Getting Organized

Getting organized is tough, especially online when there is so much to see and there are only so many hours in a day. I decided that I’d attempt to get organized by listing my most frequented sites, include a few forms that I always seem to be printing out (like grocery lists, the monthly budget, and a daily planner). I also like to do a bit of crafting when I have time, so will be including my favorite sites, and places where I purchase patterns. (I’ll throw in a few freebies here too.)

The image below is just the start of helping me get this site organized. (It helps to have a  rough draft in front of me so I know where I’m heading! Come along with me while  build this corner of WordPress. Comments are appreciated. If you can think of something I could add while I’m building this site, I would like to hear your opinions! In the meantime, stay tuned!

Why read nutritional labels?

Ever wonder what the nutritional labels are for on food packages? Do you ever read them? Page 3 of the Nutrition Facts Label explains what each section is about, but the one you should be looking at if you want to lose weight is the “Serving Size,” which tell how many servings are in each package of food, whether canned, boxed, bottled or wrapped.

Losing weight is difficult for most people for a few reasons. First, when you eat in front of the television (or computer), you are usually not aware of how much you are eating. Second, not getting enough exercise and overeating is a guarantee that you will put on unwanted pounds. Third, as aggravating as you “think” measuring portions are, it comes down to this. Most of us overeat because we do not know what serving sizes actually look like. Finally, choosing the wrong foods because we like the taste, or think we need some particular food because it “keeps me going,” is just an easy way to say that you truly do not care about your health.

Not caring about what you eat is how diabetes, cancer, congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism, ovarian cysts, gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), liver disease, and other diseases get started when you are overweight. The Scientific Laboratory for Food Intolerance has the complete list on these and other complications caused by being overweight.

Do you just not know what you should be eating?  Organic fresh fruits and vegetables are your best bet, but you will pay more since there is not as much of a demand for toxic free foods. Buy it when you can find it, or try growing your own little garden. Vegetables can be grown in containers, and you treat them as you would annuals.

Regardless of whether or not you buy organic fresh produce or not, always wash to remove dirt and pesticides, and scrub citrus fruits, apples and pears with mild soapy water to remove the wax coating.

Spices and herbs instead of salt should be used. Not only do spices wake up the flavor of your food, but some actually have healing properties! Cayenne pepper, for example, is known to increase metabolism, while curry powder helps detoxify the body. The food list at Healthy Holistic Living can help get you started on your new grocery list.

Let me know what changes you’ve made in your diet!

New Year Resolutions

How many of you have set your New Year Resolutions? What are your ongoing ones – You know, those same ones you make year after year. Have you ever made and kept a new year resolution? If so, what was it?

My new year resolutions are to lose weight, eat healthier foods, get better educated, get all my classwork turned in on time, and create a schedule so I can get more things done for the new year.

Dieting is so difficult with the holidays, but I started the Master Cleanse Diet (aka Lemonade Diet) last week. I ate a few sweets Christmas Day, because I did want a taste of the Greek Baklava and the Swedish Spritz cookies I had made, and I had some boiled shrimp for dinner. I figured that if I started before the new year, I would be starting off on the right foot. Fresh vegetables, fruit and yogurt are in the refrigerator, so I’m off to a good start.

A better education is what I need to improve my financial goals, and I started on that journey in August, 2007. I’ve let my grades slip a bit because I haven’t always turned my classwork in on time, and I really needed a break from the amount of reading I’ve had to do. Thank goodness for holidays!

Winter break started for me on Dec. 22, and I haven’t opened a book once this week. However, I’m planning on beginning early tomorrow to start reading and get a few assignments ahead in my classes. Week 3 begins Jan. 4th and I want to be ahead in my classes in case of emergencies or just to take a few extra days off.

This evening, I will be creating a much needed schedule so that I can get off the computer a bit more often and get a few more things done. Since starting online courses, I’ve felt like all I ever do is spend time on the computer, and it is time for a change. I also think that the time I spend on the computer is the same reason my grades have been slipping, because I do nothing but type for at least 12 hours a day, and sometimes more.

The only resolution I have ever made and kept was to start eating healthier. I very rarely eat beef (once every 2 months), have developed a very strong dislike for anything pork, don’t care for chicken, and tend to eat seafood (broiled salmon, water-packed tuna or boiled shrimp) once a week.

I like oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, either a salad, vegetable soup, or beans and rice for lunch, and a yogurt shake with fresh fruit for dinner. I’m eating less, but according to nutritionists, you’re supposed to eat no less than 1200 calories per day, and I am eating MUCH less than that. I can tell I’ve lost a little weight because the jeans are a little looser, but I don’t have a scale to check.

What are your New Year Resolutions?

Low Glycemic Index Foods

Looking for an easier way to lose weight? Are you a diabetic and not sure what you should be eating? Check out the Glycemic Gourmet, and put your diet on “autopilot.” Sign up to receive your FREE low-glycemic index grocery shopping list.

They have a downloadable, FREE, grocery list of breads, cereals, fruit, dairy, meat, seafood, canned & dried foods, seasonings, and low-fat, low-calorie dressings.