New Years Eve...

For me - it is more about toasting the old year away!  Bob and I will be having a special dinner tonight with a great bottle of wine!  I have never been a big fan of NYE!  I will probably fall asleep way before midnight, but I told Bob I am setting my alarm this year and having my good luck Hoppin' Johns, (black eye peas and this year will be with wild rice) at 12:01.  

Cheers to 2013 and have a very safe New Years Eve and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

(you can read more about Hoppin' Johns from my blog on 1/1/2010.)

SHIRATAKI NOODLES...

Pasta lovers, it’s time to throw an Italian feast: Now you can enjoy your noodles for 20 calories and 5 carbs (and some brands have even less of both!) per serving. Shirataki noodles are made from the konjac plant, the same plant that we get the fiber and satiety supplement glucomannan from—read: They keep you full. Shirataki don’t have much flavor and come in every shape from angel to fettuccine to penne and more, so you can use them in any pasta recipe. Just take them out of the bag, rinse thoroughly, and heat, and they’re ready to toss into whatever you’re craving!  I will be having them tonight with an assortment of vegetables I cooked up and portioned out a few weeks ago!

Until Monday - Keep thinking veggies and protein!

Make Your New Year's Resolutions Successful...

A new year is right around the corner and that means a new list of – in far too many cases – the same old New Year's resolutions. Every year at around this time, millions of people around the world resolve to improver their lives beginning Jan. 1 – and for most, their resolutions die sometime within the first few months, if they get off the ground at all.

What can you do to make this year different? What can you do to make sure your New Year's resolutions stick? Here are five ways to keep your 2013 resolutions while avoiding some of the common pitfalls that have struck down your resolutions in year's past.

Think It Through: One of the biggest mistakes resolvers make is jumping into a resolution without thinking it through. Sure, you can resolve to start working out, lose weight, quit smoking, eat healthier or be more patient with your kids – but words are just words unless they're supported by sensible actions. And sensible actions require a sensible plan. Resolving to exercise? Think about how many days per week, whether to go to the gym or work out at home, potential hurdles / challenges that may come up, and other factors. Resolving to be more patient? Map out a half-dozen specific ways to do it (think before you speak / act; give yourself a "time out" so you can refocus, etc.). Whatever your resolution, you have to figure out how to make it work or it probably won't work, pure and simple.

Foods that Can Ruin Your Workout..

Could you be sabotaging your fitness success by eating high sodium foods, such as roasted nuts?

Even though nuts are a great snack (and can help with weight loss) most roasted nuts are also salted, and salty foods can disrupt the delicate fluid-balance required for optimal workouts.

I would avoid (high sodium foods) at all costs. Using a little bit of salt in your meals is OK, but stay away from the following foods: beef jerky, salted and roasted nuts, lunch meats, and processed snack foods like chips (you shouldn't be consuming these foods anyway).

Merry Christmas...

It is not a white Christmas in Chicago!

I will do a light workout, shower and get back into a clean pair of Pajama's!

(painting by me )