Ultimate RESET!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Accountablity coach

Are you the only one holding yourself accountable for your weight loss, fitness and nutrition goals? Do you struggle to find motivation everyday? Do you want to 'cheat' when no one is looking?

Accountability coaches are priceless when you are striving to reach weight loss, fitness. and nutrition goals. They are the ones that will be there to motivate, inspire, ask questions, follow up, and support you.

An accountability coach can be anyone; significant other, sibling, friend, parent, nutrition coach, or personal trainer.

Make sure that the person you elect to hold you accountable, knows your short term and long term goals. Make them specific, and let them know what you need of them.

You are likely to have more success when you partner with someone on reaching your health goals.

Remember your health is your priority.

Happy Tuesday!!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Questions & Answers

I would love to start a Monday questions & answers blog! For those of you that would like to participate, please email me your nutrition, weight loss, wellness and fitness questions at positivenutritionmom@gmail.com

I have a lot of weekly questions in my email box and would love the opportunity to start a day once a week of anwsering all of your questions.

Have a great Monday!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Desserts


The concern of eliminated desserts is a real one that many people have when they come to me for help. People enjoy their last meal/snack of the day, the one following dinner.

For those of you eating 6 times a day like myself, there is a meal/snack following dinner. It's usually around 150-200 calories. Many people enjoy sweets at this time and sugary treats can add up quickly and usually be more than 200 calories.
There are many options for your sweet tooth. You can have a small bowl of cream of wheat w/ stevia on top, vita-muffins or vita-top (http://www.vitalicious.com/), fresh fruit, healthy baked goods, Shakeology (myshakeology.com/nutritionmom), and many other healthy options.

Finding different ways to prepare your favorite baked goods, is key to a healthy lifestyle and satisfying those cravings. I love to bake and do it quite often, and I have learned that using things like Agave nectar, Stevia, and applesauce as sweeteners instead of refined sugar are a great tasting, healthy alternatives.

Don't use this last snack of the day as a diet blowing snack. It can satisfy you, be healthy and help cure your cravings for the unhealthy foods.

If you need more ideas or need more information about the things listed here today, feel free to contact me.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Alcohol in Moderation


I get a lot of questions about whether or not you can drink alcohol while trying to lose weight and eat clean.

I have addressed this before, but this is a common questions and a real concern for people who enjoy socially drinking.

Yes, you can enjoy a drink while following a clean diet and trying to lose weight.

Like everything else, it's about moderation.

Perhaps you like to drink a glass of wine a few nights a week, while preparing dinner. That's just fine to indulge in a glass of wine a few times a week, just make sure to count it towards your daily calories and follow that glass of wine with 8-12 ounces of water.

Having a drink a few times a week is OK, but excessive drinking is not OK when you are working towards a goal of losing weight, taking charge of your diet, and following a clean diet.

Alcohol has a diuretic effect, and you can become dehydrated quickly. Not to mention it has an effect on every organ and can be quite damaging especially to your liver in large quantities. It's also EMPTY calories and adds up quickly towards your daily caloric intake. Even light beer usually has 110 calories. I don't know about you, but I would rather use that 110 calories towards a light snack after dinner, than a filling, bloating, diuretic beer.

So in conclusion, yes you can drink alcohol. Count it towards your daily calories, follow up with water and limit it to a 1-2 drinks a few times a week (at most).

Happy Tuesday

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Skin Nutrition

Have you ever read the ingredients in your lotions, perfumes, or face washes?
YIKES! Things I can't pronounce or even recognize.

So you've changed your diet, you are only putting recognizable foods into your body, flushing your body out with 64 ounces of water a day and exercising. What about what you are putting onto your skin? It gets absorbed into your body. It's chemicals and preservatives. Why would you put that on your body when you are trying to live a healthy, clean lifestyle?

I challenge you to get out the products you use everyday; shampoo, condition, face wash, body wash, deodorant, face lotion, body lotion, makeup and anything else, and read the ingredient lists, even look up the ingredients on line to find out exactly what they are.

Do you know what every single ingredient is and where it came from? Is it natural or a synthetic poison chemical?

If you are putting chemicals on your hair and skin then I suggest changing the products you use, especially the ones you use every single day.

There are plenty of good, high quality natural skin & hair products out on the market. They are not always in your local stores, often you have to go online to find them but they are out there.

I buy all of my products off of iherb.com and have always had exceptional service and delivery. Their prices are far better than any I have found anywhere else in stores or even online.

Email me if you are interested in a coupon code for iherb.com.

Remember your good health has a lot to do with not only what you put IN your body, but also what you put ON your body.

Have a great Wednesday!!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Positive Self-talk


It's common place these days to have negative thoughts about our bodies, our lives, our hair, and everything in between.

I ask you this; Where does this get you?

Do you feel better after putting yourself down? Do you feel like you can do anything after thinking negatively about yourself? Do you feel beautiful? Do you feel worthy? Does putting yourself down make you feel good?

I challenge you to replace ALL of your negative self-talk with positive things. Even if you don't think it's true at the time.

Having positive thoughts about yourself WILL build your self esteem, even if you don't think it's true at the time. Say it over and over again. Every time you are about to say or think something negative.

You are supposed to be your biggest fan and your biggest supporter. How can anyone be there for you, love you, enjoy your company, if you don't appreciate yourself?

After saying or thinking positively for a period of time, you will actually believe theses things. You will look at yourself differently, be able to accomplish your goals with a better attitude, and truly appreciate and love yourself for who you are as a person.

Have a great Tuesday!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Controlling your metabolism 101

You have SO much control over your metabolism. It is your puppet and you are the puppet master.

Keeping your metabolism running at top speed takes a little bit of work but it is all worth it. You want your metabolism in high gear even when you are not working out.

Tips for having a metabolism that is always in that highest gear possible:

-Drink 8-12 ounces of water as soon as your eyes open in the morning

-Eat within an hour of rising

-Eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day

-Consume at least 200 calories every 2-3 hours

-Consume clean foods (nothing processed)

-Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day

-Exercise at LEAST 30 minutes a day/ at least 4 times a week

-Combine cardio and weight training into your exercise routine (muscle burns more calories than fat)

-Track your calories

You have so much control over your health & metabolism.

These are tips to live by for your health, metabolism and quality of life.


Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Cravings & hunger at night


I received an email recently from a client and she said she would like this addressed on the blog.

"I eat dinner around 6 pm, then have a light snack usually around 8pm and feel very satisfied. I then get into bed at 9:30 pm and watch some TV with my husband. Somewhere around 10-10:30 pm I start to feel a little bit hungry and begin eating. At this time I am usually eating junk food. Left over skittles, pop tarts, fruit loops, frozen waffles with syrup, or really anything I know I shouldn't be eating especially at that time of day. How do I stop this? What is causing this?"

I know many people, including myself that have had or do have night time cravings. There are a few things to rule out; are you eating enough during the day? Are you drinking enough water during the day? Are you consuming enough calories during the day? Are you eating the right foods during the day?

If you are not getting enough food or calories during the day then you are depriving your body of what it needs, and you will find that at the end of the day you are still hungry.

If you are not drinking enough water during the day then that can and does sometimes make you feel hungry or have cravings.

If you are not eating the right whole foods during the day then you are likely to feel hungry at night.

If all is right and you are doing all that you are supposed to during the day then I would say that you are just having a craving and you need to make sure that the foods that can do your body harm are not within your reach. Do not purchase pop-tarts, fruit loops and skittles. Fill your pantry and fridge with whole foods. When you have a craving you don't have the choice of eating pop-tarts, but you will have to instead fulfill that craving with an apple, banana, orange, or maybe just some water sweetened with stevia and an orange slice.

Thanks for the question, and I hope this helped!!

Have a great Wednesday!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Afternoon Slump


Do you suffer from the afternoon slump? Lack of energy? fatigue? irritability?

What do you reach for when you hit that wall? Coffee, soda, candy bar, bag of chips, handful of m&m's?

Instead of trying to regain energy by consuming caffeine, sugar or simple carbs, try reaching for something that will fuel your body and help you get through the rest of your day.

Often our bodies just need a re-fuel and to be hydrated.
Try reaching for nuts, berries, carrots sticks, brown rice crackers w/ hummus, yogurt, apple, or any good healthy snack and 8-12 ounces of water.

It will re-fuel your body and you won't 'crash' from it an hour later.

Happy Monday!!