Arms

Push-ups are the most widely used exercise for our arms.  They can be done in a variety of ways and can be modified to fit our range of ability.  For example, someone with weak arm strength may opt to begin by doing push-ups while on their knees to lessen the resistance, but someone with more strength can make push-ups more challenging by doing them one handed or while in the pushing up movement, clap both hands together before beginning the next one.

Another arm exercise is boxing, a fast repetitive movement of punching outward or upwards.  This can be done with or without a punching bag and includes arm punches, jabs, and uppercuts.  By varying the type of punch you are able to target different muscles to achieve a well-rounded arm workout.

Stomach

Definitely the most effective exercise and at the top of the list for the most popular exercise used for developing a six pack are crunches.  These are done by laying flat on your back with knees bent, hands behind you upper neck and slowly raising your upper body until it’s at a 45 degree angle with the floor.  Holding the contraction for a few seconds before returning to the floor and performing 3 sets of multiple reps maximize the efficiency.

Standing side-bends may not be as familiar as crunches or sit-ups but it is a great exercise that primarily works the oblique muscles of the stomach and also engages the entire abdominal wall.

Butt

Squats are one of the best exercises for your gluteus maximus or butt muscle which makes up a large portion of the appearance and shape of the buttocks.  It is also a functional exercise as it helps strengthen muscles for multiple daily activities.

Hip extensions specifically target the largest muscle, our glutes unlike squats or lunges that are compound movements that work several muscles at once.  For this exercise you can put a weight behind the knee for more intensity.

Legs

Ideally your whole body is used when doing star jumps but primarily your legs muscles are involved including, quads, hamstrings and calves.  It is an explosive movement and is extremely challenging but has the added benefit of increasing stamina.

Lunges are a great exercise for not only the muscles in your legs but you butt as well.  Making sure you have the proper form is important with any exercise but a lunge can be particularly straining on the knees if done incorrectly.  Done right, lunges improve strength in the hamstrings, quads, calves and glutes.

1.  Set aside a shelf in your pantry and refrigerator just for snacks and keep it stocked with healthy options that are ready to eat.  When kids are hungry they tend to grab whatever is easy and available so assigning a particular area stocked with quick healthy snacks keeps them from choosing unhealthy items like cookies, chips or pizza that maybe lurking about.

2.  Fruit is a typical kid favorite, but grapes need to be washed, apples need to be cut, and oranges peeled, so by preparing fruit ahead of time and packing them in individual containers or sandwich bags in appropriate portions for snack time, your kids are more apt to choose this yummy healthy option.  Another idea is to cut fruit with cookie cutters in different shapes and serve them kabob style.

3.  Try getting your children involved by letting them construct their own snack.  Cut lean lunch meat, cheese, and cucumbers in small squares or circles and serve them with whole wheat crackers and let them learn how to become an architect by building their own sandwich tower with different combinations.  Have your child make their own meat and cheese sandwich with bread and let them cut it with a cookie cutter in a shape of their choice. Kids are more likely to sample food they’re working with.

4.  Let kids dip.  Veggies like snow peas, carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and celery will disappear if they are accompanied by a tub of dip.  Even baked tortilla strips, pita triangles or whole wheat crackers are better tasting and funnier to eat if they can be dipped.  Try making a guacamole dip with smashed avocados and some seasoning.  Avocados provide almost 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, potassium, and folic acid.

5.  Other foods like peanut butter, granola bars, healthy muffins or cookies, and yogurt are snack items that are healthy and delicious.  Pasta is also a great option because it is a fabulous source of complex carbohydrates.  Pick your child’s favorite shaped noodles and prepare some to keep in the refrigerator for snack-time.  Just heat up a half to full cup of pasta in the microwave, add some tomato sauce, veggies or chicken for a warm, quick protein and fiber enriched snack.

By tracking our movement we become more aware and by doing so are able to initiate change.  When we see how easy it is to control our activity levels it can motivate us to exercise more.  My friend, Drew works as a tax accountant for several large companies and spends a majority of his day at work sitting and another chunk of it commuting to and from his job.  After wearing a pedometer for a week and seeing that his “steps per day” average was less than 5,000 he made a goal to improve that number.  He began with small changes like taking the stairs up to his office instead of the elevator and parking farther away from the office building.  When he saw that making improvements was easy he felt motivated to go on walks in the evenings and that lead to running.  He is now an avid runner and participates in several marathons each year.

By counting our physical movement and steadily adding to it we will feel good because we are able to set a goal and accomplish it.  The benefits of living a more active lifestyle are innumerable as it will help reduce stress, improve circulation, build physical and mental stamina, help with weight loss and our overall well-being.

1.  Saves Time -  Taking into consideration that meal preparation takes on average over an hour and if you add the time it takes to plan a weekly menu, grocery shop and cook, the total time over a week is mind boggling.  I believe time is more valuable than money.  Hiring a personal chef to cook for you and your family even if it’s just for dinner will save you loads of time.

2.  More Convenient – Who doesn’t love convenience when it comes to eating?  Why do fast food places stay in business?  They are simply, convenient!  When I’m hungry it’s fantastic to have a meal quickly without too much effort.  Cutting, slicing, dicing and peeling can feel monotonous.  Let someone else do it for you so you can spend time doing something worthwhile.

3.  Saves Money – When a professional plans a weekly menu they are organized and educated on the best food items to buy during their growth season, making them less expensive.  They typically know the best places to shop for the best deals and can group items on the shopping list for the week to cut down on spending for groceries.  Also, with a personal chef around you save by not eating out.

4.  Better for Your Health – My favorite reason… it’s healthier!  A chef is able to cater meals to your specific needs.  If you want to count calories, are vegetarian, or diabetic, then indulge in the fact that your meals will be served with all of your preferences in mind.  Eating fresh healthy meals that contain all the food groups your body needs will put your mind at ease.  You won’t have to justify that french fries count as a vegetable anymore.

5.  Its Delicious -  Even if you feel like you are talented in the cooking department, a trained chef has a better understanding of the art is a highly skilled individual.  A professional who takes pride in their work will want to make sure that each meal is a culinary masterpiece.  Not only will the meals taste delectable but you will appreciate the variety of different recipes and flavor combinations available to savor bite by bite.

Swap sugar and artificial sweeteners with agave.  Agave is a natural sweetener like honey.  Why is it better?  Sugar is a processed sweetener that has no nutritional value except for calories, plus it has a high-glycemic index causing blood sugar levels to spike.  Pushing our bodies to the extreme is detrimental to our health.  Agave, on the other hand has a low-glycemic index keeping our bodies constant. Agave also contains nutrients like saponins which reduce blood cholesterol levels, increases bone density and stimulates the immune system, and a nutrient called fructane which increases healthy bacteria in our digestive system.

One of the best ways to ensure we are eating healthy foods is to try and eat them in their purest form.  For example, fruits, vegetables especially those that are grown locally and organically are a safe bet.  According to WebMD organic crops must be produced without conventional pesticides (including herbicides), synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.  If a food has a “USDA organic” label, it contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients, and a government-approved expert has inspected the farm where it was produced to make sure the farmer follows USDA requirements.

Replace refined grains with whole grains.  To choose a whole grain food, look on the ingredients list.  According to Wikipedia, a good rule of thumb to follow is if the ingredient lists “whole wheat,” “whole meal,” or “whole corn” as the first ingredient, the product is a whole-grain food item.  At kidshealth.org it explains why whole grains are so much healthier for our bodies than refined grains. “Whole grains contain all parts of the grain kernel. But refined grains, like the flour used to make white bread, have had the fiber-dense bran and the nutrient-rich germ processed out, leaving only the starchy endosperm. This means that refined grain is not as rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc.”

Derived from aromatic volatile liquids found in shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds it is said to be natures living energy.  Plants use these distinctive oils to defend against insects, environmental conditions and disease.  They also are vital to help a plant, live, grow, evolve and adapt to it’s surroundings.  Their makeup is complex and the benefits are vast.  The oils are extracted from aromatic plant sources such as lavender, peppermint, marjoram, chamomile, and my favorite patchouli.

The real mystery lies in how the oils work.  Each essential oil has its own frequency; therefore emitting a different emotional response giving it a unique property of healing.  It is said that when an individual has a conflict between reason and feeling, humans side with feeling.  Our feelings may not originate from our current situation but from memories that are imprinted by emotional experiences of our past.  If we want our lives to be guided by good decisions that lead to health, happiness and fulfillment, being aware of and in control of our present feelings help us release the repressed emotions of the past.  When we can do this our thoughts won’t be limited by fear or lack of self-worth and our lives won’t fall short of our God-given potential.  Oils provide us with a vehicle to help with this task because their molecules pass directly to the emotional brain allowing us to clear emotional baggage and live life to our highest potential.

Cedarwood is a woody-scented essential oil that comes from the Juniperus Virginiana tree native to North America. It has been around for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, and is thought to be one of the first essential oils ever extracted.  It is most often used as a calming agent to help alleviate stress and anxiety.  Working in one of the most demanding top careers, like, an emergency room technician, real estate broker, senior executive or any other high stress job can cause lasting negative health issues.  Treating the symptoms through the use of this natural oil, not only prevents harmful physical affects on our bodies but clears the way mentally to manifest success in our work and all aspects of our lives.

There is a Divine and Infinite potential within every soul, an intimate access to the mind of God and the passion of the Universe ~K. Allen Kay

Why the sudden rise in the diagnosis of gluten allergies, also known as Celiac disease?  You may be wondering if it’s a new fad or a true diagnosis.  As the number of gluten allergy cases increase supermarkets and restaurants are catering to the population by marketing and selling gluten free foods.  Even my friend who was recently screened and diagnosed with Celiac disease was asking, “why the rapid shift?”  She was pleasant surprise while dining out after first being diagnosed, when the restaurant offered her a full menu of gluten free entrees to choose from.  You may have noticed full sections in your grocery store aisles marked for gluten free foods.  In fact, my initial reaction was that it must be some marketing ploy.

First off, lets be clear on what gluten intolerance is. You may need to take some beginners online nursing classes to fully comprehend it but the main jist is, it’s an autoimmune disorder in the small intestine caused by a reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat.  Upon exposure to the protein the small intestinal tissue inflames interfering with the absorption of nutrients.  This can cause malnutrition, chronic fatigue, anemia, skin rashes, depression, neurological disorders and a number of other effects.  The only known effective treatment is a life-long gluten-free diet.

Depending on the level of seriousness you may have a gluten-sensitivity or full blown Celiac Disease.  If you happen to be someone with a less serious case, avoiding gluten may heal your gut and the myriad of symptoms may disappear completely.  Sometimes, once the healing is complete it is possible to reintroduce properly prepared grains.  But others are not as lucky and won’t ever be able to avoid symptoms from gluten digestion even if the grains have been “bent” by traditional preparation methods.

According to research modern wheat varieties are wildly different than traditional types.  Not only are the plants not the same but the method we use to prepare it is quick and improper.  Properly prepared grains include sourdough breads or grains that have been soaked, fermented, or sprouted. Using more ancestral type grains and making sure they have a long fermentation, like up to a month before being baked transforms the grain making it digestible even for people with gluten allergies.  The reason behind this is that a particular peptide strand found in gluten is the primary culprit, not the gluten itself.  Some theorize that this peptide strand wasn’t present in ancestral varieties of wheat.  Also, researchers have found that the long, slow fermentation process necessary for making traditional breads, like sourdough, severs the bonds of this particular peptide strand while leaving enough of the remaining gluten proteins in tact to achieve a nice rise when baking.  You’ve heard the verbiage… good things come to those that wait.  Well, in this case it’s true!