My All-Time Favorites

These are my favorites in a variety of areas.

Exercise
Jack LaLanne !! This goes back to being a kid and watching him on TV

Turbo Kick/Chalene Johnson
Plain old walking (especially with a good friend)
Hiking  with my husband
Dance
Weight Training

Healthy Eating
Joel Fuhrman - Eat to Live 
Diana Dyer - A Dietitian's Cancer Story

Relaxation/Meditation/Positive Thinking
Eckhard Tolle - The Power of Now
Bernie Siegal -
 & all time classic Norman Vincent Peale - The Power of Positive Thinking

Christmas and Clean Eating

After having a stressful and emotional week, we ended up having a wonderful Christmas!!  It was a little more materialistic than I normally endorse but my daughter and niece were soooo happy. 

After we opened presents, we had a brunch at our house.  I served a spinach/ artichoke bake, huge fruit salad, blueberry muffins and bacon...

I love the term "clean eating" but haven't figured out how to get there 100%.  The muffins weren't from scratch.  I used a box mix :(.  Furthermore, I know  the bacon doesn't count! 

Note to self: find recipe for homemade blueberry muffins and shop for uncured bacon...

My post and the Wall Street Journal

Great minds think alike!!!  Just saw this article on the Wall Street Journal about sleep and it reminded me of mine! 

You can check it out... Have a great day.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324296604578175681814776920.html?mod=wsj_valetbottom_email

Stressful Days and Sleepless Nights (and anxiety sucks!)

I'm a firm believer in sleep !!  My husband can attest to that since it drives him crazy that I (usually) fall asleep within five minutes of laying down.  Regardless, how weird is it that your mind holds on to what's bothering you...then "bing", you are wide awake with a tight chest in the middle of the night only to find yourself awake for hours and then struggle to finally get up in the morning?  FYI, my husband literally gets up if he has been awake for an hour and goes to sleep in another room.

So here's the cycle...something stresses you out and keeps you up at night.  Then you are tired and don't exercise or eat well (or too much).  YUCK.  Then you can't sleep again the next night and the pattern continues.  Since it starts with stress, that needs to be addressed first.  Anything in your control should be dealt with before bed! I know that it is easier said than done when the stress involves another person who is less than cooperative.   Oh yes, and then stress can lead to anger which gives more stress and ugggghhh we end up on a slippery slope.

OK, bottom line...don't let stress fester!  Yes, there is always meditation, yoga and/or prayer, but I still think it is important to figure out what you can do to resolve the stress.  Journal, write a letter, make a list, talk it out.  Just do something to solve it or r e l i e v e the stress. 

P.S.  I'm not a doctor, but I know there is a difference between stress and anxiety.  Anxiety sucks!   It's up to an individual and their doctor to decide if drugs are an option, but I'm not even going there...

Kids and Competitive Sports

I know there is controversy about putting kids in too many activities and pushing them into competitive sports, but speaking as a person who never played sports or competed in a physical activity, I have an argument to make.  If you start out life playing sports at a competitive level, I think exercise becomes a habit for life.  Yes, there is definitely a benefit to letting "kids be kids" and they will run and play.  I agree, but I also know that's what I did as a kid and I have never been an athlete.  Growing up, my friends and I swam, roller skated and rode bikes.  I took dance and ice-skating.  Period.  Nobody pushed me to the next level.    I really wish my parents had encouraged or even "pushed" me to do some sport!  The funny thing is, only one of the kids I grew up with ever did sports - she competed in gymnastics until she injured herself, but luckily she recovered and is an avid runner.  As for me, in high school I had to take weight training and I loved it!  From there I joined a gym, took exercise classes and have had to forge my fitness from there.   I know sports are expensive and time consuming (which is probably a big reason why my parents never pursued them for me), but I think it is worth it for the long term fitness-mindedness of our kids!

Passionate Workout

Over the years I have tried various exercise and diet plans.  I have done TaeBo, Stroller Strides, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers...all great programs.  However, I have never flourished as much as I have with the format that has given me so much joy in exercise - Turbo Kick.

I had taken Turbo Kick classes off and on for years, but last year my favorite instructor changed classes so I need to find a new one.   I found myself in class with Chalene Johnson (creator of Turbo Kick).  I had no idea at the time, but thought to myself "Wow, she's gooood!!" and took a class schedule on my way out.  It all started to click when I saw her name on the schedule and remembered seeing her infomercials.

Since that day less than a year ago, I have also bought the Turbo Fire DVD program and taken the certification class to teach.  I love the music, the energy, the choreography, and the kicking!! 

What are other favorites?

Forging Fitness at Forty-something
Nothing splendid was ever created in cold blood.  Heat is required to forge anything.  Every great accomplishment is the story of a flaming heart. Arnold Glasgow
 
Health and fitness have become more than looking hot (although I think having a rockin' body is God's planned incentive for taking care of ourselves).  I now look at health and fitness as an opportunity to one day play with my grandchildren and enjoy a fun, active, long life with my husband.  I always thought I was healthy.  I never smoked.  I have never been in the "obese" category.  I like vegetables and fruit.  I even like exercise. 

This is my quest for more! Join me on a mission to the health I deserve and the body I should have.  I will explore nutrition, exercise, and stress management.