Have you ever seen a bucket full of crabs? They pinch and pull as they struggle to climb over one another to reach the top of the bucket – to freedom.

Ask any fisherman and they'll tell you that a bucket full of crabs doesn't need a lid – they simply won't escape.

Why? Well, it's not impossible for a crab to climb to the top, and really if they worked together it would be quite easy. But crabs don't work together...

Instinctively crabs pull each other down-literally.

When one crab breaks away from the pack, reaching its pinchers toward the top of the bucket, the others promptly grab onto the escapee's leg, pulling him back down. That crab is then pushed to the bottom of the pile and his dream of freedom is crushed.

People have a way of acting just like a bucket of crabs. Have you ever decided on a personal goal only to have someone in your life talk you out of it?

Do you have crabs in your life? A crab is...

	The person who discourages you from going to the gym
	The person who scoffs when you mention your weight loss goals
	The person who snickers when you choose salad over pizza

The crab mentality says "If I can't have it, then neither can you." When you decide to do something different, to reach for a goal and to improve yourself, the crabs in your life will do their best to hold you back.

Keep Crabs at Bay: When crabs come snapping, remember the following:

Ignore them: When someone in your life begins to pull you down with discouraging words, remember that you don't have to listen. Don't let them get into your head. Mentally tune them out or politely remove yourself from the situation. Who are they to tell you what you can or can't achieve?
Understand them: Ouch! Insults and put-downs hurt, especially when they come from people that we care about. So what is the deal? Why do your friends, co-workers and even your spouse turn into crabs when you decide to improve your life? Do they really hope that you don't succeed? The truth is that crabs are thinking about themselves-not about you. They see you attempting to better yourself and to change your life. Whether they realize it or not, this scares them. If you better yourself will you still like them? Or will you leave them behind?
You hold the power: Even the most persuasive crab doesn't hold a candle to your iron will. When you are ready to change, and you've made up your mind without an inkling of doubt, then 90% of the work is done. Your mind is the most powerful tool at your disposal-don't let a wimpy crab rob it from you.

Are you ready to make a positive change in your life? Don't wait any longer. Join the ranks of my successful clients-schedule your first workout today.

And don't let a single crab talk you out of it!

Super Flour

You know that wheat bread is a healthier choice than white bread-so why not enrich your home baking with super flour? Regular flour is processed and contains little nutritional value, while super flour is packed with healthy grains.

To make one cup of super flour place the following in a one cup dry measuring cup: 1 tablespoon wheat germ, 1 tablespoon wheat bran, 1 teaspoon soy flour and 1 teaspoon nonfat powdered milk. Top off with whole wheat flour.

Whole Grain Pretzels

Who can pass up a soft pretzel that is warm from the oven? While the pretzels sold at the mall are drenched in butter and filled with processed ingredients, this recipe only uses a tablespoon of canola oil (the good fat) and super flour crams whole grain nutrition into every bite!

*Here's a quick tip: if you decide to purchase a pretzel at the mall, ask for it to be made ‘nonfat'—it may take a few extra minutes for them to bake one without butter, but you'll be saving yourself quite a few unnecessary calories and it will be nice and hot!
Servings: 6 pretzels

Here's what you need...

	2 cups Super Flour, divided
	1 Tablespoon Canola oil
	1 cup organic apple juice
	1 Tablespoon active dry yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast
	Salt -- optional

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the super flour, canola oil, apple juice and yeast. Beat with electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of super flour.
Knead for 10-15 minutes, add water or flour as needed for a good consistency. Roll 6 pieces of dough into long snakes and form into pretzel shapes.
Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray, place the pretzels on the sheet and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. If desired, coat the top of each pretzel with a small amount of water and sprinkle with salt.
Bake the pretzels for 15 minutes or until they become golden brown.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 162 calories, 3g fat, 31g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 7g protein.

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Bottom Line Health

By: Ronald J. Berding

Choosing a health plan is not as easy as it used to be. The distinctions among health plans have begun to blur as health benefits companies compete for your business.

Although there is no "best" health benefits plan, there are carriers that are a better fit than others for your business and your employees' health care needs.

As CEO of VISTA, a health benefits company, I am not immune to the skyrocketing cost of health care. As an employer, I face the same challenge you do of keeping health care costs affordable for VISTA's 1,000 Florida employees. My responsibility also extends to more than 10,000 South Florida employer groups and 330,000 VISTA members.

While many CEOs, presidents and CFOs complain about the cost of providing health benefits for their employees, they are rarely engaged in the process of selecting a health benefits company.

Fortunately, South Florida employers enjoy a highly competitive marketplace when it comes to purchasing health benefits. While there are many carriers to choose from, the differences among each are few. The network of providers, plan designs and services are all very similar. So all things being equal, why pay more? How do you know which health benefits company is the right fit for your business? Ask yourself these questions.

As an employer, how much can I afford to contribute to the premium?

What benefits will serve the majority of my employees?

Will offering employees more choices save or cost me money?

Does the plan have an adequate number of providers?

Evaluating cost
Business owners are searching for ways to reduce their health care expenses. Look for a carrier that administers your health benefits plan efficiently.

Administrative charges are a carrier's overhead costs. They are included in your premium and can vary significantly. These charges include processing and paying claims, answering customer calls, marketing and advertising costs, and broker commission payments. Carriers with lower administrative costs usually are much more affordable than those with high administrative costs.

When reviewing proposals from health benefits companies, ask what they will charge you for administrative expenses.

Offering employees a choice
Giving employees the freedom to choose their health plan will help educate them about the valuable benefit you offer, satisfy their need for health benefits and keep your premium contributions within your budget. Plan choices may vary by co-payment, network access and employee contribution. It will be the employee, not the employer, who is responsible for evaluating and choosing his or her health benefits plan.

Employees will have to determine how often they use health care services, what they estimate those costs to be and how they want to access and pay for those services.

An adequate provider network
No health benefits plan covers every health expense an employee may have or includes every physician. You are purchasing group coverage. As a business owner, you must evaluate whether the health benefits plan you are considering offers an affordable level of benefits and a network that provides adequate accessibility for your employees.

Your bottom line
In South Florida, there can be as much as a 15 percent difference in cost among the health benefits companies you have to choose from. The health plan you select should be cost-competitive and offer a choice of health plans and an extensive provider network to meet the needs of your group.

Whether your company has 20 employees or 1,000, your level of engagement in the decision-making process is vital in determining how health care costs will impact your company's bottom line. Standing on the sidelines could be a price you cannot afford to pay.