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Creating a Healthy Lifestyle

Creating a Healthy  Lifestyle

Monthly Archives: December 2012

Thank You 2012!

31 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Mind

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2012, Being of Service, Goodbye to 2012, Gratitude, Letting Go, New Year, Personal development, Reflecting on 2012, Thankful for all that was

Thank You 2012!

Last night, just before drifting off to sleep, I found myself reflecting on this year 2012, with a deep sense of gratitude for the wonderful experiences, and the not so wonderful ones, the gifts and the challenges.

For me, 2012 was a year of a lot of personal growth, including stepping out into the  world of blogging.  I will leave behind old beliefs, thoughts and habits, that no longer serve me as I welcome in 2013.  I am open to new adventures and look forward to seeing how the new year unfolds, especially in the area of being of service.

What will you leave behind with 2012, and what are you looking forward to in 2013?

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

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Brain Compatable New Years Resolutions

28 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Family Fun, Healthy Mind

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Behaviors, Brain Compatable, Congruent Thoughts and Behaviors, Desires, Feelings, Goals, Healthy Lifestyle, Meaning, New Years Resolution, Personal Posters, Significant Meaning, Vision Board

Brain Compatable New Years Resolutions

If your New Years resolutions don’t have significant meaning to you, they most likely will fall by the wayside quickly.  With that said, think about what you really want for 2013, and why.

How would you like to feel about each resolution? Imagine what it would really look like and feel like to have what you desire. Do you have feeling words or a visual picture, either in your mind or in print, that capture your goals?

To get your brain on board, you may want to create a “personal poster” with words and/or pictures that capture your resolutions, and then focus on it for 18 seconds a day. Or, write down the feeling words and post them on your mirror or refrigerator to see multiple times a day. When we rehearse, imagine, or talk to ourselves about something for 18 seconds, it gets stored in our long-term memory. This also keeps our thoughts congruent with our desires, and when this happens, it propels us towards activities and behaviors that produce the results we are looking for.

Gather your family or a friend or two and have fun creating meaningful resolutions for the new year!

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Too Much of a Good Thing

27 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Eating

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Calories, Dried fruit, Eating Healthy Food, Excess Calories, Food, Healthy Eating, Healthy Food in Excess, More is Better, Multiple Servings, Nutrients, Portion Control, Serving Sizes, Too Few Calories, Too Many Calories, Too Much of a Good Thing, Whole Grains

Too Much of a Good Thing“If a little is good, more is better.” Many people believe this motto, especially when it comes to eating healthy food. Consuming a lot of one particular food or food group can cause two potential problems.  One, you may be depriving your body of necessary nutrients; and two, you may end up eating too many or too few calories.

Here are two examples:

1. We can all agree that kale and spinach are good healthy foods.  If the majority of your diet was made up of these two greens, you most likely would not be taking in enough calories or nutrients.

2. Eating multiple servings of almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, avocado or whole grains will lead to an excess of calories, and may leave you too full for other foods like fruit and vegetables.

Everything in moderation.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Lisa’s Roasted Butternut Squash

26 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Recipes

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Butternut squash, Healthy Eating, Healthy Recipe, Recipe, Roasted Squash, Vegan, Vegetarian

Lisa's Roasted Butternut Squash1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon dried garlic, garlic salt or garlic powder

Place cubed squash in a bowl, lightly drizzle with olive oil, add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spread on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Place under the broiler for 5-10 minutes to brown.

Peace, Love and Joy!

25 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Family Fun, Healthy Mind

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Christmas Message, Healthy Mind, Holiday Wish, Inspiration, Joy, Love, Peace, religion, spirituality

Peace, Love and Joy!Regardless of your religious beliefs or how you spend today, may it be a day filled with peace, love and joy!

Love, Health & Happiness,
Phyllis

Move into 2013 With Meaning and Purpose

24 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Mind

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2013, Beliefs and Patterns from Childhood, Beyond Your Comfort Zone, Childhood Beliefs, Childhood Messages, Coping (psychology), Coping Skills, Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Mind, Meaning and Purpose, Mental health, Move into 2013, New Year Resolution Process, Shift to New Possibilities, Work Before Play

Moving Into 2013 With Meaning and PurposeWhat are you looking forward to in 2013? Are you willing to step it up, go beyond your comfort zone, reach for what you want and do it differently?  Or are you comfortable with your predictable life, even if it’s not how you would like it?

Here is a process to help you move into 2013 with meaning and purpose.

1. Acknowledge that based on all of your past experiences you have become the person you are today.  This includes all of the beliefs, patterns and coping skills you learned as a child.

2. Through those experiences you have developed familiar ways of being that may not continue to serve you well, along with some incredible strengths, gifts and talents that are unique to you.

3. In order to get out of functioning on auto-pilot, we must decide to choose something different.

Process: I invite you to make a list of a few beliefs, patterns or coping skills that no longer serve you well.  List how each one has negatively affected you and others.  Then write what strengths you got from those patterns.  Next, be open to new possibilities by considering a variety of options for new ways of thinking, believing, being and doing.

Here’s an example:

I was brought up with the message, “Work before play.” It took me a very long time to give myself permission to “play” or use my time for something other than being productive (working, cleaning, doing for others, etc.).  I missed out on having fun because I was too serious, being okay with “being” when not doing, being spontaneous, and being a better mom, wife, daughter, and friend to others and myself. From this message, I learned to be responsible, dependable, reliable, efficient, capable, and I learned how to cook and clean really well. By letting go of the message, “Work before play,” and focusing on my strengths, I have been able to shift to a more balanced life, including having fun writing this blog!

What shift will you make in 2013?

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Family Reflection

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Family Fun, Healthy Mind

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Difficulties, Disappointments, Family Fun, Family Reflection, Gratefulness, Grief, Happiest Moments, Healthy Mind, Losses and Gains, Mental health, Reflection of 2012, Skills, What Would You Do Different?

Family ReflectionWhat will you remember most from 2012? Gather your family members and look back over the past 12 months, four seasons, birthdays, holidays, and other significant life events.

What were the happiest moments? What difficulties did you overcome? Did you master a skill?

Reflecting on our experiences gives us a chance to look at what worked and why.  Similarly, it can be of great benefit to look at what didn’t go well and why. Then take it one step further, and consider what you would do different if you were faced with that same situation again in the future.

Look at what you lost and what you gained. Grieve your losses and disappointments and leave them behind. Be grateful for all that you have and all that you are, and take that into 2013.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Juicing Tips and Recipes

20 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Eating, Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

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Juicing, Juicing Combinations, Juicing Fruit and Vegetables, Juicing Recipes, Juicing Tips, Recipies, Vegan, Vegetarian

Juicing Tips and RecipesLast week I wrote What’s The Buzz About Juicing, and today I’m going to share some tips and recipes.

If you don’t already have a juicer, look for one with a large opening to easily fit fruit and vegetables without a lot of cutting.

It is best to drink freshly juiced produce at the time of juicing or within 48 hours.

Experiment with different combinations of vegetables and fruit.

Use vegetables primarily and add a small amount of fruit to sweeten.

Here are some recipe combinations to get started:

Cucumber, celery, kale, apple

Cucumber, celery, kale, pear

Cucumber, celery, kale, pineapple

Beets, carrots, cucumber, parsley

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Slow Cooker Apple Steel-Cut Oats

19 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Recipes

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Breakfast, Chia Seeds, Fiber, Flax, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Eating, Healthy Recipe, Oatmeal, Oatmeal Toppings, Recipe, Slow cooker, Steel-cut oats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Slow Cooker Apple Steel-Cut Oats1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats

6 cups vanilla almond milk or soy milk

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 apples, chopped

Place all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and stir. Cook on low over night and you will have a healthy breakfast for the week.

Optional toppings:

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans

1 tablespoon raisins, 1/2 sliced banana or 1/2 cup berries.

For additional fiber mix in 1-2 tablespoons flax seeds or chia seeds.

Is Overeating Preventing You From Reaching Your Full Potential?

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Awareness, Cholesterol, Effects of Overeating, Emotional Distress, Healthy Body, Heart disease, High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Mindfulness Eating, Overeating, Physical Disease, Poor Self-Image, Reaching Your Full Potential, recognizable symptoms, Relationships, triglycerides, Weight Gain, Work

Is Overeating Preventing You From Reaching Your Full PotentialIf a plant gets too much water or sunlight it dies or doesn’t grow to its full potential.  If a human eats too much food on a regular basis, it too doesn’t grow to its full potential, creating physical disease and a poor self-image that can affect all areas of life from relationships to work.

For us humans, the effects of overeating generally are not immediate. The first evidence of overeating is usually weight gain, and that may not be immediate, but rather tends to “creep up” on us. It may take decades for illness to set in. Many people are not aware of having high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure or heart disease, because these don’t have recognizable symptoms until they become severe enough.

Being mindful of both what and how much you eat and drink, is the first step to awareness, regardless of whether you want or are ready to make any changes.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

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