Grocery store treasure map

Here’s an idea. Think of your local friendly grocery store as a type of treasure map. A treasure map that’s just a little bit different than a normal treasure hunting map…instead of the center having a big X marking the spot of highly desired gold n jewels, we will be seeking the outside of our map, which is where we will find our healthy treasures of fresh goodness and treats for the soul. And we will be leaving the inner parts of this grocery store map off of our search, for the time being at least.

Most grocery stores stock all the healthiest foods around the perimeter of their establishment, leaving the junk food further into their domain, all towards that center of tasty for you but definitely not good for you foods. So if you stick to the outside of all those tempting aisles of food, you should be good.

In fact, let’s take a little look at out treasure map of healthy foods:

The Meat and Seafood section.

To find the leanest cuts always look for the word loin, as in sirloin and tenderloin. Don’t get fooled by the false gold treasures of beefyloin or chunkyloin. And especially not bit-a-loin. If ground beef is what’s on your list then check to make certain it has the leanest percentage you can find. And always try to pick grass fed beef or wild caught seafood. My mouth is watering into my treasure map already. Sorry bout that.

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The Produce Aisle.

It’s very simple here. Just look for a vast array of colors-purple yellow orange red green. Told you it was easy here. Let’s move along now. People are waiting behind you.

The Bakery.

Another easy one. Just make sure to put down your treasure map and check the ingredients label. What are you looking for, my foodie pirate? Whole wheat flour. That’s what you’re looking for in that spyglass, me hearty.

The Dairy Aisle.

Go full fat milk and yogurt. How pleasing that sounds. Read it again. Full fat milk and yogurt. That could be a great mantra.

Ok. So. There you go. A treasure map where everyone finds the big cache of healthy goodness at the end of our Rainbow Loin And Happiness Grill. See you there.

What’s better than butter? Popeye loves his olive oil.

Guess what. You don’t always have to use butter for baking. In fact in almost all cases olive oil can be used in place of butter with some great healthy results. Like what great healthy results you ask. Like cutting down on saturated fats while adding the better monounsaturated ones to your diet. No wonder Popeye loves his olive oil.

Things on a need to know basis:

Butter happens to contain water and you know what? Olive oil is pure oil. So you can use less of it in a recipe. Now, famous great chefs may not all agree, but you’ll need about 2/3 to 3/4 of the amount of butter called for. In fact 9 out of 10 chefs all agree that 9 out of 10 chefs agree to this. And that 1 chef who disagrees? The other nine agree that that tenth chef is very disagreeable. And a little unsavory.

When you bake with olive oil do so carefully. You don’t wanna over bake. Like cookies could take a little bit longer than with butter but they won’t brown as easily. Nice. Because if there’s one thing I don’t care for at all, it’s a burnt cookie.

It’s also ok to mix n match while you bake. Say your Aunt Edna’s recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter. Yes that Aunt Edna. The one who thinks you have to shake bottled water before drinking it. Anyway. Instead of 2 sticks of butter use one stick and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Just don’t have to tell Auntie about it. You know how she can be since she started dating that tenth chef. You know. The disagreeably unsavory one.

So. Baking butter balking then olive oil ok. Then you can say with some degree of honesty that you can’t believe it’s not butter…but olive oil.

Music to your ears…and more

Philosopher Albert Schweitzer once noted that there are two means of refuge from the miseries of life…cats and music. I couldn’t agree with Al more. So while cats are just so obviously linked with being a very safe haven from our day to day rigors, let’s take a look at music and see what we shall hear.

Serious research has been done with the powers that are music and how music can affect us in very positive ways. But always remember that the type of music, who is playing it, the specific song type and genre can place you in totally different moods and feelings. So be forewarned to use music responsibly.

Some of the benefits of listening to music include

1) Easing of pain.

2) Getting us to move and to do something.

3) Reduce the effects of depression.

4) Increase and boost memory.

5) Helping us to relax and get better sleep.

All five of the above benefits that come from listening to music have been real world proven so don’t just take my word for it. Music is a very joyful way to restfully relax the mind and the spirit, or with a specific genre, music can inspire us to action or some kind of emotional release.

And all of these assets from just listening. How cool is that?

Pretty note worthy…

Positively Thinking

Its very funny how our brains work. Given their own mind, as it were, our brains always seem to take that easy downward pitched road to non- positive thoughts, mostly fearful and sometimes depressingly so. It takes a lot of effort to keep your ever so easily distracted thoughts from leaning towards the negative and keeping a clear, decisive affirmation of the confident cheerfulness of positivity.

Now a lot of very smart people will talk about how our brains really are hard wired to be scared stiff yellow bellied cowards. But there’s a reason for that. Our minds will keep us out of danger by being so apprehensive and careful. That mind induced fear is meant to keep us safe. Fear, in all reality, is humankind’s best friend.

Don’t go out of the cave yet. Beasts are waiting. Don’t go alone when we leave the cave. Beasts are still waiting. And for all the many named Gods sake above, don’t ever leave the cave at night. You know…beasts are waiting. And the beasts are so damned hungry.

So there are some reasonable reasons for our brains to swerve to the carefully diligent obstructions meant to keep us fearful yet fearfully alive. Survival at its most ruthlessly beneficial.

So. What’s this whole little tome about then?

Thinking positive. To do something that goes totally against generations of fear coached endurance skills. No wonder it’s so hard to keep yourself up and positive and smiley smiles all around with all those beasts outside waiting.

So. Again. What’s this all about then?

Tips to work against your own mind and to think positive. It’s a fight well worth fighting. And like all good fights, the battle has to become almost like a habit. Move forward and take the hill. Move forward and take the hill. Move forward…you get the idea. Take the damn hill. An absolute of grinding positivity.

So.

Tip number one.

Experts have found that reading something just before dropping off to sleep is extremely beneficial to retaining whatever was read. It’s a great learning tool. In fact some people have found that listening to a recording as they fall asleep works pretty well as a learning device. So sweet dreams can actually become sweet n smart dreams. And who wouldn’t love that.

So tonight, just before you lay your weary head on that soft inviting pillow, think of one thing that happened during that day that made you very happy. It could be anything.

Someone you hadn’t seen for quite a while called you. You had an incredibly tasty meal. Your boss complimented you about a project you were working on. You finished cleaning up your room. Your partner smiled at you while making dinner. Anything really. As long as it made you very happy. Then write it down into a notepad that you will keep bedside from now on.

So it’s kinda simple really.

Every night before bed, think of something that made you very happy during the day. Then write it down, turn over, and get that well deserved sleep. And as you fall away into that dreamy dreamland, think positive. And ignore those beasts outside waiting.

Start me up!!

So…just what everyone needs right now…another health and relationship blog! Oh no. But yes, yet another h & r tip sheet for you.

And yet I have a promise for you. Every health point of data and relationship relay will have been tirelessly investigated and proof checked throughly.

How can I promise this? Because every health and relationship info/tip was something I needed to know and do, for my own wellness and well being. And each blog should be very helpful as all info was used by this person…me. It’s me tested and approved.

So let’s get started.

STAYING ON TASK

Every day we do chores and tasks where, after a little while, we begin to find our selves very easily distracted and our focus becomes somewhat unfocused. What to do?

Treat your attention span as a brain muscle that is like any other muscle. It needs to be exercised to stay fit. And as little as 20 minutes is all you need. But for those 20 minutes you have to stay on task and focused. So here are some ideas:

One suggestion is to write the task or job you’re doing onto a post it note and slap it on your desk so that you will always be able to see it.

Another little 20 minute brain exercise? Memorize a poem that you may like. Or even one you do not care for. But for 20 minutes put that poem to memory.

A harder suggestion would be to write an email in another language. That one was tough for me. But pretty helpful.

Done with the brain exercise? Then just like physical exercise, get up and stretch. Or call a buddy. Or walk around your block. Just get away so those precious muscles can relax and rebuild.

Hope this was a little helpful. Let me know…in 20 minutes or less.

But…use that 20 minutes well.