Food for Thought : Welcome to January 2015! Have you made any resolutions this year?

Approximately half of us make some sort of resolution each year, and the majority of the resolutions made are related to health, nutrition or fitness. Although making a plan to increase your health is a great idea, many times we fall prey to fad diets or unhealthy practices.

1 .    Over the next several weeks you will see an increase in advertisements for all different types of products to help you achieve health or wellness, and often times these products are not what is best for us. Here are a few tips to help you navigate through some of the popular types of advertisements for health and wellness products:

2     Avoid plans that suggest irregular or complicated eating schedules. You should eat about 5-6 small meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism steady and reduce hunger. Depending on your needs they can be as simple as a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts.

3     Be suspicious of any plan promoting drastic or immediate results. You didn't put the extra weight on in a few weeks, don't expect to lose it that quickly. Do not just use the scale for measurement. Keep track of inches, especially the waist, hips, thighs and arms, your energy levels, how you feel overall and changes in your blood lab work, such as glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides.

4 .    Steer clear from programs that are selling vitamins, supplements or specialty products. Avoid taking any tablets, pills, capsules, shakes, etc. without first contacting your pharmacist or physician.

Words of  Wisdom :

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance." 

"Humor oils the wheels of life and helps to keep it running smoothly." 

"Commitments don't have to be chains. They can be rich with meaning. They can be the wings on which our spirits soar." 

Being happy can be hard work sometimes. It is like maintaining a nice home - you've got to hang on to your treasures and throw out the garbage." 
"Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts." 

May your home know happiness, each room hold laughter, every window open to possibilities. 

In the old days, if a person missed the stagecoach he was content to wait a day or two for the next one. Nowadays, we feel frustrated if we miss one section of a revolving door. 

There is only one problem with saving your dream for someday. Someday will always remain in the future. 

Happy  2015 ,  we wish everyone  a great  and  prosperous  year. 
A proud  Grandpoppa      G.