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Instead of That, Try This. . .
There are plenty times in life when we have the utter urge to do something bad, wrong, regretful, etc. but catch ourselves with a better, healthier alternative. Here, 7 simple BETTER choices for those tricky times…
When you feel like you could punch something/one——–>go for a long run ‘n’ sweat it out.
Instead of going overboard and binging on brownie batter—–>eat a piece of dark chocolate or order a small soy latte.
Instead of sobbing over a bad day—–>phone a great friend and talk it out!
Instead of stressing over your overly hectic life—–>sip on a cup of chamomile or peppermint tea.
Instead of settling for the vending machine during your midday munchies—>bring an apple with peanut butter to work!
Instead of bitching someone out in an argument—->listen and try to understand their side of the story for once.
Instead of spending a zillion bucks on take out yet again—>make a healthy din at home. Go here for some ideas!
5 Simple Yet Satisfying Things to Do Right Now
1. Watch a feel good holiday-esque movie, such as Love Actually, The Holiday or even Elf. Hey, it is actually November now, so it’s kinda OK to get into holiday spirit, right?
2. Make a delish, comforting warm fall dessert like hot apple cider with pumpkin pie or apple crisp. (Try Maiann’s low-sugar healthy apple crisp recipe!)
3. Go to your local grocery store and buy some butternut squash-it’s the perfect time of year to get it on sale! Carve out the seeds, then chop it up into small pieces and drizzle with cinnamon and a few TB of agave syrup or light maple syrup. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Clean out your closet. Get all those summer tanks ‘n’ dresses out of there and make way for fall fashion!
5. Walk around your city and take snapshots of anything and everything: the pretty leaves, a cute older couple or an antique building. Find the beauty in everything.… Read More!
EEEK! WHAT DID I JUST EAT??!: Detoxifying After a Rough Night
Ok, I have to admit-between me and my best friend together, we utterly, completely let ourselves go the other night. It all started when we went out to a Halloween party and the first thing we saw (unfortunately) was the snack table, filled with loads of candy, donuts, cookies and anything ‘n’ everything sweet.
Grazing over the snacks, we both acted as though we were never going to get the chance to eat again. I frantically shoved everything in my mouth as if I were in a race-1/2 a gingersnap cookie, a chocolate chip cookie, the top part (aka the good part) of two chocolate Funfetti cupcakes, a chunk of a Reese’s cup that was on top of the cupcake. I think it’s safe to say that I went crazy and lost sight of all senses.
As my friend smuggled a handful of Reese’s and butterfingers into her purse, struggling to zip it shut, I knew we had gone a bit over the top. Five minutes later, I felt a stomachache coming on as I glanced over at my friend who was hunched over by a bench, saying she felt nauseous and had to sit down for a bit.
My … Read More!
“Beauty is acceptance. It’s being kind to other people and accepting yourself.” -Whitney Thompson, plus size model… Read More!
Fearing Food? Give Yourself a Break!
I recently read that in a study of several countries and cultures, Americans were most likely to attribute chocolate cake with guilt.
Other cultures, like the French and Italians thought of words like celebration, happiness or tasty. But we said guilt. That was our word.
That’s sad to me. It’s sad that we oh so often fear food, while other cultures embrace it, savor it and think of it as something to enjoy.
When I traveled to Italy a few years ago, I saw first hand how celebratory and communal the act of eating is to them. They don’t think about the calories, fat, or “diet-destructing” factor of food. And when they sit down to enjoy a meal, they sit down to enjoy it, and I mean really enjoy it.
It felt so nice to take a step away from reality in Italy, and actually allow myself to enjoy my meals, eating slowly and not thinking about it for the first time in a looong time.
Rather than thinking, “Shit, this is going to destroy my diet,” I was thinking, “This seafood risotto is absolutely decadent.”
Why can’t we think like that more often over here? Where did this whole
… Read More! 5 Good for Ya Things to Do In the Kitchen Today
1. Clean out your fridge. It’s time. You know it is. Organize all your fruits, veggies, meats and dairy. Throw out anything that’s old, rotting or just plain in the way. And get rid of that last bite of chocolate cake that’s been in there all week. Do ya really need it?
2. Make my healthy brown rice “pita chips.” Have fun with them and dip ’em in fresh salsa, yummy hummus or just snack on ’em by themselves.
3. Make a cup o’ coffee with your coffee-maker ya rarely use, and drink it black or with just a dash of skim or soy milk. After all, do ya reallllly need all that cream and sugar? Skip ’em and get more health benefits from the natural coffee beans, without disguising the flavor in loads of sugary crap.
4. Blast some feel-good music (I looove the good ol’ oldies like Beatles or Tempations) and go to town in your kitchen, cleaning every nook and cranny. That dust that’s been there all month needs to go! You’ll feel great and much healthier after your kitchen is shiny and new!
5. Once your kitchen is all spankin’ clean, cook something you never have … Read More!
My Skinny Jeans Have Finally Seen the Light (And So Have I)
So, while this may sound shocking for many of you live-in-your-denim type folks, today was the first time in about 4 years that I actually wore jeans out during the day and felt good in them.
It’s not that I hate jeans, per say. In fact, there are more than 15 pairs of the damn things shoved in my drawer, most of them never even worn.
No, it’s not that i hate jeans at all. It’s that I hated them on me. I loathed them, detested them, cursed them for “making me look fat.” Seriously, I went through the majority of my college nights out wearing dresses, leggings or anything else just to avoid putting on jeans.
“But that outfit would look great if you wore jeans with it,” friends would constantly say to me, as I shied away in my room, chickening out and slipping into yet another dress.
But today I braved my fear and slipped into my new pair of Forever 21 skinny jeans and actually felt good. “Wow, OK, not so scary at all,” I thought to myself as I zipped them up and got a glimpse of myself in my full-length closet mirror.
… Read More! Seven Things to Do Today to Make You S.M.I.L.E
1. Send an email to a friend you haven’t spoken with in a while. Make it long, fascinating, humorous and witty, catching him/her up with your life and also making sure to ask about theirs. Maybe attach a few pics or a funny video to add some extra pizazz!
2. Lay in the grass…on a blanket, get in your “comfy” position and finally finish that book you “never have time to read.”
3. Make soup ‘n’ grilled cheese for lunch (use low-fat cheese ‘n’ whole grain bread…hey, we’re also tryin’ to be healthy, right?)
4. Go for a longggg run for mental clarity. Put your ipod on shuffle or a slow playlist instead of your usual rap…and don’t stop ’til your head is clear and your dripping in sweat.
5. Take a bubble bath. Light candles if you want to. Then clip ‘n’ paint your nails afterward and maybe do an oatmeal facial (mix oatmeal with lukewarm water and let dry on face for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off-it feels AMAZING, I swear)
6. Jump in, stomp, crunch, catch or take a picture of leaves. It’s only gonna be fall for so much longer…
7. Do something daring today, … Read More!
