Farmer to You

Farmer's Market season is about to ramp up across most of the country. Visiting a farmer's market each week is a great way to support your local economy while enjoying fresh, real foods. We're lucky enough to be in Baltimore where there are several farmer's markets each week. The food simply tastes better and we get to know the people who are growing and raising our food. Plus, our weekly market trip becomes a fun event to look forward to each weekend - and over time we have become better in tune with seasonal foods.

While reading "The Prince's Speech: On The Future of Food" I was struck by the many ways industrial farming negatively impacts many things. I understand industrial farming is some people's answer to feeding more and more people, but at what cost?

Each of us can make a difference and begin to ween ourselves off of the industrial farming industry by making a lifestyle change to do more shopping at farmer's markets this year. To help us remember, consider the following:

For a directory of farmer's markets near you, see this directory. Happy eating!

Real Food Assessment

Thanks to an active discussion on LinkedIn about how to implement an employee wellness program on a budget, I'm working on some new self-assessment tools to add to Move.Eat.Be.. The first one is The Real Food Assessment as a way for people to assess their current eating habits and discover opportunities for improvement. This tool stems from our work on the Real Food Label and is built upon The Real Food Hierarchy and The Real Food Plate all designed to help people eat more real food and less processed foods. If we can get people to choose 80% of their food from the real and almost real categories, we would go a long way to improving health and stemming the tide on obesity.


The Real Food Assessment

The idea with the assessment tool is to take an honest and general look at each of your meals (either daily or weekly) and determine if you choose mostly real food or mostly fake food. If you make most of your meals at home, from scratch, you're most likely in the green category. If you eat out frequently, you're closer to red. Simply put an "X" for each meal under the category that you think most closely matches your food choices.

For the detailed definitions of what belongs in each category, click on this link to The Real Food Plate information on our website. Remember, to make improvements in your health you must start by being honest with yourself and understanding where you are today. Knowing where you are today will help you craft a good plan for tomorrow's improvements.

As always, I love feedback as everything's better when we're working together. Feel free to comment, write to me and share with your friends and colleagues.

Cogs of Wellness

Since HealthCamp DC a few weeks back, I've been doing more work on the idea of behavior change and how to help people make the best choices for their health. More and more, the signs seem to point to the importance of "that other stuff" being in good shape so one's eating and exercise habits are also in good shape. Not a new concept but perhaps it would help to look at it in a different way.

I'll pile all of the "other stuff" into a category called quest as in the cause, goal, idea, motive and purpose for what we do. Over our lifetimes, our quest will change and often we're working on more than one quest at a time. Sometimes we work on one quest for the sake of another quest. Ideally, all of our individuals quests compliment each other and work together.

I contend if our quests are in order we are feeling our best -- energetic, happy, excited. And, if we are feeling our best we feel even more motivated to take good care of ourselves, get regular exercise and eat healthy foods. The question is this... if we want to help people get more healthy should we start with diet and exercise or should we start with the quests?

Perhaps the quest is the biggest cog in the sustainable wellness machine.

The Recipe for Life

Mission to Change

At HeatlhCa.mp/DC yesterday, we created a session to talk about behavior change particularly as it relates to health and wellness. Behavior change, and figuring out how to get people to make positive choices for their health, is critical for our future. Diseases and conditions caused by lifestyle choices are eating our healthcare system alive and will take our economy down as well.

Yesterday, we made a quick list of the most obvious reasons people begin to change their behavior:

• Medical diagnosis (diabetes, heart disease being the most popular)
• Death of a friend or family member
• Pressure from our kids (worked great for smoking and seat belt use)

There are more but those, generally, are the biggies. What seldom makes the list are things like: "I know better." Why is that? We know we shouldn't smoke and yet some of us do. We know we should get, at least, some exercise each day and most of us don't. We know soda lacks any useful health properties, yet we drink it by the gallon. Some call this the "intent-behavior" gap. I mean to do the right thing, I just don't.

The holy grail? Figuring out why and doing something about it. I have a theory: People aren't making the best choices for their health because they haven't figured out their own purpose or mission.

To explore this theory, I asked a fellow HealthCamper (Doug from Infield Health) this question, "What got you out of bed this morning?" Doug's answer can best be summed up as wanting to make a difference, in healthcare and for his family. I asked the other group members to think about it, too. And, wondered with Greg from BreadForTheCity if such a question would be an important part of the work he does with their clients.

I contend if you are passionate about life, if you're working on something bigger than yourself and are driving toward your own important mission, you're more likely to make good choices for your own health. Why? Because you have work to do and you want to be sure you'll have the energy and health to see your "project" through to the end.

I'm beginning to think the "mission" part of life is the most important and perhaps more powerful than all of the exercise you can get and all of the vegetables you can eat. Perhaps we're going at this "wellness" thing from the wrong angle all together.

Maybe we need to help each person figure out their own personal mission and then support them to get there. After all, when you're working on something really important to you, there isn't anything that will get in your way.

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

The Real Food Plate

While the USDA hasn't yet released the new "food icon" which will replace the food pyramid, we (along with some food experts) are hopeful it will help people make better food choices.

I fear, however, the new food icon will miss an opportunity to help people learn how to eat more real food and eat less processed food. So, to get a jump on the USDA and further the conversation about Real Food, click on the image below for more information on The Real Food Plate^TM designed to help people recognize and enjoy more real food.



How to Choose You

Wednesday's three tips for wellness stand: Water. Cook. Walk. If you start with those three things, you'll be on your way to better health. To choose you, choose wellness and help save our healthcare system, I'm going to add two more: sleep and plan.
Water

• Drink plenty of water each day.
• Give up all processed, sugar-laden and fake-sugar-laden drinks.

Cook

• Prepare at least 80% of your meals at home (17 meals a week; make your lunch and take it with you).
• Use whole, natural ingredients (opening a box of something, adding a liquid and heating does not count as cooking).

Walk

• Walk at least 30 minutes every day.
• Add other exercise (start with strength training 2x/week, flexibility 2x/week and build from there).

Sleep

• Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

Plan

• Each Sunday, plan your upcoming week to include:
• What you'll eat
• How you'll exercise

If you do these five things, consistently, you're on a good path to wellness. When you're on a good path to wellness the people around you will notice and follow your lead. Then the people around them will follow their lead. And pretty soon, we'll be able to reverse the obesity trend and preserve our healthcare system and help our economy. Every choice matters. Every person matters. Choose you. Choose them. Choose us.

Affordable, on purpose.

When you talk about the same thing over and over again to different people, most of the time you get the key points across though you may use different words. Sometimes we use different words because of our audience and other times we use different words because saying exactly the same thing over and over again can get pretty boring.

I talk about Cybercise. A lot. The talks have gotten different (and I hope better) over time as we’ve added new features and new content. Nonetheless, I have my “elevator speech” down and can deliver a more in-depth explanation in about 4 minutes.  I was going through the 4-minute rendition of Cybercise on the phone last week and at some point I said, “Cybercise is affordable on purpose.”

The person on the other end of the line stopped me. In fact, he said, “Whoa! That is brilliant. What you just said. It really resonates with me. You are ‘affordable on purpose’.”

I read Seth Godin’s blog “On Pricing Power” which has got me thinking. Cybericse has pricing power because we are affordable on purpose. We are affordable on purpose because we can be. We set our membership price at $10 per month to help the people who can’t afford to go to the gym and don’t have the money in their budget to hire a personal trainer and nutrition consultant. We decided on $10 a month because it is something (and studies show free things seldom stick) and it enables us to keep creating and delivering meaningful content without subjecting you to ads and without selling supplements, powders, goo and all the other crazy “health” stuff you see on late night television.

Our goal? Sustainable wellness. We want to you help you discover how to get yourself well and, more importantly, keep yourself well. We’re affordable on purpose so there is one less barrier between you and being the best you possible. And when you’re the best you possible, anything is possible.

March 1, 2011

In keeping with day 1 of your New Spring Resolutions, I'm going to quote from one of my favorite authors and favorite books. "Oh! The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss.

Congratulations!

Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

Happy New Spring Resolution day!

New Spring Resolutions: Deadlines

Welcome to Friday! As promised, today we are going to put some deadlines to the five steps you created yesterday. The idea with steps and deadlines is to allow yourself an organized way to get closer to your goals, and give you plenty of opportunities to celebrate small accomplishments on your way to the big goal. Yes, celebrate! We encourage you to think of rewards you will enjoy as you complete each step. Don't forget, wellness includes having fun!

You may find as you attach deadlines to your steps, you have to make some changes. Please don't feel pressured to put too much pressure on yourself. If creating the deadlines makes you also reconsider your goals, feel free to do so. You are creating a plan for you so be sure it will work in your life. And, remember, even the smallest change can make all of the difference. Plus, it is perfectly wonderful if you acheive your New Spring Resolutions before November 30th and want to revisit this exercise and create new ones. Bonus points for those who do... be sure to let me know!

To create your deadlines, you may find it easiest to create another column on the chart like so:

After you have your deadlines established, please enter them into whatever manner of calendar tool you use. If you're using an electronic calendar, it may be helpful to set reminders for yourself far enough in advance so you'll be sure to continue making progress.

This weekend, invest some time in doing some prepartion so you'll be ready to begin on March 1st. Let's say for example, your Eat. goal was to eat at least 10 home-cooked meals each week. This weekend would be a great time to find some new recipes, clear your pantry of the processed, fake-food stuffs you won't need anymore, plan your meals for the upcoming week, make a grocery list and go to the store. With all of that accomplished by Monday you'll be well on your way toward your New Spring Resolution goal!

Monday we're going to have one final piece before you begin your New Spring Resolutions on Tuesday, March 1st. Between now and then, enjoy your weekend, give yourself some time to prepare and be sure you get lots of rest. Spring is springing!!

New Spring Resolutions: The Steps

Happy Thursday! Here's is where things get fun in the creation of your New Spring Resolutions. If you completed the assignments this week you now have three goals to work on between now and November 30, 2011. Today we're going to create the steps to get to your goals.

For each goal, write down five things you will do between March 1st and November 30th to reach your goal. Your steps should be achievable and yet not so easy you won't have to invest any effort. The reward is often in the doing. This chart may help get you organized:

Tomorrow, we'll put a little meat on these bones with deadlines. Have a terrific evening!

New Spring Resolutions: The Plan for Be.

Welcome to Wednesday and the ongoing development of your New Spring Resolutions. Thus far this week we have created a goal for your exercise and food between now and November 30, 2011. If you're only now joining us, you can go here to catch up on the discussion from last week (you will need the exercises from last week to complete today's assignment).  If you created a mind map it will be useful for today's assignment.

Today we are going to create a goal for how you'll Be. between now and November 30, 2011. The Be. portion of our approach to wellness is about happiness, fulfilment, your purpose in life, the difference you want to make, your relationships and the reason you get out of bed in the morning. Having a clear sense of who you'll Be. in this world is a great way to create a life well lived. Come on! Let's create a great life!

Last week you created three lists:

• Dreams - What are your dreams for your life.
• Surrender - What you could stop holding onto.
• Change - What you would change so something in your life is different 10 years from now.

Take a look at your lists. What really jumps out at you? Did you re-kindle a dream (or find a new one)? Did you recognize you might be better off allowing a change you've been guarding against? Perhaps the realization of how quickly time passes with the Plus Ten exercise will redirect some of the things you do today. Pick one thing from your list and create a goal to get there. Of course, some of the things on your list might be multi-year projects (i.e., finish college or get a new job) so choose a goal you can accomplish over the next 9 months that will get you closer (i.e., submit college applications or job training).

I encourage you to spend some time with this particular assignment. The more thoughtful, the more powerful. When you're ready, complete the following statement:

• Be.: By November 30, 2011, I will (enter your goal)

Tomorrow, we'll start working on your plan. Have a great evening!

New Spring Resolutions: The Plan for Eat.

Happy Tuesday and welcome to today's assignment for creating your New Spring Resolutions. Yesterday, you created a goal for your physical activity between now and November 30, 2011. Today, we're going to do the same for your food and nutrition.

The assignment is simple. In your NSR journal complete the following:

• Eat.: By November 30, 2011, I will (enter your goal).  

Some ideas to help you along...

• Eat at least 7 servings of vegetables each day
• Eat processed food less than 3 times per week
• Make my own lunch at least 4 times per week
• Eat fast food less no more than once per month
• Learn to cook one new dish per week
• Reduce the amount of red meat to 1 or 2 times per week
• Eat foods with sugar less than 4 times per week
• Have less than 3 cans of soda
• Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day

The possibilities are endless! What you may notice is the sample goals above are specific and measurable. You are much more likely to achieve your goals if you make the goal very clear and something you can count. Otherwise, you may be left to "think" you're doing better (which is kinda like cheating). Remember, your goal for today is to create your goal. You can, of course, have more than one goal, just remember you're best served by making small changes you can stick with over time.

Until tomorrow...

New Spring Resolutions: The Plan

Happy Monday! Welcome back to the final countdown to creating your New Spring Resolutions (NSRs) for 2011. First, let's go over what is in store for you this week and then we'll get to today's assignment.

This Week
Over the five days of this week we are going to: identify and prioritize your NSRs; create steps to get closer to each resolution; and then, on Friday, you'll create some deadlines for each step. Next weekend, you can devote some time making preparations so you're ready to begin your NSRs on Tuesday, March 1st.

To identify and prioritize your NSRs we're going to follow the framework of Move.Eat.Be.. Using this structure is a terrific way to ensure your goals are balanced and you're progressing in each key area of your life (exercise, nutrition and happiness). I also want you to think about your NSRs as 9-month projects. In other words, what you decide to do you will start on March 1st and finish on November 30th (more about that on Thursday).

Today's Assignment: Move.
Today's assignment is to create a New Spring Resolution for your physical activity (aka Move.). If you don't think you need to add an exercise component to your NSRs, I encourage you to think again. Every one of us has some room for improvement with their physical activity. Ideally, you will exercise each day and, over the course of each week, do some cardio, strength training, flexibility and core work.

Your NSR for Move. is your goal. Ask yourself, "On November 30, 2011, I'll have succeeded in my Move. NSR if I (fill in the blank)." If you're having some trouble filling in the blank, here are some questions to help:

• What kind of improvement would you like with your physical being? Weight loss, better muscle tone, more flexibility, improved balance, better sleep... 
• What type of exercise do you think you need the most? Cardio, strength, flexibility, core.
• Are there any medical or health conditions you would like to improve? High blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia, depression...

When you've given yourself some time to consider, record the following in your NSR journal:

• Move.: By November 30, 2011, I will (enter your goal).  

Simple! We'll work on how you're going to get to your goal on Thursday and Friday. For now, think about how good you're going to feel when you're there. Have a great evening!  

The Pressure of Perfection

When we were in school, we would study a subject and then be asked to pass a test. Most of us can remember the unpleasant sensation in our body around having to take an algebra test; few of us, probably, remember the quadratic equation. After you finish school, you realize life isn’t about tests anymore. Life becomes about living and being and going through each day in the pursuit of happiness. We all strive to live by the Golden Rule, “Do to others what you would like to be done to you.” Yet sometimes we forget the golden rule or get caught up in the drama around us.

Life as Practice
We only get one life to live and this is it. While this may seems a bit sad and depressing, let’s look at it another way. In a lifetime of 75 years you’ll have 2,366,820,000 seconds. During some of those seconds, you’ll remember the Golden Rule. During others, you’ll forget about the Golden Rule completely and purposely choose the opposite. The idea of life as practice is that you have the very next second to do something different. Think different, feel different, speak different, be different.

To really understand life as practice, consider this… You are thirsty so you walk into the kitchen and open the refrigerator. You’re about to grab some cool, fresh water and you spot a can of soda. As your hand is about to pick up the water, you start replaying old stories in your head. “I want a soda. Soda is bad for me. But I’ve been good lately, I deserve a treat. I am too fat. I miss soda. I’ll only have one. I love soda!” Depending on how active your mind is this little dialogue could go on for several moments. What happens next? You take a soda, pop it open and take a big long drink, quickly, so as if to pretend it didn’t happen. After you swallow the soda and begin to walk away, you grumble at yourself. You know water is better. Your body really wanted the water. You feel weak‐willed and upset with yourself. You’re still walking away, the soda still in your hand. Now you have a choice. Take another swig of soda or pour the rest of the can down the drain and go back for water?

Life as practice. You can make a different choice in this moment, too. So what if you chose the soda in the last moment? In this moment, you can choose again. And again, and again, and again. When you make a bad choice, give yourself the space to make a better one the next time. Don’t get caught up in being perfect each moment of each day. You aren’t, you won’t be and trying to pass each and every test without exception is a great way to make yourself unhappy. The idea of practice is that we keep practicing. Over and over; each moment a new moment.

The Wellness Wheel: Eat. (adapted)

In early January we released our Wellness Wheel and in mid-January, I devoted a few days of the blog to a more in-depth look at our Wellness Wheel to explore each section of the wheel and how it relates to our Move.Eat.Be. program.

On Monday, the USDA announced the newest Dietary Guidelines and I've devoted some time to reading the (ugh) 112-page document. Today, I explored the recommendations about eating more seafood. And, I very much enjoyed the article in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal by Bill Tomson and Ilan Brat and the quote included they therein from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association which said, "A recommendation to add fish to your diet doesn't mean you should cut back on leaf beef." It made me snicker. I'm pretty sure if I took the time to dig back in the historical records to find when eating more chicken became all the rage somebody from some beef association likely said something very similar. If they had their way, we'd be eating beef for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Getting to the point... we're editing our Wellness Wheel. I realized two things: One - We had a category for "lean meat" which really was meant to include seafood. Two - I don't want to add to the confusion created by words like lean, light, low-fat, etc. So what was previously named our "lean meat" category will now be called "seafood and meat."

The renaming, of course, raises the question about what kinds of meat, and how much, you should include in your diet. We believe it is best to discover what works best for you by awakening your body and paying attention to how you feel. Some people will feel better eating no seafood or meat. Some people are better off sticking to mostly seafood or chicken. Some people thrive on red meat. And others, still, feel their best with all types of "seafood and meat" in their diet. Taking some time to discover what works best for you is the secret to sustainable, life-long wellness.

Until you discover your own personal approach plan to Eat. seafood and meat, here are some guidelines:

• Organic, sustainably-raised and natural is always best
• Consume smaller portions of all seafoods and meats (a serving is about the size of your computer mouse)
• Choose minimally processed versions (as whole and as close as you can get to nature). Generally speaking, this means:
• Little to no ground beef, sausages, hot dogs (unless you know and trust the producer)
• No fish sticks or chicken nuggets (unless you make them yourself from whole fish or chicken)
• No "meat" in cans or any kind of "pressed-meat patties"
• No cultured, or in vitro, meat

Why? All too often, we are told to reduce our calorie intake by switching to "lean meat" or "low-fat dairy" and other such terms. This advice is included throughout the USDA's new dietary guidelines. Unfortunately, when a food manufacturer takes a natural fruit, vegetable, grain, dairy or meat and processes it to force it into a product that can be called "lean" or "low" the resulting food-like product  does far more harm to our health. We are much better off eating appropriate portions of the original, non-processed food even if it is the "full fat" version. Hence the new Eat. category of "seafood and meat." Choose well. Eat. (real). 

Eat (at home).

My friend Bill wrote to me a few weeks back and asked how I was doing on my own quest to lose 10 pounds. Back in October, the numbers on the scale had crept up a bit too much and I began writing about my own experience to lose 10 pounds. After a month or so, my 10pound updates were consumed by other blog writing and, quite honestly, I didn't know if anyone was reading or if my observations were actually serving anyone else. I don't blog for me and in the absence of feedback or support to continue telling my story, I stopped. Thank you, Bill, for letting me know you did read and for taking the time to send me a note to check in on my progress!

Since my last update (11/15 at 127 pounds), we've had the holiday season and traveling and 2011 started off with more travel and many more meetings. Last week for example, nearly every meal was at a restaurant for lunch and dinner meetings on top of which I had a nasty cough so didn't do any cardio work for fear I'd cough up a lung. The scale on Sunday morning was 133. I grumbled about the house for a little while. It is so frustrating to make progress and then go in the opposite direction. Grrrrrr.

Since Sunday evening, I've prepared every meal for myself. The scale this morning? 130. I've lost 1 pound a day for three days in a row. I'm eating whatever I want, including having wine with dinner. Granted, when I made my Move.Eat.Be. plan for the week, the foods I chose were healthy. I concocted kale and white bean casseroles in my new little Le Creuset pots (I love them!) with a side salad and bread (yes, I'm eating bread!). Last night was poached salmon with tomato and green onion sauce (cooked in 2 TBS of butter), side salad, a left-over mini casserole and more bread. Tonight is roast chicken with root vegetables. Lunches are leftovers or salad greens with hummus, mushrooms and avocado. Breakfast is (usually always) banana, blueberries (frozen, wild, organic), other fresh fruit as available, topped with ground flaxseed and accompanied by almonds. I had a cookie last night. And, I've done a workout each morning and am following along to most of our 10-to Workday Workout program.

The moral of this story? Eat at home! It is much less expensive. It is much better for you. And, honest, it does not take that much time to cook dinner. Please don't be freaked out by the cooking shows and the celebrity chefs who use 10 pans, 20 bowls and claim you can cook like them in 30 minutes (sure you can, if there is a crew prepping for you and cleaning up after you).

Take the poached salmon. It literally took me 20 minutes from start to table like so:

1. Turn oven to 350⁰
2. Put water on to boil
3. Slice green onions and salmon filet into 1" wide serving pieces (sprinkle with salt and pepper)
4. Put mini-casseroles in oven to reheat
5. Make a salad dressing (olive oil, balsamic, dijon mustard, pepper, salt, thyme)
6. Stage sauce ingredients (grape tomatos, 2 TBS butter, sliced green onions, salt, pepper) near stovetop
7. Put salmon into boiling water (cooks in 10 minutes for 1" inch think slices)
8. Slice bread and pour some olive oil into a dish with freshly ground pepper
9. Put plates on counter. Set the table. Pour wine.
10. Heat butter in skillet
11. Poor a wee bit of salad dressing into bag of salad greens. Shake.
12. Put tomatoes in skillet with butter, cook for 2 minutes, add green onions. Cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
13. Take salmon out of water
14. Plate (salmon with sauce on top next to salad). Slices of lemon. 
15. Retrieve casseroles from oven
16. Carry to table
17. Sit. Eat. Enjoy.
18. Cleanup took less than 10 minutes, including hand-washing the cookware.

Going out to eat is one of my very favorite things to do. But, until we can implement The Real Food Label in our restaurants, it is very difficult to understand what is really in the food we eat when we're out. And, I fear the additives and quality of the food when eating out (there are very few organic restaurants) has a negative impact on my ability to avoid weight gain. I'm amazed by how three days of eating at home has made such a big difference. Do yourself, and your scale, a favor.... create a Move.Eat.Be. plan each week and explore the rewards from your own cooking. 

Over 35? You remember.

I've heard smell is our most powerful sense. Through our noses, we can be taken back to a memorable time and place. The beach. The cologne from a bygone sweetheart. The smell of a summer carnival. Our first whiff of real chocolate. We've all had the experience of a scent from our past coming back to surprise us. Hopefully, most of those experiences are positive for you.

I contend our sense of taste can be just as powerful (presuming we give our body and our senses a chance to recover and restore after years of processed food poisoning).

I had two taste experiences lately that transported me directly back to my Grandparents dairy farm. The first was grass-fed, organic and minimally processed milk. It was as close as I've gotten to the taste of real milk in decades. I'm on the search for true raw milk though haven't identified a source (astoundingly, it is illegal to sell or buy raw milk in most states). Someone from South Mountain Creamery was sharing milk samples at the local MOM and I overheard him talking to another customer who asked about the cows. He replied, "Our cows are very happy!" I loved his answer so much I tried his milk. And, if taste is any indication, they are some happy cows. I exclaimed, "Wow, this is what milk used to taste like." And, it did. I bought some of this luscious milk in a glass bottle and actually enjoy milk again.

The second experience was at Elevation Burger who makes burgers from 100% grass-feed, 100% certified-organic, 100% free-range, 100% ground on-the-premises beef. While I ordered a burger with lettuce, tomato and ketchup, I actually ate most of the beef patty all by itself. I could picture my Grandma in the kitchen frying up the patties in her cast iron skillet. Elevation Burger makes a very, very tasty burger. They aren't everywhere (yet) but find one and give it a try (plus the people who work there were very, very nice).

My theory? If you are 35 years or older your body and taste buds can remember what food really tastes like. Far too much of our food today tastes nothing like nature actually designed it to taste. Tragic, isn't it? If you've organically grown your own tomato plants and enjoyed a warm-from-the-sun tomato directly from your vine, you might have a hint.

If you were born after 1976, I fear the influx of food processing and artificial ingredients have probably masked your ability to really taste. For those born after 1985, I suspect you have probably never actually tasted real food. Beyond tragic to a crime.

Fight back and reclaim your taste buds. If you are 35 or older, gather some younger people and go out in search of true, old-fashioned food. When you find it, you'll know. You'll taste it right away. And, when you do the younger people around you will have a glimpse (from the look on your face) of what is possible in a world of true, natural, unadulterated food. Awaken your body, make your taste buds happy and bring back the way food used to be. Only our lives depend upon it.

Make a List

Do you have a goal? A dream? A wish? Of course you do. Wishing is something humans do very well. How well you wish is another matter altogether. Do you want a new house? A different job? To find your one true love? Do you want to make a difference in this world?

Spend some time over the upcoming weekend writing down your dreams. Then write down 10 things you will do this year to get closer to each of your dreams. A simple task. A very powerful exercise.

Introducing.... Dana!

Dana is a busy Mom of three boys aged 9, 5 and 6 weeks. This week, she made a comment on Facebook about looking forward to banishing her "postpartum body." Not one to miss an opportunity, I suggested she might want to start Move.Eat.Be. and use Cybercise. We traded a few more messages and came up with a grand plan... Dana is going to follow Move.Eat.Be. and blog about it!

This is great for Cybercise because it will help us learn how we can make the program even better for Moms like Dana. We are ever grateful. This is also great for Dana because our program is available for her, 24/7, whenever she has time. When will she have time? We'll have to follow along and find out. Imagine, a way to get healthy and fit while doing all the other things a busy Mom of 3 has to do!

This is also good for you. First of all, if you don't know Dana she is very funny so I promise you a few laughs. Second of all, you can follow her journey and learn from her as she goes along.

Dana will be beginning Move.Eat.Be. on Sunday and planning her week.  If you'd like to join her we'd be happy to have you along. It is not too late for you to enroll and invest the next six months in finding your own best path to wellness, too.

Learn more about Dana and follow her story here.

And, lastly, in the interest of full disclosure. Dana is my cousin and a terrific friend which makes this more fun for me and motivates me, even more, to make sure Move.Eat.Be. is awesome. I'm looking forward to her honest feedback and ideas to help me make Cybercise work for her and be even better for you.