There is so much information out there on nutrition.  And sometimes if you only take one idea from all that you read in the day I think that's pretty good.  Whether you add something new to your diet, or find a better snack to replace one you already have or you figure out another way to eat chicken so your family doesn't roll their eyes when they ask what's for dinner then you're improving.  Most of these notes are from RealAge.  No sense reinventing the wheel, right!

3 Nontraditional Comfort Foods
That bowl of ice cream made you feel better. For about 2 minutes. Now you need a nap.

Next time you need a pick-me-up, reach for one of these three foods instead. Research shows they offer real mood-boosting benefits -- without inducing a food coma.

1. Fortified cereal
Yep, another reason to eat your Wheaties. A bowl of fortified cereal is a great way to get a boatload of energy-boosting B vitamins, which work to curb tension, moodiness, irritability, and depression. 

2. Something made with saffron
Small-scale studies have found that saffron -- the trademark spice in many yellow-hued Indian, Moroccan, and Asian dishes -- can ease symptoms of depression with virtually no risk of side effects. Although it’s a somewhat pricey spice, a little bit goes a long way.

3. Fish dishes
Research shows that people with lower blood levels of EPA and DHA -- two fatty acids found in several kinds of fish -- are more likely to show symptoms of mild to moderate depression. So snack on some tuna salad or finish off the salmon from last night’s dinner.
Would I call these comfort foods?  Or even easy to access - I don't think my local Sobey's carries saffron.  But the cereal is a great idea.  And of course we all need to work a little more fish into our diets right?

An Easy Way to Cut 220 Calories
Removing 220 calories from your day could make a big difference to your waistline, right?

So here's the simple way to make it happen: Set your DVR to record your favorite late-night shows. Then, hit the hay. In a study, people who stayed up late -- and got less sleep as a result -- munched down 220 more daily calories than the hit-the-sack-early crowd.

Nocturnal Noshing
The people in the study with later bedtimes averaged about 5.5 hours of sleep per night. The folks who crashed earlier slept about 8.5 hours. Although the sleep-deprived did not eat bigger meals, they did snack more than the well-rested group -- and usually on high-carb foods eaten late in the evening. 

Sleep/Eat Connection
Researchers suspect the night owls ate more not just because they had more opportunity but also because sleep loss may affect reward-motivation brain neurons in a way that leads to more snacking.
I am a big one for getting to bed early.  I believe it doesn't matter which way you do it.  If you go to bed late and get up late, or go to bed early and get up early, the main idea is that your body needs more than 6 hours of sleep a night to function at it's best.  I sure notice when I'm tired that I definitely eat more - I don't know if it is a way of keeping me going (fuel) or I just have less reasoning.


QUOTES - these are all quotes about goals.  This is a great time to refocus and set some great goals for the summer.  Is it a twice weekly bike ride with the kids?  Is it less ice cream and more angel food cake and fresh berries?  What are you waiting for?
You can't concentrate on the reverse of an idea.  A fear is a goal moving in the opposite direction from your desire.  Denis Waitley

The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it.  What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get.  Jim Rohn

If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you.  If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you.  Whatever good things we build end up building us.  Jim Rohn.