Ultimate RESET!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

How much sleep is enough?

There have been SO many sleep studies done and almost every one of them has a different outcome as to how much sleep you should get every night. Some say no more than 7 hours, others say no less than 5 hours, some say you really only need 4 hours... what to believe?

I personally believe that somewhere between 6-8 hours a night without naps during the day is a good amount of sleep.

It really all depends on physically activity level, age, work, lifestyle, etc.

Don't deprive yourself sleep if you don't have to. If you are a mom or dad of a newborn then you really don't have a choice but to lose sleep, or if you are sick with the flu; then you really don't have a choice. If you want to catch a TV show that airs at midnight but have to get up at 6 am to be at work at 8, then you have the choice of missing that show or missing out on sleep.

Sleep is so important to our bodies, it helps us focus, it aids in weight loss, it helps with energy levels, and just makes us feel better.

I am not a napper, because it does interrupt with my nightly sleep. I also don't have time to nap during the day. I think napping is for the select few, new parents, night shift workers, kids, and the elderly. It usually will interfere with night time sleeping patterns so I don't recommend it unless needed.

If you cannot sleep at night try a few things; warm bath, hot beverage (herbal tea, warm milk, or warm water with lemon & honey), read instead of watch tv, soft music, or a white noise machine. If all that fails, then talk to your doctor about adding a natural sleep aid to your night time routine: Valerian root, Chamomile or Melatonin.

Happy Sleeping!!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Great Post on That's Fit

Great Post on That's Fit

Dressing up water

I have written about water consumption before in this blog, but I don't think enough can be said about it. Without water, we would all die. It takes about 3 days of not having water to die from dehydration. Water is essential for life. However I know a lot of people who find "water" in other sources because they do not like the "taste" of plain water. I know people who drink soda's all day, or juice, or even sports drinks. If you avoid water all day long and find other beverages to quench your thirst, you are not ever fully hydrated.
If you do not like to drink plain water, then you can dress it up. It is best in it's purest form, but dressed up water is better than no water.
Try adding squeezed lemon wedges, slices of cucumber or even oranges, peppermint leaves, a small splash of 100% fruit juice, or even juice ice cubes (juice frozen in ice trays to make cubes).
Water is key to good health, it also aids in weight loss.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Weighing in

How often do you need to weigh yourself when you are trying to lose weight?

It is really a personal choice, but I do recommend NOT weighing in more than 1 time a week. It can be discouraging to see that number either change very little or not at all or even go up sometimes.
Your weight fluctuates throughout the day with temperature, water retention, and food intake.

I think that weighing yourself once every 2 weeks or so, is plenty enough.

Happy Monday!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Overweight and obese

Today in America, somewhere around 70% of the population is overweight or obese!!!!!!!
What? How can this be?
I have heard too many stories that end with "it's genetic, there is nothing I can do"
The majority of the time, most of the weight issues are NOT genetic.
It's a habit or even an addiction in some cases, to food. The ingredients in some of the "foods" or processed "foods" are very addictive. Chemicals, additives, hormones, antibiotics... the list is end less of what actual goes into what we consume.

My question is, do you really want to shorten your life span? Do you want to feel poorly Do you want to be out of breath? Do you like the feeling of being tired? Do you like the feeling of being bloated?

Putting good, wholesome, natural, whole foods into your body will and does make you feel so much better, live longer, live healthier lives.

You are in control of your own life and health.

Happy Sunday!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Weekend food & exercise

What is your weekend diet like? Do you exercise on the weekends?
Weekends are often "down" time for a person's diet and exercise routines.

I am a little relaxed on the weekends with somethings. My ultimate goal is to continue to be healthy; through making the right food and exercise choices. I feel 100% better when I make the correct choices.

That being said, I usually do not exercise on the weekends, it is my time with my family and we are usually doing family activities or just relaxing together.
I do have a few treats here and there on the weekends that are usually not part of my everyday diet. Birthday parties are held on weekends, as are; BBQ's, family get togethers, parties, dinners out with friends, kids friends come over to spend the night and visit... the list is endless. There are reason's to splurge a bit on the weekends, but don't let your overall goal get too far out of your view. Remember not to beat yourself up or feel regret when you do make a few unhealthy choices, it does not throw you off of your path towards your goal.

Happy Saturday!!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Breakfast smoothies


A great way to start your day is with a healthy breakfast smoothie. You can add different fruits, yogurts, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, skim milk, orange juice, or really any healthy variety you like.
I made myself one for breakfast today:1 cup of 50/50 orange juice (1/2 sweetened with Stevia, 1/2 OJ), 1 large banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup strawberries, and 1 scoop of soy protein powder. So filling and so good!

TGIF!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Create a Menu before shopping

I create menu's for clients and off of those menu's I create shopping lists for the week. I also do this for my own family and home. A few reasons for this are; avoiding overspending, sticking to the list you have in hand, helps you to avoid the not-so-healthy options in the store, and avoiding impulse shopping.
Shop at least once a week for your groceries. If you are eating right and avoiding most processed foods, then you will need to shop at least once a week, because the food you will be buying (fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, etc) have a short shelf life. I personally do one big shopping trip on the weekend, then pick up and restock my produce throughout the week. If you look for deals, and coupon clip you should be able to stay right on budget.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Natural Sweeteners

Try adding natural sweeteners to food instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Stevia, Agave nectar, Rapadura, Unsweetened applesauce, or Brown rice syrup.

These are all healthier options to things like, saccharin, Aspartame, Cyclamate, Sucralose and many others.

My personal favorite choice is Agave Nectar, I put it on everything that needs to be sweetened. It goes in my homemade granola bars, cream of wheat, cheerios, and in my tea and coffee. It tastes so good and a little goes a long way.

Happy Wednesday!!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Make your own Trail mix


Store bought trail mix often has many added things that you just don't want in your trail mix. Added sugars, chemicals, additives, food coloring, and sometimes even artificial sugars.
Try making your own at home and experiment with different ingredients.
I often make mine with almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, raisins, peanuts, and sometimes I will even throw in some little pieces of very dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher).
It is a huge energy booster and and easy snack for when I am on the go.

I have attached a picture of my post-workout snack today: Homemade trailmix, and an orange. Great way to help your body recover from a good workout!

Happy Tuesday!!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Try to avoid all simple carbs

Sugar cereals, cookies, candy, saltines, potato chips, white bread, white rice and pastries are all simple carbohydrates. They will cause a spike in your insulin levels which will and does slow down your metabolism and your energy.
Throw it all out: white bread, white pasta, white rice and replace with whole grains. Choose whole wheat pastas, brown rice, and whole wheat breads.
It will make a difference in your energy level and the rate your metabolism burns.

Happy Monday!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Huge thumbs up to the new show Food Revolution!

What a way to get the point across!! I whole-heartily agree with the message that chef Jaime Oliver and ABC are trying to get across with the new show Food Revolution.
I hope this is a wake up call to many people in the world. Our kids are estimated to have a shorter life span than us!! It's time to do something about it. Do it for your children and yourself.
Make better food choices everyday. Check to see what your kids are eating at their locals schools. Make changes now for our future.

Happy Sunday Night!

Try something new...

Try out new foods, new recipes, new cookbooks... experiment with your cooking. Get familiar with the produce aisle. Don't judge the book by the cover. Many vegetables can be a bit intimidating if you have never tried or cooked it before, but there are many recipes online and cookbooks at the library you can check out, to help you prepare different things.
If you have never tried Kale, put it in a soup today. Lets say you have never had a baked sweet potato, look up a recipe online and give it a try. Maybe you have never had eggplant, throw it in your next Italian dish you cook.
There is a huge selection of fruits and vegetables out there, and most of them have a lot to offer, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
My suggestion today is to, go out and buy a new cookbook or check one out from the library and give a new recipe or food a try today.
Happy Sunday!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Limit or avoid Alcohol

There are a few reasons to limit your alcohol intake-
It dehydrates you, it is empty calories, pre-mature aging, can cause irreversible damage to your liver and brain.
If you have a problem with alcohol and want or need to avoid it, then do avoid it.


I do have a drink or two, here and there, but I try to limit it to that. If I am going to drink more than one drink at a sitting, then I will drink 8-12 ounces of water between drinks, to prevent dehydration and the nasty feeling in the morning that excess alcohol can sometimes cause.

Cheers!!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Think before you eat....

I always have the thought before I eat a meal or a food, especially one that I know is not the best for me "is this food going to fuel my body?"
Really, is the food you're eating going to give you what you need to take care of your family, do your job, fight off disease, boost your immune system, and feel the best you can?
If not, then it probably isn't worth eating. Take the time to plan your meals, put thought into what you put inside your body. You only have one body, treat it with respect.
Take the time to plan your food choices.

TGIF!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Moderation Moderation Moderation

Moderation is key to losing weight and feeling good.
If you are trying to eat healthy, and exercise. You have been doing all that you are supposed to, but then you walk by that girl scout, holding a box of your favorite cookies...begging you to buy a box... what do you do?
If it is something you feel you must have, then don't deny yourself it.
MODERATION- Buy that box of thin mints, look at the side panel for what the serving size is, let's say it's 4 cookies at 150 calories, let that be your dessert tonight. Then move on... don't feel bad or beat yourself up. One serving once a week is not a bad thing at all. I say to try to keep your last snack of the day a healthy one and within 150-200 calories (depending on what you ate throughout the day).
If you are a person that is too tempted to keep your favorite thing in the house, in fear of it becoming a habit every night, then give them away, take them to work for co-workers, send some in your kids' lunch boxes, or if you must then throw them out.
I typically have a craving or two a month that I just must satisfy, I buy whatever the item is, eat a serving, then let my husband and kids eat the rest over the course of the week.
Don't completely deprive yourself of treats.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Eat more often

Eating evenly spaced out (every 2-3 hours) small meals a day actually speeds up your metabolism.
When you skip meals or wait to eat until lunch time, or even wait to eat your first meal until dinner time, your body goes into starvation mode. It stores the food you do eat, not knowing when it will get it's next meal.
Do not skip meals- Start with breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and snack. Space them out every 2-3 hours and plan ahead the night before or even the week before. Get a cooler lunchbox and take it with you wherever you go.

Happy Wednesday!!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

VitaTops- Check this out!!

Community

I have heard a lot of wonderful things about Vitatops, I just ordered my first box... I will let you all know!!

Tracking your food intake


Let's talk about tracking your food intake.
Some people get to the end of their days and cannot recall what they had for lunch, or if they snacked or how much they actually had at breakfast. Often our perception of how much we had, is off a little bit.
My advice is to get a food journal and track it. Write it down, or take pictures if you like. You can even go onto the many websites out there that allow you to keep a journal online and it will calculate the calories for you.
I will use my breakfast today as an example. I have attached a picture of what I ate, but if I were to journal it, then it would look like this:

Tuesday 3/16/10 7:00a- Breakfast
1 whole egg + 3 egg whites, 1 piece of whole wheat toast, 1 small orange, 1/3 c of sauted veggies (in my eggs), 1 tsp of salsa, 2 tbsp of shredded fat free cheese. Water and coffee.


This is useful for going back and seeing where you might be able to cut back or where you could use more food. Often people have the misconception of needing to skip meals to lose weight- BAD misconception. Tomorrow I will talk about eating more often to actually jump start your metabolism and keep it going.

Happy Tuesday!!!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Tip of the day

Involve your children-

Eating healthy and balanced is not just for the dieting moms and dads out there.
Your kids need to learn good healthy habits now while they are young.
So many of us were programed early on about our food and exercise habits and we carried them into our adulthood.
Teach your kids what balanced is, and what portion size is. Teach them about moderation. Teach them and participate with them in exercise and sports activities.

Happy Monday!!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Exercise tip of the day

If you are NOT new to exercise, set good attainable goals-

Aim to run a 5k or 10k in your local city.
Get a run buddy and work on this goal together.

If you are a daily runner this goal won't be to difficult to train for in just a few months.

Happy Sunday!!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Exercise Tip of the day

If you are new to daily exercise, start small!!
Set a goal today-
Walk around the block once.
Set a goal for next Saturday-
Walk around the block twice.

If you have a treadmill at home, set a goal today-
Walk without incline for 1/4 mile
Set a goal for next saturday-
Walk without incline for 1/2 mile

Start increasing your goals- start walking 2 times a wk, then 3, then 4. Increase speed or distance.

Set your goals, write them down and work for them.
You will see and feel the difference.

Happy Saturday morning!!!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Nutrition tip of the day

Limit excess salt-
Do not add salt to already salty foods. If salt is needed in something that is not already salted, add a little at the time. Salt is meant in enhance the flavor of food, not mask it.

TGIF!!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Nutrition Tip of the day

Drink Water-
Plain water, nothing added water.
I have heard and read many different suggestions of how much water you need to drink in a day. I personally aim for around 64 ounces (1/2 a gallon) of plain water a day. That does not include my tea, coffee, juice, milk or any other liquid I may drink in a day.
Your body is mostly water, help replenish it. It will energize & hydrate you.

Happy Thursday Morning!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Nutrition Tip of the day

Eat breakfast every single day!!!
Make it a meal that counts. Protein, complex carbs, water, coffee or tea

Try:
3-6 eggs whites (cooked how you like)
1/2-1 cup of cooked steel-cut oats with a sprinkle of ground flax seeds and fresh blueberries sweetened with a little agave nectar & soymilk
8-12 oz of water
6-8 oz of coffee (sweetened with agave nectar and soymilk)

It is an excellent source of energy and a great way to start your day!!

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Nutrition Tip of the day

Simple changes & small steps-

If you are looking to improve your overall health, start with small steps and reward yourself for those small steps. Every little bit helps!