Mystery Motto

"Great things are accomplished by creating a series of small things
strung together."

Fun Facts

Did You Know...in the U.S. alone, Americans spend as much as $115 Million dollars each year just to improve the tone of their abdominal muscles? Absolutely, it's true! They're spending money on exercise equipment, (Stowers Report, 2008). What can you do about a sagging belly today, without breaking the bank or purchasing heavy exercise equipment (which usually gathers dust in the corner of your bedroom or basement)? Get ready. The answer isn't sexy.

Sit-Ups! I hear you groaning already but don't lose heart. 1) Perform 25 each day for the first few weeks...moving up to 50 reps/per day for as many days as your body allows. In a few month's time, you'll have a stronger mid-section. 2) To add encouragement, have someone you love sit on your feet (like a child or a spouse). 3)Keep your back and neck straight, look up to the ceiling with each lift..., don't forget to breathe. 4) Sometimes, the best exercises are the simplest ones.

Toasting Your Health!

Barbara Brinkmeyer, MBA, 4th Degree Black Belt

How To Fight Chocolate Cravings (During Tax Season, Part 2)

Greetings Working Moms,

Offering you a quick post before you submit your final taxes.

If you're in the group of people who have "already done that but have the 2007 tax return t-shirt", congratulations! You reside in a very organized minority.

If you sit in the crisis-driven, wait-til-the-last-minute majority (like me), figuring out it's better to electronically submit your tax return 7 days before the deadline or you'll have to file via paper (because you missed the 48-hour e-filing window), then you're probably in need of a few minor "candy or chocolate pieces". Did you know that the average American eats 25 pounds of chocolate each year?

So what can you do about these cravings?

Garcinia extract can be very effective. You can find it at your local health foods store. I'll be mentioning this fact often in my posts.

If you can't swallow pills, try a high protein meal replacement powder or a low calorie, high protein chocolate bar of some type -- again see your local health foods store. They usually carry a brand high in fiber. It should be free of hydrogenated palm kernel oils or coconut oils because these trans fats are high in saturated fat.

The best bars I've found are Cliff Bars. They're great at staving off chocolate cravings.

If you are diabetic, choose a low blood sugar chocolate mint product. Russell Stover makes a nice product.

In my next post, we'll cover a Salad Recipe, talking about helpful diet tips for this upcoming Spring and Summer, 2008.

To Your Continued Health!

Barbara

Defrazzle Yourself (During Tax Season, Part 1)

Hello Everyone!

Before exercising, I'd like to share a free idea you can use today, nurturing yourself the next few weeks. Many people are naturally working 24/7 to address taxes, before April 15th hits.

Take 30-minutes out for yourself even if your day is busy. This exercise will absolutely put a spring back into your weighted step.

Step 1) Choose small items in your home. They should be objects you like greatly.
Step 2) Locate a small colorful basket.
Step 3) Add a candle, a fragrance, aromatherapy, favorite lotion, pictures of ones who bring you smiles..., adding anything that's happy.
Step 4) Place contents into your basket.
Step 5) Enjoy your basket as the days unfold.
Step 6) If the 'frazzled feeling' resurfaces, grab a cup of tea, coffee, or favorite juice.
Step 7) Go for a brief walk or get yourself moving in ways you enjoy most.
Step 8) If you require specific exercise tips, I will bring more information soon.
Step 9) Make certain you spend time with people you enjoy the most.
Step 10) Anyone who gives you a tough time, move along to someone who will offer you a smile. You deserve only the best!

We will ready ourselves for Spring and Summer by implementing Salad Recipes ebook very soon. If for any reason you can't locate your ebook, just fill out your information in the right-hand side of the "Healthy Holidays" blog to get your salad ebook. If you have any Q's, offer a comment on the blog and I will reply asap.

Celebrating Your Health Together,

Barbara

Flatter Belly In 10 Days Using A 3-Step Detox

Ever hit a point in life where your system is sluggish? Don't fret. Here are a few key things you can do to increase daily comfort, using a period cleansing system.

1) Increase bottled water to (10) 12 oz. glasses daily.
2) Eat plain shredded wheat each morning, if you're not allergic.
3) Stay away from sugar. The goal is to reduce dependency on sugar. Substitute Stevia extract in a flavor of your choice, found at the whole foods store.
3) Eat fruit every morning.
4) Add veggies at lunch and dinner.
5) Consider adding a salad for lunch.
6) Reduce white foods. Sorry -- remove all candy and crackers as processed carbs. Stick with whole grain foods/cereals/breads.
7) Eat white fish often, reducing red meat, as this food will block your system during cleansing.
8) A 3-step system you can safely use is an intestinal sweep. Nature's Way makes a wonderful Thisilyn Digestive Cleansing, priced at $29.95.
9) 15-30 minutes of daily exercise will shed unwanted weight. 30-minutes of house cleaning will stimulate your system.

3 parts To Toxin Removal (Detox) --

Part 1: Whole Body Detox in Thisilyn includes a blend of cranberry root, asparagus, and parsley.
Part 2: Probiotics replace friendly flora in your large intestine (acidophiles). This is essential for boosting immunity.
Part 3: Digestive Sweep - located in the section, Colon Cleansing, to remove toxins and impurities safely. You want to start your cleansing on a Friday.

Note: If you purchase anything other than an herbal formula, psyllium husk can irritate your intestines, causing cramping. Be sure to drink heavy amounts of water whenever you take a high fiber supplement. Also, be sure to use a system taken orally. I've found herbal kits are more gentle than most kits but if this system doesn't deliver results you want, I will offer alternatives soon. Please check out the blog for additional posts. I will have alternatives available very soon.

Here's To Beautiful Skin and A Leaner Body,

Barbara Brinkmeyer

Top Dieting Mistakes With 6 "Lean Body" Steps

One of the most common mistakes people make when embarking on a 'rapid journey to fast and furious weight loss' is to move towards starvation, oasting a list of 'off-limit' foods on the fridge, cutting out those unwanted calories. This sounds like a great strategy but it's absolutely the worse choice you may ever make.

Here's why:

1) improper diets slow metabolism
2) #1 triggers your body to burn muscles mass first
3) # 1 and #2 tell your body to spare fat reserves.

Remember, evolution rules but your body won't care whether or not you look great in a bathing suit. Your job is to communicate with your body actions it will understand most, knowing this type of specialized talk involves chemical reactions derived from exercise and food.

Here are 6 leaner body steps you can use today, preserving your muscle:

Step 1) Weight loss must be lasting, cutting calories slightly.
Pick high protein foods first.
Step 2) Toss out junk foods or put them in a cupboard.
Step 3) Lessen calories by drinking water and tea.
Step 4) Exercise several times each week.
Step 5) Exercise pays off . Some days you'll only get 30 minutes. Other days, you'll get more.
Step 6) Alter your mindset.

Mind and body work closely together. If you're not sure how to alter your thoughts, find someone you trust. When you're initially changing your body, it's common to add several pounds of weight in muscle first but until that time, your body will hang onto to excess weight before it burns the fat. So hang in there. To find out more, head to ______________.

Here's To Your Success!

Barbara Brinkmeyer

5 Healthy Lifestyle Tips For Looking Lean And Mean

One of the many questions I've received from students and instructors over the years is how do best manage my weight? At some time or another, we're all prone to adding those few extra pounds. Here are 5 basic things you can do to shed that unwanted weight in a matter of 8 weeks or less, without using dangerous stimulants, readying yourself for that special occasion.

1. Drink plenty of water each day.
2. Get cardio exercise EVERY day. 30 minutes will do.
3. Eat fresh, raw fruits and vegetables daily.
4. Limit 'no-calorie' carbs: white flour, white potatoes, white cereal, white anything.
5. Identify the biggest obstacles you constantly face, stymying your weight loss, overcoming those thoughts, then ridding yourself of heaviness, banishing it forever!
Sounds too hard? Seems impossible?

These 5 tips are really nothing more than a recipe for healthy living. You aren't food-recombinant impaired. If that sounds like a DNA disorder, I apologize in advance. You aren't willpower deficient. Your weight is, in most cases, a direct result of what you are consuming and how much you probably aren't moving.

Let me tell you a story about one of my students. She wanted to lose 50 pounds so she could compete in a martial arts tournament without feeling winded. I obliged happily, adding permanent weight loss was a secondary benefit to her learning, if she did things right.

I didn't prescribe a strict eating plan for her nor did I alter everything in her life. Instead, I asked her Q's and A's about how she lived, focusing on elements of her daily life, asking her how she thought her lifestyle might have contributed to her weight gain, verifying she wanted more immediate and long-term benefits.

She told me she enjoys showing her dog in competition but she gets winded and can't do the routines with the animal. Sparring class was tougher for this gal. She wanted to improve her cardio conditioning, attending more shows with her pet, performing everything better. That seemed like a realistic, obtainable goal.

She said she worked around the house all day, eating on the run, choosing fast foods on the go, pulling overly-processed frozen meals from her freezer, finishing her day with bedtime relaxation by watching TV or by reading.

There were a few minor changes we could address. For one Q, how often was she eating fast food? What was she grabbing from home? Candy bars, 6 of them each day, also eating frozen lunches high in fat and sodium.

How busy or "active" was she on any typical day? She wasn't really clear on that answer but rest assured, this is a common problem for many Americans. I suggested that she should keep a precise food journal for one week, telling me not only what she consumed but how many total calories were included in her foods.

I also instructed her to get a pedometer (www.walk4Life.com plus get a FREE walking CD with it!) so that she would know exactly how active she is on a busy day. It turns out that she was only walking about 900 steps a day -- and even more shocking -- she consumed over 5,000 calories.

My advice for her was to start drinking water (at least 64-plus ounces of it a day), snack on fruits or veggies rather than candy bars, switching her frozen meals to smaller, healthier
portions, increasing her steps by 50 paces/week.

4 Weeks Later:
She was consuming 84 ounces of water a day; snacking on fruit, walking with friends in the neighborhood. She used to eat her candy bars alone, eating lunch at home as before, choosing a different type of frozen meal.

She was amazed to realize "what kind of shape she was in" after she did her additional 30-minute walk and 50 paces/week with each passing week. That effort improved her cardiovascular conditioning, allowing her to compete in wpmen's blue belt division, all without
losing her breath. She was able to move through a form of 45 moves plus spar 3 women in three
2-min. rounds each, placing 2nd.

Use the 5 easy, quick-to-implement changes, leading you towards your weight loss dreams in a few months!

Celebrating Your Success,

Barbara Brinkmeyer