Eating Well Vs. Convenience

Here's a link to a post on Etsy's blog about food. I have to say I was impressed to see something about food on Etsy but its awesome! What's even more awesome are the comments...so many people agreeing and some expressing their differing POVs (respectfully for the most part). Check it out...

Can We Eat Well, Conveniently?

I whole-heartedly agree with some of the posts that talk about how the way we feel and look are seriously affected by the way we eat. I think many people are in denial about this. It's a lot to have to think about especially when we are so busy already. But its the honest truth...if you want to feel better, REALLY evaluate your diet and do some research. Information is so readily available these days. Get on it!

How do YOU eat well conveniently?

Date Day

So, my mom watches my son through the week while we work and she was gracious enough to watch him on a Saturday so we could have a "date day". We started out at National Harbor and then ended up in DC...I love no-plan days like that. Enjoy!

Where do YOU go for date day?

Memorial Day

A taste of summer!
My son, Trent - age 17 mos, on Memorial Day at a family cookout.

I love Mark's face in the photo on the right. He was getting splashed...

Cellulite

So, ladies....this is more for you...

It's ugly but MOST of us have it. Some of us more than others and everything we try just doesn't get rid of it. We buy the stupid creams praying for a miracle, we tan trying to camouflage it, we workout hard to build up the muscle - lose the fat - and thin the skin but nothing works completely.

My mom was watching the Doctors (a show I rarely catch but LOVE it) and one of them was talking about cellulite and it's not so much about working out...its our DIET! When my mom told me they said this, I just thought "DUH!" When you think about it, this should be a no-brainer. Look at what most Americans eat. We're always in a hurry so we grab whats quick...which is usually loaded with SUGAR. When you don't burn the sugar you eat, it is stored as fat. Beautiful. It's also loaded with SALT. Wanna look like a bloated beachball? Keep eating that processed junk. It sucks but eating right to FEEL good and LOOK good takes work. Don't be lazy. And dont be in denial. ;)

So anyway...that lovely orange peel (or cottage cheese...whatever you prefer) on our thighs is most likely from our crappy diet. And of course genetics too. What can we do to help diminish it or stop more from developing as we age? Eat fresh (no, not subway cause it ain't fresh in the slightest!). Eat your fruits and veggies, drink water (not poison soda), and cut the sugar/salt intake. Salt and sugar are prob the biggest issue with foods today....a long with seed oils and inflammatory junk!

***BTW - eating fat DOESNT make you fat. You NEED fat in your diet. You gotta eat the right types but that's another blog for another day! (Keep a lookout!)

Dont be lazy...like I said. Take the time to learn the basics of food. Once you learn this stuff, you wont forget it 'cause um, we kinda eat everyday!

How do YOU battle cellulite?

Get Moving!

Ok, so I hear these terms interchangeably way too often...physical activity and exercise. These words have different meanings.

Physical activity is simply moving. Getting up off the couch to walk to the fridge, to open the door, and pull out some food, and walk back to the couch IS physical activity. Do you burn very much doing that? No - it's not the best form of physical activity but you are moving.

Exercise is structured physical activity where you have a certain time, frequency, and intensity. Think of this acronym when are you trying to plan out your exercises: FITT - frequency, intensity, type, and time/duration. These are all important factors in having effective workouts and getting the results you want.

People want to get healthy for many reasons...to lose weight, to relieve pain, to relieve stress, to reduce health risks, to live longer and better...all fabulous reasons. The key to achieving ANY of those things is to get moving! Fact: Being active strengthens the heart which can lower the risk of heart disease and other diseases like diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), which strain the heart. Heart disease is the #1 killer in the US (mainly due to high saturated fat and sodium diets with little physical activity).
Update: Saturated fat being bad for you is a MYTH! More on that later!

So...since we know what we know about how great and healthy being active is....why aren't more people moving? The biggest excuse is lack of time. We are all busy - very busy - but physical activity doesn't take that much time...

Solution: High Intensity Interval Training AND Heavy Weight lifting.
An awesome interval session can be just 12 mins! Who doesn't have 12mins to themselves during the day? If you don't, you are overloading and stretching yourself too thin - that's not healthy nor do I imagine you are HAPPY!!! Give yourself well needed breaks - 'me time' is important.


***Want some FREE interval exercises that will WHOOP your tail? Check these guys out: BodyRockers
They are AWESOME!

Exercising is something I see as doing more than the bare minimum to increase health. The person who wants to exercise has a certain goal - to get toned, to lose body fat, to run a marathon, etc. A structured workout is going to help you reach those goals but exercise shouldn't be easy. You have to do work to get your body strong. Even though exercising shouldn't be easy, it should be fun or enjoyable. We can work our bodies in many different ways so do research to find what activities you like (sorry - sitting on your couch on the laptop all night after work isn't an option!). If you need help with ideas, feel free to ask me.

**Remember to give any new lifestyle change a full 2 weeks. Usually after that time, things become habit.**

How do YOU keep active?