Feature Friday! Heart Rate Monitor USA Interview

Heart Rate Monitor USA recently did an interview with me so I thought I would share it with all of you..

• What made you decide to get healthy? (Your Journey page tells a bit, but could you be more specific?)

Growing up I struggled with my weight. I was a dancer since I was little and then in High School I stopped and began to gain weight. My weight would go up and down due to my poor eating habits and continued throughout college. Finally I saw pictures of myself and I didn’t recognize the person in the photos. I was not happy with myself and I finally realized that I not only wanted to lose weight but also become all together healthier. I knew I had to make long lasting changes.

• How do you stay motivated to stick with your wellness plan?

It is hard to stay motivated, especially after you reach certain goals you had been working towards. I definitely still plateau at times. It’s all about finding new ways to stay motivated. Finding new workouts, new recipes and working towards new goals. Keeping my blog also helps me to stay on track.

• What does a typical day of your diet/exercise plan look like?

A typical day for me:
Cheerios and a banana for breakfast, followed by and mid morning snack of some type of fruit. I usually have a protein shake for lunch; sometimes I hit the gym around lunch time. Then I will snack on fruits, nuts, or maybe some edename. For dinner I usually have a large salad with grilled chicken or shrimp or maybe some whole wheat pasta. It changes depending on the day, but dinner time is when I try to get most my vegetables in. If I am still hungry I will snack on pop corn I pop on the stove using a small amount of oil or some fruit. Depending on the season I will go to the gym, go to a boot camp class, do Wii fit or go for a bike ride in the evening

I am bad when it comes to eating vegetables; I am a very picky eater, so I usually always try to have a salad every day. I also take a green supplement to make sure I get all the nutrients I need.

• What about exercise? What do you recommend for those who are just starting out on the path to getting healthier?

I started out doing a mile on my bike one night and then tried to go a little further each night. I eventually got to the point where I was biking 26 miles around my neighborhood after work. I would say the best thing is to start slow and gradually work your way up. Walk around your block, then the next night go a bit further. After a while try walking some and jogging some, then try jogging the whole way.

• What, do you feel, has been your biggest wellness achievement so far?

I think just being able to feel healthier from within and getting to share my experiences and tips with others.

• What is your one best tip for someone who wants to start eating healthier?

Same as with the exercise, you have to start slow. If you jump into a whole new way of eating you are less likely to stick with it. Slowly change your eating habits and start to incorporate healthier meals and snacks into your day. Also I don’t think you should deprive yourself. If you say you will never eat ice cream again you will constantly wish you could eat ice cream and eventually you will sub come and feel like a failure. If you allow yourself special treats in moderation you will always feel satisfied and you will be able to make life long changes.

• What's your favorite food?

It sounds funny because I don’t like a lot of vegetables, but I love artichokes.

Aside from that I could live on a diet of pure chocolate… but since that is not a very healthy diet I am constantly teaching myself moderation.


Have a great day..

Worldless Wednesday!

Tuesday's Tip! Hydration

Even those of us who are focused on our heath and aware of what we eat can sometimes underestimate the importance of how much water we take in. Here are some of the many reasons why good hydration is essential to good health...

Your bodies hydration can affect your: Energy, Digestion, Regularity, Blood Pressure, Respiration, Weight Management, Skin Health, Stomach Health, Acid-Alkaline Balance, Cholesterol, Kidney and Urinary Health, Joint Health, and Aging... and that's only some!

Here are some tips to staying hydrated...

~Each day before your morning cup of coffee, start your day with a glass of water. This will help your body replace the fluids you lost overnight. It is also helpful to keep a refillable water bottle with you throughout the day.

~Try eating two or three servings of fruits and vegetables at every meal. They are full of water and contain minerals that help the body absorb and use them properly. Remember that most processed foods can lower the body’s water levels.

~Create regular water breaks. Try drinking a glass of water at your desk each day before lunch, drink an extra glass of water if you worked out or didn’t eat enough fruits and vegetables with your meal.

~Drink sparkling water or vegetable juice instead of sodas and fruit juices. The sugar in soda and fruit juice, as well as the chemicals can cause unwanted reactions in your body like blood-sugar spikes.

~Use a water filter, pitcher type filter or keep a constant pitcher of water in the fridge at home

~Try using high-quality sea salt when you cook. It is rich in minerals that are key to cell health and hydration. Also sea salt has less sodium than table salt.


Have any other ideas?

Sick!

Let me start off by stating, I hate being sick! I hate it, I loath it, I despise i!  Now I'm sure no one loves to be sick, but i down right hate it, did I mention that?  Maybe I have such a strong opinion because as I write this I am struggling to breath through my congested nasal passages, or because i am sweating on a 30 degree day, but none the less, I hate being sick. 

What I truly dislike is the way it creeps up on you, for no reason and puts a halt to your everyday life.  You can't go to work, you can't go to the gym, you can't even get out of bed! And why? what did we do to become sick?  I didn't go outside with wet hair or without a jacket on (which is what my grandmother always told me would make me sick).  No I was just minding my business, going about my day when someone else decided to share their germs with me!  Now I'm not saying I haven't done the same.  Since we usually become ill before we ever realize we actually are, I'm sure I have shared my fair share of germs as well.  But that's not that point, the point is someone gave me their nasty germs and now I am holed up inside, unable to move off my couch and wishing my mommy was here to make me chicken soup!  So instead of waking up and having a productive day including working out, running errands and seeing friends I instead woke up unable to breath, coughing up foul looking substances and unable to leave my bed.  So while everyone else is out enjoying their weekend I will be here nursing OJ and cursing the infected stranger that landed me in this perdicament!

Am I being a baby? Perhaps! but who likes being sick?

Happy!

For the first time in a long time I am 110% happy. I am completely and truly happy with all aspects of my life. With the New Year came a new beginning for me. I decided to fully commit to myself and finally allowed myself to fully go after my true passion. Along with the freedom and joy of fully pursuing my dreams comes fear and nervousness. For the first time I am allowing myself to completely fail. For years I pursued what I felt as my true calling “on the side”. I lived a normal life, kept a normal job and never fully immersed myself into that life. Along with doing that I never was truly able to fail. It was always something I never had enough time to pursue or fully commit to. Now I have nothing but time. Though the fear of failing is there I also know that I will never be truly happy if I don’t pursue what makes me happy. I don’t want to be the person who looks back in twenty years looking back wondering what if? I guess if I fail, I will have failed giving it 100. %Though I don’t plan on failing it is something that is always in the back of my mind. What’s not in my mind anymore is frustration or unhappiness. For the first time I am finding myself ridiculously happy morning, noon and night. Even while working my “day job” to pay the bills, a job that most people aren’t excited to go to everyday, I am always in a great mood. I know that finally I am living my dream and pursuing what makes me happy. I am in the driver’s seat of my destiny and I am going full speed ahead!

Are you living the life you want to be living?