Test
this is simply a test post to show Alisa and Michael how to create something in the website. just as you would in Microsoft WORD or another program that lets you enter text.
this is simply a test post to show Alisa and Michael how to create something in the website. just as you would in Microsoft WORD or another program that lets you enter text.
Alisa and her spine 
Holiday Health Made Simple
We are in the midst of the holidays: wonderful and uplifting in some ways; and hectic and stressful in others. I won’t be unreasonable and tell you to chill out , or “just say no” to every goodie that passes your way, but perhaps I can help you focus on moderation and cultivate self-preservation.
No Need to Pack on the Pounds
Some of us are really watching what we eat so we can fit into those special jeans or slinky *LBD for that holiday cocktail party. Others are merely trying to maintain, and some just want to get through the season without being asked to play Santa at the mall. Regardless of your goals, some simple rules apply. On the days when holiday parties and dinners are on the schedule, don’t fast all day first. Research shows that those who skip breakfast and lunch tend to overeat later on; actually consuming more calories than if they had eaten modestly that day. Eat a healthy breakfast, like an egg white omelet and a few slices of oranges, and forego the toast and bacon. Eat a salad for lunch with a few ounces of lean protein, and leave off the croutons, cheese and other assorted condiments. Forego the creamy dressing, opting to sprinkle your greens with a tsp of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a pinch of sea salt. Have a small snack before you go out for the evening, like a slice of deli turkey, a small apple and a 1tsp of organic peanut or almond butter. With your blood sugar stabilized and metabolism in gear, you won’t walk in the door like you stepped out of the Donner Party!
Drink Up
The next rule is to stay properly hydrated throughout the season. It is so easy to forget to drink enough water, especially now that the weather is cold. Start your day with some flavorful and warming herbal tea. Cranberry green tea is lovely! Pour a large pitcher of water first thing in the morning and make it your goal to have it finished by bedtime. Sip continuously throughout the day. Since we often mistake thirst for hunger, we tend to overeat when we are dehydrated. If you think you are hungry, drink some good quality H20, and see how you feel 10 minutes later. If you still feel hungry, a light, healthy snack may be in order. Also, when you are dehydrated, your mucous membranes dry out making you more susceptible to respiratory infections. Mucous is formed mostly from water, and its main job is to lubricate airways and prevent pathogens from taking up residence.
You First!
The last rule is to make you a priority! You want to get right to your shopping, baking, card writing, wrapping, and shipping. But would it kill you to take a brisk walk or sit down with your feel up for a few minutes of quiet time? You don’t have to soak in a hot bath for an hour to feel invigorated and relaxed. It’s amazing what twenty minutes can do! Question: Are you still trying to prove to your family that you’re still the Energizer Bunny you’ve always been? Slow it down a notch. We are getting a bit older, not much mind you, but a bit, and we need to treat ourselves with a little consideration and love. Get to bed at a reasonable hour. Let the little things go. Remember, good health is about keeping stress to a minimum as much as it is about eating right and staying fit. So, don’t hold your breath while rushing through your day, mentally checking and revising your to-do list. Slowly breathe in and out, in and out, from the diaphragm this time, deep, slow and relaxed, breathing in and out… see, you’re getting it. When you take care of yourself, you will radiate the joy of the season. You will have that sparkle and shine that turns heads! Enjoy!
Eating Beyond The Belch
The body has infinite wisdom. Without being consciously aware of it, we are told when to breathe, swallow, blink, go to sleep, and eat. It is through the complex functioning of the autonomic nervous system that we are signaled to perform these life-sustaining activities. If we would only listen! While its reflexive to blink when our eyes need lubrication or protection, and to swallow when food traverses the esophagus, it is so much harder to put yourself to bed when your body signals exhaustion or push the plate away when your body signals fullness.
We have lost the ability to interpret our body’s messages. We used to hear those messages but ignored them so many times that we are no longer able to. Perhaps the most poignant example is eating beyond the belch. At some point during your meal, you are going to experience a little burp, hiccup or belch that signals that you are done; you have eaten an adequate amount of food for your survival. Anything eaten beyond that will be stored as fat, plain and simple.
I have been aware of the belch for a long time but failed to recognize its significance. Now that I am “tuned in,” I notice it comes close to where the end of the meal probably should be, usually before a second helping and surely before dessert! Most of the time, I heed the signal and push my plate away despite the bit of remaining food. Once in a great while, I consciously choose to eat beyond the burp because what I am eating is extraordinarily delicious. I decide to enjoy the taste sensation I am experiencing, often regretting it later in the form of heartburn, indigestion or gas. But at least it’s been a conscious decision.
Most of us tend to be unconscious eaters. We eat for all the wrong reasons: boredom, frustration, anxiety, depression or whatever. Perhaps we can’t solve all the eating issues today, but today we can start to become a little more aware of, and in tune with, our bodies. We can make a decision to stop, put the fork down, wipe our mouths and try to feel satisfied. Or…we can consistently eat beyond the belch and continue to carry that extra weight, farting as we go.
Eat Less, Live Longer
Allow me to introduce you to the concept of not eating beyond the belch. In essence, your body signals when you’ve eaten enough by producing a verbal gastric release, aka the belch. Sometimes it is loud and crass, other times barely perceptible. If you tune into your body with a heightened awareness, it is nearly always there. How lucky we are! We have a built-in mechanism for preventing overindulgence.
Enter the discussion Paavo Airola, a brilliant nutritionist. While Paavo never mentioned the belch, he was very interested in health and wellbeing though proper nutrition and lifestyle. He travelled all over the world studying centenarians, those rare relics who live to be 100 years old and beyond. From Russia to China to South America, he consistently found that centenarians rarely, if ever, ate to the point of feeling full. From his studies, Airola concluded that the key to longevity was systematic under eating. In his many wonderful books, Paavo Airola emphatically advocated eating less that we actually want to! What a concept, especially here in Supersize Me America!!
How do we begin to cultivate the mindset of under eating let alone put the practice into action? I say start with the belch! As soon as it happens, which will probably be somewhere near the end of the meal, simply stop eating. Let the belch be your guide. Believe in it, trust it, and follow its innate, self-preserving wisdom. Do it at every meal for a day, then a week, a month and then six. Watch the digestive complaints resolve, the pounds melt away and the energy return. Then, start planning what you’re going to do with the rest of your very long, healthy life!!
