All You Can Feed On

Portion Control Made Easy With Personal Chef To Go

We live in a super-size society. Fast food portions have grown two to five times their original size in the last 20 years and our own homemade meals aren’t far behind. A result of these larger portions is that obesity rates are on the rise. 

Americans are now so conditioned to eating large amounts that most cannot recognize appropriate portions anymore. Brian Wansink, PH.D. illustrates this issue in a study detailed in his book, Mindless Eating. Wansink’s “bottomless soup bowl experiment” looked at what diners would do if their bowl never became empty. During a dining scenario, unsuspecting diners had bowls that used hidden tubing and a clever knowledge of physics to stay partially full. The results of the study showed that diners with a bottomless bowl unknowingly ate 78% more than those with the standard bowl! 

Similarly, a study by the American Institute for Cancer Research revealed that 78% of Americans think that the kind of food they choose is more important in managing their weight than the volume of food they consume. Consequently, many trendy diet plans gain popularity because of their policy to allow you to eat limitless amounts of certain types of foods while cutting out others completely; however, most health experts recommend eating smaller portions of a wider variety of foods rather than eliminating foods when dieting. 

Confused about portion sizes yourself? Keep these examples of realistic food portions in your mind’s eye to help you choose appropriately:  

• One serving of milk, yogurt or pudding (1 cup) is about the size of a small fist. 
• One serving of meat, chicken or fish (3 ounces) is the size of a deck of cards or your palm (not including the fingers). 
  
• One serving of pasta, rice, oatmeal, potatoes or cooked vegetables (1/2 cup) is about the size of  a hockey puck or one cupped hand. 
  
• One serving of cheese (1 ounce) is the size of the end of your thumb. 
  
• One serving of butter, oil or margarine (1 teaspoon) is about the size of a stamp or the tip of your pinky. 
  
• One serving of salad dressing (2 tablespoons) is about the size of a standard ice cube.s
• One serving of raw vegetables (1 cup) is about the size of a baseball or two hands cupped together.
• Two teaspoons of regular mayonnaise are about the same size as two dice and equal one fat serving, or about 45 calories.
• One small apple is about the same size as a tennis ball and equals one fruit serving, or about 60 calories. The same is true for a medium orange, which is also the size of a tennis ball and about 60 calories.
• One and a half to 2 ounces of low-fat hard cheddar cheese are about the same size as three to four dice and equal one protein/dairy serving, or about 110 calories.

 Restaurants have begun to recognize the appeal that portion control has for consumers; for example, one popular restaurant chain launched a new meal portion size option that is two thirds the size of their original servings. There are other easy ways to indulge in delicious foods without scrutinizing your plate, too. Pre-portioned entrées such as the fresh and healthy offerings from Personal Chef To Go are a perfect solution! 

Since many people feel that they don’t have the time to measure out proper portions, Personal Chef To Go’s delicious and nutritious meal plans have been designed to take the guesswork out of choosing the appropriate portions. Our perfectly portioned variety of freshly prepared food can help to train your eyes and stomach to learn what true servings sizes should be. 

Besides being easy, the Personal Chef To Go philosophy works! A University of Illinois study found that women who followed a 1,365-calorie diet in which they ate two packaged entrées a day shed about 5 pounds more in 8 weeks than those who were instructed to follow a diet (with the same number of calories) based on the food pyramid. 

Let portion control help you achieve your healthy lifestyle goals by considering these additional tips:

• Choose a variety of foods from all of the sections of the Food Guide. For example, the Personal Chef To Go, Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan when partnered with one cup of fresh berries topped with yogurt, provides servings of Meats and Beans, Fruits, Vegtables, Grains and Milk.

• Read labels – often nutrient facts labels are based on a smaller portion than expected, especially for snacks. Measure out the recommended serving into small bags to grab when you have the munchies in order to prevent overindulging by mistake.

• Use smaller scoops or serving spoons and a smaller dinner plate. An appropriate portion will look much larger and heartier on a smaller plate.

It may take some practice to become a better judge of serving sizes and portions, especially as you put entire meals together. But the more you practice visualizing the cues, the more control you'll have over portion sizes. Controlling portion sizes also means controlling calories — and that's key to achieving weight-loss goals, if you have them, and smart and healthy weight management.

9 Great Activities For Weight Loss & Healthy Lifestyles

There’s no getting around the fact that if you have a healthy lifestyle or are working to lose weight safely and permanently, you need to eat healthy food and get plenty of exercise.

Exercising burns calories and builds muscle, which is essential for increasing your metabolism so that you can burn even more calories and lose more weight.

So by dusting off those workout clothes and picking just one of these nine great activities for weight loss you can get started today on your path to a slimmer, healthier you.

 

1. Walking

Walking is an ideal exercise for weight loss: It doesn’t require any equipment, other than a decent pair of walking shoes, and you don’t need a gym membership to do it. It’s a low-impact exercise, which means it won’t blow out your knees or cause other stress injuries that can leave you on the sidelines for weeks or even months.

For those with certain health issues, including obesity and heart disease, walking is an effective, low-intensity weight-loss activity that can lead to better overall health, as well as better mental wellbeing.

Depending on how much you weigh, walking at a pace of four miles per hour will burn between 5 and 8 calories every minute, or between 225 and 360 calories for a 45-minute walk. At this pace, walking 45 minutes a day most days, you can lose up to a pound a week without changing any other habits.

 

2. Kettlebell

Kettlebells are cast iron balls fitted with a single handle. Unlike traditional handheld weights, the weight of the kettlebell isn’t evenly distributed, which means that your body has to work to stabilize you and counterbalance the weight of the ball.

Kettlebells provide for a hard-core workout that not only burns up to 400 calories in a mere 20 minutes, but also strengthens your core, improves balance and posture and targets all of the major muscle groups, as well as the stabilizing muscles.

Because kettlebell exercises involve the whole body, a kettlebell workout will rev up your metabolism to help your body burn fat faster, and it’ll get your heart pumping so that you get an aerobic workout as well. In fact, 20-minute kettlebell workout is similar to a six-mile run in terms of cardiovascular benefits and calories burned.

 

3. Swimming

Vigorous swimming can burn anywhere from 400 to 700 calories an hour. All types of swimming are effective for helping you shed pounds, from a front crawl to a breast stroke or even the dog paddle.

Swimming is a highly effective exercise for weight loss and toning. It’s one of the lowest-impact exercises out there, and it strengthens, tones and conditions your whole body.

It’s particularly ideal for women in their last trimester of pregnancy and individuals who battle with arthritis, obesity, and musculoskeletal conditions.

It’s also great for those who suffer from exercise-induced asthma, because the warm, moist air around the water helps keep the airways clear.

Many athletes use the pool as a cross-training tool, as well as to stay fit while rehabilitating an injury. When you’re neck-deep in water, your body is only bearing ten percent of its weight, and yet the water provides 12 times the resistance of air, making it ideal for strengthening and toning your muscles.

 

4. Cycling

 

Bicycling is another low-impact, high-rewards activity for losing weight.

 Cycling can burn anywhere from 372 to over 1,100 calories per hour, depending on your weight, your speed and the terrain you’re biking across.

Unlike running, cycling is easy on the joints, and even the most out-of-shape beginner can hop on a bicycle and ride several miles without feeling like they’ve just been through the wringer.

Outdoor cycling is best, because the varied terrain enables you to get a well-rounded workout that includes strengthening your lower body and getting a good cardiovascular workout.

If you live within biking distance of your job, cycling to work can stimulate endorphins and boost your metabolism for the day, as well as save you money on gas.

If outdoor cycling is difficult or dangerous in your area, consider spinning.

Offered at most gyms, this group cycling activity is one of the lowest-impact classes offered, and yet it’s one of the most effective for burning calories and revving up your metabolism.

 

5. Elliptical Trainer

The elliptical trainer at home or at the gym enables you to get a low-impact, full body workout.

Easier on the joints than a treadmill, the elliptical trainer also has movable handles that enable you to get a good upper-body workout in addition to working your lower body.

Elliptical machines let you choose the intensity level, and by raising and lowering the ramp and going backwards, you can target different muscle groups in your legs, both front and back.

The average person using an elliptical trainer can burn about 600 calories per hour. The elliptical trainer mimics the action of running while eliminating impact, saving knees and other joints from wear. For those who suffer from arthritis, musculoskeletal conditions and obesity, the elliptical trainer is a great way to exercise without risking impact injuries.

When you’re using the elliptical trainer, hold on to the movable handles rather than the static ones to increase the number of calories you burn and to help tone your arms.

 

6. Running

If you’re one of the many people who love to run, you’re in luck.

Running burns about 600 calories per hour, helps build strong bones and connective tissue and gets your heart pumping at a healthy rate to help prevent heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

The only equipment running requires is a good pair of shoes to protect your joints and, if it helps you keep the pace and maintain motivation, an iPod with your favorite tunes.

Interval training can bump up the calories you burn on your daily run. Also called speed work, interval training involves short spurts, usually between 30 seconds and two minutes, of running at top speed.

Intervals burn a large number of calories in a short amount of time, improve your resting metabolism to help you burn more calories during the day, and increase your muscle mass.

 

7. Tennis

A good game of tennis can burn up to 600 calories in an hour.

 If you’re the type who prefers to exercise with a partner, tennis is an ideal way to get active. It’s also perfect for those who don’t particularly like to exercise, but who love a good competition.

You don’t have to be a great tennis player to lose weight doing it. After all, running after the balls is still a form of exercise.

The nature of tennis makes it a great whole-body workout, and playing it can help you improve your flexibility, balance and posture, as well as let off some steam to reduce stress.

Throughout the game, especially every time you hit the ball, your arm, abdominal and leg muscles are engaged, building strength and burning calories. But that’s not all that’s engaged. Your brain gets a good workout every time you play tennis, from thinking quickly and creatively to planning ahead.

8. High intensity interval training

This is one of the most effective weight loss exercise options available.

You only need to engage in this form of exercise for about 20 minutes, three times a week, to get incredible benefits that include burning a large number of calories and ramping up your metabolism in the wake of the afterburn.

High intensity interval workouts can be done with many forms of exercise, and consist of short but intense bursts of activity followed by a lower-intensity period or a period of complete rest.

Those who are new to exercising shouldn’t perform interval training until they’ve been exercising regularly for a couple of months.

A standard interval workout for biking, swimming, running, lifting weights or even walking is 20 minutes long, but burns far more calories than 20 minutes of steady exercise.

Start out by warming up for five minutes. For the sixth minute, push yourself as hard and fast as you can. The seventh minute is all about catching your breath. Repeat the fast/slow cycle (minus the warm up) five times, and cool down for three minutes.

 

9. CrossFit

CrossFit, like high intensity training, is only suitable for individuals who have been exercising on a somewhat regular basis for a couple of months.

Originally designed to train first responders and Special Forces, CrossFit is a workout regimen that involves weight lifting, endurance exercises, plyometrics, strength and speed training and kettlebell exercise routines, among other activities.

One thing you won’t lose with CrossFit is interest. Unlike other routines that involve doing one exercise for a specified amount of time, CrossFit incorporates many activities into one intense, fat-burning workout.

It’s designed to target all of the major components of physical fitness, including endurance, flexibility, speed, power and cardiorespiratory fitness.

No two days are alike when you’re doing CrossFit. An example of a CrossFit routine is five repetitions of 20 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups and 50 squats, all performed one after the other, with a three-minute rest between repetitions.

While definitely not for the faint-of-heart, CrossFit routines are highly effective at burning calories and fat, improving physical stamina and endurance, and increasing metabolism.

 

From Overweight To Healthy

Via Zen Habits | Leo Babauta

Make one change today.

If you’re overweight and unmotivated to change your life drastically, just make a tiny change.

You’re not alone. There are more overweight people today than ever before, as a percentage of our population and in sheer numbers. I’ve been overweight (65 pounds heavier than I am today) and I know that it doesn’t feel good.

I also know that when we’re overweight, we often go into denial. We think it’s not a problem, or that we’re not that unhealthy, or that it’s something we can fix later. Or more likely, we try hard not to think about it. But it’s there, at the back of our minds if nowhere else, making us feel bad about ourselves and our lives, influencing the rest of what we do.

If it were just a body-image thing, I’d say learn to love your body — and I believe that. Forget the cover models on magazines, the perfect people on TV and in movies. They’re just being used to sell us stuff, but the result is that we get bad body images for not having rock-hard abs. Forget about that. What worries me, though, about friends and family who are overweight is their health — having a big belly puts you at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other similar problems.

Scary stuff.

But how do you start getting healthier and fitter? How do you change a whole slew of habits, from eating too much to eating fried and sweet and fatty foods to drinking sodas and sweet coffee drinks to being sedentary?

You make one change. A tiny little one.

For me, it started with quitting smoking (which is a big change), but then I took up running (starting with just 10 minutes), and then I started changing my diet in little ways.

One small change leads to another, forming a spiral of success. But you don’t need to worry about all the other changes you’re going to make later.

What Change to Start With

Really, you could start with almost any positive change. What matters is that you start.

But if you’d like a recommendation, here are a few:

1. 1. Eat more veggies. Go to the store today and buy a basket of veggies. Eat them raw as snacks (dip in hummus if you like, not fatty dressings), steam them as side dishes for lunch and dinner, puree them and put them into your usual recipes, eat a salad before your meal. You can start with just one of these changes, and slowly add more veggies each week. This is an easy change but it’s actually huge — more fibre, more vitamins and minerals, fewer calories equals leaner you.
2. 2. Walk. Best exercise ever. Just walk for 10 minutes to start with. Get a friend or your significant other to walk with you and enjoy the conversation. Enjoy nature. After you’ve gotten used to walking, try intervals: 3 minutes of fast walking, 3 minutes of conversational walking, repeat.
3. 3. Drink water. People drink too many calories — soda, beer, smoothies, mochas, frappucinos, shakes, juice, Gatorade. None of those are necessary. Get used to drinking water, which is refreshing, delicious and healthy.
4. 4. Get rid of the junk. This is actually a bit of a drastic change but it makes a really big difference. Take all the junk food in your house (chips, pastries, ice cream, cookies, prepared foods of any kind, fried foods) and toss them. Clean out your fridge and pantry. Buy fruits, veggies, nuts and beans instead, and try some new flavorful recipes. If the junk isn’t around, it won’t tempt you.

How to Make That One Change

You’ve picked your one small change … but how do you get started?

Just take the first small step. Nothing huge or scary. Just a really, really easy one.

• Make a list of your favorite veggies, or set a time today to stop at the grocery store for veggies (later try a farmer’s market). Or find a recipe or two that incorporates veggies.Set a time to walk today or tomorrow. Talk to your spouse about walking together. Get your walking shoes ready. Any of these steps will do — just do one.
• Fill a thermos with water. Buy a reusable water bottle. Get rid of the sodas in your fridge. Choose one of these.
• Get a garbage bag and toss your junk food.
• Choose one, and do it. Celebrate (in your mind, not with a sweet treat). Do another small tiny easy step. Celebrate again. Tell people about the changes you’re making. Do another tiny step. Celebrate some more.

You’re on the road to healthy.

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Healthy Tools: The Glycemic Index

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a popular and excellent tool for assisting you in determining which foods are best to eat or avoid for managing glucose (blood sugar) levels or for weight loss. As a Type 2 Diabetic focused on weight-loss, I refer to the Glycemic Index often. Think of it as a popularity contest for carbohydrates. Good carbs are more popular, while bad carbs don’t have many friends. The GI is literally a ranking system for carbohydrates on a scale from 0-100, according to how much they raise blood sugar levels after eating.

 

Foods with a high glycemic index (100 being the highest) are rapidly digested and absorbed. These types of foods are known to mark fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low GI foods are generally slow to digest and are not absorbed as quickly. They produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels—they also have proven health benefits too. Low glycemic foods help with glucose levels and weight control because good carbs help control and delay hunger so you feel fuller, longer.

 

Generally, a low GI diet will push you toward healthy foods for consistent glucose levels and weight-loss. You’re going to want to eat more whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and proteins.

 

Here are a few glycemic index examples to put things in perspective.

 

• High: 70 and up. Examples in this category include instant and long-grain white rice, certain kinds of brown rice, plain white bread, most potatoes, and watermelon, to name just a few. These are foods you’d want to stay away from, or eat only sparingly and earlier in the day.

 

• Medium: 56 to 69. Examples include sweet corn, bananas, raw pineapple, raisins and certain types of ice cream. Foods in this classification should be eaten in moderation. Use your best judgment, though, as falling into an equivalent GI classification does not mean that two foods are equal in nutritional value as well. Case in point – ice cream. More often than not, you should opt for the fruits and vegetables in this classification.

 

• Low: 55 and under. Examples include raw carrots, peanuts, raw apple, grapefruit, peas, skim milk, kidney beans, lentils, and white spaghetti (boiled).

 

Can a low GI diet slash your medication costs?

Medication can be extremely expensive and a diet made up of low glycemic index foods can absolutely slash your medication costs.  When you eat better, your body works better—this is based on real science and the unique knowledge that food is medicine.

 

Don’t know where to start? Let us help!

At Personal Chef To Go, the glycemic index is one of many tools that we use to ensure that our entrees are perfectly suited for healthy weight loss. That’s because, almost by default, a low glycemic index diet will include more fresh fruits and vegetables, more fiber, more dairy and more lean protein—all foods that offer essential nutrients, and are more likely to be lower in calories in the first place.

 

If you’re one of those people who cringe at the idea of having to count calories or track what you’re eating, Personal Chef To Go’s meal plans will be extremely beneficial to you. Our chefs work together to make sure that every bite of delicious food that we deliver follows this proven approach for healthier eating.

 

Why wait to see results, when you can begin today?

The great thing about our menus is that you do not have to wait until you reach your weight-loss goals to start seeing results. The vast majority of our Autoship program members see weight loss results quickly, and have reported being able to reduce blood pressure and diabetes medications. Some have even able to come off of them entirely and are able to maintain healthier weight and a healthier lifestyle with a Personal Chef To Go meal plan service.

 

Let us help you reach your goals!

For these reasons, we encourage you to give us a try (if you haven’t already) if even for just a few short weeks. Our Dinner Only service (5 meals) is a great way to try us out for a week, and it’s just $69.50 (shipping or delivery costs are calculated separately based on your location).

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8 Great Reasons For Family Dinner Time

As a new Stepmom to a 5 year old, one of the things I believe in whole-heartedly is Family Dinner Time. We may not have the fanciest dinners each night, and at times, we wind up munching on plain 'ole pasta with marinara sauce plus a steamed vegetable. Setting the table can also be also a mish mosh of "you get the plates", "and hey, I need a cup", or "you with the face. how 'bout a fork", but, regardless of the meal or the structure of how the table comes together - WE come together.

In researching for this article, I was amazed to find that many families don’t eat dinner together – or any meal for that matter. Soccer practices, dance rehearsals, playdates, and other scheduling conflicts make family mealtime seem like a thing of the past. Suddenly, we're feeding our kids breakfast bars during the morning commute, sneaking 100-calorie packs at our desks, and grabbing dinner at the drive-thru window.

Despite the feeling that there's no time for such luxuries, 59% of families report eating dinner together at least five times a week -- an increase from only 47% in 1998, according to the Importance of Family Dinner IV, a report from the The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University revealed what a big difference family meals make in your children’s lives.

Supper can be a stress reliever

Believe it or not, if you have a demanding job, finding time to eat with your family may actually leave you feeling less stressed.

In 2008, researchers at Brigham Young University conducted a study of IBM workers and found that sitting down to a family meal helped working moms reduce the tension and strain from long hours at the office. (Interestingly, the effect wasn't as pronounced among dads.) Alas, the study didn't take into account the stress of rushing to get out of the office, picking up the kids, and getting a meal on the table.

It's the perfect setting for new foods

A family meal is the perfect opportunity for parents to expose children to different foods and expand their tastes.

In a 2003 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, children were offered some pieces of sweet red pepper and asked to rate how much they liked it. Then, each day for the next eight school days, they were invited to eat as much of the pepper as they wanted. On the final day, the kids were again asked to rate how much they liked it.

By the end of the experiment, the children rated the pepper more highly and were eating more of it -- even more so than another group of children who were offered a reward for eating the pepper. These results suggest that a little more exposure and a little less "You can leave the table once you finish your broccoli!" will teach kids to enjoy new foods, even if they don't like them at first.

Kids might learn to love their veggies

A 2000 survey found that the 9- to 14-year-olds who ate dinner with their families most frequently ate more fruits and vegetables and less soda and fried foods. Their diets also had higher amounts of many key nutrients, like calcium, iron, and fiber.

Family dinners allow for both "discussions of nutrition [and] provision of healthful foods," says Matthew W. Gillman, M.D., the survey's lead researcher and the director of the Obesity Prevention Program at the Harvard Medical School.

Healthy meals mean healthy kids

Studies have shown that kids who eat with their families frequently are less likely to get depressed, consider suicide, and develop an eating disorder. They are also more likely to delay sex and to report that their parents are proud of them. When a child is feeling down or depressed, family dinner can act as an intervention.

This is especially true of eating disorders, says Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, who has studied the impact of family meal patterns on adolescents. "If a child eats with his or her parents on a regular basis, problems will be identified earlier on," she says.

Family dinners help kids "just say no"

Eating family dinners at least five times a week drastically lowers a teen's chance of smoking, drinking, and using drugs. Teens who have fewer than three family dinners a week are 3.5 times more likely to have abused prescription drugs and to have used illegal drugs other than marijuana, three times more likely to have used marijuana, more than 2.5 times more likely to have smoked cigarettes, and 1.5 times more likely to have tried alcohol, according to the CASA report.

"While substance abuse can strike any family, regardless of ethnicity, affluence, age, or gender, the parental engagement fostered at the dinner table can be a simple, effective tool to help prevent [it]," says Elizabeth Planet, one of the report's researchers, and the center's vice president and director of special projects.

It’s not neccesarily the food that’s served during dinner but rather the conversation. Three in four teens reported that they talk about what’s going on in their lives during dinner. The teens interviewed agreed that when they talk to their parents about their daily events, they’re less likely to smoke, drink and use marijuana.

Better food, better report card

Of teens who eat with their family fewer than three times a week, 20% get C's or lower on their report cards, according to the CASA report. Only 9% of teens who eat frequently with their families do this poorly in school.

Family meals give children an opportunity to have conversations with adults, as well as to pick up on how adults are using words with each other, which may explain why family dinnertime is also thought to build a child's vocabulary.

Family Ties

Dinner is a family ritual that kids look forward to. It gives parents the opportunity to model good behavior and encourage their kids in their daily tasks. It also helps create strong bonds within in the family. Teens that frequently eat family dinners are almost three times as likely to say they have an excellent relationship with their mom and three times likelier to say they have an excellent relationship with their dad. One study also found that teen girls who eat family meals regularly had better body images.

Family Day

In 2001 CASA (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse) created Family Day—A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children. It’s celebrated on the fourth Monday in September and serves as a reminder to the importance of family dinners.

Family Dinners On The Go

It's heartening to see that people are rediscovering the age-old joys of at home meals shared with family and friends, even amid busy lives and schedules. Go ahead and invite your family and friends over for dinner. From our wonderful Family Favorites selections,  to our delicious Dinner Only selections or our Couples On The Go of spectacular chef-prepared individual entrees, Personal Chef To Go will help you prepare a meal that will ignite all taste buds and make your family dinner time nourishing, relaxed and memorable in spite of your busy schedules. 

What about you? Do you insist on family meals times, or do the logistics of modern life just not allow it?

No Guilt Eating

What brings you pleasure? Real pleasure, so rich and deep that even thinking about it creates a visceral response? Right now, see if you can list a dozen things that bring you shivers of excitement or delight, elicit little mmmmms of satisfaction or make your lights burn a little brighter.

Your sources of pleasure may be as mundane as getting a manicure, as spectacular as skydiving. But more likely than not, food is somewhere on your list. Nothing wrong with that… until there is. When food becomes the primary — or sole — source of pleasure, that’s when problems arise. Food as a source of pleasure is natural; it tastes good. It’s comforting and reliable. Compared to other sources of pleasure, it’s cheap, fast, easy and legal. And like some other pleasures, it’s addictive, shame-provoking and harmful when taken to extremes.

Food was our first pleasure. When we were babies, we cried for food; it filled our tiny bellies. It gave us comfort in other ways — we associated being fed with being embraced, with the sensuous delight of being cradled in loving arms, held close, cared for.

As toddlers and preschoolers, we were praised for eating; we were good little boys and girls for finishing our peas. We got cupcakes when our plates were cleaned. When we skinned our knees or banged our heads, we were soothed with cookies and kisses. The link between food, physical comfort and love became ever more inextricably intertwined.

Then, as we moved toward puberty, the tables turned — especially for girls. Suddenly, eating mounds of food wasn’t good after all. Suddenly, we were encouraged to minimize and restrict intake. “Don’t eat so much, or you’ll get fat,” we were cautioned by peers, mothers, fashion magazines. Being “good” no longer meant cleaning our plates. It meant restricting food in a way that was perceived to encourage slimness. We were taught to make self-denial more important than pleasure. That message was reinforced through our adult years. So, for many of us, the simple act of eating has become a torturous, tangled web of love, comfort, guilt, shame and fear.

If food is one of your great pleasures, then celebrate it, in all its lush, robust glory. Start like this…

Make it beautiful. Whatever you’re going to eat, bring an element of beauty, grace and dignity to the experience. Set the table with utensils and napkins, maybe flowers or candles, too. Arrange your meal on a plate in whatever way you find most visually appealing. There’s nothing elegant or dignified about standing in front of an open refrigerator, furtively spooning chocolate chip ice cream from the carton and into your mouth. If you’re going to eat ice cream, serve it in small, lovely dishes (or anything besides the carton). Sit down at the table and really eat your ice cream.

Savor it. The last time you had a massage, did you rush the therapist, urging him or her to go faster, to just get it over with? Probably not. The same goes for any pleasurable experience, be it a trip to Provence or a memorable erotic encounter — you don’t want the experience to end, and the last thing on your mind is rushing. But that’s often what it looks like when we use food for pleasure: we eat hurriedly, even frantically, as if we’re racing to get it over with. The next time you decide to eat for pleasure,  savor the moment: Maintain a leisurely approach, chew slowly, taste each flavor, enjoy the textures. Be exquisitely conscious of the entire experience.

Really get into it. We’re afraid if we really get into food, the pleasure will be so overwhelming that we’ll never stop eating. But some studies suggest that women who get less pleasure from eating actually eat more. In one study, as women overate and gained weight, they subsequently derived less pleasure from eating — but they still continued to eat more. They were chasing that first high they got from food. Conversely, women who are really into food — who find robust pleasure in a well-designed meal — actually eat less. It’s as if they’re so acutely aware of the experience, their senses are sated long before their physical hunger is.

Release the shame. In my experience, some women would rather talk about their sex lives than their food lives; they feel guilty about the hidden chocolate bars, the binges, the bags of chips and boxes of cookies furtively consumed in a shame-filled spree. Even a shocking number of “normal” eaters are bound up by guilt, fear and shame; we know too much about food — the sugar, trans fats and pesticides. It’s hard to be fully receptive to pleasure when a big hunk of your brain is screeching “Dear God, have you gone mad? What are you thinking, eating that?!” Or the low, menacing whisper that says “You are so bad. I am ashamed of you for eating that.” If you choose to eat a food you love — food that brings you pleasure — eat it slowly and mindfully, bring an element of beauty and grace to the experience. Tell the voices that they’re not invited to the party.

Find other pleasures. It’s okay to love food — to find joy in eating — but keep it in perspective. For all its sensory pleasures, food is ultimately fuel, not entertainment. While it can (and should) delight the palate and stimulate the senses, it’s no substitute for human touch, goals reached, adventures had and love fallen into. But it does make a pleasant way to power yourself through such endeavors.

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Simple Pleasures #3

Happiness

By Krishanna Spencer, Editor

In keeping with last week’s What Feeds You, we’ll look in on a little more happiness this week.

I consider myself a happy person. I have bad days, of course, but in general, when I check in with myself to see how I’m doing, I typically find that I feel pretty happy. Positive psychologists might say that I have a high “happiness set point,” which is the default level of happiness that a person tends to hang around.

Scientists have been studying this phenomenon since the 1970s when the term “hedonic adaptation” was coined to refer to people’s tendency to have a relatively stable level of happiness, despite the good and bad things that happen to them. How’s this for counter-intuitive? An unhappy person is likely to end up unhappy again even after winning the lottery. And a generally happy person has a good chance of staying happy even after an accident leaves them paralyzed.

This might sound like bad news for people with a low happiness set point. Fortunately, studies show that our happiness set point is malleable, and we can increase our overall level of happiness with a little bit of effort and attention. Sonja Lyubomirsky, who has the awesome and enviable job of studying happiness, has discovered that while 50% of our happiness is genetic, and 10% is related to life circumstances beyond our control, up to 40% of our happiness is determined by our own actions and beliefs.

So, how do we do it? How do we reset our default levels of happiness?

Take care of yourself.

Obviously this is a no-brainer. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy, nourishing food, and exercising regularly are all linked to happiness. I won’t say any more, because we all know the ginormous benefits to taking care of our physical selves! The point is, taking care of your body, is also good for your mind.

Practice gratitude.

The power of gratitude is more than just intuitive. It’s also been demonstrated in several scientific studies. Taking time to write down three things you’re grateful for each week has been shown to lead to increased levels of happiness over the long term. And sharing gratitude with others leads to stronger social ties, an essential ingredient for happiness.

Stop ruminating.

I have a terrible habit of sometimes dwelling on negative experiences, letting them roam around in my head when I should be moving on to other things. The truth is, ruminating rarely helps, so developing the skill of self-distraction is key to keeping happy. I’ve found that there are three things that I can reliably do to distract myself and then successfully move on: create something- whether it’s a sculpture or a pair of earrings, or play a video game or even watch some television. For me, it’s not always helpful to talk to a friend, because I’ll probably just use it as an excuse for more ruminating! As a side note, another form of ruminating is holding a grudge, so forgiving someone can go a long way in increasing your happiness bar.

Share happy stuff

 “When we share our experiences with people who are important to us, the impact of their interest is profound”, writes author Todd Kashdan in his book Curious?. Sharring a happy experience with others embeds that experience in our own memory which gives us a boost of happiness every time we think about it. In turn we help boost the happiness of others, by being enthusiastic listeners. An unenthusiastic response to someone else’s happy news can dampen their experience.

Act happy.

Smiling  without a reason and laughing  when nothing’s funny can create feelings of genuine happiness. Smile when you greet people, and laugh heartily in public even if people give you funny looks. “Act the way you want to feel”, “Act as if “, and “Fake it ‘til you make it” are all corny, homespun and sometimes annoying  axioms that actually work to help me act happy until I am.

Anyone who feels they have a low happiness threshold should take comfort in the fact that it’s malleable. All of this stuff can be practiced until they become habit. And once they’re habitual, you may find you are happier and healthier. This not only sets you up to better savor life’s glorious moments, but it also helps you to weather life’s storms.

The idea that a higher happiness threshold is a means of self-defense for when things get rough is captured in this astute quote from a beautiful little book by Shimon Edelman, named The Happiness of Pursuit: “When fishing for happiness, catch and release. Remember these seven words—they are the keys to being happy.”

Not only is that good advice, its wisdom.

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What Feeds You

I recently caught the jewelry bug (again). All I want to do is make jewelry. My hands, in some deep, instinctual way, want to be beading, cutting chain, making dangles. The movement is calming and meditative. I almost don’t even mind when I have to take a necklace apart because that just means I’ll get to make it all over again.

But jewelry time is cutting into my writing time. And I have all these guilty feelings around that, like I’ve tried to take on the name of “writer,” and I’m not doing it right. I’m not setting my clock for a specific writing time every day and turning out a certain number of pages a week. In some ways, I feel like I’m letting my “writer self” down.

And yet, I feel so much peace when I’m making jewelry, like my hands are taking some of the burden of movement that my mind usually carries.

Sometimes I think all my writing – all my posts and newsletters  about creativity and productivity – say the same thing:

Figure out what feeds you.

Not what you wish would feed you, what you think feeds other people, what you think should feed you.

Figure out what really feeds you. Today. And then do that.

Just as feeding ourselves with healthy food every week with Personal Chef  To Go is important, feeding ourselves in other ways is just as important.

A friend told me once that the Universe keeps giving you the same lesson until you learn it.

And I guess in my case that feels true. I have the same struggles over and over again on this creative journey. I write little letters to myself, and I call them blog posts. But they’re for me, really. So I can remind myself again and again…and yet again that no one has the monopoly on a creative life. Part of living a creative life is creating a creative life. They don’t come in readymade kits.

Today  creating jewelry  feeds me. But you can ask me again tomorrow.

It might be something different.

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6 Suggestions To Simplify Life

"Life is actually really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

Simple isn’t always easy.

Within the confines of any home with multiple family members, it’s not only your own idiosyncrasies you deal with, but everyone else’s, too. You know a simpler life will be a better life for your family and that’s what you want to give them. So you struggle and you try new ways to find that sweet spot where everyone is happy.

And nearly always, no matter what you do, there’s always someone who isn’t on board with eating wheat germ and meditating daily. Finding a simpler, happier way of life can be tricky.

So you give up on simplicity and what seems to work. And it hurts.

The same thing happened in my home for a long time. Until we discovered these tricks to focus on simplicity and happiness.

These are six suggestions that can bring simplicity and happiness to your home.

1. Focus on yourself - not anyone else.

I didn’t do this until I was older. I  had always worried about how everyone else felt about what I was doing. Then one day, I literally woke up and asked myself "Why?". When I realized I had no answer that fit the way I was living my life, I stopped.

Now, if someone says “Why don’t you <add  criticism here>?” I can look them in the eye and say, “This is what I choose. This is me. If you love me the way I am, that's great. If not, that’s great, too.” Liberating. Simple. Easy. Happy.

Action Tip: Practice doing things you want to do without worry or fear of what someone else will think until it becomes natural. And when you are complimented or confronted, say “Thank you.” And forget it.

2. Be grateful.

When we focus on what’s in the distance, we forget what’s right in front of us. Sometimes what we think gives our kids something to look forward to each day or week,  can actually teach them that today isn’t good enough.

But it is.

So learn to give voice to the gratitude for whatyou  have right now, rather than focus on the future. Learning to love the right now and be happier in it is freeing.

Action Tip: Stop what you’re doing and appreciate where you and your family are and what you have. Let the past go. Forget about tomorrow.

3. Sleep more.

When our brains and bodies are deprived of the sleep they need, we become stressed more easily and the smallest complications often get blown out of proportion.

But when our minds are well-rested, we think more clearly, our bodies regulate our hormones better, and life looks, well, happier. I've noticed that the days we fight most are the days that we usually haven’t slept well and don’t think clearly.

Action Tip: Set a bedtime and stick to it. Allow yourself sufficient sleep (average is about 7 hours, but everyone’s different) for your mind and body to recharge so you can think clearly the next day.

4. Control yourself.

Giving in to our compulsive shopping and behaviors was costing us money and causing us stress. And it was also teaching the kids these behaviors are okay.

So we’ve learned a little self-discipline and use things like Movie Night at home to entertain ourselves. The kids are happier for it and we don’t go deeper in debt because of it.

Action Tip: Use Chains.cc  an online motivational tool based on the "don't break the chain" method that helps you stick to your good habits and break bad ones (compulsive shopping, not overspending on coffee etc).

5. Implement systems so your family can thrive.

You think getting one ready for school each morning is sometimes crazy. Then, you add a second one to that morning madness and you lose your mind everyday before the bus comes. A system can end that.

You can simplify mornings by setting up Must-Do Systems the night before and that will get the kids out the door without tears the next morning. These are simple habits and the more habits you have in place, the more you can use your brain other things - like having fun!

Action Tip: Set up your mornings and evenings so that you take care of the duties you need to take care of quickly, easily, simply so your family will flourish in this happier environment.

6. Slow down. Way down.

You always plan to spend time with the kids, but things happen. So you shoot for tomorrow night. Then a thousand nights have passed and your child is no longer asking you to play with them. They’re no longer asking you to hold their hand. They’re no longer waiting for you to help them. And your time is up.

You don't get those “stressful” days so you can do them over.

I was running and getting things done. Sometimes, a lot. What I was doing though, didn’t matter. I ended up running to keep things done right for everyone else. What I wasn't doing was enjoying my family or my life.

So I just stopped. One more time.

I slowed down.

It felt weird and awkward in the begining. Now it feels good. I am now being nourished by the relationships in my life again. Because I took time to see them for who they are and what they have to offer...not just someone else to look or clean up after.

Action Tip: Assess your speed and your values. Spend your time doing things that are important to you (and let the rest go). And do them slowly so you enjoy them to the fullest.

The way to a simpler life isn't always easy but it's so worth the journey.

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4 Tips to Prevent Holiday Stress

The holiday season is in full swing and, for many of us, holiday stress is in full swing  too. I try to plan ahead to minimize holiday stress. It's not that I have less to do. In fact, November and December busy. But I find if I approach the holiday season as a time for more heart and kindness, I enjoy it so much more. It's a time of year when many people are kinder, more friendly and giving. There is a twinkle and spirit of celebration in the air despite whatever else is going on.

 

Yet as I look at the news reports that poverty levels in our country are increasing, that Congress can't get a jobs bill passed or agree on much of anything, that the stock market is swinging wildly up and down and people are insecure about their financial future, I wonder how people are feeling this holiday season.

 

Tight budgets can mean stressing over having to spend less on gifts, as well as what to get and for whom. Planning family gatherings or parties can feel overwhelming. It can be easy to fake the holiday spirit and who wants to do that?

 

 Here are 4 key tips to prevent stress and nourish your heart through this holiday season. I use them and find them invaluable.

 

1. The holidays are a good time to find a deeper heart connection with people. Make that your focus and priority. Spend more time enjoying people and their holiday spirit, and that can help rekindle your holiday spirit.

 

2. Be careful not to get caught up in over-extending yourself. Adding too much to your plate can turn what should be a good time enjoying the holiday season into an extra backpack of stress. Then you have to take the first week of the New Year just to recoup from it all. You can avoid this by slowing down in the midst of all the activities and checking in with yourself about where you're really at. Observe your energies and feelings and learn to find more ease through it all.

 

Here's a simple tool proven to help us find more ease and dissipate stress as we go.

 

Tool:  Notice and Ease
Use Notice and Ease as soon as you start to feel tense, anxious, overwhelmed or sad. It's important to notice - become emotionally aware and acknowledge what you're feeling, then to ease and "befriend" the reaction by holding it in your heart, then letting the stressful feeling ease out of your system. If you try and fight against the feeling or push it away, it just drains you. Keep using this tool for one minute or longer until you feel something lighten up, even if you don't get to a complete release yet. Even a little ease can bring some relief and a more balanced perspective.

 

Step 1: Notice and admit what you're feeling. 

 Step 2: Try and name the feeling. 

 Step 3: Tell yourself to e-a-s-e- as you gently focus your attention in the area of the heart, relax as you breathe, and e-a-s-e- the stress out.

 

By admitting a feeling, whatever it is-worry, anxiety, frustration, anger, resistance or even a vague disturbance you can't put your finger on-you slow down the emotional stress energy running through your system. In Step 3, you redirect your emotional energy to work for you and stop stress accumulation.  Notice and Ease, downloadable MP3 and slide presentation.

With more balance and ease, you can make this holiday period a time of genuine fun and renewal   rather than faking your fun while you're really feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

 

3. Once you get on a stress roll, it can be harder to turn things around. The key is to monitor and slow down your inner body language. Learning to slow down not just your movements but also your internal speed can make the Notice and Ease tool more effective. Have honest self-talks about whether you're going too fast, your attitude, or what you need to stay more balanced in the process.

 

4. A great way to enjoy more of the holiday spirit is by keeping your focus on genuinely appreciating and caring for others. Ask yourself each morning, "Who can I show a little more appreciation to, or who can I express more genuine care and kindness to today? It can be as simple as opening the door for someone or telling someone that you appreciate them. Genuine gestures of care and appreciation are often remembered long after the holiday glitter is gone. You'll find this is a fun gift for the other person and a big gift to yourself.

If you'd like to learn more tools for moving in a state of ease, click here.

 

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