My Thoughts On Health + Diet + Exercise.

August 23, 2013Leave a comment

Who Am I?

San Jose Native, blogger and aspiring public speaker for health and nutrition. I am a travel addict, healthy food fanatic, love to cook, lover of all things positive, sun chasing, perfectionist.

Quick Skinny Trick?

I don’t believe in dieting. I don’t diet nor do I count calories. I feel like both of those things are a crime. I think any weight loss should be a healthy process. It takes work, there is no easy way out and chances are if it’s easy it doesn’t last. I have been vegetarian by choice for about 5 years now and that has definitely transformed and played a role in my healthy lifestyle. I exercise about 4-5 times a week between running and circuit training. If you want results you have to put in the work.

Thoughts on working out/eating healthy?

I haven’t always been a workout fanatic. The key is simply starting. I remember when I could barely run 5 minutes on the treadmill. Day after day it was 10, 20, 30 minutes to have now completed my first half marathon earlier this year. Trust me when I say there are days that I am just tired or sore and don’t want to workout, but I know the reward in the end is truly fulfilling that I don’t want to miss it. All of my eating habits are things I genuinely enjoy and I think that is the key to success. Anything that is dreadful will never take priority.

If you are enjoying your workout you’ll do it more often. You’ll also do it happily and lets face it- there’s nothing that pepares you better for your day than positive energy.

Favorite Go To healthy food?

Easy question. I love fresh fruit, green smoothies from Whole Foods (THE BEST!) and raw veggies with hummus.

Motivation to stay in shape?

To feel good as well as look good. There once was a time that I was so uncomfortable with my weight and the way I looked and I will never go back to being lazy. It’s just as important if not more to take care of ourselves, get our mind in a state of gratitude and exercise/eat healthy as often as we can. There should be no excuses….Just Do it.

Favorite Natural Remedy?

Coconut oil. It’s a great makeup remover, moisturizer and to put it simply a one stop shop.

Most important “being healthy” eating tip?

Try and stay away from foods with labels. You would be surprised how much less bloated and better you will feel immediately. Think this: Less processed, drink more water and eat local/organic.

Most important “being healthy” tip for exercise?

Set defined goals. Consistency. Make time. Get up and do it. No excuses. Baby steps are still steps that all add up.

Cheers. xo

60 Day Challenge: My Truth!

April 1, 2013Leave a comment

Friends! Here we go. It’s April 1 and you know what that means? The beginning of a 60 days to summer challenge. It’s been a year now that I started my blog. Hard to believe the time has flown by. You know that saying. “Where has the time gone??” I’m feeling it! As I reflect on the last year I am amazed at all that has been accomplished in my own life and in the lives of others around me. I attended a Wayne Dyer conference a year ago and remember it like it was yesterday. This was the pivotal moment that I would allow my creative passion for health and nutrition to no longer be just a dream but actually manifest into reality. To my surprise the people in my immediate life were ready to hear what I had to say. With this said, I have completely transformed my lifestyle. When I look back at a year ago I think of all the things that have changed for the better. Of course when we stop and evaluate our life we assume everything is on track (hopefully or somewhere close), and that we are always the best we can be. Ha. I wish this was true. In the last 5 years or so I have always considered myself healthy. When I refer to healthy I am talking about food, life, relationships, work, etc. It’s always easier to justify where we are due to some event that happened in the past and “made us who we are.” I have come to learn in the last 365 days this simply is not the case. Whatever the situation is, or story that we create to be our own can be changed at any moment you make the choice to live, NOW. I joined FNS training center last year with the intent to try a workout that would actually change the way my body looked. I had the diet down, but never really pushed myself to workout where I felt like I was going to throw up. Don’t get me wrong I liked to go hiking, run and occasionally lift some weights but I think I was lifting the same amount of weight for the last 3-4 years! Sound familiar?? During this type of workout I have learned to really step outside of my comfort zone. I started the workouts because eating healthy is easy for me (not for many) and working out on the other hand was not something I ever exceeded at or felt like needed to be pushed to the limits. As I look back I know that every single workout is so much more than the physical aspect. It’s getting your mind right in order to then tell your body A- you CAN do this and B- you are SO strong enough!!!! Who was I kidding. When I started I could barely even do a single pushup or pull-up for that matter. It’s not like I would just break down while watching TV and do either of those…how was I supposed to know?? I started with the intent to change my body and this is exactly what has happened. I became committed to doing something I actually hated(this extreme workout). The split jumps, the squats, and the rowing are all things I still have to force myself to do to this day. (Just being honest!) On the contrary, I have become faster, lost some weight, lost some inches and have changed my confidence level beyond words. I have a frequent habit in my life to start something and not commit if I don’t like it. This workout regimen helps me to overcome this barrier I sometimes set in my mind. We’re not always going to like the things that make us better, it’s a fact. Simple as that.

I am doing this 60 day challenge as a commitment to be better. My passion for life is not just about food and nutrition but about being better than we were yesterday. It’s so easy to make an excuse and get stuck in our ways because it’s easy (trust me, I am guilty) but where is the growth and reward in that? My intent for the next 2 months is to step up my game. I want to be fit and I want to be full of muscle. I want others to know that No- it’s not easy to get in shape and look great but the easiest things DON’T TEACH US ANYTHING. I want a six pack, let’s get real! I will post an after picture June 1 so watch out! This will be a before and after from May 2012 to May 2013. I am proud of myself for staying committed and changing my body and mindset over the last 365 days. It’s not always easy, and I don’t always want to wake up at 6 AM to workout but I can definitely say I never leave and feel like I shouldn’t have come to the workout. It’s commitment, lifestyle and making my health a priority. What are you going to do in the next 60 days to change your life??

THE 60 DAY CHALLENGE

As we start our “60 Day’s to Summer Chall…enge” is imperative that we are setting ourselves up for success. One of the biggest ways we do that is by Setting Clear Expectations not just for ourselves but also those we surround ourselves with most. Here are a few questions to ask yourself in order to reach your goal over the next 60 days.

1. What are you willing to give up to be successful?

2. What are you willing to add in to be successful?

3. Who are going to ask for extra help, support, and accountability to be successful? When you let others know what you need and what you are trying to accomplish they will either support you or leave you alone. In either case both will be beneficial.

4. What are your “Non-Negotiables”? No matter what the circumstances, what are the things you WILL get done everyday in order to take a step closer to reaching your goal.

5. WHY is this important to you? “If it is important enough you will find a way, if it is not you will find an excuse” KNOW YOUR WHY!

Good luck!!!! When you know better, you DO better!

Hot Pilates

January 24, 2013January 24, 2013Leave a comment

I finally had a chance to check out Hot Pilates at Yoga Source in Los Gatos. I have many friends that have done the class and always suggest that I try it, but I never made it a priority to try until Monday. Thanks to a friend who gave me a free class I was able to finally see what Hot Pilates is all about. I will admit that since starting FNS last May, my yoga practice has taken a bit of a back seat. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s equally as important to decompress and stretch your body out as it is to do high intensity conditioning and weight training. Clearly, I need to get better a balancing both. The Pilates class was great- the music helps get through the poses because by the end of them your legs are shaking! Haha I should have thought this through as I am training for the half marathon next Sunday. It’s a mix between bridges, jump squats, lunges, abs, child’s pose and downward dog with Bikram style heat. Just when you think you want to stop it’s onto the next pose….and then it was over. Now, knowing what to expect I can’t wait to try it again. The class itself is no joke so if you’re a beginner I would probably choose another workout to enjoy.

Small Health Habits That Make A Difference.

January 3, 2013January 3, 2013Leave a comment

1. Change Your Breakfast:

If you switch to an unsweetened breakfast of eggs (over easy with turkey bacon; scrambled with broccoli), you’ll eat five to six times less sugar than if you simply drink your coffee black (although you can do that, too). Bonus: The extra protein might make you feel fuller longer, eliminating your craving for a 10 a.m. bear claw.

2. Change Up Your Grains:

Try quinoa, barley, polenta, couscous and bulgur wheat, as well as that Indian recipe you stuck on your fridge months ago (aromatic rices like basmati and jasmine showed about half to one-eighth the level of arsenic as rice grown in the southern United States). When you do eat brown rice, be sure to treat it like pasta and rinse it in plenty of water

3. Eat Your Reds:

No one has to remind you of the importance of green, leafy vegetables, but what about red, round fruit—specifically, tomatoes? This star of Italian-American cuisine and a darling of home gardeners is off the charts in lycopene, an antioxidant compound that has been linked to a reduced risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration. Recently, a study published in the journal Neurology suggested that high levels of lycopene in the blood may offer protection against strokes. Finnish researchers followed more than 1,000 men ages 46 to 55 and found that those with the highest levels of lycopene were 55 percent less likely to have a stroke than those with the lowest levels. Interestingly, it may be easier for the body to absorb lycopene from cooked tomato products (especially those with a small amount of oil or fat) than from raw tomatoes.

4. Force yourself to move around the office:

Chances are, the most remote corner of your office remains safe and dry no matter what’s going on outside, so adjust your computer settings to always send your documents to the printer there. If you’re trying to save trees (another commendable habit), skip the printing and journey to a faraway bathroom instead.

*I snagged this from the Small Health Habits That Make a Big Difference. Check out the full article!

Remember- small changes = BIG results! Operation “Tackle January” begins NOW!