I Had Some Articles Published!! Here are the Links...

Hey Everyone! I wrote a couple of articles for an online blog that got published and wanted you to be able to read them so I have included the links.

The First one is "5 Tips to Combat Heart Disease and Stroke."
What I didn't touch on is that the new studies are showing that a diet of HIGH CARBS AND SUGARS are what are causing heart disease. If we cut down on these things our bodies often times can heal the damage done in our veins and arteries. Our risk for Diabetes can be reduced also.
*FAT DOESN' T MAKE YOU FAT by the way it is SUGAR THAT MAKES YOU FAT!*

http://fitlife.tv/5-tips-to-combat-heart-disease-and-stroke_original/

 Juicing

Hiking

The Second one is  "3 Keys to Loving Yourself and Others - Adaptogens"
These are all natural Super Herbs that help with mood swings, libido, sleep, and tons more!
I use them every day!!

 http://fitlife.tv/3-keys-to-loving-yourself-and-others-adaptogens-original/

I hope you enjoy them, Happy Reading ~

Thoughts about Valentine's Day

Hi Everyone!
Well, today is Friday the 13th UGH.
Valentine's Day is Saturday (That's right tomorrow, in case you forgot) a real double whammy for those who don't want to celebrate, but know they should if they want to see Sunday!

I was at the grocery store and wow, is there a ton of stuff to help you not forget! Cards, clothes, candy, flowers, champagne, wine,  stuffed animals, What is up with the turtles anyways??!

I started to think about all the commercialism as well as all the incredible garbage ingredients in most of these items. The sugar that not only will make you fat, but can oxidize your arteries causing heart disease, and some that are even cancer causing.

I thought about the study showing that scented candles are not only harmful to people but are worse for pets, dogs most especially. It's so aggravating. So what are we to do?

Many people make dinner reservations and then stress about getting there, waiting because the rest of the town had the same idea as you did, eating, paying and then leaving a tip, OH THE FUN!!!
If this is what you are going to do, go early and just know it may be a long evening, breath and simply enjoy it. My husband and I use to go out and I would be so stressed by the time the food came it was obvious that no romance was in our future. My head was not in the game, I was thinking about everything but what the night was meant to be. He and I PERIOD!

Now I will say that I have an incredible husband and for our 30 years together he has been awesome.
Sometime ago, however we decided a few things about Valentine's Day.

*To start with we usually don't buy a card for each other anymore. I do check with him just to be sure, but after 30 years they tend to repeat themselves.

*I do not need a big honking box of chocolates that I will love, but complain about later, and truth be told I usually have a bag of kisses in a bowl on the counter.

*Flowers are great, but expensive especially at this time of the year. I much prefer when he randomly brings some home just because he thought I would like them, not because he felt obligated too.

*I have plenty of candles.

*He doesn't like Champagne.

* We don't like to go out, I generally don't like the food, or the way it is cooked, so we stay home.

Unromantic, well perhaps, but we still celebrate and here is what we do:

I make the dinner. This way I am happy with what I am about to eat, it is cooked to my specifications and I know it is organic and grass fed. This year Wayne is smoking ribs, he loves them, and this way he is doing half the cooking, works for me!! * A side note here, if you want to cook at home and are hoping for romance, don't make anything gassy. Ribs and baked beans are a winner at our house, but NOT for this meal. *

Set a nice table: Candles, music, set the tone for your evening.

Attire: You don't have to be sloven just because you are staying home, make the effort it will pay off.

Dessert: A must! This year we are having individual cheesecakes, which I will be making as soon as I finish this blog. Again I know what is in it and I love it.  A sweet treat is always nice.
* If you are buying dessert, just make sure it is something you both like that isn't gassy. Maybe something you can share,  just try not to have a ton of leftovers that you will feel guilty about eating later.*

A tip for gift givers and receivers:
If you know this person think, what do they really want? Better yet, what will they remember?

Memories are often much more desired by women then any type of candy or flowers.
I am not a man so I can't really say what men want, but my husband doesn't like me spending money randomly on stuff he really doesn't want. What he really wants is time with me.

* MEN* This is different for everyone and what I like may be absolutely opposite of what your partner wants but, If my man would simply come over to me, extend his hand to take mine, then take me in his arms and start to slow dance with me...as Josh Turner 's song says "Well, Honey why don't we just dance….." that would be the only gift I would need and dancing usually leads to romancing.

*Women* Be happy! Start that day with thinking this is going to be a great day! Don't let thoughts of your daily grind or the kids get in the way for you. This is your night to concentrate on how great this person is, don't let it get lost with other thoughts, be present, in the moment.

*Singles* No date doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a nice evening having a great dinner, maybe treating yourself to a sweet treat and remembering that you are an amazing person, you are perfect all on your own, Celebrate You!

Off to get those cheesecakes started,
I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day

Carrageenan, It's All Natural So What's The Big Deal?

Hi Everyone!

I usually don’t blog so close together, they say it is a sign of being too pushy, but this is so important that if you don’t know about it I feel it an obligation to shout it from the roof tops as soon as I can. I even contacted a few friends directly in hopes that elimination this from their diets may help them with some health issues that they are facing now.

While researching for another blog I came across something I felt was worth investigating, Carrageenan.

Now I had seen this word listed on ingredients before, and had remembered vaguely that it was not good for us but couldn't remember why.

As someone who has read labels for years I thought I was doing pretty well, until this.

Label reading is only as good as the knowledge you have of what you are reading and Carrageenan is listed but what the heck is it really?

Carrageenan or Irish Moss as they are starting to call it, comes from Red Seaweed and is all natural, the government has deemed it safe as recent as 2012 so this ingredient in conventional as well as organic foods is safe... right?

Well, lots of things are natural but still not safe for us to eat, Carrageenan is one of them.

The main purpose Carrageenan is used is for thickening, or stabilizing the foods we purchase. Think dairy products that can separate, soy and almond milk are also products that this can be found in.

It is often used in frozen and cooked chicken to keep it juicy and tender.

It can also be found as a binder in deli meats.

It is also listed in many of our pet foods.

There are two kinds of Carrageenan, food grade or "Undegraded" which the government has deemed safe for human consumption and "Degraded" which is not for human consumption.

So what's the big deal, just eat the food grade and you will be fine would be the simple thought. The answer is more complex however, because once the food grade Carrageenan hits your stomach the acid in your stomach takes over and scientists are concerned that the acid is turning the Carrageenan into degraded, the bad kind, when it gets to your digestive system.

At that point the bad or degraded Carrageenan has become A CARCINOGEN, A CANCER CAUSING SUBSTANCE!

This is showing up in humans as the following: gastrointestinal inflammation, intestinal lesions, abdominal bloating, spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, malignant tumors, as well as low grade inflammation, which can go on undetected for years causing all sorts of problems. It can also show up as an immune response in the body which has similar effects of salmonella.  

Tests on humans generally show nothing out of the ordinary yet, it in lab rats when Carrageenan is added to their diet they have developed colon cancer.

Studies on Carrageenan have been going on since the 1960's and the findings are shown over and over to be problematic, however major manufacturers have and continue to lobby the government and fight hard to keep this substance in our food system.

Some manufacturers are now removing this from their products and replacing it with things like guar gum, which has been found not to put rats in danger of getting cancer, and others are simply putting the words "Shake well" on their products so if their items do separate it can be controlled by the consumer. Others, even some organic companies, are not willing to remove this from their list of ingredients.

What is the answer?

Really know what you are reading on those labels and then you must make the decision for yourself.

Studies have shown many people have shown great improvement in their overall health by removing Carrageenan from their diet.

I just found a few things in my own house with Carrageenan in it  like the holistic cat food we buy, as well as my husbands all time favorite Nesquik which our kids and grandkids have enjoyed as well, it makes me angry that I have been uninformed and not involved enough. This stuff is out of my house permanently!

We need to make good choices, I have always said you are only responsible for what you know and now you know this too.

Stay Healthy my friends!

For more information on this please visit www.cornucopia.org for a complete report as well as a scorecard/ shopping list of items that are conventional as well as organic with Carrigeenan as an ingredient.

The day my hair fell out, and how I kept my sanity with vinegar, coconut oil, and laughter!

As a vibrant woman turning 50 in 2013, I finally had a grasp on who I was, a strong intelligent woman with wisdom and a ridiculous sense of humor.

On my fiftieth birthday I decided to bust out my Tiara and be Queen for the Day. 

I got some really strange looks, yet I had fun, so what the heck. I mean at this stage of life I think we become freer than ever before. We start to use our energy wiser and choose our own battles while weighing in on whether they are even worthy of our time.

We are more settled, less worried about other people's opinions about who we should be, how we dress, or how we act. We are trying to make better choices for ourselves in how we eat, the chemicals we are around and our environment as a whole. We are simply more self assured, yet when the rubber meets the road often times things can catch us off guard.

Let me set the stage: I heard a special lecturer speak on hair dye while I was attending school. Now I knew there were chemicals in hair dye, but I had been coloring my hair for over 20 years.

I listened to him, " If you are coloring your hair every two weeks (Toni) it's too much".  

Wow! O.k. What ?
He didn't really say my name, but how did he know that my roots were showing every two weeks and I was faithfully coloring that often. Was he watching or something?  Yikes!

He then talked about the chemicals in hair dye and how they can seep into your skin, your brain, causing all sorts of problems. Ugh! Oh great!  I'm 1/2 Italian, got my first gray at 17, and colored ever since.

Well that was it, I decided I was going to stop!

I finally did stop about 8 months later on March 9, 2013.

I had tossed the idea around and felt I could live with it. I'm sure I drove everyone nuts with should I or shouldn't I, but that was it, in June I was going to stop.

Wait what?  I said June, but stopped in March, why the three month speedup?  This is why...

That's right my hair was coming out in clumps in my hand! I had just put the color refresher packet on my hair and was massaging it in, when poof, the rubber has now met the road!

*This becomes a defining moment in a woman's life no matter the age.

The vanity of losing your hair.

The bargaining with the Universe.

The decision to laugh or cry, and about a million other feelings that come rushing over you.*

Well, I decided that I was going to laugh, they say its good for the soul, it takes more muscles to laugh than frown, whatever it took, it seemed to be the better of the two choices.

Oh, don't be confused, I was still freaking out,  yet I had to keep my wits about me.

After pouring about a gallon of vinegar over my head to stop the burning and neutralize the stinging and while repeating that for several days, a trip to the beautician, and the doctor's office determined that the color actually burned my scalp.

I started coconut oil treatments on my fried scalp immediately.

I took a jar of the oil and placed it in hot water to warm it. Next with a hair dye brush, painted coconut oil on my scalp as if I were sectioning and coloring my hair. I then covered my head in a plastic shopping bag, remember to do your part to recycle, they are not just for carrying your groceries home anymore.

I left it on for at least 30 minutes, but if I were at home that day I would leave it on for several hours, there is a UPS man and a FedEx man that can tell a tale or two about the crazy lady with the shopping bag tied on her head. I repeated this once or twice a week for several weeks, it is a great way to condition your dry scalp, and can be done even when you don’t burn it first!

My hair did continue to fall out for several weeks after the incident, but it was only noticeable to me and eventually recovered completely.  I have not colored it since.

Yes, the grow out can take forever depending on the length, but make hats and updo's your friend! A quick twist and a huge clip can cover most of the outgrow line and look cute or even fairly chic while doing it.

I love baseball caps, so now I have some great ones and hey, I got to shop with an excuse!

I also went shorter. I love the way my hair looks now and people even say I look younger.

Who knew?

Listen, we will all face some vanity decisions in our lives, question is, do we do it with ease or worry?

My advice is to buckle up and enjoy this crazy time of life, it's a journey of choices and I choose to laugh!

P.S. I recently decided to remove my gel nails as well. The chemicals in those have got to be crazy and I had two tips pop off in one week which had never happened before.

I actually had talked to my nail tech about taking them off because of what this was doing to my real nails and how all this could be affecting my body.

This time I decided to just take them off myself, and get the nail polish off my toes.

I really can't afford to learn another lesson, I mean who knows what might fall off next??

Texas: Food, Beer, and Fun in one weekend, gotta love it!!

Hi everyone!

I hope this finds you healthy and happy!

I am sitting on the plane of last leg of our Trip to Texas and thought I could share with you all that we experienced over our long Independence Day weekend. 

Now if you are not a fan of Texas or do not want to hear someone gushing about it, you may want to stop reading now, otherwise here we go. We flew in to San Antonio jumped into a rental car and took off! We were on our way to the 41st annual Wilie Nelson 4th of July picnic in Fort Worth the next day, but first we had to stop in Round Rock for dinner. Why you might ask, no, not for the world famous donuts at the Round Rock Bakery which use to be a must before we went wheat free, but because that is where the Salt Lick Barbeque was located. The Salt Lick has 3 locations now. The original is in Driftwood and it is really quaint, if you ever get a chance to go there do it, you will love it if you like Barbeque. *Side Note: many people think that grilling is barbequing IT IS NOT. Grilling is what you might do on your home grill or what is often called a barbeque. True Barbeque is where the meet is usually prepared with a dry rub and then left to set for several hours, after that it is smoked over wood at a low temperature in either a smoker or a pit  for sometimes 12 - 18 hours depending on the size and type of meat. After this process it is sliced and served, sometimes mopping occurs, that is when sauce is mopped n the meat over and over. My preference and from what I have seen, Texas Barbecue is served " Dry" wth the sauce on the side.*

The Texas air permeates wth the smell of burning wood, the Salt Lick states " You can smell our pits from miles away" too funny! 

After our fill of the famous Therman's Choice plate: Brisket,Sausage and Pork Ribs, along with Beans, Potato Salad, and Cole Slaw and a Coke, everything that is flavored and carbonated is a Coke in Texas, I had a Dr. Pepper from Waco, Yum! After the purchase of shirts and Salt Lick Rub for home use, we waddled out to the car. I would also like to add that Barbeque is generally served with bread, we are wheat free so we passed on it, but did get the pickles and onions, I think they and jalepenios are a must with this type of food.

                            

 Ok, Saturday was all about The Willie Nelson Annual 4th of July Picnic!

Its held at the Stockyard in Fort Worth. 

There are several food trucks on the grounds that we got some killer Frito Pie at that night.  

For lunch however, it was all about Billy Bob's which basically shared the parking lot and co hosts the event. ICE COLD TEXAS BEER, which is the only way to get a beer in Texas I do believe, and a BILLY BOB COB(salad) Wow! This salad makes almost any man happy with its ample amount of meat, my hubby thought it was steak, I thought it was brisket, and the bacon it was amazing! It is served in a huge bowl that was more than enough to fill us up for hours and it did! 

Back to the beer for a minute, the Picnic only serves Bud or Bud Light, Shiner Bock is our favorite and there was a newer Texas only beer we tried called Ziegen Bock, nice and smooth no aftertaste. So we bought and drank our beer in Billy Bob's in the awesome honey tonk and also provided me the opportunity to shop Texas suvinors which in my world is always a good thing :)

Well, that was a fantastic way to celebrate our 4th of July 2014.

On our way to Rockport Texas we stopped somewhere I just have to mention in San Marco which is a truck stop called Buckee's. I mention this because it is a must see. I found out that they are opening all over Texas, but this  one in San Marcos is 68 THOUSAND Sq. Ft.!  It has everything! Snacks, BBQ, drinks, fruits, Vegis, deli counter, t-shirts, home decorations, you name it, they probably have it, and yes they even have gas too. 

In Rockport we ate a great little place called Moon Dogs. It's on the water and their food and drinks are great. I had two different tacos, one fish, one beef, both excellent. We were in a party of 5, everyone ordered something different and the comments were all positive, can't beat that! 

Moon Dogs was doing a remodel: addition but were still opened, well worth your time. 

The last place I want to mention is The Crab N (in).

I mention this because it is like several restaurants that cook your fish that you bring them and they supply the sides, or you can buy the whole meal from them. 

I have never seen this before, so I thought it was a cool idea. 

I would love to tell you how wonderful the meal was, unfortunately that was not our experience. To be fair, this place is popular and it was packed. We had a table of 3-4 different groups all ordering different ways they wanted their fish prepared. We are wheat/ gluten free so we ordered ours blackened. Others ordered theirs blackened or fried. Ours came out much later than everyone else's and it was much darker. 

After finishing all I could eat, my husband and I compared notes and both of us realized the food was hard for us to finish as the salt, or extreme over salting was  rediculous. 

We were guests, and knew only three other people at the table, it was no time to complain. As our hosts were brought up to speed, one of them tried the fish and was surprised we had eaten it. 

Other people who had ordered the blackened fish, tried it, and it was totally different from what they had gotten. Could they have had an off night? 

Could they have over seasoned,?

Could they dislike tourists? All are possible, yet sometimes we all just have an off moment.

 I would simply say if you eat at one of these type of places and are not happy, remember this is Texas, most people really do care and will make you some of their fish to replace it. 

I will remember this because,

 I LOVE TEXAS!!!

Things rolling around in my head

Hi All,
It's been a while since I have blogged, but I realized that I had pigeon holed myself in my title.  It's kind of calling my blog red pumps and then wanting to write about all the other things I have in my closet, but I can't because it wouldn't be about red pumps. So I will be adding to ITS ALL ABOUT  GREAT FOOD & COOL SHOES .... And...WHATEVER ELSE IS ROLLING AROUND IN MY HEAD.  That being said:
I graduated in June from the largest nutrition school in the world  "The Institute for Integrative Nutrition" (IIN).

 I am now a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach, with this comes great responsibility to be able to listen to others and to help guide them into making good choices in their life with all aspects including food. Food is what we eat but it is also what can change our moods from happy to angry, associate bad or hurtful feelings, and get us to do crazy things like fall asleep on your honeymoon every time you get into the car as it did me.
Food is a beautiful, magical delicious gift that I believe is meant to be enjoyed. Often times it comforts us, pacifies us, and sometimes even controls us. The key to who we are is often unlocked when we can start to put food into perspective.  I have learned that balance in every aspect of life is often either hindered or enhanced by the foods that we eat. Crazy you may think, I did, until I saw it for myself and learned how to change it so I can now have a much happier existence.

For most of my adult life I was, for lack of a better term a screaming maniac!
Oh, I felt I had my reasons, they were many, varied, and in my view justified!
I had to be taken to the hospital during church one Easter Sunday because I made sure the kids had eaten breakfast, but I didn't, which led me to having a seizure in the second pew from the front. I was carried out in front of the entire congregation, diagnosis: Hypoglycemia, the Dr. said " I don't care what you eat, but you need to eat, you are almost diabetic... Eat!".

I was told at the age of 31 that I was perimenopausal, which means you have all the symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and you still get your period. Oh the joy! I had been dealing with these symptoms now for nearly 20 years. My husband, and son, who are both saints, were the last two left in the house and had to deal with the crazy lady! I tried just about every holistic remedy I could find to deal with these symptoms which went on until I enrolled in IIN.

At IIN I learned that everything I put in my mouth effects my body, not just my weight, but my mood, sleep, thoughts, relationships, EVERYTHING. Simple, yes, but I never understood putting myself last for everything including healthy food may have been thought of in my mind as sacrificial as a wife and mom but will my family remember me that way or a crazy woman, unfortunatly for me it seems to be the later. * Let me take a side road for a minute and explain. I would never blame my kids for me not taking care of myself, not in a million years! What I am saying is I did not understand nutrition the way I do now, and so rather than giving them the whole apple I knew would end up in the garbage can with only a bite or two out of it, I could have given them half and ate the rest as a snack, or forcing that extra piece of celery with peanut butter on them I could have eaten it later and the same for breakfast, they didn't have to be challenged for who is going to finish the rest, I could have eaten it. I am sure that when most people are confronted with a hungry child just as you were about to eat something you would share it or just give it to them to eat. That seems to be instilled in most parents, grandparents and caregivers, yet by doing that in my case I would then "Get busy and just forget to eat" thus sending my blood sugar plummeting and the screaming maniac would return. Ok side road ended.*

We were on a trip about two years ago with our adult children and I was playing it smart this time, I had packed snacks! Well, there never seemed to be a time to eat so of course my blood sugar dropped and by the time I got to the food, I was slamming doors, mad at my husband for not taking the hints I had been giving him to stop, and then one of the kids said something to the effect of "Some things never change".

Well, I am happy to report that after graduating IIN along with my son and husband, Some things do change. I eat, I do not blame my husband or anyone else for not taking the hint that I am hungry. We have started juicing, so I always have that first thing in the morning to start the day. What I eat now is of a much higher quality of food than I had been eating in the past. If we are going on a road trip now it is about sustainability which I can not get from baked goods, even when I have made them myself, no we are talking fruits, vegetables, and hard boiled eggs for protein, and I would like to add that the last trip we took was a complete success, no meltdowns!

I have always enjoyed learning about nutrition and sharing with others, what I have found through going to IIN is how to apply that knowledge and wisdom to myself.

Do I have it all wired, no. Do I still have some hormonal meltdowns, yes, but now the first thing I do when it starts to happen is think to myself, have I eaten and what was it, is there something I should be eating that I haven't for a while? I had never put that together before. My thinking has become clear again, I don't crave sweets, and I have energy all day long. When you crowd out the bad, processed, and junk food, with the fresh, non-GMO fruits and vegetables and use grass fed local meats the changes are amazing.

If we can have clearer thinking, better sleep, more energy, and do nothing but change our diet with REAL FOOD, no powders, pills, crazy fad diets, WHY NOT? What if our kids and grand kids could be better learners, full of energy, and have fewer "Learning Difficulties" would it be worth a try?

I am learning everyday what does and doesn't work for me. Each person is different, yet we can modify and change to any individual and become successful. Are you ready to make better choices for you and your family?

If I can help anyone who is interested in taking this journey with me then all the better. 

Let's work together to change for the healthier versions of ourselves, I mean really what do we have to loose??

For More Information Contact Toni at: TCummingshealthcoach@gmail.com
Twitter: @TC_HealthCoach

Holiday Breakdown or Trying to put it all together without loosing your mind

Hi Again Everyone,
Can you believe it, the week of Thanksgiving. You can feel the excitement of the holidays in the air. 
We have talked about dieting  in part one of this series, and exercise or movement in part two. 
Today, let's try to put them into a plan that can work for anyone who wants to enjoy, indulge, and not feel guilty later.

The first thing I think we must stress is that this may be the worst time of the year to try and diet!! Holiday temptations are around everywhere, but if you feel you must, DON"T BE A DEBBIE DOWNER! 
I mentioned this  in  part two of this blog series "The Big E", no one wants to hear about your weight, diet, or how many calories are in that piece of pie on my plate!

Holidays should be focused on blessings and family, so with that in mind... GIVE YOUR SELF A BREAK, AND POSSIBLY EVERYONE ELSE, by realizing it probably took a lot of time to gain the weight and this meal will not sabotage everything, just eat THOUGHTFULLY! 

What I mean by thoughtfully is this, have a plan on how you will ENJOY the day. 

I think far to many people start out the day, myself included, without being truly grateful for what we have. Remember the old hymn "Count your blessings name them one by one", this holiday season could use more of this don't you think? 
O.k. we have rolled out of bed, counted our blessings, we are dressed and ready to get productive. 
What is the first thing you should do? 
Yes, eat breakfast. 
You must take time for this, in whatever form it is, hopefully something that is not full of sugar, remember there will be dessert and you want some, so try to be a bit more calculated in your choice, so you can indulge later. Make sure you eat enough to be full, but not stuffed, because you may not be able to control when the next time you eat is.

I find that no matter whether I am cooking or a guest at someone's house, I get hungry between breakfast and "Dinner" no matter what time the grand meal hits the table, I mean I do eat lunch as most of us do, so snacking tends to be a problem. This is where you really may need to think, that spinach dip looks fantastic, but If I get started it may be hard to stop.
 One of my tricks here is to stay hydrated! The more liquid I drink the less I eat, and as we all know it may be that you are really thirsty in some cases. Water, tea, fruit infused water, coffee, pretty much anything without sugar, but NEVER DIET SODA! 
I could and probably will write an entire blog on this, but in short not only does it not quench your thirst, the Aspartame in it can cause symptoms for people that mask Multiple Scleroses as well as many others. It also has been shown to turn into Formaldehyde if it's temperature drops to below 72 degrees, but I digress, making good choices will pay off later. 
Try to go for the protein if there is a tray or something to snack from. 
A deviled egg, a few slices of cheese, a few nuts, celery or apples with peanut butter, protein has staying power and a little can go along way to help you from wanting to eating EVERYTHING later. 
Celery, carrots, olives, pickles, bell peppers, all great choices too, but they are mostly water and are usually served with a dip which is generally made from all kinds of junk. If you must have the dip, take a small amount and really stretch it between all the vegis you loaded up on. This will curb your appetite and you should now be able to make it to dinner safely.

                                                                                                                    

Well, now you have snacked and hydrated so it must be time to move! 

Whether you are cooking or visiting, you should try to get outside for some fresh air. 
If you have the time for a short walk, game of family tag football, maybe if you're  cooking, do a few stretches, whatever it takes to get the blood circulating. The more time outside with the fresh air and sunshine the better, even if it's cold it will do wonders for you and the movement will keep you from feeling guilty later.

Dinner time finally arrives, Woo Hoo...The good stuff!!

Now don't start fretting about what you think you shouldn't eat, if you eat thoughtfully you can taste it all, even the gravy, just have it on the side. 

Generally, there is a ton of food for the holidays and far more than any other regular meal, that being said, take smaller portions of what you want and what you have waited for all year and maybe even skip some of the everyday type of foods. I love bread, but at Thanksgiving I skip the rolls and eat the stuffing, I can have rolls any day, but there is only so much room in my stomach. 
My friend always invites us for the holidays and she makes this pink whipped cranberry thing that I am sure if I remembered what goes into it I would never eat it, yet every year it finds it's way onto my plate, as does the whipped cream fruit salad, and a host of other things that I would not eat normally. 
When plating your food, taking smaller portions allows you to get a little of everything and you can really zoom in on what you liked and get that for a small portion of seconds, because really most of us go back for seconds anyways, so this gives us the ability to really think before we get back in line. 
If you have a habit of eating so fast that you hardly had a moment to actually taste your food, here is your chance to appreciate the cook and really focus on enjoying the food in your mouth. 
Whether you or your host got up really early to prepare the food before you, it took literally hours for them to cook and it should be savored! 
Slow down and taste the love that was put into this meal that was prepared just for you, what an honor that it was done, a feast, ENJOY it! 

                                                                         

Ah, the art of desert... I love it, all of it, but I must confess two things before we go much further and you freak out knowing I'm a Health Coach. One: I LOVE PIE!  Two: I have been known to make several different pies when there are only two or three of us to actually eat them, and as a bonus... I have been known on occasion, to have been seen holding a piece of Pumpkin Pie in my hand and eating it for breakfast! So now that we are clear, I believe in the 90/10 rule, we eat cleanly and healthfully 90% of the time allowing us to have 10% of eating what we want, those things that may stumble us if we were told we couldn't have them, because I AM having dessert! 

Whatever is served is o.k. for you to eat, just have a smaller portion and enjoy every bite! 
I'm not really a whipped cream kind of girl, so none at all or just a bit on the side is all I do, because I want to taste the dessert. 
We usually end up with three desserts at these types of dinners, so my husband and I  takes a piece from each and then slices that in half so we both get to taste each one, but didn't actually have three full pieces.

** A QUICK TIP: Eating to satisfaction here is the key. Eat slowly, thoughtfully, and your body will say "You know what, I'm satisfied. I could eat more, but I'm good, not stuffed, yet I ate what I wanted to with out someone telling me I couldn't. I'm good, I am satisfied".**

I heard Richard Simmons once say that he is always hungry. I found that so sad. He lives in America, he is hungry because  he wants so badly to be thin that he deprives himself of foods he grew up eating and loving. Is deprivation really the answer? I know if you tell most people they can't have something that they will eventually do just about anything to get it! 

THAT IS WHY HOLIDAY DIETING DOESN'T WORK IN MOST CASES BECAUSE THAT PERSON WILL EVENTUALLY CAVE IN. ITS SELF SABOTAGE, WHY DO THAT?

 I don't want to go through life knowing there is a better way and not share it with you. We can be happy, healthy, and eat a 90/10 lifestyle without always being hungry!

If you are thankful for your blessings, thoughtful in your food choices, keep hydrated, incorporate some type of movement into your day and eat until you are satisfied, I believe you will wake up Friday morning with a smile on your face proud of yourself and fully capable of applying all these points into your life and starting to live a successful 90/10 lifestyle if you choose.

HAVE A GREAT AND GUILT FREE HOLIDAY, and thank you for allowing me to count you, as one of my many blessings 
~ Toni

For more information about me or other blogs I have written you can follow me on Twitter @TC_HealthCoach or our Face Book Page: Cummings Health & Vitality Center