The Holistic Chick

We have another New Year before us that is brimming with possibilities!  We start the year enthusiastically making our resolutions and vowing that this year we’re going to achieve them.  Then we get busy or break our routine, loose motivation or time and the resolutions fade away (that is until the following year!)

What keeps you from achieving your resolutions or goals? 

A New Year's resolution, according to Wikipedia, is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous.  These commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned.   Recent research shows that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, where small measurable goals are used (lose a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.

What’s going to keep you on track this year?

There’s more to creating goals or resolutions than just saying them.  Some planning, commitment and organization is involved. 

Set your goal

1.       Make your goal realistic and specific – “I want to go down 2 dress sizes by next week.” Get real!  Are you willing and able to do what it takes to get there that fast?  Try this one” I’m going to lose 2 dress sizes by February 21^{st .}  by working out with a trainer 3x per week, eating more veggies and quitting soda.  ”

2.       Do you have a deep desire for the goal?  Napoleon Hill who wrote “Think and Grow Rich” says “weak desire brings weak results”.  So really dig deep and know the reasons why you want to achieve this goal and how your life will change when you achieve it.  What will happen when I reach this goal? 

3.       Commit to it.  Write it down.  Tell someone, announce it, and put it out to the universe!

4.       Make a plan to define the goals and measure your success.    Use the worksheet on my website.

5.       Get help!  Go to experts for guidance.

Stay on track

6.       Have a great attitude and self talk.  The wrong attitude will set you up for failure.  If you sit there and say “oh, I have to go exercise, I hate it, it takes too much time and I’m not good at it”, you’ve conditioned your mind to hate it before you begin which will also cause a physical reaction.

7.       Stay flexible.  Life happens and things will get in the way no matter how organized you are.

8.       Visualize or picture yourself once you’ve reached your goal.  Cut out pictures and have them around the house or just close your eyes and imagine life when your goals are achieved.  What does it look like?

9.       Make it a lifelong commitment.  You will achieve your goals by making them a new lifestyle and they will become habits.  This is why diets don’t work.  You have to commit to change.

10.   Regularly check your progress and review your goals.

Please visit my website www.theholisticchick.com/gettools   for a worksheet to help you!

I was standing in line today at CVS, stuck next to the "fiber supplements".  My curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to take a look and see what was in these "flavored" and some "sugar-free" substances.  Of course, they were mainly sugar (listed as different names, several times), food dyes (including red-40) and variety of other un-mentionable items.  Beware of products that tout fiber.  Whole foods readily have it, while products have more junk than fiber.

 So what is one to do when they need to poop better, lower their cholesterol, keep blood sugar levels stable and maintain a healthy weight? 

Turn to natural, whole-food forms of fiber.

Dr. Oz says that women need around 25 grams of fiber a day while men need 35 grams, but we're only getting around 7 grams per day.  Have about 7 – 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The best sources for dietary fiber are beans and bran as they contain larger amounts than other foods per serving.  Gradually add in more fiber and drink plenty of water.

The World’s Healthiest Foods website gives us a thorough explanation of the importance of fiber, explains the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber, what the best sources are and tons more information.  Please check it out:  http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=59#summary

If you’re still having trouble, I recommend drnatura.com as a fiber supplement.

Don’t forget to take your probiotics for a healthier gut too!  I have them at www.myqivana.com/arnold.

Health and Happiness!

Tina Arnold

www.theholisticchick.com

Sweet Potatoes are a natural Superfood that is available all year long!  Believe it or not, they have been around since prehistoric times.  Although the name implies it, sweet potatoes are root vegetables, not potatoes at all!

Why are sweet potatoes considered Superfoods?  They’re high in fiber, provide protein, Vitamins A, C, E, iron and calcium, rich in complex carbohydrates, excellent source of potassium, manganese, copper.  So what does this mean?  Sweet potatoes are cancer-fighting, heart disease preventing, anti-inflammatory, free-radical killing, great for your skin and eyes powerhouses!  Plus they’re naturally sweet, so go for the sweet potatoes instead of a candy bar or other sugar-laden snack.

Some sweet potatoes tips: eat the skin too!  They contain a unique root storage protein that is almost 3x higher than the rest of its tissue.  Do not store them in the refrigerator.  There’s tons of great ways to incorporate sweet potatoes into your weekly diet.  Go to these websites for a variety of recipes.

http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/component/garyscookbook/

http://www.sweetpotato.org/recipes/

My favorite recipe is to take a few sweet potatoes.  Cut them into thin, round slices.  Lay them on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt and cayenne pepper.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes depending on if you want them soft or crunchy.

I love this time of year which, for so many, is rich in traditions!  With a lot of those traditions centered around food and so many fabulous things to enjoy this time of the year, don’t worry about depriving yourself.  Instead, here are a few tips to keep you on track this holiday season. 

Cut back on other high calorie/high fat things the day you will be attending a party.  This doesn’t mean skip meals and then gorge at the party!

Use a program like www.fitday.com to keep track of what you’re eating so you can tell if you’re overeating and under-moving!

Use your time off and time with the kids to get some extra exercise in.

Drink alcohol with food, not on an empty stomach.

Don’t strive to be perfect and don’t expect to lose a lot of weight this time of the year! 

Here’s to a happy, healthy holiday season filled with traditions, friends, family and a little self-control!

Oh-uh!  Feasting season is almost here!

What is feasting season?  It’s that time of year when we’re bombarded with parties and food, everywhere and all the time, mostly junk food.  It starts with Halloween, continues through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.   We couldn’t possibly get back on track with Valentine’s Day and the Superbowl right around the corner! 

We’re not only overeating because of the parties.  This can be a very emotional time.  Are you overeating because of the celebrating and it’s a good excuse to overindulge?  Or is the food trying to soothe sadness or anxiety?

Another trend we tend to see is lack of exercise.  Time demands of the holidays keep most from exercising.   People are also exhausted from the extra demands of the holiday season and the shorter, colder days.

Statistics tell us that the average American gains between 7-10 pounds during the holiday season. Then after giving in to the temptations and gaining the weight most Americans maintain that extra weight and will add onto it additional pounds the following holiday season.

How are you going to avoid being one of these statistics?

Be aware – Don’t stand where the food is and have a conversation.  You’ll wind up mindlessly shoving food in your mouth over and over and over again!  Take a small plate, fill it up with the best choices and maybe 1 treat.  Walk away and don’t go back! 

Plan – Before going to an event eat something healthy and satisfying, especially if you know there will not be good choices there.  Don’t eat as soon as you get there, wait awhile so you don’t keep going back and munching all night.

Manage stress and emotional eating – Learn to say “no” and not over commit yourself.  Stop to breathe and exercise.  Turn to family and friends or a professional instead of food for support.

Move when you can – try doing 10 minute bursts several times a day.  Jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, crab walks are all great strength training and cardiovascular exercises. 

Non-food related events – when having a get together, keep it active when you can.  Maybe a catch or game with friends.  After dinner walks are a great way to help food digest and keeps you from feeling like a blob (technical term J). 

Remember this:  the holidays are about family and friends, not food!  Enjoy!!!

Green veggies are the #1 missing food in  the American diet. 

Benefits of green veggies:
- high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, Vitamins A, C, E and K. 
- tons of fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals.

Benefits:
- blood purification
- cancer prevention
- improved circulation
- strengthened immune system
- promotion of healthy intestinal flora
- promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy
- lifted spirit and elimination of depression
- improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function
- cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

Glorious Greens include broccoli (including the trunk), bok choy, nappa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens

Eat your greens by steaming, sauteing in oil. boiling, or raw.

Try this:
Rinse Kale or collards and cut stem out.  Roll the remaining leaf and cut into strips.  Saute with olive oil, garlic and sea salt or coconut oil and fresh ginger.  Just a few minutes until it's bright green.  Serve with fish and quinoa...yum!