Happy 2016! Making Resolutions That Stick

2016 is less than a week away and that means it's time for people to make resolutions that aren't practical. Your local gym will be crowded, the health food store will be busier than normal but I guarantee you that things will get back to normal in February. Why? Well, the truth is most people make New Year's resolutions half-heartedly and not with great purpose and sadly, few of us actually achieve our goals by the end of the year. Probably because most resolutions are completely unrealistic or entirely too vague. Ouch! The truth hurts, doesn't it?

I know you are thinking: "Ok, miss Sassy, thanks for being such a Debbie downer." Let me finish....The good news is that even some of the worst resolutions can work if you make them specific.

Here's a vague resolution:

Stop Being Stressed

What does that even mean? I'm stressed even thinking about it.

Stress is part of life, so we cannot hope to eliminate all stress. 

This is what you can do...Identify your key stresses. Make a list. Do it. If your stress can be avoided by simply NOT doing something, perhaps it’s time to cut those things out of your life. If that’s not an option, like raising your wild children, you must learn how to manage those stresses and keep them in perspective. Here are some things you can do:

• physical exercise (I highly suggest you do this one. You deserve to exercise. Movement is so wonderful.)
• massage
• meditation
• breathing exercises
• yoga
• martial arts like tai chi

I love taking group exercise classes. Duh! That's not a surprise! It's the group setting that I love. I'm held accountable. I sign up for classes. I schedule them into my day to make sure it gets done. My 2 cents: Sign up for courses in relaxation techniques that appeal to you. It may help to engage in these activities on a regular basis.

Here's another one of my "favorite" vague resolutions:

Join a Gym

If joining a gym was all it took to be healthy, everybody would be. Guess what, you actually have to go and not just during the month of January. Yes, that means in April I expect you to still be going. Making a monthly donation to a gym is expensive. Don't be dumb with your money. If you join a gym, go. 

If you really want to exercise, make a long-term plan. Write it out. Yes, I know I said to write it out earlier in this post. It's a theme. Begin with walking or other easy or moderate exercises that you can do in your home or around your neighborhood. Gradually increase your exercise level and stick to your long-term plan. If by May or June, you’re still at it, you may be ready for that gym membership after all. 

New year's resolutions are essentially goals and these can also increase your well-being because they force us to consider what we value most and they help to structure our time.  Good Luck! Happy 2016!

Big Slice - A Healthy Snack

Our diet is a very important part of our life, but not many people pay attention to this. We eat fast, we eat bad food and we eat at the wrong time. To keep our health and energy we need something that contains all the good nutrients that we need, but without chemicals and additives.
Big Slice is the kind of snack that you adore from the first try. When you hear about natural snacks (Big Slice is completely organic) you expect a strange, not delicious combination of herbs and seeds. However, Big Slice is delicious and it comes in 16 different flavors depending on what combination of fruits you choose. This means that no matter what kind of snacks you like, Big Slice will be your favorite.
Unlike other snacks, Big Slice actually contains pieces of apples that were prepared naturally, so they did not lose any nutrients. In this way you can see exactly what you eat and forget about those strange looking snacks. After cooking slices of apples (not any apples, GMO-free ones!), they are mixed with other whole fruits and superfoods. The result is amazing: a natural, tasty snack that will take away the hunger and bring you the Vitamins and Minerals that you need to go on with your day.
Big Slice is not only tasty and healthy, but it’s also practical. It can be tricky to have a healthy snack at work, because you have to make sure that your fruits remain fresh for the entire day. On the other hand, Big Slices comes in small, on-the-go bags that you can carry with you everywhere. You’re hungry on your way to work? Open your pouch and have a snack! You’re hungry at work? No problem, it’s easy! Besides all this, one bag only contains 100 calories, so you don’t have to worry if you are on a diet.
If you need yet another reason to eat Big Slice, you have to know that a part of the profits go to Sparkle charity, an organization that helps women in need. Isn’t this snack amazing?
Alright, let’s make a resume: Big Slice is healthy, organic, tasty, easy to carry around, it has barely no calories and every time you buy a pouch you donate to charity. What more can you want from a snack? Now go and give it a try; you will love it from the first minute!
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Healthy travel tips for the holidays

Winter holidays are close, and you are already packing for your trip. You want to make sure that you will have the time of your life, but what about your health? How can you feel active and strong during all those long walks, and how can you keep your diet while trying traditional, exotic food? Check out these tips:

·   Find a hotel with a gym. For sure you will not be in the mood to work out, but 30 minutes of exercise per day are necessary to keep yourself fit. Since there’s no point to make a gym subscription in another country, you have to find a hotel that offers this facility. In the morning, before going out, stop in the gym for 30 minutes; it will be worth it.

·   Choose the healthy meals. Of course, there are many traditional dishes that you want to try, but how good this will be for your body? If you eat huge portions and heavy meals, you will not have enough energy to walk around the city all day, not to mention swimming or climbing. Try to find healthy, low calorie meals that are still tasty.

·   Take nutritional supplements. You will not sleep enough, you will eat fast and you will forget about your daily vitamins intake. In this situation, you need something to keep you going even when you feel exhausted. Nutritional supplements will provide the nutrients that you need so you can enjoy your vacation!

·   Make prior arrangements. You don’t want to think that you will need a doctor, but it’s better to be prepared. If you don’t know the city and you need a consult, you can use a service like Amino. This will allow you to find the right doctor for you within seconds, no matter what insurance you have or what kind of specialist you need.

·   Don’t indulge on sweets. We all know how it goes: you are in vacation, so there’s nothing wrong if you have chocolate for breakfast and Ice Cream for lunch. Well, it might seem simple, but the problem is that a few days in this rhythm can destroy the balance that you struggled to create for months. After your vacation, you will have cravings and it will be difficult to give up sweets again.

·   Keep a first aid kit in your bag. This can be very helpful in those days when you can’t enjoy your time because you have a headache!

Partner Up! 5 Exercises you can do with a workout buddy.

Sometimes you need to have someone to workout with you. Research has shown that people are more likely to stick to their plan if they are held accountable. So grab an accountability buddy and start your sweat sesh.

Here are some exercises you can do together:

Partner Push-Up with Shoulder Tap: Tap into this! Find a mat and get down on all 4s, facing your partner in a push up (full or modified...it's your choice). Next, lower your bodies by bending at the arms with the abdominals engaged. Push back up to the starting position, then lift your right hand, and tap your partner on the left shoulder (while your partner does the same thing). Complete 10-12 reps, alternating hands each time.

Wheelbarrow Push-Ups: Remember this one from your days as a youth? This is a tough one so if you are just starting out I would advise to skip this one for now. Work up to it! Start in a traditional push up position with your accountability buddy holding your feet in their hands. Bracing the core, head down and complete as many push-ups as possible while maintaining good form. With each down motion, add in a synchronized squat on your partner’s end to really double up. You do NOT move forward during this exercise.

Body weight Squat: Stand facing your partner at arm’s length, like how far you'd be from your dance partner in Jr High, with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, grasping each other’s forearms. Maintaining a secure grip, at the same time squat down until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Hold, then slowly return to starting position. Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Dynamic Lunge: Shorty get low, low, low, low.  For this move, stand facing your partner at arm’s length, clasping each other’s hands between you. Next, lunge forward your right leg as your partner lunges backward with their left leg (Turn on your thinking caps this move requires coordination). Reverse the motion, lunging backward with the right leg as your partner lunges forward with the left. Complete 10-12 reps, switch legs, and repeat.

Reach-and-Touch Plank: You and your partner are team mates, right? Go join awesome forces and show 'em how it's done. Lying on your stomach facing your partner, position the elbows under the shoulders with the palms flat on the floor and the toes tucked under. Next, using the muscles in your core, elevate the torso into a plank position, (you must move at the same time) and reach forward with the right hand to touch your partner’s right hand. Follow swiftly with the left, then lower your bodies back down to the floor. Complete 11-14. Follow this by saying "good game" in a monotone voice.

Try these fun 5 exercises with your workout BFF for a lively sweat sesh! Your waistline will thank you for not indulging in high calorie foods.


I found this awesome article that I think you would appreciate and like:
Get More than a Beach-Ready Body with 10 the Best Core Exercises