The Chatty Gourmet

Are you worried about the upcoming holidays? Halloween is right around the corner and there is more than one reason to be frightened. With the amount of candy being shuffled around you have good reason to be. A tip to avoid the holiday pounds is to realize that any given holiday is only one day. I find it ok to splurge on that one day. But as for the days leading up to or following the holiday, my advice is to stay away. Enjoying yourself on the actual day will make it worthwhile, but just be cautious of any splurging before or after. Instead, try filling up on some healthy snacks like SHG's yogurt partfaits or veggie sticks! These will leave you feeling less haunted.

Hello all, hope you're enjoying the rain. For me it is a double-edged sword. I love it because I get to snuggle in my bed and wear my cute peacoats and boots. On the other hand it makes it difficult when it comes to my workout schedule. I don't use the gym so my running is done all outside, which is what I enjoy -- it gets me out and into nature. So you can guess that with all this sudden rain it has made it difficult to workout as much as I would like. Not to mention it makes it easier for me to make up excuses of why not to go out for a run and watch a movie on the couch instead. It is a small personal battle between me, the weather, and my comfy couch. Even though I know it will get harder as winter comes into full swing, I plan to maybe do some indoor exercising in my apartment on those days. Any suggestions or tips on indoor exercises? It is all about continuing to see results -- it helps keep me motivated. I am still doing well with my caloric intake and I am still able to treat myself to something yummy every once in a while. I am at a total loss of about 10lbs as of this past Sunday. So the key for me is to not let the weather make excuses for my mood...

This past Sunday my co-worker Terri and I worked at the VIP booth at the Susan G. Komen Orange County Race for the Cure. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world's largest source of nonprofit funds that are dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer. This is the second year I have worked the Race for the Cure and it is such a powerful event. Their were over 30,000 people in attendance and it is so inspiring to see those who are there to support others or survivors who are currently in remission. As a member of SHG we love being able to give back to our community. We gave out some of our popular SHG breads and coffee cakes along with fruit and orange juice. My co-worker and I did something a little fun this year: we both wore pink wigs and it was a huge hit! Many people asked if they could take our picture. There are many people who dress up and wore themed shirts. There was even a contest for best team shirt. I had such a great time and I hope to be involved again next year. Just being surrounded by so many people that care reminds me how important it is to take some time to be of service to others in any way you can. I am proud to be a member of a company that feels the need to do so. 

I wanted to let you all know how things have been going with the running and eating. First and foremost I would like to say I am finally sleeping better -- not perfectly, but better. Last week was rough -- I was only able to workout once because I got sick and was fighting it all week. Regardless of being sick though, I kept up with eating healthy and resisted temptations like ice cream and all those soft foods that are comforting when you're sick. This week I am back on track and have lost nine pounds total as of last Sunday. That's in one month and a few days. I hope I can encourage you to give healthy living a try. You not only look better, but you feel better, too. Until next time...

Are you one of those people that struggles to wait for dinner either because of your grueling schedule or you're waiting on someone else? Well here is a tip for those of you who can identify with this. I read about it on Yahoo Health. According to Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of SELF magazine, playing games on your computer or phone can actually distract you from your hunger. Games on electronic devices "increases activity in the same areas of your brain that light up when you think about eating". So the next time you are starving but know you don't have a chance to eat at that time, or you need to wait for someone else, pull out that cell phone and play some solitare.