Christine Scivicque's Blog
Posted by Christine Scivicque
Ok, Halloween is over. So the candy should be gone by now (if you still have left over bite size treats, toss them!). But the holidays are just getting started. This can be a very difficult time for many people. Depression, over eating, and stress are abundant this time of year. Now is a good time to start getting your mind set on having a healthy and happy holiday season.
Consider what you can do to decrease stress levels: you might want to get all your shopping out of the way early. Or maybe you can schedule a few more workouts during the week to keep those "happy" endorphins really kicking. If winter weather gets you down, look into purchasing a full spectrum light which can help simulate sunlight and be effective against "seasonal mood disorder".
Remember to utilize portion control during those holiday parties. You don't have to deprive yourself - enjoy the fun treats but share them with your significant other or simply take half. When going to parties, eat at home before you go so you don't walk in starving. You can also take a healthful dish to share. Up your protein intake as well - this helps improve mood and keeps you feeling satisfied. Take extra care to eat well during these months to help improve your overall mood and immunity (the two main things at risk this time of year!) .
Check back for more tips to having a happy and healthy holiday season!
Posted by Christine Scivicque
Cleaning out the cabinet in my bathroom today was a very eye-opening experience. It reminds me of what a supplement junkie I really am. Honestly, it seems like I've tried every vitamin, mineral, amino acid, digestive enzyme, and herbal tonic on the market! The worst part is, I've now got half-used bottles floating around everywhere! What good are they now? None. Sadly, I had to toss anything that was past it's expiration date (which was most of it!). Additionally, it occured to me that keeping them in a room that gets hot and steamy everyday is probably not such a good idea. The few bottles I have left, I'm now keeping in the kitchen (away from the stove) in plain view so that I will remember to take them. Because what good are they sitting in the bottles? None. They have to go INTO the body to work, silly!
Posted by Christine Scivicque
Have you ever been at a low-health point in your life? Sure, everyone has! Have you ever empowered yourself to take control and make changes in your diet or lifestyle to improve your health? I'd like to invite everyone to share their stories with me. I find that motivating clients to step up and make changes is an ongoing challenge in my line of work. One of the best tools is to share stories of people who have done it and who have seen amazing results. Have you recovered from a disease? Have you prevented the progression of a disease? Have you lost weight, boosted your energy, or just felt better or happier overall? What did you do to get there? And, do remember one trigger that forced you to take the leap and tell yourself that there could be no more excuses?
Please share your stories by emailing me at: nutrition@suite101.com or post a discussion so that everyone can benefit from what you learned. I look forward to hearing from you all!
Posted by Christine Scivicque
I relied on spinach for way too long. When they took it off the shelves, I freaked out. But it gave me a great opportunity to remember some of my old favorites that I've been passing by each week as I grabbed for my old reliable. For example, I had a tasty butter lettuce salad. I had forgotten it's creamy, soft texture and wonderful light flavor. I also had some steamed kale, which is great with a little soy sauce and sesame seed oil. It's nice to remember some of those tasty greens I normally don't do because spinach is just so easy and available. I actually didn't mind when it wasn't available. But I'm glad it's back!!
Posted by Christine Scivicque
Ok, I'm a self proclaimed "food geek". But I admit that I've had one of those weeks. I don't know what it is but food has never tasted so good! I allowed myself a few small indulgences and you know how it goes. A small bite, turns into another small bite, turns into a HUGE bite, and then a oh-I-might-as-well-finish-it bite. Now, I'm struggling to get myself back in the healthy mind frame. Sometimes it really takes a lot of effort to do what's good for you. I think we should all take time to thank ourselves when we work out, or choose a salad over a hamburger. These things aren't always easy to do. The worst part is, I know that getting back on track will make me feel awesome. So why am I having such a hard time? I think it's a natural human thing to fall "off the wagon" and then pick yourself up and carry on. But there are some tried and true methods to getting back on track and I'm ready for them!
To motivate myself, I'm doing the following things: dedicating myself to a long yoga workout tomorrow night, planning my meals for the weekend and getting the grocery store shopping out of the way, talking to my best friend about how eager I am to get back on track, and this evening, I'm reviewing all of the reasons why being healthy is so important to me.
See, I'm feeling better already! Now I just have to convince my boyfriend to throw away those chocolate macadamia nuts (I blame them for ALL of this!).
