Small Add Ins That Make a Difference

Stephanie here with an update on cinnamon and other healthy ideas for you to sprinkle in every week that makes a big difference. I'm a big believer that it takes both large and small life changes to have a generally healthy lifestyle.

Large changes = kicking out processed foods and sugars for the most part, cooking meals at home, gym several times a week - all of these take a lot of time and effort.

Small changes = sneaking in flaxseed and cinnamon to every day meals to make them a bit healthier, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, poppin a daily vitamin - these just take a minute to do during the day but can add up to a big difference.

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This post is spurred from my Healthy Smoothie Add Ins post where we chatted about the health benefits of adding in flaxseed [antioxidant rich, prevention of cardiovascular disease, etc] and the benefits of using raw cacao powder [cardiovascular benefits, cancer protection, lower cholesterol, etc] instead of chocolate syrup or other sugary alternatives.

In the March 2013 Prevention magazine had an article about Stabilizing Blood Sugar with Cinnamon. They noted that: Cinnamon has been used since ancient times to aid digestion, and a teaspoon has more antioxidants than half a cup of blueberries. Plus, studies show that cinnamon helps blunt the rise in blood sugar that can occur when you eat a carbohydrate-rich meal—good news, since a spike in blood sugar raises levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factors, which may increase the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

So why not add it in daily? Even if you can't squeeze in 2 - 4 teaspoons, just adding in 1 or 2 to your morning oatmeal and nightly smoothly is sure to add some taste and health benefits throughout your week.

I also started doing some research on vitamins... so more to come on that!

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Step 2 To Getting On Track: Workout Routine

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Lacey, here! (Read Step 1 first.)

Just as you make a menu plan to stick to healthy eating, you want to make sure you have a routine or schedule to help with working out. But be sure not to get stuck into a boring routine. A) You'll lose motivation when you simply repeat the same exercises over and over and B) You're muscles will know and give up. Changing up exercises will keep your body guessing and allow for more meaningful exercise. So, make a new routine every month to keep you organize and focused.

For me, I go to the gym Monday through Friday  but also do some things at home. Here's what I cam up with for my current schedule.

Monday Through Friday:
A.M.: Ashtanga Yoga @ home. 30 minutes.
Afternoon: Gym
                  5 minute warm up
                  30 minutes cardiovascular exercise
                  20 minutes weight lifting
                  5 minute cool down
Evening: Once spring comes, walk with Hubby (nothing serious, just a nice stroll around the neighborhood). We have to wait until spring not because of the cold, but because I get home from work at 6:45 and it's too dark out.

Saturday
A.M.: P90X video (While I don't stick to the p90x schedule on a daily basis, these videos are INCREDIBLE for single-serve workouts, and I like doing them on the weekends since I don't go to the gym those days.)

Sunday
Light yoga or hour walk to the pier (consider this my rest day)

This routine may be way too much for some, and not enough for others. Find what works for you, but encourage yourself to get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, even if it's a speed walk around the neighborhood. Something is better than nothing and I guarantee if you stick with a daily routine of at least 30 minutes, you'll be less likely to skip a day, then another, then another.

Happy Healthy Living!

Day 1 of my Reformed Schedule

Last week I wrote up about my new daily routine. While I had every intention on starting that the following day, all hell broke loose. My husband had to take a last minute work trip to Connecticut. I woke up Thursday feeling awful and ended up leaving work early only to go home to my bed to vomit all day. Due to recovering from that, I could barely eat anything Friday. So, now that hubby's home, the bug is over, and I'm ready to go, I started my new routine Sunday night.

Sunday night I turned off my computer at 8:50. I got ready for bed and then relaxed by reading until 9:25. Mike came to bed and then lights were out by 9:45....which means I was asleep by 10!!!! Yessss. I woke up yesterday morning at 5:30 on the dot. Dogs were let out and I was able to drink a berry juice, half a nalgene of water (16oz), and eat a banana. At 6:00 I was out the door to go for my run. 

Breakfast- 6:30; an apple with peanut butter and drink the rest of my nalgene (16oz).

Lunch- Salad with carrots, alfalfa sprouts, and pumpkin seeds. A peach, and 16oz water.

Dinner- Salad & Sushi bowl (rice, avocado, cucumber, carrot, ginger, wasabi, soy sauce all in a bowl), green juice. 32 oz water.

I didn't get in an evening workout due to having small group for church, but that's okay. My commitment was one workout a day for at least 5 days a week. My water intake was great for the day and I drank 2 juices and ate my two salads for the day!!

I'm off to a great start. I feel great! Here's to a healthier schedule!
-Lacey

My New Routine & Commitments (for 2 weeks at least)

First of all...WELCOME BACK STEPHANIE!!! My friend and co-blogger is finally done wedding planning, getting married, moving, traveling all over the world, and has finally come back to join us. She definitely needed and deserved the time off to focus on other things in her life. But...I'm totally happy she's back.

As I stated in my last post, I need a huge refocus. My exercise routine needs to be scheduled out and my eating habits, while they are still better than the average American, really need to get back to the nutrient dense lifestyle I love so much. I also need to get back to blogging regularly, since it's what I love to do most. So, here's the plan.

Monday-Friday
5:30 am--Wake up (Yes, my friends, this is it. Back to my normal 7.5 hours of sleep!)
5:30-6-- Feed rabbit, dogs, cat, eat banana, change into workout clothes, and help husband get out of the door for work.
6:30--Run anywhere from 2-5 miles (my separate running routine will define what I specifically run each day. This just specifies the time.)
7:30-- Breakfast
8-8:30- My "down" time. I'll use this for meditation, Bible study, prayer. NO COMPUTER. NO PHONE. NO DISTRACTIONS.
8:30- Shower & get ready/leave for work!

*WORK*
1:00- Lunch

4:00-- Pre-workout snack
4:15-- Evening workout depending on how my body feels (bike, P90X, yoga, etc)
6:00ish-- Dinner
6:45-- Write Blog Post (Mon, Wed, Fri)
9:00-- Computer off. Phone on charger. Wind down time (for better sleep). If reading, be done by 9:30.
10:00--Bed. No questions asked.


Saturday & Sunday
7:00am-- Wake up
8:00-- Any light 30 minute workout, Saturday only. Sunday's are free days.

Basic Commitments For Now
-Juicing at least once a day
-Drinking at least 64 oz of water a day.
-A salad with lunch and dinner (remember, salad is the MAIN COURSE)
-At least one workout a day (the evening 2nd workout is optional, but it is a goal of mine to get in my morning run AND an evening weight/strength training workout. Running doesn't target all muscles the way I'd like.)

So, this is what I have for now. I'm going to try this for 2 weeks and see how I like it. I'll make adjustments where needed. Obviously, some nights will be a little different depending on plans with friends & my husband, but this is pretty close to how I'd like my days to run....ideally. I'm hoping this will get my sleep patterns on track and my water & nutrient intake back to normal.

With that said, to jump into the swing of things, I think i'll be doing a 3 day juice cleanse (Wed, Thurs, Fri). Honestly, I'm still deciding and doing my research on the healthiest way to approach it.  To truly get me back on track, I believe a cleanse is an extremely healthy way to rid your body of any excess toxins and to get your body prepared to be back into it's normal routine. It'll also help rid myself of the cravings for processed carbs and sugars.  If you see a blog post tomorrow about said cleanse, then I decided to go ahead with it.  Please feel free to leave any tips you have on juice cleansing!

Here's to getting back into a routine!!
-Lacey