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Today marked the next step in my attempt to get you access to my ideal supplement.  Met with the developers today to make this dream of mine a reality.  After each meeting, I am very motivated to get started and make something happen!  Same thing happened today, as I will be putting on the finishing touches on the details and sending it off to the rest of the crew at the company. 

My mission tonight:  finish tweeking the formulas, then off for pricing and feasibility.  Then hopefully soon right into your hands to help improve your health and fight disease! 

The game is on….now I just need to move the next piece.  The excitement is building! 

Until then, you can find high quality supplements made by the same company on my website.

Click on this link to see if you know the answer…  http://trick.ly/4cp

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Now’s the time to get ready for school and some of you may be looking into packing lunches.  There are definite steps you can take when packing a healthy lunch to ensure your children are learning at their maximum.  And while they are excelling at their school work, they will also be learning from the fabulous example you are setting for them in regards to their nutrition.

Click on the link below to see Your Diet Designer giving tips on packing lunch and remember this applies to your lunch too!

http://www.ksfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=12957679   Click on video in upper right corner!  Happy Packing!

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What the common thread in these items?  Disease fighting flavanols essential to optimal health.

Flavanols are anti-oxidants that work against oxidation.  Oxidation is a process of damaging your cells.  Since flavanols are anti-oxidants they work against this oxidation – protecting your cells again free radical damage therefore lowering your cancer risk and protecting your cholesterol from damage which lowers your heart disease risk.  Once your cholesterol has been oxidized or damaged that is when it sticks in your arteries.  And on top of all that they also help to lower blood pressure and inflammation.  So what other foods contain these high-powered anti-oxidants?  Find out more about which flavanol rich foods Your Diet Designer feels are essential to add into your diet at the Place & Plate link below.

http://www.placeandplate.com/health/79

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Picture this…I know you’ve been here before.  I know I have been here more than once.

Headed to an event which starts at 6:30.  6 pm babysitter arriving so must get kids ready before she gets there.  Hurry to event, get there, relax and realize as you drink your glass of wine that there isn’t much food here and guess what.  You didn’t eat before you left the house. 8:30 the event concludes which leaves you 30 minutes to get home for the babysitter who you is expecting you home at 9 pm.  You would like to go out and grab a nice bite in the restaurant but decide against it  – no time.  Instead you grab a horrible sandwich and french fries ”curbside” and head home.  To eat cold, greasy sandwich and soggy french fries.  Halfway through you think “this is not a good idea”  You stop eating and throw the rest away.

Well that was one of my nights recently!  Great example of an unplanned, typical life event that gets in the way of your regular healthy routine.  And such is life. 

So the question is “Was it worth it?”  I must say absolutely not. 

I am not used to eating this way anymore and was quite uncomfortable with my choice the majority of that night and part of the next day – feeling blah and fatigued.  Am I beating myself up for it?  No, but definitely reminded me of a valuable lesson – planning ahead is essential.

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Have you Mixed yet?  Mixed is a fast-casual restaurant specializing in made-to-order salads right here in Sioux Falls on Louise Avenue.  This last week I sat down with Cole – entreprenuer and owner of this new Mixed restaurant.  This “go green” experience all started with a conversation between father and son – what a great story of success.   I love finding other people who are just as passionate about being an entrepreneur as I am!

So what’s one of my favorite thing’s about Mixed?  ….if you stop in between 9 and 10 am, Monday thru Friday you can pick up your lunch salad for $4.99 - and I’m always looking for a deal.  Did I mention they have a great kid’s menu, catering and curbside pickup is available, and even FREE business delivery for over $20? 

So join Your Diet Designer and Cole at Mixed as we work to improve the health of Sioux Falls  – one deep green lettuce leaf at a time!

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Research continues to confirm that excess weight increases your risk of breast cancer and other diseases.  Are you carrying more around than you would like?  Do you have the dreaded ring around the middle?  I may just have the answer for you, if you are up to the challenge.

As some of you know…I have been on this dedicated journey of self-improvement since January.  I’ve buckled down and turned into a faithful exerciser - a huge step for me!  I had the diet part nailed, with 80-90% of the time eating healthy and allowing the other 10% for treats.  However, I felt I needed to do more – which is where my exercise came in. 

Now, as I continue with the maintainence phase to better health, my path has been marked with ups and downs, where some of life’s obligations got me off track.  Typical of the real world.  

Your chance to join me in a 12 week Weight Management/Healthy Lifestyle course is right now.  An opportunity to get professional coaching and benefit from my experience with people attempting to do the same thing – improve their health.  All this while offering the weekly message we all need to keep us focused and encouraged.   

Your cost:  None to you, my second group as I work to get 100 people through the program.

You may choose throughout the program to order products that I have found to be most helpful on this journey.  Some of which has led to my success in bringing me from 5′9″ and 159 pounds to a lean 142 pounds, taking 8 inches total from my waist and hips and bringing me from the average size 10/12 to a size 6/8!    That exercise I was talking about decreased my body fat by 9% and added 10 1/2 pounds of muscle!

No weight loss drugs or miracle supplements promising to make this easier – just healthy ideas for good results.

I want you to realize the same success I have had.  You are worth it – sometimes it just takes time to realize it.  Remember, this isn’t easy.  It involves a significant commitment and the willingness to work through and make the changes suggested.   But it is much easier if you have someone to lean on or a group of friends to take the challenge with you.

Start Date: Monday, June 21st.  Register by Friday, June 18th

To get yourself or a group of your friends involved in this challenge, send me an email at nikki@yourdietdesigner.com.  Can’t wait to see what the next few months will be about for all of us!

Lower your risk of disease, improve your health and feel good!  Join me, Your Diet Designer, as we take control and face this head on.  All genders welcome.

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By now we all know how important exercise is for the body and mind. Yet most of us still find it difficult to carve out time to squeeze it in. Ideally, we should be working out at least 30-minutes a day most days of the week.  On the surface that may seem impossible, but recent studies reveal it may be easier than you think. 

 A 30-minute workout can be broken down into three 10-minute bursts of moderate intensity activity throughout your day according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA).  If performed at a consistently moderate intensity the bursts will equal a continuous 30-minute workout. Start regularly incorporating these bursts of exercise into your daily routine and you will not only reach your goal of 30-minutes, you’ll likely surpass it. That’s the guiding principle behind the new website SqueezeItIn.com.

SqueezeItIn.com has dozens of effective do-anywhere exercises that can easily be worked into your daily routine.  From stay-at-home moms to women working outside the home, SqueezeItIn.com has you covered. 

 If you’re at home staring at piles of laundry make the most of it with our Laundry Legs and Hold ‘n Fold exercises.  While washing the dishes add in our Squeeze Backs and Dish Lifts. Plan on watching TV?  Do a round of jumping jacks followed by some knee lifts during the commercial break and then finish up your 10-minute burst with our TV Twist – a great way to work off that belly fat.

Stuck in the office on a long call? Try our Call to Arms exercise. If you are feeling run down during the afternoon, Stand up and knock out some I’m Not Getting Squats Done.  After you have completed two sets of 12, finish up your 10-minute burst by taking a quick walk outside or by hitting the stairs.  After doing something so good for your body you’re less likely to choose an unhealthy snack.

 Once you start making these exercises part of your daily routine you will not only notice changes in the way you look, but also in the way you feel. As we like to say, “Exercise begets exercise.”  The more exercise you do the more you will want to do.  Our bodies were made to move so make sure you Squeeze-It-In today!

SqueezeItIn.com was co-founded by Jenny Hein, an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and Brigette Polmar, a journalist and published author.  Both are real moms working to develop real solutions for busy people who struggle to find time to exercise.  Their production company Multitask Productions, LLC, recently released the SqueezeItIn.com Workout DVD available through SqueezeItIn.com and Amazon.com.

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Now comes the exercise.  And who better to help with ways to incorporate it into your life than with Jenny and Brigette from SqueezeItIn.com.  These entrepreneurial moms have sure made a place for themselves with their exciting ways to squeeze exercise into your day!  Dr Oz, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Real Simple magazine and now here with us – is there anywhere these ladies haven’t been?  

Check it out and add some of their secrets into your day – the countdown to their guest blog is on……posting shortly!

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Making lists – one of my daily activities.  Between the grocery list, to-do list, take-to-school list, at work list and my mom list – the burden is heavy.  Lists keep me organized. 

On top of that I need to maintain my figure, control my emotions, attempt to be in three places at once – all while keeping track of where that needle in the haystack is. 

To manage these “lists” better, prioritizing is essential.  Being a positive role model for my family while ensuring they receive the proper nutrition, ranks high on my priority list.

Being a positive role model – something most of us strive for in our daily choices and health habits.  As a dietitian and parent of two young children, I have seen the influence that surroundings have on what is consumed.  If it’s in the house, it will be eaten.  Would my family love to have most of the grocery store’s snack aisle in our kitchen?  Sure.  But like I said, if it’s in the house it will be eaten. 

Which brings me to one more item for my list – GateKeeper ExtraOrdinaire.  This GateKeeper regulates which food items are allowed in the house the majority of the time.  On the GateKeeper’s acceptable list – celery, natural peanut butter, string cheese, dark chocolate, avocadoes, apples and spinach to name a few.  Items not usually on the GateKeeper’s list – iceberg lettuce, white bread, boxed macaroni and cheese, fruit snacks, potato chips and donuts.

GateKeeper ExtraOrdinaire.    Make sure your list has one.

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Exciting news of National Television Personalities coming to Your Diet Designer! They were on The Today Show yesterday morning, The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America and numerous magazines including Real Simple! And now they will be Guest Blogging in my Weight Management Program that starts next week! Jenny and Brigette, …the ladies from SqueezeItIn.com ! Love what they are doing and had the awesome opportunity to guest blog for them back in October for Breast Cancer Awareness. Check them out on Facebook or at http://www.squeezeitin.com/  Hope you have plans to join us – one more day to sign up for the program by emailing me at nikki@yourdietdesigner.com

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