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Mastery Over Impulse Eating

By “behaving your way to success,” you will begin to lose even more weight. Once you begin to behave differently, in ways that reflect your weight-management priorities, then you will begin to enjoy the rewards and benefits that flow from those kinds of behaviors. I can tell you that as a good barometer, if people in your life do not find it glaringly obvious that you have changed the way you live, act, think, and feel, then you have not made dramatic enough changes. You make a difference when you do different. When you behave like a winner, you are a winner. (p. 153)

Source: The Ultimate Weight Solution by Dr. Phil McGraw (2003)

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What is Ayurveda?

“Ayurveda is 3,000 to 5,000 years old. It is a system of healing that focuses on establishing and maintaining balance of the subtle energies within us. It is a complete medical system, based on restoring harmony within the individual as well as between the individual and nature. The basic principle of Ayurveda is that we are all at , core, perfectly ourselves. We have a natural, basic, healthy balance to our mind, body, and spirit…This is a critical concept in Ayurveda, the practices of which are designed to bring us home, home into our divine selves…One’s energies can become out of balance, particularly when the body is exposed repeatedly to toxic substances and behaviors. This out-of-balance condition reveals itself in digestion, sleep patterns, immune-response systems, and the look of the skin, hair, eyes, and tongue. Bringing these systems back to balance returns us to our true nature.” (p.37)

Hawk, K. 2012. Yoga and the Twelve-Step Path. Las Vegas, N.V.: Central Recovery Press

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The Essence of Ginger

  • Observed effects like anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, antimicrobial and digestive benefit can all result from one principle action – enzyme action. An observed effect, such as an anti-inflammatory one, can also have a variety of principle actions at its root: enzyme, eicosanoid balance and antioxidant.
  • The anti-ulcer effect of ginger is complemented by a host of other important digestive values which include relief of both diarrhea and constipation, liver protection and probiotic support.
  • The anti-nausea effect of ginger is well documented. From nausea resulting from chemotherapy and ocean travel to pregnancy and gynecological surgery, ginger is the natural treatment of choice.
  • The historic observation that ginger is a cold remedy is a result of a combination of principle actions including eicosanoid balance, probiotic support, antitoxic and cytoprotective influences.

Source- Ginger: Common Spice & Wonder Drug by Paul Schulick (p. 101-103)

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Here’s what exercise can do for you:

  • Lower your risk for nearly every disease, from colds to cancer
  • Strengthen your heart and lungs
  • Lower your blood pressure
  • Keep your weight down
  • Maintain and even increase bone density
  • Strengthen your immune system
  • Lower the percentage of body fat
  • Increase the “good” HDL cholesterol and decrease the “bad” LDL cholesterol
  • Relieve stress and tension
  • Reduce the chances of lower-back problems
  • Change the shape of your body
  • Increase your range of motion
  • Improve reflexes, memory, and coordination
  • Improve your sex life
  • Stimulate the release of endorphins, which give your body a natural “high” feeling of euphoria
  • Relieve depression
  • Change your self-image and self-esteem
  • Lengthen your life

Source: Callanetics Fit Forever by Callan Pinckney (p. 30)

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Recipe for Southern-Style Kale

6 cups rinsed, stemmed, and chopped kale (about 1-1/2 pounds)

2 bacon slices, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the kale in a large pot of boiling water until the color brightens, 15-30 seconds. Drain the kale in a colander.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet, then add the bacon. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is browned, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the kale, broth, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Serve at once.

(Per serving: 82 calories, 3 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 257 mg sodium, 12 g total carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 5 g protein, 144 mg calcium)

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Thomas Jefferson: A Walker Ahead of His Time

When he wasn’t busy establishing our new democracy or writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was out walking. “The solemn invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all exercises walking is the best,” he wrote to his future son-in-law in 1786. He would be adored by health experts the world over for his words: “Not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise, and the weather should be little regarded…”

Jefferson bought a pedometer in France, where he walked to landmarks all over Paris, carefully recording the number of steps in his notebook. An all-season walker, he noted that covering a mile in summer required 2,066.5 steps, while the “brisk walk of winter” reduced it to 1,735 steps. Clearly he didn’t let the cold weather stop him; Jefferson simply picked up the pace and extended his stride to keep warm.

Source: Fenton, M. and Bassett, D. 2006. Pedometer Walking. Guilford, C.T.: Lyons Press. (p.9)

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Self-Care Hints to Nourish and Energize You

  • Allow your creativity to flow: Sing a song, bake a cake, or paint a picture. Start by doing easy and simple things first.
  • Allow quiet time often. Discover how much quiet time you need and honor that. Create a healing space in your home or outdoors where you can go to be quiet.
  • Create rituals to mark the passing of time or the special events in your life.
  • Share a connectedness with others. Surround yourself with friends that are loving, supportive, stimulating, and energizing.

Eliopoulos, C. 2004. Invitation to Holistic Health: A Guide to Living a Balanced Life. Sudbury, M.A.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

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Healthy Eating Tips

  • The only way to succeed at losing weight and keeping it off is to incorporate permanent healthy eating behavior.
  • Increase fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dried beans, peas); fiber may actually reduce the amount of calories absorbed by the body.
  • Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Water not only fills you up, helps control your appetite, and increases your energy, it also aids in the metabolism of fat.
  • Slow down! It takes twenty minutes for your brain to receive the message that you’re full. You can slow down your meals by taking time to chew every morsel, putting your utensils down between bites, and drinking water throughout the meal.
  • Eat bigger at breakfast and lunch and lighter at dinner. By fueling your body with high-fiber low-fat foods during the day, you will avoid overeating at night.
  • Keep a food journal to evaluate your eating patterns. Becoming aware of your food habits is the first step to changing them so you can succeed at weight loss.

Jackowski, E. (2001). Escape Your Shape: How to work out smarter, not harder. New York, N.Y.: Fireside.

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