ESSENTIAL HEALTH TIPS

I got this from a Jazzercize Newsletter put out by our WW Territory Manager, Lucia Velardi - well worth the read.

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time.

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e., Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Exercise!) Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

WAY TO GO

It's the last day of May and we had a total of 288 people in our four Saturday morning WW groups today. That's the same kind of number we were hitting at the height of the New Year diet season in January and February.

I love the commitment of our folks - they're sticking in and they're getting there ... one week at a time!

SUMMER DRINKS

We got to talking about drinking in my Saturday WW groups this morning and I tried to emphasize the importance of knowing the Points value of our favorite summer beverages as we move into the barbecue and party season.

Here are some recipes one of our members passed on - thanks Edie!

WW MARGARITAS - 2 Points

1 Can diet lemon-lime soda

I Pkg Lemonade Mix-Ins

1 1/2 Tbs Tequila

Shake all together with ice in blender

MOJITO - 2 Points

1 Pack Splenda

1 Lime

4 Mint leaves

2 oz Rum

Club Soda

Put mint into cup and add lime juice, Splenda and rum. Smash mint leaves with spoon. Add club soda and ice.

(CORE if Rum extract is used instead of real rum)

PINA COLADA - 2 Points

1 Pkg WW French Vanilla Smoothie Mix

1 Cup Skim Milk

Crushed Ice

Pineapple chunks

1/2 tsp coconut extract

Blend all ingredients together.

Makes two servings - 2 Points each or CORE

I NEVER REALIZED

Last December I took my wife to see Cirque De Soleil's Christmas Show at Madison Square Garden. It was our wedding anniversary, so we went into the city early, looked at the lights, ate at one of our favorite restaurants and made our way back to the WaMu Theater to take our seats - very good ones too - for the show.

It was shaping up to be a very nice evening out for us to celebrate 38 years of marriage, that is until the usher asked us to make way for the two men who had the seats next to ours.

They were big.

One was very big and he ended up sitting beside Gill and spilling over into her space considerably. She was uncomfortable and I was unhappy. This was not going the way I had planned and I found myself seriously resenting these gents for being the size they were.

It was then that I realized that I had been that person most of my life. I had been the one no one wanted taking the seat alongside them at a show, in a concert, on a plane, at a game, in church or anywhere else for that matter.

That was a wake-up call.

Seeing ourselves as others see (or saw) us is not necessarily pretty, but it reminds me how much I don't want to go back there!

SUMMER TREAT

Here's a cool Frostie recipe I found over at www.skinnyweek.com

1 point for 1/2 cup
1 can fat free Eagle Brand milk
1/2 gallon low fat chocolate milk
12 ounces fat free whipped topping

Mix the chocolate milk and condensed milk together then fold in the whipped topping. Put in an ice cream freezer and freeze as usual.

You can substitute diet Sunkist orange for the chocolate milk and have dreamsicle ice cream. Use a 2 liter bottle. It is then 1 point per cup.

ONE POINT SMOOTHIE

Just got back from a visit to The Diet Shop on Portion Road in Ronkonkoma to stock up on their 1 Point VitaTops, 1 Point Oatmeal Raisin Squares; 2 Point Fruit Pies and 4 Point Shepherd's Pies. A few other odds and ends too, but those are the main goods I get there - whoops, almost forgot the family favorite 2 Point Carrot Cake.

Anyway, while I was there I decided to try their smoothies and had a 1 Point Vanilla Smoothie, which was excellent. If you're in that area, I thoroughly recommend you stop by for a delicious, cool summer drink. They have Caramel too and a Mocha one for 2 Points that I'll try next time. I didn't want to use the extra point this afternoon as we're having dinner with friends tonight at my favorite restaurant - The Curry Club in East Setauket.

Say a prayer for me - that I'll behave!

SOMETHING NEW

Tomorrow evening I'll be starting as the leader of the Wednesday WW groups in Miller Place. I'm following an excellent long-serving lady who has left the compnay and am looking forward to building on her good work.

When I was first approached about leading some meetings, I said I would do one a week. This has now stretched to six and will definitely have to be the max that I take on.

While I take what I do very seriously and thoroughly enjoy it, I look upon this as my recreation. I don't hunt, fish or scrapbook (God forbid!), so this is something that offers me a total change of pace from what occupies my mind the whole of the rest of the week.

But there's only so much time in a week you can kick back!