GET YOUR SLEEP!!

Kev and I have been TERRIBLE at getting our sleep lately!

Terrible…. 😦

And it is definitely taking a toll on my body!

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Sadly Kev and I are like two peas in a pod….

If one of us stays up late, usually the other one does too and vice versa.

We are both little night owls.

I don’t know what my problem is, but I really love the peace and quiet that accompanies nighttime.

It is therapeutic for me….

and then morning comes and I am reminded that I have serious issues.

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 When I’m sleep deprived everything in my life seems insurmountable, especially eating well and exercising.

This past week, I have been extra hungry, craving carbs and treats, low on energy and unmotivated!

Lovely.

It’s been tough.

I love eating well and exercising, but when my body is crying “uncle” because of sleep deprivation,  it’s so hard to stick with it!

I don’t mean to be negative, but I tell you these things so you can all learn from my bad example! 😉

SOOOOOOOOO, take a tip from me and be sure you get your rest!

K?

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With that being said, I want to give a shout out to all y’all out there who are disciplined enough to go to bed early.

I am truly inspired and impressed by you.

Really.

Thanks for your wonderful examples.

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On a brighter note, I went to my 7:00 AM cardio class Saturday morning and I loved it!

It felt good to get up early and it’s always nice to have my workout done FIRST THING!

I also had a special treat because as I was driving to the gym, I was able to view the lunar eclipse!

When I first looked at the moon, I thought, “That’s strange I’ve never seen a crescent moon on the BOTTOM of the moon before!?”

Then I quickly realized it was an eclipse and it was so so so cool.

This is about what it looked like…

December 10, 2011 total eclipse of the moon as seen above the desert city of Phoenix, Arizona. Image Credit: Mike Morton

I called Kev and woke him up so he could see it too.

I’m sure he appreciated that! 🙂

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Well, after having a rough week or two, I am feeling particularly motivated tonight.

I love Mondays…and am looking forward to a better week.

10 Small, yet Significant Things you can do to Improve your Health!

Losing weight is tough.

Maintaining a healthy diet requires hard work every single day!!

Exercising regularly takes a ton of time, effort, discipline and motivation!

Dang.

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It is easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed when it comes to improving our health.

But, just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we should avoid it.

There are a ton of small, yet very significant things we can do EVERY single day.

You may already be doing a lot of these things, but here’s a list I came up with:

1. Drink buckets and buckets of water!  It is so good for your body and such a simple thing to do.  If you don’t like water, try to drink a little more every day.  Eventually your body will crave it.  I promise…really.
2. Eat more fruits and veggies!  Try to eat at least 5 servings every day.  The more, the better.  Chop and prepare things ahead of time so you will be more likely to eat them!
3. Healthify your food choices!  When eating/purchasing food, choose the healthiest option available.  Here are some examples:  Drink lite milk (skim, rice, soy, almond, etc.)  Only use lite or fat free sour cream/cottage cheese/mayo, etc.  Eat only healthy breads (100% whole wheat, spelt, Ezekiel, etc.)  Use natural peanut butter. Purchase low sugar varieties of jams, syrups, yogurts, etc.
4. Control your portions!  When you eat a meal, portion out your food and then don’t go back for more!  Even if you still feel hungry….just wait.  It takes a while (usually about 20 minutes) before your stomach communicates to your brain that you are full.
5. Reduce your salt intake.  Salt causes us to retain water and hang onto extra weight.  It can also cause high blood pressure and wreak havoc on your heart and body.  When purchasing food, look for low sodium options.  Also, try not to use a salt shaker on your food at all.  Your body will learn to adjust to the taste of less salt and it will thank you for it!
6. Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.  This one is tough and I’m definitely not a good example of it!  However, our bodies need sleep to repair, renew and refresh our bodies.  When we are sleep deprived, we aren’t as productive, we don’t feel like exercising and we tend to eat more convenient and comforting (i.e. bad) foods.
7. Pack food/snacks with you.  When hunger strikes, having a healthy snack on hand will insure that you always have something good to eat!  Pack things like nuts, string cheese, protein bars, fruit, veggies, etc.  You can bring a little insulated lunchbox or cooler with you to keep things cold too.
8. Exercise!  This is a no-brainer, but it is so vital to our physical and mental health!  Even if you just workout for a half hour a few times a week, you will benefit a ton from it!  If you are short on time, exercise 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the evening.  Take a walk on your lunch break or after dinner.  Lift weights and do pushups, squats and lunges while watching TV.  Whatever works….just make it happen.
9. Keep a food journal.  This is a hard one for me to do consistently, but studies have shown it is very effective in helping people to lose weight.  Keep a small notebook with you or record your food intake online.  There are a number of websites out there that let you track your food intake and provide information about calories, fat, fiber, protein and sugar content as well.  I used the Daily Plate on Livestrong.com for a while and it was very helpful and informative.
10. Avoid processed and refined food as much a possible!  Always read labels and purchase food items with the shortest ingredients list.  Don’t buy food containing High Fructose Corn Syrup, hydrogenated oils, MSG, trans fats or sodium nitrates/nitrites.  You don’t need to be gestapo about it, but just try to consume the most “real” and minimally processed foods as possible.

Well, there is my little list.

There are so many other things we can do as well!

As we commit to small, healthy changes in our lives, they will eventually become habits!

Yay!

We can all become natural little health nuts!

Fun!  😉