We are all given this one life, and this one body. We have the willpower to accomplish anything we truly want amongst this world we live in.  So we should love ourselves inside and out take care of ourselves the right way.  I say this because years ago I struggled with body image.  I was not comfortable in my own skin.  My weight was always up and down and I was not happy with myself.  I had a lot of skin issues, and at some point I found myself going to desperate measures to go on all these crazy diets to the point I made myself sick. Before I realized I wanted to pursue my career in the health field I was not aware that in order to get to where you need to be with your health, we should love ourselves first that we will take the proper measures to do the right thing to get to where we need to be.

Additionally, in todays society both men and women are pressured to feel like we have to look a certain way. Social media will go the extra mile throwing it unto our faces that in order to feel good about ourselves, and feel wanted by others we need to look like that model or celebrity. In my eyes, what matters the most is that you are healthy. We all are different which makes us special.  Our body’s come in different shapes and sizes and we owe it to ourselves to take pride for who we are inside and out.

We aren’t perfect people, but that is why everyday we strive to be the best we can. It goes to show when you set your heart and mind to something, you can accomplish anything. Fight and take your health into your own hands and you will be surprised what you can achieve.

Why is it so important to include weight training in your exercise routine?  And the benefits that some of you may be wondering about. There are many.  It helps with your activities of daily living, helps burn fat, improves bone density, lowers risk if diabetes, ect.  Here are a few reasons.

1.) Muscle conquers Fat: We all have muscle fibers in in our body, and each one is used depending on the intensity of the training.  We have Type I which are fatigue resistant, and Type IIA which are semi fatigue resistant, Type IIB easily fatigued, and Type IIC which are rarely used. We build our Type II muscle fibers when we are lifting weights, and helps benefit our whole-body metabolism.  An increase in muscle Type II fibers can reduce body fat and help prevent obesity.

2.) Fights against Bone Loss/Osteoporosis: Weight training helps reduce the risk of loosing bone mass and loosing muscle.  When you weight lift yours muscles are stressed which is a good thing.  This helps your bones become bigger and stronger.

3.) Improved Heart Health: Weight training believe it or not helps with your blood flow and arteries.  According to a study done by researchers at the College of Health Sciences’ Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University found that  moderate-intensity strength training had a 20% decrease in blood pressure  a benefit equal to or surpassing that of taking anti-hypertensive drugs. The blood flow-improving effects of resistance exercise persisted for about 30 minutes after the end of a training session and continued for as long as 24 hours in people who trained regularly 30- 45 minutes a few times a week.

4.) Helps Control Blood Sugar: Weight training can help regulate blood glucose.  Weight training helps with the growth of white muscle.  This helps with lowering blood glucose, because we use glucose for energy.  Fact; we have different colored muscles from red to white.  Red muscle is involved with fat oxidation used for energy benefiting endurance athletes, and white muscles are important for weight lifters.

5.) Helps with Back-pain: If you are experiencing back aches lately consider lifting.  This helps with strengthening your core which supports your spine. Try squats, planks, step-ups are examples.  First use try without weights and then add on the resistance.

So if you are home or at the gym, and are looking to bump up your exercise routine, consider adding weights. It will help you become more leaner, and toned. Remember quality over quantity. Start off lifting at your own pace.  Over-time start progressing by adding weights, adding sets, adding reps, and of course more training days.

There is nothing better than after an intense workout making yourself a nutritious smoothie.  Personally, I love making smoothies because you can do so much and mix things up a lot in terms of putting pretty much about anything you like. Literally, you can make anything into a smoothie. One of my favorite post-workout smoothies that I like to make is a mixed berry and kale smoothie with a vegan protein powder, and flax milk.  I like to add collagen powder as an optional. I have an obsession with kale.  You can do so much with it, sauté them, put them in pretty much any dish or salad, and even make kale chips with them. They are considered a super-food, meaning it is packed with a lot of antioxidants, and vitamins. Berries fall into the same category. They are packed with tons of nutritional benefits, again, with antioxidants, and vitamins.

I use protein powder as an extra for muscle recovery, especially after doing muscle strength training.  Protein powders come in so many different types, such as the milk-derived whey and casein proteins. I use a plant-based protein powder called Vega. It is made with pea protein. I love the vanilla flavor a lot.  It is gluten-free and there is no sugar added. It has 15 grams of complete protein, and 2 servings of veggies.

Flax Milk is one of my new favorites. These days they make so many things into milk substitutes. I am lactose and tolerant so I usually go after the best and most nutritional ones in the market. Most of them are beneficial for you, but again, I carefully like to read the labels more to see what they add in. I started getting into Flax Milk because it’s a good source of Omega-3 healthy fats besides having a good source of Calcium and Vitamin D.  Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid we need in order to function which includes EPA and DHA. This helps with our heart health, joints, brain health and so much more.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of chopped kale (fresh/or frozen)

1 scoop of Vega Protein/or any Protein Powder of Choice

1/2 cup of berries (fresh/or frozen)

1 cup of Flax Milk/or any milk product preferred

***1 scoop of Collagen Powder (Optional).

Have you been trying to work on your core strength exercises? When you work on your core including abdominal muscles, back muscles, ect.  Having strong core muscles makes a huge difference when it comes to the performance of your exercises.  With so many of exercises out there that help train your core, I did planks, and superman’s today. You can do these exercises either using a matt or a carpeted floor. In order to do a traditional plank it is recommended that you repeat each core exercise at least 5 times until you can build up more strength and gradually increase repetitions.

Traditional Plank

Another version of doing a plank from the traditional way is a side plank. Doing a side plank also helps your stability.  Sadly, I have no balance so this is why I like doing these. I will admit it took me awhile before mastering this.  I used to find myself wobbling so much struggling to support my body weight. Luckily as I kept training I was able to gradually build the strength to do this.  In order to do a side plank lie either on your left or right  side, which ever you prefer. Raising yourself onto your left or right forearm. Place your left or right shoulder directly above your elbow, keeping your shoulders, hips and knees in alignment. Rest your arm along the side of your body. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Hold for three deep breaths. Repeat on your opposite side.

Side Plank

I also tried superman’s.  They are great exercises that also help with your lower back .  What you do is lie on your stomach with a rolled towel or a matt. You might also use a folded towel to support your head. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Raise your right arm and left arm off the floor. Then hold for three deep breaths. Lower your right and left leg and repeat.

Superman

Exercise. The word most of us drag. I used to hate it as a kid. But now I grew to love it. Exercise is not just about going to the gym and making it a chore. It can be any type of movement with the body on a day to day basis. With the proper nutrition, we can acquire the proper energy needs that we must have in order to incorporate fitness into our lives daily. Both go hand in hand with promoting a healthy lifestyle.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 emphasize the benefits of increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary activities.  Evidence shows that regular physical activity promotes health and reduces the risk of developing a number of diseases.  Physical activity helps prevent diseases such as heart disease (the number one killer amongst Americans), cancer, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension; all primary killers of adults in developed countries.

Physical activity helps you look good, feel good, and have fun, and most importantly brings many long-term health benefits as well.  To gain substantial health benefits, most guidelines recommend at least a good amount of time performing aerobic physical activity.  The minimum amount of time depends whether the activity is moderate-intensity physical activity or vigorous-intensity physical activity. This type of exercise helps the body’s large muscles move in a rhythmic manner for a long period of time; and helps cardiorespiratory fitness. Examples of this can be a brisk walk, running,, swimming, and bicycling.

To be physically fit, a person must develop enough flexibility, muscle strength and endurance, and cardiorespiratory endurance to meet the everyday demands of life and some to spare to achieve a decent body weight and body composition. According to the 2008 American College Sports of Medicine it is recommended that;

1.)  Cardiorespiratory Fitness should be 3-5 days a week depending on intensity. It helps support the ongoing activity of the heart and lungs.

2.) Muscular Fitness (Muscular Strength & Muscular Endurance) enable muscles to work harder and longer without fatigue.  Muscular strength is measured by 1RM at least 2-3 days a week (48 hours between using each muscle group).  Each muscle need at least 2-4 sets.  If you are specifically looking for progression you can add weight, add sets, add reps, or just more training days.

3.) Flexibility helps improve joint range of movement, and reducing the risk of injury.  At least 10 minutes and 4 reps each stretch.  Hold stretches for 10-30 secs where it is tight.

Today it came to mind that sometimes we need to realize that in order to be in control with our health we have to take matters into our own hands. It all starts with us being in control of our well being physically, mentally, and emotionally. We are our first priority. No it is not a selfish thing, but we owe it to ourselves to take care of what matters the most first. Our health and happiness comes first before anything. Some days you got to look in the mirror and smile and know you are worth so much than you give credit to yourself.  I feel like we are so quick to be hard on ourselves. We all have a purpose, a calling in life to be the best we can be everyday to achieve the best possible.

Under the many circumstances of life, it is so easy to feel frustrated, mentally and emotionally drained some days. Whether it is going to work full-time, raising a family, balancing a social life/relationships There are just so many socio-economical factors that come into play. One thing I take to heart is a saying my grandfather always had which was you make life the best you can possibly make it. You can either be happy or upset. It is up to you.  I choose to wake up everyday and smile and do and be the best I can be.  Could things be better, of course, but they could be worse too. I choose to smile knowing I have my health, my family and friends, clothes, food/clean water, a roof over my head, and a job.  To me that is a huge start to living a life putting things into perspective and prioritizing what matters the most.

The last few weeks I admit, I have been stuck in a rut.  So much has been on my mind.  But little by little, I remember that I am a strong person and no matter what I face at the end of the day I am in control of how I look at things. Our mind is such a powerful thing. We have control of everything, how we feel, what we think, eat, ect. Luckily, I have had the support from family and friends to make me realize that life is always moving forward. Always focus on yourself, and appreciate the love and support you get from the people that matter the most in your life. It is easy sometimes to forget that. Everyday we are growing and life always moves forward. We can either make the best of it or not.

Some of you might be wondering what this might have to do with nutrition and wellness. It has ALOT to do with it. In order to start living a healthy lifestyle we have control of our well-being first. It all begins with you and what kind of direction you will take to get there.

Leaving work on a Saturday afternoon is tiring enough. With the holidays around the corner and so much is going on behind the scenes it can be easy to feel warn out and tired. So I want to get through the holidays feeling my best.  I love making quick pit stops at my old job. I love having the chance to see familiar faces, and buying products that are good quality, organic, non-GMO, natural, and allergen-free. If you live near the Reading, MA area I highly recommend stopping by here to shop. It is called The Natural Food Exchange.  The owner of the store is incredible, and the staff is amazing.

I bought myself some multi-vitamins, cashew milk as well as turmeric milk, and Bio-Coffee. Some of you might be shaking your heads like what the heck does that even mean! Multi-vitamins are a great way to enhance your nutritional health daily, especially in today’s society where most Americans might struggle to hold a balanced diet. Okay, so I can explain, Bio-Coffee, when I first heard of it I was pretty confused. Just the name of it alone. I grew to obsess and drink this a lot now. It has a lot of nutritional benefits. It has wheatgrass which is a super food providing your daily dose of vegetables, fiber, probiotics, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, and minerals. Sounds like my cup of tea! Who knew you could get so much out of drinking from one single cup. It is amazing! Turmeric, some of you might know it is an herb and is considered to be very important to the human diet. It helps with cognitive function, inflammation, and physical recovery. Definitely a great power boost drink I like to use after an intense workout at the gym.

Please visit:

http://naturalfoodexchange.com/

If you love avocado and peanut butter, this is a quick and easy breakfast recipe that will make you go bananas over. Literally! This recipe calls for one banana, one avocado, and a Tbsp. of peanut butter. This has honestly become my breakfast every morning. Avocados first off are incredibly nutritious, have a lot of fiber; potassium, and heart healthy monounsaturated fats, and help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Bananas are also loaded with potassium, Vitamin B6 and B12, and fiber. I love adding in the peanut butter because I am obsessed with peanut butter and it makes the meal more filling and flavorful. I like to add in extra stuff into it such as chopped up strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries.