Many people take healthy living a little too seriously, including myself. We sometimes get too caught up in trying to achieve our goals that we forget about enjoying the present moment. Wise sages maintain that the most important part of living is the journey, not the destination.
Recently I was reminded that a good sense of humour about life and our obstacles can help us relax a bit.So grab a laugh with this 8 ½ minute, very different (and hilarious) Nutrition by Natalie YouTube video titled, “How to Feel Like Crap”:
Earlier this week I came across this fabulous Canadian Living article, “Practical Weight-Loss Strategies,” that I just had to share with you. It’s written by Kelly Anne Erdman, a registered dietician who helps people take control over their lives through healthier living. Right up Live Lighter’s alley!
I won’t bother reiterating the article but please take 10 minutes to review it as I believe it’s all very sound advice. There are a few items on the list that are debatable, though, and thought them worthwhile to discuss.
For instance, #4 on the list suggests accompanying meals with water. As you know, I’m currently on an elimination diet. My Naturopathic Doctor suggested that I avoid consuming water ½ an hour before, during and an hour after eating. According to the ND and other sources, water dilutes the enzymes in the stomach, along with stomach acid, needed to properly digest the food. However, this effect may only affect those with digestive problems.
As for #6, Ms. Erdman lists several low glycemic snacks, such as fruit and vegetables. But as far as I know, the ones she listed are simple and complex carbohydrates, which still have relatively high glycemic indexes. She does not mention combining these carbs with a protein source to further lower the glycemic index and I have to wonder why.
With eliminating soy and milk products from my diet, my morning smoothies haven’t been the same. I just love the thickness and smoothness that yogurt and flavoured soy beverage lend these delicious, healthy, easy-to-digest protein breakfast drinks.
However, I found a fabulous substitute! It’s guava nectar (although, I’m sure any fruit nectar will do). It’s extremely flavourful and compliments the other frozen fruit in the smoothie…er, I guess it’s called a froozie without the milk derivatives.
Earlier this year, my Naturopathic Doctor suggested that I try an elimination diet to help find the source of my digestive problems. To recap, an elimination diet eliminates all foods known to cause allergies or food sensitivities.
Eating hypo-allergenic foods gives your digestive tract a chance to heal itself. It also cleanses your body of offending foods so that it becomes more sensitive to detecting them. After a specific time (TBD by your doc), you slowly reintroduce foods you eliminated and note any reactions.
It’s a strict diet and I had troubles sticking to it in the Spring, so I decided to put it on hold for the Summer. It’s Fall now and since I’m trying to conquer my addictions, I thought I might as well do it all at once.I have a plan to completely cleanse my system, eliminating cravings for addictive substances and any possible foods causing me trouble.
There aren’t a lot of elimination diet-friendly recipes out there, so I’d like to share some recipes that I have in different print sources, some adaptations to them, and even some that I’ve created myself! Here are a couple to try, even if you’re not on an elimination diet. They are super healthy, nutritious and very yummy.Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re a regular reader, you know I love my morning protein smoothies. I’m an advocate for them and believe they help you lose weight, despite the critics who say they’re too high in calories. But now I have proof! Within 2 days I ran into 2 different sources that said if you want to lose weight, eat a big meal in the morning (meaning the most calories), a smaller lunch and an even smaller dinner.
The Metro published, “Don’t skip breakfast” this past Tuesday, and cited 3 different research studies all concluding that this eating pattern helps you lose weight. The alternative does the exact opposite, that is, skipping breakfast or gradually increasing your caloric intake during the day and into the night helps you gain weight.
The second source is an article, “4 Simple Breakfast Rules for Shedding Pounds” from Oprah’s favourite docs, Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, on their Real Age website. Both articles clearly explain the multi-faceted benefits of breakfast, which increases brain power and your mood while helping you control food cravings and lose weight!
Have you ever done something that you didn’t really want to do but felt compelled to do it anyway, despite reason? If you have, it was most likely destructive behaviour, like over-indulging in substances or justifying your addictions. The reason you did it anyway is because all behaviour reflects subconscious beliefs. Until those negative beliefs are changed, it will be difficult to control addictive tendencies - especially when stressed as that’s when logic shuts down.
It’s Day 2 of my healthy living plan and things are going really well. I struggled a bit over the weekend, mainly because I was making up excuses why I wasn’t ready to stop smoking just yet. You see, my argument (with myself) was that because I haven’t identified which self-defeating beliefs are holding me back yet, even when I stop smoking, I’ll still struggle with any number of my other addictions !
My friend, Motivatorman, just published an interesting article which I found very helpful, “Take Control Now .” His post highlights the importance of “Just Do It!” Once awareness hits, keep calm, speculate what fears are holding you back, feel the fear, and take action anyways! You have the ability to consciously decide to (re)gain control of your life. No more excuses and don’t allow your subconscious rule you. You know what you want so go get it!
But guess what!? There’s test out there that will actually tell you what your subconscious beliefs really are! Ya, I know, freaky. If you want to find out what self-limiting beliefs are lurking in your mind and getting in your way, check out this 7 ½ minute YouTube video titled, “Number 2, What does your subconscious REALLY believe?”
And for a variation on this method, or if you just want to verify your results, check out this 2 ½ minute muscle testing video from Stephanie at backinskinnyjeans.com.
It’s another glorious long weekend here in Canada, the last one of the summer. So why not mark the occasion with celebration!? (Some of us have double reason to party: congratulations to my friends Krista and Brandon who just got engaged last night!)
For those of you who like to party but want to groove to a health-conscious beat, try some of Live Lighter’s healthier-for-you cocktail recipes. Ah, but to properly prepare for a party, you need snacks to satisfy those munchies. So check out the healthier-for-you party mix my good friend, Kathy sent me to share:
This post is ahead of schedule to make the deadline for ProBlogger’s Killer Title Contest !
When you’re wavering on the precipice of change , decision is power. But unfortunately, it’s sometimes just not enough. You have to be absolutely convinced that these changes will make your life better, or for some people, that the immediate or future pain is not worth continuing your old ways.
If you prefer to focus on the positive benefits when conquering bad habits and addictions , I believe that the cure to indecision is your vision. Your vision is your life in the future. Whatever you can imagine, whatever you want - don’t let your current reality dictate your future!
But a vision of your future is often too daunting and can lead to procrastination. It’s easy to throw up roadblocks for yourself when you’re confused as to where to start and how to get there. The experts suggest chunking it up into manageable pieces. By setting smaller, more immediately attainable goals, you’ve given yourself a break and some breathing room. And the ability to work towards your vision one step at a time.
If you’ve been keeping up with Live Lighter, you’ll know that I’ve been falling back into my old habits and addictions . I’m curious as to why I fell off the wagon, and explored one possibility in The Cure to Indecision . In that post, I speculated that it was because I lost my vision.
I’ve since reviewed that vision and it’s given me the strength to make a decision. I am convinced that health is the key to happiness , so on September 1st , I will once again walk my talk. I will reaffirm my decision to lead a healthy lifestyle - starting with a smoke-free existence (my ultimate nemesis)!
But old habits are comforting and change is frightening. I need a solid plan of attack in order to prepare for the lifestyle changes. This plan requires good research to be well-informed so that I can customize my health plan for my individual life. And though this isn’t the first time I’ve created a healthplan , my life is different now. I need new and updated information, different tricks and alternative methods to get back on the wagon. By the way, this is the next post topic!
Here’s a smoothie recipe sans milk derivatives, making it a fresh, juicy and tart a party for the taste buds. It doesn’t hurt that it’s light on the calories and full of immune-boosting Vitamin C!
A Berry Refreshing Smoothie
Ingredients
Europe’s (Best 4-Feild Berry Mix, 1.5 cup
Yogurt, plain, skim milk, .5 cup (8 fl oz)
Ceres Mango Juice, .5 cup
Flax Seed Meal (ground flax), 2 tbsp
Raw Honey, 1 tbsp, to taste (optional )
