QUALITY COUNTS

While attending a group function a woman was kind enough to bring coffee and a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I thought it was very kind and generous of her. I accepted the coffee but took a pass on the sugar as did another member. He was trying to lose weight, and I just chose not to put sugar into my body.
One of the very thin ladies grabbed a handful and boasted in front of the rest of us how she was not concerned with calories. She was bragging about her choice to eat anything she wanted.
My only reply was that I too could eat anything I wanted to. In fact, everyone is eating by choice. I  think you should consider the quality of your caloric intake. If my body only needs a certain amount of calories a day it just makes sense to consume quality foods. My belief is that the quality of the food is always important.
You do have the freedom to chose. You can chose to be healthy. To fill your body with the beneficial nutrients. Or you can chose to an unhealthy body---thin or not.

YOU DON'T NEED A FOUR LEAF CLOVER FOR LUCK

The phrase that all successful people in any given area (physical fitness, business etc) dislike the most; "You are so lucky." Luck has nothing to do with it.

Throughout the years my peers and I often find ourselves discussing why only 3% of any given field is successful. In other words, only 3-5% of law students go on to be successful lawyers. Only 3-5% of people who get certified as a hypnotherapist will actual do it full time. Only 3% of the population is debt free. And the list goes on and on.

We have concluded that success is often determined by due diligence. The person who keeps showing up and doing the work will often be in the upper percentile. Certainly I can testify that in the field of physical fitness the person that puts in the best effort at the gym will get the best results. I am not suggesting that you spend hours at the gym --- although if you have the time being physical should always trump watching television. I am suggesting that if you continue to put in a quality work out you WILL get results.

So if you happen to see me at the gym--know that I probably got up early to allot proper work out time and prepare a healthy breakfast, the night before I most likely passed on desert, did not consume alcohol in an effort to "relax" or "have a good time." What I did do was create my own luck. If you want to be lucky you have to put in the work. Stay positive. And all the luck will come to you.

MIND YOUR OWN FOOD BUSINESS

My clients who have decided to fine tune their eating habits are sometimes  met with resistance from their friends or families. Often it is with "innocent/caring" statements  such as "Let's just have fun. You can worry about it tomorrow." "Nobody wants to go out to eat with you anymore." or  "You are making me feel bad about my food."

Criticism that isn't supportive undermines our progress. And personally I think when people feel a need to comment on my food choices it's just plain rude. However, i remind myself that typically the comments others make tends to highlight their insecurities.  If you are the one making the comments ask yourself why you think the other person isn't "fun"?  Is food so central to your having fun. Or do you feel guilty about the choices you are not making?

HOW SUGAR CAN AGE YOUR SKIN

I found this paragraph at http://www.smoothie-handbook.com/index.html. I knew sugar was bad but her is another reason you might think twice before you make statements like "one time won't hurt you" or "you have to enjoy life." Really? 


"There is a natural process in your body called glycation. It happens when the glucose in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful molecules called advanced glycation end products or AGEs for short. It’s a pretty simple process. The more sugar you eat the greater the number of AGEs you develop.

According to Dr. Fredric Brandt, dermatologist and author of 10 Minutes 10 Years: “As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion.”

Most vulnerable to this type of damage are the collagen and elastin protein fibers that keep your skin firm and elastic. Collagen is the most prevalent protein in your body. Once damaged, the normally springy and resilient collagen and elastin fibers become dry and brittle. This leads to wrinkles and sagging skin. According to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, this aging effect starts to show itself in the mid 30s and then increases rapidly after that.

In addition to damaging your collagen, the sugar side effects affect the type of collagen your body produces. The most abundant types of collagen in your skin are types I, II, and III. Collagen type III is the most stable and long lasting. The process of glycation will transform collagen type III into type I which has less volume and is more easily damaged. According to Dr. Brandt, “When that happens the skin looks and feels less supple!”

High-fructose corn syrup has the most of all sugar side effects. High-fructose corn syrup is used heavily in processed foods because it is sweeter, extends the shelf life, and is cheaper to produce. You will find it in most sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and packaged foods. Unfortunately, it produces the greatest number of AGEs.

To compound the problem, AGEs also deactivate your body’s natural antioxidant enzymes to reduce your antioxidant levels. This leaves you even more vulnerable to sun damage from free radicals which are the leading cause of aging for your skin."

Full of Thanksgiving

For most people Thanksgiving is not just a time for turkey and stuffing but an opportunity to stuff themselves. In fact many will act as if it is a necessary part of the celebration. I am not suggesting that one bypasses the celebration, but I think one can commemorate the day without making the food the guest of honor.

It is certainly possible to give thanks without overeating. It makes more sense to be full of thanks than to be full of extra calories.

WOULD YOU APPROVE?

What if the FDA were reviewing an  additive known to have possible side effects that could depress your immune system?. And was known to ruin your health by feeding cancer cells , possibly cause arthritis, increase the size of your liver, increase risk of Alzheimer's disease, cause hormonal imbalances and promoted chronic degenerative diseases. Would you want the FDA to approve it?

Think about your answer. Know that the additive is sugar. What if sugar was just discovered. Would you want the FDA to approve sugar?