Day 99- HONOR YOUR HEALTH

Principal #10: Honor your health

Make foods choices that honor your health and that leave you satisfied. It's alright to not eat perfect all the time, truthfully who honestly can. Learn how to find your own personal balance, don't completely deprive your body of the things it loves (if there is no medical reason for it). Indulge in your cravings every once in awhile. Allowing yourself the freedom to break the rules periodically will not completely destroy your weight loss goals. It is when you break the rules on a regular bases that you are going to run into problems.

You also need to love your body enough to provide what's best for it. Make exercise something you enjoy instead of a chore that you have to do. Exercise has many amazing health benefits, and should be included in your weekly routine. Make time for exercise as you do for any other part of your day. When people get busy, their workout is usually the first thing that they get rid of, instead try to still find time for a workout even if it is just a few minutes. Those few minutes of exercise can help to dampen the stresses that you are facing and give you a healthier out look on what else lies ahead.

No one says that you have to be perfect to achieve your goals, but learn what works for your body. Once you honor your health, everything else will come naturally.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 98- EXERCISE- FEEL THE DIFFERENCE

Principal #9: Exercise- Feel the difference

Exercise because of the way that it makes you feel. If you only focus on the calorie or weight loss effect of it, it may take away some of the enjoyment of it. Exercise is the best medicine for depression, and it's this way because of the strong effects it has on the serotonin receptors in the brain. Exercise is like a feel good drug, as long as you don't turn it into a chore.

When you begin to obsess over calories and losing them, exercise becomes something that you begin forcing yourself to do instead of wanting to do. Find exercises that you enjoy to do. If you think running on the treadmill is boring and you dread the thought of it, choose a different exercise, or take your runs outside where the scenery will constantly change. Our maybe gyms aren't your thing, try joining a sports team. Not only will you get exercise playing your favorite sport, you will also meet people and make relationships with like minded people in the meantime.

Exercise, when not purely thought of as a way to loose weight will have many more health benefits, not only creating a more positive outlook, but also increasing your ability to sleep more soundly, concentrate better, keeping you more energized, and increase your appetite for healthy food.

So instead of logging your miles on the treadmill or focusing on the hours you spend in the gym, exercise for the pure enjoyment of it, and I promise you that the outcomes will be even better than you would have expected.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 97- Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce- Couch Potato Workout

I figured that since I am in Boston this weekend, why not share a great video from Celtic, Paul Pierce, on how to workout during television commercials. See now you have no excuse to not stay active!

For more information and workouts from the Celtic players, visit Game Time Workouts.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 96- RESPECT YOUR BODY

Principal #8 Respect your body

This may be my favorite of all the principals! Respect your body, so much easier said than done. How much I have longed for those long super model legs, that perfectly flat stomach, the cute little size 6 feet, you know all the things that we have no control over. I have a severe case of body envy, that I just can't shake. And I know I'm not the only one that is guilty of this.

What we must learn to do is respect our bodies. Respect the features that make us "us." There are many things that make up our genetic blueprint that we can not change. Sure there are now options available; we could get liposuction, breast augmentation, plastic surgery, we can workout until we are on the brink of collapsing, we can starve our bodies, or we could just be happy with being "us."

Women, especially, are so overly judgmental of their own bodies. We can't look beyond a certain feature of our body that we don't like and we think that everyone feels the same. We could be happy about our bodies, except one minor thing, and that one thing could drive us insane. When we get compliments from others we think that they are wrong, and draw their attention to our flaws. We need to learn how to focus on the good instead of obsessing over the bad.

Our bodies are the way they should be, it makes us different from everyone else. Granted there are somethings that we should and can change. Your genetic blueprint may not contain the extra 20 pounds that you are carrying around. Learn to focus on things that are changeable, things that will make you a healthier person, while still being you. We know that we can't change the size of our feet, so why expect to change the rest of bodies to that degree?

Learn the difference between features that are in your control and those that are beyond your control. Embrace your difference, and respect your body!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 95- HONOR YOUR FEELINGS WITHOUT USING FOOD

Principal #7 Honor your feelings without using food

When you are sad maybe you reach for the ice cream or chocolate, when you are happy maybe you celebrate with pizza, when you are bored you grab the bag of chips, when you are stressed you choose something salty, when you are tired maybe something sweet. This is called emotional eating; eating due to emotions instead of hunger. Many emotions have their attached "comfort" food, the food that you turn to when experiencing a certain emotion.

Instead of turning to these foods, we need to find ways to deal with these feelings. We need to teach our bodies that food will not fix these feelings and may in the long run only make them worse. We must recognize that we turn to these certain foods when we are experiencing certain emotions, and learn how to handle this feelings in a healthier way.

Below is a list of the differences between physical hunger verses emotional hunger:

Next time you reach for food, ask yourself "am I really hungry?" Learn the difference between true hunger and just eating due to various emotions. As someone who now sits in front of a computer for most of the day with work, I find myself snacking a lot more than I should, usually it is just mindless, bored snacking, but the problem is I might not even really be hungry. Acknowledging this emotion, will help me to plan accordingly , either by only having healthy snacks available, such as carrot and celery sticks, or by putting my foot down to eating in front of my computer. This way if it is truly hunger that is causing me to want to eat, then I must get up to go get food, as it will not be as easily accessible.

Let us all work on honoring our feelings in a more healthy and productive way, without first turning to food, which may only mask the issue, and leave us possibly feeling worse than we did before.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Chart website

Day 94- DISCOVER THE SATISFACTION FACTOR

Principal #6: Discover the satisfaction factor

We eat what we feel we should, or what we our told to eat, in order to maintain or achieve a certain weight. We eat out of necessity and the basic routine of it. But when we look at food this way we miss out on the pure pleasure and satisfaction that comes with the eating experience.

Meals should consist of foods that nourish both your body and mind. The enjoyment achieved when eating a meal that you like, and being able to truly appreciate each bite is the satisfaction that should be a part of every meal.

When you learn to eat like this you will find that it takes less food to achieve satisfaction. Once you learn how to find joy in certain foods, and make eating a pleasant experience the chances are you will walk away completely satisfied, not looking for something more to quench your cravings, or just being simply full.

When you are dieting or watching your weight, food may be seen as the enemy, in which you develop a internal fight over each item that you consume. You loose the joy of eating and may actually despise meals. Eating becomes a chore and you struggle over what you should eat instead of what you want to eat. To avoid this fight without compromising your diet goals, learn how to make your meals an experience that satisfies you. Indulge periodically in your favorite foods, and savor each and every bite, without any of the guilt. Learn how to create healthy meals that match your favorite not so heathy meal. Eating a grilled chicken breast on top of a bed of spinach every day may help you loose weight, but will not leave you fulfilled. Switch up your meals to make each meal an unique taste and experience. Transform your meals into something that you look forward to, instead of something of a necessity.

My sister was the perfect example of someone who knew how to find the satisfaction in food. Growing up eating dinner with my family, we always knew when she was enjoying her meal. While she would eat she would make a humming sound, such as "mmmmmm," and she would bounce a little in her chair. Even though it drove me crazy when she would do this, she managed to find enjoyment in her food and wasn't afraid to share that with the rest of us.

Follow my sister's example and discover the satisfaction factor in food!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 93- I'll Eat That!

Guest Blog Author Amanda Buhl, MPH

Amanda received her Masters in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Washington School of Public Health in March, 2011.

Throwing away food really pains me. I can’t say it’s for financial reasons (money in the trash) or altruistic ones (starving children, etc.). It just bothers me. But food waste doesn’t bother everyone. A recent report by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization found that food waste by consumers in North America ranges between 209 and 253 pounds per person each year (1). In comparison, consumers in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia waste between 13.2 and 24.2 pounds per person each year (this does not include food loss due to poor infrastructure and limited agricultural technology).

This report also found that fruits and vegetables have the highest wastage rates of any food. Wasting produce really bothers me. Here are some easy tips for keeping your fruits and vegetables fresher longer:

• BUY YOUR FRUITS & VEGGIES LAST at the grocery store so they spend less time at room temperature, and take them home right away if you can.
• Obviously, EAT THE FOODS THAT SPOIL QUICKLY FIRST. Most root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and beets will stay fresh much longer than other vegetables like greens, peppers, cucumbers, and sprouts, for example. Also, food that is grown locally reaches your store/market faster and will likely stay fresh longer.
• KEEP YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES SEPARATE. Fruits, including tomatoes, produce ethylene gas, which causes ripening, and vegetables are very sensitive to it.
• MIND THE TEMP OF YOUR FRIDGE. It should be about 34-38 degrees F. Keep refrigerated produce cool, but away from the back of the fridge where the air is the coldest. The crisper drawer is the best option.
• If you have your veggies in a plastic bag, CUT A HOLE IN IT (the bag, that is). Even after being harvested, vegetables are still breathing organisms! Fruits on the other hand should be well wrapped.
• DON’T WASH your produce until you are ready to eat it. Excess moisture will age your fruits and veggies.
• Potatoes, onions, squash, bananas, tomatoes and garlic AREN’T MEANT FOR THE REFRIGERATOR. Instead, they should be stored in cool, dark places, such as kitchen cabinets and pantries.
• Apples, berries, and citrus fruits SHOULD BE REFRIGERATED IMMEDIATELY. They will not ripen any further after being picked. Most others will ripen on your counter and can then be refrigerated to slow down the process.
• If you find yourself with excess veggies that are less than fresh, MAKE A VEGETABLE SOUP! You won’t notice the difference. And if you find yourself with veggies totally past their prime, put them in a large freezer bag and freeze them until you are ready to make a stock. I do this with all of my vegetable trimmings, peels, skins, stems, and the leftovers from chicken or beef I cook with (bones, skin, meat, etc). When you have 1-2 large freezer bags full, throw it all in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for as long as possible, adding more water as needed. Strain the mush out and you have a great stock to use for soup, cooking rice, or in the place of water where you want to add flavor.

Finally, plan all of your food purchases wisely to avoid food waste. Keep in mind that, according to the USDA, the “Best if used by” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a safety date. Usually, however, when it comes to perishables, if I don’t have a plan for it, I don’t buy it. As such, I shop every few days and my refrigerator often looks like Mother Hubbard’s would. This works well when cooking for one or two. I can’t speak to the intricacies of daily meal prep for a family, but I’m sure much more planning is involved!

Stay fresh,

Amanda

• Gustavsson J, Cederberg C, Sonesson U, van Otterdijk R, Meybeck A. Global Food Losses and Food Waste. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, 2011.