Goal Setting: If I Could Do Anything… Well, I Would JUST DO IT!

Goal Setting: If I Could Do Anything… Well, I Would JUST DO IT!

We live in such a fast paced society today and so few of us actually take the time to think about our goals, let alone write them down. Studies show that you are far more likely to actually accomplish your goals if you write them down. The goals you set should be obtainable and something you actually want to accomplish. If you set a goal that is too far fetched, you may not accomplish it and will not feel the gratification of having made a plan and followed through. Another key element to setting goals is finding someone or a group that you can share these goals with. When you write your goals down you only are accountable to yourself; however, when you share your goals with others you now are accountable to them. This is because you have told others what you plan to accomplish and now they are part of helping you reach your target.

1. The first step is finding a goal that you want to accomplish whether it is fitness related, nutritional, personal, or service oriented. You can set multiple ones at once, but as long as they are reasonable enough to accomplish in your time frame.

2. This leads to the next key element, a time frame. It can be that week, three months, by the New Year, or even five years from now, but you need to set a time frame. This will help you focus to complete your goal in a realistic amount of time.

3. Next, you need to write these goals down and place them somewhere that you can see every day. This provides you with a constant reminder of where you want to be and what you want to accomplish.

4. Finally, find someone to share your goals with. You can tell your friends or you can actually sit down in a small group and share ideas. This step is not necessary, but does help you brainstorm and provides you with support.

I encourage any of those reading to write down your goals and check in on them a couple of times a month to see where you are at in your plan. The goals you set can be eating one extra fruit or veggie a day, sending letters to family, working out five times a week, to even spending each evening in meditation or prayer. The options are endless and should be personalized for you and what you want from yourself!

Everyone enjoys finishing something they set out to accomplish! Find a notebook and write those goals down. It doesn't take long to do and is so valuable to you and your future plans.

How do you like your veggies? Raw, Baked, Steamed, Fried?

How do you like your veggies? Raw, Baked, Steamed, Fried?

Does it really matter how we prepare our vegetables? Do we get the same nutritional value from pan fried vegetables, steamed vegetables, and raw vegetables?

The answer is no we do not get the same nutritional value from our vegetables through these different cooking modalities. This information almost seems hidden from us as a society. Almost all vegetables with a few exceptions have the most nutritional value if we eat them raw. For most Americans eating every vegetable we consume raw would be quite boring and for some unappealing. There are fortunately other ways in which we can eat vegetables and still get nutritional value out of them. The second best way to prepare those veggies is through steaming, next baking/roasting, and finally through sautéing/frying them. The key for all of these cooking methods is to not overcook them. The more you cook the vegetables the more nutrition that is cooked out of the

The unfortunate fact is that many vegetables have lost many of their nutrients by the time they reach our kitchen counter for a meal. Due to our mass production of foods in America the time between picking the produce and getting it to the consumer has increased significantly. Many nutrients are lost from our vegetables from being exposed to air and light during this time. The longer distance the vegetable travel means the longer they have been exposed to light and the longer they have been exposed to air. The best advice is to eat as fresh of food as possible from places like farmers markets or even your own personal garden. This eliminates the long distance that your produce has to travel to reach your plate.

Another tip is to wash your veggies, but not soak them because many of the water-soluble vitamins can have a tendency to leach out. This is true for any liquid you place your veggies in from steaming them in water to sautéing them in oil. The vitamins often leach into the liquid and are discarded. For soups where that liquid is often used, not much of the nutrition is lost because they are then included back into the meal.

Set a goal! What will you change to get the most nutrition out of your meal? How will you eat your next meal of veggies to benefit you the most? Perhaps raw or slightly steamed? Maybe you will even use your weekend to visit a nearby farmers market and get fresh veggies!

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