First Sunday of Advent

Today marks the first Sunday of Adent. Advent is a perfect time to pray and invite Jesus into our lives - it's the weeks leading up to Christmas and Christ's day of birth. The joy of Christmas is not the same as the happiness we might experience giving and receiving presents, gathering with family and friends for special meals or listening or our favorite carols and hymns. "The wonder and the joy of Christmas is knowing our Savior came to free us from sin and death, so that we might have a share of the very life of God, now and forever. "

Whatever your religion is, whoever you might believe in, take some time this Advent to give thanks to the one who truly matters (who ever that might be in your life).

Being a Sunday school teacher in the past, I always remembered how fun and excited my sister and I would get planning our Advent activities for the kids. It was our time to teach them what Advent means, how to prepare our hearts for the Lord, Christ's birthday and how to use the special wreath with three purple and one pink candle. "The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas."

I was so excited to go to mass and celebrate the first Advent Sunday. I can't thank God enough for the blessings he gives to me and my family everyday. This Advent is another reason to be thankful for Him and His many blessings! I am going to be incorporating special blessings and Advent scripture readings this seasons. What will you be doing?

Have a wonderful Advent and Christmas Season.

101 Best Things To Do To Your Body

This title had me at "best things." I am all about eating right, exercising daily and basically trying to live a healthy lifestyle. So I try to immerse myself in as much as I can to learn more and more about how to do so.

This Women's Health article has easy tips, tricks and suggestions to start implementing now. When you have a few minutes, read it. I promise it you wont regret it. Click here to start reading what you can do now!

ENJOY AND HEALTHY EATING

One Year Ago

This wont be a long entry. Just a reflection on the past year here and with my job at The Grande Wailea.

November 11 marked one year since I have been at the hotel. I am thankful to have a job right now and grateful for the many people I am meeting. I have realized that I like the hospitality industry a lot. But that comes as no surprise to me, because I love being around people and feel comfortable interacting with high-level clients as well as guests at the hotel. There have been some highs and lows, but I am proud of the way I have been handling things. It shows a lot about my character, the strength I have and that you must have a thick skin to work in this industry - that's probably true for most any job out there.

Chris and I had no idea we were going to be moving out here in the short amount of time that it happened. We had goals for ourselves when we moved here, and I'm proud to say we have accomplished most all of them. One was getting me a full-time PR job. We quickly realized that wasn't going to be an option here. As most of the job opportunities here are with the resorts, and there are no PR agencies here - I don't even think people here know the meaning of PR/marketing. It can be a hard concept to grasp :) I am thankful for the background I have and the amazing mentor I had, Laura Pennino of Pennino and Partners. I wouldn't be as confident in my PR background if it wasn't for her and her amazing leadership role she took with me.

But I have lots of exciting ideas and hopefully some new projects in the works. So stay tune and we look forward to what God as planned for us next.

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Where were you a year ago today and have you completed the goals you set out for yourself?

My Eating and Diet Regime

I usually get asked this question a lot "How do you stay in great shape?" "What do you eat?" Especially with the holiday's coming up, it is important to make the right decisions when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

Well here it is folks - all my secrets! But really, there are no secrets. It's just a matter of choosing the right foods (protien and fiber-rich foods vs sodium and sugar filled catasophes) and exercising at least 30 mins a day.

It's always important to get a good nights sleep, at least 7-8 hours. If your job or day-to-day schedule doesn't allow that many, try this little tip: try going to bed at least an hour earlier every night then the previous night. You'll be getting plenty of zzzz's before you know it.

A very great quote to always remember "Eat more often and you'll avoid binging at lunch and dinner" Each mini-meal should have a good comboniation of protien and fiber: It takes longer for your stomach to digest, which keeps you fuller for longer.

With a little help from my wonderful Womens Health and Eat This, Not That

Breakfast: Since you may not have a lot of time, mix protien and quality carbs " when protein is included in a meal, not only does it help prevent overreating at other times of the day, but it also sustains energy levels and improves concentration"

110 calories: latte with reduced-fat milk

200 calories: 1 cup reduced-sodium cottage cheese with fresh peaches and cinnamon

250 calories: Any-way-you-like-it egg on a whole-grain English muffin with melted cheese

300 calories: Peanut butter and reduced or no sugar jelly on whole-grain English muffin (my go to favorite! Dont like English muffin, go for whole grain toast)

300 calories: scrambled-egg burrito with turkey suasage and salsa

Morning Snack: Since the calorie and sodium-ridden vending machine snacks may surround you during the day, buy only what you need and keep a stash at your desk: string cheese (buy the big pack at Costco), granola bars(not the Nutri Grain or Nature Valley, please! they are filled with sugar and HFCS and have no nutritional value) or trail mix.

80 calories: string cheese (me and Chris' favorite!

100 calories: hardboiled egg with a handful of grape tomatoes

275 calories: 2 or 3 small handfuls of trailmix

300 calories: slice of whole-grain bread topped with peanut butter and banana (if I know it might be awhile for lunch or till I have time for my morning snack, I usually have this has my breakfast too) the protien from the peanut butter keeps you full!

Lunch: Be careful here, if you've already had a heavy calorie breakfast, keep lunch light. Remember it's about balancing out your calories compared to how active you are.

175 calories: Canned tuna with balsamic vinegar on whole-grain crackers or bread

350 calories: Half an avacado, sliced, or 1/2 cup prepared quacamole with tomator and onion in a whole-grain pita

400 calories: 1/2 cup of hummus with roasted veggies

400 calories: Small ham, turkey or roast-beef and Swiss wrap with veggies and mustard, in a whole-wheat tortilla or you can have it on a sandwich and try leaving off the top slice.

Afternoon Snack: say to yourself "No candy that the assistant has!"

160 calories: Reduced-fat Cheddar melted on apple halves

175 calories: 5 Laughing Cow cheese wedges

250 calories: 1 cup reduced-fat yogurt

260 calories: Apple, pear or banana smeared with peanut butter

350 calories: 1 cup each fat-free milk and frozen yogurt blended with a spoonful of peanut butter

Dinner: The key words here are portion control! The majority of restaurants now serve on a much larger plate, therefore giving you larger amounts of the food, which you don't need. "Portion control is crucial, whether you're looking to control weight, manage blood sugar, or maintain energy levels."

275 calories: 3 or 4 large handfuls of greens sauteed in olive oil with a handful of walnuts and 1/2 cup of raisins

300 calories: 6-piece sushi meal with a cup of miso soup (so yummy!)

325 calories: Buffalo burger topped with coleslaw, onion, and tomato

350 calories: Quesadilla made with a small corn or whole-wheat tortilla, cheese, beans, shredded chicken or lean ground turkey, onion, and jalapenos, dipped in salsa

400 calories: Slice of pizza toped with cheese and ground beef or ham

550 calories: Lentil, minestrone or tomato soup with a grilled-cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread

550 calories: 1 cup pasta tossed with ground turkey breast, black olives, diced onion a drizzle of olive oil, and 1 1/2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Evening Snack:

150 calories: 5 cups Jolly Time light microwave popcorn sprinkled with hot sauce and or 1 tablespoon Romano cheese; 1 cup rice pudding; 6 or 7 strawberries dipped in yogurt and drizzled with chocolate sauce; 1 cup cocoa made with skim milk

175 calories: Sliced sweet potato(with skin), tossed in olive oil and baked

200 calories: Root-beer float with 2 scoops frozen vanilla yogurt; 2 handfuls olives

275 calories: 2-ounce Snickers bar

ENJOY AND HEALTHY EATING!!

10 Foods for a Longer Life

I have eaten almost all of these on a daily basis. Something I would like to increase in our diet and healthy lifestyle is eating more grapefruit. My dad use to have grapefruit ready for us every other day when we were little and I LOVED it! That is one food I will be re-introducing to our diet to reap all the wonderful rewards! Read on for a list of the foods everyone should be eating every day:

1. Green Tea: researchers believe that catechins(found in all green tea) are effective at boosting metabolism.

2. Garlic: inside in your body it fights cancer, strengthens your cardiovascular system, decreases fat storage, and fights acne inflammation.

3. Grapefruit: Those who ate the grapefruit also exhibited a decrease in insulin levels, indicating that their bodies had improved upon the ability to metabolize sugar

4. Greek Yogurt: a single cup has about a quarter of your day’s calcium, and studies show that dieters on calcium-rich diets have an easier time losing body fat.

5. Avocado: Monounsaturated fats (the healthy fats found in avocado) both improve you cholesterol profile and decrease the amount of triglycerides (more fats) floating around in your blood.

6. Eggs: at a cost of only 72 calories, each large egg holds 6.3 grams of high-quality protein and a powerhouse load of vital nutrients. So replace those carbs and start your day right!

7. Quinoa: quinoa boasts a stronger distribution of nutrients than any grain you’ll ever get a fork into. It has a nice nutty flavor and cooks just like rice in about 15 min.

8. Bell Peppers: The range of benefits provided by these colorful pigments include improved immune function, better communication between cells, protection against sun damage, and a diminished risk for several types of cancer. If you don't like the peppers, substitute these and reap the same healthful benefits: carrots, sweet potatoes and watermelon.

9. Almonds: Nearly a quarter of an almond’s calories come from belly-filling fiber and protein. I wasn't a big fan of this fiber-filling snack at all but now I want to eat these everyday! if you're not a big almond or nut person, give it a little time. Substitute your snack time chips for a handful of these and you will thank me later!

10. Swiss Chard: nature’s ultimate multivitamin, delivering substantial amounts of 16 vitamins and vital nutrients, and it does so at a rock bottom caloric cost of 35 calories. I didn't even know what this vegetable was but now that I know about this vegetable and all the health benefits, I will definitely be trying it.

These were just short quotations from each blurb. Click here to find out more of the amazing life benefiting food. And once again, please leave your comments or advice on any one of these!

ENJOY AND HEALTHY EATING!