Posts Tagged ‘Live Healthy’

Neighbors

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

neighbors
With cell phones, cable and the internet, people find less and less time to go out and associate with their neighbors in any kind of meaningful way. This creates misunderstandings, fear and sometimes ill feelings that don’t need to be there.  Find time to walk out the door with the specific purpose of interacting with your neighbors.  Get to know them.  Even if you don’t know them, or feel they are not very nice, bake them some cookies, a pie or a loaf of bread, write them a short note – anything – and take it to them.  

More than ever today, we need friends and hopeful positive feelings in our neighborhoods.  We need to stop living in fear of each other, start taking care of each other and get to know each other.  Some of my closest, most cherished friends began as misunderstood, pre-judged enemies!

A Positive Attitude Can Change Your Stars

Friday, June 12th, 2009

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!  Violence, crime, a failing economy, stRESS, STRESS, STRESS!!  It’s everywhere!  What can we do so that our level of stress does not break us, or our families apart?  A POSITIVE ATTITUDE!  You heard right, a positive attitude!  Sure, it won’t fix anything immediately and sometimes it won’t fix the immediate stressor ever!  So why have one?  HAPPINESS!  Because we all want to be happy – no matter what.  When you are faced with uncertainty, challenge or pain whether physical, emotional or both, it doesn’t mean you have to be spiritually depressed to the point you can’t function!  Or worse, you exaggerate the situation you’re in  by making everyone around you miserable by constantly rehearsing all the bad things that have happened and constantly rehearsing the, ‘why I can’ts’ instead of the, ‘how I cans.’ 

Positive forward motion requires positive forward thinking.  Simply put, all action begins with a thought.  Therefore, if you spend all of your valuable time thinking about negative outcomes, THAT is exactly what you are going to get – a negative outcome.    I don’t mean to downplay what you might be going through at the moment.  I am suggesting, however, that you will do your best work, come up with your best game plan if you are approaching whatever situation you are in with a positive attitude!  True happiness given any situation is a choice.  It begins with your attitude. Sometimes we have to close our eyes and see things how they can be, rather than how they really are to gain enough positive energy to get through it.

Workout Procrastination

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

Exercise!  It is the one thing we can do everyday that will undeniably bring happiness, make us feel good and add years to our lives.  Yet everyone goes through the overwhelming urge to lay down on the couch, sit in the most comfortable chair in the room and give in to the urge to do nothing!  Try this…find a picture of yourself that makes you feel good about yourself – no matter how old it is. Hang that picture on your bathroom mirror.  Write GO FOR A WALK across the bottom of the picture.  Set your phone alarm to wake you up one hour earlier in the mornings.  I promise that after programming yourself to systematically get up one hour earlier every morning, look at that picture and read those words everyday – you WILL get moving!  Try it!

Flu Season

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Washing Hands Is Still The Best Way To Stop The Flu.Washing your hands still remains the number one way to prevent yourself from catching the flu. Surprising, however, is how many people don’t understand this, or worse, don’t know exactly how to wash their hands properly.  Your children are never too young to teach them how to properly wash their hands.  

TRY THIS: 

Step 1:  Take your toddler to the sink.  

Step 2:  Put a dime size dot of anti-bacterial soap in their hands.

Step 3:   Show them how to rub their hands together for several minutes before rinsing.  (One of the most overlooked critical procedures in teaching children proper hand washing is not rubbing their hands together long enough.  TRY THIS:  while they are rubbing their hands together, teach them to sing the ABC song.)

Step 4:   After rubbing their hands together the entire time they are singing the ABC’s, rinse their hands thoroughly.

With the onslaught of new flu bugs evolving into new and improved viruses, this simple hand washing procedure can save you not only money from saved Dr. visits, but save your family’s health as well!

Toddler Workout

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

Making the Most of Your Workout

If you have little ones, chances are leaving for a jog or the gym is a luxury you won’t get to experience very often. So how do you work off those extra pounds? Take your kids with you! Put them in the stroller,  let them ride bicycles or tricycles while you jog. Find your local high school track. They are fenced and you can let your children run around on the field while you jog around the outside!  Playground trips can also be turned into a fabulous work out. Be creative – who said being a mom can’t be fun?  You will be accomplishing two very important goals:  First, you will get into shape, and, Second, you will be ’spiritually’ training your children that physical fitness is important and creating what I call a ‘family value memory’ that they will never forget!

Burn Calories, Cut Grime.

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Turn up your favorite tunes and get into some vigorous sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming. Housekeeping chores can burn a significant number of calories all along, but…..add some dancing, exaggerated movements and bingo!  You become your own fitness trainer.  So you get a clean house, a stress release, and a nice workout all at the same time – what more could you ask for.

Sweat Together

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

Take a walk, or better yet, take the kids for a walk.  If their pace is too slow, add some lunges, jumping jacks, or running in place every few minutes to make yourself work harder. Working out together will not only give you an opportunity to spend quality time with your children, but also give you a great workout. Plus, if your children see you workout on a consistent basis they will be more likely to join in and stay active throughout their life. After all, being a parent is multitasking, right?

Hold the Mayo

Monday, May 18th, 2009

A tablespoon of regular mayonnaise has almost 100 calories!!! Yikes! Use it wisely, or not at all.  Learn to love mustard.  It is packed with flavor and has ZERO calories!

Just Say No to Fast Food

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

If you have to grab something quick, consider the supermarket for your fast food break.  You can pick up pre-cut and washed fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurt, or low-fat cheese. Many supermarkets also offer healthy prepared items in their deli.  If you can’t find the extra five minutes to stop at the market, when you go into that gas station, or quick trip store, look for fruit, whole wheat crackers, beef jerkey or something healthy!  It takes the same amount of time to eat healthy as it does to poison your system with junk food.

How to Avoid the Drive-Thru

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Stock your car with bottled water and healthy snacks.  Have a small snack before the cravings hit, and you will be less likely to pull into that drive-thru.