Reality Check 101: Unrealistic goals are a real killer for achieving change. Instead of cutting "all sugars and carbs" from your diet or deciding to "exercise every single day," consider moderation. Unless you have health constraints, an occasional carb can be a reward, especially after you've created an attainable exercise plan for your busy schedule. Also make sure the resolutions on your list are purely for you—not your partner, your family, or your friends. If you're not doing them for yourself, you won't end up doing them at all.
No plan of attack: Being impulsive might spice up a romance, but where resolutions are concerned, less is more. Several excellent ways for "setting yourself up for resolution failure," says Marlatt, are not planning out your resolutions until the last minute or making them based on your mindset on New Year's Eve. Planning, then assessing what obstacles may inhibit your goals (e.g., you want to cut junk food from your diet, but live in a household of junk-food junkies) will help you evaluate what changes you need to make.
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid): What's with the 10 resolutions on that list? Take off your overachiever cape and toss it aside. Too many folks overwhelm themselves by attempting several big life changes simultaneously. Choose one or two achievable goals that introduce positive changes into your life instead of forcing yourself to quit all of your bad habits at once. The confidence you gain by following one new healthy life pattern can later be parlayed into ditching another unhealthy one. Miller found that confidence was the key underlying factor in people creating true change.
More or less: These words are the enemies of goal attainment. More healthy, less weight? What does this mean in real terms? Those who fall off the resolution wagon often neglect to quantify goals or set deadlines. If you want to feel healthier, write a list of what that means to you (for example, attend yoga class twice weekly, add two veggies to daily diet, lose 10 pounds by March, get monthly massages) and work from there.
If at first you don't succeed: This old axiom is so true, yet we do ourselves a great disservice by not making sure to "try, try again." If you sneak a snack, leave work early or indulge that TV craving, it doesn't mean you have to abandon your commitment. Persistence is key. Miller discovered that only 40 percent of people polled achieved their goals the first time around. Seventeen percent succeeded after more than six tries. Adds Marlatt, "It's a mistake to blame yourself if you fail. Instead, look at the barriers that were in your way. See how you can do better the next time and figure out a better plan to succeed. You do get to try again ."
Prime yourself for successful resolutions by being realistic, taking small steps, recognizing success and being flexible when you backslide. By keeping at it and not throwing in the towel the first time you skip a workout or give into a craving, you will be able to make positive changes that will last all year and beyond.
When you make exercise fit your personality and your lifestyle, you are already on the road to success
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Eat Salads on your meal and be healthy and fit
Watermelon Surprise
Southern Bean Salad
Gourmet Spinach Salad
Layered Fruit Salad
Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
Cucumber, Potato and Dill Salad
Creamy Coleslaw
Rice Salad with Baby Vegetables and Dill
|Macaroni, Corn, Tomato, and Basil Salad
Garbanzo Bean, Tuna and Onion Salad with Lemon-Cream Dressing
Rotini and Tuna Salad
Mandarin Orange Salad With Kiwi
Fresh Corn Salad
German Potato Salad
Southern Bean Salad
Gourmet Spinach Salad
Layered Fruit Salad
Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
Cucumber, Potato and Dill Salad
Creamy Coleslaw
Rice Salad with Baby Vegetables and Dill
|Macaroni, Corn, Tomato, and Basil Salad
Garbanzo Bean, Tuna and Onion Salad with Lemon-Cream Dressing
Rotini and Tuna Salad
Mandarin Orange Salad With Kiwi
Fresh Corn Salad
German Potato Salad
10 Essential Health Tips
"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
Daily Exercise Suggestions
"To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first."
-Shakespeare, Henry VIII. Act I. Sc. 1
Walk 10 Minutes a Day and Increase Your Fitness Level. Old thinking was to work out in a sweat-filled gym for hours a day. No pain, no gain. New studies show that even short bouts of activity can increase your fitness level, especially if you're new at working out.
Park and Walk
Whenever you have an errand, park your car as far away as you can handle and walk to the store. At the mall, park at the farthest end and walk the length of the mall. Use every opportunity to walk. At the end of the day, it all adds up to better fitness.
Crunch in Bed
Before you even get out of bed in the morning, do 10 stomach crunches while lying flat on your mattress. Increase daily by one until you get up to 100. Think you'll never get there? Try it. You may eventually have to set your clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier, a small price to pay for a flatter stomach.
-Shakespeare, Henry VIII. Act I. Sc. 1
Walk 10 Minutes a Day and Increase Your Fitness Level. Old thinking was to work out in a sweat-filled gym for hours a day. No pain, no gain. New studies show that even short bouts of activity can increase your fitness level, especially if you're new at working out.
Park and Walk
Whenever you have an errand, park your car as far away as you can handle and walk to the store. At the mall, park at the farthest end and walk the length of the mall. Use every opportunity to walk. At the end of the day, it all adds up to better fitness.
Crunch in Bed
Before you even get out of bed in the morning, do 10 stomach crunches while lying flat on your mattress. Increase daily by one until you get up to 100. Think you'll never get there? Try it. You may eventually have to set your clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier, a small price to pay for a flatter stomach.
Daily Health Task Lists
"Health Lies in labor, and there is no royal road to it but through toil."
-Wendell Phillips
Just like brushing your teeth, healthy habits should be cultivated on a daily basis. The following is a guide to daily tasks:
1. Activity should be a daily occurrence. Walk, run or jump for a minimum total of 20 minutes a day.
2. Protect your skin. Sun block should be applied on face, neck, arms and hands even in the dead of winter. It protects against climatic toxins too. Moisturize skin daily.
3. Eat fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products and small amounts of protein. Avoid sweets and other processed foods.
4. Meditate or spend a minimum of five minutes daily in quiet time.
5. Find your spiritual self. Discover what inspires you, raises your level of consciousness, motivates you, and satisfies your soul.
6. Exercise your brain. Read, study, solve problems, and learn new skills. As does the body, the brain atrophies with lack of use.
7. Hug somebody.
-Wendell Phillips
Just like brushing your teeth, healthy habits should be cultivated on a daily basis. The following is a guide to daily tasks:
1. Activity should be a daily occurrence. Walk, run or jump for a minimum total of 20 minutes a day.
2. Protect your skin. Sun block should be applied on face, neck, arms and hands even in the dead of winter. It protects against climatic toxins too. Moisturize skin daily.
3. Eat fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products and small amounts of protein. Avoid sweets and other processed foods.
4. Meditate or spend a minimum of five minutes daily in quiet time.
5. Find your spiritual self. Discover what inspires you, raises your level of consciousness, motivates you, and satisfies your soul.
6. Exercise your brain. Read, study, solve problems, and learn new skills. As does the body, the brain atrophies with lack of use.
7. Hug somebody.
HIV and AIDS
HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, the body’s natural defense system. The last stage of HIV infection is AIDS. Even without treatment, it takes a long time for HIV to progress to AIDS—usually 10 to 12 years. If HIV is diagnosed before it becomes AIDS, medicines can slow or stop the damage to the immune system.
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