When your dinner host asks you would you like more? What do you say? Yes or no? Sounds like a simple thing doesn’t it – but of course we know it’s not. Do you feel that you’d offend your host if you say No? Ask yourself – would you rather leave your dinner feeling overstuffed and guilty instead? Even though the holidays aren’t quite here yet, learning to say no graciously now will help you during the more challenging times ahead.
But what about discipline? What about contentment? In order to have contentment you must have discipline. I just heard a really great distinction made between the two. Discipline is doing the right thing even when you desire the wrong thing. Contentment is when you no longer want the wrong thing.
So when you’re making healthy changes in your life think of what you really want long-term rather than in this very minute what you want– a healthy life. Hence, make it a habit to ask yourself, “what do I want to eat?” before you start your every meal.
Our culture dictates that you’re supposed to be on a diet. As I’ve said many times in past articles, diets don’t work but a well rounded system and expert support does. You may be saying half-heartedly to yourself, your friend or to me “yeah I need to lose weight” and then choose not to do that for some reason or another. My client Lisa wanted health first and did what she needed to – with discipline and commitment to her true goal. She just happened to lose weight, too – a bonus.
Here are few ways to help you decide if you really do want to eat that – ask yourself the following questions.
5 Tips to help prevent eating things you really don’t want to:
Tip # 1 Have you eaten regular meals throughout the day? If not there’s a high likelihood you’ll say yes to that extra helping at dinner or to the mouth-watering dessert when offered it. If you have eaten well all day long you will not be as tempted or have a need to overdo it. You’ll find that you have more self-control and feel proud and comfortable in your clothes when it’s time to go home.
Tip # 2 Are you hanging around the snack table? Step away from any area in your environment that’s loaded with chips, pretzels, brownies etc. Appetizers are really unnecessary. If you’re having dinner soon why bother adding more empty calories? And yes, they are usually empty. This pre-meal habit is pervasive in our culture. Again, unnecessary so stay away.
Tip #3 Are you holding out for dessert? When we have visitors over to our house they know not to expect any dessert (maybe that’s why we don’t have as many visitors as we’d like – just kidding). Well, there may be crunchy grapes or sliced watermelon served but that’s about it. Even while celebrating a birthday – is cake necessary? I went looking for a birthday card the other day and noticed 95% of the cards had a picture of cake on them. Tradition is hard to change. But why not try something different like berries topped with frozen coconut yogurt and don’t forget the candles.
Tip # 4 Have you turned into an Evening Muncher? If you feel tired and feel like you need something to keep you going, pay attention to what your body is telling you. It’s probably telling you it’s time to go to bed and get some rest rather than propping yourself up with evening snacks. If you’re bored find something more nurturing to do than raid the cupboards. Look at your evening meal – was it balanced with proteins and good non-starchy carbohydrates? If yes, this munching your about to embark on may be more emotional than actually hunger. Ask yourself – what am I really hungry for right now?
Tip # 5 Is your Resistance Down? When invited to have more food while your resistance is down due to fatigue, hunger or cravings you’re setting yourself up for making poor choices. Becoming aware of how vulnerable you are at certain times of the day or in certain situations is really essential to gaining control of your eating habits. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can do it on all on your own. If you haven’t been successful yet you may need some help getting a handle on your deeply ingrained, unhealthy patterns.
THE 3 BEST FOODS TO GROW A BEARD
CITRUS FRUITS
Promoting beard growth can sometimes be as easy as changing your diet—and citrus fruits are very great for hair growth. You should start by shifting your focus toward fresh fruits and vegetables—and amongst them, citrus fruits, which contain components that help your facial hair to grow in the right direction. Why citrus? Because, a lack of folic acid can be very bad for your body, as well as limiting the ability to properly grow hairs—on both your face and your head. Fortunately for you, there are plenty of foods that are rich in that substance. One orange contains approximately 10% of the recommended daily intake of folic acid, and it tastes great. So, if you feel like maybe folic acid deficiencies is the cause of your lack of beard growth—add some citrus to your daily diet.
Citrus are also full of vitamins C and E, which promote the production of sebum—a natural oil that is produced by our bodies that lubricates and moisturizes hair, making them look thicker and more lush. Therefore, sebum is vital in maintaining long and thick beards for men, especially for the ones who are appearance conscious. See Beard Buys for beard maintenance items.
ASPARAGUS
We just talked about folic acid—well, guess what? Asparagus are packed with folic acid and vitamin C, and they are a very densely nutritive vegetable—and may be your beard’s best friend. In fact, 1 cup of boiled asparagus contains on average 65% of the recommended daily intake of folic acid. Another nutrient to look for is vitamin b or biotin. If you’ve already started your beard’s journey—you most likely already heard about biotin. To put this simple, biotin is a critical nutrient that allows to naturally convert the foods you eat into the energy that your body needs to grow hair—so, you definitely want to add some to your diet, and asparagus are full of vitamin B.
RAW NUTS
Raw nuts are not only packed with Biotin, but they are also full of healthy nutrients. Eating raw nuts, or less-processed nuts—like peanuts and almonds—will provide you with a healthy supply of biotin. Nuts are also a great proteins alternative to meats, which is also very good for you—since your body will synthesize the protein you eat so it can be used to build new skin cells and hair. Nuts are also packed with Omega-3 fatty acids—which are just essential to hair and beard growth. They also protect cell membranes, helping to prevent your whiskers from getting dry and brittle.
