"All wars are civil wars because all men are brothers."
Francois Fenelon
(Thanks, Adam, for this quote!)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Confusion Pricniple of Resistance Training -REPOST
I attended NYStrength, Inc. for my Master Trainer's certification in fitness and strength training. The director of the Institute, Dr. Jack Barnathan, emphasized the confusion principle of training. This is, quite simply, that the body will adapt to any training regimen that is repeated often. This will ensure that muscles will resist growing stronger when the routine of resistance training is not changed.
For example, using machines each and every workout (on a circuit ) will limit the benefits of all the work being done at the gym. Or, if one uses JUST dumbbells for every workout this will occur as well. While working a particular muscle or groups of muscles it is important to alter and modify the exercises as well. Or, one can vary the movement from a heavy workout one day to a lighter workout with more repetitions.
I believe that in order to make the body work harder and show more excellent results it is necessary to introduce as much change in routines as possible when training. Workouts can be adapted so that each workout introduces a varied routine such as using dumbbells followed by circuit machines the next session and possibly resistance band tubing the next workout. The following workout can be done with pulley or cable exercises. Each mode of training incorporates differences in the plane and angle of the movement and works slightly different muscles then the other.
Other variables can also be utilized such as body weight training and the adjustment of the bench setting used to perform exercise sets. A technique called "super slows" or a "static hold" will accomplish this muscle confusion technique as well.
While performing cardio routines one can apply this same principle by switching cardio machines each cardio day or by modifying the intensity or speed of a particular machine. Even by adding incline to the deck of a treadmill introduces this principle.
Keep the body guessing. Don't let it know what's coming next. This way the body can achieve the most benefit as it rests and recovers on off days. As always, become aware of perfect training forms so not to injure yourself while performing training. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I see people lifting weights in a way that will certainly injure them. As Dr. Jack says they will feel pain "soon and for the rest of their life" by performing sets improperly. (Look for info. on proper training form and technique in upcoming blogs).
Come and experience a workout at the Mind-Body Fitness Studio. Train with a licensed Master Fitness Trainer who is a licensed psychotherapist and certified clinical hypnotherapist as well.
Appointments can be made by calling 631-880-2531.
Dr. Crew Lauterbach, Ph.D., CMFT
For example, using machines each and every workout (on a circuit ) will limit the benefits of all the work being done at the gym. Or, if one uses JUST dumbbells for every workout this will occur as well. While working a particular muscle or groups of muscles it is important to alter and modify the exercises as well. Or, one can vary the movement from a heavy workout one day to a lighter workout with more repetitions.
I believe that in order to make the body work harder and show more excellent results it is necessary to introduce as much change in routines as possible when training. Workouts can be adapted so that each workout introduces a varied routine such as using dumbbells followed by circuit machines the next session and possibly resistance band tubing the next workout. The following workout can be done with pulley or cable exercises. Each mode of training incorporates differences in the plane and angle of the movement and works slightly different muscles then the other.
Other variables can also be utilized such as body weight training and the adjustment of the bench setting used to perform exercise sets. A technique called "super slows" or a "static hold" will accomplish this muscle confusion technique as well.
While performing cardio routines one can apply this same principle by switching cardio machines each cardio day or by modifying the intensity or speed of a particular machine. Even by adding incline to the deck of a treadmill introduces this principle.
Keep the body guessing. Don't let it know what's coming next. This way the body can achieve the most benefit as it rests and recovers on off days. As always, become aware of perfect training forms so not to injure yourself while performing training. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I see people lifting weights in a way that will certainly injure them. As Dr. Jack says they will feel pain "soon and for the rest of their life" by performing sets improperly. (Look for info. on proper training form and technique in upcoming blogs).
Come and experience a workout at the Mind-Body Fitness Studio. Train with a licensed Master Fitness Trainer who is a licensed psychotherapist and certified clinical hypnotherapist as well.
Appointments can be made by calling 631-880-2531.
Dr. Crew Lauterbach, Ph.D., CMFT
Friday, January 29, 2010
A Thank You To My Readers
I placed the Neo-Counter on my blog since New Year's Eve afternoon, 2009. I was interested in how many people were viewing my blog and where they were in the world when they were checking out my blog.
I was expecting perhaps 50 people per month and mostly from the United States.
I am absolutely amazed.
My blog has been visited by 301 people from 27 different countries in just the first month!!
WOW!
Thank you all so much for your interest in what I write about and publish.
I truly appreciate your checking out my blog and I trust that you continue to find my posts enjoyable, interesting, informative, and inspiring!
Please feel free to become a follower of my blog and also please do send me a message or contact me at any time.
DR. CREW
Dr. Crew Lauterbach,
Ph.D., LCSW-R, CMFT, SPN, C.Ht., CWP
(631) 880-2531
414 Main Street, Suite 204
Port Jefferson Village, New York, USA 11777
DrCrew@optonline.net
http://www.dr.crew.com/
I was expecting perhaps 50 people per month and mostly from the United States.
I am absolutely amazed.
My blog has been visited by 301 people from 27 different countries in just the first month!!
WOW!
Thank you all so much for your interest in what I write about and publish.
I truly appreciate your checking out my blog and I trust that you continue to find my posts enjoyable, interesting, informative, and inspiring!
Please feel free to become a follower of my blog and also please do send me a message or contact me at any time.
DR. CREW
Dr. Crew Lauterbach,
Ph.D., LCSW-R, CMFT, SPN, C.Ht., CWP
(631) 880-2531
414 Main Street, Suite 204
Port Jefferson Village, New York, USA 11777
DrCrew@optonline.net
http://www.dr.crew.com/
Worst Foods In America--#1
Worst Breakfast Sandwich: Hardee's Monster Biscuit
710 calories, 51 g fat (17 g saturated), 2,250 mg sodium , 37 g carbohydrates
When they say "Monster," they mean it.
This 700-calorie behemoth should be enough to scare anyone: It contains nearly a full day's worth of sodium and saturated fat.
Instead, try the Sunrise Croissant with Bacon. It's not exactly diet-friendly, but if you're stuck at Hardee's, it's a way to escape without too much damage.
Eat This Instead!
Hardee's Sunrise Croissant with Bacon
450 calories, 29 g fat (12 g saturated), 900 mg sodium, 28 g carbs
710 calories, 51 g fat (17 g saturated), 2,250 mg sodium , 37 g carbohydrates
When they say "Monster," they mean it.
This 700-calorie behemoth should be enough to scare anyone: It contains nearly a full day's worth of sodium and saturated fat.
Instead, try the Sunrise Croissant with Bacon. It's not exactly diet-friendly, but if you're stuck at Hardee's, it's a way to escape without too much damage.
Eat This Instead!
Hardee's Sunrise Croissant with Bacon
450 calories, 29 g fat (12 g saturated), 900 mg sodium, 28 g carbs
Procrastination
Later is Never
"Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday."
Napoleon Hill
If you do something today, it is done.
If you say, "I'll do it tomorrow," you are likely to put it off another day, and another day, until Later becomes Never.
Choose!
If it's worth doing, do it today.
If it's not worth doing today, save yourself a lot of worry and regret by choosing to permanently erase it from your to-do list.
"Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday."
Napoleon Hill
If you do something today, it is done.
If you say, "I'll do it tomorrow," you are likely to put it off another day, and another day, until Later becomes Never.
Choose!
If it's worth doing, do it today.
If it's not worth doing today, save yourself a lot of worry and regret by choosing to permanently erase it from your to-do list.
I Am Enough
I am enough
I have enough
I love enough
I risk enough
I fill enough
I get enough
I handle enough
I am loved enough
I feel enough
I am healed enough
I am ready enough
I AM ENOUGH
Kristin Jongen
I have enough
I love enough
I risk enough
I fill enough
I get enough
I handle enough
I am loved enough
I feel enough
I am healed enough
I am ready enough
I AM ENOUGH
Kristin Jongen
Self Meditation 53
As soon as you become mindful, paying attention to what's happening,
seeing how everything is arising and passing away,
the grasping and greed decreases.
There's nothing to hold onto.
seeing how everything is arising and passing away,
the grasping and greed decreases.
There's nothing to hold onto.
Healthy Living Tip 29
Plan your meals out in advance
Every Sunday, make a menu for the week and include your daily snacks as well.
A planned meal will help you from grabbing unhealthy alternatives.
Every Sunday, make a menu for the week and include your daily snacks as well.
A planned meal will help you from grabbing unhealthy alternatives.
Contentment
"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize that nothing is lacking,
the whole world belongs to you."
Lao Tzu
When you realize that nothing is lacking,
the whole world belongs to you."
Lao Tzu
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A Hero
"A hero is someone who has given his life to something bigger than himself
or something other than himself."
Joseph Campbell
or something other than himself."
Joseph Campbell
Music and Heart Health
Music to Your Heart
They say music can soothe the soul, but did you know it may also improve your heart health? Research presented at the 2009 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain suggests music therapy reduces blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety in patients with acute coronary syndrome - any of a collection of symptoms, such as chest pain, brought on by sudden reduced blood flow to the heart. Even more significantly, the researchers found that music therapy was also effective at reducing the incidence of future heart-related events, including the big one: sudden death.
All of the patients in the study had heart issues serious enough to necessitate revascularization, a surgical procedure designed to restore blood flow where it has been compromised or limited. That meant they were at risk for a future coronary event not only because of their heart health status, but also because the fear of a potential repeat surgery likely increased their stress and anxiety, which is never good for the heart.
And what type of music did the patients listen to during the study? Classical music appeared to be the general preference, but the lead author of the study emphasizes that music therapy may actually have a negative effect if patients are forced to listen to music they don't like, suggesting that the type of music (within reason) is not as important as whether you enjoy listening to it and how it affects your overall mood and stress levels.
So, whether you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart disease or a related heart condition, are at risk for any of the above, or just want to keep your cardiovascular system in the best shape possible (why wouldn't you?), charge up your iPod and let your favorite tunes lead you down the road to a lifetime of health and wellness.
They say music can soothe the soul, but did you know it may also improve your heart health? Research presented at the 2009 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain suggests music therapy reduces blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety in patients with acute coronary syndrome - any of a collection of symptoms, such as chest pain, brought on by sudden reduced blood flow to the heart. Even more significantly, the researchers found that music therapy was also effective at reducing the incidence of future heart-related events, including the big one: sudden death.
All of the patients in the study had heart issues serious enough to necessitate revascularization, a surgical procedure designed to restore blood flow where it has been compromised or limited. That meant they were at risk for a future coronary event not only because of their heart health status, but also because the fear of a potential repeat surgery likely increased their stress and anxiety, which is never good for the heart.
And what type of music did the patients listen to during the study? Classical music appeared to be the general preference, but the lead author of the study emphasizes that music therapy may actually have a negative effect if patients are forced to listen to music they don't like, suggesting that the type of music (within reason) is not as important as whether you enjoy listening to it and how it affects your overall mood and stress levels.
So, whether you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart disease or a related heart condition, are at risk for any of the above, or just want to keep your cardiovascular system in the best shape possible (why wouldn't you?), charge up your iPod and let your favorite tunes lead you down the road to a lifetime of health and wellness.
Balance With Life
Balance activity with serenity,
wealth with simplicity,
persistence with thoughtfulness,
community with solitude,
familiarity with adventure,
constancy with change,
leading with following.
Let all of life find a welcome in your heart;
the smiles and the tears,
the mind and the spirit,
the knowing and the unknowing.
wealth with simplicity,
persistence with thoughtfulness,
community with solitude,
familiarity with adventure,
constancy with change,
leading with following.
Let all of life find a welcome in your heart;
the smiles and the tears,
the mind and the spirit,
the knowing and the unknowing.
Prayer
"Prayer is not asking.
It is a longing of the soul.
It is daily admission of one's weakness.
It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart."
Gandhi
It is a longing of the soul.
It is daily admission of one's weakness.
It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart."
Gandhi
Begin Again
(This entry to my blog is authored by my friend and colleague, Dr. Laura Ellick)
Don't Complain, Begin Again!
With the economy having taken a nose dive, people are working harder than ever, but are still struggling financially. I have noticed that when unfortunate events happen, people have a tendency to "bond" by complaining to each other about all of the bad things happening to them. However, focusing on the negative has a tendency to bring one's mood down even further. Have you ever interacted with a "Debbie Downer?" Did you feel better or worse after listening to her litany of complaints?
Negative tends to attract negative. My challenge to you for this month is to observe how often you complain. A complaint can be something simple, such as "Ugh, my back is hurting again." Instead of focusing on the negative energy created by the complaint, I'd like you to try to "begin again."
In other words, try to find a solution to the problem instead of wallowing in the negative mood state. So, if your back is hurting, you may want to say to yourself, "Hmm, I'd better go back to my stretching exercises. They really helped last time." Sometimes, we complain because we feel powerless to change a situation.
I believe that there is always a way to change a situation or at least change the way we handle it. When you do this exercise, don't be surprised if you find out that YOU are a "Debbie Downer" at times. That's OK--just "begin again!" A great website for encouragement on learning how NOT to be a complainer is www.acomplaintfreeworld.org.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: lacwm93@optonline.net
phone: 516-635-6186
web: http://www.strengthwellness.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't Complain, Begin Again!
With the economy having taken a nose dive, people are working harder than ever, but are still struggling financially. I have noticed that when unfortunate events happen, people have a tendency to "bond" by complaining to each other about all of the bad things happening to them. However, focusing on the negative has a tendency to bring one's mood down even further. Have you ever interacted with a "Debbie Downer?" Did you feel better or worse after listening to her litany of complaints?
Negative tends to attract negative. My challenge to you for this month is to observe how often you complain. A complaint can be something simple, such as "Ugh, my back is hurting again." Instead of focusing on the negative energy created by the complaint, I'd like you to try to "begin again."
In other words, try to find a solution to the problem instead of wallowing in the negative mood state. So, if your back is hurting, you may want to say to yourself, "Hmm, I'd better go back to my stretching exercises. They really helped last time." Sometimes, we complain because we feel powerless to change a situation.
I believe that there is always a way to change a situation or at least change the way we handle it. When you do this exercise, don't be surprised if you find out that YOU are a "Debbie Downer" at times. That's OK--just "begin again!" A great website for encouragement on learning how NOT to be a complainer is www.acomplaintfreeworld.org.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: lacwm93@optonline.net
phone: 516-635-6186
web: http://www.strengthwellness.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekend Fat-Loss Strategies
People go out to eat a lot more often over the weekend, and there are often parties and other social gatherings that often times don't include the healthiest food choices. You can still have fun without sabotaging all your hard work.
The key is to strike a good balance between effective, so you get good results, and enjoyable so that you'll stick with it in the long-run and to plan this"effective/enjoyable" balance a head of time.
Here are some good tips and strategies for the weekend.
Keep a water bottle with you.
This will serve as a good reminder to continue drinking water and will help you stay hydrated, prevent you from becoming too hungry, as well as help you resist the temptation to reach for a soda or sugar-packed beverage.
Set some "weekend specific" goals that you'd like to accomplish, such as three cardio sessions for at least 30 minutes each.
If you plan on being on the go, put together some healthy snacks and place them in convenient places, such as the glove compartment of your car, your purse, or gym bag. Cut up vegetables and put them in zip lock bags. You might also put some peanut butter, cottage cheese, or humus into small containers as well. This way you'll always have a healthy, convenient snack ready to eat whenever you start to feel hungry. This also helps to keep energy level up, your metabolism working efficiently, and will help you from getting so hungry that you lose control and make unwise food choices later in the day.
Load up on vegetables first.
At almost every social gathering there are vegetable trays and other veggie options. Eat a good size portion of these first before you tackle the potluck or buffet line.
The key is to strike a good balance between effective, so you get good results, and enjoyable so that you'll stick with it in the long-run and to plan this"effective/enjoyable" balance a head of time.
Here are some good tips and strategies for the weekend.
Keep a water bottle with you.
This will serve as a good reminder to continue drinking water and will help you stay hydrated, prevent you from becoming too hungry, as well as help you resist the temptation to reach for a soda or sugar-packed beverage.
Set some "weekend specific" goals that you'd like to accomplish, such as three cardio sessions for at least 30 minutes each.
If you plan on being on the go, put together some healthy snacks and place them in convenient places, such as the glove compartment of your car, your purse, or gym bag. Cut up vegetables and put them in zip lock bags. You might also put some peanut butter, cottage cheese, or humus into small containers as well. This way you'll always have a healthy, convenient snack ready to eat whenever you start to feel hungry. This also helps to keep energy level up, your metabolism working efficiently, and will help you from getting so hungry that you lose control and make unwise food choices later in the day.
Load up on vegetables first.
At almost every social gathering there are vegetable trays and other veggie options. Eat a good size portion of these first before you tackle the potluck or buffet line.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Healthy Eating Tip 29
Eat Your Salad First
Eating your salad before your meal adds fiber and water, which will help you to feel full and eat less during the remainder of the meal.
Remember to choose a low calorie salad dressing.
Eating your salad before your meal adds fiber and water, which will help you to feel full and eat less during the remainder of the meal.
Remember to choose a low calorie salad dressing.
Carpe Diem
"Carpe Diem" (Seize The Day)
Horace
"There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be."
Eckhart Tolle
"Seize The Day" (Carpe Diem) is sometimes interpreted as an invitation to party irresponsibly - without regard for the consequences.
My interpretation of Carpe Diem is to seize the day in the sense of honoring the importance and sanctity of each day we live.
It is so easy to delay the important parts of living until another day. But don't do that...
Do something truly important Today.
Make Today count.
Today - each Today - is the most important day of your life.
Horace
"There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be."
Eckhart Tolle
"Seize The Day" (Carpe Diem) is sometimes interpreted as an invitation to party irresponsibly - without regard for the consequences.
My interpretation of Carpe Diem is to seize the day in the sense of honoring the importance and sanctity of each day we live.
It is so easy to delay the important parts of living until another day. But don't do that...
Do something truly important Today.
Make Today count.
Today - each Today - is the most important day of your life.
"Beginner's Mind"
Over the years, we come to see life as we expect it to be.
We make assumptions about how things ARE.
We make expectations of others and of ourselves based on those assumptions.
"Beginner 's Mind" is a Zen Buddhist term that describes moving past our assumptions of the nature of our life, and really SEEING our surroundings - especially the people we interact with - with new eyes.
We make assumptions about how things ARE.
We make expectations of others and of ourselves based on those assumptions.
"Beginner 's Mind" is a Zen Buddhist term that describes moving past our assumptions of the nature of our life, and really SEEING our surroundings - especially the people we interact with - with new eyes.
Peace As the Means
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek,
but a means by which we arrive at that goal."
Martin Luther King Jr.
(Thanks to Casiah, my future niece, for this post suggestion.)
but a means by which we arrive at that goal."
Martin Luther King Jr.
(Thanks to Casiah, my future niece, for this post suggestion.)
How To Cut 100 Calories-5 Ways!
An easy way to cut 100 calories?
Take the top off your burger.
Four more ways to slash "100":
1. Low-calorie dressing.
These can reduce a salad's calorie count by 200.
2. Forgo french fries.
Get just the sandwich instead of the combo meal: You'll save 250 calories or more.
3. Sauce on the side.
If you put 2 tablespoons [on your meal] instead of 7 or 8, you can drastically cut your calories.
4. Use more mustard.
It's a great way to put spice in food and keep calories low.
Take the top off your burger.
Four more ways to slash "100":
1. Low-calorie dressing.
These can reduce a salad's calorie count by 200.
2. Forgo french fries.
Get just the sandwich instead of the combo meal: You'll save 250 calories or more.
3. Sauce on the side.
If you put 2 tablespoons [on your meal] instead of 7 or 8, you can drastically cut your calories.
4. Use more mustard.
It's a great way to put spice in food and keep calories low.
Getting A Good Night's Sleep, Naturally
Getting a good night’s sleep has proved to be a modern problem. More people report sleep disturbances in the United States today than at any time in the past. Whether because of increased work and daily tasks loads, lack of balance in life, or any number of other factors, sleep has become a hard commodity to come by for many people. This reality has spawned a small industry in medications, meditations, workouts and diets all designed to help people sleep better at night.
But might the answer to the best sleep of your life be much simpler than all of that?
Recent studies might have a simpler and easier approach than medications or other sleep aids: turn down the thermostat (or turn up the AC as the case may be). These studies have found that the best temperature for the promotion of sleep is relatively cool, between 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Get too much colder or too much warmer, and restlessness can emerge.
Apparently, the cooler temperatures help your body’s core temperature to fall, which promotes sleepiness.
Studies of those with chronic sleep issues show that higher core body temperatures just before bedtime are often found, causing difficulty in falling asleep. One other and seemingly ironic twist is that placing a hot water bottle near the feet, along with the cooler temperatures, can help. Warming the feet causes the blood vessels to dilate which lowers core temperature and thus promotes sleepiness.
These findings are good news for those who have had on going battles with sleep disorders.
Many of the solutions available today from doctors include sleep medications, which can have any number of side effects (including next day drowsiness, which would seem to defeat the purpose). The idea of taking medication also simply does not sit well with many people.
Lowering the temperature in the room where you sleep can often be controlled very easily by adjusting the thermostat.
Other things you can do to help promote sleep include:
Don’t eat after 7:00 p.m. Limiting food intake to before that hour can also help you keep your weight in check, so there are a couple of good reasons to consider it. However, where it concerns promoting sleep, it has shown to be effective.
Make sure you get some kind of exercise during the day. Simply giving your body any chance to move and circulate can reduce stress levels. Of course, there are many reasons to get exercise as well.
Limit your caffeine intake in the afternoon. Many people who have been long-time coffee drinkers believe that afternoon coffee doesn’t keep them up. The studies say otherwise, so avoid the late day coffee.
Getting good sleep is absolutely essential for overall sound health. For those who have experienced either occasional or chronic sleep issues, the implications can be serious. Lack of sleep is linked to everything from more accidents to lower levels of work performance.
But might the answer to the best sleep of your life be much simpler than all of that?
Recent studies might have a simpler and easier approach than medications or other sleep aids: turn down the thermostat (or turn up the AC as the case may be). These studies have found that the best temperature for the promotion of sleep is relatively cool, between 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Get too much colder or too much warmer, and restlessness can emerge.
Apparently, the cooler temperatures help your body’s core temperature to fall, which promotes sleepiness.
Studies of those with chronic sleep issues show that higher core body temperatures just before bedtime are often found, causing difficulty in falling asleep. One other and seemingly ironic twist is that placing a hot water bottle near the feet, along with the cooler temperatures, can help. Warming the feet causes the blood vessels to dilate which lowers core temperature and thus promotes sleepiness.
These findings are good news for those who have had on going battles with sleep disorders.
Many of the solutions available today from doctors include sleep medications, which can have any number of side effects (including next day drowsiness, which would seem to defeat the purpose). The idea of taking medication also simply does not sit well with many people.
Lowering the temperature in the room where you sleep can often be controlled very easily by adjusting the thermostat.
Other things you can do to help promote sleep include:
Don’t eat after 7:00 p.m. Limiting food intake to before that hour can also help you keep your weight in check, so there are a couple of good reasons to consider it. However, where it concerns promoting sleep, it has shown to be effective.
Make sure you get some kind of exercise during the day. Simply giving your body any chance to move and circulate can reduce stress levels. Of course, there are many reasons to get exercise as well.
Limit your caffeine intake in the afternoon. Many people who have been long-time coffee drinkers believe that afternoon coffee doesn’t keep them up. The studies say otherwise, so avoid the late day coffee.
Getting good sleep is absolutely essential for overall sound health. For those who have experienced either occasional or chronic sleep issues, the implications can be serious. Lack of sleep is linked to everything from more accidents to lower levels of work performance.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Transformation of Consciousness
Pay It Forward
While many of us recognize the expression "Pay It Forward" from the 2000 movie of that name, the concept is an ancient one.
Benjamin Franklin described the process:
"I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money."
The actual words "pay it forward" are used to describe this sequence by Robert Heinlein in a 1951 novel - perhaps the first use of this phrase.
We have reason to have infinite gratitude to GOD or to the Universe for everything we have and everything we are, yet we cannot repay the GOD nor the Universe. We have gratitude for our distant ancestors, yet cannot repay them. We have gratitude to our parents for our very life, and to our parents or other caregivers for our nurture, yet we cannot repay them in kind. We may have many other gratitudes that, for one reason or another, cannot be repaid to those who were so generous to us.
Pay It Forward.
Gift future generations in proportion to our gratitude. The nature of life is that we pay forward our biological creation and nurture. Our parents gift us with life and nurture, and we gift our children with life and nurture. While this much is essential to continued human existence, choose to take "pay it forward" farther - much farther.
Consider making "pay it forward" a way of life. As we have observed many times, expectation (demand) is always a cause of suffering. Rather than "expecting" to be repaid when we "loan" something to someone, consider the "loans" we make to be forward payments for the "loans" we received from our ancestors, nurturers and others.
Request that any "loan" that we make be repaid FORWARD, when the recipient is able, and then completely forget about the "loan." It is no longer our business if, when, or how the "loan" is repaid - or is not repaid.
Benjamin Franklin described the process:
"I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money."
The actual words "pay it forward" are used to describe this sequence by Robert Heinlein in a 1951 novel - perhaps the first use of this phrase.
We have reason to have infinite gratitude to GOD or to the Universe for everything we have and everything we are, yet we cannot repay the GOD nor the Universe. We have gratitude for our distant ancestors, yet cannot repay them. We have gratitude to our parents for our very life, and to our parents or other caregivers for our nurture, yet we cannot repay them in kind. We may have many other gratitudes that, for one reason or another, cannot be repaid to those who were so generous to us.
Pay It Forward.
Gift future generations in proportion to our gratitude. The nature of life is that we pay forward our biological creation and nurture. Our parents gift us with life and nurture, and we gift our children with life and nurture. While this much is essential to continued human existence, choose to take "pay it forward" farther - much farther.
Consider making "pay it forward" a way of life. As we have observed many times, expectation (demand) is always a cause of suffering. Rather than "expecting" to be repaid when we "loan" something to someone, consider the "loans" we make to be forward payments for the "loans" we received from our ancestors, nurturers and others.
Request that any "loan" that we make be repaid FORWARD, when the recipient is able, and then completely forget about the "loan." It is no longer our business if, when, or how the "loan" is repaid - or is not repaid.
Healthy Eating Tip 28
Know Before You Go
If you are planning on eating out, decide what you are going to order before you get there.
If this is not an option, remember you can always request menu items to be prepared more healthfully.
If you are planning on eating out, decide what you are going to order before you get there.
If this is not an option, remember you can always request menu items to be prepared more healthfully.
John 14:3
John 14:3
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
Self Meditation 51
SEE yourself as complete,
like a seed or a bulb.
All that you seek lies within.
To live a life of peace,
you need nothing more.
like a seed or a bulb.
All that you seek lies within.
To live a life of peace,
you need nothing more.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Come So Far
Today I stop,
and breathe
deep,
and rest.
With grateful tears,
I weep,
because I have come
so far.
Kristin Jongen
and breathe
deep,
and rest.
With grateful tears,
I weep,
because I have come
so far.
Kristin Jongen
The Definition of A Man
A man is the sum of his actions,
of what he has done,
of what he can do,
Nothing else.
Gandhi
of what he has done,
of what he can do,
Nothing else.
Gandhi
Self Meditation 50
Put up art that evokes a feeling of spiritual beauty.
Images of nature and people you love work perfectly for this.
In walking meditation, you can reflect on a question you have or a decision you must make, exploring all its facets. As you walk, an answer may emerge.
Images of nature and people you love work perfectly for this.
In walking meditation, you can reflect on a question you have or a decision you must make, exploring all its facets. As you walk, an answer may emerge.
Healthy Eating Tip 27
Make sure you're eating at least
every three hours
to keep your metabolism up.
every three hours
to keep your metabolism up.
Healthy Living Tip 28
Remove Impulse Foods
Determine the unhealthier food choices that you tend to overindulge in and reduce or eliminate them from your pantry. Replace them with healthier alternatives.
The next time you are craving a candy bar the fact that you have to take a special trip to the market to get it will reduce the likelihood that you will eat that less healthy snack.
That apple in the fridge just might do the trick!
Determine the unhealthier food choices that you tend to overindulge in and reduce or eliminate them from your pantry. Replace them with healthier alternatives.
The next time you are craving a candy bar the fact that you have to take a special trip to the market to get it will reduce the likelihood that you will eat that less healthy snack.
That apple in the fridge just might do the trick!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Differences Among Friends
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics,
in religion,
in philosophy,
as cause for withdrawing from a friend."
Thomas Jefferson
in religion,
in philosophy,
as cause for withdrawing from a friend."
Thomas Jefferson
15 Foods That Burn Away Fat-Part 5
Salmon, Tuna, Sardines
Secret Ingredient: Omega-3 fatty acids
How they work:
By altering levels of a hormone called leptin in your body. Several recent studies suggest that leptin directly influences your metabolism, determining whether you burn calories or store them as fat.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that mice with low leptin levels have faster metabolisms and are able to burn fat more quickly than animals with higher leptin levels. The best way to lower your leptin? Eat fish.
Mayo Clinic researchers studying the diets of two African tribes -- one of which frequently ate fish and one of which didn't -- found that fish eaters had leptin levels nearly five times lower than the levels found in tribes that primarily ate vegetables.
The good news, if you don't like fish: Fish-oil supplements may work just as well as the stuff with scales. French researchers found that men who replaced 6 grams of fat in their diets with 6 grams of fish oil were able to boost their metabolisms and lose an average of 2 pounds in just 12 weeks.
Secret Ingredient: Omega-3 fatty acids
How they work:
By altering levels of a hormone called leptin in your body. Several recent studies suggest that leptin directly influences your metabolism, determining whether you burn calories or store them as fat.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that mice with low leptin levels have faster metabolisms and are able to burn fat more quickly than animals with higher leptin levels. The best way to lower your leptin? Eat fish.
Mayo Clinic researchers studying the diets of two African tribes -- one of which frequently ate fish and one of which didn't -- found that fish eaters had leptin levels nearly five times lower than the levels found in tribes that primarily ate vegetables.
The good news, if you don't like fish: Fish-oil supplements may work just as well as the stuff with scales. French researchers found that men who replaced 6 grams of fat in their diets with 6 grams of fish oil were able to boost their metabolisms and lose an average of 2 pounds in just 12 weeks.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Freeing Ourselves of Desire
"When we free ourselves of desire, we will know serenity and freedom."
Buddha
Buddha
Healthy Living Tip 27
That explosion of scent that erupts when you grate a citrus peel is produced by limonene,
an oil found in the peel that might inhibit a variety of worries and concerns.
an oil found in the peel that might inhibit a variety of worries and concerns.
See No, Hear No, Speak No Evil
"See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil."
Japanese pictorial maxim (the Three Wise Monkeys)
The message behind this famous saying, and enduring image, has been debated, so I'll just say what it means to me...
1. Mind your own business.
What your neighbor does (within the law) is none of your concern. Accept that behavior is not evil simply because it is different.
2. Don't listen to gossip.
Don't even listen when people speak badly of others.
3. Never gossip or speak unkindly of others.
This does NOT condone being an unconcerned citizen.
This does NOT mean to look the other way if your co-worker is pilfering the cash drawer or you witness a crime on the street.
Japanese pictorial maxim (the Three Wise Monkeys)
The message behind this famous saying, and enduring image, has been debated, so I'll just say what it means to me...
1. Mind your own business.
What your neighbor does (within the law) is none of your concern. Accept that behavior is not evil simply because it is different.
2. Don't listen to gossip.
Don't even listen when people speak badly of others.
3. Never gossip or speak unkindly of others.
This does NOT condone being an unconcerned citizen.
This does NOT mean to look the other way if your co-worker is pilfering the cash drawer or you witness a crime on the street.
Nonviolence In All Interactions
"If one does not practice nonviolence in one's own personal relations with others
and hopes to use it in bigger affairs,
one is vastly mistaken."
Gandhi
and hopes to use it in bigger affairs,
one is vastly mistaken."
Gandhi
15 Foods That Burn Away Fat-Part 4
Lean Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey
Secret Ingredient: Protein
How it works:
It takes more energy for your body to digest the protein in meat than it does for it to digest carbohydrates or fat, according to Doug Kalman, R.D., director of nutrition at Miami Research Associates, a nationally recognized pharmaceutical-research facility. "That means that the more protein you eat, the harder your body has to work to digest it, and the more calories you'll burn in the process," he says.
When researchers at Arizona State University compared the benefits of a high-protein diet with those of a high-carbohydrate diet, they found that people who ate a high-protein diet burned more than twice as many calories in the hours following their meal as those eating carbs. Even better, researchers in Denmark found that men who substituted protein for 20 percent of the carbs in their diets were able to boost their metabolisms, increasing the number of calories they burned each day by up to 5 percent.
Secret Ingredient: Protein
How it works:
It takes more energy for your body to digest the protein in meat than it does for it to digest carbohydrates or fat, according to Doug Kalman, R.D., director of nutrition at Miami Research Associates, a nationally recognized pharmaceutical-research facility. "That means that the more protein you eat, the harder your body has to work to digest it, and the more calories you'll burn in the process," he says.
When researchers at Arizona State University compared the benefits of a high-protein diet with those of a high-carbohydrate diet, they found that people who ate a high-protein diet burned more than twice as many calories in the hours following their meal as those eating carbs. Even better, researchers in Denmark found that men who substituted protein for 20 percent of the carbs in their diets were able to boost their metabolisms, increasing the number of calories they burned each day by up to 5 percent.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Little By Little
"The greatest things ever done on Earth have been done little by little."
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
Self Meditation 49
Be aware of the fragile and impermanent nature of life - all life including your own.
Koan: The essence of the wind and the working of the wind - what is it like?
Koan: The essence of the wind and the working of the wind - what is it like?
Healthy Living Tip 26
Need Caffeine? Drink Green Tea
If you have removed sodas from your diet but now need the caffeine boost you used to get from your favorite carbonated beverage try drinking green tea instead.
Green tea provides both caffeine and water and is reputed to have many health benefits.
If you have removed sodas from your diet but now need the caffeine boost you used to get from your favorite carbonated beverage try drinking green tea instead.
Green tea provides both caffeine and water and is reputed to have many health benefits.
Becoming Yourself
"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."
Anna Quindlen
(Thank you, Terri, for this wonderful quote.)
Anna Quindlen
(Thank you, Terri, for this wonderful quote.)
15 Foods That Burn Away Fat-Part 3
Green Tea and Coffee
Secret Ingredients: Caffeine and a chemical in the tea called EGCG
How they work: Caffeine helps speed up your heart rate. The faster your heart beats, the more calories you burn. EGCG works in a similar way, but instead of revving up your heart, it causes your brain and nervous system to run more quickly -- again helping you burn more calories.
In studies, researchers found that a combination of caffeine and a 90-mg dose of EGCG taken three times a day can help you burn an extra 80 calories a day. And that's just when your body's at rest.
A study conducted by the Canadian government found that soldiers who consumed caffeine in the 12 hours prior to a physical fitness test not only were able to work out longer before becoming exhausted, but also consumed more oxygen while working out. The body's oxygen requirements are directly related to the speed of -- guess what -- your metabolism, so the more oxygen you use, the more calories you burn during your workout!
Secret Ingredients: Caffeine and a chemical in the tea called EGCG
How they work: Caffeine helps speed up your heart rate. The faster your heart beats, the more calories you burn. EGCG works in a similar way, but instead of revving up your heart, it causes your brain and nervous system to run more quickly -- again helping you burn more calories.
In studies, researchers found that a combination of caffeine and a 90-mg dose of EGCG taken three times a day can help you burn an extra 80 calories a day. And that's just when your body's at rest.
A study conducted by the Canadian government found that soldiers who consumed caffeine in the 12 hours prior to a physical fitness test not only were able to work out longer before becoming exhausted, but also consumed more oxygen while working out. The body's oxygen requirements are directly related to the speed of -- guess what -- your metabolism, so the more oxygen you use, the more calories you burn during your workout!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Choose Love
"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.
Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Choose love.
Choose to release all resentments.
Forgive everyone.
Choose to release all regrets.
Forgive yourself for all decisions that you have ever made that didn't work out as you hoped.
Forgive yourself for any financial decisions that didn't meet your expectations.
Release your regrets if you chose the "wrong" spouse or the "wrong" career.
Today, choose love.
Choose to love yourself.
Choose to love your life.
Choose to love all the friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, and others who share your life.
Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Choose love.
Choose to release all resentments.
Forgive everyone.
Choose to release all regrets.
Forgive yourself for all decisions that you have ever made that didn't work out as you hoped.
Forgive yourself for any financial decisions that didn't meet your expectations.
Release your regrets if you chose the "wrong" spouse or the "wrong" career.
Today, choose love.
Choose to love yourself.
Choose to love your life.
Choose to love all the friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, and others who share your life.
Self Meditation 48
Take one aspect of Right Speech and practice it for a week.
For a week, abstain from lying, abstain from speaking without care, abstain from gossiping in a way that creates negative energy.
How does this feel?
Can you work with patience and perseverance in these areas?
For a week, abstain from lying, abstain from speaking without care, abstain from gossiping in a way that creates negative energy.
How does this feel?
Can you work with patience and perseverance in these areas?
Wonderment
"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."
Albert Einstein
"From wonder into wonder, existence opens."
Lao Tzu
Albert Einstein
"From wonder into wonder, existence opens."
Lao Tzu
Light It
Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha
Buddha
Who Do We Yearn To Be?
"Life is a series of collisions with the future, it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be."
Jose Ortega y Gasset
Jose Ortega y Gasset
Healthy Living Tip 25
Reduce the Number of Sodas You Drink
Most carbonated sodas contain over 150 calories in a 12 ounce can or bottle. These are "empty calories" because most sodas contain no nutrients. Also, research has shown that drinking sodas on a regular basis can increase your risk of becoming overweight by over 30%.
Most carbonated sodas contain over 150 calories in a 12 ounce can or bottle. These are "empty calories" because most sodas contain no nutrients. Also, research has shown that drinking sodas on a regular basis can increase your risk of becoming overweight by over 30%.
Self Control Is Contagious
Self-Control, and Lack of Self-Control, Is Contagious
ScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2010) —
Before patting yourself on the back for resisting that cookie or kicking yourself for giving in to temptation, look around. A new University of Georgia study has revealed that self-control -- or the lack thereof -- is contagious.
In a just-published series of studies involving hundreds of volunteers, researchers have found that watching or even thinking about someone with good self-control makes others more likely exert self-control. The researchers found that the opposite holds, too, so that people with bad self-control influence others negatively. The effect is so powerful, in fact, that seeing the name of someone with good or bad self-control flashing on a screen for just 10 milliseconds changed the behavior of volunteers.
"The take home message of this study is that picking social influences that are positive can improve your self-control," said lead author Michelle VanDellen, a visiting assistant professor in the UGA department of psychology. "And by exhibiting self-control, you're helping others around you do the same."
People tend to mimic the behavior of those around them, and characteristics such as smoking, drug use and obesity tend to spread through social networks. But VanDellen's study is thought to be the first to show that self-control is contagious across behaviors. That means that thinking about someone who exercises self-control by regularly exercising, for example, can make your more likely to stick with your financial goals, career goals or anything else that takes self-control on your part.
VanDellen's findings, which are published in the early online edition of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, are the result of five separate studies conducted over two years with study co-author Rick Hoyle at Duke University.
In the first study, the researchers randomly assigned 36 volunteers to think about a friend with either good or bad self-control. Those that thought about a friend with good self-control persisted longer on a handgrip task commonly used to measure self-control, while the opposite held true for those who were asked to think about a friend with bad self-control.
In the second study, 71 volunteers watched others exert self-control by choosing a carrot from a plate in front of them instead of a cookie from a nearby plate, while others watched people eat the cookies instead of the carrots. The volunteers had no interaction with the tasters other than watching them, yet their performance was altered on a later test of self-control depending on who they were randomly assigned to watch.
In the third study, 42 volunteers were randomly assigned to list friends with both good and bad self-control. As they were completing a computerized test designed to measure self-control, the computer screen would flash the names for 10 milliseconds -- too fast to be read but enough to subliminally bring the names to mind. Those who were primed with the name of a friend with good self-control did better, while those primed with friends with bad self-control did worse.
In a fourth study, VanDellen randomly assigned 112 volunteers to write about a friend with good self-control, bad self-control or -- for a control group -- a friend who is moderately extroverted. On a later test of self-control, those who wrote about friends with good self-control did the best, while those who wrote about friends with bad self-control did the worst. The control group, those who wrote about a moderately extroverted friend, scored between the other two groups.
In the fifth study of 117 volunteers, the researchers found that those who were randomly assigned to write about friends with good self-control were faster than the other groups at identifying words related to self-control, such as achieve, discipline and effort. VanDellen said this finding suggests that self-control is contagious because being exposed to people with either good or bad self-control influences how accessible thoughts about self-control are.
VanDellen said the magnitude of the influence might be significant enough to be the difference between eating an extra cookie at a party or not, or deciding to go to the gym despite a long day at work. The effect isn't so strong that it absolves people of accountability for their actions, she explained, but it is a nudge toward or away from temptation.
"This isn't an excuse for blaming other people for our failures," VanDellen said. "Yes, I'm getting nudged, but it's not like my friend is taking the cookie and feeding it to me; the decision is ultimately mine."
The research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
ScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2010) —
Before patting yourself on the back for resisting that cookie or kicking yourself for giving in to temptation, look around. A new University of Georgia study has revealed that self-control -- or the lack thereof -- is contagious.
In a just-published series of studies involving hundreds of volunteers, researchers have found that watching or even thinking about someone with good self-control makes others more likely exert self-control. The researchers found that the opposite holds, too, so that people with bad self-control influence others negatively. The effect is so powerful, in fact, that seeing the name of someone with good or bad self-control flashing on a screen for just 10 milliseconds changed the behavior of volunteers.
"The take home message of this study is that picking social influences that are positive can improve your self-control," said lead author Michelle VanDellen, a visiting assistant professor in the UGA department of psychology. "And by exhibiting self-control, you're helping others around you do the same."
People tend to mimic the behavior of those around them, and characteristics such as smoking, drug use and obesity tend to spread through social networks. But VanDellen's study is thought to be the first to show that self-control is contagious across behaviors. That means that thinking about someone who exercises self-control by regularly exercising, for example, can make your more likely to stick with your financial goals, career goals or anything else that takes self-control on your part.
VanDellen's findings, which are published in the early online edition of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, are the result of five separate studies conducted over two years with study co-author Rick Hoyle at Duke University.
In the first study, the researchers randomly assigned 36 volunteers to think about a friend with either good or bad self-control. Those that thought about a friend with good self-control persisted longer on a handgrip task commonly used to measure self-control, while the opposite held true for those who were asked to think about a friend with bad self-control.
In the second study, 71 volunteers watched others exert self-control by choosing a carrot from a plate in front of them instead of a cookie from a nearby plate, while others watched people eat the cookies instead of the carrots. The volunteers had no interaction with the tasters other than watching them, yet their performance was altered on a later test of self-control depending on who they were randomly assigned to watch.
In the third study, 42 volunteers were randomly assigned to list friends with both good and bad self-control. As they were completing a computerized test designed to measure self-control, the computer screen would flash the names for 10 milliseconds -- too fast to be read but enough to subliminally bring the names to mind. Those who were primed with the name of a friend with good self-control did better, while those primed with friends with bad self-control did worse.
In a fourth study, VanDellen randomly assigned 112 volunteers to write about a friend with good self-control, bad self-control or -- for a control group -- a friend who is moderately extroverted. On a later test of self-control, those who wrote about friends with good self-control did the best, while those who wrote about friends with bad self-control did the worst. The control group, those who wrote about a moderately extroverted friend, scored between the other two groups.
In the fifth study of 117 volunteers, the researchers found that those who were randomly assigned to write about friends with good self-control were faster than the other groups at identifying words related to self-control, such as achieve, discipline and effort. VanDellen said this finding suggests that self-control is contagious because being exposed to people with either good or bad self-control influences how accessible thoughts about self-control are.
VanDellen said the magnitude of the influence might be significant enough to be the difference between eating an extra cookie at a party or not, or deciding to go to the gym despite a long day at work. The effect isn't so strong that it absolves people of accountability for their actions, she explained, but it is a nudge toward or away from temptation.
"This isn't an excuse for blaming other people for our failures," VanDellen said. "Yes, I'm getting nudged, but it's not like my friend is taking the cookie and feeding it to me; the decision is ultimately mine."
The research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Creation of All Things
"If you go searching for the Great Creator,
you will come back empty-handed.
The source of the universe is ultimately unknowable,
a great invisible river flowing forever through a vast and fertile valley.
Silent and uncreated, it creates all things."
Lao Tzu
you will come back empty-handed.
The source of the universe is ultimately unknowable,
a great invisible river flowing forever through a vast and fertile valley.
Silent and uncreated, it creates all things."
Lao Tzu
Consciousness and Attachment
"Luminous is consciousness,
brightly shining is its nature,
but it becomes clouded by the attachments that visit it."
Anguttara Nikaya
brightly shining is its nature,
but it becomes clouded by the attachments that visit it."
Anguttara Nikaya
Self Meditation 47
Place a small handful of raisins or nuts on a surface in front of you.
Observe the look and smell of them.
Pick up a raisin or nut.
Feel the sensations associated with lifting your arm.
Bring the piece of food to your mouth and begin to chew it.
Notice the impulse to take another before the first is chewed and swallowed.
Be with every aspect of this experience.
Using all 5 senses, you will enjoy a very different experience!
Observe the look and smell of them.
Pick up a raisin or nut.
Feel the sensations associated with lifting your arm.
Bring the piece of food to your mouth and begin to chew it.
Notice the impulse to take another before the first is chewed and swallowed.
Be with every aspect of this experience.
Using all 5 senses, you will enjoy a very different experience!
Healthy Living Tip 24
Trim the Fat
An excellent way to reduce your saturated fat intake is to change from whole-milk products to either low-fat or nonfat products.
The percentage-of-fat in milk refers to how much of the weight of the milk comes from fat.
The difference in the fat content between 1% milk and 2% milk is greater than the numbers suggest.
For example, 1% milk contains about 95 calories in each eight-ounce glass, and 0.4 to 2.4 grams of fat. 2% milk contains about 125 calories and 4 grams of fat.
An excellent way to reduce your saturated fat intake is to change from whole-milk products to either low-fat or nonfat products.
The percentage-of-fat in milk refers to how much of the weight of the milk comes from fat.
The difference in the fat content between 1% milk and 2% milk is greater than the numbers suggest.
For example, 1% milk contains about 95 calories in each eight-ounce glass, and 0.4 to 2.4 grams of fat. 2% milk contains about 125 calories and 4 grams of fat.
10 Tasty and Nutritious Snacks Under 200 Calories
So many people have the downfall of snacking. Are you one of them? With the temptations of a cookie jar filled to the rim with homemade cookies or a bottomless candy basket on your co-worker’s desk, it’s easy to see how snacking can be irresistible.
Unfortunately most traditional snacks are loaded with fat and calories – neither of which are good for your waistline. Don’t despair! Studies have shown that with the right choices, snacking can actually be good for you. If you are a snack-addict take a look at these 10 snacks that come in at 200 calories or less.
Snack healthfully with these ten good-for-you foods. Not only are they low in calories, but they have other health benefits as well.
One banana with a spoonful of peanut butter. Not only is the fresh fruit good for you and full of potassium, but the peanut butter is a filling source of protein and fiber.
Sweet potatoes give you that sweet satisfaction without all the calories. Warm up one medium sized sweet potato either in the oven or the microwave. Top with one teaspoon of cinnamon to give it a little extra boost.
Who knew tuna could be so good – and good for you? For some healthy omega-3s, take half a can of tuna packaged in water (avoid the oil varieties) and mix it with a tablespoon of light mayo. Stuff half a green pepper with the tuna and serve either warm or cold.
You can still have chocolate! One ounce of dark chocolate has approximately 150 calories. Not only will you satisfy your sweet tooth, but you will reap some healthy benefits, as dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant and ranks high on the ORAC scale.
When you need a little warming-up, snack on soup. One cup of canned chicken noodle soup has only about 60 calories. Just make sure you pay attention to the label and choose a low-sodium variety. For a little extra something, add a few whole-grain crackers to the mix.
To satisfy your “fat” craving, have some string cheese. With “light” versions, each stick averages about 60 calories and 3 grams of fat or less. Plus you’ll be getting healthy calcium and protein to boot.
A cup of raspberries not only comes in at a scant 70 calories, but it packs a whopping punch of 8 grams of fiber – over 30 percent of your recommended daily allowance. And even better, raspberries are extremely effective antioxidants.
Even though almonds are a tad high in fat, it’s good-for-you fat. They also provide healthy amounts of protein and fiber, and have recently been touted as beneficial for your digestive system. A quarter cup has about 170 calories.
As long as you don’t eat the movie-theatre kind, popcorn is a great snack. Three cups of plain, air-popped popcorn comes in just under 100 calories and has almost 4 grams of fiber.
Eggs are not the enemy. Previously thought of as bad for you, eggs have re-gained some status when it comes to healthy eating. One large hard-boiled egg only has 70 calories and packs a protein punch at 6 grams.
These are just a few ideas to get you started, but there are endless healthy snack options out there. Create your own combinations and find out which snacks leave you feeling satisfied.
Unfortunately most traditional snacks are loaded with fat and calories – neither of which are good for your waistline. Don’t despair! Studies have shown that with the right choices, snacking can actually be good for you. If you are a snack-addict take a look at these 10 snacks that come in at 200 calories or less.
Snack healthfully with these ten good-for-you foods. Not only are they low in calories, but they have other health benefits as well.
One banana with a spoonful of peanut butter. Not only is the fresh fruit good for you and full of potassium, but the peanut butter is a filling source of protein and fiber.
Sweet potatoes give you that sweet satisfaction without all the calories. Warm up one medium sized sweet potato either in the oven or the microwave. Top with one teaspoon of cinnamon to give it a little extra boost.
Who knew tuna could be so good – and good for you? For some healthy omega-3s, take half a can of tuna packaged in water (avoid the oil varieties) and mix it with a tablespoon of light mayo. Stuff half a green pepper with the tuna and serve either warm or cold.
You can still have chocolate! One ounce of dark chocolate has approximately 150 calories. Not only will you satisfy your sweet tooth, but you will reap some healthy benefits, as dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant and ranks high on the ORAC scale.
When you need a little warming-up, snack on soup. One cup of canned chicken noodle soup has only about 60 calories. Just make sure you pay attention to the label and choose a low-sodium variety. For a little extra something, add a few whole-grain crackers to the mix.
To satisfy your “fat” craving, have some string cheese. With “light” versions, each stick averages about 60 calories and 3 grams of fat or less. Plus you’ll be getting healthy calcium and protein to boot.
A cup of raspberries not only comes in at a scant 70 calories, but it packs a whopping punch of 8 grams of fiber – over 30 percent of your recommended daily allowance. And even better, raspberries are extremely effective antioxidants.
Even though almonds are a tad high in fat, it’s good-for-you fat. They also provide healthy amounts of protein and fiber, and have recently been touted as beneficial for your digestive system. A quarter cup has about 170 calories.
As long as you don’t eat the movie-theatre kind, popcorn is a great snack. Three cups of plain, air-popped popcorn comes in just under 100 calories and has almost 4 grams of fiber.
Eggs are not the enemy. Previously thought of as bad for you, eggs have re-gained some status when it comes to healthy eating. One large hard-boiled egg only has 70 calories and packs a protein punch at 6 grams.
These are just a few ideas to get you started, but there are endless healthy snack options out there. Create your own combinations and find out which snacks leave you feeling satisfied.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Power of Thoughts
"What we think, we become.
All that we are
arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world."
The Buddha
All that we are
arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world."
The Buddha
Self Meditation 46
Confidence visualization for difficult situations
Relax the tension from your body, breathe three deep breaths, then breathe naturally.
Visualize yourself entering into the challenging situation with confidence.
See yourself exuding self-confidence.
Keep this image in your mind as long as possible.
Reinforce the visualization by repeating an affirmation like "I can handle this" or "I am very confident."
Relax the tension from your body, breathe three deep breaths, then breathe naturally.
Visualize yourself entering into the challenging situation with confidence.
See yourself exuding self-confidence.
Keep this image in your mind as long as possible.
Reinforce the visualization by repeating an affirmation like "I can handle this" or "I am very confident."
Healthy Eating Tip 26
Eat your carbs early in the day.
They tend to elevate blood sugar, and this may make it harder for you to get to sleep.
They tend to elevate blood sugar, and this may make it harder for you to get to sleep.
Healthy Living Tip 23
Saturated Fats and LDL
Saturated and trans fats are the primary dietary components responsible for raising LDL cholesterol levels.
Saturated fats are typically found in animal products.
Foods high in saturated fats include fatty meats, whole milk, cheeses, ice cream, and butter.
Trans fats are found in fried fast foods, commercial baked goods, and food products containing "partially hydrogenated" vegetable oils (such as some margarines).
Saturated and trans fats are the primary dietary components responsible for raising LDL cholesterol levels.
Saturated fats are typically found in animal products.
Foods high in saturated fats include fatty meats, whole milk, cheeses, ice cream, and butter.
Trans fats are found in fried fast foods, commercial baked goods, and food products containing "partially hydrogenated" vegetable oils (such as some margarines).
Monday, January 18, 2010
Disaster Relief in Haiti---HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help in the Haitian Earthquake Disaster Relief!!
Just text "HAITI" to 90999 on your mobile phone and you will donate $10. to the American Red Cross's relief efforts in Haiti.
The charge will be detailed on your next phone bill.
Just text "HAITI" to 90999 on your mobile phone and you will donate $10. to the American Red Cross's relief efforts in Haiti.
The charge will be detailed on your next phone bill.
Nirvana and Enlightenment #152
From Sanskrit, the literal translation of Nirvana is, "Extinction",
when who you are ceases to exist.
Next time you think about Nirvana, remember this definition.
Mentally, cease to exist.
Forget who you think you are.
Become extinct,
and you will meet Nirvana.
when who you are ceases to exist.
Next time you think about Nirvana, remember this definition.
Mentally, cease to exist.
Forget who you think you are.
Become extinct,
and you will meet Nirvana.
MLK
"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Let us use this day of celebration for the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a time to think kindly of ALL our brothers and sisters around our home planet, and to be accepting of ALL views and interpretations.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Let us use this day of celebration for the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a time to think kindly of ALL our brothers and sisters around our home planet, and to be accepting of ALL views and interpretations.
Self Meditation 45
Recall a time when you successfully completed something.
Take some time to remember it vividly and with as much sensory detail as possible.
When you are fully immersed in the memory and your positive feelings reach their peak, select a physical gesture that underscores these feelings.
Gradually, let go of the memory.
Open your eyes.
Practice this before a similar performance and use your physical gesture to reinforce it.
Take some time to remember it vividly and with as much sensory detail as possible.
When you are fully immersed in the memory and your positive feelings reach their peak, select a physical gesture that underscores these feelings.
Gradually, let go of the memory.
Open your eyes.
Practice this before a similar performance and use your physical gesture to reinforce it.
Learn From It Or It Will Be Repeated
"The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has ever recorded
have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives."
Gandhi
have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives."
Gandhi
Distortion Upon Distortion
"Distortion upon distortion...
the more one uses the mind,
the more confused one becomes."
Lao Tzu
the more one uses the mind,
the more confused one becomes."
Lao Tzu
Friday, January 15, 2010
Actions and Happiness
"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. "
Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli
My HOME Page From My Website
Dr. W. Crew Lauterbach, Ph.D., LCSW-R, LMFT, M.-C.Ht., S.P.N.
Licensed Psychotherapist
Certified Clinical Master Hypnotherapist
Licensed Master Fitness Trainer
Individual, Couple, and Family Psychotherapy
Medical Social Work Therapist
Meditation Therapist
Seminar Training for Clinical Hypnotherapy Certification (ABCH)
Clinical Director, Suffolk Institute for Hypnotherapy
Member, Weight Management and Healthy Eating Resources of Long Island
Hypnotherapy / Hypnosis
Biofeedback
Meditation Therapy
Light and Sound Therapy
Fitness Consultations
Nutrition Consultations
Treatment Issues:
Anxiety / Phobias / Fears
Chronic, acute, or reactive depression
Chronic illness and disease process
Mood disorders
Eating disorders
Sleep disorders
Personality disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)
Impulse control disorders
Substance-related disorders
LGBT Issues
Sexual orientation issues
Relationship issues
Family Court referrals
Children and adolescents
Survivors of Physical / Sexual / Emotional Abuse
Divorce mediation and child visitation
Loss and Grief
Bereavement and Death
Hypnosis for:
Weight Loss
Compulsive Eating
Smoking Cessation
Behavior Modification
Stress Reduction
Anxiety
Fears / Phobias
Mood Disorders
Acceleration of Natural Healing
Implementation of Healthy Habits
Chronic Pain and Fatigue
Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)
Survivors of Physical / Sexual / Emotional Abuse
OFFICE:
Tonglen Psychotherapy/Subconscious Solutions
Plaza 414 Professional Building
414 Main Street, Suite 204
Port Jefferson Village, New York 11777
FITNESS STUDIO:
The Mind-Body Fitness and Strength Studio
The Hallock Professional Building
1050 Hallock Avenue, Suite #3
Port Jefferson Station, New York 11776
PHONE:
(631) 880-2531
HOURS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Licensed Psychotherapist
Certified Clinical Master Hypnotherapist
Licensed Master Fitness Trainer
Individual, Couple, and Family Psychotherapy
Medical Social Work Therapist
Meditation Therapist
Seminar Training for Clinical Hypnotherapy Certification (ABCH)
Clinical Director, Suffolk Institute for Hypnotherapy
Member, Weight Management and Healthy Eating Resources of Long Island
Hypnotherapy / Hypnosis
Biofeedback
Meditation Therapy
Light and Sound Therapy
Fitness Consultations
Nutrition Consultations
Treatment Issues:
Anxiety / Phobias / Fears
Chronic, acute, or reactive depression
Chronic illness and disease process
Mood disorders
Eating disorders
Sleep disorders
Personality disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)
Impulse control disorders
Substance-related disorders
LGBT Issues
Sexual orientation issues
Relationship issues
Family Court referrals
Children and adolescents
Survivors of Physical / Sexual / Emotional Abuse
Divorce mediation and child visitation
Loss and Grief
Bereavement and Death
Hypnosis for:
Weight Loss
Compulsive Eating
Smoking Cessation
Behavior Modification
Stress Reduction
Anxiety
Fears / Phobias
Mood Disorders
Acceleration of Natural Healing
Implementation of Healthy Habits
Chronic Pain and Fatigue
Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)
Survivors of Physical / Sexual / Emotional Abuse
OFFICE:
Tonglen Psychotherapy/Subconscious Solutions
Plaza 414 Professional Building
414 Main Street, Suite 204
Port Jefferson Village, New York 11777
FITNESS STUDIO:
The Mind-Body Fitness and Strength Studio
The Hallock Professional Building
1050 Hallock Avenue, Suite #3
Port Jefferson Station, New York 11776
PHONE:
(631) 880-2531
HOURS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
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