My Favorite Meal

I wanted to post this earlier; but I had to catch up with some things at the office. It doesn't matter, you have [or should have] breakfast everyday so maybe you'll remember this next time:

Breakfast is my favorite meal! Even though I love real food and desserts, breakfast is just special. It's the first thing we give our stomachs in the day;  we can enjoy it without thinking too much about issues that may bother us at lunch or even dinner. It's the start of a new day, and we should think about that and be grateful. 

Having said that, let me remind you that you should always have breakfast. Don't skip it! Many people skip it for different reasons; some just don't have time because they go to work very early (that's my case but my boss lets me have breakfast at the office- thankfully!), others are just not that hungry in the morning, and others simply do it on purpose because they're following some type of diet. But think about why you need it:

-  You have slept for probably more than 6 hours. Your body is running on empty, your energy levels are low; in other words, you need some "fuel"! 

-   Breakfast will not only give you more energy, but will also help you think and concentrate better on your tasks.   

-  Keep in mind that breakfast should be nutritious; don't have just a donut and a sugary drink because that will make you hungry later. Have some whole grains, fruit, milk... something varied that will digest evenly.

-  Keep in mind also that skipping breakfast does not mean losing weight. Your body will probably get used to not receiving food; it will assume: "this person will only eat two/three times today, I have to store more energy, store more fat, in order to support her/his activities." You will end up storing more on your other meals. On the contrary, breakfast evens things out a little bit, and it may even reduce your hunger at lunch time.

Sometimes my breakfast is very simple: a cup of coffee w/milk and two toasts, one with jelly and one with butter. Other times it's a bit healthier, with oatmeal included. Regardless of what I eat, I love to have it everyday! Give it a try if you're a person that skips it; start by having something small and work your way up. I bet you will enjoy it!

Article: Why is Breakfast so important?
Original photo here Editing done by me :)

Fruitylicious!

Doesn't it feel good when we eat something we like and we know that is healthy for us at the same time? For some reason, I have the impression that a lot of people only feel that way when eating vegetables. Well you should include fruits too! Yes, fruits have sugar but it's natural sugar. You may be surprised by how much fruit intake is recommended to you when you read your food pyramid (http://www.mypyramid.gov/). In my case, my recommendation is 2 cups. What I like to do sometimes is to type: benefits of [whatever fruit I'm eating] on google and feel great while eating my fruit. Try it :P

Today I ate a mandarin orange, and I will eat grapes later. Here is what I found on them:

In addition to providing half of your daily vitamin C needs, mandarins are also loaded with hesperidin, a citrus antioxidant famous for its bioavailability -- or good absorption into the blood stream.

Not only are grapes a good source of vitamins A and C, but you’ll also find vitamin B6 and folate in these fruits of the vine. And that’s not all. Minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and selenium, as well as trace amounts of copper, manganese, and zinc are also present in grapes. You’ll also get some fiber and protein from grapes. Additionaly, grapes have an abundant amount of flavonoids... very powerful antioxidants.

Now how awesome it would be if pastries and other desserts had the same effect :P

sources: article 1

article 2

image source

Ever Been To A Chiropractor?

Today me and my dad went to the chiropractor. I had not been there in like 4 years but I am glad I finally went back! I don't suffer from back pain or anything, but I like to benefit from a few pops! & cracks! It's great! It leaves you feeling like you can articulate all your movements with better flexibility. Well, just thought I'd share with you some of the benefits.

When talking about medicine, I often quote experts, as I am afraid to word something incorrectly:

"Many things in your everyday life can cause the 24 moving bones of your spinal column to lose their normal position and motion" --and you'd be surprised how many things!... carrying something the wrong way, sleeping on your stomach, etc-- "Chiropractors call this a subluxation. When these bones lose their normal motion and position it sets off a chain reaction affecting the spinal bones, nerves, muscles, and soft tissues. This results in degenerative changes throughout the body. Subluxations appear as many symptoms, including headaches, lower-back pain, pain in the arms, pain in the legs, and in many other areas that you might not realize could be affected."

source here

Do you ever have headaches that seem random, or neck pain, or back pain? As good as a masage can be, try going to a Chiropractor one day. It's definitely not as subtle... don't be scared when it seems he/she will twist your neck and kill you like it happens in action movies, or when he/she applies a "bear hug-style" technique to put your spine back into place. They are doctors too and they know what they're doing. It doesn't hurt. The pops and cracks will most likely make you go "wow" instead of "ouch." Go for it :)

Short-term and regular chiropractic care have a number of benefits including:

• spinal and extremity pain relief
• headache relief
• ncreased mobility and range of motion
• decreased stiffness and muscular spasms
• arthritic joint pain relief
• increased joint health
• increased performance and energy
• increased sense of well being and relaxation
• increased balance and coordination
• reduced degeneration and risk of injury
• enhanced tissue healing
• decreased tissue inflammation

Enjoy your visit to the Chiropractor!

source of image

Weights Don’t Bulk Up Women- How I Work Out

Top 10 Reasons Heavy Weights Don’t Bulk Up the Female Athlete

I always read articles where women are worried that lifting weights will bulk them up. I wish it could be easy for us to gain muscle that fast! But it's not, so don't worry. :)

In fact, weight lifting is good for anybody and it helps your metabolism! In order to tone up your body gradually, just create a simple schedule that works with your daily routine. For example, here is what I do:

According to my current life-routine I create a gym schedule. I aim for 4 times a week working a specific muscle group each time, since I am trying to be more toned and gain a little bit of muscle mass [Once you're in your perfect shape, you can reduce it to 2-3 times a week and just do full body routines to maintain]. Important things to remember:

1) Set your goals. What do you want to improve on? I want to have better legs, arms, and back. I am leaving the chest for later, and I work on abs whenever I can squeeze them into my workout. But, again, my priorities are my legs, arms, and back. So 3 of my days will probably be dedicated for those areas.

2) Decide how you want to work out. Some people prefer to follow Upper Body vs. Lower Body routines. I divide my workouts the following way: Back+Biceps one day, Shoulders+Triceps another day, and Legs. Other ideas: Triceps+Biceps, Abs+Chest, Legs, Shoulders+Back

3) Let your muscles rest. Try to leave at least three days if you plan on using the same muscle. For example, I try to keep my Back+Biceps days apart from my Shoulders+Triceps days because I am using my arms in all of them. Also, I used to think that if I worked out my legs many times a week, I would get them toned faster. FALSE! It is not a good idea to over-train your muscles; their tissue starts to burn.

4) Don't forget to include cardio. Cardio is important because it helps your circulation, works your heart, and builds indurance. Since I aim for weights 3 times a week, I leave 1 for only cardio (1 hr walking/running intervals). But if I have some extra time on my other days, I finish with 10 minutes of cardio (after a weight lifting session, cardio is excellent for burning fat).

5) Vary your routines. Your muscles get used to doing the same thing, so you have to alter your routines once in a while. Do 3 sets one week, 4 the next, use dumbbells for 3 weeks, cords the next 3, do lunges 3 weeks, squats the next 3. These are just examples of things to vary; they are not complete routines. Now, for large muscle groups, like legs and back, I do about 7 different exercises with 3 sets of 12 as average. For small muscles like biceps, I do 3 exercises with 2 sets of 12 each. For triceps I do 3 exercises as well, but with 1 set of 12 reps. each [maybe 2 if I feel like I can do a few more]. Arm muscles are smaller and don't need as much training as legs and back. Here are two great websites that show you different exercises according to muscle group and how to do them correctly: http://www.fullfitness.net/

http://beeblefitness.com/exercises/

6) Don't forget your proteins :). A lot of natural products have protein and it's easy to find information about them online. But you could also try Organic Protein Supplements, (if I use a supplement, I'd rather have the organic one) and prepare yourself a yummy smoothie with frozen fruit (which, by the way, are said to contain more nutrients than fresh fruit). That way you are also satisfying your recommended daily fruit intake :) (at least half of it)

7) Use the Web! Any questions I have I type them on google. Things like: How many sets should I do for this muscle group? What are the best exercises for legs? How many grams of protein are recommended? Whatever your doubts are! Type them in google and most likely someone will have already answered the question.

Last but not least... allow yourself to just do whatever you feel like doing. Some days I am in the mood to ditch the weights and try a Pilates routine on TV, or Tae-bo, or Batuka (latin dancing workout), or bollywood dancing!. As long as you are doing something to release those daily tensions, you will most likely end up feeling great!

So... go, enjoy the gym, the weights, the yummy smoothie afterwards, and eventually... the results :)