Fifteen Healthy Habits

Here are a few easy tricks on staying healthy to keep in the back of your mind!


1. Eat an early dinner

2. Weigh yourself daily

3. Eating a boring diet

4. Reward yourself with small dessert

5. Read diet and exercise tips

6. Eat Breakfast! ( like my previous post )

7. Take healthy snack breaks

8. Drink water

9. Choose whole grains

10.  Sleep for 6 to 8 hours each day

11. Manage stress

12. Take the stairs!

13. Walk after meals

14. Eat protein

15.  Surround yourself with nutritious food choices!

Question to Consider: Any things you do already? Any new ideas to add? Comment below.

Worst Beverages to Drink

Unhealthy Choices in Beverages

Beware of drinking these extra unnecessary calories

Most Unhealthy Beer: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot with 330 calories in one bottle

Worst Lemonade: Auntie Anne’s Wild Cherry Lemonade with 470 calories

Worst Espresso Drink: Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream with 660 calories

Most Unhealthy Drive-Thru Shake: McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake with 1,160 calories

Worst Cold Beverage: Cold Stone’s BB&C (Gotta Have it) with 2,010 calories!!

Check out the full list here:

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/worst-margarita?slideshow=184612#sharetagsfocus

Running outside vs. Treadmill?

Which do you prefer? Going for a run around the neighborhood or going to the gym and running on the treadmill?

 

Everyone has their different preferences. But me, I enjoy running outside way better than running on the treadmill. I get bored and probably don't run as much as I would if I was outside. I love the outdoors, my surroundings kept me motivated and I put length distances for myself to keep me going. For example, in the summer I would challenge myself to run to the local elementary school and back without stopping. I feel these options don't apply when you're just at the gym on the treadmill. Perhaps the best benefit or the treadmill is you can specifically time yourself, count your calories burning and change your elevation to your desire.

Question to consider: Comment below stating treadmill or outside. If you like give a brief description as to why you choose one over the other.

Exercise Spotlight: Lunge

        Lunges are one of the best butt exercises, besides squats! Here we go ladies!

 

This is an easy at home workout you can you while you're watching tv, but you must make sure you are doing it properly in order for it to be effective. There are many different types of lunges but this one is the very basic. To intensify, you can add weights or add a step platform.

Static lunges are great for working all the major muscles of the hips, glutes and thighs. In this version of lunges, you're simply dropping your knee down rather than stepping forward or back. For beginners, you can try this move while holding onto a chair or wall for balance. Do it right:

1. Stand with right foot forward, left foot back about 3 feet apart.
2. Hold weights in each hand if desired and bend the knees to lower the body towards the floor. Keep the front knee behind the toes and be sure to lower straight down rather than forward.
3. Keep the torso straight and abs in as you push through the front heel and back to starting position.
4. Don't lock the knees at the top of the movement.
5. Perform 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps according to your fitness level and goals.

Try it out! See how you doand how many! Remember to increase the amount you do each time.

Portion Control Tricks

Kids are told to clean their plates at every meal, so it's no wonder they grow into adults who feel compelled to finish whatever's in front of them. Breaking the habit can tough but it is definitely do-able! Simple things like switching your plates, silverware, and even centerpieces ( I'm serious) can make a difference. Here are some easy tricks to fool yourself into eating less by simply downsizing your table setting:

PLATES

Keep them saucer-size, yes, I know this seems small but you will eat smaller portions and be less likely to take seconds. 

BOWLS

Researchers show that the bigger the bowl, the more you'll stuff into it so stick to small ones. 

GLASSES

Studies show that adults pour about 19% more liquid into short, wide glasses than they do into tall glasses. This may be because our brains tend to focus more on an object's height than its width, so short glasses don't appear quite as full. 

SERVING DISHES

In studies, people ate as much as 56 percent more when they served themselves from a one-gallon bowl than they did from a half-gallon one. 

CANDLES

Skip them, or blow them out right after the salad course. When the lighting is dim, people tend to linger over their food more, which can lead to overeating. 

CENTERPIECES

Swap flowers for a bowl of green apples, bananas, and other fruits. 

WALLS

Make them blue- it's thought to be a natural appetite suppressant. It is said that blue lights make food look less appealing, while warmer colors, especially yellow have the opposite effect. 

Question to consider: Any advice you'll consider? Think it might work?

Easy Calorie Swaps- Healthier Snack Alternatives

A lot of your extra calories build up throughout the day when you choose to grab a not-so healthy snack. Here are some better ideas for what to reach for when cravings strike:

                  Instead of:                                                             Try this instead:           

                                                     

           a bagel with cream cheese                                 low-fat yogurt with blueberries and granola

                a bag of chips                                                    slices of apple with peanut butter

 

              Chinese takeout                                                a garden salad with grilled chicken

                                                                 

              a slice of pizza                                                       kashi cereal with low fat milk

        salty pretzels or cheese puffs                                           a handful of almonds

             cookie dough ice cream                                         popsicles or frozen fruit bars

Question to consider: What kind of healhty snacks do you enjoy?



Exercise Spotlight: The Plank

I hear about this ab workout all the time and see it in almost every fitness magazine! It’s a great exercise to incorporate into your fitness routine. Not only does it strengthen the adbominal muscles, bit it also works all the core muscles, for example, the back, hips, etc. I recommend gradually increasing how long you can hold the position each time you do it. Most experts agree that a healthy person can hold a plank for at least two minutes. If you can't hold the position for this long, thats okay, just try and push as long as you can go. Challennge your body!  

How to: Place forearms on the floor and press up into a flat-back position on the toes, keeping the hips down so that the body is in a straight line from head to heels. 

To intensify: While in the flat-back position with forearms on the floor, move hands into the push-up position. Go back and forth from push-up position and back down to forearms on the floor. Do this for as long as you can! You’ll really feel the burn in your abs!

Fact or Fiction? You Must Drink 8 Glasses of Water Daily

The answer is no, because it depends on the person. For a runner yes, maybe even more. But as far as the average person, you do not need 64 ounces of water daily. The Question is: How much water do you need to drink then?  Some experts believe you can estimate the amount of water you need by taking your weight in pounds and dividing that number in half. But I say, at least 6 cups a day of water is good. Once in the morning and one at night, and the remaining 4 through the day. Instead of drinking soda or tea with your meal, replace it with water in order to get your recommended daily amount. Another incentive, water is probably the best choice because it's free and has no calories or added ingredients.

Studies show that the adult human body is made up of an estimated 60-75% of water. Without water, your body would not be able to function. You need water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to your organs and tissues. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.

One thing I learned was, “by the time you are thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.” With that said, don’t wait till after your workout to drink, constantly drink water before and during the day to prevent dehydration.

Question to consider: How much water do you drink a day? After reading this post, do you think it is enough?

Having Proper Running Shoes is Important when Running!

Why is it important to pay over $100 for a decent pair of running shoes compared to tennis shoes on sale at Khol's Department store for $24.99? Well, it is important to have good running shoes in order to prevent injury, increase the lifespan of your shoe, and to provide lasting comfort for your feet. Therefore, the shoes at Khols are not a good idea at all!  

Shin splints, plantar fasciitis (the heel) and hamstring injuries can be prevented if you buy the proper running shoes. When you land on your foot, your impact is about  3 to 4 times your body weight, so a good shoe will help disperse some of the shock of the impact throughout your shoe and foot. The average technical shoes, better than the casual shoe, lasts anywhere to 350 to 500 miles while the average shoe at Khols might last anywhere from 50 to 100 mile, in terms of  running. Your weight, how often you run, and the surfaces you run on can also affect the lifespan of your shoes. This is because it's cheap material. A question to ask yourself is would you rather buy something cheap now and have to keep paying that amount over and over again, or would you rather spend the money on a decent pair of shoes that can last you a while until you have to buy another pair.  Think long term! 

Better comfort is essential when running as well. The average person runs about 15 miles a week. The number one cause of shin splints is because your shoes are no good. This can effect the way you run because you will be less likely to run when you are in pain.

A good place to look for running shoes is your local running store like Pacers and Va Runner here in Virginia. But for everyone else, simply typing into Google "local running stores" can get you there. 

Question to consider: When's the last time you bought running shoes? How much did you spend on them and how effective are they? 

Never skip Breakfast, please!

Considering over 50% of people skip breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day. If you are getting the recommended amount of sleep, your body has just been in rest for the past eight hours, that’s why it is critical to eat when you get up. Whether you are waking up early for work, school or anything else, always make time to eat breakfast. Even if you have to grab a fresh fruit on the go, that’s still better than nothing. In fact, breakfast should always be the biggest meal of the day. Why? Because you will have more energy and you are more likely to eat better throughout the rest of the day.  In addition, studies have shown that eating breakfast improves your concentration, problem-solving skills, creativity and your immune system. Without breakfast, many people can get irritable, weak, and tired. 

Recommendations for a tasty and healthy breakfast:

•  Coup of oatmeal
•  Egg whites with peppers
• Turkey slices
• Fruit
• Low fat yogurt with lots of protein
• Kashi Golean Crunch (use low fat milk or soy milk)

Stay away from sugary cereals, pancake/waffles with syrup, pastries, and especially donuts!

In the end, breakfast is very important to weight loss and this meal should never be skipped.

Question to consider: Do you eat breakfast every day? If so, what do you eat? If you don't eat breakfast everyday, why not?

The Best time to Workout

What do you think the best time to work out is? In my opinion, the best time to work out is five minutes after you wake up. Why? Because it boosts your metabolism in order to burn calories faster throughout the day. And with the typical American waking up at 6:30 a.m., you should be out exercising by 6:35. But just before, make sure you grab a light snack, something that you can digest easily, for example, apple with peanut butter, or wheat toast with low fat jelly, or a fruit salad, all with a glass of water. For those who simply cannot work out immediately after waking up, a second recommendation for the best time to work out is right when you get off of work. Make it a point to go to the gym, otherwise you are going to get lazy, want to go home and lay on the couch and watch t.v or something. In the end, just make sure you make time to work out your body. They say that thirty minutes of cardio is recommended a day, and routine is very important too!

Question to consider: When do you find time in incorporate exercise into your daily routine? Do you typically work out mornings, evenings, nights? What do you prefer and why?

Taking the first few steps to a healthier you

Kick- start your plan on eating healthy! Here are a few key pointers that I use myself to get thinking in the right direction!

•         Cut out soda as much as possible! Grab a water instead, it’s cheaper too!
•          No late night snacks! Your body doesn't work off the calories like it does during the day. Try not to eat after 7 p.m. (FYI, that’s when Oprah Winfrey closes her kitchen)
•          Eat sweets in moderation, don’t completely cut them out, some fat is good for your body!
•          For a snack, grab some fruit instead of a bag of chips. Fruit is mostly water!
•          Pick up some vitamins at the store and have them every day.

Question to consider: What are one or two tips you do in order to lead a healthier diet? What works for you and what doesn't?

Introduction to my Blog

Hello Everyone! Thanks for coming to my new blog!

I’ve decided to dedicate this blog for tips, stories and comments regarding fitness and nutrition, for BEGINNERS. I’m excited to see what discussions will steam from future posts, so I encourage you to comment on anything that intrigues your interest, or if you have any questions or personal stories you’d like to add. Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not, by all means, a professional. I will use my day to day experiences on my own fitness routines and own diet to fuel my topics for the blog. I choose fitness and nutrition because they are subjects I would like to learn more about, myself. So in a way, this is a self-educating experience for me! I will be posting stories, pictures, videos, audio, etc. Hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing from you! Also, after each post I will be adding a question for my readers about whatever is on my mind or regarding my post. Something for you to think about and create discussion.