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Make Your Health a Priority

Think of the last time you missed a meal, skipped a workout or lost precious sleep for someone or something. At the time, you felt your health needed to be put on the back burner temporarily so that you could focus on what you considered to be a higher priority. You tell yourself it is a one time thing and you will quickly get back on track. Then, the following day something else comes up, once again taking a higher priority than your health. As each day passes, you begin to see a pattern unfold, a pattern of encountering new health obstacles every day, challenges that derail you from your nutrition & exercise schedule. These challenges begin to wear on you and frustration sets in. You feel pulled in too many directions, that life is just too busy, and the thought begins to creep into your head that there is just not enough time for your health.

The reality is that it is easy to neglect your health. It’s easy to forget and push it aside for something you consider more urgent. We have all done it, simply, because we can. These are the times we lose touch with what we truly get from our health. We forget how our health makes us better at everything we do, how it goes beyond the number on the scale. Your health provides you with the energy to charge through the day, the clarity to handle stress, the balance to eliminate cravings, and the look and feel that breeds confidence. In essence, making your health a priority provides the ability to be your very best.

Through the years I have battled with making MY health a priority. Let’s face it, doing this is not easy, life is busy. To help keep me motivated, I ask myself this question every day, “Do I want to be my best today?” Every time I ask myself, my answer is always “I do”. Furthermore, I know that the only way I can be my best is by choosing to make my health a priority. I would like to share the 5 steps I follow that help me keep my health a priority.

The 5 Steps are:

Step 1 - Make Yourself a Priority

• Growing up I watched my mom struggle with her weight and health. She would consistently give her time to others and take little for herself. She desperately wanted to get healthy, unfortunately, when push came to shove her own needs were tossed aside. Years later, my mom finally understood that making her health priority first required that she make herself a priority.

Step 2 - Be Proactive with Your Time

• Remember a time when you stayed out late on Sunday night and woke up Monday morning unprepared for the week. It seemed like everything was being thrown at you and that each day was more stressful than the last. It felt as if you were scrambling all week to get caught up and constantly reacting to challenges that arose. An easy way to prevent this unnecessary stress is by being proactive with your time.
  Here are 3 suggestions:
  • Schedule a 2 hour block of time one day a week (preferably Sunday) to plan your meals and exercise routine for the upcoming week. This will help you get ready for the week and get you prepared to solve any potential challenges.
  • Always have your MRFK (mobile readiness food kit) with you. This will keep you prepared for any unforeseen challenges.
  • Schedule a weekly grocery shopping day. The easiest way to fall “off plan” is by running out of food. By being proactive with your shopping you ensure that groceries will always be in your fridge and cupboards.

Step 3 - Enjoy Your Food

• Who wants to eat food they do not like? For some reason, this is accepted in the “dieting” world. Some believe that they must suffer through boring and bland food to achieve a quick temporary result. One of the keys to make your health a priority is to enjoy your food. Healthy food can be tasty. If you spend the time experimenting with your food you will find meals and recipes diverse enough to keep your nutrition varied and delicious! If you are an existing member, please login to the software and check out our recipe database for some excellent balanced and tasty recipes.

Step 4 - Have Fun Exercising

• Think back to a time when you were in an exercise rut. Most likely, this rut was caused by boredom. Doing the same type of cardio, classes and routines can become monotonous. Keeping your exercise fresh and fun is a crucial component in making your health a priority. I suggest reading my inspirational message about Finding your passion for exercise.

Step 5 - Take Pride in Your Effort

• Every day I watch my 5 year old son Hunter take pride in everything he does. He gives everything his full focus, effort and commitment. I see the joy in his face when he achieves a task. That’s why I invite you to take this same pride in your own health. Every positive health choice you make moves you a step closer to achieving your goals. Take pride in the effort you put forth. You deserve it!

Making your Health a Priority is Possible. By doing this, you can Permanently Achieve your Health Goals. I know at times the world around you might feel a little too intense and you will be tempted to push your health to the back burner. It’s at these times that you should dive into the 5 steps I just shared. They will keep you on track and remind you of the rewards you gain from making your health a priority. And if you need a little additional motivation, I suggest asking yourself this question, “Do I want to be my best today?” If you do, then your path is simple. Choose to Make Your Health a Priority.

I would like to leave you with this...

There are many things we Cannot control in life, the one thing we CAN control is how we choose to take care of ourselves...

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Culinary Corner

by head chef Valerie Cogswell

Celebrate Summer with BBQ Shrimp Kabobs

Summer has officially made its debut, and your next BBQ is probably right around the corner. We know that you want to enjoy your friends, food and the festivities without feeling like you are missing out. These easy BBQ Shrimp Kabobs are the perfect solution: they’re so delicious, even your friends won’t know they’re healthy.

In this recipe, succulent pineapple chunks, sweet red pepper, red onion, and mushrooms are stacked with shrimp, marinated in low fat Italian dressing, glazed in sweet, sticky BBQ sauce and then grilled to perfection. Get creative at your next summer party with these easy, delectable BBQ Shrimp Kabobs! For the full recipe, click here to login.

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Surviving Summer Barbecues

If you are anything like us, you’ve been waiting all year for the summer! The sun is shining on your morning walk, the balmy nights are perfectly relaxing, and there’s nothing better than joining your best friends for delicious food and a cold drink at a summer cookout. So why is this article titled "Surviving" Summer BBQ’s? What’s not to love? Well, for many people who have made the effort to eat right, a BBQ can cause a little anxiety. You may worry that you’ll fall off the "health wagon" and lose the habits that you’ve worked so hard on all year long. After all, it’s an all-day event that involves loads of not-so-healthy food, tons of alcohol, and friends and family who may not live the lifestyle you do. Not to worry! Below are some tried and true tips as well as a few smart recipe ideas that our team has developed to help you enjoy your next BBQ without compromising your healthy lifestyle.

1. Remember, balance is the key to a healthy lifestyle. There will be times in life when you may overindulge: an extra glass of your favorite wine, a heaping scoop of ice cream or maybe even a pile of fall-off-the bone ribs at a cookout. Taking part in the occasional treat is normal, in fact it’s great! If you can live a healthy lifestyle while still allowing yourself the occasional treat, you’ve truly mastered balance and that leads to permanent change! The lesson to be learned here is that a little indulgence is good for you and keeps you from craving or feeling deprived. Just make sure to get right back on track with a balanced meal at the next opportunity in order to get your metabolism moving in the right direction again.

2. Plan for the event. If you know that you have a summer cookout planned for this Saturday, aim to be extra consistent with your nutrition and fitness routine all week long. Acknowledge the fact that you may overindulge at this Saturday’s BBQ, and plan the "off-meal" into your week. Use this "system" of acknowledging the "off-meal" and planning for it to help you to make extra effort all week to eat clean, balanced meals every few hours. Let the fact that you’ll be indulging on Saturday motivate you to get all of your workouts in and make the most of each one all week long. The process here is both physical and mental. By working extra hard all week to make room for this Saturday’s fiesta, you’ll physically be in prime fat burning mode by the time the party rolls around. Mentally, you’ll be able to let go of any guilt you may normally have (see Tip #1 above as a reminder about the importance of balance). After all, you’ve worked hard all week and you've planned to relax and indulge a bit with your friends and family. It’s a win, win situation!

3. Believe it or not, it’s a bad idea to deprive yourself all day Saturday to save “room” and “calories” for the big event. If you walk into a BBQ with every type of food imaginable at your fingertips and you haven’t eaten all day, you are heading for disaster! Always eat balanced meals one hour within waking and every 3 hours before a cookout. This way your mind is in control of your food choices, not your empty stomach! It’s also a smart idea to eat one hour before the event. Try snacking on a protein bar before the party to help keep blood sugar stable and allow you to make conscious food choices when you arrive.

4. And lastly, it doesn’t hurt to bring along some healthy and delicious choices, or at least know how to identify them at a cookout. Do your best to build a balanced plate with some protein and carbohydrates and keep in mind that most dishes offered at a BBQ will have more than enough fat (way more actually!).

Whether you are hosting the event or attending, the following list makes for delectable (and healthy) party food that everyone will enjoy.

• Try Marinated or BBQ grilled chicken breasts, shrimp (skewered with tails on), pork tenderloin, salmon steaks, large sea scallops, or filet mignon (the leanest red meat) on the grill. Meat, poultry or seafood and vegetable kabobs are also healthy and a fun change of pace.
• Instead of regular hamburgers, try using 97% lean ground beef. Serve with all the regular toppings and whole wheat buns.
• Chop a mixture of your favorite vegetables in large chunks (corn, tomato, zucchini, red onion, bell peppers) or try whole asparagus with the bottom of the stalk cut off. Toss in a bowl with quality extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Grill until slightly charred to really bring out the flavors.
• Instead of plain old pasta salad with a few veggies tossed in for good measure, go in the opposite direction. Use your favorite pasta salad recipe and make the veggies be the main ingredients. Triple the vegetable content (and vary it up - grape tomatoes, fresh bell pepper, onion, cucumber, banana peppers, etc.) and use the pasta as the filler, not the main event. Use a reduced fat version of your favorite dressing such as low fat Italian dressing in place of regular. If using a mayo based dressing, try cutting the amount of mayo in half and replacing the rest with plain, low fat yogurt- it will add a little tang and a lot of flavor. Lastly fresh herbs like parsley or basil really make a dish stand out from the crowd.
• Try whipping up a low fat dip like hummus or mango salsa (combine chopped mango, red onion, a small amount of minced garlic and jalapeno with a splash of lime juice and good olive oil. Toss with fresh cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper). Serve with homemade baked whole wheat pita chips. (Hint - Mango salsa also works beautifully on grilled meat, poultry and seafood.)
• Fresh fruit platters are always well received and a perfectly sweet way to complete a meal. Try serving a variety of fruit with a homemade dip of Plain Yogurt, vanilla extract, honey and lemon zest.

Enjoy!

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You Asked | We Answered

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Q:How many hours of sleep should I get?

A:Genetics are the key factor in determining how many hours of sleep you need. While some people feel amazing on 6 hours of sleep, others may need 9 hours to feel the same way. The most important thing is to listen to your body. If you feel you need that 2nd and 3rd cup of coffee in the morning, chances are you need to get more sleep. Equally important is the quality of your sleep. Some tips to increase quality of sleep: sleep in a dark room, do not sleep with the TV or radio on, keep the room at a comfortable temperature and try to stay on a sleep schedule (going to sleep and waking up at similar times each day).

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