Welcome to my new site! I hope as many people who stopped by my other blog will find me here and drop by…your comments and emails mean so much to me

I wanted to touch base regarding my yoga class the other night. It’s a basic class to practice Hatha and after Zumba taking a beating out on my hips and legs, this was a much needed ‘break’. I absolutely loved it and forgot how wonderful yoga truly makes me feel. Doing it at home is somehow not quite the same as being in a room filled with other people, all breathing in sync and the sound of silence. I totally and completely re-connected with myself….and it was amazing.

Some people think yoga is all “weird” and for “hippies” but if you haven’t tried it, you may find you really like it. I admit it can be challenging at first in the sense that you REALLY have to pay attention to your breathing because this is what yoga is centered around. It’s about bringing yourself, your mind to a different level of consciousness….one where you are simply at peace. Once you focus on your breathing and learn to enjoy the quiet and intensity, yoga feels amazing. None of the moves are extremely strenuous nor do they require super-strength but they do require focus and patience. You can only do what feel comfortable doing. Yoga isn’t about the end…you will never ‘finish’ so to speak.

I wanted to explore nutrition labels a bit more since I touched upon it in my last post about grocery shopping. I really want to drill it into your head to take the time when shopping, to read the nutrition labels on the container. Check out the serving size and daily value % of the various vitamins and minerals. Let’s talk cereal…”breakfast” cereals. I’m an addict and I freely admit it. Perhaps there is just something comforting about making a bowl of cereal, pouring the milk in and settling down to eat it. It reminds me of being a kid. I choose my cereals wisely though and stay away from gimmicky, high sugar and high fat cereals like Fruit Loops, Corn Pops or Apple Jacks. These are NOT cereal…I don’t believe children or adults should start the day with these because they are really no more than empty calories with a hollow promise of whole grain nutrition.

Some of my favorites are:

Kashi Go Lean Crunch: This stuff packs a punch! I copied this direct from the website- “Crunchy clusters made from Kashi Seven Whole Grains and sesame. They’re naturally sweetened with a touch of honey and cinnamon and then toasted to perfection for a hearty crunch.” I honestly love this cereal with milk, or even just to grab a few clusters out of the box a snack. This will not go soggy but then again, I never have it in the bowl long enough…Nutrition info per serving 9 g protein, 8 g fibre and made with 16 whole grains such as barely, wheat and corn to name a few.

Quaker Corn Bran Squares: If you’re looking for HIGH fibre cereal that has a sweet crunch, this cereal is awesome! At a 3/4 cup serving with skim milk, you’re looking at 30% of your daily fibre requirement! (20 g). There are no trans fats; which by the way YOU DO NOT WANT IN YOUR CEREAL- OR YOUR BODY REALLY…

Quaker Life: Yup, Mikey is still right. Since 1961 this cereal has been on kitchen tables all over the world and for good reason. It’s chock full of B Vitamins for one (great for converting food to energy) and at 8 g of fibre per serving, it more than meets my requirements! I have never tired of Life…

Okay these are only 3 cereals in a list of several other NUTRITIOUS varieties. The key to picking out cereal for you and your kids is read, read, read the labels. Ideally, the first ingredient should be a whole grain…and if you see the words “partially hydrogenated” put the cereal back on the shelf and step back. Check fat content and fibre content, calories per serving…you’ll get the hang of it once you really start analyzing those labels.

Don’t start your day by fueling your body with sugar and fat….

Live Well. Eat Well.

Chere Michelle

So for those of you who read me regularly you know I have posted about my bad back. I also have serious knots going on all throughout it, that sometimes render me pretty useless. Like today. My back was pretty much seized up and I made it through the day slightly drugged up on robaxacet…and cut my work day short by an hour. This isn’t a good way to live or function. I was talking to my dear friend tonight and she mentioned she had ‘heard’ something about potassium helping with muscle pain. I admit I had not heard this before so I looked into it…and I was floored. I knew it was an important nutrient obviously, but I didn’t know ALL that it did and why exactly I should make sure to have it in my diet.

So benefit number one has got to be that a diet rich in potassium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and strokes, and we all know that is good news. But did you know that sufficient potassium in your diet can also soothe feelings of anxiety, stress and irritability?

If you’re lacking potassium in your diet, you could experience serious fatigue, a slow down of reflexes and muscle cramping. (of course I must state if you are feeling like this for an extended period of time, you really need to go to the doctor to rule out anything else…). Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m trying to walk against the current, constantly being pushed back but too exhausted to find another route. I do know a part of it is the winter blues and a combination of some other life issues going on…but this information about potassium really strikes a chord in me. I feel I need to up my potassium intake; I need to see if it helps with my back seizing up. I figure I have NOTHING to lose, right?

So how will I get this extra potassium? Well, a banana has 400 mg….and what is more convenient than putting one of these bad boys in your lunch bag or grabbing one on the go? All my research seems to indicate the recommended daily intake should be 3500-4000 mg but realistically, we eat about half of that a day. Most fruits and vegetables are a great source of potassium so make sure to always get enough….

Other potassium rich foods are:

- Lima Beans: 1 cup has 1000 mg. I love this bean. Seriously. With a smidge of butter and pepper.
- Cantaloupe: 1/2 of a 5″ melon has 975 mg. Yum! Quick snack? 1/2 melon with cottage cheese.
- Potato: 1 medium sized tater has around 900 mg and really, is there a more versatile veggie??
- Fresh OJ: 1 cup will give you 975 mg.
- Papaya: 785 mg in 1 papaya. I do not eat enough of this fruit….

This is really only a handful of the foods out there….bottom line, if we’re eating a balanced and nutritious diet with the fruits and veggie requirements our bodies need, then everything is good. Personally speaking, I’m adding a little extra potassium to my daily diet!

Love Chere Michelle

Everything is coming up…..green??

Yup. Green baby…Check out Genuine Health’s website for more info on the benefits of making Greens part of your daily diet.

Do you take sugar-laden energy drinks? Find yourself drinking more than one cup of coffee a day? Are you sluggish and constantly wonder if your head is even connected to your body sometimes?

I’m so excited about this stuff! This has been something I have toyed with trying for years now…and it wasn’t until my dear friend (who wishes to remain anonymous, but lets call her something….) “Molly” told me how incredible she was feeling after a few days. A FEW DAYS! I trust her completely and her move in that direction made me realize I needed to kick my butt into a higher gear and follow.

Although it says ‘natural orange flavor’, don’t put too much faith in that. It still tastes like regular greens to me! Add to plain water or juice and drink up.

Enjoy!

I was sitting here tonight thinking, “what on earth can I write about?” It’s not that I don’t have ANY ideas, it’s that I simply have too many ideas floating around in my head and I’m unsure of where to begin, or what topic to pick.

I was reading a post entitled Why Blog? from Melissa over at Sugar Filled Emotions and like her, I originally started blogging as a form of creativity and to let my emotions out. I’ve always been a “writer” and the written word is so much more eloquent and descriptive than words could ever be. Of course I had other reasons to start blogging, and that was to share MY story. It took me a long time to feel confident about the weight loss and how I did it; but once I did I wanted to shout it from the roof top!

Simply put: I love reading blogs because they are real and they are full of raw emotion. I realize everything I read I need to take with a grain of salt if I’m doing specific research, but I could never judge another person’s feelings. It takes guts to open yourself up and expose your inner soul (and mind!) for the entire world wide web to critique.

Nile Flores, over at blondish.net  put down some of her thoughts on blogging and I found these hit the nail on the head. What resonated the most was these words: “Blogging should not be a chore. Write about what you want and when you want to.” I thought about that and it’s so true. If a blogger is finding the whole process tedious and mundane- it’s probably time for them to to put their blogger hat away and take a break. I get excited when I have something to share…I get excited when I receive emails from others who are on their own journey to lose weight or to just be happier in their lives. I love this! One little problem? My blog isn’t nearly how I want it to look…and I’m struggling with that. It will get there in time…I must trust in myself and *be patient.* Right???

Blogging inspires me to keep going on my own journey because it is one, that will not be over for a really long time. Sure the weight may have come off, but the doubts, the insecurities and depression are still present. Those are the things I take ONE DAY AT A TIME and learn to conquer day  day. Blogging helps me do this.

So why do I blog? I blog specifically to SHARE…and inspire others. This in turn reminds me daily of where I am in this life, and how I want to proceed down the road. Ultimately I want:

- To inspire others to be the person they truly want to be
- To help people lose weight
- To help others learn to live healthy and as a result, to live happy
- To help myself as I continue on my own journey to being the person I have always dreamed of being
- To connect, communicate and share with the others around the world

I am ever thankful to those who read me and continue to email and support me through their words.

In a sort of nutshell, that’s why I blog.

Do you think that beautiful woman you pass by every morning at the train station, smartly dressed in a pinstriped suit, with perfect shiny hair and makeup has high self-esteem? What about the chubby teenager with acne who grabs your coffee at Starbucks in the morning- think she has it? Or your boss? Your mother? Your best friend?

The first thing that pops up in the dictionary when you look up self esteem is “a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self respect.” Well. When it’s put this way it almost seems EASY to understand! Respect- we all want that don’t we? So it shouldn’t be hard to give it to ourselves…
 
So why are we struggling? What will it take for us to look in the mirror and actually like that face or body that we see there? This is the body we were given; it’s the only one we are EVER going to get so we really have no choice but to accept it. Of course we have the choice to fix it, or better it so that we may like what we have more. This is why we exercise, why we wear makeup and style our hair so painstakingly every morning. We either don’t like what we see, or we simply want to elaborate on it.

 I’m not concerned with what you do on the outside to make yourself look pretty, or feel stylish- I do it too. Do you know how hard I struggle to straighten my hair? Or how I still look at the cellulite on my thighs and wonder for a moment what it would be like to have smooth legs? I’m concerned with what’s going on in your head to make you feel that you aren’t worth giving yourself the self-respect you deserve. You may grumble about not getting respect from others; perhaps it’s a pattern you repeat with men, or with female friends you attract. Have you stopped and asked yourself- are you showing the world that YOU respect YOURSELF? I’m not trying to berate you- I’m just putting a simple question out there. Think about it. How do you appear to others?

Do you let people walk all over you? Do you stay in a situation you know you should be out of, or deserve better, such as a relationship or your job? Do you not speak up to people and let your opinion be heard instead of letting others decide for you? These may seem like such small things on this page but when you add them up, they really do speak volumes.

Actions speak louder than words. Think about this statement. Why do we find it so hard to say what we really want? We may want something so bad, but our actions tell a completely different story. And since we’re not saying otherwise, this is what outsiders see and come to know about us. Until you find your voice, nothing can really change.

I have to remind myself sometimes, when I’m feeling lazy that eating well isn’t hard work…if you make it simple. Over the years I have discovered several ways to help me eat better, prepare food faster and make it more convenient. Unless you love spending hours in the kitchen…lets face it, it IS all about convenience.

I always want veggies and dip…or salad. But I hate cutting up everything- especially after a long day and I’m tired and HUNGRY. I now buy all my veggies on one day of the week, usually Sunday because that’s just what works for me…I come home and spend less than an hour of my time cutting and chopping. I put everything into resealable containers, and even my lettuce is washed and ready to be thrown in a bowl. I don’t cut tomatoes obviously, as they would dry out, but everything else is fair game. I don’t soak my veggies in water either since all the nutrients will seep out into the liquid, but soak a paper towel or cloth napkin and lie on top or around the veggies. This keeps them crunchy! Now when I come home during the week, making a salad is as simple as dumping my lettuce in a bowl, and adding all the good stuff.

I always keep an array of stuff from the bulk section too. This section of the grocery store is your best friend. I buy nuts and seeds here, dried fruit and granola (among other things). I always top my salads with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and a dried fruit of some kind- I lean towards cranberries.

Another staple in my fridge is a mixture of beans and rice. I flip between flavors and cravings but currently it’s been Spanish rice and black beans. I cook up a pot and put in fridge and makes an excellent QUICK burrito or wrap- hot or cold. You could throw meat in of course, and whatever else your little heart desires. It’s all about taste and convenience.

I’m also big on chili. I think it’s a great thing to simmer on the stove on weekend day, mixing and adding all the yummy stuff you want…,make it as spicy as you want…or as mild. I make a huge batch and freeze into portions. It only gets better with time! I discovered a chili burrito with rice is also a great way to use it up…Basically when you make things like pasta sauce- make MORE. And then freeze into portions. Knowing you have that to come home to, instead of say, ripping open a bag of *shudder* Mr Noodles, can make all the difference.

(Yes I use the Yves Veggie Ground “Burger” for my chili! Adds my protein and bulks it up.)
All it takes is a little planning….a little time (and I do mean LITTLE time) to make sure you eat well and love what you’re eating. If you put the effort into it, your body will thank you.

Until next time,
Love Chere Michelle