Cakes, Cookies, Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Oh My!

During this time of year the majority of people travel to family gatherings to spend time with one another.  But, that also, typically, means a lot of food - cakes, cookies, pies, noodles, stuffing, ham, turkey, rolls, homemade mac-n-cheese, eggnog, wine, beer, and so much more.  Are you ready?  Will you stuff yourself to the point of discomfort or will you be able to simply enjoy your favorites in small portions?

Mmmm, but some of those colorful treats are really hard to resist.  This can be really challenging for those of you who need to pay close attention to what you eat for health reasons.  And, then of course, there are those of us who are either vegetarian or vegan and eating at other people's homes can be an even bigger challenge.  Is there milk, eggs or cheese in that?  Or you might get the eye roll as other family members don't understand why you won't eat the turkey, ham, leg of lamb or what not.  

Maybe it isn't at a family gathering, but all the goodies that your co-workers/employees bring in to the office.  Seriously, it is no wonder that people gain weight around the holidays.  It is far too easy to just say, "It will be okay … I will work it off come January."  Though a lot of people never actually do the extra work out needed to ditch the added holiday pounds.  

AND…if you eat like crazy and eat a bunch of sugary sweets, your sex life may take a nose dive for at least a few days.  What you eat absolutely has an impact on your sex drive as well as how you feel overall - physically and emotionally.  So….maybe you should opt to eat good and feel good!

How convenient as today's post is sponsored by Andrew Kissee - author of Eat Good Feel Good.  This book, available exclusively for the iPad (and Apple computers) through the iBooks store on iTunes is a fusion of simple, healthy ingredients in just the right quantities.  If you think that healthy food couldn't possibly fast good or fulfill your cravings, then these delicious and exciting recipes will prove your wrong.  Eat Good, Feel Good is packed with over 110 recipes and full color photos.  Check it out on iTunes!

Happy Holidays!

Your Sexy Challenge Team - Rob and Janelle

Photo credits: 

almightydad.com

onceuponacuttingboard.com

laplayaclub.com

Andrew Kissee - Eat Good Feel Good

Thankful for Family or Not at Thanksgiving?

A Thanksgiving to Be Grateful For

By Dr. Noelle Nelson

You love your extended family, you really do, and the thought of all those aunts and uncles, in-laws and parents, cousins and various spouses and children warms your heart.

Until it's time for them to descend on your home for Thanksgiving.

Even if it's just a parent or solitary in-law or wayward cousin, having to deal with relatives you see but once or twice a year can be a trial. It seems so much easier to love them at a distance!

At a distance, you forget all about Aunt Ethel's obnoxious eating habits, or your mother/mother-in-law's critical comments about you, your hairdo, your children, your home, your job, your pets, your cooking, your--well, everything.

You welcome them with love and smiles into your home for the Thanksgiving feast you've prepared to the very best of your culinary ability, with care for each of their individual preferences, trying not to let your frantic last-minute running around show.

Here they are, and here's the feast, and all is well.

But it doesn't take long for Aunt Ethel's chomping to get at you, or those critical comments to make you grit your teeth (biting back the sharp retort you long to give), nor for you to think unkind thoughts of your cousin's new wife (a plunging neckline and leather micro-skirt? At the family Thanksgiving get-together?).

Somehow, all the thanks in Thanksgiving--the spirit of gratitude, appreciation and tolerance for one another--disappears even before the pumpkin pie is served.

Time for a shift! A shift in focus, that is. You see, anything you focus on grows. The more you allow yourself to notice your relatives' irritating behaviors, the more unhappy you will become. The more unhappy you are, the less you are able to tune in to the spirit of Thanksgiving. Instead of a celebration of gratitude, you end up with a headache and a pissy attitude.

Shift. Think about how much Aunt Ethel loves her food. The food you so lovingly prepared. So she has horrible table manners, so? She's having a good time, all due to you.

Your mother/mother-in-law's critical take on the world is her problem. You like yourself as you are, along with your hairdo, your children, your home, your job, your pets, your--you get the drift. Criticism is often a misguided attempt to improve things for others so they can be happier. This is just your mother/mother-in-law's way of loving you. Weird, I know, but again--not your problem. Let the critical comments flow off you like water off a duck. Irrelevant, no different than bad late-night talk show bla-bla. Just filler. Unimportant.

So the new wife is showing off her stuff? Who cares? It makes her happy, and certainly doesn't mean you have to imitate her style.

Focus on what does matter: the guests who are enjoying themselves, how nicely your casserole turned out, that the table looks lovely. Focus on how grateful you are to have a family--of one, or two, or many. Focus on how good it is to be alive, and to have the goodness that exists in your life.

Focus on giving thanks, let the rest just roll on by, and you will have a Thanksgiving to be grateful for.

Noelle C. Nelson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, relationship expert, popular speaker in the U.S. and abroad, and author of 10 best-selling books. Dr. Nelson focuses on how we can all enjoy happy, fulfilling lives while accomplishing great things in love, at home and at work, as we appreciate ourselves, our world and all others. Visit http://www.noellenelson.com, http://anotefromdrnoelle.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Noelle_Nelson

Photo credit: © Traudl - Fotolia.com

Is Your Sex Drive Different Than Your Partner's?

Dr. Janelle Alex, Ph.D. and Rob Alex, M.Sc. of Sexy Challenges talked to Aaron Anderson about differing libidos in marriages today. Is you sex drive lower/higher than you sweeties? Then you should watch now! 

Aaron Anderson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner of The Marriage and Family Clinic in Westminster, CO. He is the Marriage editor for The Good Men Project and also writes for several publications on the topic of marriages, families and men. In his spare time (whatever that is) he is secretly preparing to be the next renowned chef. You can find him on Twitter @MarriageDr on Facebook and on his blog The Relationship Rx giving great relationship advice without the psychobabble.

Soul Families, Soul Clusters

A little insight...

Soul Family: Souls that are very close to you.  You might compare them to your immediate family on Earth.  Your soul family are the souls that are the closest to you.  During incarnation you may not get along with them because they are likely to teach you the most profound lessons and you them.  But, they are also those people that we meet and simply know we know them somehow.  We may wonder how can I know him/her.  Yet, you simply know you do.

Soul Cluster:  This is the group of souls that are close to you, but not as close.  Compare them to your extended family.  You may have a ton of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., but may not be as close to them as your parents, siblings.  It all depends.  This is just an analogy.  There are an infinite number of soul clusters perhaps.  They make up Galactic families.  

Galactic Families:  They are like communities.  Groups of soul clusters that are closer to one another.

So, this little tidbit today is just something for you to chew on and ponder.  Is it exactly the truth for everyone?  Actually, I don't think so.  But, it certainly is for a whole slew though!

Love to you all,

Janelle

Photo credit: © rega80 - Fotolia.com

The Material Things In Your Life

I am convinced that material things can contribute a lot to making one's life pleasant, but, basically, if you do not have very good friends and relatives who matter to you, life will be really empty and sad and material things cease to be important.

David Rockefeller