My profession is technical writing. One of the great benefits of being a technical writer is the opportunity to learn about a lot of different topics. During my career, I have written about diverse topics such as network security certification, databases, natural childbirth, exercise, weight management and house arrest ankle bracelets. Perhaps one of the most interesting topics was the HBDI® -- an instrument for determining a person's thinking preferences.

The HBDI assessment describes the degree of preference that an individual has for each of the four thinking styles that I will briefly categorize as -- analytical, organized, social and creative (see the Herrmann Whole Brain® Model for a more detailed description). Most people have two or more preferred thinking styles.

In researching the HBDI, I came across an interesting article on their site: Weight Loss Is All in Your Head. This article discusses the research by Inga Treitler, Ph.D., a cultural anthropologist, who interviewed and observed 10 of the registrants of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), a program that seeks to uncover the common characteristics of people who maintain long-term weight loss. Treitler focused on how the people lived, not on what they ate or did for exercise.

One finding of the research that I found particularly interesting was that all in her study had incorporated some meditative element into their lives. Treitler says, "It might have been walking or yoga, but it was self time, a white space where they could disengage from the old, obsessive behavior." She concluded that transformation of identity appears crucial in keeping weight off, saying, "Without a new self who's clearly different from the old, overweight one, it's too easy to revert to former unhealthy habits." I believe that the meditative element may also reduce stress that can also contribute to weight gain.

Another interesting aspect of the study was that when Treitler administered the HBDI to subjects in the study, she found that those with the most dramatic losses scored noticeably higher in favoring the 'organized' thinking preference. You may find this discouraging, but don't let your natural lack of organization become an obstacle to weight loss. According to Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International which developed the HBDI, regardless of your preferred thinking style, you can "learn to shift to another mode of thinking," to become more comfortable with any thinking style. People who have no natural inclination to be organized and systematic can develop ways to be more organized. According to Herrmann-Nehdi, simple activities practiced over a period of about three weeks can bolster your ability to be more organized. The article listed above give some excellent ideas for doing this.

With school starting soon, you might have additional incentive to add structure and organization to your life. Getting out the door on school days can be so much more enjoyable (or at least a lot less stressful) if lunches, clothes and school bags are prepared the night before. Having healthy snacks ready for kids when they come home and ingredients at hand for easy-to-prepare meals will go a long way in helping your family attain a healthy life style. I liked Dr. Grandma's ideas for Starting an 'In a Hurry' Menu Idea List. When I was working a particularly stressful job, it frequently seemed that I was preparing the same five meals over and over. Finally, I put a list of potential menus on the side of my refrigerator. That was before the days of the internet. Now you can just go the Dr. Grandma's recipe section and get all sorts of great ideas for healthy meals. Remember too that Dr. Grandma's muffins make great healthy breakfasts and after school snacks.

Before school starts, you might even want to spend some time exploring the Dr. Grandma's website. There is a lot of great information that can make your life a lot more healthy and a lot less stressful. I like working for Dr. Grandma's because I learn so much about health and nutrition. Do yourself and your family a favor by taking advantage of Dr. Grandma's expertise and research.

Following is a recipe to add some variety for cooking the great greens that are available this time of the year. The collard greens are fresh from Dr. Grandma's garden. Although the recipe calls for collard greens, you can substitute kale, turnip green or Swiss chard. You can also substitute garbanzo, white, pinto or kidney beans for the black beans used in this recipe. This recipe is tangy. Add less cider vinegar to reduce tanginess.

Collard Greens, Black Bean and Wheat Berries

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 small onion
1 bunch fresh collard greens, stemmed, chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, more or less to taste
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, to taste (such as Tabasco)
1 cups black beans (cooked or canned)
1/2 cup cooked wheat berries
salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat.
Add the garlic and onion. Cook until translucent.
Add the greens, vinegar, water and hot sauce.
Cook, stirring often, until greens slightly soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the beans and wheat berries.
Cook another 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
Stir in salt, pepper and more hot sauce to taste.
Serve.

Remove skins from garlic and onion. Stem the collards.

Chop garlic, onions and collard greens.

Saute onion and garlic.

Add greens, water and vinegar.

Add beans and wheat berries.

Cook 10 minutes to let flavors blend.