Essential

What are your health ESSENTIALs?

homemade butternut squash soup- a MUST have

Here are my must haves:

-cardio DAILY (Zumba, stairs, aerobics, running, swimming, elliptical, etc.)

-weight training at least 2 x /week (usually closer to 4 x) 

-essential oils (COMPLETE PURE grade therapeutic oils) DAILY --seriously changed the way my face/skin, hair look, and healing processes go. let me know if you want more info

-intimacy with the husband daily

-whole foods DAILY: soups, salads, sweet potatoes, otameal

-LOTS of water all day

-piece of chocolate a week (at least)

-an apple or orange at lunch

-8-10 hours sleep PER night

-spiritual meditation, prayer, scripture reading daily

-church weekly

-journal writing, facebooking and planner organizing 2 x /week

These all make me HAPPY, HEALTHY, and in BALANCE. 

these pics are pictures of my latest eats, if you were wondering....

What is YOUR list? I want to hear it! If you have questions about any of these items, let me know!

Happy HOLIDAYS!

Mexican HEALTH-ified

Do you love Mexican food? I do IF:  it comes from Cafe Rio, is homemade, has lots of flavor, is not full of too-much cheese/sour cream, or is a bit spicy.

My husband LOVES Mexican so naturally we eat it often (more often than I ever did before we were married anyway). So I am always on a quest to make it tasty AND healthy!

In the MIX, you ask? Here it is:

*Black Beans

*Fat Free Refried Beans

*Salsa

*Canned Chicken

*garlic

*peppers and onions

*Taco and Cumin seasoning

(cook the above over a stove for about 10 mins)

after, add:

*Lettuce

*Light Sour Cream

*dash of Cheddar Cheese (my husband had a bowlfull on his...he adores cheese. Me, not so much)

*Whole wheat tortilla

Roll it all up and CHOW down, friends!

YUMM. I adore SALSA!

Go ahead and try it, you will LOVE it. Find yourself craving it, probably. Happy Cookin friends! What are SOME ways you make Mexican a bit more health-ified?

a delicious friday night meal

I was home alone while the hubby was at work.... so what did I have for dinner?! I bet you want to know! Here it is: 

YUMMY

 IN the mix: 

whole wheat English muffin, 2 eggwhites, some lettuce, 1 light laughing cow cheese (blue cheese flavor), one shake of spices, and an apple and WATER on the side. Get in my belly!

 Now, go and make it yourself- it is delish and healthy (protein, good carbs, some flavor, fiber, and a bit of healthy fat). ENJOY! But try not to lick your fingers at the end...

Are you drinking enough water?!

Because I sure am! My poor husband has to sit in either the middle or window seat when we travel on planes because of my constant trips to the restroom on the plane!

I drink at least 2 full Nalgene bottles in the first half of the day (that's 48 ounces). Plus I drink around 8 ounces at each meal, and around 4 ounces in between meals. I need to stop drinking water by about 8 p.m. if I don't want to make 6 trips to the restroom during the night. (Once on our honeymoon we ate dinner so late that I had to use the restroom at least 6 times during the night. I have THE smallest bladder in the world!)\

The reason I bring this up is that water is a great way to keep the headaches at bay, hunger in place, and to lose the attitude. Seriously, drink more water today and you'll be a bit happier, have less headaches, and be less prone to reach for some candy at 3 p.m. Most people confuse thirst for hunger. Have you done that today? If so, try again next time. When you think you're hungry, try drinking around 4 ounces of water and see if you're still hungry.....

To spice up your water, add lemon, lime, a small packet of crystal light, or ice cubes. These are all delicious ways if you don't love the taste of water. I love my water slightly cold (not too cold, though), so I let some ice cubes sit in the Nalgene for a few minutes and then slurp it on up! Enjoy your watery day--and don't be surprised if you visit the restroom a few times between now and dinner....take it as a good sign when your urine is almost see through. Dark yellow is a bad sign (you're dehydrated!) So drink on up to good health today! :)

BodyPump is COMING!

That is right, BodyPump is coming to 24 Hr Fitness where I work, which means I will be teaching BodyPump starting mid-November! BodyPump is hardcore and WAY fun and a REALLY really good workout- get ready to sweat buckets!---WHO is excited about this?! Let's hear it..... :)
Have a lovely Friday!

Of interest:
a quiz on HOW well you know your metabolism (Fitsugar.com)
30 small tricks on how to BOOST your metabolism (health.com)

Enjoy!

updates

In conjunction with the last post, I wanted to show some pics of my new favorite obsession....

love my spaghetti squash--and so does my husband!

get in my stomach!

hello vegetables!!

Yah, I thought so....I bet you're running off to the Farmer's Market to go get yourself some :) See earlier post on how to prepare- it is super easy!

Another update: I did get the job at 24 Hr Fitness, and now I know which classes I am teaching.... I will teach Body Pump and sub for other classes including Pilates, PiYo, Zumba, S.E.T., and Lift. SO excited about this! I am taking the Body Pump training this weekend (way stoked) and will be all set to teach it, stat! Hope you're having yourself a lovely, healthy day!

new fav obsession

is....... Spaghetti Squash!!! I read about it on another blog and decided that at the farmer's market we'd buy one and try it out. DELISH. I immediately fell in love with this awesome vegetable.  When you pull out the insides after baking the veggie, the strands look like spaghetti. SO fun!

We made a seafood mushroom dish and paired it with the delish spaghetti squash- Yum!

It is super easy to eat.
-cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise
-scoop out the seeds and center portion
-place the two halves face down in a baking dish/pan with a bit of Pam spray/water
-bake for about 30 mins on 350
-Scoop out the strands and you have got yourself a delish veggie

Some ideas to use it in are: in place of actual spaghetti noodles, other noodles, and to use to top off salads.

ENJOY!

doterra

Ever heard of essential oils? I sure have. They can do amazing things for your body, health, face, skin, hair, and pretty much all of you, because we're made up of cells. Essential oils are extracted from plants and can be used topically, in capsule form, or ingested via placing drops in water. I have been using these oils for muscle pain, skin, tiredness, etc. and they're amazing.

So last night my husband and I went to a meeting (a REALLY long one at that!) on essential oils by a company called doterra. Really fascinating stuff. I am excited to learn more- and hopefully have some more at our fingertips soon. Stay tuned for more- but if you're dying to know more, go to http://doterra.com/

Have a safe, healthy weekend!

a healthy lunch

Just wanted to post a pic of a healthy lunch option:

notice the delish cucumbers from our garden!

The lunch was yummy, filling, and healthy! Just top a whole wheat toasted bagel thin with reduced fat cream cheese, turkey slices, and spinach. Load the plate up with some cukes, chug some water, and you got yourself somethin' quite delish! Enjoy :)

Zumba love

Zumba is one of the most fantastic workouts because it combines latin music, fun dance moves, a great cardio workout, belly-dancing moves, and easy-to-follow steps. In a Zumba workout, you are encouraged to listen to the music and just dance! Forget about life, stresses, self-esteem, problems at work, your kid's attitude issues, etc, and just DANCE! The mantra for Zumba goers is : Ditch the workout, Join the PARTY!

I challenge you to do just that. Ditch YOUR workout and come join the PARTY at a Zumba class near you! Leave a comment and tell us how it went?? What did you love about it??

Enjoy the ZUMBA glow as you dance the time away :)

(go to zumba.com for any more information)

if you want more energy, burn some off

Who doesn't want more energy? I sure do! The secret, you ask? Make your workouts a priority in your day and you'll have even more energy. It is a weird paradox, but completely true (both psychologically and physically). If you have doubts, I challenge you to try it. Go for a morning run, pop in an exercise DVD, or strike some Yoga poses. Promise you'll feel better during and after your workout!

And the diet/fitness industry keeps saying there is a 'magical pill'.....want to know what the REAL 'magical pill' is? Here is the answer: daily workouts and proper nutrition.

If you have personal questions, leave a comment and I'll get back to you via a post on the blog. (yes, your comment could become a cool post as an answer!) Enjoy your workout today and tomorrow and see the changes in your body and energy level stat!

green lean machine

Just wanted to post about an incredible concoction called the green, lean, machine.  This is the. best. drink. EVER. 

What is it you ask?

-handful of spinach (or two)
-4 ice cubes
-1/2-1 scoop protein powder
-1/4 cup water
-dash of fruit/veggie juice
(blend it all in a blender on high for 1-2 mins)

it may not look pretty but it sure is TASTY

It is so cold, so frothy, and so good for muscle building an repair after a fabulous workout. Remember to get in some good protein and carbs after a hard workout, it'll help build those muscle fibers you just broke down (during the workout) and build stronger ones to replace it. Hello fat-burning machine! That's right, get some muscle-building workouts in and you'll turn your metabolism up a MAJOR notch. Look for more to come on the topic.... as for me, I'm going to enjoy a great Saturday with the husband.

A delightful place for a [healthy] meal

Where to go when the hunger hits?! Try a place with soups, sandwiches, and salads all boasting fiber, whole grains, veggies, fruits, lean protein, and light dairy.  The best in my area, you ask???
JASON'S DELI.

This place is DELISH. It serves up a mean sandwich, incredible soups, and a VERY delectable salad bar. The bar includes boiled (peeled) eggs, assortments of veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, oh my!), fruit salad, cottage cheese, whole grain crackers, nuts, dried fruit, hummus, and mUCH much MUCH more.  Not to mention the sandwiches can come on whole-grain bread with tons of veggies and lean meats to top it off.  Go ahead and indulge in an incredible, healthy, and beautiful (it can be colorful and very pretty!) meal!  By the way, you can get soft-serve at the end of the meal for free, too! Just fill a small cone up and enjoy the sweet and smooth flavah! :)

I got it!

I got the job at 24 Hour Fitness Club!  I am SO excited to begin teaching there. However, I have NO idea what and when I'll be teaching.... STay tuned for those pieces of info (I bet you're on the edge of your seat, cause I sure am!) :) 

On another note, have you ever noticed how exercising in the morning makes your day go THAT much better?? If not, I challenge you to get up tomorrow and throw on some fitness clothes and DO something. Take a walk, go for a jog, do a fitness DVD, strike some Yoga poses. ANYthing. Promise, it'll make your day go THAT much better! ENjoy your morning workout, because I sure will! 

Welcome to a blog about fitness, health, nutrition, and staying slim!

How exciting that you happened upon this blog! I am dedicated to sharing tips, ideas, workouts, and recipes to help YOU stay (or get) fit, healthy, and slim for FOREVER! Yep, that is right. This will stick because these tips and ideas come from research, science, and my personal experience.

A bit of background: I have a B.S. in Exercise Science and Nutritional Science (my minor). I am currently working on my M.S. in Exercise Science (emphasis in Health Promotion) and will graduate in December 2010.  I am a dancer, runner, avid exerciser, Pilates lover, Zumba instructor, swimmer, a University fitness class instructor, and health promoter. I also love my husband, spinach in everything and anything (say YES to green drinks!), almond butter, the stair stepper, weight training classes, sunny days, crunchy and crisp apples, cuddling, and carrots.  I have competed in 2 full marathons, 2 half-marathons, and 1 sprint Triathlon. I look forward to doing more Triathlons and other races. 

Well, if you have any questions, leave a comment and I will answer them. As for now, go take a walk, enjoy a short nap, do some pushups, pop in an exercise DVD, or crunch on some baby carrots. Take care of your health TODAY and it will be yours forever! I'm off to do some Zumba!

Me (on the left) and my sister after completing the St. George Marathon, Oct. 2009

Annette P~