Kansans and Friends In Weight Loss

What’s the voice inside your head saying about your efforts to lose weight and get fit? Are the messages positive and encouraging, or just the opposite? Make a conscious effort today to take note of your inner chatter so you can see if it’s helping you. If not, you can learn to look on the sunny side — it just takes some practice, say experts from the Mayo Clinic. The secret? Take note of the negative messages and replace them with a positive spin! Here are some examples:

• Instead of “I can’t stick to a diet,” think “I know I can do this!”
• Instead of “This won’t work,” think “I can make this work!”
• Instead of “It’s a waste of time,” think “It will be worth the extra effort!”
• Instead of “It’s not going to make a difference,” think “I’ll never know unless I try!”
• Instead of “It hasn’t worked before,” think “I’ll try again!”
• Instead of “I’ve already tried,” think “I can learn from my mistakes!”
• Instead of “I don’t like that (food, exercise, etc.),” think “I’m excited to try some new things!”

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Experts have long suspected that the empty calories from sugary drinks like soda are playing a key role in the growing childhood obesity epidemic. So what can a parent do to fight back? Try stocking the fridge with low-calorie drink options instead, say researchers from Children’s Hospital in Boston.

In a study, they found that simply replacing high-calorie drinks like soda and sugary fruit-flavored drinks with low-calorie options like diet soda, low-cal lemonade, iced tea, and water led to an 82 percent reduction in the amount of sugar teens consumed. Plus, the more overweight teens who participated in the study dropped an average of half a pound a week simply by switching to low-cal beverages! Talk about effortless weight loss!

Next time you head for the market, bring your teens along and have them help choose which low-calorie drinks they’d like to try. Experts say involving your kids, and making healthier foods their choice, is key to making this easy change stick.

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Want spectacular skin? It’s easier than you think! You can improve your skin’s appearance at any age simply by identifying your skin type and choosing your skin care and makeup products accordingly. If you’re not sure what type of skin you have, or haven’t assessed your skin in a while, take this simple tissue test to see where you stand.

First, wash your skin with your normal cleanser, but don’t apply any toner or moisturizer. Wait 10 minutes, then take four squares of white tissue and use one each to blot your forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. If none of the tissues are left with oil on them, you have dry skin. If there is a small amount of oil on all of them, you have normal skin. If there is more oil on the tissues from your nose, forehead, and chin than the one used on your cheeks, you have combination skin. If there is excess oil on all the tissues, you have oily skin.

Now examine the skin care and makeup products you’re currently using. Do they match up with your skin type? If not, it’s time to go shopping! You’ll be amazed how much better your skin will look and feel when you treat it according to its type!

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Researchers recently identified three common culprits for unhealthy eating on school campuses. The first you may be familiar with — convenient vending machines filled with tempting junk foods. But the other two may surprise you — early lunchtimes and fast food! The researchers found that kids were more likely to order a la carte items rather than a balanced meal if their lunchtime was before 10:30 in the morning. Similarly, students who had the option to leave campus during lunch were likely to buy fast food or have parents bring it to them rather than opt for a balanced cafeteria meal.

So what can you do? First, make sure your child understands the connection between the right foods and health. If your child’s school has vending machines, take a look at what’s available and discuss the choices with your child. Encourage him or her to choose a balanced meal over a la carte or fast-food items, regardless of what time lunch is served. If your child doesn’t care for the foods served in the cafeteria, try packing his or her lunch and snacks at home instead. Teaching your child how to provide his or her body with the nutrition it needs — not just calories — is one of the most important lessons you can impart!

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Are your workouts working for you? Not sure? One way to tell is by using a method called the rate of perceived exertion, or RPE. It helps ensure that you’re working out to your optimal level! Aim too low and you’ll just be going through the motions without much benefit. Aim too high and you could end up frustrated, burned out, or injured!

So how do you find a pace that’s just right? Think of exertion on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being no exertion (sitting in a chair, for example) and 10 being the most you can possibly do. A moderate walk might put you at a 3. Remember, it’s not about how fast you’re walking, it’s about how strenuous it feels. Aim for a range between 3 (moderate) and 5 (strong), say experts at the American Council on Exercise. You should feel you’re exerting yourself enough to gain cardiovascular benefit, but not so hard that it’s difficult or uncomfortable to sustain your workout.

As your strength and fitness level increases, bump up the intensity to compensate, aiming to stay within your newly defined 3-to-5 range. The best thing about perceived exertion is that you can use it for any workout — walking, jogging, bicycling, bench stepping, climbing stairs, or performing low-impact aerobics! And be sure to keep checking in when you’re working out!

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Are you concerned about the quality of the food your child is eating at school? Many parents are, and for good reason. School cafeterias have long been criticized for offering unhealthy choices like fast food and french fries instead of healthier fare. So what can you do to help your child’s school district shape up? Here are a few ideas from the experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Get the kids involved. Urge school officials to form a student council to examine the issue. Then have the kids themselves identify which foods could be replaced by healthier options.
• Persuade your district to make healthy eating fun, with contests that promote both physical activity and healthy eating.
• Suggest to your child’s teacher that he or she include daily exercise breaks during class time to cut down on children’s chair time. Taking a stretch break can help reduce stress and improve concentration — so they’ll do better in school too!

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Makes 4 burritos

The red and yellow cherry tomatoes combine with the pale green avocado for a gorgeous salsa. Spiked with lime and cumin, the flavors pop.

Ingredients:
Cherry Tomato–Avocado Salsa
1 1/2 cups quartered firm red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes
1/2 ripe avocado, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of salt

Burritos
4 whole-wheat flour tortillas (7 1/2″ diameter)
1/2 cup canned fat-free refried beans
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
To Make:
Salsa: In a small bowl, gently mix together the tomatoes, avocado, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Cover and set aside.

Burritos: Warm the tortillas in the microwave or a conventional oven according to the package directions. Cover with foil and keep warm.

Place the beans in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave on high power for 45 seconds, or until hot. Keep warm.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, water, salt, and pepper until well blended. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked but still moist.

One at a time, spread each warm tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of the beans and fill with 1/4 of the eggs. Top each with about 2 tablespoons salsa, reserving the rest to serve at the table. Roll up the tortillas, folding in the sides. Serve right away, with the remaining salsa.

Serving size: 1 burrito
290 calories, 32 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, 12 g total fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 6 g dietary fiber, 480 mg sodium

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Makes 1 Serving

Summer is in full swing, so be sure to take some time out to enjoy it! To start your summer day off right, take a few minutes to prepare this healthy and refreshing breakfast. If you have a table outside, eat outdoors and soak in the sunshine! And don’t forget — the berries in this recipe are freshest during the summer months, so eat up!

French Toast and Berries

Ingredients
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1/3 cup egg-white substitute
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar-free maple syrup
1 cup blueberries or strawberries
Directions
Dip 2 slices of whole wheat bread in 1/3 cup egg-white substitute, then brown in a nonstick skillet with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Top each slice with 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup and 1/2 cup of blueberries or strawberries.

Per serving: 302 calories, 7g fat, 488mg sodium, 41g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 16g protein

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Want dancer’s legs without having to go to dance class? Here’s a move that will help give your legs that long, lean appearance!

You’ll need a chair for support. Start by standing tall, with one hand on the back of the chair for balance and the other on your hip. Begin in “first position” (think ballet), with your toes turned out and your heels touching. Keep your back straight and your abs tight. Dip down by bending at the knees, keeping them square over your toes. Lift your heels off the floor, pushing from the balls of your feet. Straighten your legs, squeezing your buttocks and inner thighs, then lower your heels, returning to the starting position.

The move has four steps — plié down, lift heels, push up, and heels down to starting position. Repeat the series for two sets of 8 to 12 reps each. Rest for 15 seconds between sets. Fabulous! It’s that simple!

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