Happy FriYAY!!
I'm baaaaack and so excited to be with you all again :) The end of the school year really took total control of my life, but after a week off I'm ready to play again.
So what have you all been up to? I've been super busy with all of the upcoming vacations/weddings/tutoring/training/subbing Total Body Blast as of late...but that's for another post!
THIS ONE is about being a health nut!
I came across Nuts.com and was challenged to give some tips to go along with the 5 tips for leading a healthier life campaign. As you all know, I'm a HUGE peanut butter lover, so I jumped on this chance.
A healthy lifestyle is something that I continually strive for. Healthy is different for everyone and therefore a healthy lifestyle is not the same for everyone. I try to live by 5 rules:
1.) MOVE! Every day I try to hit my 12,000 Fitbit steps. I'll cop to wandering the house or putting on Zumba Youtube videos on before bed if I'm short some steps. Our bodies were made to MOVE! I know I always feel better after a day full of activity. Running, dancing, biking, walking, spinning, Pilates-ing (is that a word? Did we just invent this a la Shakespeare?) and lifting weights all keep me sane and healthy. I always like to invite my friends to join me on workout adventures because it adds to the fun and keeps me accountable. Would I miss this chance to Zumba with my girls every Monday night? HECK NO!
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My friend and I a year apart...matching!
This happens once a year for some unknown reason...and only once a year |
2.) Sleep! Ahhh, my biggest health fail. I try and fight the good fight and every week I tell myself tonight I will sleep 8 hours, tonight I will sleep 8 hours, but then I end up getting about 6...maybe 7 if I'm lucky. I always feel rejuvenated after a solid 8 hours of sleep.
3.) Hydrate! I just bought a 48 oz Nalgene water bottle (in pink of course) and I LOVE it! I try to fill it up twice a day. I also start my day with 32 oz of hot hot hot water. I find that it helps to keep me full and then even if I start slacking on my hydration throughout the day I know that I have atlas had 32 oz of water.
4.) Me time! Everyone always says to be present. I think we need to be recluses every day. I am a healthier person when I take 5-15 minutes to do nothing but hide out in my room with a book or a blog post. We need to hide out and get some alone time to recoup and be the best person we can be. I think being selfish is A-OK in this situation.
5.) Fuel! We all need to eat good, healthy, nutritious food to keep our bodies moving to their best abilities. Last night I had a cheat day and enjoyed The Melting Pot's 4 course meal...did I love it? YES! Did I feel it today when I was working out? ABSOLUTELY! Healthy foods fuel our lives and let us perform to our best abilities. As a runner it is super important for me to pay attention to what I put into my body. One of my favorite things?
Nuts! I start the day with a dollop of peanut butter in my oatmeal. (And I mean the REAL thang...the only ingredients in your peanut butter should be drum roll please...PEANUTS!) I also love adding nuts like almonds or pecans to my salads. Pine nuts add an amazing crunch to my favorite salad (pear+greens+goat cheese if you're wondering). And I love adding walnuts to chocolate chip cookies. I also love melting some dark chocolate (70% Cacao) and mixing it with pistachios. Next, I fridge them for a few hours and voila! My sweet tooth craving has been met along with getting some
healthy fats, antioxidants, and protein.
Sometimes I find it hard to find a healthy snack to meet my nutritional needs and that's when I always turn to nuts. I can't remember a road trip in which I did not have a baggie of almonds or a self-made trail mix. They are filling, healthy, and so versatile! They give me that crunch that I love, plus whatever else I'm craving that day.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon with a little recap of what I've been up to lately!
xoxo,
e
