My Newest Adventure in Healthy Eating

As I mentioned in a previous blog, my parents and I (as their "guide") are reading about and following Prevention Magazine's "Flat Belly Diet". It's based on the incorporation of more monounsaturated fatty acids (a.k.a. MUFA, a.k.a. healthy, good-for-you fats) into your eating regimen. There are five main categories of MUFA: oils, olives, avocados, nuts & seeds, and dark chocolate. (Yes, that's right...DARK CHOCOLATE!)

The program is kicked-off with a 4 day "detox" of sorts that they call the anti-bloat jumpstart. Beyond that the program takes into account portion control and emphasizes eating a MUFA at every meal. We just started the jumpstart 3 days ago and already my dad has reported a loss of 3 pounds and my mom a loss of 1 pound. (Granted, it's mostly water-weight at this stage in the game, but it has them feeling good, which is the most important thing!)

The program promises not only weight-loss, but also a decrease in visceral belly fat (an average of 33% in 1 month!) which is the deadly fat that surrounds your organs and makes you susceptible to countless unhealthy conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Also, it promises a loss of inches (mainly from the stomach area, hence the name) as well as a significant drop in cholesterol. Not too shabby!

We're still in the beginning stages, but we're very excited about the potential results! I'll keep you updated as this month progresses, and let me know if you have any questions about the "Flat Belly Diet" program.

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

.

Staying Motivated

Since it's over a week into 2009, I figured it was the perfect time to discuss motivation. I imagine many of you began your resolutions at the turn of the new year, and since it's already been 10 days, you may have started to feel less enthusiastic about the promises you made to yourself (and others) a week and a half ago. Since your motivation might be waning, and it's been proven to take about 30 days to successfully form a new habit, it's key that you stick to your resolutions for the next few weeks if you want them to be smoothly incorporated into your lifestyle.

Before you began your resolutions you probably thought about them intently and got yourself all geared up and ready to start. What many of us fail to do is actively work on our enthusiasm for our resolutions much beyond January 1st. We psych ourselves up for them and then neglect to continue to foster that energy and commitment that we felt early on (or even before beginning). Below are some tips and techniques for maintaining your motivation so that when you look back over this year, you can feel that you truly did your best to reach your goals!

1. Start Slowly. Even though you may have been gunning to start, it's important to make manageable changes. If you set your goal to work out 30 minutes, 5 days a week and are finding that difficult to stick to, rewind and take baby steps. Start with just 5 minutes, 5 days a week. You'll get used to setting aside the time, and you can gradually build to your goal, instead of giving up 2 weeks in.

2. Put it on Paper. If you haven't already done so, write your resolutions down. Sometimes the simple act of transferring your thoughts onto paper makes you feel more driven. List the reasons why you chose to make each resolution. When you're feeling like giving up, reread what you wrote and remind yourself of why you wanted to make these changes in the first place.

3. Recruit Support. If you feel accountable to someone else, you're more likely to stick to your goals. Share your resolutions with a loved one and even ask them to "check up" on you each day, week, month, etc. It's one thing to let yourself down, but it's another when you feel like you'll disappoint somebody else with your (lack of) actions.

4. Keep Track. Record your progress. Journaling about the headway you're making with regard to your resolutions will reaffirm why you made them in the first place. Also, when you're feeling frustrated, you can look back and see how far you've come!

Best of luck with your resolutions! Let me know how you're doing so far.

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

.

Take a Break

It's essential to have "me-time". Taking time for yourself is not a luxury (it's a necessity!), and it's certainly not selfish. It is key to leading a harmonious life. When you constantly give of yourself to others, you drain your energy. (I'm sure you've felt that before.) That's why it's so important to take time, every day, to literally recharge your batteries.

Take a few minutes each day to sit in a comfortable, quiet location and take deep breaths. Start with just 2 minutes a day and add a few minutes each week ,with your goal being at least 10 minutes a day. Sit with eyes closed, and breath slowly in through your nose, out through your mouth. Almost instantly you should begin to feel more relaxed and calm. You'll also notice your heart rate slow to a steady pace. Focus on your breath, and attempt to keep all nagging thoughts out of your head. If you find yourself worrying or dwelling, replace that thought with a peaceful image, like a quiet beach with rolling waves, a peaceful garden, or a favorite relaxing vacation spot.

Without a few moments to re-center yourself, you are more susceptible to stress, have a shorter temper, and often feel overwhelmed. By allowing yourself these few essentials moments, you'll greatly improve your overall quality of life. I'm certain that your family and friends will not even notice the bit of time you give to yourself, they'll only notice that you're more grounded and patient.

If you really want to enhance your "me-time", think about creating a "me-time" space that nurtures you during your moments of relaxation. Choose a quiet spot - your favorite chair, the foot of your bed, or even a nook in your bathroom or closet. Think about your senses, and keep things nearby that would augment your space - choose a candle with a fresh, calming scent to light while you sit, get a CD player (or your ipod) ready with soothing music, or place a journal nearby to write down thoughts before or after your minutes of "meditation".

Give to yourself first. It will make you a better wife, mother and friend.

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

.

New Year, New You

Happy New Year! I can't believe that Christmas and New Year's Eve are already behind us, and the New Year has officially begun. 2008 was a particularly challenging year for many, and I'm sure many of you are looking forward to a fresh start and more prosperous times this coming year. That being said, I wanted to share with you some of my personal goals for this year in hopes of inspiring you to reflect upon your own or create some resolutions if you have not already done so.

Though I firmly believe that you can (and should) set goals throughout the year to continually challenge and improve yourself, the New Year is a wonderful time to lay out some aspirations for the next 12 months. But first, before you make a whole list of new resolutions, take some time to look back over the last year and reflect upon how you did with last year's goals. Did you meet your expectations? Surpass them? Forget them?

As for me, one of my personal goals was to lay the initial ground work for my business, Cailen Ascher Design, advertise, and get clients. I'm proud to say that I was able to reach all of these, and it feels great. Fulfilling a goal is very gratifying and a wonderful way to motivate you to keep on improving yourself, your business, your relationship, etc. At the beginning of 2008, I also vowed to incorporate more strength training into my workouts. This resolution I was also able to accomplish, and I now strength train twice a week and have experienced some great results from my commitment to this.

It feels great to look back and have a sense of accomplishment. The key is to set goals that are ambitious but not outrageous, challenging but not "painful". If you're looking at your 2008 resolutions and realizing that you did not meet them as you would have liked, don't just roll them over and make them your resolutions again for this year. If they didn't work for you then, they probably won't work now. Take the time to really brainstorm and prioritize. Make a list, share it with friends and family. Refine and revise it. If you really want to stick to your goals for this year, you have to create goals that excite you, inspire you, and perhaps even scare you a little bit.

For this year, I want to continue to build my business and seek out more, unique advertising venues. I'm going to set aside time over the next few days to evaluate my desired income for 2009 and then work backwards from there to establish how many clients I wish to have and how much I hope to average on each design job. When creating goals, it's really important to think them through and do your research so that you make informed resolutions that are well-designed for you.

As for my wellness goal, I've vowed to work with my mom and my dad on lifestyle designs, another aspect of my business, and follow "The Flat Belly Diet". This diet, created by Prevention Magazine, is based on the incorporation of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) into your diet. MUFA decrease visceral fat between organs which lowers your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and decreases blood pressure. The eating recommendations sound very interesting (and delicious...nuts & seeds, olives, healthy oils, avocado, and dark chocolate all contain MUFA!!!). It seems like a great way to remake your nutrition regimen, improve your health, and feel and look better.

When creating your resolutions be positive. Wanting to lose 20 pounds because you look "fat and disgusting" might motivate you for a week or two, but your steam will quickly run out. Even if you feel frustrated with your current reality, stay focused on the future. If you want to lose 20 pounds, make your motivation something positive - to feel healthier, live longer, gain self-confidence, but whatever it is, be kind to yourself. If you want your resolutions to stick, you have to work with yourself, not against. Once you've selected your chosen resolutions, write them down and pick a start day, preferably at least 3 days away. Give yourself time to look forward to beginning your new lifestyle and then when you do begin, you'll do so with enthusiasm that will carry you through.

Keep your resolutions handy and reread them when you feel you're losing focus. I would also recommend journaling throughout the year to keep yourself committed to change!

Good luck and Happy New Year!

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

.