Best Summer EVER

Welcome to the best summer of your life. Did you know that with a few easy tweaks, you can enjoy all the summer fun while staying on track with your plan to create health RIGHT NOW? No waiting until a holiday is past, a camping trip is completed, or yet another summer of healthy hopes has passed you by. Let's do this NOW. Here's a few healthy tips to help! Healthy summer food! At last. Healthy burger plate...hello summer! Making healthy choices is easier than ever with a bio-network of support and lots of fresh ideas. For a great cook out, grill up turkey burgers with lots of veggies on the side! 7 oz uncooked turkey burger (will cook down to 6 oz.) serve with 1 cup lettuce, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/2 cup cucumbers, 2 T salsa, 3 slices of avocado and 1 pickle! This provides for 1 person: 1 lean, 3 greens, 1 healthy fat and 1 condiment. If you need another kitchen gadget, let me suggest the grill top skillet! See all the holes? The fire from the BBQ will roast, char and grill your chopped vegetables into summer heaven. Here's how: Chop peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli and tomatoes into bite size chunks. Add to BBQ skillet and drizzle with olive oil and add freshly ground pepper. Toss and grill until done. 1 1/2 cups of grilled veggies= 3 green servings. You've heard it before, don't drink your calories! For a refreshing alternative to many of the calorie and sugar laden summer drinks, try sparkling water with lime. Inspiration Corner Typical results are 2-5 lbs per week for 2 weeks and 1-2 lbs per week thereafter. What is possible for you during this summer season? And more importantly, what do you want? Let this summer be the time that you take control of your health and future with a confidence that not only is today getting you ever closer to where you want to be, but tomorrow is looking pretty grand as well. It's time to live life rather than waiting for something to happen. Make summer 2014 epic! Don't forget to enjoy the process! Today is what we have. I need my health coaches to help me! When we are not busy riding bikes along the Deschutes River together, we love running, volleyball, long walks on the beach and supporting you and those you love in your health! Would you do us a favor and pass this along to anyone that you know of who is looking to create health in their lives? We pay $25 for referrals in whatever form you choose (credit toward your own health journey, Starbucks, Legos, or whatever puts a smile on your face!) To contact Shane, call 503-559-2445, or email shane@choosehealth.info. To contact Jill, call 541-852-2261 or email jill@choosehealth.info. Or, to submit a request for more info, click here. To Your Health! Shane & Jill You are invited... In Anaheim, California from July 18-21! If you would like support as a client or if you have a heart to help others create health, please consider joining us at our national convention. Click the picture for details and contact us!

Hood to Coast Training

I just finished planning my training for the next 12 weeks. The purpose of this is to survive the Hood to Coast race, for which I have willingly paid money (????) to participate. The above picture is my husband and I (smiling, so obviously before the race) at Timberline Lodge, the start of the Hood to Coast race. I ran leg 4 (the easiest) and Shane ran leg 5 (the hardest, naturally.) This meant that he was waiting for me at the end of each of my 3 legs that I ran. I loved this idea at first, but after I handed the team bracelet off to him the first time and he took off, I was like "WAIT! I just ran a Very Hard Race! Aren't you proud of me?? We need to talk about this!!!!" But of course, he did not stop and by the time I saw him again, he had run his own miles and wanted to debrief the course, the condition of his knee, and most importantly his ROADKILL COUNT. That's the number of people you pass while running your leg. I made the early mistake of providing a large piece of poster board and markers to record this on the outside of our van. I can only assume that whoever read it felt pity on the obviously handicapped "Jill" of few roadkill count hash marks.

Like childbirth, time has dulled the memory of the pain of this experience. Sort of. Also like pregnancy, once you are irrecoverably committed, you start to go "WAAAAAAAAAAIT a minute. I remember this. I'm SCAAAAAAARED!!!!!"

So it's time to get training. My summer calendar is now filled with lovely things like "tempo run" and "hill sprints." Aren't I going to have fun? I'm sure the whole experience will like, build character or whatever.
Wish me luck!

Happy Memorial Day!

Campfire Lean & Green Skewers

Happy Memorial Day! Whether you find yourself at the campsite or attending a BBQ this weekend, here is a fun recipe to help you stay on track with your health goals! Ingredients: 9-10 ounces uncooked chicken or lean steak (it will cook down to approx. 6 oz) 1/2 cup large chunks of mushrooms 1/2 cup large chunks of red peppers 1/2 cup large chunks of green peppers 2-3 chunks of yellow onion (optional) balsamic glaze metal skewers/wood skewers soaked in water before cooking Instructions: Layer chunks of meat, peppers and onions onto skewers and place on grill over hot coals. Brush with balsamic glaze and grill over the fire, turning as needed and cooking until steak is cooked as desired or chicken is cooked through. Provides one entire lean and green serving for one person, complete with smoky delicious smell.

Inspiration Corner

Typical results are 2-5 lbs per week for 2 weeks and 1-2 lbs per week thereafter.

Check out the post of sweet success that one of our clients Dara recently shared. Dara has lost 50 pounds on program and is not just looking good, but also feeling great! She is moving into the maintenance portion of our program, which is still health coach assisted by us for as long as she desires (hopefully for life- love you Dara!)

Habits of Health- Reality Check

Where do you find yourself?

Time for a moment of truth. Where do you find yourself on this chart? Studies show that the large majority of those in the obese category would not ever classify themselves as obese and have not recognized the risk their weight poses to their health. Whether you find yourself on the chart in the red, green, or somewhere in between, chances are good that you have room to improve your health (don't we all?) Click on the BMI chart above to take a health quiz for a look at where you find your health today and why. If you recognize that a change needs to be made, seize this moment to call us for a free consultation on how we can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

What choice will you make for yourself today?

Questions to consider...

▪ Why do I want to be healthy? ▪ What will I be able to do differently at my healthy weight? ▪ What will it mean to the people I love for me to be healthy? ▪ Who can I inspire to live healthy? ▪ Is what I'm currently doing getting me the results I want?

Meet your fearless health coaches!

When we are not busy playing co-ed softball together, we love running, volleyball, long walks on the beach and supporting you and those you love in your health! Would you do us a favor and pass this along to anyone that you know of who is looking to create health in their lives? We pay $25 for referrals in whatever form you choose (credit toward your own health journey, Starbucks, Legos, or whatever puts a smile on your face!) To contact Shane, call 503-559-2445, or email shane@choosehealth.info. To contact Jill, call 541-852-2261 or email jill@choosehealth.info. Or, to submit a request for more info, click here. To Your Health! Shane & Jill

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day Luncheon Lean & Green veggie quiche Ingredients: 6 eggs 3 cups chopped green and red peppers and lightly steamed broccoli 1/2 cup skim milk 1/4 cup hard cheese, such as parmesan or romano pepper non-stick spray How-to: In large pie plate or casserole baking dish, spray with non-stick oil and arrange chopped veggies, top with cheese and pepper. In separate bowl, mix milk and eggs. When combined, pour over veggies. Provides 2 servings with 1 lean, 3 greens and 1 health fat serving. Healthy Mom's Club Angela lost 45 pounds. Typical results are 2-5 lbs per week for 2 weeks and 1-2 lbs per week thereafter. Heidi lost 100 pounds! Ruth lost 47 pounds! Congratulations to these healthy mothers who have made their own health a priority so that they can also take great care of others. Happy Mother's Day! Healthy Mother's Day Gift Ideas Are you tired of buying your mom the same old candy and flowers for mother's day? Here are a few healthy ideas to inspire you and make your mom smile: 1. Have you heard about the new trend in bracelets? Check out the FitBit Flex, a fitness tool to help Mom track her steps, sleep, and daily activity to help meet her goals. 2. What about a beautiful journal? Studies show that successful people journal regularly and furthermore, those who write down their food and exercise are much more likely to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Plus, journals are a great place for Mom's expressions of love for her family. Her first entry will likely read like this: "May 11, 2014, today I got a lovely and thoughtful gift from my amazing/handsome/lovely/talented (son or daughter)." 3. Plan an experience with your mom. Quality time with her favorite daughter at the spa getting pedicures or happy conversation with her son at the local farm-to-table restaurant will mean a lot to Mother Dearest. I need my health coach! We are your COPE certified health coaches! Please let us know how we can assist you or your mother or someone you love and their mother! We love what we do and find coaching YOU in your health to be fun and fulfilling! Ready to get started on program? Call us (Jill) 541-852-2261 or (Shane) 503-559-2445 or click here.

Healthy Easter Tips

Lean & Green Easter Brunch Crustless Veggie Quiche Ingredients 8 egg whites ½ cup Milk 1 clove Garlic, minced 1/4 cup diced onion Black Pepper, to taste 1 cup shredded Gruyere Cheese (about 4 oz.) 2 cups steamed Organic Baby Spinach, squeeze out excess moisture ½ cup Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, halved 4 pieces Roasted Red Peppers, sliced in strips Instructions Preheat oven to 350°. Roast the red peppers for about 30 minutes. (can also be charred on a gas stove or grill to save time) Cook the onion and garlic in a pan sprayed with Pam for a few minutes until tender. Beat together Egg Whites, milk and cheese. Add the onion and garlic. Layer spinach, peppers and tomatoes and peppers in a buttered deep dish glass pie plate, arranging top layer attractively. Carefully pour egg mixture over layers. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let sit 15 minutes before cutting. Heirloom Tomato Salad What You’ll Need: 3 heirloom tomatoes 1 ripe avocado 1/2 cup basil leaves, whole Fig balsamic vinegar (or your favorite flavored vinegar) How to Make It: Thinly slice tomatoes crosswise into rounds Thinly slice avocado crosswise into rounds Take a platter and create a bed of basil leaves as your base. Layer different colored tomatoes and avocados until the plate is covered Drizzle with balsamic and garnish with basil chiffonade. Quiche & salad together provides 3 full lean and greens with 2 condiments and 2 healthy fats. (Slice quiche into 6 slices and serve each person 2, plus 2 cups of Heirloom salad.) Inspiration Corner Typical results are 2-5 lbs per week for 2 weeks and 1-2 lbs per week thereafter. Our client Mike lost 70 pounds with our program and this last weekend competed in his first CrossFit competition and won his division! Mike has 4 children and will be running around with them and modeling health for his family for a long time to come. Through our habits of health system, Mike and his wife Stefanie (who lost 65 lbs) are living in maintenance and finding new ways to improve their health. GREAT job Mike! Tips for Easter Gatherings A few tips from Dr. A, author of Dr. A's Habits of Health... As the adult who is making a serious effort to lose weight and restore health (or maintain health), here’s 3 B’s to remind you how to enjoy the Easter/Passover holiday without falling into old calorie indulging traps. Be Prepared. Have a meal replacement before you arrive at your family or church gathering. This takes the edge off your appetite so you can make sensible choices. This is also the time to keep a bar in your purse or pocket in case dinner is served later than you expected. Be Picky. Look over everything at the buffet or on the table before making choices. If you are eating at a restaurant, ask the server to have your food prepared without gravy or butter and request substitution of green vegetables for potatoes. When eating with the family, make the same request of the hostess. If you feel that you cannot ask, then do your best to adapt the food or eat less of it without sparking a family drama. Be People Centered (rather than food centered). This weekend is about spiritual connections, family and celebration. Stay focused on the reason that this time is special. Plan to spend twice as much time talking as eating. As with any holiday overstuff on good conversation and you will “gain” wonderful memories. What can you do to help your children during Easter? Keep in mind the 3 B’s: Be Creative. Instead of a basket, get an appropriately sized beach bucket with shovel and some sand toys for summer play. Add in crayons, coloring book, card games, small toys, dried fruit snacks, raisins or trail mix. If you don’t have the courage to say “no” to candy, then at least choose sugar free candies. Be Realistic. Holidays are prime times for retailers to push sweets and junk that they want you to believe you must have. You don’t have to buy what they push. Holidays have meaning, and it’s not found on the candy aisle. Be Future Minded. Think about the mixed messages with sweets and junk that send children on the road to diabetes, heart disease and other medical conditions, which are further compromised by obesity. We are your COPE certified health coaches! Please let us know how we can assist you or someone you love. We love what we do and find coaching YOU in your health to be fun and fulfilling! Ready to get started on program? Call us (Jill) 541-852-2261 or (Shane) 503-559-2445 or click here. Happy Easter! Shane & Jill

Healthy Families

Family Lean & Green Dinner Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp & Feta 1 1/2 lb Shrimp, medium 2 tbsp Garlic, minced 1/2 cup Parsley, fresh 5 Tomatoes, large, sliced 2 tbsp Lemon juice 3/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground 3/4 tsp Kosher salt 3 tbsp Olive oil 1 cup Feta Place de-veined shrimp, garlic and chopped or sliced tomatoes in a baking pan. Sprinkle with parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper and feta and drizzle with a minimal amount of olive oil. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until shrimp is completely done. Serves 3. Each serving has 1 lean, 2 condiments, 2 healthy fats and 1 green. (Add 2 more servings of vegetables to complete your lean & green!) Inspiration Corner Today I am bragging on my beautiful friend Molly, who used our health program to lose 142 pounds and gain energy, health and beauty! Her daughter Matilda will never remember that "before" Mommy but instead enjoys an active vibrant mom who matches her step for step! Suffice it to say that their family will never be the same! How Do I Make a Change? Psychological Barriers to Action – and How to Deal with Them Let’s face it; weight loss and keeping it off is hard. We’ve all heard the statistics about weight regain and the grim numbers about the obesity epidemic we’re facing in this country. But what really makes it so difficult to lose weight and then maintain? Well, let’s first take a look at what we know. What we know to be true is that those individuals who do adhere to their weight loss and maintenance regimens achieve and sustain weight loss; pretty simple, right? If you stick to the plan, it works! However, many people struggle to do this. Now, the problem can present itself as being about lack of knowledge or lack of motivation or a lack of willpower but what it really comes down to is non-adherence to the plan; i.e. simply not sticking to it. Now, if setting goals and trying hard to achieve them were enough to ensure success, the task of achieving Optimal Health would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, when it comes to making positive life changes many people will encounter psychological barriers to sticking to the plan. The most common are summarized, most appropriately, by the acronym FEAR: F = Fusion with Unhelpful Thoughts. This basically means that we’re so caught up in our thoughts that we aren’t even aware that we’re thinking and then those thoughts dictate our behavior. It’s like we’re being pushed around by our thoughts or allowing our thoughts to tell us what to do. When a person sets out to make a change, it’s normal for their mind to generate “unhelpful” thoughts like: I’m too busy, I can’t do it, I’ll fail, It’s too hard, and so on which can prevent them from moving forward. It’s a common misconception that our thoughts control our behaviors. They certainly influence our behaviors but ultimately we have a choice. However, when we get all entangled, caught up, or carried off by these thoughts they dominate our attention and we can’t focus on what is truly important to us. Becoming ‘fused’ with unhelpful thoughts throws us off-track. E = Excessive Goals. If a person’s goals exceed their resources, they’ll either give up or fail. Necessary resources could include a person’s skills, ability, social support, time, money, and physical health. Setting goals that are too difficult or impossible will only result in frustration and abandonment of their weight loss and maintenance plans. A = Avoidance of Discomfort. The practice of new way of eating and living can be difficult and tedious for some; and the pursuit of goals that pull us out of the “comfort zone” almost always generates significant anxiety. This discomfort is inevitable when it comes to lifestyle changes. So, if we are unwilling to make room for that discomfort, then we will not take action. R = Remoteness from Values. If a person loses touch with their values that underlie their goals – if it doesn’t seem meaningful or important to them – then they will lose motivation. Values can provide a deep motivation that helps to sustain the practice of new skills, or the pursuit of challenging goals, even when it’s difficult, tedious or anxiety-provoking. The practice of using Structural Tension Charts can be a big help to realize and set goals with Primary and Secondary Choices and action steps to follow. This is found in the first few chapters in “Dr. A’s Habits of Health” as well as “Discover Your Optimal health” and the Workbook. So, how do we address these barriers? Well, the antidote to FEAR is DARE: D = Defusion from Unhelpful Thoughts. The mind is a reason-giving machine, and as soon as we think about doing something that pulls us out of our comfort zone, it cranks out all the reasons why we can’t do it, shouldn’t do it, or shouldn’t have to do it. And if we wait until the day when our mind stops reason-giving before we do the things that really matter in life… we’ll never get started. So, if fusion with reason-giving is a major barrier to action, then naturally we target it with defusion. This means separating or distancing ourselves from unhelpful thoughts, letting them come and go instead of being caught up in them. In other words, defusion means looking at thoughts, rather than from thoughts; noticing thoughts rather than being caught up in thoughts; and letting thoughts come and go rather than holding on to them. One of the simplest ways of separating from thoughts is to write them down. This helps a person to take a step back and see the thoughts for what they are: a string of words. Nothing more, nothing less. A = Acceptance of Discomfort. This means making room for painful thoughts and feelings, not because they like them or want them, but so they can do what matters. So, we can ask ourselves “Am I willing to feel some discomfort, in order to do what matters most to me?” If a person is unwilling to make room for the inevitable discomfort, they may need to clarify and connect with their values or set easier goals. Both of which we will discuss next. R = Realistic Goals. If a person’s goals exceed their resources then they need to create a new goal to acquire those resources if possible, or accept the limitations of their reality and change their goal to adapt in the best way possible. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. So, if a goal seems to big, make it smaller. If walking for 30 minutes is too much, cut it back to ten. If doing it daily is unrealistic, do it every other day. Ask yourself: “On a scale from zero to ten, where ten is ‘I’ll definitely do this no matter what’ and zero is ‘There is absolutely no change I’ll ever do this’ – then how likely are you to actually do this?” If you score less than seven, best change the goal to something smaller and easier. E = Embracing Values. If a person is lacking motivation, then they need to reflect on why they’re doing this. What’s important and meaningful about this action? Does it truly matter? If so, why? Ask yourself: “Is this really important to me? Which of my values underlie this action? How would doing this make a positive difference in my life and the lives of others?” If we can link our new behaviors to something personally meaningful, we’re far more likely to do it! So, there you go. Those are the most common psychological barriers to someone taking action to change their lifestyle and the most effective ways to target and overcome those barriers. BY: Nick Frye (Behavioral specialist) I need accountability! We are your COPE certified health coaches! Please let us know how we can support you. We love what we do and find assisting YOU in your health to be fun and fulfilling! Ready to get started on program? Call us (Jill) 541-852-2261 or (Shane) 503-559-2445 or click here. From our family to yours, Shane & Jill

Halloween Doesn't Have to be Scary



Here are some amazing health tips from a nurse that works with our program, Lori Andersen....................

 

 

 Halloween doesn’t have to be SCARY!

 

When I think of Halloween I think of candy!!! Loads of it…and that can be scarier than the goblins toting it around!!!  For those of us with a sweet tooth…what is to become of us on Halloween night? Well, there are a few helpful tips to remember when your sweet tooth is twitching…..

1)    DO NOT buy any Halloween candy! Or, buy candy that you do not like. It is better to give out small packets of pretzels or play-dough or fruit roll ups.

2)    Keep in your mind that there will always be candy, but you are choosing to improve your health right now, and candy will not help you reach your goal!

3)    Make your own fudgesicles by freezing the chocolate shakes.

4)    Freeze crystal light for a fruity, candy-like desert.

5)    Sugar free Jell-o is a great candy-like snack

6)    Do not stay at home on Halloween handing out your treats.  Instead, grab a bottle of water and take a nighttime walk around the neighborhood to take in all the ghoulish sights!

7)    Bring healthy snacks to work (see Healthy Snack list) to keep from being tempted by candy in the office.

8)    Cut up a healthy snack such as a Medifast bar and put it in a baggie.  Freeze it for a sweet treat later!

9)    A great idea to help keep the piles of candy from going into your children’s body…Have them pick out 5 pieces of candy out of their bag and “buy” the rest of the bag from them for 10 dollars and then take them to the toy store to get a prize! Remember to throw the bags of candy away or give to a shelter!!!!!!

  10) Stay in touch with your Health Coach, we can help you stay strong

 

Remember, a great analogy is the concert pianist… If you were a child, and you wanted to be a concert pianist (primary goal) you would need to practice every day (secondary goal), and make choices that may not be your favorite (not get to play with friends, travel, lessons, miss parties, miss play dates, etc…) But… you would perform these secondary goals if it helps you to reach your primary goal.

Well, we are doing the same thing… our primary goal is to lose weight and get healthy.  Some secondary goals are…exercise daily, drink water, stay away from extra carbohydrates and starches, do not drink alcohol, possibly decide not to go to some parties, and do not eat Halloween candy!  And we will make these secondary choices because it will help us to reach what is most important to us right now… to lose weight, feel great, and to look and be healthy!!  It is your choice.  It will always be your choice :-)

 

Lori Andersen