YOUR MIND
Look At Things As They Can Be
Max Steingart
Your range of available choices right now has no limits. The only limits you have are in your mind. You've got it in you to succeed. Just make up your mind and stick with it.
You weren't born with any limits on your powers or any set limits to your capacity.
At any moment, you have more possibilities than you can act upon.
Imagine your possibilities and your vision expands. Capture your dreams in your mind and your life becomes full. Reach out and touch the limits of your being in your mind.
You can, because you think you can.
copyright 2014 www.yourdailymotivation.com
YOUR BODY
Lost Your Groove [FIRST_NAME] ? Here's 25 Ways to Get It Back!
Your body isn't going to change overnight. Adjusting your expectations will save you a lot of frustration..
Remember that great fitness routine you were so into just before you started eating all that barbeque this summer and going to all those backyard parties? Well, if the passage of a few festive weeks has weakened your routine, you're not alone. Here are some tips for getting started (again), no matter what kind of fitness activity you participate in:
1. Hire a personal trainer for one hour and discuss short-term and long-term goals. It'll give you a good place to start, it'll give you a plan, and it'll motivate you to get moving again.
2. Sign up for an exercise class that you've never tried before. First, you might surprise yourself and find something you like, and second, exercising with other people is usually more fun than trying to get back into a routine by yourself.
3. Spice up your workout. During your first week back at your fitness facility, don't do the same workout twice. If you exercise three days a week, ride the bike on day one, do weight training on day two, and go for a swim on day three.
4. Avoid burn out (and injury.) Don't try to make up all your missed workouts all at once - work up to a regular regime.
5. Get the most out of your fitness investment. 30%-35% of people who join fitness facilities don't actually go - calculate what that costs and remind yourself of the value of your investment in fitness.
6. Give yourself a realistic pep talk. If you've been off the exercise wagon for the holidays, your body isn't going to change overnight. Adjusting your expectations will save you a lot of frustration.
7. Ignore the scale. Is dropping those extra holiday pounds your exercise incentive? Do yourself a favor and stay off the scale for three weeks to give yourself time to actually lose a pound or two.
8. Enjoy an outdoor workout. At least once a week, go outside to exercise (walking, running, cycling, jogging, anything...). The varied terrain will challenge your body in ways that a treadmill (or other indoor machines) can't; the fresh air will feel good in your lungs; and if you live in a cold climate, your body will probably burn extra calories just trying to keep warm.
9. Keep an exercise journal so you can reflect on what you've accomplished and write down your new exercise resolutions (goals).
10. Make one appointment with a registered dietitian so you can get your eating habits back in check.
11. Exercise with a friend - a partner will keep you company and keep you motivated.
12. Start a "family workout" tradition. Make exercising with your mate or family a once-a-week affair. It's a good way to get everyone into exercise, it'll mix up your workouts, and if you've got kids, you may find yourself experimenting with exercise options you never thought of (the playground comes to mind).
13. Target your best time. Find the time of day when exercising feels best for you - it's a key component in making any exercise routine work. If you're not an early morning riser, then don't force yourself into becoming an early morning exerciser.
14. Schedule time to exercise in your date book like you would any other important appointment and give it the priority it deserves.
15. Break it up. If you don't have time in the day for an hour of exercise then break it up into two half-hour sessions. For example, do a half hour of aerobic exercise at lunch and schedule a half-hour after work to do weight training.
16. Focus on what's working now. It's true, there are lots of changes that happen to your body when you work out, but many of them won't happen right away. Look for the changes that you will notice immediately: more energy, a better ability to handle stress, more willpower, and the ability to get a better night's sleep.
17. Get aerobic fitness up to speed. Even if your exercise hiatus was a relatively short one (2 or 3 weeks), you've lost a lot of your cardiovascular fitness ability. But fear not, it'll come back.
18. Stay in your target heart rate zone while you're exercising so you know you're getting an effective workout (try using a heart rate monitor!).
19. Getting back to weight training? Whatever you used to do, cut the amount of weight by a third and the number of reps in half and then build up to your pre-holiday routine over the next three weeks.
20. Take care of your lower back - Without exercise, your lower back strength decreases, so risk of injury should be a concern. Think about good form and posture no matter what activity you're doing, and get some instruction on how to properly stretch after exercise.
21. Try swimming if you have the opportunity - it's a great gentle way to get an excellent cardiovascular workout.
22. Focus on short term goals when you're beginning again - like just getting to your exercise facility, for instance - they'll bolster your spirits big time.
23. If you don't like it, then don't do it! Too many of us suffer through exercise. There is too much to choose from to continue something you dislike, so try anything and everything until you find an activity you enjoy.
24. Eat well. You may be anxious to lose those extra holiday pounds pronto, but good food will give your body the nutrients and energy it needs.
25. Get a physical. Call your doctor and schedule a check-up. (Think - how long has it been since your last one?) Embarking on a New Year's exercise program is a great plan, but making sure your body can handle it is always a good idea.
With our busy lifestyles, it is easy to forget to drink water throughout the day. We need water to flush out toxins, keep our energy levels elevated and to keep our tissues hydrated. It contains no calories, so you can drink as much of it as you want to, and if you need some variety, add a lemon or lime slice to it. You can also make homemade lemonade with lemon, water and Fructevia, Steviva Blend or a dash Steviva Brands Pure Stevia Powder. Stevia anyone?
This information and other information is intended for general reference purposes only and is not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.
YOUR SPIRIT
The Soundless Center
Silence of the Heart
by Madisyn Taylor
It takes a sensitive ear to tune in to the silence of the heart, but it is there in each one of us.
We spend a lot of time attempting to put the feelings in our hearts into words, to communicate to others our passions, our emotions, and our love. Often we are so busy trying to translate our heart’s roar into language that we miss the most profound experience the heart has to offer, which is silence. Every poem arises from this silence and returns to it. When all the songs have been sung, the soliloquies delivered, the emotions expressed, silence is what remains. As each wave of feeling rises and falls back into the silence, we have an opportunity to connect with the vast, open, powerfully healing wisdom at the soundless center of our hearts.
Our hearts may seem noisy and tumultuous so much of the time that we do not even associate them with silence. It takes a sensitive ear to tune in to the silence of the heart, but it is there in each one of us, so close and so large that we do not even notice it. We can begin to become aware of it in the same way we become aware of the negative space in a still life, the background of a photograph, or the open sky that contains the sun, clouds, moon, and stars. We are accustomed to tuning in to objects and sounds that are one-pointed, solid, and three-dimensional. Seeing and hearing the apparently empty space that contains these sounds and objects takes a little practice.
We can bring our awareness into our hearts by simply breathing into the general area of our heart. The first thing we may notice is feelings like joy or sadness and physical sensations like tightness or tenderness. We acknowledge these as we continue to breathe and focus, listening attentively. We surround these feelings and sensations with breath and recognize that they are contained and held in an immeasurable substance like water or air, intangible, ineffable, but utterly real. This is the silence of the heart, and the more we listen for it, return to it, and accept it, the more we bathe and purify ourselves in the soundless center of our being.
YOUR RECIPE
Low Glycemic No Added Sugar Strawberry Jam
(makes 96 servings)
Carbs Per Serving: .8 g
Prep Time:<15 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Wow... I was just at the farmers market and the strawberries are coming in gangbusters. What's a guy to do except whip up a little strawberry jam? Here's a strawberry jam recipe that is insanely easy and get this... it has less than 1 carb per serving and only 4 calories. I hope you enjoy this [FIRST_NAME]!
Ingredients:
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup Fructevia, Steviva Blend or a dash Steviva Brands Pure Stevia Powder
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 envelopes (1 1/2 tb sp.) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Instructions:
In medium saucepan, combine berries, Fructevia, Steviva Blend or a dash Steviva Brands Pure Stevia Powder and lemon juice. Heat 5 minutes, crushing berries. Bring to boil; boil rapidly, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
In a small bowl, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cold water. Let stand 1 minute. Add to berry mixture and heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Let jam stand 5 minutes, skimming off any foam. Ladle into jars. Cover with top of paraffin and cool slightly before refrigerating and it will keep a month in the refrigerator or a year in the freezer.
For More Low Carb and Sugar*Free Recipes Go To Steviva Recipes!