Emails appreciated!

I appreciate all of your emails! I try to address a few of the topics on the blog.

I wanted to invite any of you to email me with issues, topics, situations or questions you have in your own life that you would like me to make a topic here on the blog.

Thank you all for you continued support!!!

Have a great weekend!

Journal your food intake

Are you having problems trying to figure out where you are going wrong nutritionally?
Are you working out and still gaining weight?

Start to journal your food intake everyday for 1-2 weeks and see where you could use improvement.

Write down when you eat, what you eat, how much you are eating.. keep it as detailed as possible. Include condiments, cheese, creamer in your coffee, beverages, a bite of food here and there... everything.

It can be the little things you just don't think about, that have a big impact.
Those 2 beers you had with your meal, or the glass of wine you have every night while making dinner, the 4 tbsp of creamer in each cup of coffee, the Pepsi you drink everyday with lunch, the 3 bites of pizza your child left on their plate... it all adds up quicker than you think.

If you journal it, you can visibly see where you can cut back your calories or increase your exercise.

There are plenty of free online sites where you can journal your food intake. I personally use myfitnesspal.com when I feel like I have gone a bit off of my usual course, and need to find out what needs correction.

Keep yourself accountable!

Happy Thursday everyone!!

Stress eating

Stress can be a cause of overeating, eating the wrong foods, and eating large portions. It gives us that excuse to escape for a few minutes and just eat. It can be very gratifying until we realize what we have done over the course of a week, month or year.

Lately I have found more tasks on my list and the same amount of time to get everything done. I have 4 kids, a business, Summer activities and a lot of family and friends as our guests this Summer. I have caught myself eating out of habit a few time lately, not really hungry, not really a normal time to be eating.. yet there I am eating a few animal cookies or a bowl of cereal at 9 pm.

It happens to the best of us, and recognizing and correcting it are the first steps. Then finding a way of preventing it, by finding another outlet for your stress is key.

Exercise is a great stress reliever. So is meditation, bubble baths (with your phone turned off) stretching, yoga or just a quiet place for 5 minutes if you can.

I recently put my exercise ball down in my living room (although it has become the hot 'new' toy for the kids) I lay on it and push out as many crunches as I can. It's a nice stress reliever for me.

Find what works for you and remember to do it when you are feeling overwhelmed with stress.

Have a great Tuesday!

Video Blog...

I decided to do a video blog after many requests. I tried with every piece of equipment my house has, but realized that my technology is VERY outdated in this house. It's one of those places we just don't put money into. Our TV is 20 yrs old, our camera is 5 or 6 yrs old... and our computer is just as old. I was unsuccessful in completing and downloading a video. I would love to someday be able to do a video blog weekly or even a few times a week.

Sorry to those of you that I have promised a video blog to, I will have the technology to do this someday!!

If you have any suggestions please email me!

Have a great Tuesday!

Shakeology Samples

I have 6 samples left for the month of July- If you would like a sample, please be sure to contact me at nutritionmomfitness.com

Have a great night!

Working out of the home

I haven't worked outside the house in a year. I used to double time it- Executive Administrative and Nutrition Coaching, but then realized that more of my time needed to be focused on my family and my clients, so I have been working from home for almost a year.
I was asked by a close friend this week if I would fill-in some days for her at the adorable clothing boutique that she owns. I was more than happy to help! However that meant practicing what I preach about preparing food in advance for my day away from home today.
I packed a snack for every 2 hours and a large amount of water. I have carrots, cheese, nut butter, Shakeology, apples, almonds, a whole wheat thin-bagel, hummus, blueberries and plain yogurt. It may seem like a long list, but it really isn't for the amount of food I eat on a daily basis. I also had breakfast before leaving the house, and will have dinner at home tonight.

I stress it all the time to clients, friends and family. One of the best things for losing weight, gearing up your metabolism, keeping a healthy weight, and avoiding hunger is being prepared, eating every 2-3 hours, eating enough calories, eating nutrient dense foods, and consuming plenty of water throughout the day.

Think of your body like a machine that needs to be fueled every 2-3 hours to perform correctly and to the best of it's ability.

If you have any questions about snacks, the amount of calories you should consume daily or the amount of water your body needs, feel free to email me.

Have a great Weekend!

Convenient Junk food

Many of us are in such a hurry these days, so much to do, so many people to talk to, email, text, facebook or call...

The convenience of fast food, drive thru's, gas stations, hot pockets, pepsi's, Lean cuisines, or really any other 'junk food' is all around us and very tempting.

Ask yourself this... 'How do I feel right after I eat THAT'? Do you feel energized? Do you feel good? Do you feel fit? Do you feel ready to tackle anything? Do you feel fueled?

Junk food is just a filler, it does nothing good for you body. It fills an immediate need of hunger, but at what cost? Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess fat, fatigue, and lack of energy.

Planning meals and snacks ahead of time make eating healthy very convenient. Choose to have quality of life, extra energy, and feel good.

TGIF!!

Snacking

Snacking (or small meals) are crucial to staying healthy, losing weight and having a good metabolism. To super charge your metabolism and keep a steady blood sugar level, you need to eat every 2-3 hours, no longer than 3 hours apart.

I personally eat every 2 hours throughout the day, consuming anywhere from 1500-2000 calories. It keeps me fueled, avoids hunger pains, and gives me the strength to accomplish all the days tasks. I also am able to avoid binge eating by avoiding ever getting overly hungry.

Remember that preparing your snacks in advance can make it easier to stay on track and eat right.

Wash and cut your produce as soon as you get it home and store it in clear containers in the fridge. Boil your eggs the night before and store them in the fridge. Bake your chicken breasts on Sunday night to have handy in the fridge for 3 days of the week. Prepare homemade hummus on Sunday to have handy throughout the week.

I have several other healthy snack ideas and would be happy to help if you are stuck and can't figure out what to snack on throughout the day.

Email me at positivenutritionmom@gmail.com for more ideas

Happy Wednesday!

Complaints

I am a firm believer that if you have the time to complain about something, then you have the time to change that something.
I am surrounded with complaints all day. 'I am overweight', I can't workout, it hurts my back, my legs, my knees..., 'I can't eat right because it costs too much', 'I have to take so many medications because of my high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes',...and I could continue all day long. Often these are the same people who will make these complaints in between bites of donuts, followed by their whole milk,full sugar, whip cream lattes.

I know this all may seem almost mean, but it's really not. We are so danced around like delicate flowers by doctors, nutritionist, nurses, chiropractors, and many other people in the 'health care' field.
It is very rare that a doctor will tell an overweight patient to lose 50 pounds and completely change their diet, exercise habits, take supplements and consume large amounts of water. Instead patients are often told that their weight isn't the issue for there symptoms, it's instead just a 'genetic' or 'coincidental' problem, that medication will be sure to fix. If that dose doesn't fix it then they can either increase the dose or try a different drug.

The thing with me and complaints is that, in less you are actively working to solve the real problem then complaints are wasted time. I think that filling your life with positive, active, happy, well rounded people is a good start. Find a health practitioner that will give it to you straight and find a way to help you change what bothers you and lessens your quality of life.

If you are someone that finds themselves complaining more than they are actually working towards the goal of good health, then start your life over now. Throw out the complaints, the negative thoughts, guilt, diet stress, and worries. Find positive support and say goodbye to the people holding you back and helping feed your negativity.

Happy Tuesday!

Supplements vs. Medicine

I have been asked on more than one occasion why I take supplements if my diet is so balanced?

I take supplements because even a well balanced diet has holes in it some where. I consider supplements a little 'health insurance' if you will.. that keeps those nutrition holes filled in with what they need.

No diet is 100% perfect, even those of us that really work at keeping them as balanced and clean as they can, still have areas of needed improvement.

Supplements come in a variety of forms. Some are synthetic, some are food-based, some are liquid filled, berry flavored, powdered, or even chewable.

Supplements need to be chosen based on individual needs.

Medicine is used as a treatment for symptoms of an illness instead of a preventive measure such as supplements.

Medicine should be a last resort, but in today's society it has become a first line of defense for illness.

What happened to preventing illness, getting rest, taking supplements, eating a balanced & portioned diet, working out, properly hydrating, and genuinely taking care of our bodies before they are stricken with illnesses?
I know that illnesses happen to even those of us that are healthy and really take care of our bodies, but usually not as often or severe as those who don't.

Treat your body like it's the only one you get and there will never be another chance to live your life!

Prevent illness before you have to treat it.

Happy Monday!!

Shakeology

Today I want to talk a bit about Shakeology. Shakeology is a nutrient dense super food drink with 70 different ingredients, it's all natural and is pure fuel for your body.

I drink 1-2 Shakeology's a day- Usually one in the morning, I mix it with 10 ounces of unsweetened Almond milk, 1/2-1 banana, 1 scoop of Shakeology and a tbsp of PB2 and a lot of ice. It wakes me up, fills me up and gets me going for the morning.

I will sometimes have one for the last snack of the day (after dinner) as a little dessert. I will mix it with mostly water on that snack because I aim to keep my calories around 150-200 for that snack.

It's a perfect food that us in the nutrition field get excited about introducing to other people. It's something that most people will enjoy, it comes in 2 flavors- Greenberry and Chocolate. It has 15 grams of protein and 140 calories a serving.
There is an empty bag return for Shakeology. You can return the bag (even empty) for your money back if you are not fully satisfied. I have not had one person ever return or dislike Shakeology. I do have people who have preferences on which flavor is their favorites. I am a huge chocolate lover, so I always have Chocolate (and even an extra bag in my pantry... in case) and I have a few greenberry Shakeology's that I keep handy in case I want a refreshing fruit smoothie on a hot day! It's a little under $4 a day for Shakeology, so I have swapped out having my daily latte for my Shakeology, to me it's been so very worth it.


If you want to know more about Shakeology please feel free to email me or visit my site at myshakeology.com/nutritionmom

Have a great weekend!!

The habits of family and friends

I have family and friends who ask for advice, help, coaching and guidance when it comes to food, nutrition, supplements and fitness. I am always happy to help anyway I can, especially to those who I am close to in my life. My help is received the same way by family as it is with clients, customers and strangers, sometimes it is taken and yields good healthy results and sometimes it is not taken and people keep going on with their unhealthy habits and lifestyles.

I realized early on that I don't have the ability to make anyone want to live healthier, I can't make anyone work for it. You have to want to be healthier, live healthier, feel better and look better. You have to work hard for those results.

I've received a few emails lately about individuals wanting to influence family to choose healthier and make wiser lifestyle choices.
It is a personal choice, and although your family and friends may inquire about it, they may not be ready to change. Be the example, the leader and the role model. They will see your healthy life, the changes you've made and all the positive things that happen to you because of the good choices you make, and they will naturally want those things as well.

Don't get discouraged or frustrated when you are not able to help someone else. Keep trying, stay positive, be encouraging and always be the example of what it means to be active, healthy and positive.

Happy Tuesday!

Busy July

It's been a busy July for me. I feel like I have been pulled in many directions w/ family, friends, kids, events, time, work, school and many other things. Summertime can be a very eventful and even stressful time for many of us. kids are out of school, work, bbq's, and the various other tasks we must get done on a day to day basis.

Our health can take a back seat to our hectic schedules during the Summer. It doesn't need to though. Remember to make time to exercise at least 30 minutes everyday, and continue to eat clean foods. Take in adequate amounts of water during the hot months of July and August.

Insanity Challenge week 4 starts next week!! Email me with any questions or comments you have on the challenge so far.

I am hoping to have a video blog up next week sometime, if all goes as planned. It won't be everyday of the week, but I would like to incorporate it into this blog at least one time a week for now. Any tips, advice or topics that you would like to suggest would be greatly appreciated!

Have a great Summer and email me with any questions, comments or concerns!

Have a great weekend!!

Want to try Shakeology?

I know that some people are hesitant about buying something that they have never had a chance to experience, that is why I offer samples of Shakeology to people who really want to try before they buy.

There is a money back guarantee with Shakeology, so if you don't like it then you can return it. For more details visit nutritionmomfitness.com

I have never had a person return an order of Shakeology and I have never had someone complain about Shakeology.

If you would like a sample of Shakeology please go to nutritionmomfitness.com and hit 'contact me' and send me over an email. I would be happy to send you a sample of either Greenberry or Chocolate.

Happy Tuesday!!

Making good food choices MOST of the time

The question on my Facebook page today was; What prevents you from making good food choices MOST of the time? (I put most on there because none of us make good food choices 100% of the time) Is it money, time, lack of motivation, or lack of support?
I am almost positive that the top reason will be because of money or lack there of money.
I will be completely honest here; it does cost a bit more money for wiser food choices. I think that things should be different, and I also think that there should be some sort of discount or coupon program for fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If you shop wisely you can usually come within your budget though.

In the Summer buy your produce from local farmers, produce stands, farmers markets, or grow your own. Look for locally grown produce in the winter months and buy what is on sale, look in your local paper for produce sales at specific markets. Buy dried beans, rice, and other bulk items.

I do spend a bit more for whole fresh foods, but I budget it into our lives. I make my health and my families, a priority through good food, and exercise.

Make cut backs where you can afford to; daily latte, nails, hair, massages, housekeeper, eating out, cable... and the list is endless. If there is somewhere in your life that you spend money that is not a NEED then cut it back to make room for your health, because if you desire to live long and have good quality of life, then your health is a NEED.

Don't wait until it's too late and you are treating your health as a symptom. Don't wait until you have high blood pressure or you are taking 7 different medications just to ease some of your symptoms caused by lack of good health.

Make your health a priority today and everyday after.

Happy Saturday!!