Simple Way To Boost Your Energy

In two weeks many of us will resolve to make significant changes in our lives.  Though we are always admonished to keep the resolutions within reason, we still sometimes bite off more than we can chew.  If your resolution(s) includes healthier living, the following article will help to simplify your efforts and help to make your resolution a reality in your life.  Happy Holidays Everyone :)

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Now that the holiday season is over, you may just now be feeling the effects of how stressful that wonderful (and sometimes frightful) time can be. Awkward family relationships, getting everything just right for everyone else, pressures of finances, all can play a part. So far, the whole 21st century has turned out to be pretty stressful, with all the craziness that's gone on, so the world around you isn't helping. Of course, just the struggles of daily life, like getting the kids to do their homework and keeping the snow swept away can provide their own stress.

Alongside all that, as a professional business person, developer of people and busy mom or dad, it's key to have enough energy to lead a business, manage a household and family, and have some left for taking care of yourself - your health and your personal relationships. After 40 years in sales and sales management, as well as having been a corporate executive with some well-known companies, I am very aware of how frazzled you might be -- at least occasionally.

One of the simplest ways to have the energy you need (and give it to your family) is to be sure to eat right - ensuring all the right nutrients are in the meals you prepare and consume. That can often be a challenge for two reasons:

-knowing what's 'right' is tough with all the confusing information available it's tough to 'prepare' everything when you and your family are constantly on the go, so perhaps a good many meals are prepared by someone else - and while you know that's not the best approach, until you are confident you know what's 'right,' it seems to make more sense.

Good news! There IS a way...

You know the value of focus in your business. By taking that same approach, having a single focus on just one meal a day - arguably the most important one - you can make a significant difference in your energy level for the entire day.

You probably figured out I'm referring to breakfast. What's it look like for you? A diet soft drink and a banana? A sausage-biscuit and cup of coffee? Let's take a minute to see how you can easily upgrade that very important meal to increase energy (and consequently, performance, such as your kids' grades! and your business results!).

To provide energy that will last through to midday, a breakfast should include some protein and low glycemic carbohydrates such as whole grains and fruits/veggies, for sustainable energy.

A simple example of that is a bowl of oatmeal (not instant) with sliced almonds and a banana. To make it even simpler, cook the oatmeal in the slo-cooker the night before, and it's ready when you wake up, so no extra time is involved before a busy day! The almonds provide protein and heart-healthy fat, the oats provide protein and whole grains/complex carbs and the fruit kicks in some fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Just add a teaspoon of maple syrup and cinnamon (a wonderful anti-inflammatory!) and you are there!

So the next time you shop for breakfast items, put some old-fashioned oats in your cart and start those cold mornings with a warm bowl of big energy! If you're up for a hearty alternative to oats, try this Quinoa (pronounced 'kee-nwah') Breakfast Pudding recipe:

Quinoa is a mild yet flavorful, gluten-free seed that is a complete protein. Of South American origin, it is delicious as a hot cereal, in salads, side dishes, and when served like rice. Related to buckwheat and amaranth, quinoa is a round seed the size of a sesame seed. Increasingly popular because it is high in complete protein, quinoa has a quick cooking time and mild flavor.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Organic Quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave
2 cups almond milk (I use almond milk, but any such 'milk' works fine)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/2 cup pecans or almonds, chopped

Place the quinoa, water, sea salt and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the almond milk and maple syrup. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Turn off the flame and mix in the berries and vanilla. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes to thicken. Place in serving bowls and garnish with the chopped nuts.

For more information about eating for energy and to sign up for the Simply Nutrition FREE newsletter, go to http://www.simplynutrition.org. When you sign up for the newsletter, you will receive a special FREE report that will get your New Year - New You plans off to the right start! As a Holistic Health Counselor, Paula Antonini is a 40-year veteran of Direct Sales and a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Email her at paula.antonini@gmail.com for more information or to get 2011 started on the right foot nutritionally. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paula_Antonini

HAPPY - Have A Positive Perception of Yourself

This Video Will Make You Smile

5 Pointers on Keeping a Positive Attitude
By Nan McAdam

I have learned over the years that perception plays a major part in our relationships with others and ourselves.  It plays an intricate role in our careers, the flow of money into our lives, and our enjoyment of our lives.  Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial to the colors we paint the perceptions of our lives.

Have you ever had a goal or dream that moved you so much you could hardly sleep at night?  We start out so excited and motivated by our great idea.  But, we allow ourselves to begin to focus on the negative aspects of them.  Before long, we have relegated our exciting idea to the should have, could have and would have part of our brain.  At that point, our idea is officially dead.

If we don't cultivate our positive attitudes about our idea, we will begin the process of talking ourselves out of it.  We start out with little things, such as doubt that we can even accomplish it.

For instance, when we charge into the world of being an entrepreneur starting our own business, we can start some stinking thinking, such as, it takes too long to make money doing this.  There isn't a quick money fix like there is when we start a traditional job.  Sometimes, we even slide into flawed thinking of telling ourselves that people like us just don't make it big!

Here are a few pointers on how to keep ourselves positive so we can reap the rewards of success in our lives:

BE KIND AND ENCOURAGING TO OURSELVES

Instead of picking out our own faults and hammering ourselves about them, choose to focus on our attributes.  Think kindly of ourselves.  I believe that we are harder on ourselves than on anyone else.  We should be as kind to ourselves as we are to our partners, friends, or even our pets.  Words of encouragement to ourselves is very beneficial for all our endeavors.  If we learn to love ourselves more and are kinder to ourselves we can accomplish unbelievable things.

PLUG INTO DAILY MOTIVATION

The average person drives 12,000 to 25,000 miles per year, which works out to 500 to 1,000 hours per year.  we  can plug in a motivational CD into our car every time we get behind the wheel.  Think how much more motivated and positive we would be!  We could be rolling around in our classroom on wheels.  Learning new things while we keep our positive attitude going.

KEEP LEARNING OUR CRAFT

Knowing more keeps us feeling better about what we are doing.  We can attend seminars and online training sessions in our field of endeavor.  Learn from the experts.  Write to those experts; ask questions, read their books and articles.  Listen to people with proven track records in the areas we are striving to succeed.

HANG OUT WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Did you realize that your income will be the average of the 4-5 people you associate with on a regular basis?  Instead of hanging out with the negative complainers and gossipers, we could choose to hang out with the people that are succeeding and are practicing success habits.

CLARITY AND VISUALIZATION

Clearly defined goals are a must.  We have to have a clear mental picture of what we want our lives to look like.  It is difficult to achieve something if we don't know what it is or what it will look like when it is achieved.

The best time to reach our subconscious minds is to implant our visualized images of our goals first thing in the morning before getting out of bed.  Or, right before falling asleep at night.  Our subconscious minds are more open to programming at those times.  The subconscious mind is activated by affirmations and pictures we feed it in the present tense.

Picture in your mind the situations working out the way you want.  See yourself succeeding.  Some people use vision boards or journals as a good visualization tool.  I know people who keep their vision boards on the ceiling in their bedrooms so they can feast their eyes on the dreams when they first open their eyes!  I keep ours on the bathroom wall across from the toilet.  Be creative!

Keep in mind, all our dreams and goals are unique to each of us.  It is up to each of us to keep striving for them.  After all, when it is all said and done, it is about our own individual successes.  No one can make it happen for us.  We should keep feeding our own personal positive attitude muscle.  Like all muscles, they only get strong when we keep using them.  Let's get out there and exercise them!

Nan has been studying self improvement for over 20 years. She has been involved with two start up companies, from ground zero to profitability. Responsible for hiring and training their sales forces, and ongoing development of sales strategies as the businesses matured. Nan is the author of the popular 7 Day Goal Setting Course, http://www.goalsettingsecrets4u.com. For more articles read Nan's blog: http://www.selfimprovementinformation.com.

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