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Archive for November, 2010
The Main Cause of Insomnia
Monday, November 29th, 2010
In many opinions… the main thing that keeps us tossing and turning at night is worrying about not going to sleep. Sure there might be other reasons for sleeplessness; chronic pain, restless legs syndrome, partner disturbance, too much coffee… But at the end of the day you’re lying there worrying about how you’re going to get through the next day if you don’t get to sleep *right now!*
Worry and the stress it causes, are by far the main causes of sleeplessness, and the sad part is, the more we worry, the more wide awake we feel. But what can we do about it? We have to empty our conscious minds of worrying and stressful thoughts (yeah right! Easier said than done!)
Stress and worry can affect your sleep quite dramatically. It can be an isolated stressful incident which keeps you awake for a few nights, or the stress and worry may be chronic. Once they become a habit, certain situations will then always cause you to become stressed. Worry in particular can become a habit and like any habit, is very difficult to break (just ask us smokers, um… ex smokers out there!) But it can be done. You have to train your mind to either let go of a thought, or replace one thought with another.
If you suffer from insomnia, whether you’re having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, stress could be the cause. Your sleeping problems can then cause more stress which in turn makes it even harder to sleep. How can you stop worrying and stop this vicious cycle? The most important thing is to try and work out what you are telling yourself when you are worrying about something. We talk to ourselves all the time whether we are aware of it or not. What thoughts are going through your mind that are causing your bad feelings?
For example, you may be sitting in a traffic jam thinking, “I’m going to be late for work if this stupid traffic doesn’t start moving soon. Then I’ll be rushing around all day trying to get everything done! Which means I probably won’t have time to buy a proper lunch and I’ll have to grab something quick and greasy! Well there goes the diet …”Enough! Why torture yourself with this rubbish? Make it a habit to stop these thoughts as soon as they start. How? Just substitute them with better thoughts! Have a list of thoughts that make you feel good and think about them instead! This will reduce stress significantly and with practice, it will get easier and easier.
If you’re having trouble doing this, try doing it in two steps. When you catch yourself worrying, say “STOP!” Picture a big red stop sign right in front of you. Concentrate on this until it breaks you train of worrying thoughts.
Then you can start thinking your pleasant thoughts, a movie you enjoyed, a present from your children, whatever makes you happy!
Your mind is extremely powerful – put it to work for you and not against you! And always remember that a one-hour boxing or kickboxing class with us at LA Boxing in Baton Rouge will do wonders for you in relieving your stress!!
Healthy Holiday Eating Tips for Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in Nov 2005; Updated in Nov 2007 (HealthCastle.com)
Do you know that the average Thanksgiving dinner has over 2000 calories? It can be a real challenge if you are watching your waistline. The following are some eating tips so that you can still look good and be healthy after the Thanksgiving dinner without having to deprive yourself.
If you are a guest of a Thanksgiving dinner:
- Don’t go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry – therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at dinner time.
- Thanksgiving dinner is not an all-you-can-eat buffet: Fill your plate half with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch of your choice. Eat slowly and stop when you are full.
- Turkey – go skinless: choose your 4-oz turkey portion skinless to slash away some fat and cholesterol. Save your appetite for the side dishes and desserts.
- Side Dishes – watch your portion size: go for smaller portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.
- Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried and creamy dishes as well as cheese-filled casseroles in a traditional Thanksgiving meal . For instance, mashed potatoes are usually made with butter and milk; green bean casseroles are often prepared with cream of mushroom soup, cheese and milk and topped with fried onions; candied yams are loaded with cream, sugar and marshmallows. If you cannot control the ingredients that go in to a dish, simply limit yourself to a smaller helping size. Again moderation is the key.
- Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body. Drink calorie-free water to help fill up your stomach and keep you hydrated.
If you are the honorable chef of a Thanksgiving dinner:
- Substitute high fat ingredients with lower-fat or fat-free ingredients. Learn about the 5 easy steps to recipe substitutions or see table below.
- Leftover Turkey? Instead of turkey sandwiches, use the leftover turkey to make a pot of soup with fresh chunky vegetables.
Experiment with new recipes: we did a search on Google and found numerous delicious yet healthy low-fat contemporary Thanksgiving recipes. Experiment!
4th Annual Louisiana Open – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Friday, November 19th, 2010
Louisiana Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation will be hosting it’s 4th Louisiana Open on November 20th, 2010 at Ponchatoula High School in Ponchatoula, LA.
Agenda
- 8:00 Â - Â Last Minute Registration
- 9:30 am  -  Rules Meeting
- 10:00 am  –  No Gi Adult (All Levels and Weights)
- 11:30 am  –  Kid’s Divisions (Gi, No Gi, Open Classes and XYMA)
- 11:30 am  -  Women’s Division (Gi, No Gi and Open Classes)
- 2:00 pm  -  All Gi Divisions (White – Black Belts, All Weights)
