Do You Take Notice of the Small Changes You Have Made?
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is. - Albert Einstein, physicist
Do you notice the small positive lifestyle changes you have made since the beginning of 2010? It may be that you are now parking further away from the store when doing errands so you can walk a few more steps or that you have reduced your intake of regular soda to three, 12-oz cans per week or it may be that you are now enjoying at least 1/2 cup of vegetables each day. If you haven’t taken the time to notice the small changes you have made then you also haven’t congratulated yourself for a job well-done. Each change (no matter how small) is an accomplish or a miracle worth celebrating!
Acknowledging your achievements is key to helping you continue to make positive lifestyle changes. Become aware of the goals you have achieved by making a list of your accomplishments. You may be surprised at how many changes you have made or it may be motivation for you to begin making a few more small lifestyle changes in order to optimize your health. Be proud of the goals you have achieved by displaying your “Accomplishment List” where you can easily see it every day.
Marveling at the successes you have made is wonderful motivation and helps you to realize the differences these changes have made in how you feel and see yourself (as a successful individual who has accomplished goals to optimize your health). This view allows you to reward yourself for your hard work and to see the changes you have made rather than dwell on those that you have yet to accomplish. It puts you in a positive mind-set and helps you view the world from the “glass is half full” perspective.
Each change that you make towards optimizing your health whether it is eating healthier, moving more or working on reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke each week, add up to make HUGE differences in how you feel and in your health. View each accomplish as a miracle and you will most likely find that your mood is more upbeat, you have a more positive outlook and you have greater motivation to tackle other goals or wishes on your goal or wish list.
Nutrition Tip: Small dietary changes can make a HUGE difference. Here are a few examples:
1) Switching from regular butter to whipped butter saves you 50 calories and 3.5 grams of saturated fat (the heart unhealthy fat) per tablespoon.
2) Using a light butter substitute such as Lite Smart Balance instead of regular butter reduces your caloric intake by 55 calories and your saturated fat intake by 5.5 grams per 1 tablespoon.
3) Switching from 1 cup of orange juice to 1 fresh orange reduces the calories by 25 calories and increases the fiber by 4.3 grams (which helps to keep you feeling full. If you were to enjoy 1 cup of orange sections instead of orange juice for a week you would save a total of 175 calories and add an additional 30 grams of fiber to your diet. This would enable you to lose 2.5 pounds in 12 months without making any other changes!
4) Making your own oatmeal either in the microwave or on the stove rather than using an instant oatmeal package will reduce your sugar intake by 3 tsp and increase your fiber and protein intake by 1 gram. Make your own naturally sweetened oatmeal by following the below recipe.
Fruit Sweetened Oatmeal
1/2 cup Old Fashioned or Quick Cooking Oats
1 cup nonfat or 1% milk
1/2 ripe banana (mashed) or 1/3 cup all-natural unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts or pecans or milled ground flax seed or wheat germ or 2 tsp. nut butter (optional)
Add fresh fruit to oatmeal after cooking such as berries or additional banana slices.
Approximate calories without nuts: 450 calories
Protein: 13 grams
Fiber: 4 – 6 grams
Calcium: 300 mg
Potassium with banana: 200 mg
Follow directions on package for cooking.
What changes have you made since January? Share your successes and receive encouragement or share a barrier to reaching a goal you would like to achieve and ask others for advice or suggestions.
