Chili Changeups

 

There may be, somewhere, a few unfortunates who don't enjoy a hot bowl of chili on a cold afternoon. Pity them. For the rest of us, like pizza, chili is not always grand but it is always good. We're talking real chili here, not that canned and salt laden abomination you will find on grocery store shelves. It is very easy to make. It freezes well. And it is easily varied to suit your exact preferences.

It's not always exactly healthy though. But with just a few little tweaks, it is easily transformed into, if not a nutritional superstar, a healthy meal. Consider some of the following the next time you decide to cook up a batch.

Hot is your friend. The chili pepper adds some real health benefits as well as a spicy kick. Capsaicin - the ingredient that gives peppers their hotness - is very anti-inflammatory. It may also be mildly protective against some cancers and helps regulate blood sugar. So spice it up.

Tomatoes please. Most chili recipes already include tomatoes but you should add some even if it doesn't. Cooked tomatoes are a potent source of lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant that studies have linked to reduced risk for cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

Beans, beans, the musical fruit*. Chili comes both with and without beans. Since beans reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure and supply a lot of protein and fiber, choose with. 

Rethink the meat. Most chili is made with ground beef, which is arguably the least healthy ingredient in the whole dish. If you just must have ground beef, opt for the leanest grind you can get (90% lean or more). Or consider using a lean cut of steak cut up into small pieces. Or try ground turkey or even a plant-based meat substitute. Because the sauce is so strong, you may hardly know the difference and you will save yourself a lot of saturated fat.

Add vegetables. Really. It may sound sacrilegious to add anything more than an onion, but its not only a good idea, you may find you like it. Vegetables add more food volume with hardly any calories (beans have a lot) and also add more fiber and anti-oxidants. Celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower and corn (technically a grain) are all good choices. And don't forget to top your bowl off with a few chunk of avocado (technically a fruit).

If you are not in the habit of making your own chili from scratch, here is a tasty and easy chili recipe to get you started. Experiment and make it your own.

*The more you eat, the more you toot.
  The more you toot, the better you feel.
   So eat your beans with every meal.

 

Fighting Back Against Salt

 

Most people realize that they should be keeping an eye on the sodium in their diet but most have no idea how much they are consuming. And it isn't their salt shaker that is the problem. Only about 5% of the sodium that the average American consumes each day comes from salt that they add themselves. So even if you throw your salt shaker away, you are likely still getting far too much. On average, Americans are consuming about 3,400mg of sodium per day, well above the recommended 2,300mg. And all but about 170mg of it is from the food you buy, not the salt you shake on.

The FDA recently issued new guidelines "encouraging" food manufacturers to reduce sodium content in food by 12%. But the "guidelines" are voluntary, so good luck with that.

Most of the sodium you are eating every day comes from either processed foods or restaurant meals. So the less of those you eat, the less sodium you will end up consuming. That said, one reason so much salt is added in the first place is flavor. And finding a balance between sodium and taste can be hard to manage. 

It is also ubiquitous - a fancy word meaning it is found nearly everywhere. Bread, breakfast cereals, condiments like catsup and mustard, prepared salad dressings, any canned food and many frozen ones. Even deserts.

Here are some tips from Consumer Reports On Health Newsletter for reducing the amount of sodium in your diet.

Become More Aware of how much you are consuming and where it comes from. Sodium content is listed on all food labels. Just remember it is per serving, not per package. Find out where the high sodium foods in your diet are and see what you can do to moderate your use of them.

Break the Code of package labeling. "Light in sodium" means the product has at least 50% less sodium that the original item. "Reduced sodium" means it has 25% less. Just be aware that even "light" versions of a food can still contain a lot. Other labels you should know include "low sodium" (140mg or less), "very low sodium" (35mg or less) and "sodium free" (less than 5mg). There is also "no salt added", which means just that, though it may not remotely be a low sodium food.

Train your taste. Changing from an original food to a "light" version is going to be noticeable. The lower sodium version may taste watery or "flat" to you. Give your tastebuds about 3 weeks to adjust and you will not notice the difference. 

Spice Up Your Cooking. You can add a lot of flavor to your food without any salt at all. Garlic, onion, peppers, fresh or dried herbs and citrus all pack a lot of flavor. Acidic ingredients such as vinegar or lemon juice are very good at replacing the taste of salt.

Try a Salt Substitute. Salt substitutes replace sodium with other ingredients like potassium to delivery a salty taste. Nutritional yeast impart a slightly cheesy taste which many people find a good replacement for salt. For more information on salt substitutes and how they fared in taste tests, check here.

You can't depend on the food manufacturers, restaurants or the FDA to do much to help you reduce your sodium intake. So its up to you.

Why Not Walk There?

 

When people think of exercise they often think of going to a gym or having some sort of expensive exercise equipment at home that ends up being a clothes hanger. Even walking can conjure up images of special footwear and exercise clothes and forcing yourself out the door on a cold, blustery day. Certainly that is one possibility. But it need not be that way to do you a whole lotta good.

Even just walking for 15 minutes a day can provide you with a surprising list of health benefits. And according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, as little as 5 hours of walking a week can significantly reduce your risk for breast, kidney and stomach cancers. Any amount of walking (or other exercise for that matter) helps prevent weight gain and reduce cellular inflammation (the culprit behind many chronic health conditions).

But wait! There's more!

Walking is cumulative. You don't have to do it all at once to gain some benefit. Park the car at the edge of the lot and walk to the store. Take the dog out. Take a 5 minute stroll on your lunch break. There are all sorts of ways to build more walking into your day and they all count. What's your excuse for not walking there?

Coffee and Dementia: Pros & Cons

Coffee may be somewhat protective against dementia, unless it isn't. It seems like every week a new study comes out that contradicts the previous one. But if you read past the headlines, you will find there is really no contradiction at all. Some coffee seems to be protective; too much coffee apparently has the opposite effect.

As part of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of aging, researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia investigated whether drinking coffee affected the rate of cognitive decline of more than 200 Australians for over a decade."We found that participants with no memory impairments and with higher coffee consumption at the start of the study had lower risk of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment—which often precedes Alzheimer's disease—or developing Alzheimer's disease over the course of the study," said lead investigator Dr. Samantha Gardener.

Drinking more coffee gave positive results in relation to planning, self-control, and attention. Coffee intake also seemed to be linked to slowing the accumulation of the amyloid protein in the brain, a key factor in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. 

Meanwhile, a 2021 study, conducted at the Australian Centre for Precision Health at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute reached the exact opposite conclusion - that "too much coffee raises dementia risk". Heavy coffee drinkers also had a 53% higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia compared with light drinkers.

The difference? Being a "heavy" coffee drinker vs a "light" drinker. The heavy drinkers were downing 6 or more cups every day; the light drinkers had 1 or two.

Taken together, the studies all confirm that having a cup or two of coffee every day seems to be protective against dementia - Alzheimer's specifically - while being a heavy coffee drinker makes you more likely to suffer from it down the road.

Facebook has made us all instant experts on everything by feeding us compelling headlines. The lesson for you here is to read past the headline.

 

You Do Have Time to Exercise

 

The most common reason that people give for not having a regular exercise routine is that they just don't have the time. I’m not going to try to sell you on the benefits of exercise because everyone has heard it before and it doesn’t really matter anyway. People don’t skip out on exercise because they don’t think it’s good for them. People don’t exercise because they’d rather be doing something else.

People spend about an hour commuting to and from work, 8 hours a day working, and about 4 hours a day on leisure activity (half of which is either watching TV or sitting on social media). The root cause of our sedentary lifestyles is not a lack of time.

And it really doesn't take much time to begin with. 

In a study of almost 5,000 adults ages 40 - 85 by the National Cancer Institute and published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers concluded that over 110,000 deaths could be prevented annually if people included just ten minutes of moderate exercise in their daily routine. Ten minutes. Increasing the exercise to 20 or 30 minutes per day multiplied the benefit.

You seriously don't have 10 minutes a day to devote to your own health and wellness?

Aloe-free Aloe Vera

 

Aloe vera has a variety of benefits when used on your skin. You may have used it as a soothing sunburn treatment but the plant is rich in antioxidants and has proven antibacterial properties. It’s used in a great many skin care products for its healing, soothing, and hydrating effects. There is a good chance that you have used it yourself.

But Dr. Tod Cooperman, MD, president and founder of Consumer Lab, warns that many "aloe vera" gels actually contain no aloe at all. Instead, they are made with artificial thickening agents that replicate the feel of aloe fairly well but lack any of its soothing, moisturizing and anti-inflammatory qualities. What a surprise, huh?

Consumer Lab recommends carefully reading packaging and labels. Choose products that list aloe as the first ingredient and promise "no artificial thickeners".

It is sad that companies are so ready and willing to mislead and lie to us about what is in their products. But as long as laws and regulations allow it, it is not going to stop. Caveat emptor.

CBD and Anxiety

 

CBD has several well established benefits that include pain relief, reduction of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and helping to improve the quality of sleep of people suffering from insomnia. Unfortunately, the market is very lightly regulated and so the marketing departments of companies selling CBD will often stretch the truth - to put it politely.

In several trials, very high doses of CBD appeared to lower the level of anxiety induced by stressful situations like public speaking. But various study results are inconsistent. In one of the better designed studies, 32 adults with non-psychosis paranoia were randomly assigned to take either 600mg of CBD or a placebo. Two hours later the study participants were subjected to stress sufficient to elevate their heart rate and blood pressure. Those who had taken the CBD fared no better than the placebo takers.

Research using lower doses is even less encouraging. The only study done to date using a low dose of CBD included overweight or obese adults who were given 15mg of CBD daily for six weeks. They reported no better stress levels, sleep quality, relaxation or mental clarity than the participants taking a placebo.

None of this has slowed down companies from marketing CBD products with a dose as low as 10mg as being effective at "easing anxiety" and "managing stress". It is standard practice within the food and supplement industries to add small amounts of an ingredient to a product and then trumpet it as an effective way to address a problem. Mostly it is not.

As for CBD, much more research is needed to establish is usefulness against anxiety.

Can You "Target" Where You Lose Weight?

 

I participate in many Groups on Facebook related to weight loss and one of the most common questions I see is something like "How do I lose weight off my butt/gut/thighs/etc?" Is it possible to target certain parts of your body for weight loss? Are there diets or exercises or supplements that will help?

The short answer is "no". This is not what people want to hear of course, and that gives rise to screen after screen of scammers promising that it is possible. Its not. Often called "spot reduction", it is heavily promoted because the demand is so strong. But there is not much evidence to support the idea that it works.

To understand why spot reduction may not be effective, it is important to understand how the body burns fat. The fat in your cells is found in the form of triglycerides, which are stored fats that the body can use for energy. Before they can be burned for energy, triglycerides must be broken down into smaller sections called free fatty acids and glycerol, which are able to enter the bloodstream. During exercise, the free fatty acids and glycerol used as fuel can come from anywhere in the body, not specifically from the area that is being exercised.

A large number of studies have shown spot reduction to be ineffective. For example, one study in which 24 people who only completed exercises targeting the abdominals for six weeks found no reduction in belly fat. Another study that followed 40 overweight and obese women for 12 weeks found that resistance training of the abdominals had no effect on belly fat loss compared to dietary intervention alone. A study focusing on the effectiveness of upper body resistance training had similar results. This 12-week study included 104 participants who completed a training program that exercised only their non-dominant arms. 

Scientific evidence shows that spot reduction is not effective and that fat loss tends to be generalized to the entire body, not the body part being exercised.

What does work? Consuming fewer calories than you burn each day will eventually result in weight loss. Couple this with a program of healthy protein and strength exercises and you will see results. As one example, here is what John's Hopkins Medical School suggests for losing belly fat. And remember, you didn't gain the extra weight over a weekend. Don't expect to lose it that way either.

As for all the incredible products and programs that people are willing to sell you, don't expect them to slim down anything except your wallet.

More Magnesium, But Not Too Much

Vitamin D gets all the buzz but maybe we should be worrying more about magnesium. About 35% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, including 61% of those over age 70. Meanwhile, nearly half of Americans do not get enough magnesium, as well as 70% of those over 70. A magnesium deficiency can have serious and widespread consequences. Magnesium helps to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate and is essential for maintaining bone strength (along with vitamin D) nerve and muscle function. It is believed to lower fracture risk in older adults and slow the advancement of sarcopenia (age related muscle loss). 

"(Magnesium) is an essential nutrient needed for hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body," says Anna Taylor, a registered dietician at the Cleveland Clinic. 

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium varies with age. A healthy 13 year old male requires about 240mg daily. This increases to 400mg at age 30 and 420mg at age 50. Corresponding RDAs for females are 240mg, 310mg and 320mg.

Leafy greens, whole grains, beans and nuts are good food sources of magnesium but many foods contain some. If you choose to supplement, 350mg is the recommended maximum dosage, as it is possible to get too much. Side effects of a magnesium overdose can include nausea and diarrhea. In severe cases of overdose, the patient can experience dizziness, slow heartbeat, fainting and respiratory problems.

As always, check labels. Many of the cheaper oral magnesium supplements found on supermarket shelves contain cheap filler ingredients such as magnesium stearate or titanium dioxide.

Yogurt and Blood Pressure

 

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a yogurt a day may be the key to reducing your blood pressure. Researchers from the United States and Australia found that adding a serving of yogurt to a hypertension patient’s daily diet lowers their blood pressure by an average of 7 points compared with those who rarely or never ate yogurt. The study of more than 900 adults measured each person’s yogurt eating habits through a food frequency questionnaire, so it is not as solid as a clinical study. But the results were consistent and significant.

Yogurt is a food that is high in calcium, magnesium and potassium, all nutrients which are known to help regulate blood pressure. The live bacteria in an active yogurt culture also produce a protein that has blood pressure lowering effects.

If you want to give this a try, keep in mind that not all yogurt is created equal. Not all contain live cultures and many are loaded with added sugar, artificial sweeteners and additives. So read the label before you buy it.

Does When You Sleep Matter?

Everyone knows that good, restful sleep is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. If we are consistently getting less than 7 hours of sleep it can can eventually lead to health consequences that affect our entire body. These effects include thinking, concentration and memory, immune system strength, high blood pressure and increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. But what about when you get your sleep? Does that make any difference?

A 2021 study of over 88,000 adults suggests that it does.

Researchers followed study participants for almost 6 years and found that those regularly going to bed after midnight had a 25% higher risk of heart attack, heart failure or stroke than those who crept between the sheets earlier. Going to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes.

Note that this sort of study does not prove that later bedtimes cause heart problems. But those who were up later had more heart related problems such as high blood pressure, obesity and pre-diabetes. Researchers adjusted for age, gender, sleep duration, sleep irregularity (defined as varied times of going to sleep and waking up), self-reported chronotype (early bird or night owl), smoking status, body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and socioeconomic status.

I would not lose any sleep (sorry...) over going to bed at 11pm instead of 10pm. But do make sure you are getting enough.

GMO or No GMO?

 

According to the FDA and the National Academy of Sciences, genetically modified organisms (GMO) are safe to eat and there have been no reported cases of an illness attributed to eating them. Still, many people prefer to avoid GMO foods as much as possible and there are now Federally mandated disclosure requirements. Unfortunately, as is usual with such rules, they are full of loopholes and (intentionally?) confusing.

If a food contains DNA from a modified organism it is required to disclose that. But while this can be disclosed on the package by displaying a "Bioengineered" statement or symbol, it doesn't have to be. The regulations allow companies to disclose this on their web sites if they prefer. Instead of clearly stating that the food is GMO, they can instead provide a web address or phone number for you to use to ask them. So not seeing the "Bioengineered" label does not mean the food is non-GMO.

Then there is "derived from". If one or more of a food's ingredients comes from a GMO plant but the food itself contains no DNA from the plant, the packaging may (it is not required) carry a label saying the food is "derived from" GMO ingredients. Confused? You're supposed to be. "Derived from" typically means that the ingredients are made from a GMO plant that has been so highly processed that none of the plant's DNA remains. These kinds of foods are typically oils, sugars, syrups and such.

And there is a loophole for meat big enough to herd a cow through. Foods that list meat, poultry or eggs as their first (main) ingredient are exempt from the disclosure rules entirely.

There is one bit of good news in all this. If a food is labeled as being "organic" it can not have any GMO ingredients. Other than that, the labeling is mostly misleading and you are on your own. Also, remember that words such as "natural" and "healthy" are meaningless on a food package.

Reducing Your Risk of AMD

 

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. It is more common than glaucoma and cataracts combined. Once you have it, there is no cure.

The macula is the central part of the retina. The light sensitive cells of the macula are responsible for your central vision, what you see straight in front of you. When is degenerates, you begin to lose that central vision. AMD does not affect your peripheral vision so it does not cause complete blindness. But you need your central vision to read, drive, see ahead of you or work with your hands, so it is a severe handicap.

While there is no cure, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing the condition. The two biggest risk factors for AMD are age and genetics, and there is nothing you can do about those. But here are some things that you can control that will reduce your risk.

Smoking. Stop already. Just stop. How many times do you have to be told? If you smoke you are five times more likely to develop AMD than if you do not smoke.

Weight. Again. Get rid of the extra pounds. Stop making excuses and just do it. If I can, you can. Being obese doubles your risk of AMD.

Wear sunglasses. Blocking UV rays can reduce your risk, especially if you have blue eyes. Bonus: sunglasses also reduce your risk of developing cataracts.

Diet. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants. That means leafy greens and colorful vegetables and fruits. You should be doing this anyway.

Supplements. Two studies conducted by the National Eye Institute concluded that high doses of vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin can help slow or even prevent the progression of AMD if you have it. (Remember, there is no cure.) You should be able to find this combination in the recommended doses at pharmacies or health food stores in a product called ARED2 (Age-Related Eye Disease Studies).

Perhaps the most important step you can take, especially if you are older than age 50, is to have an eye exam at least every 2 years. Early diagnosis and treatment is your best shot at slowing the progression of AMD.

Dental Health is About More than Teeth

 

It is an odd feature of western-style healthcare that medical and dental health are so firmly separated. Nature and biology recognize no such compartmentalization though. A recent study of over 64,000 patients by the University of Birmingham in the UK and published in the British Medical Journal Open found that people with a history of periodontal (gum) disease have increased risk of developing a number of other non-dental health problems.

The results of the study showed, in patients with a recorded history of periodontal disease at the start of the study, the increased risk of developing mental ill-health (e.g., depression, anxiety and serious mental illness) was 37%, the risk of developing an autoimmune disease was increased by 33%, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease was raised by 18%, and the risk of having a cardiometabolic disorder was increased by 7% (with the increased risk much higher for Type 2 diabetes at 26%).

Taking good care of one’s teeth, gums, and mouth can help prevent disease and infection in the head, neck, heart, lungs, and other organs. And conversely, neglecting dental hygiene can increase one’s risk of severe illnesses in these vital areas. Gum disease is considered to be the most common chronic inflammatory condition in the world. Unfortunately, gum disease is largely “silent,” meaning many do not know when they have it. 

That’s why dental checkups are so important. Don't neglect them. Our healthcare system may consider them separate issues, but your body never got the memo.

Fish Straight from the Garden

The plant-based "meat" industry is now a more than $900 million annual market, an 18% increase in sales over just the last year. According to the Plant-Based Foods Association, 79% of millenials already consume plant-based meats regularly. Granted there are many issues still to be resolved. Plant-based foods are processed foods and are not always healthier, and texture, taste and scale of production are still not ideal.

Still, plant-based seafood producers expect the same popularity for fish-less products. Plant-based tuna, salmon, caviar, scallops, squid, crab and shrimp have already entered the market. For those that already adhere to a vegetarian or vegan diet, plant-based seafood offers additional dietary choice where there were no options before. For the millions of people with seafood allergies, these products can be a welcome addition to their diets and offer nutritional benefits as well. Plant-based seafood producers boast zero-mercury, no fishy smell, no concern about micro-plastics and a feel-good way to address global overfishing concerns.

Presently there are over 80 companies worldwide that are already producing plant-based "seafood" products. But mimicking the texture and taste of seafood is far more challenging than for beef and poultry. Look for marked improvements. Investments in the sector have been steadily increasing since 2017, which saw $4 million invested in the category. In 2018, this increased to $16.7 million, 2019 saw $41 million in investments, while 2020 had more than $35 million invested in the vegan seafood market. Taste, texture and nutritional profile can be expected to improve quickly as demand begins to grow.

Chickpea "tuna" salad anyone?

 

 

Oats: Not just for Horses

 

Despite their widespread praise by nutritionists and popularity as a healthy breakfast food, oats have a humble origin. They were the last of the major cereal grains to be domesticated, around 3,000 years ago in Europe, and apparently originated as weeds that grew within cultivated fields of various other crops. Greeks and Romans considered oats to be nothing more than a diseased version of wheat. Oats were a lowly horse food for the Romans, who scoffed at the "oat-eating barbarians". The medieval English carried on the scoffing tradition, considering oats to be fit only for "horses, livestock and scots".

In fact, oats are packed with good nutrition including protein, B vitamins, zinc, folate and magnesium. They are also rich antioxidants and an excellent source of beta-glucan, a soluble fiber proven to help manage cholesterol. Oats do not contain any gluten but they are often milled in facilities that also process wheat, so read the labels.

Oats are available in three main forms. Rolled oats are separated from the bran (a thin layer that separates the husk from the tender inner "grout"), steamed and softened before being rolled flat. They have a slightly blander flavor than steel cut oats but cook faster. Steel cut oats (also called Scottish oats) are also separated from the bran and then cut up. They require a bit more cooking time than rolled oats do. Finally, there is oat bran. The bran has a nutritional value similar to the grout and will cook up much more quickly. All three are excellent and healthy foods.

If your mornings tend to be a little pressed for time, you can make oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker or even mixing it 1::1 with milk and leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning you can eat it cold or warm it up. Dress up your oats with nuts, fruit and spices (skip the sugar) and you have a breakfast that is both filling and good for you.

Missed-diagnoses

According to Dr. David E. Newman-Toker, MD, most people will experience a missed or erroneous medical diagnosis at least once in their lives. Think about that. A misdiagnosis can lead to needless illness, untreated diseases, serious harm or even death. In addition to receiving an incorrect diagnosis, many patients will be told that they are fine, that their concern is "all in their head". Misdiagnoses are most common among women and minorities.

“Getting a second opinion means having the added benefit of another expert weighing in on your situation with his or her knowledge and expertise,” says Lonnie Fynskov, a nurse educator for the Cancer Education Program at Mayo Clinic. “He or she may be familiar with additional diagnostic tools and treatment options. Hopefully, that will increase your confidence on how best to proceed with your care. You may be nervous about telling your current doctor you are interested in seeking a second opinion. Even though this is your choice and doesn’t need an explanation, it may be helpful to outline why talking to another doctor is important to you. Many times, your current doctor will be happy to recommend someone. If you are unsure what to do next in your treatment, you should be seeking a second opinion automatically.”

Research from the Mayo Clinic revealed that almost 88% of patients who came to them seeking a second opinion left with either a clarified or changed diagnosis. Only 12% if the time was the initial diagnosis confirmed with no changes. And in 21% of the cases, patients received an entirely different diagnosis. Those are pretty big numbers.

The takeaway here is that any time you are unsure of what you are being told, the treatment you are receiving does not seem to be working or new symptoms have arisen, you should seek a second opinion. Don't be shy about speaking to your doctor about this. The majority of doctors will understand your concerns and encourage you to seek additional advice. Many will be happy to refer you to a specialist or other appropriate provider. If they are not, it may be time to think about changing doctors.

There is a saying among pilots that no matter what happens the Air Traffic Controller is going home that night to sleep in his own bed. The pilot may not be. The same thing is true of your medical diagnosis.

BUT: A Big LIttle Word

 

Its only three letters, yet the word but has a lot of power in your life. In fact, you can get a lot more of what you want in your life if you start to pay attention to when and why you use the word but. Technically, but is a conjunction (like and, or, nor) that means "however" or "except that". Seems harmless enough. But its not. Let's look at a few examples.

I'd like to quit my job but it feels too risky to quit.

I would love to go on a vacation but it would be very expensive.

I'd really enjoy spending the holidays with the kids but they live far away.

I know I should exercise but I just don't have the time.

I wish I could improve my diet but it would take a lot of time and effort. 

Do you see what is going on here? In each case, you are using the word but to introduce the excuse for not doing the thing you want to do. But gives you your reason to not do it. Emotionally, the but tends to convey a negation of the first part of the sentence - what you want - in favor of the second part - the excuse for doing without what you want.

Suppose you make a conscious effort not to use the word but, replacing it instead with the word and. Let's try it.

I'd like to quit my job and it feels too risky to quit.

I would love to go on a vacation and it would be very expensive.

I'd really enjoy spending the holidays with the kids and they live far away.

I know I should exercise and I just don't have the time.

I wish I could improve my diet and it would take a lot of time and effort.

Do you feel the difference? And tends conveys an inclusion of the first part along with the second. They are equals. Instead of providing you with an excuse to not do something, using and in place of but re-frames the issue as a problem or consideration that you need to work out before you can do whatever it is you wanted to do.

Why does quitting seem too risky? What can you do to make it less risky?

If you really want to exercise, how can you find the time to do it?

Your excuse for not doing has now become an issue that your brain can go to work on resolving. It seems so simple, but I have found that it actually does work. Try it out over the next several days. Listen to others' sentences and when you hear but change it in your own mind to and. Then, start listening to your own sentences. When you hear yourself about to say but change it to and. Once you stop talking yourself out of things, see if you too don't start getting more of what you want in your life.