Thanks Athleta!

Retailer, Athleta, offers some pretty neat clothing..... coffee grounds woven into fabric! Naturally anti-odor, UV protecting and quick-drying... sounds like a no brainer for the warm weather to come this spring and summer. Pop in and check this out-- am curious to see if it works! 

Blueberries!

After a full month of being away from my blog, a month of reflection, I've decided to return with more zest for health and wellness. I may not abide by the New Year's resolution I set of daily posting... But I've decided to post when inspired.

The power of blueberries! Wow...Antioxidant packed - such a great and powerful food...

Happy Birthday...

to ME!

I celebrate me today and with it a blog-free week of fun in the sun!

Celebrate you today too and here's to a great day for us all :) See you next week!

Exercise of the day

Thank you to the Amercian Council on Exercise (ACE) for our exercise of the day:
Mountain Climbers

Simply click the link for a step by step instruction on how to complete this exercise.  I'm a fan of Mountain Climbers because you can do them anywhere, and at any time.  No equipment is needed and you can layer this to a cardio, abdominal, or leg workout.  You can even take it outdoors while holding onto a park bench or being on the grass or track.  It increases heart rate, engages the core, and for women especially -- alerts the shoulder and back muscles to stabilize the body.   

Give it a try!

Say cheese!

Seeing as how I will not be giving up cheese for Lent this year, let's check out the top five healthiest cheeses.  Loaded with calcium and lean protein, cheese can be delicious and nutritious. 

1. Feta -- lower in calories and fat that most cheeses, one ounce has 4 grams of protein and only 74 calories. Packed with a salty flavor, feta is great on soups and salads.
2. String cheese (part skim mozzarella) -- quick and easy for kids and grown-ups, already portioned for on the go use. 
3. Parmesan -- relatively low in calories but high in sodium so use small amounts.  Try with apples or pears.

4. Swiss -- filled with phosphorus, as it's a hard cheese, which helps form bone and maintain bone density (along with calcium found in cheese.)
5. Cottage cheese -- high in protein (check out low-fat and no sodium added versions) and versatile for various flavors.  

Hmm, cottage cheese is one I've never tried. Will have to add that to my "need to have" list.  The article recommends adding veggies for one taste, or fruit and cinnamon for a sweet flavor.  Sounds like a great breakfast to me!

40 days and....

40 nights of the Lenten season begins today.  Alongside my fellow Catholics, I ventured to mass this morning to receive my ashes as part of our Ash Wednesday practice, and I began to ponder what I will give up for Lent this year.  It seems many people have decided to give up things like Facebook, chocolate, coffee, their favorite TV show.... last year I even gave up CHEESE!  It's incredibly challenging to sacrifice something you love or feel like you need, but 40 days is a perfect amount of time to make a new habit - or to break a bad one. 

Lent is a time for spiritual growth, and whether you are a religious person or not, I think we can all benefit from a little growth: spiritual, mental, and even physical. 

Take 40 days and make a new habit:

• Do push-ups or sit-ups each day in honor of someone or something
• Strengthen your yoga practice and include reflective meditation about your personal faith
• Limit the amount of not so great things that are in your diet (no french fries during the week, or no sweets after 6pm, etc)
• Replace something you do regularly (drinking soda) with something else (every time you want to drink a soda have a glass of water instead)
• Try something new! (cycling, swimming, flag football, etc)
• Set health and fitness goals and STICK TO THEM (workout every morning or specific days during the week)

Whatever you decide to do, you have to be accountable to yourself -- I know I will!  Good luck with your new habit making or habit breaking and let the season begin!

Happy Birthday George!

Yesterday we celebrated the birthday of our first president, and today I would like to celebrate his health..... or did I?  I began to do a little research to see if I could find some successful health tips from the olden days -- I was shocked to find out how ill George Washington had been for most of his life.  Diphtheria, malaria, smallpox, tuberculosis, dysentery..... the list goes on!  From the age of 17 and on he was often sick, and along with his sicknesses came a severe sense of depression. 

I was, however, pleseantly surprised to find out that he was a magnificent athlete, towering over 6 feet tall -- quite impressive for the time period.  His face, hands and feet were tremendous and one author wrote that his, "masculine power frightened young women." 

How did such an athlete succumb to such illness?  My search pretty much ended there, so I figured I'd get a little more current -- I headed back to Washington to take a look at President Obama and his family. 

The Obama's personal trainer says that for this family, it's clearly a lifestyle.  They workout everyday, make healthy food choices, and keep up with things even when no one is looking (no sneaking cookies!)  He recommends:

1. Workout first thing in the morning, get it done and out of the way - no chance you'll change your mind
2. Drink water before eating to fill up ahead of time
3. Put food on a small plate - control your portions 
4. Have 90% of what you need, and 10% of what you want

So get fit like the Obama family and make your health a priority.  Get your ENTIRE family involved and support one another in the process. 

Happy Birthday George - you fantastic athlete with some bad luck!