Monday, March 26, 2012

Changes can be good!

Change, just saying the word makes some people cringe.  However, many times change can be incredibly important and good for us!  Change can come in many different ways, eating habits, physical activities, spiritual journeys, friends and acquaintances, careers, love interests, hobbies, etc. 

Within the last five years of our lives, we have made a lot of changes, especially in the areas of physical activity and nutrition.  But beyond that, lately we have made changes in our life to surround ourselves with people that relate to and support our healthy, active lifestyle.  We have realized that surrounding yourself with people of like interests, who support who and what you are, is more than just nice, it is essential to living life to the fullest! 

What area of your life do you need to make a change in?  Do you need to add more physical activity?  Do you need to improve your eating habits?  Do you need to become more spiritual?  Or maybe you need to remove people who are toxic in your life and surround yourself with supportive, loving people. 

Whatever change you need to make, here are a few important steps you need to keep in mind when making those changes.
1. Make it non-negotiable-Make the change and don't back out of it, NO EXCUSES!
2. Make it clear and actionable-Your change should be something you can do and will stick to it.
3. Prevent quitting by coming up with solutions for excuses before you take action
4. Set a deadline/Monitor your progress/Focus on the goal-Set a goal for when you want to accomplish your goal, make sure you keep your progress in the forefront of your mind, and focus on what your want to accomplish on the horizon.

Change is good.  Change is healthy.  Change is necessary to grow and progress as humans.  Make the changes in your life that need to be made.  Begin now!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Eggs...the incredible, edible food!

If you are like me, I have thought in the past that eggs are a food that you should avoid, high cholesterol, fat, etc.  Recently, though, a lot of research has come out to show the nutritional health benefits of eggs.  Runner's World recently posted an article with details of eggs' benefits.  Here are some highlights of that article.

Weight Loss - People wanting to lose weight who ate eggs for breakfast achieved a 60% greater weight loss compared to those who ate a calorie-equivalent bagel.  The research theorizes that the quality protein in whole eggs (13% of Daily Value) helps control appetite and it is easy for your body to absorb. 

Heart Protection - Contrary to what has been thought in the past, eggs can protect your heart! People who ate eggs at least a couple days a week, built up beneficial cholesterol and a unique protein found in egg yolks blocks platelets (the cells responsible for blood clots) from clumping together inside blood vessels, thereby minimizing heart-attack risk.

Fighting Inflammation - Whole eggs contain nutrient choline (one large egg has 30 percent of your daily value, mostly in the yolk). This not only aids in brain health, but it also helps keep the body's circulatory system clear of compounds that can cause inflammation. Inflammation can lead to disorders ranging from diabetes to Alzheimer's disease.

Maintain bone strength - Eggs are one of the few foods containing bone-building vitamin D. One egg supplies 10 percent of the Daily Value. Some brands like Eggland's Best have double that amount.

Keeping your vision sharp - Yolks contain the pigment lutein, which helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (a leading form of blindness). Other foods like spinach and other greens contain higher amounts of lutein, but eggs provide a more absorbable form.

Other facts -
Brown, white, cage free, organic, non-organic? These are all nutritionally the same.

Eggs are a great source of Omega 3s-One yolk has has as much as 1ounce of salmon.