What could be better than spring in terms of lifting the mood and inspiring action?

I’m energized by the bulbs in full bloom, the warmer air, and the longer days.

The food program automatically lightens up as fresh asparagus and artichokes grace the store shelves.

Speaking of food, this month's recipe is all about condiments. Roasted Yellow Pepper Crush and Green Goddess Dip allow you to dress, drizzle or dip with abandon as they are light in calories and rich in antioxidants and flavor.

This month’s article “Willpower Meets Emotion—Watch Out!” will walk you through a process designed to maximize your potential for a successful weight loss or other program. You may not need to lose weight but want to tone up or leave a boring job. This exercise will serve you any time you need to make changes that last.

If you’ve been wondering about whether you need Green Tea, check out the Q & A. It really is all that and there are ways to get the benefits without sipping it hot.

Speaking of action, if you are thinking it’s time to make some changes in your food program but you lack a plan, don’t miss the review of “The Superfoods Rx Diet, Lose Weight with the Power of Supernutrients by Wendy Bazialan and Steven Pratt, M.D. It’s packed with step by step changes that will get you on the path and sustain you for the long haul.

To your wellbeing,
Gregory Anne

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Willpower Meets Emotion—Watch Out!

Summer looms hot, delicious, and soon. Tasty memories of ripe tomato salads, bi-color sweet corn, and the occasional juicy watermelon tickle this chef’s creative juices awake.

Summer daydreaming also brings to mind bare arms and legs, light and breezy dresses, and the clear blue swimming pool for which the proper attire is a bathing suit.

“Oh dark Winter, your weight is still upon me, be gone I say!” Would that it was that easy, I’d own a drawer-ful of bikinis. Alas, I am/we are but mere mortals and as such some of us have work to do before we feel we can “suit up” so to speak.

How we go about that is individual of course and our success will come about or not depending on how we see the challenge. Can we all agree on one thing to begin with?

Willpower alone is not what pushes us towards our goals.

Then what? Should we give up gritting our teeth—whatever that means—and just doing it? Just Say No to chips and chocolate and the Swimsuit competition is ours? Willpower, like genes, is but one small part of what we get in life and what we do with what we get.

It seems that willpower needs some reinforcement.

How about a dose of excitement about taking on something new? What about a dash of yeeha at the possibility of what a “get fit and feel better about me” plan can do? No, not just reading those words and nodding in agreement but really imagining you at the weight or size you want to be in all of that glory. What about some giggly energy about how frickin’ cool it will when you hit your target?

I’m talking e-motion, energy in motion.

In order to give willpower a fighting chance we must get emotional about it. Emotion is what carries us over the finish line along with our will. Add in some music, a mental or physical image, and the incentive called “how good it will feel to succeed at this” and you are well on your way to having proof that you show up and get it done.

You see, losing weight may be one of the hardest things we do but it is also one of the most rewarding, satisfying, health improving, self esteem boosting, things we can do. So if you’ve done willpower alone in the past and found it didn’t work, well it may be time to add in some emotion.

Frustration is a feeling tied to an emotion. So is self-loathing. Both are strong motivators and perhaps that’s where you are starting. Here is an exercise to use to move you from these negative and powerless feelings to those that will help you get what you want.

You’ll need a timer and your favorite upbeat music on a stereo or ipod plugged into speakers. If you’d like to write some thoughts down after this exercise then also grab a pen and paper.

Preferably do this in the privacy of your own room or soundproof office. You’ll see why in a minute.

First decide how long you’d like to feel the negative feelings. Set the timer for this amount of time. Just FYI, 10 minutes is a long time for this exercise trust me but go longer or shorter, follow your gut. Why? Because without a set time during which you are allowed to vent, the negative stuff it will take on a life of its own and go on til you can’t do anything but eat a bunch of junk to bring your mood up.

Have the music you want to hear queued and ready to go at the press of a button.

Rather than try to suppress your negative feelings you’re going to feel them. Get into the feelings of wretched, hateful, jeans-too-tight-wanna-eat-anyway ness and spew it all out loud. Let all of how miserable you feel, how unfair it is, how you hate to exercise, and whatever makes you suffer around releasing some weight come out in sounds and words. And keep going til the timer goes off.

Then, immediately hit “play” on your chosen music and turn it up. Let the energy in the music and the emotions that your favorite song or two will bring up surge through you. As it does it will wash away any junk that’s left. Let the music move you literally and move, dance, or just tap those feet as you imagine yourself loving your new eating plan, seeing yourself smiling at the end of a big powerwalk, and successful, sitting by the pool or at the beach looking and feeling exactly like you want.

Now that you are in the energy of motion towards your goal, willpower can do its part. When negative thoughts of quitting or failure come up put on the music and you’ll see how easy it is to will yourself back to the book with your new plan or to the gym or out the door for a walk. Why? You’ve created a link between a good feeling and actions that used to feel not-so-good but you know are good for you.

Ah, summer; bare toned arms and legs, juicy ripe tomato salads, swim suits, and success stories that will last for many summers to come. The corn will taste sweeter, I promise.

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Want to use this article in your newsletter or on your web site?  You are welcome to do so, as long as you give full attribution below.  I would also appreciate it if you would let me know when you publish it.  You may contact me via email or phone call.

Gregory Anne Cox is a certified life coach who has been dishing up all-you-can-eat servings of women's health and nutrition information for years. Her Lifestyle Tune-Up course is a 28 day wonder seminar for women looking for the missing mid-life manual. You can find out more at Live Better Coach, send her an email, or call her at (631) 728-2456.  This article is copyrighted and you may feel free to use it as long as you include this paragraph when publishing it.

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gregory@livebettercoach.com

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Condiments - Green Goddess Dressing

I love chef, Michael Chiarello, from way back and this recipe is inspired by his version. My first trip to the wine country was sometime in the late ‘80s. Lunch at his restaurant Tra Vigne is still one of my all time faves. I remember eating grilled figs wrapped in prosciutto with a side of soft Italian cheese, sipping a large glass of something delicious and red, and begging for the powers that be to somehow make it ok for me to stay just there for a very long time.

This recipe is my variation on Michael’s variation of a Donna Reed classic.

Yummy for crudite dipping.

Ingredients

1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped into cubes
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup roughly chopped basil leaves
¼ cup roughly chopped tarragon leaves
1 clove garlic, optional and I leave it out for parties
½ cup light mayo
½ cup light sour cream
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a food processor, combine avocado cubes, lime juice, herbs, garlic if you are using it. Blend until smooth.
2. With the motor running, slowly pour in olive oil to make a thick, creamy base.
3. Pour into a bowl, add the sour cream and mayo and whisk to mixed thoroughly.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled.

Charred Yellow Pepper Sauce

If there is a flavor more sweetly delicious than roasted yellow pepper I’ve not discovered it. Charring them on the grill or open flame adds a sharp contrast but just a bit. Truth be told the charred peppers alone pulsed in the food processor and seasoned would be perfect as is. But I’ve got to play with my food so I punch it up with a store bought condiment. Don’t forget my cardinal rule and think outside the recipe for your own variation. "I'm having mine with sauteed swiss chard for a nutrition packed, light lunch."

Ingredients

2 medium size yellow bell peppers
1 Tablespoon or so of Patak’s Garlic Relish
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
A squeeze of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. I char my peppers on the grill after cutting them into 3 or 4 slabs. When they are left whole they steam which is fine but I want more texture than I can get the other way.
2. Don’t worry about the skin getting black. If you keep an eye on the peppers you’ll simply char the skin and a bit of the pepper flesh, not kill it.
3. Once they are cooked and you can handle them peel off the black skin but don’t worry about leaving bits here and there, it adds flavor.
4. Place them in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic relish, olive oil, lemon and some S & P.
5. Process til the mixture is coarse but sauce like. You can certainly puree it smooth but I like the texture of it chunky.
6. Spoon over asparagus, fish, tomatoes, or anything else that sounds good to you.

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The SuperFoods Rx Diet, Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients
Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD and Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews

For all my women who say they need a plan, some food ideas, recipes even and some way to keep track of it all, this is the book for you. While I’m firmly in the “diets don’t work” camp, this diet or program, has all the makings of a successful one. And it’s about the easiest to follow of all I’ve reviewed to date.

“Groundbreaking research has shown the secret lies in the power of SuperNutrients and their synergy. When the nutrients in these foods are combines, their effects on the body amplify—accelerating weight loss.” So says the jacket and from reading the book it's obvious, they’ve got the science to prove that claim.

The Vitamin C in Oranges can help break down fat? Probiotics in yogurt not only support gastrointestinal health but aid in metabolism? Tell me more!

The book is a combination of science, research, and real world application through meal plans and recipes. It also covers the psychology behind overeating in a world flooded with smart marketing and super size me offers.

Some of what they suggest will help you succeed you’ll have heard before. You may have even done some of them—exercise regularly, keep a food journal, plan just a little, be sure you have to foods you want to eat on hand. If you don’t like the idea of including the aforementioned steps into your new plan to shed some winter weight I’d suggest you change your thinking. The same few things show up time after time why? Because they are proven to help. If you only take on the food program as they suggest it and get some more exercise I bet you’ll find you’ll drop some pounds. Add in the awareness that a food journal will bring and I’d bet you’ll drop a bit more.

The beginning of the book tells of some study subjects who adopted this plan and were calling in with reports of looking better. Their skin and hair seemed to improve after only 2 weeks and the Docs did not believe it. They toted it up to the power of positive thinking—do something good for yourself and you feel better about you and so you might think you look better. But they consulted with the Chairman of Dermatologic Surgery at Scripps Clinic for his opinion. Dr. Greenway explained that what these folks were experiencing was real. I’ll let you read why. It’s in the introduction but who wouldn’t want to see an improvement in their hair and skin while losing weight?

There are formulas to keep it simple such as:
• You must eat a snack each afternoon and more if you need it,
• You must eat breakfast and have a grain and protein,
• The other two meals will be either “with or without”, a starch that is,
• One day per week is a vegetarian day,
• On Monday (or a day of your choosing if Monday’s inconvenient) you will eat a soup and salad meal and so on .

“But I don’t want to be locked in to a meal plan, I travel all the time” you cry. Dry your tears this is the most flexible plan ever. But the reason they suggest doing something like a soup and salad Monday is because for most of us routine is comforting. If travel is your Achilles in the eating well game, fear not, their flex plan will show you how to survive and stick to your plan.

And they suggest a “prep and plan” week before jumping in to their program. You will read about portion control, the psychology of eating, losing weight and where the sabotage is hiding. If you want to know where you are so you can see what it will take to get to where you want to be there are all sorts of measuring devices and calculators. You’ll go shopping so you have what you need to get started.

Three stages make up the overall plan; The SlimDown, The FlexPlan and The LifePlan.
The first phase is a suggest two weeks but you can stay on it longer. Once you see amazing results in this phase you may want to stay there for a bit. Go ahead the foods are super healthy and you don’t run the risk of doing harm to any organs as you might on the first phase of Atkins where carbs are prohibited.

The bulk of the testimonials talk about a reduction in not just weight but also in belly fat and waist size. We now know that both of these are correlated to the risks of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The final chapters include recipes I will make, and something I think is a real time saver, a Name Brand shopping list. No one is going to make everything from scratch and knowing for instance that a Kashi TLC Trail Mix bar or Nabisco Triscuit Low Sodium, Reduced fat crackers are good choices makes life a lot easier.

How would you feel if three weeks from now you could send me an email saying, “Greg, I lost 8 pounds and 2 inches off my waist by trying the SuperFoods Rx Diet!” I’ll be using it myself, let’s compare notes.

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Q&A
Be sure to send your questions to Greg so she can answer them here in future issues of The You Revolution.

Q: I’ve heard that drinking green tea is a must if I want to be healthy. Really? What’s so healthy about it? I’ve heard it can help me loose weight too. Now you’ve got my attention. Is it true? What about regular tea, can I drink it instead?

A: Really. Green tea, as well as black, white and red, (oolong) all come from one plant; Camellia sinensis. The leaves are harvested and processed in different ways to produce the different kinds of tea. Each process produces different levels and kinds of protective antioxidants in this case called polyphenols.

The polyphenols in teas are called catechins. The catechin believed to be responsible for green tea’s anti-cancer effect is EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate.

Black tea is known to support blood vessel function thus contributing to the prevention of stroke and heart attack. It also lowers triglycerides—more so than green tea. In case you’ve forgotten, high triglyceride levels have a strong association with high risk of cardiovascular disease.

For stress relief, green tea is the hands down winner because of a component called theanine. Theanine induces the release of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which calms the brain.

Green tea may even produce thermogenisis, increase energy expenditure, and fat oxidation, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

A study done in Switzerland concluded that drinking 2-3 cups of green tea a day made the members to burn an extra eighty calories daily, without an increase in their heart rate.

The bulk of what I’ve researched indicates that green tea extract, whether in capsules or concentrate that you add to water, is a more realistic way to go. Most of us just won’t drink the necessary amount of green tea to produce weight loss effects.

I use various brands of Green Tea extract in water throughout the day, especially while working out as I read it increases fat burning when used this way.

Whether for health or weight loss or both, add tea to your daily beverage program but avoid the sugary commercially produced ones like Snapple or Sobi.

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Another MORE magazine half marathon has been completed and both Chris and I managed to best our time from last year!

To the 115 of you who participated in the Smart Woman’s Mind and Body Survey I thank you. The report I promised is almost ready and I’ve had a ball putting it together. Look for an email on May 3rd with the link to the report.

Next month I’m launching a new blog! The name is a secret for now but I think you’ll like it. As a matter of fact a lot of what I do and how it looks is undergoing a face lift and in some instances, an overhaul. I’ll still be writing and coaching but the ways I deliver those things will enable me to reach more people. Technology is always on the move and I’ve been scrambling to get into the game of Web 2.0+. By jove, I think we’ve done it.

Video, podcasts, audio postcards and a whole lot more are weeks away from the big reveal as they say in Reality TV.

If you feel you could use a Tune Up it’s that time again. I’m offering the new and improved version of my Smart Woman’s Mind and Body Tune Up 4 week teleseminar.

You’ll get a separate email next week with a link to the information.

And if one-on-one accountability is more what you feel you need right now, all you have to do is ask.

Happy Earth Day Fellow Earthlings,
Greg

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Thank you for reading. I know your time is valuable and that there is a mountain of information out there demanding your attention. My highest hope is that I've provided something of value for you. If you know someone who might benefit from any of the content please forward this.

Any recommendations of sites or products are items I have personally investigated and recommend with confidence.