Healthy Reflections IN THIS ISSUE Featured Article: Stay Stress Free, Healthy and Happy Reduce the Strain of Stress Making the Most of Super Foods Fran's Favorites - Spaghetti Squash with Pumpkin Seed Pesto A Note From Fran For many people, October acts as a bit of a buffer: summer is over and kids have returned to school. Yet the fall season can often be a bit of a challenge with a plethora of events to manage. Used wisely, this time period can help pave the way for a smooth remainder of the year. Thus it's important to carve out little slots of buffer time throughout each day to take care of yourself. It will pay off in added enjoyment and serenity. Life always offers us buffer time and if we don't take it, sometimes it is forced on us. Pushing too hard, working to get too much done can bring illness or injury. I imagine this is why so many people get sick during the last couple months of the year. Flu season aside, the people I know who take care of themselves stay well. May you stay well, and enjoy! In this month's issue of Healthy Reflections we've provided four different articles and 15 different ways for you to "Reduce the Strain of Stress", Stay Stress Free, Add More Super Foods to your diet and try a new recipe to help you add more fiber to your diet. We hope you find new creative ways to implement these suggestions into your life. Good health to you! In Love & Good Health, Fran Dean Bishop, award winning coach and creator of "Reboot Your Body - The Ultimate Bootcamp" franb@aerobodiesfitness.com Teleclasses & Workshops "Reboot Your Body - The Ultimate Bootcamp" teleclass begins October 12, 2005 Tailored to busy professionals! In this phenomenal workshop we'll focus on 5 key areas to Transform your Body: 1) Developing a progressive exercise routine that gets results, 2) Eating Right to Stay Lean & Healthy, 3) Creative Cooking Tools & Tips, 4) Intensifying Your Fitness Program, and 5) Detoxifying Your Body through Juicing & Cleansing. Check out the info page here and see if this event is right for you! ------------------------------ Business Women's Network 2005 Leadership Summit & Gala in Washington, DC November 16 & 17th, 2005 Attention Fellow Entrepreneurs & Business Professionals! If you're searching for powerful ways to increase your network and strategic partnerships, join me and other successful women entrepreneurs for this incredible event: http://www.summit.bwni.com/index.html. For a limited time we will have a number of discounted tickets for this event so please contact Fran Bishop if you would like to attend. ------------------------------ Featured Article Stay Stress Free, Healthy and Happy The New Year is right around the corner and will be here before you know it. I don't say this to scare you or make you anxious - quite the opposite. My hope is that this season can be a source of pleasure, enjoyment, and even relaxation - that you continue to take care of yourself, staying fit and healthy. But how? For many, the late fall season is quite hectic. Our schedules often consist of vacations, celebrations, kids off from school, gatherings, parties and more. So preparation and forethought is the key to keeping stress at bay. Begin by taking a look at how your fall season flowed last year, or even the year before. What threw you off track? What caused your exercise program to go on the back burner for a few weeks (or, ultimately, months)? What triggered episodes of overeating? What caused the most stress, headaches, etc.? Identifying what you would have done differently last year lets you play Monday-morning quarterback - you can make the changes this year so that the same problems don't occur. Here are some ideas to get you thinking: Does shopping throw your schedule into disarray? Try shopping at off peak hours and, of course, parking far away to burn those extra calories. Buy gifts to have on hand, such as host/hostess gifts to bring to a last minute dinner or gathering. Do you need to shorten your workouts during this time, or need an indoor workout option for when the weather turns cold and wet? Buy a couple of exercise videos or DVDs (you can even check them out at some local libraries - but if saving time is an issue, buy them online). DVDs can be programmed so that you only do certain segments of the workout, which comes in handy when you're tight on time. Start thinking creatively about exercise/activity. Make a list of activities you can do with the kids (when was the last time you were on ice skates?) If "formal" exercise is difficult to squeeze in, shift your focus to being active - shopping, volunteering... you can track your calories with an accelerometer (a small pager-like device worn on your waistband) to ensure that you get in enough movement. Begin researching quick and easy healthy cooking recipes for parties and gatherings, as well as at-home meals. With a little preparation, the fall season will be a breeze - soon everyone will be asking, "How do you do it?" Reduce The Strain Of Stress People often say how stressed they are and while they know exercise would help them better manage that stress, they often can't find the time to fit a workout in amongst the chaos. Can you relate? Try these three strategies to better manage stress and find time for exercise - which is really finding time for you! Removing clutter from your environment helps you to focus and feel better. Do you look for the same things over and over again? Do you work longer than you have to because of disorganization? Do you have multiple gym membership cards or gym bags, never able to find what you want when you need it? Studies show people with cluttered environments waste a lot of time. Are there any areas of your life that could use a "de-clutter?" If you are a regular exerciser, don't let stress stop you. Modify your routine, even if it means ten-minute workouts or simply adjusting your routine to fit in extra activity (taking the stairs, etc.) The overwhelm that often accompanies stress can be reduced with exercise. Allowing positive fitness habits to be lost in a pattern of inactivity will only lead to more inactivity. The physical benefits of exercise are significant in managing stress and it's important to feel in control of being able to do something good for yourself. Can you let go of anything when your schedule gets busy (other than exercise, of course?) It's easy to just add more work on to what you are already doing, letting your personal care suffer. Most planning and organization systems recommend prioritizing everything you need to do on a daily basis. What on that list could you let go of, or ask for help to get done? Making the Most of Super Foods I'm all for maximizing the nutrition from the foods we eat, but what if you don't like all of the "Super Foods" praised throughout the nutrition community? You'll be glad to know there is middle ground between collard greens and fried zucchini. Included in this issue of Healthy Reflections is a recipe for spaghetti squash with pumpkin seed pesto - let's look at three of the main ingredients to see what you're getting for your nutrition buck. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, which is good for the prostate and boosting the immune system. They also contain fatty acids that kill parasites, plus a fair amount of fiber and potassium (good for balancing out sodium when high blood pressure is a concern.) Pumpkin seeds are best eaten raw to retain their nutritional value, making a quick and easy snack. Spaghetti squash contains almost no fat and is very low in calories and sodium. Not many foods you can say that about! While olive oil, like all fats, is 120 calories per tablespoon, this unsaturated fat is a good source of the antioxidant, vitamin E, and has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including: lowering the risk of heart disease; reducing in the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol; lowering of blood pressure; and the stimulation of the gall bladder to secrete bile, which helps to prevent gallstones. Fran's Favorites Spaghetti Squash with Pumpkin Seed Pesto Serves 4-6 What can you do with pumpkin seeds? Enjoy this fun fall recipe. 1 spaghetti squash, baked Pumpkin Seed Pesto (recipe to follow) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the spaghetti squash until it yields slightly to pressure, but still firm, approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the seeds and pull spaghetti strands with a fork. Toss the spaghetti strands with Pumpkin Seed Pesto (below) and serve. Tip: Don't try to cut raw squash - it doesn't work well! Pumpkin Seed Pesto: 3 cloves garlic (more or less to taste) 1 tsp. salt Black pepper, freshly ground 2 cups fresh basil leaves 1 cup pumpkin seeds (raw) 1 cup olive oil Combine garlic, salt, and pepper in food processor and chop finely. Add basil leaves and pumpkin seeds. Blend until ground. With motor running, slowly add olive oil and blend until well combined. As a variation, add steamed or raw vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, or artichoke hearts to the basic recipe for a heartier meal. Fed up with diets and exercise that don't work? You're not alone! Call (703) 642-8577 or email us For monthly fitness tips and strategies, sign up today for your complimentary subscription to Healthy Reflections (forward to a friend too!). Don't miss the next issue! Call (703) 642-8577 or email us today.	Volume 1, Issue 10: October 2005
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