The book gives an arsenal of things to help. You’ll get reasons to motivate you. You’ll learn how to set goals. Then, you’ll get the tools to make it happen.

It’s not a guarantee. Only you can supply that. What you will get is a clear path to success. How can you fail?

Begin with a Wellness Plan is a post from:

Fish like the Chilean sea bass are in danger of being over-fished. Don’t get me wrong. Sea bass prepared well is fabulous. Yet, we are loving it to death by continuing to buy it at grocery stores or order it on the menu. The supply is at risk of not meeting the demand. That is why you need to embrace sustainable seafood choices.

Options like Atlantic cod, Pacific halibut and Dungeness crab are all good choices. Seafood such as imported King crab, monkfish and orange roughy are not. Your choice matters because it drives the market. When you buy sustainable seafood, you are doing your part to ensure that you and others will continue to enjoy the best that the sea has to offer without depleting the resource.

It’s not a tragedy if you don’t have monkfish again. It is wrong to know better and choose the unsustainable option. Life is all about choices. Make yours good ones.

Making Food Options Count with Sustainable Seafood Choices is a post from:

I wanted to write a convincing message to help you make the choice for health. However, the decision isn’t just about losing weight. It’s about a change of mind set to approach fitness and wellness from a different perspective. There is no fast track to getting back to a normal weight. It take commitment and hard work.

Understanding what a healthy lifestyle means is the first step on the journey, which is exactly what it is. It is a journey for life. It’s not one day, one week or one month. It is about making conscious choices. I hope that this e-book can spark some deep thought about making changes that you can live with. Your health is such a precious thing, not only for you, but your loved ones too. Achieving your wellness potential is a gift to them.

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The findings are based on over 6,000 pancreatic cancer cases. The common link was processed foods. Researchers noted a 19 percent increase in cancer with daily consumption of 50 g of processed meats. That’s about 1.5 oz. The data are disturbing on two fronts. First, pancreatic cancer is a particularly danger form, with a survival rate of 5.5 percent. Second, the amount consumed is so small that the risk could easily increase based on current portion sizes.

The culprit appears to be sodium nitrite. Processed meats walk a fine line between preservation and public health. Sodium nitrite is part of that risk. Before you despair, you can still enjoy your breakfast sausage. You just have to make it.

This breakfast sausage recipe from Saveur.com couldn’t be easier. Take a little ground pork and some spices, and you have a great-tasting sausage. A little apple in the recipe can make for a more savory treat. Another thing you can do is to avoid products with sodium nitrite. Niman Ranch, for example, offers several products, including bacon and sausage that are nitrite free.

A healthy lifestyle means taking the time to make good choices. You have a limited calorie budget. Make the most out of it.

Skip the Bacon and Sausage is a post from:

Photo by Rotorhead, stock.xchng

There are plenty of excellent reasons to maintain a normal weight. If you need another one, a study published Online First by the Archives of Neurology provides another reason for getting in shape. Researchers have found a positive association between a hormone associated with belly fat or visceral fat and all-cause dementia.

Alzheimer disease takes nearly 75,000 lives each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the disease progresses, brain cells literally degenerate. Risk factors include age, family history and poor health. Some of these you cannot control, of course. However, the findings of the findings of the study provide some insight in ones that you may be able to reduce.

The hormone identified by the researchers can affect how your body responses to insulin. Poorly-controlled diabetes is another risk factor for this devastating condition. Looking at diabetes, being overweight is a major risk factor. The study suggests that insulin resistance and inflammation may in turn, increase the chances of developing all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease.

All of these data point to an action you can take to help ensure your quality of life as you age. Namely, weight control is imperative. Not only will you reduce your risk of diabetes, you can manage other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure. If you needed a reason to take charge of your weight, these findings are hard to ignore. Personally, I can’t imagine anything more devastating for anyone to endure than Alzheimer disease. If my weekly exercise sessions will help prevent it, I need no greater motivation.

Weight Control and Dementia is a post from:

Regular exercise

The foundation of my success was walking, simply, walking. We live in the country, so there are plenty of interesting rural roads to walk. There are also lots of walking paths. On a side note, walking turned out to be profitable. I found more money walking here in Minnesota that I ever have. I also found a wrist GPS unit. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky again.

Regular check-ins

I am motivated when I see results. I did weekly weigh-ins and measurements. I kept a spreadsheet that showed my total inches lost. Seeing that figure get bigger and bigger kept me on track. Keeping that log was key to the success of this aspect of my weight loss plan.

Strength training sessions

I did  whole body strength training sessions each week. It was nothing fancy, just 8 to 10 exercises that worked all the major muscle groups. Again, I kept track of my weights. The big motivating factor here was seeing the definition develop in my biceps and triceps. I never want to have flabby arms.

The plan worked because I was doing something positive each day. It then became a habit. I became my own best personal trainer when it got to that point. I hated missing a walk or workout.

That would be my challenge to you and myself again now. Stick with an exercise plan for one month. Let your mind make it essential. You’ll achieve your fitness goals by taking the first step.

How to Set Weight Loss Goals That Work is a post from:

Simple Pan Sauce

A simple pan sauce is the king of quick staple recipes. It is extremely adaptable. You begin by cooking your entree in a skillet. I like to saute chicken breasts or steaks for this recipe. Set the meat aside once it is done, wrapping it in aluminum foil.

You can do a few things at this point. You can add finely chopped shallots and saute them in the same skillet, unwashed, of course. You can also use onion or a mixture of garlic and either one. Then, deglaze the pan with a liquid. I like to use a bit of the wine we are having, but you can also use whiskey, brandy or sherry. Whatever you have around will do. You want to make sure and scrape up the yummy browned bits.

Then, you can add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of broth or stock. Get the liquid boiling to reduce by one-half. You can then thicken it with a 1:1 mixture of cornstarch and cold water. Test for seasonings, and you have a sauce.

Compound Butters

These butters are ridiculously easy to make and yield fantastic results. All it takes is a little prep at the start of your meal. You can save the leftovers for another day.

The basic plan is to soften butter to room temperature. Figure about 1/2 tbsp per serving. Next, add salt and pepper with your choice of herbs. Some good combinations are:

• Chives and rosemary
• Chives and thyme
• Parsley and thyme

Staple Recipes for Quick Dinner is a post from:

The modern age provides its own means for remembering your own cooking and kitchen tips. After years of experimenting, failing and perfecting, I’ve decided to capture my favorite lessons in my own cooking e-book.

I’ve learned a lot from writing my first e-book, “101 Things to Do on the Wisconsin Great River Road.” I had the blueprint. What I did was basically update it and expand it. It gave me an opportunity to try out new software, learn more about editing and formatting and meet deadlines. The deadlines were my own, but important, nevertheless.

My sister has accused me in the past of not sharing recipes or leaving things out. This e-book is my answer to her, with all of my secrets written out. I’ll leave nothing out. My tentative publish date is the end of January for my cooking e-book. It will be available exclusively through Amazon.

The e-book will also include healthy eating and wellness tips. I couldn’t in good conscience not add this info as well. I’ll publish more info as the live date gets closer. Thank you for your interest.

Photo by Steve Jurvetson, license

How to Remember Your Own Cooking and Kitchen Tips is a post from:

Remember to defrost your meat on time.

Most meats take several hours to defrost. Defrosting them in the refrigerator is a better option than using the microwave. No matter what, some parts will start to cook and others will be ice cold. It’s hard to get even cooking that way.

Keep long-term recipes on track

I like to do DIY liquor recipes. Most take several days to complete, some with multiple steps. Having reminders set up during the course of a project ensures that I’ll be completing steps in the order needed for best results.

Start the slow cooker on time

Using a slow cooker is great–if you start it on time. A timely reminder will ensure that you get it going when it needs to be set so dinner will be on time.

Location reminders for shopping

Reminders are only as good as your ability to see them through. Using location-based reminders allows you to get the reminder when you are out and about so you won’t forget the shopping before heading home.

Start the next phase of dinner

A lot of my dinners consist of a few sides that need to be started at different times. Reminders help me plan the execution of my meal so everything is done on time.

Reminder can make your life so much easier. They free you to stay focused on the task at hand, while preventing you from forgetting an important step.

Photo by Fanginhoon

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