Hi Reader
A few months ago I did a lunch and learn at Neighbors Network, a local 50+ community center. If you are in the Hickory NC area, here is their website, worth checking out Neighbor's Network
I go there once a week to teach a movement class, but this time I discussed healthy aging. We discussed how regularly moving your body helps one age better, how spending time with people that make you happy and doing things that bring you joy helps one age easier and we discussed reading the labels when you grocery shop.
Last week one of the participants in the lunch and learn came up to me and said she was amazed at how much better she feels since she has been reading the labels of the food she purchases. She has been much more mindful about watching for hidden sugars in her food. She said her joints hurt less, she feels less inflamed and puffy, she is sleeping better, isn’t as thirsty, and has more energy to do things. ALL because she has decreased the amount of sugar she consumes.
She also mentioned she still enjoys her cookies, something she isn’t willing to completely give up. Which is something I encourage, just be more mindful of how many cookies. Have 1 or 2 not 6 or 10.
Why is this email subject lined Black Beans and Sugar?? Because my mind is still blown away at this experience I had. I have a specific brand that I usually purchase but for some reason that wasn’t available so I just grabbed the next one because I was in a hurry and didn’t pay attention.
Well when I got around to using those beans, I looked at the ingredients and honestly have no idea why because why would I need to question what is in a can of black beans, shouldn’t it just be black beans?
One would think so BUT the ingredients were black beans, sugar. WHAT!!!???? This is insane to me, why are they putting sugar in black beans. It is so insane to me I am still talking about it 6 months later.
Watch your labels, we are already eating enough sugar in our diets we don’t need the added sugar in things such as black beans.
Going back to that participant, since we had the lunch and learn and she heard this example of hidden sugars she has made small efforts and has made HUGE changes to how she feels.
Go make those small efforts and see how much you can change.
Now for your 1% better ideas on
Fitness, Nutrition and Well-being
Fitness:
Starting a new fitness plan may seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. When starting out, don’t go all in- work up to it. Plan for just 3 days to get movement in. Make 1 day strength, 1 day walking and 1 day stretching. Look at your week on a Sunday and schedule your workout as you would a doctors, dentist, hair appointment. Your fitness is just as important as those appointments, treat it that way.
If you think, oh I’ll workout if I have time, that time is NEVER EVER going to come. 3 days to start and work up as you realize how much more energy you have and how good it feels to move your body.
Here are 3 workouts for you to try. A strength, a stretch and a walk.
Strength Day.pdf
Stretch Day.pdf
Walk Day.pdf
Nutrition:
This week let’s start looking at labels for sugar. Start with reading the ingredients, if sugar is in the first few items look for an alternative that has less sugar.
The second area to review is the actual nutrition section. There will be total sugars and added sugars. You want that to be as close to zero as you can.
most ingredients that end with "-ose" contain sugar. Examples include glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, dextrose, and sucrose, look for these as well.
To avoid added sugars, focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods and read food labels carefully to identify hidden sugars.
One idea I share with my clients is yogurt. Instead of purchasing the yogurt will all the other ingredients, get a large container of PLAIN greek yogurt and some fruit. When you get home put the yogurt and about 1 cup of fruit in the blender. Blend together, add 1 tsp of honey if you feel like you need it sweeter. As this sits in the fridge this will combine more and taste just like the other one with all the yucky ingredients.
Pick 3 items to look at the labels before you purchase them this week. Breaking it down into smaller pieces will help you stick to this healthier habit easier.
Well-being:
When times of overwhelm, stress, anxiety set in it's important to have that habit of quiet time built in your life. If you missed the last 4 weeks of email discussing how to get that quiet time in when it feels as if you can't, go here. Past emails to make quiet time for your health
Making that habit of taking just 10 minutes a day for quiet time really makes an impact. I have learned over the past 7-10 years it is very important to take those 10 minutes away from everything, your phone, the TV, OTHERS, work, life, etc. Your nervous system can regroup, you can get out of your head, you can take an outside view on a situation and handle it better.
This week pick 2 days you will focus on taking 10 minutes of time to regroup. There are 10080 minutes in a week, take out the 3,360 minutes you sleep- that leaves 6,720 minutes in a week. If you can’t take 20 minutes to yourself we need to look at your days and see how they can be adjusted to get that time.
Reader, enjoy your week of being 1% better with your fitness, nutrition and well-being!
Get That Goal!
Until next time friend,
Thank you for telling your friends and family about
Goal Oriented Health & Fitness so we can help them too!
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