Seven Truly Is A Remarkable Number

 Seven, I think you'll agree, truly is a remarkable number. I certainly think so, and so do many people and cultures around the world. My brand, Lucky 7 Prayer Beads, is no accident, although my coming upon it was, happily so. But why so many references to the number 7 across time and cultural boundaries? I will use this opportunity to share a series of blog posts on the power of the number 7 and its reference, and reverence, past and present.

 As a start, let's explore a well known theme...

Seven Wonders of the World: Why Seven Has Become Synonymous with Excellence

The number seven has long held a mystical and symbolic place in human culture. From ancient traditions to modern beliefs, seven is often associated with completeness, perfection, good fortune, and divinity. One of the most famous examples of this association is the "Seven Wonders of the World," a list of extraordinary human-made and natural structures that have captured the imagination of people for centuries. But why has the number seven become synonymous with excellence? To understand this connection, we need to explore the origins of the Seven Wonders, the significance of seven in cultural and spiritual contexts, and how these two elements combine to elevate the concept of wonder to an iconic status.

The Origins of the Seven Wonders

The term "Seven Wonders of the World" originally referred to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a list compiled by ancient Greek travelers and scholars. This list celebrated the most impressive structures of the known world during the Hellenistic period, around the 2nd century BCE. These wonders, which included the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, were all architectural and artistic feats that embodied human achievement, skill, and creativity. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains intact today, but the legacy of these ancient wonders continues to captivate us.

In more recent times, there have been attempts to create new lists of "Seven Wonders," including the New Seven Wonders of the World, announced in 2007 after a global poll organized by the New7WondersFoundation. This list includes modern marvels like the Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, and Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. Despite the variations in these lists, the number seven continues to be the constant, suggesting that the symbolic power of seven resonates across centuries and cultures.

The Symbolism of Seven

The prominence of seven as a symbol of excellence and perfection is not limited to the Seven Wonders. The number appears across various cultural, religious, and natural contexts, contributing to its esteemed status. In many ancient cultures, seven was considered a sacred number that represented balance and harmony. For example, in Christianity, the creation story in the Book of Genesis is completed in seven days, symbolizing the perfection of God's work. The number seven also appears in the Bible in references like the Seven Seals, Seven Virtues, and Seven Sacraments.

In addition to its religious significance, seven has been a recurring theme in ancient mythologies. For instance, in Greek mythology, the Seven Against Thebes is a famous tragedy that centers around seven champions. Similarly, the ancient Egyptians believed in seven sacred oils and the seven steps of the afterlife. This repeated appearance of seven in human history underlines its association with completeness, wisdom, and celestial order.

Why Seven Represents Excellence

The number seven’s connection to excellence can be traced to its symbolism as a perfect and complete unit. In numerology, seven is often described as a number that embodies both spiritual and intellectual power. Its association with perfection is partly due to its frequent occurrence across the world. There are seven days in a week, seven continents, seven colors in the rainbow, and seven notes in the musical scale. These natural phenomena not only reinforce the idea of seven as an essential and complete unit but also help explain why the ancient world viewed it as a powerful, even seemingly divine number.

When applied to the Seven Wonders, seven signifies the ultimate in human achievement. These wonders were all monumental in their construction and purpose, showcasing the pinnacle of art, mathematics, engineering, and creativity. To place these extraordinary creations under the banner of "seven" is to elevate them beyond mere buildings or landmarks—they become symbols of human excellence, ingenuity, and ambition.

The Enduring Legacy of the Seven Wonders

Today, the Seven Wonders of the World, both ancient and modern, continue to inspire awe and admiration. They represent the human desire to create something lasting, beautiful, and meaningful. The number seven, in this context, acts as a marker of extraordinary achievement—whether in the form of ancient temples, towering statues, or intricate architectural masterpieces.

In essence, seven is a number that captures the imagination and elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary. It symbolizes the highest ideals of human potential and creativity. The Seven Wonders of the World, whether ancient or modern, serve as a reminder of our capacity to dream big, push boundaries, and achieve greatness. It is this enduring legacy of excellence, perfectly encapsulated by the number seven, that continues to make the Seven Wonders a lasting symbol of what humanity can accomplish.

The next time you look at the Great Wall of China or the Colosseum, remember that these wonders are more than just physical structures—they are the embodiment of a long-held belief that the number seven represents the very best of what the world has to offer.

Santa Muerte: A New-Age Rosary

Santísima Muerte

Santísima Muerte is enjoying one of the fastest growing spiritual movements today. At one time, the only books available about her were in Spanish. Now, books in English are popping up, even from mainstream book sellers like Weiser and Llewellyn Publications.

My name is Ignacio Ceja. I was introduced to Santísima Muerte (her name, I was told, during that introduction) while on a business trip in San Antonio in 2006. She held a special place on my altar, but I didn’t start to work with her in earnest until 2014, when a friend came to me in dire need. I took my friend’s petition to Santa Muerte, and told the divine Lady that if she came through, that she could ride on my left shoulder forever in the form of a tattoo. Three months later, I was in the tattoo studio, and Santa Muerte and I became inseparable.

A New-Age Rosary?

This rosary to Santísima Muerte will come as a shock to some, and as a refreshing change to others. I didn’t write this rosary to change the world, or to change the way La Madrina is worshipped. I wrote it because although I have studied the Catholic rosary, and I respect it, I cannot use it. It feels foreign to me. Even though I was christened Catholic after I was born, that connection is not enough to make it feel comfortable. So, I needed another way to approach La Hermana Blanca, and to work with her. I have used this rosary successfully in my own worship. And so, knowing that I can’t be the only one who feels this way, I have decided to make it available to the public.

What You Will Find

This rosary was designed to reflect my connection to the Universe as a Pantheist who is also a Santa Muertero. The Rosary is a beautiful practice that affirms faith and devotion, and connects us to the Divine. If you have tried to connect with Santa Muerte using the Catholic rosary, but were left feeling disconnected, this rosary will open a new door for you. Click here to find out.

Meme Time

Meme Time

Making gratitude a way of life can be a rewarding experience.

Meme Time

Meme Time

It's meme time! I love quotes by Dr. Seuss, and this one speaks to me today:

You make today better than yesterday by becoming better than you were yesterday. Click here to find more inspiration and personal & professional development for today.

Words of Wisdom

Carry words of wisdom with you, to lift you up throughout your day.

http://www.igneousmarketingsolutions.com

Finding Peace

Finding peace is a journey. It’s easy to be a cynic. It’s easy to be negative. The worthwhile things take work. It takes effort to wake up with a smile. It takes effort to rise with gratitude. It takes effort to greet the day with a positive attitude. It takes effort to see everyone you meet, not just the people you know but everyone, as a child of the universe and a vessel of the creative spirit. It takes effort to forgive yourself and others.

People ask me how I became so calm and peaceful. It is the result of a number of small steps over a long period of time. The first step was to wake up with a smile. I can hear someone saying, “That’s easy for you to do.” You might think so, but when I began this practice, waking up was to the sound of revile onboard Naval Training Center, Great Lakes. It’s a practice that I’ve kept up for twenty-six years.

The next thing was a realization that the attitude I carried with me into the day determined what I would experience throughout the day. This is common knowledge now, but it was something I stumbled on twenty-five years ago by accident. When I was in a bad mood in the morning, the entire day would be filled with frustration and disappointment. When I shifted into a good mood, events and situations would lift.

Another thing that has made me peaceful was the realization that I don’t have to force my way through life. People are always in a rush to get to one place or another, cutting each other off in traffic, cutting in lines, pushing, biting, etc. Sounds like I live in a rough neighborhood, huh? But I see it on the roads all the time. And I used to be the same way. But then I realized that if I pictured myself doing what I wanted to do, I could do it. If I was driving in the center lane, and there was a lot of traffic, but I had to make a turn, instead of being frustrated and trying to force my way over, I could instead see myself making that turn just where I wanted to turn, and a space to merge would open up. If it didn’t happen just where I wanted it to, then it would be the next turn, and I could simply navigate another way to my destination. In doing this, I leaned not to let circumstances dictate my mood. Whenever I’m in a hurry, but I hit a red traffic light, it becomes a see or be seen moment. I take an opportunity to look around and see something special. If nothing in particular catches my eye, then I am there to be seen by someone else. If I’m in a long line, I take the same attitude, see/be seen. And I almost always see something special, or talk to someone who I wouldn’t have gotten to meet otherwise.

One of the biggest realizations that helped me was that I could treat my personal energy as a precious resource. This means that if something happens that might make me angry, I don’t have to jump into that reaction. I can take a moment and ask if this is a good use of my energy. Now sometimes I will lose my cool. It’s not often, and in retrospect I can always think of a better way that I could have handled the situation. The person who I chose to be angry at is never changed by my anger. After I cool off, he is still the same person, so who did I help? There’s always a better use for my energy. Letting it get away from me in a destructive manner only hurts me.

This isn’t everything, but I’d say these are the four biggest things that have gotten me where I am. I’m not sharing this as a practice for anyone else, but just to say this is what has worked for me. I hope you find a set of practices that helps you in your journey to finding peace.

Blessing

Blessing

I have been working with The Crystal Grid Oracle Cards by Ashley Leavy. It’s a beautiful set of cards that depicts a word and a set of crystals and stones arranged on a mandala-like grid. The card lists the stones and crystals arranged in the arrangement. It’s a nice deck to use when asking for a positive quality for contemplation or meditation. It can even be used by those who are working with synchronicity. By pulling a card in the morning, they then actively go about manifesting the quality of the card in the world around them. Today’s card is “Blessing.”

I consider a blessing to be a gift that I have received or have given myself, that benefits me or someone close to me, which if you think about it, also benefits me. I am happy and blessed when someone else is blessed. A blessing may not only be physical. It can be spiritual or emotional. But we most often think of the physical blessings of our lives.

I feel blessed to have a home and an income. I am happy to have the comfort of a cool home in the summer and a warm home in the winter. I am grateful for these things. One cannot usually contemplate a blessing without also feeling gratitude. We are taught to count our blessings at the Thanksgiving holiday. Blessing and gratitude are good friends, sharing a deep connection. Of course, there are challenges to this blessing/gratitude connection.

A difficult experience always has a blessing tied up in it. Napoleon Hill called this “the seed of an equivalent benefit.” This is usually overlooked, because these experiences also tend to have a heavy dose of sadness, fear, and miseries of various sorts attached to them. An illness or a death, a job loss, a bad decision that includes legal intervention, these and others are experiences that break us somewhat; but in each there is a blessing. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the bad feelings and thoughts that accompany such experience and forget to search for the blessing, however small, which is also present. Some might even think it silly, evil, or even sacrilegious to search for such a blessing. But not searching for it is a shame, because in those moments, we can forget that God/Goddess/Spirit/Universe loves us.

The tarot card that represents these negative experiences is The Tower. I think The Tower card should depict something of value, a diamond or a rose, within the fractured walls of the crumbling structure to represent the seed of equivalent benefit hidden within.

Crystals and stones associated with blessings vary. The stones of spiritual blessing include amethyst, chevron amethyst, and rose quartz. But just as a stranger is a friend without an introduction, all things can be a blessing in their own circumstance.

Essential oils associated with blessings include lavender, holy basil, frankincense, and myrrh. You can use essential oils in aromatherapy to spread their fragrance and essence throughout a room, or you can use a properly prepared mixture as a personal fragrance. Don’t use essential oils if you are allergic to them, and be sure to consult a professional before applying an essential oil directly to the skin.

I am carrying the Blessing card with me today, and contemplating the blessings in my life, including family and friends, and all of you wonderful people reading this now. May you also be blessed.

The Six Tiny Keys To Knowledge

The Six Tiny Keys To Knowledge

You future success or failure is going to depend largely upon your ability to absorb facts, skills procedures and put them to use.

Our Brain likes to store the information it receives into a organized fashion. This make it easier for our mind to comprehend and retain.

We can help our brain to comprehend and retain this information by organizing the flow of this information.

Any idea, any word, any phrase and any sentence can be turned into a question just by putting one of these six little words in front of it.

Who?

What?

Where?

When?

Why?

How?

You should memorize them as they are very valuable words. These important words have being described as the Six Tiny Keys to Knowledge.

You can use these six keys with great success to remember information from newspapers and magazines by using who, what, where, when, why, how.

Journalists and some authors are trained to write using these six questions to arrange and organize text.

At a high speed you can search through the text looking for information that answers these questions and when you spot what you are looking for you make sure to take note.

Searching through newspapers and magazines like this will keep you up to date with your chosen field and the ways of the world. It will take you no time to go through an entire newspaper. Once you have located relevant articles you can read over them at a slower pace to absorb the information.

Want to "In Only 5 Minutes Quickly And Easily Double Your Reading Speed, Develop A Tape Recorder Memory, Breeze Through Any Test, Develop Total Concentration, Skyrocket Your Power To Handle Figures And Read A Speakers Thoughts... All Without Deep Study! In Only 5 Minutes Or Less Guaranteed!" Then Click Here to get your 5 Minute Learning Machine. Free Online Course Included.

The Now We No Awareness Campaign Continues

It's been a few days since I embarked on the Now We No Awareness Campaign. Bringing awareness to the toxins and potential diseases related to women's hygiene products is important to me because I have so many special women in my life, and I know there are special women in your life, too.

There is a solution. Please click here to find out how you can make a difference in the lives of women everywhere.

Questions? Email me at ignaciojceja@gmail.com. Now We No and this is too important to ignore.

Now We No Awareness Campaign

Today is day 2 of my journey in the Now We No Awareness Campaign. By the way, the 'o' in "No" is actually the astrological sign for Venus,

because this is a campaign for the health and safety of women.

Is there a woman in your life that you love and care about enough that if you could potentially help save her life you would? If so, click here now to find out how.

Now We Know

I have just been informed of the "Now We Know" Awareness Campaign. I can't believe I hadn't heard of it before. All I know now is that I want as many people to know about it as possible.

You may be directly affected by this. If you are a man, you may wonder why you’re seeing this. Regardless, if you have a woman in your life who you care about, what you’re about to see is critically important, and may be the difference between life and death, because dioxin poisoning may be slowly killing the women in your life.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/health/whats-in-your-pad-or-tampon/

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-a70/

http://naturallysavvy.com/care/dioxins-the-facts-about-this-toxin-in-tampons-and-sanitary-pads

http://healthwyze.org/reports/201-sanitary-tampons-and-pads-how-their-dioxins-are-leading-to-the-endometriosis-epidemic

There is a solution. A healthy solution. A natural solution. Why am I showing this to you? Because I am a son, a brother, an uncle and a cousin to some amazing women who I care about. 

If you care about the women in your life, click here now.

I'm glad to be a part of "Now We Know" and now, you know.

The Only Little Prayer You Need

The Only Little Prayer You Need

Earlier this year, I picked up a book titled The Only Little Prayer You Need by Debra Landwehr Engle. This really isn't the sort of book I would normally buy, but something about it really caught my attention, so I got it. I'm so glad I did. 

The prayer has changed my life. I've been into personal development for a long time now, but this book helped make some of the other practices I've been using really fall into place. The prayer helps you release fear and embrace love. The prayer is general enough to fit into any religious or spiritual practice, and even works for those who don't observe any such practice.

I was inspired to make a video about the prayer, so I collected prayers that fit a wide range of experiences. Not all of these prayers are mine. I hope you find something in this video that resonates with you, and that you read Engle's book, and put the prayer to work in your own life.

Click here to watch the video. Enjoy!

#IfLifeWereLikeAHorrorFilm

#IfLifeWereLikeAHorrorFilm 

If life were like a horror film, that’s a notion that stirs the imagination. When I was a child, Witches were monsters just like vampires and mummies. The numerous movies detailing the exploits of the wicked witch underscored that point. And fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty seemed to be a primer into the belief that witches were monstrous. Of course, I believed this. If it were in a book, it had to be true.

I was born into a Christian home. I had been christened as a Catholic at birth, but after my parents’ divorce at age six, was raised in the Pentecostal tradition of my mother’s family. In spite of this, I always felt a spiritual calling that was outside of my upbringing. I felt a kinship with nature that was alien to the teachings of my youth. I felt an energy that seemed to course through me at all times. And I felt the pull toward an image and relationship with God that had nothing to do with the church. Who knows why I was born into such a dichotomy? Regardless, it was many years later that I discovered a spiritual model that fit experiences I had been born. It was one that I didn’t know existed before, and one that seemed to be completely backwards to the way I was raised. That path was witchcraft. And stepping onto that path, I became a Witch.

Suddenly, those monsters of my youth became images of defamation that cut across the face of the beautiful reality I was experiencing, and had in fact always experienced. The face of evil that was part of the propaganda to further the ideals of a constrictive social structure that masqueraded as a religious one, a religion that didn’t lift the spirit, but rather like a boa constrictor, squeezed the life out of it, swallowing the soul in the process. Propaganda that made anyone who was different appear evil. Much like the church-taught "evils" of homosexuality, which I had had to deal with after I came out. Apparently, that's another fictitious monster story, but not one for this post.

And so, #IfLifeWereLikeAHorrorFilm, what then? There are as many depictions of good witches in films and literature as bad so, as a witch in a horror film, would I then be a villain, or a savior? One thing is certain. I would not be a victim.

Happy National Iced Tea Day

Happy National Iced Tea Day!

Happy National Iced Tea Day! #NationalIcedTeaDay Even though coffee is the beverage of choice in the United States, in 2014 Americans consumed 3.60 billion gallons of iced tea. That’s over three trillion, by the way. You can imagine how much coffee we drink. We have the Chinese to thank for the discovery of tea, camellia sinensis, over 2000 years ago, and the trade that followed to its popularity the world over.

According to the National Iced Tea Day website, the American love affair with iced tea began with the 1904 World’s Fair and escalated during World War I. Green tea became popular in the early 1800s, not by itself, but as an alcoholic punch. Pass the bowl! Herbal teas, sipping teas, or tisane, often disdained by tea purists, have been popular for much longer than traditional tea (camellia sinensis). According to the Rune Tea website, evidence of Paleolithic plant use could indicate the use of tisane as early as 60,000 years ago.

Tea is a way of life for many. Around the world, people start and end their days with tea, which can be used to energize or relax. Tea is popular with those who want to lose weight, as the caffeine helps boost metabolism. Tea is popular with those who focus on a healthy lifestyle, too. The antioxidants in tea help to minimize the damage of free radicals in the body. And finally, tea is simply enjoyed for the taste and pleasurable aroma.

Whether you enjoy your tea ice cold by the glass or hot in a mug or cup, take some time to enjoy some tea or tisane today. Happy National Iced Tea Day!

Fat Calories and a Healthy Diet

Fat Calories and a Healthy Diet

“How much fat is too much?” “How many fat calories should I eat?” “How much fat is considered healthy?” These are questions that I hear all the time. There’s an easy equation for solving for ‘x’, if ‘x’ is the amount of fat you should eat. Take the number of calories you should eat each day, divide by the percentage of fat intake (we’ll say 25%) and you’ll get the number of fat calories in your diet. Take that number and divide by 9 and you’ll get the number of grams of fat in your daily diet (since there are 9 calories per gram of fat).

If you aren’t sure how much fat you should eat each day, visit www.3days3ways.com to get your free wellness profile.

Tracking fat calories

Do you really want to do that each day? Some people do, and that’s great, but most of us don’t. Luckily, there are some easy ways to control the amount of fat in your diet while not compromising flavor, or feeling deprived.

First, steer clear of deep fried foods. I can hear the grumbles coming from Mississippi now. No, I’m not picking on our neighbors to the south, but my time on the Gulf Coast introduced me to a wide range of deep fried foods, including deep fried cauliflower. Now, you don’t have to eliminate these foods, just treat them as a sometimes item rather than a staple. Deep fried foods not only include the battered and fried items everyone thinks of, but also things like potato chips.

Second, switch to low fat versions of foods you use frequently like milk and mayonnaise. For occasional items like ice cream, provided it really is an occasional treat, stick with the regular version. Why turn a special, occasional treat into an occasion for discipline? Unless you’re into that sort of thing. Moving on…

Third, eat lean proteins. Now, when it comes to lean protein choices, conventional wisdom turns our attention to “poultry breast, fish, shellfish, egg whites, nonfat dairy

products and soy products; they have much less fat than steaks, ground meats and

sausage” (Bowerman). And I agree with this list to a point. When people buy steak, they go for marbling, which is the white specks of fat in the meat. Fat gives the meat flavor and keeps it moist, provided you don’t cook it into shoe leather. However, loin and center-cut ribeye have just as much fat as a chicken breast, ounce for ounce. So you can make good choices when looking for red meat. Look at the nutrition labels, which brings us to our next point.

Fourth, read the nutrition labels. If you are trying to make yourself aware of the fat calories in your diet, make a point of checking the nutrition labels and doing the math. Yes, it will be a chore at first, but as you educate yourself in the amount of fat per portion size (and you mind the portion size), tracking your fat intake and making good choices will get easier. This is just like starting a new job. At first, it takes a little more time, but after a while you get faster and it seems like second nature.

Fifth, and this goes back to the topic of cooking, use smaller amounts of oil, or use substitutes for oil. Graham Kerr, long ago, did a demonstration showing that one cup of onions can be caramelized using a single teaspoon of oil instead of a tablespoon. But, you can caramelize onions without oil at all, as demonstrated by Chris Daniels for Healthy Eating. My own method differs slightly. After adding the onions and the seasoning, I add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, but not submerge the chopped onions. I put the lid on the pan, over medium heat, for eight minutes. After eight minutes, I take the lid off the pan and let the remaining water evaporate, after which I brown and deglaze until the desired level of caramelization is reached. Using the water at the start softens the onions more quickly and prevents the smaller pieces from burning up before the rest finish caramelizing.

Wow, that’s a lot of talk about onions, but you can cook many vegetables in the same way. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan but not submerge the vegetables. Cover to steam (the length of time depends on the type of vegetable you’re cooking and how you’ve prepared it), and then uncover and let the remaining water evaporate. When you hear it sizzle, season and serve, or proceed with your recipe. But why just use water? You can use chicken broth or white wine just as well. Do not use “cooking wine” which is an abomination. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it. But, what if you’re not cooking vegetables? You probably know that you can substitute part of the oil in baked goods with apple sauce or chia gel to keep the batter moist. A tablespoon of water in a non-stick pan over medium heat will keep eggs from sticking. What are you cooking? Leave me a comment below and I’ll give you a suggestion.

Sixth, if you eat regularly in restaurants, and I’m talking more than twice a week, make it a point to order something grilled, broiled, or baked. These cooking methods tend to use less fat. You can lower your fat intake this way, and yes, you can still treat yourself periodically.

Lastly, if dessert is something you eat regularly, switch to fresh fruits and sorbets, while enjoying a special dessert occasionally. If you typically snack during the day, choose lean protein, low-fat cottage cheese, or crisp veggies. Like everything else, you can still enjoy an occasional treat.

Visit www.3days3ways.com and get the skinny on your fat intake with your free wellness profile.

Lowering your fat intake doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite foods or depriving yourself. In fact, it can be a game, if you treat it that way. Keeping track of your fat calories will take some focus, but if you keep at it, it will get easier.

Sources:

Bowerman, Susan MS, RD, CSSD, FAND. “How Much Fat Should You Eat?”

Home Cooking and Good Health

Home Cooking and Good Health

Home cooked meals are the best things ever. I have a friend whose business entirely revolves around the home-cooked meal. When you cook at home, you save money and time. And the best part is that you know exactly what’s in your food. For those of us who count calories, this allows us to more accurately account for what we’re eating. But some people see the time and work it takes to cook a meal as a disadvantage. As someone who cooks at home most of the time (we have an altar to Julia Child in our kitchen), I can tell you that if you learn just a few techniques well, you can cut down on time and prep work, and actually enjoy the process.

Here are a few tips. First, choose a few quick and easy recipes that you like and know how to prepare. If you’re in a time crunch, you can pick one and put it together in no time. Add to your quick and easy recipe collection until you have at least a dozen, that way you won’t bore yourself to death cooking the same thing over and over. This will also help keep your family from planning a culinary mutiny.

Second, have some basic ingredients on hand. Those quick and easy recipes I mentioned above? They won’t be so quick and easy if you don’t have the ingredients in your freezer or cupboard when you need to prepare them. Here’s a thought: when you choose those recipes, collect small groups of recipes that each use the same ingredients. That way, you can change it up and still keep your ingredients list simple.

Third, let your supermarket do the prep for you. Some items like vegetables and fruits can be purchased from the deli counter already peeled, sliced, or chopped. In some cases, the portions will be prepackaged and in others you can take a “take-out” container and fill it with the items you intend to use. When you get home, you can assemble the rest of your ingredients and throw everything together. Well, maybe not throw, exactly, but you get the idea.

Fourth, get two or more meals from one. If you are cooking for two, you can make enough for four and freeze the extra portions for another meal. This works well for pasta dishes. Alternatively, you can turn leftovers into completely different dishes. I have a friend who can turn yesterday’s mashed potatoes into some of the best salmon patties you’ve tasted. This may require some experimentation, but it’s worth the effort.

Lastly, use the titans of meal preparation, the slow cooker and the pressure cooker. Slow cookers are amazing because you can put the meal together the night before and store the crock in your ‘fridge. In the morning before you leave for work, just pop the crock in the cooker base and turn it on low. Pressure cookers are exactly the opposite. When you get home, you can put a roast in your pressure cooker, and what would have taken three hours to cook can be done in 45 minutes to an hour. Modern pressure cookers are extremely safe, and there are even some electric models with digital displays.

Cooking at home can save time and money, and can give you a great tool in your journey toward good health. And if you really don’t have time to cook, give my friend Rudy a call.

Sources:
Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, FAND. “5 Tips for Quick Meal Preparation”

Weight Management and Calorie Counting

Weight Management and Calorie Counting

Tracking your weight management via calorie counting seems pretty easy. After all, if you burn more than you eat, you lose weight, right? If you’re not losing weight, then you’re eating and burning at the same rate. And if you’re gaining weight, then you’re eating more than you burn. Straightforward stuff, but keeping track can be difficult. Even if you keep a food diary, and you’re very honest about it, you can still get tripped up. Here’s why.

Tracking your intake

It’s great to keep a food diary during your weight management journey. It helps you become aware of what and how much you eat. Some people just don’t realize their eating habits until they pay attention enough to record them, whether they’re eating too much or too little. If you find that you aren’t reaching your goal, and you are recording everything, including condiments, sauces, gravy, and beverages, then compare the nutrition data on the food you eat with another sources, or sources, to see if it’s accurate. It might not be.

Tracking your activity

Going to the gym is great. If you do cardio on a machine, then you have your calorie output right there, right? Yes, and no. The algorithms used to calculate calories burned vary from one company to the other. The machine also doesn’t take into account your height or build. Because of this, the reading can be over- or underestimated. Also, unless you are using an activity tracking website or a personal device like a fitbit, then you might be overestimating calories burned during other activity, such as aerobics or weight lifting. By the way, comparing your calorie burn output on a machine to the calories burn output on your fitbit can help you get a more accurate reading there, too.

Tracking your rewards

Sometimes we convince ourselves to exercise by promising ourselves a reward. Two rewards can be quite compromising in your weight management efforts. The first is rewarding yourself by taking it easy the rest of the day. The second is rewarding yourself with food or drink.

If you reward yourself by taking it easy the rest of the day, then you deprive yourself of your normal activities, which burn calories. If you are typically active, and by that I mean running errands, attending events, being busy, then you are burning more calories than you would sitting still. If you burn fewer calories the rest of the day than you would normally, then you may as well have not worked out because you’ll end up burning the same amount of calories as you would have in your normal day anyway.

Now, if you reward yourself with food or drink, then you are on a slippery slope. Remember when I said that most people don’t correctly estimate the number of calories that they burn? Thinking that they’ve burned a large number of calories, they might treat themselves, and add more calories than they burned in the first place. Nice treat, but nothing to show for it in the end except for extra calories. If you want to treat yourself after a workout, or after a series of workouts, do it with a non-food item. You could get yourself a new music album or CD, or if you’ve really reached a milestone, a new garment for your wardrobe. Make it something that you’ll treasure and that will be a real reward.

Visit www.3days3ways.com to request a free wellness profile, where you’ll find out how many calories you burn daily and how many calories you need to meet your weight management goal, plus a whole lot more.

In the end, remember to use additional resources to track your calorie input and output, and reward yourself with non-food items. Tracking your weight management progress via counting calories might seem pretty easy, but remember that there are pitfalls, and things are not as cut and dried as they might seem; but also remember that tracking something is better than tracking nothing, just be sure that you are tracking the correct numbers, and good luck!

Sources:
Bowerman, Susan, MS, RD, CSSD, FAND. Calories In and Calories Out: Finding the Right Balance

The Power of Protein

The Power of Protein

Protein is a key nutrient for our physical and mental health. The 22 amino acids are typically known as the building blocks of life. All major organs, including the skin, are composed of and maintained by these building blocks. But protein also is used to make enzymes and hormones, and to help blood carry oxygen throughout the body. Protein isn’t just a nutrient, but a macronutrient, and as such, we need much more of it.

The typical American diet is carb-based. We eat lots of refined flours and grains, lots of sugars, and some fruits and vegetables. Protein is supposed to make up between 10-35% of our daily calories. The exact number, or protein factor, differs for each person based on height and body weight. Men typically need more protein than women.

Protein is taken up very quickly by the digestive system. It satisfies hunger. It maintains muscle mass, resulting in a higher resting metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories at rest, even while you sleep. Protein helps normalize blood sugar and insulin levels, so you don’t get that sugar crash or those afternoon slumps.

Getting more protein in your diet is easy. In fact, here are seven ways to add protein to the meals and snacks you eat every day.

First, protein powder can be added to shakes, yogurt, or baked into muffins or bread.

Second, eggs are a great source of protein. Each egg usually has 7 grams of protein. In some countries, eggs are the primary source of protein. Eggs can be cooked in a variety of ways, and added to other foods.


Third, cottage cheese is a great source of protein. You choose whether you’d prefer low-fat or regular depending on your goals. I love cottage cheese sprinkled with cinnamon if I’m in a mood for something slightly sweet, or pepper if I prefer something savory.

Milk and soy milk are both good sources of protein. It’s easy to cook with milk, even if you don’t drink it. Milk is easily added to sauces and gravies, soups, or added to hot cereals.

Beans are an excellent protein source, and can be cooked in so many ways, it’s actually dizzying. Beans can be mashed and made into a dip like hummus, or used to thicken soups or sauces. They can be added to most savory dishes and even sweet ones. One of my favorite treats when I visit my local sushi restaurant is red bean ice cream.

Tofu comes in a variety of textures, from silky to firm. The silky tofu can be mashed and blended into smoothies or sauces. The firm tofu can be stir-fried of pan-fried and used to augment or replace chicken or beef in a recipe.

Plain, non-fat yogurt is so versatile. You can use it to add tanginess to a sauce or smoothie. You can use it to add richness to a soup or a gravy. You can add your own fruits and honey to make a healthier flavored yogurt with fewer additives.

Protein is a critical macronutrient. Use your creativity to come up with other ways of adding it to your diet. But be selective, and choose the right sources for you. Do you know how much protein your body needs each day? Visit www.3days3ways.com to request your free wellness profile and get your daily protein factor today.

Sources:
Bowerman, Susan MS, RD, CSSD, FAND. "7 Ways To Add Protein to Foods"
Heber, David M.D., Ph.D. "PROTEIN 101"

Wheat and Weight Loss

Wheat and Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, getting our calories from the healthiest and must nutritionally sound sources is important. That being said, I love breads and pastas. There’s nothing more comforting than the smell of freshly baked bread, and even though you’re supposed to let fresh bread cool completely once it comes out of the oven, my childhood memories are filled with the smell and taste of hot, fresh bread slathered with butter.

Then there’s pasta. I come from a big family, so pasta meals were a staple. Cheap and easy to make, pasta comes in many forms and can prepared in minutes. The pasta noodles themselves can be cooked on the stove, in the microwave, or in the oven. Pasta dishes can be found in almost every culture, and are made from a variety of grains.

Can three days make a difference? You bet! Visit www.3days3ways.com today and get your free wellness profile.

Both pasta and bread can be made from whole grains, but for the most part, they are made from processed, enriched flours that have little nutrition and no fiber. If they constitute the bulk of a diet, they provide little more than empty calories. I’m not saying these basic staples should be cut from anyone’s diet, but reducing the total intake in favor of foods with more nutrition and fiber is a good idea. That’s why I was happy to come across an article recently that suggested seven ways to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. I think doing this is worth the effort. And since nothing puts weight on me faster than wheat (I’m not gluten intolerant), I am always looking for good substitute suggestions.

The first suggestion from Lauren Piro’s brilliant article was to replace the bun of a sandwich with portabella mushroom caps. I wanted to share this picture from the website here, because I thought it really was a brilliant suggestion. If you don’t like the taste of mushrooms, you can marinate the portabellas to change their flavor.

Another sandwich suggestion was the Iceberg BLT. This was pretty cool, pun intended, because you slice off the sides of the lettuce head and use the flat sides of each to contain the sandwich fixings. Salad dressings, mayonnaise, or other sandwich spreads can be spread onto the cut side of the lettuce, and will work their way down between the leaves.

A third sandwich option was using sweet potato rounds in place of the bun for meat patties such as burgers, turkey burgers, or sausage patties. The sweet potatoes in this case can be parboiled, then grilled to caramelize the surface.

There were other suggestions beyond sandwich bread substitutions, such as using spaghetti squash in place of noodles, and the recipes are all linked in the article. One suggestion not found here, but that I do in my house is that I no longer make regular mashed potatoes. Instead, I make colcannon, which is mashed potatoes with cabbage and green onions. My nephews, who won’t eat green vegetables without intervention, eat it with abandon.

I don’t think these suggestions are necessarily a lifestyle choice in themselves, but they are a great idea to incorporate into your meal repertoire. And if your goal is to lose weight, the fiber and nutrients from the added vegetables is a great help.