If you are a person who hates to go to the gym and lift weights or do cardio, then you should try outdoor activities. Outdoor activities such as intramural sports, hiking, biking, etc, are a fantastic way to get exercise while having fun. One of my personal favorites is geocaching. For those of you who do not know what geocaching is, I will run you through the basics.
Geocaching is pretty much a scavenger hunt for people of all ages. You start by downloading the Geocaching app off of Google Play or the App Store. This application will teach you everything you need to know to get started.
While on this scavenger hunt you are searching for a cache. A cache can be thought of as a "treasure chest." Caches are placed all around the world by fellow geocachers. They are placed in random areas as a way to attract people to the area and expose others to things such as beautiful views, new restaurants, local shops, and landmarks. Caches range from micro-sized (think as big as a penny) to large-sized (think a shoe box.)
Inside the cache is a variety of things; no cache is the same. Geocachers may leave behind fun trinkets and items called "trackables" for the new cachers to find. Also inside is a paper to log your visit. Just make sure to always BYOP (Bring Your Own Pen.)
Muggles are any person who doesn't know about or doesn't engage in geocaching. Yes, just like the muggles in Harry Potter. I bet you feel awesome now being able to use that term in this world.
Now, when geocaching you want to be stealthy. You don't want the muggles to see you looking for or writing in a cache. Most importantly, you don't want them to see you putting it back in it's hiding spot. They may get curious and pick it up or move it to a different location, ruining it for future cachers.
I absolutely love geocaching. I have found caches in many different states while on vacation. My family and I usually get together about once a month and spend an entire day looking for caches. If you have never geocached, I highly recommend checking it out. This is a very fun way to get exercise without even realizing it.
Click here to visit the official geocaching website to learn more and get started!
Happy Caching! (:
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
H2O!
I cannot express enough how important water is in a healthy lifestyle. Actually, I can't express how important it is in daily living, period. Our bodies need an adequate amount of water daily to function properly. In all reality, without water we would die.
Click here to learn 7 reasons that we should drink water.
Click here to learn 7 reasons that we should drink water.
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| Photo taken by Lauren Pierce |
chicken Allergy
Well, I have recently found out (after 9 months of doctors visits and blood tests) that I am allergic to CHICKEN. I was breaking out in bad hives every few days for 9 months and now that I went to the allergist and had a poke test done, I have found the culprit. I eat chicken 5 times a week, every week of every month of every year. I LOVE CHICKEN, and now I have to avoid it. This has proven to be a hard task to get used to compared to my protein-packed lunches and dinners in the past.
I have never been much of a turkey fan, but now I am adjusting to it in place of chicken. Turkey is low in fat content, high in protein, and can be used in place of chicken in almost everyth-- I lost my train of thought while typing this sentence. I'm sitting on my balcony as I type and my iPhone 6 Plus decided to take a tumble from my lap (I didn't even move to cause this) and fall of the balcony into the thorny bushes below. After searching with a spatula in order to avoid thorns in my fingers, I found my phone 15 minutes later. The outcome- a few dings to the metal and a small crack in the bottom left corner. Suicide attempt: failed. Thank the lord for phone insurance.
Anyway, the moral of this blog is to not let developed allergies to your favorite foods alter your eating habits too much. There are always healthy alternatives that can be incorporated in order to fulfill your daily nutrition. Also, don't sit on a balcony with a case-less iPhone 6 plus.
I have never been much of a turkey fan, but now I am adjusting to it in place of chicken. Turkey is low in fat content, high in protein, and can be used in place of chicken in almost everyth-- I lost my train of thought while typing this sentence. I'm sitting on my balcony as I type and my iPhone 6 Plus decided to take a tumble from my lap (I didn't even move to cause this) and fall of the balcony into the thorny bushes below. After searching with a spatula in order to avoid thorns in my fingers, I found my phone 15 minutes later. The outcome- a few dings to the metal and a small crack in the bottom left corner. Suicide attempt: failed. Thank the lord for phone insurance.
Anyway, the moral of this blog is to not let developed allergies to your favorite foods alter your eating habits too much. There are always healthy alternatives that can be incorporated in order to fulfill your daily nutrition. Also, don't sit on a balcony with a case-less iPhone 6 plus.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Clean, healthy desserts
Everyone has a sweet tooth, but if you're like me you have a HUGE one. Just because you are eating healthy does NOT mean you can't have desserts!
My personal favorite healthy dessert is either a quick chocolate protein smoothie or chocolate banana ice-cream with melted almond butter on top. To make my protein smoothie, I typically use GNC AMP 100% Whey double chocolate fudge protein powder mixed with plain vanilla Chobani greek yogurt, plain and unsweetened Almond Breeze almond milk, and ice. This is a much healthier alternative to a chocolate shake and is packed with nutrients and protein.
I have attached a link to the recipe I use to make my chocolate banana ice-cream, along with a link that will lead you to a list of healthy dessert recipes that are rather tasty sounding. Try out some of the recipes that catch your attention (or your stomach) and you will be able to enjoy these delicious foods and feel good that they are healthy for you and your family!
Chocolate Banana Ice-cream
Healthy Dessert Recipe List
My personal favorite healthy dessert is either a quick chocolate protein smoothie or chocolate banana ice-cream with melted almond butter on top. To make my protein smoothie, I typically use GNC AMP 100% Whey double chocolate fudge protein powder mixed with plain vanilla Chobani greek yogurt, plain and unsweetened Almond Breeze almond milk, and ice. This is a much healthier alternative to a chocolate shake and is packed with nutrients and protein.
I have attached a link to the recipe I use to make my chocolate banana ice-cream, along with a link that will lead you to a list of healthy dessert recipes that are rather tasty sounding. Try out some of the recipes that catch your attention (or your stomach) and you will be able to enjoy these delicious foods and feel good that they are healthy for you and your family!
Chocolate Banana Ice-cream
Healthy Dessert Recipe List
GNC
About a month ago I started working at General Nutrition Center, or GNC. If you have never been to or heard of GNC, it is a nutrition store where one may go to find things like multivitamins, probiotics, natural herbs, and sports nutrition. So far I really enjoy my job and helping people with their nutrition.
New hires are required to do readings and complete tests on a portal called GNC University. The purpose of these readings and tests are to educate the worker on every aspect of nutrition, all the way to basic nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates. I have learned a lot on top of my prior knowledge of nutrition from GNC University. I even find myself going to our website to search for products and read the descriptions and reviews to educate myself.
The point of this blog is to show that if you put yourself in a place where you have to learn about nutrition, it will help you to change your lifestyle. Since I started at GNC, I have started paying even pore attention to the foods I consume and the nutrients that make them up. I have seen a change in my lifestyle just from working at GNC for one month. So imagine if you got a job at a gym, signed up for a nutrition class, or even joined a club relating to fitness and nutrition. By putting yourself in these positions, you will gain knowledge about fitness and nutrition and be more likely to change your lifestyle for the better.
I have attached a link to our website where you can learn about GNC and even look at a few products if interested.
Why Clean Eating is Important When Dealing With Allergies
For the past 9 months, I have been dealing with a recurrent allergic reaction resulting in bad hives. These allergic reactions have placed me in the hospital 3 times because of trouble breathing and horrible headaches. I have had many doctors visits with my family doctor, an Endocrinologist, a Dermatologist, and now an Allergist. They have all told me that I am like a puzzle because no matter how many blood tests they conduct on me, they can't seem to figure out what is causing my hives. I have never dealt with an allergy or an allergic reaction before in my life, so the past 9 months have been full of emotions.
One of the things that I have been advised to do by my doctors is to eat clean. When I say clean, I mean non-processed foods such as vegetables, fruits, rice, oats, lean meats, and things of that nature. When you eat clean, you are not putting the chemicals from processed foods into your body. This eliminates having to go through the ingredients of foods to find the one little thing that you are allergic to. Eating simple clean foods gives you a straight answer if you consume them and then have an allergic reaction.
Processed foods are also just bad for your body in general. By consuming processed foods you put unnecessary ingredients and chemicals into your body that don't better your health. For example, processed foods have excess sugar and sodium content. Excess sugar and sodium can cause a rise in blood pressure and can also lead to diabetes. Clean, whole, simple foods like vegetables, fruits, and lean meats contain vital nutrients for the body and provide these nutrients in whole, unaltered from.
If you ever have to deal with an unknown allergy in your lifetime, first look to what you are consuming. Cutting out processed foods was one of the best steps I could take towards discovering what I am allergic to.
One of the things that I have been advised to do by my doctors is to eat clean. When I say clean, I mean non-processed foods such as vegetables, fruits, rice, oats, lean meats, and things of that nature. When you eat clean, you are not putting the chemicals from processed foods into your body. This eliminates having to go through the ingredients of foods to find the one little thing that you are allergic to. Eating simple clean foods gives you a straight answer if you consume them and then have an allergic reaction.
Processed foods are also just bad for your body in general. By consuming processed foods you put unnecessary ingredients and chemicals into your body that don't better your health. For example, processed foods have excess sugar and sodium content. Excess sugar and sodium can cause a rise in blood pressure and can also lead to diabetes. Clean, whole, simple foods like vegetables, fruits, and lean meats contain vital nutrients for the body and provide these nutrients in whole, unaltered from.
If you ever have to deal with an unknown allergy in your lifetime, first look to what you are consuming. Cutting out processed foods was one of the best steps I could take towards discovering what I am allergic to.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Music
Listening to music is a very good motivator when working out. Apps such as Pandora and Spotify offer a variety of workout playlists to choose from free of charge. On Pandora, my favorite station to listen to while at the gym is Pop and Hip Hop Power Workout. It offers a good variety of up beat songs that help take your focus off of the intensity of your workout.
Music also ups your effort in your workouts and puts you in the zone. The tempo and beats of the songs cause you to go harder, run faster, and do more reps. Music also helps you to keep your pace while running/jogging/walking/biking/rowing/etc.
I have attached an article that I found on fitnessmagazine.com that lists the top workout songs from each genre. This will help you start your awesome workout playlist that will motivate you to kick some calories to the curb in the gym!
100 Top Workout Songs
Music also ups your effort in your workouts and puts you in the zone. The tempo and beats of the songs cause you to go harder, run faster, and do more reps. Music also helps you to keep your pace while running/jogging/walking/biking/rowing/etc.
I have attached an article that I found on fitnessmagazine.com that lists the top workout songs from each genre. This will help you start your awesome workout playlist that will motivate you to kick some calories to the curb in the gym!
100 Top Workout Songs
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