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• winter health tips
• winter motivation

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

When the weather outside is frightful, it's easy to get lazy and to lack the motivation to even get out of bed some days.  So how do you stay motivated when everything is keeping you down?   Try some of these tips:

• Set goals and document them. By keeping a list you will see this daily and you will feel more inclined to want to check things off this list.
• Set clear dates of when you need to complete things by, whether they are long term or short term goals. By giving yourself a deadline, you will work harder to keep them.
• Reward yourself for meeting your deadlines and reaching your goals.  Whether you allow yourself to buy something nice or a day of pampering at the spa, you will work harder to do things when you know there is a reward at the end.
• Listen to motivational tapes and/or read motivational books to help gain some inspiration to keep going.
• Learn to breathe correctly.  You will feel more relaxed and when you are more relaxed you will also be more apt to stay motivated than when you are stressed.
• Keep a positive attitude.  Even though it is easy to be depressed when the long, cold winter months drag on, try to remain positive and you will notice that motivation comes along with being happy.
• Remind yourself that progress is what is important and not perfection.  This is especially important when you are looking at your long-term goals, as they may seem like the most unreachable.  Remember all of the short-term goals that you have met and you will be more successful.
• Build a support system of friends and family members that are typically motivated.  By keeping like-minded people close to you, you will become motivated by just being in their presence.

• healthy diet
• eating healthy
• Benefits of Salmon

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

• Besides being an excellent source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, salmon is also full of high-quality proteins and low in saturated fat.
• Salmon has nearly a third of the saturated fat of lean ground beef and 50 percent less saturated fat than chicken, making it one of the healthiest items that you could eat.
• Salmon is also low in calories. One serving contains approximately 183 calories, making it one of the lowest in calories among other fish.

Recipe: Smoked Salmon Dip

• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 oz. smoked salmon, minced

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudités or crackers.

Recipe: Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

• 1 scallion, minced
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into four portions
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

• eating healthy
• Superfoods
• stress relief
• fight stress

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Holiday Stress 101

It's the holiday season and for many people that also means it's the stressful season.  Instead of sweating every little thing this year, try fighting off your holiday stress with these amazing, stress-fighting superfoods.

• Avocado : they give you a burst of vitamin B, which will help to keep you alert and awake, while reducing anxiety.
• Bananas : help to keep you energized and reduce your blood pressure.
• Brown rice : complex carbohydrates (like those in rice) help to raise your body's serotonin levels, without the carb crash that is typically associated with eating carbohydrates.
• Dark chocolate : also increases the levels of serotonin in the body, giving you those feelings of joy and happiness.
• Fish : the omega-3 fatty acids in fish help to lower adrenaline levels in the body, which can result in a calming effect in your mind and body.

• eating healthy
• eating turkey
• burn off thanksgiving turkey

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

November is here and once again families will gather around to take part in the traditional Thanksgiving feast.

But, before you carve that turkey or dig into those casseroles, here is a handy calorie calculator that can tell you exactly how many calories are in your meal.

Main Course:

6 oz. cured ham: 300 calories

6 oz. white and dark turkey: 340 calories

½ cup stuffing: 180 calories

½ cup cranberry sauce: 190 calories

½ cup mashed potatoes: 150 calories

½ cup gravy: 150 calories

½ cup green bean casserole: 225 calories

½ cup candied sweet potatoes: 150 calories

1 dinner roll: 110 calories (45 extra calories with one pat of butter)

Drinks:

1 mixed drink: 250 calories

1 glass of wine: 120 calories

1 glass of cider: 120 calories

1 cup eggnog: 343 calories

Salads and Appetizers:

3 cups salad (with light dressing):  100 calories

½ cup jello with fruit: 120 calories

½ cup Waldorf salad: 110 calories

1 cracker with cheese: 70 calories

½ cup mixed raw vegetables: 25 calories

½ cup mixed nuts: 440 calories

1 oz. tortilla or potato chips: 150 calories (75 extra calories per tablespoon of dip)

Desserts:

2 small chocolate chip cookies: 150 calories

1 piece apple pie: 410 calories

1 piece pecan pie: 480 calories

1 piece pumpkin pie: 180 calories

½ cup whipped cream: 75 calories

½ cup ice cream: 145 calories

Leftovers:

1 turkey sandwich with mayo and cranberry sauce: 450 calories

1 open-face turkey sandwich with stuffing and gravy: 290 calories

• common cold
• prevent cold

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Every year around cold and flu season, we hear the old wives tales about the common cold, feed a cold and starve a fever, and so on and so forth.  But what tales are indeed true and which ones are myths?  Here we touch on a few of those true tales and debunk some others.

Chicken Soup:  So grandma always said that chicken soup is good to fight the common cold and she was half right, chicken soup has been shown to relieve inflammation.

Wet hair: Going outside with wet hair will not cause the common cold, but that doesn't mean that you should do it either.

Feed a cold, starve a fever:  This is the one that has enough calories.

Wearing a coat: Common colds and the flu are caused by viruses not by temperature. And while they do circulate more during the winter months, you are more likely to pick up a cold or the flu inside more so than outside so wearing a coat or not wearing a coat does not indicate whether or not you will catch a cold.  Studies show that you can actually prevent some colds by getting physical exercise outdoors during the winter months.

Vicks Vapor Rub on Your Feet:  A widely spread email last year stated that you should put Vicks Vapor Rub on your kids feet and put socks on them to get rid of a nagging cough.  This myth was debunked and experts suggest that you should stick to using the vapor rub on your kid's chest and throat instead.