Ultimate RESET!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Question & Answer FRIDAY


It's 10 pm here and I promised to answer one of the questions submitted. Better late than never right? ♥

Q: If you could give one diet tip besides eating clean & exercising, what would it be?

A: That is hard to give only one tip, but I will have to go with; don't drink your calories. I see it so often, people will count every bite they eat forgetting the beverages they drink all day long. Drinks add up quickly. Soda, juice, tea, creamer in your coffee, specialty coffee house drinks, sports drinks, and vitamin waters are all high in calories.

Water is always your best bet. It actually aids in weight loss!! If you get tired of drinking plain water, jazz it up a with lemon, lime or orange wedges.
Aim to drink at least 64 ounces a day and more if your are active or in hot temperatures.

Keep submitting your questions, if it doesn't get featured on the blog, I will still respond with an answer.

Happy Friday!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Exercise for Women



This one is for the ladies ♥

I see this all the time, and I myself was once a victim of CARDIO only exercise.
I was under the assumption that strength training was for the fellas, and you only lifted weights if you wanted big, veiny muscles. Boy was I WRONG! Strength training and lifting weights is especially for us women. Building lean muscle mass aids in the loss of unwanted, unhealthy fat, speeds up your metabolism, and lean muscles looks good on a woman.

Skinny is over-rated. Strong, lean, healthy women burn more calories at rest than the average skinny woman. They usually have more energy and are overall healthier in general.

Cardio training is important and has it's place in your exercise routine, but step off the treadmill at least 3 days a week and lift some weights. You will be pleasantly surprised by the positive results.

Happy Thursday night!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday Q & A -Easter Over Indulgence


I woke up to many questions today about over indulging over the Easter weekend and how to undo the damage done.

In general, one weekend of indulgence will not do much diet damage. It's a matter of just getting right back on track with your clean eating habits. Don't let one weekend of eating ruin all that you have worked for. No guilt, no regret, and no dwelling on it. Even if you did gain a couple pounds, it's no big deal, and will be off before the end of the week.

Here are a few tips to get back on track this week:

-Water, water and more water. Remember to aim for your 64 ounces of water a day.

-Pack snacks. Use up those Easter eggs, pack hard boiled eggs as your snacks, left over veggies, turkey breast, nuts, hummus, and fruit.

-Exercise but don't OVER exercise. Don't feel you have to "pay" for your over indulgence, just get back into your normal exercise routine.

-Give away or throw out all of the unhealthy tempting Easter leftovers that are in your fridge. Have leftover cookies? Throw them out. If they stare you in the face every time you open the pantry, then eventually you will give in to them.


Remember that it's ok to have something that you wouldn't normally consider a healthy food, just don't make a habit out of it.

Happy Monday!

-

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Sample Menu- Day 1

Breakfast: 100 calorie whole-wheat english muffin w/ 2 scrambled egg whites, small handful of grapes & 8oz of water.

Snack #1: Small handful of raw almonds & an organic apple & 8oz water.

Lunch: Tuna sandwich (Tuna mixed w/hummus not mayo) on whole wheat bread, small green salad & 8oz of water.

Snack #2: 1 hard boiled egg, small handful of baby carrots & 8oz water

Dinner: Grilled salmon, asapargus, small green salad & 8oz of water.

Snack #3: Smoothie: 8 oz Almond milk, 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology & 1 tsp natural Peanut Butter.

Happy Thursday!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Monday Q & A


Q: How do you get your parents to learn the importance of good diet and exercise habits when they have been living the way the do (unhealthy) for so long? I have to hear about my parents illnesses, aches, pains & all the medications they are on, and yet I can't seem to get them to change their ways. Thanks in advance.

A: So many of us deal with this issue every single day. We have changed our habits and lifestyle for the better and have left our family and friends in the dust. Yet when we try to tell them that life is better over here in healthy land, they want nothing to do with this way of life.

First we need to realize, they were most likely raised with a lot of the habits they have carried with them into adulthood. Not to mention western culture is all about the faster the better, misleading people with food labels & advertising, and even our doctors have very little nutrition training if any. With this in mind, the best way to approach someone is from a place of love and as gently as possible with much compassion and understanding, all the while letting them know you really do care about their health. Find out what is it in particular bothering that person. Is it their diabetes medications and all the side effects? Is it their weight and the limitations it puts on their lives? Is it the fact that they miss playing sports or running around with their kids? Use that to figure out how you can help them. For example if a loved one is tired of being on blood pressure medications and they so desperately want to get off of them, tell them you can help them. You will be there for them, you will walk with them, help them figure out meals and you will get to that goal together. Print out literature, information and studies, give them hope, hire help for them. It's a long road and it may be frustrating at times but you may be able to help them. If you feel they just don't want the help then it may be best to back off and let them have space, but you can set boundaries by telling them you don't want to hear them complain about things that can be changed. You don't need the negativity in your life and you will be there for them when they are ready to make healthy changes in their life.

I hope this helps you, I know this can be a touchy subject and I face this in my own life with people close to me. For me I took these steps above: offering help then setting boundaries. I can't help anyone that isn't willing to receive the help and work for the change.

Happy Monday!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Vegetarian vs. Meat diet

Since posting on my Facebook wall about being a vegetarian I have been asked if that is the kind of diet that I promote to my clients. The answer is, no.
I don't promote any one certain thing to everyone that I work with. What kind of food and diet that you are on is personally put together for you. It's true that I am a vegetarian, but for my own reasons. I know that it is what has been best for my body for the last 8 years and it's what makes me have the most energy, maintain my weight and feel the best I can. For others it might be a balanced diet that includes fish and chicken, or bison and beef, or eggs. The meal plans that I put together for clients are unique for their needs and their lifestyle.

I always promote clean eating whether it includes meat or not. Having clean fuel in your body will always yield better health, more energy and over all a healthier life.

I think both diets can be healthy, but I do believe that humanely raised meat that has been able to roam freely over land and graze for food is better for your body than animals that were caged, forced fed food that they wouldn't normally eat in nature and injected with antibiotics and hormones.

Healthy food promotes good health, period.

Happy Thursday!!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Monday Q & A

Q: How many calories should a woman eat on a daily basis?

A: There is no set rule on how many calories a woman should eat. However for a typical woman it usually ranges from 1200-1600 calories a day. You have to take into account, height, age, activity level, injury, illness, body frame, metabolism, and type of diet. People often think that less is what is going to get you to your ideal body size, but that is usually not true. If you are eating a healthy, clean & balanced diet, then you should be eating every 2-3 hours and your calories should never fall below 1200 unless otherwise instructed by a physician. Skipping meals or falling below 1200 calories can set your body into "starvation" mode and hold onto and store the food and nutrients that you do eat instead of burning through them for energy.

Thanks for the questions!

Happy Monday!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Easy meal tips


Here are a few tips that I use on a daily basis for preparing meals for my family.

-Almost any vegetable and most fruits can be put into a salad.
I really use this one daily. We have a salad with our dinner every night. Last night I had red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, and a zucchini in my fridge and that is exactly what we all had in our salad. It was delicious, easy and convenient especially since I didn't have to buy anything extra and everything was already in my fridge.

-Prep vegetables when you get home with them from the grocery store.
Another very handy tip that I use. When you get home and put away groceries leave the vegetables out. Get out a big bowl or use your sink, fill it up with water (I use 1 drop of organic plant based dish soap as well) and throw your vegetables in and swish them around to clean off any debris. Rinse vegetables well and chop any vegetables that you think that you will use within the next 2 days. I always chop or tear my lettuces & spinach so that salads are always handy. I chop celery into small pieces for salads and soups then cut into bigger pieces for stuffing with peanut butter for the kids. I chop bell peppers into strips and smaller pieces for salad or sauteing
Carrots are cut up into smaller pieces for easy snacking for the kids. The time this takes now will save you time during the week when you are busy with work, kids, school..etc.

-Cook some meals ahead of time. Wherever there is a window of time in your life usually on the weekends that you can prep a few weekly meals ahead of time will be a lifesaver later in the week. Try grilling 5-10 chicken breast and having them all ready for meals. Cook high protein healthy pasta and store in fridge so that all you have to do is throw some chicken, veggies and healthy light pasta sauce on top. Cook and store brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. Cook up ground bison meat for a quick add in for spaghetti for dinner. The options are endless and you will be so glad that you spend a couple of hours on a weekend so that you can save a few hours during a busy hectic work week.

-Whole wheat tortillas and wraps can be your friend. I keep whole grain/whole wheat wrap or tortillas in my fridge at ALL times (no joke). How easy is it to throw a few healthy ingredients into a wrap and call it a meal?? I love it! Egg whites & veggies, wrap it up! Chicken, brown rice and vegetables, wrap it up! Hummus, sprouts, tomatoes, and cucumbers, wrap it up! The possibilities are endless and delicious!

I hope these tips help you!!

Happy Wednesday!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Moved and Settled!


After a long, complicated move I finally feel like I am home again. It's been a long couple of weeks. Trying to arrange everything, ran into several snags in our plan, packing, unpacking, getting kids used to a new house, getting back into somewhat of a routine, and now we are home. A few boxes still sit unpacked, but we are back in action. Cooking clean home meals, grocery shopping, exercising, and enjoying the little bit of spring weather that we have been blessed to have the last two days.

Things may have been stressful, out of sorts, unorganized, and we may have fallen off out normal routines, eating habits & exercise habits, but that is NO reason to not jump right back into our life.

When things get rough, and life throws something at you that your not expecting, just go with it and get back into putting your health first. Your health and the health of your family is what really matters at the end of the day.

Good Friday Night!