A Weight Lifted

Can Journaling Keep Us Healthy?

There seems to be a fair amount of evidence that journaling is an effective tool in healthy weight loss management. Journaling is not about putting together charts and graphs with your age, height, weight, what you eat and how far you walked on a given day. I believe journaling should provide an outlet for expressing our thoughts and feelings, allowing us to express things that we need to get out in the open – or at least on the written page. 

Daily journaling engages us to self-monitor, but more importantly to check in and have a heartfelt conversation with ourselves. It also provides an opportunity to repeat the best practices in our new healthy lifestyle choices until they become more intrinsic and natural to us. It is therapeutic, and helps bring a daily level of awareness to the issues we might be grappling with.

Journaling about the stresses in our lives, recognizing what might be getting in the way of our success, helps put perspective and focus on what we might be doing to sabotage ourselves and provide an opportunity to revisit simple steps we can take to get back on track.

mindfulness , journaling , healthy lifestyles , healthy weight management .

TGIF! - Here's Lookin' At You

What if I told you when you rush out of your office today to meet friends at your local watering hole, your favorite bartender might just be able to whip up something healthy for you after all?  It could be that the tropical fruit cocktail in a tall hurricane glass (the one that comes with a flamingo swizzle stick and a colorful umbrella) just might count as healthy.

Researchers, from Kasetsart University in Thailand and the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), report that adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits, was found to boost the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries. In fact, any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Obviously, too much of a good thing can become a problem, but if you’re going to have a cocktail you just might want to reconsider the umbrella.

More on the study and findings here.

Tags: ethanol , antioxidants , fresh fruit drinks , strawberries and blueberries .

Healthy Recipe: Tarragon Shrimp

If you're wondering what you'll plant in your garden this spring, think 'tarragon'.  Not a green thumb? Simply pick up some fresh herbs from the grocery store to make this refined healthy recipe: it won't disappoint! These elegant tarragon shrimp make for a perfect healthy eating appetizer or a light lunch. Here, the tastes of French tarragon, mustard and shallots meld to make a sumptuous dish. It is said that Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon for her excessive use of tarragon. Apparently, she never served him this delicious recipe! (from Lingle's Herbs) 

(Serves 4 as an appetizer)

   1/4 cup olive oil
   1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
   1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
   1 tablespoon shallots, minced
   1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
   pinch of salt and white pepper
   1 pound cooked shrimp, (41-50 per pound)
   2 tablespoon French tarragon, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallots, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and mix well.
Add the shrimp and tarragon, mix well. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Place shrimp over a bed of chilled sorrel. 

For more healthy recipes check out the other delicious recipes listed on this blog or visit Green Mountain Healthy Living Recipe Favorites.

Tags: fresh herb recipe, healthy eating, tarragon shrimp

Healthy Living: Taking Some Down Time

I’m enjoying an unexpected week in Florida this week.  Came down last week with my son and his friend for a week in the sun, then decided to stay to help my mother-in-law get herself back north for the summer.

The end result is that I’ve spent almost two weeks relaxing.  Unheard of for me.  Can’t tell you the last time I took that much time off.  My days include long walks on the beach and meals out – no time in the kitchen! 

I’m feeling great, and heartily recommend the practice of taking time for yourself, if you’re lucky enough to be able to.  Often, we think we can’t – too much to do and too little time to do it in.  But when we step back, we refresh, and often find ourselves much more efficient when we do get back to things.

Yes, vacations are great, and much needed.  But we probably benefit more from taking time in the midst of our busy schedules to truly take care of ourselves.  Cindy's post yesterday gives us a look at one way to do that, through positive thinking. My horoscope message today from one of my favorite websites, Daily OM, just happens to describe a great way to refresh ourselves in the midst of our daily lives, too (coincidence?). Both of these ideas are about changing our thinking – something Green Mountain is all about. too.  Because that's usually the first step in being able to successfully take care of ourselves. 

In the meantime, if you can get away, go for it!

Posted by Marsha in Florida!

Tuesday's Affirmation

Positive thinking is a powerful tool in our search to live the healthiest life possible. Using affirmations can help you begin to move more positively through the world, by erasing old negative tapes and replacing them with empowered thinking. Simply dedicate a few minutes each morning for mindful, positive thinking. Find solitude in quiet and peaceful surroundings. Read the affirmation (or make up your own) and visualize what it may mean in your life. Close your eyes and let these ideas become a part of you by saying the words over and over, giving them increased meaning. Together lets try to meet each new day with renewed enthusiasm and hope.

I am fully present in the moment. I use the insights I receive to make my life work in better ways and I open my consciousness to new, higher ways of thinking, feeling, and being.

Read more inspiring words in The Affirmation Room.

Tags: mindfulness , positive thinking , meditation , affirmations .

Healthy Living: Patience is a Virtue

Do we have really have the patience to get healthy?

I’ve been thinking a lot about patience lately. Just this Sunday I was standing behind an elderly woman in the grocery store and felt my blood pressure begin to rise. She was moving very slow and methodically, seemingly unaware of grocery store line etiquette. She asked endless questions about prices, dug through her purse for coupons, with no awareness whatsoever that there was a very long line of self-important 30-40 something’s waiting impatiently behind her.

As I watched her, I began to admire her chutzpah, and I felt myself starting to relax. What’s the big deal? I didn’t have an appointment to make, I didn’t leave my car running and I certainly didn’t need to make an 80 year old woman feel bad about buying her groceries. I gave her permission to do what she needed to do and by the time I approached the register I realized all of 4 or 5 minutes had passed. I doubt that 4 or 5 minutes is going to change anyone’s life.

In this very same way a lack of patience and wisdom can be our enemy when we’re trying to manage our weight . I ran across an interesting site called, Coping.org: Tools for Coping with Life's Stressors , It is authored by James J. Messina, PhD and Constance M. Messina, PhD. There you can find a variety of topics which deal with coping mechanisms. The excerpt below is on patience.

Develop a consistent philosophy of life. Take life one day at a time. Consider each day a gift of life that will allow you to get one step closer to your goal of growth and change.

Accept the reality of your humanity in that you are going to need time, effort, and energy to change and grow. You will experience some resistance to altering long standing, habitual ways of acting, reacting, and believing.

Reframe your perspective on the past, present, and future. Do not dwell on your past mistakes and failings. Do not worry about what you will become or how you will act in the future. Begin to live each new day as a fresh start.

Break larger goals down into components that are short term goals and objectives, more realistically attainable in the immediate future.

Be systematic in planning your path to recovery and growth.

Accept, understand, and forgive yourself for being fragile, imperfect, and weak. You need to become your own best friend and cheerleader. Love yourself.

Wake up to the realities of life around you. Everyone with whom you come in contact is busy working through their own struggles, weaknesses, setbacks, relapses, crises, and obstacles to their personal growth and recovery. All of us are on the path to personal growth. There is no one exempt from this journey. It takes a lifetime to complete.

Confront your fears about attaining your goal. Remember, the world was not created in a day. Beautiful symphonies, works of art, and literary masterpieces were not created in a day. A lifetime is not lived in a day.

You can find more on coping.org here.

Tags: stress, patience, wellness, healthy eating

Searchin' For My Lost Shaker of Salt

When's the last time you had your blood pressure checked? It's important, you know. Even if you're at a healthiy weight, you may be surprised to discover that your blood pressure (especially as we age) is higher than it use to be. And if you're carrying around significant body fat it’s possible your blood pressure is elevated beyond a normal range.

Over the years we’ve heard a variety of theories about the consumption of salt and how it may or may not affect the general health of our hearts. One recent published study provides some of the strongest evidence we've been given to date that lowering the amount of salt in the diet can reduce the long-term risks of heart disease.

Dr. Nancy Cook and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston studied more than 3,000 people who took part in a study of a low-salt diet and its effects on high blood pressure. The study showed that when people with borderline high blood pressure reduced their salt/sodium intake by 25% to 35%, they lowered their risk of total cardiovascular disease by 25%. This lower risk lasted for 10 to 15 years – that’s a long time and a significant decrease.

The current recommendation regarding salt intake is to consume less than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of table salt. Remember, this includes all salt and sodium you consume, including that used in cooking and found in canned and packaged foods.

Source: Rueters UK   Source: The Scotsman

Tags: high blood pressure , heart disease , salt and sodium consumption , healthy eating .

Healthy Recipe: Cumin-Lime Lamb Chops

Lamb doesn't have to be served just for Easter!  In fact, spring lamb is in season (sounds logical, right?). And, if you already know your lamb chops, you can appreciate the tasty and healthy eating advantages of spring lamb over summer or autumn lamb: its smaller, slender bones, more tender (melt-in-your-mouth) consistency, and subtler flavor.

Today's simple and healthy recipe, grilled or broiled loin chops are lower in fat than other cuts of lamb. Since lamb is such a rich meat, the chops really don't need to be very big. Tip: Choose joints and cuts carefully; go for lean pieces and avoid any with yellow or crumbly fat.

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp cumin

4 lamb loin chops, visible fat trimmed

Preheat grill or broiler. Blend oil, lime juice and cumin. Brush both sides of each lamb chop with lime and cumin mixture. Place lamb chops on a broiler rack coated with nonstick cooking spray. If grilling, the rack should be sprayed before preheating. Grill or broil (3-4 inches from heat) for 5-6 minutes each side.

For more healthy recipes check out the other delicious recipes listed on this blog or visit Green Mountain Healthy Living Recipe Favorites.

Tags: lamb recipe, healthy eating, spring lamb recipe, cumin lime lamb chop

Healthy Living: Connecting with a Therapist

I frequently suggest to family, friends and clients that they might look for a therapist to help them with various problems/issues they’re facing.  Our behavior therapists at Green Mountain at Fox Run are a wonderful resource for the women who come to us.  Their insight and wisdom about issues ranging from emotional eating to body image help our clients put things in perspective.

Back home, though, if a person doesn’t already know a good therapist, the question becomes how to find one.  Just looking in the Yellow Pages seems a little too hit or miss, and beyond that, people feel stymied.

An article in this week’s Rutland Herald (our ‘major’ newspaper around here) says that the best way is to ‘seek referrals from people you trust, such as friends and family, clergy, professional organizations, other health care providers and your insurance company.’  But don’t stop there.  Also do some of your own investigating.  According to the National Board of Certified Counselors, you have the right to:

• Be informed of the qualifications of your counselor: education, experience, professional counseling certification(s), and license(s).
• Receive an explanation of services offered, your time commitments, fee scales, and billing policies prior to receipt of services.
• Be informed of the limitations of the counselor's practice to special areas of expertise (e.g. career development, ethnic groups, etc.) or age group (e.g. adolescents, older adults, etc.).
• Have all that you say treated confidentially and be informed of any state laws placing limitations on confidentiality in the counseling relationship.
• Ask questions about the counseling techniques and strategies and be informed of your progress.
• Participate in setting goals and evaluating progress toward meeting them.
• Be informed of how to contact the counselor in an emergency situation.
• Request referral for a second opinion at any time.
• Request copies of records and reports to be used by other counseling professionals.
• Receive a copy of the code of ethics to which your counselor adheres.
• Contact the appropriate professional organization if you have doubts or complaints relative to the counselor’s conduct.
• Terminate the relationship at any time.
So next time you feel like you could use a little outside help, consider a therapist.  And go armed to your first appointment with questions that will help you feel more comfortable talking to her or him.  What may be most important, though, is the connection you feel with the therapist.  If you don’t like the first one you visit, try others.  It helps to feel like you can pour your heart out to your therapist, and there’s sure to be one around that fits that bill for you. 

Post by Cindy for Marsha who's frolicking in FLorida!

Tags: emotional eating , finding a therapist , body image , therapist qualifications .

Tuesday Morning Affirmation

Gina will be away for the next several weeks taking some well deserved R&R. In lieu of her offerings, I will be posting Tuesday affirmations.

Positive thinking is a powerful tool in our search to live the healthiest life possible. Using affirmations can help you begin to move more positively through the world, by erasing old negative tapes and replacing them with empowered thinking. Simply dedicate a few minutes each morning for mindful, positive thinking. Find solitude in quiet and peaceful surroundings. Read the affirmation (or make up your own) and visualize what it may mean in your life. Close your eyes and let these ideas become a part of you by saying the words over and over, giving them increased meaning. Together lets try to meet each new day with renewed enthusiasm and hope.

                                                       "I will chose food which brings me health, energy, vitality and satisfies my soul."

More affirmations can be found at the Daily Affirmation Room