I know this video is long, it’s about 10 minutes long, but it’s so worth it to watch. If you skipped it, please go back up and watch it – it’s very motivational, and reinforces my perspective on health.

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Creating A Better Fit – How Can the Health and Fitness Industry Better Serve You?
2. Which Woman Would You Rather Be?

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

1. Runners World SmartCoach: Looking for a training plan, customized to your individual running ability, that will have you in top shape for your next race? Whether you are a beginner just looking to finish or a veteran looking to run your fastest time ever, Runner’s World SmartCoach can help by creating a customized plan just for you.
2. iSmoothRun: iSmoothRun is not just another GPS tracker. It’s programmed by runners, and is the App that we all wished for. Taking advantage of the unique hardware iPhones provide, this is the ultimate App for endurance training.  Using both the GPS and the Accelerometer iSmoothRun literally follows you in every step of your training. You can even start your run outdoors, and move indoors on a treadmill. iSmoothRun will automatically switch modes and continue tracking. If you own a ANT+ footpod we can connect with it too. The Powerful interval editor will let you define, in an easy way, all of your interval workouts. iSmoothRun will then coach you during your run based either on Pace or Heart rate zone!
   
   
3. Nike Training Club: Nike Training Club gives you your own personal trainer, anytime, anywhere. Get lean, toned and strong with more than 85 custom-built workouts. Unlock exclusive extra workouts from celebrities like Lea Michele, professional athletes like Shawn Johnson, and Rihanna’s personal trainer, Ary Nuñez.  This helps you to really build up the core and upper body strength you need to run faster through body weight, muscular endurance type exercises.
   
4. Ab Workouts Free: Simple abdominal exercises & workouts, motivation from your very own e-trainer and information on the right foods to eat, this app can help you achieve a strong core that will contribute to running faster.
   
5. Jog.Fm: Launch this app after iSmoothRun and run! The jog.fm app detects how fast you’re running and plays the best songs automatically. Prefer a consistent pace? No problem. You can easily set a pace for yourself. You can even include a warmup song if you’d like. Do you use other fitness apps like RunKeeper or Nike+ (in “outdoor” mode)? Just launch the other fitness app first, then launch jog.fm. Works like a charm. ** Please Note **
   There is a one-time setup that will take about one minute (depending on the size of your library). The app needs to analyze your songs to figure out which ones to play. An internet connection is required for this setup step because the app is powered by the Echo Nest.
   

Question/Sharing:

What are your favourite iphone apps for running?

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Ask Janice: How Do I Become A Faster Runner?

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© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

But me – ahhhhh!!!! I didn’t workout!

STOP MAKING EXCUSES!

I could tell you all about how Baby Amber has decided that the only place she likes to sleep is in the wrap or on top of me.

Or I could tell you all about how I screwed up the re-design of my other blog twice and had to fix it.

Or I could tell you all about how I went out to re-new the registration of my SUV, stood in line with a crying baby for 30 min only to find out that they can’t re-new the registration because my old SUV is due for an emissions test…

But those, my friends, are excuses.  And as I often say, you can have fitness or excuses, but not both.

BUT I LEARNED FROM THEM!

I learned that:

• I need to workout first thing in the morning while all of my kids are happy.
• I’m not allowed to turn on the computer until I’ve worked out – the computer can be a reward.
• I need to lay out my workout clothes and put them on as soon as I get up – even before I have my coffee, so that I’ll feel energized and motivated.

So last night I SLEPT in my yoga pants… and I did the Shred this morning while my daughters ate breakfast (and Baby Amber was still asleep in her Moses Basket).

Yesterday I had excuses… Today I have FITNESS!!!  - What will YOU have today?

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Creating A Better Fit – How Can the Health and Fitness Industry Better Serve You?

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

(source)

Then there was this really awful advertising campaign to motivate parents and kids to tackle obesity by the State of Georgia:

(source)

Then there was this image that I found floating around Pinterest with the caption “Which woman would you rather be?”:

ALL of these discussions relating size to health make me sick to my stomach because…

You can’t tell how physically (or even mentally) healthy a person is simply by looking at them.  Unfortunately in the debate on my Sunday night blog post and on the pin on pinterest that went with it, many people did try to reason why one of the women in the last picture was healthier than the other:

• Ok hate to point out he obvious but the smaller women is healthier without a doubt! Also I don’t care what anyone says, obesity is not attractive. She may be a good person, but there are definite health issues here!
• Superficially one would most likely answer the smaller woman. The smaller woman could have terminal cancer and a husband that abused her while the heavier woman could be healthy and in a loving and wonderful relationship. I would love to be “fit and healthy” but more than that, I want to be happy and healthy. Just because someone isn’t a size 2 doesn’t make them unhealthy.
• The larger person might be happy and beautiful, but it’s pretty much a given that their health is suffering due to obesity. So many diseases and heath issues are linked to being obese – it’s just a fact.
• Your right you don’t have to be a size two to be healthy, but obesity is not healthy! It’s about health not size! That larger women is not physically healthy, her weight can be just as unhealthy as cancer.
• To try to convince yourself and everyone else that a person that big is beautiful is ignorant and ridiculous. I would never judge someone that’s big, EVER! I have a lot of friends that are obese, and I would never say or do anything to make them feel bad about it. But, I would also NEVER condone and support them either. It’s almost condescending to tell someone that it’s ‘ok” or “beautiful” to be fat. When in reality, IT’S NOT! We were not created to be that morbidly obese and unhealthy. Therefore, it shows disrespect to ourselves and to the One who created our beautiful bodies. We should be more willing to cherish our bodies, since it is a gift.. instead of everybody making excuses when we choose to destroy it.

In my somewhat educated opinion (I have Kinesiology degree) I have come to the conclusion that healthy is:

• being free from disease (both physical and mental)
• being active for at least 30 min a day
• eating 7-8 servings of fruits and veggies/day
• eating .8g of lean protein per kg of body weight
• drinking 74oz + of water/day
• drinking only a moderate amount of alcohol
• being smoke-free

Healthy is NOT a size or a number on the scale -it’s being active and eating sensibly…

so why are we judging each other?

Let’s encourage and motivate all those around us to be as healthy as they can. Let’s lead by example. Judge not. Embrace and encourage. Motivate.

We all have the power to be healthy.

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Tonight is the #mamavation Bootcamp Campaign 11 Launch Twitter party, and yours truly is honoured to be a panelist! I love these twitter parties for the opportunity to discuss all things health and fitness with you, so please join me (@fitcheerldr) tonight at 8pm est!

This week my training got off to a fantastic start. I had a great spinning class on Monday, a speedy 5k run on Tuesday, BodyPump on Wednesday, then the wheels fell off… Thursday I tried to run, but had no juice in my legs, so I came back home after running only 2.5k. On Friday I was home with a sick baby – and because it was bitterly cold out I didn’t think it would be fair to make her sit in the stroller while I ran. Saturday I got out for a fantastic 18k – my legs were fresh and strong. Unfortunately the slushy conditions got the best of my feet:

Blister From Hell

Sunday, I caught whatever the baby is fighting off, and felt like a mack truck hit me. Fever, chills, body aches, yuck! I even napped (which I rarely ever do, but man! I needed it!).

As for quotes for this week…. hmmm – I guess my mantra will be:

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Theodore Roosevelt quotes (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919)

This week I’m going to focus on doing just whatever I can fit in, whenever I can. The baby is still sick (she has diarrhoea, which means daycare is a no-go until she’s been without one for 24 hrs…). Today I’m recovering, tomorrow I’m likely home with Amber, so I’ll bandage up my foot and run before she gets up, Wednesday is usually BodyPump day, and I hope to make it to class, run on Thursday, then home with the kids on Friday (they have a PA day) so I’ll run before they get up. Saturday I’ll run another 18k with my training partner. And on Sunday I’ll TRY to go to BodyPump.

Have a great week everyone, and remember….

Do what you can!

PS – remember when we all wrote about Creating a Better Fit – how the fitness industry could better serve us? Well DailyBuzz Healthy Living featured my post from that bloghop on their site today in their Top 9 – Re-thinking Your Self-Image feature!

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Motivation Monday: First Week of Training
2. Motivation Monday: Life Happens
3. Motivation Monday: Last Month of the Year, Let’s Make it Count!

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

I came across the picture below on Pinterest (here’s the original source). It made me angry because of the caption the pinner put with it:

Which woman would you rather be?

Can you tell from the picture which woman is HAPPIER? Which woman is HEALTHIER?

It’s your turn…

What do you think about this picture?

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Apparently only 34% of Americans drink the recommended 64oz of water our bodies need each day (Eight 8oz servings). Although not enough water is being consumed, most Americans do consume six 8oz servings of caffeinated beverages instead (ie: soda, coffee, tea…). Surprising?

Not really – although I’m not American, I’m just as guilty, so when I was asked by the great folks at Sportline to review their HydraCoach water bottle I eagerly agreed.

So what is this fabulous HydraCoach I write of?
The HydraCoach is the first intelligent water bottle that will track your fluid consumption. About 75% of Americans are dehydrated and need to drink more water. If you’re one of them, then the HydraCoach is the product that can help you stay on track throughout the day because of its advanced technology that keeps track of the ounces you’ve drank and lets you know how many more you need to drink by the end of the day.

Here’s what it does:

• Calculates your personal hydration needs
• Tracks your fluid consumption through the day
• Paces and motivates you to ensure hydration goals are met

Pretty cool right?

It’s even cooler when you factor in that it fits into the side pocket of my diaper bag perfectly!

Fits in my diaper bag!

As a breast feeding mom, water and hydration is every important to me. I’ve read that how much water I drink won’t affect my milk output that much, but it will impact my energy levels and my own personal hydration. So I need to drink my water, as we all know a new mom certainly needs to keep up her energy in order to meet the demands of her family. Besides, water also makes up more than 70% of the body’s tissues and plays a role in nearly every body function!

I’ve been using my HydraCoach for 3 days now and I have to admit that it certainly has helped me keep up my water intake. Wednesday I drank 72oz thanks to it’s coaching, and yesterday I drank 80oz. You know what? I feel better than I have in days!

Thanks SportLine for giving me the opportunity to review & test this product – it’s fantastic and I highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: I did not pay for this product. It was sent to me and in exchange, I’ve posted an honest review of it. I was not compensated nor was I encouraged by the manufacturer to post a positive review. This review is based solely on my experience with this product.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Did you enjoy yesterday’s strrrreeeettchhing challenge? I certainly did – man oh man my hamstrings were tight from all of my training lately – eeek!!!

Today’s challenge is a FOOD challenge – mmmmmmmmm we all love food! Because it’s Friday, it’s a snack challenge:

SMART Snacking is actually good for you because it prevents your metabolism from slowing down and storing up glycogen, and keeps your blood sugar levels stay constant – this prevents you from over-indulging at meal time. Ideally we all should eat several small meals/day, each with a protein and a carbohydrate. Here are some ideas:

• POPChips and a glass of milk
• Carrots and hummus
• tuna and crackers
• cheese and crackers
• Greek yogurt (like Chobani – yum!)
• hard boiled eggs and a fresh fruit or veggie
• celery and organic peanut butter
• …… Drawing a blank guys – Gimme your ideas!!

Don’t believe we love them? Here’s a video of the girls from when we first tried them back in August:

OK – now it’s really no secret – my family LOVES POPChips! (really, what’s not to love about them?) They’re:

• Popped not fried
• not baked
• have half the fat of fried potato chips
• and have all natural seasonings

And guess what?

The good folk at Popchips have given me a 1 month supply of chips to giveaway to 1 lucky reader!!

In addition to challenging you to snack healthy tonight, I want you to also enter my giveaway, so that perhaps if you win, you can snack healthy for a WHOLE MONTH!

To enter: leave a comment sharing with me YOUR favourite healthy snack!

Bonus entries (leave a separate comment for each one completed):

• “Like” popchips on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/popchips
• Follow @popchipsTO on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/popchipsTO
• “Like” Fitness Cheerleader on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/fitnesscheerleader

(giveaway closes on February 3rd at midnight)

Enjoy your healthy snacks tonight!

For a list of all of the Challenges, see the 31 Days to a Healthier You page.

PS – you can join the 31 Days to a Healthier You challenge anytime by leaving a comment below indicating your interest & ticking the “Notify me of new posts by email” box so that you’ll be emailed the daily challenge.

DISCLAIMER: I was not compensated for this post. I love popchips and want to eat them all day long. All opinions expressed are my own.

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. 31 Days to Your Healthiest Year Ever!
2. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 9: Plank it Out!
3. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 15: Do a Handstand Pushup

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

This is why today’s challenge is to listen to your body!

It’s really important to listen to your body, to rest when your body needs it and to recognize your overtraining symptoms. Here’s a list of some typical symptoms:

• Feeling washed-out, tired, drained, lack of energy
• Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Sudden drop in performance
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
• Decrease in training capacity / intensity
• Moodiness and irritability
• Depression
• Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
• Decreased appetite
• Increased incidence of injuries.
• A compulsive need to exercise

My typical symptoms are anxiety, difficulty sleeping, irritability, muscle cramps and illness. So today I’m taking a day off to STRETCH! I may even go to bed early tonight.

Listening to your body does not mean lay on the couch and do nothing – it means taking an active rest day – getting some good stretching in which also helps to prevent injuries, and preserves your range of motion.

Tonight I want you to take a LONG luxurious bath or shower, then afterwards take some time to stretch: calf stretches, quads, hamstrings, downward facing dog, child pose, stretch your arms, reach your toes…. STRRRRREETTTCCCHHH!

Enjoy your stretches tonight, and have a great night!

QUESTION/SHARING:
Have you ever suffered from overtraining? What were your symptoms? What’s your favorite stretch?

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 3: Move Your Body
2. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 27: Snack Healthy (popchips giveaway)
3. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 5: Let’s Flex Those Muscles!

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

Recently I was faced with that dilemma with my lunch time running buddies at work. I got all dressed in my gear and was ready to run. I went to the elevator bank to meet my running buddies – three of them were supposed to meet me, so I waited.

…and waited…

…and waited…

….10 minutes went by…

(Now a one hour lunch break seems like a fairly long time to run 5k, but when you factor time to get change into and out of your workout clothes, and scarfing down some fruit, a tuna salad and some cottage cheese, it really doesn’t leave much time for fooling around.)

So then I was faced with a dilemma:
Do I keep waiting, in the off chance they’re late, and run a shorter route with them? Or do I go for my planned 5k run regardless?

I chose to run regardless, and managed to get my 5k in, although I had to run it fast in order to get back to my desk in time.

My question to you is…
What would you do? Would you run anyways? Or would you wait? How long would you wait?

Please join the discussion below:

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Today we’re building off of Kodjo’s awesome guest post yesterday on exercising at work. Kodjo and I got a tweet from twitter follower @bjornkarger asking us how to get a great workout in while working. I work in a large department at a cubicle (yes folks, I’m a cubicle dweller too) so I understand the limitations of getting a good workout in. Some days I need to work through my lunch hour and skip my lunch workout – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to get a good strength training workout in.

So without further adieu I present to you today’s challenge….

Now let me introduce you to a new kind of strength training – one that you’ve done before, but probably didn’t realise you were doing:

Isometric exercise or isometrics are a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction (compared to concentric or eccentric contractions, called dynamic/isotonic movements). Isometrics are done in static positions, rather than being dynamic through a range of motion.
Source: Wikipedia

Yes, you’ve done this before – a plank, is an isometric contraction, whereas a sit-up is an isotonic contraction.

Yeah, yeah – I know you’d be the office fool if you dropped to the nasty carpet, or linoleum and did planks beside your desk. This is why I’m going to share with you some exercises that you can do while sitting at your desk…

Strength training that can be done without anyone even noticing that you’re working out!

* Hold each of these exercises for as long as you can and repeat 10 times. Do NOT hold your breath while doing them, instead concentrate on slow even breathing>

• Abs: Sitting straight in your chair, contract your abs – don’t bend over, just hold them as tight as you can and for as long as you can. Be careful not to hold your breath – that increases your blood pressure and isn’t good for you.
• Hamstrings (back of your thighs) and Quadriceps (front of your thighs): Sitting straight in your chair, extend one leg straight out under your desk, and push your bent leg down into the floor. Strong>I love this move because you can work both legs at the same time.
• Gastrocnemius (calves): With both legs bent, flex your foot down and push your toes into the carpet, causing your calves to contract.
• Lateral Deltoids (shoulders): With your arm bent at 90 degrees, swing your chair so that your forearm is parallel to your desk, now push your arm outwards against the desk. Use the rest of your body to counter the force that you’re exerting against your desk.
• Biceps: With your arm bent at 90 degrees, and sitting perpendicular to your desk, make a fist with your hand, and place it below your desk surface. Now push your fist upwards into the desk.
• Triceps: Sitting upright in your chair, arm bent at 90 degrees, push your arm back into the backrest of your chair. Use your abdominal strength to counter the backward force.

So there ya have it – a full body strength routine you can do at your desk, without looking like the weird fitness freak! I gotta go do my desk workout now, will you do it with me?

For a list of all of the Challenges, see the 31 Days to a Healthier You page.

PS – you can join the 31 Days to a Healthier You challenge anytime by leaving a comment below indicating your interest & ticking the “Notify me of new posts by email” box so that you’ll be emailed the daily challenge.

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 5: Let’s Flex Those Muscles!
2. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 9: Plank it Out!
3. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 2: Let’s Plan for Success!

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

Saying that Janice is a super active person, would be an understatement. “Managing” three young girls while working full time is no easy feat in itself. Finding time to exercise under that scenario is almost a far-fetched dream, but in Janice’s world, there’s no excuse; exercising is not an option, but rather a necessity, because she knows health is wealth.

If you are a Janice-type busy person, you quickly realize how difficult it is to carve out time to exercise. To make matters worse, you may have a job that requires you to be sedentary most of the day, spending countless hours at your office desk. Lack of exercising, coupled with chronic sedentary lifestyle, is a recipe for disaster.

One advice is to get a gym membership, or a personal trainer. But, let’s face it: How many people stick to their gym schedules? In fact, I challenge you to find your gym membership card right now, and see if you remember where you left it. So let’s eliminate this advice, and focus on something else: home workout.

Exercising at home is adequate for people who have busy schedules, because they can exercise right in their living rooms or backyards. Commuting to the gym not only takes extra time, but also requires extra motivation. This is the reason most people can stick to home workout programs.

If however, all of the above advice fails, your best bet is to exercise in the office. An office exercise is not as engaging as a half-hour intensity interval training workout, or the sweat-full spinning classes like Janice takes on Mondays. However, office exercises can significantly reduce your risk of health issues. A common denominator to office exercises, is that you are limited by the space you have. In addition, you can’t do any exercise routine that will cause you to sweat. With those two restrictions in mind, here are few examples of office exercises that can help you stay healthy, even with your busy schedule.

Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises should not be underestimated. A good 5 to 10-minute stretching exercise routine can help reinvigorate your immune system, and promote blood flow, helping reinstate full functionality of your brain cells. Below are several stretching exercises you can do in your office.

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It’s MONDAY, and y’all know what that means…. It’s time for yet another instalment of Motivation Monday where I share with ya my thought/motto/mantra for the week, a summary of last week’s training accomplishments and my goals for this week.

• Monday: Lunch time spinning class – rode 16.4k (I always check the odometer on the bike to see if I can beat my distance from the week before).
• Tuesday: 5.64 k run around the park at lunch (avg pace was 5:50/km)
• Wednesday: BodyPump class
• Thursday: Speedwork: four 1 mile fast repeats at 8:16 pace with ½ mile recovery jogs – the blowing wind from the snowstorm was whipping me in the eyes, so I called it quits after only 3 x 1 mile repeats. Total distance: 8.03 k Avg pace: 5:46/k
• Friday: 5k run around the park at lunch. Worked through lunch to make up time.
• Saturday: BodyPump class. I rearranged my training plan and ran 16 k in the afternoon with my training partner (@egrrrl) because the hubby and I were going on a date Saturday night and I didn’t want to cut our date short just so I could run on Sunday morning. My training partner is AWESOME and rearranged her weekend schedule to run with me on snow covered sidewalks in the cold. Totals distance: 15.37 k Avg pace: 6:33/k
• Sunday: 16k long run with my training partner. Spent the day cleaning the house, doing laundry and preparing for the week ahead (as per Day 22 of the 31 days to a Healthier You Challenge).

I’m entering the next week with the motto:

What does not kill me, makes me stronger.
-Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1888
German philosopher (1844 – 1900)

My training plan is now entering the four highest mileage weeks that will hopefully really build my endurance and speed for the Chilly Half. This means that going to bed at a decent time to get the rest I need for recovery, along with fuelling my body with lots of lean protein, fruits, veggies, whole grains and my MultiVitamin is going to be keys to my success. I feel really tight/stiff today so I may need to fit some stretching/yoga into my plan for the next few weeks, or at least book myself in for a massage (or two).

Here’s my training plan for this coming week:

• Monday: Lunch time spinning class (part of my 75k Ride for Heart trainingli>
• Tuesday: 5 k easy run around the park at lunch.
• Wednesday: BodyPump class (I big puffy heart me some BodyPump.
• Thursday: Tempo Run: 8 k at 5:33/km pace.
• Friday: 5k easy run around the park at lunch.
• Saturday: BodyPump class.
• Sunday: 18k long run with my training partner (@egrrrl).

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Motivation Monday: Life Happens
2. Motivation Monday: Learning from the Past
3. Motivation Monday: First Week of Training

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

Tomorrow we’re back to the grind (work, school, etc…) which means if we don’t prepare ahead we could end up being enticed to stray from our healthy living by the crap in the cafeteria etc… This is why it’s crucial for us all to prepare a few things on a Sunday to help us to stay on track during the week….

• Slice raw veggies, such as colourful peppers, broccoli, mushrooms (or buy them pre-sliced), celery and carrots (or buy baby carrots) and store in clear plastic or glass containers. They will be handy for a snack (dip in hummus!) or a stir fry
• Bake or poach 3-4 chicken breasts (above what you need for dinner), let them cool and store in a container in the fridge
• Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth and one cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 min. Let cool and either store as is, or make it into a salad with feta cheese, cilantro and grape tomatoes. Add a bit of balsamic vinaigrette when serving.
• Hard-boil 4-6 eggs, great to add to salads, wraps or just as a great snack with some raw veggies.
• Wash, cut and prep fruit such as cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries and grapes. Mix in small containers for ready-made fruit salad to be added to yogurt.
• Prepare a bean salad for a great side dish with lunch or dinner. My favorite is adapted from the Low GI Diet Cookbook – I’ll share it at the end.

Now when you look at your fridge on a Monday morning, there will be lots of options for healthy lunches and dinners to start your week. Usually by Wednesday evening I am doing some of the set-up again to get through the week, as we have often already eaten all that was prepared.

Julie also has shared an adaptation of the Mixed Bean Salsa from the Low GI Diet Cookbook.

• 1 can mixed beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil), chopped
• 1/2 cup of green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
• a few dashes of hot pepper flakes (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and lightly toss. Refrigerate unused portions. Makes approx. 6 side servings.

For a list of all of the Challenges, see the 31 Days to a Healthier You page.

PS – you can join the 31 Days to a Healthier You challenge anytime by leaving a comment below indicating your interest & ticking the “Notify me of new posts by email” box so that you’ll be emailed the daily challenge.

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 6: Eat a Rainbow
2. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 25: Strength Train at Your Desk
3. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 2: Let’s Plan for Success!

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

What Motivates You?

It is often said that it takes 30 days to form a pattern and 90 days to form a habit, but as Jim Ryun says, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

So how do you get motivated to do things like run and keep to a training schedule? Then, what keeps you motivated?

We all know motivation is entirely personal. What motivates one individual won’t necessarily motivate another. The real key is to understand what motivates you based on your own unique set of desires. Once you understand your own desires, you can set goals based on those desires. These goals will help to keep you motivated.

Now you’re asking yourself—what motivates me? How do I know what my desires are? This is where Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can assist you. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is often depicted as a pyramid consisting of five levels: the four lower levels are grouped together as being associated with physiological needs, while the top level is termed growth needs associated with psychological needs. Maslow’s theory is that motivation is driven by the existence of unsatisfied needs. So what are your unsatisfied needs? Well, you can find out by taking this 36 question simple online test:

I took the test and here are my results:

From this we can see that my unsatisfied need is LOVE. Based on that, I can assume that joining a running group or running regularly with a friend would motivate me and satisfy that need.

Here are some motivational goals and activities based on each unsatisfied need as set out by Maslow:

• Physiological Needs: Maybe you are sick? Battling an illness? Injured? Feeling unhealthy? Motivational goals that center around feeling healthy would work best i.e., running to lose some weight, lower your resting heart rate, decrease your blood pressure, following a rehab plan for an injury, etc.
• Safety Needs: Maybe your life is in an uncontrolled state right now—you feel like things are out of your control. Why not satisfy that need by using a structured training plan to regain some control and a feeling of safety?
• Love Needs: When love needs are not met, running with a friend, a partner, a pet or a running club can be very motivating.
• Esteem Needs: Accomplishing something that is impressive to others will be motivating to those with unfulfilled self-esteem needs. Maybe you’ve been running 5Ks? Try for a more impressive distance or finishing time to motivate yourself.
• Self-Actualization: According to the Wikipedia entry on self-actualization, this is the “instinctual need of humans to make the most of their abilities and to strive to be the best they can. Working toward fulfilling our potential, toward becoming all that we are capable of becoming.” Creating a training plan that focuses on running your best race, qualifying for Boston, etc. will keep you motivated.

Whatever your unsatisfied needs are, knowing yourself and your desires will help you to remain motivated to run or exercise. Go on now, take the test and use that knowledge to motivate yourself and make yourself a happier you. (After you take the test, stayed tuned for more to come on goal setting and creating training plans.)

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. — Tao Te Ching

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Today I want to talk to you about vitamins. I know, I know, you eat well and you feed your kids well. Although vitamins are not a replacement for healthy eating, they can offer you peace of mind and support good health for those rare occasions when you need to eat on the run. As well, I’ll freely admit that despite my best efforts at making home cooked meals, my family still lacks in certain key vitamins and minerals (largely due to being picky eaters).

These are my two oldest beautiful daughters, Sierra and Brooke:

PS – you can join the 31 Days to a Healthier You challenge anytime by leaving a comment below indicating your interest & ticking the “Notify me of new posts by email” box so that you’ll be emailed the daily challenge.

*Disclosure: I am a Swiss Natural Brand Ambassador, however my family honestly really does love and take Swiss Natural Total One MultiVitamins . Total One Women’s, Men’s and Kids were provided to me by Swiss Natural and I have been compensated for this post.

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 3: Move Your Body
2. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 17: Drink Green Tea
3. You Healthiest Year Ever, Day 18: Butt Out

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© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

Don’t have time to exercise and eat healthy foods?

Then do you have time for a heart attack?

Does this look like fun?

She’s right – you can take care of yourself now, or just wait until a health crisis either takes your life, causes irrevocable damage, or just plain forces you to do what you should have been doing all along.

Yeah – that’s harsh, I know, but the truth hurts.

Although you lack the power to change some risk factors — such as family history, sex or age — there are some key lifestyle changes you can make NOW that will possibly prevent you from having to make time for a heart attack:

• Stop smoking
  Full stop, don’t do it.  I don’t think I even need to elaborate on why you need to quit – just do it!  The Canadian Lung Association website has a lot of great tips on how you can quit.
• Workout
  Strive for at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week. However, even shorter amounts of exercise offer heart benefits, so if you can’t meet those guidelines, don’t give up. You can even break up your workout time into 10-minute sessions.  Steph has a great series of posts on 10 minute exercises called Got 10 Minutes?
• Follow the DASH Diet
  The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) provides benefits to reduce blood pressure. It is based on an eating plan rich in fruits and vegetables, and low-fat or non-fat dairy. Even though most people know that this seems like a very healthy way of eating, initially it is hard to implement and sustain. The average American gets 2 – 3 servings of fruits and vegetables combined each day, so following the DASH diet can involve making a concerted effort.  There’s a book you can buy that will help you called the The DASH Diet Action Plan.
  
• Maintain a healthy weight
  A BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or less is best, but even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10 percent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes. Following the DASH diet and getting 30-60 min of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week will help you greatly with your weight.
• Get regular health screenings
  High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing for them, you probably won’t know whether you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action. Don’t believe me?  Go ask my pal Dr. Oz – I’m sure he agrees.

I’m not going to pretend I’m perfect. Although I don’t smoke (I quit 15 yrs ago!), have a healthy weight and am screened regularly, I need to work harder on the diet aspect of this.  I turn to quick, easy to prepare meals far too often – though I do often snack on fresh fruits and veggies.  I don’t have time for a heart attack, so I’m going to work on my improving my diet, and my family’s diet…

What about you?  What do you need to improve upon?

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(If you would like to guest blog, then check out my guidelines here.)

Little kids need a diet high in fat and protein, but I’m a vegetarian and my focus is on fiber and protein. With so many opinions (and people to express them at the
grocery store), I was fatigued at the thought of making dinner. There’s also the
real challenge of providing natural sugar, low processing effect, and super foods …
that don’t suck. Armed with a picture list for each of the kids, I hit the grocery
store with new zeal. I loaded up on vegetables of all shapes and sizes, fresh and
frozen. I got home and realized all I have is a lot of veggies and the eggs and
cheese from yesterday’s grocery run. And no toilet paper.

So, 5:00 totally sneaked up on me. I knew it had arrived because my daughter was
crying at my feet and the boys were competing for one of the two identical pirate
ships. Here’s my angle – put out a bowl of edamame or baby carrots or garbanzo
beans. Hungry kids eat everything.

Then I think – protein and vegetable. One night it was eggs and steamed asparagus.
Admittedly, the asparagus was a stretch for the kids, so I lathered some olive oil
and a little salt for them. One night it was black beans out of a can with sliced
avocado. Then I thought, OH RIGHT – THEY LIKE & NEED CARBS. Enter the rice cooker.
One child likes it all mixed together with sour cream, another can’t let the foods
touch.

It took trial and error but the method of protein&veg worked. Tofu and broccoli in
the wok with stir fry sauce (ten minutes and one pan). When my husband is home I
might add ginger shavings and pressed garlic, but the kids don’t want all that
flavor. I sometimes think I will add Hollandaise sauce and an English muffin to my
eggs and asparagus for a twist on Eggs Benedict. Maybe it’ll happen once I get all
my aprons pressed.

Broiled salmon is as popular with the under threes as boiled chicken is to a
vegetarian. I cut them into small pieces and add blackening seasoning before putting
them under the broiler. Barilla Plus pasta is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids
and protein, but the kids think it tastes great with olive oil and parmigiana
cheese. Even greater is how frozen vegetables in hot foods bring the temperature of
the food down, especially peas.

I love magazine celebrity interview lists –
My favorite kitchen tools: a big pan, a rice cooker, spray oil, and an electric tea
kettle (hot water on demand is the coolest thing).
My favorite recipes: come from everywhere, Weight Watchers to to the Joy of Cooking
to Williams-Sonoma, but mostly googling copy cat recipes from my favorite
restaurants.
My favorite meals:
-> Bean and cheese tacos. (I like to use soft corn tortillas, then fold them in a
hot pan with spray oil.)
-> Black beans and rice
-> Pasta with olive oil, garlic, and parmigiana
My favorite meal additions:
-> Diced tomatoes
-> Sliced avocado
-> Chopped nuts
-> Frozen veggies.
My favorite snacks:
-> Edamame
-> Air popped popcorn with butter flavored spray
-> Herbal tea (This is a new phenomenon with us. My son actually relaxes at nap time
if he has a cup of chamomile tea. Seriously. And, hello antioxidants!)
-> Hard boiled eggs and orange slices
-> FRUIT (frozen blueberries, strawberries, bananas, raspberries), and sometimes
with yogurt and granola

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More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Healthy and Fun Birthday Party Ideas

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© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

I’m doing well, sipping and enjoying all of the antioxidant benefits of my green tea. I had a fantastic BodyPump class at the gym today and although it’s cold out, I also enjoyed walking in the sunshine with my co-worker.

Up here in the Great White North (aka Canada), it’s National Non-Smoking Week!

National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) has been observed here for more than 30 years. It is one of the longest running and most important events in Canada’s ongoing public health education efforts. Established in 1977 by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control (CCTC), its goals are:

• to educate Canadians about the dangers of smoking;
• to prevent people who do not smoke from beginning to smoke and becoming addicted to tobacco;
• to help people quit smoking;
• to promote the right of individuals to breathe air unpolluted by tobacco smoke;
• to denormalize the tobacco industry, tobacco industry marketing practices, tobacco products, and tobacco use; and
• to assist in the attainment of a smoke-free society in Canada.

Source: nnsw.ca

On the Wednesday of NNSW, we celebrate (practice?) Weedless Wednesday. As Wednesday marks the half-way point of NNSW, it is the day that we ask all Canadians who smoke to BUTT OUT just for one day. So today, in honour of Weedless Wednesday, I’m asking (actually BEGGING) all of you who smoke to butt out. To give it a try JUST FOR TODAY!

IT WORKED!

 
I smoked only 1 more cigarette a few months later because I *thought* I needed one. Oh my goodness did that ever make me sick to my stomach. That was the last cigarette that I ever smoked. If I can do it, then so can YOU!
Want more motivation and support? Here are some Twitter accounts and Facebook pages to help you on your journey to a smoke-free life!

Twitter:

Smokers’ Helpline

http://twitter.com/#!/SmokersHelpline

@SmokersHelpline Ontario
We have proven tips & tools to help u quit successfully. Connect for free, personalized & non-judgmental support/advice/info.

FACET

http://twitter.com/#!/FACETobacco

@FACETobacco
A program of research committed to finding original ways to support young families in their efforts to become smoke free.

QuitNow

http://twitter.com/#!/quitnowbc

@quitnowbc British Columbia
QuitNow is here to help you quit smoking. Join us in supporting a healthier British Columbia.

The EX Team

http://twitter.com/#!/TheEXTeam

@TheEXTeam
A free quit smoking plan that can help you relearn life w/o cigarettes. Based on research from experts @ Mayo Clinic & practical experience from EX smokers.

SmokefreeWomen @NCI

http://twitter.com/#!/SmokefreeWomen

@SmokefreeWomen Everywhere
SFW is your ultimate guide to staying clear of tobacco & boosting YOUR quit attempt! Brought TO real women BY real women.

Quit For Life

http://twitter.com/#!/Quit_For_Life

@Quit_For_Life
Quitting tobacco? Already quit? Get helpful quit tips, preparation advice, and meet others like you.

Stop Tabac

http://twitter.com/#!/stoptabac

@stoptabac Genève, Suisse
Stop-tabac.ch offre une aide sur mesure et gratuite à ceux qui veulent en finir avec le tabac. Le partage et le dialogue avec d’autres fumeurs sont encouragés.

Facebook:

Smokers’ Helpline

http://www.facebook.com/smokershelpline

Canadian Cancer Society Smokers’ Helpline is a free, confidential service. We offer free and personalized support, advice and information about quitting smoking and tobacco use.

Smokefree Women

http://www.facebook.com/smokefree.women

Join our support community to become & stay smokefree. Women can share stories, offer/receive tips & encouragement & get the latest news on the benefits of living a tobacco-free life!

www.stop-tabac.ch
Venez visiter le site http://www.stop-tabac.ch. Aides, information, soutien

PS – you can join the 31 Days to a Healthier You challenge anytime by leaving a comment below indicating your interest & ticking the “Notify me of new posts by email” box so that you’ll be emailed the daily challenge.

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 20: Take a MultiVitamin
2. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 15: Do a Handstand Pushup

This post is from Fitness Cheerleader. Please visit the original post if you would like to join the discussion.

© Janice Smith for Fitness Cheerleader, 2012. | Permalink

Today’s challenge in the 31 Days to a Healthier You series is nutritional:

Why green tea? It tastes great and…

• Green tea has a high content of flavonoids — plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants.
• Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties.
• Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.
• Some studies suggest that green tea aids in weight loss.

Those four reasons are good enough for me! Will you join me in having a mug of green tea?

PS – you can join the 31 Days to a Healthier You challenge anytime by leaving a comment below indicating your interest & ticking the “Notify me of new posts by email” box so that you’ll be emailed the daily challenge.

More from Fitness Cheerleader:

1. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 10: Drink More Water
2. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 12: Skip the Cream and Sugar
3. Your Healthiest Year Ever, Day 6: Eat a Rainbow

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