While I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions (people often use them as an excuse the month before to let themselves off the hook for unhealthy behaviors), it is a great time to develop new habits. The New Year brings with it a sense of hope and renewal and, just like spring, the feeling of wanting to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

I recently read that it is easier to develop a new habit than get rid of an old one. Maybe it’s because what you focus on is what you create and, if you focus on a habit you don’t want, your focus keeps that habit in play. I also think that bad habits can fade away when you begin new ones that honor you.

I challenge you to begin exciting new habits. In fact, here is my 2005 challenge to you:

• Make a list of six new habits you want to acquire. Granted this is a fitness newsletter, but I know that fitness is more than exercise and how you eat. For example, if you develop a habit of taking 20 minutes of quiet time for yourself each morning or of gardening twice a week, I know those habits will make you healthier and perhaps more likely to make fitness a priority.
  
• Decide which habit to start first. Then prioritize the other five over the rest of the year. This list might change, and that’s okay. Your intention and action are most important.
  
• Develop an action plan prior to starting each habit. Do your work hours need to change? Do you need to enroll in a class? Do you need to hire a fitness coach (okay, shameless plug, but true)? Be prepared and the process will be much easier.
  
• Keep your habits, and progress towards them, clearly in mind. Write on a calendar, in a journal, anywhere you want.

Think about how quickly the last year went by. That’s how fast you will have these six habits solidly in place!

When writing the article in this issue on habits, I thought about our yard last November.

A few oak trees hang into our backyard, producing thousands (millions?) of acorns. After being out of town for several weeks, during which time it rained heavily, I came home to acorns galore in our yard. In just three short weeks, the acorns actually began to take root. Some had roots up to 4 inches long!

Remembering the time my husband and I spent on our knees, working so hard to remove the sea of rooted acorns from our backyard, made me think of habits. How quickly they too can become rooted, good or bad, and how time consuming it can then be to undo the ones we don’t want. Maybe if we focus on the good habits, the bad ones won’t have a chance!

To your health,

Heather Moreno
PeopleFit USA , President

Did you know that millions of dollars are spent, and sick days taken, each year due to back problems? Some of those back problems could be prevented or reversed with stretching.

Back stretches are more obvious, and there are plenty of them, but did you know the quadriceps and hamstrings also affect your back? It’s true. If either muscle group is tight it places stress on your back. Try these simple stretches to keep those muscle groups flexible:

Standing Quadriceps Stretch

• Hold on to something for balance with one hand, while other hand pulls heel to buttocks;
• Stand tall, keeping the knee of the standing leg soft (not locked), keep hips forward and don’t arch the back.

Lying Hamstring Stretch

• Pull the raised leg toward your face, keeping it slightly bent;
• Flex the raised leg’s foot by pressing the heel to the ceiling;
• If holding the leg with your hands is difficult, pulling with a band or hand towel over your foot can be helpful.

For each stretch, hold for 20-30 seconds on each side, breathing easily.

I hear it all the time: “I don’t have time to stretch”. And I can’t blame people; sometimes it’s enough to fit in a quick 20 minute workout. But, the money and time you save in the long run can far outweigh the few minutes it takes today!

Imagine being motivated to exercise, knowing what to do to get the best results and sticking with it all the way… achieving the fit body you are meant to have. Can you really see it? Can you imagine what it would feel like to be in your best shape possible? What would you be doing that you are not doing now? Can you taste it? That’s the first step. If you have a clear vision of your desired outcome, the rest will flow much easier.

But, I know it’s hard to stick with a fitness program on your own, so much so that some people never start. They simply wish their circumstances were different.

As a fitness coach, I help my clients reach and maintain their ideal weight and actually have fun doing it! I hold them accountable so that they stick with their program; I provide them with exercise tools so that they know immediately that what they are doing is working; I structure their workouts to help them get more results in less time.

So, want to test-drive me as
your fitness coach for 50% off?

Here’s my offer to you:
Get a one-hour PERSONAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT plus TWO COACHING SESSIONS and a CALTRAC (to track all those calories you’re going to burn) for 50% off the regular price! That’s $299 worth of product and services for only $147 (plus a little tax and shipping)! And, if you are dissatisfied in anyway, I will completely refund your money. No hassle, just your money back. Fair enough?

I have helped many people who previously thought they didn’t have time for exercise, they had to diet or give up their favorite foods, they didn’t have the willpower to stay on track or they couldn’t afford a coach. That’s why I am making this offer, because I know I can help you too.

Please only take me up on this offer if you are serious about making changes in your physical fitness. My time is precious and so is yours. Don’t just try it out because of the great price or money-back guarantee – you will only get frustrated with yourself. Don’t call me because of a New Year’s resolution. Only test-drive my offer if you are truly ready to change.

If you are still reading, chances are this offer is for you. Call my office today toll-free at 877-348-2100 or email heather@peoplefitusa.com to get started. This offer is open to the first seven people, and seven people only, who respond by January 31, 2005. The spaces will go quickly, so contact me today for 50% off and a no-hassle money-back guarantee. Your new body is waiting…

By Susan Johnson

Certain foods contain the most potent in antioxidants, nutrients that protect you from wear and tear of everyday life. Researchers now recognize that even eating and breathing, processes essential for life, can be problematic. Both of these produce free radicals that are dangerous substances, loaded with extra oxygen that can eat away at your cells. More and more experts are convinced that loading your plate with antioxidant rich foods can counter this damage. Scientists are closer to understanding how specific components in foods may prevent age related problems such as vision loss and heart disease.

While the concept of eating to slow the aging process is still controversial, the idea is gaining momentum. It is clear that more than seventy percent of strokes and heart disease can be prevented by changes in diet and lifestyle. Although no one has found the “Vegetable of Youth” yet, recent studies are making progress.

For Better Sight:

• Spinach contains lutein, a substance that helps blocks light that damages the part of the eye that enables you to see fine details.
• Broccoli, Kale and Collards are three of the dark-green vegetables that appear to help fend off macular degeneration and cataracts.
• Orange Fruits and Vegetables such as peaches and carrots are very important in protecting your sight. (So mom was right!)
• Corn is packed with zeaxanthin, which fights age-related eye problems.
• Cold-Water Fish such as tuna, mackerel, sardines and salmon. The latest evidence shows that eating two to three a week of fish will improve your sight and fight heart disease.

For Your Heart:

• Garlic helps to lower cholesterol, especially LDL (or “bad” cholesterol). If eating cloves daily is driving your family away, try supplements that are a good option and odor-free!
• Onions contain sulfur compounds which stop blood clots from forming.
• Oats have a nutrient that seems to prevent plaque buildup and control inflammation.
• Also try eating a handful of nuts a day, and sipping antioxidant filled green tea.

To Keep Your Mental Edge:

• Blueberries, Raspberries, and Blackberries contain brain-saving bioflavonoids that keep free radicals from harming the brain and causing diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
• Teas especially black, green and orange pekoe all contain the bioflavanoid catechins. Green tea contains the most of the antioxidant that is particularly effective at preventing degenerative brain diseases.
• Dark-Skinned Fruits such as nectarines and red apples. The skin of these fruits is the part that contains the bioflavonids, so keep it on!

To Fight Cancer:

• Garlic has proven, in laboratory tests, to have a chemical called allyl sulfur. This chemical seems to help block the spread of cancer.
• Fruits, Berries and Vegetables again. Cabbage and broccoli in particular.
  

About The Author: Susan Johnson is the founder of Susan's Healthy Gourmet, which provides fresh, nutritionally balanced, and calorie-controlled meals that are individually prepared and packaged to order. To learn more you can call 1.888.396.3257 (EZ-MEALS) or visit them on the Web at www.susanshealthygourmet.com (be sure to mention Heather Moreno & PeopleFit USA when you call). You can also register for Susan's the popular online monthly newsletter, Susan's Healthy Lifestyle, at http://www.susanshealthygourmet.com/newsletter/default.asp