TIP OF THE DAY - SATURDAY

LAST TIP IN THE "28 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER HEART! DO YOU ALL FEEL BETTER?
We started these tips with the first of February and I hope you got something out of them. I learned several things, like it helps your healthy heart to laugh and relax, and working with weights during exercise will help your heart, and that dark chocolate "may" help prevent heart disease. My favorite one is go nuts. I love peanuts but because they are so high in fat I don't eat them, but according to this, nuts contain healthy fats, so I bought a jar of unsalted dry roasted peanuts and put a handful into the food processor and almost turned them into peanut butter. They are almost a powder and go great on oatmeal in the morning, apple slices or sugar free pudding for snacks and I also added some to my wheat bread. It was like eating warm bread with the peanut butter already on it. And the one ounce you should eat will last all day.
* Here's your last tip: It's never too late to start a healthy lifestyle. By implementing small lifestyle changes like these each day, you can improve your heart health and quality of life. The important thing is to stick with it.

PARTY PINATA

COWBOY BOOT PINATA. I have 2 - 5 year old party planners helping with the July party and they have asked to see the pinata. I thought I would share the photo with you all. NO, it does not have any candy in it yet, but it will by July, I promise. Any one else with suggestions can let me or Emme or Makenna know we would love to hear from you. Emme believes that she and Makenna will be able to break it open but I think it will probably be Dillion or Ian who will end up breaking it. We will see.

TIP OF THE DAY - FRIDAY

GO FISH. Fish like salmon, tuna, and halibut are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which promote heart health. Six to eight ounces of baked or broiled fish each week will do your body good.

Skinny Songs

Just read in the March issue of Redbook about a lady who made a CD of "skinny songs". They were songs she helped to write about losing weight. One, instead of Carrie Underwoods' Before He Cheats, became Before I Cheat (on my diet). The first song was "Skinny Jeans". Anyway you get the idea. The CD is available on Amazon.com, or itunes, etc. Or go to Redbook.com where you can enter to possibly win a free copy. I plan to check this out further and will get back to you when I know more. Or, if you've already heard about this, fill the rest of us in on what you know.

TIP OF THE DAY - THURSDAY

BREATHE. Slow deep breaths can help conquer stress and lower blood pressure. With your eyes closed, practice inhaling deeply into the belly and exhaling slowly. Try this several times a day.
* This is really good if done at the end of your exercise workout. It calms the heart down and gets it back to normal after having worked out so hard during the exercise.

TIP OF THE DAY - WEDNESDAY

MOVE MORE! Every bit of activity you do can help you strengthen your heart and maintain your weight. Find opportunities for fitness by taking the stairs, parking further away, doing yard work and more.
*It is getting nice enough that soon we will be able to walk around the neighborhood. So why not go for a walk.

HAVE YOU EVER SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT?

YOU UNDERSTAND...TRY TO BE GOOD AND DO SOMETHING POSITIVE AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE A BIG NEGATIVE? That seems to be me. I called the doctor today to ask him about going down to 1000 calories a day since I have been doing in for several days anyway and to ask if for some over the counter pills that would help with this weight loss. He told me NO NO NO. He says I am doing great and I just need to be patient, yeah right. You would think that after 15 years he would know me better than that. He explained that because I was now exercising 5-6 days a week and between 45-60 minutes a day that the 1200 calories might not be enough and I probably need to eat a little more. Who knew. So don't give up the calories if you aren't losing and definitely don't ease up on the exercise remember to keep it balanced. He told me that with this exercise I am doing and with the added calories I might even see a increase next time I weigh in. That is not a nice thing to say to a crazy, old, fat, lady. Good thing this was a phone call and not a visit.