Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle

 

 Me and my sister, Lauren!

 Being that it has been awhile since I have had the opportunity to update my blog, I wanted to make a brief entry about the importance of nutrition in a healthy lifestyle.  We all know that the foods with the most sugars, carbs, fat, etc., are the most satisfying for our taste buds, but what are they doing to our bodies? Well, here is a small insight into the effects of poor eating on our bodies:

• weight gain
• clotting
• pressure on the heart
• high blood pressure
• poor circulation
• decrease life expectancy

Sounds pretty daunting, huh?!  It is obvious that without food, our bodies cannot function.  This being said, food is what makes our bodies run.  So, how would you like it if you had to run on a bunch of a fatty foods?  That certainly does not sound very appealing to me.  Providing your body with the proper nutrients it needs to function fully on a daily basis is absolutely imperative for your overall health.

I hate hearing about people who think they can eat whatever they want simply because they exercise enough to burn off the calories, and thus they are not affected appearance wise but what they eat.  For some reason, this makes it seem okay.  The truth is that even though you may not be gaining weight as a result of your poor eating habits, your body does not appreciate it nonetheless.   Fueling your body with the proper amount of proper nutrients is extremely important.  Now that we know a few results of poor eating habits, let's take a look at what healthy eating habits can do for us:

• Smaller Waist Line
• Reduce the Chance of Disease
• More Active
• Clear Skin
• Clear Colon

I want to go more in-depth on a few of these aspects of healthy eating.  Having a smaller waist line isn't the most important reason that a person should improve their eating habits.  Being healthy as a person and living a fuller, longer life should be the ultimate goal of healthy eating; however, having a smaller waist line is generally a result of healthy eating mixed with exercise.  Poor eating habits often leads to health problems down the road.  Bad foods can lead to complications such as diabetes (high-sugar foods), high blood pressure (high sodium foods), and heart disease (fatty foods).  Many of us genetically end up with health issues such as these, so why would we bring it upon ourselves when we have the option to eat better foods?  Eating healthier often brings more energy, which means that you will have the energy to be more active.  People may not often associate skin issues with eating habits, but processed and fatty foods clog up skin pores.  Eating more green vegetables and fruits and drinking plenty of water will help clear up oily skin and blemishes. Finally, eating healthier foods means a clear colon (gross, I know!), but when your colon is clear, you will feel more fit, light and strong.

I hope that by now it is clear the eating healthy is imperative for your body to function.  What you feed it is essentially what you are.  If you are constantly eating bad foods, you will probably feel more sluggish.  However, you might not realize this until you eat healthy foods for a few weeks and realize the dramatic impact that it has on you.  I promise that if you just try it for a few weeks, you will not regret it, because the changes you feel are truly life-changing.  You will never want to go back to your poor eating habits again.

The most difficult aspect of eating healthy for most people is this: What am I supposed to eat?! Trust me, it's often difficult to know exactly what we should be eating because we often discover that foods we thought were good are not.  Because of this, I have found a few resources that will be beneficial to you if you want to begin a healthier lifestyle.  Or, if you just want to discover some new healthy foods, these websites will give you some solid information.

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php
http://www.dwlz.com/HealthyLife/healthy50.html
(This website also tells you the Fat/Calorie Breakdown and the benefits for your body!)
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10foods_bad.html
(This website gives you a lot of the 10 Best and 10 Worst foods..some may be surprising!)
http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/07/healthiest-foods-nutrition-lifestyle-health-healthiest-foods.html
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/

This is just a small list of websites that will help you begin to discover the many great-tasting healthy foods out there.  Of course, I also recommend meeting with a dietitian because they will help you come up with a meal plan to fit your individual lifestyle and while it is important to not overindulge in calories, it is also equally important to maintain the proper calorie count for your body to function properly.  Not eating enough will not be beneficial!

Whether you have had, past or present, an issue with weight, I recommend watching The Biggest Loser.  If you want to get started with a healthy lifestyle, it will propel you in the right direction.  If you already maintain a healthy lifestyle, it can give you that extra boost you need in your workout (If they can do it I can, too!).  The episodes are truly inspiring, and I think that everybody can benefit from watching it.  Recently, Jillian took time out to give the viewers a healthy tip, and I loved it!  I am a big breakfast person (and I also love cereal!), so I particularly enjoyed this healthy tip.  But, I think it can be useful to anybody who wants a quick and healthy breakfast.  Jillian said: Managing your weight isn't about just cutting calories.  It's about getting more of the god stuff you need like whole grain.  Here's a tip: Add Multi-Grain Cheerios to your morning routine.  Studies show that people who eat more whole grain tend to have healthier body weights.  Multi-Grain Cheerios has 5 whole grains and 110 lightly sweetened calories per serving. 

For the record, I speak from personal experience on most of the above.  I used to be the person who did not necessarily choose the best foods for a person living an active and demanding lifestyle like me, but I did not know what I would feel like once I started eating healthy foods.  WOW!  I feel like an entirely different person.  I have more energy and my skin has cleared up.  It has done wonders for me so now, what could it do for you?

Get started on your healthy lifestyle TODAY! What are you waiting for?

Also, check out previous posts because you will be able to find more quality information on a healthy lifestyle.  Thanks for reading!

"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other."
-Douglas H. Everett

Shape up Your Life

Nov.2009--Enjoying the Pacific Ocean in California!

Thanks for coming back to read another post.  The most important aspect of getting healthy is to begin a healthy diet, so we will begin with eating.  Many people skip breakfast because they think they are being healthy by cutting out those morning calories but in reality, this will slow your metabolism and cause you to eat more throughout the day.  Eating a good healthy breakfast in extremely important.  

The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michael's says: Managing your weight isn't about just cutting calories.  It's about getting more of the good stuff you need like whole grain.  Here's a tip: Add Multi-Grain Cheerios to your morning routine.  Studies show that people who eat more whole grain tend to have healthier body weights.  Multi-Grain Cheerios have 5 whole grains and 110 lightly sweetened calories per serving.  In fact, Multi-Grain Cheerios and The Biggest Loser have teamed up to help YOU reach your goals.  Specially marked boxes include a 7-plan featuring recipes, workouts, and motivation for your weight loss journey.  Forget Wheaties, this is the Breakfast of Champions!!

Those Last 5 Pounds

Let's face it--those last 5 pounds are the hardest to lose, but why?  The answer to this is simple.  During the weight loss journey, people find a niche when it comes to exercising, whether it be a certain program on the elliptical, 3 miles on the treadmill, or 10 lunges holding 40 pounds.  So why doesn't it work anymore for these last 5 pounds?!  Because your body has gotten so used to these repetitious workout that it no longer responds to it.  These workouts were certainly very difficult when you first began but as you progress, your workouts also need to progress.  Instead of doing 3 miles you need to do 4 or 5 or 6, you need to gradually up levels up on the elliptical, and you need to add more weight to your lunges.  It's important to mix up your routine so your body doesn't become accustomed to your typical workout.  It's going to stop working!!

Crazy Things You Can Do To Burn Calories

It is quite annoying to hear excuses as to why people can't burn any calories.  NOBODY is too busy to get healthy.  Whether it's just a few minutes here or a few minutes there, you can squeeze in some body weight exercises--planks, crunches, push-ups, etc.  Even these exercises are a step in the right direction.  Everybody has some point in their day where they can fit in a workout.  It might be early in the morning or late in the evening but committing to a healthy lifestyle is key.  You might want to consider joining a 24 hour gym if you struggle to find free time during typical open hours.  To get started, here is a list of things to do at home or in the office to burn calories.  No more excuses!

Essential Products

To get started, there are a few essentials that are must-haves when it comes to fitness. 

Quality running shoes are always an absolute essential.

This watch is easy to slip
on and off, and looks cute
yet sporty!  This is a go-to 
product for me when exercising 
outdoors because easy to read 
face allows for me to quickly see
my time when on the stopwatch
mode.

This will help you track your exertion level.

Cute gym clothes have also been shown to increase the likelihood of a woman actually going to the gym.  Invest in some clothes to always feel your best while working to get your body at its best.

Once I have more time to invest into the blog, I will be adding exercising and specific recipes for a healthier body.  It is difficult now with an overwhelming amount of schoolwork and coaching a volleyball team.  

Please, really consider changing your life while you still have a chance to do so.  Even if you are young, making changes for a healthier lifestyle now can help you to live a more fulfilled and appreciative life.  Take a look at the choices you make and ask yourself, Am I making the right choice or taking the easy way out?

Check the blog for a new post soon with exercises, recipes, and motivation for being healthy!!!

Thanks for reading :)

If you put the effort in to what you want to achieve, you will achieve your goal.

Getting Fit--One Step at a Time

Hey!  Before I even begin to describe this blog, I think it is important to introduce myself beyond the simple "About Me" section.  My name is Kristen, and I am 20 years old.

 

I enjoy spending time with my family.

And spending time with friends.

 

And being goofy.

 

And reading.

 

 And traveling. 

 And strangely enough, I enjoy jumping.

And oh yeah, I enjoy working out, too.

 It all began with headstands as a child! JK :)

Ever since I was a middle schooler, something about being fit and healthy was very appealing to me.  Since then,  I have become an avid fitness buff who enjoys that lifestyle fully and especially loves sharing how to be healthy with others, so I figured a blog is accessible for most and a simple way to share my knowledge and what I have learned through my journey. 

Don't get me wrong. I certainly have not always been healthy in my ways.  I think that when I went through a chunky stage in 5th and 6th grade and got teased it opened my eyes.  Many people realize their unhealthy habits on a daily basis, but most people do not stop to think about what they can do to change those habits, which is why I am starting this blog.  I feel as though it important to share what I know and what I have learned through others in order to help our society slim down.  And I use this term loosely because the idea of this blog is not for everybody to get fit and sexy, it is to be HEALTHY.  Not everybody can wear a size 2 and be healthy.  Sure, some of us might be able to be that size doing unhealthy things to our body and for others, that is simply their body type.  But the key for me is to exercise and eat healthy so that each one of us is around for as long as we can be.

For some of us, it might just be that we need the final urging to go ahead and change our unhealthy habits.For others, we have fallen into a rut where exercising and eating healthy is monotonous and boring.  For still others, being healthy is a way of life and to you I give praise because it is extraordinary difficult to be healthy in all aspects of the term.  For me personally, exercising is a way of life and each and every day I think about what I can do that will positively impact me for that individual day--maybe it's homework, or 2 extra squats, an extra mile on the treadmill, or something as simple as putting down that candy bar.  Okay, that isn't really very simple is it!  Anyways, the point is that being healthy first involves cutting out foods--for the most part--that drag us down and are simply empty calories.  

Exercising can also do so much for us, such as improve oxygen flow, lower cholesterol, make our lungs, heart, and circulatory system healthier, and even stop or delay some diseases, such as diabetes.  For those younger folks reading this right now and wondering how this affects them--I will straight up tell you that it does.  Even though you think you are young and safe from issues such as these, you aren't.  Diabetes can set in at any time.  Not being healthy can actually result in your body's age being much, much older than your actual age.  Exercising can also increase endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility and these four can help you in incredible ways.  You probably still aren't convinced, but that's okay because I have an endless amount of blogs to share with you everything I have learned about exercising, eating healthy, and living life to its fullest.  But for you, your life may end much too soon unless you begin healthy lifestyle today.

My initial goal here is to just reach out and help at least 1 person out there who is struggling to discover themselves.  Who cannot seem to find that last straw to push them forward and become healthy.  But don't worry, for all of you out there who have already turned to exercise and healthy eating, you will not be left out.  I will be posting healthy recipes and exercises to help you along, as well, because I know just as well as anybody that a workout needs to be changed up to avoid becoming boring!  I have learned a great deal through working with several trainers, physical therapists, and friends, but a great deal of my information will also come from fitness magazines that have just been phenomenal for me in helping me to find new ways to stay healthy.  I realize that I am a female, so some of you guys out there might not feel interested, but I would love to have a male in on this so that everybody feels as though there is something they can do to positively change their lives.  Just post a comment, and let me know if you are interested!

I hope that I have said something today that will either 1. Send you on your journey to being healthy 2. Make you decide to follow this blog, or 3. Help you realize what is important in your life.  I have used bold font on words in this post that are meant to stick out to you, and I think it is obvious why.  There are an endless amount of benefits to being healthy and in this quest, I plan to share everything I know about eating healthy and exercises to do to help you get in the best shape of your life.  Thanks for reading, and check back soon for a new post!

COMING UP:

Those Last 5 Pounds

Envious Arms

Did you know you could burn calories by doing THIS?!

Breakfast of Champions

Products to Help Along the Way

+MORE!