Archive Monthly Archives: January 2018

Making Diet Resolutions? Try Diet Changes Instead

January 30, 2018
Nutrition Advice

Skip the cookies and try fruit for dessert.

Planning your diet resolutions for the New Year? Try making a few small changes every month – all year long.

When January 1st comes around, it’s time to dust off that list of diet resolutions you made last year (and perhaps the year before that?) and vow to tackle them again.

It’s in our nature to look upon the New Year as a time to start fresh. It’s a time of promise and hope. We promise ourselves we’re going to eat right and get into shape, and we hope we can stick with our resolutions. But we often don’t. A lot of times it’s because our diet and lifestyle “to-do” list is a mile long, and it’s just too hard to make many changes all at once. We’re creatures of habit, and it just takes time for new habits to take hold.

Diet Resolutions for the New Year – A Step-Wise Approach

Make a Few Small Changes Every Month

Here’s a suggestion for you. Go ahead and make that to-do list, but just don’t try to make all your changes at once. In fact, I’m going to suggest that you tackle just three small changes in January – another three in February, three more in March, and so on until the end of the year. And here’s why. If you work on establishing just three new habits for a month, you won’t be overwhelmed with trying to focus on too many things at once. By the end of the month, the three new habits will be part of your routine, and you’ll be ready to take on three more changes in the following month.

Keep Your Diet Resolutions Going All Year Long

Suppose that those three changes you make in January cut out a total of 100 calories a day from your diet. That might not sound like a lot, but let’s say the same thing happens in February and March and April and May. Five months into the New Year, you’ve made a total of 15 small, sustainable changes to your eating habits, and you’re now saving 500 calories a day – enough to lose up to a pound a week.

Think about what you’d like to work on first. Maybe you’d like to cut your fat or sugar intake. Maybe your portions are just too large, or your problem is that you don’t eat enough fruits or vegetables. Maybe you’re an emotional eater and you want to work on that. Then determine the three things you plan to do in January and get to work.

Three Small Diet Changes a Month

Let’s say you want to cut back on your sugar intake. Your diet resolutions for January might be:

  • I will have fruit for dessert instead of cookies
  • I will cut my soda intake in half
  • I will switch from pre-sweetened yogurt to plain yogurt

Maybe eating too much fat is your problem. In that case, your January diet resolutions might be:

  • Instead of chips or fries with my lunch, I will have a side salad instead
  • I will switch from regular salad dressing to low-fat
  • I will have my coffee drinks made with nonfat milk instead of whole milk

If it’s portion control you need to work on, your January resolutions might look like this:

  • I will use smaller plates when I eat at home to control my portions
  • When I go out to eat, I will ask the server to put half my meal in a take-home container and serve me the rest
  • I will weigh and measure my food portions a few times a week to make sure I’m staying on track

Maybe this is the year to take a different approach to your diet resolutions. Make a few changes, give them a month to settle in, and then build on those changes month after month. True, this step-wise approach isn’t the complete diet overhaul that you may attempt every January (and abandon by February) – but what have you got to lose?

Find out more at: http://ift.tt/1b0P47N

6 Tips for Flawless Winter Skin

January 30, 2018
Beauty

Moisturize all year round.

Whatever the season, good skin is a cornerstone of beauty confidence. Sometimes good skin is harder to achieve in winter, but it’s possible to look and feel flawless. If you’re worried about losing your summer glow now that colder weather is upon us, don’t be. There are plenty of basic winter skin care tips that will keep your skin glowing all year long.

As the northern half of the world is starting to feel the chill in the air with the change of seasons, many of us are also starting to see changes in our skin. A winter skin care routine is a necessity, especially for those of us who live in cold, dry climates. In winter, there is less moisture in the air, and indoor heating systems can be dehydrating to the skin. It’s important to address this dryness in your winter skin care plan to keep your skin looking luminous.

Best Winter Skin Care Tips

Winter skin care rule 1: Stay hydrated

With hot temperatures during the summer months, it’s natural to automatically drink more fluids. Don’t lessen your water intake just because it’s getting cooler outside. You might not be craving a tall glass of ice water like you would in summer, but try room temperature water or a refreshing cup of warm tea to keep yourself hydrated.

Winter skin care rule 2: Take care of your lips

Chapped lips in winter are a downer. They can be painful when exposed to extreme cold temperatures, and chapping makes it harder for any cosmetics to stay in place and look good. Make sure to protect your lips with a moisturizing balm that includes SPF. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean the sun can’t harm your lips, so don’t skip the sun protection either. Which brings me to my next winter skin care rule…

Winter skin care rule 3: Wear sunscreen

Just because it’s not warm outside doesn’t mean there aren’t UV rays in the air. So, don’t skimp on the SPF just because it’s winter. If you need extra moisture in your winter skin care regimen, look for moisturizing sunscreens or wear your sunscreen over your existing moisturizer.

Winter skin care rule 4: Don’t forget your hands

Just like your lips, the skin on your hands is thin and delicate and can be susceptible to chapping in cold weather. Keep your hands moisturized with hand cream, and reapply throughout the cold days. To make it convenient, carry travel-sized hand cream wherever you go—keep some at your office, in your car and in your bag. And don’t forget gloves. When venturing outside, gloves will not only keep you warm but they’ll protect the skin on your hands from cold temperatures!

Winter skin care rule 5: Choose cosmetics wisely

Ever notice how foundation or blushes don’t apply as easily during wintertime? That’s because skin tends to be drier in winter, leading to flaking and dry patches. In times like these, using a primer will help cosmetics go on more smoothly. You can also try tinted moisturizer, which will moisturize and give your skin a little coverage without drying. When picking cosmetics during winter, look for moisturizing formulas. Generally speaking, cream blushes and liquid foundations will give you more moisturizing benefits than those that are powder-based.

Winter skin care rule 6: Consider changing products based on season

Your skin care needs may change drastically between seasons. That’s particularly true if you live in an area with extreme temperature fluctuations between summer and winter (or between outside and inside air temperatures, thanks to fearsome central heating). Only you know what feels good on your skin. If you have skin that experiences more dryness in winter than other seasons, for example, you might consider switching to moisturizing formulas in everything from cleansers to cosmetics.

Find out more at: http://ift.tt/1b0P47N

3 Tips to Help You Squeeze in a Workout

January 30, 2018
Fitness Advice

You can always find the time to do what’s
good for you.

Here’s how to stop using excuses and finally squeeze in a workout.

When it comes to finding motivation to get up off the couch and improve your fitness level, sometimes it takes more than willpower alone to make it happen.

‘I’m too busy and I can’t find the time.’

This is the number one excuse I hear for not exercising. You may find it hard to believe, but this was also my go-to excuse after having triplets. It was an excuse that really worked, because who would ever disagree? My four young kids sure do take up a lot of time.

And this ‘I’m too busy’ excuse sounds so much better and less embarrassing than the truth: ‘I’m just too tired and I don’t have the motivation.’

The reality is that we can all make time to add activity into our life. All we need to do is realize that excuses will only hurt us in the long term. Sometimes it takes a health scare or an embarrassing moment to force us to address the issue. But why wait for that to happen before improving your life?

My changing moment occurred when I was asked to leave a steam room at the spa after being lectured in front of a crowd on how heat could harm my unborn child. Sounds awful, right? The real problem was that I wasn’t even pregnant—my babies were five months old already. Talk about a cringe worthy moment! This was all the motivation I needed to get my body and fitness back on track.

Three Ways to Squeeze in a Workout into Your Day

1. Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier.

This may seem like an obvious tip, but it definitely takes motivation not to hit the snooze button and lie back down.

    • My next piece of advice may seem crazy but it worked for me. For the first few weeks wear a loose fitting workout kit to bed or place your workout outfit with your tennis shoes right next to your bed. When the alarm starts buzzing, put on your socks and shoes and get to it.
    • Working out at home or close to home is the best way to start out, because it removes any excuses about joining a gym or having to travel anywhere. Sure, jogging along a beach at dawn may sound nice, but in reality, you probably need to get your workout done and dusted as quickly as possible.
    • As your body gets used to the time adjustment, add an extra 10 minutes so that you can actually comb your hair and brush your teeth before you go.
2. Pack your workout clothes and take them to work.

If you’re not a morning person, then it’s time for Plan B: the lunchtime power-walk. Schedule it in like you would a dentist or your hair salon appointment. It’s funny that we wouldn’t dream of not getting our hair cut, but taking care of our health often gets overlooked or sidelined.

    • Asking a co-worker to join you will give you the extra motivation not to skip a session.
3. Split your workout into smaller segments.

If finding a full 30 minutes is too difficult, then try to do three or more mini workouts. It’s fine to accumulate your workout throughout your day.

    • This tip works especially well for stay-at-home-moms with young children, because minding a child for 10 minutes while you jump around and squeeze in a workout is a realistic goal.
    • If you work in an office and sit down all day, try taking a brief 10 minutes to stretch out or walk around the office. It may improve your energy level and boost your concentration.

Making an activity part of your lifestyle instead of a chore makes results easier to achieve.

Once I decided to ditch my excuses and made time in my day to exercise, I was able to quickly progress to a regular spinning class, and being active became something I just did rather than something I had to think about. People even started complementing me on all the extra energy I seemed to have.

So, no excuses––everybody can find time to exercise.

Find out more at: http://ift.tt/1b0P47N

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Lettuce Cradles

January 29, 2018
Nutrition Advice

A good source of protein.

The new year is the perfect time to start a healthy routine, but between work, kids and errands, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time.
These sweet and sour lettuce cradles are the answer to your busy schedule.
They’re quick to make yet healthy, and they’re a good source of protein to satisfy your hunger.

 

Ingredients:

Sauce

2 TBSP oyster-flavored sauce
2 TBSP light soy sauce
2 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
1 TBSP brown sugar
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground white pepper

Stir in a small bowl to mix well. Set aside.

Meat

1 tsp canola oil
1 lb. ground chicken breast or turkey breast

Place skillet over high heat. Add canola oil, then ground chicken. Stir and cook between 4 and 5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Wipe pan with paper towel, return pan to heat.

Vegetables

1 tsp canola oil
1 medium carrot, grated
⅓ cup canned water chestnuts, minced
2 green onions, chopped

Add canola oil. Add vegetables and stir until they soften. Add cooked meat, then the sauce. Stir until evenly coated. Spoon mixture onto lettuce leaf.

Find out more at: http://ift.tt/1b0P47N

1 2 3 4
>