Overcoming those roadblocks in life that hit you like a brick.

Recognize that an obstacle is only temporary.  Giving up is not an option if you want to succeed.  Giving in for a bit of time can work in your favor, if it's only temporary.  If giving in helps you recognize what the problem is, what it means you and how important it is to overcome, then by all means give in temporarily.  If you give up instead of giving in, then the obstacle may nag at you forever and that causes resistance.

Obstacles challenge you and how your react to them.  Devising a plan of attack before it becomes a huge problem will help you overcome the obstacle.  Of course life does throw out some scenarios that you just can't plan for, but you can stay one step ahead by knowing what you want your life to be and how you generally want to react in situations that seem to be out of your control.  Allowing yourself to recognize that it is just an obstacle also allows you to make different choices.

Some of the most common obstacles we experience throughout our lives are:

• Not recognizing that it is only temporary;
• Finding it hard to know where to begin;
• Having a plan when an obstacle throw you for a loop;
• Encouraging others to do their best, yet we don't take our own advice;
• Doing for everyone else and putting our lives on the back burner;
• Letting our dreams get buried because we make our lives so busy;
• Not pursuing what we love;
• Reacting to what life throws at us, instead of creating a proactive plan;
• Wasting time on stuff that really doesn't serve us;
• Not knowing how to plan and set goals to achieve our dreams;
• Giving up when life doesn't happen the way you think it should;
• Making the wrong choices;
• Not learning from our wrong choices and doing it over and over again.

Living your life the way you want is your choice.  You will always find a challenge and it may not be an easy one.  Sit down and think about the challenges you have already faced in your life and how you felt at the moment it was happening.  Didn't you think it was the worse thing in the world that could ever happen and you would never get over it?  You are here today reading this, so you must have gotten past it, maybe not over it and that is a whole different subject.  If you want to live a life of joy and abundance, you have to be joyful, think abundantly and prepare yourself when life isn't joyful.

Encourage yourself to step out of your comfort zone and visualize how you want to live your life and the lifestyle that you dream of.  Start taking small steps toward creating that life.  Create a plan and a backup plan for each step.  When you hit a roadblock, step back, think about what you need to do and then move past it.

When we are in the moment, we think its the worst it will ever be.  Sometimes it is and unfortunately it can always get worse before it gets better.  But it does get better and each time you prepare before the obstacle shows up, it gets easier too.  Looking back helps you realize that yes you did go through rough times, but you also have to pat yourself on the back because you did make it through.

Can Your Sweet Tooth Make You Skinny?

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES
Chocolate, one of the most widely consumed snacks in the world, has been linked to improvements in many different aspects of human health.

It has been shown to reduce blood pressure, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower cholesterol.

Chocolate does contain lots of sugar and saturated fat and it is usually recommended to limit your daily intake to avoid increasing your weight and calories.

However, a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, could show a link between chocolate intake and a reduction in your BMI.

Let me explain…

Chocolate and Reduced BMI

Researchers wanted to verify previous findings that chocolate intake was associated with reduced BMI and lower risk factors for metabolic syndrome.

In fact, according to their research, BMI is just one part in a complicated puzzle related to metabolic syndrome.
BMI, which is a weight to height ratio that is commonly used to assess the risk for being underweight, overweight, or obese.

Metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of many different factors, could increase your risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, or having a stroke.

Typically, metabolic syndrome is associated with extra weight around your mid-section, insulin resistance, and blood pressure changes.

Many different factors increase your risk for metabolic syndrome. They can include: age, gender, lack of exercise, extra weight, and hormone changes in your body.

The researchers noted that moderate chocolate consumption was associated with reduced fat deposits in your body.

They recruited 1,018 men and women that ranged in age from 20 to 85 and who were free from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and had low levels of LDL cholesterol.

They answered different questionnaires in regards to fruit and vegetable intake (associated with a lower BMI), saturated fat intake, exercise history, and chocolate intake.

A total of 1,017 people answered the questionnaire on chocolate intake.

The researchers noted that greater chocolate consumption was related to lower body weight.

They also showed that people who consumed chocolate twice per week, also tended to exercise at least three days per week.

However, they did find that frequency of chocolate intake was associated with an increase in calories and saturated fat.

The researchers did mention that the powerful polyphenols, epicatechins, which could be commonly found in high amounts in chocolate, may be the reason for the lower BMI. 

Epicatechins have been shown in other studies to increase mitochondrial biogenesis and capillary, muscular performance and lean mass which could be linked to reductions in BMI without changing calories in rats.

They concluded through their findings that modest chocolate intake was associated with a reduced BMI.

The researchers did note that even though their research supports other research, their findings warrant further studies into chocolate relationship in human metabolic demands.

Amazing Benefits of Chocolate

One of the most consumed snacks in the world, chocolate, has been on the forefront of research the last few years for potential benefits related to health and wellness.

In fact, recently it has been shown that chocolate contains powerful polyphenols, which have been shown to possess very strong antioxidant capabilities.

Now, according to this study, modest chocolate intake has been linked to lower BMI.

The research could point to catechins found in chocolate as the reason for the significant improvements in different areas of health - especially metabolic syndrome.

Even though more research is needed, chocolate consumption could be linked to lower BMI, which could help reduce one risk factor related to metabolic syndrome.


If you need help with an exercise program, check out Get Fit 101

Joanie's on a roll

She says your butt is being ripped off.  Have you noticed that the toilet paper rolls are getting smaller yet more expensive?  I bought the Costco brand toilet paper on my last visit and it seems to be one of your best offers.  We noticed that when we put the new roll on and could hardly move it because it was thicker and about 3/4 inch wider.

I don't know about you, but wouldn't you enjoy wider and thicker to CYA?