run to the finish line

Running is one of the best ways to get in shape!  It benefits almost all parts of the body.  It’s one of the most popular methods of healthy weight loss.   Here are some of the reasons you should incorporate running into your daily life:

• It strengthens your heart.  Your body has to get oxygen to all your muscle cells, and must pump blood much more quickly in order to do so.  Your heart rate increases as you push yourself harder.  Your heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, it becomes stronger with use.  This will play a major factor in your defense against cardiovascular disease in the future, and many other dangerous diseases.
• Sweating causes the release of harmful toxins in your body that build up over time.  This has been proven to prevent acne, and even cancer.  It’s also a great reliever of stress.
• It burns fat!  Whether your long distance jogging or short distance sprinting, you burn extra calories/fat.  Over time, running can become a very rewarding habit to build.

Beware!  Running and jogging has been proven to put extreme stress on your joints.  Be sure not to push yourself too hard, and know when it’s necessary to take a break.  Your body is not a machine.  Part of staying healthy is knowing your boundaries.

http://dherbs.com/articles/dangers-running-jogging-292.html

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/6-Benefits-of-Running.htm

http://ririanproject.com/2007/10/22/10-benefits-of-running-and-how-to-do-it/

quick tips

There are some basic daily tricks to help you reach your goal as quickly as possible while staying health.  Here are the ones I try to follow every day!

– DRINK AS MUCH WATER AS POSSIBLE!!! It’s the best way to flush dangerous toxins out of your system, and it’s very important to stay hydrated 24/7- especially when dieting or exercising regularly.  It’s also difficult for the body to differentiate hunger from thirst.

-Stick to the serving size or under!  When snacking, it’s really easy to go overboard if you aren’t think about the quantity of food you are eating, especially if you are eating it directly out of the container it came in.  It’s best to set aside the exact amount you want to eat, and stick with that.

-Snack on healthy food all day long.  When you do this, it’s much easier to turn down any junk food that might pop up at any given moment.

-Walk as much as possible!  Don’t take short cuts and always take the stairs.  This is one of the easiest ways to burn calories without really exerting much effort.

-Take multivitamins.  They replenish the vitamins you use up throughout the day, and give you an extra boost of energy when you feel a little fatigued.

raw vegan diet

Over the passed few weeks, I have catapulted myself deeper into a sad little hole of unhealthy eating and excuses not to exercises.  Portion control has been thrown out the window, and the other night I had an attack of binge eating.  It was very scary, and felt awful.  I’ve gained back weight and I feel terrible and unhealthy.  I keep telling myself that today will be a good day, but I haven’t been following through.  I need something to help get me back into action, before I fall back into old patterns permanently.  Solution? Raw vegan diet.  I’ve heard a lot of things about how great it is, but I haven’t actually considered it until now.  http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/raw-food-diets.aspx

The raw vegan diet eliminates cooked and animal products.  Cooking food causes the release of toxins and chemicals that can be toxic to the body.  It also removes essential nutrients from the food, taking out major benefits.  The chemical reaction of applying heat to the food also changes the composition and takes out enzymes that help your digestive system digest what you eat.  You’re digestive system has to produce more enzymes which causes stress on your body.  Avoiding animal products is also very beneficial, not only to your body but to the planet.  Here’s a link to see the inhumane and cruel treatment of animals in the food industry: http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/default.aspx

This diet is a great way to rid your system of harmful toxin build up do to long term animal product and chemical intake.It’s been proven to cause weight loss, heal cancer, improve energy levels and more.  I am starting my raw vegan diet tomorrow, and I am very excited but also nervous.  I really hope I can stick with it.

If anyone has any advice, I’d really appreciate it!

 

Black Beans!

Black beans are great!  They are a great addition to many different kinds of foods, and I even eat them plain.  They are loaded with tons of benefits. Here are some of them!

• They are high in fiber, which helps regulate digestive system health.  This is important because your digestive system is where your body absorbs all the good stuff from the food you eat.  It also fills you  up faster, which can stop you from eating more than you are hungry for.
• They have the highest level of antioxidants of all beans, and just as much as cranberries.
• They are a good source of protein, which helps rebuild muscle tissue.  They are also low in fat.

Here are some great black bean recipes!

• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-black-beans/
• http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spicy_citrusy_black_beans/
• http://www.eatliverun.com/cuban-black-beans/

 

surf’s up

Every since I moved to Santa Barbara CA, I have become totally hooked to the surfing scene that consumes the time of many residents.  We live in a beach town and are surrounded by ocean, who can blame us?! I have to admit, I haven’t hit the beach for the past 6 months or so, but as summer gets closer I can’t help but feel that old itch to jump on my board and ride a wave to paradise.  Haha not really so dramatic, but still.  Surfing is loads of fun, and it provides one of the best workouts around!  Here’s why:

• Much of surfing is paddling.  Paddling helps build major upper body strength!  It works your core, arms, shoulders, back and neck.
• Standing up on the board requires major balance and strengthens your abs, core and legs.  It also requires serious concentration and helps you develop hand eye coordination.  It stimulates your brain!
• It’s a great cardio work out!  It gets your blood pumping and helps build heart strength and health.

Surfing is a great way to work out while having loads of fun!

• http://www.surfinghandbook.com/health-benefits-of-surfing.html
• http://www.alohadoc.com/
• http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/beginners-guide-surfing

the zumba buzz!

We’ve all heard about it!   Zumba is a Latin inspired dance workout that is taking the world by storm.  Over the past two years, the zumba bug has spread rapidly.  People of all different kinds are going crazy for zumba! It’s well loved for many different reasons.  Here are a few!

• It gives you a break from your usual boring workout routine, helping to spice up your life!
• Exercises all your muscles while also exercising your brain and ability to memorize dance steps
• All levels, genders and ages are welcome to all classes (everyone has to start somewhere!)
• Provides a great cardio workout with fun music that you can totally get into.
• It’s pretty much a DANCE PARTY!!!

I am going to take my first zumba class this coming Friday through the YMCA.  I’ve been putting it off for a long time, and I’m ready to just give it a shot.  I’ve been starting to get bored with running, and I think this will be a great switch.  Plus I love dancing!  I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂

Have you ever tried zumba?  Did you like it?

• http://www.fitsugar.com/Beginner-Zumba-Class-Tips-From-Instructor-18975667
• http://www.zumba.com/
• http://smartworkout.net/blog/2011/04/why-zumba-can-be-the-best-workout-youve-done/

wednesday weekly update

Monday of last week I weighed 148.8, and Monday of this week I weighed 147.2.  Overall, I am relatively pleased with myself.  I kept up my work out routine and I generally ate pretty healthy.  But I did not do as well over the weekend as I know I could have.  I help bake and worked for a bake sale for an organization called Children of Rwanda, and I admit I was not very strict with myself.  I was surrounded by cookies, brownies and cinnamon rolls (which means my conscience goes out the window) and I had a little bit here and a little bit there and in the end it added up to a lot a bit.  Other than that though, I am pretty proud of myself.  I know this week will be better because I know I am capable of better!  I am excited to see how things go.  I really need to drink more water though.  I have CA Standardized Testing this week and my permit test.  I have not been on top of it so far, but the week is young!

• http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/5-weight-loss-motivation-tips-that-work/
• http://ten-pounds-down.fitsugar.com/50-Ways-Stay-Motivated-Weight-Loss-13289463
• http://weightloss.about.com/od/weightloss101/a/101lesson10.htm

give me a BREAK!

Exercise.  It’s one of the most hated and avoided things in the world, and is also a vital part of staying healthy.  Of course we know we are supposed to involve a good amount of physical activity in our lives, but remember that everyone has a limit.  It’s important to pay attention to the signs that your body is sending you, because it can be all too easy to ignore pain or exhaustion and work yourself too hard.  This is NOT healthy.  Your body needs time to recover.  If you push yourself too hard too often, it really does more bad than good.  One reason is that when you use your muscles, they break down.  When they aren’t in use, they are recovering from the break down by producing more muscle cells than you originally had before.  If you continually use your muscles too often, they won’t have time to rebuild themselves.  This will cause you to feel achy and fatigued.  You are depriving yourself body of oxygen!  It’s ideal to have one or two designated days a week to recover.

Personally, I have difficulty if I don’t exercise any day.  I feel antsy and even guilty at times.  A great remedy for this is walking.  Walking is a great way to burn off energy and to get outside!  Enjoy life!!!

• http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa7.htm
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/72130-rebuild-muscle-mass/
• http://www.poweringmuscles.com/article.php?id=55

crazy for carrots

CARROTS!  One of the most common, most colorful, and most carroty veggies out there!  Carrots are loaded with vitamin A, which aids skin health, cancer prevention, and has anti-aging qualities.  They also have lots of antioxidants that promote cardiovascular health.  Baby carrots are great if you’re on the go, but remember that the skin is very healthy for you, so try to eat uncut whole carrots.  In comparison to other vegetables, carrots are high in natural sugars which will help boost your energy and keep you going till the very end!

(that’s a picture of me, munchin’ on a carrot)

• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21
• http://allrecipes.com/recipes/side-dish/vegetables/carrots/
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/orange-glazed-carrots/

pass the hummus!

HUMMUS.  The dip that is taking the world by storm!  It’s one of my all time favorite dips, and one of the healthiest for you!  Hummus is made primarily of chickpeas and tahini.  It’s also often flavored with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.  Chickpeas are rich in protein and have no saturated fats or cholesterol.   SCORE!  They can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels too. Tahini is also a great source of protein, but it’s high in fat.  Luckily it’s the good kind of fat that your body needs to function (a.k.a. not saturated fat) so don’t worry about it.   I love to dip carrots, celery, crackers and pita chips in hummus!

• http://www.3fatchicks.com/5-health-benefits-of-hummus/
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/446490-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-hummus/
• http://mideastfood.about.com/od/middleeasternfood101/a/hummus101.htm