Snacking can be one of the most effective ways to rev up your metabolism and slim down your waistline. Eating between meals helps stabilize blood sugar, mood, energy, and curbs hunger. Likewise, skipping the snack can lead to low blood sugar causing you to feel tired, grumpy, and “famished” when mealtime eventually comes around, creating a domino effect of poor food choices followed by eating too fast and too much… all on a slowed metabolism.
Getting Motivated
Exercise has become a scary word for many people. It is often associated with torturous hours on the treadmill or tripping over ones own feet in a class where everyone else seems to know the moves. It is no wonder so many people find it difficult to get motivated to exercise. Simply knowing it is good for you is not enough. To discover the kind of motivation that comes from within and lasts, follow these three guidelines: find the joy in exercise, incorporate it into your life in a way that complements not complicates it, and change the way you think about exercise.
Jumping for Joy!
Eight years ago, while working with a personal training client (let’s call her Hanna), I suggested she integrate some running into her fitness plan. In a hushed voice with eyes downcast, Hanna confided that since having her second child she could no longer run because her bladder was too weak. She was only in her mid thirties. I was perplexed; wasn’t this as a problem for older adults? At the time, I was three months pregnant with my first child and feared the possibility that I could be doomed to the same fate.
12 Ways to a Healthier 2012
There was a time when we thought of health as simply the absence of disease- as long as you were not sick, had low blood pressure, and good cholesterol readings, you were seen as a healthy person. Today we recognize that our health is defined by numerous other factors, such as (but not limited to): what we eat, physical fitness, sleep, levels of stress, emotional well-being, feeling connected to others, and our general outlook on life.
New Year’s Detox
After an indulgent holiday season, I like to start off the New Year with a dietary cleanse. I have found it highly effective, for both myself and my clients, to eliminate the most problematic foods- wheat, dairy, alcohol, and all other sugar based or artificially sweetened drinks (see below for a detailed list) for 4 weeks. During this time it is equally important to eat fresh, unprocessed, nutrient dense foods to help detoxification and support optimal health.
