Health

I've always loved nutrition and working out. It's something I developed a passion for around the age of 13. I would run the neighborhood and do crunches when I came back home. During the summer, I would get up early and do workout DVDs. I wanted to be in shape and healthy. I thought a lot about the food I ate. Although, I must admit, I only thought I knew what healthy was back then. Honestly, now that I'm 24 and the mother to 2 kids, I can say without a doubt, I'm in better shape now than I've ever been and I have a much better understanding of health. That's because I only thought I was healthy back in the day. I would limit what I ate and eat low fat, no fat, diet, low calorie, sugar free, etc. I thought I was doing what was best, you know, choosing what would benefit me the most. I would work out 5-6 days a week for 1-1/2 to 2 hours a day (WHOA!!!!). I had to struggle to maintain my weight. Little did I know, I was setting myself up for failure. Around the same time I was enlightened about holistic health, home birth, no medication, no vaccinations, all that other stuff that classifies me as a nut, I discovered the truth about health. Things that come in their natural, God-made form, are things that are healthy. They are the things my body needs, craves, desires, and will thrive on. Such as cream. Cream has fat and sugar in its natural form. When you take the fat and sugar out of it, you have to replace the good tasting stuff with something that will make it taste yummy and therefore make that product sell. What do you replace it with? Something man-made, unhealthy, and altogether NOT GOOD for us or meant for us. Our body was created by God and He created food for us to eat too (and to enjoy!!). Food that would sustain us, keep us healthy, and make us thrive and feel great! Like I said, back in the day, I worked hard to keep my figure and so called "health" up to par. Not so much anymore. The only time I "work hard" to keep my figure is when I busting my butt in the gym, which I thoroughly love! I eat lots, all throughout the day. The thing that is different is what I'm eating. I eat nuts, fruits, veggies, tuna, peanut butter, turkey, cheese, protein, etc. I probably eat every 2 hours or so (who's counting??) and I workout 4-5 days a week for an hour, maximum. I never struggle with my weight. My weight never fluctuates. I have cheat meals and enjoy the cheats I have. I don't stress over what I put in my body. I enjoy eating and cooking. Food is not an enemy to me. What was I thinking back then??? Food was an enemy. Eating was a chore. I was always worried about what I was eating, how much I was eating, and if I had enough hours in my day to burn off those calories. Now, I don't worry too much if I miss a workout or not. I don't like missing one, but I know my life will go on and my figure will not suffer. My food choices have changed 100% though. I eat real, whole food. I try to limit the processed food as much as possible. Living and eating this way is so much more freeing and fun! It has truly become my way of life, my 2nd nature. I don't even think about it anymore. Here are some interesting health facts:

1) The average American is both overweight and undernourished.

2) Americans don’t die of ole age anymore- they dig their own graves with a knife and fork and kill themselves with their own teeth. 

3) Besides huge amounts of excess sugar, our foods are also laced with man-made additives. 

4) 20% of Americans eat NO vegetables and 40% eat NO fruits!

5) 16-20 percent of daily calorie intake is coming from sugar.

6) Starving yourself will cause your body to go into “Starvation Mode” and make losing weight a lot harder in the long run.

Are you like me and struggle with a sweet tooth???  Indulge occasionally and make what you indulge in count! Go for pure, organic sweets. Homemade desserts made from scratch with no preservatives- know what you are eating. Treat yourself to one helping of a dessert, not 5. I never buy “bulk” desserts (example: a carton of Ice Cream), I only buy individual servings such as a cone from Bruster’s or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and share (it’s the REAL thing with nothing artificial!).

Now, here are some facts on exercise:

1) It releases endorphins which are "feel good" neurotransmitters that literally make you FEEL BETTER.

2) Studies show that 4 hours of exercise a week reduces a woman's risk of breast cancer by 60%! Reduces the risk of colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer.

3) Exercise can also prevent, control, and even reverse adult on-set diabetes (because it reduces fat and allows insulin to start working again).

4) Exercise strengthens your heart muscles and increases your circulation or blood flow.

5) The more you exercise the more oxygen your brain gets and the better your mental state. (Hmmmmm. I can think of a few people who need to exercise. LOL.)

6) Regular exercise promotes natural bypass- kiss the need for heart bypass surgery goodbye!

This is a mumble-jumble piece on health. In fact, it barely even touches on it. I don't even know where I was going with this one. LOL. If you have any questions, please feel free to private message me or post below. I'm not promising to know the answers, but I can try my hardest to find out the answers.

Lastly, I am not claiming to be an expert on the subject of health. The facts I have listed in here come from research that I have done. After practicing what I preach, I can promise you, it works!!!