What to do when your not feeling so hot...

Happy Friday Everyone!

This morning, I have a cold. I have been fighting it for a few days now but I will admit...I am sick. Sometimes you just have to give in, do what you can and then allow it to pass. I am doing everything that I can to get this cold/flu out of me! I thought this morning it would be the perfect post! How do you combat a cold or the flu??? Freeze it (I remember my mother throwing me in a chilled bath when I was little because my fever had reached 102.) Starve it? Feed it? Rest? Sweat it out? I am not a doctor but I do have some facts! Last night while in bed for hours...I did what I do best, researched! Right now I know about 6 people that have the same thing that I have. We are all sick and it was bound to happen. I haven't been sick in about 4 years! Seriously. To quote a good friend "why would the flu want to be in a active body?" With that question, it made me think..."Do I workout if I am sick?" Let's find out!

I checked out a study that CNN did back in November. Dr. Rick Kellerman of the American Academy of Family Physicians explains his opinion on this subject.

Even though it may be tempting to not break an exercise routine, working out may actually prolong the illness," Kellerman said. And, in rare cases "viruses can damage heart muscles."it is a myth that you can sweat out germs and toxins. He acknowledges that "low levels of exercise increase endorphins and benefit the body, but an intense workout that creates high levels of endorphins can wear down the immune system."
In other words, "Don't count on endorphins to heal you." Kellerman advises his patients to skip their workout if they have a fever. It puts too much stress on the heart, which already is beating faster because of the higher body temperature. If you're suffering from chest congestion, coughing and shortness of breath, he said, you also shouldn't work out. And exercising with a stomach ache will probably make you feel worse, he added.
But if you have the sniffles and milder symptoms of a cold, moderate exercise is probably OK, Kellerman said.
He recommends that athletes use cross-training to learn about different levels of exercise. A cross-training routine can help rebuild strength as you recover. Kellerman also suggests easing back into a full workout.
"When you're feeling better, don't start back at 100 percent," he said. "Start at a lower level. Give yourself time to recuperate [or] you might relapse or prolong the illness."
Another reason to skip the gym if you're sick is to keep from spreading the germs to everyone else. "Be considerate," Kellerman said. "Wipe down machines, wash your hands and stay home and rest if you really don't feel well."

I love it when I read studies that go back and forth...No you shouldn't HOWEVER....Sounds like to me you should just do what your body is saying. I do agree with spreading germs if you are sick. I have a pet peeve and it includes going to school, work or the gym sick. If you want to still work out I say do a at home workout! I got something the other day that just so happens to fit right in this category and man...I am so glad I got it! I will be using these if I feel like I want a workout later, without getting other people sick!

About FitDeck Exercise Playing Cards
Q:What is FitDeck?
A:FitDeck is a unique deck of exercise playing cards containing illustrations and instructions describing different exercises, stretches, and movements. Our current line of 24 different FitDeck titles range from FitDeck Pilates to FitDeck Navy SEAL. Find out more info about FitDeck here.
Q:What’s the best way to use FitDeck cards?
A:There are hundreds of ways to use FitDeck cards depending on your fitness level, motivation, and resources available to you. The most basic way is to warm up, shuffle the cards, select a card, perform the exercise, and repeat as desired. Find more cool games and workout ideas here.
Q:How many cards should I start out with?
A:It depends on a number of factors: ability, age, fitness level, etc. An average person may choose to start off with five cards and then assess how they feel the next day. To be safe, most people begin using FitDeck cards every other day in order to allow for recovery time in between workouts. More advanced users may choose to begin with 15 – 20 cards in their first workout.

FitDeck’s mission is to help build a foundation of fitness by creating hundreds of basic workouts that are:
Simple
Convenient
Fun
FitDeck achieves this by delivering information in a playing card format that is easy to understand and simple to put into action. Our growing list of FitDeck titles aims to connect with a diverse population of people on multiple levels (age, ability level, equipment, time available, motivation, etc.).
Philosophy
We believe that consistency in a fitness program is the single most important factor in living a long and healthy life. Consistency is achieved with an engaging and flexible exercise program that understands the many challenges we face every day - and provides a solution. Our goal is to meet every fitness challenge that you face with equal doses of simplicity, convenience, and fun.

I am going to use the Yoga deck tonight! Last night I opened all of them and took a look. I was excited to actually see some exercises that I have never done before. I received:

Body Weight Deck:
Number of Cards:
56 Exercise Playing Cards
Equipment:
None
Fitness Levels:
Beginner to Advanced
Targeted Users:
Men & Women (15-55 yrs)
Mix & Match with:
Yoga, Navy SEAL, all titles
Description: FitDeck Body weight is our original and most popular deck of Exercise Playing Cards.and pilates decks! It was so great to get more than one. How sweet! I love the fact that I can take these with me on vacation, to the gym or in my room. These are amazing!

Yoga Deck
Number of Cards:
56 Exercise Playing Cards
Equipment:
None
Fitness Levels:
Beginner to Advanced
Targeted Users:
Men & Women (15-55 yrs)
Mix & Match with:
Pilate's, Body weight, Stretch
Description: Designed to improve breathing, concentration, flexibility, and posture.

AND

Pilates Deck
Number of Cards:
56 Exercise Playing Cards
Equipment:
None
Fitness Levels:
Beginner to Advanced
Targeted Users:
Men & Women (15-55 yrs)
Mix & Match with:
Yoga, Bodyweight, Stretch
Description: Designed to improve core strength, range of motion, and muscle control.

I put the cards on the floor and went to it! I decided that the "15 minute workout" would be perfect for me since I didnt feel that great but wanted to do more than just sit at my desk all day.

How it works:

5,10,15-minute routines (all FitDecks)
5-and-Out – shuffle cards and select any 5 cards from the deck. Perform the 5 cards and you’re done.
10-and-Out – shuffle cards and select any 10 cards from the deck. Perform the 10 cards and you’re done.
15-and-Out – shuffle cards and select any 15 cards from the deck. Perform the 15 cards and you’re done.
30-and-Out – shuffle cards and select any 30 cards from the deck. Perform the 30 cards and you’re done.

It was so much fun and wow, the workout went by so fast because I was really occupying myself with the cards. Also it took all the guess work out of it. If I decided to do my own at home workout it takes some planning on my part and sometimes I don't want to think. I just want to zone out and do the workout. This really helped! I love these cards! Thank you so much Phil for sending these my way. You are saving me from going to the gym and making others sick! If you guys would like to have something that you can have with you for on the go or at home when you cant get to the gym, these are the tools you need. Why not? I am always in favor for workouts you can fit into your purse ;)

Check out their site! For 14.95 you can buy a deck that will always be there for you. With so many to choose from, I recommend more than one. I am glad that I got three!

http://www.fitdeck.com

Now that I have talked about whether or not you should exercise if you are not feeling so hot. What you can do if you want to exercise but not in the gym.

You might have wondered what food you should eat when you feel sick and not doing anything. Most common illness is common cold and that can be easily treated if healthy foods are eaten on a daily basis. When you are sick, you don’t feel like eating and it is no fun. In such cases, you have to choose the best food that will make you better since you can only eat very little. Here are the foods that you should eat when you feel sick:
Chicken soup has cysteine, an amino acid that’s released by cooked chicken. It’s chemically similar to a bronchitis drug, acetylcysteine, and it works with other soup ingredients to reduce inflammation. Salty broth also helps thin mucus.
Yogurt with active cultures, that are also know as probiotics or live healthy bacteria, can help fight colds in the first place. One, Lactobacillus reuteri (found in Stonyfield Farm yogurt) are very good.
Drink hot tea: It can fight virus, and acts as a inflammation-relieving antioxidants. Drinking five cups of black tea a day for two weeks can help produce 10 times more interferon, the proteins that fight viruses, than drinking an instant coffee.
Dark honey has a lot of protective antioxidants. And a big squeeze of lemon in every mugful adds a little extra vitamin C to your virus-fighting kit, plus the tartness stimulates saliva, which makes swallowing easier.
Oatmeal and many other whole-grain cereals delivers three nutrients known to support your immune system: selenium, zinc, and beta-glucan.
As you might have noticed, most of the foods that we listed above are not solid ones. This is because hard and solid foods are harder to digest. Although these are the best foods to eat when sick, it might be better to eat wide ranges of food when you get healthier because then you get all kinds of nutrients. Most important food or drink when feeling sick is water.

Wow, when I read this I was thinking "all of these I eat almost every single day." I have to disagree sort of with one thing. If you are congested the worse thing that you can do is eat dairy. Dairy my friends contributes to mucus. Stay away from dairy if at all possible when you have a stuffy nose or chest congestion. It really does help! This morning I went with my gut. I thought, what does my ill feeling body want? I'll show ya! This combo (with a slice of almond buttered toast) was what got me going this morning. Another thinks this was great too! Thanks for the thought! Fresh fruit, coconut and KOMBUCHA was the morning eats. To be honest...If I don't start to perk up, I may be fasting for the rest of the day. My body is not hungry in the least and I want to listen to it. I am sure though once this is completely eaten (I have been working on it for a hour) then my tummy will want more later. We will just have to wait and see.

I hope that this post may make you feel better if you are in the same boat as me! I always tell myself "you will not always feel this way." I know that when you feel bad you feel like "will this ever end? will I ever feel "normal" again?" Yes, yes you will. Just listen to your body and it will want what is best for you. Always.

See you tomorrow and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

-Heather

saving grace

This morning I woke up and had something that literally saved my mood. I have got to say, I have been saving this little box of jewels fr when I really needed it. For some odd reason this morning called for coffee and


That's right. A truffle from nicobella. It was heaven on earth paired with my coffee this morning. Let's just go ahead and say, Happy Early Valentines to me! When I got them I decided that I would save them to eat on Valentines. Then I realized that would be sad... A few years ago I had no Valentine and I REALLY tortured myself. I thought that by doing really Valentines Dayish things but with myself would make it ok. I baked heart shaped cookies, watched When Harry Met Sally and drank wine. Before I knew it....It was a sob induced evening and I had no one to blame but myself. Note to self: If you dont have a Valentine do nothing "Valetiny" alone, you are just asking for it. Of course, I was going to have these truffles so that I could have a appropriate post! I will have a great post and I am sure that you guys didn't mind me eating them early. How could I not! Look at the cutest box of truffles! I have to preface this so no troubles occur. My camera broke (perfect timing) and I am traveling back and forth to see my mom right now so I will be using either photos that I have already saved, other fantastic bloggers pics (of course I will be linking them) or stock photo's from the companies website/press kit. It is just temporary. This is a photo of the box I got but from another blogger!

The assortment was out of this world. I swear...I savored every single one of them. I made sure that I had only one a day. Listen to what was in the box.

truffle variety pack

Each assortment box of Nicobella vegan organic dark chocolate truffles comes as a sample variety pack with 6 truffles, one of each flavor:

Walnut Flaxseed Crunch, Sunflower Banana Butter, Pumpkin Chai, Blueberry Almond, Ginger Green Tea and Pure Cocoa Bliss.

The first one that I tried was the Walnut Flax. WOW! I loved it sooooo much. I am not goin to lie. I wanted another. These were so delicious. I tried each and every one and every single truffle was out of this world. Nicobella vegan organic dark chocolate truffles take the concept of the decadent truffle to a new level. By replacing the cream and sugar, that is typically in the ganache center, with vegan natural ingredients and infusing each truffle with super rich antioxidant foods, such as blueberries, green tea, sunflower seed butter, and pumpkin, there is finally something available for the health conscious individual that is lower in fat and sugar AND good for the body. nicobella vegan organic dark chocolate truffles are a tasty and sensual indulgence that will tempt your taste buds, nourish your body and awaken your soul.

This company is fabulous. I am glad that I tried these babies out BEFORE V-day because this gives you a chance to get some for the holiday! If you REALLY want to impress the love of your life (or whoever your dating or even want to date) BUY THESE TRUFFLES. I kid you not....It is love in a box! Go to their site :
www.nicobellaorganics.com

Thanks so very much Nichole for being the best and sending these my way! I loved them and now really want more. Thanks! Two thumbs up from me!

See you tomorrow!
-Heather

Ola! How are you all this morning? I am just waking up but movin and grovin to some tunes on NPR and getting geared up for a days worth of work! Oh how I love bank holidays. I am so happy to know that I have Monday off and even happier that I completely forgot that I had off until this morning. Surprises like these really make the week go by much faster. I am just keeping my eye on the prize....I have 15 days until moving and that means this weekend I will be pairing down my clothes and packing things that I don't really use all that much. The next weekend will be spend packing even more and getting the "team" together so that I have some freakin help getting my things up the stairs. I am excited but getting a little nervous. I want my own place but I am going to miss being around other people. The good thing though is that I will be in a house with other folks (there are two apartments right below me). I hope that I like the place AND that they don't raise the rent too much in August. The idea is pay rent early, keep the place impeccable and find 10 things wrong with the place so that they will not want to rent it out. We will see. I am not worrying about that right now. Focusing on what is here now is the best thing to do. I cant believe that this month is almost smack in the middle and V-day is just three whole days a way. I am thinking that it will be the most low key day of the week. It is Valentines Day after all. I will be training in the morning and it will be my last session with Andrea. I am going to miss her. I hope more than anything that she will spread the word and get some folks together for another month of training in the near future. In the mean time, moving and finding a part-time fun job is in the front of my mind.

On to my eats people. I am a rambling freak this morning.
Today is walking, walking and more walking. On my active rest days (usually Tuesday and Thursdays) I walk about 6.5 miles. 3 miles (sometimes more) during lunch and then almost 4 with Karen after work. This is great for a rest day because during the hour walk at lunch I speed it up big time with Shelly and then with K it is still a great pace but not as intense. I use it for a decompression sort of after work relaxation thing. I will be sure to get in some yoga today as well. My body needs a good stretch. These intervals with short burst movements work people. I mean it they WORK. If I keep this up (and stop having one more drink and snack than planned) I will be better this week for sure. This is the eats so far for the week pretty much. Get ready...These are some pretty good pics! Egg whites, Alvardo Complete Protein toast, banana and a tiny bit of cashew butter.

Tofu, sweet potato, chic peas, brown rice and later added tons of tahini (Living Tree brand of course).

Always, always end lunch with a piece of chocolate! Nicobella green tea was my piece of choice today, it was divine! Red bell pepper, hummus fuel before leaving work and walking with K. Dinner that never gets old. A "soup" of sorts. I usually go with butternut squash soup with veggies and chicken. This week I went with Tomato low sodium soup with more brown rice, onion and sliced boneless skinless chicken. Doused with curry powder and siracha, naturally.

Rice cake, raisins and pb. Night time snackage at it's best. Hey, this is the "I'm watching the bachelor snack" of choice these days.

That is that. Simple, kinda boring but true post of the week. We are almost there peeps. I am so looking forward to a long weekend and I know that it is going to be a great one. HOPEFULLY we will finally get some good weather. I am wanting Spring more than ever and it is so close, I can feel it.

See you all tomorrow! I loved your e-mails. Now comment on the page!!! hehehehee.

-Heather

Why not!?!

Enjoy Life! How can you not like a company with that phrase in the title? I was excited to get two boxes of gluten free cereal from them a little while ago and so decided that over the weekend I would try them out! I have a love for cereal and finding one that is gluten free AND tastes good is not exactly easy. Let me present to you:Two boxes of wonderful cereals! I got Crunchy flax and Crunchy Rice! I was siked. Let's hear a little bit about: FIRST

Enjoy Life® Foods, founded in early 2001, has the mission to make great-tasting allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods that nearly everyone can eat freely without worry. The Enjoy Life product line is gluten-free and free of the eight most common allergens: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish. Company founder Scott Mandell started Enjoy Life after writing the company’s business plan as part of a class assignment for the MBA program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The notion that people with dietary restrictions must frequently sacrifice good taste and nutrition in order to find allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods they can eat inspired the business plan. Scott and his team envisioned a unique company that would offer great tasting, nutritious foods for people on restricted diets.
In late 2001, Scott, a former banker, traded in his business suit for an apron and sought funding for the new venture from friends, family and “angel investors.” He used the funds raised to get the company off the ground, develop products and build a dedicated nut- and gluten-free bakery in Chicago, IL. The company took the unusual approach of investing in a special facility so that people with food in tolerances and celiac disease would know that all Enjoy Life products were made in the safest environment possible. In January 2006, the company was the first to receive independent gluten-free certification for all Enjoy Life products from the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO).
Enjoy Life line launched with 12 tasty items including cookies, snack bars and bagels shortly after the completion of the bakery. Initially, Enjoy Life products were available online and through natural food stores. Today, the product line has grown to 26 different foods including soft-baked cookies, granola, snack bars, bagels, trail mixes, chocolate bars and chocolate chips, all of which are sold in natural food and conventional grocery stores throughout the U.S., Canada and specialty online stores.
In early 2006, Enjoy Life moved to a new production facility in Schiller Park, IL, which is twice the size of the original bakery and includes plenty of room to accommodate the company’s rapid growth. Fueled by increased consumer demand for great-tasting allergy-friendly foods, distribution expansion into new markets and retail outlets, and the introduction of delicious and unique new products allowed for the expansion growth. Enjoy Life Foods was named to the Inc. magazine’s 500/5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies for three consecutive years (2007-2009).
Most recently, Enjoy Life Foods teamed with Fair Winds Publishing to develop an allergy-friendly and gluten-free cookbook, Cookies for Everyone! The book features 150 tasty recipes for families to bake while creating tasty memories. A sequel, Cupcakes for Everyone! , will appear on bookshelves in January 2010. I was so excited to read about this company as they are fairly new and have a ton of products to offer. Crunchy flax was the first one that I tried.


Crunchy flax Cereal:
Crispy, crunchy puffs of rice with ground flaxseed, make for a delicious and nutritious start to your day. Crunchy Flax is 100% natural, sweetened with fruit juice and honey and has 50g of whole grain, 425mg of Omega-3s and 6g of fiber per serving. What's not to love about this cereal? Well, I will tell you...nothing! It was great and I really liked how it kept it's crunchiness until the last bite. I topped off my greek yogurt with it and LOVED it so....It was especially crunchy!



Second I decided, to try the Crunchy Rice!
crunchy rice
Crunchy puffs of rice sweetened with fruit juice and honey - mmmm! Crunchy Rice is 100% natural, low in fat and low in sodium. Enjoy with milk or yogurt (including your favorite non-dairy alternatives), or add to Enjoy Life trail mix for an extra crunch with each bite. TRUTH! I usually don't like rice cereals but this one I loved. Both cereals was not loaded with sugar, in fact they were barely sweet. I liked this because it makes them more diverse. I can add them to a lot more things and not have to worry about altering a certain flavor that I want. It was a fantastic idea! This is not my picture...This is from another blogger (just click on the word)!!! Crunchy Flax & Rice Protein Bars!!!!
Oh yes I did make these, right away...
I love these so very much and honestly made enough to last me for a month! I have been wanting to make some on the go bars ever since I had the boomie and prana bars. These two cereals made the PERFECT bar! Here's the recipe FROM another wonderful blogger (again, click on her, she makes all kinds of gluten free yummies).
1 1/4 cups honey (I used 1 cup Agave Nectar but might reduce next time to 3/4 cup)
1 cup Peanut Butter (I used Natural Jif and added 1/4 cup whole flax seeds to it… this is really good as a crunchy peanut butter! Try it with Sunbutter too)
2 cups Crunchy Flax
2 cups Crunchy Rice
3 egg whites
1 cup Quick Oatmeal (I used GF oats.*If you are newly diagnosed with celiac disease, please click here (this is the orginal bloggers recipe) to read more on oats from one of health fitness support blog posts)
3 scoops of Protein powder of choice (whatever flavor you want) I used vanilla.
1/2 cup of Almond milk and a few dashes of cinnamon (just cause I love the stuff)
2 table spoons of flax mill

Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper
In a large saucepan, combine honey (or agave nectar) and peanut butter over medium heat.
Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients, mixing well and spread into prepared pan.
Use a piece of parchment paper to press into pan and flatten out (Be careful, the mixture is VERY hot!).
Put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes until cool and cut into bars.
I wrapped each of mine in wax paper which makes them a great grab-and-go breakfast!

This is a great SIMPLE recipe. Add nuts, seeds, dried fruit for more substance and staying power! I think that these bars are so amazing that I will be making these for on the go breakfasts and post workout snacks for a long time.

Two thumbs up from me Kasey! Thanks again for sending me the boxes! I am totally hooked!

They don't just have cereal guys, they have a TON of other products...Go to their site now!

www.enjoylifefoods.com

Thanks again for making such amazing products that you can feel good about eating. I will be looking for this brand next trip to my grocery store for sure!

-Heather

My alarm clock is traped in the MALL!!!!

Have you ever had your alarm clock go off and instead of waking up it becomes a apart of your dream?

This morning at 7:15 a.m. I was dreaming. Dreaming that I was shopping at the mall. In the back ground was my ring tone alarm clock. Remember my rant about my alarm clock sound? (I use my cell phone to wake me these days.) Well, I changed it to "Deep Blue Ring" and it pretty much sounds like elevator music. Well, apparently it is the perfect background music for a shopping mall because that what was playing in my dream as I was wondering around in the store. This cracks me up! I got to work and listened to the ring tone and it totally is "mall music". I never sleep through an alarm and I rarely hit the snooze button. Needless to say, I jumped out of bed like no body's business and got ready in record time. It was 7:25 when I woke and walked in the office at 7:40. Who am I? How do I do this? Even I amaze myself. I guess pulling your hair back in a bun, throwing the clothes on that I already lay out then night before and being a make-up artist once upon a time helps! I am still trying to wake my self up! Anyway, Happy Friday! We made it! YAY! I am so thankful that this week is over. It is a cold rainy day out today and it looks like this weekend will be the same. I hate it when my weekends have dreadful weather. I tell you one thing...it will be a great night for a movie. For sure. I am going to really enjoy staying in. Saturday is a pretty packed day for me so a low key evening will be perfect. I have no idea what I will be watching but I am sure that it will be good.

This morning I tried out a new bread from Alvarado Street Bakery! I got a couple coupons in the mail for a free loaf from this brand. I actually sent back the coupon to the company because I didn't think that any stores here carried it. Silly me! Thankfully, they were kind enough to send it back to me and tell me to just redeem it at my local health food store. Needless to say....off I went to Earth Fare to pick one up! Alvarado Street Bakery’s mission is to give superior service in providing the finest quality baked goods to its valued customers nationwide by utilizing a worker owned and managed cooperative business structure and to strive to use whole grain and organic ingredients, wherever possible, to support sustainable agricultural practices and healthy living.
Alvarado Street Bakery is located just north of San Francisco in the beautiful wine country of Sonoma County. For over 20 years Alvarado Street Bakery has been a leader in producing healthy, organic whole grain breads. These truly delicious healthful breads are enjoyed by people of all ages, including children, who love the moist, soft texture and the nutty whole grain flavor. Which did I pick??? Well take a look!

Ingredients: Sprouted Organic Whole Wheat Berries, Filtered Water, Wheat Gluten, Honey, 100% Pure Barley Malt, Organic Millet, Organic Oats, Sea Salt, Fresh Yeast, Soy Based Lecithin, Sprouted Organic Corn, Sprouted Lentils, Sprouted Organic Soy Beans, Cultured Wheat. LOVE that I can read every single ingredient. I love spouted bread. Flourless bread makes me happy! I decided on the "Complete Protein" loaf and of course having the word California in the title didn't hurt ;)

90 Calories and 5 grams of protein in a slice of bread is pretty good if you ask me. This is the power food that I need first thing in the morning to get me going and fuel me through my workout! Here lies breakfast...

Break room breakfast. I did the usual....toast, almond butter and 1/2 a nanner. I am thinking that next week I will be cutting out one of the slices. Is it really necessary to have two slices and then 2 hours later eat another "meal"? I think not. I only eat it because it is yummy! Not that there is anything wrong with that just that I am not really hungry and I don't want to just eat to eat. Ya know?! I LOVED this bread! It was perfect and filled me up for hours! I give this brand (vs Ezekiel, my normal bread of choice) a 9! I really do appreciate the coupons and will be back for more....No doubt. This company does just sell fantastic bread, they have bagels, tortilla's and even granola. Go to their site and check them out!

http://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com

So after breakfast I am running out in the rain and doing errands, joy. Hopefully my cardio session will fly by today and I will not even notice that I ran 4 miles, yeah right. Believe it or not, it is days like this that I don't mind working out. Yes, when I wake up to a cold raining day, I really don't want to get out of bed. However, once I am up, I am up!

Today's schedule will pretty much look like the rest of my week. I will not bore you with the same photo's. I will be doing my best to get in a 30 minute yoga session before movie night and I am sure that I can pack it all in as long as I get outta here by 5:00. I wish that I could go on a long walk with Karen but when it is raining and my umbrella is half broken, it makes me want to call it a day. Yoga though should energize me and after yesterday's session I am looking forward to it! I trained Miss. Andrea yesterday (good job girl, I know that you are feelin it today) I kicked her butt. I bet you wont cancel a session again on me ;) Just kidding (sorta)! I did about 15 minutes of intervals with her and then a hour and 15 minutes of yoga and Pilate's. I am really getting into this interval yoga sessions that I have created myself.

OK my friends, I gotta run (sorry for the short post) I gots things to do! Hope your Friday is speedy!!!

xoxoxoxo-Heather

Cookies anyone?

It is so good to be able to catch up on all my favorite blogs!!! I am in love with so many and have been so darn busy that I haven't been able to really read any. I am glad to see that you guys are right where I left you....awesome. I get so many ideas from you all as far as food and exercise. I even download music that you guys recommend (I never listen to the new hip stuff and that is what I like to workout to!) The other day I got a package that I had been waiting for it came all the way from California. I must say....Anytime I know that I am getting something from Cali....I know that it is going to be gooooooood! Grind Stone Bakery sent me over a little package that made me smile. Let's talk a little bit about the company first, then the details about the products I got. Shall we?

Their Story:
Grindstone Bakery was founded in 1999 by my friend Tauna. She started experimenting with ancient grains and methods of making bread while working with Alan Scott, one of the most influential masonry oven builders in the country. Tauna had graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in environmental conservation, but the lure of the kitchen prompted her to pursue a different path. She worked for a while as a pastry chef at Millennium, the acclaimed vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco, and then at the Whole Foods bakery. There she discovered her passion for bread making.
When Tauna decided to move away from California, to dedicate more time to her family, she offered me the opportunity of continuing her work. I felt it was life telling me that the search for something believed in and desired was over, that everything I had learned along the way finally made sense.
My father was a partner at a flour mill. I grew up among wheat fields and all kinds of flours and breads. I wanted to be a chemist, so my father thought that the natural path for me was to be the mill’s chemist. But during my studies I was captivated by the world of science and decided that just testing flours was not enough of a life. So, I went on pursuing an elusive career in science.
Today, I am extremely happy that I have found myself again. Baking, being a science, requires the precision and rigor, the experimental and inquisitive skills that are rooted in my scientific background. Baking is also an act of love that now provides meaning to my life.
Thanks for your interest in Grindstone Bakery!-- Mario Repetto

When I saw this site I immediately thought "wow!". I loved the way that the breads looked and the descriptions (Our Hands and Heart All our breads are mixed, kneaded and shaped completely by hand. They are then baked in cast iron bread pans to a dark golden perfection in our customwood fired brick oven.These are the purest and finest organic whole grain breads we know how to offer to you; truly they are loaves of love. ) really made me want them. I unfortunately didn't get any bread BUT I did get:

ORGANIC, VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE COOKIES!!!

Gluten Free Toasted Sesame Cookie with Sesame Oil (Package of 3) $10.55
NEW! WE NO LONGER USE AGAVE NECTAR, WE NOW USE DEHYDRATED UNREFINED CANE JUICE (UNREFINED SUGAR). THIS IS A NOURISHING COOKIE THAT TASTES GREAT! Ingredients: Whole Quinoa* & Whole Millet* Stone Ground at the Bakery, Roasted Tahini*, Dehydrated Unrefined Cane Juice*, Unrefined Cold Pressed Sesame Oil*, Cold Pressed Rice Bran Oil, 100% Rice Brown Rice Syrup*, Toasted Sesame Seeds*, Flax Seeds*, Baking Soda, non-aluminun Baking Powder, Sonoma Coast Sea Salt. *Certified Organic As are all our products, the cookies are mixed and shaped by hand and baked in the wood-fired brick oven. They carry intense natural flavors with only enough sweetness to round off the edges. They come packaged in Cellophane bags of 3 cookies per bag. Each cookie weighs 3.5 ounces, 10.5 ounces per bag.

AND


Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cookie with EV Olive Oil (Package of 3) $10.75
NEW! THEY NO LONGER USE AGAVE NECTAR, WE NOW USE DEHYDRATED UNREFINED CANE JUICE (UNREFINED SUGAR). THIS IS A NOURISHING COOKIE THAT TASTES GREAT! Ingredients: Whole Quinoa* & Whole Millet* Stone Ground at the Bakery, California Extra Virgin Olive Oil*, Dehydrated Unrefined Cane Juice*, 100 % Rice Brown Rice Syrup*, Cocoa Powder*, non-dairy Dark Chocolate Chips* (dehydrated cane juice*, chocolate*, cocoa butter*, non gmo soy lecithin, vanilla*), Flax Seeds*, Baking Soda, Sonoma Coast Sea Salt. *Certified Organic As are all our products, the cookies are mixed and shaped by hand and baked in the wood-fired brick oven. They carry intense natural flavors with only enough sweetness to round off the edges. They come packaged in Cellophane bags of 3 Cookies per bag. Each cookie weighs 3.5 ounces, 10.5 ounces per bag. I poped this one in the oven and OH MY, was it goooood! I loved it!

Ok, so when I opened the box I could smell the freshness!!! I was amazed by these cookies. I didn't feel one bit about eating it either. It was moist, fresh tasting and hit the spot! Not too sweet, just perfect. This is a company that I just stumbled upon and boy and I glad that I did! AMAZING! Great work ground stone, you truly have a gift! I was super excited to get GLUTEN FREE cookies at that! Wheat free is always a plus in my book. The Problem with Modern Wheat is wheat just isn't the same grain our ancestors enjoyed. Over the last 200 years of our modern age, active genetic selection, and actual genetic manipulation, have changed the nature of the original wheat enormously: from few grains and little gluten to great wheat harvests very enriched in gluten, well-adapted to industrial cultivation practices and ready to be handled by monstrous bread making machinery.
This modern wheat is very difficult to digest and directly toxic to many people. We have to go back to the origins of agriculture to understand why this is happening.
Agriculture has no simple single origin. It developed in Europe through the demographic expansion and, to a certain degree, cultural diffusion of the early farming communities from the region now identified as the “Middle East”. The geographic arc encompassing the Fertile Crescent, the wide belt of South East Asia which includes Southern Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon and North Iraq, is considered the cradle of agricultural innovation starting at around 10,000 years ago.
These Eastern populations, presumably well adapted to such profound changes in the basic nutrition, grossly replaced the existing Mesolithic European dwellers who still lived on hunting and gathering. But a proportion of the local populations (or, rather, of their inheritance ) persisted beside the invaders.
The feeding changes were not well tolerated by everybody. The best similar example is lactose intolerance: populations that have more recently adapted to milk consumption, still lack the genetic ability to digest lactose over the infancy period. The environment changed centuries before any change in the inheritance may have been possible. For example, in Ireland, where wheat cultivation appeared only 3,000 years B.C., a very high frequency of gluten intolerance has been reported.
Similarly, a considerable proportion of the hunters and gatherers of the pre-Neolithic ages have not fully adapted to the great feed changes induced by the cultivation of modern wheat. These people could not recognize gluten as a 'tolerable' protein available for digestion and absorption: they may have not have any problem or complaint for centuries, since the content of gluten in the grains was very low, but when 'industrial' quantities of gluten were induced by selection of wheat in order to improve bread making, they were exposed to unbearable quantities of an 'intolerable' protein or peptide.Spelt and Kamut, which are easy to tolerate and have substantially less gluten, more fiber, more water soluble protein, a wide variety of minerals, natural anti-oxidants , and a distinctive sweet nutty flavor.
Spelt also contains special carbohydrates called mucopolysaccharides, which play a decisive role in stimulating the body’s immune system, helping to increase its resistance to infection.
Rye, Barley and Oats are other low- and no-gluten grain alternatives to modern wheat that we use at the bakery.

If you are a celiac (which I am not) then you cant have Rye, Oats (still debatable) or Barley. I am glad that I can still have these but to tell you the truth I would prefer not to. I dated a celiac once upon a time and when I found out that he couldn't eat things like pizza, cookies, bread and oatmeal. I though "no way, I am going to fix this!" I read a TON of gluten free books and made sure that the things that he once loved was made into gluten free food! It was a challenge and I love a challenge! It was fun for me. I started eating this way because I was eating with him and noticed a HUGE difference as far as digestion and how I felt. I decided that when I could I would be gluten free. It has changed my skin, hair and tummy so much! Thank you so very much Susan for being so sweet and sending these to me. I am savoring every bite. I am also sharing a few with a friend that is a celiac and I know this made his day as well. All in all I think that this company rocks! I am going to have to try the breads for sure. I mean...it's not everyday you find a place that is this great and this fresh, even from across the united states! That says a lot! I will be telling plenty of people about them for sure! If you want great quality breads and cookies that are REALLY truly good for you please go to their site.

http://www.grindstonebakery.com/

Something else that surprised me about them was that Free shipping & handling on all orders. Orders are only shipped on Tuesdays. Orders received by Saturday will be shipped the following Tuesday.

Note: You can mix Gluten Free and Wheat Free in the same order.

If all this doesn't have you sold I don't know what will! I will see you tomorrow...In the meantime I am curling up with a book, sipping on some hot chamomile tea and my new favorite cookie!

Thanks!

-Heather

Talking my way out of it!

Happy Day! Ok, I am not in the best mood this morning. I am a little tired and was dreaming all night, however I am smiling anyway! I was hanging out with a special person until late ;)
I have a few, shall we say different things to talk about this morning. I know that this is not going to be a "normal" post because I usually just talk about food and moods, reviews, and training tips however I want to change it up this morning.

Have you ever not been able to say what you want to say but then realize that you are rambling about a topic that has nothing to do with what you feel like saying? Well that my friends was me last night. What I wanted to say, was totally not what spilled out of my mouth. I overflowed the room with my whole life story and I think that it was kind of a good thing but a little much. When a person is quiet, I will talk for the both of us.

My brain has been thinking about one thing this morning. Actually, I take that back. All night too. I. am. a. awkward. freak.

First topic of the morning....Dating, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Fun topic, right? I know that a lot of my readers are between the ages of 19-35. I also know that some if not most is, have, or are dating. I thought that this would be a fun topic and maybe you will comment on this post. (What's up my people, you are so shy to comment!)

I know that you all know a little bit about me. Not as much as I would like. It is hard to tell 23,000 people about your personal life and let you guys peak into my life. What I am going to talk about though you already know! It is even on the front page. "I am a single girl living in a college town, trying to keep up with the kids as I feel like I am getting older and everyone else here is getting younger." It's the truth. I love this town more than anything but the ratio here women to men is 5 to 3. That's right. There are WAY more gorgeous southern bells here than you can count. Not only that, living in the college town of Athens there is a constant flow of young students.

Truthfully, there isn't much to see here of late. Over the past few years I have had the time of my life. Going from social event to social event. Playing a TON of music and parties galore. Not the case during the Fall/Winter. For the last few years I have pretty much hibernated during the cold months and then totally come alive during Spring and Summer. A lot of people are effected by the cooler months and I am one of them.

I have been talking with my best friend. Who is what I like to call " the champion of daters". This girl has mastered dating. She actually thinks that it is fun...Now, don't get me wrong. Dating is "fun" it is just the first date that makes me cringe. Why you ask? Because I never, ever get a second. I usually scare them off by the end of the night by being too intense, too talkative and give way too much information. I get nervous and I talk. A LOT. I was talking with Karen this morning and she was on a first date last night. I didn't even know that she was out doing that either! Girlfriend didn't let me in on this one... Anyway, we got on the topic of what to do when you are starting to get that nervous feeling and your mind is racing like crazy. What I do is TALK. I can even stutter and stumble over my words which just adds to the nervous tension. Last night I was prepare, or so I thought. I repeated to myself, "don't talk to much, relax and be yourself." I did one of the three. I have this philosophy. "Weed them out." What I mean by that is, don't play the dating game. Be yourself, honest and pure. So often (or so I have found out) you start to date someone and what you get is the "representative" of that soul. Yes, my dears. I have theories! I actually have proof. Maybe this post will help someone out or even make them aware of behaviours that cause relationships to seem to be something that they are not and then end up wasting time. I have noticed so many times that I will start to date someone and then after about a month (if I even get that far) I realize that the person I THOUGHT they were, are in fact very different. People in the beginning play the "dating game". They are actors. Both sexes are guilty of this for sure. I like to just go ahead and dodge this whole thing. Be myself, no extra frills and see what happens. Take it or leave it kind of mentality. It has worked a couple times but no luck in the last year. Sigh.... So what to do if you are like myself? Well here are some tips! You don't have to take my word for it though :)

So you've done the really hard part and asked someone out on a date, now the day has arrived and your extremely nervous. Here are some things you can do to try and calm yourself down.


Step 1: You should sit down and realize that you already got the person to say yes and that is the hardest part. It's very difficult for anyone to work up the courage to ask someone out and you already got over that hurtle, so way to go.
Step 2:Now you should sit down and clear your mind, maybe go over what your going to do that night. Plan on what your going to wear and when you need to get ready.
Step 3:Now take your time to get ready and look your best. You always feel more confident and better when you look great.
Step 4:When your ready its time to distract yourself by doing something else before its time to go. Maybe just watch some TV or read something. It will help you to not think about it and clear your head.

I should have done some research! HA! Now the part that I should be talking about. FOODS that will CALM you down and elevate your MOOD. These foods will help you in those intense situations. Who knew!?!

Regardless of the cause, when we're stressed we often counter intuitively turn to diet-busting goodies for comfort. Instead of soothing our frayed nerves, many of them ultimately make us feel worse.
Take the classic, curling up with a pint of ice cream. It's a total backfire. Why?
Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood-sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you're feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep's clothing.
But true comfort foods do exist:
Berries, any berries. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood-sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in cortisol, a stress hormone.
Guacamole. If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs in order to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus, their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips -- crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.
Mixed nuts. Just an ounce will do. Walnuts help replace those stress-depleted B vitamins, Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc (which is also drained by high anxiety), and almonds boost your E, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multitasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little tension.
Oranges. People who take 1,000 milligrams of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressures than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind, and you'll get a bunch of C as well.
Asparagus. Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.
Chai tea. A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away. Chamomile will sooth you as well! Don't drink too much though, it can also be used as a sleeping aid.
Dark chocolate. Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.

I think that next time I may have to grab a avocado or some chocolate. Hey, any excuse for some dark chocolate and I am in! Needless to say, next time you are in a sticky situation and you feel anxiety, there are tactics that you can use! I do suffer from nervousness and anxiety whether it be a work function, social gathering or a date. It is something that I just have got to learn to deal with.

The fact of the matter is, you should just go with the flow. If you have one evening of talking excessively, or even worse not able to say a word because of nervousness just know that there is someone out there that will like you just the way that you are. I think that I will continue to take my own advice and say, "weed them out, if they don't like it at least you got rid of them early on." It is not easy for me to do all this and honestly I haven't really done it all that much but I will say. Try, try again! I have a question...

What do you do to calm yourself down when you know that either a situation is not going the way that you want or cant seem to relax?

Sorry this post took me forever, I was a busy bee this morning in between writing.

Tomorrow will be a great review, stay tuned!
-Heather

Modivation when skies are grey...

Good Morning!
It is Tuesday and rainy. I woke up this morning after a great night's rest and man....what a difference that can make. I need to be able to sleep so that I can recover well from these work outs and honestly it can be a week or even two before I get one night of good rest. Last night hopefully will be one of many to come.

This is going to be a short post as I don't have a review to post but I did want to direct my attention to the weather this morning. One of the first things that I thought to myself "I don't want to work out today instead I want to lay here in bed."

Well of course, I didn't. I got up, dressed, put on my make-up, threw my hair up and ran out the door. I thought about what I would be posting this morning as I was driving and though that this would be excellent!

How to keep moving even when the skies aren't sunny:
On a perfect sunny day, it’s easy to get motivated for a brisk walk in the park or even a challenging jog around the neighborhood. But when spring showers make the outdoors a less-enticing place, it’s much harder to find the will to work out.
Don’t give up on getting fit by waiting until there’s a more favorable forecast. Instead, get creative indoors with your rainy day exercise.
One of the most important requirements for a successful at-home indoor workout is some good music. It doesn’t have to make you run up and down the halls at level 10. Just so you want to start toe-tapping and shaking your body and move.
Once you get the rhythm right, just start moving. Try walking around the hallways, climbing up and down the steps (I always take the stairs at work) if it’s not too hard on your joints, or just letting loose and dancing around the house. Swing your arms and add upper body movements to increase your energy output.
Work out to exercise videos with their sound turned down and your music turned up. You’ll be much more likely to stick with the routine if you like the tunes.
If you want a little more structure, try setting up a little bit of a boot camp in your living room with several different exercise stations (this is what I do sometimes). Do jumping jacks in one spot, then do bicep curls with hand weights at another station, step up and down on your bottom stair, then do squats, etc. The more variety you have, the less likely you are to get bored. I can do a complete interval training session in my bedroom and only need about 4 feet to do it in. So basically you can do this type of exercise anywhere! One site that I LOVE to use is http://www.bodyrocktv.com/. She Zuzana has been my motivation and inspiration now for almost a year and a half. I get so many ideas from her youtube videos and website. She is also the hottest person I think that I have ever seen so working out with her really makes me want to kick butt!
Convincing a pal to come over and exercise with you. Call a friend who is also sitting at home and it can be very effective. You can feed off of each other’s energy and then you’re accountable to that person, so you won’t stop. This is what I do almost everyday after work. Karen and I use each other to get in a good workout and keep the pace fast!

Monitor Your Motion
To stay motivated, it helps to have a tool to keep track of your workout accomplishments. Either take your pulse on a regular basis or consider investing in a heart rate monitor, which will give you feedback so you know you’re working efficiently.
A monitor tracks your heart rate as you’re exercising, allowing you to either increase or decrease the level of your exertion in order to keep your heart working in its ideal range. The monitors, which start at around $50, are available in sporting goods stores. You’ll need to calculate your target heart rate before using a monitor so you know where to start. (Not sure how to do it? Here’s how.)
Even easier and much less costly, invest in a simple pedometer or make a chart for your refrigerator.
Keep track of the distance like how many times you go up and down the stairs without getting tired or put a pedometer on your shoe and count how many steps you take. Find inexpensive ways to kind of make it a game and also involve your mind.

Gadgets and Gizmos
If you need a little more inspiration than music or monitors to get your feet off the ottoman, try playing cards or video games. Seriously.
Some of the latest Nintendo DS games are geared toward adults needing a little push to get physical. Offerings such as “My Weight Loss Coach” ($29.99) and “Quick Yoga Training” ($19.99) require users to actually move more than their thumbs. The yoga game lets players choose poses that focus on stress-relief or balance while the weight-loss game tracks progress toward a target weight, using fitness and nutrition challenges as well as a pedometer. Another site that I use on a regular basis is http://www.yogatoday.com/ and they offer a FREE one hour yoga class a week that is amazing. The package deal is SUPER affordable too if you are wanting to do any level of yoga from your home. I love this site!
The Nintendo Wii Fit also lets you do a nontraditional indoor workout using a balance board and a Wii gaming system hooked up to your TV. You can choose yoga poses (led by a virtual trainer), balance games such as dodging soccer balls or ski jumping, and cardio exercises like boxing, jogging and twirling hula hoops. (The Wii retails for $249.99 and the Wii Fit game is $89.99.)
If you don’t want to get so high-tech, start shuffling. Pick up some FitDeck cards ($9.95-$14.95, http://www.fitdeck.com/), a series of playing cards targeted toward various fitness levels, types and lifestyles. Each deck offers a stack of individual moves you can do geared, for example, toward seniors or focused on stretching, yoga or stair exercises. You can pull out these decks and deal yourself a rainy day workout.

Other Options
Of course, you’re not stuck in your house if you want to move when the great outdoors isn’t so great. Head to a mall and walk. Swim laps at an indoor pool. Take fitness classes (like the or use the elliptical machine at the gym. If your joints and balance are up to it, try skating at the roller or ice rink.
The key, is to make your motivation internal rather than external. Don’t let stormy skies keep you from getting the exercise you need.
Too many people let the weather or outside circumstances become the motivator to get them to move. If you find yourself hemming and hawing because of the weather, catch yourself midstream, catch yourself being negative and make yourself move.

And smile when you do it! My aerobic teacher use to yell out "smile, it burns more calories!!!" She always made me laugh when she said that and it did put a smile on my face.

Hope these ideas help you next time the skies aren't as clear as you would like. Being prepared for not so great weather is where the key lies. If you already have a plan for when it is raining, sleeting, snowing or just too cold or hot out you are more likely to stick to the plan.

Good luck and see you tomorrow!
-Heather