It`s not too late! We all still have time to get our bodies ready for the beach. Spring is next week – time for new beginnings and cleaning house, including our bodies. Here`s a guest post by blogger, Latasri, with a few healthy living tips to help us get ready for the summer sun! 

Winters have hardly been kind to weight-watchers. And before we can count the damage done, summer sets in and brings the challenge to pose in a swim suit post all the weight gain. What follows then is do-or-die crash diets and relentless hours at the gym.

However, the magic takes longer and your much awaited beach trip is now a nightmare.

It`s time to take a different approach and boast that perfect body this summer. Instead of continuing this vicious cycle, let`s take up a weight loss plan that can bring changes in you that will last all through the year without starving on fad diets.

Here’s how to gear up for summer:

1) Choose Wise

The secret to all kind of weight loss is to choose health over foods and taste or comfort. A salad over burger and fries and fruits over processed snacks will make your weight loss lot easier. Summer is a bonus to help choose wise because most of the high-calorie, heavy dishes seem least enticing. The perk of a wise summer diet is also that the less calorie foods are also the best weight loss intakes.

2) Gorge on Nature’s Bounty

The best way to trim your extra pounds off in your summer diet is to pick up the best of what Nature has for us. Whether you’re on Weight watchers or any other diet plan, see to it that plenty of natural fibres are included. Most dieticians and experts say nothing can take care of your body and keep it trimmer and lighter in summers as much as fruits and vegetables can. Not only are these low in calories but are high on water content, vitamins and fibres.

3) Drink Right

Low or even no-calorie beverages are a hidden secret to ensure your summer weight loss plans cuts down weight the right way. However, you need to ensure you read the calories in the drink you choose. It is best to avoid the additional calories that keep piling with every sip by choosing healthy drinks that do not blow away your diet. Pick fruits juices without any sweeteners, and opt for drinks that do not have processed sugars.

4) Tame the Sweet Tooth with Fruits

Very few can refrain from desserts on summer vacations. And if one cannot ditch the high calorie bites in every meal, no weight loss plan is likely to work. So, the only option is to indulge into fruits based desserts in summer. Not only will this tame your sweet tooth but also pamper your moods that usually go for a toss while on a summer weight loss diet.

5) Don’t Give Up On Sweating It Out

Ensure that your summer weight loss plan does not kick out the regular burning out sessions. A healthy diet alone will not give you the washboard abs for your swimsuit. So, the right food and the jogger’s shoe is all you need to boast your perfect body this summer. Be assured you`ll get admiring glances from the opposite sex!

About the Author

As a health and fitness freak, Latasri makes available weight watchers coupon and Bistromd promotional code for fitness enthusiasts. She likes to share her views with fellow bloggers and also offers tips on diet, exercise and weight loss.

Another tip I`d like add is to hit the mat with some body-resistance exercises (like push-ups, the plank, etc.) and get your hand weights out. Building muscle helps increase your metabolism so you`re burning more calories even at rest. Do you have a tip to add to this beach body building list?   

I’m always searching for new ways to be happy and healthy – it really is an option and takes practice if you weren’t taught these skills growing up. And here today we have guest blogger and author, Jane Marla Robbins, who shares with us 2 acting techniques that she’s used in her personal life!  

How do I “Live Lightly?” For one thing, I used to weigh sixty pounds more than I do now.

How do I keep them off? A number of ways, including using Acting Techniques For Everyday Life. Yes, it turns out that the techniques I learned in order to star on Broadway, and be in movies and on television, are the same techniques I use to keep from being miserable and stuffing my face.

Because yes, when I ate much too much, it was always because there was some feeling I didn’t want to feel, because of some person, place, situation or thing that was making me miserable.

So here are two Acting Techniques that helped and still help me eat and behave like a normal, healthy, happy person, instead of someone who wanted to eat herself into oblivion:

Acting Technique #1: The Magic “As If”

Some years ago, someone married into my family who used to always put me down, which only made me want to shrivel up and die. Of course I went for those chocolate chip cookies, not that two hundred of them would have been enough.

One day I pretended the guy had leprosy. I guess on a hunch. I just told myself, “He has leprosy.” I didn’t imagine boils on his face, or bones sticking out of his hands, I just said, “I’ll try it, I’ll pretend he has leprosy.”

I was using a simple acting technique called THE MAGIC “AS IF.” I merely acted “as if” he had leprosy. It worked. For one thing, it helped me to avoid him. After all, I was pretending he had some terrible disease I could catch, why would I want to get near him? So for starters, I never got close enough for him to start in.

Then later that day, the guy actually told his wife, “Jane seemed better today, didn’t you think?”

It’s anybody’s guess why he thought this. Did he feel compassion from me for his disease (his meanness)? Or was it that because I avoided him, he was no longer threatened by my energy, and therefore didn’t feel the need to try to diminish it or me?

The point is, I had a secret, and this made me feel good. Also, I was being creative and was no longer a passive victim. I had become consciously active. An actor. And this made me feel good. And finally, he wasn’t putting me down anymore– which made me feel wonderful.

I have certainly felt like a victim when my eating was out of control, a victim, for example, of the whole chocolate cakes that seemed to force themselves down my throat.

Acting Technique #2: Sense Memory

Studies show that feeling like a victim weakens our immune systems. It certainly doesn’t make for a very happy life. Studies also show that people who are happy, and who don’t feel like victims, are not only healthier, but also live longer than people who are miserable. So here’s an acting technique for feeling happy.

Let’s say you’re feeling miserable, but have to go into a business meeting where it would be useful to feel happy. (Rarely does anyone hire or want to work with someone who is miserable.)

I’m not suggesting you cheat yourself out of any genuine feelings of sadness. I believe our grieving is as important to our health as joy. But I have worked with many clients who, because of guilt, or no longer useful belief systems, or because of feelings you might call “askew,” have actually spent more time feeling unhappy than their lives warranted.

So how does an actor, whose house may have just gone into foreclosure, jump onto a stage and look, and even feel, happy? He could use SENSE MEMORY, the technique Marilyn Monroe used with Sir Laurence Olivier for her first scene in the movie, The Prince and Showgirl.

Monroe had been stuck, was tight, intimidated, dull, blocked, not the scintillating person we know her to have been. Her acting coach suggested she sensorily recreate both “Frankie Sinatra” (a favorite boyfriend) and Coca Cola.

Sometimes if you just think of someone you love, your body’s senses will remember some aspect of that person, and automatically you will smile. Sometimes just his or her name is not enough, and my clients, along with actors, and me, too, need to say to ourselves, “I hear his laugh, I see his smile, I feel his hand.”

And our bodies react as if that person were actually there! Because every sensory event we have experienced is encoded in our cells’ memory, which is why, even without our good friends being there, we smile when we think of them.

For the Coca Cola, maybe Marilyn Monroe remembered feeling the bubbles or tasting the cola — all strong sensory experiences. Who knows what she recreated from her famous affair with Sinatra…. Whatever it was, it worked. She sizzles in that scene.

So if you’re feeling unhappy, or like a victim, find what or who would make you happy. Here’s what works for me: Sometimes I just hear, in my head, a piece of piano music I learned as a child, (it’s Chopin’s Etude in E-Minor). It always makes me smile. Or sometimes I imagine I’m at the ocean, see and hear the waves, smell the salt sea air.

Or sometimes, like Marilyn Monroe, I imagine someone else is in front of me, if the actual person in front of me makes me nervous. Maybe I’ll imagine it’s my best friend, Anna, from college; and all I have to do is imagine seeing the bright blue coat she always wore on our wild adventures- – on the person in front of me. And I’ll feel happy, relaxed, loved– as if Anna were actually there.

SENSE MEMORY is a wonderful technique. Modern science has even proved how effective it is. Experiments at Harvard show it can lower blood pressure, anxiety levels, pain levels, and even accelerate healing. The medical establishment calls it “Guided Sensory Imagery.” In other words, it can change our brain chemistry and how we feel and behave.

So it’s nice to know there are at least two simple Acting Techniques to help us out of being heavy with unnecessary pain, extra pounds, or just self-defeating habits, techniques that can help us live more lightly, less heavily, more joyfully, more healthily.

About the Author

Jane Marla Robbins has been a successful and thin actress for many years. She is the author of ACTING TECHNIQUES FOR EVERYDAY LIFE: Look And Feel Self-Confident in Difficult Real Life Situations, now in its fifth printing, and of PERFORM AT YOUR BEST: Acting Techniques for Business, Social, and Personal Success. Her acting credits include, on film: Rocky I, II & V, Arachnophobia, and on television: ER, Murder She Wrote, Beverly Hills 90210.

Do you recognize that much of our daily troubles, whether it’s struggles in our work lives, relating to people or managing our addictions, have an emotional component? Let’s thank Jane for sharing with us 2 acting techniques which could help us to control our emotions and be happier!   

Fiber has been a recent discussion topic here because of its many benefits, and Betsy’s Fiber and Weight Loss article rings true to blogger, Felicia Baratz. As someone with personal experience experimenting with fiber diets, she’d like to add today’s article to the discussion.

In theory, weight loss is pretty simple. Eat fewer calories, exercise a little more and you’ll lose weight.

But those of us who struggle with losing weight or preventing weight gain know that it’s not easy to choose a diet, much less follow one for a long time. Consulting a medical professional with expertise in nutrition and intestinal health saves you time you might waste trying out a method that’s not right for your own needs.

If you’re looking for a natural weight loss aid, fiber may be your best option. A high-fiber diet can not only promote weight loss and help you keep the weight off, and it has additional potential health benefits. Dietary fiber can help prevent or manage some chronic diseases, and it is especially well-known for its role in digestive and gastrointestinal health.

Benefits of a High-Fiber Diet for Weight Loss

• It does not require supplements or weight loss pills. Rather than being a supplement or weight loss pill, dietary fiber is a nutrient. It is a carbohydrate in plant-based foods, but it does not provide calories because your body cannot digest it.
• It encourages healthy eating. Fiber is in nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. It is not in animal-derived foods, like butter, meat and cheese, which are high in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol.
• It helps suppress hunger. Many diets fail because they make you feel hungry and deprived, so you eventually binge to satisfy your hunger. Fiber is harder to chew so you eat more slowly and fill up before you eat too many calories.
• It can help you keep the weight off. A high-fiber diet is a way of life, not a fad diet that ends when you reach your goal weight.

Benefits of a High-Fiber Diet for Your Health

• It lowers your cholesterol levels and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.
• It helps control your blood sugar to manage or prevent diabetes.
• It prevents constipation because dietary fiber has a laxative effect.
• Fiber may reduce your risk of developing colon cancer.
• It can help prevent painful irritable bowel diseases such as diverticulitis, and it can also help prevent hemorrhoids.

Goal Intake and Cautions:

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that healthy adults get at least 14 grams of dietary fiber for each 1,000 calories that you eat. If you are on a 1,500-calorie weight loss diet, you should get at least 21 grams of fiber per day. If you are like the average American, you normally get less than half of the recommended amount of fiber. That’s good news because you have plenty of room for improvement.

Your first instinct might be to immediately ramp up your fiber intake to your goal level so that you can see effects sooner. Don’t do it! Anyone who has dramatically increased fiber intake can agree that a gradual intake is a much more comfortable approach.

A sudden increase in dietary fiber can cause cramping and bloating. Your family and co-workers may also appreciate a slower increase in your fiber intake because you will have less gas.

Increasing Your Fiber Intake

Start by adding 1 to 3 grams of fiber to your daily diet. If that goes well for a week, try adding another 1 to 3 grams per day. You can increase your intake weekly until you reach your goal amount. During this time, you need to drink plenty of water because soluble fiber pulls water from your gastrointestinal tract to increase stool bulk.

Weight loss is still about burning off more calories than you eat, but dietary fiber can make your diet easier. It helps you feel full, and a high-fiber diet leads to more nutritious food choices. Increasing your dietary fiber is beneficial for your long-term health, but make sure that you do it gradually to minimize unpleasant side effects.

About the Author

Felicia Baratz is a writer living in the Indianapolis area. As a writer for doseofmyown.com, she specializes in articles about health and nutrition.

Let’s thank Felicia for this wonderful reminder of how important fiber is to our health and weight-management, as well as her cautionary note and tips in how to avoid unpleasant side-effects! Has her guest post inspired you to add more fiber-filled foods to your grocery list?

A friend of mine recently started a high protein diet and asked me how much carbs he should consume. While I gave him a generic answer, here’s a guest post by JC which explains low carb diets and how you should go about it if you wish to try it out to achieve your healthy weight loss goals.

Just as numerous diet plans have emerged in the markets, myths regarding low carb diets have increased also. Those who plan specific dieting techniques tend to ignore some of the essential facts and theories associated with them.

Finding the right healthy diet for you can be a little frustrating, especially when you have a weight loss goal. As a follow up post to Bindu’s article on fiber-rich chia seeds, here’s registered and licensed dietitian, Betsy, informing us on fiber and how it factors into our weight loss efforts!

Dietary fiber is great tool that you can use for weight loss as it is something that will fill you up without filling you out. Hunger sensation is the result of the signal that the stomach sends to the brain when it is empty and fullness is when the stomach sends the signal saying it is full.

Consuming a diet high in fiber has shown to be very beneficial. Meeting dietary fiber goals daily has shown to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Certain types of fibers are also beneficial in lowering cholesterol levels.

Dietary fiber is classified into soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fibers include viscous and fermentable fibers such as pectin. These fibers are fermented in the colon and it binds the cholesterol and removes it from the body. Insoluble fibers have bulking action and not completely fermented in the colon. These promote regularity of the gastro-intestinal system.

Fiber and Feeling of Fullness

Studies have shown that people eat the same amount of food to feel full. Eating a meal high in fiber and water-rich foods will provide fewer calories as compared to eating a similar portion of food with high carbohydrate or fat content. Therefore, if you choose foods high in fiber such as vegetables or whole grains you will feel fuller faster and save on some calories.

A 2009 study in the journal Appetite compared the fullness factor of apples, applesauce and apple juice with added fiber before lunch. People who ate an apple before lunch ate 15 percent fewer calories than those who ate the applesauce or drank apple juice. This suggests that the fiber in the whole apple was more filling even when compared to the juice that had added fiber. Also, the chewing of the apple took longer sending fullness signals to the brain.

Sources of Fiber

Fiber is a plant product. Therefore, fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber. Whole grains like wheat, oats, barley and millet are also good sources of fiber. Beans and nuts also contain fiber. In short, any plant product that has not been refined and processed and is consumed in its whole state will provide fiber.

Fiber keeps you feeling full for longer and promotes satiety. Natural sources of fiber are more compatible for body than fiber capsules. If you must take fiber supplement, a powder fiber supplement is better choice than in the pill form.

Adding Fiber to Diet

Add fiber slowly to your diet so your body can get used to it and prevent bloating and gas. Drink plenty of fluids while adding fiber. Try these tips for adding more low-calorie foods to your meal plan to boost fiber while keeping calories in check:

• Choose whole fruits instead of fruit juices or processed fruits.
• Choose vegetables for snacks.
• Have at least 2 servings of vegetables each meal. Make sure your plate is filled half with greens.
• Choose non-starchy vegetables to keep the calories in check.
• Choose broth based soup rather than creamy soups.
• Start your day with a high fiber cereal or whole grain toast. Add a fruit and a low fat dairy to round off your hearty breakfast.
• Enjoy beans and nuts. But beware of the portion sizes.
• Make all your grains whole and limit them to a few servings each day.

Remember, that fibers alone will not take off the pounds. Fiber along with a well-balanced, low calorie meals and exercise will help you stay on track of your weight loss goal. Controlling or maintaining your weight is a lot easier with a diet rich in fiber.

About the Author

Betsy is a registered and licensed dietitian who provides weight loss counselling and is part of My Diet Planr where you can get your own diet plans.

I usually add ground flax seed to my morning smoothies to get more fiber in my diet, and if I’m having digestive upset in the form of constipation, I drink a glass of water with a teaspoon of psyllium husk. Do you have any fiber-increasing tips of your own to share?  

Here’s a guest post that’ll make you sit up and read like a demon! Will Kashis is here today to tell us about a new and highly out-of-the box way to lose unwanted fat and get fitter, developed by a Canadian research scientist!

You may have heard of a fairy tale which begins like this: “In order to lose weight you need to start a diet, carefully count calories, avoid food that is high in carbs and fat, and don’t believe anyone who promises super-fast weight loss.”

Well, it’s a true story. But what if, for some reason, you’re tired of constantly being in “dieting mode” and having to think of how many calories a product contains – or simply can’t exclude some food from your diet – and, in addition, still have a couple of pounds to lose? If this is the case for you, turn your attention to Eat Stop Eat.

In short, Eat Stop Eat is a weight loss method that teaches people how to get fit by using a combination of short-term (24-hour) fasting and weight training. It was designed in 2008 by Brad Pilon, a research scientist from Toronto, who had worked for almost decade in the nutritional supplement industry.

His approach offers a new way to cut calories. It preaches a change in focus whereby calories are counted weekly rather than daily. Unsure what that means? Let me give you an example:

Assume you need about 2,000 calories a day to maintain your bodyweight. This means that if you want to lose half a pound of fat a week, you’ll need to eat 250 fewer calories every single day for seven days, if you follow a traditional weight-loss regime.

But you can do it differently. You can eat normally 6 out of 7 days, and then fast one day to burn 1,750 calories and lose that half a pound.

Both men and women who practice Eat Stop Eat method usually do 1 or 2 fasts during a week to burn fat, and exercise to build muscle mass if it’s necessary. They are totally free in planning their fasts during a week.

Beginners can start with one fast a week; while more experienced practitioners can go through two fasts during the same period. Very experienced followers can even perform workouts during their fasting days.

Most people describe Eat Stop Eat as an “auto-pilot” or “brainless” diet. But in fact, there are no secrets to the Eat Stop Eat technique except one simple weight loss fact – the only scientifically sound way to lose body fat is by creating a calorie deficit. And intermittent fasting, as Brad says, is just an easy means to eat fewer calories, which leads weight loss.

The most common myth about intermittent fasting is so-called ‘starvation mode’. During starvation mode, the body supposedly slows its metabolism due to too few calories being ingested.

But Brad claims that a large body of scientific research shows that you can eat very low calories for extended periods of time with no change in your metabolism. Also, there is no decrease in muscle mass, as long as you do some form of resistance training.

Furthermore, a recent study by the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah showed that the body releases cholesterol during fasting, enabling the body to tap into its fat reserves for energy. In fact, a recent British study on fasting has also come up with some positive results and health benefits for fasting.

[Editor's Note: Natural Health guru, Dr. Mercola, has also written numerous articles on fasting and exercising, including: Study Finds Routine Periodic Fasting is Good for Your Health, The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast and How to Slim Your Waistline Without Depriving Yourself.]

If you want to learn how intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, then visit Eat Stop Eat weight loss program website for additional information.

About the Author

Will Kashis is a nutrition writer who freelances for niche publications and recently launched his site at www.Diets.md.

I must admit that in my recent experience, there’s merit to this idea of fasting (or under-eating) and exercising. Due to my Spiritual Kick-in-the-Ass over a month ago, my appetite has been almost non-existent (I have been eating, though, and healthy foods, at that) and I’ve been exercising to combat stress – losing over 15 pounds, several inches and over 5% in body fat so far!

Will you be trying this Eat Stop Eat approach?

It’s been almost a month now since I wrote about my current struggles and plans to overcome them in Yo Yo Healthy Living. It’s time for an update and although I have some disappointments to share, I also have some super exciting news on my next adventures!

First, let’s start off with some good news. This weekend is a long weekend for Canadians, Victoria Day is tomorrow (I hope everyone’s enjoying it everywhere!) and I’m happy to report that I’ve had a lovely balance of responsibility and fun. Which is what healthy living is all about, isn’t it?

Lovin’ Right Now

For starters, Honey and I took care of the first step in fixing a current housing situation (borderline crisis!) and had fun doing it together, enjoyed the beautiful weather with some gardening (mmm… sustainable, healthy and cheap eating), decluttering (with a good chance we’ll get back to renos tomorrow!), physical activity AND tons of good times (yes, partying and fireworks) with family and friends! Whoo Hoo!

Setbacks on the Plan

As for the plans to get back on the healthy living wagon that I outlined in Part 1 and in cleaning up my finances mentioned in Healthy Finances are a Part of Healthy Living, well, it’s been a bit rocky. I’m still slacking on the exercise and eating, plus I overspent (just a bit) and failed to budget for the costs of fixing our housing situation. Boo.

Positive Changes (Literally!)

Despite these minor setbacks, there are some amazing positive changes already undergo and coming up! There are two main changes that I’m certain will help me take back my control of my life:

1. I’ve applied for a part-time job (with two employers, so far) that will help increase my income – probably the most prominent factor contributing to my current financial reality. (By the way, if you have ANY money management issues and still haven’t checked out Til Debt Do Us Part, please do! It continues to inspire me to take responsibility for my financial health and because I’m watching it with my Honey, it’s even helping strengthen our relationship.)
2. Remember this week’s guest post on The Benefits of Hypnotherapy? I had a free consultation with Positive Changes, a well-known behaviour modification center using hypnosis, and was so impressed that I signed on for nine sessions. (Thank you, Mom, for this wonderful birthday present!)

Since I’ve fallen off the healthy living wagon, I’ve been trying to tackle the problem the same way I did last time when I succeeded. However, it hasn’t been working and my efforts have moved into the realm of insanity, according to Einstein’s definition. So it’s time to change tactics and approach.

There’s a lot to look forward to for me with these particular choices. Not only will the part-time hospitality job help improve my finances, it’ll also provide me the social and physical activity I crave. Plus, I can afford then to take a step back from my freelance writing biz to evaluate if it’s working for me.

As for the hypnotherapy, I suspect that as long as I do my homework, it’ll create sustainable changes in my behaviour. I’ll I be getting experienced support in creating those changes and the hypnosis will be targeting stubborn, out-dated subconscious programming no longer serving me.

I’m stoked for both of these adventures, though I’ll admit there’s some fear because of the upcoming changes. Each will change my life in different ways but no worries, I know this is what I have to do to start creating a more agreeable reality, so I’m sucking it up and being a woman!

Stay tuned for another update (about a month) in Part 3 of Yo Yo Healthy Living. If you’re curious about hypnotherapy and the Positive Changes center, I’ll be writing a series of articles about my personal experiences!

This silly yo yo healthy living is beginning to irritate me. And I strongly believe that it’s due to my stubborn, self-limiting, subconscious beliefs roadblocking me from sustainable change. So let’s hear from guest blogger, Catriona Boyle, about the benefits of hypnotherapy!

After many years of skepticism and stigmatisation, alternative and complementary therapy is finally becoming a popular and recognised form of treatment for many issues and problems, as well as helping people boost their overall well-being and health.

Hypnotherapy is one such therapy, and is becoming renowned for its effectiveness in dealing with weight issues and smoking in particular. However, it can help with a whole range of emotional problems, compulsive obsessions and habits, and mental health problems.

Hypnotherapy works by tapping into the subconscious and using the power of suggestion to help promote change, giving beneficial ideas and suggestions to help the individual bring about the change they desire.

Hypnotherapy is often used in conjunction with other therapy methods, including counselling and psychotherapy, to help deal with the problems at the heart of the issue, to ensure it doesn’t resurface again.

According to the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH), it is estimated that 85% of people will respond at some level to clinical hypnotherapy, which is an excellent success rate. It is of course dependent on how open someone is to the therapy, how confident they are in it and what kind of change they want to make.

The benefits of hypnotherapy can literally change someone’s life. It can mean achieving specific things such as learning to understand and letting go of the past, reducing day-to-day anxiety, curing  a damaging habit or achieving a goal. Or simply benefitting from self-improvement such as strengthening the immune system, increasing self-esteem or having a better outlook on life.

An open mind and a willingness to change is all that’s required to let hypnotherapy into your life, and start moving onwards and upwards.

About the Author

Catriona Boyle writes and works for a new website, Hypnotherapy Directory. It is a free web directory listing qualified and insured hypnotherapists all over the United Kingdom. The site also has a wealth of information about various types of distress that hypnotherapy can help, as well as a blog about the latest health news.

What do you think of hypnotherapy, Readers? Do you think hypnosis can forever squash sabotaging beliefs interfering with positive change? If you’re interested, check out the Hypnotherapy Directory’s blog post, “Habits – Why Willpower Alone Doesn’t Always Work.”

You’ve heard of yo yo dieting but have you heard of yo yo healthy living? It’s when you’re struggling to adopt healthy living practices and I’ve been living it for awhile now. Perhaps you can relate so today I’d like to share with you what I’ve been going through and what I’m doing about it.

In December, I wrote Confessions of a Fallen Health Nut and had an awesome health plan for the new year. I was doing o.k. and following it fairly closely until I got super busy in March (when I had planned to stop smoking). Great news for my business but not so hot on the health front.

From my experience in getting healthy, consistency (i.e. forming habits) is key (read my health her-story here). But damn, it can be hard to accomplish when life gets hectic, even when you know what to do!

Why is it so hard? According to Paige Waehner in this About.com article, it comes down to the energy needed to change and way too many choices every single day. I hear that. It seems when I don’t exercise in the morning, I rarely get it in before the end of the day.

But I believe the main reason it’s difficult to change is because of stubborn subconscious beliefs. To help squash these persistent roadblocks, I’ve begun a series of daily (morning and night) affirmations to try to reprogram some of my self-limiting beliefs. I’ve also been dabbling in using Emotional Freedom Technique.

Another biggie (from my experience) is having a clear vision of what you want to accomplish and why it’s important to you. So I started meditating 10-15 minutes daily (almost) about 3 weeks ago and started reading Soul Purpose: A Practical Guide For Creating A Life You Love by Janet Amare. I figure that if my freelance writing biz is truly my life purpose, then I would have enjoyed the busyness more.

I refuse to give up! I’ve reread 15 Practical & Easy Health Tips, I’m going to continue to aim for activity every day, including strength training 2-3 times a week to increase my metabolism (which I’ve been doing successfully for 6 weeks now), and will make more of an effort to save the junk food for only my cheat days. I’m aiming to get back down to my healthy weight (20 lbs lighter) and also, of course, stop smoking.

Whew! This post was challenging for me to write. Why? Well, ever since I slipped off the health wagon, I feel my integrity is shot. It doesn’t feel right to be blogging and offering health advice when I’m struggling myself. But my friends have been encouraging me to be more personal on the blog and share these struggles because they believe it’ll help you, too.

Does it help you to hear about my personal struggles? Shall I continue to write regular posts like this to keep you updated on my progress? If I don’t get any comments, I’ll assume you like the typical way I blog (i.e. more informational)!

Update: Thank you for the encouragement, Heather! If you’re interested, read Part 2 and Part 3 of the Yo Yo Healthy Living series.

Today is officially the 1st day of spring! What better way to wrap up the Holistic Spring Cleaning Series than with a guest post about a super clean, nutritious grain that helps you lose weight? Bindu Grandhi, flexitarian cookbook author, blogs about quinoa and shares with us an easy, tasty recipe.

Grains are my-go-to staple food – they’re mild in flavor, inexpensive, and keep well. My pantry is stocked with brown basmati rice, whole-wheat pasta, couscous and my most favorite grain – quinoa (pronounced keen-wah).

While quinoa is considered a grain, it is actually the seed of a plant that is related to beets, chard and spinach. Honestly, I don’t care how it’s classified because if you’ve never tried it, you don’t know what you’re missing!

This ancient grain native to South America was considered “the gold of Incas” because they recognized this superfood’s value in increasing the stamina of its warriors. In fact, quinoa is quite the nutritional powerhouse:

• High in protein, it is one of the few non-meat foods that provide all eight of the essential amino acids that our bodies need to repair themselves.
• High in fiber, low in gluten and a great source of healthy carbohydrates.
• Great source of lysine which plays a critical role in tissue growth and repair.
• Loaded with vitamins and minerals (such as iron, magnesium and potassium); its magnesium, copper and phosphorous content means that quinoa is especially good for those that have migraine headaches, atherosclerosis and diabetes; its potassium content can help beat bloat.

Best of all, one cup of cooked quinoa has just 220 calories and keeps you satiated! So if you’re trying to eat healthy or shed a few pounds or fueling up for exercise, make quinoa a part of your meal plan.

Look for quinoa in your local supermarket or in natural foods stores. Some of the price clubs also carry quinoa; I got a 4 lb. container for $10! Make sure you store quinoa in an airtight container. It will keep for a longer period of time, approximately three to six months, if stored in the refrigerator.

Prepare quinoa by placing it in a fine-meshed strainer and rinse under cold water. Cook according to the package directions. By the way before I cook, I shallow-fry the quinoa in a skillet over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes – stirring constantly until the raw smell disappears.

It takes only about 15 minutes to cook, making it a great time saver for busy cooks. When cooked, it has an airy rice-like and slightly crunchy texture, and a somewhat nutty flavor. Quinoa is so versatile, the perfect accompaniment for vegetables, beans, or tofu.

If you have recipes that call for couscous or rice, just substitute quinoa instead. When I’m short on time, it makes for a great one-pot meal and I jazz it up with spices!

Here’s one of my favorite recipes:

Sautéed Vegetables and Quinoa

This nutrient-rich packed dish loads up on veggies, mixed with quinoa and just a hint of garam masala. Simply yummy – great for brunch, lunch, dinner or snack!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup quinoa, dry roasted
• 1 ½ tsp. extra light olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
• 1 bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 3 baby portabella mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 jalapeno (optional), stemmed and diced
• ¼ tsp. garam masala
• 2 cups of water
• Salt to taste

Garnish: ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms and jalapeno for 6 minutes. Add the garam masala and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water, cover and bring to boil. Add quinoa. Cover and return to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and salt to taste. Garnish with cilantro.

*Variation of this dish: Try other vegetables like eggplant or zucchini. Or add baby shrimp in place of the mushrooms.

About the Author

Author of Spice Up Your Life, Bindu Grandhi is passionate about healthy and flavourful cooking, especially when it’s flexitarian. She shares her health knowledge with the world by providing practical, healthy and tasty recipes as The Flex Cook.

Quinoa rocks my world! Here’s another quinoa recipe from the Live Lighter archives for you to try. How much do you love quinoa?