It's here--whether you're ready or not. Just look at the seasonal shelves in your favorite store. Retailers like to call it 'holiday season' but let's be more accurate.

Weight Gain season begins now and runs straight through New Year's.

The next two months will bring ample opportunity for you to expand your waistline. Of course the choice is yours.

Why discuss it now and not mid way through December? Because now is your opportunity to plan for the weeks ahead. Once the craziness begins, you'll be too busy to put a plan into action.

So let's take this moment of clarity, this calm before the storm, to outline a two-part plan that will save your waist from unwanted holiday inches.

1) Part One: Your Exercise Plan.
Exercise is the first thing people cut when they get busy, and the holiday season is notorious for empty gyms. This year do something different--obligate yourself to exercise. Promising to yourself won't do it, you need to promise to others so that you won't drop the ball.
Sign up to work with a fitness expert - This is the perfect solution for consistent, challenging and effective workouts. I'll give you the attention and assistance that you need to power through the holidays in better shape than ever - talk about motivating!
Join a class - You won't be as effective exercising on your own during the busy holiday season, so join a class for accountability. Find something challenging that gets your heart rate elevated and uses strength training.
Get a serious exercise buddy - Some friends can be an awesome help while others end up pulling you down. When looking for an exercise buddy consider the following questions:
- Do they share your fitness goals?
- Are they fairly encouraging?
- Do they give up easily?
- Are they at your fitness level?

2) Part Two: Your Diet Plan.
The holidays offer ample opportunities to indulge, so you need to hammer down some guidelines before hitting that buffet line. I'm not saying that you shouldn't indulge in any seasonal treats, but use moderation. Don't use the holidays as an excuse to eat until the point of being uncomfortable - will you really miss that bloated feeling? Decide which treats to cut out this year.
Don't bring edible treats to the office or to parties. You know that the leftovers will come home and you'll end up eating far more than your share. This year do everyone a favor by not gifting fattening treats.
When faced with a buffet line, load your plate first with greens, vegetables and lean meats before breads and heavier foods. Also drink water with your meal and keep sugary drinks to a bare minimum.
Everywhere you go during the holiday season brings you face-to-face with a plate of sweets. To avoid being a bore but without adding inches to your waist, try the one treat rule. Each time you're in a social situation that involves sweets just eat one, and enjoy your treat slowly.
You don't have to gain weight this holiday season. The key is your mindset.

~by Mike Cordon at Metro Fitness

Halloween Detox

Halloween Detox in 4 Easy Steps
By Vanessa Rodriguez, R.H.N.


Halloween can be a great time for occasional treats, but afterwards we may be left wondering how to get back on track with good nutrition. These tips can help get your whole family—adults and kids alike—back to good food habits.

1. Deal with leftovers immediately.

If you still have Halloween treats lying around, either get rid of them or divide them into small snacks to be used throughout the year. Always keep them out of sight. The temptation with leftover junk food is to eat it all at once, especially when it’s in small, easy-to-grab portions. This can overwhelm your system and drastically add to your calorie intake. Instead, prepare healthy snacks like raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. Package them conveniently in small containers that are easily visible in the fridge, so the whole family can grab a healthier option.

2. Rehydrate.

It’s easy to forget hydration during Halloween, but with high sugar consumption and high activity levels, it’s crucial to make sure everyone is getting enough water to replenish loses and aid digestion. Kids often forget to drink and need to be reminded. Water can also help you feel satiated and less tempted to grab that extra treat.

3. Drink smoothies.

You can fight junk food by consuming as many vitamins and minerals as possible. The most convenient and practical way to do this is with a smoothie. Natural smoothies made with whole foods can taste great and they are satisfying. They are also easily digested so the nutrients can go straight to work at getting you back on track. Here is one recipe full of antioxidants.

Blend:

1/3 cup of blueberries
1/3 cup of raspberries
1/3 cup of pomegranate kernels
1/4 cup of beet juice (optional)
1 banana
Water
The antioxidants in this smoothie can fight the preservatives, colorings, and chemicals consumed through junk food while boosting your immune system. Because sugar suppresses the immune system, loading up on antioxidants over the next few days is important.

4. Analyze and move on.

After a holiday we may find ourselves fighting feelings of guilt over poor food choices. It’s important to acknowledge how we’re feeling, but also leave it in the past. Instead of getting discouraged, make a decision to get back on track. If you are feeling heavy and sluggish, associate that with your food choices and the next time you’re tempted to indulge, remember how you felt.

Encourage your kids to make the same link between their moods and overeating. They might have experienced an upset stomach or a blood sugar crash. Teach them that food plays a role in how they feel. This might also be a good opportunity to plan next year’s Halloween as an event that is both healthy and fun.

This Halloween detox is about cleansing your system and starting over, so make a new commitment to improve your nutrition.

Tanning can be dangerous!

I can attest to this article! From working at a tanning salon in high school to being raised by a family who LOVES the california sun, I have always been obsessed with being tan and warm! When I was tanning, it was VERY addictive! I've gone through phases where I tan and then I stop. But when I'm tanning I just can't seem to get enough! Wait, let me clarify ... I USE to feel that way! Then, after a little visit to the dermatologist last year I was scared out of my mind. I went in for a routine check up and 2 minutes later I'm having pieces of skin removed and stitched up. I had let go of my love for tanning beds and have given up worshipping the sun in the summer. It's hard, but I know it's worth it for my health. Please read this if you tan or are thinking about tanning.

How Tanning Changes the Brain
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR

The brains of frequent tanners may be similar to those of addicts.
People who frequently use tanning beds experience changes in brain activity during their tanning sessions that mimic the patterns of drug addiction, new research shows.

Scientists have suspected for some time that frequent exposure to ultraviolet radiation has the potential to become addictive, but the new research is the first to actually peer inside the brains of people as they lay in tanning beds.

What the researchers found was that several parts of the brain that play a role in addiction were activated when the subjects were exposed to UV rays. The findings, which appear in the coming issue of the journal Addiction Biology, may help explain why some people continue to tan often despite awareness about risks such as skin cancer, premature aging and wrinkles.

“What this shows is that the brain is in fact responding to UV light, and it responds in areas that are associated with reward,” said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and an author of the study. “These are areas, particularly the striatum, that we see activated when someone is administered a drug or a high-value food like sugar.”

Despite all the public warnings about skin cancer, tanning remains as popular as ever, with nearly 30 million Americans tanning indoors every year, and more than a million visiting tanning salons on an average day. Frequent users say they simply enjoy the way they look with darker skin.

But in recent years, scientists also began to wonder whether deliberately ignoring the potentially lethal side effects of regular UV exposure was a sign that the motivation for frequent tanners was more than skin-deep. Could habitual tanning be an addictive behavior?

A study in 2005 did show that a large proportion of sunbathers met the psychiatric definition of a substance abuse disorder, based on their answers to a variation of a test often used to help diagnose alcohol addiction.

But Dr. Adinoff and his colleagues decided to go a step further. They recruited a small group of people from tanning salons who said that they liked to tan at least three times a week and that maintaining a tan was important to them. The frequent tanners agreed to be injected with a radioisotope that allowed researchers to monitor how tanning affected their brain activity.

On one occasion, the study subjects experienced a normal tanning session. But on another occasion, the researchers used a special filter that blocked only the UV light, although the tanners weren’t told of the change.

Brain images later showed that during regular tanning sessions, when the study subjects were exposed to UV rays, several key areas of the brain lighted up. Among those areas were the dorsal striatum, the left anterior insula and part of the orbitofrontal cortex – all areas that have been implicated in addiction. But when the UV light was filtered out, those areas of the brain showed far less activity.

The researchers also found evidence that the tanners appeared to know — on a subconscious level, at least — when they had undergone sham tanning sessions and not received their usual dose of UV rays. The tanners, questioned after each session, expressed less desire to tan after the real sessions, indicating they had gotten their fill. But on days when the tanners were unknowingly deprived of the UV rays, their desire to tan after the session remained as high as it was before the session began.

“They all liked the session where they got the real UV light,” said Dr. Adinoff. “There was some way people were able to tell when they were getting the real UV light and when they were not.”

Dr. Adinoff said the research suggests that some people appear addicted to tanning, a finding bolstered by the fact that many longtime tanners have a difficult time stopping or even just cutting back on tanning sessions. He said the research was inspired by a colleague, based on her experiences with dermatology patients.

“She approached me because of her concern about young adults who were coming to see her with these beautiful bronze tans,” he said. “And she would cut out skin cancers, and they would immediately go back to tanning.”

The Diet Detective: Fall Into Healthy Eating Habits

By Charles Stuart Platkin for Active.com

It's that time of year when it starts to get dark early, the days get cooler--in other words, it's the fall. And something else happens as well--we start eating more.

People show a marked seasonal rhythm with increased total caloric consumption, especially from carbohydrates, in the fall, associated with an increase in meal size and a greater rate of eating. (Interestingly, alcohol intake has a different seasonal pattern, with the highest intake occurring in the summer and the lowest in the fall.)

According to John de Castro, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, El Paso, "We have a tendency to eat about 200 calories more per day during the fall." What does that translate to in terms of potential weight gain? As much as three to four pounds a year. "We tend to blame much of this 'fall' weight gain on the holidays; however, there are other causes," says de Castro, who excluded the holiday periods from his research.

Why We Eat More

Why do we eat more in the fall? More than likely, it's biological--putting on weight in preparation for the potential winter famine our ancestors faced. "It all makes sense--the fall harvest, storing up for the long winter months," explains de Castro. Historically, we have a tendency to eat when food is plentiful, because we never knew when our next meal was going to be available.

Kurt Krauchi, a scientist at the Psychiatric University Clinic in Basel, Switzerland, studied patients with seasonal affective disorder (a type of mood disorder that is caused by lack of light). He found that they ate more carbohydrates, particularly sweets but also starch-rich foods, during their depression in winter, and that their intake could be reduced with light therapy.

"There seems to be a relationship between light and depression, which leads to consumption of additional carbohydrates," says Krauchi. De Castro, however, found an increase in fall eating independent of decreased light and/or depression.

Tips For a Healthy Fall

Perhaps we eat more simply because bathing suit season is over, and we can start hiding excess calories beneath our winter clothes. Whatever the reason, it's important to realize that fall foods (soups, stews, breads, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, pumpkins and all types of greens) can actually be healthier than foods of other seasons. They are typically packed with great nutrients, such as fiber, protein, beta carotene and vitamin C. Here are a few tips to keep the fall tasty and healthy:

Soups are great for you if they're not made with cream or cheese. Just watch serving sizes--we tend to eat whatever's in our bowls.

Stews can be hearty and fattening. Use loads of fresh vegetables, and go light on the meat and potatoes.

Avoid unconscious eating while watching football and the new fall TV lineup. Never bring the whole bag or bowl of anything to the couch or coffee table--pre-measure it in the kitchen beforehand. When it comes to chips, make sure they're baked, not fried.

For pizza, watch the toppings--they can double the calories.

Celebrate the fall harvest in other ways besides making pies. Apples are low in calories when they're off the tree, not in a pie.

If it's gotta be pie, try making pumpkin pie with artificial sweetener, egg whites and low-fat milk. And of course, just have one piece. Keep in mind that pumpkin seeds have about 300 calories per 1/4 cup.

Turkey is healthy, as long as you keep it lean and white.

Get out and enjoy the fall weather. The air is cooler, the leaves are turning and the countryside becomes more scenic. It's the perfect time to go outdoors and do something: Take walks on the beach or by the lake; go to the zoo; or ride a bike.

Keep in mind that once we set the clocks back, it gets darker earlier, so there are fewer outdoor options for physical activities in the evening. Make adjustments by joining a gym, planning evening walks at the mall or becoming an early riser.

Charles Stuart Platkin is an Active Expert , nutrition and public health advocate, author of the best seller Breaking the Pattern (Plume, 2005), Breaking the FAT Pattern (Plume, 2006) and Lighten Up (Penguin USA/Razorbill, 2006) and founder of Integrated Wellness Solutions. Sign up for The Diet Detective newsletter free at www.dietdetective.com.

Source:http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/The_Diet_Detective__Fall_into_healthy_eating_habits.htm?cmp=17-1-1403

Dirty dozen and Clean 15

From Integrative Nutrition by Joshua Rosenthal.

Walking Wednesdays

I was asked a couple weeks ago to head up a wellness program at work with one of my great friends, Sally Jones. Sally is in HR and together we have been trying to implement a wellness program. We started Walking Wednesdays and have had such a great time! Today the sun was out and the sky was a beautiful blue! It is so fun to leave the office for an hour and walk and socialize with those that we work with. We even have a hand sign for Walking Wednesdays. LOL

This last month we had a Water Competition. Everyone was challenged to drink their daily allotment of water and to track it everyday. Those that did it were entered into a drawing for a prize. Everyone was really into it and half way through the month we RAN OUT OF WATER in the office, and had to expedite another shipment. How great is that!??! Our winner exceeded his daily goal all 24 days of the contest and is still going strong. He completely gave up the several soft drinks and energy drinks that he use to drink daily. What an inspiration! It's great to see what a little encouragement does for everyone. So many individuals are still doing the water tracking. They really are making a change in their lifestyle. It feels so rewarding to have helped them! GO Chamber Team! BE WELL! (That is our wellness program motto) :)

Opposition in all things

2 Nephi 2:11
For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

It has been such a long time since I’ve taken the time to write and it seems like each journal entry every few months starts that way. When I’m feeling crappy everything seems dark and dreary and the last thing I want to do is write in my journal about how frustrated, discouraged and negative I am. I need to get better at that. I need to write when I don’t feel like it, but for now this is going to have to do.

This week is a glorious and bright week and because of that I feel like writing. I can speculate several reasons why this week is better, but I’m always hesitant to do so because of this constant ever-changing unpredictable body that I have. The one thing I am certain about is that I’m closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and that makes a difference, always.

Last week Devin and I went to see Dr. Don Stromquist at the Utah Arthritis Center. There was much anxiety and anticipation going into the appointment. As I was sitting in the waiting chair a rush of emotions hit me as I reflected on what I have been through so far. Then, something changed. Instead of falling into the negative rut of comparing my current body to what I use to be and getting depressed and discouraged, I looked at my adorable husband and realized that I need to be stronger and more optimistic. He helps me in so many ways. I was then suddenly given this new outlook, this new hope, faith and motivation to accept what I have been given and to be grateful it is not worse than it is. It is not the end of the world although at times it feels like it is. I understood the need to accept what I have been given and make the best of it, not looking back comparing to what I use to have or what I use to be able to do.

If we fast forward a week, I got all my test results back from Dr. Stromqust and it DOES NOT appear to be RA. Still possible? Yes, but very unlikely. We will know for sure after my follow up visit in a couple weeks.

When I got the call about the test results I was filled with feelings of disappointment but yet rejoicing all at the same time; disappointment because I want an answer and rejoicing because it’s not as bad as it could be. I later broke down into tears one night with Devin as I expressed my frustrations of the unknown. “I know I’m strong, I know I’m a fighter, but when I don’t know what I’m fighting it’s hard to stay strong.” Being allowed to recognize these emotions helped me to move on and to try to stay positive. The doctors are speculating Fibromyalgia now and put me on a medication, despite my hesitancy. I take a ¼ of a pill every other night to help me sleep and to help with the overall pain and fatigue. So far, I’m attributing my great week partly to this new medication. Usually I’m against medication, but at this point I’m embracing whatever will help me be able to function and enjoy life as a newlywed.

It’s hard to always be so exhausted and tired and barely make it through a day at work only to come home and collapse on the couch. Laundry piles up, cleaning piles up and the stress just mounts until I hit a breaking point because I usually don’t have the energy to do the mundane tasks in life. This week has given me hope as I come home with energy to cook and clean and take care of my wonderful husband! I look at the clock and its 8:30 and I still have energy to do something instead of pulling my exhausted body from the couch to bed. Life is so much better when I have this amazing energy. I hope I am making progress and can continue to keep this light in my life. 2 Nephi 2:11 came to my mind this morning as I was driving to work. Had I not been given months of trials I would not be able to rejoice this week in the simple pleasures of having energy to get ready in the morning, make lunches, smile at work and still have energy to go home with an optimistic attitude to cook and laugh and enjoy the evening with my husband. I hold this week so dear to my heart as I love life and love who I am when I can have this energy, hope and vigor for life! All I can do is hope and pray that I can figure out what is working and hold on to that. I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to experience a healthy body this week and providing that glimpse of hope for the future. I can do it. I can make it. I can figure out what is wrong and fight it. For now, I will continue pushing, continue being positive and continue being proactive in finding an answer. Fibromyalgia just doesn’t seem to be the answer. It doesn’t bring peace to my soul. It leaves me thinking that there is some other answer waiting for me out there. As Devin told me, “it may take several years for us to find out what is going on and in the meanwhile you can't give up. You have to keep fighting and I know you can.” and that is EXACTLY what I will do! I'm not letting the unknown lead to frustration and discouragement. Until I have an answer I am enjoying every hour of every day and appreciating the times like this week when I’m feeling healthy and strong. Let the journey continue. I can do it because I have the Lord on my side.

Green Smoothies

OH how I love them and oh how I use to think the idea was DISGUSTING! But believe me, just close your eyes and drink and you will forget it is even green! Tastes so yummy! Makes me feel so healthY! This started back in the day while living with my favorite sisters in California! Emily and I spent many days experimenting with different green smoothie recipes. We finally found our inspiration from www.greensmoothiegirl.com. We discovered that when we put kale and spinach in our smoothies for breakfast, we would have so much energy and it would help with regulating our digestive system!

I never had a blender that would eliminate the crunch of the kale until I got my Vitamix! Now my green smoothies are back and healthier and smoother than ever! I have even discovered adding spirulina and I notice the difference in my ability to fight off a cold. Now that I have my Vitamix I have joined in the raw food lifestyle change! Stay tuned for recipes soon!

Processed Foods

My inspiration ...

"You know how much I detest processed foods. With the exception of frozen or pre-chopped veggies — which can be timesaving godsends when cooking — they’re typically just junk.

Processed foods are a major contributor to weight gain, and they can harm your health in many ways, which is why it is imperative that you know how to spot them and avoid them. The bad processed foods are those that are made with refined grains, vegetable oils, and added sugar. The thing about processed foods is that they can be harmful in many different ways. For example, you might think you're eating healthy by having a salad with bottled fat-free ranch dressing, and you'd never even think about the fact that the dressing contains chemical flavor enhancers, such as MSG. Nonorganic processed meats often contain sodium nitrate and nitrite, which may contribute to colon cancer and metabolic syndrome. But you probably don't think about that as you patiently wait for your number to be called at the deli counter. Are you starting to see the big picture?

The reality is, it’s a lot easier to talk about avoiding processed foods than to actually avoid them! Look at it positively: Eating more whole foods means eating the things we were meant to eat in the first place — things that have a real life and have a “mother.” We should be eating fresh fruits, vegetables, organic lean meats, organic dairy, and whole grains. All that other stuff is full of empty calories that will do nothing but hinder our ability to reach a state of maximum health and wellness." ~Jillian Michaels

homemade bread

SUCCESS! Papa Dimond inspired me with his weekly ritual of grinding wheat to make homemade bread. We were given a bread maker and after over 10 cups of ground wheat, 8 hours, 4 loaves and a messy kitchen all I would end up with was a rock. I gave up. I figured bread making was just not for me! But then I would see Papa Dimond making his bread and he would ask how mine was doing. We decided I better try from scratch. I took a two week break and started over, without the bread maker and WAH LAH! Beautiful, healthy homemade bread with my wonderful KitchenAid Mixer! This is now my weekly ritual as well! Grind the wheat, grind the flax and make bread for the week! I'm still experimenting with different ratios of dough enhancer, gluten, flax and millet, but when I am completely satisfied I will post my recipe for all to enjoy! I even got Devin's approval when he used my bread to make his grilled cheese sandwich this week!

Vitamix

My newest investment to help me to eliminate the preservatives in my diet ... stay tuned for my creations and recipes.

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My silent struggle

Starting this blog is my attempt to acknowledge and deal with the physical struggle that I face daily. To me the main reason I keep this as my silent struggle is because I don't have definite answers at to what is going on. I reference this as my silent struggle because that is what it has become; me and my illness, ALONE, together fighting against one another. I don't like to talk about how I feel physically because it always makes me feel like I'm complaining and looking for an excuse for why I can't do this or why I can't do that. To some extent I have been in denial, thinking that if I don't let anyone else acknowledge what is going on in my body then maybe nothing will be going on in my body. This however is not going to work now that I am married and share my life with someone nor will it work in the future when we try to start a family.

The past 6 years have been a lonely journey of trial and error and still no definite answers. At times I wonder if it is just my mind making up the pain and fatigue. I then take a moment and look back and recognize that this is not something I make up, but instead it is real and it's time to acknowledge what I have been through. A brief background about my journey thus far is not intended in any way to complain or to seek sympathy, but instead is a way for me to create positive thoughts about how far I have come.

I grew up as a healthy child and never had any indication that one day I would face a physical trial that would completely change my everyday life. In 2005 I decided to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On that mission I was placed under extreme stress and my physical body manifested that stress through illness. I saw several doctors and ended up at home in Seattle undergoing sinus surgery. Words cannot describe the emotions that are associated with that procedure at that time of my life and the emotions that carry through. After surgery I tried to get my life back but about every 6 months I would get sick again. After numerous doctors and 2 states later the laundry list of procedures and diagnosis stands: chronic sinusitis, epstein barr virus, hypoclycemia, anemia, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, nerve testing, mono, strep, sinus infection, auto immune disease. We are left now looking into rheumatoid arthritis.

Believe it or not, over the last 6 years I have been able to hide it, but it's time to face the facts and be honest with myself and everyone in my life about what I face, even if we don't have the answers yet. This will be a place for me to document the process and motivate me to find things that make me feel better, no matter what the doctors and specialists tell me.

I believe in listening to my body and trusting what it is telling me while acknowledging that each day is different. This is my goal to become aware of what my body is telling me TODAY and what I need to do TODAY to take care of myself. I hope I can find wellness, happiness and ME in this journey.