Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas
June 18, 2009
This is a great recipe if you have a large crowd to feed. Read more
Tis the Season (for Fruits and Veggies)
June 10, 2009
I love this time of year when fresh fruits and vegetables are in season — there is such a good variety to choose from and everything tastes so much better when it’s fresh picked. We just finished strawberry season but cherries and blueberries are in their peak and I’m eating my fair share.
The USDA recommends 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day for a balanced diet. Are you meeting this goal? If you are like many Americans, you are falling short of the recommended servings but with all the great tasting fruits and veggies available, it’s a perfect time to make a dietary change. Read more
Hiatus is Over
June 10, 2009
Wow!! What a month it’s been — to all my loyal readers, I apologize for my absence this past month. I’m happy to say that my hiatus is over and I have a list of ideas to write about. I hope you are all doing well and finding ways to incorporate healthy habits into your daily routine.
During the month of may, I took a couple of weeks off to re-energize and eliminate stressors in my life. After that, my son came for a visit and brightened our house for a week. We don’t get to see him nearly enough. My dad also came out for a visit and it was a very special time as he had not been to see us since we moved to North Carolina.
The summer season is almost here and my herb garden is producing more than I can use. I’ve already taken one big bunch of dill and basil to the office to share with my co-workers. The pepper plants are coming along nicely but it will be awhile before we have any fruit.
I still struggle to get into a regular exercise routine but I ride my bike and walk when I can. The good news is that I’ve dropped a few more pounds and have maintained a healthy meal plan. 46 pounds lost so far and I feel better than ever.
I look forward to your continued comments and support.
Cheryl
Taking Care of Your Emotional Health
May 12, 2009
I’ve devoted a lot of time to talking about physical health in terms of diet, nutrition, and exercise but it is just as important to acknowledge the importance of emotional health. Our emotional health can be affected by many different situations:
- Stresses in our lives (family, work, financial, etc.)
- Relationships
- Physical health
- Disorders (depression, bi-polar, etc.)
With so much emphasis on physical well being and other concrete factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, etc., it is easy to overlook less tangible emotional wellness issues. That doesn’t mean that emotional well being is any less important however. In fact, left unchecked, mental/emotional problems can lead to very real physical ailments. Read more
Not All Calories Are The Same
May 6, 2009
It’s no secret that eating excess calories leads to weight gain, but do you really know what a calorie is? A calorie is a measurement of energy (specifically heat energy).
One calorie is the energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
Every food you eat has a calorie value associated with it however not all calories provide the same health benefit to our bodies. Read more
Servings and Portions
May 2, 2009
The terms serving and portion are often used to mean the same thing, but they’re not. The difference is important because confusion around serving and portion sizes often leads to over eating.
Serving
A serving is a specific measurement of food that delivers defined amounts of key nutrients. Serving size is usually determined by the Nutrition Facts Label on a package or container of food. A serving size may be measured in cups, teaspoons, one or more units, ounces, etc. The nutrition label will state the size of a single serving, the nutrients for a single serving, and the number of servings in a package. It’s important to read nutrition labels carefully because manufacturers will often try to make unhealthy foods look better by disguising serving sizes. Read more
Gonna Make it This Time
May 2, 2009
I was having dinner with my husband last night and out of the blue he said to me, “I think you’re gonna make it this time.” I had no clue what he was talking about. He went on to explain that he thought I was really going to stay healthy and keep the weight off. WOW! It felt so good to know that my healthy living commitment was noticeable to others, especially my husband who has seen me tackle every diet known to man over the past 20 years (and fail at all of them). Read more
Healthy Doesn’t Mean Size 2
April 28, 2009
I am genuinely dismayed when I read time and again how people (mostly women) are starving themselves on some fad diet so they can “get skinny.” The sad truth is that skinny doesn’t equate to health. In fact many skinny people are very unhealthy and overweight people may be healthier than their skinny friends. Read more
Breaking the Dreaded Diet Plateau
April 26, 2009
If you’ve been following my blog for any time now, you know that my husband and I have made a commitment to live a healthy lifestyle. Along with that has come a sizable weight loss; as of the first of April, I had lost 30 pounds.
While I love the fact that my body size is shrinking, my ultimate goal is to be healthy not skinny. For me, being healthy means that my blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, lipids, etc. are all in the healthy range. To get there, I have been focusing on a healthy eating plan and regular exercise. A great side benefit of this healthy lifestyle is a shrinking waistline. Read more
Walk Your Way to a Good Workout
April 22, 2009
If you’re like me, you prefer to exercise outside where you can enjoy the fresh air, sights, sounds, and smells of spring. Walking can be a great aerobic exercise if you do it right. Otherwise, your walk may be a nice stroll around the block but not much of a workout. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your walk.
Get your heart rate up
If you don’t raise your heart rate, you are not getting to an aerobic state. You can tell if you are getting an aerobic workout by either a) monitoring your hear rate or b) making sure that you walk fast enough to break a sweat.
- To monitor your heart rate, take your pulse on your neck or wrist for 6 seconds and multiply the results by 10. Compare your results with your target heart rate.
- If you measure based on your body signals, be sure you break a sweat and your breathing is heavier than normal. You should still be able to carry on a conversation; slow your pace down if you have difficulty breathing or talking.
If you are having trouble keeping your heart rate up you might try one of the following:
- Swing your arms to get your blood pumping harder
- Use hand or ankle weights — start out with light weights until you find the right size
- Try interval training — walk awhile and then jog for a bit; alternate between the two to keep your heart rate in your target range
Visualize your muscles working
One great techniques I use is to visualize my muscles lengthening and contracting as I walk. I can see in my mind my leg muscles, stomach muscles, and butt muscles - as I visualize, I can also feel them working. If I can’t feel my muscles at work, I’m probably not working hard enough. I can always tell I got a good workout when my inner thighs and stomach muscles are tired at the end of my walk.
Don’t get distracted
One of the thinkgs I like about walking is that it’s “me” time. I can think about things going on in my life and regroup/recharge. The problem with “me” time is that I sometimes get lost in thought and forget to focus on the exercise. When I realize I’ve slowed down and my stride has shortened, I know I’ve been lost in thought again. Don’t let this happen to you — make an effort to stay focused. Keep your pace up and make sure you are taking long strides so you work both inner and outer thighs as well as butt muscles.
The other distraction for me is my dog. I try to combine walking Sam with my exercise but often times it doesn’t work well. He wants to stop and pee on every mail box post and he goes nuts when he sees other dogs. Every time I have to stop for him, it disrupts my pace and lowers my heart rate. My advice is to leave the dog at home during your exercise time - take him for a walk when you can give him your full attention.
*NEW* Meal Planner
April 18, 2009
I’m very excited to announce the new Healthy Lessons Weekly Meal Planner. The Meal Planner takes the effort out of dinner planning by providing suggestions for healthy, nutritious meals that are easy to make and tasty too. All recipes in the meal planner have been taste tested in my kitchen and have my family’s stamp of approval.
Your Meal Planner includes 1) a weekly plan including nutritional information, 2) a weekly shopping list, and 3) a recipe for each menu item.
The Week 1 Menu Planner is FREE!
If you would like to order a printed version of the plan or would like to send one as a gift, submit your request to cheryl@healthylessons.com |
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Coming Soon!
Additional weekly meal plans are in the works – be sure to check back for the latest. New plans will include:
- Additional weekly plans
- Lunch and breakfast plans
- Dessert items added to weekly plans
Menu plans do not provide medical advice. Plans are for information purposes only. The dietary and/or nutritional information in Healthy Lessons menu plans are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your dietary needs. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in these plans.
Be a Good Role Model
April 17, 2009
When my son was young, I had a bad habit of yelling at other drivers who did stupid things. My common rant went something like, “You stupid idiot, why don’t you use your turn signal,” or “You stupid idiot, move over to the slow lane.” No matter the issue, I always started with “You stupid idiot.” One day, when Justin was about 8 years old, I was watching as he and a friend played in the living room. It wasn’t long before Justin got upset with his friend and yelled at him, “You stupid idiot.” The words hit me like a slap in the face. I was his role model and I had inadvertently taught him that the way to express frustration with someone was to call them names. Read more
Aerobic Exercise or Strength Training?
April 15, 2009
I’ve heard many views over the years on whether aerobic training or strength training is better, especially for people trying to lose weight. My brother, who was a personal trainer for several years told me, if you can only do one, go for the strength training. Other people tell me, aerobic is the way to go. After much research, I’ve discovered that you need both because they contribute to your overall health in very different ways. Read more
Why is this news?
April 13, 2009
I just read an article on WebMD about the benefits of a diet high in fruits, nuts, and vegetables and low in fatty, processed foods (Not All Diets Pass the Heart-Healthy Test) and wondered “Why is this news?” Don’t we all know this stuff by now?
Don’t get me wrong, the article was great, but I am amazed that we Americans still don’t get it. Our diet is chock full of fast food, sugar, fat. Why is that? The answer, in one word is convenience. We’ve grown accustomed to a life of hectic schedules and instant gratification. It takes too much effort to plan and cook healthy meals. Read more
Adobo Pork Chops
April 12, 2009
Adobo pork chops are a big favorite at my house. They are spicy and have a wonderful flavor. I usually make the marinade the night before or first thing in the morning and let them soak up the flavor overnight or for at least 8 hours. The chops are very low in carbs so I usually serve them with beans or potatoes. Read more
Oriental Cole Slaw
April 3, 2009
This salad goes great with Tex Mex Sloppy Joes. Be sure and use sesame oil as the recipe calls for — it’s the secret ingredient. Read more
The Skinny on Diet Soda
April 1, 2009
I had a conversation at work yesterday that opened my eyes to another lifestyle change I’ve made without even realizing it. I hardly ever drink diet soft drinks any more. There was a time when I used to drink 5-7 diet cola drinks a day. I didn’t care if it was Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke, as long as I got my fix. Read more
Roasted Parmesan Zucchini
April 1, 2009
Best zucchini I’ve ever had — the garlic and Parmesan flavors are awesome. Read more
Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes
March 31, 2009
We have this recipe once a week at my house. It’s so quick and easy and tastes great.
Read more
Permission to Indulge
March 30, 2009
Adopting a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you can never indulge in a yummy dessert again. In fact, it means just the opposite — a healthy lifestyle means that you learn how to work all sorts of foods into your eating plan (notice I didn’t use the word ‘diet’). Read more
