on my mind monday 5.15.12

news | photo: mconnors

It's never the same two weeks in a row.  This is a collection of what I find interesting in health, nutrition and holistic living.  Read what's on my mind.

Healthy Supermarket Shopping - While it might not be possible to have a nutritionist on hand at every trip to the market, this study shows that additional information and knowledgeable staff could help shoppers to make more healthful decisions."  Marketers deliberately crowd their packaging with healthy seeming claims or vague information that consumers think means it's a good choice.  This is why I love my Pantry Party service.  When I go to the grocery store with people they learn how to evaluate this information and how make those healthy changes.  You don't need to take a nutrition professional with you every time, but at least one or two trips with someone to guide you can be a good idea.  If you're looking for help at the grocery store let me know.

Keeping a Food Diary Doubles Weight Loss - This has been shown in studies time and time again.  part of the reason is that it involves mindfulness.   How many people remember what they had for breakfast last Tuesday?  If you write down what you eat you are able to be fully aware of not only what you eat but how much and how often. This technique also works for helping people learn to stay hydrated.  If you need to account for your fluid intake you'll realize if you need to drink more because you are keeping track of it.  There are lots of Food Diary Apps out there.  If you don't have a smart phone or other electric device just use a piece of paper or an index card.  I have some people who choose to use one index card per day; others use a piece of paper folded into quarters which gives you 8 writing spaces and holds a week's worth of information.  Whatever tool works for you, use it, the important thing is to keep track.

Fix Your Form: Pushups - Okay, confession time. I can't do pushups very well and I don't like to do them.  And yet I'm willing to complain about my "wings" while not doing anything to support good arm health.  This article reminds me that I need to pay attention to my form, revisit my copy of JJ Virgin's Six Weeks To Sleeveless and Sexy, stop by One Hundred Pushups, and get back on track.  I'm doing full out pushups, not on my knees.  Initial score: 7

What Would Be In Your Healthy Vending Machine - I don't eat from vending machines.  The food is, to put it bluntly, crap.  Lots of ideas about healthier choices run through my head every time I come across a vending machine and I mutter to myself, "Why don't they have [insert good option here]."   What would be in YOUR healthy vending machine? How to grow mint.  I always shudder when I see people who have planted mint loose and free in their garden.  It tends to go wild without much provocation; I'm reminded of my garden in Ohio where I learned this sad fact.  I planted lemon mint, spearmint, and peppermint in a garden bed, next to each other.  Over the next two years it completely took over the bed, choking out everything else.  And my mint sauce for ice cream?  Well, let's just say lemon-spearmint-peppermint sauce is a little too unusual for most palates.

On My Reading List:

Food Bites: the science of what we eat - I've just requested this book from my local library.  It is supposed to answer questions about food safety, labeling dates, how it's made and more.  Some of the categories, like fermenting and probiotics, appeal to me.  Others, Kool Aid vs Tang?  Not so much.  But it should be an interesting read.  I'll keep you posted.


disclaimer: cmp.ly/5