Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Why Fruits & Vegetables are so Important
Do you realize that you could have a heart attack at some point in the future? Research data is very strong and very powerful that the more fruits and vegetables that you eat, the less likely you are to have that heart attack. Hum, do you even want to know what research data says about the cigarettes and beer that most people consume?
Many of us will face the diagnosis of cancer in the future, and again the data is overwhelming that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a marked reduction in the risk of cancer. The reason for this is the balance of Mother Nature in fruits and vegetables - all of those thousands of antioxidants and other phytonutrients that work together to enhance our good chemistry and to protech against the bad.
What is an example of bad chemistry? The phenomenon of oxidative stress. When you burn a log in your fireplace; and if you don't have a screen, those sparks burn holes in your carpet. Similarly, when you burn sugar, fat, and carbohydrates in your body, you generate "sparks" call free radicals-billions of them. They bombard your body from the inside out, particularly at a cellular level. Antioxidants and other phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables help protect against the oxidative stress caused by thos free radicals.
Our DNA is damaged everyday in every cell because we are generating billions of these free radicals. If your body fails to repair DNA damage properly, it ends up as a mutation, and we all know the association of mutations with cancers. Similarly, if free radicals damage the tips of your chromosomes, you increase the rate at which you age - nobody wants to age more rapidly.
I know I don't.
Many of us will face the diagnosis of cancer in the future, and again the data is overwhelming that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a marked reduction in the risk of cancer. The reason for this is the balance of Mother Nature in fruits and vegetables - all of those thousands of antioxidants and other phytonutrients that work together to enhance our good chemistry and to protech against the bad.
What is an example of bad chemistry? The phenomenon of oxidative stress. When you burn a log in your fireplace; and if you don't have a screen, those sparks burn holes in your carpet. Similarly, when you burn sugar, fat, and carbohydrates in your body, you generate "sparks" call free radicals-billions of them. They bombard your body from the inside out, particularly at a cellular level. Antioxidants and other phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables help protect against the oxidative stress caused by thos free radicals.
Our DNA is damaged everyday in every cell because we are generating billions of these free radicals. If your body fails to repair DNA damage properly, it ends up as a mutation, and we all know the association of mutations with cancers. Similarly, if free radicals damage the tips of your chromosomes, you increase the rate at which you age - nobody wants to age more rapidly.
I know I don't.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Create the life you want!
I believe that the only person who can create the life you want is you. I feel that your destiny is firmly in your own two hands. Like it or not!
If you are unhappy with the life you have or unsatisfied with the body you have, then it is up to you to change it. I have never believed that a Knight In Shining Armor is going to ride into my life and make everything better for me. Do you? Or in some cases, Princess Riding A White Horse With her Blonde Locks Flowing.....-for you guys out there!
Imagine the life you want and hold that idea in your mind as your read on. I cannot tell you how I came to this conclusion but it seems to me that how we balance the many things in our life it is reflected in how our weight on the scales balance out. Buying and consuming, clutter and weight seem to be connected somehow. Every aspect of life is interconnected, such as how we act, what we own, where we live, what we put on our bodies and what we put into our bodies. I believe that clutter and disorganization are interconnected to our weight and our health. You cannot deal with the fat on your body if you are smothered with disorganization and clutter of the spaces in your home, office, car or life as a whole.
When clutter fills your car, your desk at work, or your home, not only does it block your space, but it also blocks your vision-and I am thinking literally and metaphorically. At some point you probably stop seeing the mess and the clutter-even when you have to step over it or cannot see over the top of it! I think this is how getting fat or ending up over weight has been for most people. First we stop being as active as we once were, or we purchase a bigger size of jeans, or stop looking in the mirror at the excess weight (clutter on our bodies).
Just as clutter can steal from you the joy and happiness that you are entitled to. It is the same when it comes to an overweight out of shape body. Begin to imagine the life you want to live. Don't think of your weight as a number on the bathroom scale, but think about feeling a sense of joy, well-being, heath and happiness. Begin to imagine feeling healthy, achieving what you want to achieve, interacting with those around you, and spending your time in a fit and healthy body.
The you that you aspire to be must be nurtured and you must allow your true self to be revealed. Visualize the ideal you that you want. Remember, if you don't strive to achieve your ideal you,..... no one else will!
Maybe you have failed a few times-welcome to the real world. If you are human then you have failed a lot, but this shows that you are trying, right?
Change takes commitment and commitment takes time.
Create a healthy life for yourself.
You can make time to create the life you want.
Time is a paradox. "There's never enough time, and there's always more time".
You can find the time to make the little changes that will create the life you want.
If you are unhappy with the life you have or unsatisfied with the body you have, then it is up to you to change it. I have never believed that a Knight In Shining Armor is going to ride into my life and make everything better for me. Do you? Or in some cases, Princess Riding A White Horse With her Blonde Locks Flowing.....-for you guys out there!
Imagine the life you want and hold that idea in your mind as your read on. I cannot tell you how I came to this conclusion but it seems to me that how we balance the many things in our life it is reflected in how our weight on the scales balance out. Buying and consuming, clutter and weight seem to be connected somehow. Every aspect of life is interconnected, such as how we act, what we own, where we live, what we put on our bodies and what we put into our bodies. I believe that clutter and disorganization are interconnected to our weight and our health. You cannot deal with the fat on your body if you are smothered with disorganization and clutter of the spaces in your home, office, car or life as a whole.
When clutter fills your car, your desk at work, or your home, not only does it block your space, but it also blocks your vision-and I am thinking literally and metaphorically. At some point you probably stop seeing the mess and the clutter-even when you have to step over it or cannot see over the top of it! I think this is how getting fat or ending up over weight has been for most people. First we stop being as active as we once were, or we purchase a bigger size of jeans, or stop looking in the mirror at the excess weight (clutter on our bodies).
Just as clutter can steal from you the joy and happiness that you are entitled to. It is the same when it comes to an overweight out of shape body. Begin to imagine the life you want to live. Don't think of your weight as a number on the bathroom scale, but think about feeling a sense of joy, well-being, heath and happiness. Begin to imagine feeling healthy, achieving what you want to achieve, interacting with those around you, and spending your time in a fit and healthy body.
The you that you aspire to be must be nurtured and you must allow your true self to be revealed. Visualize the ideal you that you want. Remember, if you don't strive to achieve your ideal you,..... no one else will!
Maybe you have failed a few times-welcome to the real world. If you are human then you have failed a lot, but this shows that you are trying, right?
Change takes commitment and commitment takes time.
Create a healthy life for yourself.
You can make time to create the life you want.
Time is a paradox. "There's never enough time, and there's always more time".
You can find the time to make the little changes that will create the life you want.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Week 2, Tuesday
Hey Ultimate Winners. How are you feeling this week?
I regret to report that I did not get to the gym yesterday, nor did I exercise. My excuse was that I am covering for a nurse who is on vacation, so I was still in Chapel Hill at 4:00 yesterday. I drank my water and was okay with my nutrition plan that Anna gave me Saturday. I have learned to pack my lunch and that really helps me since I am on the road all day, most days.
Today, @ 6:00 pm UL class with Anna we went outside and played kick ball. It was so much fun! I loved it. I felt like a kid again, but if any of you have gotten to know me very well---it don't take much for me to let my hair down and act like a kid. Ha! I don't remember that I moved so slow and sweat so much when I was a kid. This was the very first time I ever played kick ball. Unbelievable.
I took pictures and I will post them later when I have time to put them on. Please comment.
Cheryl
I regret to report that I did not get to the gym yesterday, nor did I exercise. My excuse was that I am covering for a nurse who is on vacation, so I was still in Chapel Hill at 4:00 yesterday. I drank my water and was okay with my nutrition plan that Anna gave me Saturday. I have learned to pack my lunch and that really helps me since I am on the road all day, most days.
Today, @ 6:00 pm UL class with Anna we went outside and played kick ball. It was so much fun! I loved it. I felt like a kid again, but if any of you have gotten to know me very well---it don't take much for me to let my hair down and act like a kid. Ha! I don't remember that I moved so slow and sweat so much when I was a kid. This was the very first time I ever played kick ball. Unbelievable.
I took pictures and I will post them later when I have time to put them on. Please comment.
Cheryl
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Obesity stigma is so pervasive, strong and under recognized.
I read a fairly new study that documented overweight people are treated different! Dudd!
Before I tell you about this study, I want to tell you what the word "bias" came up as when I looked it up in an on-line thesaurus. It stated that “Bias” is also know as: prejudice, partiality, unfairness, preconceived notion, foregone conclusion.
The "International Journal of Obesity" published a study in July 2008 where they developed a tool for varying degrees of biases (prejudices) which targeted: obesity, homosexuality, and Muslims. The authors chose these because each are documented and widely known minority groups that are discriminated. The study stated that they used the terms “bias” and “prejudice” interchangeably (this is why I looked up the term).
I hate to admit it but I feel discriminated against sometimes because of my weight. Even some of my friends who are thin don’t seem to understand and I know they love me. Do you have these feelings sometimes that they just don’t get it?
Results of this study showed that obesity was the strongest bias, followed next by bias against homosexuals, and then Muslims. WOW! This is Unbelievable!
Laws and other protective policies have been put into place over the years to discourage — even punish — discrimination against race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. The study pointed out the widespread documented evidence of weight bias in employment, educational, interpersonal, and in medical settings. However, no laws or protective policies are in place to discourage or punish bias against obesity. I am so thankful for Ultimate Loser in helping me in my efforts to shake this weight. Let’s pray that we are all winners and big losers of the extra weight and that we won’t need to worry about this anymore.
This study concluded that weight bias is significantly stronger than bias against homosexuals and Muslims; and that much more research is needed in the area of prejudice toward obesity and its causes and solutions.
I agree with the authors that "it is unacceptable that the obesity stigma is so pervasive, strong and under recognized."
I know that I recognize it and it hurts, and it is wrong, but I don’t believe that thin people recognize that they are bias against those who are not thin.
What are your comments or feelings on this? I would love to read your comments.
Cheryl
Before I tell you about this study, I want to tell you what the word "bias" came up as when I looked it up in an on-line thesaurus. It stated that “Bias” is also know as: prejudice, partiality, unfairness, preconceived notion, foregone conclusion.
The "International Journal of Obesity" published a study in July 2008 where they developed a tool for varying degrees of biases (prejudices) which targeted: obesity, homosexuality, and Muslims. The authors chose these because each are documented and widely known minority groups that are discriminated. The study stated that they used the terms “bias” and “prejudice” interchangeably (this is why I looked up the term).
I hate to admit it but I feel discriminated against sometimes because of my weight. Even some of my friends who are thin don’t seem to understand and I know they love me. Do you have these feelings sometimes that they just don’t get it?
Results of this study showed that obesity was the strongest bias, followed next by bias against homosexuals, and then Muslims. WOW! This is Unbelievable!
Laws and other protective policies have been put into place over the years to discourage — even punish — discrimination against race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. The study pointed out the widespread documented evidence of weight bias in employment, educational, interpersonal, and in medical settings. However, no laws or protective policies are in place to discourage or punish bias against obesity. I am so thankful for Ultimate Loser in helping me in my efforts to shake this weight. Let’s pray that we are all winners and big losers of the extra weight and that we won’t need to worry about this anymore.
This study concluded that weight bias is significantly stronger than bias against homosexuals and Muslims; and that much more research is needed in the area of prejudice toward obesity and its causes and solutions.
I agree with the authors that "it is unacceptable that the obesity stigma is so pervasive, strong and under recognized."
I know that I recognize it and it hurts, and it is wrong, but I don’t believe that thin people recognize that they are bias against those who are not thin.
What are your comments or feelings on this? I would love to read your comments.
Cheryl
Saturday, October 11, 2008
What a week? How did you like that Pail of Pain Today?
We made it and we are now starting on Week 2 of Ultimate Loser 3. I want to call this Ultimate Winner because we are all going to be winners at the end of this 8 week journey.
I lost 6.6 pounds today. I was the Ultimate Winner! I am tooting my own horn.
Yippee!
My friend came in at 5 pounds and she always beats me..........I am so proud of her. I hope she signs on and comments and then you might learn from her. She was the Biggiest Loser for UL1 for the females. She has been an inspiration to me. I have a lot of respect and admiration for her and I am looking forward to competing with her this time around. Let's do it, girl.
Anna gave each of us our own personalized nutrition plan. She calls it Health Management System, Weight Loss Program. I am going to try to follow her guidance and see what happens next week. We also were provided with a new red T-shirt with ULTIMATE LOSER on it. We are to wear it to work out when we go to the gym. This was a nice present from Anna and I am grateful.
I am trying to find a way to move more that is right for me. I think I need to look at “blooming where I am planted” and looking at my environment more. I did clean my frig and my cabinets out last Saturday on Day one. I got out all of the bad stuff that my body does not need nutritionally. But face it; there is more to my environment that I need to look at and change. I want to take the exercises and skill that I have learned from Anna and get creative by getting more activity into each day. In the past; I have used the excuse that my environment does not allow me to do that. I use the excuse that I am too busy or have too much work to do to exercise. I use the excuse daily that I am too tired to exercise. I have changed my priorities this time around with UL3. I am taking charge of my life so that I can include not only the day-to-day tasks I must complete but also the things that are good for me. This includes my mind, my spirit and my body.
My well-being needs to be top priority because if I don’t get and stay healthy then as I age, I will not have a happy, fit and healthy life journey. So fitness has to be a part of my life. I am not saying that fitness has to be perfectly structured, but it will need to be something that I will enjoy doing every day as part of my regular routine. I believe that Anna is teaching us these activities with exercises such as jumping jacks, high-knee walking (or we could do it jogging), stair climbing, lunges, and cardio. We don’t need a gym all the time; these are things we can do at home around the house or while on the beach or on vacation. There are a lot of no-cost cardiovascular exercises we can do to get moving more; whether at home or at work. Walking and jogging is the cheapest form of exercise and we can do it anytime, anywhere with a good pair of shoes that we need to keep handy. I love to put my favorite music on and dance. I have two plaques in my kitchen that say, “Dance as if no one is watching” and “Sing as if no one can hear you”.
Have you ever “crack danced” in your car while driving or in your office chair at work? Hootie, Hoot, I do it a lot!
My goal this week is to find ways to move more that is right for me and that I can fit into my life even if I am near or at the gym. I know that I can get up 30 minutes earlier and walk. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise, so it can help prevent osteoporosis. Walking is one of the cheapest and easiest exercises I can do anywhere. I can walk while watching Biggest Loser on TV by getting on my treadmill instead of sitting on the couch. All walking requires is a pair of walking shoes and my commitment to put them on and go out the door or get on my treadmill. Walking helps to strengthen my hamstrings, quadriceps, and my hips. Okay, I convinced myself. I will add more walking into my activities of daily living this week and let you know how I do. I am taking charge of my life with week 2 of UL3. I did good last week, I was happy with my results. I know Week 2 is rough, so beware.
I would love for you to comment and share in this blog, so please leave a comment or share this blog with others. Join me and let’s share during this journey.
I read that Eleanor Roosevelt wrote or said-“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Anna has pushed each of us to do the thing that we thought we could not do this week. Anna, I thank you. Let’s see what week two has in store for us. She did say that we were not going to do the "Pail of Pain" again, didn't she?
See you at the gym on Monday,
Cheryl
I lost 6.6 pounds today. I was the Ultimate Winner! I am tooting my own horn.
Yippee!
My friend came in at 5 pounds and she always beats me..........I am so proud of her. I hope she signs on and comments and then you might learn from her. She was the Biggiest Loser for UL1 for the females. She has been an inspiration to me. I have a lot of respect and admiration for her and I am looking forward to competing with her this time around. Let's do it, girl.
Anna gave each of us our own personalized nutrition plan. She calls it Health Management System, Weight Loss Program. I am going to try to follow her guidance and see what happens next week. We also were provided with a new red T-shirt with ULTIMATE LOSER on it. We are to wear it to work out when we go to the gym. This was a nice present from Anna and I am grateful.
I am trying to find a way to move more that is right for me. I think I need to look at “blooming where I am planted” and looking at my environment more. I did clean my frig and my cabinets out last Saturday on Day one. I got out all of the bad stuff that my body does not need nutritionally. But face it; there is more to my environment that I need to look at and change. I want to take the exercises and skill that I have learned from Anna and get creative by getting more activity into each day. In the past; I have used the excuse that my environment does not allow me to do that. I use the excuse that I am too busy or have too much work to do to exercise. I use the excuse daily that I am too tired to exercise. I have changed my priorities this time around with UL3. I am taking charge of my life so that I can include not only the day-to-day tasks I must complete but also the things that are good for me. This includes my mind, my spirit and my body.
My well-being needs to be top priority because if I don’t get and stay healthy then as I age, I will not have a happy, fit and healthy life journey. So fitness has to be a part of my life. I am not saying that fitness has to be perfectly structured, but it will need to be something that I will enjoy doing every day as part of my regular routine. I believe that Anna is teaching us these activities with exercises such as jumping jacks, high-knee walking (or we could do it jogging), stair climbing, lunges, and cardio. We don’t need a gym all the time; these are things we can do at home around the house or while on the beach or on vacation. There are a lot of no-cost cardiovascular exercises we can do to get moving more; whether at home or at work. Walking and jogging is the cheapest form of exercise and we can do it anytime, anywhere with a good pair of shoes that we need to keep handy. I love to put my favorite music on and dance. I have two plaques in my kitchen that say, “Dance as if no one is watching” and “Sing as if no one can hear you”.
Have you ever “crack danced” in your car while driving or in your office chair at work? Hootie, Hoot, I do it a lot!
My goal this week is to find ways to move more that is right for me and that I can fit into my life even if I am near or at the gym. I know that I can get up 30 minutes earlier and walk. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise, so it can help prevent osteoporosis. Walking is one of the cheapest and easiest exercises I can do anywhere. I can walk while watching Biggest Loser on TV by getting on my treadmill instead of sitting on the couch. All walking requires is a pair of walking shoes and my commitment to put them on and go out the door or get on my treadmill. Walking helps to strengthen my hamstrings, quadriceps, and my hips. Okay, I convinced myself. I will add more walking into my activities of daily living this week and let you know how I do. I am taking charge of my life with week 2 of UL3. I did good last week, I was happy with my results. I know Week 2 is rough, so beware.
I would love for you to comment and share in this blog, so please leave a comment or share this blog with others. Join me and let’s share during this journey.
I read that Eleanor Roosevelt wrote or said-“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Anna has pushed each of us to do the thing that we thought we could not do this week. Anna, I thank you. Let’s see what week two has in store for us. She did say that we were not going to do the "Pail of Pain" again, didn't she?
See you at the gym on Monday,
Cheryl
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