Supernatural Botanicals

A pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. So if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories (meaning that you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day) you would lose approximately one pound per week.

“We write to taste life twice, once in the moment and once in retrospection.”  Anais Nin

Journaling is my thing.  I started journaling when I seriously started working out, about six years ago.  Initially, it was for tracking purposes only; Wednesday I do cardio, Thursday I do upper body, Friday I do lower body, etc.  Then I realized how beneficial it was to record my meals.  When you start keeping track of your caloric intake, it gives you a huge look inside yourself.  When your skin is starting to look bad, you can look back and see what’s going on in your life.  Are you eating too much junk food?  Too many glasses of champagne?  The answers are all right there, you just have to find them.

My journaling went one step further.  It started innocently enough, just notating if I had a headache that day, noting any blemishes or anything strange happening.  Not only did I get to know my body really well, I got to know my own mind better. 

Why did I always seem to be super moody one day a month and very weepy?  Why do I get a blemish about every third or fourth month right in the same place?  Why did I feel like I could eat like an animal some days, while other days I’d barely take any calories in and felt great?  Why was the libido through the roof on some days of the month?  Well, the short answer is hormones.  But I was never able to understand why my body was doing what it was until I started tracking it in my journal.   It turns out, those problems happened the same day, month after month.  It’s sort of like a science experiment.  Guess, test, and revise. 

You can also go one step further and write your feelings down.  It’s really cool to reflect on old postings and say to yourself, this is where I was, then.  This is what was happening in my life, good or bad, and this is how I dealt with it.  As if it’s a guide saying, this is what worked in the past for me….this is what didn’t. 

Journaling is definitely one of those things that you don’t “get” until you try it.  It’s a huge gift to have that sort of insight, to reflect on yourself.   Try to wrap your brain around it and get started.  You’ll love it once you get going. 

There are online journals, such as www.LiveJournal.com.  I generally prefer to type over handwriting, but in this instance, I like writing things down.   It just feels more cathartic somehow.   I can appreciate a beautiful journal.  I adore beautiful books and journals, and it’s always the perfect gift for me. 

Check out the journal section next time you are at the bookstore and purchase your favorite one.  Get into journaling.  It’s like a window, looking inside yourself.  It’s an easy and powerful way to accelerate your personal development.

 Dispose of electronics properly.  Green tips to keep in mind:

• Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
• Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.
• Recycle your cell phone.

Dear Applebee’s,

Your Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad sounds very tempting.  The grilled and spinach parts of the salad “appear” to be very healthy choices.  But upon further investigation, it is discovered that this salad has 1160 calories!  That’s almost an entire days’ calories in one meal.  It’s completely unacceptable!  In fact, your Grilled (there’s that healthy term to fool us again) Steak Caesar Salad without the toast is 1190 calories with 75.4 grams of fat!   That’s several days worth of fat consumption in one meal, and almost an entire days’ calories in one salad.  Gross! 

It doesn’t need to be this way, Applebee’s.  Food can taste great without leading to coronary disease.  It really isn’t necessary for a salad to produce thunder-thighs and cellulite.  So stop it, please.  Life is hard enough without your mega-calorie salads with their low-fat sounding names trying to fool us.  My suggestion is to hire a nutritionist, create new recipes, and stop trying to make us fat. 

Thanks in advance for your cooperation….as I’m not a fan of thunder-thighs. 

   Studies have shown that people who eat diets rich in Omega-3 (found in salmon and nuts) tested high for mental sharpness.  It’s certainly possible to consume Omega-3s in supplements, but taking in vitamins via real, whole foods is far more satisfying than a supplement. 

   Get your skin bikini-ready.  Taking 1000 mg of Omega 3 Fatty Acids a day can help heel dry skin from the inside out.  Besides being an integral part of the membranes that surround our skin cells, these essential fats are a key component of the lubricating layer that keeps skin supple. 

Summer Energy Efficiency Tips:

*  Close curtains or blinds on the sunny side of your home during the day.

*  Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

*  Inspect, clean or replace air filters monthly. 

*  Do laundry and run your dishwasher at night.

*  Raise your thermostat setting and use ceiling fans to keep cool. 

Every step in the right direction eliminates damage to the environment.  It’s your responsibility to tread lightly on the earth, and mine too.  Teach your children well and set a good example. 

   Skip the bottled water. For every one million bottles of water that are manufactured and shipped to consumers, 18.2 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are pumped into the air.

A study published in the Archives of International Medicine found that people who napped for at least 30 minutes three or more times a week reduced their risk for dying from heart disease by nearly 40%.

I’m always eager to learn about other people’s workout routines.  I try to gain bits and pieces from different workouts to fit into my own plan.  In this case, the entire plan is laid out for you.  Marie Claire magazine has the low down on Miss Jessica Alba’s routine.  Broken down step by step, you can do the exact workout that Jess pays $200.00 a session for. 

Go ahead and slash that gym membership from your monthly expenses. Celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza shares the simple, 40-minute at-home workout that got Alba and Halle Berry into fab post-baby shape. Follow her fat-burning program four times a week:

10-MINUTE CARDIO: Jog for two minutes; run hard for six; jog again for two.

STRENGTH TRAINING 1: Three rounds of 20 reps using 3-pound dumbbells.

• Forward lunge with biceps curl: Curl weights up as you step forward; release arms down and back as you return to starting position. Alternate legs.
• Reverse flys: Step forward with one leg, bend forward at the waist, and let arms hang. Raise arms, slightly rounded, to sides until they are in line with shoulders. Switch legs every 10 reps.
• Lateral raise: Stand with arms by your sides; lift arms out to the side until they’re in line with shoulders.

5-MINUTE CARDIO: Alternate between 30 seconds of jogging and 30 seconds of sprinting.

STRENGTH TRAINING 2: Three rounds of 20 reps using 3-pound dumbbells.

• Squat with shoulder press: As you come out of the squat position, press arms up over your head (palms forward).
• Chest press: Lie back on a bench (or stacked pillows), arms extended above your chest, palms forward with dumbbells touching. Lower arms until weights are in line with chest, then press back up.
• Triceps dips: Slide off the seat of a chair, keeping your arms on the edge behind you, and lower yourself down until your arms are at a 90-degree angle.

5-MINUTE CARDIO: Jog for 30 seconds; run hard for four minutes; jog again for 30 seconds.

CORE WORKOUT: One round of 20 reps.

• Reverse crunches: Lie on your back with knees pulled to chest and hands under butt; straighten legs toward ceiling, contract abs, and lift hips.
• Bicycle crunches: Lie on back with arms behind head and legs raised and bent to 90 degrees. Bring right elbow to left knee, left elbow to right knee.
• Plank: Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

BOTTOM LINE: $15 (for two 3-pound dumbbells).