November "Tips"

Weight Loss Tip:

Tips for the Holidays:

 

The Holidays bring parties, festivities and all the tempting treats.  Just because you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight, does not mean you need to avoid the celebration!!  Any foods, even those traditional holiday treats, can fit into a healthy diet plan.  The secret is moderation and balance.

 

* Be realistic, losing weight during the holidays can be very discouraging.  Make your goal to maintain your weight and to begin losing as soon as the holidays are over.

 

* When at parties, try not to socialize in the kitchen or near the food area.  This can lead to overeating and not paying attention to what you are eating.

 

* Forget the all-or-nothing mind set.  Depriving yourself of your favorite holiday foods or feeling guilty when you do enjoy them, isn't part of a healthy eating strategy.  Remember moderation is the key.

 

 

Nutrition Tip: 

More Holiday Tips:

* Watch hidden fats in gravies, desserts, dark meat and skin on turkey, dinner rolls and dressings.

* Eat smaller portions at big meals and eliminate second helpings.

*Choose lower-fat party foods.  Enjoy raw veggies with a small amount of dip or shrimp with cocktail sauce.  Try to stay away from the fried foods and cheese.

*Don't starve yourself for big holiday meals.  Being extra hungry at a meal can sabotage your willpower.  Eat small, low calorie, well-balanced meals during the day.

*Try to stay away from alcohol.  It is high in calories and contains no nutritional value.  Try tomato juice, mineral water or club soda with a twist of lemon or lime.

 

Fitness Tip:

Sit Up Tall and Breathe (Nikki Pawlowski, B.S.)

Do you remember when your mom would snap at you "Sit  Up!"?  It really was for your own good. 

Did you know that poor posture could lead to neck, shoulder and back pain and increase your risk for injury while performing daily activities?  Did you ever think that by sitting up straight you could think more clearly and feel more alert?

Practicing proper posture leads to more efficient breathing by opening and creating space in the chest cavity.  When the chest is open and lifted, it allows you to use your full lung capacity (and a gain full body benefits!).  Try it.......... and then breathe in deep from the center of the belly and exhale down and out through the center of the belly.

This breathing technique is called "belly breathing" and is extremely beneficial on several levels:

* Breathing releases toxins

* Increases thought clarity

*Awakens every part of your body, down to each cell

*Produces alertness

*Can be used to calm an anxious mind and release tension in the body

*Breath links body, mind and spirit

All of this and you will be sparing yourself the pain from poor posture!