Just for the HEALTH of it!

Here we are. . . Welcome WEEK 3!

New Experiences

Don’t be SCARED!! Get out and try something new! You never know what you have been missing, don’t hold back!

There are soooo many opportunities out there that make FITNESS FUN! And don’t EVER think you are NOT capable of doing anything!

I never thought I was a “runner.” I grew up hating running…until someone challenged me to participate in the Bellin Run. I thought to myself…”Are you crazy? 6 miles? I can barely make it around the block!” So I started small-ran a block…ran 2 blocks…ran 1 mile…joined a FUN RUN (Turkey Trot) and made it 2 miles! What surprised me was the ENERGY of these FUN RUNS! People are happy. People are moving. They don’t look like they are going to die?! Then the day came for me to do the BELLIN. The ENERGY of 20,000 people is amazing!!!! Nobody cares how fast or how slow you are running…people are cheering you on every step of the way. And when you finish…you feel like you did something GREAT! (yes, it takes a little while to recuperate…cool down, let the muscles become loose again…) THEN, you want to do it again and take it to the next level! Last year I did 2 Half-Marathons! I’d love to do a FULL if I could figure out how to not flair up my plantar fasciitis after 8 miles.

So get out there and have some FUN and you won’t even realize that you are getting FIT!

This week’s challenge is “Try a NEW Experience”-type of exercise once, twice, or three times this week. Does not mean you have to try 3 different things-just get out and do something 3 times this week!

Bike-pick a fun destination and get there! (I had my family bike to little restaurant in Greenleaf to eat a gigantic pancake! Before we knew it-we biked 20 miles!!!)
Swim-water has an amazing affect on the body-resistance! You won’t ruin your joints!
Zumba-essentially dancing! Makes you feel sexy! ;) Or uncoordinated…
Pilates-discover muscles you never knew you had!
Yoga-newest craze! Relax and workout at the same time!
Try some classes at your local workout place. I am always amazed at the instructors-their knowledge, their energy! They want you to succeed and have FUN!
Snow shoe
Ice Skate
Gymnastics
Basketball
Baseball
Water Polo
Canoeing
Shuffleboard
Ping-Pong

Meatless

There has been A LOT of DEBATE about what “MEATLESS” means?!

Let me just say this again. I don’t want to cloud everyone’s HEALTH thoughts with “rules” to live by for this challenge! Do the research, come to your own conclusions…make better choices for YOU and YOUR HEALTH!

SO here is some food for THOUGHT!

I grew up catholic and always found it FUNNY that we needed to give up meat during lent. What happened on every Friday: we would go out for dinner and order some amazing deep fried walleye with French fries, cole slaw, side of soda, buttered bread, and since we were out, why not have some dessert?! This ritual was NOT A SACRIFICE!! This was a reward! I looked forward to lent…heck-I probably gained weight during lent when it was supposed to be a time for self-refection, fasting, giving up!!

SO with that…think of this week as what you can do that would be a POSITIVE CHANGE for your health in terms of a MEATLESS sacrifice?

Some options: (about.com)

1. Plant Based- Someone who eats a plant based diet may be a vegetarian or vegan or they may not be. A whole food plant based diet is based on a majority of whole plant foods but may include a very small amount of meat, fish or eggs
2. A vegan does not eat any animal or anything that comes from an animal – so eggs, dairy and often honey are excluded.
3. A vegetarian is someone who does not eat chicken, pig, cow, fish, turkey or any other type of animal. However, they do include products produced by animals such as eggs and diary.

Lacto-vegetarian-vegetarian that does not eat eggs, but does eat dairy products.
Ovo-vegetarain-do not eat meat or dairy, but do eat eggs.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian-vegetarain that eats both eggs and dairy.

4. Pescatarian-abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. Sometimes a stepping stone to fully vegetarian diet.

Personally-I don’t like LABELS, so I say that I eat “Plant Strong!” Most of my meals are made from a majority of plants. I limit my cheese, eggs, oils, fish.

Also ask your self-what are the benefits of eating meatless?

Blood Cholesterol-The lower the blood cholesterol, the lower the risk!

What is the cholesterol content in our favorite meat?

Improve intestinal tract function-You will be replacing meat with high-fiber foods (fruits and vegetables). The high fiber content of the food absorbs water in the intestinal tract, turning insoluble fiber into gel-like substances that resemble a soft, spongy mass. They stimulate intestinal activity and sweep along intestinal contents more efficiently and effectively.
Decreases fluid retention-Removes excess water, salt and other toxins from the body via kidney and intestinal tract.
Reduce food budget-This new, simpler way of eating can reduce your weekly food costs.

Sleep Challenge

EVERYTHING is LIFE is BETTER after getting a GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP?!! Right?!!

I have worked every shift and know that when I didn’t get good sleep EVERYBODY suffered! I was angry, cranky, moody, hungry, restless, didn’t think clearly, I was UGLY! Once I got some good sleep-I was happy, brighter, PRETTY!

SO HOW MUCH SHOULD you be getting!!?! National Sleep Foundation recommends the following…How do you match up to this??

Though research cannot pinpoint an exact amount of sleep need by people at different ages, our new chart, which features minimum and maximum ranges for health as well as “recommended” windows, identifies the "rule-of-thumb" amounts experts agree upon.

Nevertheless, it's important to pay attention to your own individual needs by assessing how you feel on different amounts of sleep.

Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or does it take you nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear?
Do you have health issues such as being overweight? Are you at risk for any disease?
Are you experiencing sleep problems ?
Do you feel sleepy when driving ?
Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?

These are questions that must be asked before you can find the number that works for you.

Improve Your Sleep Today: Make Sleep a Priority

To begin a new path towards healthier sleep and a healthier lifestyle, begin by assessing your own individual needs and habits. See how you respond to different amounts of sleep.

Pay careful attention to your mood, energy and health after a poor night's sleep versus a good one. Ask yourself, "How often do I get a good night's sleep?" Like good diet and exercise, sleep is a critical component to overall health.

To pave the way for better sleep, follow these simple yet effective healthy sleep tips , including:

Stick to a sleep schedule , even on weekends.
Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual .
Exercise daily.
Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Beware of hidden sleep stealers , like alcohol and caffeine.
Turn off electronics before bed.

If you or a family member are experiencing symptoms such as sleepiness during the day or when you expect to be awake and alert, snoring, leg cramps or tingling, gasping or difficulty breathing during sleep, prolonged insomnia or another symptom that is preventing you from sleeping well, you should consult your primary care physician or find a sleep professional to determine the underlying cause.

You may also try using the National Sleep Foundation Sleep Diary to track your sleep habits over a one- or two-week period and bring the results to your physician.

Most importantly, make sleep a priority . You must schedule sleep like any other daily activity, so put it on your "to-do list" and cross it off every night. But don’t make it the thing you do only after everything else is done – stop doing other things so you get the sleep you need.

For more information on healthy sleep, visit National Sleep Foundation’s new publication, Sleep.org, today!

Week THREE

Here we are. . . Welcome WEEK 3!

New Experiences

Don’t be SCARED!! Get out and try something new! You never know what you have been missing, don’t hold back!

There are soooo many opportunities out there that make FITNESS FUN! And don’t EVER think you are NOT capable of doing anything!

So get out there and have some FUN and you won’t even realize that you are getting FIT!

This week’s challenge is “Try a NEW Experience”-type of exercise once, twice, or three times this week. Does not mean you have to try 3 different things-just get out and do something 3 times this week!

Bike-pick a fun destination and get there! (I had my family bike to little restaurant in Greenleaf to eat a gigantic pancake! Before we knew it-we biked 20 miles!!!)

Swim-water has an amazing affect on the body-resistance! You won’t ruin your joints!

Zumba-essentially dancing! Makes you feel sexy! ;) Or uncoordinated…

Pilates-discover muscles you never knew you had!

Yoga-newest craze! Relax and workout at the same time!

Try some classes at your local workout place. I am always amazed at the instructors-their knowledge, their energy! They want you to succeed and have FUN!

Snow shoe

Ice Skate

Gymnastics

Basketball

Baseball

Water Polo

Canoeing

Shuffleboard

Ping-Pong

Meatless

There has been A LOT of DEBATE about what “MEATLESS” means?!

Let me just say this again. I don’t want to cloud everyone’s HEALTH thoughts with “rules” to live by for this challenge! Do the research, come to your own conclusions…make better choices for YOU and YOUR HEALTH!

SO here is some food for THOUGHT!

SO with that…think of this week as what you can do that would be a POSITIVE CHANGE for your health in terms of a MEATLESS sacrifice?

Some options: (about.com)

Lacto-vegetarian-vegetarian that does not eat eggs, but does eat dairy products.

Ovo-vegetarain-do not eat meat or dairy, but do eat eggs.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian-vegetarain that eats both eggs and dairy.

4. Pescatarian-abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. Sometimes a stepping stone to fully vegetarian diet.

Personally-I don’t like LABELS, so I say that I eat “Plant Strong!” Most of my meals are made from a majority of plants. I limit my cheese, eggs, oils, fish.

Also ask your self-what are the benefits of eating meatless?

Blood Cholesterol-The lower the blood cholesterol, the lower the risk!

What is the cholesterol content in our favorite meat?

Eggs are not listed, but they have 180-215 mg choesterol

Prawns-202 mg CholesterolLiver-481 mg Cholesterol

Decreases fluid retention-Removes excess water, salt and other toxins from the body via kidney and intestinal tract.

Reduce food budget-This new, simpler way of eating can reduce your weekly food costs.

Lose Weight! Data from Adventist Health Study 2

There is PROTEIN in VEGETABLES!

Prevention of DISEASE!!!

Reality Checks

Bloating-after about a week you may notice an increase in gas or wind…rest assured, this is ONLY temporary!!

Good Bowel Movements-things will change for the BETTER! The way it should be!

You might feel mentally sharper!

Sleep Challenge

EVERYTHING is LIFE is BETTER after getting a GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP?!! Right?!!

I have worked every shift and know that when I didn’t get good sleep EVERYBODY suffered! I was angry, cranky, moody, hungry, restless, didn’t think clearly, I was UGLY! Once I got some good sleep-I was happy, brighter, PRETTY!

SO HOW MUCH SHOULD you be getting!!?! National Sleep Foundation recommends the following…How do you match up to this??

Though research cannot pinpoint an exact amount of sleep need by people at different ages, our new chart, which features minimum and maximum ranges for health as well as “recommended” windows, identifies the "rule-of-thumb" amounts experts agree upon.

Nevertheless, it's important to pay attention to your own individual needs by assessing how you feel on different amounts of sleep.

Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or does it take you nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear?

Do you have health issues such as being overweight? Are you at risk for any disease?

Are you experiencing sleep problems ?

Do you feel sleepy when driving ?

Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?

These are questions that must be asked before you can find the number that works for you.

Improve Your Sleep Today: Make Sleep a Priority

To begin a new path towards healthier sleep and a healthier lifestyle, begin by assessing your own individual needs and habits. See how you respond to different amounts of sleep.

Pay careful attention to your mood, energy and health after a poor night's sleep versus a good one. Ask yourself, "How often do I get a good night's sleep?" Like good diet and exercise, sleep is a critical component to overall health.

To pave the way for better sleep, follow these simple yet effective healthy sleep tips , including:

Stick to a sleep schedule , even on weekends.

Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual .

Exercise daily.

Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light.

Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.

Beware of hidden sleep stealers , like alcohol and caffeine.

Turn off electronics before bed.

You may also try using the National Sleep Foundation Sleep Diary to track your sleep habits over a one- or two-week period and bring the results to your physician.

Most importantly, make sleep a priority . You must schedule sleep like any other daily activity, so put it on your "to-do list" and cross it off every night. But don’t make it the thing you do only after everything else is done – stop doing other things so you get the sleep you need.

For more information on healthy sleep, visit National Sleep Foundation’s new publication, Sleep.org, today!

Prawns-202 mg Cholesterol
Liver-481 mg Cholesterol