Work out, Be Happy

When it comes to being happy with yourself, working out sure helps. That sense of working for something bigger and better than what you are now is a big reason that it works in favor of your happiness. Also, the idea that you accomplished something that we believe to be betting out selves helps us feel good about the way we are living our lives. But what else about working out makes us happy. Besides knowing you are making progress and seeing it eventually, there is scientific reason for the good feeling we sustain when we work out.

The idea is routed in endorphins that our body produces. I know that I have heard of the "runners high" and have experienced it myself. Body had a natural response to pain and or stress that consists of releasing endorphins that make us feel good. The light or moderate work out or even cardiovascular exercise does not produce this feeling. However if you weight train hard or sprint and really push your body there is a change from aerobic to anaerobic state where your body is not getting enough oxygen for the work it is putting in and it sends out those signals. This is where you endorphins kick in! So, in short, besides the mental happiness we feel when we work out there is also the physical happiness that some people experience.

So go ahead, feel good and work out today!

Ode to Blueberries!

So today I'm going to pay my respects to a fruit that has captured my heart recently. I have always loved berries. Blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries are all foods I can sit down and eat a large tub of. But blueberries, even though I have always eaten them, have not always been at the top of my list.

Recently, the grocery store I go to has been putting frozen blueberry bags on sale. I am always more likely to reach for the mixed berry bags then any other frozen fruit bag. But most of them do not include blueberries. So, taking advantage of the sales, I purchased a large number of frozen bags of these blue fruits. 

But, I didn't know the best way to eat them in my smoothies. Until I ran out of mangos. I always mixed blueberries into my green smoothes along with other berries. My mango smoothie is always almond milk, frozen mango, and banana. When I went to grab the bag of mangos and got nothing but frozen dust, I figured why not try it with the blueberries. Heck, I had a ton of them to spare. And, if I didn't like it I could always start over. 

The banana, blueberry, and almond milk smoothie stole my heart. It is literally the most delicious new concoction I have come up with in so long. I was addicted. With one banana it is a creamy drink, and with two it makes a delicious "milkshake." 

So for anyone looking for a delicious summer milkshake like drink, this one is a total winner. I use unsweetened almond milk for my recipe. Try it! Besides tasting delicious, these small blue spheres pack antioxidants, vitamin k, magnesium, vitamin c, fiber and copper. Just a few of the wonderful benefits to these delicious fruits. 

Now, the goal is the find other great drinks to try it in!

No Matter How Slow...

I really love this quote! And of course, it's one of the things I have to tell myself when I get discouraged and I realized my top speed for running isn't even in the presidential range for high school standards. I'm not someone who enjoys running all the time. Sometimes it feels good. Sometimes it feels like a chore. I try and gauge what day I'm going to have before I get on the treadmill and start. However, how I feel before I start running is not always how I feel when I finally start doing it. 

So why do I keep at it? Because running slow is still exercise. Running slow still means pushing my body harder than I would be sitting on the couch. I know it might be discouraging for anyone who cannot seem to excel at an exercise to keep trying. Believe me, running the the bane of my existence some days. But, that doesn't mean it's not worth is. It means you are still doing more for yourself than just sitting there wishing you were better at something. So who cares if you finish last? Believe me, it still feels good to finish the race. ( I would know, I have come in last plenty of times!) So go ahead, run slow. Dance awkwardly. Lift three lb. weights on your lunch break. You're still doing more than nothing. And that should make you feel good!

Living a Fit Lifestyle is a long term commitment to your health. It's building healthy eating and exercise habits for your life. And not ones based on fads. No matter how slow you go, changing your diet, or working out, as long as your moving towards your goals all of it counts. Never forget slow progress is still progress!

My Favorite Green Smoothie

I wanted to share my favorite green smoothie right now. I have the ability to eat the same thing over and over again with out ever getting sick of it. Mango has become my new fruit love. I had never even had one mango in my life before this past year!

This photo is courtesy of www.colorwheelmeals.com and I wanted to show you how simple a delicious green smoothie can be! I make my mango green smoothies with just one large, or two big bananas, a cup of spinach and a 1/2 cup of frozen mango. I then add enough water to make a smoothie creamy mix of this.

The banana keeps this smoothie sweet and creamy. I also love the texture of the mango because it too adds to the smooth texture of this drink. This is very thick and very filling! If you do not like your drinks as thick, use more water or use less banana.

So if you are looking for ways to shake up your morning routine, this sweet and filling smoothie might be something to try if you also love mangos.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! I love these Ecards. First they are hilarious, and second they usually sum up the way I feel in general. So, lets start by saying I did not rehydrate today with margaritas like I wanted to. However, I did celebrate with a donut because holidays are cheat days.

Otherwise, I did eat healthy food for the day. Rehydrating with margaritas sounds so good still.

Keep it Positive!

It's a common emotion to "hate" your eating and fitness habits. I used to say I hate my...then list a body part. Putting negative emotions towards what we are doing and want to change seems to help put us in gear to make the changes we need. But is there a more effective way?

Negativity is contagious. We've seen one grumpy person ruin an entire groups good feelings. The same goes for our life. If we fuel negative feelings towards aspects of our lives that we want to change, there is a chance that those feelings can spill over to other aspects.

But positivity is just as contagious. Think about a kind gesture from a stranger. The idea of paying it forward with kindness. Just a smile can help us deal with a bad day sometimes. Applying that concept to our health and fitness is the same. Stop saying "I hate" and start the sentence with "It would make me happy to..." It could just spill over into other parts of our lives. So here are mine.

Instead of saying I hate my legs because they are not muscular enough.
I will say "I can improve my leg muscles by working hard at the gym on leg day."

It seems cheesy. But try it, you'll be surprised at how much a little positive talk can change your outlook on life! It could just be good for your New Fit Body.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow.

This is always true. I find that when I over sleep, eat crappy for a few meals, and just over all lose motivation over the course of the day that I assure myself of promises of tomorrow. It's very easy to put things off or validate the poor diet and exercise decisions we make by saying "tomorrow I will eat better" or "tomorrow I will wake up earlier and go to the gym."

But the truth is today is the best day to start. To make the commitment to getting to the gym, to eat a balanced healthy diet. I am guilty of doing this to myself time and time again. Thank you Nike for pointing that out. But that the point of inspiring quotes and pictures. To inspire us to take a look at ourselves, to reflect if the message is something we want to embrace, and change to bring ourselves closer to our goals.

So today, I said "tomorrow". My roomie was there to hear me say it. And sitting here tonight looking at this poster, I realize today I had the time. I just didn't go to the gym. So tomorrow I will say "today." I will get my butt out of bed, I will take my butt to the gym, and I will say yes to foods that are aligned with my diet goals. The gym is closed now, so that will still be tomorrow. But tonight I sit here eating my black bean burrito with guacamole and other veggies saying "today I will eat healthy." Even though my lunch had gone off track.

Every day's work out goals and diet choices should start with "today" and not "tomorrow."  Putting off these goals only pushes them one day further into our future instead of starting the journey now. It's not easy. I sometimes pop out of bed with motivation. Other days I drag myself out of bed only to resent having to go to the gym. But I think the key is to keep saying today I start my journey. Today I will work for all my goals. I hope that will help keep me motivated even on the days that I want to say "tomorrow."