2013: Here's to a healthier and happier you! The Healthy Home Revolution
I'm back!!! Finally! Having a 2nd kid really throws off your game.
I've missed sharing recipes, although I've done my fair share of
Facebook status updates, (sorry friends). But I'm excited and ready to begin a new year!
This year I want to focus on being healthy, both physically and
emotionally, and I challenge you to join me. This isn't about
unrealistic resolutions we make and then break when eating the same old
boring chicken really starts to suck. These are life sustainable
changes for a healthier future. And better health means a happier you!
I'm going to share my recipes, but most will be healthier versions of
comfort classics, or new recipes I've discovered in an effort to loose
15 - 20 pounds of baby weight, (depending on the week). I'm also
going to share exercise tips, workouts, and general things that I find
helpful in organizing this crazy life I live. And yes, that might
include parenting things from time to time, so sorry to those of you with
no kids. That's just the stage of life I'm in right now: the lack-of-sleep, lucky-if-I-can-shower-or-pee-alone stage. But I digress...
I ask that you join me in this effort, not just for your own health, but
for the health of our families. Please share this with anyone you know
who might be interested and let's start a "Healthy Home Revolution" -
an online group of friends both near and far, with one common goal: working towards a healthier us. We can support
each other on this journey and bounce ideas off one another.
So let's get started! Here are a few key points to keep in mind as we create our Healthy Home. This isn't meant to be preachy, just encouraging and hopefully a helpful starting point to a lifelong journey.
1) Eat healthier foods and eat more frequently: eating healthier doesn't have to be boring or difficult. It can be making simple substitutions to recipes, eating
home more frequently, and planning meals ahead of time. Know how many calories you should be eating a day, making sure that you are eating enough calories (look at labels on your food or use a calorie counter to help) and not too many all at one time. You also need to eat more frequently to rev up your metabolism and stabilize your blood sugar. Five "meals" a day is the easiest way to do this, spacing them about 2-3 hours apart. I will be
posting on each of these in greater detail including recipes, weekly meal ideas, and links to websites that I find
helpful.
2) Exercise: find the time to work out - just do it! Even if it means
getting up an hour earlier, asking someone to watch the kids, or even
working out with your kids. Do it in front of your favorite TV show
instead of eating potato chips or ice cream. Exercise for 30 minutes,
3-5 times a week and it will make a world of difference! Start small and work your
way up. I would rather work out hard for 10 minutes than to have done nothing at all. My personal goal is to exercise 6 days a week and I always work out at home.
I'll be sharing many ideas, most involve no equipment, just your
motivation to get up and moving.
3) Carve out quiet time: research has shown that meditating for 8 minutes a day
can lead to a happier you and even help you loose weight! (Don't ask me
what research...I saw it on the Today Show). I'm new at meditating,
but the goal is to focus on your breath only. One suggestion is to
breathe in for 8, breathe out for 8. I tried this the other night
before bed and fell asleep less than 2 minutes in. What can I say? I'm a work in
progress.
4) Focus on a Healthy Home: don't focus on the scale or on being thin. Your goal should be more about your overall
health, the health of your family and loved ones, and
having more energy to be the kind of person you want to be.
You can starve yourself to get to the number you want to see on the scale, (and I have known many women who struggle with this), but we all know that is not a healthy way to loose weight. Focus on a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Much more on this to come...
5) Be sure to get enough rest: my, how I miss sleeping!!! I know, it's such a commodity these days. However, sleep is a
necessity and our bodies natural time to recover and prepare for the next day. The average person needs about 8 hours of sleep a night to
function at their best. Just try...I know life gets in the way,
(believe me, I have a 10 month old that STILL wakes up a minimum of 3
times a night), but sleep is such an important part of our health.
Okay, well that's it for now my friends! I'll be back tomorrow with this
week's meal ideas, a new recipe, and a new workout to jump start our
Healthy Home Revolution. I hope that you'll join me!
Here's to a healthier us!
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