Spirit, Mind and Body: Making life better

How much is in your health account?

2010-05-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Your health account is like your bank account: The more you put in, the more you can take out.- Jack Lalanne

Much like it can sometimes be hard to save money and put it into the bank, it can be sometimes hard to put something into your health account with proper nutrition and exercise. Yet, like it is vital to have money in your bank account when emergencies arise it is also important to make room in your day to put something into your health account through exercise and healthy eating.

I recently went looking for some ideas for this blog and came across a very upsetting article about fast ways to appear skinny which appeared in a very popular fitness magazine. Now I can understand women wanting to look fit and beautiful but the U.S. culture is so full of these fast and easy fixes when our health is not a fast and easy solution! It takes dedication and lifestyle choices to make a healthy person. You're health is important, You are important! In order to have the best life and be the best you can be you need your health and you need to be fit, which means exercising both cardio and resistance training and eating in the right way for your body!

This article with the quick fixes talks about using waist controllers which actually if a person uses it all the time which actually cause the muscles to get lazy and make the situation worse because the muscle won't be toned.

Yes, its great to feel good about your body and yes doing it the right way takes time but it's putting something in your health account so that you can enjoy the benefits of having those choices later on such as: more energy, less stress, more optimism about life and finally a body that you are happy about and its happy too because you didn't go the cheap route of going for instant results but instead you chose lasting results in a way that took care of your body.

I hope that this little post has encouraged you to put something into your health account today.
'Til next time have a great day everyone,

Success with your goals for fitness

2010-05-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Okay so over the last couple of weeks we have discussed how to set fitness goals, how to figure out your weak areas and how to make a action plan for these goals, so we are on are way to fulfilling these goals but wait! I have just gotten home from a rotten day at the office and I don't feel like working out and a nice big salad with my portobello mushroom burger sounds boring and dull. I want a hamburger and some french fries instead! - So how do we stay motivated to choose to workout and then eat that nice salad and yummy portobello burger?

Staying motivated about accomplishing a goal can be a difficult thing to do. A person can start with so much enthusiasm but then get discouraged and can give up in all realms of goals, not just fitness and nutrition. However, there are ways to get around these "bumps" in the road to finish your goal so here is four tips for staying motivated with fitness goals:

1. Get a support group - A support group can be tough to find but it is also really important. It can be a friend, a family member or a group of some sort ( that is another reason Weight Watchers has been successful over the years - they form support groups). Some great ways to get a support system in the exercise realm of your goals is to have a workout partner (Just make sure that this person is committed), a personal trainer, or going to a exercise class and making some friends.

2. Take detailed notes on your progress - This can help tremendously with your motivation because you can look back at where you were and what you have been through to see the progress. It seems like journaling can be a hard thing to get into but numerous people do it and starting one about your nutrition and fitness goals and your progress can be very beneficial. One of the tips that my writing professor told us about starting a journal and sticking with it ( it was a requirement for the course) was to journal everyday at the same time and that it didn't have to be long, just about 15 minutes a day.

3. Take it one day at a time - One of my favorite songs when I got stressed in college about my homework load was to put on the song, "Put one foot in front of the other" from the Christmas movie, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." It was a very encouraging song and its song talks about taking small steps and that by taking these small steps you will eventually come out where you want to be. This same concept can be translated into fitness and nutrition.

4. Think about what you will look and feel like when you accomplish your goal - This can help tremendously when your body doesn't want to get up and do that cardio and weight training. :)

I hope that you found these tips useful and will incorporate them into your own fitness and nutrition goals.
'Til next time have a great healthy day everyone!

Action Plan: The Map for Fitness Success

2010-04-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Alright, you have set some fitness goals and learned where you need improvement through a food and exercise journal /diary. Now its time to set up an action plan.

Lets say one of my goals is to lose ten pounds in a month and a half. My action plan would be the steps that I need to take to get there. So I decide to increase my cardio and resistance training by a half hour each day I workout and decide to not have dessert after dinner. Those would be some potential action plan steps to fulfill my goal.

A fitness action plan also helps figure out what to do about challenges that might come up, such as being invited to a party and the place does not have very many healthy choices, what am I going to do? Or having a huge craving for something sweet after dinner and I can't stop the craving, what will I do?

I recently listened to a interview with David Wolfe, a raw food diet expert, and he said that if the occasion comes up that there isn't any raw fruits, veggies, or nuts for him at a certain place he will just fast during that time.

As for the something sweet after dinner, what about a sweet tea or some fruit?

So thinking things through can help a lot when it comes to your goals. For example, I know that I have to workout in the morning because I tend to make excuses in the afternoon.

Also remember that one should take small steps toward the healthier lifestyle and make sure you get a okay from the doctor before you go changing your diet and starting a exercise regiment. For instance, instead of going out and taking a two hour spin class, try just half an hour or go for a ten minute walk three times a day.

One other thing that you can incorporate into your action plan is how you will react if you stumble and have a set back. Make the determined decision right now that if you do have that extra bag of cookies or don't workout for a week that you don't let that stop you and you get right back on track.

I hope that this post has been encouraging.
'Til next time have a great day everyone!

Finding Weaknesses

2010-04-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

The second step in becoming healthier is to identify the areas that you have problems in so that you can develop an action plan to overcome them. One way to accomplish this is through a food and activity journal.

For me this has always been a bit difficult. It felt weird to stop and write down everything I had eaten in a day and when it was especially since most of the time I used a notebook that wasn't very portable or convenient.
However, when I have made myself do this it was very enlightening about how much or little I was eating.

Simply writing down everything that you have eaten and done in a day can be quite enlightening just looking at but it can even be more enlightening to feed this information into a program that can assess this food.

I have done this in the past with a free program at http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/, which is a site that is developed by the government based on the food pyramid. It assesses your food intake and activity levels based on your age, health, height and whether you want to lose weight or not.

A note about the mypyramidtracker.gov site though, there are certain limitations on it such as it might not have the exact food that you ate. For example, I have rice protein almost everyday but in their food database all they have is protein powder but not all protein powder is created equal. Another thing regarding vegans and vegetarians is that the tracker might give you a negative assessment in the category of dairy and meat so make sure that you look at your nutrient intake scores too. However, overall this is a good site to check up on yourself and use as a guideline.

Try doing the activity and eating log for about a week and then look over the course of the week. What happened? Is there areas for improvement in what you eat? Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? How about your activity level? Once you notice trends and bad habits come to the surface than you can set goals to help out with these things and develop a action plan to accomplish these goals.

I hope that this blog post has been enlightening.
'Til next time have a totally amazing day!

p.s. I encourage any questions that you might have. I will try my absolute best to answer them.

Health Goal Setting

2010-04-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

Recently I came across a simple list in one of my fitness professional magazines that said was important in changing for a healthy life. Over the next couple of weeks I would like to address each point and discuss it in detail. The first thing on the list to create a healthier life is to set a goal. This makes sense because if we don't set goals for ourselves than we don't really know what it is exactly that we are aiming for. This can lead to frustration and just general confusion. Think of goal setting like riding a bike or getting in a car, you usually have a destination picked out when you drive somewhere.

One of the first things that personal trainers are taught to do when they have a meeting with their client is to ask them what it is that they want to accomplish physically. What is it that they can help you to do?

This is good just to ask of yourself. What is it that you want to change? Just getting overall health? Get to a healthy weight? A hiking goal like Mt. Rainier? Whatever or change for a healthier lifestyle setting goals and writing them down is very important. Here are a few tips to help you with your fitness and healthy lifestyle goal setting:

1.Write down the vision and make it plain so that not only you can understand it but those that are helping you along the way can understand it too. Simple, clear and precise is what you want. Wanting to become healthier is a good goal but what exactly do you want to do to become healthier? Is it that you want to change your eating habits or be able to climb stairs without getting out of breathe, etc.

2.Make sure that the goal is also achievable ( For example wanting to lose 100 pounds in a year seems more achievable and healthy for a person than wanting to lose it in a month and one should take into account any injuries or conditions that they have that they would have to work with).

3. Make sure that when you have written down your goals that you put them some place that you can see them as a reminder to yourself. I don't know how many times I have written down my new year's resolutions on my computer just to forget where I put them. It helps to see it written down everyday.

4. Avoid using negative goals such as: I want to stop eating bad foods, but instead say something like I want to increase my fruits and vegetable to 5 -7 serving per day.
The reason to avoid the negative goal setting is it is kind of like with your car, race car drivers are taught that if they are sliding towards a wall to look where they want to go instead and that is where they will usually end up. We want to dwell on the positive changes instead of dwelling on mistakes in the past but on new healthy habits.

These are four helpful suggestions to help with your goal setting. Next time we'll discuss why a food diary and activity diary can help with changing to a healthy lifestyle and some practical tips on how to actually keep one.
'Til next time have a great day everyone!

Vegan Vegetarian recipe experience: Quinoa

2010-04-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure how I first came across this wonderful grain / seed called quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) but I do know that I have come across it in several nutrition books. It can be cooked and served like a hot breakfast cereal. It is a bit unusual looking after it is cooked (as the seeds break open and have little wiry tails) but I am sure that it will delight people that are gluten sensitive as it is a gluten free food.

After reading about it online I was extremely excited to try it out as not only was it gluten free and was said to be able to substitute any kind of flour in baking but I found out later that it is considered a complete protein because it has all 9 essential amino acids.

I chose Bob's Red Mill brand because it was the one brand I knew that was readily available (we were able to get it up at the local QFC, even though it was a bit expensive around $10 for a 26 oz) but I have been really enjoying it as part of my mid-day meal.

The directions for cooking Quinoa are simple enough and easily modified to whatever size you want.

For recipe direction purposes I will base it off of half a cup of dried Quinoa.

Now based on the brand, etc. You might have to rinse your quinoa several times, though this has not been a problem with Bob's Red Mill brand.

1. Take a cup of water and bring it to a boil in a pot.

2. Put 1/2 a cup of quinoa into the pot and cover.

3. Bring the pot down to medium heat and let it cook for about 15 minutes or until all of the water is cooked out ( The first time I did this I left just a bit of water left in it and the result was my quinoa looking a bit like frog eggs with the shell being transparent with a white spot in the middle- Not very attractive for eating).

4. Fluff and let stand for about 15 minutes.

5. Enjoy! The way that I have been eating this is like oatmeal with cinnamon and xyitol ( a natural sweetener) however, feel free to experiment as you wish.

I hope you enjoy this post and will try quinoa, it is really a delicious grain / seed that can be incorporated into all kinds of different recipes.

Burning More Calories at Work

2010-04-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

I just read a fascinating article from Business Week entitled "Turning Your Week day in to Weight Loss." It discusses NEAT "Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis" and that several Mayo Clinic researchers and doctors and helped office workers lose weight by incorporating different office designs. They redesigned the offices to have desk treadmills and tracks installed around the office so that they could have walk meetings. They also put in Wii games that the workers could play during breaks etc., they changed land line phones for mobile sets and were given activity monitors. The office workers used the desk treadmills at a very slow speed (1.1 mph) so that they could do their work while they walked much like the office meetings. Now this is great if the company is willing to spend the extra money for desk tread mills and Wii games, but what if you can't convince your boss to spend the extra money or the company simply does not have this in their budget, what's a person to do? Well I decided to come up with some ideas that I have found to work.

1. Use a stability ball as a chair. If you choose to use a stability ball make sure to watch your posture though because I noticed that as I sit on a stability ball my posture tends to go out the door and I end up slumping. For those that are interested in a stability ball and would want to invest in one it is a great exercise to put into your day that you don't really have to think about because your body is constantly making micro adjustments in order to stay on the ball. When buying a stability ball just remember that for a "correct fit" the position of your legs should come to about a 90 degree angle. This might take some getting use to if you are short like me ( I'm five foot two last time I checked and previously I used the stability ball it seemed to amplify how short I was and I had to make adjustments to my desk).

2. Taking small stretch breaks - the real problem that I have with working out at the office or public place is I don't want to seem weird so I tend to stick with things I can do that seem to come natural throughout the day, One of the things seems natural is to stretch: You can move your head from side to side and do some of the neck stretches that I talked about in my previous post, extend your arms above your head, rotate your feet and hands ( or arms if you feel comfortable about it) in circles, arch your back. Little movements may not seem like much but they can add up calorie wise.

3. Taking a break- Get up walk around and if its safe maybe go up and down a flight or two of stairs or if you feel comfortable working out in the office do some light exercises ( I can make a post about this if enough you are interested).

4. Calf raises- This might not be a good one while on the phone since the person might be able to hear you breathe but if you are taking a stretch break or regular break and you are wearing the right shoes than just go up on your tip toes and come back down, something that is very natural if you are trying to reach something up high.

5. Stand for a period of time when you could have been sitting. I tried very hard to stand the whole time I was volunteering the other day and my back complained and because my computer screen was at a lower level to where I had to bend my head down at a angle (not exactly the best posture). What I did find is that when I stood at the computer I could also do leg stretches like in my previous blog about stretching ( I think I did this partially so I could see the screen better.) However, what you can do is stand while reading e-mail or stand while working on one portion of work and then sit down.

6. Little things- Such as walking to someone's office to talk to them instead of e-mailing, standing or walking (pacing) while talking on the phone.

7. Other- Just doing some of the tips I recommended in the previous post the other week on incorporating exercise into your lifestyle like parking the car a little bit further away, etc.

I hope that you try some of these ideas that might work for you. Remember- little things can add up.
'Til next time have a amazing day everyone,

The Feeling of Being Overwhelmed...By Info.

2010-04-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I decided to take a trip to the local Barnes and Noble bookstore to check out some books in their health and fitness section. What I found overwhelmed me a bit: the health section about the size of one book shelf from top to bottom, the diet section spanned three bookshelves: each promising that some kind of diet would help lose weight, the exercise section was also was fairly big with different books on various fad weight resistant workouts. This to me was a little overwhelming. I knew that fad diets and exercising were popular in the United States but I never grasped the variety or how huge it really was until looking at those bookshelves.

You see I was never in to fad diets when I was growing up, even when I was over weight. I came from a family that knew that fitness and healthy eating suppose to be a way of life.

So that being said it was very overwhelming just to see how many fad diets and exercise programs are out there. How does one know which one is good for a person and which are bad and a bunch of phooey? I asked myself. I imagine the frustration of my readers that are trying to find a diet and exercise program that works for them.
What can I say to help you filter through the vastness of all these diets and exercise programs? Well all I really can do is tell you what I personally do.

So here are some things that I look for when I read about diet, nutrition and fitness:
1. Who are these people that wrote this book or made this video? Are they well respected in the medical community and by my role models? Do they know what they are talking about? I heard about Dr. Colbert because he has been on several Christian shows that I watch and respect who these people have on their shows. I learned about Patricia and Paul Bragg and their way of eating because that is how Jack Lallane got started is from going to one of Paul Bragg's seminars. Covert Bailey has been considered a fitness expert for years and his book Fit or Fat was a text book in my Fitness class in college.

2. Does the diet seem nutritionally sound and is it about lifestyle changes? For myself, I stay away from fad diets because they can seem very nutritionally sound and healthy but then again might not be. For example I just started reading about the ice cream diet because I thought that would sound good for example on outrageous diets but after looking at it it seemed to be okay. Give me good old fashioned tips that I can hold onto throughout year after year, that's what I want.

Some good old fashioned tips that I have learned from a variety of sources such as Jack Lalanne, Covert Bailey, Dr. Don Colbert and the Braggs over the years are:
1. Burn more calories than you consume.
2. Eat and drink healthy foods and juices- whole grains instead of white bread, lean meats, baked not fried, plenty of raw or lightly steamed fruits and veggies, eating healthy fat such as nuts and extra virgin olive oil.
3. Work out at least three times a week.
4. By putting on more muscle you will burn more fat.
5. Keep variety in your workouts so you don't hit a plateau.
6. Work around a injury and find something that you can do.
7. Get active and watch less television.
8. Take at least a multivitamin- one without sugar, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in it.
9. REMEMBER: Consult your doctor about these different eating and fitness tips and figure out what's right of you.

These are things that I personally live by to keep in shape and what I look for in a fitness, nutrition and exercise program. I hope this post has helped you to sort through information if you are looking into a nutrition and exercise program.
'Til Next time have a totally amazing day,

A Evening Out...Healthy Tips Applied?

2010-04-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

What's the deal with the question mark at the end of the sentence you might ask? Well its because I found myself challenged at the restaurant that I went to last night, The Olive Garden. No, I did not get anything unhealthy really. The challenge came when my friend asked me what she should have as something healthy and in her price range.

I looked at the restaurant's menu and blanked, what had I seen on their website? I loved the restaurant's website because not only does it feature the whole menu, but also the prices. I had also found that they had put together several menus in their nutrition and special diets section. Yet there I sat trying to figure it out based strictly on the menu, something that can be a frequent concern for those that can't find a menu online and have not called ahead.

I looked at their pastas, I knew that red meat isn't really the best choice for healthy eating so I looked at the chicken, too expensive. I also knew that the pastas were normal white flour noodles, which aren't very nutritious for a person. Yet, I also couldn't remember the rice pasta option either for people that can't tolerant gluten or if it was brown rice pasta which is better nutritionally.

My friend said that she wanted a soup, so I recommended the minestrone filled with veggies and beans, but after taking a look at the description of the soup this morning, I found that it also had pasta in it which could have been white flour noodles. However, it did not have a creamy broth and did not contain red meat.
So my friend ordered the minestrone.

As for myself I knew exactly what I wanted because it was what I always get when I go to Olive Garden, salad with no croutons and no dressing (however this my first time of gaining the courage to actually ask for the salad with no croutons or the Italian dressing - both because personally for my body, I perform better without these items). The waitress was very attentive and made sure that when she refilled the salad that it was free of dressing and croutons. Which was great, however since it was during the dinner rush I slowly suspected over time that she was making sure that we didn't stay too long.

Overall I had a really great time. I enjoyed my salad and being with a friend that I had not seen for some time. Should I have paid more attention to calories etc with the menu? Maybe, and this did bother me at first because I am talking about eating healthy but than I realized that with me being a vegan vegetarian you have to understand that I do have to eat a lot of calories to be up there at the proper amount of intake per day - so could you please pass the veggies?

I guess what I am trying to say as far as hints for going out to eat without knowing the menu very much or studying the calories before hand is to ask the person taking the order a lot of questions and to use your best educated guess based on the nutrition facts that you know.
Such as:
1. One should reduce the amount of red meat they consume
2. Wild deep sea fish such as wild salmon is good and rich in Omega 3's
3. Increase your intake of raw or lightly steamed veggies and fruits
4. Whole grains are better for a person than white bread because they have more nutrition in it
5. Grilled and baked is probably bettered than fried
6. When the portion size is bigger than what a person should eat so boxing half of it to take home can be a good thing
7. Plus ruling out things that you might be sensitive or allergic to

These are the tips that I based my meals on when I go out to eat and I hope that they will help you the next time you go out to eat.
I hope this post has been interesting, entertaining and maybe enlightening.

'Til next time have an amazing day friends!

Eat Out Healthy Tips

2010-04-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Everything on the menu looks and sounds delicious. The smells of delicious fatty foods zip by as a waiter delivers a huge plate of food to a table down a piece. The mouth starts to get ready for food and the stomach starts growling. How in the world are we suppose to choose something that we won't be sorry about later?
Well here are ten tips for dining out that can help with the process.

1. Look at the menu if at all possible before the event. Being on a vegan / vegetarian diet, I am extremely careful which places I go to eat and preferably I go to one where there is a salad bar. My friends sometimes chuckle at how fast I can order a drink or my food right away- they know that I have spent a good portion of time at home sifting through the menu to see what exactly I want and looking online helps immensely with this process.

2. Skip the high priced beverage and stick with water or tea - This helps keep down the sugar consumption.

3. When ordering a salad ask for the dressing on the side. I talked about this earlier in my post about integrating healthy eating into your life - let yourself be the judge about how much of the dressing you want on your salad.

4. If you are going to get something of the meat variety grilled or baked is usually better than fried. Also ask how the dish is prepared since there can be some hidden elements such as using too much butter to bake dishes in, etc.

5. A note about portion sizes - In some restaurants the portion sizes are very big so if you don't want the temptation there are several different things that you can do. You can choose to split your meal with someone if you can decide on something you both would enjoy. You can get a takeout box right away or keep in mind that about half of your meal will go into a takeout box. You can also decide to order a appetizer for your meal instead of a entree. However, I have found out the hard way that side salads are not big enough (at least not at this one place that I went for a conference) to act as a whole meal.

6. Dessert - Normally for me I do not even get dessert but if you are the kind that does see if you can get a plate of fruit (For places with salad bars there is usually fruit available and you can get it for no additional cost if its all you can eat). You can also choose to split a dessert, choose a small desert ( I know that applebee's has deserts that are available in a shot glass) or maybe get just a cup of coffee or something that you can have while others are eating their desert.

7. Don't come to the restaurant too hungry because unhealthy eating choices can suddenly seem very appealing.

8. Don't want to munch before your meal comes? Take a quick bathroom break and think about your fitness goals or if you are at a place that has a salad bar you might be able to just head straight for it after you order.

9. To avoid overeating make sure to take time to chew your food and take time for your stomach to digest - It takes about twenty minutes for your stomach to register with your body that you are full.

10. Relax and enjoy the company of friends and family rather than just focusing on the food. Eating out is a experience that should be enjoyed.

I hope these tips were helpful. I will be using these tips tomorrow when I go out to eat with a friend at a major chain restaurant. I will report how it went and how vegetarian and health conscious friendly the menu was after wards.
'Til next time have a totally amazing day everyone!

How to maintain a healthy lifestyle: Exercise

2010-04-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

"Exercise is King, nutrition is Queen, put them together and you’ve got a kingdom." - Jack Lalanne

The last post that I put up was about incorporating healthy eating into a lifestyle, today I want to continue this discussion but with exercise and fitness.

This body was made to get up and move!

Exercise helps to make people feel better and look better. Click here to read a article about seven benefits that you can get from regular exercise from The Mayo Clinic. These benefits included: improvement in mood, energy, helps to manage weight and help combat certain diseases.

Now before I give some tips on incorporating exercise into your lifestyle REMEMBER to make sure that you talk with your doctor before changing your diet or exercise regiment.

Okay so here are some helpful tips and suggestions on incorporating fitness into your lifestyle:
1. Slow and Steady: One of the first things that you should remember when just starting to exercise is to take it slow and then increase gradually. If you only can walk for 15 minutes a day then do that for a while and then maybe after then next couple of weeks increase it to 20 minutes a day or doing ten minutes of exercise twice a day and gradually up it to three times a day, etc.

2. Accountability: It's a lot easier to keep exercise and healthy eating in your life if you have someone that you are accountable to. For exercise this can be a workout buddy, a personal trainer or a aerobics class at the gym. If you take a class at your gym for a while and then skip a few days, people will wonder where you are at and if you exchange phone numbers maybe they could call and check up on you if you so desire.

3. Make it fun! If you don't enjoy running but you enjoy kickboxing, join a kick boxing class or get a kick boxing tape and workout at home. If you enjoy swimming, then swim! There are all kinds of aerobic and exercising programs out there of varying intensities so do what works for you that you will keep up with.
* A good, inexpensive way to see some of aerobics that you might like is to do is to go to the library and check out different workout dvds such as tai chi, kickboxing, different dancing videos, step aerobics, etc. Then buy some of the ones that you really enjoy.*

4. Pick a time that works for you- For me this means early in the morning just after I first wake up. I chose this time because I noticed that I seemed more prone to put it off if I waited until the afternoon because I had other things that I needed or wanted to do. If you are a night person then workout at night. Pick a time that you are going to enjoy the workout and not be too tired to do it. Just realize that exercising within three hours of your bed time might interfere with your sleeping patterns.

Now here are some suggestions on getting more little exercise throughout the day:
1. Play active games and activities - go roller blading or do tennis with your friends instead of just going out to eat.

2. Park a bit farther from the entrance of the building when you are out and about.
*** Except if it is in a not so safe part of town***

3. Take the stairs instead of the elevator - *** A note on this one too since I have done this is sometimes the stairs look pretty creepy and unsafe, so when in doubt use the elevator instead***

4. Stretch or exercise while watching television- If you just feel like relaxing after a rough day I recommend stretching while watching television.

5. Something that goes along with the previous suggestion is doing something like sit ups or push ups during the commercial breaks or if you are stretching this is perfect for your timing since you are suppose to hold your stretch between 30 seconds to a minute ( the same amount of time the typical commercial lasts).

6. Get out and play with your kids, take a walk with your friends or significant other.

7. If you have a Wii, pick something that will involve more body movement- Last Sunday I realized that I had not exercised that day so I picked bicycling on my Wii and did two- 6 phase races which came out to about 32 minutes and I was moving most of my arms during the race.

So there are some tips and hints on how to incorporate fitness and exercise into your life. I hope that you have found this post to be helpful and encouraging.

'Til next time have a amazing day everyone!

How to Quit Yo-Yo Dieting and Become a Better Healthy You!

2010-04-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Imagine a person having paid for months of special food from a weight loss center and finally getting enough results to be happy. They are finally down to that size where they can fit into their old pants and people are giving them compliments. However, what usually happens after this? Well they attained their goal so they go back to their normal eating habits- the desserts, the sodas, the fried foods, the salty and fatty foods- things that all taste really good but aren't really good for a person.

Problem is when a person goes back to these old eating habits the source of becoming overweight and unhealthy was not dealt with, so before they know it the pounds start to pack back on and they become frustrated once more. This describes a lot of people in the United States.

The scenario above is called yo-yo dieting and it is extremely popular in the USA. Usually the goal is to get that weight back down so that they can say that they wear a certain size of pants or dress. However this kind of dieting is also extremely frustrating and it makes me disappointed to see people just try and lose weight for the sole reason being of getting down to a certain pant or dress size. Yes, a healthy diet can lead to a better looking body but a healthy eating lifestyle is just that- it can make you healthy. Being healthy also effects other areas of life- such as not getting as tired as easily from a flight of stairs or walking a certain distance, the ability to think more clearly and to have more joy.

However before we get started REMEMBER to always consult your doctor before changing your diet or starting a exercise regiment.

So here are four things that help you start and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables- preferably raw vegetables as in salad or lightly steamed vegetables but find some that you like and try it.

2. Choose lean proteins, eat less red meat in exchange for more healthy alternatives such as wild salmon.

*** A couple of notes on the last two items in making your diet a healthy lifestyle food preparation is another essential key in keeping these items healthy for you.
Salads can be very good for you and so can other veggies such as potatoes but if you smother them in high fat dressings, cheese and meat then a good thing can be quickly switched to bad. So try these additional hints to keep your healthy foods healthy for you.

Switch to low fat cheese such as mozzarella and use less of it on salads and potatoes, etc.
Try keeping the dressing for your salads on the side and dip your fork into the dressing each time you take a bite of salad - This is a old trick my grandma taught me and it was surprising how much dressing was left at the end of my meal.
Trim all visible fat off of your meat, remove the skin from the chicken before you cook it ( I know this might take some getting use to since I use to absolutely love the skin when I was a meat eater, but this is where a lot of the fat is too).
Try low fat alternatives to creamy salad dressings such as using lemon juice and olive oil and for things such as baked potatoes try salsa or other veggies and herbs instead of sour cream and cheese.
Bake or poach your foods instead of frying them in oil. If you want a scrambled egg but don't want to fry them in oil get the pan hot and then through in your scramble egg mixture and keep stirring until done this will allow the egg to be cooked a lot faster and will avoid it sticking to the pan as much.

3. Determine that you are going to make this an enjoyable experience and get a accountability partner.

Healthy eating does not have to be boring rabbit food. Have fun, experiment, search the web for good healthy recipes, check out recipe books from the library and buy the ones that you really like.

Try fresh popcorn that comes in the bulk bags that has not had seasoning and butters put on it yet and try olive oil and a small amount of sea salt ( which has more good minerals in it for you than regular salt) or use a salt alternative.

Take frozen fruit add water to it in a blender along with a natural sweetener (such as Stevia) and a little lemon and you have a healthy instant sorbet.

Have a smoothie for breakfast.

Start a group of friends that want to start making a healthy lifestyle choices and take turns making healthy meals or have a healthy food potluck.

4. Incorporate fitness and exercise into your lifestyle. ( I will cover more about this topic in my next post).

Most of all in order to incorporate and maintain these healthy lifestyle choices take it slow and steady. Start with a achievable goal such as having a certain amount of raw, lightly steamed or blended fruits and vegetables at every meal or increasing your water intake by one glass each day and work up from there.

I hope this post has helped and inspired you all to take your healthy goals beyond just a body size and has also given you a few ideas for how to change your diet towards something that is better for you.

'Til next time have a excellent day!

Being Thankful & An Attitude of Gratitude

2010-04-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Even thought its not November and time for Thanksgiving (at least not while I am writing this anyway), being grateful and thankful and incorporating this into one's everyday life is very important.

So many times in this day and age we get wrapped up in our busy lives and looking at things that we want that we don't really make the time to be thankful for the things that we do have.

Cheerful, gladness, optimistic, being thankful are all good things to incorporate into our lives.

I want to share with you a few quotes that I have come across about being thankful that I found on www.quotegarden.com that I thought felt captured my thoughts on the subject:

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. -Robert Caspar Lintner

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. -Cynthia Ozick

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily. -Gerald Good

Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live.-Attributed to Jacqueline Winspear

God has given us so many things to be thankful for and if you are having a hard time thinking of some of these things to be grateful here is a short list that should help:

You can be thankful for:

A God that loves you
Air to breathe
A place to live ( home, apartment)
Clean water to drink
Food to eat
Family, friends and pets
Nature - The beautiful trees, waterfalls, the Sun and Moon - God created it all- Isn't He amazing?
If you have a job, a job no matter what it is you can be thankful that you at least have one.
Bees - good for pollinating flowers which causes food to be produced and honey to be made

My point is that as long as you are alive you have something to be thankful for so why not thank God and be thankful for it?

A lifestyle of thankfulness leads to a more optimistic lifestyle and enjoying and being grateful for the little moments in life can be a great stress relief.

Dr. Colbert, M.D. says in his book, The Seven Pillars of Health: " Thankfulness and mindfulness will go a long way toward erasing the stress in your life."

So what are some of the things you are thankful for?

I hope this post has encouraged you today.
'Til Next time have a great day everyone and Thank you for coming to my blog.

Do I Drink Enough?

2010-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Do I drink enough water that is.
You see water plays a very important part of helping our body live and operate properly. Our body is made of approximately 60% water as adults. Water helps different parts of our body work such as cushioning in all of our joints and spine, our brain runs with the help of water, and it helps with the digestive tract.
We need water to live!!!
According to www.survivaltopics.com the body can only last without water from between two to ten days.

Now how much water a day should a person drink?
Dr. Colbert M.D., in his book The Seven Pillars of Health, recommends taking one's body weight dividing it by two and that is how much ounces of water one should drink per day.

Also the importance of filtered water is very important because there are all kinds of chemicals in regular tap water and some of these filtering systems are fairly inexpensive. I know that some of Brita's models only cost around $20. However, I recommend the reverse osmosis filtration system. To find out which method you prefer here is a link that explains the different kind of filters that are available: http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/

Now for those you don't like to drink water try something like a little lemon or lime juice in your water. It costs a lot less than buying water specifically with some taste in it.

I remember I tried some flavored water that was popular a while back, just to say I had tried it. I don't remember what was exactly in it but after I tasted it I remember craving "real" pure water all the way home ( it seemed like the longest 5 minutes to get home and get some fresh water). So be careful and read the ingredients if you decide that you want flavored water- I get great satisfaction knowing exactly what went into my water and knowing that is was all good and natural ingredients.

So do a favor for your body - go and drink some water today!

Until next time have a great and amazing day everyone!

p.s. A lot of the information in this blog about the importance of water came from Dr. Don Colbert, M.D. Click here to access his website. He has a great article collection about various topics. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy: Good Stretching Exercises

2010-03-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Here are a few quick and easy but very effective stretching exercises that you can quickly and easily do during one's day. In this particular post I concentrated on the neck and leg stretching exercises. A couple of important things to remember, one should not bounce the area being stretching while stretching, it does not help with stretching in fact it can cause injury. Also stretches should be help anywhere from 15 - 30 seconds.
*** As with all other exercising tips that I put on here PLEASE consult a doctor before engaging in any type of exercise program. Make sure that the stretches are right for you and will not hurt you***

The three neck stretches that I am about to show you are great for those that sit in front of a computer for long hours per day.

Neck Stretch #1

Start out in a neutral position of your head. Such as demonstrated.

Now making sure that the arm opposite of where you tilt your head remains stationary gently take your head and take the ear towards the shoulder.

The sensation should be a nice stretching feeling. ***If are not feeling a stretch put rather a tension that hurts, stop the the stretch and try repositioning your head to a lesser degree towards your shoulder.***

Neck Stretch #2
The second stretching exercise will be stretching a different portion of the neck muscles. Start at a neutral position.

Now make the same motion as in the first stretch but after you tilt your ear towards your shoulder tilt your head slightly upwards. It helps to focus your gaze on the ceiling in this stretching exercise.

Once again the feeling should be a nice stretch, if you have any pain whatsoever stop and try readjusting the degree of which you are holding the stretch. If the pain persists stop the stretch.

Neck Stretch #3
The third stretch focuses on another set of muscles in the neck. Start in a neutral position.

Now as in the first stretch lean your head to the side like you are trying to touch your ear to the shoulder. Make sure that the shoulder of the side that you are stretching remains level or else it won't be as effective. Now gently turn your head downwards like you are trying to touch your chin to your chest, or just simply looking downwards.

Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Once again if you feel any pain or tightness stop the stretch and try it to a lesser degree. If the pain or tightness persists stop the stretch.

Calf Stretch
The calf stretching exercise stretches the bottom part of the leg. Start by standing with feet shoulder width apart ( where the shoulders meet the arms). Now take one leg slightly forward for support and take one leg slightly back. ( It helps to do this against a wall or another sturdy object where you can push into the stretch)

Keep the rear foot flat, with foot pointed straight ahead. Push yourself forward into the stretch and stop when you feel a slight tension. If you feel any pain or too much tension try and the stretch to a lesser degree, if the pain persists stop the stretching exercise.

Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

Adductor ( Inner Leg) Stretch
This stretches the inside of the legs.

Stand with one leg straight and the other bent, both feet pointed straight ahead. Now slowly move sideways towards the bent leg until you feel a stretch in the leg groin area.

Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat. If you feel any pain or too much tension try and the stretch to a lesser degree, if the pain persists stop the stretching exercise.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Any questions or comments are extremely encouraged.
Until next time have a amazing day!

A Time to Fight, A Time to Walk Away

2010-03-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

So today I came across this video of a argument on a bus that ended in a bit of violence and as I was watching it I thought of a very good lesson on anti-fighting that I would like to share. However first here is the video clip * PLEASE BEWARE there is cussing on this video. If you don't like to hear profanity you can still get the idea by turning the sound off and watching the video*

Now what I see from this video is that one guy seemed to be a lot of talk instead of really being serious about getting into a fight and the other man turned out to be a bit more serious about the situation. Reason why I say that is if you look the black guy is pushing the white guy, normally what would or should have happened next is the white guy pushing back (Based on what I have learned about male aggression in these situations), but no he went right to punching. Anytime that a person goes into a argument like this and into fighting they do risk it getting violent.

Our culture is very much into shutting people up that are being jerks and putting people in their place.
It's like in the westerns guys with the shoot outs, "I've got my pride" or they say "I'm a man"

However as my driver's ed teacher,who was also a police officer, once said, " You never know who is going to be in that other car." Now he was talking about acting courteous on the road and making sure you don't get boxed in the middle of a bad situation. However its good advice to extend towards others in all different situations.

Say that a person decides that he doesn't like how this other guy is acting towards his girlfriend in restaurant but they could just get up and leave, but instead they get into a fight but the guy that he is fighting against falls and fractures his skull or he has a heart condition and he gets hit in the wrong place and he dies. The guy was just trying to be a hero to his girlfriend and now he's killed someone.

or....

The guy decides to be a hero and that other guy that is talking trash is someone that wouldn't think twice about killing him. So the hero thinks that he's just going to teach the bad mouth a lesson but instead he gets stabbed or shot.

My point is you never know who you're dealing with and people like that are not worth it, unless it is a life or death situation and there is no other way out.

Like the line from Karate Kid, I learn to fight so that I don't have to. Self defense is a good idea for when there is no other way, that you have to use it in order to survive the incident that has come up, but it doesn't mean to use it for every person with a bad attitude that needs to be taught a lesson.

Now guys tend to get into this more than women but this can be applied than more ways than just defending honor.

Going back to what my driver's ed teacher said, this can extend into the way that you respond to others that might not act very nice. For example, I heard a while back about a gang initiation that dealt with anger and retaliation. The future gang members were suppose to drive around at night and flip on their high beams at the people in front of them on purpose. Then they were suppose to go around them and see if the person they had just blinded with the high beams would flash it back at them. If they did flash the high beams than the future gang members would come up beside them and shoot them. This example can extend to other ways that people talk back in society, for you never know when the other person is prone to violence.

So please think twice before doing something like flipping someone off on the freeway or getting in someone's face for their actions if you have the chance to just leave the situation and go somewhere else. Swallow the pride, who cares what others think at least you are not dealing with a maybe maniac.

The only person that can effect your self esteem is you, as my Kenpo Karate instructor once told me.

I hope that you have found this entry to be enlightening and useful.
'Til next time have a totally awesome day.

Teasers for the brain

2010-03-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

So today's blog will be geared toward different teasers for the brain. Our mind is so important to everything we do and the brain needs stimulation and for it to be challenged everyday.

The Mayo Clinic recommended staying mentally active as one of the seven ways of improving memory which included doing crosswords, etc.

So I wanted to mention one site that I have found that offers such brain teasers that I really enjoy.

Brain Bashers is a site that contains a collection of all sorts of things that will test and improve the brain. Puzzles, mazes, crosswords, word games, etc. I really like the fact that some of them don't require you to print them out which is so great for those that are conserving on paper and ink. Whatever type of brain teaser you prefer they are grouped by type and difficulty. I like this particular idea immensely because that way I can work on puzzles that I need improvement in and build up my confidence, however even the easiest crossword is a bit of a challenge in my opinion.

Let's get those minds thinking shall we? Hope you enjoy and are encouraged to take up some sort of brain teaser. Comments and suggestions are highly encouraged.
Until next time have a totally awesome day!
Amber

Compassion and love: 1 Corinthians 13

2010-02-23T18:47:00.000-08:00

In life there are tons of things that people can take for granted. One of those things is what God says in His Word. I would like to touch on three things that I have learned and have been called to my attention to this last weekend.

This last Sunday, I listed to a message called Love and Compassion by Pastor Zac Gandara from Christian Faith Center. He talked about a number of really good things about the importance of love and what that means. I would like to touch on two of those points and just share them with you. I highly encourage if you have the time to listen to his message which is available for free in the audio section of Christian Faith Center's website.

The first thing that was called to my attention was the importance of loving others. Paul taught in I Corinthians 13: 1-3 that if He could have all these great things like the ability to speak in the language of angels, faith to move mountains and even given his life for the gospel but if he didn't have love it was all for nothing. Also later in the same chapter Paul talks about how other things will pass away but that love, faith and hope will remain and that love never fails. This for me was just a reminder at how important is to loving others and stay in love throughout your day.

The second thing that really stood out to me in the message was when he talked about the word compassion. It says several times in the New Testament that Jesus was filled with compassion for others and then He did something to help them such as heal people, teach people and feed them. A definition that really struck home with me on compassion was to feel the other person's pain in your heart.

This is something that at first I couldn't really wrap my head around until I realized that there was a reason why Jesus felt compassion and then helped. It is because that hurting for others makes you want to do something help. WordWeb definition for compassion is: The humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it. This is something that is vital to reaching out to others.

The final thing that I want to talk about on the subject of love that challenged me was David Curry's blog:
Rescue Mission Promotes Free Love in which he talks about something that I think a lot of Christians forget about and that is loving others means loving everyone. Jesus loved everyone, He died for everyone and that includes the many that a lot of people view as unlovable. A tip I learned about walking in love a while back from a pastor was to focus in on something that is good about a person and while you don't have to hang around that person necessarily just respect and focus on that one point. This also means people that are poor, homeless or don't necessarily look, sound and act like you and your group. Something that can be a real challenge but its also something that can be worked on and walk in faith through.

Those are the three points that I wanted to share with you. I hope that helped and gave you something to think about. Til next time have a great day everyone!

Working out at Home vs. the Gym

2010-02-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

Working out at home versus at a gym. I have done both and there are definite pros and cons for each one. This blog will sort of look at some of the pros and cons of each.

Working out at Home- Pros

Convenient - There is no driving involved. You can do it in some of the ugliest of weather. You can workout in your pajamas if need be. You don't have to make sure that you have a nice workout outfit because no one is really going to see you, unless you decide to take your workout to a park or street.
An permanent investment - Buying exercise equipment and DVDs are an investment that won't go away if taken care of properly.
Variety- Along the lines of workout DVDs there are tons out there. If you are bored with your old routine and want to try something new all you have to do is go to the library and you can try something new out for free!
No real excuses - If you workout and have the equipment at your house then there are not a lot of excuses to skip out on your exercise program. Its there, you don't have to drive to it and you can always do something (Even if its programs like Sit and Be Fit). * However be sure and make sure you get the okay from a doctor before you do anything. If you are recovering from something ask them what you can do for exercise*
Personal experience - I'm in better shape now than I ever was at the gym. For me I weighed roughly around 155 lbs when I joined the gym and my weight continued to hover around there until after I left the gym. Now I'm down to a size 6 pants, something that I didn't think was possible for me back in high school, and for the first time that I can remember I am down to a healthy weight for my height.
Economical - From what I have seen the typical gym membership is around $20 to $30 dollars a month for a single person. Now granted there are some community centers that are cheaper but still that is money that you are paying every month for a gym membership while if you were working out at home you could buy some basic equipment which would be a permanent investment if kept up with maintenance.

Working out at a Gym - Pros

Wide Variety - At a gym you have a multitude of machines at your convenience and live instructors for your aerobic classes to really encourage you and make sure that you are doing things properly. Some gyms even have a pool so you can do pool workouts which are great for people that are looking for a workout that are easy on the joints.
Getting out of the House - Simply said a gym helps you get out of the house to avoid cabin fever.
Friends and possibly a Boyfriend/ Girlfriend - Going into the gym everyday and at a regular time you tend to run into the same people which can cause friendships to grow. This happens even more if you go to a regular aerobics class. Friendships tend to form naturally and there might be the possibility of having some friendships turn into relationships.
Encouragement and Accountability - Along with friends at the gym there is also comes encouragement and accountability to stick to the exercise plan, something that might be a bit more difficult to find at home.
Variety of Programs - gymnastics, judo, tai chi, kickboxing, boot camp, dance, there are a lot of programs that can be found at gyms. The YMCA even has programs for home schoolers and a lot of these programs depending on the gym can come with the membership for no additional cost.
Experts at your Fingertips - Gyms have people that are experts in exercise and fitness. No I don't necessarily mean the biggest and most ripped person in the gym, I mean the people that work there. The higher ups and personal trainers. That is there job to know about fitness and they are there for the asking, however some might ask to be paid for their help.

Working out at Home - Cons

Space limitations - Some homes just don't have enough room to workout in whether it be for aerobics or with equipment. Storage space is also a issue if you want to use equipment such as barbells, bench presses, etc. Apartments are a big issue for this, however I do know that some apartments have a gym for their tenants although I do not know whether the gym is free for the tenants or not. Also there are some wonderful products out there that are designed to fit compactly.
Certain equipment limitations - Let's face it gyms are popular because they have such a wide variety of equipment that you don't have to pay for up keep or find storage for them.
Accountability can be difficult to find. There is a reason that the exercise bike in the corner has be turned into a coat rack at many houses: lack of people staying motivated and keeping accountable. Now there are ways to stay accountable at home: You can have a workout buddy or a friend / spouse / children that they are agree to check up on your progress and actually do it.
Need to get out of the House - Working out at home can leave some wanting to get away especially if there are pets that get in the way while you exercise, constant interruptions and just the need to get out and do something else than going from home to work back to home to work out. In this case if you still want to workout without a gym membership I recommend finding a safe place to exercise outside: Please see my previous blog post about exercising outside safely Hiking, Walking and Running Safety Tips.

Working out at a Gym - Cons

A Temporary Investment- $20- $30 a month is a common amount of money to pay for a gym membership a month and while you get access to some amazing machines while you are a member, it is a temporary investment that once you stop your membership isn't there anymore.
Self Consciousness - One of the things that you learn when you become a personal trainer is to be sensitive to people's consciousness of themselves and make them feel more comfortable while working out. Legs for myself were always pointed toward the wall when I worked out and I have ran across articles that discuss the fact that women are very self conscious about themselves in the gym, hence the reason that some gyms have women's only workout sections.
Rude People and Unwanted Advances - Okay so there are rude people almost everywhere and people can have people flirt with them anywhere also, but it is very frustrating when you are in the workout mindset and suddenly there is a person that is hogging two pieces of equipment that you need, someone is rude to you in the weight room or a person gives you a unwanted pick up line. Another potential con is rude employees. One of the top complaints that I came across when considering a gym to work for was rude employees. If you workout at home you probably won't have that kind of a problem.
Billing Issues- When looking for a gym to work for I did a lot of research to see what the gyms were like and another one of the top complaints against gyms were people that did not read their contracts carefully, misunderstood how the billing worked or sales people that either lied or convinced them to go for personal training and they thought it came along with the membership for no extra charge when it actually did. So if you do decide to work out at a gym be EXTREMELY careful of these items.

So there are the pros and the cons for both working out at home and working out a gym. I loved the interaction and variety that I had when I belonged to a gym but it is also nice to just workout at home. I hope this article helped. Please let me know if you have any questions. Have an amazing weekend everyone.

Keeping Foolishness Away: The Proverbs Challenge.

2010-02-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

At my church's (Christian Faith Center in Federal Way, WA) New Year's eve service our pastor encouraged the church to read a Proverbs a day for the whole month of January and to write a post on Facebook, Twitter or tell someone each day about what they had learned.

Now I love taking on a challenge and it seemed like this would be a perfect way to increase my Bible reading: a goal of mine for 2010.

This challenge was probably the best thing that I could have done to start off my new year. As I got deeper and deeper into Proverbs I started to learn a lot of concepts and principles that would help me to succeed and grow in life. As the month went on I found that verses that I had read would come to mind in particular instances and really help me in those situations. It also forced me to read the Bible more carefully so that I got something out of it each time. I have to admit that often in times past when I read the word it was simply reading it and then putting it away and not thinking about it again or if I did think about it during the day it was very casual, more like a glancing thought.

Sometimes doing the posts for the day were not so easy so I would paraphrase some of the key concepts. Other days I focused on one verse. However by writing it out, a study habit that really worked for me in college, it helped me to get more out of the reading.

I want to challenge you for the next 31 days to read a chapter of Proverbs each day and to write or tell someone about something that you learned from that particular day of reading. You might be surprised at how much you grow and retain over the month if you do.

Now that my challenge for a Proverbs a day is done, I have decided to continued on with the daily writing in a journal with the books that I am currently reading (Psalms & John). Its a great way to actually think and mediate on what you read.

I hope you take on my challenge and that will help you as much or even more than it did me.
'Til next time have a totally amazing day.

And breathe..... tips to lessen stress

2010-01-29T06:24:00.000-08:00

Life can get pretty hectic at times. I know during college there were times where I felt like I was one of those people that kept the plates spinning on top of poles. However I was very glad to learn some tips to lessen the stress in ones life and now I want to share some of them with you.

1. Prioritize and simplify. This means looking at your life and all the things you do and seeing if you are taking on too much. Do you have a problem saying no to doing things because that could be a source of stress. If you have a list of projects to do put the most important first on the list and then go down from there.

There was a song that I used especially during my last couple of quarters at college and that was the song, " Put one foot in front of the other" from the movie Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Though I took the song out of its original context for me it was about putting one foot in front of the other, prioritize and soon you will be walking out the door of college and into life.

2. Pets lessen stress. It has been scientifically proven that pets lessen stress even if it is fish. It is of my opinion that is why so many doctors and dentists have fish tanks in their offices. Of course some pets have to be taken care of more than others so if you do choose a pet to lessen stress make sure that it fits your personality, lifestyle and you have time for them. I know many of times that it was great to come home and hug my cat.

3. De-cluttering your space. Whether its your desk, home or bedroom a cluttered and messy area can cause background stress. My opinion of why that is first because you probably know in the back of your mind that you will have to clean it up eventually and secondly because while the space around is cluttered it also seems to affect the thinking and make it cluttered also.

4. Laugh a little. This would probably have to be one of my favorite stress reliefs. I love to laugh and there have been many medical benefits linked to laughing more. So watch a comedy, read a joke or a comic strip. I highly recommend Garfield.*smile*
Which many comic strips you can find online now.

Another solution that I have heard of is just to start laughing. Strange, I know but I came across this article somewhere that people were actually going to laugh sessions where a group of people gathered in a room and just started to laugh.

5. Exercise. I use to take a kick boxing class and that was a great stress reliever after having a hard day. Getting to hit something and take your frustrations out on it is such a great relief and fun to boot. You don't have to take kick boxing to relieve stress. It can be as simple as taking a walk, jogging, going through your favorite exercise video or gardening, the last one has been a trick my grandma has used for years.

6. Journaling. Just getting your feelings out there can be quite a stress relief and journaling can be a way of getting the feelings out without making the mistake of spewing out words to people that you will live to regret. It can be used as a sounding board, a place to explore emotions and get ideas for answers to problems. Now not everyone has a knack for journaling, I know that I tried several times to keep a daily diary and failed miserably. However, if a particular frustrating event or day comes about simply writing about it then can help. Journals can be done on paper or for me I also like doing it on my computer using a word processor. Which ever you prefer.

7. Breathing deeply. Have you heard the old expression count to ten to try and calm down for a situation before you address it? Well personally that never really worked for me but I think that breathing deeply for a few minutes goes along the same principal as counting to ten but for me works a lot better. When you breathe deeply it gives you more oxygen which nourishes the brain and can help relax the muscles.

What I do for deep breathing is to inhale and hold my breath for two seconds and then let out for three. It is also important to breathe with your diaphragm when breathing deep. The simplest way to explain this is when you breathe in make sure your stomach goes out. When you are not breathing with your diaphragm its your chest that goes up and down and it isn't as effective for relaxing.

8. Picking a relaxing hobby. A hobby should be something that you enjoy and find relaxing. Some hobbies that I have are writing, photography and cooking. If you need some help picking a hobby all you have to do is punch in the word: hobbies into a Google search and there are websites in which their sole purpose is to list and describe hobbies.

9. Get a good night's sleep. Adequate sleep helps to refresh you and helps to think clearly. Both things needed to help reduce stress.

10. Cut down on the caffeine. I live in Washington state, home of Starbucks and a state known for its coffee. In fact lots of places there seems to be so many coffee stands that you can't seem to throw a rock without hitting one, alright maybe its not that bad. Now I happen to love my coffee on occasion. In moderation caffeine can be wonderful when you need a pick me up and to stay awake. However, in excess caffeine or to those who are sensitive to it can heighten stress and symptoms of stress such as crankiness and nervousness.

However, coffee isn't the only form of caffeine it is also in sodas, energy drinks and in tea. Mixing that all together for a typical American day and yikes no wonder so many people are stressed. So if you are stressed try lowering the amount of caffeine that you consume a day.

Well that is it for now. I hope that you find this post helpful and that it will lead to a less stressful life for you.
Have a totally amazing day.

Hiking, walking, and running safety tips

2010-01-26T15:43:00.000-08:00

It's 5 am and being the determined person you are at starting to exercise have managed to pull yourself from that nice warm bed and brave the outside weather. You're dressed and have pulled on your running shoes or hiking boots and are almost ready to go. You are reaching for the door knob to walk out that door... But wait just a minute! Don't turn that knob just yet. There are some safety precautions that people should take before going out and about for their inexpensive and potentially very relaxing exercise and not just for those that are morning people enough to get up at such a hour.

Here are some tips that I have gathered for walking or hiking safely.

1. If you are getting ready for a walk or hike and your gut feeling just doesn't feel right about going out that day and walking in a particular area DON'T and I repeat DON'T go walking. If worse comes to worse and you really want to exercise but you are getting a gut feeling that you shouldn't, walk in place. That gut feeling has a way of being right and I would rather walk in place than go out to someplace that I was having a bad feeling about and be sorry.

2. Choose a safe route - make sure that it is public enough to where you won't be on your own if something comes up.

3. Tell others where you are going and when approximately you should be back. This is just some basic communication so that if something did happen that someone would know that something is up.

4. Carry a cell phone just in case of emergency. This way if you get hurt on the trail or someone else gets hurt you have a phone.

5. Be and look alert and aware of surroundings. Attackers want a easy target so I discourage walking or running with the music full blast. Have your head up and be aware of your surroundings and not just for potential people threats but also any broken glass or rocks that you could slip on, etc.

6. Use a walking stick or just a carrying stick - handy for dogs and possible attackers which should be discouraged by a stick. Just make sure you know the weapon laws and adhere to them in your area, you never know whether something as simple as a stick could be considered a weapon.
* Just be careful that you know how to use a stick in your self defense if you were attacked because the last thing that you or I would want is to have the attacker take the stick away and use it on you.

7. Have a walking buddy whether it be a another person or a dog. A great opportunity to hang out with a friend or friends and get some exercise or some great attention time for your pet who needs exercise anyway.

8. Carry a small first aid kit. This one might seem a little extreme but if you have a bad pair of socks and your heel starts to form a blister you will be happy you have those extra bandages in your pocket.

So there are some basic safety tips for walkers, runners, and hikers. I hope that you found this article helpful and insightful.

Have a amazing day and walk strong!

Most important decision for better life

2010-01-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever should believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

The plan of salvation is simple. Everyone has made mistakes in our lives. It is because of these mistakes that we are in trouble and that by God's standards we have to be judged and sentenced to eternal separation from God no matter how good we have been after our mistakes.

HOWEVER, there was someone that already took the punishment for all the bad things that we have done in our lives. His name is Jesus and He is the son of God. He came down to earth as a man and paid the penalty for doing things such as lying, cheating, stealing, and lusting after someone when they are not your husband or wife. Jesus paid this penalty for our mess ups by dying on the cross for us.

Now in order to receive this free gift that Jesus has given us we must be born again. It says in John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water (physically) and the Spirit (accepting God's free gift), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!" and in
John 3:7 He says " You must be born again" in order to be saved.
So how does one become saved?

It says in Romans 10:9 "Because if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

All you have to say is "God, I believe Jesus is raised from the dead, and is alive right now. I confess Jesus is my Lord and Master of my life. Thank you that I am saved. In Jesus' name Amen."

I hope that you choose to make Jesus the Lord of your life. It is the most important decision that anyone could make. It makes you a winner no matter how bad life gets because with Jesus you always win.

To learn more about salvation and how to get started in your Christian walk here are a few links:

Christian Faith Center's page on salvation
Christian Faith Center is located both in Federal Way and Mill Creek, Washington. This is their page on salvation which includes a lot of really good information and tons of scripture to look at.

Arthur Blessit: The Big Question
Arthur Blessitt is a man that has traveled all around the world talking to others about salvation. Here is the link to what he has to say about it

The way of the Master Website
The page that is linked here is ten important principles for new Christians. However, there is free witnessing video clips that discuss salvation and Jesus.

E-Sword: Free Bible download
One of the most important things that a new Christian can do is to start reading the Bible, its God's word to us. It tells us how to succeed in life, about Jesus and God, and how to walk out our Christian walk. The most recommended book to start out with is the book of John. Here is a link for a free e-bible called E-sword which includes many different translations of the Bible, though a popular one to start out with is the New King James Version.

I hope that this post has helped you. Please let me know if you have any sincere questions and I will do my absolute best to answer them.

Welcome

2010-01-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hello,
Welcome to Spirit, Mind and Body: Making life better. My name is Amber. I am a fitness and wellness enthusiast and a certified personal fitness trainer. The goal of this blog is to discuss topics that positively effect our lives and change it for the better.

This blog is all about making people's lives better, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

So once again welcome and I hope that you enjoy these topics.

p.s.
*All topics regarding nutrition and exercise are either strictly opinion or in reference to scholarly articles regarding the subject. Please consult your doctor before engaging in any form of exercise or diet. *