healthy choice

I am currently very please with the new selections provided by Healthy Choice. Their new menus now include whole grains, good fiber, low fat, lean protein options that are not only good for the body but also gives your taste buds a surprise with every meal. Of their wide variety, I am very fond of the Spicy Carribean Chicken. I would definitely recommend this meal for a night when you don't feel like cooking and still want a complete entree.

From HealthyChoice.com:

Spicy Caribbean Chicken

This enchantingly colorful meal includes pineapple, black beans, corn, and chicken tenderloins in jerk sauce over a succulent bed of whole-grain rice. And, with 30 grams of whole grains and 15 grams of protein, this meal packs in much more than just unforgettable flavor.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 8.5 oz (241 g)

Calories: 310
Calories from fat: 20

Amount/Serving %DV*
Total Fat (2 g) 3%
Saturated Fat (.5 g) 3%
Trans Fat (0 g)
Cholesterol (20 mg) 7%
Sodium (290 mg) 12%
Vitamin A (10%)
Calcium (6%)

Total Carbohydrates (56 g) 19%
Dietary Fiber (6 g) 24%
Sugar (12 g)
Protein (15 g)
Vitamin C (30%)
Iron (8%)

Diet Exchanges Per Serving
Very Lean Meat --
Lean Meat (1)
Starch (3)
Carbohydrate --

Vegetable --
Fruit (.5)
Milk --
Fat --

Weight Watchers Points:

 6**
Contains: Soy

I usually don't endorse eating frozen convenience foods but this is a healthier alternative to what most of us are eating. Another benefit of eating out of a box is that it can teach us the appropriate portion sizes and help us in controlling our portions. Of course that is always easier said than done but we have to start somewhere!

the first snow

Dust of Snow

by Robert Frost (1923)

 

The way a crow
Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

minor accomplishments

Just a few days ago I found myself blaming my other self for not being able to speak comfortably in front of a group of people when I had been in front of people for so long. The more I blamed myself, the more anxious I felt, and the more nervous I got. It took a good friend of mine to remind me that I had always been able to perform under pressure and nothing bad has ever happened. Rather than taking those accomplishments into consideration, I found myself making excuses on how that situation was easier and this situation is different. After my speech today I finally realized that this situation is not different and need to give myself more credit than I usually do. After a sigh of relief, a whole of bunch of weight was lifted off my shoulders and I realized that I was one step closer to getting over my fear of public speaking. Suddenly I came to see how all the stress I put myself under the last few days was unneccesary and gave myself more credit for the things I had been able to accomplish for now. 

A lot of people nowadays, myself included, tend to focus on major goals and often define failure based on not reaching those goals. We blame ourselves for not being able to do certain things in an unrealistic amount of time or under conditions we cannot control. Of course this is natural because we were always taught to "look at the bigger picture" and that you are not successful until you "make it big." And that's fine because we all want to be successful and make it big one day. But sometimes we may forget that we can't just take one big leap to reach our final destination. Success is a path that requires many strenous steps and each and every step is as important as the one before it. In order to make our dreams more realistic, we need to start making little goals and working towards achieving those goals in efforts to reach our final destination. Remember that every minor accomplishment is a credible accomplishment no matter how "minor" it seems. Value every effort that you put into achieving your current status and work even harder to get where you want to be.

My final goal is to become a health care educator. Although I have not mastered the art of public speaking, I will continue to practice and value every chance I get and not blame myself if I stumble and fall along the way. I will learn how to value every minor accomplishment that steers me along the right path to becoming an educator and this starts by me learning how to love myself...
 

battle with oneself

Although I appear to be calm and careless, there is a fear that I have not been able to let go of - public speaking. After being in front of people for so many years, I am still not able to let this fear go. I'm probably not the only one but it is a constant battle with oneself. In preparation for my speech tomorrow, I found some information that may be helpful for anyone going through the same unnecessary stress.

11 Hidden Causes Of Public Speaking Stress

1. Thinking that public speaking is inherently stressful (it's not).
2. Thinking you need to be brilliant or perfect to succeed (you don't).
3. Trying to impart too much information or cover too many points in a short presentation.
4. Having the wrong purpose in mind (to get rather than to give/contribute).
5. Trying to please everyone (this is unrealistic).
6. Trying to emulate other speakers (very difficult) rather than simply being yourself (very easy).
7. Failing to be personally revealing and humble.
8. Being fearful of potential negative outcomes (they almost never occur and even when they do, you can use them to your advantage).
9. Trying to control the wrong things (e.g., the behavior of your audience).
10. Spending too much time overpreparing (instead of developing confidence and trust in your natural ability to succeed).
11. Thinking your audience will be as critical of your performance as you might be.

10 Key Principles To Always Keep In Mind

#1---Speaking in Public is NOT Inherently Stressful

#2---You Don't Have to be Brilliant or Perfect to Succeed
#3---All You Need is Two or Three Main Points
#4---You also Need a Purpose That is Right for the Task
#5---The Best Way to Succeed is NOT to Consider Yourself a Public Speaker!
#6---Humility and Humor Can Go a Long Way
#7---When You Speak in Public, Nothing "Bad" Can Ever Happen!
#8---You Don't Have to Control the Behavior of Your Audience
#9---In General, the More You Prepare, the Worse You Will Do
#10--Your Audience Truly Wants You to Succeed

Love my Brownies!!!

Black Bean Brownies Recipe

Servings: 9  

Amount per serving:  
85 Calories 
1g fat 
16g carbohydrates 
4g protein (without optional sugar)

 

Ingredients:

• 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 whole bananas
• ⅓ cup agave nectar (can substitute honey)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup raw sugar (optional)
• ¼ cup instant oats

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease an 8x8" pan and set aside.
Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scrapping sides as needed.
Stir in the oats and pour batter into the pan.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the brownies to cool before slicing. 

Chef's Note: if you find these brownies are too soft or too fudgey, add another 1/4 cup oats or flour.

____

From HappyNutritionist.com

Black Beans are a wonderful source of dietary fiber which is recommended to naturally lower cholesterol and maintain regularity of the gastrointestinal tract. The high fiber content also prevents blood sugar levels from skyrocketing after meals, making them a wise choice diabetics and hypoglycemics. When Black Beans are prepared with whole grains such as barley or wild rice, the Black Beans provide a virtually fat-free, high quality source of protein. Recent research also shows that Black Beans are rich in antioxidants as well. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and when eaten regularly, have been shown to offer protection against heart disease, cancer and aging.

Researchers from Michigan State University tested the antioxidant activity of flavonoids found in the skin of 12 common varieties of dry beans. The research was published in the November 2003 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. Black Beans crossed the finish line in first place having more antioxidant activity, gram for gram, than other beans, followed by red, brown, yellow and white beans, in that order. In general, darker colored seed coats were associated with higher levels of flavonoids, and therefore higher antioxidant activity, says lead investigator Clifford W. Beninger, Ph.D., a research associate at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. 

 

"Black beans are really loaded with antioxidant compounds. We didn't know they were that potent until now," says Beninger, formerly a researcher with the USDA's Sugarbeet and Bean Research Unit, located at Michigan State University in East Lansing, where he worked on the project under the leadership of co-author George L. Hosfield, Ph.D., a geneticist who recently retired from the USDA. The study found that one class of compounds in particular, anthocyanins, were the most active antioxidants in the beans. Based on a previously published study of the anthocyanin content of black beans, Beninger found that the levels of anthocyanins per 100 gm serving size of black beans was about 10 times the amount of overall antioxidants in an equivalent serving size of oranges and similar to the amount found in an equivalent serving size of grapes, apples and cranberries. 

 

Life is a puzzle

Stumbled across this page~

Learn to:
Love as you wish to be loved.
Listen as you would appreciate being heard.
Say what you yearn to hear.
Support as you would like to be supported.
Give to the world as you hope to receive.
Live as you want to be remembered.

-Jinxi Boo


Life is a puzzle - what does yours say?

my wrong turn

I took a wrong turn yesterday...

and this is where I ended up...

From .:Simplicity. Serendipity. Serenity:.

Life has a way of messing with us more often than we'd like it to, but its value is in its ability to remove limitations that we place on ourselves and guide us on priceless expeditions!

Steaming up Winter

Winter is just around the corner and it is getting wildly cold here but this recipe is definitely going to heat up the storm!

Garbanzo Bean Stew
Garbanzo beans and potatoes make this vegetarian soup filling substantial enough to serve as a main dish.


Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 pound red-skin potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth


Directions

In a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker stir together garbanzo beans, potatoes, undrained tomatoes, sweet pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Pour vegetable broth over bean mixture in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.


Nutrition Facts

Calories 245
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 1251 mg
Carbohydrate 46 g
Total Sugar 9 g
Fiber 8 g
Protein 10 g
Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 79%, Calcium 7%, Iron 19%.

Tips on Mindful Eating

“Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~Buddha

1. Count Your Blessings
Honor your food and express your gratitude. Many people skip meals every day because they don't have a choice. Be grateful that you are able to have something on your plate!
2. Be Aware of Your Senses
Eating is more pleasurable when it is a multi-sensory experience. Take the time to notice what's on your plate. Use your eyes and notice what is on your plate. Smell the aroma. Chew slowly so you can appreciate the flavors and experience the textures.
3. Appreciate All Foods Equally
Enjoy all foods and a variety of foods everyday. Appreciate the fact that each and every food can provide you with the essential nutrients your body needs to grow and flourish!
4. Acknowledge Your Feelings
Acknowledge your feelings with certain foods. Don't avoid food because fear of weight gain. Don't overeat foods that are supposed to be healthy because too much of anything will be unhealthy!
5. Take the Stress Out of Eating
Be present and mindful at every meal. Take away any distractions (tv, radio, computers, etc) and just enjoy your meal and the goodness every bite brings.
6. Love Your Food
Love what you eat, Eat what you love!

Cerise

Food for the Mind, Body, and Soul

Currently writing a research paper on cancer therapy treatments and the importance of nutritional support for cancer patients during those treatments. I always had the assumption that people die from cancer because of the devastating effects of the disease itself and never realized what a giant role nutrition plays not only in the prevention of cancer but also therapy and rehabilitation. People diagnosed with cancer and undergoing therapy treatments start to experience changes in their taste buds causing them to lose their appetite resulting in poorer intake of required nutrients to maintain a healthy immune system. This leads to chronic protein-energy malnutrition resulting in cancer cachexia and anorexia. Hence, we often see cancer patients slowly withering away and literally dying because their lean muscle mass is deteriorating and their muscles and organs are no longer able to function properly. Given the adequate nutritional support, cancer patients may have a higher chance of survival. However, sometimes it's not that they don't want to eat, it's because they can't! The effects of the therapy not only causes them to lose their appetite but also fatigue, nausea, and vomitting. Eating is no longer a pleasure and becomes a chore while some patients find themselves eating just to please their family members.

As healthy individuals, we are given so many choices regarding our nutrition. We have a variety of food choices available and because of that, we often take that blessing for granted by feeding our bodies with foods that can do more harm than good. We have to realize that our body is not garbage can that can handle unlimited amounts of junk and start treating it like a fine engine that requires specific fuels to function properly. Adequate nutrition is the only way that will allow the engine to maintain a healthy immune system that will get us through any battle we are fighting whether it be physical, mental, or emotional.

I understand there are a lot of people out there that are fighting their battle with food - myself included. Almost every moment of my life, I find myself in some kind of battle with food. What we need to realize is that food is not our enemy but instead our friend that serves to nourish and protect us. Food provides us with the necessary nutrients to maintain physical, mental , and emotional wellbeings so that we can enjoy and live life. Similar to friends, without foods, our day at the amusement park wouldn't be as fun or exciting. However, we must learn to choose our foods wisely in the same way we choose our friends. Only in good company can we find more joy and excitement in life!

Random thought...

An interesting conversation arose with a friend last night as we both tried to study for our upcoming exams but found ourselves lost in words. Reminiscing the old days we both came to realize that we are not in the same state as we were 5 years ago. Our mentality, our gestures, our language, and even our expressions while conversing somehow appeared unfamiliar.

Part of me still feel as if I am the same but part of me knows that I have changed since. There is no doubt that the realities of this world has instilled its beliefs in me with and without my permission. I have yet decided whether I like that or not, but I do know that back then, I was living for the moment and now, I am living for the future.

Life Cycle

School started and once again I find myself lagging behind in other aspects of my life. This semester started out pretty smoothly despite the fact that I lost most of my strength and endurance due to prolonged inactivity and finding myself struggling to walk up five flights of stairs every morning. I tell myself every week that I will start exercising but with the hectic schedule I find my exercise regimen no where in sight. So instead of making time specifically for exercising I will incorporate exercise into my daily activities. I will let you know how that goes.

One class this semester particularly catches my attention - Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. The class teaches me that every decision we make will ALWAYS somehow end up affecting one or more aspects of our lives later on.

From our discussions so far, I learned that basic things that we do such as drinking alcohol or even engaging in excessive exercise may increase the risk of infertility. Also, the nutritional status and/or disease state of the mother directly affects the nutritional status and/or disease state of the newborn. For example, mothers with folate (a vitamin) deficiencies will give birth to babies with neural tube defects giving rise to an undeveloped or malformed brain. Once born, the mother's decision on whether or not to breastfeed the baby affects the chances of the baby becoming obese as an adolescent. In addition, the food choices that the family makes will influence the child's perceptions and food choices later in life as we continue to eat things that we grew up eating. Poor nutritional status as a young age may lead to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

I find that interesting because as a female, I would like to become a mother one day. The class made me realize that the choices I am making in my daily life as of this moment can affect the future of my children before they are even born.

This not only applies to nutrition and diet but also to other things in life. Before we take any step or make any decision we need to examine its costs and benefits. Things that bring temporary satisfaction often bring permanent harm. Though the consequences are not always apparent, they will slowly sneak up behind us because many things cannot be undone. Life is a cycle, and what goes around will come around.

Almond Milk

You might have heard that a diet rich in nuts and seeds is beneficial to the body. Nuts and seeds can be a great addition to your diet as they are full of vitamins and minerals. They have really good amounts of natural oils and protein as well. More and more nutritional benefits of nuts are being found all the time. In the 1990s, many studies confirmed that eating nuts, such as almonds, can decrease the risk of stroke, of developing type 2 diabetes, and dementia.

If you aren't already consuming nuts as a part of your diet, there is a new way to reap the benefits - Almond Milk. Almond milk is a great alternative to cow's milk if you are lactose intolerant and it is completely vegan. As you probably already know, almonds are a very good source of Vitamin E, thus making almond milk also a good source of Vitamin E. Almond milk is naturally a good source of calcium, as well as Vitamins D. It is rich in protein and omega fatty acids that everyone is talking about. It is also lactose and cholesterol free.

Another benefit of almond milk is that you can even make your own! The recipe is rather simple - one cup of ground almonds to two cups of distilled or boiled water. You can also flavor the almond milk by adding honey, vanilla and/or cocoa. Add the ingredients in a blender and give it a spin for fresh homemade almond milk! It was used quite a bit in medieval times because it does not require refrigeration and thus could be stored easily.

For those who aren't a fan of soy or cow milk, almond milk might take a little while to adjust to but it's definitely worth it!

Trust

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved." - George MacDonald 

I got to thinking about relationships and trust lately. Trust allows us to share our thoughts, ideas, and emotions. It's obvious that we will choose not to engage in any relationship with someone we can hardly share information with (in this day and age, the information I refer to exists outside of facebook, myspace, etc.), but what about the ones we do? What allows us to trust them and not others?

Every relationship has a certain amount of trust. The level of trust determines the type of relationship and differentiates between an acquaintance and a best friend. Trust can take years to build but only a second to destroy. Can a relationship survive without trust? Will a relationship continue to blossom once the trust is broken?

Someone once said, "trust is like a mirror, once it's broken, you will never look at it the same anymore." It is rather pessimistic to think of it this way but can we really pretend that the cracks aren't there staring at us every time we look in the mirror?

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. Feel free to comment!

Love

Love - a simple four letter word that perhaps has the greatest yet undefinable meaning in the dictionary of life. We spend most of our lives trying to find Love - within our environment, within others, and within ourselves. Most of us can barely define Love yet we continue to seek for it, to hold onto it, to never let it go as if our lives depend on it.

We all understand that the same Love that brings happiness into our lives can also bring sadness along with it. Even when that Love becomes unfamiliar, we hold on hoping that one day it will return to its former self. We hold on so tight that the palms of our hands start to hurt, the tears in our eyes start to flow, and the pain in our hearts ceases to stop. Yet we continue to hope, wish, and wait.

We hold onto Love because we know it to be something beautiful as roses, sweet as kisses, and warm as tight embraces. We tend to believe that the only way to love is to hold onto it with all our strengths. We try to solve every problem that comes in the way, even the ones with no viable solutions, only to find that we end up with more tears and more scars.

Perhaps, we need to find another way to love that will allow our hands to be free, our tears to stop flowing, and our hearts to stop hurting. Perhaps we can still find Love by loving enough to be able to let that Love free in search for its own Love. Perhaps then will we truly find the meaning of Love...

Simple Way to CHANGE

"Change is the only constant." - Heraclitus

From Nona Jordan:

Life can be a constant barrage of new and exciting experiences.  Still even the most savvy and confident of us can get thrown off balance during the unexpected changes life throws our way.

Not everyone is aware when a change has upset the balance in their lives. Often, super-confident people have no idea until they notice other signs of trouble. You may notice it as changes in your body or emotions.  

Signals Include:

• Feeling irritable and edgy with people you love
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Changing your eating habits
• Drinking more alcohol
• Feeling physical “aches” (headaches, backaches, stomachaches)

It’s difficult to relax and enjoy the incredible adventure of living when you’re feeling physically or emotionally off-kilter. However, if you’re willing to embrace change and be present to it, what you find on the other side may justify the discomfort. Sometimes happiness, peace, and a renewed sense of passion are just one messy transition away.

Here are six steps to defeat the pain of change:

1. Start Where You Are.
Simply acknowledging that what you are going through is difficult is the first step toward freedom. It may sound trite, but it’s common to resist acknowledging that anything is wrong, and believe we need to be superhuman. Draw on your community to find a safe place to talk about what is happening for you.

2. Grieve.
Deep change means grief. Many of us avoid grief like we would avoid the plague; but honestly, the only way out of it is through it. Make “crying dates” with yourself, if you need to. Spend an afternoon watching an emotional movie, or just spend 10 minutes of your day crying, if it helps you get the grief out. Get the grief out however you can.

3. Use Radical Self-Care.
With compassion and kindness, assess how you are taking care of yourself. Change what needs to be changed. Eat whole, nutritious foods. Exercise gently, in ways that feel nurturing for your body, and practice some form of meditation, be it yoga, Thai Chi or guided relaxation. Breathe deeply and frequently throughout each day.

4. Accept.
Once you’ve grieved and are in the habit of taking care of your body, take a look at your thoughts about your life and the changes that have rocked your world. Notice any shoulds/can’ts/shouldn’ts in your language, and start questioning those thoughts.
“This shouldn’t have happened.” Really? Do you know that for sure? Maybe losing your job set the stage to pursue your dream; or moving to a new town opened up new possibilities for adventure.
“I can’t go out and meet new people.” Why not? What stops you? Or would it be more accurate to say, “I’m not ready to meet new people. Maybe next month I will be.”
Play with this. A good resource is The Work of Byron Katie. By diligently questioning the thoughts that cause pain, we free ourselves from suffering. What we realize is that believing our thoughts is a choice.

5. Set a New Course.
Possibilities are endless once you recognize your power to choose how you want to feel and live. By tuning into and taking care of your body, you now have an ally in discovering who, what, and how you want to be in the world.
Test it out. Think about something that you can’t stand doing—something that saps your energy and takes you away from the elements of your life that are most important to you. For me, house cleaning, ironing, and certain administrative roles fall into that category.
Note the sensations in your body—the tightness, the constriction and where it is located. Think of this as your -10 experience. Shake it off. Now think about something you love doing and note those sensations in your body—lightness, expansion, springy, maybe? Call this your +10 experience.
As you try new things, rate them on this scale to tune into how you really feel about it. If it’s on the -10 side of the scale, and you don’t absolutely have to do it, don’t! For example, I’ve outsourced the responsibilities I don’t enjoy so I can focus on writing, coaching, speaking, and taking care of myself.
Some change and discomfort is inevitable; but there’s no good reason to consistently bury your energy in things that feel negative to you. There’s a lot you can’t control in life—but you can make choices about where you spend your energy.

6. Check in with Your Happiness.
As you move forward, set aside time every day to appreciate everything that makes you insanely happy. A simple list of five things a day (more is even better) will help keep your energy focused on all the gifts in your life.
Happiness is available to us in each and every moment. By writing down your appreciation each day, and what motivates you to feel gratitude, you are choosing joy over sadness and you are rising above your pain.
Difficult transitions can inspire incredible self-discovery. When you embrace and work through the pain, you become a richer version of yourself, find a deeper sense of happiness, and feel a more authentic connection to your life.

Five D's of Success

"A vision without action is an illusion. An action without vision is confusion!" - Willie Jollie

There are many of us out there that are trying to make something of ourselves and our lives. Although everybody has a different meaning of success, all of us have the same goal of finding it. While some of us are able to find success, the majority of us struggle to find our way.

Success, in any form, is a process. This process, like any other, has steps and requires planning. Below is a five step process that I like to use to accomplish my little milestones. I hope it will help you with yours!

1. Desire.  Desire comes to us in many forms. We all desire to want something, do something, and be something. Whatever your desire is, make it known! Tell yourself. Tell someone. Write it down. Once it is out in the open, there's no going back!
2. Determination. Once you know what your desire is, you need to know how much you want it. Ask yourself, what are you willing to do or give up for that desire?
3. Dedication. Dedication means staying true to the desire no matter what roadblocks you encounter along the way. Many of us, myself included, tend to go through a "3 minute phase desire." We want something really bad, make a big deal out of it, and then give up when the going gets tough. Dedication means you can't give up no matter what happens, when it happens, or where it happens. Stick to your desire and walk around those roadblocks if you encounter one. Break down those walls; climb those hills; jump those puddles; whatever it takes!
4. Discipline. Discipline goes hand in hand with determination. However, the difference is how long that determination is going to last. You can be determined but not reach success if you give up half way. Discipline is how much you are willing to give up over a long period of time.
5. Destination. Your goal and final result.

Out of those five D's, dedication and discipline are the two most important. You can have a desire and be determined but never reach your destination if dedication and discipline are missing. This is because desire and determination are mental processes, merely thoughts. Dedication and discipline are physical processes, or actions. Dedication and determination allows you convert ideas into actions. Only through dedication and determination will you be able to reach your destination.

If you have a desire, stick to it no matter what and you will reach your destination!
 

Having Trouble Sleeping?

Physical and emotional stress often unintentionally invites insomnia into our lives. Insomnia – a short term or chronic inability to get high quality sleep – is a common sleep problem that can be caused by a variety of things including stress, a change in time zones, an altered sleep schedule or poor bedtime habits. Almost everyone will be affected by insomnia at some point during their lifetime. Whether your problem is an occasional sleepless night or a series of them, there are plenty of solutions to help you get better sleep.

The first step is to identify the cause of your insomnia. Your insomnia might be a symptom of a more significant sleep problem or disorder, or a starting point for dealing with a physical, mental or emotional challenge. Your inability to go to sleep or stay asleep might be related to your partner’s snoring, your own sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. It might be related to an urgent situation at work, or a difficult family issue.

Whatever the cause of your insomnia, being mindful of your sleep habits and learning to relax will help you sleep better and feel better. In many cases, self-help techniques, including improved sleep hygiene, relaxation and cognitive behavioral therapy, can alleviate insomnia and promote better health as well as better sleep.

Another way to reduce insomnia is to look closely at your diet. Many of us are aware that eating or drinking some food products hinders our ability to sleep. Foods rich in caffeine, such as coffee and chocolate, should be avoided late in the evening. Spicy foods can cause digestive problems, including heartburn and gas. For a good night's sleep, eat these foods in the afternoon or early evening.

If your insomnia brings about snacking, try snacking on cherries and grapes. Research has shown that cherries and grapes contain the highest amounts of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates the circadian rhythm (sleep cycle). Not only that, both of these fruits are rich in antioxidants, is a good anti-inflammatory and can even give you healthy skin.

Melatonin is also available as an OTC supplement at your local drug stores. However, there are possible side effects including headache, depression, and even the sleeplessness you are trying to cure!

35 Simple Ways to Be Beautiful

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” 
-Sophia Loren

From TinyBuddha:

It seems like such a cliche to say pretty is as pretty does, but the truth is physical beauty is subjective. And no matter how closely someone matches your ideal of physical perfection, that will eventually fade. What endures are the qualities, passions, and habits we nurture.
That’s what makes us beautiful–and believe me when I say there is something beautiful in everyone. If you’ve done any of the following lately, you are absolutely beautiful: 

1. Smile. As the quote goes, “I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.”
2. Be there for someone who needs you even if there’s nothing in it for you–give without expectations.
3. Make a sacrifice for someone you love.
4. Admit a mistake, even if it’s hard to say you’re wrong, and work to make amends.
5. Share your struggles, putting your ego aside, to make someone else feel less alone.
6. Create something that helps people. A song, a blog, a support group, a non-profit–anything that inspires.
7. Help a child feel good about him or herself.
8. Tell someone what you appreciate about them, even if you feel vulnerable.
9. Forgive someone without needing to hear the words, “I’m sorry.”
10. Give someone an uncomfortably long hug when they need it.
10. Create positive energy around you by thinking positive thoughts and acting with positive intentions.
11. Sit with reality without judging anyone or anything.
12. Accept someone for who they are instead of trying to change them to who you want them to be.
13. Treat people like you want to be treated.
14. Notice something simple but beautiful in the world around you.
15. Acknowledge the beauty in others, instead of feeling threatened or competing with other people.
16. Be the change you want to see in the world, as per Gandhi’s suggestion.
17. Tap into your personal power and do something that makes a difference in the world.
18. Find strength in a challenging moment. It’s not easy to do, and you deserve credit for it.
19. Talk kindly about the world around you instead of gossiping or complaining.
20. Forget yourself for a minute and do nothing but listen to someone who needs it.
21. Measure a person by their best moments, not their worst.
22. Give yourself the same courtesy–focus on the good you’ve done, not the mistakes you’ve made.
23. Take the high road when someone hurts you instead if being cruel or catty.
24. Make someone laugh. A smile can literally melt stress and pain away. How beautiful of you to do that for someone else!
25. Make someone cry–tears of joy that is. People want to feel moved, inspired, motivated. Never underestimate the power of touching someone’s heart.
26. Keep an open mind instead of sticking with a judgment or assumption.
27. Love what you’re tempted to fear.
28. Be the voice of optimism when the people around you need it badly.
29. Show humility when your accomplishments would make it easy to stand above people.
30. Handle rejection or failure with grace. It’s far more easily said than done–and it sounds so cheesy and cliche–but accepting loss gracefully makes you a true winner.
31. Show unbridled enthusiasm for something that excites you. All children are beautiful, and I think their unadulterated joy has a lot to do with it.
32. Hear what someone means, not just what they say. Anyone can nitpick. Not everyone actively works to be understanding.
33. Imagine a world where people know peace, and do one small thing to create it.
34. Honor the values that matter to you. Showing integrity is the first step to feeling good about yourself.
35. Accept and love yourself–or as Ben Folds sings, “Learn to live with what you are.”

Read more here!

Simple Weight Loss Strategy

If you are struggling with your weight loss as I did, you are probably at a point where you want to give up because it is so difficult. You probably tried starving yourself and later finding starvation knocking at your doorsteps bringing along his friend Bingie. Or you tried eating healthy foods and yet finding yourself overeating because your mind is tricking you into thinking that it's alright because it's "healthy." And going to the gym is probably the last thing that you want to do with all the insecurities that your mind bombards itself with when you are surrounded by fit gym goers.

Truth is, weight loss is rather simple. It's all about calorie counting! Take another look at your caloric intake (input) and caloric expenditure (output). If you want to lose weight, your output must be greater than your input; meaning you have to burn more calories than you consume. If you are eating anything and everything in sight, don't be surprised at why you're not seeing the results you want. You have to start being conscious of what you are eating and how much of it you are eating to be able to accomplish your weight loss goals.

Counting calories is definitely the key to weight loss. Calories are important because they tell us the amount of energy that we get from our foods. Not only that, they also tell us the quality of the energy coming from our foods. Energy coming from carbohydrates differ from proteins which differs from fats.

Does that mean you have to put yourself on a diet and can't eat anything you want? Definitely not! You can still eat anything you want. You just can't eat EVERYTHING you want! This brings back the importance of portion sizes and eating with "gusto" and not haste. Enjoy the food you eat, take small bites, savor the flavor, and you will find that you will not need to eat as much as you think you do.
 
So how do you start? With today's technology, you don't have to carry around a food diary to jot down everything you eat. There are numerous free websites available for you to track your daily caloric intake and expenditures. These include calorieking.com, fitday.com, hotcal.com, and many others that you can find with a touch of a button. These websites allow you to input your body measurements, weight, goal, daily intake, daily activities, etc. They will let you know how many calories are in your food and how many calories you burn during the day and the amount you should be eating and burning to reach your goal. Not only that, they also provide you with the amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that you should be eating to reach your goal effectively.

I personally used fitday.com and have switched over to hotcal.com. I like the layout of hotcal and the fact that it has nutritional facts from popular chain restaurants for the occasional indulgence. You will definitely benefit from using these websites. If anything, it will let you know in black and white the real status of your diet and fitness plan. No more excuses, no more lies, only a new you!

What are chives?

Tofu & Shrimp Chives Soup

The spring garden takes on a colorful attractive appearance when the chives bloom in May and June. Chives come from the same family as onions, garlic, scallions, and leeks. It is known to aid in digestion of fatty foods and stimulate appetite. Since chives have been known to have diuretic properties, they can help reduce obesity and fluid retention. Research have shown that chives help reduce the risk of prostate cancer and comprise of mild anti-inflammatory properties. The oil of Chinese chives is believed to help heal bruises and kill germs in the intestines. Combine with shrimp and tofu, great sources of protein, they make a tasty and healthy soup!

Ingredients

• 1/2 block soft tofu, cut into bite cubes
• 1 cup chive, cut into 2-inches length
• 5-6 shrimps, shelled, deveined and minced
• fish sauce, salt, sugar and pepper

Directions

• Bring some water to boil over medium high heat.
• Add minced shrimp (break into small pieces), bring back to boil, skim off foam. 
• Add tofu, bring back to boil. 
• Add chive. 
• Season with fish sauce, a pinch of sugar, salt and fresh ground pepper.

To good eats and good health!

Simple Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients (yielding 4 servings)

• 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 large carrot, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges in water, drained
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or chili sauce
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and brush onto chicken breasts. Arrange in a baking dish and bake until juices run clear, about 13 to15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely, and cut into 1/4-inch slices.

• In a large bowl, combine Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, water chestnuts, Mandarin orange and sliced chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, brown sugar and chili sauce. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Divide among bowls and top each serving with 2 teaspoons toasted almonds.

This is definitely my favorite salad! You can experiment and add your own favorite vegetables and fruits! It's easy to make making it much easier to enjoy!

Simple Full Body Exercise Routine

"I don't have time to exercise; I don't have any equipment; I can't afford a gym membership." Sounds familiar? Yes, that's your laziness calling! We've all been there; making excuses for not exercising.

Everyone has time to exercise! You know that amount of time sitting in front of the TV, on that couch, eating that extra slice of pizza or cup of ice cream? That's the time you should be exercising! Don't have any equipment? You don't need any; all you need is your body and determination to get rid of that lazy mind! Can't afford a gym membership? You don't need one; you can exercise anywhere and anytime!

Below are five simple exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own home. The routine below combines upper body and lower body movements to keep the heart rate up helping you burn more calories! You can even do it while watching TV!

1. Burpees - A compound exercise utilizing most muscles of the body to build lean muscle while raising the heart rate making it a great warm-up exercise . They work the trapezius, lower back, triceps, pectorals, deltoids, hamstrings (when done with heels on the ground), gluteals, quadriceps, calves, and abdominal muscles. Put on a 3 minute song and aim for 20 burpees in that 3 minutes.

2. Squats - Stand feet hip width apart; lower yourself down keeping your knees in alignment with your ankles not passing the toes; release and stand upright squeezing the gluteal muscles. This is a lower body exercise that strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals. Start off with 3 sets of 20 repetitions. You can make this harder by keeping the movement continuous (without pausing at the top).

3. Lunges - Stand feet hip width apart; take a big step forward with one leg; bend the back leg as you lower your body towards the ground; push off the back leg to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. This exercise works the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, calves, and hip flexors. You can do walking lunges across/around the room or try 3 sets of 20 stationary lunges on each leg.

4. Plank -  The best exercise for the tranverse abdominus, the innermost layer of the abdominals that serves as the core muscles to hold our organs together. Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds without letting your belly droop and you will feel the burn! Try aiming for more than one minute or if you want to make it more challenging, try taking one leg or one arm off the ground. The key to this pose is to keep the wrists directly underneath the shoulders, hips lowered so that the body is in a straight line from head to toe, and the core tight.

5. Push-Ups - A great upper body exercise that strengthens the back, chest, triceps, biceps, forearm, and abdominals. Start in a plank position keeping your wrist directly below the shoulders; bend at the elbows to lower yourself down while keeping your body in a straight line; push yourself up to the starting position. You can vary the intensity by changing the position of the hands. The closer the hands are towards the middle, the harder it is. If it's too hard to perform on your toes, try them on your knees. Aim for 3 sets of 20; once you're really good, try the one hundred pushups challenge!

No equipment needed; no excuses wanted!
Have fun sweating!

[images courtesy of: oxygenmag; fitsugar; eastbaytrainer; dailyscubadiving; willpowerfit]

Simple Way To Avoid Being Overweight

Do you know which race is the most obese? The HUMAN race. Compare humans to wild animals; have you ever seen a wild animal that is overweight? We're not talking about squirrels that eat cheeseburgers on college campuses but the animals seen in its natural habitat. Of all the living things on this planet, only humans and domesticated animals are found to be overweight. This is because wild animals in its natural habitat live on a diet that is naturally meant for them - the RAW Diet!

I'm pretty sure everyone has realized that the United States has become a fast food nation at one point or another. We like it easy and we like it fast so that we can move on to whatever it is we have to do! Besides the fast food restaurants, we have canned foods, dried foods, frozen foods, etc.

Processed or "man-made" foods are cheap because they contain cheap ingredients. They do not provide the body with adequate and beneficial nutrition. Ever wonder why restaurants packs the meat on your burger and gives you one slice of tomato and maybe two leaves of lettuce? See my point? You're probably thinking..." but meat is protein." Yes, but it's not the lean protein that your body needs and it's definitely too many calories, too much fat, and too much cholesterol. Who knows what is incorporated into that ground meat to make the patty for your burger and if you do the research, you'll probably never want to order a burger again! While it may be easy, fast, and cheap, it is this unnatural diet of processed foods that is making us overweight! 

The natural human diet consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds with small amounts of meats, poultry, and diary. Cultures like ours that sacrifice fresh veggies for large amounts of meat, fish and dairy become overweight. In addition to excess fat and protein, we also load up on large amounts of unnatural, man-made foods, including processed cheese, boxed cereals, white flour, refined sugar and corn syrup. These foods are usually classified as high glycemic, sending our blood sugar skyrocketing, making our bodies store more fat than it would with healthier, low glycemic natural foods.

To top that off, many of our foods are now genetically modified (GM). Some GM foods contain proteins that humans have never consumed before, and the long-term effects are unknown. Other health concerns include the potential for allergic reactions and antibiotic resistance.

Cultures with fresh, natural diets regularly see people living vibrantly to or past 100 years old. But it is rare to see overweight people living healthily past the age of 50 or 60. So try to add more raw fruits and vegetables to your diet. Fill up on greens before you eat your sandwich or snack on some fruit between meals. Making 80 percent of your diet raw fruits and vegetables will help you not only live healthier but also longer—and without ever having to worry about being overweight!

Simple Recipe For Fitness Success

From my observations, I find that when someone wants a change in their physical image and starts exercising, they focus on that change from the outside and overlook the change that needs to occur from the inside of the body. Most people tend to focus on training their bodies while neglecting their diet by overeating foods without any nutritional value. Other times, people turn to drastic measures by cutting calories to lose the weight without realizing that they may look good on the outside but inside their bodily processes are slowing because the body is not receiving quality nutrients to repair itself.  

In a recent article published by Tribune Media, Olympian and Orthopedic Surgeon, Eric Heiden, explains the link between diet and true physical fitness.

"Exercise changes virtually every tissue in the body via many different pathways -- metabolic, hormonal, neurological and mechanical—says Jennifer Sacheck, a nutritional biochemist and exercise physiologist at the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. To supply these changes, athletes need to consume specific nutrients. Junk food supplies little or nothing; the right food choices, says Sacheck, allow your body to make the most of the time and effort you're dedicating to exercise and help you achieve your fitness goals faster."

Read more here!

Heiden states, "even the most robust exercise program won't grant you true fitness if you don't take control of your diet," to which I fully agree. It is a simple fact that we often forget the harder we train. The more obsessed we are with exercising, we tend to believe that we can just "burn it off later." This is the reason why we see minimal results!

Now, I am definitely not a supporter of the "popular" diets in the media today. There is one "diet" that I believe in and will be discussed in a later post. I believe that one needs to consume foods from every food groups to get a complete set of nutrients needed by the body that one food group cannot provide. Not only that, these "miracle diets" often take extreme measures that the body cannot handle for a long period of time and thus results in the "yo-yo" effect. A successful diet cannot and will not happen overnight or in a few days, it's a lifestyle change! The key is to find what works for your body and for your lifestyle in the long run. We want to live a long and happy life so we must provide our bodies with the right fuel to keep up with us!