The Twelve

“Be portion aware!” It’s the mandate shouting at me from this month’s 12 Healthy Habits pages. It’s not really shouting, of course. That’s just my own portion “noise.” Because trust me: I am very portion aware. I’m actually more portion disregard. Because I know a grape from a galette—and will even surprise myself by often picking the former over the latter—just gimme a whole lot of those grapes.

Despite my tendency toward “more is more,” I fully acknowledge it’s not a healthful eating philosophy, and my habits could definitely use some tweaking. I’ve been trying to follow some of the principles outlined here by downsizing my plate sizes and styling my food to fill that smaller plate more appealingly. But I’m still having trouble when faced with big eating events, like the impending holidays, football games, and random crummy Tuesdays.

That’s where the best portion-related advice I’ve come across comes in. And it just so happens to be super timely with the rapid approach of the most overportioned of all holidays…Thanksgiving. The advice was something like this: Don’t save your favorite foods like dressing, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie for “special” occasions or holidays, or you’ll be tempted to go overboard, seeing them as a limited time offer. Who’s to stop you from enjoying a small scoop of stuffing or a sliver of pecan gooeyness in June? Certainly not me. So I think it’s time for me to start applying the same advice to my other favorite foods. Maybe our biannual trip to our favorite pizza place doesn’t have to be a stretchy pants free-for-all. What if I…gulp…started with a salad before moving on to a more sensible amount of slices? Does that mean I could pizza it up more often? Hmm. Maybe there’s something to this whole portion awareness after all. Please pass the grapes.

Read more: Top 10 Secrets of Portion Control

Kristen did such a great job in her first week of portion awareness, I'm not even sure where to start. I think what's most exciting to me is the number of challenges that our newly-engaged road warrior is facing; the number of times she feels like she can't be in control of what she's eating and how she's turning that around. 

Here are Kristen's challenges, solved:

After-work Bonding Over Drinks: Oooh this is one of those places where road warriors get tripped up easily. Sure, you want to bond with your coworkers when you're traveling, and what better way than happy hour (on the company credit card)? The first time her team insisted on this kind of bonding, she went, and opted for chicken skewers and portabella mushrooms. The second time, she told the team she was going to skip it and head out for sushi. And you know what? They all went with her.

The Corporate Vending Machine of Hell: Who stocks the corporate vending machine with sodas, chips and cookies? It seems nice, but it isn't! Instead of falling prey to mid-afternoon hunger cured with some salty, sugary, fatty and ultimately unsatisfying treat, Kristen brought her own. She called the hotel where she was staying, asked for a mini fridge, and shopped in a local Target's grocery area as soon as she landed. She packed herself big bags of her favorite veggies and didn't heed the siren call of that vending machine.

Steakhouse Dinner?: This is not for the weak of will. Kristen took herself to Ruths' Chris (just thinking about this makes my mouth water). Instead of grabbing a rich steak, she opted for the happy hour special, and ordered Seared Ahi Tuna, and Tenderloin Skewers on a Bed of Mixed Greens. For $12 ($6 ea.) she satisfied her surf-and-turf craving with very reasonable portions.

The 'Eat-Anything-He-Wants' Fiance: We love our men, but a skinny hubby really puts love to the test. But Scott, Kristen's incredibly supportive fiance, did a little kitchen reorg before she returned home this week: he put all of his favorite junk foods in a cabinet that she can't see. Therefore, she's not going to "stumble upon" his junk food and be tempted any more; she'll need to really seek it out.

The 'Have-A-Cookie' Colleague: Ugh. Do you have one of these? Kristen does. The 'I-have-a-present-for-you' colleague, and that present is always caloric. Yes, the colleague knows that Kristen is trying to watch it, but a big (and I mean big) cookie is nobody's friend. So what did Kristen do? She said no thank you and took out a picture of her wedding dress. Nothing motivates like that photo.

Chinese Food At Home: When Kristen returns home from her travels every week, they go out for Chinese. Now Kristen isn't ready to face the portion challenges at a Chinese restaurant, so instead, Scott cooked Chinese at home. He made vegetables and coated chicken breasts with bottled teriyaki sauce. Their Chinese craving was tamed.

And the result? Kristen has lost 5 pounds and her engagement ring is fitting on her middle finger. Her shorts are looser, and she's working out 4 to 5 times per week. She's seeing the results of portion awarenesss: both in quality and quantity.

This week, she's experimenting with vegetables that she hasn't tried before. She plans to make:

- Butternut Squash Soup
- Brussels Sprouts
- Crunchy Green Beans
- Healthy Stuffing Recipe

Sounds like someone is getting ready for a delicious Thanksgiving, doesn't it?

Thank you for your motivating comments last week. Please keep them coming!

Allison

Some people just have that extra special something—a sparkle, a light, a ripple of good energy—that instantly draws you in and makes you want to share a pot of coffee and a plate of yummy cookies, lingering until only crumbs and dregs remain. Gretchen Holt Witt is one of those people for me. I’ve worked with her in a professional capacity during my ten years at Cooking Light, but my interest became personal when her son Liam was diagnosed with neuroblastoma (learn more about it via the National Institutes of Health) in 2007. Gretchen and her husband, Larry, soon started a blog to document Liam’s battle, the good, bad, and ugly ups and downs.

We all seem to (unfortunately) know that panicky, sad feeling of wanting to help someone in such desperate need, but it’s easy to feel helpless when you’re time zones away and fighting such a nebulous enemy about which little is known. We write checks or add it to our growing prayer lists. And these things are good and helpful, but Gretchen knew it would take more: a call to action and more attention for this cruel—and unfortunately common—killer. And thus Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was born.

“I wanted to come up with something that was so easy anybody could do it anywhere—something so innocent and warm and friendly and inviting that people couldn’t turn away,” Gretchen says. Her efforts have been successful in raising buckets of funds for research and to find less toxic and more effective treatments. Most of it has been done through bake sales held nationwide--a lot of small efforts adding up to big results. “The awful twist is that we started this when Liam was cancer-free, and then we lost him,” Gretchen says. “So as much as I would like to curl up in a ball and cry, I have to do it for him.”

And it’s amazing what can be done—even without going too far out of your way or your comfort zone. Our staff held a fall bake sale on a busy football weekend and raised $1,200. Those who could bake did so beautifully, and those who could not (ahem…me) worked on logistics. Another impromptu charity drive last week added an easy $800 to the pot. The point is, there is something you can do, no matter how busy or stretched thin you feel at this time of year. If not a bake sale in your community (visit CKFC’s site to see how easy it is), then start with one or more of the methods below. Let’s share the love with Gretchen. And Liam. And the countless good cookies out there.

1. VOTE. This one’s super easy. Let’s help Gretchen win L’Oreal’s Women of Worth contest. In addition to recognizing this worthy woman, it’ll earn Cookies for Kids’ Cancer another $25,000 to help fund new treatments. Just enter your e-mail address here (they promise no spam or solicitations) to cast your vote.

2. GIFT. Stuff your stocking with love: The OXO Be a Good Cookie Spatula is just $7 and benefits CFKC. Check out Gretchen sporting one above. Find them on Amazon or at select Bed Bath & Beyond stores. Bonus points for pairing it with CFKC’s Best Bake Sale Cookbook, which is just $11 at Amazon.com.
 
3. EAT. Order a batch of cookies from CFKC, which are beautifully packaged and shipped fresh to your (or your gift recipient’s) door. In nine flavors (Liam’s Lemon Sugar gets my vote).
 
4. CLICK. Glad is partnering with CFKC to match donations up to $100,000 during November and December. To start, they’re donating $0.10 for every virtual cookie sent through Facebook. Visit facebook.com/glad to find out more.

Kristen, our "Be Portion Aware" coaching client, has a really big reason to change the way she eats: she's getting married May 19, 2012, and she wants to drop two dress sizes by then. Right now she's a size 12, but she's most comfortable (and not too skinny) as a size 8.

So that's Kristen's motivation, and here are her challenges:

1. She's a road warrior, traveling away from home for business Monday through Friday. She's usually based in smaller towns, where her 20-something male travel companions opt for dinner venues like Subway, Jimmy Johns, and inexpensive buffets. "Lean Cuisine does not fill me up," said Kristen. "I can only eat salads for so many days; at the buffets I eat and eat and eat."

2. She's engaged to a man who seems like he can eat anything and not gain a pound. He has an aversion to vegetables (but will cook them for Kristen). "No fruit, no vegetables, but he'll cook huge steaks," said Kristen. "I made him get rid of the deep frier."

3. She moved from Minnesota to Chicago, and her lifestyle has changed. "In Minnesota I was on the trails, excersizing outside all the time," said Kristen. "In Chicago, it's bars and drinking. Plus, with Scott, I go out to eat more."

Today, Kristen is 5'4" and 175 pounds. She's healthiest and happiest at 145, and would like to see those extra 30 pounds go away before the wedding. And here's a terrific thing about Kristen: she knows how to lose weight by changing her lifestyle.

A few years ago, Kristen lost 50 pounds by exercising, eating salads, and giving up "pop." It took her 1-1/2 years, but she did it, healthfully, losing 1 to 2 pounds per week.

But today, Kristen is on the road most of the week, traveling through smaller towns where inspired fresh salads can be hard to find. She likes to eat, and she likes to eat in volume. So what do we do to help Kristen get to a healthier weight, and Be Portion Aware?

1. Eat As Much ____ As You Like: Since Kristen likes to graze, I needed to give her one portion without control and so I gave her: veggies. Kristen can have all the leafy greens, green peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower she would like. She has committed to bringing a knife, veggie peeler, and cutting board on the road, and will ask her hotel to provide a mini fridge. That way Kristen doesn't have to rely on fast food establishments for her vegetables; she can grocery shop and take care of herself in her home-away from home. She loves eating vegetables and a low-fat salad dressing as low-cal, high-volume office snack; now she can.

2. Have Smarter Snacks: Kristen told me that she makes "snack bags" to bring to work every week, so she is already in the habit of portion control by putting her nuts in little bags! Unfortunately, she's filling those bags with 1/2 cup of nuts, which is about 400 calories and far more than she needs for a snack. So how do we get Kristen the volume she craves with fewer calories? She can use a scant 1/4 cup of the nuts, and fill the rest of the bag with popcorn or puffed cereal (she loves Chex Mix). Alternatively, check out these healthy snack ideas on CookingLight.com.

3. Be Portion Aware with Protein: I've asked Kristen to fill half her plate with vegetables at every meal, and Kristen caught a loophole: if she can have endless amounts of vegetables, what's an appropriate portion of protein? Here's some suprising news: 3 ounces of animal protein provide 21 grams of protein, and according to the CDC, Kristen only needs 46 grams of protein per day. So 3 ounces of protein at every meal is more than enough. Check out the CDC to find out your daily protein needs.

As we were wrapping up Kristen's coaching session, a colleague actually came by her office and offered her a fried sandwich with fries (for free), which she reluctantly passed up. As they say, there's no such thing as a free meal, and in this case, Kristen was being burdened with fries and more fries.

Who is on Kristen's side in the Portion Awareness battle?! We are! So feel free to add your two cents, and inspiring thoughts for Kristen, as she eases up on portions, and eases into that size 8 wedding dress.

By: Blake Kohn

This challenge was complete karma for me. When I found out that I was selected to participate, I was in Mexico, on spring break with my family, and I’m pretty positive that I was licking the rim of salt on my margarita when the email came. To say I like salt is a complete understatement. I’m the girl that licks the bottom of the bag of pretzels.

It’s all rather ironic since I do pay attention to the food I eat and cook. I make nearly every meal at home, use almost all fresh foods, and I can size up the calorie and fat totals of just about any dish. But sodium is my Achilles heel. Until recently I didn’t even know what whether 500mg of sodium was a lot for a soup, or not. (Hint: it’s pretty high!) I guess that’s why Cooking Light dubbed me the Sodium-Clueless mom. If it weren’t so accurate, I might have been offended!

This month has been all about trying new recipes, reading the labels on the food at the grocery store, and ordering my margarita without salt. I also read cover to cover the October Cooking Light issue (only occasionally turning to page 58 to admire my photo) and learned so much about the salt content of food I always assumed was better for me, but really wasn’t. I couldn’t believe that turkey pepperoni wasn’t the better choice over regular pepperoni for our family pizza and movie nights.

The changes that worked for me and for my family were amazingly simple. I write an appetizer recipe blog and this month, I halved every salt quantity on every recipe. And you know what? I don’t think any of the taste was compromised by doing so. I also replaced all salt in our house with kosher salt, and I started seasoning our veggies each night with lemons and limes. Fresh squeezed lemons on green beans with toasted almonds…delish!

The biggest change we made was switching out store-bought taco seasoning with a homemade one that had no salt at all. I have to admit, that I was extremely skeptical with this particular change, and worried that I was messing with a Kohn family favorite. But, by golly, they liked it.

I’ve been really happy to participate in this challenge and have found the changes fairly easy to make. Hopefully, we will now have an even more balanced diet, and I’ll keep looking for ways to improve. (Next stop: replace the soups I eat for lunch with a low-sodium variety and make homemade meatballs for the kids lunch instead of the premade frozen kind.) I can’t say that my margaritas are always going to be without salt, but everything else is here to stay. 

By: Mary Ihla

Two years ago, my doctor warned me: "You won't live to see your grandchildren grow up if you don't develop a healthier lifestyle." I listened. 

I've now lost more than half the weight I had gained over the previous 25 years, lowered my cholesterol, and no longer need insulin injections or the use of a CPAP machine at night. However, one problem still persisted -- hypertension. Despite eating healthier and moving more, I couldn't manage to lower my blood pressure to an acceptable level.

"Cut the salt," my doctor ordered, and set my daily allowance at 1,500mg. I quickly discovered this was going to be a challenge. 

I'd been faithfully tracking my daily intake of calories, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and fat, but hadn't paid much attention to sodium. What a shock to discover I was consistently consuming nearly twice my doctor's recommendation!

So where was all that sodium coming from? As I analyzed my habits, I realized I was automatically grabbing the salt shaker, both during cooking and before I had even tasted the food. And, this was sodium I wasn't even tracking! So, the first thing I did was switch from a shaker to a grinder. This simple gesture not only made me mindful of when I salt the food I cook and eat, but also reduces the amount of salt I use. 

But, I still wasn't even close to my daily limit of sodium. Next, I began looking closely at nutrition labels and was surprised to learn "low-fat" often means "high-sodium." How was I going to continue losing weight while keeping my sodium levels low? 

When I started the Healthy Habits: Eat Less Salt program, I was already aware of the high amount of sodium in my diet and thought I knew where it was coming from. However, the article "Hidden Sodium in Healthy Foods" was an eye-opener. I was dismayed to discover some of my favorite foods in my diet plan contained much more salt than I imagined. 

Another stumbling block was my craving for salty snacks, a habit that had been with me since childhood. In my quest to lose weight, I substituted low-fat popcorn for the sunflower seeds and pistachios I usually enjoyed and started snacking on dill pickles when the munchies overtook me. Of course, these all contributed to my high-sodium intake.

At that point, reducing the salt in my diet while still losing weight seemed a daunting task. But, over the last month, I've adapted the Healthy Habits tips and tricks to fit my lifestyle. I've gradually trained my tastebuds, and my cravings for salty foods have diminished considerably. These days I rarely get the urge to grab the salt shaker, either when I'm cooking or eating. 

I'm happy to report that since I started the Healthy Habits program, I've reached my goal to eat less salt, and for the last few weeks have even managed to stay below my 1,500mg daily limit. Plus, I've lost another 14 pounds! 

Although nearly everything I've learned in this program has been beneficial, there are four "healthy habits" that have become a part of my daily life. 

1. Use only large-crystal salt. I can buy boxes of kosher salt for use in recipes where I measure it out and sea salt in grinders to use while I'm cooking. Both will allow me to add only the absolute minimum while still imparting sufficient flavor. 

2. Grow my own herbs. I can plant a variety of herbs in clay pots on my patio in the summer and in an indoor herb garden the rest of the year. It's much cheaper than buying fresh herbs from the grocery store, and I don't have to worry about them going bad in the refrigerator.

3. Make it myself. I can bake bread in my bread maker, can tomatoes, and freeze vegetables from my garden and the farmers' market, make oatmeal and soups in my crockpot, create my own biscuit mix, and put together rubs, marinades, and dressings, all with minimal sodium content. The bonus: They all taste much better than the store-bought products.

4. Shop for low-sodium products. I can purchase non-perishables in quantity when they're on special and ask my grocer to stock specific items with low sodium or no salt added. If there's not a lower-salt option, I can find an alternative product or eliminate it completely from my diet. 

I'm confident the changes I've made, with the help of Cooking Light's Healthy Habits, will result in a lower blood pressure reading at my next appointment. Then, I can listen to my doctor say, "Great job!"

This is the final week of the Reduce Your Salt Healthy Habit challenge, and I'd to summarize how Susan transformed her salt habit this month. I feel like this month, more than any other, we were playing a mental game.

So to put us in the right state of mind, before we begin this blog post, let's say a collective, yoga-style Oooohhhhhmmmm.

"Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhmmmmmm." Thank you. Now let's begin.

Susan fought salt all her life. Her father fought salt (and still does), and Susan inherited the salt ageda. The whole I-just-need-one-more-shake-I-really-shouldn't-but-there-I-go-again-with-my-bad-habit thing. She wouldn't use salt in her cooking, then the food would taste bland. So she'd add it at the table, with constant negative-self talk.

Susan thought I'd come in like Attila the Hun and forbid her from having salt; but that's not my mojo. First of all, every body needs salt, and second: a little bit of salt can bring a whole lot of magic to food. I'd never do without.

Linguine with Pesto Sauce

So instead of taking salt away, we added: kosher salt (a less salty kind of salt), a special pink salt cellar for her daughter, and Susan started using salt in recipes again. One she realized the salt wasn't going anywhere, we stopped focusing on it, and shifted our focus to flavor.

That's right; we didn't take away any salt. But we added a whole lot of flavor. Susan began using fresh herbs, leeks, ginger, and other flavorful fresh ingredients. She experimented with Asian cooking (which her family loves, but always feels guilty about enjoying due to the salt content). She made sauces with fresh herbs and prepared at least three new dishes every week. She was motivated.

Here, in Susan's own words, is  how she did it:

1. "The more you try not to do something, the more obsessed you get with it. Once I stopped being so focused on the salt, it freed me up to put attention in other areas."

2. "Kosher salt is a permanent change. You can see it and taste it; in the long run, we’re using less salt because of it. I’m not using salt shakers any more. When salt is something I have to spoon out; it makes a different connection in my brain."

Our November Healthy Habit is to be more portion aware.  And this is an important one—getting your portions under control is one of the best ways to eat a little less while still enjoying the foods you love. Instead of eliminating favorite foods, portion control allows you to enjoy all foods.

You told us that's the approach you prefer. When we asked our Cooking Light community, 65% said they pay attention to portions rather than avoid certain foods. All things in moderation. Admittedly, this can be tough when we’re eating so many meals away from home and grabbing innocent-looking snacks and bottled drinks that actually contain two or three servings.  

Yet, experts estimate that eating just 100 fewer calories a day may be all it takes to curtail weight gain for 90% of the population. This simple difference of 100 calories a day will cause you to either gain or lose 10 pounds a year. So just a few small changes to your daily routine can add up to something big. 

I think that's important (and encouraging) because it means you don't need a rigid, restrictive diet plan. The best approach is to make a few little tweaks to your daily food routine.  Many of these changes involve your portions, and this may be easier (and less noticeable) than you think.

So think about ways you can cut 100 calories from every meal. Brian Wansink, PhD, of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, calls this the “mindless margin.”  Our body and mind fight restrictive diets that dramatically cut calories, but they don’t notice a 100-calorie difference here and there.

Here are some simple ways you can shave off 100 calories:

- Use nonstick spray in place of butter or margarine when cooking your eggs.

- Skip the flavored syrup in your morning latte.

- Downsize your bagel, or eat only half; some are equivalent to 5 slices of bread.

- Saute your vegetables in a teaspoon of olive oil instead of a tablespoon.

- Order a slice of thin crust pizza instead of thick crust pizza, or remove four pieces of pepperoni from your slice.  

- Choose a 12-ounce can of soda instead of a 20-ounce bottle, or drink one less can of soda a day (or better yet, switch to water).

- Leave three or four bites on your plate each time you eat.

What are your portion challenges?  And do you have any special tricks to help you manage your portions?

Read More: Perfectly Portioned Recipes

By: Maria Parker Hopkins

October was my month to eat less salt, but I will warn you: I didn’t want to! My family has a history of high blood pressure—who cares! Though, I don’t have medical issues, I could in the future—so what!

See, I told you I wasn’t happy about it. And I could think of 11 challenges that would have been much easier for me to do. However, because this particular challenge was the one with which I have the most difficulty, and because I’m competitive by nature, I set out to overcome my salty addiction.

After consulting with my challenge motivator, I began to implement some of her suggestions: I started to salt “once.” Mind you it was the most forceful shake of the salt shaker ever, but it was still only once. I also began to become more mindful of the amount of salt-ful components on my plate. And now I must admit that once my desensitized buds recovered, I really began to enjoy the natural flavors of foods.

Salt enhances a food’s flavor, but I was missing the taste that food supply on their own. I am still a work in progress, but I’m pretty proud of myself.

Read More: Top 10 Ways to Reduce Sodium

By: Susan Roberts

Watch out, Dara Torres!

I would like to take a moment to look back at one of our 12 Healthy Habits from earlier in the year—the February directive to get moving. Because we are supposed to continue these new habits throughout the year, aren’t we?

I have always done a halfway decent job of getting moving. After a youth and young adulthood spent dancing (ballet, modern), I got into running in my late 20s, and then added some classes such as spinning in my 30s. I’ve always enjoyed my cardio.

This year I turned 40, and I found myself facing a new challenge: My knees and lower back hate me and are plotting revenge. They have let me know, in no uncertain terms, that they are not interested in any more high-impact aerobic exercises. If I wanted to continue to challenge myself with cardio, I would have to make a truce with my joints and find something that doesn’t involve a lot of bouncing up and down.

Enter swimming. I had always heard that swimming was great exercise—low impact, involves the whole body. I belong to a gym with a couple of very nice pools. Of course, I didn’t know how to swim, but I’m not the type to dwell on trivial details. My gym sent out a few e-mails advertising summer swimming lessons. These lessons were all designed for children, but I brazened it out and called about adult lessons anyway, got the numbers of some instructors, and was soon on my way.

Well, long story short, those early swimming lessons were the most frustrating experiences I’ve had in a very long time. I was used to going into a new exercise class and, while certainly not being able to do everything perfectly right off the bat, being able to follow along somewhat, and then improving with practice. When it came to swimming, I felt like nothing I was good at translated to this weird new activity. The one thing I was counting on—having decent endurance—didn’t even apply. Swimming was so much harder than I expected, and the whole “not being able to breathe at just any given moment because you’re underwater” thing really messed with my head.

I didn’t have good upper-body strength—something I’ve tended to neglect with my other activities—so of course that didn’t help when it came to doing strokes. One side of my body is considerably stronger than the other, which led me to swim in a dead diagonal across the pool. And for some reason—bad swimming instincts, lack of understanding of hydrodynamics, or perhaps bad karma—when I first started doing the breaststroke, I went backwards.

And let’s not forget that oftentimes I was surrounded by children—children swimming around like little guppies. They weren’t actually part of my private lesson, but they were around. Watching me. They seemed so full of joy, as opposed to fear of imminent death. I was jealous.

After a few weeks of this, I was quite demoralized and ready to throw in the towel, assuming I just wasn’t meant to be a swimmer. But I just hated to quit so soon, and besides, I definitely got a good workout. My saintly teacher, Coach Rafael, has the patience of Job. He specializes in teaching children, but he also does extremely well with recalcitrant 40-year-olds. He’s very good at analyzing the movement and breaking down exactly what I’m doing wrong. And he’s very reassuring. He has told me time and time again that the main things I need to work on are my patience and my timing—two things I have never, ever been known for. He is also wise.

So, I’m not going to tell you that everything suddenly came together and gelled and now I’m a great swimmer. For one thing, lightning would probably strike me at my computer. However, in recent weeks, I have become considerably less terrible. I can now do real laps back and forth across the pool like a grown-up (not like a kid—I’m not that good yet). I absolutely love the fact that no matter how hard I work out, swimming doesn’t make any of my joints hurt afterward. (Yet—I know that may change, but don’t curse me yet.) I have a stronger upper body and core. And the more improvements I see, the more inspired I am to practice. Lately I have begun to feel like I’m on a roll, and I want to keep that good momentum going as long as possible.

I would like to encourage you not just to get moving, but to get out and do something you’ve never done before. Sure, it might seem impossible at first, but imagine the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel as you start to get control of it. If you have children, you probably push them to try new things all the time, but when was the last time you pushed yourself? If you have overuse injuries, learning a new activity can be good for your body. But the psychological benefits of taking on and mastering a tough new sport may be the things that really get you hooked.