Avocados are a nutrient rich food and should be added to your diet.
- They are full of fiber, potasium, B vitamins and folic acid.
- Vitamin E powerhouse
- good for your heart and eyes Continue reading »
Rose
Apr 072012
Mar 232012
As the weather heats up, it gives me an excuse to preach about the benefits of water. I can get into the breakdown of how our bodies are made up of 55-75% water, or how muscle holds more water than fat, or how each systemin your body needs and can not function without water, but we don’t need a science 101 class. I just want to give it to you straight. WE NEED WATER, plain and simple, yet most people do not drink enough. Most are walking around de hydrated and if you wait until your thirsty to drink, it’s too late, your dehydrated. Here are some of the effects of dehydration
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Muscle cramps
- Constipation
- Irregular blood pressure
- More pron to injuries
You lose water everyday by just breathing, normal perspiration throughout the day and urination. It is vital that you replace the fluid that is lost. There are other factors that influence how much water intake you should have. Continue reading »
Mar 162012
I like to include a little of everything. I feel it is all tied together – physically, mentally,emtionally & nutritionally. We take care of our body as whole to be our very best.
So I would like to cover some skin care basics that I have followed over the years.
1.Eat a balanced diet – Eat a wide variety of “colors” they have the most disease fighting capabilities and anitoxidants along with nuts, avacados, and olive oil. Continue reading »
Mar 102012
Summer is right around the corner. Don’t wait until you have to get into those shorts or bathing suits. Start now so you will be ready.
1. Stay Hydrated – Drink plenty of H2O especially as the weather heats up. The body is made up of up to 75% water…Blood is 83%water, muscles are 75% water, the brain is 95% water,lungs are 90% water. What does this tell you? Your body need water to function properly. Make sure you are drinking at least 64 ounces a day, more if you workout and the weather is hot. 
2. Kick start your metabolism everyday by eating a balanced breakfast – Oatmeal, egg whites and berries are a great way to start the day. Keep your diet clean throughout the day, eating lean protein with a complex carb every 2-3 hours. Be sure to include “good” fats also. Skipping meals, waiting too long to eat and eating the wrong types of food will cause your body to store fat and use muscle for fuel. Continue reading »
Mar 032012
Along with building your body with proper nutrition and training, you should keep your brain in shape too. For me, everything is a balance and each function of the body works together. The brain should not be forgotten. Studies have shown that challenging your brain to think can reduce your chances of Alzheimer’s.
Brain Workouts
1. Do puzzles or Brain teasers – Sudoku, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles or even apps on your ipod or phone Continue reading »
Feb 252012
My idea for this week’s blog came after seeing what some people keep in their fridges. I spent a weekend with some friends. I picked up several items they had and read the labels. I do not typically buy any processed foods so I was a little shocked at the nutritional value of some so called “healthy foods”. Companies are taking a very healthy product and turning it into junk. For example, Greek yogurt. It is all over the place now and every company has their own version of it. But to make it more appealing to the consumer they load it up with sugar and other additives. Also the Greek yogurt that was in my friend’s fridge was not even real Greek yogurt. It is regular yogurt with added protein and thickeners and they label it Greek “style” yogurt. This is why reading the label is so important.
The first you want to look for is what a serving size is. Many are fooled by this. Nutritional values are for each serving size, so pay attention to that. If a package has 3 servings in it and you eat the entire package, multiply all the values (calories, carbs, sugars etc) by 3.
The next thing you should look at is the breakdown of the nutrients, protein, carbs, sugars, sodium, etc….This will determine what food group it belongs to. Let’s use the Greek Yogurt as an example. For the serving size the label reads 12 grams of protein, and 20 grams of sugar!!! 20 grams of sugar is equal to 5 teaspoons. Be sure to look at fats, trans fats, sodium, sugars, fiber, etc…..
Beware of words like fortified, enriched, added, or extra this means the product has been processed and a lot of the nutrients are lost. Sugar free and fat free are also misleading. Manufacturers want you to think you are eating healthy buy using these words, when in fact they are usually high in calories and a are filled with other ingredients to make. They are no better than the original version.
The last thing is the ingredients list. Items are listed by weight in descending order from greatest to least amount. . I usually go by the 5 ingredient rule. If an item has more than 5 ingredients, I don’t buy it. Also if the ingredient list contains words that a 3rd grader cannot pronounce, most likely it is not considered food.
Keep it simple, try to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible, choose items with 5 or less ingredients, and read the label. Invest a few more minutes in the grocery store for your health
Feb 182012
This week I began my diet and prep for competition season. As I begin, I think about the struggles I will have, the obstacles I will face but most importantly the journey I will take. Many people ask me why I do it? How do I get thrpough the workouts or stick to the diet? The only answer I have is… BECAUSE I CAN. We all have dreams of what we want to do or become in life. And, by the way, you are never too old to set new goals and dream new dreams. By not taking actions and moving in the direction of your dreams, how will you know what you are capable of? Whatever your dream is, whatever you want to become. If you want something bad enough you will find a way, otherwise your life will be full of excuses. You will do whatever it takes to make it happen and start living your dreams. For me it will be eating cold, dry ,maybe slightly burnt or undercooked
chicken and rice out of a plastic bag for months, eating the exact same food day after day after day, getting up at 5 a.m. to get in the first round of cardio before breakfast. And those aren’t even my challenges. My challenges will be finding the energy to get through long workouts, fighting off cravings which hit hard and quick like a blow from Mike Tyson, and my biggest obstacle is fighting those demons that run around everyone’s head…the self doubt. I know I am stronger than any of the “voices” in my head, stronger than any cupcake cravings, and much stronger than people around me telling me I can’t do it. My point is, if we go through life always afraid of facing the obstacles and challenges where will we end up? Will you be happy? Will you say, “I wish I would have?” Or will you say, “I DID IT”. Step outside your comfort zone, start living the life of your dreams with no regrets. It’s not about the destination, it’s about what it took to get there and who you become along the way. Which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are!
So ,over the next months, my purse will be replaced with a cooler, I will spend more time at the gym than at home, I will accessorize with a gallon jug of water and clear heels will be my new best friend. And I will embrace every single minute of if…BECAUSE I CAN
Where will your path lead you?