The Best and Easiest Oatmeal Ever! (it cooks while you sleep!)

Autumn is upon us and the mornings are definitely cooler. You're most likely craving warmer, stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts now. Oatmeal is perfect. It's healthy, low in fat and delicious, but who has time in their busy mornings to make that? And those packets of Instant Oatmeal? Ewww.......

Take out your slow cooker and wake up to delicious, hot oatmeal tomorrow!!

Here's how to do it:

Use long-cooking, or better yet, try steel-cut oats; they're firmer, and they get a little creamy in the slow-cooker. Put them in the slow cooker overnight with your choice of milk (regular or non-dairy) or water. (Follow oatmeal package directions for measurements). And don't forget to add salt! Oatmeal without a touch of added salt is just plain awful, so don't even try. A bit of salt isn't bad - it's all that salt in the processed, packaged and fast foods we eat that is the most harmful to us!

Now it's time to get creative! Add some spice to your oatmeal. Cinnamon and nutmeg are perfect with oatmeal. A splash of vanilla is delicious, too. Drizzle in some organic maple syrup for natural sweetness. Toss in a handful of chopped almonds or walnuts for extra protein and good fat. You can add dried fruit, like raisins, dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots, if you wish. Or fresh, cubed apples. The apples will cook along with the oatmeal.

Think NATURAL SWEETNESS over PROCESSED SUGAR.

Set it on low, let it cook overnight and in the morning you will wake up to a hot, nourishing bowl of oatmeal.

Perfection.

Just remember, tons of table sugar in your oatmeal pretty much defeats all the health benefits so, here's a little trick. The more spices and goodies you toss into it as it cooks, the less sugar you will need to add when you eat it. You might discover you don't need any extra sugar at all! If it doesn't taste sweet enough, try mixing in some banana slices or a handful of fresh blueberries before reaching for the sugar bowl.

I adapted this recipe from Nine Ways to Use Your Slow Cooker

Yours in Good Health,
Cynthia
xo

Are You Constantly Punishing Yourself for Mistakes or Slip-Ups?

It takes an awful lot of courage to completely dedicate yourself 

to a healthy lifestyle or a specific weight loss goal.

Don't punish yourself for mistakes or slip-ups. Perhaps you indulged a bit too much last night at Happy Hour or at dinner. Maybe you decided to trade your usual morning exercise routine for an extra hour or two of sleep.  So what? 

                 You haven't completely blown it and you definitely are NOT a failure! 

Do not give it a second thought. Focusing on what you think you did wrong or getting angry at yourself, does nothing to inspire and motivate you and can actually set you up for failure! So...STOP! 

The moment those types of thoughts enter your brain - DISMISS THEM! 

Tell yourself you will try again later or tomorrow! 

Treat yourself the way you would treat that one person you care for 

more than anyone else in the world!  

With love. Patience. Grace. Understanding.

Yours in Good Health,

Cynthia

xo

I'm in Avocado Heaven!

A big bag of gorgeous avocados for under five bucks!  I am a very happy girl!

What am I gonna do with them? 

Check back tomorrow. I am going to share some of my favorite avocado recipes with you! 

In the meantime, read about GOOD FAT/BAD FAT and how avocados are DEFINITELY 
good fat!  Fat 101

Yours in Good Health,

Cynthia

xo

The #1 Secret for Weight loss? Get Rid of Your Scale!

There was a time when I used to step on the scale EVERY day to check my weight. Sometimes, several times a day.  I was terrified of gaining unwanted pounds and whatever number registered on that stupid scale would often dictate my mood, my attitude and my opinion of myself.  If it read one ounce OVER what I considered to be my IDEAL weight, I would starve myself until that number on the scale went right back to where I needed it to be.

How silly is that?  And so unhealthy for my body, mind and spirit.

When a client comes to me for help with weight loss, one of the first things I tell them is to get rid of their scale! Toss it, store it another room, or hide it somewhere in the back of a closet, garage or basement. A scale is the most discouraging, depressing and damaging weight loss tool ever created! All it does is teach you to measure your worth by a number that you came up with or someone else dictated that you must achieve in order to be successful.  Most of the time, that number is unattainable. Or at the very least, impossible to keep for very long with changing.

Think about what that does to your self-esteem.............

You are constantly changing. Your body changes - after childbirth, with age, with activity or lack of it. Your weight also changes. DAILY. It often depends on how much or how little you eat, but your weight can also be affected by other factors like stress, hormones, emotions and things that are beyond your control.  There are other ways to determine if you are losing or gaining weight without beating yourself up over numbers!

Do yourself a favor and ditch the scale. It's useless. If you're interested in PERMANENT weight loss, the only way to do that is to learn to accept and love yourself EXACTLY as you are RIGHT NOW and refuse to be driven by a specific weight that registers on a scale.

I am here to provide practical and personalized advice and assistance on your journey toward Health, Wellness and PERMANENT Weight Loss. Contact me today and let's chat.......

I Want a Fit, Toned, Healthy Body!

Who doesn't want a fit, toned, healthy body? If that's what you want, you can have it, but all the thinking and wishing in the world won't get you any closer to it. You have to start taking steps in the right direction. They don't have to be giant steps. Those can be overwhelming and exhausting. We're all guilty of trying drastic measures in an effort to get things done quickly.

WE WANT RESULTS NOW!!  

What do I mean by Giant Steps? 

You haven't exercised in months (or years). One day you wake up and you are a maniac, working out several hours a day, and pushing and torturing your body in an effort to get fit fast.

OR....

You shock your body by drastically reducing the amount of food you eat and you wonder why you're tired, frustrated and not losing weight.  You starve and deprive yourself. You try all of the latest and greatest fad diets.

What usually happens when you take those kinds of giant steps? Eventually, you end up aggravated, frustrated and tired. You make everyone around you miserable. So, you give up. You slip right back to your regular, old habits and gain every ounce of weight you did lose back and then some............

Why torture yourself this way? Why not just take smaller steps?

Small steps in the right direction will still get you where you need to go.

Small Steps in the Right Direction:

Exercise. Definitely exercise! You don't need to wear yourself out or live in the gym. Just do something every day, for about 20 - 30 minutes. You can spread it out over your day if you don't have that much concentrated time to spare. Perhaps if you turned off the TV or stepped away from the computer, you would have the time. Just sayin'. :)

Yoga, weight training, Pilates, bike riding, dancing, swimming, house work, a walk around the block, in the park or on the beach, and yes, even sex, count as exercise. So pick one. Better yet, pick more than one and commit to doing something every day!

Forget crash dieting. Just make better food choices. Avoid fast food, if possible.  Eat more fruit, more vegetables, lean protein, whole grains. Fire up the BBQ and start grilling instead of frying. Skip the crappy carbs (bagels, rolls, white bread, white flour pasta, white rice, mashed potatoes). Limit sugar and sweet treats like cake, cookies and pies.  Try a square or two of dark chocolate when the chocolate cravings kick in. And watch the alcohol! Those calories count and alcohol slows down your metabolism and increases your cravings for crappy carbs.

No, you will not miraculously drop fifty pounds overnight, but you will lose excess fat and inches. And you will have firmer, more defined legs, arms, and abs! And your butt will look better in your jeans, too!  No, you will not look the model in the photo. At least not right away. She didn't get that body overnight and neither will you. But every move you make will bring one step closer.........

You will look and feel so much better. You will want to keep going. And you will be healthier; body, mind and spirit.  And healthy is sexy. Always.......

Yours in Good Health,
Cynthia

Ten Commandments for Weight Loss!

For those of you who don't know, I recently fell and broke three bones in my left foot. I will be in a cast for the next 6 -8 weeks. I can't work. I am a nursing assistant and that involves being on my feet for 12 hour shifts a few days a week.  There are times I honestly believe I am Wonder Woman, but not even she would be able to do such back-breaking work on crutches.  The day of my unfortunate incident,  I was getting ready for an awesome job opportunity. I can kiss that goodbye now.  Thankfully, I have my nutritional consulting business and can assist clients from home via web cam and telephone. I am able to earn a living and not worry about being homeless.

One of the biggest challenges I will face as I try to settle into a more sedentary lifestyle, is to not put on extra weight.  A close friend of mine broke her leg in a motorcycle accident a few years ago. She gained fifty pounds.

The fact that I don't have anyone here to actually cook, feed, or wait on me is a blessing. My dad brought over a walker (the kind old people use) so I am able to get around with it and stand at the stove and prepare quick meals. Shopping will be a bit of challenge, but I am going to attempt it anyway. I just don't want to fall victim to prepared foods, junk, or take-out for convenience sake because that sort of stuff will just pack on the pounds.  I will not use my injury as an excuse to eat more than what I can actually burn off in a day!  I need to cut back on calories now, not add more.

I have a tendency to gain weight very quickly if I don't exercise or pay careful attention to how and what I eat. I blame it on genetics. The women in my family are magnets for fat and once it finds us, it clings on for dear life. It's almost impossible to shed the fat once it takes up residence on our hips, butts and thighs. At least I know this about myself. Summer is right around the corner and I am a beach girl. My sexy, new black bikini is waiting and I am determined to wear it in a few short months, despite my broken foot. I have it hanging on the back of my bedroom door; inspiration to keep me from stuffing my face with comfort foods over the next several weeks.

The key is to keep my mind and my body occupied. This will prevent me from going insane and eating out of sheer boredom.  Sometimes we think we are hungry but we are really just bored. I've been working on my first novel forever, so now I can get a lot of writing done. I am not actually able to walk,  but I can certainly lift weights to keep my biceps and triceps in shape. I just need someone to carry them over to the couch for me. I will also need to remember to shove the weights under the couch when I am finished or I will most certainly trip right over them. I have a habit of tripping over things because I am always rushing around. That's how I broke my foot in the first place.

Walking around on crutches is also excellent exercise for my arms and shoulders. I've been practicing and it's not as easy as it looks. My muscles are killing me. I  remember the unfortunate classmate who had broken his leg in junior high school. We all stood in line, anxiously waiting to try out his crutches. They're really fun as long you're not dependent on them as your only source of mobility. Thankfully, my foot is broken and not my leg, so I can still do some exercises to keep my abs, butt and thighs from turning to fat. Perhaps I will come up with a great Couch Potato fitness routine that will make me rich and famous.

A broken foot is a minor inconvenience.  It could have been much worse. Yes, I've been whining and complaining a bit about it but that's just because I am so damned independent and hate asking anyone for assistance. And I really despise being forced to slow down, but once I grow accustomed to the cast and these crutches, I will figure out a way to get out there on the dance floor. Just watch me!

Has life thrown a monkey wrench into your plans?  A broken bone, unemployment, debt, aches and pains, a failed relationship? Don't let minor upsets or inconveniences deter you from your goals. No matter how earth shattering your situation might seem at the moment, you can always work around it. Don't use it as an excuse to give up.  It's an opportunity: a new way to get things done.  And don't forget to tap into your great inner source of creativity.  Incredible inventions, ideas and solutions are born when you're forced to see and do things differently.

I definitely have a few obstacles to overcome during the next 6 -8 weeks but I plan on exercising as best as I can and  following the Ten Commandments for Weight Loss.  That new black bikini is my goal and has been since I bought it on my 50th birthday. I am not about to let a broken foot stop me from wearing it this summer. I don't really need to lose weight, but I certainly don't want to gain any either and I know these commandments will work, in either case, especially right now. They can work for you, as well.

Weight loss is easy when you:

Set a goal and don't let anything stop you from achieving it.
Establish a few simple rules or commandments (like these Ten Commandments) and follow them.

Here's to your good health!
Cynthia