2011 August Archive at themojocoach.com

Archive for August, 2011

How to Eat “Cheap and Healthy”

Published on August 17, 2011 in General. 0 Comments

Are there ways to eat cheaply and healthy? Absolutely!

1- Buy “family size” packages of chicken, turkey, fish or lean beef. At one time on a few baking trays, coat some with seasoning, others with a sauce, some with dressing and some with minimal spices. Then use in soups, salads, stir frys and sandwiches.

2- It’s cheaper (but more tempting) to buy big bags of snack foods. Invest in a few boxes of snack size baggies. When you’re NOT hungry, portion out servings according to the package and then grab 1 baggie when ready to snack. You’ll eat less and save more.

3-Eating at home is almost always cheaper and healthier than eating out. It’s usually easier to control your choices…and portions.

4-Serve your meals on smaller plates. Eating dinner out can be expensive and the portions can be enough for at least 2 meals.

5- When you cook, you control the ingredients used in preparation. Substitute broth, water and seasoning instead of all of the oil, butter and cream used when you eat out.

6-For dessert, a single serving fudge pop has far fewer calories and is far less expensive than an ice cream cone. You can also have a single serving pudding or pudding pop for less than 100 calories and a few cents.

7-Cook with whole grain pasta (or a low carb version). A box is inexpensive, healthier than regular pasta and you’ll eat much less than the portions served out.

8-Bring a healthy snack to work. For just a little bit of money, what you bring (yogurt, fruit, string cheese, trail mix, etc.) will be far better than anything from the vending machine.

9-Make flavored coffee at home. Think about how much you spend on that fancy coffee concoction each day. It’s hundreds of calories and the price adds up over the course of a week

10-Share an entree or order an appetizer portion. You’ll eat less and save money.

11-Preplan-Bring healthy snacks and water bottles from home if you know you’ll be out for the day. What you’ll bring is almost always healthier and less expensive than anything from outside.

12-Value meals, super sizing and economy sizing don’t save any money if it causes you to overeat unhealthy food and gain weight. You’ll need to buy larger clothes and have higher medical bills as a result of all that “value”!!

How do you eat healthy and save? I’d love to know, comment and share!
Debi Silber, “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com

Stress and The Impact on Your Skin

Published on August 16, 2011 in General. 0 Comments

Someone recently asked: “I’m under a tremendous amount of stress and I noticed changes in my skin. Is there any connection?” The answer is a big, fat yes.

One reason your skin changes when stressed is due to the over secretion of the stress hormone cortisol. When over secreted, it will look to replenish itself by borrowing components from our estrogen stores. Estrogen keeps us youthful so when stores become depleted, we age faster. (You know how someone “looks like they’ve had a hard life?” That’s the physical effects of over secreted stress hormones).

Another way stress impacts your skin is because stress deteriorates the skin’s natural ability to protect against invasion. Pollution and toxins are harsh on the skin and alter the way the skin repairs and regenerates itself. This shows itself in tone and texture. Stress also decreases the elasticity of the skin creating a more aged look.

Increased cortisol can also prevent skin regeneration by slowing the rate of cell turnover, leaving skin dull. While this is happening, adrenaline, which is also released under stress, redirects blood away from the skin to where it seems more needed at the time. This is another reason why the skin can have a dulled look.

Acne is also common during stress because during times of stress there is a stimulation of the sebaceous glands (ever hear someone complaining about a huge pimple right before an important event?)

So, if you’re stressed about your looks…that stress is what’s largely causing the problem!

Is stress impacting the way your skin looks or do you have a secret to healthy skin? I’d love to know, comment and share!

Debi Silber, “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com

Why Fitness May Be Getting Bounced Off Of Your “To-Do” List

Published on August 15, 2011 in General. 1 Comment

I’ve found that many people have the best of intentions when it comes to fitting exercise into their day but for many reasons, it easily gets bounced off of our “to do lists.” Why?

One reason is because many of us feel guilty giving ourselves any type of self care. We’ll only take care of ourselves once everyone else is cared for and by that time we’ve lost our motivation because we’re exhausted, frustrated, spent and depleted.

When fitness isn’t a priority, time for exercise also often gets replaced with extra chores or obligations that can be squeezed into our already overly extended schedule.

Another reason why exercise isn’t part of a routine is because it’s done sporadically. Benefits aren’t felt or seen so motivation drops quickly.

Also, many people just haven’t found a routine that works for them. They either go for the “all or nothing” approach, join a club that’s inconvenient or begin a routine they don’t enjoy. Finding it too difficult to stay with, enjoy or get to is an easy reason to give up.

Need a few solutions?

One thing I always suggest is to write exercise into your book/planner as an appointment. Just as you’d respect any other type of appointment, writing it down and treating that way ensures you’ll take the time because you’ve allowed for it and made it a priority.

I also suggest working out in the morning if possible. You typically have more control over your time and exercise will be less likely to be bounced off the list as other necessary tasks creep up throughout the day.

The more you understand what works for you, the more you stick with and can enjoy whichever type of exercise program you choose. That’s when you see and feel the benefits as well.

How do you fit exercise into your day? I’d love to know, comment and share!
Debi Silber, “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com

Becoming Fit and Healthy-It’s a Family Affair

Published on August 11, 2011 in General. 0 Comments

One of the most important reasons for parents to get themselves feeling, looking and living their best is for the sake of their kids.

Did you know that in 2010, about 50% of all kids were overweight! At this point 1/3rd of their diets consist of nothing but junk food. Add to that “portion distortion”, fast/takeout food and inactivity and you’ve got a recipe for unhealthy kids.

The first suggestion I give moms (who handle 90% of food tasks) is to set a good example. There simply is no better way to get the message across to kids.

Encouraging moderate portions of well balanced meals (protein/carb/fat), variety and eating every few hours to discourage being overly hungry are a few places to start. Kids can also be included in some of the shopping and food preparation details. When they’re included, they’ve more likely to buy into the idea of its importance.

You may also want to reconsider family style eating. It’s great to stay at the table enjoying each other’s company but family style typically encourages seconds. Instead of putting all of the dishes on the table, try putting all of the dinner items on each plate and bringing only the plates to the table. If the goal is to create better habits, find ways to enjoy heaping servings of conversation, not food.

For exercise, encourage activity-again using yourself as an example. You can also encourage your child to find an activity they enjoy (if they like it they’ll do it). It can be something simple like playing outside, dancing, walking the family dog (or in my crazy case-4 dogs ) or enrolling in a team sport or intramural program at school if one’s available.

Whether in the form of better food choices, healthier habits or adding fitness to the family routine, the key is to make “lifestyle fitness” a family affair.

What do you do to keep your family fit and healthy? I’d love to know, comment and share!

Debi Silber, “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com

Staying Fit and Healthy While Vacationing

Published on August 10, 2011 in General. 0 Comments

Can you travel and avoid gaining weight?

There are many ways to come home feeling great but it begins with a plan. You know the saying “if you fail to plan then plan to fail” that’s so true with regards to preventing weight gain while traveling.

The first step is to bring healthy snacks for the flight. What’s available in the airport may not be especially health conscious. If you’ll be traveling in the car, same idea applies. Whatever you have is probably healthier than what you’d find at a rest stop.

I also encourage people when traveling to an interesting place to sample the foods of that area. In order to “allow” for the food, give up foods that are ordinary and you can have at any time.

When traveling, we typically have two options-find healthy alternatives or eat less. If you can’t manage to find a healthy option or order in a way to keep the fat/sugar/calories down, simply eat less.

As far as exercise, make sure you pack your exercise gear. Most hotels have gyms but if not, there’s always a way to walk or run outside. You can also pack resistance bands which take up little space or do exercises using your own body weight as resistance such as push ups, chair dips, crunches and squats. If you bring your computer, pack a few exercise DVD’s you can do right in your hotel room.

If you’re making gradual lifestyle changes, vacations aren’t an excuse to go crazy because you allow for some imperfection. Of course, if you slip, contain it to the meal and move on!

How do you stay on track while vacationing? I’d love to know, comment and share!
Debi Silber, “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com

Quick and Simple Tips to Look Great For Your Next Party

Published on August 9, 2011 in General. 0 Comments

Recently, a client asked me “I’m planning a formal party and I’m overwhelmed with details. I want everything to be perfect and I want to look perfect too. What’s the best and quickest way to look great for a black tie event?”

For those who know me, words like “quick” aren’t usually found with words like “permanent” and the word “perfect” creates unnecessary stress but I gave her a few ideas anyway. Here’s what I suggested:

1- Find time for aerobic activity. It’s a great way to burn calories, lower your stress level and find solutions to some of your party concerns. The rhythmic movement of aerobic activity enables you to become clearly focused and calm; a great mental place to sort out details.

2- For great arms in a strapless dress: Your time is limited so you want to do an activity that gives you more bang for your buck. Push ups work the entire upper body when done correctly. Tricep dips are great for the back of the arms.

3-Eat for sustained energy. Eating nutrient dense foods rich in vitamins and minerals supply your body with quality which shows itself in less bloat, healthier skin and a healthy glow…just as important as finding and wearing the right dress.

4-Next, look for a well fitting but comfortable dress. You don’t want to spend your time readjusting when you could be dancing instead.

5-Hair, makeup, nails, eyebrows, toes, etc. These frilly extras make us feel beautiful.

6-You can also try a little bit of self tanner and/or bronzer. When used appropriately, it can minimize imperfections like uneven skin tone, varicose veins, etc.

7-Get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. It’s a great foundation for beautiful skin and tone.

8-Laugh, smile, have fun, keep things in perspective and remember why you’re celebrating the event in the first place. Remember, no one is looking as closely at you as you are and everything looks and feels better when wrapped with a smile.

Do you have any tips and strategies to help you enjoy your events? I’d love to hear about them, comment and share!

Debi Silber, “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com