ADD THESE TO YOUR DIET: 

The top ten healthiest foods on the planet!

• Beans 
• lowers risk of heart disease by 22% 
• Quick tip: the darker the bean, the more antioxidants it contains (e.g. red vs. white) 
• Avocados 
• lowers cholesterol 
• contains folate and fiber to help reduce the risk of heart disease 
• Spinach 
• contains immune boosting antioxidants important for eye health 
• Salmon
• contains omega-3 fatty acids which have been linked to prevent depression, heart disease and cancer 
• Garlic
• a disease fighter -- look out E. coli!
• anti-inflamatory 
• Walnuts 
• contains the most omega-3 fatty acids of all nuts which can lower cholesterol 
• improves mood! 
• fights cancer 
• can protect skin from sun damage 
• Potatoes 
• contains cell building folate  
• Quick tip: let the potato cool before eating to help burn up to 25% more fat after your meal 
• Dark chocolate
• can reduce blood pressure 
• contains antioxidants  
• Broccoli 
• loads of Vitamin K
• Quick tip:  preserve more vitamins when microwaving (90%) than steaming (only 66%) 
• Lemon 
• lots of Vitamin C
• cancer preventing
• anti-inflamatory  

Another restless night for me (thanks to my hot apartment, the bar goers outside at all hours, and the NYC garbage truck outside my apartment at 5am) and I am feeling exhausted.  In between my classes I can barely keep awake and I'm counting the minutes until I walk out the door to head home to recharge before seeing a show tonight.  Count it be.....

Obstructive sleep disorder?? Check out this new device (looking almost like a mouth guard) which helps to keep your jaw from moving back into a position which would restrict your air flow, causing you to wake up while inhibiting REM sleep -- important for keeping you healthy.  Impaired sleeping can cause:

• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Diabetes 
• Stroke.... and the list goes on.   

If it's not a sleep disorder.... how can I help sleep better anyway?

Some nice tips from the Mayo Clinic: 

• Create a bedtime ritual (preferably in dim lights) of listening to soft music, reading, taking a bath, etc. 
• Get on a schedule.  This seems IMPOSSIBLE for holidays and weekends, but I do know how effective it can be to regulate your body's natural cycle. 
• Nicotine, alcohol, caffeine are no good before bed!  
• If you can't fall asleep after a while, go do something, then try again -- it's not worth the stress and agonizing feelings of waiting. 
• Get comfy!  Cool, dark, and quiet are a great place to start, then consider your sheets, pillow, and mattress. 

Tomorrow morning (IT'S SATURDAY!) I'm already planning for a HUGE sleep in so I'll try to use some of these to get me ready for it! Cool, dark, quiet.... here I come! 

I read something wonderful today....

A study in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology found that motivation fluctuates.  People are not just either A. motivated, or B. unmotivated, but each personal level of motivation will rise and fall -- most importantly to note, it's not a static thing.

Picture it: there could be a few weeks in which you are super eager, when you get up early, hit the gym, decide to learn a new language, you are filled with positive thoughts while being your own best cheerleader........ and then the other weeks in which you're.... not.  And that's ok. Don't let those other weeks slow down the motivation when it hits you.  The worst things we can do is get down on ourselves during these times.

Everything needs to have ups and downs: our weight, energy levels, motivation....
Now we realize, thanks to the researchers at Penn State, that this is NORMAL :)
Thanks, Penn State.

...A little image to accompany our thoughts for today...