Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

If you aren’t already, I hope you’ll tune into ABC on Friday nights and watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I’m certain that I would have already posted info about this show if it weren’t for having messed up - I thought the first episode would air this past Saturday - actually the 2nd episode aired this past Friday.

Fortunately, full episodes are available on the ABC website (http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/jamie-olivers-food-revolution/SH012305440000) and I’m now caught up on the episodes I missed and eagerly waiting for next Friday’s episode.

I knew from the commercials for the show and this TED video that the show would be about changing our eating habits. But what I didn’t expect and have found to be both refreshing and engrossing is all the difficulties and resistance he would encounter (and that the show is actually allowing us to see that).

Typical ‘makeover’ shows put everything into a neat package. We’re shown the “Before” then the experts swoop in, solve the problems and then we’re shown the “After” – Happily ever or not.

This is not that show.

I am glad.

I think you will be too.

I hope you’ll watch the third episode this Friday and share your thoughts in the comments of this post.

Are You Shopping to Buy Happiness?

It’s often been said that those that say Money can’t buy Happiness don’t know where to shop. Are you shopping to buy happiness? It’s helpful to keep in mind that shopping, and the items purchased, brings pleasure, not Happiness. Perhaps you’ve sometimes confused the two, or perhaps you’ve developed a habit of substituting pleasure for happiness.

For most of us, money itself will not bring lasting happiness – but a lack of money can be a source of ongoing stress and unhappiness, while a sense of financial control eases the mind and enriches life in more than just material ways.

Depending on your circumstances, financial control may seem unobtainable, either because your debts are overwhelming or you doubt your money management skills. In these circumstances, we may be even more tempted to indulge in the temporary pleasure of buying what we want and putting it on credit. (My grandmother would often justify expensive purchases by saying ‘what difference does it make? I’ll never have any money anyway.”)

So if financial control seems impossible, decide instead to be just a little bit smarter about money. The next time you’re tempted to make an impulse purchase on your credit card, think:

· Am I substituting temporary pleasure at the expense of future well-being?

· Can I be just a little smarter about money right now?

· Can I put this on my wish list and get it later by playing the Money Game.

Photo courtesy of: www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=4307&picture=girl-shopping

World Water Day – A Special Post

Today I’m writing a special post in honor of World Water Day. I’ve posted previously about making the switch to water and using a reusable bottle. Today, I want to (very briefly) emphasize the importance of water which is something we often undervalue and take for granted.  For more on why water is important I hope you’ll check out Why Water is Important, which is a short video available here on National Geographic.

Then to learn more on the waste created by the bottled water industry, I hope you’ll check out The Story of Bottled Water.

We Wanted Everything, Now What Do We Do With It?

As I write this I’m procrastinating (again) because I need to be cleaning my house.

But being faced with multiple areas of clutter has triggered thoughts that I had to share (plus it’s a great delay tactic). 


“Stuff” has a big impact on how we live – although not all stuff is clutter (though all clutter is stuff).

So for now let’s focus on clutter:

Clutter can be stressful (Trust me. Seriously.)

Clutter wastes time – how often do you lose time looking for something you can’t find, plus there’s more time lost when you’re finally sorting through the clutter.

Clutter hits your wallet – ever have to buy something that you knew you had but couldn’t find? Ever been late with a payment because you couldn’t find the bill? Or maybe you wanted to return something but couldn’t find the receipt?

Sometimes we think that the answer is more space – but clutter tends to expand to fill space (like work tends to expand to fill time).  The flip side of that concept is that we can control or even prevent clutter by setting a space limitation.

For example, if you buy a new book and your bookcase is full then one or more of the old books has to go. The same concept can be applied to many other things, such as clothes that have filled the closet space or overflowing children’s toys.

Do you have a clutter problem or a great way to keep clutter from taking over? Have you ever moved to a larger space due to clutter? Post your comments and let us know.


Next time: Are You Shopping for Happiness?

Photo courtesy of www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=3957&picture=cook-books

An Appetite for..Less?

As mentioned in my last post, our appetites and tastes have been trained and can be retrained. Today I want to share more info on how to do that.

First, give yourself the chance to adjust. Remind yourself frequently that your tastes and habits are not fixed; they were learned and can be traded for better habits.

Do it gradually and be patient, but consistent, about the change you want to make. If you always add salt to your food, start by adding less than you normally would. Over time your taste will adjust and you’ll find you “need” less salt than you used to. Eventually you may find yourself kicking the salt habit completely. The same holds true for other habits like sugar, whole fat dairy products and especially portion sizes.

Most of us are used to portion sizes that are significantly larger than we need. Gradually cutting portion sizes is an easier and often more successful way of reducing weight and improving health and energy.

Other ways to reduce portion sizes:

¶ Don’t wait until you’re hungry to eat. We overeat and make poor decisions when we’re hungry; have a light snack or smaller, sensible meal before hunger gets the best of you.

¶ Eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed. It takes awhile for our brain to register that we’re full, so it’s easy to miss the full signal and continue eating (which is why we often feel fuller than we realized, about 15-20 minutes after we stopped eating). Use these tips to deal with the delay in recognizing that you’re full:

¶ Split a restaurant entree with a friend. You may want to each start with a salad but share the entrée. Generally, the bill will be lighter and so will the meal.

¶ Have a glass of water or piece of fruit about 20-30 minutes before the meal.

¶ Eat the high-fiber, low-calorie items first.

¶ Eat slower. Put utensils down between bites or take a short break about halfway through the meal.

Health, Money and Environmentalism in one 2-Part Tip

1. Make the switch to Water.

If you're drinking sodas and other beverages throughout the day, you're serving up a double whammy to your system because 1) you're not getting the water that your body needs and 2) the beverages you're drinking probably have more chemicals, calories, or caffeine than you realize.

You might feel that you could never give up your favorite beverages for water. I can understand that. I wasn't always big on water myself. Now I drink it all the time. People often don't realize that our tastes and appetites have been trained and they can be retrained. (More on that in another post.) For now, just try to keep in mind that if you don't like water it's because you don't drink it often enough. Drink it as often as you can and build the water habit.

2. Use a Refillable Bottle

No real magic here, just about any kind of refillable bottle that you're comfortable drinking from will do. Tap water will also do, but if you prefer filtered water and don't already have a water filtering system now could be a good time to consider investing in one. In a pinch, you can even buy the bottled water at the supermarket by the gallon or larger. Even if you have to do that, you'll still be saving money and reducing waste. (Remember to play the Money Game and each time you fill the bottle, put what you’d normally spend toward your wish list goal.)

Photo courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net .