One Hundred Forty One

What is this??! It says 141.2 on the scale this morning. Groan. Bad Scale! Stop that!

I liked it much better when it said 139. But I think I am headed in the right direction. I'll get back on track. The scale is NOT as important as the white jeans, which I did wear on Sunday!~

As my personal trainer says, you can eat anything you want, just watch the portion size!

It's not easy to watch calories when there is a cookout. Portion size is very important. But I do think it is wise to avoid certain things like deserts. For me one little piece of pie is not enough, so it's better if I just choose watermelon instead.

Also some hypnosis and apples today. It's a good idea to eat an apple before you go to the cookout, so you don't pig out on the chips before the hamburgers are cooked. And hypnosis is good for staying motivated by imagining how great you will look and feel when you weigh 136 pounds.

Honey

I was so happy to read this article today!

http://www.realage.com/tips/control-blood-sugar-weight-honey-benefits

I always thought that honey was better for you than refined sugar, but I was told that honey is sugar and sugar is bad for your health!

So now I feel better. And nexzt time I have a craving, I'm going to try a spoonful of honey. I think as long as I use a reasonable sized spoon I'll be okay.

The type of sweetener you use in your oatmeal and coffee could have quite an impact on your ability to trim down.

According to new research, you should grab the honey pot, not the sugar bowl. In a study, the effects that honey had on appetite hormones and blood sugar control were more favorable than those of table sugar. Which means choosing honey could help prevent weight gain.

And honey has antioxidants, too!

Superior Aging

Self Magazine has an article this month about 8 health secrets to stay youthful. I went over most of these in my workshop, The Hypnotic Fountain of Youth.


http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/video/default.aspx?vid=0f74392c-188c-4add-b45e-6141e7a9126b%26tab=beauty%26ap=today&from=en-us_lifestyle_beauty

Gloria's Guidelines for 2010

Instead of Resolutions, which nobody keeps, I have come up with some guidelines for the new year that contribute to wellbeing in mind, body, and spirit.

1. Eat Breakfast! You have heard this saying or somthing similar, Eat Breakfast like a Queen, Lunch like a Princess, and dinner like a pauper.
It's true. They find that people who eat breakfast every day live longer than those who do not.
2. Choose fresh fruits and vegetable every day, use olive or canola oil for salads and cooking, consume the mediterranean diet, which includes little red meat and dairy products but lots of fruit, vegetables and olive oil. Red wine too, see #6.
3. Sleep 8 hours per night, this is ideal for most adults, but if you take advantage of the relaxation response, by doing yoga, meditation, tai chi, or self-hypnosis on a daily basis for at least 20 minutes, you can be healthy with just 7 hours of sleep per night. Just 2 10-minute sessions of self-hypnosis per day leaves you more rested and refreshed than an extra hour of sleep!
4. Physical activity--take the stairs if you are going to 4th floor or lower. Take a walk instead or a cart when golfing. Do whatever you like to do. If you resolve to swim every day, but you hate swimming, it's not going to work!
5. Don't smoke.
6. Don't drink, unless it is one glass of red wine per day. Red wine contains resveratrol, which is an anti-oxidant. Grape juice also contains resveratrol, but red wine is more fun!
7. Reduce intake of foods made with refined sugar, like candy, cookies, cake, pie, donuts, etc.
8. Friendship--social connectedness is good for you. Eliminate some of your negative relatives and replace them with positive supportive friends!
9. Do something creative--write, draw, sing, knit, sew, make something!
10. Laugh every day. This can even be counted as exercise if you do it long enough or often enough!
11. Feed you mind. Learn something; challenge yourself.
12. Feed your spirit. Whatever makes you feel connected to something larger than yourself. Express your spirituality in your own way; meditation, prayer, or just walking in nature (see #4).

These are my recommendations for taking care of your body, mind, and spirit.

Healthy Habits

I’m listening to Andrew Weil on CD, Healthy Aging, Your Guide to Optimum Physical and Spiritual Well-being. As a doctor he is very interested in scientific evidence for all the myths and theories he has investigated regarding aging. He does not believe there is any way to reverse aging while continuing to live. However, there are some things he advocates to optimize your health and live better as you age.

He says that the factors most highly correlated to long life are: physical activity and community involvement (social connectedness). I assert that the mind is the biggest factor, so it makes sense to keep it healthy by physical activity and social interaction. It’s also helpful to look at aging in a positive way and viewing the benefits, not just the disadvantages. There are many things that are considered more valuable as they get older, like antique furniture, cheese, wine and whiskey. We live in a throw-away society now, but in the past, old things were considered better, because they were broken in already and had lasted long enough to prove their superiority over other instruments. Yes, violins are considered more valuable when aged properly. And I have seen carpenters who prefer an old trusted tool to one of the new-fangled electric ones. Shoes are more comfortable when broken in, too. I’m sure I could think of more examples. Any ideas?

Some of the advantages according to Weil are increased smoothness, complexity and depth. As with wine, whiskey and cheese, undesirable qualities are reduced, as taste and texture are enhanced. And don’t forget the old trees. He makes pilgrimages to unheard-of places just to stand in their presence. And he feels a strong presence as he thinks of all the wonders and disasters the tree has survived.

In order to keep your mind in optimum condition, Weil recommends that you continue to learn new things and he thinks the kind of learning that most effectively keeps your brain in condition are learning a new language or learning a new computer operating system. He also thinks it would be advantageous for older people to do these things in order to maintain that social connectedness.

He advocates a healthy diet, full of fruits and vegetables and recommends certain supplements which are not easy to get even in the most rigorous diet.

Hypnosis helps you develop and maintain salubrious habits, like taking vitamins and supplements on a daily basis. See www.shopbgb.com/gloriaEH for a great multi-vitamin, mineral and antoxidant formula which is cheap, easy, and convenient!