Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day everyone! Today is the day to celebrate the last of Summer and the first of the Fall – however you look at it, there’s usually lots of parties to attend! We all know that social gatherings can provide some unhealthy food that’s loaded with calories.

Is your Labor Day celebration strategy going to be…

A) Eat whatever you want, and exercise more to burn the extra calories off!

or…

B) Eat like an angel!

or…

C) Other (please explain)

Tell me what you plan on doing to prevent weight gain and still enjoy the holiday!

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Tags: eat healthy, exercise, Health, holiday, Labor Day

Feel Young, No Matter What Birthday You are Celebrating

Today is my birthday! It’s also the first time in a long time where I truly feel that “age is just a number”. Why? Well, I have really been focused on my health this past year. I exercise on a regular basis and I eat extremely healthy. The results? I feel younger than I have felt in years!

As a birthday present for myself, I decided to start out my day with a great cardio workout. For breakfast, I had my favorite post-workout shake, and enjoyed the day with my hubby. Happy Birthday to me!

How to Feel Younger 

If you want to feel young, you have to be young. What does that really mean? Exercise. The secret to eternal youth is exercise, and I believe that far too many people underestimate the power of regular exercise. Why else would they not exercise?!

The problem with most people is that they exercise for maybe a week or two, don’t see as many results as they would have hoped (it takes time, ok?), and then they end up giving it up saying “Exercise doesn’t work for me.” Of course, these thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth.

Exercise helps your heart, lungs, bones, muscles – everything!-stay strong and healthy. Your body wants you to exercise, and not just once in a while. On a regular basis!

How to Look Years Younger 

OK, you might not look like you are in your 20′s when you are in your 80′s, but you can defintely look a lot younger than you actually are if you eat healthy (in addition to exercise). When I say “eat healthy”, I mean you should avoid processed and fried foods and stick to natural and healthy foods such as whole grains and seeds, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.

I’m sure you’ve heard that you are supposed to eat foods that are high in antioxidants. Do you know what that means? Oxygen is what keeps us alive, but it is also what ages us! Eating foods that are high in antioxidants (anti-oxygen), will help keep you looking and feeling much younger than you actually are. Hey, I told you that eating healthy was worth it.

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Tags: birthday, eat healthy, exercise, Health, Nutrition, Twinkie

Eat Healthy when Traveling

Whether you are planning a fun family vacation this year, or just going on a business trip, here’s some healthy snacks that won’t make you gain weight while you are on the road or in the air.

A lot of these suggestions are geared toward road trips, since they will require you to have a cooler, but a lot of these will work for travel days at the airport as well!

Sandwiches

Nut Butters – I can’t help but love Almond Butter and Creamed Honey Sandwiches! What about Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches? You can make these sandwiches ahead of time on whole wheat bread, and keep it in an air tight container until you are ready to enjoy. They can get a little messy, especially with kids, so make sure you bring something to clean up with afterwards.

Meat – Sometimes, it’s just nice to have a really yummy and simple Tuna or Salmon sandwich. I like to use a mayo replacement and lots of pickles (I can’t help myself!). You can also add lettuce or tomatoes to your sandwich! If you aren’t eating your sandwich right away, put the tomatoes  in between the meat of choice and the lettuce, since you probably don’t want them making your whole wheat bread soggy by the time you eat it.

Wraps – Try a whole grain tortilla with lettuce, low sodium lunch meat, and yummy vegetables of choice. This is a great low calorie meal that will help keep you full between meals.

Fruits and Veggies

Fresh – In separate containers, stock up on pre-washed berries, celery sticks (with peanut or almond butter for dipping), apple slices, carrots, cherry tomatoes, banana, cucumbers, and whatever fruit or veggies you will love to snack on. I suggest avoiding produce that is too messy to eat on the go.

Dried – Either pick the dried fruits and veggies with nothing added, or make them yourself! Dried bananas, apricots, and edamame are just some of the healthy dried produce you can snack on! You may want to also consider brining all natural fruit leathers to snack on – just make sure you buy the variety that don’t have any sugar added.

Protein

Mixed Nuts – I suggest buying something prepackaged or divide up the nuts in single serving containers so you don’t over eat! Nuts are very healthy for you, but they also have a lot of calories and should be limited – especially if you are sitting for long periods of time in a car or on an airplane.

Seeds – Sunflower seeds, for example, are full of protein and very healthy for you, and they are a great snack to help you keep full while you travel. Pick the raw sunflower seeds over the roasted and salted, since they are the healthiest choice.

Hard Boiled Eggs – This one definitely needs to stay cool, but it can be a great protein snack on the go during road trips.

Jerky – Pick the turkey over the beef jerky, and I suggest making your own to have a lower sodium content.

Beverages

Water – You need about 8 cups of water a day, sometimes more depending on your weight and activity level. Drinking plenty of water will also help you eat less since it keeps you full for longer. You can add a little flavor to your water by adding a little lemon!

Flavored – Want something more than just water? You should consider trying Honeydrop Beverages. They are USDA Organic and sweetened with honey, instead of sugar.

What to Avoid

Chips – Chips are usually pretty messy for a car or airplane trip, especially if kids are coming along. I suggest that you skip the chips since they are a lot of calories, don’t keep you full, and leave you craving for more.

Cookies – Crumbling cookies aren’t the best for travel for a number of reasons. Not only are they messy for on the go, but they are high in calories and don’t satisfy your hunger compared to healthier alternatives. Why even bother…?

Other Junk Food – I can’t list (or don’t want to) all of the junk food that you should avoid while traveling, but some of the ones I would avoid if Pop•Tarts, Quaker Rice Cakes, and doughnuts covered in powdered sugar. All should seem like obvious choices to avoid, but just make sure you check the labels. A lot of products marketed as healthy, aren’t all that healthy after all.

Have fun and safe travels, whether it’s for business or for vacation, and know that you truly can enjoy a healthy trip.

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Tags: eat healthy, low calorie, Nutrition, Road Trip, Travel, Vacation

How Miranda Kerr got back into shape after Baby

Miranda Kerr just had a baby in January, and just a couple of months later, she is already back to work…as a Super Model.

How Miranda Kerr shaped up after Baby

How did Miranda get back into shape? First of all, Miranda Kerr was already in great shape before she became pregnant, so her goal was to return to her pre-pregnancy weight, not some ideal weight she only hoped to be. She had an obtainable goal, which she knew since she has already been there.

Here’s how Miranda Kerr was able to get back into shape after giving birth to her baby boy Flynn:

What we can learn from Miranda Kerr:

1) Eat Healthy!

2) Breastfeed, if you can.

3) Exercise is important, but don’t over do it.

For more information, feel free to check out KoraOrganics.com to learn more health tips from Miranda Kerr!

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Tags: Breastfeeding, Celebrity, eat healthy, exercise, Fitness, Kora Organics, Miranda Kerr, New Mom, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Yoga

Mandisa from American Idol lost 120 lbs

Since her stunt on American Idol, what has been the biggest change for Mandisa? She doesn’t mention fame or money, but she does talk about her dramatic weight loss!

Motivation for Weight Loss

Motivation to lose excess weight comes in a variety of forms. It can be for a specific health goal, such as lowering cholesterol levels, or it could be just to look and feel better. For Mandisa, motivation to lose weight came from Simon Cowell. Let’s be honest, Simon is a great businessman, but he can be quite the jerk sometimes. He made some pretty harsh comments about Mandisa’s weight when she was on American Idol, which was a major motivation for Mandisa to finally lose the weight.

I think that it’s great that she lost the extra weight, since it has such a huge benefit to her health, but I wish she didn’t have to go through humiliation and verbal abuse from Simon to finally make the steps towards improving her life.

“I’ve never felt better in my life, honestly, I feel like I am on top of the world”

Now that Mandisa has lost 120 pounds, she says she would like to see Simon Cowell again and let him see what she looks like know. She even said that she has forgiven him for the harsh comments he has made towards her. Mandisa is a star that truly shines, doesn’t she?

Weight Loss Advice

After losing 120 pounds, let’s just say that Mandisa knows a thing or two about weight loss! Mandisa has some great advice for those who are trying to lose weight. Are you ready for this? Mandisa says her weight loss advice is to eat healthy, exercise, and just take it one day at a time.

There isn’t a magic pill or secret to weight loss. It’s simply just eating healthy, exercising, and taking it one day at a time, or in other words – consistency! Mandisa does a great job to provide simple weight loss tips that work astonishingly well for anyone, and her before and after pictures prove it!

Image Credit: K Barlowe/Sparrow Records & EMI Music/Sparrow Records

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Tags: American Idol, Celebrity, eat healthy, exercise, Fitness, Health, Mandisa Hundley, Nutrition, Weight Loss