Burn Calories Without Doing Anything

"Basal Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy expressed in calories that a person needs to keep the body functioning at rest."                 -Maria Faires, RD

In other words, your body requires a certain amount of  calories each day just to continue functioning, and therefore even when you are resting your body is burning a ton of calories for you. Cell processes, breathing, blood circulation, brain functions and maintaining body temperature all demand calories from you but require no action from you physically.

If you began reading this post in the hopes that I would share with you some quick fix in which you could lose weight and still be sedentary, you may be disappointed. However, being aware of your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and learning how to improve it will still help you in your wellness goals.

There are many factors that influence a persons BMR. The most important one being body composition. The more muscle you have, the higher your BMR will be. This is because the upkeep required for muscle cells is greater than for fat cells, and therefore requires more energy. Learning this should be an extra incentive for you to go to the gym because not only will you tone and lose fat, but it will also increase your BMR.

Another factor is weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you need per day in order to function. This is why it is easier to burn calories at the start of a diet or workout regimen.

Other factors are age, gender, and body surface area. However, you cannot control these so dwelling on them too much may even be detrimental to talk about. It is easy to find excuses for the reason why you are unhealthy, so we will avoid them.

There are two other processes that regulate how many calories you burn per day other than BMR. They all work together in order to regulate your calorie consumption.

One is the Thermic Effect of Eating. This is the amount of calories your body uses in the digestion, absorption, and transportation of the food you eat. This normally accounts for about 10% of your calorie consumption.

The other process is the Thermic Effect of Activity. This is the rate you burn calories while working out or even your everyday activities. "An inactive personal usually requires 30% more calories above basal, whereas a lightly active person might need 50% above basal, a moderately active person 75%, and a very active person 100%."

Thank you for reading and please post any comments you might have. Also, if you haven't yet but would like to, you can follow me through google+ or by email. Both options are in the right-hand margin of the page, at the top.

Below are the resources I used for this article:
-http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/understanding-metabolism-what-determines-your-bmr.html#b
-"The Dorm Room Diet" by Daphne Oz

Why No-Carb Diets are No Good

"For me, it's all about moderation. I don't kick things out of my diet, like carbs. But I'm not going to eat fast food."                                             -Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay is right in not kicking carbs out of his diet. Due to the way your body works, depriving it from carbohydrates is bad for you, and eventually will make you gain weight. The no-carb diets are one of the most popular fad diets, and one of the worst.

Carbohydrates are an energy source for your body, so cutting them out can be very detrimental to you. When you consume carbs they break down into glucose and go straight into the blood stream where it is either used immediately for energy, or is stored as glycogen. Glycogen is a form that can be used for the same purpose as glucose, just at a later time. It is good to have these glycogen stores, but when you are on a no-carb diet, you are never replenishing the glucose available in your blood stream so you are forced to use up the glycogen stores. For each glycogen molecule lost, you lose three water molecules as well, and all of this combined will cause your muscles to shrink. So, the dirty secret behind no-carb diets is that the weight loss comes from water weight and muscle shrinkage, NOT FAT.

One of the most popular of the no-carb diets is the Atkins diet. In my opinion the Atkins plan does not seem healthy in the least, even on the surface level, and even if you didn't have the information stated above. For instance, its platform is quick weight loss, which should always be a red flag. If you are being healthy, weight loss should always be gradual. If weight loss is not gradual, you will not be able to maintain the lower weight.

Also, the Atkins diet comes in different phases in which you only eat a certain thing for a given time period, therefore not allowing you to get your daily recommended nutrition for each of the food groups. You will only be eating one at a time. Below is the chart that Atkins uses on their website to give you an overview of their plan.

 Phase 1, which consists of mostly veggies and nuts, lasts at least two weeks but could last up until you are "15 pounds away from your goal weight." This vague statement below could essentially have some people only eating these food for a very long time. If you are 250 pounds going into this diet and your goal weight is 120, you are probably going to be malnourished by the time you reach 135!

By the end of the program you have reintroduced most food groups but carbs are still the enemy in their eyes. Yes, if you eat too many carbs and do not use them, they will be stored as fat but that is why you eat a healthy amount of carbs, and exercise. Exercising even just a little bit could help with any excess carb intake.

The bottom line is that carbs are one of the three macronutrient groups that your body requires. Do not deprive your body of something that it needs or it will not function at its optimum level. So if health and wellness is your goal, no-carb diets should not be an option for you.

If you have any questions or comments please post them, and below this is a list of my resources for today's post. Thank you for reading!

-"The Dorm Room Diet" by Daphne Oz
-http://www.atkins.com/Program/Overview.aspx
-http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase-1/When-to-Move-On.aspx

Clean Eating

"Your key to sustaining life long weight loss and never regaining it is ‘clean eating’. It offers plenty of food choices without deprivation and it provides the body you wish without spending a fortune"
                       -Anne "Kip" Watson

Sounds like the ideal diet, right? It sure does to me. However, I shy away from calling it a diet because of the connotation the word "diet" has. As with all of the wellness topics I have (and will) talk about, clean eating is a lifestyle change. It is not some fad diet that you do for two weeks before you go on vacation. It is a commitment and a decision that you make in order to ensure long term wellness. But what does clean eating entail? That is what I will answer for you is four concise tips.

#1) EAT SIX SMALL MEALS A DAY I'm sure that you all have heard this tip before, but you may not know why this strategy works so well. When you wait long periods of time in between eating your body goes into survival mode, and slows down your metabolism in order to conserve as many calories as possible. That will also ensure weight gain, so try to eat something small every two or three hours and you will be off to a great start.

#2) FOCUS ON BREAKFAST Does it make any sense to eat your biggest meal right before bed time?  Of course it doesn't! You should eat your biggest meal after you have been starving your body for hours, and before you start your busy day. If you follow this rule of thumb you will have all day to burn of the majority of you calorie intake.

#3) DRINK WATER Again, this is a tip that I'm sure you have heard many times, but I beg of you to take this seriously. Choose water, and eliminate other beverages such as, alcohol, juice, and soda. They do not supply your body with many beneficial nutrients so why bother? Drink as much water as it takes to turn your urine a clear to light yellow color. That will tell you when you have had enough.

#4) PAIR COMPLEX CARBS WITH LEAN PROTEIN For each of your six meals you should do this. This technique will give you optimum energy with the most benefit from you calorie intake. You should treat your calorie intake as fuel. Why consume more than you have to? And why fill your body with less than adequate fuel? It wont run as well, and it is wasteful.

-Examples of Lean Protein: White meat from chicken and turkey, or dark meat without the skin, fish, if  your craving steak then choose sirloin, flank steak, rump roast, top loin, top round and extra lean ground beef, also quinoa, beans and legumes.
-Examples of Complex Carbs: Fruits, whole grains, vegetables,  "One way to distinguish good carbs from bad carbs is through their glycemic score, which indicates their effect on blood sugar. The good carbs, or low glycemic foods, have a score of 55 or less."

Also, if you want some recipes that have complex carbs and lean protein follow this link: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/low-carb-high-lean-protein-meals-7111.html

For my future posts I am going to start doing reviews on diets and exercise programs. I will try them and let you know my views on them.So, if you are curious about anything, such as the paleo diet, going gluten free, the insanity work out, etc. Comment of email me and I will try to do that one.

If you have any comments or questions please post them, and below are the resources I used for this post.
http://www.befitfrisco.com/2012/02/clean-eating-basics/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/lean-protein-good-carbs-5154.html

Wellness Goddess: Kelly Ripa

"I try to make my heart beat out of my chest, hard core, once a day for at least a half hour. I think that's very important."
                                             -Kelly Ripa

Kelly Ripa is an amazing woman even before considering her interest and dedication to wellness. However, when you look at the entire picture, she is awe inspiring. For this reason, I have chosen her to be our first featured Wellness Goddess.

As co-host of LIVE with Kelly and Michael it is apparent that she is fun, vibrant, intelligent, loving, and above all, healthy. However, even she will tell you that she wasn't always this way. In the Fitness Magazine article "The New Kelly Ripa" she states that she never worked out in her twenties and she mainly relied on the make-up artists and stylists to make her look beautiful on television. But, when she began to realize how exhausted she got, just after playing with her kids, she realized there was a problem and that she should start focusing on her health. So, she began "walking on a treadmill. Then [she] started jogging on a treadmill. Then [she] began jogging outside. Now [she's] running outside, three to five miles, and taking toning classes."

It was a gradual process for her, as it should be for everyone. Many women/girls believe they can start their workouts at running a few miles, but trust me, you cannot. If all you are able to do is walk for a half hour to begin with, then that's would you should do, and you should be proud of it. That is much more than most people can do. Throwing yourself into running is not a way to get fit. It is likely that after day one you would be so sore that you wouldn't want to work out the next day, and therefore end up losing your determination. Take this tip from Kelly, and start gradually. Kelly even said that for her, it took a month or two to begin seeing results.  This is a lifestyle change, and a process, so keep with it and in just a couple short months you will be more happy with how you look and feel.

Just last week, Kelly tweeted this picture, and while I'm sure most of you are entranced by her rock-hard abs, the quote behind them is the part of this photo I would like to concentrate on. It speaks of a different aspect of wellness, rather than just fitness. The Henry Ford quote "Whether you think you can or you cant-you're right,"  emphasizes how important your state of mind is when it comes to something you want to accomplish. If you believe that from the start that you can accomplish it you will, but if you are doubting yourself, then you don't even have a chance of achieving your goal.

Kelly Ripa's apparent endorsement of this statement just goes to prove that she wasn't always as fit as she is now, and she knows dedication is the only way to get there. Each and every one of us can achieve wellness in anyway we want to, as long as we believe in ourselves. I apologize for how cliche that sounds, but mental wellness paired with physical wellness is necessary to achieving success.

By emulating Kelly's fitness techniques and mental stamina we each can achieve anything we want to. Keep Kelly in mind when you are deciding whether or not to work out, or what you are going to cook for dinner and perhaps she can help you. I know she helped give me motivation to go to the gym this week!

If you have any questions or comments please leave one below. Also, here are the links I used to learn more about Kelly Ripa's fitness.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/12/13/kelly-ripa-shows-of-killer-abs/4010107/
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/superstars/covergirls/the-new-kelly-ripa/

With Christmas Comes Calories!

"My personal goals are to be happy, healthy, and to be surrounded by loved ones."
                                                 -Kiana Tom

Of course Christmas is a time for happiness and to be surrounded by loved ones, but health does not have to be neglected the way most people assume it does. Abandoning your wellness goals because of the time of year is just ridiculous.

So, due to Christmas only being about a week away, I figured that now would be  the perfect time to discuss how to incorporate wellness into your holiday celebrations. The annual Christmas party my mom throws every year is this Saturday, and the first thing I think of is all of the food that she is preparing. Cookies, pies, chicken wing dip and pretty much anything that is unhealthy. The worst part is that everything is incredibly delicious and hard to refuse.

I am sure that each of you will also be in similar situations, in which will power will play a large role in your wellness choices. To help with this I have assembled a list of tips that coincide with the array of activities you might be participating in during this season.

FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES: Because it is inevitable that we will all end up at some sort of Christmas party I have the most amount of tips to help with this. The tip I find most valuable is to bring a healthy dish to share with you, to the party. Almost every hostess would love to see her guests walk in with a dish to pass, so use this to your advantage. Bring something healthy that you love to eat and then fill up on that. It will help you to control your calorie intake and also help out others at the party as well. Another great idea for Christmas parties is to eat something before you go. If you're already full, you will not be as tempted by the food. Also, to help with temptation, if you know there is another health conscious person at this party, sit next to them and talk to them. Seeing how they make decisions can encourage you to stick to your wellness goals as well. Finally, we choose what we want to eat, partially because of what we see. When something looks appetizing we want it, so controlling ourselves visually will help us as well. There are two ways to do this. One is to keep evidence of what you have eaten around you. If you have eaten a plate full of food, keep the plate visible because it will remind you of what you have already eaten. Two, survey all the food at the party and then plan, consciously, what you are going to eat. Do not just go up to the buffet and start loading up a plate.

FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING: No, Christmas is not about the presents but you know we each love giving them to our loved ones anyway, and because of this we each spend a lot of time shopping. However, malls can be a calorie trap. There are fast food kiosks at every turn, chocolate shops, and worst of all, there is the food court. All the unhealthy food you could ever want, all in one place. Just as with the Christmas party, do not go to the mall hungry. It is too easy and convenient to allow yourself to indulge. Also, if you go as a group, try to make dinner a special event. Plan on going to a restaurant (with healthy options) as a time to relax and have time with the group you went with. Having the extra time to decide what you would like to order should help keep you on track.

FOR BAKING/COOKING TIME: We are all probably around when food is being made especially for the holidays, whether we are the ones making it, or we are watching out mothers make it. Either way, smelling the aroma of delicious food is one of the worst ways it is able to taunt us. In order to combat this I suggest that we make healthy foods, if we are the ones cooking, or we keep healthy foods around us that will fulfill our wants. If an apple pie is being made, just eat some apple slices. Find comparable options to each unhealthy thing being made and keep yourself happy that way.

For each holiday situation you are in there are healthy options that you can take advantage of. However, these tips above are good for the body, but don't forget about what is good for the soul. I am not saying to abandon your wellness goals, but do not restrict yourself too much our you will have an unhappy holiday season, and remember, we are trying to be happy, healthy and to be surrounded by loved ones.


-If you have any other tips you think are valuable, please leave them in the comment section or email me them, and I will try to post them. Thank you!

Wellness Goddess Introduction

 “He who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything."
                                              -Arabian Proverb.

As my first post I wanted to start out by giving you all some information about myself, and my hopes for this blog.

The choice for naming this blog Wellness Goddess came from its catchy rhyme, along with the image the word "goddess" brings to mind. When I think of a goddess I see a confident woman who personifies what it means to be healthy in every way. Her mind, body and spirit exudes vitality, drive, gracefulness, and a sense of calmness. Through my posts, I hope that my readers are able embody a similar spirit.

My posts will include tips on being healthy in every decision you make. This means I will post, healthy recipes, exercise routines, meditation techniques, facts/articles relating to wellness, heartwarming stories, and anything at all people want to hear about that could help them on their journey to achieve wellness. I will also highlight women that can be examples of Wellness Goddesses that we can try to emulate in some way.

I will post at least three times a week because being in college, makes it difficult to post much more than that. However, college will help this blog as well. I am a sophomore at SUNY Oswego with a major in Wellness Management and a minor in Health Science. Therefore, with each new topic I learn in school you will benefit as well.

My passion for this topic comes from lifelong hope to not be restricted by my physical and mental state. I strongly believe that being unhealthy in anyway hinders your ability to participate in life experiences as fully as you could otherwise. In order to live life to the fullest (yes, that cliche was necessary) you must not limit yourself from the start by not being the best you can be.

I will not pretend to be the perfect example of wellness because I am not. I will be on this journey with you. We can support and encourage each other. I hope to form a community through this blog which will help each of us with our personal wellness goals. Through the resources I will make available here, I believe we will all be able to become a Wellness Goddess.