Reconsider Your Options: Advantages of Keeping an Open Mind For Food Addicts
Reconsider Your Options: Advantages of Keeping an Open Mind For Food Addicts
If you occasionally feel challenged by the views of friends and family, you know how frustrating it can feel to realize that you have no control over their thoughts or responses. The good news is that you can always change your own perspectives.
If you can train yourself to keep an open mind, you’ll find that new opportunities in your life open up as well. Ensuring that your perspective is open to all possibilities will bring a myriad of good things your way – a whole new world of thoughts, experiences, and adventures.
Consider these advantages of entertaining all your options:
1. Gain new experiences. Although your instincts may guide you to stick to the familiar, why not try something new instead? Adaptation is one of the hallmarks of the human race. You never know what kind of possibilities will present themselves when you open your mind and try something new, like walking in someone else’s shoes.
2. Expect the best and you’ll often receive it. When you open your mind, you’ll see your best results when you have great expectations as well. Even though it might be difficult, at first, to incorporate new ideas into your life, persistence has its rewards.
Keep your mind open to the idea that something great could come your way, just because you kept at something that was difficult.
3. Meet more people and make new friends. When you open your mind to others’ perspectives, you get to truly know them. People like it when you take an honest interest in them! Discover the joys of having meaningful conversations instead of shallow chit-chat.
We’ve all met people who don’t seem particularly interested in making our acquaintance, or in getting to know anyone else.
Maybe you’re like this sometimes. Do you see yourself as too busy to take the time to truly get to know people?
4. Bring more adventure into your life. Life becomes more exciting when you cultivate an open and accepting mind. Instead of the same old routines day after day, opening your mind will enable you to embrace life fully and “go for the gusto.” When you can suspend your judgment of new ideas, each day can bring you a new adventure.
Opening up your mind and considering all your options makes the world a pretty fascinating place.
New sights, sounds, thrills, and even spills can lead you to discover new passions in life that re-invigorate you like nothing ever has before!
Over the years, you may have become quite set in your ways. You found what you like and you’re sticking to it. But is this interfering with the flow of joy into your life?
Maybe you limit the scope of activities and the people you hang out with. If you make an effort to open your mind to the advantages of meeting new people and trying new things, you reintroduce the unknown into your life. While this can feel a little scary at first, it certainly gives you more options!
Make the most of your life by working on open-mindedness today.
Break Through Stubborn Diet Plateaus For Food Addicts
Break Through Stubborn Diet Plateaus For Food Addicts
Sometimes you stick to your diet and exercise program but the scale stops moving down. If you want to start losing weight again, these are some changes you can make in the way you eat and other lifestyle choices.
Check Out Your Diet
1. Spot hidden calories. It’s easy to lose track of how many calories you’re really consuming. Try keeping a journal so you know how often you take second helpings or snack straight out of the refrigerator.
2. Measure your portions. You can enjoy the foods you love as long as you keep the portions under control. Learn easy ways to identify a sensible serving. Four ounces of meat is about the size of your fist. It takes about twenty five almonds to make an ounce.
3. Slow down. Leisurely dining will help you consume fewer calories and enjoy them more. Sit down for meals. Put your fork on the table while you chew each mouthful. Give your brain a chance to tell you when you’re full.
4. Ban certain foods. Many people have food sensitivities that can cause bloating and weight gain. Try taking a week off from wheat or dairy products to see if it makes a difference.
5. Start with a nutritious breakfast. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. A bean burrito or yogurt and cereal may help you eat less later on.
6. Eat more produce. Fill up on low calorie vegetables and fruits. They have important nutrients your body needs and the fiber fights hunger pangs. Aim for at least seven servings daily.
7. Drink more water. Your body may be retaining water if you fail to drink enough. Get a refillable steel bottle you can carry around everywhere.
8. Monitor your protein intake. Compared to carbohydrates and fat, your body works harder to digest protein. That means you burn more calories. Put a little soy or meat in each meal and snack.
Check Out Other Lifestyle Choices
1. Exercise more. Thirty minutes of daily exercise can help you maintain any body weight. If you want to shed more pounds, gradually add on a few minutes at a time.
2. Vary your workout. Our bodies adapt quickly to any repetitive activity, so that daily treadmill run winds up requiring less energy over time. Use interval training and a variety of workouts to introduce new challenges.
3. Build up your muscle mass. Increasing your ratio of muscle to fat speeds up your metabolism. Train for strength with weights or a Pilate’s class.
4. Manage stress. Unpleasant life events can trigger emotional eating and higher levels of stress hormones. Find a remedy that works for you, like meditation, warm baths or listening to instrumental music.
5. Get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can make you heavier. A full eight hours a night improves digestion and helps keep you trim. Brief naps are great for increasing your total sleep time.
6. Cut back on alcohol. Remember to count the calories in cocktails. Start happy hour with one drink and then switch to water. Trade in your usual Margarita for a slimmer Bloody Mary.
7. Cultivate a healthy body image. If you’re constantly struggling to reach a certain weight, it could mean that you’ve set your sights too low. You may be healthier accepting a larger dress size rather than pursuing an artificial ideal.
If your weight loss has stalled, give your diet and daily habits the once over to figure out how to get back on track. If you need more help, talk with your doctor to rule out any underlying medical condition and create a plan you can stick with for life.
A Senior’s Guide to Good Nutrition For Food Addicts
A Senior’s Guide to Good Nutrition For Food Addicts
Good nutrition is vital to feeling your best and remaining active as you age. It’s important to eat a variety of healthy foods, but changes in our bodies and lifestyles can make that difficult.
Consider these facts about nutrition for seniors and practical strategies for sticking to a healthy diet.
Nutrition Basics for Seniors
1. Know how many calories you need. Due to a slowing metabolism, most people require fewer calories as they age. The exact number varies by age, gender and activity level. For example, a sedentary woman over age 50 needs about 1,600 calories a day while an active man may need at least 2,400.
2. Avoid empty calories. One of the easiest ways to avoid extra pounds is to cut out junk food. Skip the fast food restaurants and munch on carrot sticks instead of potato chips.
3. Focus on nutrient dense foods. Get most of your calories from vegetables, fruits and whole grains. In addition to the nutrients, they provide plenty of fiber which helps improve your digestion. Nutrient dense foods may even help lower your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
4. Select healthy fats. Keep eating fats with an emphasis on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated versions. Limit saturated fats that come from animals and trans fats found in many processed foods.
5. Pick lean proteins. Get your protein from lean sources. Try to eat fish at least twice a week. Make a pot of three bean chili.
Practical Eating Strategies for Seniors
1. Talk with your doctor. Your doctor can help you eat right and avoid malnutrition. You may need to follow a specific diet to manage conditions like heart disease or diabetes. Ask your doctor if you think a medication is interfering with your diet. Your doctor may suggest ways to cope with it or change your prescription.
2. See your dentist. Your dentist can also help you stay healthy. Proper dental care or dentures will help you eat the foods you love. If your mouth is temporarily sore, stick to soft fare like yogurt drinks and soup.
3. Detect food sensitivities. As you age, you may find that your favorite foods are creating new issues. Ask your doctor to test you if you’re experiencing symptoms like diarrhea or gas. For conditions like lactose intolerance, try yogurt or almond milk instead of your usual milk.
4. Outsmart your taste buds. Even our taste buds change as we age. If you have a more intense sweet tooth, try satisfying it with sugar free gum. You may be less sensitive to salty and bitter flavors, so experiment with spices to stimulate your appetite.
5. Drink more water. Our sense of thirst also declines as we get older. Sip water or decaffeinated tea throughout the day rather than waiting until you feel thirsty.
6. Cut back on salt. After the age of 51, we only need about 2/3 of a teaspoon of salt a day. Go easy with the salt shaker and opt for whole foods rather than processed items.
7. Dine with others. Seniors sometimes lose interest in eating when it’s a solitary experience. Join a social club or invite guests over. Studies show that we eat more when we share meals.
8. Practice food safety. If your immune system weakens over the years, you need to take extra precautions in the kitchen. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Check expiration dates. When in doubt, throw it out.
9. Access community services. There is help available for seniors with limited mobility or finances. Contact your local agency on aging for services that can help you eat better. Meals on Wheels will deliver food right to your door.
Your senior years can be the best time of your life if you remain healthy and active. Eating a healthy diet plays a big role in aging well.
3 Habits That Improve Focus For Food Addicts
3 Habits That Improve Focus For Food Addicts
Unless you’re a Buddhist monk, you encounter distractions from time to time that minimize your effectiveness in getting your work done.
The internet is especially disrupting with email, messages, status updates, and more. But distractions also include co-workers, family, and our own wandering minds. It seems that we dawdle our lives away five minutes at a time.
The big question is how to defeat this tendency. How can you make use of the Internet constructively without falling victim to its distractive qualities?
Try turning these strategies into daily habits that help you become more efficient and effective:
1. Use time limits. When we set a time limit, we improve our ability to focus. It almost becomes a game of ‘beat the clock’. Ideally, you should use a timer and limit your work periods to around 25 or 55 minutes – with a 5-10 minute break in between tasks. If a task is going to take longer than 55 minutes, break it down into smaller chunks.
- Having a time limit also forces you to do the most important parts of any work. If you only have an hour, you’re going to have to decide what’s most important. This is much better than deciding to simply work on something until it’s done. Decide how long it should take, and then set the timer.
- If you have any sort of attention challenge, using a timer can increase your ability to keep your mind on the task at hand. The time flies by, and you’ll get more done. You’re likely to even find it relaxing, since you’ll be focused on what you’re doing instead of thinking about 20 other things.
- Research has shown that the most productive schedule for most people is:
50 minutes of work
10 minute break
50 more minutes of work
30 minute break (You might not be able to get away with a
30-minute break at work, but it’s a good time to get up, walk around, and get a drink.)
Repeat
- Time your breaks. If you decide to check your email or do one of those other tasks that seem to magically go from 5 minutes to 30 minutes or more, using a timer will serve as a reminder. It will also force you to only check on the most important things.
2. Close everything that can be closed. Everything on your computer that isn’t necessary for the task at hand should be closed down. If you don’t need the internet, shut it off. That includes all your email, notifications, games, and blogs. Close your door and unplug the phone, if possible.
- Nothing is going anywhere – it will all still be there when you’re done. One of the keys to being more effective is eliminating the things that make us less effective.
3. Insert a pause, as needed.When you first implement these habits, there will be times that you will have an incredible urge to check your email, Facebook, or Twitter.
- Before you succumb to the urge, take 10 seconds and pause. Take a long,deep breath and ask yourself if you really want to waste your time on something that is largely meaningless, or if you’d rather accomplish something worthwhile.
The ability to focus has been largely lost for many of us. However, these easy habits, which anyone can do, can go a long way toward improving your focus and effectiveness at any task.
It’s likely to be challenging at first, but you can do it. You can get more done, in less time, by learning to improve your focus and avoiding the things that waste your precious time.
Put these three habits into play starting today. You’ll be impressed by how much more you can get done!
