Happy New Year!

We're out celebrating our health and happiness with friends and family and hope you're enjoying doing the same!  Check back 1/3/2010 for new blog posts.

Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

The holiday season brings many joys and, unfortunately, many countervailing dietary pitfalls. Even the fittest and most disciplined of us can succumb, indulging in more fat and calories than at any other time of the year. The health consequences, if the behavior is unchecked, can be swift and worrying. A recent study by scientists in Australia found that after only three days, an extremely high-fat, high-calorie diet can lead to increased blood sugar and insulin resistance, potentially increasing the risk for Type 2 diabetes. Waistlines also can expand at this time of year, prompting self-recrimination and unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.

But a new study published in The Journal of Physiology suggests a more reliable and far simpler response. Run or bicycle before breakfast. Exercising in the morning, before eating, the study results show, seems to significantly lessen the ill effects of holiday Bacchanalias.

For the study, researchers in Belgium recruited 28 healthy, active young men and began stuffing them with a truly lousy diet, composed of 50 percent fat and 30 percent more calories, overall, than the men had been consuming. Some of the men agreed not to exercise during the experiment. The rest were assigned to one of two exercise groups. The groups’ regimens were identical and exhausting. The men worked out four times a week in the mornings, running and cycling at a strenuous intensity. Two of the sessions lasted 90 minutes, the others, an hour. All of the workouts were supervised, so the energy expenditure of the two groups was identical.

The experiment lasted for six weeks. At the end, the nonexercising group was, to no one’s surprise, super-sized, having packed on an average of more than six pounds. They had also developed insulin resistance — their muscles were no longer responding well to insulin and weren’t pulling sugar (or, more technically, glucose) out of the bloodstream efficiently — and they had begun storing extra fat within and between their muscle cells. Both insulin resistance and fat-marbled muscles are metabolically unhealthy conditions that can be precursors of diabetes.Their early-morning routines, however, were not. One of the groups ate a hefty, carbohydrate-rich breakfast before exercising and continued to ingest carbohydrates, in the form of something like a sports drink, throughout their workouts. The second group worked out without eating first and drank only water during the training. They made up for their abstinence with breakfast later that morning, comparable in calories to the other group’s trencherman portions.

The men who ate breakfast before exercising gained weight, too, although only about half as much as the control group. Like those sedentary big eaters, however, they had become more insulin-resistant and were storing a greater amount of fat in their muscles.

Only the group that exercised before breakfast gained almost no weight and showed no signs of insulin resistance. They also burned the fat they were taking in more efficiently. “Our current data,” the study’s authors wrote, “indicate that exercise training in the fasted state is more effective than exercise in the carbohydrate-fed state to stimulate glucose tolerance despite a hypercaloric high-fat diet.”

Just how exercising before breakfast blunts the deleterious effects of overindulging is not completely understood, although this study points toward several intriguing explanations. For one, as has been known for some time, exercising in a fasted state (usually possible only before breakfast), coaxes the body to burn a greater percentage of fat for fuel during vigorous exercise, instead of relying primarily on carbohydrates. When you burn fat, you obviously don’t store it in your muscles. In “our study, only the fasted group demonstrated beneficial metabolic adaptations, which eventually may enhance oxidative fatty acid turnover,” said Peter Hespel, Ph.D., a professor in the Research Center for Exercise and Health at Catholic University Leuven in Belgium and senior author of the study.

At the same time, the fasting group showed increased levels of a muscle protein that “is responsible for insulin-stimulated glucose transport in muscle and thus plays a pivotal role in regulation of insulin sensitivity,” Dr Hespel said.

In other words, working out before breakfast directly combated the two most detrimental effects of eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet. It also helped the men avoid gaining weight.

There are caveats, of course. Exercising on an empty stomach is unlikely to improve your performance during that workout. Carbohydrates are easier for working muscles to access and burn for energy than fat, which is why athletes typically eat a high-carbohydrate diet. The researchers also don’t know whether the same benefits will accrue if you exercise at a more leisurely pace and for less time than in this study, although, according to Leonie Heilbronn, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia, who has extensively studied the effects of high-fat diets and wrote a commentary about the Belgian study, “I would predict low intensity is better than nothing.”

So, unpleasant as the prospect may be, set your alarm after the next Christmas party to wake you early enough that you can run before sitting down to breakfast. “I would recommend this,” Dr. Heilbronn concluded, “as a way of combating Christmas” and those insidiously delectable cookies.

from the New York Times Well Blog.  Original source found http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/?emc=eta1

I Guess I Shouldn't Be Perfectionistic About Getting Rid of Perfectionism.

by Gretchen Rubin of happiness-project.com

Happiness interview: Oliver Burkeman.

Oliver Burkeman's work caught my eye because I loved the title of his column, "This Column Will Change Your Life." He's English, and writes for the English newspaper, The Guardian, but he lives here in New York City. We've met for coffee a few times; because he writes about "social psychology, self-help culture, productivity and the science of happiness," we have a lot of interests in common.

I'm a big fan, so I was pleased to hear that a compilation of his columns was published as a book: HELP! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done. I just started reading it, and I love it.

Oliver writes about happiness all the time, but I was curious to hear how he'd answer these questions.

Gretchen: What’s a simple activity that consistently makes you happier?
Oliver: Spending time in wild nature, and spending time with close (and old) friends. I realize that's not staggeringly original, but I sometimes think we invest far too much time and energy looking for staggeringly original happiness strategies. I'm a huge sucker for "lifehacks", clever new time management tricks, and all that stuff — but it's crucial to remember that the only sensible measure of their value is this: do they cause you to actually spend more time engaged in the small number of fundamental activities that you already know make you happy?

What’s something you know now about happiness that you didn’t know when you were 18 years old?
Among many, many other things: I no longer think of perfectionism as one of those traits you should be secretly quite proud to possess ("Oh, I'm a perfectionist, yes, I'm just not happy unless I'm producing brilliant work!"). Perfectionism is 100% bad and evil. As Anne Lamott says, it's "the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people; it will keep you cramped and insane your whole life". Working as a newspaper journalist on deadline has drummed much of it out of me — there's nothing like a screaming editor to make you abandon all hope of a perfect opening sentence — but it's an ongoing challenge. I guess I shouldn't be perfectionistic about getting rid of perfectionism, though.

Is there anything you find yourself doing repeatedly that gets in the way of your happiness?
Stressing out about potential problems that haven't actually happened yet. Eckhart Tolle recommends asking yourself "Do you have a problem now?" — as in, right this very moment? The answer is almost always no. I need to get this tattooed somewhere prominent on my body.

Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you’ve found very helpful? (e.g., I remind myself to "Identify the problem.”)


I love the late Japanese psychotherapist Shoma Morita's advice to stop trying to fix yourself and start living instead: "Give up on yourself. Begin taking action now, while being neurotic or imperfect, or a procrastinator, or unhealthy, or lazy, or any other label by which you inaccurately describe yourself. Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die." To some people this sounds depressing, but to me it's the exact opposite: utterly freeing.
If you’re feeling blue, how do you give yourself a happiness boost? Or, like a “comfort food,” do you have a comfort activity? (mine is reading children’s books).


Honestly? Really good beer, in modest quantities. Perhaps with some good cheese. I know I should say meditation or volunteer work, but as often as not, it's the beer and cheese.
Is there anything that you see people around you doing or saying that detracts a lot from their happiness?
Positive thinking. I'm certainly not an advocate of pessimism and negativity, but the fixation on achieving exactly the right frame of mind is usually a big distraction from doing what matters, and frequently hugely counterproductive. And don't get me started on the notion that you can "attract" things just by thinking the right thoughts. All these efforts at thought control are the exact opposite of the wonderful Buddhist notion of becoming less attached to thoughts, of "grasping" them less and thus being grasped by them less.

Have you ever been surprised that something you expected would make you very happy, didn’t – or vice versa?


Keeping a gratitude diary. I'm *so* not the kind of person who does corny stuff like that, and I only grudgingly tried it out so that I could write about it and honestly say that I'd given it a shot. Turns out, though, that it's an incredibly effective way to step off the "hedonic treadmill" and re-appreciate things that have become so familiar they've stopped giving pleasure. I never thought I'd feel so happy again about a morning cup of coffee or a meal with a friend. It's annoying, but sometimes the cheesiest advice is actually the best.

Brussels Sprouts with Crisp Prosciutto

Brussels sprouts often get a bad rep starting when we're kids. They're distinctive flavor may surprise you-it's time to revisit these nutrient packed vegetables. Try this recipe for a delicious side dish.

MEXICAN FRUIT SALAD

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Makes about 6 cups

DRESSING
• Sections of 1 tangerine (seeds removed if needed) or juice from half an orange (about 3 tablespoons)
• Juice of half a lemon or 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin, cinnamon or chili powder

WINTER FRUITS
• 3 small tangerines, preferably seedless, sections cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 apple, chopped (cut up to an hour before serving)
• 1 ripe pear, chopped (cut just before serving so edges don’t brown)
• 1 banana, chopped (cut just before serving)
• Seeds from half a pomegranate (the quick & easy way to remove the seeds from a pomegranate)

or SUMMER FRUITS
• 1 mango, chopped
• 1 cup fresh chopped pineapple
• 1 cup chopped cantaloupe or honeydew
• 2 cups green and red grapes
• 1 banana, chopped (cut just before serving)

Whiz the dressing ingredients in a small blender and transfer to a large bowl. Gently fold in the fruit. Transfer to a pretty serving bowl and serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE (How many calories in Mexican Fruit Salad? How many Weight Watchers points in Mexican Fruit Salad?) Per Cup, Without/With Oil: 86/106 Calories; 0/2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium; 23g Carb; 3g Fiber; 16g Sugar; 1g Protein; Weight Watchers .5 points; Weight Watchers PlusPoints 2/3. 

 

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a favorite fruit salad recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

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Food and Inflammation

Ms Lona F Sandon MEd RD

Permanent link

Recently, I have been spending a lot of time talking with journalists about how foods might help lower inflammation. Many well known athletes have touted their anti-inflammatory diets in public and claim better recovery and less muscle soreness. Also recent studies on ginger or tart cherries and their ability to decrease pain or inflammation has gotten peoples attention. Underlying inflammation is blamed for a wide range of chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and obesity.  So is there really any truth to foods having the power to lower inflammation and if so, what food should we be eating? Yes, there is some truth, but the evidence is scant.

First, we do know from epidemiology studies (do not prove cause and effect) that populations eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, and fatty fish have lower rates of chronic diseases related to high levels of inflammatory markers in their blood. The Greeks eating the typical Mediterranean diet are known for living long and healthy lives with less disease including arthritis.

Second, several studies have looked at plant substances found in foods such as apples, berries, onions, ginger, cherries, and tumeric. The chemical compounds in some of these foods act much like aspirin or Ibuprofen and block the chemical pathways that lead to inflammation. But you won't feel the immediate effects of a cup of berries the same way you do with a few aspirin. One problem with many of these studies is that they simply look at the mechanism by which the food or food compound might work. We don't have a good idea of how much someone might need to eat or how potent the food must be in that compound to have an effect. If foods are going to have an effect on lowering your inflammation, you will likely need to eat them everyday.

Interestingly, the foods that are believed to have anti-inflammatory effects are many of the same foods that have been touted all along as good for us. So if you are concerned about inflammation, what are you waiting for? Eat up!

Here is my top list of must have foods for inflammation:

1. Any fruit, particularly berries of any kind

2. Any vegetable, especially orange and green

3. Any whole grains

4. Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or other nuts and seeds

5. Fatty fish, olive oil and other healthy plant based oils

New Vitamin D Recommendations

American Dietetic Association Supports New Institute of Medicine Recommendations on Calcium and Vitamin D Intake

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Media Contacts: Ryan O'Malley, Allison MacMunn
800/877-1600, ext. 4802, 4769
media@eatright.org

CHICAGO – The American Dietetic Association supports a report issued Tuesday, November 30, by the Institute of Medicine calling for new dietary intake levels for calcium and vitamin D to maintain health and avoid risks associated with excess consumption. The new Dietary Reference Intake values are based on evidence supporting the roles of these nutrients in bone health but not in other health conditions.

"The American Dietetic Association appreciates the thorough research directed by IOM regarding adequate intake amounts and health benefits of calcium and vitamin D," said registered dietitian and ADA Spokesperson Katherine Tallmadge. "This report provides the evidence-based information that Americans need to make informed decisions regarding their daily diet."

The IOM report, Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D, offers specific recommendations on the amounts of calcium and vitamin D that Americans should consume each day. The report concludes there is not yet sufficient information about the health benefits of consuming these nutrients beyond bone health.

"Over the past several years there has been a great deal of interest and theory regarding the additional health benefits of calcium and vitamin D, including its effect on cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and immune response," Tallmadge said.

"According to IOM's thorough review, this information was from studies that could not be considered consistent or conclusive. The American Dietetic Association strongly believes in the use of evidence-based practice guidelines, especially when it comes to determining Dietary Reference Intake values for nutrients," Tallmadge said.

Evidence-based practice means relying on the best available science as the basis for practice decisions. ADA has made a strong commitment to evidence-based practice and emphasizing the need for all practitioners to understand evidence analysis and use evidence-based guidelines in its work with patients and clients.

The IOM report also states that, while national surveys indicate the majority of Americans and Canadians are consuming enough calcium and vitamin D, "higher levels have not been shown to confer greater benefits, and in fact, they have been linked to other health problems, challenging the concept that 'more is better'."

The American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life

“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.” – Jessie Sampter written by Leo Babauta.

A simple life has a different meaning and a different value for every person. For me, it means eliminating all but the essential, eschewing chaos for peace, and spending your time doing what’s important to you.

It means getting rid of many of the things you do so you can spend time with people you love and do the things you love. It means getting rid of the clutter so you are left with only that which gives you value.

However, getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, and one backward.

If you’re interested in simplifying your life, this is a great starter’s guide (if you’re not interested, move on).

The Short List
For the cynics who say that the list below is too long, there are really only two steps to simplifying:

1. Identify what’s most important to you.
2. Eliminate everything else.

Of course, that’s not terribly useful unless you can see how to apply that to different areas of your life, so I present to you the Long List.

The Long List
There can be no step-by-step guide to simplifying your life, but I’ve compiled an incomplete list of ideas that should help anyone trying to find the simple life. Not every tip will work for you — choose the ones that appeal and apply to your life.

One important note: this list will be criticized for being too complicated, especially as it provides a bunch of links. Don’t stress out about all of that. Just choose one at a time, and focus on that. When you’re done with that, focus on the next thing.

1. Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.
2. Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things. 
3. Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that aren’t, and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.
4. Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest. 
5. Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).
6. Learn to say no. This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives. If you can’t say no, you will take on too much.
7. Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.
8. Limit your media consumption. This tip won’t be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives — TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. — can come to dominate our lives. Don’t let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it. 
9. Purge your stuff. If you can devote a weekend to purging the stuff you don’t want, it feels seriously terrific. Get boxes and trash bags for the stuff you want to donate or toss. 
10. Get rid of the big items. There’s tons of little clutter in our lives, but if you start with the big items, you’ll simplify your life quickly and in a big way. 
11. Edit your rooms. One room at a time, go around the room and eliminate the unnecessary. Act as a newspaper editor, trying to leave only the minimum, and deleting everything else. 
12. Edit closets and drawers. Once you’ve gone through the main parts of your rooms, tackle the closets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time. 
13. Simplify your wardrobe. Is your closet bursting full? Are your drawers so stuffed they can’t close (I’m talking about dresser drawers here, not underwear). Simplify your wardrobe by getting rid of anything you don’t actually wear. Try creating a minimal wardrobe by focusing on simple styles and a few solid colors that all match each other. 
14. Simplify your computing life. If you have trouble with too many files and too much disorganization, consider online computing. It can simplify things greatly. 
15. Declutter your digital packrattery. If you are a digital packrat, and cannot seem to control your digital clutter, there is still hope for you. 
16. Create a simplicity statement. What do you want your simple life to look like? Write it out. 
17. Limit your buying habits. If you are a slave to materialism and consumerism, there are ways to escape it. I was there, and although I haven’t escaped these things entirely, I feel much freer of it all. If you can escape materialism, you can get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less freneticism. 
18. Free up time. Find ways to free up time for the important stuff. That means eliminating the stuff you don’t like, cutting back on time wasters, and making room for what you want to do.
19. Do what you love. Once you’ve freed up some time, be sure to spend that extra time doing things you love. Go back to your list of 4-5 important things. Do those, and nothing else. 
20. Spend time with people you love. Again, the list of 4-5 important things probably contains some of the people you love (if not, you may want to re-evaluate). Whether those people are a spouse, a partner, children, parents, other family, best friends, or whoever, find time to do things with them, talk to them, be intimate with them (not necessarily in sexual ways).
21. Spend time alone. See this list of ways to free up time for yourself — to spend in solitude. Alone time is good for you, although some people aren’t comfortable with it. It could take practice getting used to the quiet, and making room for your inner voice. It sounds new-agey, I know, but it’s extremely calming. And this quiet is necessary for finding out what’s important to you.
22. Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more. 
23. Drive slowly. Most people rush through traffic, honking and getting angry and frustrated and stressed out. And endangering themselves and others in the meantime. Driving slower is not only safer, but it is better on your fuel bill, and can be incredibly peaceful. 
24. Be present. These two words can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. Living here and now, in the moment, keeps you aware of life, of what is going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity. 
25. Streamline your life. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, focus on one system at a time (your laundry system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and written. Then stick to it. 
26. Create a simple mail & paperwork system. If you don’t have a system, this stuff will pile up. But a simple system will keep everything in order. 
27. Create a simple system for house work. Another example of a simple system is clean-as-you-go with a burst. 
28. Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. A clear desk, however, is only a couple of simple habits away. 
29. Establish routines. The key to keeping your life simple is to create simple routines.
30. Keep your email inbox empty. Is your email inbox overflowing with new and read messages? Do the messages just keep piling up? If so, you’re normal — but you could be more efficient and your email life could be simplified with a few simple steps. 
31. Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. It’s directly related to simplicity. 
32. Make your house minimalist. A minimalist house has what is necessary, and not much else. It’s also extremely peaceful (not to mention easy to clean). 
33. Find other ways to be minimalist. There are tons. You can find ways to be minimalist in every area of your life. 
34. Consider a smaller home. If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you don’t need so much space. I’m not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life. 
35. Consider a smaller car. This is a big move, but if you have a large car or SUV, you may not really need something that big. It’s more expensive, uses more gas, harder to maintain, harder to park. Simplify your life with less car. You don’t need to go tiny, especially if you have a family, but try to find as small a car as can fit you or your family comfortably. Maybe not something you’re going to do today, but something to think about over the long term.
36. Learn what “enough” is. Our materialistic society today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight. Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes. More stuff. But when will you have enough? Most people don’t know, and thus they keep buying more. It’s a neverending cycle. Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough. And then stop when you get there.
37. Create a simple weekly dinner menu. If figuring out what’s for dinner is a nightly stressor for you or your family, consider creating a weekly menu. Decide on a week’s worth of simple dinners, set a specific dinner for each night of the week, go grocery shopping for the ingredients. Now you know what’s for dinner each night, and you have all the ingredients necessary. No need for difficult recipes — find ones that can be done in 10-15 minutes (or less).
38. Eat healthy. It might not be obvious how eating healthy relates to simplicity, but think about the opposite: if you eat fatty, greasy, salty, sugary, fried foods all the time, you are sure to have higher medical needs over the long term. We could be talking years from now, but imagine frequent doctor visits, hospitalization, going to the pharmacist, getting therapy, having surgery, taking insulin shots … you get the idea. Being unhealthy is complicated. Eating healthy simplifies all of that greatly, over the long term. 
39. Exercise. This goes along the same lines as eating healthy, as it simplifies your life in the long run, but it goes even further: exercise helps burn off stress and makes you feel better. It’s great. 
40. Declutter before organizing. Many people make the mistake of taking a cluttered desk or filing cabinet or closet or drawer, and trying to organize it. Unfortunately, that’s not only hard to do, it keeps things complicated. Simplify the process by getting rid of as much of the junk as possible, and then organizing. If you declutter enough, you won’t need to organize at all.
41. Have a place for everything. Age-old advice, but it’s the best advice on keeping things organized. After you declutter. 
42. Find inner simplicity. I’m not much of a spiritual person, but I have found that spending a little time with my inner self creates a peaceful simplicity rather than a chaotic confusion. This could be time praying or communing with God, or time spent meditating or journaling or getting to know yourself, or time spent in nature. However you do it, working on your inner self is worth the time.
43. Learn to decompress from stress. Every life is filled with stress — no matter how much you simplify your life, you’ll still have stress (except in the case of the ultimate simplifier, death). So after you go through stress, find ways to decompress. 
44. Try living without a car. OK, this isn’t something I’ve done, but many others have. It’s something I would do if I didn’t have kids. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicating, needing not only car payments, but insurance, registration, safety inspections, maintenance, repairs, gas and more.
45. Find a creative outlet for self-expression. Whether that’s writing, poetry, painting, drawing, creating movies, designing websites, dance, skateboarding, whatever. We have a need for self-expression, and finding a way to do that makes your life much more fulfilling. Allow this to replace much of the busy-work you’re eliminating from your life.
46. Simplify your goals. Instead of having half a dozen goals or more, simplify it to one goal. Not only will this make you less stressed, it will make you more successful. You’ll be able to focus on that One Goal, and give it all of your energy. That gives you much better chances for success.
47. Single-task. Multi-tasking is more complicated, more stressful, and generally less productive. Instead, do one task at a time.
48. Simplify your filing system. Stacking a bunch of papers just doesn’t work. But a filing system doesn’t have to be complicated to be useful.
49. Develop equanimity. If every little thing that happens to you sends you into anger or stress, your life might never be simple. Learn to detach yourself, and be more at peace. 
50. Reduce your consumption of advertising. Advertising makes us want things. That’s what it’s designed to do, and it works. Find ways to reduce your exposure of advertising, whether that’s in print, online, broadcast, or elsewhere. You’ll want much less.
51. Live life more deliberately. Do every task slowly, with ease, paying full attention to what you’re doing. 
52. Make a Most Important Tasks (MITs) list each day. Set just 3 very important things you want to accomplish each day. Don’t start with a long list of things you probably won’t get done by the end of the day. A simple list of 3 things, ones that would make you feel like you accomplished something.
53. Create morning and evening routines. A great way to simplify your life is to create routines at the start and end of your day. 
54. Create a morning writing ritual. If you enjoy writing, like I do, make it a peaceful, productive ritual.
55. Learn to do nothing. Doing nothing can be an art form, and it should be a part of every life. Read the Art of Doing Nothing.
56. Read Walden, by Thoreau. The quintessential text on simplifying.Available on Wikisources for free.
57. Go for quality, not quantity. Try not to have a ton of stuff in your life … instead, have just a few possessions, but ones that you really love, and that will last for a long time.
58. Read Simplify Your Life, by Elaine St. James. One of my favorite all-time authors on simplicity. 
59. Fill your day with simple pleasures. Make a list of your favorite simple pleasures, and sprinkle them throughout your day. 
60. Simplify your RSS feeds. If you’ve got dozens of feeds, or more than a hundred (as I once did), you probably have a lot of stress in trying to keep up with them all. Simplify your feed reading. 
61. But subscribe to Unclutterer. 
62. Create an easy-to-maintain yard. If you spend too much time on your yard
63. Carry less stuff. Are your pockets bulging. Consider carrying only the essentials. 
64. Simplify your online life. If you have too much going on online, here are a few ways to simplify it all. 
65. Strive to automate your income. This isn’t the easiest task, but it can (and has) been done. I’ve been working towards it myself.
66. Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because it’s too hard or too complicated. 
67. Simplify your financial life. Article from a financial planning experthere.
68. Learn to pack light. Who wants to lug a bunch of luggage around on a trip? 
69. Use a minimalist productivity system. The minimal Zen To Doneis all you need. Everything else is icing.
70. Leave space around things in your day. Whether they’re appointments, or things you need to do, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed.
71. Live closer to work. This might mean getting a job closer to your home, or moving to a home closer to your work. Either will do much to simplify your life.
72. Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

Eggs in a mug

Something I make for my favorite gal, Melissa, when she doesn't have a lot of time for breakfast is a breakfast sandwich.  While making it I always think "it's so easy and quick to get a good breakfast!" Such an important part of being able to cook healthy is having the ingredients. Make sure to set yourself up for success by getting your grocery shopping done and having good options to go to in the

 fridge. 

   

Cook scrambled eggs in a mug and pair it with a whole wheat english muffin with a tomato or canadian bacon (or both!):  spray or butter a mug for easy removal, put egg (s) in mug and stir/whip with a fork.  Microwave one egg High on 35 to 45 seconds; two eggs 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 minutes, or until eggs begin to set, stirring with fork to break apart after half of the time.  Remove eggs when they are still soft and moist (you may have to play with the time depending on your microwave) Let stand about 2 minutes. Eggs will firm up while standing. 


Variations:  add spinach, herbs, parmesan cheese, salsa or leave out the english muffin all together and eat directly from the mug.