Sugar Addiction

I have heard that sugar addiction is harder to kick then a heroine addiction.
Sugar acts like a drug in your system, you crave it and it affects your mood and how you feel.  The more you eat sugar the more you crave it. It is a major cause of migraine headaches.  Most people who are addicted to sugar are in denial of it just like drug addicts.
How do you know if you are addicted to sugar?
Go without it completely including white flour for 3 days. Prepare yourself, things could get ugly.  Replace sugar with vegetables. Do not use chemical sugar substitutes ever. Read food labels, 4 grams of sugar equals one teaspoon. Back off on the fruit and no juice or alcohol.
After 3 days replace sugar intake with 4-5 servings of fruit daily.  Limit sugar and white flour intake and use maple or agave syrup (in small amounts) to replace sweetness in foods.
Keep in mind sugar has it's place in our lives but mostly if you are an endurance athlete.

Recipes

http://www.vegan-food.net/
I found this website and it's got some good recipes if you are looking to cook healthier.
You don't need to be vegan. I prefer vegan recipes to vegetarian because a lot of vegetarian recipes are loaded with dairy and fat.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

This came from a magazine article written by Dr. Mehmet OZ:
Stay away from Bisphenol A (BPA)
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used compound found in food and beverage containers.  Evidence now suggests that exposure to this chemical may increase your risk for cardiac disease, possibly by short-circuiting the cells of your heart, leading to potential deadly arrhythmias.
Minimize your exposure to BPA by limiting your use of canned foods, avoiding No. 7 plastics and using non-plastic containers in the microwave.

I did not know this.

Breakfast

Here is a really good healthy breakfast:
1/2 cup to 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal.
Put it in a non-plastic microwavable bowl and add water or almond milk until it just covers the top of the oatmeal.
Add 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries or your favorite fresh seasonal fruit.
Add 1/4 cup of almonds or walnuts.
Microwave on high for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.
Add 2 Tbls. of real maple syrup.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Make Time for Exercise

If you have time to watch TV then you have time to exercise!
Fit it in!
If you have time to drink, you have time to exercise. Fit it in!
If you really truly don't have time for exercise (and I'm not buying it), and you are actually that busy, just make sure you are going up and down a lot of stairs and parking in the furthest parking space.

Portion Sizes

Do you really pay attention to how much you eat?
Based on a 2000 calorie diet, you are supposed to get about 8 servings of grain & grain products. I take in about 10 because I won't touch Dairy (see my earlier post to explain why).
A serving size of grain is 1 slice of bread, a half a cup of cooked cereal or rice or pasta.
Take one day and write down every portion of carbs that you eat, include sweets and chips.
We eat way too much!  Remember eating healthy isn't just about cutting calories.  It's about not eating the junk so your body can adjust to the right amount of daily caloric intake.
Keep eating the junk and your body will not allow you to lose weight because you will always crave the junk.  I don't know about you but I don't want any junk in my trunk!

Healthy Socializing/Hooty Ski Video

It's important to be part of a social group.  Make sure that the group of friends or        colleagues offer a healthy environment to hang out in not and environment that will sabotage your good health.

This Video is of a very healthy vibrant 64 year old woman that gets better at skiing every year.  She skis 5 days a week, instructs part time and works with me and other pros to improve herself at her sport.  She is also one of the founding members of our Barkeaters Ski Club.
When I grow up, want to be just like her!

Claim post

8ZP94PNKQHJM 

Listen to Your Body Not Your Mind

Your mind says to you, "Boy that looks so good, I can't wait to have some".
Your body says, "Not that crap again. I need vitamins and anti-oxidents not excess fat and calories.  Okay, but I can't use all that food so I'm just going to ad it to that ever growing pile of fat. And then I'm going to make you feel like crap, bloat you, give you aches, make you feel energy-less and maybe, just maybe you won't shove that crap into me again.  But you never seem to get the message. Boy are you going to end up sick and you only have yourself to blame".

Listen to your body not your mind.

RIP Jack Lalanne

Living well has it's own daily rewards
Click here: Jack Lalanne dies at 96

Food Staples

Here is a list of food that I like to always have on hand. Remeber, this isn't all I eat, just my basics.
Carbs
potatoes
sweet potatoes
rice                                                      
whole wheat pasta                                    
whole wheat pastry flour
unbleached flour
natural whole grain bread

Gosh I'm hot!

Fats
canola oil
olive oil
natural peanut butter
earth balance butter
olives
avocados
Protein
fresh caught fish
venison
beans, dried
tofu
nuts, almonds and cashews
seeds sunflower & sesame
almond/soy milk
Veggies
frozen:
broccoli
spinach
brussel sprouts
Fresh:
cabbage
carrots 
organic spring mix
cabbage
peppers
Friut
frozen blueberries every morning on my oatmeal.
bananas
seasonal fruit
apples, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, peaches...
Seasonings
White and aged balsamic vinegar
organic kethup                                                                                                                                             
organic herbs and spices
local maple syrup
agave syrup
cocoa powder
onions
garlic
yeast
nutritional yeast
dried hot peppers


Note that some foods come under more than one category. I try to buy organic and locally grown when possible.
Go to your cupboard and throw out anything that has hydrogenated fats, trans fats and has excessive sugar like those cookies that are also loaded with fat, sugar and preservatives. Ditch the pop (soda), energy and vitamin drinks and anything artificially sweetened.

Objective vs Obstructive

In order to loose weight and get control of your health, you need to look for opportunities to be successful. Are you an objective thinker or an obstructive thinker?
Objective: Someone that is up to the challenge. you look for ways to be successful and you know that excuses only limit your success.
Obstructive: Always makes excuses for why things are in order to not have to change. For example: I could never give up ice cream or it's impossible for me to lose weight because my husband and kids won't eat healthy food.  I don't have time to exercise (number one excuse).
Remember excuses do not to change our lifestyle. Do you make excuses or plans?

Tea

There is something about tea especially in the winter time.
It's hot, it's cozy, it hydrates (decaf) and it's supposed to have anti-oxident values.
So save some calories, skip the store bought hot cocoa and have some tea.
My favorite is Bigelow.

Stop Hunger

If you are over weight there are several reasons why you find yourself hungry all the time.
Eating junk: Your body won't turn off the hunger signal until you nourish it.
Diabetes: Because the insulin is not working effectively the body sends signals that the food is coming slower then it actually is and so you are constantly hungry.
No exercise: You body is designed to move. When you don't use it and exercise it signals are that you are becoming sick (what you feel is no energy) and the hunger signal turns on to nourish itself to feel better but you keep eating junk and the cycle goes on.
Your body is always trying to repair itself from the damage that you continually do to it. Eventually you will win (actually lose).  Your body will not be able to keep up and you will end up sick. You will develop one or many lifestyle diseases: hypertension, High LDL, cancer, arthritis, atherosclerosis, infections, constipation, bad skin, limp dick, bad mood, low self esteem, smell....
Quality of life is first priority!

Grand Tetons
Wyoming

The Biggest Weight Loss Mistake....

is not eating. The so called experts try to tag primarily women in this category but I don't buy into that.
Let's call it skipping meals.  Don't do it.  Your body doesn't want to work that way especially since you are exercising on a a daily basis.  Treat yourself like an athlete and you will feel and look healthy.
Have three set meals a day even if the time has to fluctuate. Make each meal around 600 calories.  Add snacks to increase calorie intakes as needed.  Make your calories start from 10 servings of veggies and fruit (a serving size is about a half cup).  Balance your meals Carb (65% of total calories), fat, protein.
Do not drink your calories unless you are and endurance athlete.
This is just a start.  Educate yourself on healthy eating, avoid chemically processed food like substances and practice your healthy life style every day.

10 Reasons To Exercise

One of the leading causes of death is poor eating habits and lack of daily physical activity.

Videoing for Barkeaters Ski Club.
Check us out at
 www.xcelskiing.com/barkeaters.html

Here are ten reason you should exercise.
1) Live longer healthier.
2) Lowers the risk of coronary heart disease.
3) Improves blood pressure.
4) Reduces the risk of cancer.
5) Weight loss.
6) Strengthens bones.
7) Helps you with anxiety, depression and keeps you in a better mood.
8) Lowers the risk of getting diabetes and helps those with diabetes get healthy
9)Helps prevent infections and catching a cold.
10)Reduces injuries from falls in elderly by promoting strength, balance and flexibility.

Planning Your Meal

When you are planning your meal, what do you base it on?  Chicken, Mac & cheese, beef stew?
How about planning your meal around vegetables.  Vegetables should be your main dish and the largest portion.  Try steamed veggies, it retains the most nutrients other then raw. Or try a big salad (check out my salad post)
The next serving is your carbs, pasta, rice, potatoes. Then you can ad protein,  non-farmed fish, venison, organic low fat meat, beans....
Keep your potions reasonable to your daily calorie in/energy out ratio.  Be Smart, save you heart!

Alcohol Makes You Fat

I've been wanting to shed a couple more pounds to lower my body fat.  I eat healthy and I exercise, where can I trim off a little in my calories?  Alcohol, even if you drink a little bit, a serving of red wine is 125 calories.  A glass of wine is 2+ servings.  Two glasses of wine is 500+ calories x 7 days = 3500+ calories per week = 1 lb+ per week gained = 52 lbs per year!

I stopped drinking Jan. 1 2011, I feel better and have lost 3 lbs.  I am happy with that!  

Dealing With Frustration

When you feel like your loosing control of your eating or making excuses for your eating you can feel the changes in your body.  You can feel bloated, gain some weight and feel like crap. This can be frustrating and depressing enough to sabotage your good work.

Mad River Glen, Vt.

Stop.
Start over.
Get on the treadmill, go for a long walk or go for a long slow run.  Drink lots of water and start paying attention to you food intake.  Back way off on fat, sugar, white flour and no alcohol.   Within 2 days you will start feeling like you should, healthy or on your way to it!

To Scale or Not to Scale...

When you are trying to lose weight are you obsessing in the scale?  I've tried that method in the past and I don't recommend it. I think the best indicator of your weight loss is that your clothes are getting looser. The problem with getting on the scale more than once a week is that your weight fluctuates naturally and not just from fat loss or gain. Seeing these changes on the scale can have a sabotaging effect on your weight loss progress.  The result of exercising can effect the numbers on the scale by fat loss, muscle gain, changes in bone density and water loss or gain.

When you start your lifestyle change to become healthy and loose weight, step on the scale. Beware, this can be shocking and depressing. Revisit the scale once a month, maximum.  If you are not loosing a minimum of 4 lb. in a month review and update your lifestyle.  And always be proud of any losses that you have made.

Exercise Helps Prevent Illness

What a great week of skiing.  Lots of good snow and good friends.  

I was reading an article about how exercise effects our well being.

We are designed to move.  If we don't exercise not only could you get fat but you will get sick.  Disease is not only prevented by proper nutrients but by daily exercise.  If you are sick ask yourself what you could do to prevent it.
If you don't know seek help and guidance. No more excuses!

Changing Lifestyle

I never thought that I ate to much, for years.  All I needed to do was cut back a little.
I had that realization this morning, this is how I used to think.

Lon!

I was making my decaf tea for breakfast and I thought, "Mmmm, wouldn't a cup of hot cocoa be good?"  Instantly I knew that it was not on the calorie list today (I am trying to get my body fat percentage down a little more).  In the past I would have thought nothing of making a cup of cocoa (the bad unhealthy kind too) and I would not have expected it to have any effect on me being fat or getting fatter.  It wasn't like I was having a candy bar and a coke.
If you want to lose weight then you need to look at how you need to change your lifestyle. Changing your lifestyle has to start with cleaning out your thinking and your beliefs.  It takes time and learning.  Learn as much as you can about eating and living healthy and  always be proud of yourself for making the right choices.

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year.
I have been thinking about my resolution, hmmmm...?
I want to come up with something that not only benefits me but benefits others.  I am currently taking courses in nutrition and physiology with the plan to be a certified nutrition and wellness consultant.
I am learning a lot about health, what we eat, how we live and how it has a direct effect on our environment and our health.
I plan to take my education and my personal experiences and work as a nutrition and wellness consultant.  I want to help others get control of their poor lifestyle habits, lose weight and learn to move their bodies.  My resolution: is to play a small part in making myself and others healthier, maybe put a dent in this country's obesity problems, it's related diseases and be better to the environment.
Happy New Year
Catherine Grace
2011