5 Strategies for Mindful Eating

Mindfulness is a beneficial practice that entails slowing down, taking note of body sensations and thoughts, and then applying that knowledge to build improved self-awareness and peace in various areas of your life. It should come as no surprise that mindfulness is a very effective strategy for improving your relationship with food. Here are a few ways to take advantage of the power of mindfulness as you work to build better eating habits.

Slow Down

Our lives are so fast-paced and chaotic these days that it's no wonder we apply the same mentality to our meal preparation and consumption. Furthermore, when we eat on the go, we're even more likely to simply scarf down our meals, leading to other problems such as poor digestion. Unfortunately, research shows that when you eat your food too fast it often results in overindulgence. Multiply those excess calories over the course of weeks and months, and without a doubt, you're bound to see rapid weight gain. When you eat, it can take up to 20 minutes for your stomach to get signals to your brain that you're full, so you can use mindfulness to slow down your meal consumption, thereby decreasing your chances of overeating.

To really put the potential of mindful eating to work here, consider focusing on the sensory experience of the meal, including the colors, textures, flavors, and temperatures of each food you're eating. Take the experience one bite at a time, really savoring every morsel of food.

Use an App

Mindful eating apps such as Go Eat Right Now are an excellent addition to any mindful eating program or personal eating plan. In contrast with other weight loss apps that merely track calories in and calories out, mindful eating apps help you accurately document your experience with food and build healthier habits through research-based mindful eating strategies. In addition, these apps provide you with tools to use when you face real-life eating challenges, such as intense food cravings.

Get a Buddy

Just as with any area of challenge in your life, it's helpful to approach the task of mindful eating with a partner. This might be as simple as intentionally sharing mealtime with a friend or loved one (helping you to slow down mealtime and cut back on excess food intake as mentioned before), planning meals with a friend who shares healthy eating habits, or participating in a mindful eating program with a...

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When to Use 'Nor'

Updated March 22, 2021

Today we’re going to get a bit negative by looking at the various times you can use the word “nor.”

How to use 'nor' with 'neither' in a sentence

Everybody knows that “neither” and “nor” are bosom buddies. They require balance. A “nor” usually follows a “neither” when they're used in the same sentence (1). For example, you might say:

I like neither hot dogs nor mustard.

You may also use “nor” if you’re talking about more than two items, but you must repeat “nor” after each element (2). So if you want to add ketchup to your list of dislikes, you have to say:

I like neither hot dogs nor mustard nor ketchup.

It would be incorrect to use an “or” anywhere in that sentence—or to leave out either case of “nor.”

“Neither” can appear at the beginning of a sentence as well as the middle. For example, “Neither the man nor the woman is a good surfer” is nice and balanced.

The issue gets a little complicated when the two items in the “neither-nor” part of the sentence are a mix of singular and plural. If you changed the sentence to discuss the surfing skills of two men and one woman (one plural, one singular), what would you do? Writer Patricia O'Connor (3) calls this “a two-headed creature,” but luckily for us, it’s not as complicated as it seems. Simply take the noun closest to the verb and ensure they agree:

Neither the men nor the woman is a good surfer.

Neither the woman nor the men are good surfers.

Note how we use the plural word “surfers” at the end there to keep everything in agreement.

“Nor” doesn’t necessarily have to appear in a sentence with the word “neither.” “Nor” can start a sentence. For example, if you’ve just mentioned that you don’t usually wake up at 6 a.m. and you want to continue being negative, you can start another sentence with “nor”: “Nor do I like to wake up at 5 a.m.” Another option is to combine the two negative ideas into one sentence and then start the second part with “nor”: “I don’t usually wake up at 6 a.m., nor do I like to wake up at 5 a.m.”

When to use 'or' instead of 'nor'

'Neither' and 'nor' are bosom buddies. They require balance.

In all our examples so far, we’ve used “nor” to indicate a negative state that...

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Survey Shows the Pandemic Made Us Value Our Pets Even More

There's no doubt that the pandemic gave us many reasons to grow closer to our pets. We found ourselves home more often, and also isolated from friends and family. In fact, that isolation seems to have caused an uptick in new pet ownership. One of the biggest reasons people cited for getting a new pet during the pandemic was loneliness.

A comprehensive pet ownership survey from Money.com revealed just how close Americans and their pets actually are. In mid-March, Money.com teamed up with Morning Consult to poll 2,200 Americans, including 1,384 pet owners. It probed not only changes in Americans' relationships with their pets during COVID-19 but also their pet-related spending and even how and why people brought new animal companions into their lives.

Money.com and Morning Consult wanted to know what people were willing to spend on their pets’ medical care and the degree to which they trusted their veterinarian's advice. They also wanted to understand how much pet owners actually know about pet insurance—the health-care coverage whose annual dollar sales have been growing annually by double-digit percentages in recent years—and to learn more about where they bought the policies.

Pet ownership survey results overview

• Six in ten Americans reported valuing their animal companions more in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, and half said they're being more affectionate to them now.
• More than half of the people who got a new pet during the pandemic cited loneliness as a reason.
• More than a third of new pets were acquired at shelters, followed by breeders and pet stores. But regardless of how people came by their new pets, satisfaction was high and problems were few.
• Veterinarians are trusted pet-care partners, with more than two-thirds of owners saying they’d follow their vet’s treatment advice.
• Pet owners would spend big to save their animal friend. Two-thirds said they’d take any measure to save its life, regardless of cost.
• Most respondents said they were familiar with pet insurance, but sizeable minorities of those people said policies reimburse for expenses they rarely, if ever, cover.

Here are five key findings from the Money.com/Morning Consult report.

View the full report at Money.com.

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7 Fun and Easy Ideas for Celebrating Spring with Your Family

I love living in New England for dozens of reasons, but one of my favorites is the changing seasons. Not only do I get to experience all kinds of weather, but my senses take in unique sounds, distinct aromas, delicious seasonal tastes, and an explosion of colors from Mother Nature's palette.

Spring is a special season that delivers hope and promise to all who endured a long, frosty winter. If you're looking for some funtastic ways to kick off the vibrant season of spring, check out these ideas. 

Spring equals kite flying 

Kite flying and spring go hand in hand. And kites are on sale everywhere, from discount stores to online shopping sites. Once you've made your selection, as long as you have a bit of wind, you're ready to fly.

Kite experts from Kittyhawk.com offer these helpful tips to make your flying experience as fun and easy as possible.

• Choose a perfect day. You need enough wind, but not too much. If the wind speeds are reaching 20 miles per hour or you expect rain or storms, it's best to stay home.
• Find an open space. You should be away from houses, trees, and power lines.
• Launch the kite. Stand with your back to the wind. Hold on to the bridle (where the string attaches to the front of the kite) and lift it into the air, letting the wind take it.
• Get a partner's help. If the wind is light, have a helper take the kite downwind and hold it up while you hold the string. When you give the command, the helper lifts the kite into the air and you reel in the string hand-over-hand to help the kite gain altitude.

Check out this video, How to Fly a Kite, which demonstrates how easy it is to get started.

If your family's kite gets caught in a power line, don't attempt to retrieve it yourself—that's dangerous! Call the power company instead.

Plan a family garden

Spring is a time of renewal and growth. The days are longer and brighter, making outdoor family outings easier and more enjoyable. This also makes it an excellent time to plan a garden with your family.

The benefits of gardening are many. A garden is an unexpected way to get more physical activity. It also provides a sense of purpose because each family member will be involved with planning, preparing, planting, caring for the garden. Best of all, you get to enjoy the healthy fruits of your labors. And the vegetables, too!

If you have limited outdoor space, container gardening is a popular way...

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8 Self-Care Tips for 2021

More and more people are visiting their local gym or finding ways to reduce stress and anxiety. They are learning to focus more and diet and exercise than simply relying on a supplement to keep them feeling their best. The following self-care tips can also help.

Get Enough Rest

Getting enough rest is difficult sometimes. It's hard to relax after a long, stressful day. Take a few minutes to wind down after dinner. Enjoy a hot bath or read a book. Spending a few minutes to calm your mind before you go to bed will help you get the 8 to 10 hours of sleep you need to feel fully refreshed and revitalized. We all need sleep. Find out what it takes for you to get the rest you need.

Eat Healthier

Eat a healthier diet that includes fewer processed foods and more fresh foods straight from the garden. Visit your local farmer's market and find ways to prepare your foods that won't deplete the nutrients. Take your time when you eat and enjoy your meal. Rushing through your meal puts stress on your digestive tract and makes it harder for you to get the nutrients you need. Eating healthy is more than just your food. It's also the size of your meals and when you choose to eat them. It's all part of building a healthy meal plan.

Take a Supplement If You Need One

Do a little research and find a brand of supplement you like. We all have times when we can use a little boost. Feeling a little under the weather? Take a supplement to add more of the nutrients you may be missing in your regular diet. Today, you have several different options. You no longer have to rely on large pills to get the nutrients you need. Liquid vitamins and gummies are also readily available.

Be More Active

Be more active. Exercise regularly. If you have trouble finding time for the gym, you do have other options. Go for a walk or simply park farther from your destination and get your steps in that way. Dance when you clean your house. Take 5-minute stretch breaks throughout the day. While exercise is essential, it isn't the only way to be more active. Find an activity you enjoy and have fun with it.

Check out Get-Fit Guy's podcast and blog for easy tips for getting moving and shaping up. 

Be More Aware

Be more aware of your environment. Eliminate as much negativity as you can....

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Speaking Out About Violence Against Asian Americans

On Tuesday, March 16th, a man killed eight people in Atlanta, Georgia. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent.

Before I go any further, I want to say the victims’ names. I want to honor them, because this story is not all about the perpetrator. The names that have been released so far include:

Xiaojie Tan
Daoyou Feng
Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez
Paul Andre Michels
Elcias Hernandez-Ortiz, who was severely injured but survived

Asian women in America have historically suffered from the tropes of being interchangeable, disposable, exploitable, and sacrificial.

It’s especially important for us to remember the victims in these killings, most of whom were Asian women, because Asian women in America have historically suffered from the tropes of being interchangeable, disposable, exploitable, and sacrificial.

Personally, I’m feeling a complicated mix of grief, fear, and anger. I know many others, especially my fellow Asian Americans, feel the same way. Our hearts are broken for the victims and their loved ones. I can’t imagine their pain and trauma.

But what I can imagine—because my family and I, as well as many of my friends, have experienced it—is anti-Asian racism. Many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have had similar experiences, especially during the surge of anti-Asian violence in the past year.

There were nearly 3,800 hate incidents against Asian Americans reported in the United States over the past 12 months. And that's likely an underestimate because it’s difficult to charge hate crimes against Asians. As The New York Times pointed out, "proving a racist motive can be particularly difficult with attacks against Asians... There is no widely recognized symbol of anti-Asian hate comparable to a noose or a swastika."

There were nearly 3,800 hate incidents against Asian Americans reported in the United States over the past 12 months.

If you’re also feeling helpless or crying angry tears, know that you’re not alone, and it’s completely okay to feel this way. Let yourself grieve, and tell your friends how you feel. During collective grief and trauma, we need to give ourselves and each other grace, and we should reach out for support.

Speaking of support, I also want to acknowledge the outpouring of solidarity that non-Asian communities are showing. On social media and in my personal life, I...

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Building Resilience: 7 Psychological Tips to Help You Bounce Back

Destiny’s Child told us what it’s like to be a survivor. Taylor Swift knows how to shake it off. And Elton John is still standing. What’s the common thread? A little thing glinting in the eye of the tiger called resilience.

Resilience is the ability to adapt and bounce back after experiencing stress and adversity, like bamboo canes that bend in the wind but don’t break. Think of a small, mom-and-pop bookstore that's close to bankruptcy because Amazon has become such a giant competitor. The owners might show resilience by shifting their marketing strategy and finding a way to build a loyal following. Or think of a child falling off her bicycle and scraping her knee. She might show resilience by getting back on that bike the next day and practicing again.

Resilient people are able to learn, change, and move forward, ultimately growing and thriving even when they run into obstacles.

Both the bookstore owners and the child were resilient because they were able to learn, change, and move forward, ultimately growing and thriving even when they ran into obstacles. Notice that resilience didn’t just befall them—no fairy godmother came to rescue them. Instead, their resilience came from within.

Is resilience always possible?

That's not to say resilience is all up to you. You may be dealing with many obstacles that are out of your control, so no matter how much grit and motivation you have inside, you're still held back. This is why critics of the resilience concept are worried. By advocating resilience, are we implying that all setbacks are the individual person’s fault and everyone should be left to fend for themselves?

In reality, many people carry the weight of systemic barriers, like racism, sexism, economic inequality, or other injustices, and individual resilience is not the answer to these problems.

Many people carry the weight of systemic barriers, like racism, sexism, economic inequality, or other injustices, and individual resilience is not the answer to these problems.

At the same time, we don’t need to throw the resilience baby out with the bathwater. While we fight for equity and justice, we can also cultivate our own resilience, which isn’t an empty idea. We can learn to be resilient by responding to adversity in psychologically healthy ways. In other words, when life gives us lemons, we can still practice making lemonade!

And “practice” is the key word here. Resilience is a skill, not a you-have-it-or-you-don’t trait. This is good news because it means you can have some control over how...

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