Positive Affirmations for a Positively Wonderful Day

from KAREN FICARELLI Fitness4Her

 
Positive affirmations are your brain’s way of redirecting your body’s energy to keep you motivated. The brain cannot see or hear it only reacts to the stimuli that you feed it. Negative affirmations like: “I am always tired” or “Why can’t I ever do anything right?” Only serve to reinforce negative energy and stand in the way of your progress. If you need help coming up with your own positive affirmations, try some of the following to get you started.

For Exercise:
• I love to exercise.
• Exercise makes me feel good.
• Exercise is good for my heart, my lungs and my health.
• I feel healthier when I exercise.
• I look better when I exercise and it shows.
• I have more energy when I exercise.
• I am becoming stronger every day.
• My family and I are both happier when I exercise.
• I get more accomplished when I exercise.
• I look better in my clothes when I exercise.
• I sleep better because I exercise.
• My skin looks good when I exercise.
• I can handle life’s challenges when I exercise.
• My diet is easier to maintain because I exercise.

For Diet:
• I love to eat healthy foods.
• I will eat slowly and enjoy the taste of my food.
• My body is benefiting because I am taking charge of what I eat.
• I don’t feel guilty about eating.
• Food is not the problem.
• Food is the answer.
• I love life and want to eat healthy foods.
• The foods I eat will protect my body from disease.
• The foods I eat will give me strength.
• I no longer want to eat foods that provide empty calories.
• Before I reach for a snack I will think about what I am putting into my body.
• I will always wait 10 minutes after eating before going back for seconds.
• I am grateful for my health and want to preserve it.
• I will not be judged by the number on the scale.
• I can make a difference in my own life.

Begin each day with positive affirmations. Write them down in your fitness journal where you can see them. Repeat them to yourself in the morning before your workout and remind yourself of them before you go to bed at night. Believe in yourself, be grateful for all that you have and all that you are, a healthy positive, wonderful you!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Veggies

 

From EatingWell:  March/April 2008

Here’s a healthy twist on shrimp scampi. We left out the butter and loaded the dish up with red peppers and asparagus for a refreshing spring meal. Serve with quinoa. And if you don’t want to use quinoa substitute brown rice instead like I did.
-Amy


4 servings | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp, (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.

Nutrition 

Per serving : 227 Calories; 7 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 174 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 28 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 514 mg Sodium; 670 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat