BLOG 226 TEMPTATION
Temptation is the desire to participate in short term enjoyment. It is an urge that threatens long term goals. Curiosity or fear of loss can cause temptation. Temptation actually has 4 stages:
1. Desire: This word originated from the Greek word epithumeeah, which can be translated to mean lust or craving. This desire doesn’t have to be for something bad, it can even be for good things. Soon this amount of desire goes into over-drive.
2. Enticement: This is the feeling of being lured by something. This can be onset by a trigger that gets the motor or process going. The second part is having tempting thoughts. The over-desire and the trigger meet.
3. Conception: The desire becomes action. A person tells themselves that what they are doing is no big deal and starts to justify and rationalize the action that is to come. Then the action, the birth, takes place.
4. Death: This describes the process of decay and misery that result from sin.
Everyone faces temptation because it is the result of our own natural desires. We have to recognize this human tendency. Most of us face temptation daily. Think about food. We are tempted to eat what we desire, although if we always gave into these urges the obesity epidemic would be even worse. We have to be able to stand up to the temptation. We have to identify our triggers, know our struggles, and work to resist.
Often times it is temptation that causes a person to fall off the workout or eating clean wagon. Desserts and fried food are luring everywhere. Food is celebration and socially part of meetings, occasions, and lurk at every corner. Act with your intuition and know that these choices have consequences. Find a source of accountability and seek help when needed. Making important lifestyle changes doesn’t have to be an isolated experience. You can. You will. And it is going to happen for you.
BLOG 225 PETS
Pets are our companions, confidants, and part of the family. They improve our lives for many different reasons. In fact, owning a pet can be beneficial to a person’s health. Here’s why:
1. Pets fulfill the human need to touch: Scratch and pet all you want.
2. Pets provide a sense of purpose; They need their owner for food and shelter.
3. Pets require routine and organization: They must be fed and cared for, which keeps the owner accountable.
4. Pets improve heart health: Owners walks their pets and activity is appreciated by the body.
5. Pets reduce stress: They’re soothing and calming and compassionate friends to have around.
6. Pets improve mood: Their innocence and playful nature makes people smile.
7. Pets improve social life: Owners share a common interests and pets can attract other people who are engaged by them.
8. Pets improve the immune system: Babies who are raised in pet friendly environments often times have less allergies as they age.
9. Pets reduce loneliness: If a person lives alone or feels isolated, pets are there to share space.
10. Pets reduce anxiety: Pets offer loyalty and comfort and keep a person in check with life’s responsibilities reducing the opportunity to fall apart emotionally.
11. Pets can improve love life: Mr. or Mrs. Right can be lured in with the appeal of a cute and friendly animal.
Some people have just one. Some people have just one type. While others have more than one and more than one type. They become our children. They become part of us. Pets are amazing additions to our lives that help us embrace our daily functions with a little added bonus when we get home. I like that they get you moving and active.
BLOG 224 HEREDITARY TRAITS
Our DNA is the result of our parents with some traits being more obviously handed down then others. For example, eye color, hair color, or the way our face might be shaped, or any combination of those, are qualities from mom and dad. Genetically passed down traits are mostly physical. These include heath factors such as high blood pressure or even mental illnesses. Most people wouldn’t associate lifestyle choices and behaviors as being inherited, but actually some are. The following are some traits that your parents can be blamed for:
1. How food tastes: The preference between spicy of bland is the result of the flavors mom and dad enjoy. DNA is associated with taste. Not only this, but we have to think of what we ate at an age when we didn’t have a choice about what was put in front of us. Now that we have the choice it becomes second nature to make the recipes or eat the foods we are familiar with from those choiceless days.
2. Your driving skills: Those who are poor drivers might be able to point the finger at their parents. We inherit brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) which is responsible for learning and memory during certain activities such as driving. Therefore, certain learning skills allow for better retention for certain skills than others.
3. Your coffee intake: Some people would prefer an IV of caffeine if possible. Some people have more of the gene PDSS2 which influences the amount of coffee someone drinks.
4. Musical talent: The ability to recognize pitch and tone come from the right genes. Musical ability might not be based on the number of hours practiced. There’s nothing wrong with practice, but there may be incredible genes behind the greatest rock star talents.
5. Laziness: Physical exertion is a matter of choice, and for some its workout regularly and others are more lured by the couch. DNA can determine how physically active we are.
6. Who you vote for: We tend to favor who are parents select. Traditionalism is a factor. We are predisposed to political positions.
7. Popularity: Having a lot of friends might be based on how likable you are passed down from mom and dad. Interaction with your peers is a trait you received.
Keeping it all in the family may be true for more than just how you look. Some come from just mom while others come just from dad. Some are good to blame for and others we would rather go without. Maternal come from mom, paternal from dad, dominant from whichever overrides, and recessive come from both. We are our parent’s recipes and we add our own flavor along the way.
BLOG 223 HAMBURGERS
When we think of American food, the classic hamburger comes to mind. Certain chains have made this meat patty and bun extremely popular, especially with all the different versions that now exist. The patty can be fried, grilled, or flame boiled, and some of the traditional toppings include lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, cheese, pickles, mayonnaise, or different special sauces.
The first hamburger was sold by Louis Lassen in 1895. This information is according to the government of Connecticut who said that hamburgers originated from the Louis Lunch restaurant. This sandwich was actually nameless until a traveler from Hamburg, Germany, named it after where he lived. It wasn’t until about 1921 when White Castle in Kansas became the first chain to carry the product. About 19 years later, McDonalds soon followed suit. This chain was known for adding variety to the sandwich. Because McDonalds offered fast service, the hamburger soon became a hit. Today, Burger King follows McDonalds as the second largest hamburger chain.
A traditional single patty hamburger has about 230 calories, 9.5 grams of fat, 25 carbohydrates, and 13 grams of protein.
Americans consume approximately 50 billion burgers per year.
About 75% of all American restaurants are burger joints.
71% of beef consumed in American is in the form of a hamburger.
There are over 50,000 burger joints across the United States.
Of all sandwiches sold, burgers account for 60%.
McDonalds purchases over 1 billion pounds of hamburger meat per year.
Besides the major chains the list of burger joints that sell the most burgers are as follows: In-N-Out, Culver’s, Fuddruckers, Steak n Shake, Smashburger, Five Guys, Whataburger, Rally’s, Carl’s Jr., and Wendy’s.
A burger can be very basic or very unique these days. The portion distortion of a single patty has also become part of the more the merrier for the belly. Not to mention the French fries or onion rings that come on the side. A burger can pretty much satisfy anyone’s taste-buds and there are now vegetarian and non-red meat options. Those following dietary restrictions might ditch the bun and opt for a lettuce wrap. There are gigantic not able to fit in your mouth burgers, and then there are mini sliders. Depending on your preference, a burger can be detrimental to the waistline or a good addition of iron and nutrients. Going back to the basic hamburger Louis Lassen made might be a lost art, but there’s always room for simplicity in one’s life. At summer barbeques and parties, burgers are always an option on the menu. A hamburger is taste of American tradition well sought after.
BLOG 222 EATING OUT
Dining out. Eating out. To-go. Fast food. Restaurants. Delivery. It’s food served to you and not prepared by you. When cooking at home is not on the to-do list or packing something just isn’t happening, eating out is the solution. No matter the reason, your wallet is paying the price in addition to your waistline.
Eating out allows you to be sociable. It’s a nice change of scenery. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate. It’s less work than cooking. Most times the food is great. Eventually, eating out can become the new norm for you, and suddenly your meals are taking place in different settings three or more times per week. Maybe the following will serve as convincing argument to stay at home more often.
1. Eating out is expensive. Your no effort to cook means that you are being served by someone else and you are paying for this luxury of labor. You also have to add in transportation and the tips.
2. It’s not healthy. The food tastes so good because of the extra fats from oils, condiments, and sauces that add flavor. Fast food is completely salt filled.
3. You don’t really know what is put in the food. If you are watching your waistline, you don’t know what all is included in the cooking process.
4. There is more to be tempted by. You are always asked if you want dessert. The effort to make a poor choice is so much easier than baking a cake yourself. Any day becomes a special occasion.
5. Tradition can be lost. Home cooked recipes are a favorite of everyone. Don’t let their novelty wear off or their passing onward be forgotten. Teach the next generation how to cook up your favorite meals.
6. Time consuming. Eating out can be a waiting game depending on when and where you go. Plus the drive time there and back. This doesn’t hold true for fast food, but fast food can take time off your life by increasing health risks.
7. Portion control. Let’s face it you are likely to eat much more than you would have if you made the meal yourself. Having the will power to just eat some and take the other part home for later can be a daunting task that feels like you are depriving yourself.
8. You tend to drink more beverages that are sugar filled and calorie filled. Free refills so why not have more. Since the alcohol is there why not and another round.
9. You can’t really relax. There are social norms that come with eating in front of others. You aren’t in your pajamas. You typically have to hold conversations too.
10. Guilt. You just keep going even though you told yourself you would eat out less and when you did eat out you wouldn’t order poor choices, have extra drinks, or dessert. But you walk away yet again having done it.
Challenge yourself to 30 days of eating at home. See what happens as your own experiment for your health.