Stay Healthy Magazine

Stay Healthy

DEC ISSUE 2017

MAGAZINE Mind, Body & Fitness

Side Effects 0f

MISSING SLEEP

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HOLIDAY FITNESS TIPS

THE TRUTH

ABOUT DETOXING

7 Dangerous Food Additives

you need to know about!

The Best Cancer Fighting Foods To Eat 1

The peoples choice of Sweet Spinach Smoothie

Great Smoothies.

Ingredients: 2 cups spinach leaves, packed.

1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and chopped.

15 green or red grapes.

6 ounces fat-free plain Greek yogurt.

2 tablespoons chopped avocado.

1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice.

Papaya Ginger Mint Smoothie

Ingredients: 1 papaya (Solo or Mexican), peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks.

1/2 cup ice cubes.

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt.

1/2 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger.

1/2 tablespoon honey.

Juice of 1/2 lemon.

Water, to taste.

4 fresh mint leaves, plus 1-2 sprigs for garnish.

WATERMELON SPA SMOOTHIE 1 cup chopped watermelon  ½ cup chopped peeled cucumber  6 ice cubes  Squeeze of lime juice  2 teaspoons agave nectar (optional) 1 tablespoon mint leaves for garnish 

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Got That Green Stuff?

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The Peoples Choice of Great Smoothies | 2

CONTENTS

Editors Note..Thinking Out Loud | 5

The Side Effects of Missing Sleep | 6

Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit | 9

These 6 Things Can Slowly Kill A Marriage | 10

Benefits of Lunges | 12

Top Meatless Protein Sources | 14

Best Cancer Fighting Foods | 17

The Truth About Detoxification | 18

5 Easy Steps To Balance, work, Kids and Fitness | 24

7 Dangerous Food Additives | 28

Best Damn Burgers In The World | 33

Coffee Addition...The Good The Bad & Ugly | 37

Holiday Fitness Survival | 39 4

Hello SHM Readers!!

First and foremost I would like to thank each and everyone of you who supported SH Magazine in 2017.. We sincerely appreciate your continued readership.. We’re very hyped and excited about next year. We will be upgrading and expanding our Stay Healthy brand to meet the demands of our readers so stay tuned in 2018 for some amazing happenings!!

On another note here’s something to get you thinking; Did you accomplish any of your goals that you set fourth at the beginning of 2017? If so congratulation to you!! You are successful!! You have accomplished what most didn’t.

The world is full of Negative Nancy’s, Can’t Do Carl’s and It Will Never Happen Heather’s lol!! So congratulate these type of people for their position in life. Goal accomplishments is totally in your favor and based on your plan of actions.

I believe anything can be accomplished within reason as long as you put fourth the required necessary efforts. Of course there will be pot holes and obstacles along the path but that’s associated with becoming a success.

Remember success comes in at all levels. Happy

Bless to you and your family!!

Sincerely, Jaye Kenzie jayekenzie@gmail.com

Holidays and God

Stay Healthy Magazine Publisher / Jaye Kenzie Managing Editor / Elizabeth Glasser Art & Design Director / Edward Hurley Production & Distribution / Mike Hayes Proofreaders / Karen Long / Stella Trevino Adverting Director / Alba Rivers Contributing Writers: Andy Fossett Rashelle Brown Stacy Winford Mary Tribby Dr. Whitaker Km Caines

Office: 844 310 3333 X800 Kate Young Contact Us: Office: Toll Free: 844 310 3333 Local: 702 720 5087 Stay Healthy Magazine inc.

2300 Wet Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102 Copyright 2017 by SH Magazine’ All rights reserved. SH Magazine is published every month in the USA

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The SIDE effects OF MISSING SLEEP Sleep DEPRIVATION Many effects of a lack of sleep, such as feeling grumpy and not working at your best, are well known.

But did you know that sleep deprivation can also have profound consequences on your physical health?

One in three of us suffers from poor sleep, with stress, computers and taking work home often blamed.

However, the cost of all those sleepless nights is more than just bad moods and a lack of focus.

Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.

It’s now clear that a solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life.

How much sleep do we need?

Most of us need around eight hours of good-quality sleep a night to function properly – but some need more and some less. What matters is that you find out how much sleep you need

and then try to achieve it.

As a general rule, if you wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap, it’s likely that you’re not

getting enough sleep.

A variety of factors can cause poor sleep, including health conditions such as sleep apnoea. But in most cases, it’s due to bad sleeping habits.

What happens if I don't sleep?

nights, the mental effects become more serious.

Your brain will fog, making it difficult to concentrate and make decisions.

You’ll start to feel down, and may fall asleep during the day. Your risk of injury and accidents at home, work and on the road also increases.

overall health and make you prone to serious medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Here are seven ways in which a good night's sleep can boost your health:

Everyone’s experienced the fatigue, short temper and lack of focus that often follow a poor night’s sleep.

An occasional night without sleep makes you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won’t harm your health.

After several sleepless

If it continues, lack of sleep can affect your

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1. 1. Sleep boosts immunity If you seem to catch every cold and flu that’s going around, your bedtime could be to blame. Prolonged lack of sleep can disrupt your immune system, so you’re less able to fend off bugs.

It seems that missing out on deep sleep may lead to type 2 diabetes by changing the way the body processes glucose – the high-energy carbohydrate that cells use for fuel.

5. Sleep increases sex drive Men and women who don’t get enough quality sleep have lower libidos and less of an inter-

2. Sleep can slim you Sleeping less may mean you put on weight! Studies have est in sex, research shows. shown that people who sleep Men who suffer from sleep less than seven hours a day apnoea – a disorder in which tend to gain more weight and breathing difficulties lead to have a higher risk of becoming interrupted sleep – also tend obese than those who get seven to have lower testosterone hours of slumber. It’s believed to levels, which can lower libibe because sleep-deprived peodo. ple have reduced levels of leptin 2. 6. Sleep wards off heart (the chemical that makes you disease feel full) and increased levels of Long-standing sleep deprivaghrelin (the hunger-stimulating hormone).

3. Sleep boosts mental wellbeing Given that a single sleepless night can make you irritable and moody the following day, it’s not surprising that chronic sleep debt may lead to long-term mood disorders like depression and anxiety.

When people with anxiety or depression were surveyed to calculate their sleeping habits, it turned out that most of them slept for less than six hours a night.

4. Sleep prevents diabetes Studies have suggested that people who usually sleep less than five hours a night have an increased risk of having or developing diabetes.

tion seems to be associated with increased heart rate, an increase in blood pressure and higher levels of certain chemicals linked with inflammation, which may put extra strain on your heart.

7. Sleep increases fertility Difficulty conceiving a baby has been claimed as one of the effects of sleep deprivation, in both men and women. Apparently, regular sleep disruptions can cause trouble conceiving by reducing the secretion of reproductive hormones.

to compensate – getting more sleep.

It won’t happen with a single early night. If you’ve had months of restricted sleep, you’ll have built up a significant sleep debt, so expect recovery to take several weeks.

Starting on a weekend, try to add on an extra hour or two of sleep a night. The way to do this is to go to bed when you’re tired, and allow your body to wake you in the morning (no alarm clocks allowed!).

Expect to sleep for upwards of 10 hours a night at first.

After a while, the amount of time you sleep will gradually decrease to a normal level.

Don’t rely on caffeine or energy drinks as a short-term pick-me-up. They may boost your energy and concentration temporarily, but can disrupt your sleep patterns even further in the long term.

Contributed by Elizabeth Glasser.

How to catch up on lost sleep If you don’t get enough sleep, there’s only one way 7

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Who knew there was a plant with a flower like an explosion of flame, which produces a beautiful but short-lived fruit with the appearance of a brilliant pink rosebud? This is the pitya – dragon fruit – indigenous to Central America but is also grown and exported from several Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam. Obtained from several cactus species, its succulent stem provides the uniquely delicious fruit with moisture in the arid climates where it grows.

Some dragon fruits have red or yellow skin (which looks a little like a soft pineapple with spikes) and white or red flesh, but always the beginnings of overlaid leaves, similar to an artichoke, and an abundance of small, black, edible seeds.

The flavor is mildly sweet, like a blend of kiwifruit and pear, and it has a crunchy texture.

While it may seem a little strange at first, it's easy to get to the fruit.

Simply slice lengthwise and either scoop out the flesh, or quarter it and peel back the leathery skin. Eat only the white part with seeds, removing any residual pink parts, which are bitter.

Dragon fruits have a surprising number of phytonutrients. Rich in antioxidants, they contain vitamin C

(equivalent to 10 percent of the daily value), polyunsaturated (good) fatty acids, and several B vitamins for carbohydrate metabolism, as well as carotene and protein. Calcium is present for strong bones and teeth, iron and phosphorus for healthy blood and tissue formation. The benefits are realized in a number of ways, from a strengthened immune system and faster healing of bruises and wounds to fewer respiratory problems.

Dragon fruits have zero complex carbohydrates, so foods can be more easily broken down in the body, helped by vitamin B1 (thiamin) and other B vitamins. The phytochemical captin, used as a medication to treat heart problems, is present in the fruit itself, and an oil in the seed operates as a mild laxative.

The seeds of dragon fruits are high in polyunsaturated fats (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) that reduce triglycerides and lower the risk of cardiovascular disorders. Eating dragon fruit can help the body maintain such normal function as ridding the body of toxic heavy metals and improved eyesight. Lycopene, responsible for the red color in dragon fruit, has been shown to be linked with a lower prostate cancer risk. However, consume dragon fruit in moderation because it contains fructose, which may be harmful to your health in excessive amounts.

Detailed studies aimed at determining the relationship between a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, lifetime physical activity, and oxidative DNA damage with prostate cancer were measured. Many details were telling, such as the fact that men between 45 to 54 years of age who did not engage in physical activity had three times the risk of prostate cancer. The conclusion was that a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those containing lycopene, such as dragon fruit, and exercise were found to be protective against the disease.1 Since limited information on the capacities of tropical fruits is available, one study explored with positive results the ability of tropical fruits such as dragon fruit to inhibit human cytochrome P450, which is highly expressed in the liver, but also known to be present other tissues such as in the small intestine, lung, and kidney, and especially linked to congenital glaucoma..

For more information visit: http:// foodfacts.mercola.com/dragon-fruit.html

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These 6 Things Can Slowly Kill A Marriage

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Forget about infidelity or lying to your spouse about your finances: there are other, less-talked behaviors that are just

as destructive to a marriage ― and you and your partner are probably guilty of some of them. Below, marriage therapists share six

behaviors that can silently kill a marriage.

Spending time together as a couple is important, but don’t let your friendships fall to the wayside in favor of yet another night of takeout and Netflix. It’s unrealistic to depend on your Spouse. to fulfill all your socialization needs; giving each other space by heading out for girl’s night out or a meet up with the

guys could do your marriage some good, said Ryan Howes, a psychologist in Pasadena, California.

may actually enhance your relationship.

You have to have confidants outside the relationship.”

If you rarely reach out and touch each other ― or have reached the point where you only have “special occasion sex” (birthdays, anniversaries and vacations) ―it may be time to address the elephant in the bedroom: You’re well on your way to a sexless, passionless marriage, said

Debra Campbell, a psychologist and couple’s therapist in Melbourne, Australia.

While it’s important to maintain close friendships, surrounding yourself with the wrong type of friends could negatively affect the health of your relationship, said Laura Heck, a marriage and family therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah and the creator of the

online couples therapy series forBetter.

When your spouse is responsible for the lion’s share of the laundry and cleaning, it’s bound to create resentment and hinder your connection. In fact, a 2015 study from the University of Alberta found that couples who didn’t split chores had less relationship satisfaction and less sex Thoughtful, engaging communication ― not just “how was your day, babe?” and “what are our plans this weekend”? ― is essential for love to last, said Liz Higgins, a Dallas, Texas -based couples therapist who works primarily with millennials.

“Having intentional conversations about your relationship means asking Roommate syndrome is a silent but common relationship killer, Heck said. When you’ve reached roommate status, you feel like you’re living parallel lives, connected only through your shared space, bank accounts and kids.

“When you’ve fallen into the lock-step of living as roommates, you must be very intentional about

“It’s so important for both of you to build and sustain friendships with others,” he said.

“Through your friends, you can gain other experiences, perspectives and support that

You don’t have to be having sex every day, but some kind of near-daily sexual or erotic acknowledgment is important in relationships,” she said. “It might be the slightest touch; it’s not always about orgasms and getting hot and sweaty.”

“Your friend’s actions are actively influencing your marriage, whether you realize it or not,” she said. “In private, do your friends complain or vent their frustrations about their partner? Do your friends flirt or hit on others behind their than couples who divvied up their chores.

As Howes has seen firsthand, the question of who’s tidying up may not be a big issue at the start of a relationship but it tends to become a major point of contention later on. deeper, more open-ended questions: ‘What did we do well at as a couple today?’ ‘What is something I did today to contribute to our relationship?’ ‘What is something I can do for you?’ ‘When did you feel the most connected with or loved by me today?’” Higgins explained.

Broaching these kinds of conversashaking up your routine and bringing back the fire and passion to the relationship,” Heck said.

To inject some novelty into the relationship, Heck recommends couples make a concerted effort to spend time together by working on a passion project as a team.

In a long-time relationship, Campbell said, partners need to remind each other that they’re still wanted.

“You need to know that nobody else in your partner’s life is their chosen lover or compares to you.”

partner’s back? Bad relationships and boundaries are toxic and are actively at play in changing your own habits.”

On the other hand, surrounding yourself with married people who practice healthy boundaries can benefit you and your partner, Heck said “It doesn’t matter if you’re the clean one or the messy one, what matters is whether or not the clean partner can flex and the messy partner can clean up once in a while,” he said. “Resentments can build over time so it pays to have an honest discussion about your priorities regarding the orderliness of your home.

tions may feel a little awkward at first, but over time, you’ll see the value.

“I encourage the couples I work with to implement time once a week to come together and talk solely about their relationship,” she said. “Once you start, you’ll notice it often bypasses the need to get defensive, angry or disconnected with one another. energy and excitement around,” she said. “Maybe it’s flipping and remodeling a home, starting Crossfit together, finally take that RV out on the weekends or learning to cook vegan. Figure out what works for the two of you and then do it.”

Contributed by SHM Katie Young

“It needs to be something both partners have

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The Benefits of Lunges

by KIMBERLY CAINES Whether you're trying to shape your lower body, increase muscle tissue, develop core strength or make your hips more flexible, the lunge can help you achieve your goal.

This functional, multi-joint exercise can be modified to meet your fitness level. Whether you're doing basic beginner lunges or take on a more advanced variety, such as lunges with your rear foot elevated, the exercise is beneficial in more ways than one.

1. Strengthen Your Buttocks and Legs According to the AmericanCouncil on Exercise, lunges are one of the most effective lower-body exercises and are right up there with squats, step -ups and quadruped and fourway hip extensions. They effectively work your glutes and quadriceps and also engage your hamstrings. Strengthening these large muscle groups can speed up your metabolism, which is beneficial if

you're trying to lose weight.

When excess fat is reduced from your lower body, lunges can help you shape, tone and firm up your tush and legs.

2. Improve Core Strength Believe it or not, lunges can improve your core strength.

When doing lunges, you must engage your core muscles, including your back and abdominals, to keep your body upright and balanced as you move your hips up and down. Neglecting to do this results in poor form and can trigger injuries. Having a strong core is essential because it eases

daily activities, relieves lower back pain and improves your balance, posture, stability and athletic performance.

muscles are neglected, and if you lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, they can be tight and trigger low back pain. When you do a lunge, you basically force your hip flexors to stretch. If you place your back knee on the floor and slightly lean forward from your hips, you can really get a nice hip stretch.

4. Things to Consider Before taking on lunge varieties, such as lateral lunges and reverse lunges, learn to do the basic front lunge with proper form. Mastering proper form can provide optimal results and minimizes your risk of injuries.

During front lunges, it's essential that you lower straight down with your pelvis flexed forward and your

back straight. Ensure that you step your foot far enough forward so that the middle of your front knee is directly above your ankle during the

downward motion.

3. Improve Hip Flexibility

Lower your hips until your knees are about 90 degrees bent and Lunges can improve the flexibility of your hip flexors, place your weight on the back two-thirds of your front foot durwhich are the muscles you use to bend or flex your legs ing the exercise. at your hips. Often these 12

Body-weight exercises, such as lunges, are the overall best exercises for the functional body strength and balance you use on a daily basis. The muscles that lunges target to help strengthen the knee are the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes' Best Leg Exercises To Build Muscle #1 – Glute Bridge. Single-leg glute bridge: Helps build pelvic and knee stability, and sets you up for stronger squats and lunges. ... Forward, backward, walking, balancing, and side lunges. They challenge your balance and work all the muscles in the legs Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. ... Step forward with your rear foot, repeating the lunge on the opposite leg.

30 Forward Lunges (15 each leg)

20 Right Side Lunges.

20 Left Side Lunges.

30 Reverse Lunges (15 each leg) Switch Lunges: Do as many you can.

But they hurt your knees! Actually, when done correctly, these exercises can prevent knee pain—not to mention trim your hips and thighs. Unless you have an injury or have been diagnosed with a joint disease— something like osteoarthritis—a few quick fixes will have you lunging and squatting without pain in no time Squats and lunges both use glutes, quads and hamstrings.

However, a single leg exercise, such as lunge, activates more the gluteus medius muscle for stabilization on one leg. Leaning forward in a lunge means more work for glutes and hamstrings. ... Squatting to parallel uses mostly quads

being left stationary behind and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance.

Here's how to perfect your form: Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don't keep looking down).

Always engage your core.

Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle

Lunges target the quadriceps, but involve additional muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, calves and core muscles, making them an important exercise for toning the lower body. They are also back-friendly, because of the need to keep your back straight and your chest lifted, so you have little risk of back strain.

Main Muscle: Stand with your torso upright holding two dumbbells in your hands by your sides. ...

Step forward with your right leg around 2 feet or so from the foot 13

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CORE POWER Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet, but even more so for active, on the go people like you.

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tein drink. You deserve better. Core Power is a delicious source of high protein nutrition and energy that helps you do more. And be more.

Made from real, fresh, cold-filtered milk, Core Power comes in great tasting Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana, Strawberry Banana Light and Chocolate Light.

No matter what your palate prefers, we got you covered.

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Detox diets are everywhere, but cleanliness may not be next to godliness when it comes to the body. Are these popular juice fasts, master cleanses and detoxification diets really necessary?

There is no evidence that those detox diets do any kind of detoxification in the body,” says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

One of the reasons that people, especially celebrities, embark on master cleanses and detox plans is that there are a lot of overweight and obese people in our society, and people are looking for the quick fix, explains Giancoli. Detoxes and cleanses promise quick weight loss.

What’s more, there’s a paranoia in today’s culture that our bodies are full of toxins and that we must detox in order to rid ourselves of these offensive chemicals.

“In reality, if you really want to detox your body the best thing to do is have a diet that

has plenty of fiber, plenty of fruits and vegetables, a lot of whole grains, a lot of plant foods so that your immune system, your liver, kidneys, lungs and other organs in your body can naturally do their job to detox you on its own,” says Giancoli.

“We need to have more trust in our body’s ability to do that, but we also need to feed our body the right foods so that it can be at its best.”

The fact is we have a natural detox system in our body that works very well when treated well. The liver does a great job of flushing out waste every day, our lungs breathe out pollutants, our kidneys filter out toxins, and our digestive system lets things pass through that we don’t need.

Worse, Giancoli warns that juice diets and cleanses only lead to water weight loss.

Depending on how long people do this, they’ll lose water weight and then start losing lean tissue mass where muscle breaks down, a huge no-no which is only increasing your fat to lean muscle ratio.

Detoxing has also become the umbrella term for a lot of different diets. Sometimes the word may be used positively, as in feeding your body a healthy diet of natural, whole foods, and other times the word typically means drinking nothing but a fluid concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper or some such for days, which is supposed to flush poisons from the body. The latter detox diet is the one to skip.

Interestingly, you may be creating toxins when you go on these detoxes for a very long time, says Giancoli. When you’re not eating and you’re taking in very few calories, you start to break down muscle mass, which creates nitrogen compounds that your body has to excrete. After a period of time not taking in enough calories, the body will make ketones, which are acidic substitutes for fuel that have to be flushed out and neutralized so they don’t potentially cause loss of minerals like calcium from the bones. Seems “cleansing” may actually create toxins that the body then has to rid.

MORE FACTS

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“You can bounce back after a day or two of that but why put your body in a position it has to recover from in the first place?” Giancoli says.

“I will say that the good side of them [cleanse diets] is that for short periods they may inspire people to eat better or inspire a better way of living or a healthy lifestyle, but you can do that without the torture of these socalled detoxes.”

“Plus, if you do fast or ‘cleanse’ for a number of days, the physiology of your body then wants foods so you’re now in danger of binging and storing fat more easily. So while you might lose weight during the cleanse, your body is more primed to store fat because it’s thinking ‘Oh my gosh, I’m in the feast period so I better store all these calories for the next famine period,’” Giancoli says.

Bottom line: Detoxing or cleansing is not a sustainable weight-loss technique. Nor do you need to do anything to help your body rid itself of toxins. The body is essentially a self-cleaning machine

The truth about toxins A toxin is a poison produced through biological processes.

The nicotine found inside of tobacco leaves is a toxin; so is the metabolic waste produced by cells inside the human body.

But when people talk about "toxins," they're likely referring to manmade chemicals as well.

Your body can accumulate both natural and manmade toxins when you ingest food and water and when you breathe. Air pollutants like ozone and nitrogen dioxide have been linked to a range of health problems in humans — from respiratory inflammation to cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Pollutants in water include arsenic, a known carcinogen, and mercury, which is linked to nervous system disorders, according to the U.S. Geo-

logical Survey (USGS). Even organic fruits and vegetables aren't safe from toxins such as E. coli and salmonella, which can cause acute illness, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry.

However, drinking a juice or undergoing an internal cleanse isn't going to help your body get rid of these toxins any faster or more effectively, according to Dr. Michael Gershon, a professor of pathology and cell biology at Columbia University in New York. The body is well equipped to get rid of toxins all on its own.

My Recommendations for Cleansing and Detoxing Steer clear of obvious sources of toxins, eat a fiber- and vegetablerich diet, and drink a lot of water.

Suggested supplements include a potent daily multivitamin (look for one that contains selenium 200 mcg, zinc 30 mg, vitamin C 1,000+ mg, vitamin E 200 IU), alpha lipoic acid 600 mg, and silymarin/milk thistle 900 mg.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT Whitaker Wellness Medical Clinic.

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Stay Healthy

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By MaryEllen Tribby

5 EASY STEPS TO BALANCING LIFE, KIDS & FITNESS

Let’s face it, none of us needs to make another New Year’s resolution that we end up breaking sooner or later and feeling like a failure.

Instead, this year, why not commit to making a real change for your life? Commit to making a new year’s revolution, instead.

And, the easiest way to actually make a change is to follow a proven system — a system that has not only worked just for one person, but for thousands of working parents just like you.

Which is why I would like to share a little story with you. It’s one I’ve told before, but one I feel will allow you to finally commit to creating and maintaining real balance in your life.

It happened one evening when I received a call while my sister-inlaw was visiting. It was a simple business call from my colleague “Larry.” He had invited me to speak to his mastermind group on a teleconference later in the week. Nothing out of the ordinary, But my Sister-in-law’s mouth was hanging wide open.

“I can’t believe he called you at 9:00 at night! Don’t you think that is totally inappropriate?” Nancy asked.

Larry wanted me to speak to his mastermind group about accelerating their businesses’ growth via multi-channel marketing. Given the fact that his attendee list included people like Tony Hsieh,

Tony Robbins and John Carlton — people I personally considered my mentors — I was honored to accept.

When I tried explaining this to my Sister -in-law, she just waved her hand and said, “In my day, when you left the office at 5:00 p.m., you were done until 9:00 a.m. the next morning.”

I thought about dropping the subject, but I couldn’t resist the challenge.

She opted for early retirement about six years ago — but I asked her if, during her working years, she’d ever left the office to pick up a sick kid from school, go to a dentist appointment or meet the cable man at her house.

When she begrudgingly nodded her head yes, I knew I had her attention.

And, I hope I have yours as well.

If you think that your work life exists only between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m, and that your home and social life exists only between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., you need to make a change.

I recommend that you resolve, right here and now, to make your life better, more rewarding and more balanced. And I’m going to help you do it.

Who am I to talk about balance? Well, I’m a happily married mother of three who runs her own business (with 43 employees) and foundation and is heavily involved in her kids’ school and sporting activities. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten pretty good at managing all the different aspects of my life in a way that makes me feel happy and proud.

The very first step to creating a happier,

healthier lifestyle is to realize that “9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.” no longer applies. By giving yourself the flexibility to do business at all hours of the day or night, you are actually better able to enjoy both your work and your family even more.

This may sound counter intuitive. However, by taking the following five simple steps, you will be able to break free of the 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. shackles and have more balance and happiness in your day-to-day life.

Creating Balance Step One: Define what a balanced life means to you.

Many people think that having a balanced life means spending the same number of hours on work as you do on personal activities. This is a big mistake, because most of the time it’s not realistic.

To define what will work for you, you need to take into consideration that life is constantly changing. The right balance for you today, may not be the right balance for you tomorrow or next week or next month, because over time your priorities change. The one constant in knowing you have a balanced life is the feeling of accomplishment and happiness you enjoy every day.

Creating Balance Step Two: Create Boundaries Some people may agree with my Sister-in-law that receiving a business call at 9:00 PM at night is inappropriate. But, the way I look at it, Larry is someone who is good for my organization and good for my career. Besides, when I met him at a conference earlier this year, he asked me for the best way to reach me. I gave him my email address and my cell number. So, why shouldn’t he call?

Keep in mind that I made the decision to take his call that night — I created the boundary. It happened to be a good time to talk.

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However, if he’d made the call 90 minutes earlier — when I was doing homework with the kids — I would have let it go to voicemail and called him back when it was convenient for me.

Later that week, I was the keynote speaker on the mastermind teleconference Larry had invited me to. Many of the attendees learned a great deal.

In fact, I got several emails from attendees saying they’d purchased Changing the Channel, the book on multi-channel marketing that I co authored with Michael Masterson.

Others called or emailed to ask if they could promote the book to their inhouse list.

Had I adopted the attitude that I would do business only from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., I may have lost you on a wonderful opportunity that proved to be valuable to both my company and to me personally.

Because I advocate balance, I support the efforts my team members make in striving for balance in their own lives.

Some of them work in the evening and/or on the weekends. So, I have no problem if and when they need to leave to take care of something personal. I truly believe that your accomplishments aren’t dependent on how much time you spend in the office.

Creating Balance Step Three: “No” is a complete sentence.

No one wants to say no to their boss, their spouse, their employees, their friends, or their kids.

But to achieve balance, you are going to have to do it once in a while and understand that no explanation is needed.

We all have the same 24 hours in a

day. And we cannot possibly do everything that we want to do and everything that everyone else wants us to do. So a big part of leading a more balanced life is to cut down on unnecessary tasks and protect your priorities.

When requests or conflicts are set before you, ask yourself: “Is this going to give me a feeling of accomplishment and a feeling of happiness?”

Years ago, a good friend of mine — “Rita” — wanted my husband and me to meet her new boyfriend. He was “the one” as she put it. So we made dinner plans for the following evening.

But when our then 2-month-old baby Delanie woke up in the morning with a fever, I called Rita and apologized, but told her we would have to cancel. I just did not feel right about leaving the baby with a sitter.

Well, Rita was irate. She said I was overreacting, and asked how I could possibly feel that way given that Delanie was our third child.

As I held Delanie though the day and night, I knew I had made the right decision. But, I was saddened by Rita’s anger — and her anger lasted for weeks.

Then, about five weeks after the infamous missed dinner, Rita called to say that “the one” had dumped her.

This time it was her turn to apologize, saying that now she realized I had made the right decision.

Social decisions are one thing, but work decisions can be more difficult.

You must learn that sometimes you have to choose your family, your health or even your social life over work. At the same time, you’ll also have to make some hard decisions to put work first.

For instance, I take my health seriously. I had a doctor’s appointment in conflict with a lastminute visit from one of the industry’s top marketing minds. The only chance I had to see him was during the time I’d reserved for my appointment. Since I wasn’t sick and the appointment was for a simple checkup, I didn’t think twice about rescheduling.

Creating Balance Step Four: Keep a journal.

The only way to make your life better is to understand what you’re doing, what’s working, and that isn’t. And, there are far too many things going on in our lives to try to keep it all in our heads.

So keep a journal. Write down what you spend time on — everything from the meetings you attend to how many times you go to the gym.

Keeping a journal will help you see if you are spending your time in the most productive way — and it will make you accountable for your actions. It will help you accomplish your professional and personal goals, and will make you proud of those accomplishments.

Creating Balance Step Five: Understand and accept that you’re not a superhero. Having a balanced life means being realistic. This means being realistic about the fact that some things are just not going to get done. And, you have to be okay with that.

When my husband and I got married 16 years ago, we both had busy careers. But we still enjoyed spending time decorating and upgrading our home with art and new furniture.

After a busy day, we loved coming home to our immaculate sanctuary.

Well, once we had kids, things started looking a lot different. Instead of the beautiful vase I picked up in Mexico on the coffee table — there was a stuffed Elmo.

Soon our picture frames were replaced by toy trains. And many days, while we’re making dinner, the kids have all the pots and pans on the floor.

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But instead of spending my time cleaning up and trying to make my house look perfect, I would much rather play with the kids, banging on the pots and pans with them and playing with trains.

There are always things out of place in my house — but that is exactly the way it should be. Because when I come home to my family, I absolutely have a feeling of great accomplishment and happiness!

This goes for work, too. You may have a dozen projects on your plate, and only so much time to complete them. Don’t get down on yourself for

re-prioritizing one of them so you can spend more time on marketing, or so you can care for your ailing grandmother, or so you can spend an hour at the gym.

So, this year, don’t just make a goal for the year, make a shift for life. If you find them useful, follow these guidelines and figure out what kind of balance is right for you. Creating boundaries, picking priorities, and knowing what’s working and what isn’t — will help you feel confident that your accomplishments are enough, even if you have more goals you want to achieve.

Follow MaryEllen Tribby on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WorkingMomsOnly

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The Truth About 7 Common Food Additives If, like many Americans, you stock your pantry with processed foods, you may worry about how safe food additives really are.

Over the years, the safety of many food additives, from food dyes to trans fats, has come into question. A scare over a food additive may linger in our minds long after researchers find that there's actually no cause for alarm. It can take years, or even decades, to find out the truth, and sometimes the case is never really closed.

To help you figure out what’s safe, Medical Professionals took a look at the latest research on seven of the most controversial food additives.

Here’s what we found: 1. Artificial coloring What it is: Artificial food colors are chemical dyes used to color food and drinks.

Foods that have it: Many types of processed foods, beverages, and condiments have artificial coloring in them.

Why it's controversial: Artificial food color is suspected of causing increased hyperactivity in children. Also, the dye Yellow No. 5 has been thought to worsen asthma symptoms. (In the 1970s, the FDA famously banned Red Dye No. 2 after some studies found that large doses could cause cancer in rats.)

What the research shows: In 2012 a British study published in The Lancet concluded that consuming artificial coloring and preservatives in food can increase hyperactivity in kids. Scientists

FD&C Red No. 3 (erythrosine) FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) FD&C Yellow No. 6 (sunset yellow) Orange B (restricted to use in hot dog and sausage casings) 2. High fructose corn syrup What it is: High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener made have been studying the link between food additives and hyperactivity in children for more than 30 years, with mixed results. But the results of the 2012 study compelled the European Food Standards Agency to urge companies to voluntarily remove artificial coloring from food products. The FDA, however, hasn't changed its opinion on the use of FDA-approved artificial food colors, which it considers safe when used properly.

Reports suggesting that the food color Yellow No. 5 might aggravate some people's asthma symptoms date back to the 1950s. But in most controlled studies, Yellow No. 5 has not been shown to have a significant impact on asthma, according to a review of all known studies, which is updated every year.

How you find it on the label:

from corn. It's sweeter and cheaper than sucrose, which is the form of sugar made from sugar cane.

Foods that have it: High fructose corn syrup is a common additive in many kinds of processed foods, not just sweets. Most non-diet soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

Why it's controversial: Some experts have proposed that people metabolize high fructose corn syrup in a way that raises the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes more than sugar made from sugar cane. Much of the controversy stems from the observation that obesity in the United States and consumption of high fructose corn syrup increased at the same time.

What the research shows: "It's just sugar," says Marion Nestle, PhD, a professor of nutrition and public health at New York University. "Biochemically, there's no difference."

The following artificial colors are approved for use in food products and must be listed as ingredients on labels: FD&C Blue No. 1 (brilliant blue FCF) FD&C Blue No. 2 (indigotine) FD&C Green No. 3 (fast green FCF) FD&C Red No. 40 (allura red AC)

The high fructose corn syrups commonly used to sweeten foods and drinks are 55-58% fructose and 42-45% glucose. Sucrose (cane sugar) is a double sugar made of fructose and glucose.

Digestion quickly breaks down cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup into fructose and glucose.

"There's a little bit more fructose in high fructose corn syrup, but not a lot," Nestle says. "It doesn't really make any difference. The body can't tell them apart." The American Medical Association recently stated that there is scant evidence to support the idea that high fructose corn syrup is 29

any worse than cane sugar and that consuming too much sugar of either kind is unhealthy.

How you find it on the label: High fructose corn syrup can be found in the list of ingredients on a food label.

3. Aspartame Why it's controversial Various health concerns have been raised about aspartame since it was introduced in 1981.

Most recently, it has been suspected of causing cancer. There have been reports of aspartame causing seizures, headaches, mood disturbances, and reduced mental performance. A study published in 2005 suggested that aspartame could cause leukemia and lymphoma in rats. Another study, published in 1996, argued that an increase in the rate of brain tumors in the United States could be related to consumption of aspartame.

What the research shows Dozens of studies in people and animals have tested for effects possibly related to aspartame. The majority of these studies show that things such as headaches, seizures, and mental and emotional problems didn't occur with aspartame more often than with placebo, even at doses many times higher than anyone would likely ever consume. Large epidemiological studies haven't found a link between aspartame and cancer. A study of about 500,000 people, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, compared those who drank beverages containing aspartame with those who didn't. It found that people who drank increasing amounts of beverages containing aspartame did not have a greater risk for lymphomas, leukemias, or brain cancer. Another study looked at data from a large survey done by the National Institutes of Health. The survey includ-

ed detailed information on 1,888 cases of leukemia or lymphomas and 315 cases of brain cancer.

The researchers found no link between aspartame consumption and those cancers.

"For more than three decades, research has found aspartame to be safe, and today it is approved for use in more than 100 countries," says Robert E. Brackett, PhD, spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, a lobbying organization in Washington, D.C. "In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has confirmed the safety of aspartame 26 times over a period of 23 years, with the most recent confirmation in April 2012."

Look for aspartame in the list of ingredients.

4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) MSG by itself looks like salt or sugar crystals. It is a form of the naturally occurring chemical glutamate. Glutamate doesn't have a flavor of its own, but it enhances other flavors and imparts a savory taste. Tomatoes, soybeans, and seaweed are examples of foods that have a lot of glutamate naturally. Some scientists say that glutamate, also known as "umami," is the fifth essential flavor that the human palate can detect, in addition to sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.

pared with MSG at Chinese restaurants made them sick.

What the research shows: Many studies over the past four decades have tested the idea that some people may be sensitive to MSG. Most scientists today agree that if there is such a thing as a sensitivity or allergy to MSG, it's extremely rare. Studies haven't found any regular pattern of symptoms that could be typical of a reaction to MSG. Also, people are more likely to have symptoms if they're given MSG crystals than if they eat the same amount of MSG mixed with food.

"It's very hard for me to believe that there's a problem with it," Nestle says. Nevertheless, some still swear that they have bad reactions to MSG. "People who think they have problems with it should avoid it," she says.

How you find it on the label: Some food labels come right out and say that a product contains added MSG. But there are other ingredients that may contain MSG such as "hydrolyzed soy protein" and "autolyzed yeast."

5. Sodium benzoate What it is: Sodium benzoate is a food additive used as a preservative.

Foods that have it:

Foods that have it:

MSG is an additive used in many foods.

Sodium benzoate is used in a variety of processed food products and drinks.

Why it's controversial: Why it's controversial: Many people claim to have bad reactions when they eat food seasoned with MSG. In the late 1960s, people started talking about "Chinese restaurant syndrome," alleging that food pre-

It's suspected that sodium benzoate, in addition to artificial food color, may increase hyperactivity in some children. Sodium benzoate in soft drinks may also react 30

with added vitamin C to make benzene, a cancer-causing substance.

What the research shows: The 2007 Lancet study that linked additives with increased hyperactivity included the preservative sodium benzoate.

In 2006 and 2007, the FDA tested a sample of almost 200 beverages from stores in different states that contained sodium benzoate and vitamin C. Four of the beverages had benzene levels that were above federal safety standards.

The drinks were then reformulated by manufacturers and later deemed safe by the FDA. The agency points out, however, that the tests were limited and that it's still not known how much benzene consumers could be exposed to from beverages.

How you find it on the label: Sodium benzoate is listed among the ingredients on a product label.

6. Sodium nitrite Sodium nitrite is an additive used for curing meat.

Foods that have it: Sodium nitrite is usually found in preserved meat products, like sausages and canned meats.

less cured meat. Also, producers started to use much less sodium nitrite in the curing process around that time. As these changes took place, deaths from gastric cancer also dropped dramatically.

found to lower people's HDL (good) cholesterol and raise LDL (bad) cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends getting less than 1% of your daily calories from trans fats.

This theory has been debated for decades, and it is still an open question.

How you find it on the label:

How you find it on the label: Sodium nitrite will be listed as an ingredient on the labels of food products.

Product labels are now required to list the amount of trans fat in a serving. Partially hydrogenated oil may also be listed as an ingredient.

Contributed by Stacy Winford

7. Trans fat What it is: Trans fats are created when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil. Trans fats are food additives in the sense that they're mainly added to the food supply by manufacturing processes, although small amounts of trans fats are present naturally in animal fat.

Foods that have it: These "partially hydrogenated oils" are used most often for deepfrying food, and in baked goods.

Margarine and vegetable shortening may also be made with partially hydrogenated oil.

Why it's controversial: Trans fats are believed to increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Why it's controversial: What the research shows: There is a theory that eating a lot of sodium nitrite might cause gastric cancer.

Most scientists now agree that eating trans fats can be very harmful to health. Trans fats have been

What the research shows: There is evidence that sodium nitrite could have been to blame for a lot of the gastric cancers that people had in the past. Until the early 1930s, gastric cancer caused the most deaths of all cancers in the United States. After that, more Americans began to use modern refrigeration and ate 31

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Stay Healthy Top Monthly Pick BLACK BEAN PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BURGER

INGREDIENTS:

garlic salt

1 large portobello

pepper

1 can of drained black beans

everyday seasoning

⅓ cup of panko crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

¼ of a red onion

Chop mushroom and onion.

¼ cup of olive oil

Prepare flax eggs by combining 2 tbsp of flax with 4 tbsp of water. Let sit for 2-4 minute.

2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax meal and 4 tbsp water)

Blend mushroom, onion, black beans, panko crumbs, olive oil, and seasonings (to taste) until smooth.

Add flax eggs, and continue to blend.

Form patties and cook for 10 minutes on each side on low to medium heat.

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Sweet Potato Burger Total Time: 20m Yield: 5 burgers Ingredients: 1 medium sweet potato

1 1/2 cups drained and rinsed canned cannelini beans

coconut oil optional 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or 1/4 cup cooked brown rice toppings of choice,,, Slice Avocado

2-3 tbsp oat or wheat flour

Instructions:

1 tbsp tahini or nut butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400 F. Pole a few holes in the potato using a fork. Bake until sticky-sweet and very tender, about 1 hr. Remove skin and place the potato’s flesh in a large bowl. Add beans, flour, tahini, maple syrup, spices, and seasonings to the bowl, and use a fork to mash. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is firm enough to easily handle

1 tsp pure maple syrup (or pinch stevia for sugar-free)

1/4 tsp garlic powder or spice blend salt, pepper, optional cayenne or other spices optional 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast

(15-20 minutes). The mixture will be soft and moist, so add the extra flour as needed (or fold in 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs) until you can form patties. *If frying:* Heat 1 tbsp oil over high heat in a sautĂŠ pan. Form 5 patties and coat them with the breadcrumbs, then place in the hot pan and cook 2-3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a paper towel and let cool. *If baking:* Omit the panko coating, and fold in 1/4 cup cooked brown rice for added texture. Bake at 350 F on a greased baking sheet for 20 minutes. Burgers will be lightly browned.

If frying: 1-3 tsp vegetable or

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Stay Healthy Magazine cares about your Health & Fitness

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Times to Lay Off the Shaky Sauce

Depending on whom you consider an authority, coffee is either a delicious treat that also has a variety of health and performance enhancing properties, or it’s a dangerous and highly addictive substance that literally shaves years off your life, one sip at a time.

There’s a time and a place for everything in life, includ-

ing coffee, and there are even certain times you may want to take a step back and examine how you respond to coffee.

Why You Should Drink Coffee There are many reasons to drink coffee. Here are just a few: Because you have a crush on your barista Because it stimulates the nervous system For its cognitive-enhancing effects For its fat-burning properties Because of its effect on insulin sensitivity Because it’s freaking delicious

Seriously. If loving coffee is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Coffee is amazing for you, so don’t let the nags shame you into giving up something you love.

When You Should Drink Coffee Best Times for a Caffeine Injection Before training – Drinking a cup of coffee about 30 minutes prior to exercise has been shown to increase testosterone level and nitrous oxide production during training (e.g., it’s “anabolic”). It also increases pain tolerance and focuses the mind.

After training – Caffeine decreases insulin sensitivity in the short term, allowing you to give your muscles the carbohydrate they need to grow without some of the other nasty effects of eating a ton of sugar.

When you get hungry between meals – Recently, coffee has been shown to suppress hunger signals, which can be extremely useful when fasting, or simply trying to make it to your next scheduled meal time (because consistent meal times are hugely important for metabolism and energy levels).

Within a few hours of when you plan to sleep – This one’s a no-brainer, right?

You’ll never get any rest if you’re all hopped up.

When you haven’t been sleeping well – Your body needs sleep, and when your sleep cycle is out of whack, it can take some time to restore your natural circadian rhythms. Artificially stimulating your energy systems will only make it harder on your body to adjust.

When you’re under stress – Everyone’s under too much stress these days, so don’t exacerbate matters by overstimulating your nervous system when you should really be taking some time out to relax and breathe.

When you feel sad or angry – Caffeine can intensity aggressive or negative emotions, so think happy thoughts before you pour.

When you feel tired – This one might surprise you. Isn’t that what coffee’s supposed to be great for? Sure, a cup of coffee can boost your lagging energy in the short term, but using it this way is a crutch for lacking nutrition or sleep.

Crutches turn into dependencies, so you’d do best to avoid drinking coffee when you’re tired.

What About My Morning Cup? You may notice that drinking a cup of coffee first thing in the morning isn’t listed on either list above.

Too many people, myself included, a cup of coffee in the morning is part of a daily ritual. Mine also includes pig’s (Continued on next page)

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blood and chanting, but none of that gets underway until I’ve made use of my excellent home espresso machine.

Rituals are great, and I’m a big believer in building healthy habits into your lifestyle.

But some people take things too far. Rituals become obsessions, and habits become addictions. This isn’t what we want for ourselves, but it’s hard to see our own weaknesses sometimes, so here’s some things to watch out for: “Needing” coffee to wake up – This is straightforward enough.

You should be able to wake up in the morning and function in the world even if you don’t have any coffee.

A cup turns into a pot – For “daily ritual” purposes, a single cup is usually sufficient. Unless it’s the weekend and you just happen to have time for a second cup, it’s best to keep to a limit.

You rush trough your coffee while doing a dozen other things – Reading the morning paper while you enjoy your brew is one thing, but gulping back your coffee while running around the house like a crazy person isn’t a great routine.

You get headaches if you skip your coffee – A sure sign of either psychological or physiological dependence.

Coffee, like most things,

should always be an option – one you can do without if need be.

Coffee’s Place in a Healthy Lifestyle Health breaks down to three main components overall: Nutrition – The food you eat and how efficiently your body makes use of it

Arm Yourself With Successful Nutrition Tools: Our Handy Nutrition Guide will give you on-the-go tools for making the right nutrition choices for your goals.

Download This Simple Nutrition Guide Contributed by Andy Fossett

Work – Your training and other daily activities Rest – Sleep and active recovery Coffee affects your body on all three levels, so be aware of how each cup is going to either play for or against your goals.

The same can be said for a lot of other things in our lives too. When it comes down to it, being healthy means making good lifestyle choices on a daily basis. In anything you do, consider the outcome on your health and decide if the thing you’re about to do will move you forward or back.

And it’s OK to take a step back, as long as you know what you’re doing (so stop lying to yourself).

The choice to consume or avoid caffeine is just one small part of a larger discussion about the nutritional choices you make a daily basis.

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Yes! IT CAN BE DONE! Rashelle Brown Next Avenue Ready or not, the holidays are here.

With all the feasting and shopping and party-going and year-end budgeting, it can be tough to keep up a regular exercise routine.

But research shows that taking just a week or two off from exercise can erase months of favorable metabolic gains, and gaining just 1 percent of your body weight can have serious health implications.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of activity to prevent both of those things from happening. So by developing these five small, but effective, habits, you can survive the holidays with your health and fitness intact: 1. Schedule Your Workouts Sitting down on the weekend and planning your workouts for the week ahead can be the most effective 15 minutes you spend on your health and fitness. By writing your workouts into your schedule, you’ll be more likely to regard them as protected time and actually do them.

Just stay flexible by checking in a couple of times during the week to make adjustments as soon as you know about things that have popped up. This lets you create a back-up plan for those extra busy days ,rather than being caught off guard and having to ditch your workout.

Not only does this guarantee that unforeseen interruptions in your schedule won’t interfere with exercise, but studies have shown that our will power is higher early in the day before we’ve had to exert a lot of self-control.

Devoting the first 20 to 30 minutes of each day to exercise not only makes it more likely to happen, but an early morning workout could help you fight food cravings throughout the day, too.

3. Recruit an Exercise Buddy Another great way to motivate yourself over the holidays is to make a pact with a friend or group of friends. Even if you don’t workout together, checking in with someone else daily will make you think twice about skipping a session.

If your friends are all couch potatoes, head online to find an accountability partner. Around the holidays especially, social media is bursting with workout challenges and support networks.

packages and monthly rates during the holidays.

If you’re lucky enough to live in a town with a few competing fitness centers, you may be able to enjoy free trial periods at multiple facilities. Not only can this practically get you through the whole season on the cheap, but it’s the perfect way to compare facilities and find the one that offers the best mix of value and services.

5. Plan Ahead for Travel If you’ll be spending the holidays away from home, it’s imperative that you have a quick and easy travel workout in your repertoire.

This needn’t be your typical highquality workout to be effective. A simple routine consisting of three to five exercises you can do with no equipment in a very small space is enough to keep you on track until you can get back to your usual routine.

If you can’t find anything in your social media feed, check out the forums on fitness-oriented sites and apps, like MyFitnessPal and Spark People 4. Take Advantage of Seasonal Offerings

2. Put Exercise First By far, the best way to ensure that you don’t miss a workout is to do it first thing in the morning.

Your local gym is another great place to find inspiration, and it’ll almost certainly be offering specials on membership fees, class 39

The five exercises I suggest for my clients are one-legged balance stands, push-ups (modified if necessary), walking lunges, bicycle crunches and prone back extensions (Supermans).

Doing two or three circuits with little rest between exercises will give you a cardiovascular workout as well as maintain your muscular strength and endurance.

And Squeeze in MiniWorkouts One more thing: Because you might not get to exercise every day during the holidays, or the workouts you do get in might not be as robust as usual, try to focus on sneaking in short bursts of activity as often as you can throughout each day.

These “activity snacks” can be as simple as a trip up and

down the stairs in your home, a walk around the block with the grandkids or a few deep knee bends during the commercial breaks when you’re watching football.

Studies have shown that walking just over a mile a day or doing three four-minute bouts of highintensity exercise per week may be enough to help you maintain your weight and fitness level. By using the tips provided here, you should have ample time and motivation to do that much or more this holiday season.

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