | Health and Wellness News

21 Rules for Everyday Senseless Joy, By Leigh Newman

21 Rules for Everyday Senseless Joy We know how to make ourselves happy—but the trick is getting ourselves to do these things. So, here are a few inflexible rules and regulations designed to help you on your way to spontaneous daily bliss. From: Oprah and the Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour Teachers Live from Toronto: The Power of Forgiveness By Leigh Newman 1. After all clumsy, embarrassing moments, you must curtsy. 2. Call up your best friend once a month—and play her favorite song, anonymously without one word—making sure that you hear her rustle, sit-dancing in her office chair. 3. Close your eyes when you drink orange juice. It makes it taste better. 4. Make up a lovable name for your least favorite body part. Like Irene. Nobody hates a thigh named Irene. 5. While you're driving behind a school bus with kids at the windows waving to everyone in cars, you must wave back—and honk three times. 6. When in doubt, add extra garlic, extra butter or extra bubble bath. 7. Always scan your dimes for the date. Dimes, unlike pennies and quarters, do not tarnish. One that's three times your age gives you a whole new perspective on how to get older—without losing your shine. 8. To-do lists and angry letters to the phone or electric company must be written in silver glitter ink. 9. You may not leave the house without smelling the top of the head of your child, partner or pet. Inhale their scent (even if it's unwashed) for at least two breaths. 10. Once a year, take yourself out for a mandatory lunch at a restaurant with fancy waiters. Sit at a table for four. Order three courses, including wine and a dish that must be set on fire. 11. If you're watching a comedy, laugh. If you're watching a tearjerker, cry. If you're watching a ballroom dance show, dance—preferably in some kind of spangled, neon, rhinestone-bedazzled, midriff-baring outfit. 12. Keep your cat, childhood teddy bear or even one of those microfiber cleaning cloths (which, by the way, do work better than plain old rags) in reach at all times. Studies have proven that soft, fuzzy objects defeat the blues. 13. Prior to visiting your parents, you are required to watch Bruce and Esther Huffman from McMinnville, Oregon, test out their new webcam. 14. All stickers offered to you by someone under the age of 13 must be accepted, slapped on and worn for at least one hour. Preferably on your cheek. 15. Never delete accidentally dialed voice messages from family. Listening to your nieces and nephews sing "Jingle Bells" as they walk to school, for example—complete with thumps and breathing and indecipherable muttering about haircuts—turns a boring afternoon at work into a visit home. 16. Saying no to cotton candy is strictly forbidden. 17. If you hear a person crying in the bathroom, pass them a wad of tissue under the stall—without a word. 18. Each time you pass a street musician playing the instrument that you quit as a child, place one crisp, full dollar in the cup and wait until the absolute end of the song to applaud. 19. Always note how the foam on a cappuccino magically parts when you add sugar, then closes right back up. 20. At least once in your life, pour a bottle of dish soap into a bubbling outdoor public fountain. 21. Never go to bed without looking up at the ceiling and thanking it for keeping out the rain. Get Happy! Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Rules-for-Everyday-Senseless-Joy-Leigh-Newman/2#ixzz22F6IaVqK