Did you "survive" the Thanksgiving holiday?

Getting through the everyday routine is stressful enough, but the holidays can definitely turn it up a notch. After Thanksgiving and Black Friday holiday schedules kick into high gear with holiday shopping, parties, and family get-togethers. To make it through without blowing a fuse (or your budget), here are some tips to stay fit and healthy, both in body and mind:

1. Take a Step Back

Remember that the holidays are about sharing time with loved ones and, for many, celebrating your faith. Don’t let a long to-do list or gift shopping prevent you from making the most of the season. Make a promise to enjoy all that is wonderful about this time of year.

2. Stay Active

The holidays bring fat-laden and sugary temptations galore, from the hearty buffet tables at parties to the seasonal Hershey Kiss-filled candy jars at work. Increasing your calorie intake will translate to added weight. Stay extra active by taking a walk during your lunch hour, parking your car far away from the store entrance when you’re out shopping, or taking the stairs at the mall instead of the elevators. Make sure you are at least as active as you regularly are. Be creative—play a few rounds of charades after dinner with your family.

3. Stick to a Schedule

Keep track of all your obligations in your planner or your Google Calendar. Schedule appointments with yourself to research or purchase holiday gifts. Set a budget and make a list of gifts you plan to purchase and compare prices online to find out where the best deals are. This will not only prevent last-minute impulse shopping, but will also keep your checkbook under control (and will keep the post-holiday stress at bay!).

4. Plan Your Calories

There are plenty of healthy recipe options for big family dinners. Planning ahead and checking out different resources, whether in cookbooks or on the Internet, will help you make the best choices for your waistline.

5. Give Back

Give toys to a collection drive, or donate canned foods to the local food bank, which are facing an increasing need during the holidays. Doing something extra for others is a good reminder to ourselves of all we’ve been blessed with, and sometimes that’s all we need to keep a bit of perspective during the holiday season.

What are you doing to stay stress-free this holiday season?

By Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD

How will you handle the "Eating Season?

We are now a couple of weeks into what I like to call the “Eating Season”. It starts off with that creepy yet sugary holiday Halloween. Where we buy bags and bags of candy to give away to soon to be obese children but end up eating most of it ourselves. It then picks up steam as we move closer to the crown jewel of gluttony Thanksgiving. Things really get rolling to what must be a spandex chimney on December 25th. And just as soon as we almost get the table cleared from that we then must celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of what we hope to be a better one. We make those New Year's resolutions then we are once again attacked buy a celebration that has to be number by the Romans, The Super bowl. This is our last excuse for sweat pants and elastic waist bands. So in defense of all of that I have put together a list to help me and maybe others fight off the beast. “Happy Holidays and a Healthy New Year!”

50 ways to lose your blubber
1. Schedule your workouts
2. Drink more water
3. Watch your carb intake
4. Walk more
5. Go to the gym
6. Reward yourself without food
7. Don’t shop for comfort
8. Eat 5 small meals a day
9. Give up cheese
10. Make meals a special time
11. Read diet or fitness magazines
12. Join Weight Watchers
13. Have a weight goal
14. Associate with thin people
15. Exercise 6 days a week
16. Get a fitness partner
17. Keep records of weight and exercise
18. Don’t have a sugar bowl
19. Don’t be afraid to throw food away
20. Only eat ½ your meal
21. Watch less television
22. Picture yourself thin
23. Lift weights
24. Mix up your exercise routine
25. Buy less food
26. Eat at home
27. Take your measurements
28. Take vitamins
29. Burn more calories
30. Have a stationary bike at home and use it
31. “Eat mor chikin”
32. Workout in the morning
33. Eat oatmeal for breakfast
34. Get a personal trainer
35. Sign up for a boot camp
36. Vary your workout plan
37. Take an exercise day off
38. Eat more fish
39. Don’t eat anything white
40. If it taste good spit it out
41. Sign up for a race
42. Breathe
43. Get at least 8 hours of sleep
44. Weigh every day
45. Buy some good running shoes
46. Buy some new workout clothes
47. Have your body fat measured
48. Shop with a list
49. Make a weekly menu
50. Remember sweat will not kill you.

Is there a "right way" to grieve?

Let me answer that immediately: There is no one "right way" to grieve. Losses are inevitable and are ever present in all lives. Death is universal. Grief is universal. We all must cope with bereavement at some stage in our lives. Even though death can be separated into two categories, long-term illness and sudden death, all death is sudden.
The finality of death brings to those left behind a tremendous amount of emotional pain. Grief is not something abnormal; rather, it is a normal and inevitable step in our journey through life. Two simple definitions of grief are
1) the conflicting feelings caused by the end of or change in a familiar pattern or behavior.
2) a normal, natural and painful emotional reaction to loss. We can grieve not only for the passing of a human life, but also for the death of a relationship (divorce) or we can suffer the same emotional reactions over the loss of a beloved pet. Grieving is difficult because it involved many intense feelings – love, sadness, fear, anger, relief, compassion, hate, or happiness to name a few.
Not everyone experiences all of these feelings but many in the grieving process experience several of them at the same time. The feelings are intense, disorganizing and can be long lasting. Grieving often feels has been described as drowning in a sea of painful emotions.

Grieving is difficult work. The following are some suggestion to help in navigating the journey through grief.

-Take time. Don’t let others rush you into “getting over” your feelings.

-Don’t make major decisions. The time of grief is a time of instability.

-Avoid the temptation to use alcohol or drugs to numb the painful feelings.

-Cry. Tears are the healthiest expression of grief. Don’t try to hold back crying for the sake of others.

-Know that there will be good days and bad days. Pangs of intense grief can surface during holidays, significant events such as birthdays or anniversaries.

-Remember the loved one often and as much as you need to. Look at photographs, read old letters and retell your memories to friends and other members of the family.

-Seek people who will understand your need to talk about what happened. Seek out people who will really listen to your remembrances.

-Allow yourself time to heal. Pay attention to your health. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Eat a healthy diet. Get outside in the sunshine for exercise
or a mild walk.

-Ask for what you need from others. Accept what help they offer. Now is not the time to try to do everything by yourself.

-Seek out grief counseling if you feel you cannot cope alone. Grief counseling is available through community resources, churches and licensed therapists. Join a grief support group. Local community papers will usually have listings. Use the Internet and join an electronic bulletin board dedicated to supporting individuals who have lost loved ones.

-Remember your grief is individual to you. Not everyone’s grief is identical to yours. You will share some similarities with others, but grieving is a very personal and very individual process.

How do eating disorders get started?

The start of eating disorders really comes from a variety of factors. While the skinny models of the 1990s are perhaps the origin of a new era of self-conscious, thin-is-in youth, that is not the whole picture. If the public as a whole didn't adopt the idea of thin as ideal beauty, the number of eating disorders we see today probably would be a lot fewer. The following are some different factors that really led to the start of eating disorders in a contemporary setting.

Looks Over Talent

While not all celebrities are exceedingly attractive, almost every one of them is thin. While there are always exceptions, the majority of people who want to succeed in show business, modeling, or popular music are pressured to be thin. In many cases, there are probably plenty of other people out there who are as talented, or even more talented, when compared to the famous actors and musicians out there. The main difference is, only the people with the good looks got the job. Consider all of the instances of very attractive pop singers who rely on the studio to make their voice sound good. They aren't hired to be the most original songwriter or the best singer--they're hired to look good on the album cover and in the music videos.

Peer Pressure and Put Downs

You probably knew that one kid that everyone made fun of or tried to avoid. Maybe that kid was overweight, or had weird clothes, or smelled bad. The moral of the story is, how other people treat you is one of the most important influences you have. If you were abused or made fun of when you were younger, you're more likely to want to find a way to avoid being ridiculed ever again. If that means an eating disorder, some people are still willing to suffer rather than be teased. More than just put downs, peer pressure can be a huge factor. Girls are fiercely competitive, and if they see someone that they think looks better, they can get it in their head that they have to look like her. Sometimes, a bad relationship or abusive boyfriend/girlfriend can nudge someone into having an eating disorder.

Family Troubles

A huge number of people who develop an eating disorder had some sort of trouble in the family when they were growing up. It could have been a divorce, abuse from a parent or sibling, neglect, a lack of support or need for attention, etc. In addition, when parents aren't as involved with their children's lives, the children almost always to turn to the media and their own peers as a source of information. Without the critical role of parents in their lives, many children grow up with a skewed view of what is important and what is normal.

The start of eating disorders might come from your home growing up, the influence of pop culture and the media over today's youth and adults, or even a few cruel words from a peer. Whatever the reason, know that eating disorders are not the answer, and if you know someone who is struggling, make sure that they get some help .


Emile Jarreau, aka, Mr. Fat Loss is fascinated by health, nutrition and weight loss. For more great info about eating disorder for losing weight and keeping it off visit http://www.MrFatLoss.com

Positive thoughts to start your day!

I don't normally send out two posts, two days in a row but I thought this one was particularly good! Hope you think so too!

Alice

'Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'
A sharp tongue can cut your own throat.
If you want your dreams to come true, you mustn't oversleep.

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends...... B1.


The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge.

One thing you can give and still keep.....is your word.

You lie the loudest when you lie to yourself
If you lack the courage to start, you have already finished.
One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.
Ideas won't work unless ' You' do.

Your mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open..

The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what you might have been.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right.. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back. Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we've let them fly away. Sometimes we are so caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forget what's right and wrong. Sometimes we just don't realize what real friendship means until it is too late. I don't want to let that happen so I'm gonna tie you to my heart so I never lose you.

Send this to all your friends including me and see how many you get back. Even send it to your balloons that you think have flown away forever. You may be surprised to see it return. Send this heart to everybody you love and like and that have touched your life in a positive way.

Your emotional health

A friend sent this to me this morning and I thought I would share it with my friends and clients! I'd love to know what you think!

Emotional Addictions

Everyone has their own set of unconscious programs in which they automatically respond to the events in their lives.

Look at your life and ask yourself what emotion or behavior you might be addicted to. Are you attached to drama? Are you playing out a victim or martyr role? Are you attached to a state of mind in which nothing works? Are you holding on to financial limitations?



Observe without judgment everything in your reality. Take one aspect of your life and look at the pattern from the intention of understanding and releasing. Ask yourself if there was an emotional addiction what would it be? Know that in the asking the answer will be revealed.

Once you have observed your dysfunctional addictions, it is now a matter of intention and celebration to shift that pattern at every opportunity. It becomes a playful conscious game of discovery and expansion. We are in a time of great accelerating transformation in which these automatic responses can be discovered, disconnected and deleted.

All multidimensional humans are being invited into the awareness of who they are and the service they offer from their most magnificent self.

Observe the challenges being attracted into your life. These challenges are your greatest gift, for they hold the key, the puzzle piece, to your dysfunctional programs and patterns. With clear intent and gentle observation of ego self notice and recognize the limiting patterns. Is it your health, wealth, happiness or joy that you are limiting?

Be kind with this search. Ask assistance from your multidimensional awareness; know you are being supported in the clearing of these limitations and the restoring of your true cosmic magnificence.

You are one with the energy fabric of humanity and the universe. When you heal or transform some energy pattern in your circuits, this transformation is available to the entire matrix. You are a transformer.

It's all about "Resiliancy"

Did you ever notice that there are some people
that seem to live in the "flow?" They seem to
attract money, great opportunities and display
unwavering confidence in themselves at all times.

This is not an accident or sheer luck.

These people have learned how to conquer limiting
beliefs that hold back most others.

One small limiting belief will keep you paralyzed
in fear. And this fear will keep you from taking
action and moving forward in your life.

OR, you can take inspired action and learn how to
conquer limiting beliefs, once and for all, and
attract miracles in your life. (Which I'll show
you how to do in a minute.)

First, let's see if you have any limiting beliefs
and then I'll show you an effective technique to
help conquer them.

If you say of any of the following things to
yourself, you have at least one limiting belief...

- "I'll never lose this weight."
- "I cannot be cured of this disease."
- "I'll never be wealthy or financially free."
- "I'm not smart enough."
- "My relationship is over, so why bother trying
to fix it."
- "Who am I to think I can be successful.
Nobody in my family is."
- "I'm afraid to switch jobs. What if it
doesn't work out?"
- "Why should I try?"
- "I'm a big loser."
- "Nobody will ever love me."
- "I'm not attractive."
- "My (wife/husband) does not love me anymore."
- "I can't afford it."
- "Investments are for rich people."
- "I'm too old to go back to school."
- "I have no business experience, so I'm sure to
fail."
- "I cannot afford to invest in anything. I'll
probably lose it all."
- "I'm too young, nobody will take me
seriously."

Do any of these seem familiar?

Heck, you may have many more limiting beliefs.
It's very important to be honest with yourself
about this. (And believe me - you're not alone.)


Now...I want to teach you a clearing method that
conquers limiting beliefs called "The Vital
Message."

Here's what you do...

1. Write down any ailments, feelings, or other
discomforts you are experiencing.

2. If you have a pain, ailment, or feeling, you
do not like...welcome it. Then write down a
description of it. How deep is it? What color
is it? How intense is it? Really feel it and get
in touch with it.

3. Ask the feeling what it is trying to tell you.
Just pretend you can hear an answer. Go with it.
You'll be surprised what it will tell you. Then
write it down. This alone is liberating.

4. Take any action steps that the feeling may
request of you, and write down your experience and
insights. In time, this will clear your limiting
belief.

Repeat this for each limiting belief. Keep in
mind that this takes practice. If you take
inspired action and persist, it will work for you.


Many people, in fact hundreds, since the original
program began, have gone on to conquer limiting
beliefs enabling them to attract their own
miracles.

Some are attracting new cars, homes, new found
happiness, and better health - while others are
experiencing weight loss, quitting smoking,
starting a new business, getting over traumatic
memories, and even finding their soul mate.

All these people followed a proven system, that
works consistently, day after day, year after
year. This process is built around conquering
limiting beliefs.

In fact, once you learn this process - it keeps
right on working for you.

(from an email I received from Dr. Joe Vitale