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Health Tip: Today

Saw this today and had to post. It's so very true how we seem to put things off. Whatever our excuse may be, this seems to be the outcome.


 What works is saying TODAY. Today, I will conquer my goal. If you have a goal, then start it right now!
My husband's and my goal was to eat more fruits and veggies this week (we put a tally on our chalkboard), we started to tally up the servings we had already eaten that day and moved forward from there. That way there is no 'big start' to a new thing because you are already in the middle of it, it's already happening and you are already making progress!

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Health Tip: Coconut Oil

Ahh coconut oil.....where do I start. Well the thing is there's not really any place to start, there is so many great things about this oil! http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html check out this article on it, and its many benefits.


This is the kind that I buy. I was reluctant at first because it was $11 for this tub but I finally took the plunge and bought it. I'm amazed at how long it has lasted us. We mostly use it for cooking instead of olive or vegetable oil (these turn into hydrogenated oils once heated which aren't healthy). To every 3 tbsp of olive oil, you only need maybe 1 tbsp of coconut oil.

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Health Tip: Keep a Tally

I kind of debated putting this as a tip and then realized that I'm letting you know what works best for me. That being said, I know that this doesn't work for everyone and there are lots of articles out there saying specifically not to.


Jump on the scale! Yes I said it; jump on the scale. I probably weigh myself everyday and some people say this can be a bad thing which I understand to some degree. 1- Mostly because a number isn't everything and I get that (a number doesn't take muscle mass, height, bone structure, age, etc. into consideration, it's simply a number) 2- We can sometimes get obsessed over this 'meaningless' number.

Therefore, I encourage you to find your own method of keeping track of your body and its progress or lack of progress. When I step on the scale and I'm up a few pounds, then I drag myself out for a walk and cut out the sweets that day. If I'm on the lower end of my weight, then I proudly tell my husband to check me out. Weighing myself keeps me on track and stable.


Maybe your method might be how you fit into your jeans. Are you noticing a muffin top......(it doesn't even sound attractive) so get up and get moving! 

Is your stomach getting flatter even when you sit down? Then celebrate (but not with food).

It is important to note that your body is different every day. Some days you will be bigger or weigh more but this is why we keep track, so that we can be ever so cautious.


I leave you with this image: allow yourself some wiggle room but be careful when you get too close to the edge.


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Health Tip: Move it or Lose it

So first things first, we all need to be doing a lot less of this.....

 
and this....
and start to love doing these.....



This week is about moving; move in any way you can. Sometimes (I know I'm very guilty of this), I sit around or try to go the 'easy' route (easy as in lazy). So find ways that you can move more throughout the day. Do you have a desk job? Then get up and walk around every half hour or simply hold a squat every half hour for 30 seconds. Do you take the bus to work? Walk to a bus stop another block away. Do you always try to find the closest parking spot to the door? Park at the back of the lot.


I love this girl's commuter.

A couple time a week I take time to do some Bikram Yoga. Good for body as well as mind!

Running, pretty much as cheap as fitness gets.

Rock climbing with the hubs is another favourite.

TRXing, something I'd really like to try.

This couple looks so lost in each other's presence. Take dance breaks throughout the day.

Saving the best for last (something we haven't been able to do for the last couple years), SURFING!!


What is your favourite way to move? I want to hear lots more ideas.

Namaste

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Health Tip: Size Matters

Portion size definitely, 100% matters. Today we will focus on controlling that with plate size. The size of the plates we use on a daily basis.....


Look at all the gorgeous patterns.

I know that when shopping for dishes, they will usually come in sets. Sets that will consist of "dinner" plates (commonly 10"), dessert or side plates (usually 8"), and some bowls and mugs maybe too. The way they are labeled just makes it seem like we are obligated to use that 10" "dinner" plate for our main course in our meal.....so wrong. 

In the above picture, see those smaller plates in the front there? Those are the ones we should be grabbing before we load up for dinner. And this is why: for some reason we feel the urge to complete every single bite left on our plate before declaring we are full. And maybe this urge exists because we were taught just that - to "not waste". This is something I do and I don't even know if I can consciously help it; but what I (and we) can do is just make the plate we use smaller, therefore, less food is sitting there begging for consumption. See how simple that is? Mind tricks, I know.

Our 10" plates have gone untouched for quite a while now (mostly only used when company are here) and I can honestly say we aren't missing much - but my fat jeans are sure missing me. 

Check out these super cute plates from French Bull

I want to hear some clever names for that 8" plate that will guide us into thinking that it is truly superior to that  lousy ol' 10" plate. Post in comments.

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Health Tip: Water, Water, Water

Drink more water!

Simple, pure, refreshing water.

Our body is approximately 60% water (that's over half people) so we need to be replenishing ourselves - clearing out toxins, lubricating our joints/organs, etc. The list could go on and on for the health benefits of water and I don't want to bore you so I'll make it simple: water is ESSENTIAL and there is NO substitute for it.

By substitute, I mean this: 

or this:

or any of this:

and even this (not even the diet kind, believe me you 
aren't doing your body any favours by drinking diet):

You aren't going to go wrong when you drink water - pure water. 

If for some crazy reason you think water is bland and tasteless (you will learn to love it if you cut out 100% of all other drinks), you can add fruit or veggie slices to your water. This will give the water a touch of flavour  without the added sugar and other nasty things that are in beverages these days.

There are some drinks, of course, that have definite benefits. An example is tea. I drink a large cup of green, honey-lemon-ginseng-tea in the morning. I used to really love coffee but after being told that maybe my body isn't responding to it well and I should try switching to green tea, I have lost that tummy pooch and haven't had an afternoon sugar low. So be careful with coffee, apparently lots of people don't handle it well and don't even know it. Listen to your body!


So maybe you are someone that doesn't drink any pure water in a day. Then I suggest switching one of your other beverages to water each day until you are mostly drinking water. Maybe you are someone that doesn't drink much water or drink much of anything else either, then I suggest you adopt the water bottle as your new accessory. Carry it everywhere with you and take little sips every few minutes.
Personally, I love a stainless steel water bottle. They seem to keep the water cold longer.

So what do ya say? Join me in the H20 revolution!

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Health Tip: Bake your cake....and eat it too.

Whatever your goal may be, whether it is to lose weight, tone, be more healthy, etc. then you need to STOP dieting! Now this doesn't mean do the extreme opposite either and gorge on everything you see (remember my first tip was to be conscious of what you are eating). In the words of Bethenny Frankel, "Never, ever binge. That is my one rule."

I think that it's important that you have your treats and "give in" to your pleasures. However, I only think this is acceptable when the treat is earned. Have you already had a couple cookies today as you go to take a slice of cake? Then maybe the cake isn't very deserved at this moment and that is why you have this huge guilt after eating it. But if it has been a few days since you had a treat, then thoroughly enjoy your slice, you deserve it. This may seem harsh to some I suppose, but sugar, hydrogenated fat, "white starch", salt, etc. are not meant to sustain a human being so our bodies literally can't survive if we eat too much of these things.



Our treat was in celebration of mom's birthday on Sunday. And boy was it tasty.

Birthday girl.


I made a 7 layer cake alternating strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla cake, iced with
pink crusting buttercream and glazed with ganache.

It's also very crucial that when you have a treat that you really enjoy it as a special moment. Maybe it could be your Starbucks with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle that you buy on Friday afternoon to bring on the weekend, or maybe it may be just an evening indulgence with your special someone (or a friend would work too). Either way, plan your treat ahead of time so that you can have something to look forward to and so that you are not so sugared up already by the time you get to the occasion.

Let me know what your favourite treat is.


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