Let's compare breakfast!

For June's 400 calorie meal comparison, I decided to focus on breakfast. I've included my old breakfast of Great Grains cereal with milk and my current breakfast of Fage yogurt, berries (strawberries in this case) and granola. Here are the pictures:

(The cereal is in a bowl that is placed on the plate to compare accurately.)

Aside from my terrible picture-taking abilities, it is interesting to see the difference in the amount of food for the same number of calories. Even more poignant, just like the May comparison, my healthy meal left me completely satisfied while my not-so-healthy one left me wanting more. Additionally, I felt tired within an hour of eating the cereal, but the yogurt kept me going all morning.


Although I have to admit, I can't wait to have a pancake meal to compare...I rarely eat pancakes...but they are yummy! However, knowing how I feel when I eat healthy versus not, I think I’ll keep them to a minimum!

Let us know if you have a meal that makes you feel great…or one that brings you down. Post it here!

My Cozy Spot...

I moved to NC a few months ago, and although I love our new home (a small townhouse), I don’t have a place in it where I can go and be alone. I don’t have a Cozy Spot. Everywhere I live (or visit for more than a few days!), I find a Cozy Spot. No, this is not like Sheldon’s spot on The Big Bang…actually, maybe it is (without the extreme OCD)!  One of my “must-haves” in my life is a Cozy Spot – a place where I feel completely comfortable, safe, and happy…a place I can go and not be bothered. It is the place where I connect with myself and get many of my great ideas. I write, I think, I dream in my Cozy Spot. Throughout my life, my Cozy Spot has been a porch swing, a tree, my couch, a bathtub, my bed, the floor of a friend’s spare bedroom, a rocking chair, and a lawn chair on my deck. In my new home, I haven’t felt connected to any one spot. I think I may have to go out of my home and wander the neighborhood in search of a spot. It will only be a matter of time, but soon, I will have my new Cozy Spot.

Here's a picture of a great Cozy Spot...too bad this isn't at my home ! (It was at a spa.)

 

A Cozy Spot is a great way to help you focus on your Me-Time. Tips for creating a Cozy Spot:

- A place that is not constantly invaded by family or roommates

- A place where you feel physically comfortable (a comfy seat, a good temperature, good lighting)

- A place with something that inspires you…this can be anything from a picture you love to a burning candle to a favorite stuffed animal

Once you find a Cozy Spot, remember to try to snuggle up there every day for a few minutes (or more!) of Me-Time.

Take a breath...

One of the best things we can do for our bodies is also one of the easiest – breathe!  Breathing is amazing because it can both lift you up and calm you down. When I feel sluggish, I take several deep breaths and drink a glass a water; more often than not, I feel much more energetic. Breathing is also a great way to relax and calm yourself down. I’m not so great at using breathing for this. It works if I’m trying to get into a meditative state from a normal state. However, for those rare times when I’m really concerned about something, nothing calms me down. I can do all the breathing exercises in the world, but it won’t help! I have been able to minimize the number of times this happens, but alas, it still does happen.

So, pay attention to your breathing. Right now, stop reading and pay attention. Are you taking shallow breaths? Deep breaths? Holding your breath? Until we focus on it, we often don’t even realize that we are not breathing deeply. Deep breathing is necessary for getting oxygen throughout our bodies. Try to stop and focus on your breathing throughout the day. Take a break from what you’re doing and several take deep, strong breaths.  You can do this anywhere – while at work, in the car, walking, cooking – anywhere. So, try to do it as often as you can. I bet you’ll be surprised at the result!

Visualizing!

Visualizing is a newer concept for me, but already it’s worked! Visualize things you want, things you want to change, and your future....whatever you want! Practice visualization every day because it can be difficult at first. It helps when doing it during meditation or when you are away from distractions. See something in your mind and then make it a reality.

 I practice every night before bed by visualizing the next day and how I want it to go. I visualize everything from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. I even pay attention to my surroundings including the taste of food I would eat or feel everything I touch. It’s a great way to practice visualizing.

When visualizing anything, try to use the five senses. I practice this all the time. I see where I am and what I’m doing. I feel what I’m doing, the temperature, and the texture of everything. I hear what’s around me, smell what I can, and taste any food or drink. It’s a great way to practice visualizing.

            One thing that really worked for me was using a board in my room with pictures of future travel destinations and items I want. I would look at each picture every night and visualize it in my life. For example, one of the travel destinations was Paris. I would not only picture myself there, but I would imagine the smells and sounds around me. I had never been to Paris before, so I had to guess. That was fine because using more senses made the visualization more realistic. The great thing is that I visualized something to come and it came! I went to Paris for 10 days with my husband and had the most amazing time.

            I started to run out of room to have a large board in my room so I made a visual journal. It was just a small journal that I kept next to my bed. I cut out pictures similar to those on my board as well as quotes I found. I put them in the journal and it became a nice ritual before bed every night to use this journal to visualize. Having pictures helped me really see what I wanted.

Tips

• ·         Start of small, maybe just your next day
• ·         Practice using the 5 senses
• ·         Visualize away from distractions or while meditating
• ·         Create a reminder to visualize such as a board, journal, or notice on your computer.

Exercise.....

Last year I spent 2 months in Cyprus – living like a Cypriot….eating like one, moving like one, relaxing like one.  By the end of the first month, even with the stress of working several 60+ hour weeks, I felt physically better than I have in decades. I realized that this was largely because I walked several miles every day in the fresh air and I ate a Mediterranean diet. After being back in the states for a few months, I was feeling a bit sluggish again. So I decided to look at what changed. I was still eating fairly well, but my exercise was limited. For months I went on like this and for months I felt like crap. However, in April, my life calmed down to where I can again exercise every day. Sometimes I swim and sometimes I run and sometime I walk. The key is that I try to do it every…single….day!  Unless I’m completely exhausted, I at least go out for a walk. I tell myself 10 minutes is all I need to do. Then, once I’m out there, I almost always go for a good half hour or longer. Only once did I come back after 10 minutes – and I didn’t beat myself up about it. I just went out again the next day and did it.

Try to not think of exercise as a dirty word. Make it fun. Just adding some walking rather than driving into your day can make a difference. Get up from your desk and walk throughout the day. Walk to get the mail. Walk with your kids or your pets or your friends in the evening. Instead of meeting at a café or restaurant, meet at the park. You don’t need to engage in some overwhelming workout plan – it can be, but it doesn’t have to be. Adding some movement into your day can really make a difference. It is one of the few non-negotiables to living a happier and healthier life. So grab a friend or a bottle of water or your Ipod and hit the pavement…or the grass…or the carpet. Your body and mind will thank you!