When it’s 8AM and we can’t seem to get the motor running, a cup of coffee is often the first thing we turn to. There are many reasons why this isn’t the best idea for our health and well being–caffeine, a stimulant,� can keep us up at night, give us the jitters, and cause our hearts to race among other things–and recent research has given us another reason why we might want to switch to decaf.

A study at Duke University suggests that if you’re diabetic you might want to think twice about that morning cup of joe. It turns out that caffeine may decrease the body’s ability to process glucose, leading to increases in blood sugar.

In the Duke study of participants with type 2 diabetes, those that took a pill containing an amount of� caffeine equal to that in� 4 cups of coffee had noticable increases in blood sugar throughout the day compared to those who took only a placebo. Not only does this reasearch suggest that caffeine can cause spikes in blood sugar, but it also raises questions about how caffeine may interfer with the effectiveness of drugs used to treat diabetes.

While more research needs to be done to confirm the effects of caffeine on blood sugar, if you’re a heavy coffee (or caffeinated soda) drinker and you have type 2 diabetes you might want to consider weaning yourself off.� Don’t go cold turkey, though, or you might experience headaches and other withdrawl symptoms. Instead,� each week try replacing some of your caffeinated drinks with decaffeinated ones, until you’re drinking only decaffeinated beverages. As you decrease your caffeine intake, keep a close watch on how it affects your body and blood sugar levels. If you see any major changes in your regular blood sugar levels or in the way your body responds to your medications, talk to you doctor so she can make any necessary adjustments to your treatment.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

Eat Better America� is doing a Resolution Revolution right now, promoting the big effects that little changes can have on your lifestyle. If you’re looking for something to keep you motivated to stick to your resolutions a little longer, check it out. And while you’re at it, why not sign up for their newsletter and get a free sample of Fiber One Cereal. I know Fiber One doesn’t sound all that exciting. It’s not Cocoa Puffs or Frosted Flakes, after all. But it’s not as bland and boring as the name might suggest. I use Fiber One for a lot of different things:

• Crush it and use it to bread chicken tenders
• Mix it with low-fat yogurt for a quick, crunchy breakfast
• Make Krispymallow Treats

If none of those suggestions sound palate pleasing, then try any of Eat Better America’s Fiber One recipe suggestions. We could all use a little more fiber in our diets! Plus, the newsletter is filled with recipes and great tips on living a healthier lifestyle. When the motivation to stick to a healthy diet wanes in February, this just might be the help you need to stay on track for you New Year’s goals. Give it a try, you just might like it!

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

If one of those resolutions you’ve committed to is to improve your eating and exercise habits, then you’ve come to the right place. Feed the Soul will be offering the successful 8-week Cre8 A New You program again, beginning in February to help you create and maintain a healthy lifestyle in 2008 and beyond.

Join Cre8 A New You and you’ll receive a complete baseline health assessment. We’ll teach you the well-known “Non-diet Approach” to help you change your behavior and get results without deprivation or crash diets. The class will meet for weekly 1-hour sessions where you’ll get group support and learn new strategies for living a healthier life. After completing the program, you’ll receive a program t-shirt as a gift and reminder to continue using the new strategies you’ve learned.

If you’re ready to start something new, contact us to sign up for Cre8 A New You today!

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

It’s the beginning of a New Year again, and people all over the country are making resolutions to lose weight, go to the gym every day, stop smoking, or reach some other goal in 2008. Unfortunately, most of these resolutions will be long forgotten by February 1st. The problem with resolutions is that they’re often extreme and unrealistic.

When you make resolutions to make major lifestyle changes, motivation is often high at first, and it doesn’t take much to keep you on track toward your goal. But as time goes on this resolve fades, and when the going gets tough, it gets tough to stick to goals that suddenly seem unattainable. So how can you make resolutions that you can stick to throughout the year? Try a new approach.

Set realistic resolutions. Pick one or two long terms goals that you feel are realistically achievable over the year.

Choose resolutions that are important to you. Make them goals that you truly want to reach, rather than resolving to do things that you feel you have to do. If exercising more is something you feel strongly about, make it your resolution. But if your real passion this year is to learn to paint, make that your resolution instead. You won’t stick to a resolution that you aren’t truly committed to.

Break it down. Once you’ve selected your goals for 2008, come up with a few short-term goals that will help you succeed. For example, if losing 25 pounds is your resolution, you might set the short term goals to lose 4 pounds each month, drink 8 glasses of water each day, and exercise 3 times each week. Using short term goals gives you an achievable plan to reach your long term goals.

Reward yourself. Instead of punishing yourself when things don’t go as well as planned, decide on specific rewards for each goal you reach. For example, buy yourself a new nail polish every time you lose 5 pounds, download a new song to your MP3 player each week you reach your exercise goal, and plan for a pedicure when you’ve reached your long-term goal. Make your rewards personal and exciting, and you’ll be more motivated to reach your goals.

Take a new approach to New Year’s resolutions, and when 2009 rolls around, you’ll find you’ve made more progress toward your goals than ever before.

Happy New Year from Feed the Soul! May 2008 be filled with health and happiness for each and every one of you.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."