I can't believe the miracle on the Hudson. I can't stop watching it and I am amazed that everyone survived. For the past few years I started to fear flying. I will fly if I have to but it kinda scares me at times. Driving scares me as well. I love road trips but it is the around-the-town driving that really worries me. There are so many rushed and occupied drivers on the road that I don't think people watch the road carefully when they are driving. In either case, by plane or road, I am always careful to buckle up and to always think about possible scenarios which could put my life in danger.
As I watched CNN and the Today show this morning on the treadmill, I was almost in tears when I heard all the stories from the survivors. Everyone had their own story and their own reason to be thankful to be alive.
So, I ask everyone out there, are you thankful to be alive? Do you take care of yourself on a daily basis in order to prevent injury, illness, disease or an accident?
Do you wear your helmet when you are on the bike? Do you run in daylight? Do you properly inspect your bike for safety reasons? Do you swim with a group in open water? Do you wear lights when you ride in the dark? Do you have ID on you ride or run? Do you carry your cell phone with you when you are on your bike? I guess I can go on and on about ways to stay healthy and alive when you are training but it is quite obvious that there are many ways to prepare for any scenario.
Now on to the topic that concerns people, but perhaps for the wrong reason.
Nutrition.
So many people are concerned about their eating because of their weight. Perhaps it is to lose a little bit of body fat or to lose 30 lbs. In either case, people often strive to lose weight for the following reasons: In order to look a certain way, to fit into certain clothes or to get to a certain number on the scale. Rather than looking at the aesthetics of losing weight, it is more important to look at the long term goals.
I know it is hard to think about your life 30,40 or 50 years from now but your eating habits now will likely determine the health of your body many years down the road. As I mentioned in an early post, it is hard to think about the immediate effects of eating tomatoes and preventing cataracts or drinking milk and preventing osteoporosis. It is much easier to think about cutting back on calories and to exercise more in order to lose a few pounds as quick as possible.
I know it is easy to think about your training and the future because you know if you don't consistently train and push the body, you will always keep the same level of fitness. It is easy for athletes or fitness enthusiasts to feel the immediate effects of training. A good sweat and a longer and harder workout than the day before gives you great strength and confidence that you are getting closer to your end goal. However, if you can't get in control of your eating, all that working out means nothing if your insides are not as healthy as what you feel on the outside.
I ask everyone today to think about your life and what you will do nutritionally to stay healthy and alive for many more decades. This doesn't have to happen tomorrow, this can happen today.
You know what you need to do to live a healthier lifestyle. Everyone has a food that if they would only eat less of it or eliminate that food, it would be much easier to lose weight. For many athletes, that certain food is a reward for all that hard training and although the training may be spot on, that certain reward food that is eaten too often, is the reason why weight is not coming off.
For many other people, more fruits and veggies need to be consumed on a daily basis. It is sad that so many people aren't eating fruits and veggies and if so, they are in minimal amounts.
And for the majority of people, poor eating habits are the culprit to cravings, low blood sugar, inconsistent training sessions, skipping meals and snacks and overeating. All of this can be changed if you start to take control of your eating and to be conscious of what you prepare, what you eat and what you choose to keep in your house.
If you can forget about looking a certain way, I promise it will be so much easier to reach your weight loss goals. Start swapping out some of the junky foods in the diet with more wholesome and nutritious foods that will ward of disease and enable you to live a long and healthy life. Remember, it is OK to have a sweet treat or heart unhealthy food every now and then, but if your every now and then food occurs everyday, you will never experience the joys of having a consistent heart healthy diet.
How about a few pics of Campy during his daily morning nap
This is Karel and Campy time (and sometimes Smudla). Campy doesn't get "dog" treats so we train him with carrots and apples. And when Karel makes his lunch in the morning, Campy LOVES getting a few treats of meat. :)
And of course, Smudla looking very beautiful on the speaker by the door.
As I watched CNN and the Today show this morning on the treadmill, I was almost in tears when I heard all the stories from the survivors. Everyone had their own story and their own reason to be thankful to be alive.
So, I ask everyone out there, are you thankful to be alive? Do you take care of yourself on a daily basis in order to prevent injury, illness, disease or an accident?
Do you wear your helmet when you are on the bike? Do you run in daylight? Do you properly inspect your bike for safety reasons? Do you swim with a group in open water? Do you wear lights when you ride in the dark? Do you have ID on you ride or run? Do you carry your cell phone with you when you are on your bike? I guess I can go on and on about ways to stay healthy and alive when you are training but it is quite obvious that there are many ways to prepare for any scenario.
Now on to the topic that concerns people, but perhaps for the wrong reason.
Nutrition.
So many people are concerned about their eating because of their weight. Perhaps it is to lose a little bit of body fat or to lose 30 lbs. In either case, people often strive to lose weight for the following reasons: In order to look a certain way, to fit into certain clothes or to get to a certain number on the scale. Rather than looking at the aesthetics of losing weight, it is more important to look at the long term goals.
I know it is hard to think about your life 30,40 or 50 years from now but your eating habits now will likely determine the health of your body many years down the road. As I mentioned in an early post, it is hard to think about the immediate effects of eating tomatoes and preventing cataracts or drinking milk and preventing osteoporosis. It is much easier to think about cutting back on calories and to exercise more in order to lose a few pounds as quick as possible.
I know it is easy to think about your training and the future because you know if you don't consistently train and push the body, you will always keep the same level of fitness. It is easy for athletes or fitness enthusiasts to feel the immediate effects of training. A good sweat and a longer and harder workout than the day before gives you great strength and confidence that you are getting closer to your end goal. However, if you can't get in control of your eating, all that working out means nothing if your insides are not as healthy as what you feel on the outside.
I ask everyone today to think about your life and what you will do nutritionally to stay healthy and alive for many more decades. This doesn't have to happen tomorrow, this can happen today.
You know what you need to do to live a healthier lifestyle. Everyone has a food that if they would only eat less of it or eliminate that food, it would be much easier to lose weight. For many athletes, that certain food is a reward for all that hard training and although the training may be spot on, that certain reward food that is eaten too often, is the reason why weight is not coming off.
For many other people, more fruits and veggies need to be consumed on a daily basis. It is sad that so many people aren't eating fruits and veggies and if so, they are in minimal amounts.
And for the majority of people, poor eating habits are the culprit to cravings, low blood sugar, inconsistent training sessions, skipping meals and snacks and overeating. All of this can be changed if you start to take control of your eating and to be conscious of what you prepare, what you eat and what you choose to keep in your house.
If you can forget about looking a certain way, I promise it will be so much easier to reach your weight loss goals. Start swapping out some of the junky foods in the diet with more wholesome and nutritious foods that will ward of disease and enable you to live a long and healthy life. Remember, it is OK to have a sweet treat or heart unhealthy food every now and then, but if your every now and then food occurs everyday, you will never experience the joys of having a consistent heart healthy diet.
How about a few pics of Campy during his daily morning nap
This is Karel and Campy time (and sometimes Smudla). Campy doesn't get "dog" treats so we train him with carrots and apples. And when Karel makes his lunch in the morning, Campy LOVES getting a few treats of meat. :)
And of course, Smudla looking very beautiful on the speaker by the door.
