Entries from January 2008 ↓
January 30th, 2008 — Announcements, Motivation
I’m not a morning person, yet my favorite part of the day is right before the sun rises. Everything at this time is on the brink of waking up. Everything is still. The sun is almost on the horizon, ready to brighten the sky. I enjoy the quiet and peace. This is the time of [...]
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Finding Harmony with Hatha Yoga There are many different forms of yoga, but one of the most commonly practiced types of yoga in the West is known as Hatha Yoga. Hatha yoga is designed to concentrate on not only the physical body, but also the way toward finding self realization. What Hatha yoga teaches us...... -
All Because I Saw a Robin Saturday was a cloudy, foggy, rainy day. To shake some of the gloom, I put on an aerobics DVD for a change of pace and exercised to Tamilee Webb's Tighter Assets video. As I worked on tightening my assets, I noticed a bird through the living room window. It was...... -
Three Steps to Achieve Your Goals I was struck by a story I heard the other day. I’d like to share it with you… After her moving performance, a great soprano was approached by a woman who gushed, “I sing too, but not like you! I would give anything to sing as well as you!” The soprano...... -
Are You in a Sleep Debt? Are you in debt? Sleep debt, that is? The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep - a night. Most of us get 6 hours or less. Yes, some of you need fewer hours to function at optimal level, and I wish I were in this group! Generally speaking, though, most of...... -
Exercise Videos for Free Not quite sure what exercise video to get but don't want to go out and buy one at random? No sweat! Just visit your local library! Most libraries have exercise videos - VHS and DVDs. You can sample what interests you for free. And if you discover one you really......
Continue reading → Me Time
January 28th, 2008 — What I Ate
I am hooked on a new cereal discovery!
This is an organic, granola cereal with slightly sweet pumpkin seeds and flax seeds, and it is soooo good! My husband and I especially like the pumpkin seeds (and I’m not a big “seed” person).
Quick nutritional run down:
1/2 cup will give you:
140 calories (not bad for granola!)
5 [...]
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Banana Bread Recipe I love banana bread! I like to use bananas that are very ripe with lots of brown splotches; they give a sweeter flavor. However, the bananas in my house are usually eaten before this stage. Not the case this week! I noticed the bananas in the fruit bowl were...... -
Food For Thought... and Health Green tea may have another positive feature to add to its resume - that of increasing antibiotic effectiveness, even against superbugs! Green tea gave antibiotics a boost in their bacterial killing capabilities like spinach gave Popeye his super strength. I hope this study wasn't just a fluke! It would be great if green tea really can provide...... -
Breakfast Success My breakfast: Red pepper and onion finely chopped, cooked in a pan. 3-ish eggs (1 ½ w/yolks, 2 just whites) scrambled. Freshly ground pepper and low-fat shredded cheese added for good measure. After it's cooked just right, the scrambled eggs are placed on top of homemade bread (made from portions...... -
The Afternoon Slump Ever feel sleepy in the afternoon? I do sometimes, right around 2PM. It's actually normal and related to the natural ebb and flow of our internal body clocks. It's perfectly normal to feel a twinge of drowsiness in the afternoon. So, what happens when we're really feeling sleepy and our...... -
Hey, Protein! I Like It! Ever since I started including protein in my breakfasts, the increased protein amount has been transferring over into my lunch and dinners too. I didn't plan to do this; it just kind of happened. I have protein shakes for breakfast made with a plain, whey protein powder. (It's surprisingly good with the right......
Continue reading → What Are You Eating for Breakfast?
January 23rd, 2008 — Cravings, Sugar Addiction
A large basket of candy sits on a table right next to my boss’s door. This attractive looking basket (Longaberger, no doubt) is joined by a glass candy dish filled with shiny, colored plain M&Ms.
The M&Ms taunt me.
Every time I walk past my boss’s office (which I have to in order to get to the [...]
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Thank You, Readers! Blogging has been worth it because of you. Seriously. As cliché as it may sound, I sincerely appreciate all of you who have stopped by to read, visit, or comment. You have made my blogging experience all the more fulfilling. When I began Nutrition Fitness Life, little did I know...... -
Breaking the Sugar Addiction Progress Report I've been working on slowly weaning myself off sugar. And when I say slowly, I mean s-l-o-w-l-y. That's just what I find works best for me. I've tried going off all sugar cold turkey in the past, but with disastrous results! I'm trying a completely different perspective I learned while reading...... -
Beating the Sugar Addiction - My Journey Funny how things suddenly become clear to you, as though a fog has lifted. I've been in a fog of sorts for quite some time, a sugar fog. Only recently has this dense, gray world begun to disappear. I've finally come to a place where I feel confident I can...... -
Beating the Sugar Addiction - Steps 4-7 The steps I summarize here are discussed in more detail in Potatoes, Not Prozac. If you feel you have a strong attachment to sugar that is keeping you from living freely and healthy, you may want to give this book a read. Click on the following links if you wish to...... -
Sugar, The Other White Drug I appreciate all your comments on my previous post about sugar addiction. This topic has really got me thinking! I’d like to explore it further. If truth be told, I never considered sugar a drug, but much of my reading suggests that sugar is capable of acting like a potent......
Continue reading → Avoiding the M&Ms
January 21st, 2008 — What I Ate
This is what my husband and I ate the other night, a homemade, healthier pizza.
I say healthier because it was lower in fat and lacked preservatives. I made the crust with wheat flour, and the cheese was, of course, low-fat. I sprinkled Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and a little bit of pepper on [...]
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Eating Healthy Fat for a Healthy Body Being healthy is a really important component in a healthy lifestyle. What many people do not realize is that one of the most important components in a healthy lifestyle is eating healthy fat. You may not previously have been aware of the fact that healthy fats exist, but they do....... -
My Current Health Goals I've been thinking about setting personal health goals for the past few weeks, two of them in specific. Well, after some consideration, I've come up with two personal health goals I'd like to really focus on this year. They're important to me, they would improve my health, they are a bit of a challenge (I like a...... -
Eating Healthy Fat for a Healthy Body Being healthy is a really important component in a healthy lifestyle. What many people do not realize is that one of the most important components in a healthy lifestyle is eating healthy fat. You may not previously have been aware of the fact that healthy fats exist, but they do....... -
Calcium and Weight Loss “Milk: It does a body good.” This advertisement slogan might have been promoting more than they bargained for, but in a good way! Calcium, the main mineral in milk, touted for its bone strengthening powers, is also a superhero when it comes to fat loss. Calcium can help you...... -
Fun Facts about Calories A calorie (or kilocalorie) is a measurement of energy. 1 calorie = the amount of energy (heat) required to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). There are 3500 calories for each pound of body fat. To lose one pound of stored fat,......
Continue reading → Pizza Night!
January 9th, 2008 — Health and Wellness, Progress Reports
I’m happy to report The Holter monitor is off, and boy, does it feel good to be able to move without being pulled by the tape stuck to my chest! (If you’re just tuning, check out Part I of my heart monitoring story.)
The report is there’s nothing to report! I didn’t notice any heart palpitations, but [...]
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Hey, Protein! I Like It! Ever since I started including protein in my breakfasts, the increased protein amount has been transferring over into my lunch and dinners too. I didn't plan to do this; it just kind of happened. I have protein shakes for breakfast made with a plain, whey protein powder. (It's surprisingly good with the right...... -
Me and My Heart Monitor As I write, I am wearing a heart monitor, a Holter monitor, to be exact. It's like a mini, portable EKG machine that you're hooked up to and carry around for 24 hours. Actually, "wear" all day is probably a better description. I've got 4 leads, complete with their different...... -
Why You Catch the Flu in the Winter and Other Related Info... Here's another piece of information to store in your head: It appears scientists have realized why influenza outbreaks occur primarily in the winter. Influenza viruses survive in the cold, dry air better than in a warmer, more humid environment. That's why the flu is uncommon during the summer or in...... -
7 Heart Healthy Diet Tips If you want to improve the health of your heart and your over all health and well being as well, the following heart health dietary tips are going to come in handy. These are diet recommendations that have been recommended by the American Heart Association for being able to improve...... -
Heart Disease Risk Factors for Women There are a number of ailments that women are actually at risk for developing without actually realizing it. For example, heart disease risk factors for women are much more significant than for men in many situations. Heart disease actually happens to be the leading killer both for men and women.......
Continue reading → Me and My Heart Monitor – Part II
January 8th, 2008 — Health and Wellness, Progress Reports
As I write, I am wearing a heart monitor, a Holter monitor, to be exact. It’s like a mini, portable EKG machine that you’re hooked up to and carry around for 24 hours. Actually, “wear” all day is probably a better description. I’ve got 4 leads, complete with their different colored wires [...]
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Yoga Revisisted Yoga – I used to ignore it. I thought it wasn’t worth my time. I preferred exercises that were of higher intensity and burned a lot of fat and calories. To me, yoga didn’t meet these requirements. Yoga revisited – Last month I checked out a yoga DVD just for...... -
"Marathon Challenge," TV Special October 30, at 8PM on PBS, NOVA will be presenting Marathon Challenge, a television program that documents 13 individuals throughout their weeks of training for the Boston Marathon - a first for all of them - as well as the changes that occur inside their bodies via MRI, treadmill tests,...... -
"Magical" Pancake My husband occasionally makes pancakes Saturday mornings. They are tasty, let me tell you! Well, a couple weeks ago during one of these pancake mornings, my husband made a tiny, little pancake that looked like this: See the heart in the middle? I thought that was so cool! The pancake...... -
Breakfast - The First Step to Breaking a Sugar Addiction If you're a sugar sensitive individual, you're more prone to becoming addicted to the white stuff (sugar and refined foods). If you know you're physically dependent on sugar and you truly want to end the addiction, there is hope. I'm reading Potatoes, Not Prozac, and in it, seven steps to breaking...... -
This Week's Progress Report I had an "interesting" week, as far as eating and exercising go. I experienced the winter blahs, was unmotivated to exercise, and had a few battles with the sugar monster. The results: I slept in more than getting up to exercise this past week. I ate mini Twix and Milky Way......
Continue reading → Me and My Heart Monitor
January 7th, 2008 — Motivation, News
Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? What’s the purpose? Did you even bother making any resolutions, or did you refrain due to the associated pressure and oft resulting disappointment from trying to follow said resolutions and failing?
We make resolutions because we want to move forward; we want to improve ourselves, our lives. [...]
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There's More to Losing Weight Than the Numbers on Your Scale A friend of mine griped the other day about not losing weight despite exercising 4-5 times a week and eating healthier. She acknowledged a loss of inches, but associates success with dropping numbers on the scale. This is just one of the reasons why I dislike scales and don’t even own...... -
Your Food Journal, 3-Day Research Experiment Let’s do a little research that might help you lose weight. Don’t worry, this is fairly easy. Get a notebook and pen. Keep these within easy access for the next several days. OK, here’s the research part: For the next 3 days keep a journal of everything you eat –...... -
Calcium and Weight Loss “Milk: It does a body good.” This advertisement slogan might have been promoting more than they bargained for, but in a good way! Calcium, the main mineral in milk, touted for its bone strengthening powers, is also a superhero when it comes to fat loss. Calcium can help you...... -
My Daily Jaunts Earlier this week I created a goal of sorts, to be active throughout the day instead of focusing solely on the standard 30-minute exercise session. So, I've been making an effort to take the occasional walking break. I took a 10-minute break at work to walk outside the building. I...... -
Are You in a Sleep Debt? Are you in debt? Sleep debt, that is? The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep - a night. Most of us get 6 hours or less. Yes, some of you need fewer hours to function at optimal level, and I wish I were in this group! Generally speaking, though, most of......
Continue reading → Sticking with Your Resolutions
January 4th, 2008 — News, Weight Loss
CNN – Oklahoma City is one of the fattest cities in America, and Mayor Mick Cornett wants to lose this title by giving city residents the New Year’s resolution to lose a total of 1 million pounds!
I imagine this could be a challenge, what with the state meal (yes, an official state meal!) consisting of [...]
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What is a Healthy Balanced Diet? Understanding what a healthy balanced diet is, is the key to getting the most out of our health and wellness. The online diet market is continuing to grow, and as a result, there are all kinds of new ways that we are supposedly able to lose weight and get into...... -
Calcium and Weight Loss “Milk: It does a body good.” This advertisement slogan might have been promoting more than they bargained for, but in a good way! Calcium, the main mineral in milk, touted for its bone strengthening powers, is also a superhero when it comes to fat loss. Calcium can help you...... -
Want to be Skinny I’ve been noticing an amount of search queries on my site that contain the phrases “get skinny,” “skinny models,” “what exercise can I do to get skinny.” I want to sincerely welcome all of you who typed such queries. So, why do you want to be "skinny*"? Will it make...... -
Eliminating Pregnancy Baby Weight Many women spend a good portion of their pregnancies stressing about the weight that they are gaining, and how quickly they can eliminate their pregnancy baby weight once the baby has been born. It is especially difficult to lose pregnancy baby weight while you are simultaneously trying to care for...... -
Free 90-Day Gym Membership I've got in my hot little hand a 24-Hour Fitness gift card to give away, and it would allow free access to participating gyms. Not too shabby, I must say! To be more specific, the free gym access comes in the form of one $99 gift card that gives you......
Continue reading → Oklahoma City to Lose 1 Million Pounds!
January 4th, 2008 — Fun Facts, News
“Auld Lang Syne” was written by Robert Burns in 1741 and literally means “old long since,” or “days gone by.” This song is traditionally sung in many countries at midnight, January 1st, signaling the beginning of the New Year.
“Syne” is pronounced like the word “sign,” not “zyne.”
Some cultures believe various foods bring good luck and [...]
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Fun Facts about Calories A calorie (or kilocalorie) is a measurement of energy. 1 calorie = the amount of energy (heat) required to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). There are 3500 calories for each pound of body fat. To lose one pound of stored fat,...... -
How to Safely Cook a Turkey Ah, turkey! Each person (in the U.S.) eats almost 18 pounds of it every year! A delicious turkey is often the priority for the Thanksgiving meal, so knowing how to prepare, cook, and serve the bird is paramount. No need to feel the pressure, though! Achieving turkey success is actually quite simple, especially...... -
"Fun" Facts About Sugar How much sugar (cane sugar/beet sugar) do you think each person eats in a year? A lot! Each person the U.S. consumes about 70 pounds of sugar a year. An individual from Europe, about 92 pounds. Brazil had the highest consumption per person at 123 lbs for this last year!...... -
Is Your City the Fattest? Forbes - And the 2007 Top 5 Fattest Cities In America Award goes to: Memphis, Tennessee Birmingham, Alabama San Antonio, Texas Riverside, California Detroit, Michigan Actually, I'm a bit surprised at a couple of states on this list, but that just goes to show that no state is immune...... -
Post-Holiday Blues The day after Christmas can be such a let down. I felt this especially as a kid. I would wait in anticipation for what seemed like an eternity for Christmas Day. I could hardly sleep the night before in my excitement. Yet, once Christmas Day had come and gone, the......
Continue reading → Fun Facts about New Year’s
January 1st, 2008 — Announcements
photo credit: claudmey
It’s a brand new day and a brand new year! Let’s take this “clean slate” and live our lives as joyful, healthy, and productive as we can!
One of my personal resolutions is to forget past inadequacies and mistakes – to not dwell on them and let them get me down [...]
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Getting Picky Eaters to Eat Healthy A friend of mine shared her frustration of having a picky eater in the house and asked for suggestions on how to introduce healthier foods. "He doesn't like vegetables, rarely touches fruits, and would eat peanut butter all day if up to him." The "he" she was referring to is...... -
Caution: Food Items in Photograph May Appear Healthier Than They Are I saw this among the weekly mailed advertisements/coupons, and I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself… or maybe it was more like a brief smile and a snort. (OK, so the picture isn't the greatest; I know. It's something I need to work on! Let me just tell you that the food...... -
My Current Health Goals I've been thinking about setting personal health goals for the past few weeks, two of them in specific. Well, after some consideration, I've come up with two personal health goals I'd like to really focus on this year. They're important to me, they would improve my health, they are a bit of a challenge (I like a...... -
Book Review - The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook I recently received a copy of The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook to review for you. As the title states, this is a cookbook designed for diabetics. The just under 200 recipes meet nutritional guidelines of the American Diabetes Association. The cookbook emphasizes healthy carbohydrates - whole grains, fruits, and vegetables...... -
Three Steps to Achieve Your Goals I was struck by a story I heard the other day. I’d like to share it with you… After her moving performance, a great soprano was approached by a woman who gushed, “I sing too, but not like you! I would give anything to sing as well as you!” The soprano......
Continue reading → Happy New Year!