Dark Chocolate

For Valentine’s Day, my hubby and I plan to put the kids to bed early and curl up to watch “An Affair to Remember” – a classic movie with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. I'll make light microwave popcorn for our movie-at-home date, but we'll also share a bar of Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate (I have it hidden in the cupboard).
Sure, flowers, back rubs, and romantic dinners are all great. But celebrating Valentine’s without chocolate wouldn’t be the same.

The good news is, dark chocolate is good for your health because it’s high in antioxidants. These antioxidants help remove harmful molecules that can cause cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. And the flavonoids in cocoa can help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Now don’t go crazy and run to the store to buy a cart full of dark chocolate. Even though it has health benefits, it’s still high in calories and fat. Make sure you have someone to share your dark chocolate bar with!

Aztec Indians believed chocolate to be an aphrodisiac. It's also said eating chocolate releases a chemical in your body similar to those produced when you're in love. So be careful who you share your chocolate with.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Exercising While Under the Weather

If you’ve been hit by a wintertime cold, adjust your exercise routine. Your body is already fighting the cold off. If you exercise too hard and stress the body, you can prolong the cold.

Here are some suggestions for exercising while feeling under the weather:

1. If you have a fever, do not exercise. Rest and drink plenty of fluids.
2. Lower your intensity. If you usually run, you may need to take a slow jog or a brisk walk. If you usually take a kickboxing class, you may need to ride the bike instead.
3. Keep your heart rate at a moderate level. Your heart rate and breathing should be at a slightly elevated, but moderate rate. This is especially important if you have chest and/or sinus congestion.
4. Shorten your time. If your energy level is low, shorten your workout. If you normally work out for 60 minutes, cut it down and do a “light” workout.
5. Listen to your body. If you are feeling fatigued, or begin to feel very weak during your workout, your body is trying to tell you it needs more recovery time.

Stay with good nutrition and avoid sugar, which weakens the immune system. Drink lots of water and get lots of rest. Before you know it, you’ll be back to your energetic self!

Problem or Possibility

People’s mindsets tell me a lot.

Those who really want to lose weight and are of a “mind” to do it, find the possibility to eat right and exercise in every situation. Those who aren’t ready to make healthy changes find the problem for why they can NOT eat right and exercise in every situation.

Let me show you the difference. Both the problem thinker and the possibility thinker work from 8 to 5, pick up their kids from afterschool activities, and begin making dinner as soon as they arrive home.

Problem thinker (not ready to make the changes, but isn’t admitting it to me and maybe not to herself either). “I just don’t have time to exercise. I have to get my kids off to school then get to work, and I don’t get home till late. We don’t even eat dinner until 7:00. Then I’m so tired there’s no way I could exercise. And I don’t have time to make special food for myself either. I just have to eat what the kids eat.”

Possibility thinker (totally motivated to change). “I don’t have much time, but if I get up a little earlier I could at least walk for 20 minutes on the treadmill before I shower, and when the weather’s nice, I can walk during my lunch break. Come to think of it, if I make dinner in the oven, I could exercise while it’s baking. Oh yeah, I found some really great healthy recipes that my whole family enjoys. I always make extra too so I can take leftovers for lunch the next day.”

If someone really wants to change, she will find a way to turn problems into possibilities.

You Don't Have to Go Hungry

In wanting to lose weight, people often have the misconception that they need to starve themselves. This is not the case. The body needs to be fueled every 2-3 hours to keep the metabolism humming.

The key here, of course, is eating highly nutritious, lower calorie foods. Usually, this means you can eat more food (a higher volume or greater amount of food).

For example, let’s replace a 1/2 cup of light ice cream (150 calories) with yogurt and fruit. You can eat 1 cup of yogurt (nonfat plain flavored with vanilla and Splenda 110 calories) and a whole cup of strawberries (50 calories) for 160 calories = 2 cups.

Now let’s replace a single-serve bag of chips (150 calories) with light microwave popcorn. One cup of pop corn is 20 calories, so to get 140 calories you’d need to eat = 7 cups.

How about replacing a hot apple pie (250 calories) from a fast food restaurant with a baked apple sprinkled with cinnamon and Splenda? Actually, to come close to the same amount of calories you’d need to eat = 3 apples.

Almost always, healthy food equals more volume. More food, more nutrition, and more satisfaction – without the extra calories and bad fats that lead to obesity and disease.

Eating nutritious foods means you don’t have to go hungry to lose weight!