Hydration is so important for your body. The body is made up of 60% water and helps with so many of your bodily functions such as absorption, tears, sweat, circulation. Water helps keep your skin and organs hydrated and nutrients flowing to and from them. I have read on several articles that drinking two glasses of water to get your day started helps control your cravings and calorie intake as well.
With my busy schedule, juggling two full time jobs, chores around the house, maintaining a consistent work out routine and ensuring that I take time for myself and loved ones, I have found that sometimes I forget to grab a drink of water. My body totally feels it- my skin feels tight, my mouth is dry and my lips crack, I feel lethargic, and want to snack all the time. For the past year, I fully cut out soda, Mios, and juices to also reduce the amount of sugar in my diet so my go to for hydration is water which is not always an exciting drink and does not come in a variety of flavors. My mother actually helped with making water a more desirable drink for me.
Flavored water can be accomplished in several different ways and can help with those "cravings" you may sometimes get for a sweet drink or alternate taste. My mom started with a cucumber, lemon and mint water- still water and there are additional nutrients from the citrus and vegetables. After that I looked up several other recipes on Pinterest and asked my friends what were some of their favorite flavors. My favorite is still my mom's recipe thought I have tried several with different berries, different herbs (basil is really tasty) and ginger.
Tip for the Day: Here's a few recipes to get you started that I like:
1 whole lemon, washed and sliced into rings
1 whole cucumber, washed and sliced into rings
1/4 cup rough chop of mint
Fill a pitcher with all ingredients with a cup of ice. Give it a quick stir to release the oils in the mint and fill the rest of the pitcher with water. Keep refrigerated. The water, if you can keep from drinking it all at once, will keep for 4-5 days.
1/2 box of raspberries
1 whole lime, washed and sliced into rings
Same as a above for instructions
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Whole 30 Day 2 Supportive Sources
Know your stuff!
The most irritating thing to me, are all the people who so quickly discredit paleo and primal lifestyles because of one article they have read or because they are bread lovers and do not agree with this particular lifestyle. These are also the most uneducated about paleo and do not look into the benefits or the causes of the negatives. They do not look at the science or what people are actually eating- it clearly must just be meat and vegetables, how do you live like that?! I admit I was skeptical at first and compared paleo to the Atkins diets and in some aspects they are similar. The important thing to remember is that everyone is different and different nutritional lifestyles work for all different body types. So it really benefits you to do your research and find out what works best for you!
One of the sources that was recommended to me that I have written about before, is the information dense It Starts With Food. This book breaks down the science of how food interacts with the body. This couple makes the science totally easy to understand and even has specific examples for particular aliments. They have even come out with an updated edition of their book that expands and accepts moderation of potato starch and salt for certain instances- continuing research! It Starts With Food also comes complete with recipes for your Whole30.
If you have joined in the paleo lifestyle, you already know it is clearly more than just meat and vegetables that you are eating. I have used so many different proteins that I was unsure of how to cook before, liver, heart, lamb part, and developed an appreciation for a wide range of flavors. As a former culinary student and active member in the hospitality industry, I found myself regressing to the same flavors with no creativity because I figured there was only one way something could be made. I have been able to make several varieties of curries (from scratch!), I am able to differentiate certain spices that before just seemed to blend together into routine and my appreciation for food in general is much greater- I'm like Remey from Ratatouille. What really help get me started was the pantry lists from the Whole30 site. I did a lot of research on all the different spices, 'flours', fats and nuts to find out how they replaced, enhanced or interacted with food. To help with further variety I found Nom Nom Paleo who even has a section dedicated to Whole30.
All of these sources do talk about what works for them and how paleo has affected their lives. And these people are accountable and admit when something does not work. Like I said before you have to find what works for you- Hess and I eat the same meals but different foods affect me differently than they affect him.
Tip for the Day: Like in any situation, do your research. Have your facts to support your claims. I did the research and proved myself wrong :)
The most irritating thing to me, are all the people who so quickly discredit paleo and primal lifestyles because of one article they have read or because they are bread lovers and do not agree with this particular lifestyle. These are also the most uneducated about paleo and do not look into the benefits or the causes of the negatives. They do not look at the science or what people are actually eating- it clearly must just be meat and vegetables, how do you live like that?! I admit I was skeptical at first and compared paleo to the Atkins diets and in some aspects they are similar. The important thing to remember is that everyone is different and different nutritional lifestyles work for all different body types. So it really benefits you to do your research and find out what works best for you!
One of the sources that was recommended to me that I have written about before, is the information dense It Starts With Food. This book breaks down the science of how food interacts with the body. This couple makes the science totally easy to understand and even has specific examples for particular aliments. They have even come out with an updated edition of their book that expands and accepts moderation of potato starch and salt for certain instances- continuing research! It Starts With Food also comes complete with recipes for your Whole30.
If you have joined in the paleo lifestyle, you already know it is clearly more than just meat and vegetables that you are eating. I have used so many different proteins that I was unsure of how to cook before, liver, heart, lamb part, and developed an appreciation for a wide range of flavors. As a former culinary student and active member in the hospitality industry, I found myself regressing to the same flavors with no creativity because I figured there was only one way something could be made. I have been able to make several varieties of curries (from scratch!), I am able to differentiate certain spices that before just seemed to blend together into routine and my appreciation for food in general is much greater- I'm like Remey from Ratatouille. What really help get me started was the pantry lists from the Whole30 site. I did a lot of research on all the different spices, 'flours', fats and nuts to find out how they replaced, enhanced or interacted with food. To help with further variety I found Nom Nom Paleo who even has a section dedicated to Whole30.
All of these sources do talk about what works for them and how paleo has affected their lives. And these people are accountable and admit when something does not work. Like I said before you have to find what works for you- Hess and I eat the same meals but different foods affect me differently than they affect him.
Tip for the Day: Like in any situation, do your research. Have your facts to support your claims. I did the research and proved myself wrong :)
Monday, December 29, 2014
Post Holiday: Whole 30 Day 1 again...
What a whirlwind of a year! I have fallen off my routine and have enlisted my amazing Beach Body Coach Kelsey Ann, my supportive family and my "bustin' my chops" boyfriend to keep me in line. This means ensuring I post on ridiculousday EVERY DAY (Dad I'm counting on you!), I complete my PiYo and get that extra push when my P90X3 arrives (so excited!) and that my daily routine stays on track and that our grocery trips stay true to my goals.
Hess is focusing back to his primal paleo while keeping me on my Whole 30 goal. The holidays were not kind to us but we're not complaining! A wedding and a family union called for plenty of delicious food: prime rib, au gratin gruyere potatoes, an appetizer party with my mom's famous spring rolls and our Argentinean visitors made another 300 empanadas...you get the idea. With all of the delicious food, I definitely did not want any specials made while we were visiting so I made sure to moderate and ate a lot of foods that I probably shouldn't have eaten!
Exercise was always easy to incorporate especially when I had a holiday charity run to complete. However, after a shoulder injury and a mysterious broken pinky my exercise routine was put on hold. And I will admit, I have gained a lot of weight back and am back to several of my initial measurements.
So today is the day! I am starting Whole 30 again, we are moments away from our initial grocery shopping trip since the fridge is empty from our 2 week long vacation, lists in hand and meal ideas in abundance. My goals: to work out at least once a day and to complete this Whole 30 by January 29, 2015. After completion I will post another set of goals to keep me on track!
You can keep me on track too! If I don't post or if you would like to see a recipe comment below!
Tip for the Day: You know I'm a big fan of planning (oh that Type A personality) which also means I'm a huge fan of lists and things I can cross off. The above lists you can find on the Whole30.com site and are really helpful for your paleo shopping and guides.
Hess is focusing back to his primal paleo while keeping me on my Whole 30 goal. The holidays were not kind to us but we're not complaining! A wedding and a family union called for plenty of delicious food: prime rib, au gratin gruyere potatoes, an appetizer party with my mom's famous spring rolls and our Argentinean visitors made another 300 empanadas...you get the idea. With all of the delicious food, I definitely did not want any specials made while we were visiting so I made sure to moderate and ate a lot of foods that I probably shouldn't have eaten!
Exercise was always easy to incorporate especially when I had a holiday charity run to complete. However, after a shoulder injury and a mysterious broken pinky my exercise routine was put on hold. And I will admit, I have gained a lot of weight back and am back to several of my initial measurements.
So today is the day! I am starting Whole 30 again, we are moments away from our initial grocery shopping trip since the fridge is empty from our 2 week long vacation, lists in hand and meal ideas in abundance. My goals: to work out at least once a day and to complete this Whole 30 by January 29, 2015. After completion I will post another set of goals to keep me on track!
You can keep me on track too! If I don't post or if you would like to see a recipe comment below!
Tip for the Day: You know I'm a big fan of planning (oh that Type A personality) which also means I'm a huge fan of lists and things I can cross off. The above lists you can find on the Whole30.com site and are really helpful for your paleo shopping and guides.
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