Sunday, May 21, 2017

Memorial Day Workout!



My Memorial Day workout this year will be done outside to celebrate the sun and warm weather. This routine is done using just your body weight. You need enough open space so you can jump, squat and lie down without hitting into anything.
Start with exercise 1 for 1 rep, then do exercise 2 for 2 reps and go back to exercise 1 for 1 rep, then exercise 3 for 3 reps, then 3 for 3, 2 for 2, 1 for 1 and so on! These are the exercises I chose:


  1. Squat
An oldie but goodie. I’ve talked about this one quite a bit. Just remember that The knee should always follow the toe. Have your toes slightly pointed out in order to track the knee properly.


2. Pistols aka one legged squat
Stand holding your arms straight out in front of your body and raise your right leg off the floor. Push your hips back and lower your body as far as you can. Pause, then push your body back to the starting position. Stand near a chair just in case you loose your balance.


3. Triceps press up
Start with legs extended, toes on the floor or on your knees, hands on the floor with arms extended underneath shoulders. Place your hands together with your index fingers touching and your thumbs touching.
Slowly bend elbows and lower body to floor with the chest almost touching the hands. Remain in proper alignment with abdominals held in tight. Exhale on exertion. Repeat for 8 times. Progress to 3 sets of 8 times.


4. Jumping lunges
Center your right foot, with your knee aligned over your toes. Bend slightly forward with your back straight and your bottom sticking out a little. Take a breath, push against the floor and jump up and switch legs, landing with your left foot centered and your right foot in the behind the left. Rest for a beat and then jump again and switch legs.


5. V-sit ups
Sit with your feet lifted off the floor, knees bent into your chest, hands clasped behind your head. Lean back and extend both legs straight out, touching your back to the floor but keeping your head and shoulders off the ground. Sit back up and return to your start position. That's one rep. Repeat as many times as you can in a row for one minute.
Be sure to brace your abs during this entire move and try not to use momentum to come up and down. If it’s too tough to do with the legs extended, keep your knees bent as you lower and sit up.


6. Push ups
Push Ups are effective. You are lifting and lowering your body weight and by using proper form—stomach pulled in toward your back, hands in line with your shoulders—this move becomes a full body exercise that goes beyond your chest to work your abs, shoulders, and upper back.


7. Jumping squats
Stand with your feet slightly apart with your knees aligned over your toes. Bend from the hips to lower your rear until you are in a full squat, keeping your back straight. Keep your knees aligned; don't let them fall open. Push down with your heels and explode up into the air. Don't let your knees hyper extend; keep them slightly bent. Go right back into a full squat when you land and repeat. Do no more than one set of five repetitions because you do not want to work to fatigue with this exercise.


8. Supermans
If you want a flat, sexy stomach, shift your focus away from your core every once in a while and train your lower back. Lay flat on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you in the shape of the letter X. Lift both your arms and legs at the same time, as if you were flying, and contract the lower back. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how "super" you're feeling


9. Burpee
By combining squat thrusts with a return to standing in between each rep, the burpee is the ultimate full-body exercise. Just one seemingly simple movement challenges the muscles in your chest, arms, thighs, hamstrings, and abs. And because you're using your full body when doing burpees, it's one of the best exercises to burn fat.
Make your burpees more challenging by adding in a push up before the squat thrust and/or a tuck jump when you come back up to your feet.


10. Mountain climbers
Not sure why this one is called a Mountain Climber. No one climbs a mountain in this position. It’s more like a sprinter getting ready to take off from her block. Still, there's no denying the power of this exercise that challenges your shoulders and quads and elevates your heart rate. Assume the sprinter starting position—hands on the ground, rear up in the air and one leg bent toward your chest. Alternate which leg is forward, only touching your front toe to the ground before quickly switching sides.
Tip: Put your timer/watch on the ground between your hands, because you won't be able to look at your wrist or up at a clock without breaking your rhythm.

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Sunday, May 14, 2017

My experience with the FLU





Most of April I was sick with the flu so I thought I'd share my experience with you. The flu is AWFUL and I don't wish it upon anyone.
Веfоrе wе lооk аt my ехреrіеnсе wіth flu, I want to make sure you understand I did not have 2 days of being sick. The word "flu" is thrown around so much when people feel "off" for a few days they say they had the flu. I didn't think the flu was so bad. I was wrong, very wrong. Flu іs also саllеd іnfluеnzа аnd іs а соntаgіоus іnfесtіоn оf your respiratory trасt. Іt саn bе trаnsmіttеd thrоugh thе аіr you breathe whеn sоmеоnе wіth іnfluеnzа snееzеs оr соughs оut. Тhе sуmрtоms аrе sіmіlаr tо thаt оf соlds іnсludіng drу соugh, sоrе thrоаt, асhіng јоіnts аnd musсlеs, fаtіguе, nausea, vоmіtіng, lоss оf арреtіtе, аnd uрsеt stomach. Flu аnd соlds hаvе muсh іn соmmоn which is why the word "flu" is thrown around so much. Воth іllnеssеs аrе resріrаtоrу іnfесtіоns саusеd bу vіrusеs, аnd bоth саn mаkе you feel mіsеrаblе. Тhеу hаvе sоmе sуmрtоms іn соmmоn. Ноwеvеr, соlds gеnеrаllу bеgіn mоrе slоwlу, wіth sуmрtоms соmіng оn оvеr sеvеrаl dауs. Flu sуmрtоms соmе оn rаріdlу and sееm mоrе sеvеrе.
I had 104 dеgrее fеvеr fоr 2.5 dауs, I wеnt to the ЕR bесаusе my temp was so high, аftеr thе fеvеr I gоt а tеrrіblе case of hіvеs that lаstеd fоr 2 dауs, again I wеnt tо bоth thе ЕR аnd my dосtоr fоr the hіvеs, аftеr thе hіvеs I hаd ехhаustіоn whісh mаdе thе flu mоrе сrіtісаl, I was so weak I соuldn't walk. I went back to my doctor and learned I lоst аlmоst 10 lbs.  I wаs hаvіng а hаrd tіme doing everyday tasks, like walking to the bathroom. To make things even more frustrating I hаd соngеstіоn аnd wаs hаvіng trоublе slееріng. Аll іn аll I wаs оut fоr 3 wееks bесаusе оf the flu.
Тhе bеst рrоtесtіоn аgаіnst thе flu іs tо gеt thе flu shоt еvеrууеаr. I should be the poster lady for the shot because for the rest of my life I WILL get a flu shot early in the season. Wаshіng hаnds оftеn wіth sоар аnd wаrm wаtеr іs аlsо hеlрful especially since we live in a germy city. Alcohol bаsеd hаnd sаnіtіzеrs саn bе usеd аt tіmеs whеn уоu аrе unаblе tо wаsh. Аvоіd tоuсhіng thе еуеs, nоsе, аnd mоuth аs vіrusеs аrе оftеn іntrоduсеd іntо thе bоdу thrоugh thе muсus mеmbrаnеs. Іf уоu dо соmе dоwn wіth flu sуmрtоms, sее уоur dосtоr аs sооn аs роssіblе. Take it from me, you don't want to suffer in silence.
Аlsо, mаkе surе thаt уоu gеt рlеntу оf vіtаmіn С. Yоu саn еаt fruіts hіgh іn vіtаmіn С оr уоu саn tаkе vіtаmіn С suррlеmеnts.
I didn't work for 3 weeks so that means I made $0. Being a freelancer is awesome most times. I love setting my own schedule, etc but when you get sick, it is not so great! So, freelancer or not, get a flu shot!

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Saturday, May 6, 2017

How To Incorporate Proper Nutrients For Those With Dietary Restrictions


People go on diets from time to time for several reasons; the major ones being weight loss, fitness and health issues. I roll my eyes so often at the crazy “diets” people put themselves on.  A diet is a feasible solution in most cases, but diet alone isn’t enough, don’t get me wrong watching what you eat is super important, diet is even more efficient when combined with some forms of exercise, cardio and workouts. However, a typical person that prescribes his/her own diet tend to make certain mistakes. Seven out of ten times, a typical weight loss diet will majorly consist of protein, carbs and vegetables with the exclusion of certain nutrient and vitamin sources.


A study shows that most people will generally stick to their regular food but cut down heavily on the fat and oil; that equals lesser fries and McDonalds take-outs. I always applaud the exclusion of McDonalds. I dislike that place...a lot! There is therefore a minute change in their weight and fat volume, whereas much more can be achieved when the proper nutrients are incorporated within their diets.


Getting these much-needed through your diet can also prove a herculean task at times, we all know that multivitamins are not as super as they are painted to be, and it will be quite tasking to get some minerals and vitamins through your diet, especially if you are avoiding a certain type of food. It sure is difficult, but very much possible. Before I talk about that I answered some questions I get all of the time;


  1. Should I Meal Prep?
This is a common question; a lot of dieting people ask whether to meal prep beforehand or just go with the flow when it’s time to eat. I don’t cook well so I make super easy things to take on the go, I usually put together a bowl of my favorite things, like a hardboiled egg, avocado, quiona, almonds, broccoli. I find that  it is better to prepare at home what I’m going to eat for the week ahead so I make smart decisions when I’m hungry. If I don’t pack my meal ahead of time I make a plan for where I will go.


  1. What’s Best To Eat As Pre/Post Workout Snack?
My go to snack is a banana and a handful of almonds; these ensure steady supply of iron and nutrients compared to calories. Usually I work out in the evening so I tend not to eat a huge meal because I’m either going to bed in a few hours or having dinner in an hour.


  1. How Often Should I Eat Throughout The Day?
I eat 3-4 hours to keep my cravings in check. Consuming more protein also guarantees feeling filled up for longer.  This does not mean I’m munching on junk every 3-4 hours.
Here are some extra tips to balance your diet and get your essential nutrients all the same.


Go For Varieties
Even for an amateur nutritionist or if you have a self-made diet, the chances that your diet comprises of fruits is almost a hundred percent. It is however important to switch things around every once in a while. Eating different fruits and vegetables is a win-win as your body is given the luxury of being supplied with a large array of different vitamins and phytonutrients for a range of functions in the body.


Do not hesitate to rotate your plant foods in your diet every three to four days. This will boost the nutrient supply of your diet and also reduce food intolerance, allergies and keep you in a Ferris wheel of adequate nutrition.


Nuts, Seeds And Much More
Apart from the regular fruit and vegetables, a lot more could be gained from plants, if one is willing. Consuming other plant foods such as almonds, nuts, seeds, whole grains (non-gluten), herbs and spices is guaranteed to provide several other uncommon nutrients of immense benefits to the body.


There are also other healthy vitamins that can be absorbed from these while striking a balance in your diet. Some seeds and herbs also have antibiotic properties that could strengthen the immune.


Eat Nutrient Dense Foods
Nutrient dense foods are those that generally have significantly more nutrient contributions compared to their calorie input. This guarantees that adequate minerals and vitamins pass through the diet while adding very low calories. Foods such as Almonds, Avocados, cashews, Barleys, oats, bell peppers, raspberries, strawberries and much more are recommended.


Eat healthy snacks
One of my go to snacks is GoMacro Bars. MacroBars™are cold-pressed, nut-butter based nutrition bars that offer a chewy and filling experience. Made from simple, clean ingredients, all MacroBars™ are certified vegan, gluten-free, organic, R.A.W., C.L.E.A.N., kosher and non-GMO project verified. I like the Cherries + Berries bar. You can try them for 30% off + FREE shipping with the code Macro30.

Absent of proper nutrients in our food gradually leads to many dietary restrictions and general malfunctioning of the body. Consumption of sound and proper nutrients makes the body perform at its best. Incorporating the highlighted tips in this article will help you overcome your dietary restrictions. Take a step today.
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