Remember to Reward Yourself

How to Pat Yourself on the Back

Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, pound to pound, and mile to mile.

Here’s how to set up a good rewards system:

Choose some benchmarks and reward levels. You can also reward yourself for levels of consistency.

• Make the reward meaningful to you. As a reward, a new pair of shoes may not hold as much motivation as a simple night alone with a book. Then again, it might.
• Choose two or three options from the Reward Roster below or come up with a few reward options of your own. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can’t buy.
• A lot of small rewards, used for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than relying solely on the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.
• Don’t use food as a reward. Even good food. It’s just too much of a slippery slope. Don’t even mess with it.
• Plan to celebrate. Figure out now how you’re going to celebrate reaching your health, fitness or nutrition goal. Involve other people, tell them about it. Create a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.
• Be honest with yourself. Fudging the numbers mentally, or "borrowing" against the next reward hurts the cause of building a lifetime habit. Remember to keep your focus on building a habit, not just figuring out how to get the reward.

REWARD ROSTER CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITES AND USE THEM LIBERALLY

• Compliment yourself. Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did.
• Create an actual plaque or trophy.
• Give yourself badges of honor for different levels of accomplishment.
• Take a vacation or weekend getaway.
• Take a day off from any goal activities.
• Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself.
• Create a Trophy Scrapbook, where you keep mementos from your accomplishments.
• See a movie.
• Make a grab bag of little prizes. When you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!
• Go for a spa treatment or massage.
• Buy yourself a gift certificate.
• Take a limo ride.
• Subscribe to a magazine you always wanted.
• Go canoeing or do something outdoorsy.
• Watch your favorite TV show.
• Buy something for your hobby.
• Read a funny book.
• Celebrate "100% Days". If you reach 100% of your goals that day, choose two rewards.
• Find some time to be by yourself.
• Pay someone to do the yardwork or house cleaning this week.
• Fly a kite.

Herbs: A Guide for Cooking With Herbs

Adding herbs to food reduces the need for salt, sodium, MSG, and less healthful seasonings. Herbs boost flavor, nutrition, and freshness. Many people are wary of cooking with fresh herbs, because they do not know how to do so. Some people are afraid that they will overcook or improperly handle the leaves and flowers, which can make herbs turn black, slimy, or bitter. The following information can help you learn about how to handle and cook with herbs, and make the most of herbs in your diet.

Basil

Famous in pesto, basil has a spicy aroma and a flavor that tastes of pepper, clove, mint, and licorice. Many varieties exist, but basil is usually a pointed, oval-shaped leaf. For best flavor, use very little basil in the cooking process, but add it to a finished dish. Tear the leaves, rather than chopping with a knife to prevent blackening. Basil combines well with garlic, olive oil, lemon, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, beans, and rice.

Mint

Mint is a very hardy and highly fragrant crop. It is best used fresh, but may be dried and added to soups, stews, and stuffing. The leaves of the mint plant have a coarse texture and are ragged on the edges. They grow on stalks or in stemlike clusters. Mint enhances the taste of carrots, potatoes, eggplant, beans, grilled fish, and lamb. It is also compatible with ginger, cumin, cardamom, and cloves. It is famous for enhancing iced teas.

Thyme

Essential in Western and Middle Eastern cooking, thyme has a close tie to zahtar, a similar Middle Eastern spice. Thyme has a very earthy scent, with a taste of clove, camphor, and mint. Dried thyme does not lose its powerful scent or flavor. Thyme is often found dried and tied with a string. Fresh thyme has woody stems and small leaves. Best known in long, slow-cooking recipes, thyme combines well with garlic, onion, red wine, basil, bay, lavender, marjoram, parsley, and savory.  Use it when cooking tomato- and wine-based sauces, vegetable soups, and marinades for pork and poultry. It also works well with mushrooms, leeks, eggplant, corn, tomatoes, and dried beans.

Marjoram

Sweet and spicy, marjoram tastes and smells like camphor. Marjoram has dark green, smooth oval leaves. It is used in a variety of dishes, but because its flavor is easily lost with the addition of heat, add it to foods at the last minute, after they have finished the cooking. Add to salads and soft cheeses, and use to flavor artichokes, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, eggs, and poultry.

Oregano

More robust than marjoram, oregano has an intense pepperiness and more distinct flavor. It comes in a variety of leaf shapes and sizes, and is famous on the tables of pizza restaurants around the world. Oregano is preferred in its dried form, and is best used in pizza and tomato sauces, baked fish, lamb, stews, beans, marinades, and flavored oils and vinegars.

Parsley

Found in curly and flat-leaf varieties, parsley is fresh and spicy with a hint of pepper. The stems are more flavorful than the leaves of the parsley herb and are used in cooking. Most famous as a garnish, parsley enhances stuffing, omelets, salads, tabbouleh, and fish. Parsley is good for digestion.

 

Cilantro

Perhaps the most ubiquitous herb in the world, cilantro is earthy with a parsley, mint, and lemon characteristic. Cilantro pairs well with almost any savory food, doing well when combined with garlic, basil, mint, parsley, lemon, lime, chilies, and coconut. Cilantro is also wonderful in chutney, relishes, and salsas. This herb also does well when paired with fish, seafood, beans, chickpeas, plantains, rice, root vegetables, and squash. It is best added at the end of cooking to preserve its fresh flavor.

 

Rosemary

Rosemary both smells and tastes of lavender, camphor, and nutmeg. It combines well with thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and wine. Rosemary grows on stems with lovely purple flowers and is best when used fresh. Use rosemary when cooking pork, lamb, and poultry, and add to marinades, eggplant, beans, cabbage, zucchini, potatoes, and tomatoes.

Herb Garlic Beans

Here's a quick bean recipe...lot's of fiber that will fill you up without filling you out. Please post some of your own favorite recipes using our list of "Superfoods" listed from Week 10.

Herb Garlic Beans

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 small celery stalk, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 (16oz.) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (16oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

½ c chopped canned whole tomatoes

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 tsp white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

1.                  Heat oil in medium sauté pan.  Add onions, celery and carrots.

2.                  Cook over medium heat until tender, adding garlic during last two minutes

3.                  Add beans, tomatoes, thyme and wine.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Egg Sandwich recipe

Here's a quick, easy vegetarian option for lunch or on the weekends. Lot's of fiber and protein! Great for those hot days so no oven required.

Open Face Egg Sandwiches

Servings:  4 (1 open face sandwich each)

Carb per serving: 17g

1 cup frozen shelled edamame soybeans, thawed
1 small avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup chopped red sweet pepper
4 very thin slices firm-texture whole wheat bread, toasted or 2 whole wheat pita rounds split in half horizontally
4 hard-cooked eggs, thinly sliced

1.      In a medium bowl, combine edamame, avocado, lemon juice, garlic, and salt; use a fork or potato masher to mash ingredients together until avocado is smooth and edamame is coarsely mashed.  Stir in sweet pepper.

2.      Spread edamame mixture on top of bread slices or on pita halves. Arrange egg slices on edamame mixture. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Per serving:  240 calories, 14g total fat (3g sat fat), 212 mg chol, 293 mg sodium, 17g carb, 6g fiber, 14g protein. Exchanges: 1 starch, 2.5 medium –fat meat, carb choices 1

Memorial Day Weekend

It's that time of year again for grilling and cooking out with family and friends. As you know, Memorial Day weekend is coming up. How are you going to plan to stay on track with your eating habits during this time?

Why the Scale is Not Always the Best Measure

Weighing on the scale only serves to keep you focused on your weight: it doesn’t help with the process of learning how to eat for health and lifetime weight management.

The scale measures the weight of the total body.

·         Muscle

·         Bone

·         Organs (heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.)

·         Blood

·         Water and other fluids

·         Waste materials

·         Essential Fat

·         Non-essential Fat

 

Total Body Weight is subject to fluctuate due to:

·         Fluid Losses – Sweating or illness

·         Bladder Fullness

·         Water retention - Due to excess sodium in foods or medications.

·         Frequency of Bowel Movements.

·         Stomach Content.      

·         Blood Volume.

·         Exercise Routine – Water retained to help muscles recover from workout.

Other Reasons for Fluctuations

·         Time of Day

·         Clothing and shoes

·         Scale location

What the Scale Does NOT Measure

q   Nutritional:

o   Improvement in Nutrient Profile.

§  Increased intake of antioxidants.

§  Increased intake of phytochemicals.

§  Increased intake of vitamins and minerals.

·         Vitamins B, C, A, D, E & K, Calcium, Potassium, etc.

§  Lower intake of saturated fat.

§  Lower intake of transfatty acids and hydrogenated products.

§  Decreased intake of sodium.

q   Medical:

o   Improvement in Health Profile.

§  Reduction in Blood Pressure.

§  Lower Cholesterol Levels – primary drop in LDL.

§  Reduction in Homocystein Levels.

§  Better Blood Sugar Control for Diabetics.

§  Reduced Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke.

§  Reduced Risk for Cancers.

§  Reduced Risk for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis.

§  Reduction in joint and muscle pain.

q   Physical:

o   Decrease in measurements leading to smaller clothing sizes.

o   Decrease in waist/hip ratio resulting in lower health risks.

o   Increase in energy and stamina.

o   Ease in movement and the inability to walk, climb stairs, and move around.

o   Loss of non-essential body fat and increase in muscle.

 

q   Psychological:

o   Improved self-image and self-esteem.

o   Pride in accomplishments.

o   Improved attitude.

o   Increase in motivation.

 

q   Financial:

o   Reduction in health care costs.

o   Reduction in prescription costs.

Food Record: How to Keep One

This is for those who may have gotten off track since the start of the program or as a reminder how useful this tool is for maintaining weight loss. Research shows keeping a food journal is the #1 most useful tool at keeping it off long-term.

It can help to break undesirable food-related behaviors. Identifying where problems in the diet lie are best tracked with a diligent account. Choose a diary or notebook that you like, one that fits your bag, purse, or backpack, and get started!

 

Tips for keeping a food record

·  Write down what you eat, when you eat it or as soon as you are finished

·  Include all snacks, beverages, and “bites”—even if you just grab a cracker on the way to the bathroom, write it down

·  You may want to include your mood, what is going on in your day, or where you are at the time you are eating

·  Remember to document vitamins and medications

·  Write down the time of day

·  Review your journal weekly to see where you can make more progress

Benefits of keeping a food record

·  Habits become clear—you can see that you tend to become hungry at a certain time, make poor choices in certain places, or drink more coffee than you thought you actually did

·  You gain control and perspective on how well you are really doing with your meal planning

·  You can see progress as time goes on—new behaviors are objectively viewed when days are compared from past to present

·  It becomes clearer where you need to do more work, and patterns and necessary changes become evident in the presence of the collected data

For the eating disordered patient

·  Match your food record to your meal plan—if you have exchanges set up, it may help to compare them

·  Consider having a two-sided food record, one for planning and one for actual intake

·  Keep your food record separate from personal journals, in case your health care provider would like to look at it

Example of a food record

Your food record should look something like this:

Day of the Week/Date:
Time	Foods Eaten	Location	Mood
Example:
8 am	1 cup fiber cereal 6 fluid ounces 1% milk One banana Tea with milk	Home	Tired and rushing to work for meeting

Stress Triggers

Being aware of what stresses us out is a big part of knowing how to plan for ways to cope with it. What causes most of your stress? Please list stress triggers below:

Finding the Perfect Workout Shoe for You

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It!

Your feet work hard every day, carrying you through your daily tasks while you walk, stand, carry, lift, climb, clean, work, and exercise. If you neglect your feet—especially during a workout—then your feet with have to deal with swelling, blisters, and lasting discomfort on top of everything else.

One of the best ways to care for your feet is to invest in a good pair of workout shoes. There is nothing worse than trying to work out when you're experiencing pain and risking possible injury. To improve your workouts, look for a high-quality shoe with a good fit that is made to support the activities you do.

Although most people buy running shoes even if they have never jogged, the shoes you buy should be specific to the activity that you will be using them for.

• Running shoes have additional cushioning to absorb shock as your foot hits the ground, which helps to reduce blisters. They are flexible and light. Running shoes are designed for forward motion, so they don't support you well when you move in other directions (like during basketball or step aerobics).
• Trail shoes have added traction for running and walking in grass, mud, or trails.
• Walking shoes tend to be stiffer and heavier than running shoes. These provide more support because your foot rolls from heel to toe more slowly than when you run.
• Cross training shoes are great for people who have a varied workout routine or play different sports. This is the most versatile athletic shoe, designed to give more support for changes in direction and impact, making them an economical choice. They're heavier and less cushioned than running shoes and not recommended if running is your main mode of training.
• Specialty shoes exist for weight lifting, cycling, hiking, tennis, basketball, soccer, and more. If you engage in these activities several days per week, consider buying a sport-specific shoe to fit your needs.
• Lifestyle shoes are not made for athletic activities, even though they are made by the same manufacturers who make running and workout shoes. These shoes have flat soles and a sporty look, but not enough support for workout. They're fine for running errands or casual wear, but don't make them part of your exercise gear.

Finding the Best Running or Walking Shoe
When you get fitted for a new pair of running or walking shoes, go to the experts at a sporting goods store, running store, or even a podiatrist. Ask the expert of your choice to help you evaluate the arch of your foot, of which there are three main types:

1.       Flat-footed folks have low arches and feet that tend to roll inward as you run or walk. Look for a shoe that offers more stability.

2.       High arches often cause the feet to roll outward when walking. Look for a cushioned shoe with greater flexibility to help absorb shock more effectively. Insoles, inserted inside your shoes, can also help to support heels and arches. They can be bought separately by shoe size and needs.

3.       "Normal" arches don't fit into either extreme. Most shoes are made to fit these types.

Additionally, there are three different types of pronation. Pronation, the way that your foot moves after striking the ground (often with the heel and ankle rolling inward for balance) is a normal movement.

1.   Overpronation occurs when the foot rolls excessively inward, which can lead to muscle strains in both your legs and feet. Overpronators also tend to have low arches. Look for "stability" or "motion control" shoes, which are less flexible, have a thicker heel and help decrease excessive pronation.

2.   Underpronation (supination) describes feet that roll outward when running or walking. Underpronators tend to have high arches or "pigeon-toes." Look for shoes with extra cushioning to help absorb the added impact on your foot strikes.

3.   Normal pronation is most common, where the foot pronates normally, but not excessively. Look for stability shoes, which are more flexible than motion control shoes but still have good support.

Additional Shoe Shopping Tips

• Shoes should be replaced every five to six months (or 400-600 miles of running/walking), depending on how often you use them. If the tread (on the outer sole) is worn or if the sides are worn to the point that your shoe leans one way or the other, it's time for a new pair. Write the date on the insole of your new shoes to help you remember when it's time to replace them.
• Get refitted for each year. Don't assume that a new design of the same shoe will fit the same way as the previous model did. It may have been modified slightly in the design process.
• When you try out new shoes, wear the same type of socks that you wear when working out.
• Shop in the evening, when your feet tend to be larger.
• When standing, your shoe should have about a half-inch gap between your longest toe and the toe box of the shoe.
• Walk or jog around the store (some will even let you try it outside) to see how the shoes feel. Try movements that you plan to use this shoe for (jumping, marching, aerobics, etc.) Your feet shouldn’t slide back and forth or side-to-side as you move around. If the shoe does not feel "just right" in the store, try on another shoe. Shoes do not need a breaking in period, per se, so keep shopping.
• Ask about the return/exchange policy at the store. Exchange and return policies vary between stores. Some stores will not accept returns if the shoe shows wear or if the return period is greater than 30 days. Many stores will offer an exchange if you don't like your shoes after trying them, but be sure to ask.
• Most experts recommend wearing your new shoes around the house for a couple hours a day for a few days before wearing them for longer workouts. This allows the heat from your foot to mold the inner sole to your foot for better comfort. Then, don't wear your new shoes for your longest run or walk until you have worn them for a few shorter workouts first. You will want to allow time to transition into your new shoes, even if they are the same make and model you have worn before. This is one reason why you do not want to wait before your old shoes completely wear out before you get fitted for your new ones. And never wear new shoes for a race without wearing them for a few weeks first.

Six ways to cut back on sugar

Americans are overloaded with added sugars which can be found in regular soft drinks, fruit drinks, cakes, cookies, pies and candy. The first step to making wise food purchases is to understand the terminology used on food labels. A food labeled as “sugar free” must contain less than 0.5grams of sugar per serving. For those with diabetes, remember that “sugar free” doesn’t mean “carbohydrate free.” Below are some tips to cut back on the sweet stuff:

Six ways to cut back on sugar:

Drink fewer sweetened soft drinks.

Soft drinks are the number-one source of added sugars in Americans’ diets. First, think about why you are drinking soft drinks. Do you like the fizz? Or the sweet taste? If you just like the carbonation, try club soda mixed with fresh lemon or lime. If you like the sweetness, try mixing 100% fruit juice with diluted water or club soda.

Buy only 100% fruit juice that is not sweetened

Some beverages claim to be fruit juice when it’s really just a sugary fruit drink. Read the label to make sure it says 100% fruit. Limit juice to ½ cup per day.

Look for natural sugar instead of added sugars

Choosing yogurt without a lot of sugar can be frustrating but keep in mind that the sugar in milk, yogurt and ice cream contain lactase, a naturally occurring sugar in milk. Of course, extra sugar can be added so be sure to read the label. Fresh fruit is also contains a natural sugar, fructose.

Satisfy your sweet tooth naturally with fresh fruit.

Fruit is better than juice because it also contains fiber, vitamins and nutrients. Fruit juice loses all the fiber and vitamins during processing. Fiber takes longer to digest so it keeps you fuller longer and blood sugar levels will be more stable. Think colors of the rainbow when choosing fruits since each color provides different nutrients and antioxidants. Look for local fruits that are in season and freeze them to enjoy year round. 

Choose unsweetened, whole-grain cereals and cereal bars.

Ignore those catchy claims on the front of the box. Go straight to the nutrition facts label. Remember the "Rule of Fives": Choose cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, and less than 5 grams of sugar.
 

Experiment with sugar substitutes

 Are sugar substitutes safe? Many of us worry about artificial sweeteners. However, they have been more thoroughly researched than some drugs or food additives currently on the market. Studies have concluded that aspartame is not associated with adverse effects in the general population.

Artificial sweeteners include Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One), Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin), Stevia (PureVia, Truvia), and Sucralose (Splenda). They are heat stable and suitable for baking/cooking except for Aspartame. It is unknown whether Stevia is suitable for baking and cooking.  

How do I stop sweet Cravings?

You can learn to “retrain” your tastebuds so you will eventually lose the taste for sweets and soon you won’t miss them.  You don’t even have to give them up completely, it’s a matter of how much and when. Do you crave sweets during certain times? After dinner? When you are stressed? Bored?

Research shows that cravings only last about 10-12 minutes. So try to ride it out like a wave and it should pass. Find an activity for those 10 minutes such as go for a quick walk or some other form of exercise, read a book or think about why are you having these cravings.

If you need something to get you through those critical ten minutes, try a spoonful of applesauce, bite of dark chocolate. For better blood sugar control, sweets are best eaten immediately after a meal, since the stomach is full and digesting. It won’t cause the rapid rise in blood sugar as it would if eating the sweets on an empty stomach. 

Luckily, cutting back on sugar doesn’t have to mean cutting back on flavor. With a little knowledge and creativity, you can still have those sweets without feeling deprived.

Measure of success

The scale isn't the only way to measure your success. Besides weight, what others measures are important to you? For example, smaller dress size, more energy, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, etc? Please post your responses here:

Cooking Healthful Foods: How much do you Know?

Test yourself...try not to peek at the answers till you're done:

1. Which fat is the healthiest to cook with?

a.    Canola oil

b.   Vegetable oil

c.    Margarine

2. Which cheese has the least fat per ounce?

a.    Part-skim mozzarella cheese

b.   Cheddar cheese

c.    Provolone cheese

3. Do not use which of the following to replace margarine in recipes:

a.    Applesauce

b.   Prune baby food

c.    Marshmallow fluff

4. Which of the following has the least fat per ounce?

a.    Regular pork bacon

b.   Canadian bacon

c.    Turkey bacon

5. To make leaner cuts of meat more tender, either:

a.    Braise or stew them

b.   Roast or bake them

c.    Fry them

6. To thicken soup without using cream, add:

a.    Skim milk

b.   Egg whites

c.    Pureed potato

7. You can replace 1 ounce (oz) of baking chocolate with:

a.    1 oz of chocolate syrup

b.   3 tablespoons (Tbsp) of unsweetened cocoa mixed with 1 Tbsp of soy oil

c.    1 Tbsp melted chocolate chips mixed with 1 Tbsp of melted margarine

8. How much of the sugar in most recipes can you replace with powdered milk?

a.    One eighth to one fourth

b.   One fourth to one third

c.    One half to three fourths

9. When using dried herbs in place of fresh:

a.    You should use an equal amount of dried herbs as you would fresh

b.   You should use two times the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh

c.    You should use one third of the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh

10. In which of the following recipes should you never try to reduce the amount of salt that is called for?

a.    Soup

b.   Cake batter

c.    Yeast bread

Answers

1. a.  Canola oil
2. a.  Part-skim mozzarella cheese
3. c.  Marshmallow fluff
4. b.  Canadian bacon
5. a.  Braise or stew them
6. c.  Pureed potato
7. b.  3 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa mixed with 1 Tbsp of soy oil 
8. b.  one fourth to one third
9. c.  You should use one third of the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh
10. c.  Yeast bread