24 Ways to Brighten Your Morning
3 Things You Should Do as Soon as You Wake Up
Start With a Better Morning Routine
10 Morning Routine Ideas for a Healthy and Happy Day
Top Ten Wake Up Songs for the Morning
Don't know about you guys but I've been having more and more trouble getting up in the mornings! Usually, I'm pretty good at the get-up-and-go morning routine that I've perfected to the minute, but I've been dragging recently! It could be because I've stayed up later to watch the Olympics or it could be the fact that I'm nearing my birthday and age is finally starting to hit ;) Either way, I figure I'm probably not the ONLY one struggling to wake up these days so here are some morning stretches and ideas to help you get moving in the AM.
24 Ways to Brighten Your Morning 3 Things You Should Do as Soon as You Wake Up Start With a Better Morning Routine 10 Morning Routine Ideas for a Healthy and Happy Day Top Ten Wake Up Songs for the Morning
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I'm currently nursing a strained IT band (OUCH!) so I'm under doctor's orders not to run or do much activity until it heals up. Because of that, I'm making an extra effort to eat healthy and cut back on extra (unnecessary) calories. Since I looooove to eat, it's hard not to exercise regularly. I see it as a trade-off; more exercise means I get to eat more! While I'm on exercise bedrest, though, I decided to try to expand my low-calorie menu - but, of course, I don't skimp on flavor! This Mediterranean Crunch Salad recipe I found on the Whole Foods page is the perfect lunch. It's filling and flavorful while keeping the calorie count low. I made the full recipe (4 services) and I've been taking it for lunch every day! Mediterranean Crunch Salad INGREDIENTS: 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added garbanzo beans 1 cucumber, chopped 1 cup small broccoli florets 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1 cup finely sliced kale, tough stems removed 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 2 tablespoons finely chopped Kalamata olives 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. NUTRITION:Per serving: 130 calories (35 from fat), 4g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium, 21g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 6g protein I don't know about you but at the end of the day, my back is killing me. I sit for 8-9 hours at my desk and an extra hour+ during my commute. Sitting that much is definitely not good for you and it's no wonder my lower back is complaining when I get home at night. I found some sites that give suggestions for exercises to do at work as well as some tips for a healthier work day. I'll be trying some of these over the next week. Hope they help!
8 Ways to a Healthier Workday 10 Exercises to Do at Work That Don't Make You Look Silly Office Exercises 5 Ab Exercises You Can Do At Work 10 Office Exercises You Can Do Secretly Last night I had a dream that I was completely unprepared for a race I had registered for. In the dream, I had a half-marathon in two weeks and I hadn't run in over a month. The part about not running in over a month is true, but luckily, I don't have a big race coming up. I think the dream was telling me to start running again... I am just REALLY enjoying being lazy and doing short little workouts here and there rather than intense ones. I keep telling myself that my body needs a break after my last race but it's been almost two months since then so I really need to get back into the groove of things.
Here are a couple links for articles about the benefits of running. It's hard to get off the couch and head outside for a run (trust me, I've run two half marathons in the last year and I'm still struggling with it!), but there are so many reasons why you should make that initial effort. It's worth it in the long run (or so I keep telling myself...). Outrun Your Genes from Women's Health Magazine - you can actually beat your body's predisposition to become obese Resolve to Run from Runner's World Magazine - tips to get you started6 Benefits of Running from Active.come - it's more than just keeping down your body weight 76 Ways to Get Moving from Active.com - Do you need more reasons? Everything you Need to Loving Walking and Running from Fitness Magazine Hey Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and new year! I know it's been about a week since my last post (and two weeks since consistent blogging) but I'm back now! I haven't been around the computer too much the last two weeks because I've been off work and had my nose in a book :) Now that I'm beginning to get back into the groove of things, I will be sure to update you (and my blog) more often! What did everyone do for new years? Do you have any good resolutions you plan to follow?? I have a few including: pack my lunch more often to save money/eat better, plan more healthy meals for the hubs and me, and exercise 3-4 days/week and record it on the calendar. Husband and I are share those resolutions. I also have a few of my own personal ones but I won't bore you with those! Since it's Wednesday, and I always do recipes on Wednesday, I thought I'd share with you one of my all-time favorite morning meals. It's easy, healthy, and the husband loves it! I made this (and a delicious latte with our new espresso machine) for New Years breakfast. And sorry guys, since I've made it so much over the years, I just kind of estimate the amount of ingredients I use. Waffles with Ricotta and Berries INGREDIENTS: Waffles (I just use frozen waffles - cuts time) Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese (about 1/4 c. per waffle) Maple Syrup (about 1-2 Tbsp.) Nutmeg (a dash) Berries DIRECTIONS: Toast the Waffles. Combine the Ricotta cheese, maple syrup, and nutmeg and stir until smooth. Top the waffles with the Ricotta spread and then top with berries. Enjoy! It will fill you up with protein, fiber, and deliciousness!! I absolutely love breakfast. There are so many delicious ways to have breakfast - it can be savory or sweet, heavy or light, and a well-rounded breakfast is the best way to start your day. Not only is it my favorite meal of the day but health professionals swear by it. I know a lot of you don't eat breakfast but it has been proven that breakfast really does benefit you in many ways. It helps with weight loss (if you keep it to around 500 calories - not an all you can eat breakfast buffet that can turn into 2000 calories) and it can help with concentration and brain function as well as lasting physical endurance throughout the day.
Here are a couple sites that can give you some more information about the benefits of breakfast: The Mayo Clinic - Why does eating a healthy breakfast help control weight? WebMD - The Many Benefits of Breakfast and Why Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day Huffington Post - The Benefits of Breakfast If that didn't convince you to make breakfast an important part of your morning, maybe the delicious (and healthy) recipes on these sites will: 10 Healthy Breakfasts in 10 Minutes or Less EatingWell Healthy Breakfast Recipes and Cookies Tips Fitness Magazine No Excuse Breakfast Ideas It seems like everyone is getting sick right now. I've had a number of cold and flu symptoms recently and I'm sure part of it is due to the changing weather. To help you stay healthy this season, I found a couple links to ways to stay cold and flu free! 6 Ways to Stay Healthy this Season Real Simple - Ways to Stay Healthy this Flu Season Health.Com Cold and Flu Prevention - this site also has some good chicken soup recipes in case you DO get sick! Hope you guys stay healthy this year!! (I'm working on getting better! Wish I'd seen these articles sooner!). I'm running my half-marathon on Sunday and I'm a little nervous. I didn't prepare like I should have so I'm hoping things go ok!! I mean, I've done a few long runs (including the 15K I ran two weeks ago and a 6 miler right before that, and a few 5 milers) so I think I'll be fine with the distance. I'm just worried about my stamina. Things have been a little stressful for me recently so running hasn't been my number one priority. At this point, I have three goals in mind: 1. Finish close to the same time as my last half - 2:40 2. Don't get hurt! (Wasn't as successful with this goal last time) 3. Have fun. Since the race is in 6 days, it's a little late to worry about it now. Instead, I just need to prepare myself mentally and physically (like eating right) for the race. Here are a couple articles from Runners World that I'm finding helpful. I need to make sure I taper my time this week. I ran an easy two miler with Max yesterday (his first run on the leash! I was so proud!! This article gives a run-down of how to taper the last couple weeks before a run and what to keep in mind the last week so you are most prepared for the race. And this article gives some last minute tips about how to make sure you are prepared on race day. Since the race starts at 7:30a.m. it's important to be prepared before-hand so there is nothing to make you late the morning of the race. This article gives common pre-race mistakes people make that can make race day a little more stressful and less exciting. This week I am thankful for my health. With Carrie fighting a losing battle with cancer and my brother fighting an uphill battle with Ulcerative Colitis, I am witness to some very amazing people suffering from terrible health issues. I count my blessings that my health is good right now and I pray that Carrie and Hermano can overcome these hardships. Health is something you can work hard to keep but not everyone is blessed with it. I am thankful that God is allowing me to be healthy so I can be strong for others who are not so lucky right now. I have been blessed with many amazing opportunities recently and I am thankful that so many doors have been opened for me. I know that I have worked hard and earned some of the chances I have gotten, but some of it has just been luck. If I had sat back a year ago and asked myself what I'd be doing in a year, I would not have dreamed of having so many amazing opportunities ahead of me. A job that provides new and exciting adventures every week. Last week, I went to take a driving class so I could be certified to drive the company vehicles. The class took place at one of our storage facilities across town. This facility is on 1,000 acres of land and they have cattle and horses and other random animals. Recently, the facility has acquired a miniature donkey. His name is Bubba Jr. and my friend Kim and I wanted to hear all about him. Before we went out to do our driving test, our driving instructor took us by to meet Bubba Jr. (who is sooo sweet and friendly!). Not everyone has a job that has so many exciting aspects and I love the new experiences I get each day. Money. Haha. I know this sounds awful, but I am thankful that we have enough money to live off of. Lately, Husband and I have been having expense after expense. It seems like each month, something new needs to be fixed. Two months ago, Husband lost his phone and we had to buy him a new one, last month it was the AC in my car, and this month, the dishwasher needs to be replaced. There doesn't seem to be an end in sight and I always feel so anxious when I have to pay the bill each month. I refuse to carry a balance on my credit card so each month I pay it off no matter what. It just seems like lately, my checking account has been getting smaller and smaller. I have to take a step back and think about how lucky we are that we CAN pay all of our bills each month AND make double payments on Husband's truck so that it will be paid off by January. It seems like we are living tight right now, but I'm so thankful that we are living a life that doesn't force us to miss bill payments or other obligations. Basically, I'm thankful for the money Husband and I make and the ability we have to make it last. I felt like something healthy and tasty for dinner last night so I made one of my favorite salads for dinner. This salad is low calorie but VERY filling. It has a ton of flavor so you feel satisfied with a single serving. Husband loved it and I loved the praise he gave me all night :) Here's how the kitchen looked halfway through the recipe! INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper, place on sheet and bake until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Pesto: Pulse basil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor on, slowly add broth and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss lettuce with lemon juice; coat chicken, tomatoes and mozzarella with pesto. Serves 4 319 calories per serving, 12.7 g fat (2.9 g saturated), 6.1 g carbs, 2.3 g fiber, 44.5 g protein |
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