DAY 31 – Did you know that spicy meals could help you lose weight?
It’s true.
If you’re like me and love spicy foods, this is great news.
It seems preparing your meals with garlic, pepper and other zero-calorie spices may prevent overeating.
Benefits of Spicy Foods…
Spicy foods are said to help rev up your metabolism and the faster your metabolism, the more weight you will lose. Furthermore, studies have shown that people who eat spicy foods eat smaller portions which can cut your calories way back.
Hot = Health
Studies have also proven fiery foods to have far ranging health benefits, possibly due to their high levels of antioxidants. Some of the ailments spicy foods can control or prevent include:
- constipation
- depression
- digestive issues
- headaches
- some types of cancers
- weight control
Robin Right – Spice Up Your Cooking and Your Health…
Cayenne Pepper - This zesty herb is actually a fruit. It has been used both as a seasoning and medicinal plant for thousands of years. Want to boost your immune system? Need to reduce your cholesterol? Concerned about blood clots? Add cayenne pepper to your diet. The capsaicin in cayenne is a natural anti-inflammatory agent.
How do you add spice to your life?
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DAY 32 – Use Papaya To Promote Good Digestive Health
Papaya helps promote digestive health with natural enzymes. And a body with strong digestion has a stronger immunity because of its ability to remove built up waste from the body.
Did you know that strong digestion increases your metabolism? It’s true…And an increased metabolism can help promote weight loss.
Papaya is also great for the immune system. The vitamin C and A in papaya are both needed for proper function of a healthy immune system, making it helpful in the prevention of colds and flu.
From Worlds Healthiest Foods…
The nutrients in papaya have also been shown to be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer. Papaya’s fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papaya’s folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
These nutrients provide synergistic protection for colon cells from free radical damage to their DNA. Increasing your intake of these nutrients by enjoying papaya is an especially good idea for individuals at risk of colon cancer.
Prepare papaya…
Mix diced papaya, cilantro, jalapeno peppers and ginger together to make a unique salsa that goes great with shrimp, scallops and halibut.
Sprinkle papaya with fresh lime juice and enjoy as is.
Slice a small papaya lengthwise and fill with fruit salad.
In a blender, combine papaya, strawberries and yogurt for a cold soup treat.
What do you think of papaya? I love it.
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DAY 33 – Get Enough Sleep
One way to reduce holiday stress, is to make sure you are getting enough sleep. Are you? Could you use more?
We all know how important getting enough sleep is for good health, but many of us still are not getting enough. So, here are a few tips to help you get enough sleep and reduce holiday stress…
1. Try not to drink beverages with caffeine within six hours of your bedtime (that includes soda).
2. Turn off the t.v. and relax for 15 or 20 minutes before bedtime. This is a good time to read a book (I recommend a good inspirational book).
3. Don’t go to bed hungry…But also avoid heavy meals before bedtime.
4. Some foods may help promote sleep – milk, tuna, pumpkin, artichokes, avocados, almonds, eggs, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, asparagus, potatoes, and bananas.
5. Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It may initially help you fall asleep, but it also can cause disturbances in your sleep. Having an alcohol drink before bedtime may make it more likely that you will wake up during the night.
Do you have any tips for getting a better night sleep?
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DAY 34 – Helpful Dieting and Weight Loss Tools
I just happened to come across some great dieting and weight loss tools at the Prevention website.
I’ve already talked about the importance of keeping a journal of the foods you eat each day – You Are What You Eat. Here is a tool specifically for keeping track of your meals and calorie intake…
Food Diary
There is also an interesting tool that allows you to see a model of your before and after weights…
3D Weight Loss Simulator
You can also chart your weight loss, calculate what your recommended calorie intake should be, and track your activities and exercise.
These are just a few of the many weight loss tools available at the Prevention site, they all look very helpful. I think I’m going to give some of these tools a try.
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DAY 35 – You Can Choose to be Happy During the Holidays and Always.
Most people are under the mistaken impression that being happy is difficult. But, it’s really not hard to be happy, it’s just a matter of choosing happiness. No matter how bad life seems to be, we always have two choices…
We can choose to be happy, and see our negative situations in the most positive way possible. Or, we can see the negative in every situation.
Believe it or not…It’s actually “easier” to choose happiness. It takes less energy to be happy, than to be worried, stressed, and unhappy.
What are you feeling negative about today? Can you choose to see this negative situation in a more positive light?
Also See:
Leave Anger and Loneliness Behind and Choose Happiness
Being Grateful is Good For Your Health
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DAY 36 – Healthy Holiday Eggnog
Do you love eggnog but hate all the extra fat and calories? I found a great recipe for a low fat and low calorie substitute for eggnog. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
From Perfect Entertaining…
1 quart skim milk
1 cup thawed fat free frozen egg substitute *
1/2 cup fat free instant vanilla pudding powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
Freshly grated nutmeg
Combine the milk, egg substitute, pudding, sugar, vanilla, and rum in a blender. Process until smooth. Chill for at least 3 hours. Stir or shake well before serving. Sprinkle the nutmeg on each serving.
Makes 8 servings.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes
*Make sure to use a frozen egg substitute rather than a powdered or other substitute as the results will not be the same. This eggnog is made using pasteurized eggs, so has the added advantage of being safe for the elderly, children, or those with compromised immunity with no danger of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs.
This eggnog stores well for up to 8 hours, but after that it starts to lose some of the thickness and body that makes for a great eggnog.
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DAY 37 – Increase your weight loss success by dieting with a friend.
If you are really serious about losing weight and eating healthy, ask a friend to join you. A friend or dieting partner can be very beneficial to your success. Someone you can go to the gym with. Someone you can share a healthy meal with. Someone you can share your dieting ups and downs with.
Another great reason to have a dieting partner is for support. It’s often hard to stay motivated on a diet, but having a friend (or friends) that you can turn to when you’re struggling can make a big difference. It’s not just about you having someone to turn to when you need motivation. It can be just as beneficial to you when you are the one giving the support.
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DAY 38 - Diaphragmatic Breathing
The holidays can be a stressful and tiring time of year. So, wouldn’t it be great if we could learn one technique that could help reduce stress and increase energy? Well, it seems we can.
It’s all about breathing.
You can learn a special way to breath that can improve your health, it’s called diaphragmatic breathing.
Here are some of the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing…
- Relax and reduce anxiety.
- Increase energy.
- Improve concentration.
- Reduce blood pressure.
- Increase circulation and oxygenation.
Here is what you do…
1. Relax your shoulders. Drop them down as low as they’ll go.
2. Put your hands on your abdomen with your fingers overlapped, just below your ribs.
3. Breathe in slowly through your nose, making your abdomen push out while you breathe in. (Remember to keep those shoulders down.)
4. Breathe out slowly, about twice as long than you breathed in, using pursed-lips. Gently, with your hands, push your belly in and think about expelling all that bad, stale air.
5. Practice this from time to time throughout the day.
Give it a try and let know if notice a difference.
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DAY 39 – Raw Food Is Good For Your Health
Have you ever considered a raw food diet? The idea of a raw food diet has never been very appealing to me. It always conjures up images of sushi and steak tartar. But recently I’ve come across some vegetable only raw food recipes, and they don’t look too bad.
I wouldn’t recommend anyone follow a strict raw food diet, mainly because it is too difficult to maintain proper nutrition with this type of diet. However, eating raw vegetables is very healthy. So, including raw food recipes in our diet can be extremely beneficial to good health and weight loss.
Benefits of a raw food diet…
Proponents of the raw diet believe that enzymes are the life force of a food and that every food contains its own perfect mix. These enzymes help us digest foods completely, without relying on our body to produce its own cocktail of digestive enzymes.
It is also thought that the cooking process destroys vitamins and minerals and that cooked foods not only take longer to digest, but they also allow partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to clog up our gut and arteries.
Now like I said, I’m not sold on sticking to a raw food diet long term. But I think for a week or two as a way to “jump start” a weight loss program, could be beneficial. And if a raw food diet seems way to radical for you…Maybe just try to incorporate some raw vegetables and raw food recipes into your non-raw food diet.
This is one recipe I am definitely going to try…
Guacamole
Do you have a favorite raw food recipe I should try?
I recently found a great product at my local supermarket – pre-cut fresh vegetables that are cleaned and in a stay fresh bag. The cost is about the same as frozen vegetables, but this way you have the option of eating them either raw or cooked.
Also See:
Cranky Fitness
Real Food Tulsa
Raw Vegan Foodie
Raw Food Divas Blog
Kalyn’s Kitchen
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DAY 40 – Set realistic dieting and fitness goals for yourself.
This way you avoid the frustration of having to “give-up” or feel like a “failure” because of overly ambitious goals. Instead, set achievable goals, and celebrate every milestone.
For example…
If you want to lose twenty pounds, set a starting goal for five. Once you reach your five pound goal, it will be much easier for you to get motivated to continue on to the next five. Before you know it, you will have lost all twenty.
Do the same with your fitness goals…
If you are someone who never exercises and you want to start – Set your fitness goal for five minutes a day, not thirty. After a week or so of successful five minute workouts, try for ten.
The idea here is to give yourself time to get into some healthy lifestyle habits, and begin to feel confident that you can succeed.
Don’t forget to believe in yourself and celebrate all of your successes, no matter how small.
Also See:
Start Saying No To Empty Calories
Burn Off Extra Holiday Calories
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