Short on time?

Try interval training
Lack of time is the number one reason people give for not exercising. And lack of results once they do start exercising isn’t far behind. Interval training is a great solution for both of these common problems.
Interval training involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with what is called active recovery, which is typically a less-intense form of the original activity. The Swedes came up with a term for this type of training: Fartlek, which means speed play.
Not only is it an efficient training method, fartlek training can help you avoid injuries that often accompany non-stop, repetitive activity, and provides the opportunity to increase your intensity without burning yourself out in a matter of minutes. Unlike traditional interval training, fartlek training does not involve specifically or accurately measured intervals. Instead, intervals are based according to the needs and perceptions of the participant. In other words, how you feel determines the length and speed of each interval.
The Advantages of Intervals
Interval training utilizes the body’s two energy-producing systems: the aerobic and the anaerobic. The aerobic system is the one that allows you to walk or run for several miles, that uses oxygen to convert carbohydrates from various sources throughout the body into energy.
The anaerobic system, on the other hand, draws energy from carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) stored in the muscles for short bursts of activity such as sprinting, jumping or lifting heavy objects. This system does not require oxygen, nor does it provide enough energy for more than the briefest of activities. And its byproduct, lactic acid, is responsible for that achy, burning sensation in your muscles that you feel after, say, running up several flights of stairs.
Interval Basics
Interval training allows you to enjoy the benefits of anaerobic activities without having to endure those burning muscles. In its most basic form, interval or fartlek training might involve walking for two minutes, running for two, and alternating this pattern throughout the duration of a workout.
The intensity (or lack thereof) of each interval is up to how you feel and what you are trying to achieve. The same is true for the length of each interval. For example, if it is your habit to walk 2 miles per day in 30 minutes, you can easily increase the intensity of your walk (as well as up its calorie-burning potential) by picking up the pace every few minutes and then returning to your usual speed.
A great trick is to tell yourself that you’ll run a particular distance, from the blue car to the green house on the corner, for example, and then walk from the green house to the next telephone pole.
When you first start fartlek training, each interval can be a negotiation with yourself depending on how strong or energetic you happen to feel during that particular workout. This helps to break up the boredom and drudgery that often comes from doing the same thing day after day.
A More Advanced Approach
Despite its simplicity, it also is possible to take a very scientific approach to interval training, timing both the work and recovery intervals according to specific goals.

Consider the following four variables when designing an interval training program:
• Intensity (speed) of work interval
• Duration (distance or time) of work interval
• Duration of rest or recovery interval • Number of repetitions of each interval

What are omega 3 fatty acids?

A growing body of scientific research indicates that these healthy fats help prevent a wide range of medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, depression, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Unlike the saturated fats found in butter and lard, omega 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated. In chemistry class, the terms "saturated" and "polyunsaturated" refer to the number of hydrogen atoms that are attached to the carbon chain of the fatty acid. In the kitchen, these terms take on a far more practical meaning.
Polyunsaturated fats, unlike saturated fats, are liquid at room temperature and remain liquid when refrigerated or frozen. Monounsaturated fats, found in olive oil, are liquid at room temperature, but harden when refrigerated. When eaten in appropriate amounts, each type of fat can contribute to health. However, the importance of omega 3 fatty acids in health promotion and disease prevention cannot be overstated.

The three most nutritionally important omega 3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Alpha-linolenic acid is one of two fatty acids traditionally classified as "essential." The other fatty acid traditionally viewed as essential is an omega 6 fat called linoleic acid. These fatty acids have traditionally been classified as "essential" because the body is unable to manufacture them on its own and because they play a fundamental role in several physiological functions. As a result, we must be sure our diet contains sufficient amounts of both alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid.
Dietary sources of alpha-linolenic acid include flaxseeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, soybeans and some dark green leafy vegetables. Linoleic acid is found in high concentrations in corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil. Most people consume a much higher amount of linoleic acid than alpha-linolenic acid, which has important health consequences.

The body converts alpha-linolenic acid into two important omega 3 fats, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). These fats can also be derived directly from certain foods, most notably cold-water fish including salmon, tuna, halibut, and herring. In addition, certain types of algae contain DHA. EPA is believed to play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, while DHA is the necessary for proper brain and nerve development.

Omega 3 fats also play an important role in the production of powerful hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins help regulate many important physiological functions including blood pressure, blood clotting, nerve transmission, the inflammatory and allergic responses, the functions of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, and the production of other hormones.

Omega 3 fatty acids may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:
Alzheimer's disease
Asthma
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Bipolar disorder
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Depression
Diabetes
Eczema
High blood pressure
Huntington's disease
Lupus
Migraine headaches
Multiple sclerosis
Obesity
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid arthritis

What foods provide omega 3 fatty acids?
Salmon, flax seeds and walnuts are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Very good sources of these healthy fats include scallops, cauliflower, cabbage, cloves and mustard seeds. Good sources of these fats include halibut, shrimp, cod, tuna, soybeans, tofu, kale, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts.

How to Battle Low Self-Esteem

Do you focus on your flaws and failures, rather than your positive attributes and accomplishments?

Low self-esteem can result in a distorted self-image that can feed depression.

Most people feel bad about themselves from time to time. Temporary feelings of low self-esteem may be triggered by being treated poorly by someone else recently or in the past, or by a person's own judgments of him or herself. Low self-esteem is a constant companion for too many people, especially those who experience depression. If you go through life feeling bad about yourself needlessly, low self-esteem keeps you from enjoying life, doing the things you want to do, & working toward personal goals.



I am one to practice positive self talk. I can talk myself into feeling like Miss America on some days. Not that I ever will be but it is the act of filling my head space with good stuff so the bad stuff can not fit. Some have heard me on the "soap box" of positive self talk & not allowing anyone to bring you down. Why do we hand over our emotions to the negative words of others? Stop giving in to the negative people. Do they deserve that much control over your life? Stick & Stones....

Well, if self talk is not in your comfort zone then try making lists, rereading them often, & rewriting them from time to time. The process will help you to feel better about yourself. If you have a journal, you can write your lists there. If you don't, any piece of paper will do.

Make a list of :
At least 5 of your strengths, for example, persistence, courage, friendliness, creativity
At least 5 things you admire about yourself, for example, the way you have raised your children, your good relationship with someone, or your spirituality
The 5 greatest achievements in your life so far, like recovering from a serious illness, weight loss, or competing in a sporting event
At least 20 other accomplishments — they can be as simple as learning to tie your shoes, to getting an advanced college degree, or learning to use a computer
10 ways you can "treat" or reward yourself that don't include food and that don't cost anything, such as walking in woods, window-shopping, or chatting with a friend
10 things you can do to make yourself laugh
10 things you could do to help someone else
Things that you do that make you feel good about yourself

It is time to take a look inside yourself & discover the wonderful & beautiful you. The one God created & the one that is my friend.

What Luck?

I used to own several of these "good luck" charms as a kid. They came in a variety of colors. Don't remember receiving any luck but it was fun to pat. Do you know people with bad luck? You hear people say, “Oh! they are down on their luck,” or “If something bad is going to happen it will happen to him!” or “They are always in the wrong place at the wrong time.” I have been guilty myself. At times I think if I were walking in a field with 100 people I will be the one that finds the hole. That is bad luck.
This leads me to think… is it really bad luck or is it bad habits?" Or is it bad choices?"
You see, there is a difference. What we many times call bad luck is merely bad choices.
Let me explain: If you work hard, buy a new car, keep it up with regular maintenance and blow a tire driving down the road, that is bad luck.
However, if you drive on your tires until they are almost bald and drive at speeds higher than they are recommended for, and keep them at the wrong inflation level, and then the tire blows, that is not bad luck but bad choices. The tire blew because you chose not to buy new ones. The tire blew because you chose not to take the time to check your tire inflation level the last time you filled up the tank.
It is bad luck to leave your house on vacation and while you are away the gas line breaks and the house blows up. It is bad habits to not tend to taking care of your house, replacing the roof, painting, etc until it is a junk pile.
It is bad luck to be let go from a company that goes into meltdown because the CEO acted unethically and the stock tanks, forcing layoffs.
It is both bad choices and bad habits to be late to work everyday, display shoddy workmanship and have a bad attitude to the point that the boss fires you.
If you choose to frequent shady parts of town or risky establishments, and you get mugged, is that bad luck or bad choices?
You get the point. How often do we call something bad luck when it is really the result of bad habits or bad choices?
This really boils down to a matter of ownership of our lives and actions. Do we take full responsibility for our lives or not?
What about you? Do you experience bad luck? Or bad habits? Or bad choices?
The next time you hear someone say, "He's down on his luck," perhaps you ought to ask, "Or is he down on his choices?"
I have found that those who have good habits and make good choices tend to experience the better luck. So, if you want a little good luck, make some good choices and develop some good habits.
I read this quote in "some" magazine, "Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get." Well, I am not so sure about that because I sweat everyday and I question “my luck.” Guess I need to focus on my choices.

What’s Your Relationship with Food?

Food comes up in conversation every day. People ask, "What do you eat? or what are your gonna order?" When I am grocery shopping and see friends, my cart gets the once over. Just the other day I met a lady at the health food store wanting to buy everything I had because she thought I might know something she didn't. I hated to break it to her, there are no magic pills. If there were then obesity would be a thing of the past, we would all be pain free, and none of us would need concealed hand guns!

I found some information from the American Institute of Cancer Research that I fouind interesting.

Eating in response to emotions and stress has been linked to being overweight for decades. The implication: People who haven’t learned traditional coping skills are more likely to engage in emotional eating, which then leads to overweight or obesity. Some experts now suggest this link may not be so clear-cut. Regardless of how emotional eating begins, recognizing the signs and developing a new approach to eating are essential skills that are necessary to build a healthier relationship with food and with yourself.

Much of the research on emotional eating focuses on poor coping skills. In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2008, participants who said they were most likely to eat in response to their emotions (and least confident about being able to control their eating) were over 13 times more likely to be overweight or obese than those participants who reported the least emotional eating. In the study, the participants’ perceptions of their ability to cope with emotions and stress were strongly linked to excess weight. The inadequate coping skills included lack of strategies to change stressful situations and manage emotions.

Although people who engage in emotional eating may not face more stressful events than others, they often perceive situations as more stressful. While some researchers ascribe this to their poor coping skills, others note that the perception of stress depends on how much someone thinks is at stake. For example, people who feel a greater need to please people or to do things perfectly might find obstacles more stressful than those who do not have perfectionist tendencies.

Yet some researchers and therapists contest the very idea that emotional eating causes becoming overweight. For many overweight people, they argue, emotional eating results from the hunger and sense of deprivation that is caused by chronic dieting. According to the theory, when a dieter’s tight self-restraint breaks down as a result of stress, she often makes food choices that offer short-term gratification and relief from emotions, despite negative long-term physical and emotional results. Accordingly, supporters of this hypothesis note, overweight people who are not chronic dieters and do not practice unyielding self-restraint, do not respond to stress by eating.

Avoiding or ending emotional eating may require developing adaptive coping skills and creating stable eating habits to meet nutritional and hunger needs without fostering a sense of deprivation. Taking a class or reading a self-help book on problem-solving or stress-avoidance may work for some people, while others may find meeting face-to-face with a registered dietitian more helpful. Some emotional eaters may also wish to seek help from a mental health professional to develop effective solutions for dealing with stress and eating.

A review of studies that looked at factors affecting successful weight loss and weight maintenance found that success was not only affected by an individual’s social supports and stress-coping strategies, but was also impacted by establishing a physically active lifestyle and a regular meal rhythm that included breakfast.

In the end, key factors in helping people establish a more healthful relationship with food include: Eating regularly throughout the day when hungry and stopping when hunger ends; choosing healthful foods that promote sustained energy most of the time, while allowing an occasional treat to avoid feeling deprived; enjoying some kind of physical activity for at least an hour each day.

High-fat Fast-Foods

Too bad fast foods don't make us fast. The good news is that fast-food restaurants have all made great strides toward adding healthier choices to their menus. The bad news is that the majority of fast food offerings are still loaded with excess calories and fat. Those so-called 'value meals' may give you more for your money, but that means more for your waistline too.

According to the American Heart Association recommendations, your daily fat intake should not be more than 30 percent of your total calories, with saturated fat contributing no more than 7 percent. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that means fewer than 600 calories from fat, or less than 66 grams. And within that total, saturated fat should be limited to fewer than 15 grams (if you are worried about high cholesterol or heart disease, that number should be even lower).

You can get nutrition information for most fast food restaurants on each company's Web site (for example, McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway). You can also check out chowbaby.com for a round up of nutritional information from a variety of eateries. (Note: All of these numbers came from each restaurant's site except for the information on Cinnabon and Boston Market, which came from chowbaby.com because those restaurants don't list nutritional info on their sites.)

Top 10 choices to Avoid—each of which contains obscene amounts of artery-clogging fats and, in some cases, nearly an entire day's worth of calories!

McDonald's Deluxe Breakfast is a smorgasbord of bad-for-you foods—including eggs, sausage, pancakes smothered in syrup and margarine, hash browns and a biscuit. In moderation, any of these items could be an OK (if occasional) breakfast, but add them together and you're looking at a grand total of 1,220 calories, 550 of them from fat, including 17 grams of saturated fat.

Burger King's Triple Whopper with Cheese is a perfect example of why more is not better. A regular Whopper with cheese already delivers 760 calories, with 47 grams of total fat including 16 grams of saturated fat. But when you triple it up, this meal tips the scales at 1,230 calories and 82 grams of fat including 32 grams of saturated fat. (And that's before you order a side of fries!)

Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad. You might think you're doing a good thing but don't let the word "salad" delude you into believing that this meal is healthy. This bowlful of goodies packs 860 calories and 46 grams of total fat, 14 grams of which are saturated fat.

If you dive into a Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Meat Lover's Pie, you'd better warn your arteries in advance. Two slices of this will stuff you with 1,000 calories and 82 grams of total fat, 22 grams of them saturated.

Popping into Cinnabon for a Caramel Pecanbon isn't exactly a breakfast of champions. This gooey pastry packs 1,100 calories and 56 grams of fat, while providing virtually no worthwhile nutrients.

Boston Market is one of the better stops for quick, healthy bites, but you still have to watch what you order. For example, the menu includes a chicken pot pie that contains 750 calories and 46 grams of fat, including 14 grams of the saturated sort.

Subway may have several healthy sandwiches (the ones that helped poster-boy Jared slim down), but that doesn’t mean there aren't a few bad choices. Avoid the 6-inch Double Meat Classic Tuna, which, thanks to lots of artery-clogging cheese and mayonnaise, packs 790 calories and 55 grams of fat, including 16 grams of saturated fat.

Domino's ExtravaganZZa Feast deep-dish pizza is a feast indeed. The pie comes topped with pepperoni, ham, green pepper, onion, black olives, mushrooms, sausage, beef and extra cheese. That might help explain why it also comes with 860 calories, 46 grams of fat and 17 grams of saturated fat in just two slices.

At KFC, the fried chicken seems like an obviously unhealthy choice but it's actually not the fattiest item on the menu. The Mashed Potato Bowl with Gravy contains 690 calories and 31 grams of fat, nine of them saturated.

On a hot summer day, a stop at Dairy Queen seems like the perfect treat. But watch out that you're not treating yourself to more than you bargained for. A large serving of its Caramel CheeseQuake Blizzard means spooning up a whopping 1,290 calories, with 500 of those calories coming from fat, including 39 grams of saturated fat.

If you are trying to trim your waistline down check out some of your fast food favorites before you put them down the hatch. Better yet, stay away.

September - Insights & Adventures from you!

What's happening in your world?

What is a Workout?

I received the following from a friend, don't know where it originated. Not that I believe "every" word is completely true but, I like it.

A workout is 25 percent perspiration and 75 percent determination.
Stated another way, it’s one-part physical exertion and three-parts self-discipline.
Doing it is easy, once you get started.

A workout makes you better today than you were yesterday.
It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind and toughens the spirit.
When you workout regularly, your problems seem to diminish and your confidence grows.

A workout is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination.
It’s the badge of a winner,
the mark of an organized, goal-oriented person
who has taken charge of their destiny.

A workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence.
It’s a way of preparing for life’s challenges
and proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.

A workout is a form of rebirth.
When you finish a good workout,
you don’t simply feel better, you feel better about yourself!