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Childhood obesity is a fast-growing epidemic that is capturing national media attention and captivating the medical community and, predictably, politicians.

A national task force has even been created to identify potential solutions to the problem.

Just in case you have not heard, here are some of the facts:

More than 50% of American children do not achieve the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
Between 15 and 20% of American children are overweight or obese (meaning approximately 10 million American children are developing risk factors for chronic illnesses very early in life. Research tells us this will be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than ours!).

This past September was the first-ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Sounds like a great initiative…but is it? Why are American children overweight and obese? Perhaps they are simply following in our footsteps.

Check out some of the adult obesity statistics in America:

67% of Americas are overweight or obese
Nine out of 10 Americans will be overweight at one point in their life
Weight-related illnesses are exceeding the rates of diseases from smoking
More than 50% of adult Americans do not achieve the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity daily
370,000-plus Americans die of obesity related diseases each year!
Direct obesity related costs exceed $150 billion dollars each year, making obesity the number one health care expense in our country!

Do we really think we can have healthy children and unhealthy adults?

Are we asking our CHILDREN to serve as role models?

As a local health and fitness leader, I’m familiar with the reasons parents provide for why their children are obese. I hear all too often, “I can’t get my child away from the video games,” or, “I’d like to get my child off the couch, but he gets mad at me when I ask him to play outside” or, “we’re simply too busy with activities to cook meals at home on even a semi-regular basis.” Or, “they don’t eat unhealthily at home…it must be school lunch or the vending machines full of junk food.” Or, “we can’t afford to eat healthily.” The truth is…you can’t afford not too!

There’s no doubt the world is different than it was 40 years ago and that families are faced with more difficult challenges when it comes to managing their time, households and resources.

We do have choices, however, and providing our families with healthy meals, packing healthy lunches and choosing family activities that promote health and wellness must be a priority.

We need to take a long hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that we don’t just have a childhood obesity epidemic; we have an obesity problem in adults and our priorities have gotten misaligned.

It is time to take responsibility for our own health and accept responsibility as role models for our children.

As we enter the holiday season I encourage you to invest some family time in discussing wellness and whole health. The new year is right around the corner. With it comes a sense of renewal and rebirth—in other words, the perfect time to adopt some new behaviors and get back to some basic family priorities.

According to researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, “the factor that puts children at the greatest risk of being overweight is having obese parents.”

Study after study confirms one irrefutable fact: children of healthy and active parents tend to be active and healthy themselves.

Period. End of story.

Each January, many of us find ourselves feeling motivated to make some changes to improve our health—and we feel a little light in the wallet from all of our Christmas spending. Here are some tips to assist you in implementing some strategies to create healthy eating options for you and your family…and you don’t have to break the bank to do it!

Tip #1: You MUST plan ahead! Create a food budget and stick to it.

Tip #2: Plan your meals. Use cookbooks, friends, family and the internet to get recipes and meal ideas. Planning ahead saves you time in the long run and means fewer last-minute trips to the grocery store where you might make expensive impulse purchases when you only went for a gallon of milk!

Tip #3: No impulsive eating out! Make sure your plan includes any and all eating-out plans that you have for the week. This means business lunches, lunch dates, eating on the run on busy nights and special occasions. Don’t forget to include this in your budget.

Tip #4: Use what you have. Take a look in your cupboards and your fridge. Use what you can for the upcoming week’s plan to prevent waste each week. While you are taking inventory, get rid of the junk!

Tip #5: Shop smart. A multi-step tip for getting the most (and spending the least) out of your grocery visits:

Write out a grocery list and stick to it.
Search high and low (literally) to find less expensive generic or store brands on grocery shelves. Stores place the highest priced brand name items at eye level. Be a savvy shopper!
Fresh foods are found throughout the perimeter of the grocery store. Shop there first to get the majority of your foods. Head to the freezer section next and then fill in the gaps with middle aisles (The middle aisles typically contain highly processed and boxed goods along with expensive snack type foods and sodas. Things you really don’t need! Don’t go there and you won’t be tempted!)
Make sure you have a shopper’s card and select foods that are on sale for the week. Be proud to be a savvy shopper–don’t be afraid or embarrassed to use coupons.
Never go to the grocery store hungry. Impulse purchases are made on an empty stomach.
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season – they are more delicious in season and less expensive. A few examples are:

Summer – melon, corn, tomatoes, peaches, berries
Fall – squash, apples, pumpkin
Winter – oranges, grapefruit

Support your local farmers market for in season fruits and vegetables.

Purchasing out-of-season fruits and veggies in the freezer section is less expensive and still healthy.
Shop alone if you can. Kids can get you off track pretty quickly and increase the food bill. However, if they come along, stick to your plan and you will be teaching them good shopping habits along the way.

Tip #6: Have a “meal-planning plan.”Another multi-step tip for making sure your meals are well-planned:

Capitalize on one-pot dishes. These meals are usually easy to prepare and are great as leftovers.
Double recipes and freeze half. (Don’t forget to plan for this in your grocery list.) You make two meals in the time it took you to prepare one.
Use beans! Beans cost less and pack a powerful nutritional punch. Cut down on the amount of meat in a recipe (saving money in the process) and add beans (which are delicious, nutritious and cost effective).
Buy yogurt in large tubs and portion out to single servings.
Switch to skim milk. A change from whole milk to skim milk can save a family of four $8-$10 per week and reduce calories by 5,000 and fat by 500 grams for the family!
When making cheese purchases, buy low fat and in blocks. (Slices are always more expensive.)
Have breakfast for dinner. It’s easy to prep, inexpensive and there are many healthy eating options.

Tip #7: When you eat out, do it smartly. Mind the following suggestions for eating out on a budget:

Share a meal or take half home for the next day.
Order an appetizer or salad as your meal.
Stick with water – sodas and alcohol increase calories AND the bill.
Stick to your weekly plan. Go out only on planned nights/days.

Healthy eating can be affordable. Like anything else worthwhile in life, a little effort goes a long way. Commit to a PRE-planned and healthy eating program for one month. If you follow the suggestions above, you’ll save time and money while bringing yourself and your family one step closer to achieving a healthy lifestyle.

Don’t get discouraged when you find yourself falling back to old habits for a day or two – it will happen. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and get back on track the next day. Keep at it and you will soon find yourself very pleased with your accomplishments. Oh, and feeling better inside and out!

The New Year is slipping away; do you find your resolutions doing the same? Well, I’m ready to ditch the resolutions and focus on the evolution of leading a healthy, happy, and productive life – what about you?

Losing weight and increasing physical activity are two common New Year’s resolutions. People want to lose weight and exercise, they just typically run out of gas trying to do so within two months. In other words, right about now on the calendar.

To “resolve to lose weight” is great, don’t get me wrong, but to “resolve to address those things in your life that prevent you from being healthy, happy and productive…?” That’s evolutionary!

Here are a few tips to get your evolution started:

Get a grip on managing your time. Come to terms with the fact there are only 24 hours in a day. You need to sleep at least seven of those hours and most of us work an eight-hour day and commute for another hour or so. With the eight or so hours that remain, make a list of the things that must get done, and the things that you want to do.

Prioritize the list. Next, make a list of the things you currently do but you don’t want to do and/or don’t need to do. Determine what you are willing to give up on this list and let it go! Often these things make us irritable, add stress, and really don’t benefit any of the parties involved. Put simply, understand that sometimes it’s ok to say no!

Put yourself first. Stop thinking you don’t matter or that your kids’ needs come before yours. You are doing your family—not to mention yourself—a huge disservice by not taking care of yourself. In fact, if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else – it’s really that simple.

Honor your schedule. Once you have established a schedule that includes sleep, work, necessary responsibilities and duties, and the things that you want to do, draw it up on a calendar and follow it. Resist the urge to make big compromises. You will have a few bumps in the road now and then, and that’s expected. However don’t commit to additional things unless you are willing to give up something on your calendar!

Rid yourself of culinary temptations. Clean out your refrigerators and your cupboards! Come on, if you really want to lose weight, do you think you can have Oreos in the cabinet? Get over it – no one in your family needs to eat that junk! Make the occasional dessert home-baked or bakery-bought fresh. Make sure it’s worth it and take the time to enjoy it!

Ditch the Diet. Here’s the secret to dieting: diets don’t work. Worse, they stress us out– and it’s not all in our head! A recent research study published in the Journal of Neuroscience put mice on a high-fat diet to fatten them up and then divided them into two groups. The first group was put on a diet, cutting about 25% of their caloric intake to produce a 10% weight loss. The second group resumed a regular diet. After 3 weeks researchers measured the amount of stress hormones present in the blood and found higher levels in the dieting mice. These mice also exhibited more symptoms of depression than their counterparts, as well as marked changes in gene activity related to eating and stress management. In fact, these changes persisted as long as two months after the mice stopped dieting, which researchers noted, is equivalent to years in the life of a human. The study concluded that dieting not only increases stress, making dieting more difficult but it can have an affect on how the brain responds to future stress and emotional drives for food. So, don’t think diets, think lifestyle changes!

Take small steps. If your goals are too large, you may get caught up in them and feel disappointed when you do not see immediate results. A long walk is many small steps. Take one. Then focus on the next one.

Be specific. Small behavior change plans are easier to stick to than vague resolutions. Rather than saying, “I will exercise more,” say, “I will go for a walk every Tuesday at lunch time and I will go to the gym on Thursday and Saturday.” (Remember, if it’s on your schedule, it’s no longer negotiable. You’ve allowed time for this in your schedule and it’s a priority.) Instead of saying, “I will lose weight this year,” try saying, “I will cook a healthy meal one night per week, and replace all soda with water during the week.” Those are specific and attainable!

Enjoy the ride! If you feel like you are being pulled in 3,000 different directions and you are stressed to the max, you probably are—and that’s not fun. You are the only one who can change it. Do you want to continue to lead the life you are leading? You have complete control of the outcome; remember there are only so many hours in a day and you will devote some of the time to improving yourself! Celebrate the little steps (“I went to the gym today,” or “I took a walk during my lunch break”) and don’t sweat the small stuff, especially the stuff you can’t control (That traffic jam on the way to work? Five extra minutes to listen to a good song or think peaceful thoughts….).

Believe in yourself and your ability to make your life yours.

Spring has sprung and it’s time to head outdoors for some healthy fun!

As I was pondering what to write about this month, I thought about how many of you want to move more and often don’t realize how powerful walking or jogging can be for your health and fitness–and for your mental well-being! I also know that many of you like to have a specific plan with a goal, so here it is.

Enlist a friend or family member to join you in a 5K challenge. This article contains a seven-week program designed to get you moving, go the distance and feel really great inside and out!

The following program was designed with the novice in mind. No running or long-distance walking experience required. Yes, anyone can do it! And it won’t take you hours and hours each week to accomplish it – you can fit it into your schedule.

There are quite a few opportunities in our community to sign up for a 5K walk or run—and many of them benefit a local nonprofit organization. This will give you something to work towards and allow you the opportunity to help your local community. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Spring is so beautiful in Virginia and Warrenton is a great town to take it outdoors!

VIEW KIM’S 5K TRAINING PROGRAM

Not interested in training for a 5K? That’s okay, here is another idea:

I have made a commitment over the last several years to take my meetings outdoors. If I have a one-on-one meeting with a staff member or a client, we take a walk. We are able to discuss our business and I find that staff members are more relaxed. Our meetings end up being more productive and we both feel better after having moved around during our workday.

Give this a try! I promise you will not be disappointed!

Do you think of eating in a positive manner and simply enjoy the food you are having? Or are you more likely to focus on what you should not or cannot have based on the desire to drop a few pounds?

Considering the focus on obesity and related diseases and the fix-it-all fad diets that offer quick results but often leave us feeling deprived and frustrated, it’s easy to understand why we approach healthy eating with some negativity—and perhaps even confusion and fear—instead of with a positive attitude.

Time to start appreciating your body for all the good it does, and fueling it to say thank you!

Summer brings us in-season fresh vegetables and fruits, the opportunity to cook outside on the grill and prepare make-ahead cold salads. All of these cooking methods and food options can be easy, delicious and nutritious! Instead of focusing on the negative aspect of can’t, focus on the positive aspect of yes I can…and enjoy!

The following are some recipes for you to put into your summer mix:

Fruity Oatmeal
Enjoy this whole-grain, fresh fruit breakfast, prepared in less than 15 minutes!
Makes three servings – Each Serving 241 calories/8 grams protein/39 grams carbohydrate/6 grams fat/2 grams fiber.

2 cups water
¼ tsp salt
1 cup regular rolled oats
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh peaches (or apple if preferred)
¼ cup raisins
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped raw almonds
2 tsp. brown sugar
½ cup skim milk

In a saucepan, bring the water, oats and salt to boiling. Stir in peaches, raisins, cinnamon and nuts. Reduce heat and simmer five minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and let stand for two minutes and serve. (Add more water if you like a thinner consistency.)

Garbanzo Bean and Vegetable Salad
Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, have a mild and nutty flavor. Beans are filling and contain a significant amount of protein and fiber. This is a great salad to tote for lunch, so long as you keep it cold.

Makes three servings – each serving 245 calories/18 grams protein/8 grams fiber/25 grams carbohydrate/8 grams fat.

2 tbs. lemon juice
Dash of Tabasco
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp basil (1 tbs if fresh)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 – 15oz can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups chopped broccoli
1 7 oz can diced tomatoes, un-drained
¾ cup cubed part skim mozzarella cheese
½ cup sliced carrots
In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Cold Chicken (or Shrimp) Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Makes three four-cup servings. Each serving 350 calories/33 grams protein/10 grams fat/32 grams carbohydrate/4 grams fiber

3 tbs white wine vinegar or white cider vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated orange peel
2 tbs. olive oil
2 medium oranges, peeled
1 lb. cooked chicken or shrimp cut up
1 tbs. chopped pimiento
10 cups torn bibb, boston, spinach leaf lettuce mix
¼ cup sliced green onion

In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients, whisk in oil and set aside the vinaigrette mixture. Cut the oranges in ½ inch slices, and quarter each slice. Add the chicken or shrimp, pimientos and oranges to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Just before serving, toss mixture with lettuce and onions.

Grilled Rosemary Salmon Skewers
Oil your grill well to prevent sticking and keep a close eye on the fire to avoid flare ups!

Makes 4 servings – 2 skewers each. 246 calories/15 grams fat/4 grams carbohydrate/23 grams protein/1 gram fiber.

2 tsp. rosemary minced (fresh is best)
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 lb. fresh caught center cut salmon filet skinned and cut in 1 inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine first seven ingredients in a medium bowl. Add salmon; toss to coat.
Alternating the salmon and tomatoes divide among eight skewers.
3. Oil the grill rack. Grill the skews carefully turning once, until the salmon is cooked through 4-6 minutes total. Serve immediately.

One final thought: always start your day with breakfast and continue to fuel your body throughout the day. Very simply put, your brain and body require nutrients throughout the day for optimal function and performance.

By satisfying your hunger with healthy daytime meals, you will not only perform better throughout the day at work and at play, but you also will ruin the appetite for the evening “junk food” binge that contributes to fat gain. Bon Appétit!

~Kim Forsten

Pizza is one of those things that everyone seems to love – Almost every culture eats some form of the dish. Although appealing to so many, it is has never been known as a healthy offering – due to it’s highly processed nature and saturated fat content.

This recipe gives you a healthy option for pizza. It has been lightened up by using homemade ingredients, lean protein, lots of veggies and a thin whole wheat crust. If you like pizza, this might become a staple on Pizza Night!

This recipe serves 2 people:

Calories: 325
Fat: 10 (2 saturated)
Carbs: 25
Fiber: 8
Sugar: 3.3
Protein: 33.5

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cooked and chopped (6 oz)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Whole Wheat Tortilla

3 tbs Pesto (recipe below)

1/2 cup small broccoli florets

¼ cup thinly sliced sundried tomato

1/3 cup cheese (aged cheddar, mozzarella, feta or harvarti)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tortilla on lightly sprayed baking sheet. Spread pesto evenly on tortilla. Mix all of the ingredients EXCEPT the cheese in a bowl and spread evenly over pesto. Top with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Pesto:

This makes 8 servings and can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks

Or in the freezer for prolonged storage.

Ingredients:

2 cups packed basil leaves, fresh

A little more than 1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup pine nuts

4 cloves garlic

Add the basil leaves first to a blender or food processor in small batches ad process until well chopped. Add the remaining ingredients in small batches and blend. Process the pesto until it forms a thick and smooth paste.

OPTIONS:

Vegetarian Options – just add more veggies (spinach, arugula, asparagus, red bell pepper) and eliminate the chicken.

Lactose Intolerance – cheese is not necessary!

Original recipe courtesy of Precision Nutrition. Recipe modified to lower calorie/fat content.

My life could have ended up in a very different place from where I am now. When I was younger, I struggled with self-esteem, body image, and dysfunctional family dynamics. Then a weekend self-awareness workshop changed my life. I learned something there that changed me forever. I learned was that I was OK and that there was nothing wrong with me. That belief became the foundation on which I built my new outlook on life.

This may seem like a pretty simple fact to you, but it hit me like a lightning bolt and set me on a totally different life course. Once I incorporated that idea, I opened myself to other ideas. I realized that I actually deserved happiness just like everyone else. I was smart, capable and strong…I could do things…things I never thought I could. What a tremendous awakening and what a relief…I was OK! I began to want to get to know myself…I stood up for myself. I began to like myself and see my potential. I wanted to be visible. I let go of the irrational fear that people would reject me. I realized that I needed to connect in order to live my life to its fullest potential. I was actually changing my course!

Now, it did not happen overnight, and I did not (and do not) get it right every time. It took (and still takes) incredible hard work and every day is not a perfect one. But the momentum of my life continues to head in the right direction…one that is positive, healthy, and strong. It is still a challenge to maintain balance and make the right choices, but it is a challenge that I embrace and enjoy. I have come up with an effective approach that helps me to manage my life and I would like to help you find yours. This is not a cookie cutter approach! It has to be custom designed just for YOU.

My journey included obtaining the education and credentials to complement my personal experience to give me the opportunity to help other people. My reason for sharing my story with you is to give you hope that your past does not have to dictate your future. Let go of the past… Let go of all of the self-doubt, self-loathing, and shame for the failed attempts to change your life. Let go of your fear, go for it and you will be amazed at what you can do.I want to help you design your own unique, realistic, and rewarding future. Let me help you get there, AND stay there. You deserve it! YOU really do and you can do it, once and for all. No matter how big or small your desired change or what issues challenge you, success can be yours. Whether you struggle with addiction, low self-esteem, health & weight problems, social isolation, life stress or poor life management, there will be a time when something clicks…that moment when something comes alive inside of you …You will know it and you will be unstoppable!! Let today be that day…let it happen.

Reserve coaching sessions online here, or call 540-349-2791.

The New Year is still young as I take on a new chapter in my life…. but before I tell you what that is, let me tell you a little bit about my upbringing….

I have always loved to exercise! Running was my outlet; my way of expressing my happiness, nervousness, excitement, or sadness. I started running when I was eleven as part of my school’s cross country team. I love the way I felt and the freedom it gave me each time I started a run. Getting the award ribbons after the meets wasn’t so bad either! Throughout all the stages and changes in my life, my desire to run has always remained constant and true.

My love for food was just as GREEDY as my love of running. Growing up, I consumed a lifetime of Little Debbie snacks. I’m sure I ate a banana or two in between the Swiss Rolls! As a child, I was told to always finish what was on my plate. My mother would tell me about children halfway across the world that were starving and would love to be able to eat what I had on my plate. After I had children, I didn’t want to force them to eat everything on their plate….so I finished it for them.

As I got older, my body started telling me that running just wasn’t cutting it anymore. My eating habits were less than desirable and my cholesterol was evidence of that. I have tried very hard to encourage my children to make healthy food choices since they were young while at the same time ignoring my own advice to them and consuming whatever I wanted. I took a look at my life and my children, and knew changes needed to take place NOW.

The changes I made at first were small. Just the simple act of eating together as a family, so my children could see that mommy was eating the good food right there along with them, made a huge impact. They would try something different which would encourage me to add variety to our meals. It’s not always perfect at our dinner table. We still have the occasional groans, with the disgusted face proceeding, “What’s THAT?!”

Along the way I became part of the OTAC team which continued to encourage my positive outlook on a healthy lifestyle. My role as a Fitness Coach brought me close to members who were new to exercise and wanting to know how they could improve their nutrition as well. I identified with their frustration on how to get started on the path to better nutrition amidst all the confusing and misleading information out there in the media world.

This is where my new chapter comes in…

I became a certified Nutrition Coach to help, educate, encourage, and guide not just myself and my family, but others who are considering a change or are ready right NOW to eat better and lead a healthier way of life. We can make this change together!

It is the new year – the time we all feel the enthusiasm of a fresh start. Most of us have renewed energy to lose weight; unfortunately, for many of us the energy and enthusiasm fades within a few months.

To quote the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” So too, a weight-loss goal, no matter the size, begins with a series of small steps in the direction of a healthier lifestyle. This article, along with future articles in 2012, will focus on the steps we can take and changes we can make that will lead us to a lean, healthy body. Instead of focusing on the 30 pounds you want to lose, focus instead on the steps needed to support a healthier way of life. Each small step in the direction of healthier eating will empower you to meet your weight-loss goal, resulting in a body that is lean, a mind that is strong and the energy needed to complete your daily activities.

Whether we’re focused on our body or our homes, everyone loves a makeover! There is something exciting about change and improvement. This kitchen makeover is not about new cabinets and granite countertops. It’s about improving the functionality of our kitchens to support our weight-loss goals and fuel our bodies to be the best they can be!

Out with the bad

Getting a new look starts with taking a good look at the food in your kitchen. Read each label, and determine which food items support your move toward healthy eating. Most of us will find we have food in our kitchen that supports our commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Let this serve as a reminder that you’re already taking steps in the right direction!

As you conduct your inventory, you’ll likely discover a number of food items that have little or no nutritional value. So long as these items remain in your kitchen, either you or someone you love will probably eat them. Of course, eating food with little or no nutritional value moves you no closer to your nutritional goals. Go through your pantry, your cabinets, your fridge and your freezer and rid yourself of the foods that have no real nutritional value. Remember: it’s better to dispose of junk than to eat it.

Smarter shopping

Now that you’ve inventoried your kitchen to ensure the food you have there supports your move toward a healthier lifestyle, be sure your next trip to the grocery store supports that goal, too. Remember, old habits die hard. Set yourself up for success in the grocery store by creating a grocery list and sticking to it. Your list should include only foods and drinks that coincide with your nutritional goals. Ask yourself, “If the food isn’t good for me and my family, why buy it in the first place?” If you feel like you can’t refrain from the cookie aisle, consider calling your order in ahead of time or ordering your groceries online. Our local grocery stores provide this service for a nominal fee; this will save you time, can save you money, and help you avoid impulsive purchases. Ridding your kitchen of unhealthy food choices and keeping them out by shopping wisely are important steps toward maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Smarter choices

Replace the foods that aren’t helping you reach your goals with foods that do. A good strategy is to write down the typical junk foods you have on a regular basis, and next to each one, select a nutritional replacement. Plan ahead for these substitutions; it’s important that it be something you like and can live with. Making food choices that are more beneficial can sometimes require help. You may need to do a little research or seek the help of a professional.

Beyond food

Make your kitchen a fun place to be! There are several simple steps you can take to “build” a kitchen that you’ll enjoy. Among my favorites:

Turn on some music! Listening to music while preparing meals and as the background when eating serves to enhance the whole dining experience.
Watch TV. Get one for your kitchen, and enjoy your favorite shows while preparing meals for yourself and your family.
Have the right equipment. Make sure you have the basic kitchen tools to help you prepare healthy snacks and meals.
Keep your kitchen clean and de-cluttered. Create an environment where you feel good and you’re much more likely to make better food choices.

Healthy eaters have healthy homes. People who truly want to improve their lifestyle ensure that their environment supports these goals. Changing your surroundings through these simple kitchen makeover steps is one of the best ways to start your health and fitness journey.

Energy drainers are those things that we are tolerating, ignoring, or putting up with that are draining us of our precious energy. Energy Drainers can be mental or physical clutter and when they are handled, you can reclaim the energy that is being used up by them.

There are four types of energy drainers that are particularly detrimental to us: Stuck on It, I Wish, Worrying, and What Ifs. All of these are double whammies in that they not only drain us of our energy, but they produce no positive results.

Stuck on It

This is when we use our energy to focus on things that can’t be changed. You see, problems deplete our energy when we continue to focus and talk about them long after we’ve done everything we can with them. For a lot of us, it is hard to let go of something without reviewing why it happened. We can get stuck on questions such as: What could have been done differently? How could I have prevented it? How will others judge me?

Here are a few more examples of questions and thoughts that help us stay stuck:

Why did he/she do this?
Why did this happen?
I still can’t believe the relationship is over.
I shouldn’t have done that.

If you are thinking these thoughts over and over and over again, you are Stuck on It.

I Wish

When we are Stuck on It, we can also get caught up playing I wish. The I Wish game is when we repeatedly think things like,

I wish that hadn’t happened.
If only I had…
If I just could have…then it wouldn’t have happened.

Playing the I Wish game is an indication that you are unable or unwilling to accept the outcome of a situation, learn from it, and move on.

Worrying

Let me first make a distinction between productive planning and worrying. There is no denying that we need to have goals and plan for our immediate and long term future. I am talking about unproductive worrying here that acts as an energy drainer and inhibits our ability to fully engage in our present. Either we can’t act because we are too worried about our chosen course of action, or when we finally do act, we worry so much about our choice that we become Stuck on It. Clearly, an unproductive cycle that leads us nowhere fast.

What Ifs

Again, a distinction needs to be made: It is always a good idea to look at the possible outcomes of an action that we are considering. However, when we continue to ask “What If” over and over we inhibit our ability to see the picture clearly and move forward. Here are a few examples of thoughts that might indicate you are playing the What If game:

What if people reject me?
What if I try and fail?
What if I look stupid?
What if I don’t know how to do it?

Other types of Energy Drainers:

Procrastinated tasks (these are the things that are hanging over your head)
Exercise & Losing Weight
Quitting Smoking
Cleaning
Work projects

It actually takes more energy to procrastinate something that it does to actually do it!

Emotions tied to the past
Guilt
Shame
People: these are the people that leave you feeling exhausted after spending time together. Examples include:
Mr/Mrs. MeMeMe
The one-upper
The downer.

All of these Energy Drainers can inhibit our ability to move forward toward healthier life goals. We exhaust ourselves when we continue to expend energy on something that is finished. Wishing about the past and worrying about the future guarantees that you will miss out on the present. Imagine all the things you could do if you freed up some of the energy that is currently being misdirected. You already have all the energy you need within you. Reclaim it and unleash your true potential.

What is draining you of your energy? Are you stuck on something? Are you a worrier? A procrastinator? I challenge you to take a look at one thing in your life that is draining you of energy. No matter how big or small the energy drainer, you will be amazed at how freeing it will feel to let go of it.

How?

Identify the Energy Drainer (e.g., worrying about something)
Ask yourself, “Is this productive or not?” “How will I benefit from worrying about this?”
If no productive results are likely to come…LET IT GO! Make a conscious effort to stop the energy draining thought.

Need help? Have questions for Sharon? Call 540-349-2791 or email: Sharon@OTACFitness.com.