Come on, who doesn’t know how to eat, right?But there are certain foods that we eat all the time that are not that simple to prepare.Take, for example, my latest video:
If you’re like me, you love asparagus, but may not know the best way to eat it.The above video should help.
Some of my most popular videos are those where I demonstrate how to prepare and eat many of my favorite foods.Like this one:
Simple, right?I know, we all have been chowing down on watermelon most of our lives.Okay, how about a more challenging food?
There are few veggies I love more than the thistle-laded artichoke, but, man, those guys are a chore to prepare…but well worth the effort.
And these tasty fruit:
That’s right, avocado are a fruit, not a vegetable, but amazingly delicious and good for you just the same.
Another one of my favorite fruits is mango.What’s the best way to eat one?Thought you’d never ask:
We all know how to eat, but some foods need more assistance than others.My websites and my channel at YouTube have helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world discover and eat myriad fruits and veggies, all of them quite healthy for you.Like these guys:
My wife and I just returned from a wonderful vacation Back East. We attended the wedding for my niece in scenic Narragansett, enjoyed an emotional tribute honoring the twentieth year of my father’s passing in rural Exeter, then hopped a train in quaint Kingston for the hectic mania of NYC.
During all of the above, my wife, embracing a new fitness kick (hmm, wonder where she got that idea from?), meticulously kept track of all of her steps, using a pedometer. Now, I’ve used pedometers for years, but since I walk basically the same route just about every day, I seldom use one anymore. My loss, by the way, as I still feel they are an excellent tool for not only tracking results, but to assist in motivating, inspiring, and celebrating vital fitness gains and successes.
Since we spent the majority of our time together, I was able to piggyback her step results as if they were my own (except for my morning two-mile walks, from which I added 4000 steps to my daily tally). The goal, by the way, is to shoot for 10,000 steps a day. One mile is approximately 2000 steps, so 10k is roughly five miles. Depending on your size and how fast you walk, you can burn around 100 calories per mile. Add this 500 caloric burn to the rest of your non-sedentary lifestyle, and you can easily see how counting steps, using a pedometer, and walking every day can assist in losing weight and living a healthier, happier, better life.
I am thrilled to report that my wife and I were able to exceed 10,000 steps most days during our two-week getaway. Shuffling through airports, racing from car rental agency to train stations adds up! We averaged well over ten thousand steps per day, which was a big help in balancing all of those extra vacation calories one consumes while away from it all.
But it was while visiting the Big Apple, traversing endless city blocks, that we amassed historical step results. Both days we were in the city we tried to walk to as many destinations as possible, eschewing taxis and the subway, often challenging each other to take one more step, try for one more city block, before yielding to fatigue and hailing a yellow cab. More often than not we amazed ourselves by doing just that and congratulating each other on our results.
Both days on Manhattan I exceeded 20,000 steps—a very good thing! We stayed at a hotel on 57th street. My wife was going to spend a day shopping at Macy’s down on 34th street, while I wanted to prowl the aisles of one of my favorite book stores that was in the financial district. After breakfast, we took off toward downtown with the goal of no taxis or subways unless we were really beat.
Walking twenty city blocks isn’t that difficult, so I was still fairly fresh when I dropped my wife off at Macy’s. But my bookstore was another fifty-plus blocks—at least an hour of more walking! I decided to walk until I was too tired to take another step, then hail a cab. The weather was overcast and humid. My head was covered in sweat. I sucked down the last of my water. I was parched and in need of napkins to mop my damp brow. I ducked into the first friendly shop I found, bought water and grabbed a handful of napkins. Rehydrated and patted dry, I continued my trek. I was crazed, determined not to give in; I stepped in a pothole, twisted my ankle, blistered the soles of my feet, yet I continued onward.
Why?
The only reasonably response was to echo what the mountain climber says to those who ask why he climbs that mountain—
“Because it’s there!”
Huh?
Overlooking blistering feet, a sweat-drippy skull, near-dehydration, and cluelessness as to where my bookstore actually was, I found myself at the site of where the twin towers once stood. The place was alive with activity. Thousands of tourists gawked and stood proudly where those behemoths once guarded lower Manhattan; while men at work did their thing in trying to rebuild what misled cowards tore down.
Me? I was both emotionally taken by where I was and exhausted at how I arrived there. I asked someone who looked like they’d know what I needed to know, and was sent back uptown toward my bookstore, sweaty, beat, and proud to have walked so far in one of the great cities known to man.
I enjoyed a few wonderful, air-conditioned hours of book shopping, continuing to accumulate steps on my wife’s pedometer, far exceeding any previously recorded steps for one day in my life, no doubt. The moral of this story, is that you can stay fit while on vacation, no matter where you are, be it traveling the endless city streets of Manhattan, or the gorgeous beaches of Maui, the wine country in Europe…or right down the road from your house.
The secret is finding the good in the moment, while on vacation or when doing that thing called life we all must do every day. 365.
Mike is on vacation (what, another one?)...ahhh, actually, it's been a while. So here are a few recent videos to keep you occupied while I tour the East Coast for family fun, with a stop in the Big Apple along the way.
What is confidence? I checked out the definition and one of the reoccurring words used to describe confidence was “belief.” Think about that. What is belief but a conviction of one’s ideals? You can even toss some faith into the mix.
How does one go about improving their self-confidence? I’m, for the most part, a very self-confident person. Hey, if I wasn’t then I bet there would be a good chance that no one would bother to watch any of my self-help videos, or read this blog. But would you believe that, at times, I question my own self-confidence? You bet I do!
The key to success is not in the questioning of one’s belief or confidence, but in the understanding that it is okay to do so. And then know what it takes to build that confidence back.
·SEE YOUR SUCCESS
One of the things I’ve practiced over the years is what I call Life Writing. Basically this a version of goal setting, or writing down what I’d like to achieve over the course of a few weeks, months, and even years. A few years ago I was in a rut with my career—I worked at home, telecommuting (which was a good gig for awhile), but only using a fraction of my experience. I decided that I wanted to head back into the office, pursue a path that would eventually lead me back into managing people, rather than sitting at a desk at home banging on a keyboard by myself. I literally wrote down what I needed to do to attain this goal, how I was to go about it, what short, mid, and long-terms goals I needed reach in order to succeed. Now, less than 18 months later, I have moved up two levels into management, successfully realizing what I only dreamed (and wrote) about. You can too!
·RELIVE YOUR SUCCESS
We all have had some modicum of success in our lives, right? Come on, close your eyes and let your imagination roam—see it now? Of course you do. Problem with most folks is they tend to remember to failures more than their successes. Hey, we’re human! Whenever I feel my confidence waning, I force my mind to remember a time when I was very successful, encouraging those images and sensations to the forefront of my being, and soon I am basking in my own personal love fest. This is the time to toss the ego out the door. There is nothing wrong with recalling past success to remind yourself that you not only can do the task before you, but HAVE done it, or something similar, many times over.
·PRACTICE YOUR SUCCESS
Practice may not make perfect, but it sure goes a long way toward making you successful. Sweat equity overcomes myriad other weaknesses. The opposite of success is failure, but failing is not a bad thing. Through failure you learn, get important feedback, and improve. But you have to try and fail first, to be successful, leading to that all important self-confidence. The best athletes are not always those blessed with the best physical gifts. Often, they are the ones who work harder, practice longer, and want it more than the other person. Hard work never hurt anyone; in fact, it just may be the key to improving your confidence.
·BELIEVE IN YOUR SUCCESS
There’s a fine line between being overconfident and arrogant—believe me, I’ve walked that tightrope all my life. But I’d rather have too much confidence than too little. My father taught me at a very young age the power of motivation, of positive thinking, of believing that I could do just about anything I put my mind to. And, being young and one who looked up to my old man, I believed him. I’ve taken that belief in myself with me throughout my life, a life, by the way, filled with as much failure as success. Don’t wait for someone else to believe in you, believe in yourself and success may be right around the corner.
Building self-confidence will not happen overnight—hey, most overnight successes struggled years and years before reaching the top. But it is can be easier than you ever imagined. All you have to do is See, Relive, Practice, and Believe.
Most of you, I assume, know what this date is all about—lots of delicious Mexican food, right?!Actually, Cinco de Mayo, besides literally meaning May 5th, represents Mexico’s army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, not to be confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th.
But for many of us, Cinco de Mayo is all about celebrating the amazing culinary wonder of Mexican cuisine.Hey, I’m all for cheering about who won what battle for whatever, but, more importantly it's really about how to make excellent salsa, right?Check this out…
Actually, salsa is only one of the many reasons why I indulge in and love Mexican food.Guacamole is another…
Okay, seriously, why else should you embrace this cool day?How about healthy, tasty, easy to make enchiladas?
I never heard of Cinco de Mayo until I migrated from New England out to Southern California in the eighties, but now this tasty holiday appears to be growing in popularity.Whatever the reason, take today off and dive into some Mexican history, with some guac and salsa on the side.Oh, and don’t forget the jalapenos…
Why is it, whenever I ask someone at work how they’re doing, invariably their response is one of misery, fatigue, angst, depression, all delivered with equal parts whine and woe-is-me? Okay, not everyone, perhaps, but way too many. Are that many people that unhappy with their jobs?
The answers may surprise you, even during these economically challenging times. If you asked many of the above folks if they didn’t have to work would they be toiling away at their jobs, what do you think their response would be?
Silly question, huh? Anyone of us who does not HAVE to work wouldn’t, right? Certainly not at a job that made you miserable. But even if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would still wake each day with a choice: do nothing, or do “something.”
That “something” is what makes us who and what we are. We all need to have that “something” that motivates and keeps us going. The real lucky ones are those who love what they do—their “something” is SOMETHING they would literally do for nothing.
And that’s the key—finding that “something” that you really would do for nothing…only make it something that can pay the bills, at least a few of them.
Here’s a newsflash—life can be a grind, when you think about it. Why would anyone think that their day-to-day jobs wouldn’t have some grind in them too? Even movie stars and million-dollar athletes, at times, feel the grind of their chosen professions.
I suggest doing all you can do to eliminate the grind in your daily grind. How?
·choose to be positive
·smile, laugh, spread the job
·look for the good in all your tasks
·look for the good in all your coworkers
·take care of yourself by keeping your triad of balance fit
·work hard, focusing on living in the moment
·take pride in your job
·help others
·lower expectations when necessary
·raise the bar when needed
·leave your work at the job
·then go home and forget about it
Most importantly, try to find a career, vocation, job, or profession that puts you in touch with your creativity, your bliss, what makes you happy, and what draws from you the wealth of desire and knowledge that drives you. If your current job offers none of this, make it your quest to find one that does.
Even in these challenging economic times. Why wait—life’s too short.
If someone were to ask me a few years ago what one of my favorite snacks was, I would have probably said: potato chips, or some other salty treat. Hummus would have been far down the list; in fact, it would not have even made the list. Back then, I didn’t even know what hummus was. Do you?
Well, today, most of us have at least heard of hummus. But how many of you have actually eaten it? Interested in learning more about this intriguing food? Read on.
Hummus is a dip, spread, or paste made from cooked and mashed chickpeas. It is then blended with tahini (crushed and soaked sesame seeds), olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. The best way for me to describe how this delicious spread is made is by letting watch this video:
Hummus is Middle Eastern in origin, and has been around forever. Chickpeas have been a food item for over 10,000 years. Wow, that’s a lot of hummus over the years, huh? Most people eat hummus with pita bread—tearing off pieces to use as a scoop. You can also use your favorite dipping chip or cracker. I like to eat it with soy chips. My favorites can be found at Glenny’s; and they are loaded with vegetable protein. A snack of soy chips and hummus, which I consume two or three times a week, gives me around 10.0 grams of healthy protein and 7.0 grams of fiber. And they taste amazing!
Besides being a wonderful source of vegetable protein and fiber, hummus is also high in vitamin C, calcium, and iron--and is a good source for antioxidants.
As for different types of hummus—shop around, there are dozens of flavors and styles and brands out there. And, as always, read the nutritional information—some are high in fat and calories (read the ingredients, see what you’re eating!). These days you can find hummus in most grocery stores. I love the eggplant hummus at Trader Joe’s. And this site has some excellent organic hummus and other products you may enjoy.
For all you lovers of hummus (like me!) out there, keep enjoying this flavorful food’s myriad tastes and healthy benefits. And for those of you who have yet to try hummus? Give it a shot; you may end up loving it and making it one of your favorite snacks.
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