4.29
It's hard to qualify any production candy as 'healthy', but with Halloween and the holidays coming up, I thought I'd post about what may be healthier. And this depends on your perspective. I look for sweets with no corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and limited soy ingredients. That's a really high bar to set for most candy.
Here is a great article from Business Insider (www.businessinsider.com) with an exhaustive, ranked list of popular candies and how they stand up to 'healthy' scrutiny:
Healthiest Halloween Candy
Note that basically *none* of these candies listed would qualify as healthy when reviewed with my criteria... this article basically looked at calories, fat content and protein per serving.
You'll see popular favorites on the list like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Candy Corn, Twizzlers and at the top of the list, Smarties. It is mostly the fat content that makes many of these less healthy than their counterparts - and peanuts and peanut butter are a common culprit adding fat content.
I like the simplest candies, like old-fashioned butter toffee and caramels. When you can find these with no corn syrup and sans all the artificial junk, they can be a great treat. And a standard satisfier around our house (and in our pantry) is dark chocolate. High in antioxidants and with a little kick from caffeine, dark chocolate has a rich, sophisticated flavor that is really satisfying (to me).
The biggest thing to remember with candy consumption is portion control. Don't let your sweet tooth get the better of you! If you're buying Halloween candy, get the 'fun' sizes and mini packets to keep the kiddos from pigging out on any one thing. Any of the candies reviewed in the above article would be okay in moderation... the key is keeping the candy cravings under control.
Have fun this Halloween, and you can even consider offering popcorn or graham cracker cookie treats for the costumed hoards. Most of all remember to keep candy consumption to a minimum.
By the Way
Some months ago I found this tremendous website for 'healthy' candy. Again, I would qualify that as no corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and as simple and organic as possible. Check out the Natural Candy Store, www.naturalcandystore.com. I get this awesome all natural bubble gum from Tree Hugger through them... isn't the internet great?
4.28
I get lots of fitness-related emails, posts and content on a weekly basis. This week Tony Horton was encouraging readers to double down on their 2017 goals and still accomplish what they set out to do this past January. I agree.
There are two months left to brush aside the excuses, the busyness and distractions and get something done for our health. Maybe it is cleaning up your pantry and finally pitching all the foods with artificial preservatives, flavors, colors and sweeteners. Or maybe it is taking your pedometer seriously for the next two months and logging some serious miles.
How about getting to the gym and actually working out? You're paying for the membership - that's supposed to be the hard part... but I think getting out the door trekking to the gym is really where the serious are separated from the bystander.
Maybe it's time to commit to a body weight workout regimen. There are innumerable and worthwhile resources out there like these:
www.darebee.com
www.spartan.com
So give it a whirl. Dig deep. Don't fizzle for the next two months... conquer! And when 2018 gets here, you'll be healthier and confident as we tackle a brand new year.
By the Way
As I often say, don't go it alone! Find a fitness buddy, or at least an online partner, or virtual coach. Create accountability around consistent effort, enjoying the journey and the fellowship that comes from working together on something worthwhile. You can do it!
4.27
We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. And we're certainly capable of more than others around us may think we're capable of. All it takes is focus and direction. Without it we can end up bumbling through life where today looks like yesterday and tomorrow looks like today. Life is worth much more than that.
It starts with direction and some purpose, and simply needs a plan:
Go
To get anywhere, we have to have a destination in mind. How many of us invest more effort planning our yearly vacation than we do any other aspect of life? Having a vision of where our life is going should be normal. Maybe it is eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods, or getting out for a long walk several times a week. Write it down. Create a road map. Most of all have a solid reason 'Why' you have this vision for yourself.
Do
Next is to execute our plan. However simple or detailed it may be, start to do. Long-term goals, short-term goals, goals of little consequence, and goals of great consequence... all it takes is focused effort, day-in and day-out, to get there. While disciplined action may not be fun, it is the path to your envisioned future, so stick with it and put in the effort.
Adjust
If you are striving toward something worthwhile, it will be hard. Life may (probably will) get in the way. Press on anyway. Friends may doubt your sanity or choices (especially if you are making wiser / healthier / better life choices than they are) and pressure you to let it go, and get 'back to normal.' Press on anyway. As we learn what it takes to achieve our goals we may need to adjust our time frames, add more resources, or invest in an intermediate step. Do it. Adjust, and keep the vision and reason why clearly in front of you.
Repeat
As you do the next thing, stay keenly aware of new opportunities. If you're developing new skills (like cooking in a healthy way or fitting a great workout into a busy week) share those skills with others. Add to your vision as you open up vistas in life that you were never aware of. Once you have a new plan, execute it, adjust to the circumstances and continue your positive journey of growth.
When we Go, Do, Adjust and Repeat, we likely will create a meaningful and beneficial upward spiral in life. We'll grow into new experiences, accomplish purposeful things, and likely enjoy an added richness of life. Happy doing.
By the Way
The most valuable step in achieving our goals is the ability to Adjust. If you fall behind, restart. Every day is a new day, a new chance to dig into your goal and accomplish the next thing. Always work on your reason why; knowing why is the best reset we can have. And we'll likely not be lonely - it is surprising how many new friends and supporters we find on our new path.
4.26
Jim Rohn said, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." I think he's right. If this is true we should very careful about who we follow. I'm a Christ follower, so I look to Him first to influence me; beyond my faith, I need to choose my coworkers, friends and acquaintances very wisely. If we want to live a wellness lifestyle, we need people around us who understand the value of wise choices, nutrient-dense foods and being physically active.
As the years advance, the groups we hang out with may change. What's imperative is that we step back every so often and ask ourselves if we benefit from being around this group, and are we also a benefit to them? If not, we have to give ourselves permission to change - seek some new horizons, find some new heroes, connect with new and valuable relationships.
Yesterday I finished my third Spartan Race. It was a Stadium Sprint at Citizen's Bank Park in Philly. What a blast. There has been something life-giving about connecting with the Spartan Race lifestyle. My workouts are more focused. I love the challenge of running across it, carrying it, climbing up or over it, or jumping on it. I have accomplished more physically in the past 2 years than I ever thought I was capable of.
All it took was giving something new a try. The Spartan Races seemed interesting and classy enough (some mud runs and obstacle course races are not nearly so respectful.) And sure enough, I've found a new group of very worthwhile influencers. I'm sure I will up my average by being a part of the Spartan Race movement.
For yesterday's race, I didn't flub any of the 21 obstacles. That meant NO penalty burpees, and a much better finish time than if I was cranking out 30 burpees on obstacles I couldn't do. I finished the 4 mile race in 59:47, which for me was an incredible time.
Thousands of racers were in Philly yesterday for the Stadium Sprint at Citizens Bank Park. I think we all upped our average by living the journey that got us race day... it is much more about the journey getting there, than about race day itself. For that, I'm thankful to have found the Spartan Races.
How about you? Today is a great day to look closely at who you are hanging out with and recognize the influence they have in your life. And making a few changes and additions can help you hit your best average ever.
By the Way
The Spartan Race Stadium Series sprints are held all around the country in famous baseball and football stadiums. The running course takes you on the concourses, up and down stairs and ramps, and even behind the scenes (we got to run through the visitors dugout and did push ups in the visiting team locker room.) There is tons of running in the bleachers, sometimes carrying a sandbag or a couple of 5 gallon water jugs. While we did a lot of typical Spartan obstacles like the spear throw and Atlas carry, there was no mud or fire, and we got to do box jumps and jump (a weighted) rope. It was awesome...
It's hard to qualify any production candy as 'healthy', but with Halloween and the holidays coming up, I thought I'd post about what may be healthier. And this depends on your perspective. I look for sweets with no corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and limited soy ingredients. That's a really high bar to set for most candy.
