Nutrition not Calories

Nutrition is the key to successfully shedding those pounds of fat--not counting calories.

Calories are not all equal. So many people get caught up in counting calories that they ignore what those calories consist of.

I am a proponent of indulgences--it is so important to not feel deprived. So rather than having little 100 calorie this or that snack, I focus on being nutritionally sound and then really enjoying it when I have a splurge. I have found a couple of benefits--I splurge less because I don't have the cravings for the foods; I have broken the sugar and carb habit; when I do have a treat I typically share it with a friend because it is just too much for me alone--so I save money, too!

Even Dara Torres (41 year old woman who one 3 medals at the Beijing Olympics) is keen on nutrition. Here is a woman who can pretty much eat anything she wants because of the amount of exercise that she does, and probably her metabolism. So we're not in that league, but we can take some pointers from her.

She says she drinks a nutritional drink every morning--and before each race. This drink provides her with the nutrients and protein that she needs from a meal.

I don't know what product she uses, but I know what I have been using with great success. The Mars Venus Wellness Solution shake gives me all the nutrients including amino acids that I need in a meal and to optimize my brain chemistry.

Why is brain chemistry important? It is the brain chemistry imbalance that got me into trouble physically. For some people the imbalance leads to drug addiction or alcohol abuse. My drug of choice was food--especially ice cream. I couldn't have ice cream in the house, it "called my name" so loudly that I would eat whatever was there, even when I didn't want it!!!

Thanks to Dr. John Gray's Mars Venus Wellness Solution I no longer have those cravings. I am finally in control of my eating and have what I call a "normal relationship" with food.

Olympic Inspirations

Being a former swimmer, I watched the swimming events with my usual fervor, even though I had to scale back my Olympic viewing in other areas. Of course I was blown away by the successes of all the swimmers, including Michael Phelps, but most especially Dara Torres.

One of the things that was impressed upon me was how much the sport has changed from my day (hey, I'm more the Mark Spitz era!) and what I can take away from those changes to apply to my life today. Specifically my own health and fitness routine.

Of course there is no way I am going to spend the hours every day working out that they do. However I can increase the time I spend stretching my body. I watched mesmorized as "Team Torres" massaged, pulled, stretched and munched that body. So I spent an extra few minutes getting a really good stretch in before my morning walk the last few days.

Guess what? It helped this 50 year old get a better walk. I was able to go further, faster with less fatigue!

So if you aren't stretching, or you think a minute will do it, I suggest you stretch twice as long (or longer) and see what that does for you!