New Gym Procedure

Okay so i was reading over the last weekend and came across an article in woman's day that tells you how to get in shape to run a 5 k or 10 k in 12 weeks. Well i am zealous but not that zealous! I picked the 5 k and started the new regiment on 8/3
Last night i walked 3 miles on the treadmill .... i am not sure why not one of my friends told me just how far 3 miles was ... OH lord i thought that i was seeing the light. Put i pushed through did the entire 3 miles and then soaked!

I got up today and feel okay a little sore in some places but nothing like i had thought that i was going to feel.

Tonight it is 30 min on the bike ... WISH me luck and lets hope this week i go down a few pounds!

Weigh in for the week

July 30 i was at 210

Weigh in for the week

Weighed in on the morning of 7/16 down 1 pound 209

Weighed in on the morning of 7/23 UP 1 pound back to 210

But I am okay with that I did not go to the gym once this week.
I did okay by maintaining calorie intake! Life is a battle and a struggle

Parmesan Cheese

I was reading the June/July Healthy cooking magazine tonight looking for a pork recipe and I have been noticing so many recipes call for Parmesan cheese and what do i find but a little Blurb that says

Parmesan is packed with CALCIUM (and boy do i need this)

French Cheeseburger Loaf

6 servings

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion (i just used onion powder)

1 small green pepper chopped (i did not use as we are not green pepper fans)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp all purpose flour

2 tbsp Dijon mustard (i just used regular mustard)

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tube 11 oz refrigerated crusty french loaf

4 slices of American cheese (i used shredded cheese that i had in the refrigerator)

1 egg white slightly beaten

3 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

IN a large skillet brown ground beef, (onion and pepper too) and garlic, until meat is no longer pink, stir in flour, mustard and ketchup and set aside.

Unroll the dough starting at the seam and pat into a 14in x 12 in rectangle. Spoon meat mixture length wise down the center and top with cheese roll dough to center to cover filling and pinch seams to seal. Place on baking sheet seam side down and coat with slightly beaten egg. Add Parmesan cheese. With a sharp knife cut diagonal slits in the top of the loaf and bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

1 slice equals

277 calories

7 g of fat (3g is saturated)

33 mg cholesterol

697 mg sodium

30 g carbohydrate

1 g fiber

21 g protein

diabetic exchange 2 starch 2 lean meat

(you can alter the recipe to lower some of the numbers. I did notice at the store that the breads all had a different amount of cholesterol and sodium content)

GYM News

Okay i started the gym, why because i want to be healthy and go to ALASKA skinny (hey we all need motivation)

I started back to the gym at a whopping 210.
So week 1
July 8 -15
July 8 - walked 20 min and 200 sit ups
July 13 road 5 miles and did 200 sit ups
July 15 walked 30 min (2 miles) and did 175 sit ups

Weighed in on the morning of 7/16 down 1 pound 209

Pizza Joes

I was not a fan of sloppy joes growing up and have only eaten them maybe a handful of times in my adult life. But while reading the August / September 2009 Healthy Cooking Magazine I came across something called PIZZA JOES. The recipe seemed easy enough and sounded tasty:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 medium onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 jar (14oz) pizza sauce

3 oz sliced turkey (about 50 slices) chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 dried oregano

6 hamburger buns

6 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet cook the beef, onion and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain if necessary. Stir in pizza sauce, pepperoni and herbs, bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer.

Spoon 2/3 cup beef mixture onto each bun sprinkle with cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 1 min until cheese is melted. Replace tops

1 sandwich equals

329 calories

11 g fat

59 mg cholesterol

825 mg sodium

29 g carbohydrate

3 g fiber

26 g protein

****to reduce some of these numbers i omitted the pepperoni as it is high in sodium. I used onion powder and no peppers (i had no peppers on hand). I scooped the inside of the bread out before placing the mixture in their to create a pocket of sorts and it worked wonderful. I used my toaster oven to broil

CREAMED POTATO SOUP

I looked high and low for a diabetic soup receipe however they all seem to have a lot more ingredients that didn't necessarily fit my fancy they all had the same ingredients here and a few more things most calling for milk and cream of chicken or mushroom soup! I think that this one will work just fine


Ingredients
5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
1 teeny onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)

The Directions.
Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and I'd assume cheddar cheese would be just delightful.

Cheesy chicken, baked with salsa.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 65 minutes

Ingredients
1 cooking spray
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cup salsa
15 oz Corn, yellow, sweet, kernels, cooked, drained
1 1/2 cup Cheese, colby & monterey jack, finely shredded
1/2 cup fresh chopped green onion, optional


1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and place the chicken in a 2 - quart casserole coated with nonstick cooking spray, and cover with the salsa and corn.
2 Cover, and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese, and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until it is cheese bubbles.
3 Sprinkle with the green onion, if desired, and serve.

Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving
Calories 330.6
Total Carbs 26.6g
Dietary Fiber 2.4g
Sugars 4.7g
Total Fat 8.7g
Saturated Fat 4.4g
Unsaturated Fat 4.4g
Potassium 542.1mg
Protein 37.1g
Sodium 452.8mg

Dietary Exchanges
1 Fat,
1 Meat,
1 1/4 Starch,
1 Vegetable,
4 Very Lean Meat


Note: One or more ingredients from this recipe are not included in the nutritional analysis above. Either the ingredient is missing from our database or is listed as "optional" in the recipe.

Pineapple Honey Chicken Breasts

Pineapple Honey Chicken Breasts

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp honey
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken breast halves
4 piece Pineapple, slices, 3" x 3/4", fresh, 1/2-inch thick (4 canned pineapple slices may be substituted)
cooking spray

Directions
1 Coat the grill with cooking spray and preheat for 5 minutes.
2 Blend the soy sauce, ginger, oil, garlic and honey.
3 Place the chicken in the grill and spoon the soy honey sauce over each piece.
4 Grill for 3 minutes.
Place 1 slice of pineapple on each piece of chicken and grill for 3-5 minutes.

***I served with four cheese potatoes that i added real chunks of cheddar cheese too. I think it would have tasted good with wild rice and edanome.

Nutrition Facts (for chicken only)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180.1
Total Carbs 9.3g
Dietary Fiber 0.5g
Sugars 6.5g
Total Fat 3.1g
Saturated Fat 0.6g
Unsaturated Fat 2.5g
Potassium 343.8mg
Protein 27.7g
Sodium 464.5mg
Dietary Exchanges
1/2 Fruit,
1/2 Other Carbohydrate,
3 1/2 Very Lean Meat

adjusted meds

well i did not take the medication last night ... yep not even the half but the good news is that i was able to sleep and i had no vomitting or nausea today i will start the half pill at breakfast and half pill at dinner and see how it turns out!

Side effects -- day 3

i am done, i have emailed the Dr, i can't take it! If it isn't coming out one end it is the other end, i take the pills and within an hr I am sick. After i eat within an hr i am sick, this isn't normal it isnt' going away ....

Dr verdict:
Try a half of pill at breakfast and at dinner and see if that helps ....


************on a side note ... my feet aren't hurting but the payoff is everything else is ...

Medicine - is this a reaction?????

Starting at about 1 am this morning, i started vomitting and my legs hurt super bad (ouch these cramps are something else). I was so restless and didn't sleep that i called into work and told the boss i would be in later.
As later came the dizziness, the nausea, the vomitting, the leg cramps, the exhaustion just seem to get worse. And oh yeah i am suppose to take another pill .. yeah RIGHT -- WRONG food stinks and i will not be eating ... These are side affects of the drugs so I will try and wait it out and see if this shall pass.

Medicine

The change in the metaformin seems to be doing the trick, the blood sugar readings are closer to where he wants me to be, and the pain is my feet are starting to subside .... I hope this path continues as i need to start exercising soon.

Dr Appt

Today i went to the doctor. My feet have been killing me. I feel like someone is continually running hot sand paper over the bottom of my feet and i have been waking up in the middle of the night with horrible leg cramps, this has got to stop. I think at this point i am sleep deprived. Not to mention when i refilled my prescription of blood pressure medicine that they are using a new manufacturer and it is affecting my sleep pattern too, now I can't seem to stay awake but when i am asleep it is a really restless sleep.

The Dr visit went well, he said i have neuorpthoy (sp) and he is gg to change the metformin from 1/2 pill before breakfast to 1 pill before breakfast and one before dinner. We shall see how this is working.

BTW at the dcotors i weighed in at a big 207 (OUCH)

Buttermilk biscuits topped with chicken and vegetables.

Buttermilk biscuits topped with chicken and vegetables.

Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes

Ingredients
6 oz refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough
1 cooking spray
9 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 tsp minced garlic (i used garlic powder)
10 oz mixed frozen vegetables, thawed and drained
1/4 cup white wine (dry ) (i used double the water)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp black pepper
10 3/4 oz reduced fat condensed cream of chicken soup,

Directions
1 Preheat the oven. Bake the biscuits in accordance with the directions on the package.
2 Spray a nonstick skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Cook the chicken and garlic for 5 minutes.
3 Mix in the vegetables, chicken broth, water, pepper, and soup.
Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.
4 Separate the biscuits in half. Set the halves on plates and top with the chicken mixture.

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 213.9
Total Carbs 21.2g
Dietary Fiber 1.6g
Sugars 4.2g
Total Fat 5.1g
Saturated Fat 1.3g
Unsaturated Fat 3.8g
Potassium 209.3mg
Protein 17.2g
Sodium 568.7mg

Dietary Exchanges
1/2 Fat,
1 Starch,
2 Very Lean Meat

Thyme

I found some great information on Thyme here http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=77.

A lot of the receipes that i hav ebeen making called for Thyme and in an effort to educate myself I thought i would try and figure out why.

Description
A delicate looking herb with a penetrating fragrance, thyme is an herb we should all take time to investigate and enjoy. And with about sixty different varieties including French (common) thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme and silver thyme, this herb is sure to add some spice to your life.
Thyme leaves are curled, elliptically shaped and very small, measuring about one-eighth of an inch long and one-sixteenth of an inch wide. The upper leaf is green-grey in color on top, while the underside is a whitish color.

Health Benefits
Thyme has a long history of use in natural medicine in connection with chest and respiratory problems including coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion. Only recently, however, have researchers pinpointed some of the components in thyme that bring about its healing effects. The volatile oil components of thyme are now known to include carvacolo, borneol, geraniol, but most importantly, thymol.

Thymol - named after the herb itself - is the primary volatile oil constituent of thyme, and its health-supporting effects are well documented. In studies on aging in rats, thymol has been found to protect and significantly increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes and other cell structures. In particular, the amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased after dietary supplementation with thyme. In other studies looking more closely at changes in the brains cells themselves, researchers found that the maximum benefits of thyme occurred when the food was introduced very early in the lifecycle of the rats, but was less effective in offsetting the problems in brain cell aging when introduced late in the aging process.

Nutritional Profile
Thyme is an excellent source of iron, manganese, and vitamin K. It is also a very good source of calcium and a good source of dietary fiber

Peppered Pork Chops

Peppered Pork Chops

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 whole loin lean pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp ground thyme, dried
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Directions
1 Coat chops with pepper and thyme.
2 Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
3 Add chops, cook to brown one side (2-3 minutes); turn to brown other side.
4 Remove chops from pan, keep warm.
5 Add Worcestershire sauce to pan, stirring constantly to remove any pan juices and brown bits on bottom of skillet. ( i didn't have any juices left to do this with so i just added some Worcestershire suace after the fact)
6 Pour accumulated juices over chops and serve. (

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 188.4
Total Carbs 1.4g
Dietary Fiber 0.3g
Sugars 0.3g
Total Fat 8.8g
Saturated Fat 2.5g
Unsaturated Fat 6.2g
Potassium 436.4mg
Protein 24.4g
Sodium 86.9mg

Dietary Exchanges
1/2 Fat,
3 Meat

The Cholesterol meds are working sort of

Here is a look at my cholesterol chart. I have done well with bringing it down with everything EXCEPT the triglycerides ... anyone know how to get those down???

Lab Work

I did a 16 hour fast and went and had lab work done today. Lets hope there is some improvement in the numbers.

At my doctors appt i must discuss the fact that my FEET ARE KILLING ME. i feel like i am walking around on a bed of stones all the time and my toes are swollen ... ugh i thought that there was an adjustment period to the meds i guess not ... i need help!

Greek Chicken

Greek Chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes (depends on size of chicken i used chicken breasts and cut them in half so cooking time was not 50 min more like 30 min)

Ingredients

2 fresh lemons

1 cooking spray

6 Chicken, broiler/fryer, leg, with o skin, raw, boned, skin discarded (i have scaled the recipe down to 2 chicken breasts which will also reduce the cooking time)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp ground oregano

Directions

1 Cut 1 lemon in half.

Slice the other lemon thinly and set aside.

2 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a shallow baking pan with olive oil-flavored cooking spray.

3 Place chicken in pan and brush with extra-virgin olive oil and juice from halved lemon. Drizzle with oregano and lemon slices.

4 Bake chicken for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center when cut with a small knife.

5 Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Additional Information

Serve it with sliced tomatoes and garlic bread. (i am going to serve chicken over a bed of wild rice)

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving
Calories 186.3
Total Carbs 2.2g
Dietary Fiber 1.1g
Sugars 0.7g
Total Fat 9.1g
Saturated Fat 1.8g
Unsaturated Fat 7.3g
Potassium 299.7mg
Protein 22.9g
Sodium 97.7mg

Dietary Exchanges

1 Fat,

1 1/2 Meat

Sad news

I got on the scale today and i had gained back 5 pounds. I truly need to start working out or doing something to help! I think that i have the eating healthier on a good path now i need the path the gym.
I did walk yesterday 4 city blocks and today after work i walked the grocery store just so i could walk somewhere as it was rainy and i didn't want to drive to the gym!

Quick Taco Soup

Okay I made this and it was GREAT!!!
I did make a few changes and i am not sure how it plays out with the dietary changes.
I did fry the meat but as my pan does not require spray that was omitted.
I then used onion powder a tablespoon instead of fresh onions.
The pinto beans were low in salt and were not seasoned.
I used a can of chopped tomatoes that had basil and oregano in them.
I did not use any chili powder instead i used 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix and 4 tsps of powdered ranch dressing.
I served in a bowl with a side of tortilla chips on a cold and rainy night! It was perfect.


Dinner Tonight is Quick Taco Soup ....
I found this recipe at http://www.dlife.com/dLife/diabetic-recipes/recipeResults.html?keyword=taco+soup+ Where i find many of my recipes that i am trying. But the funny thing is that this recipe was also in a magazine called cooking for 2. However the one in cooking for 2 didn't' appear to be as spicy as this one so i think that i will sorta alter them and mix them as to my taste buds while trying to reduce the amount of salt that is the recipe

QUICK TACO SOUP
Ingredients
1 2/5 cooking spray
3/5 lb extra lean ground beef (5% fat) (or ground sirloin)
1 2/5 cup fresh chopped onion
19 2/5 oz Beans, pinto, spicy, with jalapeno & red pepper, fat free, canned
16 8/10 oz Tomatoes, stewed, unsalted, canned , undrained
12 oz canned red tomatoes with green chilis , diced
2 2/5 tsp chili powder
6 medium corn tortilla
6 cup Lettuce, iceberg, fresh, shredded
3/5 cup Cheese, cheddar, low sodium, shredded
3/10 cup fresh cilantro , chopped (optional)

Directions
1 Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Spray a large saucepan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef and onion. Saute 6 minutes or until beef is browned. Add beans, stewed tomatoes with juice, diced tomatoes and green chilies, and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
2 Place tortillas on baking sheet. Spray tortillas lightly on both sides with cooking spray. Using pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 6 wedges. Bake 5 minutes.
3 Divide lettuce among 5 soup bowls. Ladle beef mixture equally over lettuce. Top with cheese and cilantro (optional).
Serve with tortilla wedges.


Makes 5 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293.1
Total Carbs 40.7g
Dietary Fiber 9.9g
Sugars 7.6g
Total Fat 6.9g
Saturated Fat 3.1g
Unsaturated Fat 3.8g
Potassium 0mg
Protein 20.1g
Sodium 471.8mg
Dietary Exchanges
1/2 Fat,
1 1/4 Meat,
2 Starch,
2 1/4 Vegetable,
1/4 Very Lean Meat

Quick Skillet Meat Loaf

I have some hamburger meat defrosting at home and searched the internet to come up with a healthy way to make it I was running out of luck when i came across this idea. So i will stop by the store on my way home to pick up liquid egg substitute and give this a dry tonight. Wish me luck. I will post a picture and an update of its taste.

Stovetop meat loaf filled with Mozzarella cheese and topped with tomato sauce.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Difficulty Intermediate
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients
1 cooking spray
1/2 cup fresh chopped onion (i will omit this as i do not like the taste of onions)
1 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 lb extra lean ground beef (5% fat)
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
3/4 cup part skim shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup no-salt tomato sauce

Directions
1 Coat an 8-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot.
2 Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring often. Stir in oregano and pepper. Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl.
3 Wipe skillet with a paper towel; coat bottom of skillet with cooking spray.
4 Add ground beef and egg substitute to onion mixture; mix well and divide in half.
5 Place half of meat mixture in skillet, and pat lightly to spread mixture evenly over bottom of skillet. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Pat remaining meat mixture evenly over cheese.
6 Place skillet over high heat; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until bottom of meat mixture is browned.
7 Cut into 6 wedges. Turn each wedge over carefully, and cook 3 to 4 additional minutes or until meat is browned and cheese is melted.
8 Pour tomato sauce over meat; cover and cook 1 additional minute.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 148.7
Total Carbs 3.9g
Dietary Fiber 0.6g
Sugars 1.7g
Total Fat 5.4g
Saturated Fat 2.5g
Unsaturated Fat 2.9g
Potassium 0mg
Protein 21.1g
Sodium 152.1mg
Dietary Exchanges
1/4 Fat,
2 Meat,
1/2 Vegetable

Dietician Counseling

I met with the dietician last night all to my surprise or not to my surprise she had no good news.
I guess for now and maybe forever choking this out but i might just give up soda or at least reduce my intake drastically.
She told me that my calorie intake a day is 1,600 if i were to drink a soda that i need to give up a carb ... oh the pros and cons of this problem.

Tonight is weight management at the clinic. I am a competitive being so i am hoping that this will help me

Starting Monday i start the gym ... Dr said i need to lose 41 pounds to be at optimum weight.

As my sugars are high in the AM she thinks that i need to snack before bed!

Southwestern Chicken

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium garlic cloves , pressed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano leaves , dried
1/2 tsp salt (omitted as i am not allowed salt)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (halves or thighs) (i made 3 ozs for dinner and 3 for lunch)

DIRECTIONS
1 In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder oregano, and salt. Mix them together.2 Brush the mix over both sides of the chicken to coat. Heat chicken over medium-hot grill for 8 to 10 minutes or until center is no longer pink. Flip once over during grilling. Can be served immediately.

I added a small tomato and a 1/2 cup premade (by me) potato salad. (this gave the meat a great flavor)

Makes 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 207.9
Total Carbs 0.6g
Dietary Fiber 0.3g
Sugars 0g
Total Fat 8.6g
Saturated Fat 1.4g
Unsaturated Fat 7.2g
Potassium 345.5mg
Protein 29.8g
Sodium 375.4mg

Dietary Exchanges

1 1/4 Fat,

4 Very Lean Meat

Chicken Cilantro

Here is what i made for dinner tonight (dlife.com)

CHICKEN CILANTRO

Ingredients
1 small onions , chopped
1 medium garlic cloves , finely chopped
1 tbsp margarine
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut in 4 servings
1/8 tsp salt (omitted)
1/4 tsp black pepper , if desired
2 tbsp fresh cilantro , snipped

Directions
1 In a skillet, cook onions and garlic in margarine until onion is tender
2 Add chicken, salt, and pepper.
Cook and stir over medium-high heat about 5-10 minutes.
Stir in cilantro. Garnish with a lemon wedge if desired

I added over a bed of Cajun style rice.


Makes 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 177.8
Total Carbs 2g
Dietary Fiber 0.3g
Sugars 0.7g
Total Fat 4.5g
Saturated Fat 0.9g
Unsaturated Fat 3.6g
Potassium 369.4mg
Protein 29.9g
Sodium 183.5mg

Dietary Exchange
s1/2 Fat,
1/4 Vegetable,
4 Very Lean Meat

Making 2009 better

I found this on my friend namoi's blog who found it on her friend Nancy's blog so i thought since i am making a lot of changes that this is appropriate


40 Tips for a Better Life in 2009
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late-night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured IN plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER, GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
35. D o the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or e-mail them to death!)
37. Each night before you go to bed, complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________.Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life, so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Share this with those you care about. I just did. May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but happiness come through your door!