Simple ways to lose weight and keep it off, finally. You’ve likely heard this promise a million times before, often relating to specific exercise programs and strict food plan – and I bet you’ve even tried many of them. The problem is if they work at all, the results are short lived before the pounds find their way back to you – rapidly, usually. So, why is that?
There is an essential missing piece of the puzzle, and without that piece, you’ll stay stuck on the hamster wheel of meal plans that aren’t sustainable. The missing piece is quite simple – you have to start with the basics. There’s a lot of work to do first and foremost with changing your intentions and shifting your mindset before the real results come to stay. It’s difficult to stay motivated when the only goal you have in mind is an incredible beach bod. That may sound funny, but truthfully -- it’s not enough to keep you going. When you don’t attain that goal quickly enough, or you miss your workout two days in a row, you’ll be ready to throw in the towel. Because just wanting a beach body is not enough. Does that sound familiar? You’re incredibly motivated in the beginning, but results don’t show up fast enough, so you drop the entire idea. To break this cycle, you need to find a different reason for wanting to change. Your intentions for this need to come from the desire to treat your body well, live a healthy, long life – and a love for your own body, instead of a fear of it. (Yikes, that’s a hard one, right?) The foundations must be in place for lasting change to grow and stay. You must learn to love yourself – right this moment, just as you are. Through this love, you will desire to eat healthily and move to nourish the body you have (and love). Punishing yourself by eating strict foods you don’t enjoy, or working yourself crazy at the gym, is not a healthy or sustainable way of approaching your journey to health. Lastly, start with baby steps. Start with one, small step that you can compound on. Ditch the soda and replace it with water, for example. Do this for one week, and next week, choose another simple step to add. Before long, all of your unhealthy habits will be replaced with new, healthy ones… and you’ll be on your way to lasting change – once and for all. What's stirring in your mind right now after reading this? Hit reply and spill it to me - I'm all ears and awaiting your reply!
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If you don’t love cooking, maybe I can help to make it more fun for you? I know that sometimes I don't find cooking to be all that fun. I can get into a rut just like everyone else. So that's why I've listed my best "fun" cooking tips for you. Fun Cooking Tip #1 Check out new recipes. Sometimes just seeing the beautiful food photos and reading the recipe can spark some inspiration and fun in your kitchen. You can head to your local bookstore. Or look up your favorite nutritionists, chefs, bakers, and other online foodies. Maybe do a quick search on Google or Pinterest to see thousands of new ideas. Check out one of my pinterest boards for inspiration --->>> www.pinterest.com/felderbrannon/recipes-to-try/ Perhaps you have some ingredients in your fridge that are just waiting to be eaten. Pro Tip: Searching through recipes can be so fun and inspiring, and can also end up taking waaaay longer than planned. So, consider setting your timer when you start browsing. The last thing you want is to take too much time looking, that you don’t leave enough time for cooking. Fun Cooking Tip #2 Make grocery shopping fun and inspiring. When you’re at the grocery store, try something that you haven’t had in a while. Is there a seasonal fruit or vegetable you haven’t had for months? What about a childhood favorite? Did you come across something totally delicious at a restaurant or get-together lately? Or, browse around the store looking for something you haven't had before; something that is completely new to you. Be adventurous and fun. Then you can go to tip #1 to find new and inspiring recipes when you get home. Fun Cooking Tip #3 Keep it simple! Sometimes when I see a great food picture, I immediately get inspired to make it. But if I look at the ingredients or instructions and they're too long, I stop. While there are times when I'm inspired and dive into a new great recipe; when I'm not all that inspired, I need to keep things simple. A few ways to keep things simple are to:
Fun Cooking Tip #4 Put on some music and invite someone to join you. Do you have kids that need to learn the critical life skill of cooking? Perhaps your partner would love to join you? What about having a “cooking party” where everyone brings something and pitches in on the process? Fun Cooking Tip #5 If none of the other tips work for you, invest in some kitchen swag! Having proper kitchen tools makes cooking so much easier and faster. When's the last time you sharpened your (or bought yourself a new) knife? Could dicing carrots with a dull knife be draining the fun from cooking? Or is blending a smoothie with a crummy blender, leaving it too chunky to enjoy, making you feel less excited to try new smoothie recipes? I know it does for me. You know that cooking is key to healthy eating. And, yes, it does get boring from time to time. Try one (or all) of my fun cooking tips to inspire you to get over to your kitchen and cook yourself some great dishes. You already know your health will thank you. Recipe (simple and fun): One Skillet Frittata Serves 4 8 eggs ¼ cup almond milk, unsweetened 1 tsp olive oil, extra virgin 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 handful baby spinach 1 small zucchini, sliced into thin coins 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved 1 dash herbs and spice to taste (parsley, sage, paprika, turmeric, etc.) 1 dash salt and pepper Instructions Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk together eggs and almond milk. Heat an ovenproof skillet (e.g. cast iron) on the stove with the olive oil. To the hot skillet add garlic, spinach, and zucchini. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the zucchini starts to soften. Add the tomatoes, herbs, spices, salt, and pepper. Pour in the eggs. Place the skillet into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until eggs are set. Serve & enjoy! Tip: Feel free to substitute your veggies and use what you have on-hand. Try diced pepper instead of tomatoes, or chopped kale instead of spinach. Have fun with this!
The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Part of the Hippocratic Oath reads, “I will apply dietetic measure for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment. Hippocrates is also quoted as saying, “Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always”. This brings me to my topic of Medicine as Food. I was always taught to use food as medicine to cure, treat and prevent illness. In addition, those foods were and continue to be very comforting. Some may think of comfort foods as mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, ice cream, or my best friends favorite, sweet potatoes, or one of my favorites, green pea soup. Those are indeed very comforting mostly due to the memories and feelings that are associated with them. However, the true comfort is in the medicinal foods. Medicinal foods impart such lovely, vibrant fragrances and flavors, like garlic, onions and ginger. When combined with other medicinal foods, also known as vegetables, they create a comfort and flavor heaven but ultimately the result is a treatment or cure. Listed below are some foods that are constant staples in my kitchen and some of their healing effects:
My interest in food as medicine began at an early while spending time with my great-grandmother who often spoke of using herbs for healing. In addition she had a backyard that was almost completely edible in which we were allowed to roam and play. I often helped her in the garden and she taught me to cook with love which included keeping the health and well-being of those who would eat my food in mind. She never planted or harvested anything without showing gratitude to the Mother Earth, also known as the Universe and/or God. She told me that by showing gratitude in this way ensured great food, great health and great love. Originally posted 24 July 2010 by Cheryl Felder-Brannon - http://positivelyraw.blogspot.com/2010/07/food-as-medicine.html
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