Anything you wanted serious must be translatable into serious action. I read somewhere that you need to be SMART when setting New Year goals. It is based on the acronym and is a useful tool for evaluating and fulfilling promises

Be:
Specific: Vague or ambiguous goals are no use. Instead of saying “I want to lose weight” you need to be specific – for example,”I want to lose 7 lbs”;

Measurable: Work out how you are going to measure your success. So instead of saying I want to improve my health, set a measurable target – lowering blood pressure through diet and exercise under physician supervision;

Attainable: Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are too difficult. Set a goal or goals that are challenging but not unattainable;

Relevant: Goals should be relevant for you and not be made for other people or to meet social expectations;

Time-limited: Set a date so you will know when you should have reached your goal. Don’t set this too far in the future; otherwise it won’t be any motivation.

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However, if you have any kind of chest tightness or congestion, shortness of breath, persistent cough, or an upset stomach — you should postpone exercise workouts. You shouldn’t exercise if you have a fever, fatigue, body or muscle aches that are not related to previous activity – for example, you may be experiencing muscle aches because you did 100 sit-ups the night before after weeks of being sedentary. The pain you are experiencing is probably not related to flu/cold symptoms and it is okay to exercise moderately.

The rule of thumb for working out is to use common sense. If you are feeling under the weather but still want to exercise, lessen the intensity of your workout. If you feel worse at any point during the workout, stop and rest.

Just don’t use “sickness” as an excuse to avoid exercising. Many times people feel better emotionally, psychologically and physically by taking the time to engage in moderate workouts. If we pay attention to our bodies, strengthen our immune systems through consistent exercise programs and practice good dietary habits, we may be able to lessen the chances of getting sick in the first place.

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1. Pecan Pie….Resist eating more than 1 small piece of this pie made with eggs, cream and lots of sugar;

1. Eggnog….Made with real cream, brandy, and whole eggs. Stick with 1 small serving of this delicious brew;

1. Candied Yams…We usually eat them 1-2 times a year and they are so good, especially with nuts and marshmallows on top, made with real butter and brown sugar – yum. Again, watch your portions;

1. Cheesy Dips….The creamier and fattier the better whether on carrot sticks or chips or toast.  Go easy on these!

1. Creamy Gravy….Add heavy cream, butter and flour to meat juices and you have a little slice of heaven. Go easy on ALL sauces that are basically fat, flour, and cream.

Perhaps we could lower the poundage we bring into the New Year if we can limit or restrict the 5 foods mentioned above.

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You can enjoy all your favorite foods with joy and satisfaction, but learn to choose foods wisely during this holiday season. Did you know that there are:

About 280 calories in 1 piece of homemade Apple Pie

About 430 calories in 1 piece of homemade Pecan Pie

And, if you add 1 scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, add about 200 more calories per delicious serving

You can have a piece of pie; however, choose a healthier option with fewer calories. Don’t forget to exercise during the holidays or most what you eat will accumulate unbecomingly around your waist and fanny. Remember this simple equation:

Calories consumed minus calories burned = calories stored

So, Pecan Pie (430 calories) – Sitting on the Couch (80 calories) = 350 calories that get stored in your body (as fat)

Remember to keep a decent balance of food intake and exercise output, and you’ll be ready for the New Year in better shape. Walk after dinner or supper to help burn calories and aid in digestion. Take the dog for a stroll and bring your children along for fun. Go sleigh riding, snow boarding, swimming, surfing or biking. Just get up, out and do something, no matter what part of the country you live in!

Still not enough to offset the calories intake? Add a couple tablets of the Carb Blocker 2 and block up to 500 calories per meal.  Be sure to check with your doctor if you  have medical condition including diabetes and hypoglycemia, before using this product.

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Ingredients
1 1/3 cup diced red apples
½ cup low-fat olive oil mayonnaise (or other lowfat mayo)
4 whole wheat flour tortillas (8” diameter)
6 ounces turkey breast slices
2 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese (or swiss cheese)
1 ½ cups broccoli-slaw mix (broccoli stems, carrots, red cabbage – pak)

Directions
Combine apples, mayo and broccoli-slaw mix. Set aside.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide turkey slices into four servings. Place 1 ½ slices of turkey on each tortilla. Place ¼ of the combined apple, mayo and broccoli mix down on the center of each turkey and tortilla. Add ½ ounce cheese Roll the tortilla (with filling) with seam side down. Add salt and pepper to taste. Your roll should be approximately 1 ½ inches.

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Here’s the thing: you can take some time, develop some good habits, and drop some pounds before the holidays arrive. If you don’t, you’ll enter the holiday season with the statistics stacked against you. You may be strong enough to resist all the food as you celebrate the holidays, or you may end up starting 2009 with the extra weight you’re carrying now plus another seven or more pounds.

You can pay now or pay later. The choice is yours.

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My friend Pat wrote this article about overweight children and exercise. Have children of your own? This is a good reminder.

In a study of children ages 9-15 years old, physical activity of moderate to high intensity declined every year. At 9, children averaged over three hours of moderate to intense exercise, but by the time they were 15, it declined to just 49 minutes for boys and 38 minutes for girls. The researchers didn’t attempt to find out why. Maybe children just lose the ability to play the older that they get. Video games, text messaging, and the lack of physical education in schools are just some of the reasons.

Parents can make a difference and the earlier the better. Make regular physical activity a part of your family life. Taking hikes in the park. Riding bikes. Even playing kick-ball in the back yard is better than just sitting. Just remember kids like games, not planned exercise like you might do for yourself. Maybe if you make moving a part of their life early enough, it’s a habit they will keep for the rest of their lives.

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1. Standing, legs shoulders wide, slowly raise both arms over your head, back straight, raise your calves so your weight is on the toes, inhale slowly to maximum capacity. Now exhale quickly (through the nose) then stumping very quickly on your heels and lower your arms at the same time. This will help reduce your feeling of numbness.
2. Also standing, legs shoulder wide.  Back straight, head straight.  Slowly turn your head and shoulders to the right and as far back as possible (180 degree), inhale.  Now slowly turning back to the starting position and exhale through the nose.  Repeat with turning to the left.  This will stretch out the neck, shoulders and back muscles.
3. Extend both arms to the sides.  Extend all fingers like claws, pretending you are twitting two jar caps, turning both arms.  This will strengthen your arms muscles.
4. With your eyes closed, standing, slightly pick up one foot putting all the weight on the other foot and try to balance yourself for as long as you can, the longer the better.  While your body is trying to balance on one foot, the weight is swaying around, your legs muscles and nerve will be stronger. Alternate the legs and stand close to a wall or something in case you need support.

These are very simple to do and you can do them anywhere, anytime.  They work well for me beside all the cardio and weight training exercises.  Try and let me know if it works for you.

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Detoxification is about giving your body a chance to rest, cleaning and nourishing it, from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients. Beside losing a few pound, detoxifying can help strengthen your immune system, protecting you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health. Get your body ready to fight off the cold, the flu and all those nasty bugs that usually come around in the winter.

So whip out your favorite detox recipe.  Cleanse and nourish your body, from inside out.

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