52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 13: Dark chocholate, dried fruit, nuts ... Dont be nuts

I have just caught a glimpse of a report on healthy snacks, FROM VENDING MACHINE, that includes dark chocolate covered almonds, dried fruits etc. STOP right there.

If your e anything like me, I spend long hours in the grocery stores checking out things, flipping boxes, comparing labels etc.  I see so many new products with dried cranberries, blueberries covered in dark chocolate etc.  All to back up the latest craze of these items being healthy.

We need to be very careful, as these items are still quite calorie dense.  Instead of the sugary indulgences, take small steps to retrain your taste buds.  Always choose fresh fruits.   Fresh and ripe.  Chocolate?  Grab organic and over 70% coco if you like the taste.  There are ones with cayenne etc added to them, which can add variety for you :)  I find using a fondue is a great way to shake things up.

Keep enjoying your life, through enjoying better health.  Make heath your goals, and the items that make it up WILL *fall in to place*

Happy Spring !!!!

appreciate

52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 12: Quick Fix that WORKS !!!!!

I get asked for quick fixes, tips, the miraculous answer, that would melt the fat off the body. Or the one key, that would magically resolve it all.  The wait is over.  Here it is:

Every time you reach for that snack/treat etc. no matter what you call it, or why you think it is OK for you to pass on your better judgement and go for that lousy momentary indulgence, do the following first.

Grab your choice of snack/treat.

Hold it in your mind, don't eat it yet.

In your mind, picture the 6PACK you want to have (we ALL DO!!!).

We all want the *permanent 6PACK*   

Now, look at the snack in your hand.

Shift your mind back to the picture of YOUR *permanent 6PACK*.

Go back and forth, between the two; back and forth...

Its fun and easy, isn't it!!!!

Do this mental game back and forth, back and forth, at least a dozen times.

Feel the sensations you get, each time your *permanent 6PACK* is on the display of your mind's eyes. Compare it to the sensation the taste of the treat would give you in the moment. Keep shifting, back and forth, back and forth.  Then DECIDE!!!!!!

Week 12, happy "picturing" !!!!!

Have a great week!!!!

Love,

Monika

52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 11: even National TV backs up Personal Training

Third month on the way.  March break, for many, is the perfect opportunity for some 'me-time' and set new personal fitness goals in stone.  If you foregone your New YEar resolution, no worries this is the perfect time to start again.  Set new fitness goals, resolve to healthier habits,  team up with a friend, a trainer, or a coach for workouts or daily walks, and make that commitment to the bikini body you always wanted.


I am a Personal Trainer amongst other things.  Part of my work is to help those who failed on the fitness journey, turn around, and believe again.  The right partnership with a trainer in the fitness club, or at home for those who rather the help comes to them, is more than value money CAN buy.


It has been a common misconception that a Personal Trainer is only for those who need to lose weight. Sure that is a huge and obvious area of focus.  However, with so much awareness raised to chronic illness, most of what can be prevented, delayed, and even turned around with a lifestyle improvement, the role of personal training and exercising has been tremendously emphasized.  


There are many benefits in working with a Personal Trainer, and there are great success rate differences proven to be produced by those, who commit to their trainer, and the plan they are on.  Some of the benefits are:

• Comfort level for those shy at first...
• Personalized programs and attention (to help YOU achieve YOUR goal most efficiently)
• Expertise and Knowledge
• Boost your workout sessions to maximum potential
• Help rise your performance level and continuously push through limits
• Help reveal hidden blocks, areas of focus, that may be holding you back
• Accountability
• Motivation

While there are many things we see on National TV that claims to give results fast and at the cost of concealing real work and effort invested, there is very little information available on things that really work.  I am a fan of Dr OZ who seem to contribute to the awareness to great health by changing lifestyles.  One of the things I have repeatedly seen him do is offer his weight loss, or lifestyle change candidates, for people to join forces with a personal trainer. 


I am glad to see this and to show people that they DO need PROPER help.  Physical activity,a and a proper plan ARE necessary to make changes.  Many set out on the journey, few follow through.  Working with someone who invests their time and efforts into  YOUR success, is a gift largest you can give yourself.  


Give yourself the gift of the best you be beginning your best relationship with you, starting with improving your physical body so you can change your life starting from the outside in.  When you take care of your body, there is inevitable changes to be taking place on the inside.  


Make a commitment to you, find a trainer that fits you, and change your life - for good...

52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 10: Healthy snacks, or Fatty snacks II ?

1. VEGGIE BURGERS: Depending on the brand, you can end up with a patty that amounts to over 1000 calories.  Add the cheese, bun, and the works and you are over the top in the neighborhood of a quarter pounder....
2. RICE CAKES: these light snacks are light and fat-free; but they are also totally lacking fiber and nutrients, the very ingredients to help curb hunger... Not to mention the flavored ones will not only not satisfy you, but also, they will add lots of unwanted sugar and sodium to your diet. 
3.  SALADS: Ouch!!!! There IS nothing better for your waist lien then naked greens...  Sure. But who eats naked greens? Most will swim their greens in the greasy sauces. Choose oil-vinegarette dressings, but use with care. 
4.  TOFU: This healthy food again is likely to be prepared with a lot of sodium and sugars.  Tofu itself isn't the issue. however since it tastes so blunt originally,it takes a to of added sauces usually to create a taste likable by the taste buds....
5.  DIET MICROWAVED MEALS:  The ready to eat lean and mean meals are high in sodium, to compensate for the taste the removal of fat causes.  As a result, you will retain water especially in the arms and legs, leaving you puffy and bloated. 
6.  JUICES: Reaching your recommended daily fruit servings goal by getting it in liquid form might be the reason you cant fit into your favorite jeans. A 16 oz glass of OJ has about 55 g carbohydrates, equal to 5 slices of bread. Most of which is sugar; 12 spoons of it!!!!

The Prophet

A wonderful script on changing your thoughts from life to flow...from attachment to freedom:

Your children are not your children,

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but are not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and

He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

So he loves also the bow that is stable.

Kahlil Gibran's book, published in 1923 is especially relevant and  helpful
for these times and is a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one.


"The Prophet"

THE PROPHET (AUDIO)

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52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 9: Healthy snacks, or Fatty snacks I ?

I know because that is how I got fat years back.  Thinking the low fat muffin will do you good?  Or the light ice cream is a guilt free indulgence opportunity?  OR dried fruits are a healthy alternative over the fresh fruits...  Buckle up because I am about to bring on the break through.


Some so called healthy snack choices DO and WILL jeopardize all the positive effort you put into your health and weight loss mission.  Take it form me, the person who has been there, did all these things, ate ell these foods in the blind hopes of contributing to my fat loss desires.  

1. DRIED FRUIT: I love dried fruit, pears, apricots, craziness...are you kidding me...mmmmm  But before you indulge keep in mind that each cup may has 5-8 times the sugar /calorie content compared to their fresh fruit version. Reason being the weight is compromised during the dehydration process, so the equal amounts of fruit to dried fruit will greatly vary in nutritional and caloric make-up.  I.e. 1 cup fresh grapes have 60 calories, while i cup of raisins have 460 calories.  Not to mention many of the brands add sugar and other chemicals to the mix.
2. BRAN MUFFIN: Whether plain, with raisins, or fruit, the fiber sure will fill you up but the sugar and butter added, basically ill equal this piece of almost heaven to that of a cake. An average muffin will have about 20-30 g fat and at least 450 cal, with 35+ g sugar.
3. GRANOLA: Granola is good.  STOP right there. while it is loaded with good for you nuts, oats and other yumm-yumms
4. HALF HALF: While dairy is a safe-sounding calcium source, not so fast. Add 2-3 tsp of the white stuff to 2-3 cups of coffee daily and you will have added a big bloop of butter onto your daily intake. 
5.  WRAPS: no matter what kind, you are setting yourself up for some extra. The added surface area of a wrap can easily ask for more spreadable like mayo and pile on extra calories.
6.  BOTTLED TEAS: Most bottled store-bought teas are loaded with sugar and honey amounting to over 200 calories a bottle easy.  Make your own at home and KNOW what you put in there. 

52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 8: Spring into immunity

Next time you shop, think about what you can eat to boost yoru immune system and help your body defend against the viruses and bacteria that cause illness and disease. Here are seven specific items you should consider -- and why: 

1. Probiotics. As supplements or those foudn in food. The healthful, live bacteria (probiotics) found in fermented dairy products like yogurt may help support immune system function. Probiotics may even help shorten a cold's duration and soften the symptoms, new research shows. Much of the research involving probiotics and immunity involved specific probiotic strains in supplement form, but you can get other strains in low-fat yogurt. 

2.Carrots. This bright orange root veggie is packed with vitamin A, and research suggests vitamin A is essential for effective immune system function, amongst a number o fother health benefits. Other vitamin A-rich foods you can add to your cart: sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, mango, and cantaloupe. Of course too much of a good thing CAN and DOES backfire, so don't megadose on vitamin A supplements! 

3.Citrus fruits. Your immune system is keen on the vitamin C found in oranges, lemons, grapefruits etc.  And while C won't cure common colds, some studies suggest the nutrient may minimize the frequency, duration, and severity of them. Broccoli, peaches, strawberries, and red bell peppers are other good sources. PLUS!!!! Vitamin C may smooth wrinkles, too !!!  Bring me on some Vitamin C !!!!!

4.Salmon. This fish is brimming with vitamin D, another immune-system booster that helps fight off infection-causing pathogens and may also calm inflammation in the respiratory tract. 

5.Kidney beans. Wonderful in soups, salads, and stews, these dark red legumes are loaded with zinc, a mineral that may cut cold length and reduce symptom severity if taken soon after the onset of infection.

6.Almonds. Almonds are a great snack for your immune system because they're rich in Vitamin E, a nutrient that may help reduce the number and duration of colds you get. Sunflower seeds, avocados, and olive oil are also good sources. BUT be careful, while good fats, almonds are still FAT...and a serving is only a few of these super nutritious goodies.

Count your blessings ...

7.Herbs and spices. A growing body of evidence suggests that garlic may boost immunity. And although more research is needed, some early studies suggest herbs like echinacea and ginseng may be useful as well.But talk to your doctor before adding any herbal teas or supplements to your diet.

I recommend: Adam Lambert

I recommend Adam Lambert - cant stop listening to it ;)