National Nutrition Month

Did you know March is National Nutrition Month?

Most people know that eating well is important for maintaining a healthy weight, having energy and having a healthy life in general, but accomplishing this is a challenge for many of us.

During National Nutrition Month®, the American Dietetic Association reminds everyone that an easy way to focus on eating better is to start with the basics: build your nutritional health from the ground up.

“By starting slowly and giving yourself a good foundation, you can work towards a healthier life,” says registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Toby Smithson. “Change doesn’t have to be dramatic to make a difference.”

Smithson suggests ways to improve your nutrition from the ground up:
1.Focus on fruits and veggies: “Take a good look at your current diet and you’ll probably realize you’re not eating enough fruits or vegetables,” says Smithson. “Add a serving each day to one meal and increase it every few weeks. Adding more of these foods into your diet is important whether you buy frozen, fresh or organic.”
2.Look locally: From farmer’s markets to community-supported agriculture, you have many options to find new, fresh foods in your area. “This can be a great way to eat well and support your community at the same time,” Smithson says.
3.Make calories count: “Too often, people think of foods as good or bad and that only those on the ‘good foods’ list are okay to eat,” says Smithson. “When you’re choosing between options, focus instead on the one with more of the vitamins and nutrients that you need. Sometimes, foods with fewer calories aren’t always the healthiest options.” To figure out how many calories you need to achieve a healthy weight, visit www.mypyramid.gov.
4.Test your taste buds: A healthy eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy and includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans and nuts. “Those are the basics, but within this wide range there are always opportunities to try new things and find new favorites,” Smithson says. “Expand your horizons. Try a fish you’ve never eaten before or find a new vegetable recipe. By testing yourself, you might find new healthy favorites to add to your regular grocery list.”
5.Trick yourself with treats: “A healthful diet doesn’t mean deprivation,” says Smithson. “If you have a sweet tooth, have fruit and yogurt for dessert. If you want a snack in the afternoon, have some trail mix or nuts. There is no reason to go hungry just because you’re making healthful changes.”
For more tips on building your healthful diet from the ground up, during National Nutrition Month and all year long, visit www.eatright.org and click on “For the Public.”

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Recipe of the Month
Whip up some tasty barbecue sauce with our super-simple recipe. Combine shredded chicken and serve on whole wheat hamburger buns for a yummy main dish. Not only is prep a snap, but the sandwiches are low in fat and a great source of protein.


Pulled Chicken Sandwiches


6 sandwiches
Start to Finish: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 recipe Barbecue Sauce (see below)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
Red onion slices (optional)
Dill pickle spears (optional)

Directions
Prepare Barbecue Sauce. Add shredded chicken to sauce. Heat through, stirring frequently. Serve on split buns. If desired, serve with red onion slices and dill pickle spears.
Barbecue Sauce: In a medium saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add one 8-ounce can tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon honey or heat-stable granular sugar substitute (Splenda). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe: 6 sandwiches
Calories 254
Total Fat (g) 8
Saturated Fat (g) 2
Cholesterol (mg) 42
Sodium (mg) 539
Carbohydrate (g) 27
Fiber (g) 1
Protein (g) 19
Source: www.hearthealthyonline.com

What have you done to make yourself proud?

O.K., it's 2010...... new decade...... blah blah blah, yada yada yada. We've all heard it before."time to make your new years resolutions." Lose weight, start exercising, be on time,etc. Same old same old. And oh ya, it's a new decade.... so no pressure there!
Take a deep breath...relax..... it's not a big deal unless you make it one. I think it's time to dump the internal voice that shouts in your ear,"this is gonna be the year I'm going to"___________________(fill in the blank). Listen folks, everyday you get a "do over" as Cleveland Clinic's Dr.Roizen puts it. We don't collectively have to make those decisions and take action only at the beginning of the year. Sure for some people it represents a starting point and it can be extremely helpful. However, you can pick any starting point you'd like. If you are alive and breathing and I assume you are if you're reading this blog, then decide for yourself what makes the most sense for you! Every minute of the day we get to choose our thoughts. The light bulb can turn on over your head at any point in your life. But here's something to think about for the New Year. Don't waste your life wondering how great you could have been, or how many people could have been helped by your actions, or what kind of wonderful business you coud have created that put others to work. Don't die "wondering" Don't leave this world with your potential untapped. If you do decide to make resolutions this year, my suggestion is to resolve to do something everyday that makes you feel proud. It doesn't have to be a grandious gesture............God is found in the details of life. I guarantee it will change how you feel about yourself. If you make this a goal, write it down, place it where you'll see it often as a reminder--by the way --this works for all goals--it will heighten your awareness and you'll start seeing more opportunities to take action steps to do the things that make you feel proud.
And lest you thought I forgot, true to my nature as a wellness coach (see title of my blog) it's still my duty to remind you ---no excuses!-30 min of cardio today!!!! "whack" that's the sound of my whip cracking.

Appropriately titled "Giving Thanks"

I know, ..............you've heard it so many times, every year around this holiday we're reminded how important it is to give thanks. Let me apologize in advance for sounding cynical but it's pretty much in our faces. You'd have to be living on another planet to not know about our holiday of Thanksgiving and how we celebrate it here in the US. By the way, Canada has their own version, but it's not celebrated at the same time of year nor to my knowledge, in the same exact way.

That fact aside, I'm going to pose this question to you,....are you only aware of your thankfulness one day a year?

I'm going to put this challenge out. See if you can be thankful for something 365 days for 2010.

Let me be clear, everyday, at least one time during the day, you should be saying "thank you" for the gift of "whatever". Why do I say whatever? Because, it's not always the obvious things we should be thankful for. Yes we're thankful for the love and good health of family and friends. We're thankful for our jobs and a roof over our heads, money in the bank (if your lucky!) food in our pantries, cars in our garages. I'm sure you can come up with a list of your own. But here's something to think about. It's easy to be thankful for the obvious good fortunes that happen to us. It's not so easy to be thankful for the lessons in life which are not usually as kind.

For example, have you ever thought about being thankful for the person that cut in front of you in the movie line? Or cut you off while driving on the freeway? How about being grateful for a rude clerk at the mall? Insanity you say!!!??? I say not. O.k. I know these aren't exactly tragedies, but when these trivial things happen to us, it reminds us that life is.......... what it is. Reality is only our perception. When the world doesn't go our way we get frustrated, angry, combative even. Guess what, it's not suppossed to always go our way. Be thankful for these reminders that we have control over how we respond to inconveniences and nasty annoyances. Be thankful that these are opportunities to strengthen our character, increase our resiliency and test our integrity. We need to have the ying and the yang to appreciate the good, the inner beauty that is us. Instead of getting annoyed when things don't go the way you planned, be grateful and look for the opportunity that exists for you. There's always something to be grateful for...it's your job to seek it out.
So challenge yourself to find the not so ordinary events to be thankful for. I promise, they will make you a better human being and a much nicer person to live with!
Happy Thanksgiving!

My First Blog

My first blog, my first tweet, .................my boys first week of school. I don't know,...... maybe it's my kids going back to school that has inspired me. I think I'm a little jealous that they get a "fresh start." New school, new teachers, new clothes!! As I watched my older son Jordan drive off in his "new-used car" (there's that "new" word again) with my younger son Logan in tow and no he wasn't towing him really,... it's an expression! (he was in the car!) I was thinking there they go......... off to new adventures and here I am as I walk into my house facing the " same old- same old"



So I decided to set off on my own adventure. An adventure into the world of blogging and tweeting. It seems like every time I turn on the radio, or the TV or eavesdrop ..I mean overhear accidentally....someone is talking about this tweeting and blogging stuff. So today I decided to join the ranks of the tweeter and bloggers-throw all caution to the wind and start tweeting and blogging. I have know clue what I'm doing -not that unusual for me but at least I'm giving it a shot.
I guess if I had to have a theme for my blog, the theme for today would be for all of you reading this to try something new. Stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone........ just for today and do something different. And who knows, maybe you'll discover a talent you never knew you had or break through a barrier that was keeping you from accomplishing a goal. Just embrace your perpetual "kid-ness" that's hiding beneath the surface of your adult exterior and go do something different......... Why should our kids have all the fun?