Fall Favorites

As the weather cools and the leaves change, my thoughts shift to fall seasonal cooking with it’s bold flavors and hearty preparations. I love roasting vegetables with tons of garlic cloves, velvety soups and chunky stews. Warm spices like ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice also give fall it’s special flavor. What are some of your favorite fall dishes and flavors?

Breaking the “Starting Monday” Mentality

Starting Monday I’m going to start… exercising, dieting, getting more sleep, improve my eating habits, quit smoking…. We’ve all made one or a combination of these proclamations to ourselves and/or others throughout our lives. For how many weeks, months, years and even decades have you been making these empty promises? Are you ready to take real; sustainable steps towards a healthy lifestyle or will the rest of your life revolve around those coming “Mondays”.

I believe in mental preparation when incorporating any new habits into one’s life. Choose a date on which you would like to start your healthy lifestyle efforts… and you do not need to start on a Monday. Three main thoughts will be in mind that first day; Food, Willpower, and Exercise.

Food
The basics of a healthy meal include:
-Whole grains
-Low-fat dairy
-Low-fat protein
-Fruits and vegetables
-Polyunsaturated Fats
-Monounsaturated Fats

A combination of these basic, core food groups provide complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and a small amount of fat; a healthy combination that will have you feeling full for hours.

Exercise
The gym on Mondays is a great testament to the unhealthy cycle of the Starting Monday syndrome. Gyms on Mondays are the weekend sinner’s confessional. We come to this sanctuary of health in an effort to purge, by way of sweat, steam and exercise the unhealthy demons that we fall prey to most weekends. The issue is keeping that same level of intensity, {okay, guilt} all week long. Find activities you truly enjoy in the gym or outdoors. Implement a support system to help you stay on track whether it’s a friend, spouse, sibling or personal trainer.

Willpower
Willpower is essentially a mental muscle, and certain physical and mental forces can weaken or strengthen our self-control. We can improve self-control through practice, testing ourselves on small tasks in order to strengthen our willpower for bigger challenges. Performing certain actions or activities, which you would rather avoid doing due to laziness, procrastination, weakness, shyness is an effective method for developing and improving your willpower. By doing something that you do not like doing or are too lazy to do, you overcome your subconscious resistance, train your mind to obey you, strengthen your inner powers and gain inner strength. Muscles get stronger by resisting the power of the barbells. Inner strength is attained by overcoming inner resistance.

A healthy lifestyle requires time, commitment, and pre-planning and is not just a way of living five days out of the week. Healthy living is not about deprivation, avoiding food groups, counting calories or starvation, but about making healthy food choices and providing the body with the best wellness environment possible.

Maripili Rodriguez is a National Strength and Conditioning Association-Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Health Counselor and Natural Foods Chef. Ms. Rodriguez‘s passion for healthy living is a result of her personal struggle {and triumph} with weight, poor eating habits and self image. Maripili has the knowledge, experience and education to help you attain and maintain your wellness goals.

My Health Journey-Coaching for a Healthy Lifestyle
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SLIM BY SUMMER 2010

Good health is physical, mental, and spiritual.

Healthy living isn’t a number on a scale; it’s having self confidence, forgiving yourself for your slip-ups, and becoming all you can be.

Living a healthy lifestyle is a challenging journey, as a healthy lifestyle coach I can help you achieve your ideal picture of wellness.

Get on the path to long term health and wellness with an hour long FREE Health History Consultation {be conducted in person or over the phone}.We will openly discuss your past and present health concerns and I will help you create a tailor made plan that doesn't count calories, but rather helps you maintain a healthy, balanced, and customized eating plan that will help you lose weight, gain energy, alleviate digestive issues and reduce stress. .

Maripili Rodriguez is a National Strength and Conditioning Association-Certified Personal Trainer, {CPR, AED Certified, Insured} Holistic Health Counselor, and Natural Foods Chef.

My Health Journey.org
201.208.1434
My Health Journey
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Healthy Nutritious Snack Foods

Most of us know we should be eating healthy snacks throughout the day, but we don’t know how to start or what to buy and eat. Start by cleaning all the “bad” snacks out of your kitchen. Toss or give away the cookies, chips and sweets. Get rid of those processed, preservative laden foods! It will be much easier to choose healthy snacks if there isn’t the temptation of high-fat and high-sugar snacks lurking around. Next stock up on healthy snack food, make sure to also keep some healthy snack at your workplace and always be sensible about portions.

Stock Up On:
•Fresh Fruits and Veggies
•Whole Wheat Crackers
•Low Fat Cheese and Cheese Sticks
•Fresh Ground Peanut Butter
•Nuts and Almonds
•Soy and Skim Milk
•Whole Wheat Bread
•Whole Wheat Tortillas
•Rice Cakes
•Yogurt
•Hummus
•Air Pop Popcorn
•Cottage Cheese
•Corn Chips and Salsa
•Low Sugar Cereal

Prep These Healthy Nutritious Snack Foods
All this healthy food still won’t do you all that good if you are looking for a healthy snack that’s ready to eat. So here are some easy snacks that you can prepare and store, so they are ready to munch on.

Cut Up Fruit and Veggies
You can have all sorts of healthy veggies and even fruit sitting in your fridge, but your family won’t grab it for a snack because it would involve peeling and cutting. Instead they go for a bag of chips or some other ready to eat snack. Make it easy for everyone by cutting up some of the fruit and veggies and keep it in plastic containers ready to eat.

Trail Mix
Make your own trail mix from low sugar cereal, nuts and dried fruit. It’s a great snack to just grab and go, or something to munch on while watching TV. Make up a badge of trail mix and store it in an airtight container in your pantry.

Granola Bars
Homemade granola bars are a great snack alternative to cookies and cake. It’s sweet and crunchy, but by making your own, you control what ingredients go in there. Use whole grains and dried fruit. Keep the amount of sugar or honey you use on the low end for a healthy treat.

Cooked Chicken Breast
Keep some cut up cooked chicken breast in the fridge for a quick protein rich snack. You can make a quick chicken salad by adding a little low-fat mayonnaise and some raisins. Add the chicken to a little lettuce for a quick salad, or wrap it with some fresh veggies and sprouts in a tortilla. Make a quick chicken quesadilla with tortillas and a little cheese.


Great snacks with less than 200 calories

Salty
•5 olives (any kind) (45 calories)
•1 small Martin's pretzel (50 calories)
•2 oz Applegate Honey and Maple Turkey Breast wrapped around 2 bread-and-butter pickles (80 calories)
•1/4 cup hummus, 3 carrot sticks (80 calories)
•1 Laughing Cow Light Swiss Original wedge, 3 pieces Kavli Crispy Thin (85 calories)
•One 1-oz package tuna jerky (90 calories)
•1 oz buffalo mozzarella, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (94 calories)
•1 bag Baked! Cheetos 100 Calorie Mini Bites (100 calories)
•15 Eden's Nori Maki Crackers rice crackers (110 calories)
•1 cup unshelled edamame (120 calories)
•50 Eden's Vegetable Chips (130 calories)
•One 1-oz package of Planters NUT-trition almonds (130 calories)
•1/4 cup Trader Joe's Chili con Queso, 18 baked tortilla chips (140 calories)
•1/2 cup pumpkin seeds in shell (143 calories)
•2 pieces (30 grams) prosciutto, 4 dried figs (154 calories)
•1 Subway Turkey Breast Wrap (190 calories)

Sweet•1 package Original Apple Nature Valley Fruit Crisps (50 calories)
•1 packet O'Coco's Mocha cookies (90 calories)
•1 Jelly Belly 100-calorie pack (100 calories)
•One 100-calorie pack Trader Joe's Chocolate Graham Toucan Cookies (100 calories)
•One 100-calorie Balance Bar (100 calories)
•1 Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino bar (120 calories)
•1 package Back to Nature Honey Graham Sticks (120 calories)
•1/2 banana rolled in 1 tbsp frozen semisweet chocolate chips (123 calories)
•2 tbsp Better 'n Peanut Butter, 4 stalks celery (124 calories)
•1 bag Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Butter Mini Bags topped with a spritz of butter spray and 1 tsp sugar (126 calories)
•24 Annie's Chocolate Chip Bunny Graham cookies (140 calories)
•Half of a 1.08-oz container of M&M's Minis mixed with 1/3 cup lowfat granola (145 calories)
•1 McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (160 calories)
•1 container Fage Greek Total 2% fat yogurt, 2 tsp honey (173 calories)

All it takes is a little preparation and trying some new foods to get you and your family eating healthier snacks.

KALE…

Description
Kale is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables including cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts that have gained recent widespread attention due to their health-promoting, sulfur-containing phytonutrients. There are several varieties of kale known commonly as curly kale, ornamental kale and dinosaur kale, all of which differ in taste, texture and appearance. The scientific name for kale is Brassica oleracea.

Curly kale has ruffled leaves and a fibrous stalk and is usually deep green in color. It has a lively pungent flavor with delicious bitter peppery qualities.
Ornamental kale is a more recently cultivated species that is oftentimes referred to as salad savoy. Its leaves may either be green, white or purple and its stalks coalesce to form a loosely knit head. Ornamental kale has a more mellow flavor and tender texture.

Dinosaur kale is the common name for the kale variety known as Lacinato. It features dark blue-green leaves that have an embossed texture. It has a slightly sweeter and more delicate taste than curly kale.

History
Like broccoli, cauliflower and collards, kale is a descendent of the wild cabbage, a plant thought to have originated in Asia Minor and to have been brought to Europe around 600 B.C. by groups of Celtic wanderers. Curly kale played an important role in early European foodways, having been a significant crop during ancient Roman times and a popular vegetable eaten by peasants in the Middle Ages. English settlers brought kale to the United States in the 17th century. Both ornamental and dinosaur kale are much more recent varieties. Dinosaur kale was discovered in Italy in the late 19th century. Ornamental kale, originally a decorative garden plant, was first cultivated commercially as in the 1980s in California. Ornamental kale is now better known by the name salad savoy.

How to Select and Store
Look for kale with firm, deeply colored leaves and moist hardy stems. Kale should be displayed in a cool environment since warm temperatures will cause it to wilt and will negatively affect its flavor. The leaves should look fresh, be unwilted, and be free from signs of browning, yellowing and small holes. Choose kale with smaller-sized leaves since these will be more tender and have a more mild flavor than those with larger leaves. Kale is available throughout the year, although it is more widely available, and at its peak, from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring.

Kale should be wrapped in a damp paper towel, placed in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator crisper. It should not be washed before storing since this may cause it to become limp. Kale can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, although it is best when eaten within one or two days after purchase since the longer it is stored, the more bitter its flavor becomes.

Tips for Preparing Kale:
Before eating or cooking, wash the kale leaves thoroughly under cool running water to remove any sand or dirt that may remain in the leaves. Both the leaves and the stem of kale can be eaten. After removing any roots that remain, you can just cut it into the desired shape and size. If your recipe calls for the leaves only, they can be easily removed. Just take each leaf in hand, fold it in half lengthwise, hold the folded leaves near the base where they meet the stalk, and with the other hand, gently pull on the stem. You can also use a knife to separate the leaves from the stems.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Healthy sauté kale with fresh garlic and sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil before serving.

Braise chopped kale and apples. Before serving, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and chopped walnuts.

Combine chopped kale, pine nuts and feta cheese with whole grain pasta drizzled with olive oil.

Proteins, and why we need them?
Proteins are astonishing nutrients because they are so fundamental to our very architecture as humans. Our cells and organs, our muscles, our connective tissue, and even our bones could not hold together as the key body parts they are without the help of protein. This importance of protein to our very structure is only one function played by proteins, however. Proteins are equally important to our metabolism because all enzymes in our body that help trigger chemical reactions are proteins. Many of our most important regulatory hormones, like insulin, are also proteins. So are many of the key molecules in our immune system as are the major molecules used to carry nutrients around our body. Whether they are structural proteins, immunoproteins, hormonal proteins, transport proteins, or enzymes, proteins are of utmost importance to our health. The importance of protein to our life is reflected in the term itself: protein is derived from the Greek term protos, which means "taking first place."

Proteins are made up of smaller molecules called amino acids that are strung together by chemical bonds like beads on a chain. To become an active, functional protein, this string of amino acids folds in on itself forming a twisted and entwined three-dimensional structure. Proteins come in many sizes. Some chains of amino acids are quite small, like the hormone insulin that is only 51 amino acids long. Most proteins, however, are larger. Most of proteins in your body contain between 200-400 amino acids.

Amino acids are similar to simple sugars, insofar as they serve as the building blocks for all other molecules found within their nutrient category. Just as carbohydrates are composed of monosaccharides, proteins are composed of amino acids. And, in a manner similar to the digestion of carbohydrates, your body can break proteins down to amino acids during the digestion process, taking in only the small single amino acid unit, or sometimes a two or three amino acid unit. Like carbohydrates, amino acids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. However, unlike carbohydrates, amino acids also contain nitrogen. In fact, amino acids are your body's primary way of getting nitrogen.

How much protein do we need?
Our protein needs depend on our age, size, and activity level. The standard method used by nutritionists to estimate our minimum daily protein requirement is to multiply the body weight in kilograms by .8, or weight in pounds by .37. This is the number of grams of protein that should be the daily minimum. According to this method, a person weighing 150 lbs. should eat 55 grams of protein per day, a 200-pound person should get 74 grams, and a 250-pound person, 92 grams.

High Protein Foods

Beef
•Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
•Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
•Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce
Chicken•Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
•Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
•Drumstick – 11 grams
•Wing – 6 grams
•Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams
Fish•Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
•Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein
Pork•Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein
•Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
•Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
•Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
•Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
•Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams
Eggs and Dairy•Egg, large - 6 grams protein
•Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams
•Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams
•Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
•Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
•Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
•Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz
Beans (including soy)•Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein
•Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams
•Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams
•Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans
•Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein
•Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams
Nuts and Seeds
•Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein
•Almonds, 1/4 cup – 8 grams
•Peanuts, 1/4cup – 9 grams
•Cashews, 1/4 cup – 5 grams
•Pecans, 1/4 cup – 2.5 grams
•Sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup – 6 grams
•Pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup – 8 grams
•Flax seeds – 1/4 cup – 8 grams

What is the definition of holistic health?

Holistic health/wellness is an approach that addresses the body, mind and emotional and spiritual aspects of an individual. By spiritual, I am not making a reference to anything religious. We're talking about the essence of who you are. A holistic health approach doesn't view the body, mind and spirit as separate entities but as a whole, the whole self. It looks for and naturally addresses the underlying causes of symptoms, illness and food issues rather than just covering them up the symptoms with a drugs, food and self destructive behavior.

Diet and nutrition have a profound impact on mental and physical health. The wrong food and lack of balanced nutrients can lead to many debilitating psychological and physical symptoms and degenerative health conditions. Holistic Nutrition uses various combinations of food and nutrients to help individuals achieve optimal mental, physical and spiritual health. It can be used as a preventative health approach for the average person without any ailments or as a modality for healing or symptom management for people living with chronic illness or other medical conditions.

There is also not a "one size fits all diet." Some people thrive on a macrobiotic diet, while others may not be able to function at all with that many carbohydrates. A vegetarian diet is perfect for some body types and yet it can leave other body types in a heap on the floor. Some people function most optimally on a high meat diet while others do better with mostly vegetables.
Holistic nutrition is very individualized, personal and specific to your needs. It takes into account a person's overall medical and physical health, as well as the issues that he or she is trying to improve or heal. It also considers the underlying issues that are going on with your health as well as how ill a person is or how aggressive they want to be with obtaining the results that they want to achieve. Different illnesses, conditions or diseases have different nutritional requirements and each responds to diet and nutrition uniquely.

Holistic approach encourages the individual to engage in self care and educate themselves about their health. Holistic Health urges us to be an active participant in our treatment and health care. Being healthy does not necessarily mean the absence of disease or illness, it's also about living as healthy, completely and optimally as possible. What steps are you taking to live a healthy, happy and complete life?

The Chain of Confidence - Single Men’s Workshop

Healthy Living=Sexy Living

Maintaining a healthy diet and working out obviously has beneficial effects for our body and well-being. But need another reason to trade in the fries for some fruits and vegetables? Need extra motivation to lead a healthy lifestyle, Confidence.
It's an asset that can help you attract women, and it can just as easily sabotage your attempts. It can be easily acquired and easily lost, and it's one of the hardest character traits to fake. I'm referring to confidence; every man's No. 1 necessity in the game of seduction.

Nevertheless, it is one of the most misunderstood human characteristics. Part of the mystery behind confidence is that most men don't understand its nature. Some think that in order to emit confidence, one must express it through actions alone, others believe confidence is acquired through words, and still others think one must be born with it.

There's a common belief that confidence is something we can always control, but it is instead dependent on several factors,some of which we have no control over.

The Chain of Confidence is made up of seven key links.
1- State of mind
2- Physical appearance
3- Style
4- Listening skills
5- Volatility
6- Practice
7- Financial stability

….sound interesting? I would like to offer this workshop starting in May 2010. Would you be interested in attenting? Is so please leave your comments, suggestion on this blog page or on facebook page, My Health Journey-Coaching for a healthy lifestyle.

A bit about me...
I have successfully transformed my mental and physical health, my career and in turn my life through positive, healthy lifestyle changes. I have the passion and experience to guide you to live a healthier, successful, empowering life.

Maripili Rodriguez, NSCA-CPT, HHC, AADP is Healthy Lifestyle Coach, certified personal trainer, certified holistic health counselor and natural foods chef. Ms. Rodriguez specializes in coaching individuals and groups in their journey to better health and more successful, meaningful living.

Polyunsaturated fats and why are they important for your health.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are relatively long fat molecules and have "flex" points built into their structure called double bonds. Their longer length and multiple flex points enable them to play roles in our health that other fats cannot. For example, no other fats can play the same role in our cell membranes, allowing them to function properly. Nor can any other fats enable our body to produce regulators for controlling inflammation. Even genetic events are indirectly influenced by these unique polyunsaturated fats.

Much of the research interest in PUFAs has centered around two types: the omega-6s and the omega-3s. The balance between these two PUFA families turns out to be especially important for our health, including risk of cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, and prostate cancer.

The essential PUFA fats

All of the PUFAs in our body come from one of two places: we can eat them if they already exist inside our food, or we can make them inside of our body if we have the right building blocks. There are only two building blocks for making all PUFAs. One building block, called linoleic acid (LA), is used to make all of the omega-6 PUFAs. A second building block, called linolenic acid (ALA), is used to make all of the omega-3 PUFAs. Our bodies cannot make either one of these building blocks, and for this reason, both LA and ALA are considered to be essential fats that must be obtained from our diet. However, once we've eaten foods that contain appropriate amounts of LA and ALA, our bodies can make all of the other PUFAs that it needs.

Unfortunately, the average U.S. diet does not currently come close to providing appropriate amounts of LA and ALA. Most of the time, it also fails to provide enough overall PUFA intake. Many individuals in the U.S. get twice as many saturated fats as polyunsaturated ones, and within the polyunsaturated fats, they get precious few omega-3s. While there has been some debate over specific amounts, on average, U.S. adults fail to get even 1.5 grams of omega-3s on any given day, and by contrast, appear to be getting at least 12-13 grams of omega-6s, and perhaps as much as 14 grams or more. Part of the problem here has involved consumption of processed foods containing partially hydrogenated corn oil, cottonseed oil, or safflower oil, all of which are extremely high in omega-6s. (It's not the hydrogenation that is responsible for these high omega-6 levels, but rather, the oils themselves. Hydrogenation is a separate issue, and also a food processing step that is undesirable from a health standpoint.)

Spring into a Healthy Lifestyle

With the approach of spring come thoughts of new beginnings and possibilities. Among those possibilites is a spring and summer season where we are not only happy with our health and bodies for four months, but where we take tangible, subtle and realistic steps towards a healthy lifestyle.

Knowledged and education are essential on our journey to better health. The intention of this blog is to provide a forum for the "basics" on exercise, healthy cooking/diet, holistic nutrition, and wellness, as well as providing ideas, support and motivation.

Congratulations on taking a positive step towards better health and thank you for joining us on this journey.