Healthy Diets During Vacation

For many people, vacation is a time to let loose and be indulgent. However, if you’ve fought to maintain a healthy diet, the last thing you want to do is ruin it by being impulsive. If you’re not careful, chances are good that you’ll return from your trip heavier than when you left, meaning you’ll have to start all over again. Fortunately, it can be quite easy to make healthy choices during your vacation.

While Flying

Your time at the airport is likely to be the most inactive period of your travels. Rather than sitting and waiting for the plane, have a stroll around the airport to see what interesting things it holds. There are likely many shops to browse, and some airports also feature stunning indoor water features and plant displays. If you start feeling hungry during your wait, resist the urge to buy the first decadent meal you find. Instead, try to choose healthier options like soups, sandwiches and baked chicken or fish. For the flight itself, it’s a good idea to take your own healthy snacks like fruit, nuts and yogurt.

At Your Hotel

One of the most important aspects to consider when you are planning to stay healthy on vacation is whether or not the hotel you have book has the necessary amenities and offerings that will allow you to maintain your lifestyle. This is a step that is often overlooked and travelers tend to pay the ultimate price in their waistline. I have found a little due diligence can go a long way in this aspect. I did some research prior to a trip in Nevada and found a great site that listed reviews for hotels in Las Vegas regarding their amenities and services as well as the restaurants in the nearby area. This was an immense help in planning out my healthy week.

The temptations you’ll face at your hotel can be some of the hardest to resist. Between the minibar, continental breakfast, vending machines and room service, you’re never more than a few feet away from junk food. An easy way to minimize this temptation is to refuse the key to your room’s minibar. It’ll also help you save some money. At the continental breakfast, seek out the healthy foods, such as fresh fruit, oatmeal and scrambled eggs, and fill up on those. Ignore things like fruit juice, pastries and sugary cereals.

On To Eat

It’s no fun to go on vacation and not eat out at the local restaurants, especially if you’re with friends or family. However, it’s important to make the experience as healthy as possible. Steer clear of buffets and all-you-can-eat places. Pick a restaurant with a varied menu so you have the greatest chance of finding nutritious and healthy foods. Furthermore, read through the menu items carefully. Avoid dishes containing the words breaded, buttered, slathered, drenched, loaded, coated, creamed, deep-fried, gooey or decadent. These adjectives often point to foods that are excessively high in calories and carbohydrates. Take care with your beverage as well. This is one high-calorie area that people often overlook while dieting.

Buying Drinks

There’s nothing inherently wrong with enjoying a drink or two, but the wrong choice could make or break your diet. It’s strongly recommended that you avoid anything fruity or mixed as these usually contain huge amounts of added sugar. Furthermore, go easy on the beer and hard liquor since they contain the greatest number of calories per drink. If you must have beer, choose a light beer. For hard liquor, avoid rum and whiskey and stick to their less-sweet counterparts like vodka and gin. If you really want to veer on the side of health, it’s best to choose wine instead. Besides being relatively low in sugar and calories, it actually possesses health benefits.

Quit - The Right Thing To Do

You will find behaviors that you know you should quit, now – not later.

Seedlings – are weak. In order to move into strength and more fullness of life, let’s do this:

Let’s give up – so that we might become strong and live lives that  blossom!

Let’s quit –

The need to always be right

The need for control

Blaming other

Self-defeating talk

Complaining

Criticism

Need to impress others 

Resistance to change

Labels  

Fears

Excuses

Other people’s expectations  

Commit to giving up the list of behaviors and thoughts now. Change into a more positive person with thoughts of depth, care and appreciation.

Become brighter, lighter, more energized to live your purpose with passion.

Begin now; it’s the right thing to do.

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Have you read Bloom Girl Bloom (Real Women with Real Answers)?

For insight into life and quotes by women who have experienced many avenues of life; learn from them, identify with them and bloom in more ways than you ever imagined!

Books for Kids

Tadeo Turtle, written and illustrated by Janis Cox

Tadeo (TAHD-ay-OH) Turtle longs to be different. Through an exciting adventure, find out how Tadeo learns to accept how God created him.

Here are a couple of customer reviews for Tadeo Turtle.

 Vibrantly gorgeous January 29, 2013

 Tadeo Turtle is a wonderful children’s parable that left me in awe of Janis’s abilities as both a writer and artist. The artwork in Tadeo Turtle are vibrantly gorgeous water-painting, illustrated by Janis herself.

Janis Cox’s writing and painting careers started simultaneously and that meant dividing her time between two loves. In all of her pursuits, she has learned that practice, practice, practice is a good motto to follow.

Janis is a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She enjoys trying anything at least once (but maybe not bungee jumping!)

She is the administrator of a group blog at Under the Cover of Prayer.

Janis has a blog at He Cares for Us where she writes about her life and how God speaks to her.

Once again I would like to say this book has been embraced by my 7 Grandchildren. My 3 year old nearly has it memorized;so beautiful with such a wonderful message for ALL.

More comments and endorsements can be found on Janis’ website.

Questions, confusion and wondering about your purpose.

Maybe.. it is not time for your plan. You may be in the middle of an important purpose right now. Think about what you are doing and how important it is for your life.

~Possibly… you have prepared for what you think your purpose is and it seems to be on hold.

~Could it be… that you have not reached out enough to find ways to make your plan come together?

~Have you thought about finding new ways to find your job and direction?

~Do you know someone who can give you advise or a test interview so that you can tweak your resume or your presentation?

Find someone who will give you pointers and thoughts about how to go about finding your way, getting an interview so that you can live passionately your purpose. Ask people in the field you are trained in for expert advise, sincerely, on how to get noticed.

Living passionately your purpose – on purpose must be intentional. You must use everyday looking for it, searching for a plan and a way to move toward your purpose.

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Transform your body by becoming fit. Transform your taste by eating in healthier ways.

Transform your mind by becoming enlightened to truth and reality. Transform your spirit with energy and positive attitude.

Transform your life by learning to love more, to care more, to show more compassion and to share more.

I love the word transformation. We are meant to transform into more intelligent, more caring individuals.

I am transformed by people around me who view the world in lovely progressive ways.

I am transformed by thinking about improving my life and those lives that I touch.

My heart is transformed by my faith and as I share it, others can become transformed.

If we do not transform in important areas of life, we become stagnant, unmoved, without progress and we lack personal growth.  If flowers did not transform from bulbs and seeds into beautiful plants with abundance and color we would say that they have not reached their potential.

We may never reach our full potential but in opening our minds will help to transform our lives; this is essential to fulfillment. We hold values, truths and faith that we often should not compromise on because our convictions and beliefs are foundational; they are our strengths.

Be more. Bloom more…. be transformed each day into a newer state of who you were created to be – begin now.

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Love at first sight. Anticipation of sweet rich chocolate hiding a tart delicious apple.

At first sight, our expectations are rather conditioned to realize what the taste of the chocolate covered apple will bring to us. Do we really know if there is an apple inside? Do we really know the treat will be sweet and decadent?

Our lives shine on the outside when sometimes we feel sad and lonely on the inside.

Do you hide parts of you that you don’t want to share? Of course, we all hide pain and sadness, disappointment and regret in many areas of our lives. Relinquish your pain by sharing with a trusted friend, clergy or family member. A professional psychologist will listen and keep confidentiality too. You too, can anticipate and live a sweet life.

Women ask if they should give up their secrets in order to feel free. Only you can answer that question for yourself. Some people regret telling another their secrets; they never feel safe after they realize the word could spread. Many individuals unburden themselves and do not worry about the ‘trust’ factor.

Abuse is something that extends all boundaries and must be reported.

Feeling better and with more freedom in your life might be your sweet apple of knowledge, knowing that you are lighter and more accountable. Just as the chocolate encircles the beautiful apple, silence protects secrets and depth of thoughts but freedom of guilt and sadness is rich and sweet.

Forgive. Heal. Love. Cherish.  Anticipate a sweet life.

A recipe for delicious quick chocolate dipped apples:

Melt semi sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 the amount of butterscotch or milk chocolate chips in a pan or the microwave – You can add a little vanilla, use white chocolate or add orange or almond extract for enhanced flavors to your liking

Put apples on sticks

Dip apples in chocolate mixture and before they set, add toppings – ie. crushed nuts, more tiny chips, drizzle melted white chocolate, crushed pretzels or m & m’s. These will set quickly. EnJoy!

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How to Be a Fearless Woman

Being ‘fearless’  means that we refuse to allow anyone or anything to stop us from sharing our gifts and talents. We can be fearful or feel fear but we do not allow it to take over our lives or be consulted in making our decisions. We move beyond that four letter word into success, strength, self-assurance and hope.

To stop, out of fear, is to ignore those gifts in favor of a softer, easier life.

Fearless is often defined with these words:

• bold
• brave
• courageous
• dauntless
• intrepid
• undaunted
• unterrified
• valiant
• valorous

Fear? It’s a useless emotion, driven by ego, that gets in the way. Fly over it! Dr. Connie Herbert

A fearless woman is the same as it means to be fearless human, to be true to yourself – Aminda R Courtwright

Self confidence = fearless. Beth M. Anderson

Determination with grace – Cynthia Goldner

To do what you feel is right(not wrong) – Herb McConnell

Step up ,shout out, shut up, listen well. - Sally Geething

A fearless woman still feels deeply, loves profoundly. She cries from her soul and laughs from her heart. She is powerful yet caring and soft. She is supportive yet assertive.

A fearless woman does not retreat,  in fear, through challenges, from the side of a friend or family. She is loving, kind and productive and does not act brutally aggressive. Never allow anger to drive fear.

Being fearless is to live your life in strength and not in weakness.

The fearless, act in spite of their fear and are truly brave. Bloom on….

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Easter seems to be bunnies, eggs, candy and time off; these are great as long as we never forget….

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus because he was dead and he now lives. We have hope, joy and peace because He did something we cannot do – He rose from the grave.

May Easter be in our hearts and on our minds all year as we celebrate miracles and life that will never end.

Enjoy the colors, the sights, foods, smells and time with family and friends because we are meant to enjoy God’s creation and joys for us.

He lives so that we might live – really live – extensively, eternally, enormously, effervescently!

Be amazed! Bow to the one who is risen!

Bloom on – Read: Bloom Girl Bloom (Real Women with Real Answers) women’s non-fiction – lives, issues, answers and quotes.. It may just change your life.

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1. Water, drink it – it’s great for your skin and to remove toxins from your body tissue.

2.  Take Vit A and D – or foods high in these vitamins – they rejuvenate skin.

A is found in cod liver oil and carrots – it is a little difficult to get enough in food.s

D is found in eggs, cod liver oil, dairy and fish.

3. Keep your circulation up – exercise, walk or do cardio or endurance training.

4. Eat healthy vegetables and fruits – avoid flour, sugar and salt - these foods can be drying, difficult to digest, makes you retain water, turns into fat clogs up the body’s cleansing processes.

5. Avoid the sun – use sunscreen. Research proves that the sun does nothing good for your skin; it dehydrates and wrinkles skin.

6. Use creams and lotions with retinol, vitamin E, or nourishing ingredients that will build the structure of your skin. Vitamin C is great for your skin. Vitamin C helps promote healthy skin care.  Many creams have Vitamin C in them. Look for a quality brand. The best skin care means getting good nutrition into your diet. The asorbic acid  contained in vitamin C can be effective in reducing wrinkles. A lot of skin  creams contain a rich amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C can play a role in  destroying free radicals. Vitamin C plays a natural role in boosting your immune  system. It can also be a natural way to repair damaged skin, like scar tissue.  Vitamin C also plays a role in the production of collagen as well.

Vitamin C helps fight free radicals that damage our skin. Vitamin C also helps to boost your immune system. This vitamin also helps to build collagen and prevent wrinkles. The best anti-aging tips begin and end with more oxygen,valuable nutrition, diminished stress and great habits.

7. Get enough sleep. For your body to renew and replenish what it is losing daily due to weather, health and diet, you must rest. To have energy you must refill.

8. Make sure you breathe deeply, expel the old air from your lungs and replenish with deep breaths several times a day. Oxygen regenerates the body and cells

9. Live in a positive state with an attitude of grace and gratitude - your stress levels will diminish and your body will thank you. Smile more.

Anti-aging is a continual process. Smoking, heavy drinking, high sugared food and reckless living cause one to pay a toll, not only in their body, but their skin health. Age as gracefully as possible; that’s what I’m trying to do at all times.

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Have you read: Bloom Girl Bloom (Real Women with Real Answers)?

Take Down Barriers In Your Life – Move Forward to Freedom

Barriers are obstructions or hindrances that stands in the way of your progress or in moving forward.

Are you stuck somewhere between First St. and Living Your Purpose Ave?

Are you fearful of transitioning from where you are to where you need to be?

~ Be bold, be focused and look toward your passion and destination; where do you want to be in the next few years?

~ Surround yourself with support; those who encourage you and inspire you will be your best asset

~ Get rid of the negative thoughts in your head; listen only to truth and deal with authentic thinking

~ Make sure not to confuse yourself by being pulled in every direction; check your plan, your passion and your purpose for common sense

~ Clean your life of addictions, uncertainty and habits that take you off course and consume too much of your valuable time

When we work with body, mind and spirit unified, we transition into a life of fulfillment and direction.  Be committed to leaping forward with passion in your purpose at all times. Move forward to freedom.

Be brave. bloom more….

Join my monthly e newsletter community. SIGN-UP now. Smile, be inspired and encouraged, get great creative ideas and thoughtful answers to your struggles and to your questions.  Live in joy every minute of every day.

Have you read Bloom Girl Bloom (Real Women with Real Answers)? My first non-fiction book will help you identify with the thoughts and lives of other women as you walk your journey. You will smell the fragrance of the garden paths as you step over thorn bushes and walk through the rocks into meadows of beauty and peace.