We all know summer time is full of vacations, cook outs, road trips, family reunions, birthday parties and more. No day or week is ever the same, so your workouts and meals are can’t be either! How are we supposed to stick with a healthy eating and exercise routine when our lives aren’t even following some sort of schedule? Its not always easy, but by implementing small changes and little, new daily habits, you can achieve a healthy balance each day while working with your always varying summer days! 1. Eat before you go: Before you go to a cook out, birthday party or dinner out at a restaraunt, have a small snack. If...
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat determined by one’s height and weight. Measuring BMI is a quick and easy way for doctors, personal trainers and dietitians to estimate if a person is under, over, or at a “normal” weight. Under weight is considered a BMI less than 18.5 while overweight is greater than 25. A “normal” BMI ranges from 18.5-24.9. If under or over weight, a person is considered to be at risk for malnutrition and diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and obesity. BMI has been used for many years but is starting to be questioned as it may not be the most accurate way to measure...
As I am writing this, I am sitting with a warm cup of coffee, curled up looking out at the ocean on a sunny Saturday morning! It’s the weekend, finally, and all I can think about is how much I am going to sleep and EAT! I can’t wait to feast this weekend on all those “unhealthy” foods that have been restricted during the week. I saved so many calories by eating less during the week, so I deserve to splurge, don’t I? It sounds crazy, but I know I’m not the only one thinking this way. If this is your mindset from Monday-Friday (or maybe only until Thursday), then you are “living...
We all have experienced those days when we eat just a little (or maybe a lot) more than we know we are hungry for. Maybe it was Thanksgiving and the turkey was just so moist, the mashed potatoes so rich and buttery we couldn't resist. Or a birthday party with cake where just one piece wasn’t enough! It may have been a normal day, out with friends for pizza where the aromas and setting had you scarfing down slice after slice. Maybe you had an extra busy or stressful day at work and that bag of M&M’s on the counter was calling your name! No matter the circumstance, we can all relate to that “loosening the...
We all know exercise is good for you! So isn’t more even better? Not necessarily! The minimum recommended amount of exercise per week is 150 minutes of aerobic plus 2 strength training sessions. This amount supports heart health, improves circulation of blood in the body, decreases resting heart rate, regulates weight, increases bone density, increases muscle mass, decreases risk of many medical issues (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke) and overall increases one’s mood and quality of life. However, when someone exercises too much- these benefits diminish. Too much exercise may actually cause hardening of blood vessels, an increased resting heart rate, adrenal fatigue, hormone dysregulation, weight gain, break down of bones...
