HEALTHY BODY BLOG

Focus Mode Sheet & The Super Power Of A Kitchen Timer

2/9/2017

Do you know what a Focus Mode Sheet is? No? Don’t worry, up until recently I had no clue what it was either! When I first heard this word, for some reason, I was thinking of a TV receiver menu. But anyway, so what is a Focus Mode Sheet and what does a kitchen timer have to do with it, you might think … well, hang on, we will get to that in a second!

It all started with my Word of the Year for 2017! I’m a team leader and independent consultant with Usborne Books & More (UBAM). My team leader asked the members of the team to think of one word that would define our year 2017 … our Word of the Year. I was sitting in front of a blank piece of paper and I swear if brains made the same loud annoying high-pitch sound that fire alarms make when they go off while you are in the kitchen cooking bacon (everything tastes better with bacon, right?), my whole neighborhood would have thought that our house was on fire. I couldn’t think of one word if my life depended on it. I had a basic idea of what it was I wanted my year to be like and what I wanted to focus on, but I couldn’t come up with just ONE word that would summarize all of it.

A day later—while my husband, the kids and I were driving on the interstate—I told my husband about my dilemma. He told me to describe what I wanted to put in just one word. I explained it and with the biggest grin he said: “Babe, your Word of the Year is Aderall!” I had no idea what that was. He said that it is a drug that people who suffer from ADHD take. We both giggled, but you know what? It made me think! Could he be right? I knew I had been suffering from depression for years, but ADHD?!?! What if he was right? You must know, I had just started seeing a therapist to help me cope with my depression … I decided to ask her. To make a long story short, a couple of weeks later I was officially clinically diagnosed with ADD/ADHD!

Those who know me know that I hate taking meds. I was already on antidepressants, I didn’t want to add any ADHD meds. The therapist and I agreed that we would try to find other strategies to help me with this disorder.

During the tests, some of the things we found were:

I have an attention span of 45 min max
I need to switch activities to not get bored and start getting distracted
I need something to bring my focus/brain back to the task I’m working on if my mind starts wandering
Having a long to-do list makes me start multiple tasks and at the end of the day I get frustrated because I didn’t get any or hardly any of them done 100 %

Keeping this in mind, I decided that I wanted to give a timer a try. I had the genius idea to use the kitchen timer I had in my kitchen for when I cook eggs. Little did I know that this $1 item would be more effective than any drug could ever be! Not only have I started timing my activities (setting it to no more than 45 minutes, then switch to a different activity when it rings), the ticking also reminds me of the task I’m supposed to be working on if my mind starts wandering. Genius, don’t you think? This is what I call the super power of a kitchen timer lol.

Oh, and just so you know … my husband and I DID come up with my Word of the Year. Actually, we came up with 2 words: INTENTIONAL and STRUCTURED!

Call it divine intervention like me having the idea of using a kitchen timer or call it coincidence! Whatever you want to call it, this higher power, fate or coincidence made me come across something really cool! You see, since I believe that I need structure, I started looking for ways to help me be structured, e.g., check lists, planners, etc. As I was googling, I came across Laura’s page www.IHeartPlanners.com. Laura makes some amazing printables, printables for all areas in your life … from chore lists, to meal planning lists, to daily dockets and sales trackers and the like. I signed up for her newsletter. In one of those newsletters, she mentioned a Focus Mode Sheet that helps her prioritize. I looked into it and was blown away. THAT RIGHT THERE WAS THE ANSWER TO MY PRAYERS!!!

Now let me explain to you what it is:

A Focus Mode Sheet is like a to-do list. Here is what you do: You make your to-do list, assign priorities to the items on that list aaaaaannnnd [insert drum roll here] an annoyance factor. An annoyance factor is a rank from 1 to 5 identifying how much it bothers you that a task or project on your list must be done or has not been completed. Then, you go ahead and pick the 3-4 tasks with the highest priority and/or annoyance factor. Put these tasks on your Focus Mode Sheet. Now here comes the important part and purpose of the list: YOU FOCUS ON THESE TASKS AND ON THESE TASKS ONLY, YOU DON’T ADD ANY TASKS, YOU DON’T TAKE ANY OFF THE LIST!!! Once you have completed these tasks, you make a new Focus Mode Sheet with the next 3-4 tasks, and so on! Let me tell you … this totally works for me!!! I’m getting things done, I don’t get distracted by other tasks on my to-do list, and I’m less stressed out at the end of the day because I see how much I have accomplished during the day.

Who would have thought that a kitchen timer and a Focus Mode Sheet would be my lifesavers!!!

Do you want to read more about other steps I took to make some major changes in my life, battle my depression and how and why I am on my way from the ICU fighting for my life to the Iron Girl Vancouver triathlon? Then check out “Resolutions are so 80s – Why I make REALsolutions!” (stay tuned for this post ... I will post it soon!)

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Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds and Flaxseeds: Health Benefits

3/11/2016

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I'm really excited to share that I've teamed up with a great group of bloggers! Balancing motherhood, blogging, and coaching can be a struggle, which has unfortunately led to some inconsistency on my part with how often I produce new articles. I'm thrilled to partner with these women who hold certifications in personal training, nutrition, and coaching in order to provide you with consistently great content.

So let me introduce you to one of the wonderful ladies in my new content tribe: Lina M. Quin.
Lina is a Certified Nutritionist and great resource of nutritional info. You can find out more about Lina at the end of this article. Go and check out her website!

And without any further ado, here is Lina's guest blog post. Enjoy! We are looking forward to your comments!

Seeds, (just like nuts) are nutritional powerhouses, packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Many people ask me about the difference of these tiny little seeds and which of these seeds have more nutrition.
So, this will be one of those lengthy posts — everything you want to know about cooking with chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flaxseeds. I love using these seeds in my recipes!

Incorporating seeds into your favorite recipes not only boosts flavor and texture but it can make any meal even healthier.

Let’s get right to the benefits of these wonderful seeds.

Chia Seeds:

Balances and stabilizes your blood sugar — it slows the effect at which glucose enters the bloodstream (making it ideal for diabetics)
Improves insulin sensitivity — by lowering insulin it will indirectly help with belly fat (as fat in this area is associated with excess insulin and cortisol)
High in fiber — it has more fiber than wheat bran and it won’t bloat your belly (just say bye-bye to bran cereals)
High in omega-3s — chia seeds are one of the highest and greatest plant sources of a fatty acid called Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It can help reduce inflammation and its important for brain health and development.
Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and high blood sugar after meals. All these three are considered “Metabolic Syndrome” — if you have it then you should let a holistic nutritionist guide you (book a consultation here)
High in antioxidants — and thanks to their antioxidant qualities, chia seeds don’t go rancid as quickly as flaxseeds do. Plus you don’t have to grind them either. Yay!!

Enjoy them: by sprinkling ground or whole chia seeds onto oatmeal, cereal, salads, yogurt and smoothies. Use hydrated chia seeds as an egg-substitute.

Flaxseeds:

They have a similar nutritional profile as chia seeds.
Great source of omega-3 fatty acids — which lowers cholesterol and reduce inflammation. To access the omega-3s you will need to grind them
High in fiber — flaxseeds rank second in the fiber department with 2.8 g of fiber per tbsp.
Provide phytoestrogens — plant compounds that are similar to estrogens in the form of lignans. Some studies suggest that consuming flax lignans may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Note: Since flaxseeds are not absorbed in their whole form, you need to grind them to provide the most benefits.

Enjoy them: ground flaxseeds on organic yogurt, smoothies, and oatmeal. You can also use flaxseeds as an egg substitute for vegan cooking or egg-free recipes.

Hemp Seeds:

Complete source of vegetarian protein — hemp seeds contain all 9 essential amino acids and 20 amino acids in total. Making them a great choice for people who don’t eat animal foods. Plus its a very easy to digest protein.
Source of essential fatty acids — they contain “good fats”. Hemp have a higher amount of omega-3s than flaxseeds. Hemp seeds contain gamma-linolenic acid which helps balance hormones and lower inflammation (reduces PMS symptoms and menopausal hot flashes)
Packed with nutrients — these little seeds have a whole lot of nutritional benefits. Their great source of antioxidants, fiber, iron, zinc, carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B6, D and E and enzymes.

Enjoy them: by sprinkling over salads, cereal, or yogurt. My favorite way is to sprinkle them on almond butter toast.

There you have it… the health benefits of chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flaxseeds and how to enjoy them.

And in case you were wondering, my favorites are chia seeds and hemp seeds. But I do like using this Sprouted Chia And Flax Seed Powder from Organic Traditions in my smoothies.

Lina Quin
Hola, I'm Lina! Certified Nutritionist, fitness lover and a green smoothie girl. I'm passionate about plants, whole foods and embracing the mind-body connection.
My health journey began in 2008 when I was diagnosed with VUR, which caused some kidney damage. Throughout the years, I’ve also suffered from hormonal imbalance and allergies. In an effort to find answers, I’ve visited doctors and specialists and the only solutions given to me were prescriptions after prescriptions to alleviate the symptoms. After feeling the same or sometimes even worse from all the side effects, I decided to take control of my health and search for the root cause of my health issues. I wanted a natural solution. I wanted a life that wouldn’t involve unending tests and pills. This is when it all really began – I switched majors from Pharmaceutical Science to Food Science and Nutrition.
My website Simplemente Healthy is an amazing resource of delicious recipes, lifestyle tips and inspiration to live a healthy and happy life.

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Calling all new mommies!

1/31/2016

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Calling all new mommies who will be cleared to work out by the end of February or have already been cleared!
I am looking for 10 women who want to lock arms and hold each other accountable to drop the pregnancy weight gain within a few months of giving birth!
I will be on this journey WITH you but will providing you with:

✔my eating plan that is easy to fit on to any routine
✔recipes (lots of them; approved by my picky family ;-))
✔my workouts you can do from the comfort of your own home
✔tips and tricks for hitting it in with a baby
✔support and accountability from me and the other moms who are on this journey WITH you
✔lots of great info on how to shed weight without starving and keeping that breastmilk supply up
✔prizes and mini challenges and much more!
This will be a small exclusive group so we can really connect and support one another.
Want to be one of the 10 individuals picked? Email me at healthybodymindandsoul.simone@aol.com or contact me here!
Let's do this!! This group starts on February 29.

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The Secrets (and Tricks) of Thin People

8/16/2015

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Image: iStockPhoto.com ©

Often, people who struggle with their weight look at people they consider thin and wonder how these people keep their weight under control. The first things that usually come to mind is "Pfffft, it's probably genetics!" or "I bet they go to the gym every day!" Well, here are some of the secrets of thin people. You will see it is not rocket science, just a few simple tricks and a change in your mindset.

1. Thin people eat when they are starting to get hungry, regardless of what time it is. They also stop eating when they are full no matter how much is still left on their plate!

Thin people listen to their bodies and natural instincts. If you let yourself get famished and your metabolism goes on a roller coaster ride, you most likely end up binge eating, which leads to feeling guilty and more eating. If you eat when you are starting to get hungry and stop eating when you are full, your metabolism will remain more or less at the same level. You will automatically eat five or more small meals instead of three big meals. This leads us to No. 2 which is very important.

2. Most thin people do NOT skip breakfast!

It’s the most important meal of the day. It helps you get your metabolism started and to the level you want it to remain throughout the day.

3. Thin people tend to eat water-filled foods or drink water before eating!

Water-filled foods are low in calories but satiating. You feel full faster and eat less for the rest of the meal. Water-filled foods include soups, water melon, salad, and certain vegetables such as cucumbers. Not only do thin people tend to eat these foods or drink water before eating, they also do this …

4. The majority of thin people eat fiber-high foods!

While water-filled foods are satiating, fiber-high foods such as whole grains, oats, beans, or even apples and pears (with their peel on) also make you feel full longer. Fiber can lower blood sugar and cut cholesterol.

5. Another key element: smaller than normal plates and limiting your options!

Have you ever watched thin people at a buffet? Have you ever noticed that they usually choose smaller plates? That is not because they need to eat less, but instinctively they trick their brain. Smaller than normal plates make your portions look bigger and you eat less. A buffet is something you should try to avoid. The key is to limit your options. The bigger the variety, the more likely you are to eat. Avoiding buffets or “social eating” (eating out or at parties, etc.), is also linked to our secret No. 6.

6. Thin people tend to eat without distraction!

Turn off your TV, don’t play a computer game, be careful when you eat out with others and have conversations without paying attention to your food. A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that people who ate without distraction felt full faster which in turn means that they ate less. Overeating is something you should avoid! It takes about 20 minutes for your body to signal that you are full. So eat slowly!

7. They don’t associate food with guilt or shame!

Thin people do make bad choices, believe it or not! The difference is that they acknowledge those bad choices, but they don’t dwell on them. They just go back to eating healthy without looking back!

8. Also, thin people do not associate happiness only with food!

Instead of compensating their stress, unhappiness, loneliness, boredom, etc. with food, thin people find other outlets. They exercise which releases endorphin that helps reduce stress, improves their mood, etc. They meet friends, pursue one of their hobbies or outdoor activities. This brings us to the next factor that helps thin people stay thin.

9. They are more active!

And I’m not necessarily talking about working out every day. It’s even small things that help them keep their weight under control, e.g., parking at the far end of a parking lot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. Overall, thin people …

10. ... put themselves and their well-being first!

The word that might pop into your head reading this might be “selfish.” But that is not true! All they do is find the time to exercise, eat right, and reduce stress and so on. They take time out of their (stressful) days to ensure that they have a healthy balance in their life!

11. Thin people intervene a lot sooner!

If a thin person notices that the pants are tighter or that their scales are going up by more than a few pounds, they take immediate action! They do not wait until they need pants two sizes bigger.

And last but not least …

12. Yes, genetics do play a role!

While genetics do play a role, it’s only a minor one. The rest is environment, i.e., our upbringing, peer pressure, media, etc.

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