everybody's Nuts!

 
Hey Guys!
Just wanted to share my new favorite snack with all of you.
I'm so excited about these things. I just can't stop eating them. :)
I'm telling you, they are highly addictive.  Once you start eating them, it's so hard to put the bag down.

My niece introduced me to them and I'm kinda mad that I even tried them. I can eat a whole entire bag (7oz) in one setting.  I know...that's so bad...but they are oh so good.

I found these little gems at Publix and Walmart.  So the next time you are out and about and looking for a healthier snack, grab a bag of these Salt & Pepper flavored everybody's Nuts! California Pistachios. Your taste buds will be glad you did! :-)

 




These are some large size pistachios and they are very easy to open.

Since I've been going nuts over these pistachios, I thought it would be a good idea to increase my exercise, so I bought this jump rope.  I purchased one for my niece and nephew, too.  I figured we can think of some fun ways to get in some exercise that we wouldn't otherwise.  They are very competitive so this should be very interesting and filled with lots of laughter.
I can see the neighbors now, looking at us like we're crazy. LOL!
Of course it is all in fun and all about being healthy.

I picked these jump ropes up at Walmart for under $3 each, but I heard that some of the Dollar Stores sell jump ropes that are probably just as effective for $1 each.

Okay, that's it for now. Just wanted to do a quick 'share' with you all.

Have a great weekend!

All You 'Gotta' Do Is Walk

I finally put on my new running shoes that I purchased last summer. LOL!

Walking...does a body good.
Body movement is a key component to a Healthy Living Lifestyle.  It is just as important as eating a healthy meal filled with fruits and vegetables.

If you do not currently exercise and are just starting an exercise routine, walking is a great way to get your body moving.  For starters, you don't have to pay for a gym membership. Walking in your neighborhood is FREE of charge. You are also not bound by gym hours. You have the flexibility to walk whenever it is convenient for you. If you own a treadmill at home, it is even more convenient, because you don't have to worry about the weather.

Of course the most important benefit about walking is that it gives you an overall body workout. It is less strenuous on the body so you are prone to less injuries.  You can always increase your walking exercises by adding weights to your wrists and ankles.

So, what is needed to begin a Walking Exercise Program?
Not very much is needed really.  All that is needed is comfortable clothing and a good pair of walking/running shoes.

What type of exercises are you doing to get your body moving?

Guess what I did yesterday?!?!

Now Walk It Out!!!

I went WALKING!!!!

I know it is not that big of a deal to you, but it is to me.  I'm so excited!
I had been saying for months that I was gonna start walking again to get in some much needed exercise, but I never did do it. I had gotten pretty good at walking one time before, but I just stopped...for no good reason.  My legs were beginning to tone up and look sexy, too. LOL!  Now I have to start over, but at least I have enough time to bring back my sexy before the summer, right? :-)

So since I'm taking one day at a time, I decided that yesterday (Monday) was the day to get to it.  It felt really cool and breezy out for most of the day.  The weather was a little overcast, but I didn't let that stop me. It felt amazing! I walked 1 mile in about 30 minutes.

Will I walk tomorrow? I'm not sure, but I will take it one day at a time.
If I don't walk tomorrow, then there is always the next day.

Anyone want to join me?
I need walking buddies.  You can join me physically, but you don't have to.
You can join me by walking wherever you are. Just start walking!
If you are at work, you can take a brisk walk on your lunch break.  If you are at home, you can walk whenever it is convenient for you.  The best time for me to walk is in the morning.  Once I start my day, it is very hard for me to get out there.

So, if you decide to walk it out, let me know.  Leave a comment in the comment section.
We can exchange emails or something and motivate each other.
I look forward to walking with you! :-)

"To Do" List

Now that we are in the last days of Summer and headed into Fall, it is a good time for change. Let's all create a "To Do" list. Put things on your list that will help you to become a better you.

During the summer, I slacked off on doing my exercises and I allowed myself to eat a few more things that I wouldn't normally eat, like more sweets and eating out more frequently. So now that the temperature outside is dropping, I can get back outside and exercise. Walking outside is such a calming thing for me. I love just being one with nature and breathing in the fresh air. I have a treadmill, but it's just not the same.

I'm also making a commitment to get back to eating healthier. I was mindful of my eating habits all summer, but I did eat out a lot more than I had been. Traveling and spending time with family & friends will cause you to eat out more. Every one just seems to want to eat out all the time and because it is so hot in the summer, no one wants to cook (unless its a bar-b-que).  I'm proud to say that I've stayed away from eating pork and beef at the bar-b-ques this summer. Yay! No ribs for me and I didn't miss it at all.  Besides, I feel so much better when I prepare my own meals, because I know exactly what was put into them. When I cook/prepare, I eat a lot more veggies and I control the amount of sugar (if I even use sugar) and salt (I no longer use table salt, I use sea salt) that I put into my food.

I'm currently working on my "To Do" list for the Fall. Here is my list so far.
To Do List:
1. Exercise more
2. Cook most meals at home
3. Increase vegetable and fruit intake
4. Create a shopping budget
5. Get more sleep (i.e. go to bed earlier!)
6. Work on making the blog better
7. Go on a fast (juice or smoothie or master cleanse (I haven't decided yet. I may do a combo.))

I'm sure I have a few more things to add/change on there.  I'll be sure to share my completed list with you all when I'm done.  I'm gonna try to limit it to only 10 items so that it is manageable and I can complete everything listed.

What are some of the things you will be putting on your "To Do" List?

Salad Mania

Hello Peaches!

As I mentioned before, I lost about 25 pounds over the past year. Yep, this July makes a year since I started my Healthy Living Transformation. :)
I've done pretty good keeping the weight off so far, but it's time for me to seriously get back on track.
You see, I kinda been eating out a little too much lately. Plus I've been eating all of the bad things that I know don't agree with my body...like cheese. Now, I love me some cheese and it's one of the hardest things for me to put down, but I have to if I don't want to be walking around with a bloated tummy...So Not Cute! According to my scale, I've gained about 5lbs over the past 2 months. No big deal, but it is just so easy to slack off and the next thing you know, those 5lbs can turn into 10 and so on & so forth.
 

So this week, I'm challenging myself to eat "mostly" at home and to get back to the foods that helped me in the beginning like salads and green smoothies.

Freshly Prepared Salad

My body felt so good when I was eating mostly Raw Foods. I added salmon and eggs to my menu options and every now and then I would sprinkle a little cheese. I'm a work in progress, ya know?
I'll share some of the other foods I prepared during my journey in future post, but for now back to the salads...

Salads do not have to be boring at all. You can add all sorts of deliciousness to a bed of lettuce and create an awesome meal. I like to use a Spring Mix Salad that I purchase from Sam's Club. To the Spring Mix I usually add fruit (strawberries, apples, peaches or whatever I have on hand), tomatoes, cucumbers, nuts & seeds (walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds), dried fruit (cranberries, raisins) and as you can see from the above picture, I like to sprinkle a little pepper on mine...that's just me.  If I really need a change or I'm craving for something a little bit meatier, I'll add salmon to my salad as well. Not a fan of salmon? You can add tuna or chicken to yours. For even more variety you can add hard boiled eggs and peppers & onions to your salad if you like eating those foods.

So you see... you can mix & match and switch up your salad toppings every day and get a different meal just by changing up your toppings. You can also give yourself some variety by switching up the salad dressing. I like to make my own salad dressings at home. When I do, I use olive oil and apple cider vinegar as a base. I recently started using balsamic vinegar on my salads, too. However, don't let the dressing stop you. You can always pick up a bottle of salad dressing at the grocery store. There are healthier versions of dressings available, but if your favorite dressing is ranch or blue cheese, then by all means have at it. The most important thing is that you are eating a healthy serving of greens, nuts & seeds, fruits and veggies. Right?

Oh and if you are out and about and need to pick up some fast food quickly, I suggest going to Zaxby's. I have found that they have a better quality salad than most fast food places. They have a mixed green salad and it is always fresh. You can get it with grilled or fried chicken pieces or you can just order a side salad. Now, I haven't tried the salads at Wendy's, but I heard they have come out with some pretty good salads as of late. Can we say, ComPeTition? It's a good thing.

If you are interested in living a Healthy Lifestyle, it can be done. Start with small changes and add on as you begin to make progress. I started out by eating salads and drinking smoothies. Once I got that down, I began to exercise. I chose walking as my exercise choice because of its simplicity and it worked. The more comfortable I got, I began to add more foods to my diet. I found that the best way to take control of your health is by preparing your own foods so I started cooking/preparing more. It's not hard to do, it just takes a little planning and a little bit more of your time.
If you are interested in making a Healthy Change and you need someone to coach you through, please feel free to contact me. I would love to share the knowledge I've gained over the past year. It would be my pleasure. As long as you have breath in your body, it's never too late to start.

See my post on the Green Smoothie here.