Just say 'no'...

If you have ever perused those articles titled something like: '16 steps to simplify your life' or 'how to de-stress your life in 8 easy steps' you will inevitable come across the suggestion: Just say no.

'Just say no' meaning learn it's ok to just say no to situations, projects or events that will end up overburdening your schedule, your mind, your stress level and everything in between. We are an over-booked society where even our kids don't have down time because they are too busy going to school, followed by a rushed dinner, then off to some sort of practice, then homework every single day. Not to mention, some parents sign their kids up for multiple teams/extra-cirricular activities so they are always doing this schedule all year round - then weekends are taken up with games, recitals, classes...too much, is too much.

I do not have kids but over the past year or two I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have a low stress threshold. Something's gotta give. So, (reflecting back on the past year +) after the hub-bub of wedding planning, on top of Relay for Life team planning, followed by 'Fair-time' at work...I decided that for one year, I would say 'No' to anything extra and just try to simplify my schedule and my to-do list, with the exception of a new job. You see, I have the habit of coming up with these "great ideas" which throws me head-long into a project or situation that requires more focus, attention, time and patience than I usually have. But I just can't say no... (hence why a '2 hour scarf' knitting pattern will literally take me 9 months - theres other things to do!)

The first time I went against this 'say no' thing was when I started this blog  :) (Negative 1 point for the project already...)

Then the new job I got turned out to be a full-time position with an hour and a half round-trip commute. Now I really needed all the extra time and sleep I could afford. *On a side note, to all you ladies out there who work full time, I salute you. And for all you out there working full time with more than a hour and a half round-trip commute...I think you're crazy...*

I had interviewed for a part time position as event monitor 9 months ago and was offered the position! Way exciting to me, side work in events! Buuuuut...I had to say no....with some helpful prompting of my husband. Sigh...score one for me...

Plus I decided at the beginning of this that since I was cleaning out my schedule and to-do list, I may as well clean out the house. Cull all the extra crud that makes messes around the house. I got through a bunch of stuff, but still...I'm surrounded by mess and have no energy to deal with it. This sucks.

Also getting cleaned up is my email inbox. I'm down to 530 messages in it! Woo hoo! (Down from over 1,600 just a couple months ago.)

Now, I'm still trying to get used to this 'full-time work' business with a little commuting and all of a sudden my nights and weekends are getting filled with things to do! But I have to have a life, right?? What's a girl to do? I crave my me time and my sleep...but I like to have money to buy groceries with...sigh, I guess there's NO compromise. Hehe, that counts as a no, right? >:)

So, I'm jumping back on the bandwagon, shuffling through my schedule, my finances, and my clutter in an attempt to simplify my life. I picture myself being as happy as those centenarians I've seen featured in the Blue Zones books and videos. Happy, lower stress, healthy, simple living. These people often live in the hills without much! All my stuff makes me stressed and I refuse to be a hoarder - not just in items around my house, but in items clogging up my mental space.

So far, in the few opportunities I have actually done this, I feel both freed, and like a failure. In this society being busy is GOOD! Being over-busy = BETTER! But I have resolved to (as the Duggers say it) live like no onelse now, so that I can live like no onelse later.

How bout you? Does this sound like something you need in your own life? Or do you think this is just plain laziness?

5 Day Husband Project Giveaway Winner!

So the 5 days are up, how did it go?
I know my hubby loved it, even though he knew what was going on by the end of each night. (The perils of having a public blog!)

It was perfect timing because right after completing Project 5 - he left for a whole weekend of camping! So I feel like I had the opportunity to send him off into the wilderness feeling loved ;) And after all that 'work' I got my own reward of having the house to myself! hehe! (Only-child tendencies = love for alone time)

I loved reading everyone's responses to the projects! It sounds like I'm not the only one with a happy hubby after the project. Thanks to Kathi Lipp, I have been given the book The Husband Project to giveaway to one of my readers! Yay! I only wish I had one for everyone. :( But since I don't I went to random.org to have a number picked, based on comment entries. And the winner is....Carisa Bowen! Congratulations!

I highly recommend checking this book out! You can check it out on Amazon, or I hear Borders is still having some pretty good going-out-of-business sales! ;)

I look forward to continuing the project, and hopefully updating you guys on the progress! In the mean time, it's time to step away from the computer, go find your husband, look him in the eye and say "I love you and I am so proud of you for everything you do" and then kiss him like you mean it! Go do it now! :)

Short description of The Husband Project

Do you feel like your marriage has gone from "I do" to "What did I do?" Recapture the romance that made you and your husband fall in love in the first place. The Husband Project provides 21 days of fun activities to show love and honor to your husband.  Kathi Lipp will help you discover:

• Proven ways to return fun and flirting to your marriage.
• Inner assurance to meet your husband’s unspoken emotional needs.
• Increased confidence when it comes to meeting your husbands sexual needs.
• New levels of warmth and tenderness in your relationship.
• A deeper sense of security with your husband.
• A greater ability to boost your husband’s belief in himself.

If you enjoyed this project, hop on over to one of my favorite blogs Women Living Well for her Make Your Home a Haven fall challenge!

Day #5 - E-flirt.com

Project #5

E-flirt.com

Text or E-mail Some Sweet Nothings

“I turn on my computer. I wait patiently as it connects. I go online. My breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words, “You’ve got Mail.” I hear nothing, not a sound on the streets of New York. Just the beat of my own heart… I have mail, from you.”
Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kennedy in “You’ve Got Mail

Your Project
Send a flirty text or e-mail to your husband.

Getting Creative

• Use an e-card service (hallmark.com or americangreetings.com) to send a cute and flirty note.
• Don’t know how to text? Ask any teenager in the general vicinity.
• Most phones have a camera feature where you can send a photo message. Be sure to keep it G rated so that he doesn’t get in trouble at work. ;)

How it went…

It’s not uncommon for my husband and I to text love messages, but I think any reason is a good reason to text more love! I've done this a couple times this week with no response - but he's been busy working. So I nailed him with a 'love you!' on facebook today. :) One thing is for certain, whether he replies or not, I feel there's some sort of benefit of just sending him good love vibes. (Often times he replies with a 'love you too'...if he didn't beat me to the punch and text me first!) These back and forth messages also can take place over facebook. Show your husband you love him in front of all your friends and family! (if that's not too much cyber PDA)

What did you do?

After you complete this project, come back and post your name and your results for Project #5 below, every time you post your results to a project you're entered to win a copy of The Husband Project! For additional entries, post your results after each project. (i.e. you can enter to win up to 5 times by posting your results on every project) At the end of the project I will pick a winner at random Sunday 9/25 evening.


And don't forget to post what you did on Project #4!

Project #4 - Heart vs. Stomach

Project #4

Heart vs. Stomach

A Treat Just for Him

"Any woman who thinks the way to a man's heart is through his stomach is aiming about 10 inches too high." - Adrienne E. Gusoff

Actually, that quote may be more suited for one of the bonus projects…

 "You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans."
-Ronald Reagan

Your Project:
Get a food treat for your husband that he’s not required to share with you or any other family member.

Getting Creative
Stumped for ideas? Here are some thoughts:

• Get his favorite pint of Ben & Jerry’s and hide it behind the frozen chicken. Even if you buy it on Tuesday, you’ll have it ready and waiting for his special night later in the week.
• Is there a certain cut of meat that your husband loves? How about having the butcher cut something just for him? Most supermarkets will even do the marinade for you – one less thing to think about.
• Is there a certain candy that your husband loves from his childhood? Check out www.candywarehouse.com. They have all the nostalgic candy you could want (Black Jack Gum, anyone?) while also carrying any modern favorite you could be looking for.
• Does your husband’s family love a special dish? Learn how to make this special dish just for him.
• My guy loves the smell of baking almost as much as he enjoys eating the treat. Have some brownies in the oven when he gets home from work or working out. (I know, it negates the workout, but isn’t chocolate always worth it?)
• Our friend Scott mentioned that he loves cranberry sauce, but eats it only at Thanksgiving. His wife intentionally made the holiday treat for him this past July.
• Are you a wife who is an expert at low-cal salads and other forms of chick-food? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Man Food at www.kathilipp.com for ideas

How it went…

My husband is fairly easy to please when it comes to food. (Thank goodness because I’m not a great cook by nature!) But one special treat that I love to surprise him with is peanut butter cup treats. Not only is this his favorite treat, I know his favorite way of eating it is frozen. Since it’s getting closer to Halloween there is an abundance of candy out, including peanut butter pumpkins! So you know I had to get one (or more) for him. I love the smile on his face when he finds the little nuggets of goodness hiding out in the freezer. :)

What did you do?

After you complete this project, come back and post your name and results for Project #4 below, every time you post your results to a project you're entered to win a copy of The Husband Project! For additional entries, post your results after each project. (i.e. you can enter to win up to 5 times by posting your results on every project) At the end of the project I will pick a winner at random Sunday evening 9/25.

And don't forget to post what you did on Project #3!

Project #3 - Spreading Great Gossip

Project #3
You da’ Man

Spreading Great Gossip About Your Guy

“It isn’t what they say about you, it’s what they whisper.” Errol Flynn

 I’m not the whispering kind. If I think something, I’m going to say it or I’m going to shout it.

“My husband rocks!”

Your Project:
Say something nice about your husband to someone else. Make sure you tell him what you said, and to whom.


Getting Creative
Who are the important people in your husband’s life? Your kids, his parents, his friends? Be intentional about who you chat with when you brag on him – it’s almost as important as actually doing it.

Having a hard time coming up with something? I still brag on my guy for things he did years ago. And I highly encourage bragging about your husband in front of your kids, they will have a great example of building up people/friends/future spouses with kind words and they will learn how to treat their parents - with respect and admiration!

Here are some areas to think about when crafting your brag:

• His parenting skills
• His patience level
• The way he treats your mom
• His culinary ability
• His job
• His loyalty to you

How it went…

I must say that I love promoting my husband. Being married to someone as awesome as my honey, I can’t help it! ;) I did get the opportunity at work to tell my new co-workers how great my husband is at cooking. He’s quite clever at cooking without a recipe and having it come out tasting better than the restaurant. Plus, he’s a gluten-free friendly chef! I am not one to shy away from saying such things to others in front of him either and he loves to take those opportunities to talk about his love of cooking. Fortunate wife? Yes I am. I also love how if a challenge ever arises, like we’re all set to grill and we realize, uh-oh out of propane! He is able to quickly come up with a delicious alternative cooking method – way better than my ideas of pulling out the Foreman grill too! It makes me proud to share my husband’s talents with the world and it in turn re-enforces his confidence. A win-win!

Chef Hubby

My hubby's AWESOME bacon turkey creation!
Reminds me of Epic Meal Time!
(You just have to watch it...)

And today just so happens to be our 4 month anniversary! Yay! :)

What did you do?

After you complete this project, come back and post your name and results for Project #3 below, every time you post your results to a project you’re entered to win a copy of The Husband Project! For additional entries, post your results after each project. (i.e. you can enter to win up to 5 times by posting your results on every project) At the end of the project I will pick a winner at random Sunday 9/25 evening.

And don't forget to post what you did on Project #2!

Project #2 – Back In The Day

Project #2

Back in the Day

Do Something He Enjoyed Before You Got Married

“Lust is easy.  Love is hard.  Like is most important.”  ~ Carl Reiner

I love this quote. I once heard a husband who had been married to his wife for over 50 years say, “It’s great if you love your spouse, but love can fluctuate throughout time. To make a marriage last, you have to like the person.” Do you like your husband?

Your Project:

Initiate an activity that your partner used to love. Whether it’s his favorite hobby, sport, or pastime, it’s time for you to get involved – be his buddy today.

Getting Creative

• Many a man’s hobby has gone by the wayside due to matrimony. Is it possible that it’s time you learned to golf or fly fish? Don’t try to beat him, just join him.
• Possibly the only thing your husband would enjoy more than playing chess with you is teaching you how to play chess.  Ask for a lesson so he can teach you something that he is an expert at (or really loves). Just your willingness to learn will be a huge boost to your guy.
• Pick up a magazine about your guy’s now dormant hobby. Ask him questions about why he loves it so much. Learn a couple of technical terms so that you are better able to discuss it.
• Do a little research. Find out what the definitive website is on your husband’s favorite subject. Maybe there’s an event in town, a lecture to attend, or a game to watch.

How it went…

I am all for my husband hanging with his guy friends. Yes, we’re still newlyweds and don’t have kids, but I think it’s good for each of us to spend time with our friends and by ourselves to keep ourselves balanced. I can’t wait to see how we can balance that as time goes on.

Some of his hobbies have gone dormant, but a new one has evolved. Brewing! Yup, my honey has started brewing his own beer – a very ‘guy’ hobby. It’s something he can enjoy with his friends and I got involved!

See all those pretty caps? I put them on! Yay! It just so happened to be time to move the brew into the bottles to carbonate and I helped my husband by capping each of the 48 beer bottles! It was fun!

My husband enjoys doing things together, and working on his hobby as a couple made our time together that much more enjoyable. I’d like to think he enjoyed it more than just another set of hands to help out. ;)

What did you do?

After you complete this project, come back and post your name and your results for Project #2 below, every time you post your results to a project you're entered to win a copy of The Husband Project! For additional entries, post your results after each project. (i.e. you can enter to win up to 5 times by posting your results on every project) At the end of the project I will pick a winner at random Sunday 9/25 evening.


And don't forget to post what you did on Project #1!

Project #1 – 30 Minutes

So, after a false start over the weekend, let's jump into the 5 Day Husband Project!

 

Project #1

30 Minutes is All it Takes

Create Some Free Time When He Gets Home

“There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”
~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

Your Project

Focus on your husband's transitional 30 minutes today. Would he like to be left alone to rest and rejuvenate, or does he want some undivided attention from you? This doesn't mean you have to meet him at the door with a martini and a fresh batch of cookies and become June Cleaver (at least not all the time). The point is to let your husband know you value what he does out in the world, and that he has a safe loving place to come home and get refreshed at the end of the day.

Getting Creative
There are plenty of reasons why it might not be easy for you to give your husband or significant other some transition time at the end of the day. You need to look at what can work for your relationship. Be creative, like the stories listed below. Brainstorm with your friends until you find a situation that will work for you and your guy. Some ideas include:

• One wife purposely scheduled her daughter’s dance classes twice a week at the same hour that her husband gets home from work. That way, her hubby comes home to an empty house. He gets some quiet, and she gets a more peaceful man.

• One husband has his workshop out in the garage. His wife encourages him to go and hang out there for a while before dinner. (Since starting this arrangement, her husband has started helping out with the after-dinner clean up. Nice side benefit.)

• Crockpots are The Husband Project’s best friend. Set your crockpot to be finished thirty minutes after your husband gets home from work. Let him know that you don’t need anything until dinner is ready. Don’t know a crockpot from a flower pot? Check out the recipes in The Ultimate Guide to Man Food at www.kathilipp.com

• Does your husband already have a great transition routine after getting home? Find some other little thing to bless that time. Maybe it’s making sure the TV is available, his favorite sweats are clean and ready to be changed into, or there’s a cold soda waiting for him in the fridge. It may be so small that he doesn’t even notice. That’s okay – you’ll know what you did.

• What if your husband works from home? Maybe the best way to help him relax is to ask what he would like the schedule to be. Does he want dinner before or after he gets some time to recharge? Ask him what would make his night better.

How it went…

So this is a little different for my own situation. I just started a full-time job which I commute 45 minutes home from and my hubby works largely from home right now. So since there is no real transition time for him, upon arriving home I make it a point in the 30 minute time after I come home to ask about his day and show how interested and appreciative I am of what he has done. And a big thing is to pay more attention to the hubby than the puppy! Plus, I try to have dinner already planned out, so neither of us is frustrated trying to think of what’s for dinner which makes us a little more calm in the evenings. My honey is very happy to show me all that he has accomplished and enjoys the break from working mostly by himself. I’m always so proud when he shows me what he’s accomplished – even the little things!

What did you do?

After you complete this project, come back and post your results for Project #1 below, every time you post your results to a project, you're entered to win a copy of The Husband Project! For additional entries, post your results after each project. (i.e. you can enter to win up to 5 times by posting your results on every project) Put your name in your post so I can notify you in my giveaway winner announcement post! At the end of the project I will pick a winner at random Sunday 9/25 evening.

Get Ready, Get Set…

So, I totally was gearing up to start the 5 Day Husband Project this weekend, thinking of what I wanted to do, getting all excited – and then realized that project #1 is better suited for a weekday! Lol! And in my desire to stick to the order given in the book, I’m going to start tomorrow (Monday) and today I’m going to intro the project and the giveaway!

 

So, here is the 5 Day Husband Project that I am doing and would like all of you to join me in! No, it doesn’t have to do with making a project list for your husband to do (sorry!), but rather it’s some fun projects for wives (or girlfriends/partners/whatever) to do for our special someone to bring fun back into the relationship!

 

I first saw this as part of the book The Husband Project and thought this would be a perfect project for my readers to follow along with! The book is aimed at those who may feel like their marriage has gone from "I do" to "What did I do?" but as a newlywed I see this as a great opportunity to keep the fun going!

 

Regardless of the point in your relationship, this helps recapture the romance that made you and your husband fall in love in the first place. This 5 day project is a snippet of The Husband Project which provides 21 days of fun activities to show love and honor to your husband and return fun and flirting to your marriage. Plus, it’s affordable! Most of the projects take less than 5 minutes or 5 dollars. (Cha-ching!)

 

I think this project is either great for a time when you want to spice-it-up a bit, or perhaps a great way to celebrate Valentines Day all February long, or maybe make his birthDAY into a birthMONTH! I’m sure he won’t mind!

 

So, how does The Husband Project work?

The Husband Project is like a workout program for your marriage – only with less sweat and more chocolate. You commit to do fun and flirty things to raise the temperature of your marriage – everything from flirty notes to more lingerie in the bedroom. It is a little bit of work – and a whole lot of fun.

 

(Note, if you get the book, do the bonus projects! Bonus Projects are the PG13 part of The Project. They are once a week assignments to have sex with your husband. (I know you won’t be surprised to find out these are the husband’s favorite projects.))

 

As the author says, keep The Husband Project a secret from their guy. Not that you should keep anything from your husband – that is just bad marriage management. But I think The Husband Project should be the exception. You probably wouldn’t upset if your husband threw you a surprise party – this is the same type of situation!

 

How to win the book

Thanks to author Kathi Lipp, one of my lucky readers will win a copy of The Husband Project! All you have to do is follow along my 5 day project and post your results after completing a project on one of the project days – his reaction, your reaction, etc. For additional entries, post your results to more than one project on the respective project day. (i.e. you can enter to win up to 5 times by posting your results on every project) At the end of the project I will pick a winner at random Sunday 9/25 evening.

You can actually search the book, or buy it on Amazon.

So think about what you might have in store for your Mr. and I’ll see ya tomorrow!

Create Some Free Time When He Gets Home

Do Something He Enjoyed Before You Got Married

You da’ Man – Spreading Great Gossip About Your Guy

Heart vs. Stomach – A Treat Just For Him

E-flirt.com – Text Or Email Some Sweet Nothings

 

Diane

Projects & Giveaway!

Check out how quickly my broccoli and cauliflower seeds have sprouted!

It may not be the best picture, but it’s still always amazing planting a seed and watching it grow. This coming weekend I hope to transplant the seedlings into the ground so they can really expand into the fresh produce department I hope them to be!

Also coming up over this weekend I will be starting a 5 day husband project that I would LOVE for you to join me in! It's inspired by Kathi Lipp’s book The Husband Project – a copy of which I will be giving away to one of my lucky readers! 
So stay tuned, this is going to be fun!

Diane

Fruits and Veggies - Did I Eat Any Today?

Grow!

I just planted a BUNCH of broccoli and cabbage. Right about now is a good time to plant for a fall harvest in my neck of the woods. Growing your own fruits and veggies is a great frugal way to get more produce in the house and in your belly! But do you know how many servings of fruits and vegetables you should eat each day?

Why

These foods contain important vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber and antioxidants and are usually low in calories.

Munching on more fruits and vegetables is advocated by The American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, The American Diabetes Association, is advocated in the blue zones for longevity and is supported by many diet programs like Jenny Craig for weight loss. In order to help promote longevity, stave off obesity, help prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease - head to the produce department! One stop shopping to help prevent a number of concerns!

I even read an article the other day about some doctors turning to vegetable prescriptions to stave off diabetes and obesity - imagine that! Nutrition over prescription becoming a focus in the doctor's office! It's about time!

Recommendations
The standard recommendation is 5 half cup servings per day. The USDA has recently replaced the classic food pyramid with their MyPlate program for dietary recommendations. Now they recommend filling 1/2 your plate with fruits and veggies (but they also break down daily needs in terms of cups too). This makes it much easier!

The CDC has also specified how many cups of fruits and veggies an individual should have in a day, based on gender, age and activity. Check out their calculator here and see how much you should get. It says I personally need to eat about 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables throughout each day. Awesome. Now what does a cup look like on my plate??

What it looks like
Chow.com has a great visual pdf that I recommend you check out here. For me, a cup of fruit ends up being approximately how much I can completely cover/hold using both my hands. 2 plums, 8 strawberries, 1 bell pepper, 1 tomato, 1 ear of corn, a portion of cucumber the length of your smart phone, a couple medium carrots (they almost cover a $1 bill - for visualization). For cooked or chopped veggies at home, go ahead and pull out the measuring cups. It's not weird!

Put it into Action

Now the question is, how do I work that into my day?? It may or may not sound easy to add much fruits or vegetables to your daily diet but I have been surprised as to how often I can go without having had a single serving of fruit or vegetables in a day.

And though it's tempting to count it - I personally wouldn't make my count using deep fried veggies, veggies absolutely smothered in cheese or fruit totally coated in corn syrup.

Ideas that help me:

• Buy the individual cups of applesauce (natural style - no corn syrup please) to throw in your lunch bag, or to munch on with breakfast. Going frugal? Buy the larger economical container and portion into reusable containers ready for grab-and-go.
• When eating out, keep in mind which dishes contain more veggies as you make your decision. Plus you can often ask for steamed vegetables as a side instead of whatever comes with the dish you've chosen.
• Smoothies! My favorite is toss in 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt into the blender, then blend, baby blend!
• Sunsweet Ones prunes - individually wrapped so you can throw some in your bag and munch anytime. Just 5 = a serving!
• Add veggie purees to dishes you cook at home - see The Sneaky Chef - doing things like adding pureed carrots to the mac n cheese makes fitting in a few extra ounces of veggies delicious and kid approved!
• Juice! There is a slight debate over the nutrient quality of pasteurized juices vs. fresh-made juices, however I think that if you're just trying to get in the habit of having more fruits and vegetables throughout the day - convenience is key. Once it becomes second-nature to look for these nutrition jewels throughout the day, it could be time to consider the fresh juice option for yourself. Just make sure that when you get pre-made juice that it's 100% juice.
• Keep snack-sized fruit and veggies in a bowl at eye level in your fridge. That way when you're just looking for something to munch on, or maybe something sweet, those baby carrots or juicy strawberries might tempt you into another serving!
• Make one of your daily snacks a fruit
• Have a glass of 100% fruit or vegetable juice with a meal
• I love to make Virgin Mary drinks - tomato juice and celery with a few seasonings makes a delicious couple servings of veggies!
• Add 1/4 cup of dried fruit to your salad (which is already about a cup of veggies!) topped with light dressing or vinaigrette of course.

My personal thought is err on the side of more. If your wondering if that is enough steamed broccoli on your plate, grab another florette. Is that enough juice in my glass? Add another splash. Just do it. Your body will love you for it.

I'm always looking for great new recipes to try, looking for fun and unique meal ideas. However, in a pinch (one of those 'what do you want to eat?' 'I don't know, what do you want to eat?' kind of nights) our house tends to gravitate toward a meal of grilled meat, steamed vegetables and some rice/potato/pasta/whatever I can find. My favorite places to find great new vegetable recipes for free is either online or at the library. Search for vegetarian recipes and cookbooks, or search by food item to score a great recipe that features a particular vegetable!

If you're looking to lose a little weight, but aren't sure where to start, my personal recommendation is to start looking at the quality of what you eat - before you start thinking about cutting out entire food groups or heading for 'diet' box meal items. A great start is to see how much produce you really are squeezing into every meal. They aren't always calorie free, but they are usually more worth the calories they do provide plus they are loaded with nutrients!

Stay tuned to see how, or if, my garden grows!

Diane

Taste Test Thursday!

So as you may or may not know, I love foods with good, quality ingredients. Today I had the opportunity to try a new natural product called Svelte by CalNaturale. This beverage is a protein/sustained energy drink, and if you wanted to compare it to another familiar product - think of a shake in a can kind of thing. But I really wouldn’t compare it to another product because it stands alone.

If you’re like me, you’re an ingredients list reader. I know I get red flags flying over ingredients when I hear anything could be in the ‘diet’ section, but let me tell you, this is a different animal. If you look at this ingredient list, you’ll notice the word ‘organic’ many times over (it’s certified organic), including organic soymilk, organic dried cane syrup, organic coffee, sea salt and stevia extract (the better non-sugar sweetener). And one thing to note if you still dare to compare, there’s no canola oil or other hydrogenated oils in it.

Plus the packaging process makes these drinks shelf stable for a year! So you could even throw it in your desk drawer for one of those days when you can’t grab lunch like you thought you would before another last-minute deadline crossed your desk and then got called into a meeting! (yeah, I’ve been there before…)

These beverages are dairy-free and gluten-free (which means Diane friendly! J ) Each flavor has 16 grams of organic protein, complex carbs for sustained energy, is cholesterol-free and is tested to be low-glycemic with only 9 grams of sugar per full bottle. The soy protein helps you feel full longer, includes dietary fiber, high quality protein, iron, essential fatty acids and other important nutrients. Plus they are packaged in environment-friendly packaging! Score!

They currently have 4 delicious flavors – french vanilla, cappuccino, chocolate and spiced chai and let me tell you, they are great! My personal fave is the cappuccino with spiced chai in at second. It totally passed the husband test too! Plus, on each bottle there is a comment balloon with comments like ‘looking good’ and ‘hello beautiful’ – what girl doesn’t want to be told that?? Nice!

The company is expanding the locations at which you can purchase these, but in the mean time, check out their website sveltebrand.com to find a retail location near you!

 P.S. All opinions are my own based on my tasty personal experience

Media and our health

Media Mondays

Today I am joining Women Living Well for Media Monday. A series which dives deeper into the effects of social media and the amount of time we spend online using it.

Health Online

Social media and the online world in general have so many benefits – health wise. We now have so much information at our fingertips at a moment’s notice. Want a great healthy dinner recipe? How about a new workout routine? Curious about that cough? What’s my favorite health blog saying today? Web seach!

Yet at the same time, in most situations when we are engaged in the online community, we are on our rumps. I don’t know about you, but I have plenty of sit-time at work. But when I come home, what do I gravitate toward? The computer. I guess it’s as they say – a body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest…or perhaps it’s an addiction.

Of course having so many answers thru the online community may be making us lean toward becoming hypochondriacs. Search for symptoms and get every possible disease or condition that has that symptom – hmm…maybe I do have typhoid fever…it’s possible!

Hypochondriasis aside, I think we need to be focused more on what we are doing as we are at our computers.

The Science

Msnbc.com recently posted an article showing that even exercise doesn’t entirely un-do what all that sitting does throughout the day. The American Cancer Society (ACS) conducted a study of 123,216 participants showing that women and men who both sat more and were less physically active were 94% and 48% more likely to die during the study period, respectively, compared with those who reported sitting the least and being most active. The association remained virtually unchanged after adjusting for physical activity level with the biggest concern being cardiovascular disease. Alpa Patel, a researcher at ACS said "Prolonged time spent sitting, independent of physical activity, has been shown to have important metabolic consequences, and may influence things like triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, resting blood pressure, and leptin, which are biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular and other chronic diseases."

Ack! I gotta stand up!

Get Moving!

As human beings we need more movement than our society typically gets. Our bodies were designed to lift, walk, run, move, dig – anything! Sitting is supposed to be for resting and eating. I am very guilty of too much rump time myself! My desk job asks that I sit at my computer for the better part of my work day, commute 1 ½ hours roundtrip and then I come home to read blogs, facebook, anything I can on a computer.

At one point in time it was a good idea to move the treadmill/elliptical/exercise bike in front of the tv. But now many individuals (like me) can burn up the evening in their desk chairs at the computer. Which is why I am considering the option of getting a tablet or at least a very small laptop to strap to my treadmill. That way, if I want to check my emails, read some blogs or just peruse facebook – I’m forced to exercise at least a little as I do it.

See if it’s possible to set up your computer so that you can stand while using it. Set it on a counter or place some blocks under the monitor, keyboard and mouse to raise them up. Have a stability ball? Use it as your chair – it’s tough to stay still sitting on one of those things as you balance (I usually end up feeling compelled to bounce)!

Clare from Peak 313 Fitness also has some great tips to boosting health when at your desk for extended periods of time at Courtney’s Women Living Well blog. My favorite tip is to set a timer so that every 30 minutes I’ll be reminded to get up and at least walk across the office to get the blood moving.

Feeling Good!

To move is to keep your body in good health! I have a feeling that somewhere in the hypothetical owner’s manual for our bodies, it says ‘use it or loose it!’

I challenge you to find more ways to work movement into your day, what will you do?

Diane

‘Fairly’ Healthy

It seems as though we are at the high point of summer activity, part of which includes fun fairs and festivals! But for individuals looking to loose weight or keep their health on track, it may cause an inner-dilemma. (For others the only dilemma may be deciding between the corndog or the burger!)

If you happen to be one of those looking to navigate concessions row without feeling like you over-did it – read on!

I recently wrote a list of some healthy options for the county fair I currently work at, though due to some restraints I wasn’t able to share the entirety of this. (FYI I work in marketing, not the carnival)

Working for the fair means that once a year I am surrounded by fair food. All day. Every day. For 10 days straight. It’s not always easy, but I do feel better when I make better choices.

The calories, fats and sodium in these fried foods can lead to cancer, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, stroke, inflammation, free radicals (which can lead to premature aging – no!) and feeling way too full!

As some of you might be saying right now, “But it’s only once a year! I gotta have my fair food fix!” And you’re right! If you look forward to getting that delicious corndog at the once-a-year fair or festival in your area – great! A once a year fix is a treat, and when you keep that in mind at the event, you can stave off other temptations. Keep your goal food in mind and savor every bite!

Another idea on the indulgent side is to split it. Pick a gotta-have-it dish and split it with a friend, or two, or three. I don’t know about you, but after finishing a whole funnel cake by myself, I don’t feel as good as it tasted! Pick a dish and split it in order to keep calorie, fat and sodium counts a bit lower, while still getting the flavor.

Or, perhaps you head to the fair for other reasons than food (or are really strong willed) avoid the concession stands. To best be armed for this potential battle, make sure you fill up on a healthy meal before heading down to the event. If the fair allows bringing in food or drink, bring a bottled water or a healthy snack like trail mix.

But for the happy medium, I suggest scouting out all the booths for potential healthy (or at least fairly healthy) items to feast upon. My favorite is the mouth watering corn on the cob! (but I ask for ½ the amount of butter they usually put on) FYI it’s also gluten free! ;)

Some other great items I’ve spotted that are ‘good,’ ‘decent’ or ‘just straddling the fence of over-indulgence’ are:

• Tacos or nachos topped with lots of veggies and light on the cheese
• Smoothies with fresh fruit
• Yummy BBQ chicken (don’t eat all the skin)
• Burgers loaded with veggies
• Chocolate-dipped bananas or strawberries
• Caramel or candy apples (hey, there’s a whole fruit in there!)
• Gyros with extra veggies light sauce
• Kabobs over rice
• Asian broccoli beef with steamed rice (sauce on the side if possible)
• Fresh brewed iced tea (sans sugar please)
• Salad with light dressing (if your lucky enough to find a stand offering this beauty)
• Grilled fish tacos or tacos al pastor
• Mini funnel cake (3” cake gives you a taste of the good stuff without over indulging!)
• Popcorn
• Peanuts
• Glass of low-fat milk (we have a fantastic 4-H run milk bar at our fair!)
• Turkey sub sandwich with lots of veggies, light on mayo and cheese
• Shrimp cocktail!

Yum!

Get moving!

With so much to do and see at the fair, you are sure to get plenty of healthy movement in!

• Shoot some hoops in the carnival (and maybe even win a prize for it!)
• Climb the rock wall
• Dance to one of the concerts (dancing for just 20 minutes can burn up to 120 calories!)
• Walk thru the exhibit buildings or through all the vendor stands – maximize your festival experience and net more steps
• Climb the stairs a couple of times in the grandstands or bleachers
• Standing in line for a midway ride burns 1-2 calories per minute!

And ladies, the fair is no place for stilettos. Grab the sneakers and get moving!

Above all, fairs and festivals strive to offer a family-friendly and fun experience, so get out and enjoy yourself!

In the end you will hopefully not feel overloaded with grease, will be less likely to loose your lunch in the midway and will feel successful at staying healthy while still enjoying a great summer-time event!