Let’s face it, finding time to work out is a chore. You come home from work exhausted and all you have energy to do is chow down and relax. Making a habit of getting your workout in before the day starts is where you’re going to have the most success. Doing your workout in the am is like a natural espresso shot. It gives you an extra kick and a brighter outlook on the day; plus it gives you that sexy flushed look. Yes, sometimes hitting that snooze button sounds a bit more appealing but in the end you’ll thank yourself …and it WILL get easier.

Check out Tone It Up  for quick exercise videos that will get your heart pumping and your body burning. Hot body, here I come! 

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Being able to accurately determine appropriate portion sizes is a skill no individual should be without. We’ve all had difficulties serving and preparing the appropriate sized meals. When it comes to our weight, this aspect should not be overlooked.  By comparing serving sizes to common items, we can do a better job of sticking to our portions and as a result maintaining our weight.

The four most common servings sizes: 

1 cup = a tennis ball (cooked rice, pasta, or vegetables)

1/4 cup = a golfball (peanut butter, shredded cheese, or dried fruit)

3 oz = a deck of cards (cooked meat)

1 oz =  a domino  (chocolate or hard cheese)

1 tbsp =  (olive oil or butter)

Also check out WebMD’s gude on portions.

These comparisons seem so small to the portions we’re used to in America. Surprisingly, these portions will fill you up. Don’t forget that everyone’s body is different; you may need to adjust slightly for activity levels.

Tips on sticking to these portions:

Use smaller dishes

Don’t go back for seconds

Measure your foods to get used to the exact sizes 

Fill up on veggies (they’re high in fiber and nutrients) 

Record your meals to see where you’re out of balance

EVERYTHING in moderation. MOST in the form vegetables. SOME in the form of protein and fat. And A LIITLE of all the rest. You’ll be amazed at how quickly portion control can change your waist.

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Your parents intention wasn’t to be mean by forcing you to eat your vegetables; They had your best interest in mind. They knew that those plates full of nutrient rich plants would help you grow big and strong.

Vegetables weren’t only important for the growth phase; They’re even more important for health maintenance as an adult. We all know vegetables are filled with vital nutrients and vitamins.

What exactly do those nutrients do and how do they benefit us? 

They PROTECT us.

They lower our blood pressure, 

reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, chronic disease and cancers by improving enzyme and antioxidant activity in the body,

they lower the risk of eye and digestive problems and keep our appetites in check by mellowing our blood sugar.

Some vegetables even have antibiotic, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties to ward of colds and flus.

How can I sneak them into my diet? 

Simple ways to GET your vegetables:

ALWAYS have vegetables on hand. Spinach, tomatos, peppers, avocado, & cucumbers are a great start.

Start every meal with a vegetable. Take a bell pepper and stuff it with more veggies. Or make a stir fry of vegetables. Add a little protein for flavor. This tip will get you consuming more vegetables immediately.

Turn any meal into a salad. Overflow a plate with salad greens and veggies. Add a protein and cheese to satisfy. You’ll feel comfortably full.

Add vegetables to your baked goods. Substitute pureed squash or pumpkin for the oil or butter in your baked goods. For cookies use 1/2 the amount of oil or butter and substitute squash for the other 1/2. You won’t even notice a difference.

Open faced toast. Spread hummus or avocado on the bottom and top with your favorite veggies. Scrumptious.

Vegetable wrap. Fill a bowl with your favorite veggies — tomato, shredded carrots, spinach, hummus, sprouts, cucumbers and artichokes.  Mix and wrap in a whole wheat tortilla. You’ll be surprised how satisfying it is.

Smoothies. Add spinach or cucumbers to your favorite smoothie. Vitamins and minerals without the work.

Always keep crunchy veggies on hand as a last minute snack. Dip carrots or celery in peanut butter to pack in the protein.

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All humans require a balance of electrolytes for proper cell function. Your hydration, muscle and nerve function, and blood pH levels are all affected by proper cell function and extremely important for optimal energy maintenance. Sweating and diuretics deplete your body of electrolytes.  Loose too many, and muscle weakness, cramping and dehydration may occur.

To remain balanced, water molecules must maintain precise osmotic gradients or equilibrium between cells only possible with key electrolytes.

Key electrolytes include: Na (Sodium) K (Potassium) Mg (Magnesium) Ca (Calcium) Cl (Chlorine) HCO (Bicarbonate) and SO (Sulfate)

Should I be concerned? Yes, especially if you are an active person or live in a dry climate.

To obtain an appropriate amount, watching your salt intake and making sure you’re receiving enough potassium from your diet is crucial, the other electrolytes are a bit easier to come by.

Potassium sources include: bananas, potatoes, spinach, broccoli and cantaloupe.

Hydration beverages are also a plus, if you’re choosing the right one.  Note: Not all beverages are created equal. Many are filled with artificial flavor and coloring known for aggravating your digestive system and contributing a tummy ache.  Visit Secret Drink Mix to check out a hydration beverage created by Allen Lim. His drink is all natural, sweetened with only real fruit, and contains double the electrolytes of gatorade with only half the calories. The product was originally developed to re-hydrate pro cyclists although the product is useful for any athlete needing to replace fluid and electrolyte levels.

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Your overall health is directly correlated to the health of your gut. It’s the barrier that separates your insides from the outside and filters what is potentially harmful to your body. Fuel your body with the right foods and your digestive system will use them to replenish your body and keep you functioning well; Fill your body with “toxins” and your body will work to fight off those “invaders”.

Toxins and invaders come in the form of preservatives, alcohol, sugar, salt, antibiotics. When the body has to continually fight off empty calories, it spends less time fueling your bodies necessary processes. Plus these toxins kill beneficial intestinal flora, your immunity to colds and bugs, and replace it with chemicals and side effects in the form of  inflammation, cramps, gas, heart burn, and IBS. These symptoms are only the beginning. Continue to fill your body with crap and eventually more harmful symptoms appear, disease potentially following. At that point symptoms aren’t always noticed in the mid-section of the body; They can manifest in other areas of your body due to deficiencies caused by those toxins.

Maintain a healthy gut by eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables . They contain roughage for your gut in the form of fiber.  Fuel your body with foods that make it happy. If you know you have a sensitivity to a food, avoid it. It’s not worth the distress it causes your body.

• Fiber aids with digestion. There are two types of fiber both soluble and unsoluble fiber. Try t get a healthy serving of this roughage daily to keep your gut in tip top shape. Soluble fiber binds with toxins and helps eliminate them. Bonus: Soluble fiber gives you a sense of fullness, stabilizes blood sugar and reduces cravings. Insoluble fiber is the street cleaner; it keeps you regular.
• Individuals who consume a healthy serving of fiber daily (for men at least 29g and women at least 26g) are more likely to maintain a healthy weight  and are less likely to suffer from disease. Researchers suggest that’s accurate because any potentially harmful “toxin” is eliminated quickly therefore, it doesn’t have a chance to wreak havoc.
• Other beneficial options are fermented foods. Fermented foods work to keep the digestive system’s bacteria in check. Try to incorporate at least one a day to improve digestibility of foods.
• Lastly, stay hydrated. Water also plays a role in flushing out unwanted “toxins.”

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Alkaline versus Acidic —  Is it important?

The health of your blood and cellular fluids are measured by a pH scale, or a measure of their acidity. A balance is optimal to keep your body functioning appropriately. Too much acid, or a low score on the pH scale, can be associated with weight gain, fatigue, and digestive problems.

Why?

When your body is out of balance, usually more acidic based on the traditional American diet, it tries to neutralize the excess acid with alkaline minerals. Calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium are all examples of alkaline minerals. In order to get the body back in balance the body will pull these minerals directly from the food you consume. If there is a deficiency from your diet, the body will draw from your reserves, or the liver and heart, where they play key roles. When your body relocates these to neutralize your cellular fluids, it causes a domino effect disturbing important metabolic processes in the body. Mess with those and you begin to experience the imbalance first hand. If the body’s pH balance remains  out of whack for too long, eventually the deficiencies can lead to disease.

1)What can I do to find out my pH?  2) And what can I do to keep my body in balance?

1) If you would like to know, you can always buy litmus paper online. Use the papers to check the pH of your urine at least twice a day for three or four days to get an average.

2) Maintaing a healthy diet is key in keeping your body in balance. Just like any other healthy diet, it is important to limit your: meat, dairy,  processed foods (saturated fat, white flour, sugar, corn syrup) coffee and alcohol intake and increase: your vegetable intake. ALWAYS: Drink lots of water.

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     Bicycles are hands-down one of the greatest inventions of the 19th century. Used as an alternative means of transportation, they do wonders for your cardiovascular system, save energy, get you where you need to go in a speedy fashion, and keep the traffic to a minimum.

     “When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his achievements. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And (unlike subsequent inventions for man’s convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man’s brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle.” -Elizabeth West. 

     Bicycles are the future and are capable of changing the world if we allow it. Just by using  your bicycle as transportation one time a week you’re creating a ripple effect. You are saving gas and money, increasing your fitness, and feeling more satisfied from the newly added endorphins.

VELORBIS

      Just think if we traded our automobiles for bicycles. Sitting in traffic would be a thing of the past. People would feel the wind in their hair and sun on their skin. We would obtain healthy dosages of vitamin D from the sun and  a host of natural feel-good chemicals, doing wonders for your mood. Have you ever gone for a long walk after a stressful day? Think of how much your mood increases by that simple act. Now consider your mood if you traded your car everyday for those short trips to work, the grocery store, et cetera. You would be buzzing off that natural shot of espresso. And isn’t happiness what we all ultimately strive for? Go get it!

Please watch my good friend Allen’s TED talk and see why he believes bikes are the future. Just ride, just ride, just ride.

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Indulge in a rainbow — of fruits and vegetables that is. Keeping track of the colors you choose for your meals is one of the easiest ways to get the most out of your diet.  Fruits and vegetables provide different combinations of vitamins and phytochemicals depending on their color.  Phytochemicals are protective compounds that act as antioxidants protecting the body against free radicals.  Both phytochemicals and vitamins play a key role in fighting disease.

• Red fruits and veggies promote heart health, help memory function, and promote urinary tract health.
• Orange and Yellow fruits and veggies promote eye and heart health.
• Green fruits and veggies lower the risk of breast, prostate and lung cancer, promote eye health, and help build strong bones and teeth.
• Blue and Purple fruits and veggies promote heart health, improve memory function, and promote urinary tract health.

All fruits and veggies boost immunity and reduce the risk of cancer. They also contain fiber which maintains the health of your gut.

Not sure what vegetable to have with dinner? What colors did you forget today? Incorporating those colors will supply you with the  vitamins neglected.

*Use this principal while traveling and you’ll have greater success sticking to your healthy way of eating.

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We tend to overlook the fact, that the food we put in our mouth, is equally important to the “food” we apply to our skin. Soaps and shampoos are filled with heavy metals, stabilizers and other harsh chemicals that don’t exist naturally in nature. Labels that warn against accidental ingestion make you wonder how these products affect your overall health. If you wouldn’t consume it, why force it into the blood stream through your skin’s pores?  It is no surprise we are fighting unidentifiable allergies and irritations. Your skin is an amazing barrier for harmful substances but it’s defenseless to the moisturizers and soaps you rub all over it. Why do you think doctors use creams and ointments as an alternative way to deliver prescriptions into the bloodstream?

The endocrine system facilitates the release and regulation of hormones in the bloodstream, crucial to the proper function of metabolism, growth, development, mood, and tissue function. When these hormones are blocked or destroyed by harmful chemicals, the body cannot properly respond to stimuli. These foreign invaders silently build up in your system eventually wreaking havoc. As an example, many deodorants contain aluminum to prevent sweating. The aluminum shuts down the pores, the bodies natural detox system, inhibiting the elimination of harmful toxins and heavy metals. Research has shown that parabens, a group of chemicals found in numerous products, are also linked to disruptions in the endocrine system.

Start reading ingredient lists. Chances are, a product with a long list of  ingredients and a warning label is probably not the best option for you and your family. Foreign ingredients are not only harmful for you but your environment as well. Shampoos and soaps enter the water system, disrupting the growth of  bacteria and organisms in our ecosystem.

Purchasing all natural products and/or making your own from natural household items will help decrease your exposure to these harmful toxins. Here’s a list of common pantry essentials that can double as soap, lotion, and deodorant:

Honey, Baking Soda, Corn Starch, Olive Oil, Apple Cidar Vinegar

Visit One Green Generation to find a recipes for natural deodorant and shampoo made out of these items.

Your complexion will thank you!

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It’s all about prevention; continually making it a point to take care of you and your body in effort to stay resilient to the external factors in your environment. There are two ways to ward off illness: take precautions to prevent or begin treatment once symptoms have surfaced.

Eating healthfully, getting the rest you need, staying hydrated, and thinking positively are the top four ways to uphold wellness. They sound simple but then again so is health. Live by these four strategies and you will find that health is both attainable and easy to maintain.

Food is your fuel. It’s the energy you put into your body to maintain your radiance. If you eat a balanced diet, full of fruits and vegetables and pass the simple sugars and packaged food, your immune system will thank you. When the seasons change your body is forced to anticipate change and maintain balance. If you feed your body meals that nourish rather than deplete, your body can gracefully prepare for the new seasons without going into overdrive. Filling your body with sugars and options that dehydrate cause blockages — in affect leaving your body helpless in flushing toxins that lead to illness. Drinking water throughout your day, automatically flushes those foreign invaders. Water also hydrates your skin and energizes the bodies cells.

Rest is equally important to health. Sleep allows your body to rejuvenate and replenish. When you burn the candle at both ends, your body doesn’t get appropriate time to regenerate. The body ends up spending more energy on keeping you awake then restoring your body from a hard day. It’s like cleaning up the kitchen after a big meal. If you clean it up right away, the next time you decide to prepare an involved meal, you can focus on the new meal rather than wasting time removing the mess from the previous one.

Positive thoughts are the icing on the cake. Your mind is a powerful thing; You are in charge of your perceptions. Allow yourself to find meaning in every situation and realize that every moment could be your last. Live live to the fullest and know that some things just don’t matter. Let go and breathe in acceptance for the things you cannot change.

So you fell off the bandwagon? Have an cough or sore throat? There are simple precautions you can take to make sure you don’t get any worse:

1. Drink water — lot’s of it.

2. Stay away from coffee and sugar.

3. Rest when your body tells you it’s tired.

4. The power of thought can also do you some good. You create your own reality so by thinking yourself healthy and reminding yourself that your immune system is strong, you can and will fight this.

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