It's Resolution Time!

Although I don't necessarily agree with waiting until New Years to make a resolution (see my previous blog Diet Schmiet.) Now is the time to decide on that resolution if you are one to wait until New Years. Now is better than never.

Here are some ideas:

• Lose weight: This is a great resolution...a very common one, as we all know. But the best way to be successful in achieving this resolution is to be realistic! Set a weight loss goal that is reasonable and achievable.
• Increase activity level: This is also an excellent resolution. Start by saying you are going to exercise 60 minutes extra per week. It's a great place to start and completely manageable. But keep in mind, you want to increase your heart rate so it has to be legit exercise...none of this fake exercise that doesn't even cause you to break a sweat. 
• Be more patient: This resolution will improve your mental health. Patience is definitely something that I need to work on also. Living in the American culture, we have been conditioned to do things quickly and efficiciently and not waste any time. This has seriously diminished our patience. So make a plan that every time you start to feel your patience hitting its end, take a deep breath and count to 10 (in your head or people might write you off as an arse).
• Save more money: Start small to achieve this resolution. If money is something you stress about, saving a little bit more will definitely help your mental health. Try by saving $25 from each paycheck. That will add up pretty quickly and most people can spare $25 per paycheck. If you can't spare that...I'm sorry? I got nothin...(insensitivity might be something else I should work on :) just messin!)
• Change your patterns and typical activities: Changing things up a bit will have a tremendous impact on your emotional health. This can be achieved by doing very small things or very big things. Find different activities that evoke more emotions more often. Watch movies that make you cry hysterically or laugh so hard you feel like your cheeks might fall right off your face. Go on more rollercoasters or splurge for a skydiving adventure to increase your adrenaline output. There are so many little things and big things you can do to get out of a rut and change things up emotionally. It works. Trust me.

Those are just a few ideas. If none of those sound good to you, brainstorm or google it (I swear google knows everything). Just get to it...whether it's for your physical health, mental health, or emotional health, decide to improve some aspect of your life because there is always something we can do better. We are human after all!

Happy New Year!!

Airports are the devil...

What is it about airports that makes you eat unhealthy? I don't get it...

Oh wait, could it be the fact that it is nearly impossible to get healthy food because the options are so limited? Could it be that when you see a Sbarro sign, you salivate? Or is it the fact that if you are going to pay an absurd amount of money for something, it better damn-well be delicious?

I think it's all of the above.

Silly Cinnabon...smelling like heaven. Good thing I'm allergic to cinnamon and physically can't eat it (yes it sucks. I know. It's a sad subject for me).

So I know it isn't fun to be around all the sensationally-smelling overpriced food and beer, but this is when we have to control ourselves. Go to one of those little random side stores instead of a restaurant or fast food chain. Believe it or not, those little side stores actually have some (not many, but some) healthy options.

AND, stay busy while you are waiting. Boredom leads to shoveling food in the food receptacle of your body (well it does for me). Avoid boredom at all costs even if it means you end up being that awkward person who starts random conversations with people next to you. Do it and then tell me the story!!

Those are my suggestions. They don't always work, but sometimes, you can be successful. Trust me (don't be scared).

Happy holidays and healthy travels!!

Also, lets challenge the airports to make healthier food. How do we make this happen? Ideas? Alright no more questions...

Happy Holidays and healthy travels!!

Cheese de la cottage

Why is it that kids hate cottage cheese and adults love cottage cheese?

Not sure if it's an acquired taste or just the fact that it looks and sounds gross.  I HATED it as a child. I loved asparagus and hated cottage cheese. Totally normal. So here's the story of how I was 25 years old before I even tasted cottage cheese (yes, I hated it as a child without even trying it...I was a kid...get off muh back.) Teach (my roommate who teaches me things because she's a teacher and she's smart) introduced me to the glorious snack that is cottage cheese. I had no idea that this substance that resembled a disgusting, smelly, moldy pile of milk could taste like mmmmmm.

Not only does it taste pretty awesome, but there are also several health benefits of cottage cheese. This Livestrong article goes through the components of cottage cheese and some health benefits. Let's take a quick gander at the different components:

1. Fat
Basically, cottage cheese can be made from any type of milk...skim, 1%, 2%, whole, butter (? I don't know about this one...just go with it.) Obviously, the lightest milk creates the cottage cheese with the lowest fat content. So, if you are looking for a snack that is low in fat, get the fat-free cottage cheese. Simple.

2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Everyone knows these little buggers are good for you. Well everyone should know that. They make supplements with these guys in them. You can also get them from eating some types of fish. These have been shown to be helpful with brain function (which I definitely need right now...and always.) Pretty cool little helpers! Good news--cottage cheese has them!

3. Vitamin B
This nice little guy helps strengthen the body's immune system and in some cases helps with energy level. It's pretty cool and also a very common supplement. Some people even get B-12 shots! Cottage cheese has B-12 in it! Come on people--it's a no-brainer.

4. Protein
Cottage cheese is high in protein. Protein has a slow digestion rate. A slow digestion rate helps you stay full longer. This makes it a great snack for all my physically active folks out there. Stay full and increase your protein intake. Fabulous! Here's another Livestrong article really diving into why it's good after a workout. (Yes, I have a serious affinity for Livestrong. Get over it.)

5. Minerals
Alright...alright...alright. So cottage cheese has A LOT of salt in it. Living in the 21st century, we all know that salt can lead to some serious health problems, namely concerning the heart. We have some serious issues with it in American diets (because we like french fries...and everything else that we can possibly fit in our mouths.) Drink a lot of water with your cottage cheese to try to help and balance that high salt content. On the bright side though, cottage cheese has a ton of calcium which our Mommas told us helps our bones grow...and stay strong.


The main article I've been talking about references Nutrition Data for specific nutrition facts. Check it out. It's a pretty cool website

I'll leave you with my favorite mini-recipe (attributed to Teach):

1/2 cup of cottage cheese + 1 tbsp of grape jelly. Mix it up. It takes approximately 45 seconds. Okay, maybe 46 seconds.You can also try strawberry jelly or (don't judge) maple syrup. Soooooo delish. You'd be surprised. Use fat-free cottage cheese and sugar-free condiments for an extra healthy version.

If you have other cottage cheese recipes, send them my way and I'll try them.

Now go get cheesy!  
(ba dum dum...that's my way of typing the sound of drums when the drummer makes that sound after the person on the microphone makes a joke...come on...you know what I'm talking about.)

Diet Schmiet

Why is it that we make so many excuses when it comes to food? Well, in life in general too. Human nature? perhaps. 

Whenever we start a "diet", it's rare to be good 100% of the time. Let's not lie, it's nearly impossible. We've gotta be more realistic people...

...we are going to slip off the healthy wagon every once in a while....

A holiday sneaks up on us, a birthday party gets out of hand, we have one too many drinks that turns into several too many drinks...I could go on for days. All of those things add up, but it doesn't mean we need to start all over. I don't know about you, but any time I would slip on one of my many diet adventures, I would be so mad at myself and feel this deep sense of guilt. ugh! Talk about exhausting--guilt is probably the most tiring emotion...just sayin.

This is what we need to do instead of guilting (google blogger doesn't like this word, but I do so I'm keeping it) ourselves crazy:

1. Acknowledge that we messed up
2. Take note of how we messed up
3. Forgive ourselves quickly
4. Figure out how to battle the life events/temptations/cravings for next time. (because, there's always gonna be another birthday or holiday or random craving that sneaks up on us when we least expect it...c'est la vie).

**I made this list up so I will not cite it.

It's so standard, at least for almost everyone I've ever met who has been on dieting stints at some point in their lives, to say something like:

"I'll start eating right tomorrow."
Then tomorrow turns into the end of the week. Then the end of the week turns into next month. Then next month turns into one of those infamous New Years resolutions. and it goes onnnn and onnnnn and onnnnn...

Another piece of word vomit that regurgitates itself if we mess up on a diet is:

"Welp! (that's a dramatic way of saying 'well'), I already screwed this week up, I'll just eat whatever I want and start fresh next week."
Fail. If those words make their way out of our food traps, we did not follow the 4 easy steps listed above. 
I've done it. I KNOW the majority of you have too. But it's really silly when you think about it...how is continuing a few days of unhealthy eating going to help at all? It's not. Done. Finito.

More food for thought (catch that nugget of a pun there?):
I have the cure for being a swing dieter...

We've GOTTA change our outlook on dieting. The word "diet" has a negative connotation. It really does. Some people are ashamed to say, "I'll pass on that cake--I'm on a diet," because of that negative connotation that comes along with it. Being on a diet immediately makes the receiver of that information develop a new mindset about you.

So just like global warming should have been called global climate change from the beginning in order to correctly convey what it actually means, "diet" should have been given the name "healthy food choices" or something like that. (I'm not good at coming up with names for things; don't judge). Newsflash, you don't have to be overweight to be on a "diet". You can be a very healthy weight and still be on a "diet", but in reality, it's just maintenance of a healthy lifestyle at this point.

Give it some thought. Being on a diet is NOT a bad thing. It's simply a lifestyle that involves making healthy choices.

So start a diet as a lifestyle change. It's really the only way to sustain success. There are several psychological theories associated with behavioral change that I will apply to this subject...at another time.

Until then, happy dieting! ;)