Start by replacing old habits with new ones. The key is to learn how to take care of yourself and pamper yourself in ways that are life affirming rather than self-destructive. Learn how to deal with sabotaging emotions by establishing some healthy patterns of behavior and investing in your physical and emotional well-being

Old habits die hard, but the good news is that they do die. Don’t lose hope or beat yourself up over it if you’re having trouble breaking bad habits. It’s not that easy to change your ways. Just keep plugging away.

Don’t wait until you reach your ultimate goal to pat yourself on the back. Be proud and do it now. Just taking the first step: signing up for a program like the “Your Best Body Challenge. Do something to be proud of. And every achievement along the way should be rewarded. You deserve it!

Hello everyone,

I’ve got BIG NEWS! Here’s the fastest way to your best body:
www.yourbestbodychallenge.com I’m not kidding. Take a
look right now, you’ll be glad you did.

Here’s the scoop…

Expert Fitness is running a contest.  It’s called the “Your Best Body
12-Week Challenge.”  And it’s free for everyone to
participate.

There’s just something about contests/challenges like
“Your Biggest Loser” and others that really get folks
motivated to do more and be more, faster than they
would otherwise.

This is a great way to challenge yourself, with our
help, and it won’t cost you a dime (just a small, one-
time $55 donation to St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

We are doing this to get more local folks the help they
need to get the body they want…and to raise  funds for St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

So it’s a winner all the way around.

Take a look here for all the details, and to get the
“Your Best Body Challenge 12-Week Transformation Guide”
free. The Guide contains all the info about the
Challenge…AND…a complete 12-week exercise and
nutrition program for you to follow with or without our
help.

Just go here: www.yourbestbodychallenge.com

To your health, fitness and best body,
Gabriel Tavarez
Expert Fitness

P.S. Even if you’re not interested, I’d greatly
appreciate it if you’d tell all your
friends, family an co-workers in the area.  They’ll
appreciate you giving them the “head’s up!”

Serves 3

3 eggs

3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

3 tablespoons nonfat sour cream

3 teaspoons Smucker’s sugar-free jam

Preheat a griddle to 380°F or on high, until a drop of water sizzles. Separate yolks from egg whites. Beat egg whites until peaks form. Beat egg yolks till thick. Add cottage cheese to yolks and beat well. Stir in flour. Fold in egg whites. Pour batter onto the griddle, making each hotcake about 5 inches in di­ameter. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Then remove and dollop 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon jam on each hotcake. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

CALORIES 188       FAT 7 g       PROTEIN 22 g       SODIUM 322 mg       FIBER 3.8 g       CARBOHYDRATE 40 g

Stress can actually contribute to your risk of metabolic syndrome by increasing your body fat. When you’re under stress, your body produces the hormone cortisol, which encourages the body to pack on fat, mostly around the abdomen. Manage your stress levels by cutting back on your responsibilities. Learn some relaxation techniques and healthy ways to blow off steam, and making time for yourself to unwind. Getting at least seven hours of sleep a night will also go a long way toward relieving stress.

If you think you might have metabolic syndrome, talk to your doctor. While it’s a dangerous condition, the consequences are not a foregone conclusion,with diet and exercise you can take control of your metabolism and get healthier.

For example, if you’re overweight, losing 10 percent of your body weight can cut your risk of diabetes and heart disease and raise your life expectancy. Eating four small meals a day, without going longer than four hours between meals, can help you stabilize your blood sugar and insulin levels. And one of the most important changes you can make is to get more exercise, which can increase your cells’ ability to use insulin.

Why does metabolic syndrome matter? If you have it, your risk of developing heart disease doubles, and you’re five times more likely to develop diabetes. You also have a higher chance of developing fatty liver disease or polycystic ovary syndrome.

The good news is that there are ways to fight metabolic syndrome and lower your risk for its related conditions. Metabolic syndrome is linked to insulin resistance, and many of the strategies for combating insulin resistance are helpful for people with metabolic syndrome.

Nearly one-quarter of Americans have a syndrome that dramatically raises their risk of developing other serious health conditions. It’s called metabolic syndrome, and you have it if you meet three or more of the qualifying criteria:

• A waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men, and greater than 35 inches in women
• High triglycerides: 150 mg/dl or higher
• Low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol): less than 40 mg/dl in men; less than 50 mg/dl in women
• High blood pressure, 130 mm Hg or higher for systolic pressure (the top number), or 85 mm Hg or higher for diastolic pressure (the bottom number)
• High blood sugar: a reading of 100 mg/dl or higher for a fasting blood glucose test