tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79827593119246657302024-03-04T22:05:03.384-08:00The Wellness Without Pity BlogMy journey to wellness coaching began with this blog - my personal quest to be the healthiest version of myself possible. Here's where I write about clean eating, fitness adventures, and raising a healthy family!Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.comBlogger527125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-30282924231545435652013-07-13T10:57:00.000-07:002013-07-13T11:13:11.607-07:00Healthy Pumpkin Spice Muffins You'll Love<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's a rainy, warm, and muggy day in July <i>(translation - movie day!)</i>, but inside my house it may as well be November! I've got my cozy pants on, fall scented candles burning, and pumpkin spice muffins in the oven. I just ran out of the zucchini muffins my little one brings to school, so it was time to make another batch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I like muffins because they are portable, don't necessarily have to be refrigerated during the day, and they are easy for kids to eat. But, muffins can also be a calorie and sugar bomb if you're not careful. I've adapted this recipe over time and now feel confident giving them to my kids as a sweet treat that won't send them into that crazed and dazed look that they get when they have too much sugar. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/sugar/harmful-effects-excess-sugar" target="_blank">Here's what Dr. Sears has to say about the affects of excess sugar on kids.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's the recipe and the nutritional low-down so you can make some of your own!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Pumpkin Spice Muffins<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLxNgrDyq7_eeFSxDFT0cDBwMyS8oYo2EAsCkqG06pEN9NVBnd1npgV4_iOZbtwApGcyKsKi9l7vQ_ZqrxtUI0WzJNweuXKkQW4T9wSZbyu84v4IAZU9ae3lkKWYKxgqQQrRiixiAM3cc/s1600/IMAG4472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLxNgrDyq7_eeFSxDFT0cDBwMyS8oYo2EAsCkqG06pEN9NVBnd1npgV4_iOZbtwApGcyKsKi9l7vQ_ZqrxtUI0WzJNweuXKkQW4T9wSZbyu84v4IAZU9ae3lkKWYKxgqQQrRiixiAM3cc/s320/IMAG4472.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who says you have to wait for fall?<b><br /></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 cup whole wheat flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 cup bread flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 eggs </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 tsp pumpkin spice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 tsp vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/4 cup orange juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 cup pumpkin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/4 cup butter, melted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 cup raisins</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>It's Easy:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, and then combine them, stirring just enough to combine them. Do not over-stir or your muffins will be too tough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Spoon into greased muffin tins about halfway full. I opt for smaller muffins. We can always have another one, but its hard to undo eating a big one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This recipe should make 14 muffins, and each has 112 calories, 4 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, and 5 grams of sugar, most of those coming from the raisins. Please note that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 12 grams of sugar each day for children. <i>One of these muffins represents almost half of a child's sugar needs for the day. </i>Take a look at a typical muffin recipe, note the amount of sugar called for, and consider where that muffins may fall in your child's sugar needs for the day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">To reduce the sugar in these muffins, do not use as many raisins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-sugar-shake-up-how-much-do-you.html" target="_blank">Read more about sugar allowance in Sugar Shake Up: How Much Do You Need? </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">These muffins are sweet and simple, and I love that my kids love them. They made my house super cozy today and when paired with low-sugar yogurt or low-fat cheese, will make a great snack later in the week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And, they make my house smell great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy today, even if you bake muffins!</span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-68779369319238725562013-06-29T00:47:00.000-07:002013-06-29T00:47:37.685-07:00And the Healthy Moms Go Wild!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb443PTiGw5RmFPaMQ6bTEfMnFYCzyffR6hByQpVw87LSkKpAPCtXpcu9pKVXh1WsxUgJ1NEyYlIJ5uD0wLzgj_mYj02lCQDnjROUSr7pu-WbK5daKnIEeh7N9YoL9Pm5uAc7eSs13Bh-_/s400/no+fast+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb443PTiGw5RmFPaMQ6bTEfMnFYCzyffR6hByQpVw87LSkKpAPCtXpcu9pKVXh1WsxUgJ1NEyYlIJ5uD0wLzgj_mYj02lCQDnjROUSr7pu-WbK5daKnIEeh7N9YoL9Pm5uAc7eSs13Bh-_/s200/no+fast+food.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've got two kids, and my friends have even more. And maybe its because I am in the wellness industry, but it seems that every time I turn around, another mom is pulling her hair out in frustration over the same thing: junk food, and how it is e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e in our kids lives. They vent to me, and I vent back to them, and we're all saying the same thing: "<em>Stop giving my kids junk food!!!"</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It may just be me, but it seems like in the past year or so I spend a lot more time playing defense for my kids. At every turn, junk food in the veil of "treats" awaits. It reminds me of this blog post I read a few months ago, which may as well be the anthem for healthy-minded parents everywhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/02/20/why-is-everyone-always-giving-my-kids-junk-food" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/02/20/why-is-everyone-always-giving-my-kids-junk-food" target="_blank">Why is Everyone Always Giving My Kids Junk Food?</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Camp. Vacation Bible School. Birthday parties. Vacation. Grandparents. Free cookies at the grocery store. Road trips. <i>"Just this once." "Don't be so controlling." "Its not a big deal." </i>It never ends - people want my kids to eat crappy food all day long, and they think I am over-reacting when I think that's a bad idea. But here's the thing -<i><b> I am right.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sorry, Charlie. Junk food is a major reason why our country is not only overwhelmingly obese, but getting sicker every day. Here's a clue to why.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/8-foods-we-eat-in-the-us-that-are-banned-in-other-countries" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/8-foods-we-eat-in-the-us-that-are-banned-in-other-countries" target="_blank">8 Foods We Eat in the US That are Banned in Other Countries</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And you know, I'm okay with my kids eating sweets once in a while. That's part of life and I don't expect them to never have a piece of cake or learn first-hand (because sometimes that's the only way you <i>can</i> learn) what happens when you eat an entire bag of gummy worms at once. But its not controlling, high-maintenance, over-reacting, or strict to try to prevent that from happening every dang day of your kids' life, or even every weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's good parenting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And I would be so bold as to say that the opposite - consistently providing sweets, candy, known junk food, soda, juice, and other sugary and artificial foods to your kids - is bad parenting. There. I said it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And I am worn out over it. I am wearing thin. I'm tired, my punches aren't as fast. My resolve is wavering. Because I am just TIRED OF FIGHTING. It would be so easy to let them sit and eat cookies all day long, trust me.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">But they deserve better, and we are the ones to give it to them. We aren't doing them any favors by constantly offering junk food and assuming that a) they want it, b) that is all they will eat, and c) it's okay because they aren't overweight. Heart disease can begin as early as five years old, and chicken fingers are a major contributor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I don't expect my children to live a monk's existence, but I don't think I'm being mean or elitist when I say no to fast food, juice boxes, the kid's menu, and candy as standard kid's fare. I hope that some day, my picky eater who wants to live on Annie's Chocolate Chipper granola bars and milk, will reach for an apple instead. All I can do is provide a good example and keep our standards high.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And in the meantime, it would help if you'd quit offering him fruit chews.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Love ya! Mean it! :) Get out there and get healthy, even if I just annoyed you a little.</span>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-43221311354641975182013-06-22T05:35:00.000-07:002013-06-22T05:36:18.841-07:00The Birthday Watermelon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It's my birthday! I usually hate my birthday because of all the pressure to make it an amazing day to remember, when in reality it never measures up and just ends up being another day. But these days, I am so stinkin' happy with my life, truly carpeing the crap out of the diem every chance I get, that it kind of feels like every day is my birthday! That takes the pressure off and lets me relax a little!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Birthdays also used to mean a calorie coma, with all of the pressure to indulge in something sweet and sinful in the name of celebration</span>. But you know I don't play that way. Its been over a year and a half since I gave up sugar, so birthday cake doesn't even tempt me anymore. But telling people that you're not going to have cake on your birthday results in a <span class="Apple-style-span">sonic thud </span>of confusion and disapproval. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I recently passed up cake at another birthday celebration, which prompted the question of how I would celebrate my birthday if I wasn't having cake. <i>"With a party!"</i> I replied. <span class="Apple-style-span">Silence. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Apparently that was the wrong answer.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm already really hard to do nice things for, what with my <span class="Apple-style-span">compulsive martyrdom</span> and chronic guilt complex whenever anyone tries to indulge me. So last year when my son asked if I really, truly wasn't going to have a cake for my birthday, he assured me that he and my husband could eat it all and I wouldn't have to eat any. Then he came up with <span class="Apple-style-span">a better idea: </span><i>"I know! I'll make you a cake out of fruit!"</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And that's how the <span class="Apple-style-span">birthday watermelon</span> came to be. Sure there are plenty of adorable and impressive cakes made of fruit on Pinterest, but who has time for that? I popped a few candles into a quarter of a watermelon, listened to my favorite boys sing "Happy Birthday" (and debate mid-serenade on the proper placement of the <span class="Apple-style-span">cha-cha-chas</span>), and made myself a secret wish. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJLJVbPihswgTR9VRggIG6IaXnehfdqBIVQNRGnv_PmKdPg_2Ws7UamvG_ou5HzkMMYvn3JOLkWMUr8qfHGaRSyLgsVCpBpac5wutdA8cBglR_Y5neHJCnShS3zL7dxq7UgST9OqMvCYi/s1600/bday+watermelon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJLJVbPihswgTR9VRggIG6IaXnehfdqBIVQNRGnv_PmKdPg_2Ws7UamvG_ou5HzkMMYvn3JOLkWMUr8qfHGaRSyLgsVCpBpac5wutdA8cBglR_Y5neHJCnShS3zL7dxq7UgST9OqMvCYi/s320/bday+watermelon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Buy a watermelon.<br />2. Put candles in watermelon.<br />3. Viola! You have yourself a birthday watermelon!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We ate together, I had a <span class="Apple-style-span">proper birthday</span> treat, everyone felt appropriately ritualized, and I didn't have to eat cake.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was the best idea ever, and I yesterday I bought my birthday watermelon for this year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">So what's the <span class="Apple-style-span">big deal</span> about one measly piece of cake? Why don't I get over myself and live a little? Is one piece of cake really going to ruin my life? Am I so perfect that I'm not even going to eat cake on my birthday? No, it's actually the opposite. I can't handle cake on my birthday. I am not a one-piece-of-cake, one taste of ice cream, one square of chocolate a day kind of girl.<span class="Apple-style-span"> I want a lot of it. </span>I am a volume eater! Having just one piece is torture, and it might not ruin my life but it would screw up my weekend. I <span class="Apple-style-span">choose </span>not to eat sugar because of how crummy it makes me feel. The sugar cravings that follow are just not worth it to me. Someday that might change but for now, my birthday watermelon was the sweetest treat I could ask for.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I didn't have a huge pile of chocolate for my birthday, which means I skipped the stomachache, the regret the next morning, and the "OMG why did I do that?" part of so many birthdays past. But, I still celebrated! I just celebrated my awesome life, not food. You can do it too. So get out there <span class="Apple-style-span">and get healthy,</span> even if no one understands you!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And Happy Birthday. :) </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-21584750993908889292013-06-06T08:28:00.000-07:002013-06-10T11:04:07.939-07:00Bread Snob Bakery: Homemade Pre-baked Pizza Crust<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinC_ZusJA-QhGe23okB7pqRVGFdYVSQraSQeAtqC6XWGiak2H4Kit8Ro_iJLaNRJ9m3yUCXbTx2YHkeG73NbuQcv8tADlfp55LD2yNildKmGdwJ8A-XPTf6OOuFXWm-cXqC44-qkQjW1Em/s1600/homemade+pizza+ready+to+eat.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinC_ZusJA-QhGe23okB7pqRVGFdYVSQraSQeAtqC6XWGiak2H4Kit8Ro_iJLaNRJ9m3yUCXbTx2YHkeG73NbuQcv8tADlfp55LD2yNildKmGdwJ8A-XPTf6OOuFXWm-cXqC44-qkQjW1Em/s320/homemade+pizza+ready+to+eat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes I eat green beans with my homemade pizza. You don't?</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm going on a family vacation, and when we travel to the beach, each member of the family takes responsibility for one night of dinner. My night is Pizza Night! We love to each have our own little crust so we can put on what we like. Having your own little pizza is also great for portion control because you can't really go back for more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Easy peasy lemon squeezy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Except that I'm a bread snob, and I knew that I would want to make the crust myself. But, I also knew I wouldn't have time to do that on vacation. So I resigned myself to buying store crust. I went to the grocery store, found some "healthy" crust, and put it in my buggy. Then I took it out. Then I took it back off the shelf, looked at the list of ingredients, and sighed. I knew I needed to do this. I needed to get over it, suck it up, and go for convenience. Dang it. I put it in my buggy and walked on. But I couldn't do it. I went back, put the crust back on the shelf, and decided I would find a way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I just cannot buy that crap.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinC_ZusJA-QhGe23okB7pqRVGFdYVSQraSQeAtqC6XWGiak2H4Kit8Ro_iJLaNRJ9m3yUCXbTx2YHkeG73NbuQcv8tADlfp55LD2yNildKmGdwJ8A-XPTf6OOuFXWm-cXqC44-qkQjW1Em/s1600/homemade+pizza+ready+to+eat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZd1WJ7rCxzLs5xFNb3e56Rw1ShWWs3Lgo4Ql-4CixNNvsxU7YKxxmgiAqiVpqb21p9G3B4WpsGAZZksbiK_OgZ-spZwBmqYGQSZ6GHbuTrmUW3nzujk7NnWTZv_lR1mxO3lbrU-KVezaM/s1600/homemade+pizza+crust+out+of+the+oven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Luckily, making my own crust and pre-baking it a little made it just like store-bought crust but without all the cancer and stuff. Now we can still have Pizza Night and I can still have vacation, and I can feel 100% awesome about the food my children and precious little nieces are gobbling up after a day playing at the beach.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's how I did it.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Start with the basic pizza dough recipe. Mix the ingredients, knead for three minutes, allow to rise in a warm place for about two hours or until double in size, and then roll it out onto a lightly floured surface.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 cups bread flour </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 cup warm water (140 degrees)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 tbsp olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 1/4 tsp (or one packet) dry active yeast</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">garlic, italian seasoning, etc. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Separate your dough into five equal pieces. Because I am a portion freak, I got out my digital scale and weighed 100 grams each. This is going to be a 200-calorie crust.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt8jQjKVhA5HwDYr87yssIYR1mtHu0zFngntr1K-LCbLgG4PZZPsIEiWtgmTH3aXPcWAtNOyPMv2FvkAI7kiHxlKdFB_JsENMMIxguedAy524-fKlz-NKv7RCvcqtDjF4ZYDzDC4W-EeW/s1600/homemade+pizza+crust+ready+to+bake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt8jQjKVhA5HwDYr87yssIYR1mtHu0zFngntr1K-LCbLgG4PZZPsIEiWtgmTH3aXPcWAtNOyPMv2FvkAI7kiHxlKdFB_JsENMMIxguedAy524-fKlz-NKv7RCvcqtDjF4ZYDzDC4W-EeW/s320/homemade+pizza+crust+ready+to+bake.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All rolled out and ready for the oven!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Roll each piece into a circle, the size of which depending on the thickness of crust you like. I am a volume eater, so I roll mine pretty thin so I can fit lots of veggies on top.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Place each little crust onto a greased baking sheet or baking stone and put back into a warm oven to rise for another 30 minutes or so. If you're feeling all fancy and stuff, sprinkle each one with garlic and dried basil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">5. After they have risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake them for about 10 minutes.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZd1WJ7rCxzLs5xFNb3e56Rw1ShWWs3Lgo4Ql-4CixNNvsxU7YKxxmgiAqiVpqb21p9G3B4WpsGAZZksbiK_OgZ-spZwBmqYGQSZ6GHbuTrmUW3nzujk7NnWTZv_lR1mxO3lbrU-KVezaM/s1600/homemade+pizza+crust+out+of+the+oven.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZd1WJ7rCxzLs5xFNb3e56Rw1ShWWs3Lgo4Ql-4CixNNvsxU7YKxxmgiAqiVpqb21p9G3B4WpsGAZZksbiK_OgZ-spZwBmqYGQSZ6GHbuTrmUW3nzujk7NnWTZv_lR1mxO3lbrU-KVezaM/s320/homemade+pizza+crust+out+of+the+oven.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Out of the oven, ready for storage.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6. After removing from the oven, <i>lightly </i>brush with olive oil. Lightly. Olive oil is good for you, but it has a lot of calories!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">7. Allow them to cool, and then store in an air-tight container in the fridge until ready to use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In my case, I kept them in the fridge for about three days and then took them out for a test dinner. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I added sauce, toppings, and cheese just like I would for store-bought crust, and put them in the oven for 10 minutes at 450. The result was absolutely perfect. I was so pleased with myself! I asked my family members about 15 times how they liked it until they shouted, YES, THE PIZZA CRUST IS GOOD CAN WE TALK ABOUT MINECRAFT NOW?</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLK2QO-t27HX2CTC7zrdyNxevo1K58N1MX5KXUyWp5FlJobprwdBA87D0to49TcJLXxPBauGdDjlATGjLHMVxnMmGVAUrDUNd6-CzulDwyAfR1FCwyCbJ16_tLJK027SSgZ71pDXkbdwo/s1600/homemade+pizza+crust+hot+pizza.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLK2QO-t27HX2CTC7zrdyNxevo1K58N1MX5KXUyWp5FlJobprwdBA87D0to49TcJLXxPBauGdDjlATGjLHMVxnMmGVAUrDUNd6-CzulDwyAfR1FCwyCbJ16_tLJK027SSgZ71pDXkbdwo/s320/homemade+pizza+crust+hot+pizza.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yum! Can you tell which of these is mine?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'll be baking up another batch this week for our beach trip, and I expect another great result. You don't have to buy store crust if you don't want to. Sure, baking these crusts takes some time and effort, but it is well worth it to have the convenience later in the week without giving in to junky processed food. Give it a try and let me know what you think!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy today, even if you have to plan Pizza Night.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-12008302663734849652013-05-30T07:33:00.000-07:002013-05-30T07:33:50.765-07:00So What's the Deal with GMOs?<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So what's the deal with GMOs? Why is everyone mad about them, why don't companies want us to know when we're eating them, and what's the big deal? Well, here's the deal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms, which are plants or animals that have been engineered using DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants or animals. GMOs are man-made or manipulated to meet the increasing demands of the food marketplace. Since genetically modifying food makes it produce a higher yield, be more resistant to drought and infection, and better tolerate the addition of nutrients, this type of science makes a lot of sense for food companies because they can make more food faster, which makes them more money. And remember, food companies are corporations, not human health service organizations, despite the smiling pictures of friendly neighborhood farmers on their packages of chips.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">But what's good for a corporate budget isn't always good for humanity. More evidence is showing increased health problems and environmental damage as a result of GMOs. When I say health problems, I mean that GMOs</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> have been linked to
thousands of sick and dead livestock and damage to virtually
every organ studied in lab animals. The reason is because genetically modified food <i>is not food.</i> It is a food-like substance. And the human body was created to eat food, not food-like substances.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">GMOs are so serious that most developed nations, including Australia, Japan, the European Union, and dozens more, restrict or ban the production and sale of them. Why has America not taken the same position? Read the second paragraph again.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The reason why people are up in arms about GMOs these days is because we are becoming increasingly convinced that eating food-like substance is bad for us, and that we have a right to know whether or not what we are eating is food. Back in the good old days, if you wanted to eat healthfully you could do what I did when I started eating clean: focus on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, and avoid packaged foods. With the prevalence of GMOs, even these foods may not in fact be foods.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">A lot of people think that we have a fundamental right to know whether we are in fact eating food, or if we are eating something that looks a lot like food but is in fact a man-made product posing as food. But, the United States does not require GMOs to be labeled, which prevents us from knowing the origin of our food unless we grow it ourselves. There are some enterprising and hard-working people out there who are willing to do this, but it is not a realistic option for most of us.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">So what's a food-eating human to do? Well, food companies might not be required to label whether their products contain GMOs, but a few organizations have done that research for us:</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6g2ZpwHOpmEkrExWx4mMMXFmj5f0cyx0FHvyTEhRNtK-9NLYzNWwXSujjKw5fcVaqk9tr1E7r1tArqzht5_1a7aelGpAJmYEXpk_d-TKMV74zSu9qprQP7UZLwLxXzETEOaQvtioEQxs/s1600/non+gmo+project.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6g2ZpwHOpmEkrExWx4mMMXFmj5f0cyx0FHvyTEhRNtK-9NLYzNWwXSujjKw5fcVaqk9tr1E7r1tArqzht5_1a7aelGpAJmYEXpk_d-TKMV74zSu9qprQP7UZLwLxXzETEOaQvtioEQxs/s200/non+gmo+project.tiff" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.nongmoproject.org/" target="_blank">The Non-GMO Project</a> was created to give consumers an informed choice. They verify products and list them so you can be aware of which boxes on the shelf contain food and which do not. Check the list of <a href="http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/" target="_blank">Verified Products </a>on their website before you head to the store. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67PWnWWWCILPzy5A2DDmYslkCTFyLHh2SDRv1oFxgmZEJZ2peLvt9Fd8mHAD4HkRrmAVPF3Sv9jgpq1mLHlMrkZWD7ARM5DHNuiOsqSWGe2ec4xdOaIedsKm4V7TpaU3r8uXXyc9k4yqp/s1600/buycott.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67PWnWWWCILPzy5A2DDmYslkCTFyLHh2SDRv1oFxgmZEJZ2peLvt9Fd8mHAD4HkRrmAVPF3Sv9jgpq1mLHlMrkZWD7ARM5DHNuiOsqSWGe2ec4xdOaIedsKm4V7TpaU3r8uXXyc9k4yqp/s200/buycott.tiff" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you forget that list at home, no fear! This handy phone app, <a href="http://www.buycott.com/" target="_blank">Buycott</a>, lets you scan a barcode and see whether it contains GMO ingredients. When GMOs stop being profitable, they stop being.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1NSYfefibkJpgyvkFBWDy21fmCYDQp9GYrltg1BF_8hj6TotFFpss8PyyKOWpedSUnerY37iZR4aw6r_ERhxuAS-xtNci3rcJ2JEmCSrToHBP6HvgM6PecRhX1Zb39V53U6QV0Z3cyut/s1600/just+label+it.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1NSYfefibkJpgyvkFBWDy21fmCYDQp9GYrltg1BF_8hj6TotFFpss8PyyKOWpedSUnerY37iZR4aw6r_ERhxuAS-xtNci3rcJ2JEmCSrToHBP6HvgM6PecRhX1Zb39V53U6QV0Z3cyut/s200/just+label+it.tiff" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">And, you can take action as well by signing the<a href="http://justlabelit.org/take-action/" target="_blank"> Just Label It petition. </a><i>Seriously, folks, this is about our food.</i> Its our sustenance. Its what we feed our kids, and what our future depends on. We will most literally and completely die without it. You have a responsibility for your own health, and if you're going to choose a battle, choose this one.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, a note of reality - just as with the certified organic seal, foods that are listed as non-GMO are not necessarily healthy for you. There is plenty of sugary candy food out there bearing the organic and non-GMO labels. GMO-free only means that it is pure, natural, and real. Not healthy. There is a difference.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Get out there and get healthy today, even if it means you have to get all up in arms about food quality. That battle is worth it, because you are worth it. </span></span></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-18648008141033709332013-05-24T02:31:00.002-07:002013-05-24T02:32:01.896-07:00Long Weekends = Big-time Triggers. Here's how to stay on track!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfCEPkvdNNpCvSvwoj_hy8OQX3A_JtQHqJcCdCItZvKkkDpf4yTyTMIcx363W3Id_A6Lg1xXUUwm1XbPzMTiPhrJ2W-efItIOLJYKvqPX0q37dCKyftqTHdhoOaoG-9PL9cEq9Zk-YYYD/s1600/be+smart+eat+smart.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfCEPkvdNNpCvSvwoj_hy8OQX3A_JtQHqJcCdCItZvKkkDpf4yTyTMIcx363W3Id_A6Lg1xXUUwm1XbPzMTiPhrJ2W-efItIOLJYKvqPX0q37dCKyftqTHdhoOaoG-9PL9cEq9Zk-YYYD/s200/be+smart+eat+smart.tiff" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Holiday weekends can be major trigger times for emotional and distracted eating. I used to spend three-day weekends in a no-man's-land of food, not sure where my structure was and how to keep that wayward Monday from turning the whole week into a mish-mash of bad decisions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here are a few tips that have always helped me stay focused: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>1. Wear a bracelet or a watch to which you can assign magical protective powers.</b> When you reach out for food you don't really want or need, you'll see it and remember your goal. It just might be enough to keep your hands by your side. Or in your pockets. Or in someone else's. Or wherever they need to be to NOT be filled with food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>2. Become the party historian and stay busy with a camera.</b> It takes two hands to take a picture (at least a good one) so keeping your hands full with photography duties is a great way to avoid standing around with a plate! Plus, you'll capture some great memories as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>3. Drink lots and lots of water.</b> Like, a gallon. Seriously! Get a water bottle, assign magical powers to it (<i>I hereby decree that this water bottle will protect me from potato salad, cheese and crackers, and the third beer!</i>)</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and then fill 'er up. The water will do wonders for your body since most of us walk around dehydrated anyway, and you'll quench at least some of your appetite as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>4. Use a mantra. </b>Your brain is the biggest fitness tool you have, and mantras are incredibly powerful when used correctly. Some popular ones are, "Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels," or "I am worth it," or "I deserve better." A mantra should be personal and meaningful, so think of something that will actually help you stop mindless munching. Don't worry if it sounds stupid, you don't need to tell it to anyone else!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remember, the goal of these tips is not to prevent you from eating, but rather to keep you eating healthfully, which means eating healthy food in appropriate portions. So if you're going to a friend's house, bring something you can eat without stress. If you're hosting a party, use your power for good and not evil. You know your limits. Don't tempt yourself unless you want to wreck yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a great weekend, and a great Monday! Get out there and get healthy, even on a weekend. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-33854796525554276002013-05-23T09:38:00.001-07:002013-05-24T02:45:27.901-07:00Bread Snob Bakery: Homemade Bagels!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAAcExg_7UNXRsBW9HntidHx8kGN_S4j-b0ztZ-bAUQadPxSUsmCKNqcyBtoBZxZLXquw7Pw7X_9VOw2bAF2QDnHsvO6WgDxiInlfDKYVJO_63WL9F8-LkvJVL6iMR7gr9zPdlog5yGEf/s1600/IMAG1097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAAcExg_7UNXRsBW9HntidHx8kGN_S4j-b0ztZ-bAUQadPxSUsmCKNqcyBtoBZxZLXquw7Pw7X_9VOw2bAF2QDnHsvO6WgDxiInlfDKYVJO_63WL9F8-LkvJVL6iMR7gr9zPdlog5yGEf/s200/IMAG1097.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well it is no secret that I am a food snob. Not a food<i>ie</i>, a food <i>snob.</i> There is a difference! I don't need fancy food, I just need good food! And, the height of my snobbishness is with bread. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bread these days usually can't even be called bread anymore. With dough conditioners and preservatives designed to extend the shelf life of breads, some of which have even been found to cause cancer, the bread aisle is probably the most confusing section of the grocery store. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog.fooducate.com/2012/06/29/five-bread-ingredients-you-absolutely-should-avoid-bread-miniseries-part-44/" target="_blank">Learn about 5 bread ingredients you should avoid like the plague!</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We deserve better bread! I love nothing more than a good burger (okay, maybe good pizza), but countless potentially epic cheeseburgers have been ruined by being served on a nothing bun out of a plastic bag. I pack my own homemade hamburger buns in ziplock bags to use in restaurants when I feel the bread is inferior. Yes it embarrasses my husband but I don't care. Its not like I wave it around and tell everyone! I'm cool, man, I'm just super passionate about bread.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2012/12/homemade-hamburger-buns-great-taste-no.html" target="_blank">See my homemade hamburger bun recipe here.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well you can read all about my homemade hamburger buns (which this week feature minced onion), but this week I am making bagels. I tried this last weekend and sent them to my husband's office on Monday. He came back with raving reviews so I am making another batch today for our Memorial Day weekend trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You'll need a bread maker! Here's the recipe:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tbsp honey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 cups bread flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.25 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.5 tsp dry active yeast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can also add cinnamon, onion, garlic, poppy seeds, whatever you want! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Put all of the ingredients into the bread maker and select the Manual or Bagel Dough setting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ignore the time on the bread maker and take the dough out after 50 minutes with lightly floured hands and separate it into 10 equal pieces. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-XWMVo7p935nTvBvArKSA8uZ_1-T3mcd1V9vsYEP3llbZbVbe5QQqjGY1owf5jOHEQ-Lxw6uCMdnpi-xqE1zYieBV4A7WJuBfSNqEu3VkVwfMJnAykHNSLBhdLdge6vuVrSwDdopYysz/s1600/IMAG1094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-XWMVo7p935nTvBvArKSA8uZ_1-T3mcd1V9vsYEP3llbZbVbe5QQqjGY1owf5jOHEQ-Lxw6uCMdnpi-xqE1zYieBV4A7WJuBfSNqEu3VkVwfMJnAykHNSLBhdLdge6vuVrSwDdopYysz/s320/IMAG1094.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roll each piece into a ball and poke a hole in the middle to make a bagel shape. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Place each bagel onto a greased baking sheet and allow to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes or until double. If the hole in your bagel has closed up, just poke it out again. No biggie.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2OV9nd1hd02AcfUJeOAqWFNx-CnKR710l8mNXY2uSOyC7HQgWVGYQwrOZb1EXGLrXk3M_kRovXRHJ2Z_wN7UXdSx0xtZ7dP9UF40KMSWxfZAn1H5140ifkUxktWcDn-xDLMmHmFtn8ue/s1600/IMAG1093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2OV9nd1hd02AcfUJeOAqWFNx-CnKR710l8mNXY2uSOyC7HQgWVGYQwrOZb1EXGLrXk3M_kRovXRHJ2Z_wN7UXdSx0xtZ7dP9UF40KMSWxfZAn1H5140ifkUxktWcDn-xDLMmHmFtn8ue/s320/IMAG1093.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boil some water in a big pot (2 quarts should do) and drop three bagels at a time into the boiling water. You want to leave enough space for them to swim around freely. After 15 seconds, flip them over and let them boil for 15 more seconds on the other side. Then, remove with a slotted spoon and let dry on a baking rack.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once they have all been boiled, transfer them back to the baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until toasty on top.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAAcExg_7UNXRsBW9HntidHx8kGN_S4j-b0ztZ-bAUQadPxSUsmCKNqcyBtoBZxZLXquw7Pw7X_9VOw2bAF2QDnHsvO6WgDxiInlfDKYVJO_63WL9F8-LkvJVL6iMR7gr9zPdlog5yGEf/s1600/IMAG1097.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAAcExg_7UNXRsBW9HntidHx8kGN_S4j-b0ztZ-bAUQadPxSUsmCKNqcyBtoBZxZLXquw7Pw7X_9VOw2bAF2QDnHsvO6WgDxiInlfDKYVJO_63WL9F8-LkvJVL6iMR7gr9zPdlog5yGEf/s320/IMAG1097.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy the aroma of good, simple, wholesome bread in your house for the rest of the day!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This process takes about an hour and a half from start to finish, with about 20 minutes of actual working time. <i>You can do this. </i>And more importantly, you should. Slow down, take your health seriously, and make time for better bread.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You deserve it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy today - eat good bread!</span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-73498506588516416172013-05-20T06:51:00.002-07:002013-05-20T06:51:28.587-07:00Mona Lisa's Yoga Smile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BX9pEXY9CAvVP6cY9bFbxYUKe6yBayIjB8vqk_DRd48VMPXfsEhouEoLB9KW0NtcLW2h-z8sliVkgJyRh0Cq5MNixKkcJ-Vktj80jJlHf-TCYbZ71G9rigLcAjV0oT2xXaK07HNTNGIM/s1600/smile.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BX9pEXY9CAvVP6cY9bFbxYUKe6yBayIjB8vqk_DRd48VMPXfsEhouEoLB9KW0NtcLW2h-z8sliVkgJyRh0Cq5MNixKkcJ-Vktj80jJlHf-TCYbZ71G9rigLcAjV0oT2xXaK07HNTNGIM/s200/smile.tiff" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've been taking a yoga class on Tuesdays after the recommendation okay order of my doctor. I went to her very stressed out and hyper-focused, and she suggested I learn to quiet my mind through yoga. <i>"But not a yoga DVD in your living room surrounded by reminders of your busy life!"</i> she wagged her finger at me. <i>"A yoga class. Real yoga!"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I agreed. I'd always wanted to learn yoga - not just take yoga, but really <i>learn</i> it - and what better time than now, when my doctor was literally ordering me to do it? As luck would have it, there is a free yoga class at my church, less than a mile from my house, every Tuesday morning. Jackpot! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Well I don't have to go on and on about how much I love it. I knew I would, and I do. I'm learning a lot, and pulling those lessons into the rest of my life as well. One of my favorite parts of the class is the end, when we're quieting our minds in corpse pose, and our instructor Catherine invites us to let the ends of our mouths turn up into a slight smile. I've found, happily, that it is absolutely impossible for me to be stressed out, worried, pent-up, or annoyed when I am smiling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I was a kid I used to play a little game with myself. When I saw someone with a distinct expression on their face, usually when they didn't realize anyone was looking at them and they looked just how they look, I would try to mimic it. I'd do my best to make the same expression, and when I nailed it, I'd notice how my mood changed as a result. I would almost feel like I could feel their thoughts, mood, and disposition, and it helped me feel like I understood them more. As a result, I was able to be more empathetic towards them if we should ever interact.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Every walk through wellness is unique, but rarely are they on completely new paths. We all know someone who has been in our shoes, or someone in whose shoes we have been. Listening to them tell about their journey is like yoga for our brains - we can reminisce similar times, anticipate experiencing the same thing, and be inspired by the achievements of our friends. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This week, get out there and get healthy by tapping into the inspirational community of wellness around you. Listen to a weekend warrior story, cheer on a friend, support someone else, and allow the ends of your mouth turn up into a slight smile. The results are 100% guaranteed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now get out there and get healthy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-75964687414574310732013-05-07T05:57:00.000-07:002013-05-16T16:49:39.966-07:00Does the Scale Matter? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp2RfJPRmPn93UA_Hzjj_EEmgQFkeXbPrXla1OwVNWowG4eFzRIgfNmsQvgKQuwnIC5RCSTqR2UDfNMclVBEOdqk7oAf9rr2hq8YqhNkkYNPcwa3cxMO1C9Yiun1_P2lZok8XRO0jLKGz/s1600/ID-10069222.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp2RfJPRmPn93UA_Hzjj_EEmgQFkeXbPrXla1OwVNWowG4eFzRIgfNmsQvgKQuwnIC5RCSTqR2UDfNMclVBEOdqk7oAf9rr2hq8YqhNkkYNPcwa3cxMO1C9Yiun1_P2lZok8XRO0jLKGz/s200/ID-10069222.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>Have you ever heard someone say that if you want to ruin a perfectly good day, step on the scale? I can relate! Sometimes those three little numbers can shatter the highest of highs and leave you feeling betrayed and confused. I know I have felt that way many times, and that's why I stopped weighing myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The battery in my scale has been dead for a while now, and I'm not all that concerned about it. I'm tempted every now and then step on and let it run its little diagnostics on me, finally flashing my self worth in little red numbers and either confirming that yes, I am justified in my happiness or no, I was kidding myself and am actually quite miserable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I used to live by the scale. I weighed myself every day, and even brought it on vacation. Yes. I took my body fat religiously, and if I didn't see a change in the numbers at the exact moment that I expected them, it didn't matter if I had just run a PR or lifted a new weight or cleared a building in a single bound: I was a failure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over time, I started eliminating things from my life that made me feel like a failure, when in fact I had lots of evidence to the contrary. Negative people, jobs, habits, and eventually the scale, made their exit. But sometimes I still wonder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week I wondered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then I asked myself, <i>does it really matter?</i></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can fit into my clothes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can run for a long time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can finish an Insanity workout without too much trouble.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can lift heavy things.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like my legs and arms and back and shoulders.</span></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does it really matter what I weigh?</span></i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, a little bit. It is true that people who weigh themselves regularly experience higher success at losing weight, maintaining that weight loss, and sustaining a high level of fitness. Just as tracking food and exercise helps build awareness and lead to healthier behaviors overall, being aware of your weight is useful information. And, if you are actively working on losing weight, then yes, weighing yourself is one of the ways you can gauge whether your efforts are working.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, if stepping on the scale fills you with anxiety, if the result dictates your mood for the day, or if you are simply happy with how you feel and how your clothes fit, then there is no reason why you need to know. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I remember as a teenager reading a story about the volleyball player, Gabrielle Reece, and seeing her weight of 160 pounds. I was astounded. The lean, muscular, athletic woman I saw surely didn't match my perception of what 160 pounds looked like. That's when I learned about the difference in fat versus muscle, and began to understand that the number on the scale is just one part of a larger picture of health. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What say you? Do you weigh yourself religiously? Do you find your mood being dictated by the result? Get out there and get healthy today, even if the batteries in your scale are dead!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp2RfJPRmPn93UA_Hzjj_EEmgQFkeXbPrXla1OwVNWowG4eFzRIgfNmsQvgKQuwnIC5RCSTqR2UDfNMclVBEOdqk7oAf9rr2hq8YqhNkkYNPcwa3cxMO1C9Yiun1_P2lZok8XRO0jLKGz/s1600/ID-10069222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-71542667862302305352013-04-29T11:34:00.000-07:002013-04-29T15:00:58.830-07:00Stop Fat Talk in its Tracks!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would you call a week when on Wednesday you fit into some goal jeans from way back when that you found in the back of your closet left over from some fad diet attempt, and on Friday you're out running and catch yourself thinking, <i>"I'm so fat"</i>? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crazy, that's what. But, that's what happened to me last week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Monday, I got into a convo with a friend about the difference between cropped pants, ankle pants, and capri pants, and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">what Stacy and Clinton would say about </span>whether we should be wearing them considering our respective body types. This is what women talk about. The next day, she sent me a picture of herself in her ankle pants and we agreed she should not wear them. The day after that, I found a pair of pants in my closet that were somewhere between cropped and capri, and which also happened to be some goal pants from about five years ago, back when I started eating clean. So I put them on and to my shock and awe, they fit! Woot! Happy dance for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after <i>I</i> texted <i>her</i> a picture of myself wearing the pants (we never did decide whether they were capri or cropped, but I should not wear them either), I spent the day being quite satisfied with myself that I could get these jeans on and zip them up, even though I had the impression of the seam on my leg for about an hour after I mercifully took them off at the end of the day. Whew!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Thursday I wore stretchy pants because a girl's gotta breathe once in a while.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Friday, I went out for my 9 mile run, and around mile 4 I caught myself thinking, <i>"ugh, I have really gotten fat."</i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hold on a minute. <i>What?!?</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily, I caught this temporary moment of insanity before it turned into full-blown fat talk, because that is just bananas. So like the good wellness coach that I am, I asked myself what was making me feel fat. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/19/fat-talk_n_927385.html" target="_blank">Click here to read about the impact of fat talk on your body image.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And after a little soul-searching, I realized that I feel "fat" because my stomach isn't in the best shape it could be. Whew that was close! Here I was being all mean to myself when actually, I'm just a little soft in the middle. But the rest of my life is so hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fat talk is something we all do: women, men, and kids too. Girls as young as 5 are known now to go on diets, and young boys compare muscles on elementary school playgrounds. And, it doesn't change as we get older.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/02/25/fat-talk-gives-way-to-old-talk-as-women-age/51943.html" target="_blank">Read how "fat talk" turns into "old talk" as we age, and what that means.</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Feeling fat," usually isn't about being fat. Research shows that "fat" is a word commonly used to describe any feeling of unhappiness that can't be named. When we're off, we're "fat." </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Often, we don't even see ourselves accurately. This video from the Dove Real Beauty campaign shows just how different our own perceptions of ourselves can be from how others see us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XpaOjMXyJGk" width="560"></iframe></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know why I was feeling fat last week - I've been traveling, socializing, and beer sampling a little more often than usual, and its catching up with me. Literally stopping in my tracks during Mile 4 and pinpointing where that feeling was coming from helped me see that. I'm glad I was in-tune enough with myself to stop the fat talk before it turned into something really crazy.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like capri pants.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you're fat talking, here's how you can stop:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>1. Become aware of your fat talk,</b> and if you don't think you can, then ask a kind and trusted friend to make you aware of it. When you catch yourself, acknowledge it and apologize to yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>2. Become aware of the physical things </b>your body can do, and the physical aspects of your body that you like. Make a list and post it in a prominent place so you see it frequently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>3. For every negative thing you say to yourself, </b>list three positive. They don't have to be about your physical self. You have a brain, too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy....even if you felt fat yesterday.</span><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-81335100862071515942013-04-23T05:38:00.000-07:002013-04-23T05:39:07.106-07:00The Power Hour: Advanced Food Prep Made Simple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0H_nOKgCN9Ok6HnW0mQfUX6IphMoHexWJ_5dSmO4J-7jqvPnyzr_uyYqwhDcwfA9O6b02SmdbuiufqCfa0JDu6aSX8EZw4TlIXJzgM0dPbkm_aIiRk6wIf-eW88zf-VUo6HmbLHv5MaN/s1600/food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0H_nOKgCN9Ok6HnW0mQfUX6IphMoHexWJ_5dSmO4J-7jqvPnyzr_uyYqwhDcwfA9O6b02SmdbuiufqCfa0JDu6aSX8EZw4TlIXJzgM0dPbkm_aIiRk6wIf-eW88zf-VUo6HmbLHv5MaN/s1600/food.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've updated this post because I keep finding myself sending it around to people, but it needs some more oomph. So, if you think you've already read this one, read it again!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hear this a lot: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Sure,
it would be awesome if I could reach into my bag and pull out a healthy
snack on the go! And when the elves who also clean my house while I
sleep and fold all of my laundry get around to putting said snacks into
said bag, I will definitely be all over that."</span></i></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sound
like you? Well guess what, you DO have the time. You know how long it
takes to get snacks and lunches ready for the next week? About as long
as it takes to look at your friend's cousin's wedding pictures on
Facebook. Uh huh. Busted.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now
look - this is what I call my Power Hour: the 60 minutes or so I spend
on the weekend chopping fruit and veggies, putting oatmeal into little
bags, counting out almonds, and generally getting my you-know-what
together because come Monday morning, everything gets started whether I
am ready or not. The Power Hour makes sure that 3:30 on Thursday is just
as healthy as 7:00 on Monday. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes,
this takes organization and work. But once you get a little routine
going, it takes less of that. And, even if it didn't get easier, you're
worth the trouble so turn on some HGTV and get to work! <b></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Here's just a sample of what your Power Hour could look like this weekend:</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Put a boneless turkey breast or
chicken in the oven to bake (350 degrees for about an hour, depending on what you're cooking). Then…</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Prep <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7982759311924665730#editor/target=post;postID=5938311143924086409" target="_blank">five egg scrambles</a> and put
them in with the turkey. They need to bake for 40 minutes. Then...</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Put a pot of whole wheat pasta or brown rice on the stove for lunches or dinner later in the week. <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm" target="_blank">Here's how to cook brown rice so it doesn't have all of that GMO arsenic in it. </a></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">If you're making a salad that requires baked apples <a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2012/08/seasonal-eating-yummy-and-easier-than-i.html" target="_blank">(like this one)</a>, chop 'em up! Then...</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Chop bell peppers, pears, and peaches, peel
oranges, slice strawberries, chop carrots, etc. and put them in containers for snacks later in the week. Then…</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Portion almonds (16 is about 100
calories) and raisins in baggies for on-the-go snacks. Then…</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Portion oatmeal and raisins in
baggies for breakfast each day. Then…</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Line
up containers for salads, and put three handfuls of spinach in each
one. Add a snack-size baggie of with feta cheese and chopped fruit to
each one to add to your salad (keeping the salad ingredients separate
prevents the salad from getting mushy). I use strawberries for my <a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2011/11/change-your-life-salad-is-back.html" target="_blank">Change Your Life salad</a> and baked apples for my <a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2012/08/seasonal-eating-yummy-and-easier-than-i.html" target="_blank">Fall Harvest Salad.</a></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Take out the egg scrambles and
stash them in the fridge for breakfast each day. Then…</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Take out the turkey, slice it up,
and portion it where it needs to go (salads, in a container for pasta
later in the week, or in a pot of soup).</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Store it all in the fridge to
create your own little grocery store at home!</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Reaching for something healthy is as easy as making sure it is there for you when you're ready. This hour is<b> </b>packed, but worth it. At
the end, you'll have breakfast, lunch, and snacks (and maybe even the
makings of some dinner if you also boil some pasta and make a pot of
rice!) ready to go. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm feeling healthier already.</span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-49110924931533313932013-04-12T10:12:00.001-07:002013-04-12T10:12:32.907-07:00Fuel and Cool: How to Make Your Own Sports Drink<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qgH78g8AxlWzWFqyrjqNBKcnzSAvSUit5sQAp42rM88sz6833v8jsJT2SFgzMb710L_pxrCxIjJpzw7UZ3X53rc6atUS46Obri6NOkfo1wHDpk3cv6MfdMguCbUd7MjwcCyCmgG1qOIs/s1600/ID-10058719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qgH78g8AxlWzWFqyrjqNBKcnzSAvSUit5sQAp42rM88sz6833v8jsJT2SFgzMb710L_pxrCxIjJpzw7UZ3X53rc6atUS46Obri6NOkfo1wHDpk3cv6MfdMguCbUd7MjwcCyCmgG1qOIs/s200/ID-10058719.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">www.freedigitalimages.net</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sports drinks like ... um ... a couple that end in "ade" are popular on soccer fields, at race water stations, and unfortunately, in kids lunchboxes. But, at about 300 calories a bottle and including ingredients like flame retardants, they aren't exactly the healthiest thing to toss back after a workout. Yes, we do need to replenish our bodies with liquids and electrolytes after a tough workout or a long run, but there are clean and natural ways to do it without all the sugar and chemicals.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/food-label-reveals-flame-retardant-sports-drinks" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Read why flame retardant is allowed in your food.</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The whole point of energy drinks is to replace the sodium and potassium that we lose when we sweat. Its important that we do this so we don't get muscle cramps or get dehydrated, and so we have enough energy for our next workout. Some foods that are naturally high in sodium and potassium, and therefore great options for a real-food alternative to sports drinks, are:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Potassium and Sodium-Rich Foods </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">yogurt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">orange juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bananas</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">raisins</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">potatoes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pretzels</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">kiwi</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">iron-fortified cereal and milk </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">To assess how much sodium you lose in sweat, weigh yourself without clothes before and after an hour of exercise and note the difference. Each pound lost is about 700-1,000 mg sodium, and you can easily replace
those losses with one of the snacks listed above. If you want to have a sports drink to accomplish that, keep in mind that most sports drinks are simply water, sugar, and salt. Remember, the goal of companies that make miracle gels and potions is to to sell them to you, not necessarily make you healthier.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Workout recovery is as simple as diluting some orange juice with water and eating a banana, or creating this recipe from Web MD:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Homemade Sports Drink </b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 quart (950 mL) water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">½ teaspoon (2.5 g) table salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) salt substitute (potassium-based), such as Lite Salt or Morton Salt Substitute</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's not neon colored, but it'll get the job done.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-07-21/features/chi-sports-drinks-how-to-make-your-own-20110721_1_sports-drink-coconut-water-hot-water" target="_blank">Click here for more homemade sports drink recipes.</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The key to pre and post-workout nutrition is to keep it real: real foods and water are what athletes relied on before the wonders of food technology, and they are still our best bet for a sustainably healthy life. Get out there and get healthy today, even if you don't sweat neon. </span></div>
<ul>
</ul>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-13779412930260147432013-04-09T11:29:00.001-07:002013-04-09T12:32:09.568-07:00I'm Too Old for This $#^%: Metabolism and Aging<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I'm not actually old. But when I turn 37 in June, I will be the oldest I have ever been! And while age is just a number and we're only as old as we feel...let me tell you my friends, <b>I am feeling old.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mostly because its come to my attention in the past six months or so that as I approach my 40s, everything that I have heard about aging and metabolism, all of those things that I know and understand but have doggedly assumed would <i>not actually happen to moi, </i>are in fact happening.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's taking my body longer to snap back into shape after a vacation. I'm having to work a lot harder at maintaining my weight, much less trying to shave off a few pounds when I want to. And, I am starting to see wrinkles on my face! The wrinkles I could actually not care much less about. But the waistline is another story.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is middle-aged weight gain inevitable? Is it something we have to accept? Well, as in most things the answer lies somewhere in the middle.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hopefully not <i>my</i> middle.</span></b></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But yes, we do lose muscle cells as we age. And yes, those muscle cells do get tired and less efficient. That's why strength training is important at any age, but especially as we age.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123887823" target="_blank">Listen to: Why We Gain Weight As We Age on NPR</a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But does our metabolism slow down as we age? Yes and no. Metabolism is determined by how effective our bodies are at burning calories. And since we lose muscle cells as we age, and more muscle means more calorie burning, we often see a decrease in our calorie-burning potential because of that decreased muscle. Not necessarily age. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But you know, when it comes to a slower metabolism, I'm not all that concerned with the "why?" as with the "how do I fix this?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The answer is what you probably think I am going to say: keep building muscle! </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What this means for me is a few things:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Stop expecting to be able to fudge my calories on the weekend or on vacation and then snap back into shape a week later. That rubber band has lost its spring. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Keep workouts focused on building muscle, not burning calories. Include strength training - challenging strength training - in your workout no matter how old you are. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Watch this video frequently and laugh about the whole stupid thing!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2a2DQC-ghio" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wherever you are in the aging process, no matter how springy your rubber band is, and even if you are just getting started in this health thing, just get out there and get healthy!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-6485973937761782012013-04-05T07:47:00.001-07:002013-04-05T17:16:42.665-07:00Got a cold? This Immunity Blasting Juice made me a believer!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ilUCpyF380Mn4Kp-zEiO-_S1GY7driL42GdQG-wKaDACg0DqyRCA63HKSQc2osOjZ10q3rpLN2dq_Sivr4285QZoKzP8sBeVmnl3Qeo0gYMLN6zem3BL7OpUsss2oL4I8s02MMyx-P11/s1600/immunity+juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ilUCpyF380Mn4Kp-zEiO-_S1GY7driL42GdQG-wKaDACg0DqyRCA63HKSQc2osOjZ10q3rpLN2dq_Sivr4285QZoKzP8sBeVmnl3Qeo0gYMLN6zem3BL7OpUsss2oL4I8s02MMyx-P11/s200/immunity+juice.jpg" width="126" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's good, I promise.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am a juicing skeptic. Its not so much that I don't believe in the power of juicing because I do. I just believe more strongly in the power of chewing. I call it the Chew Factor: that human need to, well, <i>CHEW things </i>periodically throughout the day. The few times that I have tried to replace actual meals with liquid calories, I end up cranky and frustrated. Slurping down 300 calories simply whets my appetite for more. No, I want to chew, and I want to do it a lot. You can read more about the Chew Factor here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2011/09/juicing-is-it-worth-squeeze.html" target="_blank">Juicing: Is it worth the squeeze?</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But, my friend <a href="http://www.joyoushealth.ca/" target="_blank">Joyous Health</a> convinced me that juicing has its place in the world of immunity-building, and explained to me that she uses juices for their therapeutic benefits. When we're sick or getting sick, that fast infusion of nutrients in liquid form gets into our blood stream faster so it can get to work on making us better. That made sense to me, and I remembered her advice about a month ago when I felt a cold coming on. I had 13 miles to run the next day so I really wanted to be in top form. So I got to Googling and found a recipe that sounded like I could actually swallow it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And dang it if I didn't feel better. I was seriously surprised! I woke up the next day to drastically diminished symptoms and made another batch to squash it for good. I began to feel even better, and my 13 mile run was cold-free. I made a superstitious third dose of it to replace the energy I had burned while running, and I never did get that cold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A few weeks later, I got a cold while out of town. I made the juice when I came home, and began to feel better. Sure, there was likely a placebo effect at play, but it made me a believer in the power of juicing when my immune system is compromised.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Juices are healthy, but they still contain calories. This recipe is about 250 calories. Yes, I entered it into MyFitnessPal and logged it, because it had to count as a snack. Just be aware of that when you consider juicing - healthy food has calories too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Okay, here's the recipe. You will need a juicer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Immunity Blaster</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 carrots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 oranges, peeled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 ounce lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4 cloves of garlic. I started with two and worked my way up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Put them all into the juicer and belly up! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/029149_antibiotics_garlic.html" target="_blank">Why all that garlic? It is a natural infection fighter! </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you don't have a juicer, look for a juice bar near you or head to your local <a href="http://www.earthfare.com/" target="_blank">Earth Fare</a>. They'll juice whatever you buy in the produce department!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy today with a blast of immunity!</span></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-27622180972544276092013-04-01T08:28:00.002-07:002013-04-03T11:17:23.725-07:00Is it Time to Eat? Listening to Hunger Cues for Weight Success<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NCKy6xyTNDxCcBJqhvKP4wEIXdg6qF0kXs19AU6bHEO6pJakORGZ_knCQTCFWnFqksOpnD3ROYSP5vWf2ikot5MzWVn0snC3OhyphenhyphenhuwDn-IgGE1Vda4_Qju7Zt1DED74Y97CwQMTMum41/s1600/time+to+eat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NCKy6xyTNDxCcBJqhvKP4wEIXdg6qF0kXs19AU6bHEO6pJakORGZ_knCQTCFWnFqksOpnD3ROYSP5vWf2ikot5MzWVn0snC3OhyphenhyphenhuwDn-IgGE1Vda4_Qju7Zt1DED74Y97CwQMTMum41/s200/time+to+eat.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.freedigitalphotos.net</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Hunger: it's a tricky thing!</b> Striking that balance and eating the "just right" amount of food is one of the most challenging parts of eating. You'd think that, as evolved humans, we would have mastered feeding ourselves by now. But no, we all struggle with figuring out what, how much, and when to eat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I cringe when I hear people say that a diet plan worked for them because they "never feel hungry." If they are never hungry, how do they know when to eat?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And I wipe away a tear when someone tells me that they hardly eat because they never get hungry. Their mind/body connection is so severed that their body has completely given up trying to communicate and gone into survival mode by slowing their metabolism down to a crawl to compensate for the lack of fuel. That is just a damn shame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Then we have the flip side: allowing ourselves to get so hungry that we'll eat anything in sight. As a chronic "go go go" gal, I used to fall victim to this one a lot. I would stall on eating, trying to hold out until my next meal because I was counting calories, and enter my house a starved maniac at 5:45 PM. Then I'd eat an entire meal's worth of calories while I was preparing dinner, and sit down no longer feeling hungry but eating a meal anyway because I had just prepared it. That's just plain stupid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So over time, a few valuable lessons about eating managed to get through my thick skull:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. My body will tell me when it needs food, and I need to respond even if it's not "time to eat."</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Not having healthy food prepped ahead of time to eat when I get hungry is a bad, bad situation.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>3. Eating food actually helps me lose and maintain weight, and not eating food keeps me fat. Or "fat," whichever applies at the time.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And then over some more time, I actually started implementing these lessons into my life! The result: I more easily manage my weight when I respond to hunger signals, and I feel annoyed and irritable and "fat" when I don't. That happened enough times in a row to convince my brain that the first plan is better and we should just stick to that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hunger is our body's way of trying to be our partner in health. It's saying, "hey, I could use some more food." Instead of pushing it away, its our job to respond by giving it some food. Actual food, not processed junk posing as food. But that's another soapbox for another day.<!---------><!---------></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today, the trick is listening for that signal and answering back. If its been a long time since you have felt hungry, that signal may be a whisper. Hunger should feel like a definite rumble in your stomach. Not quite burning, but distinct. When that feeling strikes, its time for part two: eating food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Success happens here when you have taken the time to prepare a snack or meal just for this kind of situation. An example might be some raw almonds and a sliced apple. Or, some unflavored yogurt with a chopped up peach and some walnuts mixed in. Maybe a chopped bell pepper and some cherry tomatoes with hummus. Whatever. Just have it handy and eat it. Then when the feeling hits again in a couple of hours, do it again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I know, its not quite that simple. Waiting to get hungry can be scary, and sometimes we really aren't sure if we're hungry. If you haven't felt hungry in a long time, start eating breakfast. You should feel hungry again in a few hours. That's not a signal that eating breakfast is bad because it makes you hungry. That's a signal that eating breakfast is good because it makes you hungry! And being hungry means that your body is burning fuel, not storing it. That's a good thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Decoding (and sometimes, getting to) hunger can be tricky work, and developing a trusting relationship between you and your hunger cues can be difficult. If you feel like you need help, seek a <i>Certified</i> Wellness Coach. It just so happens that I am one. How convenient! A coach can guide you through the process of becoming a partner with your body again. How nice!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy today...even - and especially - when you get hungry.</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-89656202579029344162013-03-26T14:54:00.003-07:002013-03-26T14:54:38.341-07:00Easter Baskets Healthy Heather Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9sNFGXoDeYojxrPHWV3x-SIuTpnC41zVIaHA3M_bn-Hs_3KCS-nccJIgM_HqT0aFVU1wH4BfPedKDCMdLPPaLz3_yjQcl01q34NwL-RH522OK_MuxwtCBHsSgFhN2FYYgW9k1gtdUUMg/s1600/Easter+Eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9sNFGXoDeYojxrPHWV3x-SIuTpnC41zVIaHA3M_bn-Hs_3KCS-nccJIgM_HqT0aFVU1wH4BfPedKDCMdLPPaLz3_yjQcl01q34NwL-RH522OK_MuxwtCBHsSgFhN2FYYgW9k1gtdUUMg/s200/Easter+Eggs.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I have a very distinct memory</b> of a childhood Easter spent eating jelly beans and chocolate cream eggs until I was sick. My sister and I would take inventory of our Easter haul (lots of jelly beans, chocolate kisses, peanut butter eggs, and those terrible malt chocolate eggs), digging our fingers into the green plastic grass to find the little bits of sugar that had escaped us. We would sneak it into church and munch on it all day. She would always make her candy last at least a week or more. Mine was gone in a day. I had absolutely no self-control when it came to candy, which is part of the reason I am sugar-free now. I know my limits, and life is too short to spend my time fighting them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I have my own two kids, one of which is completely oblivious to holidays and their associated candy, and one who is all too aware and has already listed out everything he hopes to find on Sunday morning. But as a mother who knows well the affect of all that sugar, I have the responsibility of striking a balance between the two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate is not taboo in my house, but it does come with a rule: it must be <i>good</i> chocolate. If I'm going to give my kids sweets, its going to be a real treat, something they can learn to appreciate. So, yes, there will be candy on Easter morning. But instead of loading up your kids with jelly beans, peanut butter eggs, and (shudder) that horrible travesty of food technology, Dippin' Sticks, give these sugar-free ideas a try. They'll last a lot longer than the sugar rush that will drive you crazy by 10:00 am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you fill eggs and hide them around the house why not fill them with...</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pennies and other small change (and if you are really pious, they can put it in the collection plate at church!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">temporary tattoos </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stickers </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">confetti </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">balloons </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to give your kids a sweet treat, how about...</span><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Annie's Homegrown Chocolate Chipper granola bars</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their favorite fruit in a fun way - freeze dried is always good for a laugh!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A small high-quality chocolate bunny. Its never too early to teach the value of good chocolate!</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to give a gift but don't want a bunch of dollar-bin stuff cluttering up your house, maybe try...</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">seed packets and kid-sized gardening tools</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">punching balloons </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">art supplies and a new sketch pad (always a hit at my house!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">coupons for trips to their favorite playground, museum, or time spent playing a video game. Minecraft, anyone?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easter is a beautiful holiday, but I'd rather spend it admiring my children as they play and laugh together, not sending people to time out because all the candy I gave them turned them into little monsters. I can't say my house will be a candy-free zone on Sunday morning, but I'm looking forward to the Easter bunny filling our baskets with more substance than sugar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy this weekend...even if that means your kids don't have the same Easter morning that you did (they'll thank you later).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-10161603178655905212013-03-16T03:29:00.001-07:002013-03-16T03:29:27.165-07:00Sunbutter Sandwiches<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm always on the lookout for new ways to get nutritious food into my kids, and this week its been Sunbutter sandwiches! I discovered it when dropping my son off at daycare and seeing that another parent had jotted down a note that their child had a "sunbutter" sandwich in their lunch and that it was allergen-free. Since so many kids are allergic to nuts, peanut butter is a no-no at many schools. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got to Googling, and there it was: sunflower seed butter! It was pricey at $6 for a jar about the size of a jar of peanut butter but I was so curious that I bought it anyway. Visions of my children happily eating something new (and finally be able to make pb&j...or sb&j, rather....sandwiches again was a blessed relief).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The verdict: I love it! My older son loves it. And thinks its hilarious for some reason. The baby is skeptical and hasn't tried it yet. But, sunbutter and banana sandwiches have become my go-to pre-Insanity workout snack.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzdYzWO99qDDIcUfqIRG9rGuNu8sl1U4_E7wHFGTg87Gvaku5Y2s-4NJbGy27PIp4Mj1y5BHc0dua9Cu6j2wh-1fBNfaoNf14VpNfyupNepU5VySCcUdZohUCzcxxkqbvQZpS1vxuwDQ6/s1600/sunbutter.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzdYzWO99qDDIcUfqIRG9rGuNu8sl1U4_E7wHFGTg87Gvaku5Y2s-4NJbGy27PIp4Mj1y5BHc0dua9Cu6j2wh-1fBNfaoNf14VpNfyupNepU5VySCcUdZohUCzcxxkqbvQZpS1vxuwDQ6/s1600/sunbutter.tiff" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.sunbutter.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sunbutter.com/" target="_blank">Sunbutter</a> is actually a brand name product, but you can find other sunflower seed butters online. The only downside to Sunbutter is that there is added sugar. I bought it because I was too impatient to order anything, but I have ordered some organic sunflower seed butter that doesn't have added sugar and will let you know what I think when it comes in!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, a
fat-soluble antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects that result in the
reduction of symptoms in asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid
arthritis. They are also rich in magnesium and selenium. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/6-health-benefits-of-sunflower-seeds.html" target="_blank">Read more about the health benefits of sunflower seeds here.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you tried sunflower seed butter? Do you recommend any particular brands? Share your experiences and recipes in a comment!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Get out there and get healthy today...with a sunbutter sandwich and an Insanity workout. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-66841064999233383222013-02-22T10:19:00.001-08:002013-02-22T10:19:13.498-08:0010 Calorie-Free Celebration Ideas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQJEfNbimKoiknafhtt8AtSooDlV1FbyLkz0CoWxb3G-3hWzvABFNN-FHz85dbn2tcLB4C-hR9AEcwi0xc0G58F_0ISKLRo5dOWSwB5CV5xJNDcrahwUyUHjGd3eiUJp3iexrH6aVMsXC/s1600/ID-10055114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQJEfNbimKoiknafhtt8AtSooDlV1FbyLkz0CoWxb3G-3hWzvABFNN-FHz85dbn2tcLB4C-hR9AEcwi0xc0G58F_0ISKLRo5dOWSwB5CV5xJNDcrahwUyUHjGd3eiUJp3iexrH6aVMsXC/s200/ID-10055114.jpg" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can celebrate without the cake!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm always on the prowl for great resources to share with friends and clients that might help with achieving their health goals. Usually, a quick search online brings up a hefty bundle of inspiration, info, and great ideas that I wish I had thought of first. But lately my clients have been throwing a few curve balls, and I'm coming up short. So, after searching high and low for the just-right list of ideas for celebrating a birthday without indulging in a lot of calories, I decided that maybe I just needed to create it myself! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A few people in my life are coming up on the big 5-0. A milestone for sure! But, as they are aging and their metabolisms are slowing down, managing weight is a priority so indulging in a big calorie-fest that will just create more work later isn't looking like a super-fun idea. So I present 10 ways to celebrate your birthday without taking three steps back in your wellness plan. In fact, some of them are a step forward!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>1. Pamper yourself with spa treatments. </b>The woman's go-to solution for the daily grind, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>2. Walk, bike, or run a significant number.</b> When I turned 36, I ran a total of 36 miles during the week of my birthday. If your age is a number more like 50, focus on the decades rather than the years! Walk a mile for every decade of your life!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Buy that thing you've been wanting forever.</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Those shoes, that pretty sweater, the bracelet that reminds you of your vacation to a special destination...get it! I am thrifty to a fault, so to spend money on myself a huge indulgence. But when I finally do treat myself to something, I treasure it. Find your treasure.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Write a thank-you letter to yourself.</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Many times we focus on our own inadequacies, our shortcomings, and our regrets. How often do we celebrate the wonderful things we do for ourselves? When we reach a milestone birthday, its a great opportunity to reflect on the positive decisions we have made in our lives to get us to that point. So say thanks to yourself!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>5. Write a thank-you letter to someone else.</b> You didn't make it to 50 on your own. Let the people who have supported and helped you become such an awesome individual know how much you appreciate them! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>6. Make a vision board.</b> I celebrate every birthday with a vision board! Take time to daydream about the next year, five years, or decade ahead and bring that bucket list into focus with a powerful visual tool. <a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2011/08/vision-boards-get-out-your-glue.html" target="_blank">For ideas and help, click here.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>7. Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care.</b> Go dancing! Not only will you burn calories, <a href="http://www.dancescape.org/ezine/articles/8/1/Benefits-of-Dancing--Quick-Tips-for-Staying-Healthy/Page1.html" target="_blank">dancing helps us stay young! </a><b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>8. Become a mentor or volunteer for a cause.</b> What is your passion? What can you pay forward? Ask yourself how you can celebrate your own life by helping others improve theirs. We reap what we sow. Plant a seed and start a legacy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>9. Spend time with people who make you laugh. </b>Laughter is a proven mood-booster and <a href="http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter" target="_blank">is great for our health</a>. Take in a comedy show, watch a funny movie, or call a friend you can always laugh with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>10. Learn something new.</b> Hey, you may be a wise owl but you still have a lot of life ahead of you! That photography class you always wanted to take? Sign up. The weekend pottery group your friend keeps inviting you to? Go! Learn to dance, learn to homebrew, learn to sew...stretch your brain to new places and make the next year even better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Okay, so you might still want to go out for a rich meal and deal with the calories later. <b>And that is okay, too! </b>Those occasional splurges are good for us when in a healthy context and balanced with other sustainable habits. Congratulations on whatever you are celebrating! I hope these ideas inspire you to find even more ways to keep your joyous times healthy and positive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Get out there <b>and get healthy...</b>even if you eat a big piece of cake anyway. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-34011919898145360382013-02-08T05:55:00.002-08:002013-02-08T05:55:34.318-08:00Goal-Talk: Reaching Goals as a D Student<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sc4T0rmJhbeRHmFysajqIyA7eqWjeBprsRelQE90CoeVvjXNPpMKoB4u7h8WCK0vbXIPlRC7r-AgXPqA9iru0ObD8SR8sLCFeZy9XCjrzAEog-_1CLb0h4iFYFEgOjNmqSY91R3lPLfc/s1600/ID-100131073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sc4T0rmJhbeRHmFysajqIyA7eqWjeBprsRelQE90CoeVvjXNPpMKoB4u7h8WCK0vbXIPlRC7r-AgXPqA9iru0ObD8SR8sLCFeZy9XCjrzAEog-_1CLb0h4iFYFEgOjNmqSY91R3lPLfc/s320/ID-100131073.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.freedigitalphotos.net</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>As a wellness coach,</b></span> I talk about goals a lot. I help people set goals, celebrate goals, reach goals, and sometimes even abandon goals. And thanks to all of this <b>goal-talk, </b>I often find myself mentally developing goals for people in the course of innocent, daily conversations. I'm a goal addict, its true.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Over the years, I've started to notice patterns among those who reach goals and those who struggle with them. There are definitely ingrained personality traits that make some of us more goal-driven than others, but even laid-back folks can achieve aggressive goals without being, well, aggressive. Its all in how you use the <b>Three Ds That Make the Difference.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I also like alliteration and anything in threes. :)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When it comes to reaching goals, there are three elements that I've found to be consistently necessary: <b>Deserving, Determination, and Discipline.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>They deserve it! </b>People who reach their goals feel that <i>they deserve to.</i> I don't mean this in a selfish way, I mean this in a self-care way. And, there are two elements here: feeling that you deserve the outcome, and also feeling like you deserve to do the things that it takes to achieve the goal. If you want to get in shape and you decide that time at the gym is one of the steps to reach that goal, then you have to believe that you <i>deserve</i> time at the gym. That you deserve time to yourself to take care of you. For busy and guilt-stricken moms, this can be tough. But, you do deserve a healthy body and you do deserve to do the reasonable things it takes to get there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>They're determined! </b>People who reach their goals are determined to do it. Let's face it - doing the things it takes to reach a goal is downright difficult sometimes! Work, kids schedules, weekend events, travel, and any number of things can get in our way. But my clients who reach their goals find a way to work around or with those things. They are determined, and they make it happen. Its not always ideal or convenient, but it is always a priority and they get it done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>They're Disciplined!</b> Many times the hardest part of achieving a goal is maintaining it once you reach it. Losing weight is relatively easy once you get the math and routine down. Maintaining it much trickier! My clients who successfully maintain and build on their goals do it because they have developed habits that are now part of their lives, not just a means to an end. Many times, its the discipline to make themselves a priority (because they deserve it and are determined to do it) that is the real secret.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whether you're a fierce and focused goal-driven machine who barrels through goals like a superhero or a laid-back traveler who wants to make some changes without ruffling too many feathers, the <b>Three Ds can fit into your day.</b> Are you using them? Would you add anything to the list? Let me know if you use the Three Ds that Make a Difference in your life!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Till then, keep getting out there and getting healthy!</span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-52541419664408974612013-01-28T06:11:00.003-08:002013-01-28T06:12:03.904-08:00Is a calorie really just a calorie? (We need to talk about soda.)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Okay guys.</b> We all know that in order to lose or maintain weight, its simple addition and subtraction:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">calories eaten in food - calories burned through exercise = net calories for body function</span></div>
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<a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-weightloss-how-to-guide.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Click here to learn how to calculate your body's calorie needs.</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If we burn more than we eat, our body begins to lose weight. If we eat more than we burn, our body begins to gain weight. <b>Simple, right?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Except there are all sorts of ways to make it complicated. Some experts say that a calorie is a calorie, and a net deficit in calories leads to weight loss regardless of whether those calories are in apples and spinach or in candy bars and ice cream. <b>Technically, that is true. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then there are experts that tell us that all calories are not created equal, and that some foods are better for weight loss than others. <b>This is also true.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And still more experts argue that on top of eating nutritionally superior calories, we need to pay attention to what foods we eat when, and with what other foods we eat them, and at what point in relation to exercise. <b>And yes, this is true as well.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before we know it, this very simple math problem turns into a Master's program in nutrition, becoming so confusing and frustrating that many of us don't even try to eat right because the sheer magnitude of figuring out what to eat is <b>too overwhelming.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, I don't have a Master's degree in nutrition, but I know this much is true:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've lost weight eating crap and gained it all back.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've lost weight eating clean and maintained it easily for going on five years.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While all calories may be created equally for weight loss, all calories are <b><i>not </i>created equally </b>when it comes to health. Yes, I'm talking about sugar. Advertising companies will tell us that we can have sugar as part of a healthy lifestyle, but leading research is showing just about every day that this is not true. Sugar calories are not only completely void of nutrients, but they are direct contributors to obesity and impaired brain function that leads to overeating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://blogs.prevention.com/inspired-bites/2013/01/25/a-sip-of-soda-whats-the-fuss-you-decide/" target="_blank">A Sip of Soda: What's the Fuss? </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sugar hides in many of our foods, but one place where it is loud and proud is in soda. Just ditching your soda habit can help you lose weight, reduce your sweet tooth, and put a stop to a myriad of other <b>health complications </b>waiting in the wings. Like these:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.termlifeinsurance.org/harmful-soda-full"><img alt="Harmful Soda" border="0" src="http://consumermedianetwork.s3.amazonaws.com/termlife/soda-full.png" width="500" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Via: <a href="http://www.termlifeinsurance.org/">Term Life Insurance</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Losing weight is just one part of the whole-health picture. Calories are precious and should be <b>working for you,</b> not against.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Get out there <b>and get healthy,</b> and make it as complicated or simple as you want it to be! You don't need an advanced degree to figure out the simple formula of
good health: eat real food, get exercise every day, and your body will
take care of the rest.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-46391630602277566722013-01-17T13:58:00.000-08:002013-01-17T13:58:25.487-08:00The Bread Revolution (I'm losing it btw)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfK2AsIaRfowhPH_GtUIVV6HnoteGnPcfJ1G_fJmF0SLZIYod1XFcpbW8zqgHxKLKDkK7v3P7XMUFYFiQhTLkD8JSvF_VY7akXGpOXMnu3ErH_a6asPesUAkzKTl-ib8Preauf5VbKVOs/s1600/ID-100132283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfK2AsIaRfowhPH_GtUIVV6HnoteGnPcfJ1G_fJmF0SLZIYod1XFcpbW8zqgHxKLKDkK7v3P7XMUFYFiQhTLkD8JSvF_VY7akXGpOXMnu3ErH_a6asPesUAkzKTl-ib8Preauf5VbKVOs/s320/ID-100132283.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.freedigitalphotos.net</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bread. I am having a serious <b>love/hate relationship </b>with bread. It's not a carb thing, it's a quality thing. For a clean eater who wants to buy simple, healthy food, the bread aisle is one of the most frustrating sections of the grocery store. As one of my dear friends vented to me recently, bread just gets more and more <b>confusing.</b> Soda, candy, and other junk food we <i>know</i> is bad for us. That's easy to spot. Not always easy to resist, but easy to identify as junk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bread, not so much. No, it masquerades as health food all day long! Just look at the packaging: brown, pictures of shafts of wheat alongside healthy-looking nuts, oats, seeds, and more. Humble farmers and <b>old-timey font </b>add to the message that this bread is just like the kind your grandma made.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Except I'm thinking your sweet grandma didn't go around to the local barbershops, sweep up the hair lying on the floors, boil it down in acid, and pour it into her bread. And I'm guessing she didn't stop at the market and pick up some Azodicarbonamide, either. Especially if she lives in Australia, Europe, or Singapore, since its been outlawed there and use of it will result in <b>15 years of imprisonment </b>and
$450,000 in fines. Bread just ain't what it used to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog.fooducate.com/2012/06/29/five-bread-ingredients-you-absolutely-should-avoid-bread-miniseries-part-44/" target="_blank">Why? Read more about five ingredients you shouldn't have in your bread. </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's gotten downright ridiculous. Preservatives and dough conditioners give bread a longer shelf life and predictable mouth-feel,<b> but at what cost? </b>Personally, I feel less and less comfortable buying commercial bread as I read more about the potential side effects of chemicals that are added for the convenience and profitability of the company that made it. Bread should be bread. Pure and simple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://erineisenman.hubpages.com/hub/The-Complexity-of-Bread" target="_blank">Do we really need this stuff in our bread? </a></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, I've launched a <b>bread revolution</b> in my house. I'm taking back bread! I am so committed. I'm a bread-baking fool these days, and my home is filled with that wonderful aroma of yeast and dough. Its just great! Except for one thing. My family ain't buying it. Or eating it. They want their store-bought bread.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the revolution, well, it's a little of a <b>David and Goliath</b> thing, with me holding a puny little slingshot and a nice warm loaf of bread as my rock. <i>"Plenty of people would kill for homemade bread," </i>I exclaim to my loving family. They understand. I try the martyr angle: "<i>I guess I'll bring it to the homeless shelter, where people may appreciate it more." </i>They nod sympathetically. I am stumped. Who on EARTH would not want homemade bread??? It's delicious! Seriously. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Okay, so not all of my loaves have been <b>masterpieces. </b>And maybe I shouldn't have thrown out all of the bread in the house and provided only my experiments for sustenance. But I'm getting better, and I'm not giving up. This year, I will become good at baking bread, and more importantly, I will find <b>at least one recipe</b> that my family will eat for sandwiches. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And yeah, I'm totally going to tell you all about it the whole time. <a href="http://diaryofareluctantathlete.blogspot.com/2012/12/homemade-hamburger-buns-great-taste-no.html" target="_blank">Read here about one of my attempts - successful, yay! - at hamburger buns. </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, tell me - do you have any<b> tried-and-true</b> bread recipes for me to try? Post them in the comments! I'd love to give them a shot, try them out on the natives, and let you know how they like it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Get out there <b>and get healthy</b> today, even if your family wants store-bought bread.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-2846034644045271062013-01-11T08:24:00.006-08:002013-01-11T08:25:16.720-08:00Can you really be healthy at any size?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZHp0TlJiCb0XjXDzhpEYnOF0RSG1uxTekjuf-qpENZxCJ9qC9NJ58vH15cAf3Kc-k6iEtCQh-bGBJHx6EgQ1pLHO0thbXq30xcCDFFYZxslIlVpiVbieMY8nS3og7HqHVX9O-WfbYDyJ/s1600/ID-100127626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZHp0TlJiCb0XjXDzhpEYnOF0RSG1uxTekjuf-qpENZxCJ9qC9NJ58vH15cAf3Kc-k6iEtCQh-bGBJHx6EgQ1pLHO0thbXq30xcCDFFYZxslIlVpiVbieMY8nS3og7HqHVX9O-WfbYDyJ/s320/ID-100127626.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.freedigitalphotos.net</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>January is a great time </b>to make new healthy goals for the year ahead. Apparently, its also a great time to make lots of excuses. Each January brings articles about how all those health goals are really just a waste because - great news! - you can be healthy and a couch potato, too! Articles like this one published last week:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/03/opinion/wann-fat-and-fit-study/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7" target="_blank">Big Deal: You can be fit and fat</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So can we really be healthy at any size? Fit and fat? Well, <b>that depends </b>on your definition of healthy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.haescommunity.org/" target="_blank">Healthy At Any Size</a> campaign gets a lot of attention in January.
Their website says: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span class="boldCallout redtext">"Health at Every Size</span>
is based on the simple premise that the best way to improve health is
to honor your body. It supports people in adopting health habits for the
sake of health and well-being (rather than weight control). Health at
Every Size encourages:</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Accepting and respecting the natural diversity of body sizes and shapes.</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Eating in a flexible manner that values pleasure and honors internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite.</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Finding the joy in moving one’s body and becoming more physically vital."</i></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>This is absolutely wonderful!</b> Emotional health at any size is incredibly important, and as a wellness coach I get to help people achieve it every day. Learning how to follow internal hunger cues is vital to lifelong wellness. And enjoying exercise is a big part of making it a daily habit. But, often times this campaign is misinterpreted to mean abandoning attempts to lose and manage weight, and instead only focus on self-esteem, and this is where I start to get off board.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But did you notice my key word? <i><b>Emotional</b> </i>health at any size is the key. Because here's the thing: yes, dieting is a problem, but fat is also a problem. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/poll-few-americans-know-risks-134543155.html" target="_blank">Read more about the hidden dangers of obesity.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I recently conducted a wellness program with a group where health as <b>social responsibility </b>came up as a conversation topic more than once. As I listened to a spontaneous discussion on the role we each have as members of society to maintain a healthy weight and body, I thought of our over-burdened health care system. So many of the health issues we face each day are related to diet and lifestyle. If those things changed, and we became healthier as a society, and we had less need for health care, how would that change our nation?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've read many, many, many <b>success stories</b> of people who have lost tremendous amounts of weight. I've not found any that cited doing nothing as their strategy. No, there are plenty of accounts of starting daily walking routines, learning about nutrition, counting calories and measuring portions, finding supportive networks, making determined lifestyle changes, and putting a lot of hard work into changing their bodies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, you can be overweight and strong. And yes, you can be overweight and aerobically fit. And, yes, you can be skinny as a rail and very unhealthy. <b>Size is not the whole picture</b> of health, but obesity is more than just the size of your body. Despite what some fat
acceptance advocates say, obesity leads to heart disease, hypertension,
arthritis, fertility issues, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, some cancers,
and more. It <i>is</i> a problem, and you can deal with that and love yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I've been overweight, </b>and I've dealt with the intense emotional issues that come with it. I've failed I don't know how many times at managing my weight; so many times that it became my life's work to succeed at it and help others do the same. But I am on the other side now because I didn't accept an unhealthy and unfit body as my 24/7. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>It was not easy.</i> At times, it still isn't.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But managing my weight is about more than not being fat. I loved myself (my<i>self</i>, not my size) when I was a size 16, but that didn't make me healthy. I love myself at a size 4, too. And, I get the absolute joy of living in a<i> hard-won</i> <b>healthy body</b> every day. One that I shaped because I had the courage to admit that there was something better out there for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let January be a month of positive steps towards a healthier body - physically and emotionally. Get out there <b>and get healthy. </b>You can love yourself at any size, but your health might still need some work. The good news is you can totally do it.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-40953952440530992892013-01-02T09:43:00.001-08:002013-01-11T07:39:50.353-08:00The Sugar Shake-up: How much do you really eat?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>We all know by now </b>that we as a nation need to reduce our sugar consumption. It's making us fat, giving us diabetes, raising our cholesterol, raising our blood pressure, and causing who knows what else that we'll learn about later! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/four-reasons-to-reduce-your-sugar-intake?cid=rss" target="_blank">Read here about why to reduce sugar in your diet today! </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, sugar is cheap and lobbyists are good at their jobs so its not likely that we'll see sugar making an exit on its own. To <b>get rid of it, </b>you have to take matters into your own hands. You also need to get a teaspoon, a bag of sugar, a ziplock bag, and a calculator. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What's that, you say? You stopped eating candy and dumped soda? That's great! But I'm willing to bet you are <b>still eating</b> lots of sugar. Its hiding everywhere. Here's a quick way to find out just how much of it is making its way into your metabolism. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the Nutrition Facts label of a food package, it will sometimes (not always) list the grams of sugar per serving. <b>Four grams is about 1 teaspoon </b>of sugar. One teaspoon of sugar is about 16 calories. So, if a product has 12 grams of sugar you can divide that by 4 to realize it is 3 teaspoons in each serving. If you're worried about calories, that's 48 calories.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Read this long but well-researched New York Times article, "Is Sugar Toxic?" </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's how to drive that home a little more. Get that teaspoon and spoon out three teaspoons of sugar into a ziplock bag. Would you eat that? Or pour it into your child's mouth? <b>Of course not.</b> But, that's what you do when you give your child one of these:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1GnMZcJ9MZ7oBWAeBfLFxSsVepLZeduX4dMY2B1ixuebbgcHNPckPosfwSqtCBJjFF9pdcwwiAXHBTiVgwd9ZCNehcmi6JnUdvmSzBXIIHiWxp-dw6f9Up0dX2e0mplutYrjqGNQyUNb/s1600/zbars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1GnMZcJ9MZ7oBWAeBfLFxSsVepLZeduX4dMY2B1ixuebbgcHNPckPosfwSqtCBJjFF9pdcwwiAXHBTiVgwd9ZCNehcmi6JnUdvmSzBXIIHiWxp-dw6f9Up0dX2e0mplutYrjqGNQyUNb/s320/zbars.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Which, I should admit, was in my pantry. My kid loves these, and they used to be a once-a-day habit for him. Now we're down to two or three a week and he has to eat fruit and drink some water first. He knows now that even though they taste really good (to him, they are way too sweet for me), they are a <b>"sometimes food."</b> Not a treat, not a reward. They're junk food that we only eat once in a while because its bad for our bodies. Even though it says organic. <b>Organic sugar is still sugar.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, in all fairness, most foods also contain fiber, protein, and other nutrients that help your body absorb that sugar better than if you just poured it into your mouth. But the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends the following limits for sugar in our diets:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Women: no more than 100
calories, about 6 teaspoons.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Men: no more than 150 calories of added sugar, about 9 teaspoons.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Preschoolers: no more 4
teaspoons a day.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Children ages 4-8: no more than 3 teaspoons a day. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pre-teens: maximum 5 to 8 teaspoons.
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://life.familyeducation.com/nutritional-information/obesity/64270.html" target="_blank">Read more about what the American Heart Association says about sugar in our diets.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And keep in mind that the AHA is likely heavily lobbied by sugar producers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So go through your pantry and fridge and <b>do the math.</b> Start with cereal and yogurt. Then, if you really want to remember this lesson, tape that little bag of sugar to the front of the package and leave it there so you can see it the next time you reach in for a snack. Is that where you want to spend your sugar budget?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sugar is not all bad. But, the impact of too much of it is. Get out there<b> and get healthy </b>today, even if you have to spend a lot of time standing in your pantry with a calculator and getting really ticked off.</span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-46188703792556516092012-12-28T19:23:00.001-08:002013-05-23T08:15:37.373-07:00Homemade Hamburger Buns (Great taste, no cancer!)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgjpxtDuXxILmaLZ0FRLSR1n6LUTTx2WjG1Qfw6PaCNRxYU-bat37qgoL2o45RU1HOJnpXfX0UJUnZJTdE1KH8rnuF_ny2ZSKIeOKnYqscAg99G9j6TI3o1VBotHas0TrP33P4yj6gqCJ/s1600/IMAG3886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgjpxtDuXxILmaLZ0FRLSR1n6LUTTx2WjG1Qfw6PaCNRxYU-bat37qgoL2o45RU1HOJnpXfX0UJUnZJTdE1KH8rnuF_ny2ZSKIeOKnYqscAg99G9j6TI3o1VBotHas0TrP33P4yj6gqCJ/s320/IMAG3886.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>One of my goals </b>for 2013 is to find some bread recipes that my family will actually eat on a regular basis so I can stop buying the terrible bread currently offered in grocery stores. Even the "good" bread has dough conditioners and preservatives that include ingredients like human hair and substances known to cause cancer. How can I cook my sweet little boy a grilled cheese sandwich on <b>cancer bread?!? </b>I can't. That's why I bake bread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/032718_L-cysteine_commercial_bread.html" target="_blank">Read more about how human hair ends up in your bread. </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tonight was experiment numero uno:<b> hamburger buns.</b> I am so happy with how they came out. I used a <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/619741?adid=22222222227001180968&wmlspartner=wlpa&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=21486607510&wl4=&wl5=pla&veh=sem" target="_blank">Betty Crocker Bread Machine Cookbook</a> recipe and it's pretty simple. Now that I know the recipe works, I can start tinkering with different types of flour, adding seasoning, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's the recipe for your bread machine:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZM7-wy1m01hAtpQiAsOVEsvy1bSHjGfBIy2fVPbHWAjtOby7kRnG-GWJLKMZdkNIQclGayeqD3RsmrNje5YJAD01pQyXhcXsEamhewHIhv2LTBomNudMTTD4lvGlsCk46yEIQJoyGnXAb/s1600/IMAG3884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZM7-wy1m01hAtpQiAsOVEsvy1bSHjGfBIy2fVPbHWAjtOby7kRnG-GWJLKMZdkNIQclGayeqD3RsmrNje5YJAD01pQyXhcXsEamhewHIhv2LTBomNudMTTD4lvGlsCk46yEIQJoyGnXAb/s320/IMAG3884.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My buns straight from the oven!</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 cup water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 tbsp melted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 1/4 cups bread flour (I had to use all-purpose, which was fine, but bread flour would be best)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/4 cup sugar (I'll be tinkering with lowering the sugar content)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 tsp quick active dry yeast</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Instructions:</b> Place all ingredients into bread machine pan in order listed. Select the "dough" or "manual" setting on your bread machine and let it run. Mine took about 90 minutes to knead the dough. After it is done, remove the dough from the machine and let it rest on a lightly floured surface, covered with a towel, for 10 minutes. Then, shape into 15 small rolls, place on a greased cookie sheet, and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size. I flattened mine a little so they would be more like buns than rolls and put them in a warm oven. Once they have risen, bake them at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, slice, and serve! Put unused buns in the freezer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The result? <b>They were really, really good.</b> I had four taste testers and they all loved them! I doubt I will ever buy hamburger buns again. Give these a try! They are easy and well worth the time to bake them, especially since the bread machine does all the hard work!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good bread is a real treat, and you deserve good bread. Get out there<b> and get healthy!</b> Skip the bread aisle and make your own!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7982759311924665730.post-77109804480118399362012-12-27T10:40:00.004-08:002012-12-27T10:40:39.637-08:005 Ways to Make Resolutions that Stick! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEUyjpTCId6MQDSC-jkPAuMGoChznF8J0o9Hk_KX5RJqaVe-zWjMcUQyyWsgFxaPcufu8oQ6Hz7lHcPHJ_1BXx2RmcJiG9Qf8enXsHPlIrzU7nPMqTbOBeAZyKcJBJWO6j808NWGIl6vq/s1600/ID-100103575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEUyjpTCId6MQDSC-jkPAuMGoChznF8J0o9Hk_KX5RJqaVe-zWjMcUQyyWsgFxaPcufu8oQ6Hz7lHcPHJ_1BXx2RmcJiG9Qf8enXsHPlIrzU7nPMqTbOBeAZyKcJBJWO6j808NWGIl6vq/s200/ID-100103575.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image bykibsri www.freedigitalphotos.net</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ah, the week between Christmas and New Year's is here. It's one of my<b> favorite weeks</b> of the year. Pretty much anything we do this week is under the grace of being forgiven on New Year's Day, so if you're going to be bad, this is the week to do it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is also a great time to make <b>New Year goals.</b> Do you make resolutions? I do, and over time I've come to learn that when I put a little muscle into my daydreaming, amazing things can happen. Here are five easy ways to make sure your resolutions hit the bulls eye!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>1. Give yourself time.</b> It takes about 90 days to cement a new behavior as a lifestyle change, so expecting your entire life to change in the first week of January might be pushing it a little. To create some instant gratification, create a visual reward center where you can record your progress every day. I like to put smiley face stickers on a calendar for good days, others use programs like <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/" target="_blank">MyFitnessPal</a> or <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/" target="_blank">DailyMile</a> to track their habits (and brag about them).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>2. Be specific.</b> Vowing to lose weight or exercise more are great goals, but to make it achievable, you need to be a little more specific. A goal to, say, lose 10 pounds by the first day of Spring or complete a 5k race on a certain day are more likely to happen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>3. Be proud!</b> Tell people about your goals, seek support and camaraderie online, and (kooky as you may feel) say them out loud to yourself! Hearing them in your own voice helps your brain believe that you really will do it. I'm serious. It works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>4. Fast forward. </b>Get out your <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/healthy-heather-fuselier/your-healthiest-year-ever/calendar/product-20508601.html" target="_blank">2013 Healthiest Year Ever Calendar </a>(I know you ordered one, right?) and flip to February. Write a little note of encouragement to yourself on any day you choose. Do the same for April. You can be your own accountability and keep yourself on track!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>5. Have fun!</b> Go on, go for what you really, really want! It's your life, take it! Waiting around for permission to live the life you want wastes time and is no fun at all. When you set goals for 2013, ask yourself what you want to be celebrating in December of next year. Then, work backwards to you goal!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm thinking about my goals for the year ahead, and <b>fine-tuning them</b> to make sure they are precisely what I want. Next I'll go about figuring out what it will take to turn them into reality. Then the real fun starts: actually doing the stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2013 is just around the bend. Get out there <b>and get healthy: </b>take time today to think about what you want to be celebrating this time next year! </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Healthy_Heather</div>Healthy Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11343516605721256497noreply@blogger.com0