From the heart!

I have been posting factual information about nutrition and exercise but now I want to get real personal and tell you something about my own life and philosophy regarding wellness, health and fitness.

I must admit I have always loved being physically active from when I was a child.  I loved playing for hours outdoors whether riding my bike, playing kickball,soccer, softball, badminton, tag, or just racing around my neighborhood with all the neighborhood kids.  Even in the winter months when there was always snow on the ground we spent hours on end sledding (going up and down the hills at Flaxhill Park) or just building snowmen, forts, having snowballs fights etc.  Always on the move.  This has followed me thru to adulthood and those who know me know I love any activities that include movement and a challenge physically.  I have tried kickboxing, aerobics, zumba, rowing, jazzercise, bootcamp,dancing, weightraining, running, hiking, walking, yoga, pilates, cycling...I may have left something out but you get the point. 

I took a real interest in my body and what I would need to do to keep it healthy inside and out.  I have met many people in the industry who have given me a wealth of information and insight about all aspects of health.  I know what works for me but what works for me may not work for the other guy.  I know that when I eat healthy foods throughout the day I have more energy, my digestive system works better I have a very peaceful night sleep as well.  I learned to grocery shop differently and really appreciate the flavors of a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, fish,lean meats and good grainy breads, also trying all new whole grains and playing around with ingredients.  So between eating healthy and being physically active each day I have managed to maintain a healthy weight, keep my heart healthy, normal blood pressure, normal heart rate and great cholesterol levels.  But I must admit that I do not deprive myself of things that I enjoy like sweets....i have a real sweet tooth so when I am out at a great restaurant I will definitely try a dessert or when at my family parties (and everyone in my family cook well) I try everything, but I do it all in moderation.  I take a try of everything not a huge helping.  Knowing what serving sizes are helps as well.  In a future blog I will talk about serving sizes and what they mean.

Don't beat yourselves up over missing a day or two of exercise (our bodies do need a break occasionally) or over indulging in a great treat....your state of mind is just as important to your health as eating right and exercising.  Exercise definitely boosts my serotonin levels big time.  I am a middle aged woman (and for those of you who knows what happens during middle age years and female hormones well watch out people).  Exercising pretty much daily keeps a smile on my face and makes me feel strong and great about myself.  Adding activities, people, things etc. into your life that help boost your serotonin levels is just as important.

I can go on forever as you can tell.  I don't want to bore you anymore so in a nutshell....Begin enjoying healthier foods, pick a physical activity that you enjoy and put it into your life on a daily basis if you can (even sex burns calories...like one friend says,"sexercise is how I stay in shape"), get plenty of peaceful sleep all these things in combination should improve how you feel. 

Remember shop on the perimeter of a grocery store that is where the whole foods are kept, when you are putting calories into your body you also need to burn them so get daily exercise in one form or another, fill your life with people you love and activities that give you pleasure and enjoy life while you can!!!!!!

Thanks for listening.

Lisa