Happy is and Happy does.

Are we truly happy and what is happiness? I find most of us live in a state of frenzied shock. We are scurrying around like little field mice trying to complete 26 hours worth of "must do's" in only 24 hours. We get some of it done, wonder why we don't have those extra hours and then end up losing sleep over the rest. Every so often we all need to sit down take 5 deep breaths (don’t be lazy FIVE breaths, one won’t cut it) and reset our importance roster. You have time to be happy, to do what you want to do and spend time being happy and not run down and tuned out.



momAgenda Day Planner

Step one: plan more, pace less. We spend entirely too much time pacing around worrying about getting things done and we spend far too little time putting pen to paper and planning what needs to be done. Plan time to play. If you love to read then I suggest you write "meeting" in your schedule every day at the same time and then read. Have you wanted to go to the gym, but feel like there is no time? Pick up that calendar and pencil in time. Then when Aunt Suzie calls to ask if you can make 1500 cookies for the bake sale, you can refer to your calendar. "I'm sorry I'm actually in meetings all week."



Rembrandt-The Return of the Prodigal Son

Step two: apologize and forgive. Do you have someone that you have wronged and feel avoiding them is a much easier task than clearing the air? I assure you, we live in a very small world. You can’t hide forever. Go build a bridge that you have torn down; you will live a happier, healthier life. Do you have someone you feel needs to apologize to you? Forgive them first and move on. They may never apologize and harboring hate will not fix the wrong they have done. Anger and bitterness are the easiest ways to destroy our own health and happiness.

Step three: live unabashedly. Now, come on you are making this stuff up! Unabashedly: live without frustration, poised and ready without concealing or disguise. When we try to be people we are not we are constantly in a state of watchfulness. We never allow our defenses to come down in fear someone will see the real us. It’s ok to be you; the real dirty, broken, healed, loved, hated, spoken to and about, high fived and back handed. Own it. Learn from it, love it and grow from it. You will live free, you will carry less of a load and be happy.

Step four: be nice. For some of you this one will be the hardest. We walk into the grocery store with a sour puss face on expecting “great customer service” and then are shocked when the clerk is curt with us. Be nice, it’s contagious. This includes smiling at passers-by, holding the door for man or woman (let’s let go of women’s lib for a few moments on this one), allow someone, who  appears to be rushed, ahead of you in line. Look for ways to be nice. You will find them and when you do take the chance. You will be shocked at the happiness you will bring yourself as well as others.

Short and Sweet

Aspartame or NutraSweet as we call it was the greatest invention since the wheel. Or is it? All of our favorite sweet drinks, yogurts, cereal bars, salad dressings, candy bars, ice creams, bubble gums, jams and jellies are filled with this gem. The real kicker is, it has no calories, none, zip zilch. In a nation where calories somehow became likened to death we will steer clear of those puppies at all cost. Seriously at all cost. For some reason drinking a soda that tastes sweet, but has been linked to cancer, birth defects, diabetes, psychological disorders, HINDERS WEIGHT LOSS, causes vision problems and is linked to brain damage and seizures is viewed as our miracle to smaller waist lines. For the love of everything that is holy. When did we become a nation where all of those side effects became worth a few sweet treats and the hope of rock hard abs. So, in the event you were looking for a post to high five you for swallowing down those calorie free treats you haven't found it here.

Now, I'm not saying that you can't find a few photos of me in college days downing a few bottles of Diet Coke. I'm sure they are out there, but there came a day when I had to start thinking on my own. I sat down and had a heart to heart with myself. Is being skinny worth all of these terrible things? I resolved that if it wasn't "real" food I was no longer going to eat it. If I want a cookie I was going to eat a real, sugar filled yummy goodness. If I ate too many then I would reap the consequences. Here's the thing. Calories have this magical way of telling you when you continue to eat too many. They deposit themselves in your least favorite spots: your bum, right under your arms, that one inch band around your upper thigh, oh yea and your belly. Now lets judge our counterpart: aspartame. You have no idea what damage it is doing to your body. You don't see it eating away your cells a little at a time. You don't attribute your never shrinking belly to it because you assume that no calories means no fat. Here's the problem. The more you trigger your sugar, gotta have it hormone, the more you will want it. You will usually reach for bread products because you know that "sugar" is bad. So you grab another diet soda and an extra dinner roll and hunker down assuming you are doing yourself a favor. Put down the roll and SHOVE away the diet soda. You give me one month, replace your diet products with water and continue to work out and I believe you will be shocked at how you feel and how you look.

Healthy Tip Tuesday - Asparagus

Asparagus

Archibold Asparagus as it is fondly known in our home is not only a helpful doctor on Veggie Tales, it also happens to help keep you from seeing a doctor.

Eat Asparagus to detox the body, prevent aging, increase libido, fight cancer, reduce pain and inflamation, help prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, reduce the risk of heart disease, and help in the prevention of birth defects.

I'm telling you with power like that packed into a veggie we should seriously be thinking health care reform. I say we just increase production of organic asparagus and start shipping it to all American households. Ok, in all seriousness, asparagus should be a great new addition to your produce shopping list.

Myth Blasting Monday

Myth: Muscle Turns to Fat If You Stop Weight Lifting.

All too often I hear. "How do I change my fat into muscle." In hopes of not devestating and discouraging those of you that are sitting with ears perked and pens ready to take note; you should know you don't. Fat will never become muscle and thankfully muscle will never become fat! Fat and muscle are two entirely seperate tissues.

Here's the great news! If you are sitting looking back at your glory days when you were punting that football, slam dunking that basketball or meerly looking down and seeing your toes and wondering if it is possible to get back in "great shape," I assure you it is.  Lets not get too excited and go slam dunking any basketballs with the young kids or challenge your next door neighbors 10 year old to a 100 yard dash. It is and will always be easier to regain muscle than it is to build it from scratch. Soooo, if you are thinking about getting back in shape, but that ten pound weight feels like fifty and simply siting and standing from your Lazyboy feels like squats; I assure you the faster you get back to it the faster you will regain that lean body of weightlifting past. But REMEMBER fat doesn't turn to muscle either so put down those Oreos, french fries and "light" (give me a break-who are you kidding light?!) beers and get moving. You will need increase your Cardiovasular activity (ie. continually movement for 20 min or more) to decrease your fat content. Lets make this a simple concept for everyone. Focus on gaining muscle or losing fat, one at a time.

Self Confident

Today while watching my daughter and her amazing ability to be 100% herself and have pride in doing so I thought about our society as a whole and our inability at times to just be us and have pride in doing so. I have spent the best part of the last month, ok the last year, reading through trashy magazines. Oh geez, dont get all excited, not those kinds of magazines. The ones that you will find at your local grocery story depicting what trends are hot and what every "A-list" Hollywood socialite is doing and how we can become more like them by buying their purse...excuse me, handbag. I have a theory; why is it that many people esteem to be someone else or find more times than not that someone else is better than they are. We think someone else holds the key to self confidence and quite frankly I believe we all wish we had a little more of it. I will be the first to raise her hand and admit that I wish I had more self confidence. No, I don't wish that I could wear shorter skirts or dance on table tops...however, I do feel those two things may go hand in hand. My hope is that some day we can all be happy with the body, personality, abilities, and skills we have. I assure you that for the most part things are falling more "down" than they are "up" and even when we achieve the best someone will be coming along trying to acheive better. We fear failure. We fear not being good enough, smart enough, tall enough short enough, strong enough, nice enough. Please let me assure you if we are looking to be all things at all times, we should not fear failure we should expect it. And then when it happens realize that getting up and trying again is sometimes what creates the greatest strengths!

“I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn’t fall down.”
Allen H. Neuharth

I believe that self confidence is mearly cherishing what makes us different from other people. My hope for our younger generation is that they can be confident without being brash. Confidence is not cocky. It does not take advantage of other people and it certainly doesn't boast when it is better than others. Confidence is that quiet ability to be oneself without pressuring others to be the same. Stand confindently today people. Accept who you are. I assure you, that person you wish you were, wishes they were someone else. Are you hiding that little black dress in the back of your closet for a day when you will feel confortable wearing it. Have you considered joining a gym, but would like to lose a few pounds first. Have you always wanted to hike, bike, ride, swim, write, sew, paint, sculpt, create, love more, live bolder, wear yellow, speak your mind, live your dreams? Begin today. You have one life. One chance. You are strong enough, I promise and even if you don't feel confident enough to try, fake it til you are!

“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear.”
William Jennings Bryan

What will you choose to do today to build your self confidence. Buy that canvas and paints. Put that black dress and heels on and go to the grocery store. I PROMISE it's looks better than the sweats and "slippers" you are planning to wear. Go for that walk and run, even if it's ten steps and then confidently say you are a runner! Be proud of your trying and celebrate your soon to be accomplishments!

4 Bullets of Nutritional Change

In a world where sitting 8 hours a day is the social norm and it just doesn't seem like there is enough time to exercise. There are ways to make it easier with out going crazy on the hamster wheel. I have been a personal trainer for 13 years and I can't tell you how much I have wanted to go back to school and get my major in Chemistry in order to make the majic pill that will make "fit", fit in a bottle. I've had people cry, scream, fight with me, give up and some manage to win the battle only to come back years later gaining it back. Please don't think this is a blog post bashing those who have failed or lead you to believe there is no hope. My heart aches for those who try, and try hard, and can't seem to win this battle. Why is it so hard to become the fit person they desire to be without allowing it to consume you. Here is what I believe and I assure you that it seems easier said than done. However, I promise you if you make these small changes each day it WILL become easier every day. Lets promise ourselves that no matter how the pants fit or what that white devil in bathroom (the scale) tells us we will make a change toward healthy. Here are a few bullet points of healthy hope for you to start living by.

1. Stay away from the big box store. Ok I know I'm going to get comments that you can't afford to shop at the Trader What's His Name, Not So Old Seasons, or Local Markets...I'm not saying that this is absolutely necessary, but I assure you, that box of 120 granola bars that you think are a screaming deal are translating into HOURS on the treadmill or pounds on your toosh. If you have a box of 120 granola bars you will eat twice as many as if you buy that box of 8. Abundance breeds glutany. Your portion sizes will naturally decrease. Lower portion sizes, means less calories, less time on the treadmill and more time doing and being what you want.

2. Buy fresh fruits and veggies and wash them immediately. Buying fresh fruits and veggies will ensure that you eat them quickly and decrease your sodium intake. Plus, your foods are sprayed with Bisphenal A  if you follow chemicals and the harm they are doing to you, bisphenal A has been deemed by the FDA as harmful to fetuses, infants, and young children. Canada has declared it a toxic chemical. NO BEUNO. So each week, hang on to your britches, buy a new fresh veggie. Something crazy fun. Try a beet, just dont wear your favorite whites while you do. Those buggers are high in antioxidants, and are a natural antifungal. Plus you can tell your kiddoes that there is a pretty good possibility it will turn their pee PINK! What fun!

3. Buy organic. Please don't stop reading. I know I'm a Portlandite but I assure you that organics are not just a cultural crazy, there is backing to this. If your pocket book can't handle all organics here's what you should start with. Do buy anything that is high in fats: cheese, peanut butter, milk, meats and butter. These foods carry with them chemicals and hormones that actually change the cells of your body and because they are high in fats they remain in your body much longer than their lower fat, food cousins.

4. For the next 30 days do not buy anything in a BOX or a LOUD BAG. Nothing. You will quickly find that most of your high calorie, high fat foods are found in box and loud bag form. Ok, now that you are all thinking. Loud bag? What the heck does that mean. I'll give you an example. I sneek into my kitchen under the cloak of dark. I open the pantry, leaving the door open in which to muffle the noise, I reach in for the bag of Oreos. I do not say a word. I simply pull back that nice new flap that reveals how many cookies are really left. Out of no where I hear my four year old three rooms over, "Mom are you in the OREOS?" Busted. If you four year old can hear it....don't buy it.

My newest challenge to you! Make these 4 bullets your goals to live buy. Please remember that these are goals. Goals are meant to be reached over time. Don't get frazzeled if you find yourself reaching for the 2 pound brick of cheese because it has that shiney red sale sign on it. Like my momma says, "Quality, not Quantity." Good luck and keep me posted! Life is worth the change!

2012 where did you go and 2013 where will we go?

More often than not you can find me hollaring, "Hurry up! Lets Go!  and Get a Move On!" However, sometimes it is good to stop, take a moment to reflect and then Hurry Up! This is one of those times. As I sit wondering where 2012 went and how on earth we are 1/4 the way through 2013 I realize that my parents were right when they said the older you get the faster time flies.

2012, it was a rough year for many and it was a great year for some. Although jobs seemed to be on the increase, so were fuel prices. We saw a twister rip through Texas. A meteor actually hit the earth. Not like in my youth where we were just warned that a meteor would pass closer to earth than ever before, it actually HIT! The West Nile came back. I personally was unaware that it went anywhere. New pyramids were discovered and how they have hidden for so long is beyond me. We as a nation considered banning the Super Gulp and all "large" sodas. The only word I have for this is ludacrous. Does anyone remember prohibition. You'd find people making their own 64 ounce containers in their basements or carrying around two liter soda bottle and simply putting a straw in them. And certainly none of us can forget our yahoo accounts were hacked...I've already forgotten. The ice caps melted reaching a record low. For those of you that have no idea what significance this has on our, world listen up. Ice caps melting means oceans rising. Oceans rising means less land and unless you are a pretty avid swimmer or really like to live in the mountains, we would appreciate the oceans staying where they belong. Now, there is no need to go and start building your ark. We are talking hundreds of thousands of years before serious ark building action needs to be taken. No need to worry about those ice caps, because we had the Olympics to prepare for. It always amazes me how so many nations can come together and compete with such sincerity and respect for one another, but our national leaders can't spend twenty minutes in a room together without an argument. We celebrated, Facebooked, tweeted, blogged and hollered to anyone who would listen to all of our very important 2012 news; often times not very important at all. And can we forget the end of the world. You remember right? The Mayans...someone really dropped the ball in that civilization. They stop writing their calendar and the rest of us start planning for the end of the world. And although the world did not end for all of us; in Newtown, CT the world stopped turning for many. A tiny town known to very few before December 14th. No one could imagine the pain and grief we were all about to feel as a nation. Our little ones snatched from us like a thief in the night. We stood as a nation, moms and dads and grieved for each parent that wouldn't have their little ones home for Christmas. We saw in our schools actual super heros. We found people to look up to and to honor. We were devastated, we were changed, we were grateful for what we had and for who we still have. We walked out of 2012 and looked to the edge of the fiscal cliff. We made it! We survived! We set new resolutions. Some of us called them goals, some of us refused to make them and those of us who did may have found ourselves already forgetting what they were.

How will you write your 2013? What will your top news stories be this year? I for one want to write an adventure. Goals reached. Bucket list check offs. I want to be great! Now lets go. Here is my challenge. Have you set a new year resolution that you didn't keep? Are you waiting for something to happen for you start making a change. Let's each of us set a new goal. Write it down and then write the first step you will take toward reaching it. Maybe it's something easy like reading a new book. And maybe it's something more difficult like going back to school. Either way lets take one step toward better.