Wipe the slate clean!

That’s one of the things I find myself saying over and over again to my clients, students and even to myself!

That doesn’t mean forget the past, or don’t learn from the past.

It simply means, start with a clean slate.

It’s so easy to fixate on your mistakes and the things you meant to do but didn’t.

Revisiting mistakes is fine for learning from them.

Dwelling on a mistake can do more damage sometimes than the mistake itself!

Sometimes you just have to say, “that’s OKAY,” and start with a clean slate.

Going through menopause is hard.

Change is hard.

Changing your diet, changing your training, changing your body, changing your life, is HARD.

You will have bad days.

You will make mistakes.

You will have awesome days as well.

Let yesterday be yesterday.

It’s what happens TODAY, right now, that really matters.

So give yourself permission to leave yesterday behind.

Wipe the slate clean and get on with making it an awesome day!

shelli

Do you hate the way you look and feel?

OK, maybe hate is too strong a word.

How about you think you’re too heavy, got too much body fat, don’t finish what you start when it comes to your diet or fitness goals……am I getting close?

It’s always great when you decide to make a positive change; HOWEVER, one of the worst things you can do is to focus on the negatives.

Self-defeating self talk will sabotage you, I GUARANTEE it.

You must monitor your inner dialogue, but not as a critic.

Monitor it like a best friend. Think of it this way……

Would you say to your child, “You never stick to anything you start so you might as well not even try”?

Would you tell your spouse, “You’re too fat to have the body you want, so here’s another pint of ice cream”?

I’m guessing most of you would answer NO!

It’s curious though, that we say so many of those things to ourselves.

Once you start listening to your inner dialogue and noticing what you tell yourself, imagine that you’re talking to your best friend.

Motivate her and give her the confidence to achieve any goal she sets!

You’d do it for your spouse or child, so why not for yourself?

Let go of the negative self talk and replace it with motivating, confidence boosting dialogue instead. Couple that with positive action towards your goals, and you’ll be on your way to success in any endeavor you chose!

Here’s a bonus for listening to me rant on about positive self talk!

RECIPE BONUS

It was sent to me by one of my regular readers. She makes this in a big pan and then cuts them up, freezes them and eats them one by one.

Baked Oatmeal 6-8 servings

Mix:

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup oat bran

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

dash of salt

Blend:

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 cup evaporated milk/regular milk

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

sweetener…..use honey, molasses, stevia or whatever you prefer

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(you can always add banana, nuts, raisins etc)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8×8 glass pan with non-stick spray. Combine first ingredients. Blend additional ingredients by hand. Add wet ingredients to dry, stir, put into pan and then into oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and oatmeal feels firm to the touch.

Cool for a few minutes and then turn it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. Eat and enjoy!

shelli

Are you aware of the heart health and fat-burning benefits of interval training?

The mainstream media is just finally catching on, so maybe you’ve heard the buzz.

In a recent study performed at Canada’s McMaster University, subjects did three interval training workouts per week, featuring interval sprints.

The sprints were not easy, done at the hardest pace the subjects could manage for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, another group did moderate cardio five days per week.

What the researchers found was that the short-burst interval training workouts were just as heart-healthy as the moderate-intensity cardio workouts.

The intensity of interval exercise can help prevent the early onset of cardiovascular disease by reducing the stiffness of blood vessels. And now this study suggests that shorter workouts are just as good as long cardio workouts.

So, yes, if you’re not a fan of long cardio workouts they can be replaced with short-burst training.

But before you get started, remember that it is important to train safely when doing intervals.

The subjects in the McMaster study did the intervals on stationary bikes, which meant they had less risk of impact injury and muscle strains compared to sprinting.

I also want to point out that they trained “all out” for 30 seconds. I do not recommend this 30 second burst if you are sedentary, de-conditioned, injured, or if you have not exercised in years.

If you are a beginner to interval training but are exercising now, start by increasing the intensity of your workouts for 30 seconds and then reducing the intensity for two minutes.

Continue to build up the 30-second “sprint” intensity over several workouts, until you are at a hard, but not “all out” pace. You will still get a lot of the benefits without the risk of injury.

Shelli

P.S. I’d like to ask you all for a “report card.”

In other words, are you finding these blog posts  helpful?

Do I choose topics that are of interest to you?

Do I communicate clearly?

What would you like me to write about in the months ahead?

I always appreciate your questions and that many of you forward these posts along to others you think would benefit.

Please, if I’ve helped you in any way, please share this site with your friends, or take a minute and tell a woman you know about these offerings. I write these to help us all feel better, look better and optimize our health.

Thanks!

Have you ever thought:

It’s my genetics! That’s why I’m overweight, obsessive compulsive and/or can’t stay away from chocolate?

Come on now, be honest.

I don’t know one woman, including myself, who hasn’t thought that from time to time.

Is there such a thing as genetic destiny? It depends.

You may find this message will take more than a minute to read. I firmly believe that an educated woman makes better choices, so please read on while we take a closer look at this topic.

Since 2003 and the Human Genome project, people have become more aware of thinking about certain genes and what they do.

You’ve likely read about BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These two are the most well known for their association with breast and ovarian cancer.

Mutations of genes contribute to disease, not the genes themselves.

Think about it like this.

Say a rotten tree falls on your house and crushes the roof. Does that mean that trees cause roof damage?

Nope.

It means that trees with disease may fall and may cause damage.

If the tree is healthy, all is good.

Point is that malfunctioning genes can cause things to go wrong…..but not 100% of the time.

It’s likely, but not inevitable, that malfunctioning genes will increase disease or other abnormalities.

A few years ago a gene was discovered in relation to diabetes.

If that gene was mutated at a specific spot, it increased the likelihood of you having more fat. Researchers named the gene “fat mass and obesity” (FTO) associated gene, which is unfortunate because it’s not the function of the gene, but rather what happens when the gene doesn’t work.

If you found these FTO genes and they were the mutated ones, then on average you’d weigh 6.6 pounds more than someone with “normal” genes.

So is that it?

If someone has abnormal FTO genes then they’re doomed to have more fat and nothing can be done?

Actually no — there is something that can be done.

Three guesses???? If you’re interested in the study I’ve read, here’s the link.

Rampersaud E, et al. Physical activity and the association of common FTO gene variants with body mass index and obesity. Arch Intern Med. 2008 Sep 8;168(16):1791-7.

Here’s what you need to know from the study.

Everybody had blood taken to be tested for different versions of the FTO gene. BMI, body composition (using dual x-ray absorptiometry, aka DEXA) and waist circumference were also measured. Researchers measured physical activity by having each participant wear an accelerometer for 7 days straight (24 hours/day). An accelerometer measures how often and how fast people move.

The question: Is there a connection between fat (obesity), mutations in the FTO gene and physical activity? YES!

The only connection between obesity and this gene mutation was at low activity levels.

Please read that again!!

So obesity and BMI can be correlated to specific genetic FTO mutation, but in two of the three cases (mutations) physical activity levels can overcome this connection.

Meaning, if you were INACTIVE and had a mutation in your FTO gene, then you are giving yourself the best chance of being obese.

By changing your FTO gene – a little difficult – or increasing your activity level–much easier to do- you can decrease your chance of becoming obese.

You may be asking yourself: Isn’t physical activity good for everybody?

Yes.

So why bother with the genetic testing?

Good question.

It comes down to how much physical activity you need — if you have one version of the gene you could be less active and maintain normal body weight, but if you have the other version you will have to increase your activity to do the same.

Nature versus nurture—it’s an age old question.

Does nature (genetics) affect who you are? Of course.

Does nurture (environment) affect who you are? Of course.

Both affect each other and who you are. Nature may increase your likelihood of having extra fat.

What’s your ace in the hole?

Changing your environment by being physically active!

I hope you’ve gotten some genetic insights and that you’ll pass along this information to other woman.

It still amazes me how it all comes down to choices, so choose wisely and live well!

shelli

What I eat seems to be a subject people are curious about.

For years when it comes to nutrition, people have been trying to pigeon hole me.

I’ll admit, having been in the health field since 1980, I have tried every “diet” and eating lifestyle out there.

How do I choose what to eat?

I listen to my body and then eat accordingly!

Why is there no diet plan called the “listen and eat” diet?

Perhaps because of the burger smack-down episode (if you haven’t read my April 2009 Joyinmovement newsletter check it out), I’ve been thinking a lot about my own nutritional choices and I had an insight that I think is quite profound.

At some point in the spring, I started feeling afraid of what food could be doing TO ME if I wasn’t eating the “right” foods.

Am I taking in too many pesticides, too many preservatives, too much sugar; questions like these were guiding my choices, and I was feeling tense about enjoying food.

It was as if I was doing “damage control eating,” which made me feel very defensive, only focusing on what damage the food could be causing in my body and to my health.

I began to realize how stressful it is when you eat in reaction to the question, “What’s this doing TO ME?” when a MUCH more useful question is, “What’s this doing FOR ME?”

When I ask myself, “What’s this doing FOR me?” changing that one word has a big effect on how I react and how I feel.

I don’t want to be scared or worried about what I choose to eat.

When I’m considering what to eat, and I think about what it’ll do FOR me (will it give me energy, will it replenish my body with nutrients, will it hydrate me, will it provide me with fiber), I make better choices and in a more relaxed manner. I feel informed, proactive and empowered rather than defensive and scared.

When you’re making nutritional choices, ask yourself if your choice will do any of the following FOR you: will it provide you with nutrients? Better health? Energy and stamina? A fit and trim body? A heart that’s healthy and bones that are strong? Will it satisfy my taste buds?

These are just a few possible FOR questions to ask.

Make a list of questions based on what’s important and necessary to you.

This idea of substituting FOR for TO can also be used when you’re making exercise choices or choices about how to handle any of the challenges that come along during life.

Remember, it’s not about perfection and doing it “right” every single time.

Any step is a good one when it’s a step in the right direction.

Let me know if you try out this question substitution exercise. Did it help you?

shelli

Have you ever choked up in an interview, stumbled over your lines in a play, or missed a chance to speak up for yourself?

I know I have.

Your self-esteem can take a little dip when your actions don’t meet your expectations.

And if you feel like you have failed in a BIG way, you can feel crushed. It’s hard to recover from that kind of blow.

During menopause, because it occurs at mid life, we often take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re heading.

Often, if our expectations have not been met, our self esteem suffers.

One way to better meet your expectations is to ask better questions.

What do I mean by that?

Good question, so let me explain!

Asking yourself, “Gee, this isn’t working anymore. How can I change to prosper in my life?” will get you thinking more creatively than bemoaning how and why you feel so badly.

You must detach yourself from the idea – if you have it – that your self worth is measured by ONE aspect of your life, like money, career, looks or accomplishments.

The lesson here is that you don’t want to link your self-esteem to any one ability but rather to your life as a whole.

As billionaire businesswoman Oprah Winfrey says, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

In The Power of Positive Thinking, Peale says: “The blows of life, the accumulation of difficulties, the multiplication of problems tend to sap energy and leave you spent and discouraged. It is easy to lose track of your abilities and powers” – but by re-appraising your personal assets, you can convince yourself that “you are less defeated than you think you are.”

If you practice ALL OR NOTHING THINKING (which we all do on occasion) then Peale has a good idea for you.

When your self-esteem has suffered a blow, take a piece of paper and write down what you DO HAVE that you feel good about. Your list might include:

a wonderful spouse
children who are thriving and healthy
devoted friends who are there for you
good physical health
integrity
work that you enjoy
hobbies you’re passionate about

Things are probably looking better already, right?

Make your own list right now.

If you have trouble making a list, try this.

Imagine yourself as an observer at your own funeral. Surely you wouldn’t want to hear your spouse, your children, your friends and colleagues say things like, “She was never able to enjoy all the good things she had during her life.”

Think about what you would like them to say about you. Those are the things that really matter – positive personal assets that you don’t lose just because times are tough.

If you’re feeling down, focusing on those positive personal assets will help you overcome the worst feelings you could possibly have about yourself.

And no matter what happens in your life, you won’t despair. You’ll be able to use all your natural resources to regroup any time you need to.

Hope this helps lead you away from self-esteem-crushing all or nothing thinking and on to feeling better about yourself and your life!

shelli

I have been focusing my own personal efforts on cultivating and building a strong, positive state of mind in the face of what often seems like an overwhelmingly negative barrage of news.

In fact, I feel that we are all watching, listening and reading way too much negative news.

This isn’t hard to do.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find a whole lot of positivity out there with respect to the world and the economy.

That’s why I am dedicating this blog post to what I’m calling my “positivity offensive.”

I started this offensive in the past few weeks, and I consider it a much-needed antidote to all of the doom and gloom that comes my way.

It is also important, I feel, because handling STRESS is one of the three BIGGIES during menopause that helps us feel and look our best and continue to optimize our health.

In my opinion, wallowing in pain and suffering is not a solution.

Stress is a form of pain and suffering, and if you are taking in too much media information and feel yourself affected by it, taking in MORE of it will not help.

In fact, it’s exactly the wrong solution!

The cure cannot be found by continuing the behavior that created the pain in the first place.

Think about any addictive behavior and what people are told when they go to support groups: become aware, change the behavior and practice these new behaviors every day.

The right solution, then, is to focus on the positive, and to cultivate the kind of positive mentality that works for you so that you feel less stressed.

I’m not talking about pretending or ignoring what’s going on. That’s also a VERY stressful approach.

I’m talking about realizing what’s within your realm of control or influence, taking positive actions with those, and letting the rest go!

Here’s what I am doing right now to make my life the best it can be.

1. I am focusing on both my short- and long-term life goals.

2. I am making an effort to always focus on the positives.

3. I am spending time with positive people, and I am avoiding negative people. This is so important to do.

Can’t find positive people? Be one, and I guarantee you others will flock to you.

4. I have stopped focusing on negative news.

5. I am reading more, and reading material that enriches my life.

By taking these steps, I have created a stress barrier between myself and an often negative world intent on bringing down even the strongest-willed among us.

Whatever you do, please don’t let the negativity out there get to you.

Get positive, get focused — and get out there and make a positive difference in the world.

I’m sure you all have your own wisdom about how you’re handling stress in your life.

If you have a favorite quote or any comments and suggestions, send them to me and I’ll be glad to share them!

So here’s the point: create your own positivity offensive.

Customize it and make it fun. Being overly serious about stress is STRESSFUL, so a positivity offensive with a flare that is uniquely your own is calling to you! 

Let me know how it goes!

shelli

You’ve likely heard the expression, “Think outside the box.”

Well, I’d like you to think, “Outside the BREADbox.”

Before and during menopause it’s essential to optimize nutrition.

Most of you would feel better if you stopped eating so much bread. Eating too much bread is simply not smart, so let’s take a look at some options.

First of all, notice how much bread you DO eat.

1. Do you have toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and bread with dinner? That much bread helps you gain weight, prevents you from losing unwanted fat and increases the likelihood of diseases like Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease.

ACTION STEP: Work on lowering your own bread intake. There is more to breakfast than bread-based products. Eat eggs, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, a smoothie……you get the idea.

ACTION STEP: If you have trouble resisting bread at lunch or when you’re around the office, make sure you have plenty of healthy snack foods to choose from.

Enjoy nut butters, fruit, or vegetables as snacks and lunch meals that aren’t sandwiches.

In other words, make healthier carbohydrate choices.

Try salads, vegetables, rice, millet, quinoa or any of the other healthy grains. One of my favorites is soba noodles.

One question I’m asked when I start talking about limiting bread intake is, “What about whole wheat?”

Whole wheat is still bread and it is still refined flour though it hasn’t been bleached.

Many women also have wheat allergies. Bread is still bread and it’s best eaten sparingly.

Now I must admit that I have never been much of a bread eater. I don’t really know why. I don’t even keep bread in the house.

Seems strange, I know.

So for me thinking outside the breadbox isn’t too hard.

If eating too much bread is something you grapple with, start by cutting back, maybe only one portion of bread a day. Do that for a week and then think about going one day without bread.

Start from there and see how you feel.

It just might be easier than you think, and I guarantee it’ll help you optimize your health.

Let me know other ideas and strategies you’ve used to think outside the breadbox and I’ll pass them along!

shelli

Move a little every day!

* Do you watch TV? Do crunches, stretch, push-ups (or any form of activity) in front of the TV.

* Walk during your lunch break.

* Walk instead of driving whenever you can.

* Take a family walk after dinner. One thousand steps will greatly aid your digestion.

* Join an exercise group.

* Do yard work.

* Get off the train or bus a stop early and walk.

* Bicycle to the store instead of driving.

* Wash your car by hand.

* Pace the sidelines while watching kids in their athletic events.

* Park further from the store and walk. And one of my personal favorites when you park further from stores is to return the shopping cart to the store after you load your items into your car.

* Ask a friend to exercise with you.

* Exercise indoors if the weather is bad.

* Do you smoke or take coffee breaks? Take a walk instead.

* Dance.

* Explore new physical activities.

* Take stairs instead of the escalator.

* Walk to a coworker’s desk instead of sending an email.

* Reward and acknowledge you efforts!

Pick five of these and do them this coming week. Always remember that no step is too small when it’s a step in the right direction, and getting and staying physical during menopause is a MUST!!!

Until next week stay motivated and may your many menopause moments be minimal!

shelli

When I read that Rue McClanahan died yesterday, it stirred something up in me.

Maybe some of you haven’t heard the news yet, and maybe some of you don’t know who she was.

She was the actress who played Blanche on the television series “The Golden Girls.” It aired for 7 years from 1985 until 1992. It was a comedy show about 4 “seasoned” women who live together in Miami Beach, Florida.

Here’s the excerpt I read that got me thinking about a few ideas I’d like to share with you.

To Ms. McClanahan, “The Golden Girls” was special for allowing its women to be funny and many-sided, not stock figures, recognizing “that when people mature, they add layers,” as she told The New York Times in 1985. “They don’t turn into other creatures,” she added. “The truth is, we all still have our child, our adolescent and our young woman living in us.”

The show put smart funny lines in the mouths of well-seasoned women.

I went back in my memory to the time when I first watched “The Golden Girls.”

In the mid to late 80’s I was taking care of my aunt, who was undergoing cancer treatment. She would take breaks from work, often months at a time.

During these times we would watch “The Golden Girls.” It was funny, it was smart, and it felt like us!

Only one thing didn’t fit.

My aunt was surely a “golden girl” but I was in my mid 30’s wondering if I’d ever get to be a “golden girl”.

Would I age to be anything like Blanche, Dorothy, Rose or Sophia? Only time would tell.

I thought about that quote all day yesterday.

I just loved the part about adding layers and how we still have all those layers living in us.

Of course we do, though sometimes we forget that we can call upon that experience and wisdom whenever we need to.

Now I’m well-seasoned and catch glimpses of each of those golden girls inside me.

I’ll admit to being sexy and sassy like Blanche if you will.

I’ll admit to being dominant and bossy like Dorothy if you will.

And ditsy and naive like Rose, I’m still inclined to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Sophia used to talk to her dead husband, Sal. Sadly, I’m at the point of talking to my deceased relatives too, but I digress!

Heck, I’ll even admit to loving ice cream as much as the golden girls did.

This past year a friend and I caught a few rerun episodes of the show. Sure the clothes may have been dated, and those hairstyles were amazing, but you know what never goes out of style?

Well-seasoned women who are willing to share laughter, life and words of wisdom with us.

NOW we who watched “The Golden Girls” ARE those well-seasoned women.  So let’s keep learning together, adding layers, and laughing together.

Thanks Rue, for fond memories and for not taking yourself too seriously!

shelli