Please join me for a replay of the interview I did with Penda from Wii Fab...and she is! A great conversation about health and wellness and the fitness industry.
Interview: Alicia Kirschenheiter, Personal Trainer and Weight and Lifestyle Consultant
Health & Wellness Articles & Updates from Evolution Total Wellness's, Owner Alicia Kirscheneheiter
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
An interview with Alicia Kirschenheiter on Health and Wellness for the Work Day
Please join me for a replay of my interview on The Entrepreneur Show!
A live interview with Alicia Kirschenheiter
A live interview with Alicia Kirschenheiter
Saturday, June 26, 2010
How the Busy Find the Time…
I knew as soon as someone read the title, the response would be, “Who isn’t busy?” or “That’s so me, I have no time for anything.” Precisely what I was after! EVERYONE is busy. When a client comes to me and asks me to help with their health and wellness goals, the first words out of their mouth are, “but I have no time.” This is then generally followed up with a list of all the things they are doing to qualify to me or to themselves that they have no time.
The path to wellness starts with conviction. I have always said and believed this. Half heartedly going forward into anything never turns out well. In general, our lack of time to commit to health and wellness usually stems from our lack of commitment to ourselves. We are never as important as anything else going on around us. We seem to find time for everything, from work, to partners, to shopping, to sports, to kids sports, to Fido’s daycare…but when it come to actually taking care of ourselves, the pot is empty.
I propose this little proverb that was shared with me, “We cannot continue to fill the cups of others, if we ourselves are empty.” Think on that a minute. Basically, how can we continue to serve the needs of all the others and other things that we have deemed so important without taking the same considerations for ourselves?
Yes guilty. I am as guilty as the next person of over scheduling. As are most of my clients. Basically, while multitasking gets the job done, it is certainly not helping us stay healthy or to feed our souls. In an effort to keep life balanced, my advice is to schedule the same consideration for yourself as you would schedule time for everything else. Make yourself the appointment you need to keep. Truly, once you begin to shift the focus of yourself from last place to first place, the things that you value most in doing will be that much better. You can begin to approach them with more energy, engagement and less resentment because you have already taken the time for yourself, to take care of yourself. So, whether scheduling and appoint for gym time, meditation, healthy meal preparation, make it something you enjoy and something that gives back to you throughout the day.
Be well - Alicia
The path to wellness starts with conviction. I have always said and believed this. Half heartedly going forward into anything never turns out well. In general, our lack of time to commit to health and wellness usually stems from our lack of commitment to ourselves. We are never as important as anything else going on around us. We seem to find time for everything, from work, to partners, to shopping, to sports, to kids sports, to Fido’s daycare…but when it come to actually taking care of ourselves, the pot is empty.
I propose this little proverb that was shared with me, “We cannot continue to fill the cups of others, if we ourselves are empty.” Think on that a minute. Basically, how can we continue to serve the needs of all the others and other things that we have deemed so important without taking the same considerations for ourselves?
Yes guilty. I am as guilty as the next person of over scheduling. As are most of my clients. Basically, while multitasking gets the job done, it is certainly not helping us stay healthy or to feed our souls. In an effort to keep life balanced, my advice is to schedule the same consideration for yourself as you would schedule time for everything else. Make yourself the appointment you need to keep. Truly, once you begin to shift the focus of yourself from last place to first place, the things that you value most in doing will be that much better. You can begin to approach them with more energy, engagement and less resentment because you have already taken the time for yourself, to take care of yourself. So, whether scheduling and appoint for gym time, meditation, healthy meal preparation, make it something you enjoy and something that gives back to you throughout the day.
Be well - Alicia
Monday, June 21, 2010
In The "Funk?"
"Funk" is a great word, isn't it? To me, it's the gray matter between not quite depressed but sorely disappointed. Causes of "funk" are too many to list, but use your own experiences...disappointement, disillusionment, disturbance...there's a lot of dis, no? My point being, that everyone has had these moments, or days...sometimes longer.
One part of a wellness professionals responsibilty is to help motivate their clients, to recognize the "funk" and help our people move through it. I never like to say get around it because I think to navigate around it never really addresses the issue at hand and I'm not big on deflection. But how?
In working with my clients, I try to bring them back to the wellness vision. That's the wellness wishlist or big picture goal the client creates in our first session. If the funk is related to perceived failures on their wellness journey...why focus on it? We are humans. Bound and determined to make mistakes. Instead of focusing on the mistakes, focus on the positives and steps you made in the right direction. Face it, it's a lot harder to make good choices vs. bad choices. So, while making the bad choices should be acknowledged, the good choices should be celebrated.
Now, while that all sounds good, you are still accountable for your bad actions. I am simply suggesting that you recognize them, learn from them and then move forward. No one likes to be stuck in the muck of "funk", so the sooner we can get through it the faster we can get back on the path. Until next time - Be wll
One part of a wellness professionals responsibilty is to help motivate their clients, to recognize the "funk" and help our people move through it. I never like to say get around it because I think to navigate around it never really addresses the issue at hand and I'm not big on deflection. But how?
In working with my clients, I try to bring them back to the wellness vision. That's the wellness wishlist or big picture goal the client creates in our first session. If the funk is related to perceived failures on their wellness journey...why focus on it? We are humans. Bound and determined to make mistakes. Instead of focusing on the mistakes, focus on the positives and steps you made in the right direction. Face it, it's a lot harder to make good choices vs. bad choices. So, while making the bad choices should be acknowledged, the good choices should be celebrated.
Now, while that all sounds good, you are still accountable for your bad actions. I am simply suggesting that you recognize them, learn from them and then move forward. No one likes to be stuck in the muck of "funk", so the sooner we can get through it the faster we can get back on the path. Until next time - Be wll
You Can Do It Anywhere!
How would you like to do it anywhere?
Yup, that's right, I said it... you can do it anywhere.
Well, now that I have your attention, perhaps I need to clarify a little. When I say you can do it anywhere, I am talking about EXERCISE.
There are some really great simple moves that require no equipment so they are perfect for performing in front of the TV during Survivor or in a hotel room after the nightmare meeting you barely survived.
I call them THE BIG 5 because these moves hit all the major muscle groups. In a pinch, a short workout featuring these five moves goes a long way toward keeping you on track.
The Big 5
1) SQUATS! This exercise works the legs, works the core, and works the booty... enough said!
2) PUSH-UPS! I know these aren't fun ladies, but push-ups come in many forms. You can go from a full force push-up (the kind every military movie features during a basic training sequence) to modified (done with knees bent) to wall push-ups (performed against -- you guessed it -- a wall!).
Also, depending on hand placement, you can manipulate the emphasis of the exercise. Hands further out to the sides work the chest and back muscles. Hands closer together will key on the triceps and shoulder muscles. I like to do one set with hands out wide, then one set with hands at shoulder width, and then a final set with hands almost clasped together beneath me.
3) PLANK! An awesome core move that also comes with multiple variations. There's a straight plank, leg raised plank, arm raised plank, up and down plank... The list goes on and on.
4) JUMPING JACKS! Yep, the same moves you did in third grade will work for you now. Adding in a great cardio move like this during some strength training exercise helps rev up the metabolism and, frankly, cuts into any boredom you might be feeling.
Not everyone LOVES strength training so being able to switch it up some with cardio is a plus.
If you have a weak floor and your TV rattles or don't want to annoy the hotel guests staying in the room below yours, try this variation: Do side steps or step ups if you have stairs available, or throw punches like Mike Tyson. All three alternative moves are awesome and guaranteed to get the heart pumping more.
5) Full body move: the SQUAT THRUST! This is merely a squat that leads into a full out push-up position, and after you push up you stand up. Like Jumping Jacks, we've been doing squat thrusts since elementary school. It's a tremendous move that ties it all together!
Perform all five moves back-to-back with less than a minute rest between exercises, then go back and do the complete 5-move set all over again -- three times in total!
Keep the reps to about 12-15 each exercise each time. For the Plank, hold it as long as you can. Through your TV-viewing commercial break is always a good challenge.
This may not be the ideal routine for you but it will get you moving and get the heart pumping for a change of pace and a good challenge.
Remember, it's about consistency not perfection.
So keep moving, change it up and work with what you got.
Until next time... stay well!
Yup, that's right, I said it... you can do it anywhere.
Well, now that I have your attention, perhaps I need to clarify a little. When I say you can do it anywhere, I am talking about EXERCISE.
There are some really great simple moves that require no equipment so they are perfect for performing in front of the TV during Survivor or in a hotel room after the nightmare meeting you barely survived.
I call them THE BIG 5 because these moves hit all the major muscle groups. In a pinch, a short workout featuring these five moves goes a long way toward keeping you on track.
The Big 5
1) SQUATS! This exercise works the legs, works the core, and works the booty... enough said!
2) PUSH-UPS! I know these aren't fun ladies, but push-ups come in many forms. You can go from a full force push-up (the kind every military movie features during a basic training sequence) to modified (done with knees bent) to wall push-ups (performed against -- you guessed it -- a wall!).
Also, depending on hand placement, you can manipulate the emphasis of the exercise. Hands further out to the sides work the chest and back muscles. Hands closer together will key on the triceps and shoulder muscles. I like to do one set with hands out wide, then one set with hands at shoulder width, and then a final set with hands almost clasped together beneath me.
3) PLANK! An awesome core move that also comes with multiple variations. There's a straight plank, leg raised plank, arm raised plank, up and down plank... The list goes on and on.
4) JUMPING JACKS! Yep, the same moves you did in third grade will work for you now. Adding in a great cardio move like this during some strength training exercise helps rev up the metabolism and, frankly, cuts into any boredom you might be feeling.
Not everyone LOVES strength training so being able to switch it up some with cardio is a plus.
If you have a weak floor and your TV rattles or don't want to annoy the hotel guests staying in the room below yours, try this variation: Do side steps or step ups if you have stairs available, or throw punches like Mike Tyson. All three alternative moves are awesome and guaranteed to get the heart pumping more.
5) Full body move: the SQUAT THRUST! This is merely a squat that leads into a full out push-up position, and after you push up you stand up. Like Jumping Jacks, we've been doing squat thrusts since elementary school. It's a tremendous move that ties it all together!
Perform all five moves back-to-back with less than a minute rest between exercises, then go back and do the complete 5-move set all over again -- three times in total!
Keep the reps to about 12-15 each exercise each time. For the Plank, hold it as long as you can. Through your TV-viewing commercial break is always a good challenge.
This may not be the ideal routine for you but it will get you moving and get the heart pumping for a change of pace and a good challenge.
Remember, it's about consistency not perfection.
So keep moving, change it up and work with what you got.
Until next time... stay well!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
How to Motivate Your Loved Ones to Pursue A Healthylifestyle Without Upsetting Them
Recently I was asked this question, "How do you motivate the people closest to you to pursue a healthy lifestyle without upsetting them?" Great question, right? My initial reaction was that sometimes you really can't. A healthy lifestyle is a delicate topic and it is generally emotionally charged. No one wants to think about losing someone they love because they could have taken better care of themselves. Even I, as a health and wellness professional, have friends that rage against the machine. They smoke, are sedentary and eat horribly. It's not as if they don't know what I do for a living! I have tried on a number of occasions to tactfully approach the subject and generally the comments I get are, "Aren't you off tonight?", or "I'm not a client, you know...", or worse...you haven't met my friends and family...
Comments like these have led me to another approach...acceptance. I love my friends and my family and of course I want them to live the best healthy & well lives they can, but I cannot want it for them. They have to want it themselves. I have said time and again, if you push someone into wellness, even if they begin the exercise routines and try to eat better, without the emotional and mental commitment, the changes wont last. The person doesn't see the new changes as lifestyle improvements, they see them as tedious, hated chores and given a choice, no one does chores.
One piece of advice I would offer, is to lead by example. If you are leading a healthy life, perhaps your friends and loved ones will see the improvements in you and want some of the positive changes themselves.
One of the greatest client stories I was told was when a client told me that after working together for about 6 months she was approached by a neighbor who asked my client what she had been doing to look so terrific. My client answered by reviewing some of the fitness routines and goal setting techniques we worked on and the holistic food choices she was now making. Her neighbor simply smiled and told my client she inspired her to begin a walking routine of her own. My client was so happy, she had never realized she was an inspiration of that sort.
Her story reminded me that it isn't necessarily the way we speak of health & wellness but the way we live it...with hopes of having others join in it with us. Until next time, Be well.
Comments like these have led me to another approach...acceptance. I love my friends and my family and of course I want them to live the best healthy & well lives they can, but I cannot want it for them. They have to want it themselves. I have said time and again, if you push someone into wellness, even if they begin the exercise routines and try to eat better, without the emotional and mental commitment, the changes wont last. The person doesn't see the new changes as lifestyle improvements, they see them as tedious, hated chores and given a choice, no one does chores.
One piece of advice I would offer, is to lead by example. If you are leading a healthy life, perhaps your friends and loved ones will see the improvements in you and want some of the positive changes themselves.
One of the greatest client stories I was told was when a client told me that after working together for about 6 months she was approached by a neighbor who asked my client what she had been doing to look so terrific. My client answered by reviewing some of the fitness routines and goal setting techniques we worked on and the holistic food choices she was now making. Her neighbor simply smiled and told my client she inspired her to begin a walking routine of her own. My client was so happy, she had never realized she was an inspiration of that sort.
Her story reminded me that it isn't necessarily the way we speak of health & wellness but the way we live it...with hopes of having others join in it with us. Until next time, Be well.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Importance of Corporate Wellness
From the perspective of a wellness professional, to question the importance of corporate wellness seems silly. However, with that being said, most of the people involved in planning corporate wellness are not necessarily wellness professionals but business people trying to do what is best for their company. For this reason, I think it’s important to restate what positive impacts corporate wellness programs have for both business creating them and the employees participating in them. Corporate wellness makes good business both for the bottom line of the company as well as the health and wellbeing of their employees.
Corporate wellness from the business perspective allows companies to act proactively rather than reactively. Participation helps to assure that through specific wellness programs their employees begin to feel better and subsequently reduce health related absenteeism, workplace stress workplace turnover and in the long term reduce health care and workers compensation costs. In a recently published article by the Weight Control Information Network, the cost of overweight and obesity in the United States is 117 billion dollars. Yes 117 BILLION. That’s 61 billion for direct costs and 56 billion in indirect costs. Direct health care costs refer to preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services such as physician visits, medications, and hospital and nursing home care. Indirect costs are the value of wages lost by people unable to work because of illness or disability, as well as the value of future earnings lost by premature death. Businesses provide coverage for approx 64% of that money…that’s a lot of green to be shoulder by business owners. Imagine being able to reduce those expenses while creating a positive working environment.
For the employee, participation in workplace wellness programs can increase the employee’s health awareness, decrease employee absenteeism, foster a feeling of community amongst the employees and increase employee retention. Top down wellness has also been shown to be especially appreciated, showing a “lead by example” leadership mentality.
Acting proactively takes innovation and leadership. Too often we, as a society, play wait and see. This type of attitude has truly brought us to the brink of a true health crisis. Creating corporate wellness programs is a fantastic first step to initiating positive long lasting change.
Corporate wellness from the business perspective allows companies to act proactively rather than reactively. Participation helps to assure that through specific wellness programs their employees begin to feel better and subsequently reduce health related absenteeism, workplace stress workplace turnover and in the long term reduce health care and workers compensation costs. In a recently published article by the Weight Control Information Network, the cost of overweight and obesity in the United States is 117 billion dollars. Yes 117 BILLION. That’s 61 billion for direct costs and 56 billion in indirect costs. Direct health care costs refer to preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services such as physician visits, medications, and hospital and nursing home care. Indirect costs are the value of wages lost by people unable to work because of illness or disability, as well as the value of future earnings lost by premature death. Businesses provide coverage for approx 64% of that money…that’s a lot of green to be shoulder by business owners. Imagine being able to reduce those expenses while creating a positive working environment.
For the employee, participation in workplace wellness programs can increase the employee’s health awareness, decrease employee absenteeism, foster a feeling of community amongst the employees and increase employee retention. Top down wellness has also been shown to be especially appreciated, showing a “lead by example” leadership mentality.
Acting proactively takes innovation and leadership. Too often we, as a society, play wait and see. This type of attitude has truly brought us to the brink of a true health crisis. Creating corporate wellness programs is a fantastic first step to initiating positive long lasting change.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Novice Guide to Wellness
What exactly is wellness you ask? Well, no pun intended, the word wellness has been thrown about pretty often lately. Wellness seems to be the new fitness. Simply put, wellness is the connection between the body and mind. It is the process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence for both your physical and mental wellbeing. If we really want to complicate things we can add in your spiritual health as well. Clear as mud right?
In my life and in my wellness practice, wellness is simply peace. Peace for my body, peace for my mind and ultimately peace for my spirit. I think that’s simpler than along winded technical explanation. With my clients, I try to make things simple but there are a few key points we focus on:
• State of Body – Wellness for the body is truly a focus on improving and maintaining your machine to its best functioning capacity. I say machine because the truth is that our bodies only really need the proper environment to perform. Our bodies need fuel, rest and activity. We are well created, designed & engineered. We adapt, persevere and outperform our deepest limitations. In general, the pitfalls we sustain to our physical beings are our own creation. Mind made if you will. Stress, over indulgence and self punishment for example are all mind made things that we allow to impact our machines. Our bodies wouldn’t react if our minds didn’t first. Appreciate your physical abilities, whatever they are. Keeping yourself active and physical challenged to new depths will keep your machine in top working condition.
• State of Mind – We are as humans a complex cornucopia of thoughts, knowledge, feelings and emotions. So many things going on at once. Wellness of the mind involves balance. We will never ignore those things that make us human but rather need to recognize them and create a counterbalance of stress relievers and coping mechanisms. My clients focus on moments of positive attitude, gratitude and reflection. Very Zen, I know. Actually, it truly is just a shift from focusing on all the negative things to giving proper accolades to the good in life. As we can take notice in the positive, the negative seems smaller. This becomes rather a chain reaction in the mind. The moments that we take to calm our minds to the state where we can focus on positive practice helps us reset and recharge.
• State of Spirit – Spirit is harder to define. Spirit implies belief. Thing of it is, not everyone believes in something. Most people don’t really even believe in themselves. Spirit for me and my clients, simply, is the combination of the positive energy generated from the practice of wellness of the body and mind. It is the end result of feeling energized and alive. It is a state of emotional uplift and peace.
Lastly there is the Journey. I left this out earlier on purpose. To understand wellness is to understand the items above but most importantly, it is to understand that wellness and the pursuit of all those things we previously discussed, is a lifelong journey. While there may be a noted beginning as the day you recognize the need for change, there is no end. Wellness is an ever developing, ever changing path but a path very worth stepping on to.
Be Well and Enjoy the journey.
- Alicia
In my life and in my wellness practice, wellness is simply peace. Peace for my body, peace for my mind and ultimately peace for my spirit. I think that’s simpler than along winded technical explanation. With my clients, I try to make things simple but there are a few key points we focus on:
• State of Body – Wellness for the body is truly a focus on improving and maintaining your machine to its best functioning capacity. I say machine because the truth is that our bodies only really need the proper environment to perform. Our bodies need fuel, rest and activity. We are well created, designed & engineered. We adapt, persevere and outperform our deepest limitations. In general, the pitfalls we sustain to our physical beings are our own creation. Mind made if you will. Stress, over indulgence and self punishment for example are all mind made things that we allow to impact our machines. Our bodies wouldn’t react if our minds didn’t first. Appreciate your physical abilities, whatever they are. Keeping yourself active and physical challenged to new depths will keep your machine in top working condition.
• State of Mind – We are as humans a complex cornucopia of thoughts, knowledge, feelings and emotions. So many things going on at once. Wellness of the mind involves balance. We will never ignore those things that make us human but rather need to recognize them and create a counterbalance of stress relievers and coping mechanisms. My clients focus on moments of positive attitude, gratitude and reflection. Very Zen, I know. Actually, it truly is just a shift from focusing on all the negative things to giving proper accolades to the good in life. As we can take notice in the positive, the negative seems smaller. This becomes rather a chain reaction in the mind. The moments that we take to calm our minds to the state where we can focus on positive practice helps us reset and recharge.
• State of Spirit – Spirit is harder to define. Spirit implies belief. Thing of it is, not everyone believes in something. Most people don’t really even believe in themselves. Spirit for me and my clients, simply, is the combination of the positive energy generated from the practice of wellness of the body and mind. It is the end result of feeling energized and alive. It is a state of emotional uplift and peace.
Lastly there is the Journey. I left this out earlier on purpose. To understand wellness is to understand the items above but most importantly, it is to understand that wellness and the pursuit of all those things we previously discussed, is a lifelong journey. While there may be a noted beginning as the day you recognize the need for change, there is no end. Wellness is an ever developing, ever changing path but a path very worth stepping on to.
Be Well and Enjoy the journey.
- Alicia
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
5 Biggest Dieting Road Bumps... and 5 Ways to Steer Clear of Them
So you've started down the path to better health and weight. You have the best of intentions. You're cruising along and eating great food, getting lots of exercise, and totally enjoying how it makes you feel more energetic…
And then... BAM! You find yourself at a catered office party featuring buckets of chicken wings and tubs of potato salad.
This, my friends, is just one of the unavoidable road bumps that stand between you and your healthy destination.
Luckily, we can spot the road bumps ahead of time and have a plan of action for avoiding them.
The 5 Road Bumps
1) Office food
You and I both know that we only need to go one cubicle in any direction to be confronted by a cornucopia of sugar, fat and salt. In fact, as I write this, the candy bowl in the office directly behind me beckons.
What to do? Keep healthy snacks at your desk. If fact, if you keep healthy foods that you like close by you are less likely to need to wander around the office, looking for the 3 o'clock pick-me-up.
2) Dining out
I love restaurants. The trick is to know how to order the best of what they have, enjoy yourself and not regret every bite when you leave.
Focus on what you are really there for. If it's dinner, skip over the appetizers and focus on selecting a main course. Choose wisely. Fish is great. Whole wheat pasta is also good. Of course, be sure to make your plate heavy on the veggies.
Always focus on the whole foods on the menu and be sure to know and avoid the overly processed items.
If it’s lunch, request the lunch portion of the menu even if you don’t see it advertised and add as many greens as possible.
I know there's that dessert menu -- or worse yet, the dessert CART! -- that's going to come around at the end of the meal. Hey, if that's what you crave, it’s perfectly fine to give in every now and then. Just be sure to make that the exception rather than the rule.
If you've taken precautions to make healthy choices for your main meal, then dessert shouldn't a problem.
3) No time for exercise
It's the mother of all excuses. But face it, everyone has time. We all like to think we don't but when we look at our schedules chances are good we have made time for TV, for shopping, for carpools, for nights out, for meetings and for errands…
You've made time for all your other priorities. Now you need to make time for fitness. If we do not make time for fitness, we will need to make time for illness.
Start small and walk three times a day for 15 minutes at a shot. Build from there. You won't regret it.
4) Eating on the run
Fast food is king in our on-the-go society. We are the product (or maybe the victim) of eating for convenience. While we are all guilty of gobbling as we go, there are some steps we can take to make better choices.
If fast food is your only option, make the healthiest choices possible. Go grilled instead of fried, and hold the sauces and the cheese. Also, pad your meal with as many veggies as you can. Limit the soda and, as much as it may hurt, just say NO to fries.
On occasion, fast food is acceptable at best. But next time you eat it take a minute and think about how you really feel while you are tasting and chewing it, and then after you eat it. Can you honestly say you enjoyed it?
5) Food shopping on an empty stomach
Food shopping…what a great sport, huh? Okay, so let's treat shopping like a sport and go prepared. If you know ahead of time you will be out and about for the day, pack a small cooler and keep in the car stocked with water, nuts, fruit and maybe a snack bar or two.
That way, when you go food shopping on the way home, you won't be ravenous and overload your cart with poor choices that sounded so appealing at the time.
Also, be sure to make a list and stick to it!
Until next time, be well!
Alicia
And then... BAM! You find yourself at a catered office party featuring buckets of chicken wings and tubs of potato salad.
This, my friends, is just one of the unavoidable road bumps that stand between you and your healthy destination.
Luckily, we can spot the road bumps ahead of time and have a plan of action for avoiding them.
The 5 Road Bumps
1) Office food
You and I both know that we only need to go one cubicle in any direction to be confronted by a cornucopia of sugar, fat and salt. In fact, as I write this, the candy bowl in the office directly behind me beckons.
What to do? Keep healthy snacks at your desk. If fact, if you keep healthy foods that you like close by you are less likely to need to wander around the office, looking for the 3 o'clock pick-me-up.
2) Dining out
I love restaurants. The trick is to know how to order the best of what they have, enjoy yourself and not regret every bite when you leave.
Focus on what you are really there for. If it's dinner, skip over the appetizers and focus on selecting a main course. Choose wisely. Fish is great. Whole wheat pasta is also good. Of course, be sure to make your plate heavy on the veggies.
Always focus on the whole foods on the menu and be sure to know and avoid the overly processed items.
If it’s lunch, request the lunch portion of the menu even if you don’t see it advertised and add as many greens as possible.
I know there's that dessert menu -- or worse yet, the dessert CART! -- that's going to come around at the end of the meal. Hey, if that's what you crave, it’s perfectly fine to give in every now and then. Just be sure to make that the exception rather than the rule.
If you've taken precautions to make healthy choices for your main meal, then dessert shouldn't a problem.
3) No time for exercise
It's the mother of all excuses. But face it, everyone has time. We all like to think we don't but when we look at our schedules chances are good we have made time for TV, for shopping, for carpools, for nights out, for meetings and for errands…
You've made time for all your other priorities. Now you need to make time for fitness. If we do not make time for fitness, we will need to make time for illness.
Start small and walk three times a day for 15 minutes at a shot. Build from there. You won't regret it.
4) Eating on the run
Fast food is king in our on-the-go society. We are the product (or maybe the victim) of eating for convenience. While we are all guilty of gobbling as we go, there are some steps we can take to make better choices.
If fast food is your only option, make the healthiest choices possible. Go grilled instead of fried, and hold the sauces and the cheese. Also, pad your meal with as many veggies as you can. Limit the soda and, as much as it may hurt, just say NO to fries.
On occasion, fast food is acceptable at best. But next time you eat it take a minute and think about how you really feel while you are tasting and chewing it, and then after you eat it. Can you honestly say you enjoyed it?
5) Food shopping on an empty stomach
Food shopping…what a great sport, huh? Okay, so let's treat shopping like a sport and go prepared. If you know ahead of time you will be out and about for the day, pack a small cooler and keep in the car stocked with water, nuts, fruit and maybe a snack bar or two.
That way, when you go food shopping on the way home, you won't be ravenous and overload your cart with poor choices that sounded so appealing at the time.
Also, be sure to make a list and stick to it!
Until next time, be well!
Alicia
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