Question and Answer

Q: How often should you exercise?

A: My personal recommendation is normally for a person to work out at LEAST 5 days a week for 30 minutes. After you have mastered that and feel you need more or have hit a plateau in your weight loss or health goals, then you will want to up that amount.

I have recently increased the number of days and the length of my workouts. I have hit a plateau and have also changed my personal health goals. I know that to reach my goals I have to work hard and focus.

Remember that everything is centered around your goals. Make sure your goals are specific and detailed. Ask for help and support on your journey.

Send your questions to positivenutritionmom@gmail.com

Happy Thursday!!

Exercise & Nutrition

Exercise and Nutrition, they go hand in hand. They work together in weight loss and health.

So often people try to reach their health goals by incorporating either exercise OR good nutrition into their lives. These are usually the people that can't figure out what they are doing wrong, and why they aren't getting the results they desire.

Yes you can lose some weight when you incorporate exercise OR good nutrition into your life, but you will hit a plateau and not reach optimal good health without both.

To be in good health, and at a healthy weight, you will need to exercise and eat right. If one is a little harder than the other, then start with small steps towards your goal.

If eating right is hard for you to do then start with small steps:
-Switch from whole milk in your latte to non-fat or light soy
-Trade your daily soda for sparkling water sweetened w/ Stevia and 100% grape juice
-Swap your regular pasta for whole wheat pasta

If exercise is hard for you then start with small steps:
-Make a family commitment to walk 1 time around the block a 1/2 hour after dinner every night
-Ask a co-worker to walk with you on your lunch break for 20 minutes
-Use commercial breaks as a way to incorporate some exercise into your life- 1st commercial break do push-ups nonstop, 2nd commercial break do jumping jacks nonstop, 3rd commercial break do sit-ups nonstop, etc.

Make small, frequent changes in your habits if the big changes are overwhelming. The more changes you make, the better results you see, the more you will want to do.


Happy Tuesday!

Sunday Morning- ME time

It's a beautiful Sunday morning. I am still in bed, typing, sipping on coffee and watching a silly reality television show. This is the short hour or so that I have given to myself this week. It will end soon, and the day will begin. Making breakfast, getting kids ready for the day, feeding animals, cleaning the house, answering emails, preparing food for today's barbecue, and meeting the needs of my family. This hour is what I need as a woman, mother, and a wife, to rest and recharge.

Remember to find time for yourself, even if it doesn't come until Sunday and is only for an hour. Find time to relax, to unwind, meditate, rest, write, or just nap.

Parents in particular tend to go, go, go all day long. Doing for others, meeting the needs of their family, and working. That they tend to forget or neglect their own needs.

Take care of yourself, so that you can take care of those around you.



Happy Sunday!

Football-Food-Fun

I am a big football fan! I love professional football and college football. It's that time of year again and that means a lot of game day food.
What do you do about football food temptation?

If you are home the answer is easy, you make healthy food. It's easy to modify most game day foods. Pizza is easily modified into a healthier version, so is; guacamole, bean dip, nachos, potato wedges (aka: fries), and burgers. There is a healthier version of almost every single traditional game day food.

If you are out then you must choose wisely. Fill your plate with veggies (without the fat laden dips), fruit, nuts, beans, and limit your french fries, fried chicken, hot dogs, onion rings, beer, cookies, and candy.

Fill up before leaving the house to watch a game at a friends house.
Fill up on clean foods and plenty of water. You are less likely to indulge too much in the unhealthy foods if you are full and satisfied upon arrival.

Offer to bring something to the gathering, that way you are contributing and you can be assured that at least one thing there will be healthy.

Happy Football Saturday!!

Decisions

I struggled with the motivation to workout this afternoon. I thought about how tired I was from the night before, how much needed to get done around the house, the emails that needed response, how sore I was from previous workouts this week... and the list continued on and on.

I eventually pushed past all those thoughts, and made a decision that I was just going to do the workout and focus on that for an hour.

While working out, I was feeling amazing, really happy that I had MADE the decision to just do it, despite my own negative, destructive thoughts. I had the physical ability to do the workout, and just had to decide to do it.

I was holding myself back from working out. I was in complete control of my choices and it could have gone either way.

The reason I bring this up is, how many times do we talk ourselves out of good choices?

We are in control of our choices, it's a matter of making the decision and following through. Whether it's food or exercise, we have the ability to choose.

Happy Thursday!

Monday Recipe: Corn Muffins

Dry ingredients:
1 1/3 c whole wheat flour
1 1/3 c cornmeal
1/3 c skim milk pwd
2 tbsp sucanat sugar
2 tsp baking pwd
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt

Wet ingredients:
1/2 unsweetened applesauce
2 c skim milk soured w/ 2 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tbsp canola oil
4 egg whites beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425, line muffin tin with papers or coat with spray
2. Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. set aside
3. Place wet ingredients in medium bowl and mix well
4. Add wet to dry and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix
5. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake 35-45 Minutes until just golden on top.

I love this recipe because it is CLEAN and simple. I originally got this one from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean cookbook and over the course of time, have made a few adjustments to my liking. These are a great compliment to soups. I like mine with Chili and lentil soups.

Happy Monday!!

Stay Positive

Make today anything that you want it to be.

Wake up with a positive attitude. Keep in mind you have no control over certain things that happen in your life. Put your best foot forward. Make a good impression. Choose to live without drama and negativity. Mind over matter. Put a smile on your face even if you don't feel like smiling, it's surprisingly contagious.
Work with what you have, don't dwell on what you don't have or what others do have. Choose your future. Be open minded and remember that everyone has a story.

Make today amazing!!

Happy Friday!

Question and Answer

Q: Does coffee, tea and juice count towards your daily water intake?

A: No. As far as coffee and tea, both (if caffeinated) act as diuretics and actually flush out even MORE water from your body. Juices, even if 100% are loaded with sugar. 100% juice is full of fruit sugar, you are missing the fiber and vitamins of the actual fruit.

When consuming caffeinated beverages, you should be consuming MORE water to compensate for the diuretic effect of the caffeine. And juice should be consumed in small quantities. 4-6 ounces of 100% juice a day, at most for adults and children.

Send your questions to positivenutritionmom@gmail.com

Happy Thursday!

Good Choices

What motivates you to make good food choices?

When you're at home, what motivates you to choose the apple over the brownies? Is it the desire to look better in your clothes? To feel better about yourself?

When you're out at a restaurant, what makes you choose salad over french fries? Is it your desire to have a better quality of life? Is it the need to have more energy?

We make food choices every single day. Our food choices make a huge difference in our lives. It may not seem like it at that moment, but they shape who we are and what we ultimately want out of life.

We don't take our choices very seriously in the way we disregard our health and the health of those around us (like our children).

Keep in mind that the choices you do make about food in front of your children, does affect them.

If you want to get healthy and stay healthy you really need to think about food as a way of life, a lifestyle. So often we get wrapped up in our appearance instead of our health. Does being healthy and making good food choices usually alter our weight? Yes it does. Make your health your main motivator, not your weight.

Find what really motivates you, what you want to accomplish and why, and remember those things when faced with a choice.

Tomorrow is question and answer Wednesday, remember to email me your questions!

Happy Tuesday!

Baked Chiles Rellenos With Smoky Tomato Sauce

This recipe is from my most current issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Chiles Rellenos:
6 large pablano chiles
2 tsp vegetable oil (I will be using olive oil)
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 large egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
1/4 cup of low fat sour cream or plain yogurt (I will be using plain greek yogurt)

Sauce:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1- 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained

1. To make chile rellenos: roast and peel chiles cut 3 inch slit in each chile and remove seeds with spoon (to roast chiles, preheat oven to 425, rub whole chile with oil, and place on baking sheet. Roast 30-45 mins or until charred. Turning with tongs. Transfer to bowl, cover, and let steam for 15 mins. Rub off skins.
2. Preheat oven to 425. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 mins. Add zucchini and corn, and cook 5 mins. Season with salt, if desired.
Transfer to bowl and stir in cheese.
3. Stuff each chili with 1/2 cup zucchini mixture. Secure closed with toothpicks.
4. Whisk egg with 1/2 c of water in bowl. Spread breadcrumbs on plate.
5. Dip chiles in egg wash. Coat with breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet, and bake 15-25 mins or until golden.
6. To make sauce: Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder and cumin and cook 4-5 mins. Add tomatoes, and simmer 10 mins, breaking up tomatoes with spatula or wooden spoon. Transfer to blender, add chipotle chile, and blend on low speed until sauce is smooth. Serve Chiles Rellenos with sauce, cilantro, lime wedges and sour cream (greek yogurt).

1 stuffed chile plus 1/2 c of sauce:
265 calories
12 grams of protein
9 grams of total fat (2 saturated)



I will be making this for dinner tomorrow night! Please email me with your comments about this recipe.


Happy Monday!

Colds & Flu's

After two weeks of taking care of people who were sick, first my husband then my step son, I now am the patient.

I work at keeping a strong immune system by eating healthy foods, taking vitamins, drinking water and getting rest. However I cannot avoid every virus out there. Now that I have a cold it's time to take even better care of my body.

When I am sick I tend to eat SO much more food. My body seems to need the extra calories to fight off the cold. I try to eat 99% clean foods even when sick, I just consume a lot more clean foods. I avoid all cold medications because of side effects, chemicals, and dyes. If I have a fever or severe pain I do take an over the counter pain reliever.

When you're sick continue to eat healthy foods, listen to your body, get rest, do light workouts or skip them altogether until you are recovered, take vitamins, drink plenty of fluids, try to treat with natural remedies whenever possible and ask for help.

Take care of your body and it will take care of you!

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Question

I know I said I would be doing this on Monday's but after a little feed back from readers I was asked to do Monday recipe and Wednesday question blogs. I would love more feedback on these subjects. Also, remember to email me if you are interested in the Monthly newsletter.

Wednesday Question:
How often should I weigh myself?

A: No more than twice a month. If you are jumping on the scale daily it will not be an accurate number. Our weight fluctuates daily by a few pounds (especially woman). Water, food, digestion, exercise, and sleep can all fluctuate your weight a few pounds. If you weigh daily then you will see that number go up and down a lot, which can be quite frustrating. Weigh yourself no more than 2 times a month. Weigh about 30 minutes after waking (before water or food) and preferably without clothes or shoes on. If you do this on the same day every month then your number will be more accurate.

Email me your questions at positivenutritionmom@gmail.com

Happy Wednesday!!

Attainable Goals-Set them today!

Have you set your weight loss, health and nutrition goals? Did you write them down? Put together a dream/goal board?

If you have, then you have successfully accomplished the first step. When making your goals did you set realistic, attainable goals?

So often we are so eager and excited in the beginning of our journey to better health, that we aim a little too high for our short term goals.

'I am going to lose 20 pounds in 3 weeks' NOT a realistic or healthy goal. 'I am going to eat no more than 800 calories a day' NOT a realistic or healthy goal. 'I am going to run a 5K race in 3 months' IS attainable and very realistic. 'I am going to eat clean food 95% of the time' VERY attainable, healthy and a good goal.

Realize that you are human, you will make mistakes and that you should set attainable, healthy goals. Don't beat yourself up when you don't reach your goal for the day/week/month. Instead, find what went wrong, and try again.

Negative self talk, unattainable goals, and a weak support system can be very destructive.

If you haven't set your goals yet, DO IT TODAY!

You can't start working towards something if you don't know what it is you are working towards.

Happy Tuesday!

Staying on Track with your health goals

Everyone has times when they find themselves struggling to stay on track with their health goals. Stress, temptations, events, and the things surrounding us everyday, make it an ongoing process.
I have found that balancing my time is my biggest struggle lately. Finding time to cook & eat clean, exercise, and journal my calories. I have re-prioritized and made sure that I am MAKING time for these things.

Here are some tips to make sure you are keeping your health goals a priority:

-Make sure that you have an accountability partner/coach. Find someone in your life to keep you on track. It can be your spouse, friend, mom, sister, a nutrition coach, or personal trainer. Tell this person about your goals, what they are, how they can help, or even actively participate. Ask them to call you, email you, text you, everything short of stalking you, to keep you on track!

-Stock your house with clean food! Throw out the fruity pebbles, ice cream, graham crackers, hot dogs, cheez it's, gummy bears, frozen dinners, and pretty much everything that isn't a real food. Replace with nuts, beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, yogurts, milk, and any whole, real foods. If it's not in your house then you are less likely to eat it.

-Track your food intake. I know I have said this many times, but if you are struggling to find where you are going wrong, why you are not losing weight, why you aren't feeling better, why you don't have more energy, then track your food intake. Maybe your are forgetting about those 4 sugars in your coffee, that soda at lunch, the lean cuisine for dinner, the scoop of ice cream for dessert. If you know ALL of the food you are taking in, then you can adjust it properly. Don't lie, cheat, or just 'forget' something, be honest, and really track exactly what you are eating, down to the last bite.

-Make a dream/goal board. This can be a very effective tool in reaching your health goals. Use pictures, words, books, quotes or really anything that can help motivate you and remind you of your goals. If you want to run a 5K, hike 20 miles, be able to play catch with your kids without getting tired, lose 100 pounds, wake up with energy, get off of medication, or really any health goals you may have you can put onto your board. Put it somewhere that you will see it everyday.

-Surround yourself with like-minded people. If you are surrounded with friends that have good health goals, are working towards those goals then you will have a healthy network of positive people who will inspire and motivate you and not tempt you or discourage you away from your own healthy goals.


Remember that everyone has set backs. Don't get discouraged, find motivation, ask for help and remember your ultimate goal of living a healthier life.

Happy Monday!!

Goji Juice

When I find a new product that I love, I will promote it, talk about it, recommend it and encourage people to try it.

I have fallen in love with Goji juice!

I did A LOT of research recently about different brands, strengths, cures, ailments, and uses for Goji juice.

I have been taking 3-4 ounces daily for a week and a half and have never felt so good in my life. I have had better sleep, wake more refreshed, calmer reactions, no headaches, no cravings, lessened appetite, and I over all feel healthier.

It's been used for more than 4000 years in Chinese medicine. It's been used for a wide range of things from anti-aging to cancer treatment.

If you are interested in learning more about Goji Berry Juice, feel free to email me and I will help answer any questions that you may have about Goji juice.

Have an amazing weekend!

The Importance of Good Health

It's been over a week since I have have had time to write. I have a close family member that is currently in the ICU at the hospital. I have had a week to really reflect on what health means to me. I have seen families in the ICU crying, holding hands, praying and worrying.

What does good health mean to you? Does it mean your thin? Beautiful? Energetic? Youthful?

I ask this because I love what I do, I love guiding people to good health. I love watching the transformations of peoples lives. For me it is ALL about health. For people who seek my help, it is usually about weight or appearance.

Being healthy, eating right, exercising and taking the correct supplements, is all about good health. The side effect of that good health is usually weight loss. The majority of people seek my help for weight not health.

What is your motivation?

People will do odd things to lose weight, take different products, over exercise, take pills, severely restrict calories and many other extreme things. Why not seek health instead?

After this week of spending time in the hospital, my goal became even more clear. I want to be healthy, really healthy. I want to continue to provide healthy food for my family, educate my children about food, nutrition and exercise. I want to dedicate my work to people who are really seeking good health.

Good health is priceless!!