Chapped Hands…

When your paws are raw, you need something sweet. Here is a great way to use the sugar that is probably still in your cabinet from the Holidays!  Sugar scrubs are better than salt for your hands because they come in different size grains so you can customize according to your skin’s sensitivity.  Try exfoliating every two or three days and using a rich moisturizer with shea butter every day.  Add cuticle oil before you put your gloves on, and the heat generated by your body inside the gloves will help the cream and oil penetrate your skin. It's like a facial for your hands!  

I don’t know about you, but because of Chi-beria I have been using a body scrub a lot more often.  I love the idea of the sugar scrub for my hands and I am going to look for another recipe on line this weekend!

Until Monday - Keep thinking veggies and protein!  

Sushi for Weight Loss - Choose Sashimi Over Maki…

A lot of my friends always want to go out for sushi!  Just a reminder that each sushi roll has about one cup of white rice in it, which can add up to a lot of extra calories (one cup has about 200 calories) if you're eating multiple rolls. Go for sashimi (pieces of raw fish without rice) over maki sushi, which has the fish rolled into rice and seaweed.  

As you should with every meal, stick with the proper serving size, which is one roll or six pieces!   My problem is sushi never fills me up!  If you're hungry for more, fill up on a salad and miso soup.

Strengthen Your Core…

Planking!  A strong core can improve your posture, creating better mechanical positions for running. When your foot strikes the ground, it absorbs force that travels up your body to the core. A weak core can’t handle that force, making you less efficient, slower, and more susceptible to injuries.

The solution: Try the “pedestal routine.” For the entire sequence, keep your legs and torso straight, and raise your foot at least 6 inches off the ground. Come to forearm plank, making a straight line from shoulders to heels. Lift right foot off the ground 10 times, keeping leg straight and pressing heel toward the sky. Repeat with left foot. Flip over so you are facing upward, still supporting yourself on your forearms. Lift each foot off the ground 10 times, this time with toes pointing toward the sky (pictured above). Do a right side forearm plank, lifting left foot toward the sky 10 times. Repeat on the left side. Do the entire sequence once a day.

Since I haven’t been able to get outside to run, and I can only do so much on the treadmill - I am finding other alternatives and planking is helping and it is harder than it looks!

Thank you Shape Magazine!

Willpower…

Nothing derails your diet quicker than a sudden hankering for a junky snack. You know you'll eat dinner in an hour, but your taste buds don't care--they want those office cookies and they want them now! But you don't have to feel powerless over your junk-food cravings. Here is a little weird-tactics that may help keep your inner Cookie Monster in check and stop you from binge eating.

Make a fist - A lot of people become tense or stressed when a craving comes on, and you're better off trying to channel that tension into your muscles. In a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, people who tightened their muscles (regardless of which ones) while trying to exert self-control in their food choices were better able to overcome temptations. The researchers speculated that this may be because we unconsciously associate firm muscles with willpower.  The researchers speculated that this may be because we unconsciously associate firm muscles with willpower!

Life's too short. Eat what you want!!!

Ha Ha - I used to be a firm believer in this quote, but, life can be even shorter if you aren't eating healthy foods! Remember that obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death after smoking. If you find yourself falling for this line, consider whether you are depriving yourself too much. Balance healthy foods with small portions of yummy snacks. You're right—life is too short to give up good foods. Instead, every so often savor small portions of the treats you love.  Delicious food can be in the eyes, er, tastebuds of the beholder.  Fresh, healthy foods taste much better than junk if you take just a little time to learn what those foods are and how to prepare them.