Have You Already Given Up on Your New Year's Resolution?

"My goal for 2014 is to accomplish the goals of 2013, which I should have done in 2012, because I promised them in 2011 and planned them in 2010."

I apologize for the minor hiatus I took from the Wellness Goddess blog. I have just gone back to college for the Spring semester of my sophomore year, and it has been a crazy transition. Anyway, the break I have taken should have given you extra time to commit to your new year's resolutions, but has it? Where do your resolutions stand as of now? I bet they are where most resolutions end up. They end up not completed and entirely deserted by January third.

I would say to this that you never gave your resolution a fair shot. It takes 21 days to create a habit, and if you think it is too hard before then, you should motivate yourself with the knowledge that it will get easier as it becomes a part of your routine. It just takes longer than a couple days to be completely implemented. My suggestion to you is to put 21 post-it notes in a high-traffic area for you. Your goal is to be able to take one down each day. You must set some criteria for yourself though. For example, you must do 30 minutes of exercise, or you must drink 8 cups of water etc. If you do not complete your goal you cannot remove the post-it and therefore also, need to start over at day one. Each time you see these post-its it should give you an added incentive to reach your goal, and each time you remove a post-it you should see it as a mini-victory.

My proposition for you is to no longer call this your "New Year's Resolution." The common thought that follows a comment made about New Year's Resolutions is that they never last. Make the thing that you want most your Life Resolution. You have heard me say that these wellness goals you have are lifestyle changes, not temporary fads. The word resolution means "to make a firm decision to do something." So make that decision in your mind, body and spirit. Finally, resolve to change your style of life and follow through, not just for the new year.

My new Wellness Goddess movement is to take back February. Do not make it a month to regret your failed resolutions and fill up on heart-shaped candy. Use this month to motivate yourself and getting moving toward your goal. Take Back February and forget about New Year's Resolutions; move onto Life Resolutions.

 Thank you for reading my blog, and again, I am sorry for the break I took. For now on I will be posting Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday each week. Please share my blog with your friends and comment back with any thoughts you have!

Given Enough Coffee, I Could Rule the World

"Given enough coffee, I could rule the world."

Coffee has a really bad reputation, but ever since I watched my first episode of Gilmore Girls I knew I would be a coffee drinker. Lorelei and Rory's obsession with coffee is what made me want to try it, and now I am hooked. I used to think it was unhealthy, and only should be consumed when you are intending to endulge. However, there has been more recent research that shows that coffee isn't really that bad, and in fact, there could be some benefits.

The first benefit is probably the one that you will be most excited about. Coffee has been proven to boost a person's metabolism by anywhere from 3-11%. Also, coffee specifically has been shown to increase your fat burning capabilities by 10% in obese people and up to 29% in lean people. Its really a great way to increase your energy and a great way help make your body work for you, without you having to put in a lot of extra work.

The second benefit is that black coffee is one of your lowest calorie beverages. Now, black coffee probably doesn't sound that appealing to most of you, but I have a way around this. If you always had cream and sugar to your coffee, instead try adding some skim or 1% milk and some sugar free flavor syrup.  The sugar free Torani Vanilla syrup has 0 calories per serving (1 oz.) and 0 grams of fat. Adding a splash of this can allow you to enjoy your coffee without adding a ton of high-calorie creamers and sugar.

A third benefit is that it could actually improve physical performance. Caffeine increases the amount of Epinephrine in your bloodstream. This hormone is what gives your body the "fight or flight" response, and therefore prepares your body for intense physical action. Also, since caffeine breaks down fat and pulls it into the bloodstream, making it available as an energy source, it makes exercise after drinking coffee very effective.

The fourth benefit you should be aware of is that it has many essential nutrients.
        -Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the RDA.
        -Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the RDA.
        -Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the RDA.
        -Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the RDA.
It does not have large amounts of these nutrients, however, every little bit counts! Also, with the other benefits considered, it is just another great effect.

The fifth, and final benefit that I will mention, is that coffee has been shown to decrease a person's chance of getting Dimentia, Alzhiemers, Parkinsons, certain types of cancer, and depression. The types of cancer it helps decrease your risk of are liver cancer and colorectal cancer. Coffee is very impressive in its capabilities. However, no, coffee will not prevent these diseases but it just goes to show that coffee is not all bad.

In addition, coffee is the number one source of antioxidants among Western cultures. The benefits go on and on. But the key is MODERATION. As with everything in life, you shouldn't have too much of a good thing. Also, do not take this post as an excuse to buy a 500-calorie frappuccino everyday!

Below are my sources. Do not forget to comments and share my blog!! Also check out the new daily challenge! Thank you!

-http://authoritynutrition.com/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee/

The Battle with Your Self-Image

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by a**holes.”                  -Steven Winterburn

I apologize for the profanity in the quote above, however, I believed that it was necessary. An article I read last night left me completely outraged at the media. Not a new thing, but this time it really hit home. Everyday I see so many girls who believe they are overweight when really they are just healthy.The cause of this feeling is articles like the one I read in Cosmo.

Cosmo titled their article  "Plus Size Supermodel Robyn Lawley Models Her Own Swimwear" The supermodel they are speaking of is the woman in the picture above. She is absolutely gorgeous, and while it was probably not Cosmo that deemed her a "plus size" model, it was the fashion idustry, Cosmo is only perpetuating these beliefs.

The last thing any girl wants is to read an article about a plus size model and realize they are the same size or a little larger. They then believe that they are fat or at least not the size everyone seems to think they should be. It is just ridiculous and I cannot get over it. Every girl/woman should be live she is beautiful no matter what.

The quest for wellness is not to get skinny and pretty, it is to be healthy. Self-image is a part of it though. I hope that on the journey to wellness your self-image will improve, but that doesn't mean there has to be any noticeable difference in how you look. It means that from the inside you begin to believe in your self and have confidence in every aspect of life.

This article made me think of  a video I had seen about a month ago. It showed how much editors Photoshop the women that go into their magazines. The body we all aspire to have is manufactured. It is not real. That body that everyone wants, is fake and can only be produced on a computer. I long for every girl to learn this, so she can be confident because nothing breaks my heart more than anything when people who are beautiful are uncomfortable in their own skin. The video is below.

Being in dance from a young age, and spending many hours in front of mirror with other girls, it was easy to compare myself to them, and find every single one of my faults. I know this is something many girls go through, and some even to a greater extent. It is the media's fault for putting a screwed up image what is beautiful is in our minds.

It has been a battle going on for a long time, but we need to persist. If we cannot change the industry the way we would like we need to make sure every young girl  in our lives know that they are beautiful and that the girls in the magazines should be viewed in a similar way to how we view Disney princesses. They are pretty, but they are make believe.

Check out the daily challenge in the right-hand margin. It will help with your self confidence!

One last note: One of my readers (my Aunt Sandy) had another great tip for getting fit on a budget. She mentioned that spending the money up front to get certified to teach fitness classes is worth it because of the benefits you get once you start teaching at a gym. Also, if you are teaching a class, you cant skip it! So it makes working out a must.

My sources are below, please post comments or questions! Thank you for reading!!
-http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/robyn-lawley-swimwear
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKQdwjGiF-s

Don't have money for a Gym Membership? Here's What You Can Do

"A runner must run with dreams in his heart, not money in his pocket"                                        -Emil Zatopek

I hear over and over again that people don't workout because they can't afford a gym membership and I can sympathize with that, because when I have somewhere to go to workout I feel as though it gives me more drive and purpose. However, not being able to afford a gym membership is not an excuse in my book. There are many ways you can get fit without having to spend much money.

First, if you feel like you absolutely need a gym to go to, look into local recreation centers and schools in the area. I do not have a gym membership in my home town. I use the fitness room at the rec center. It has a few treadmills and ellipticals. And just couple toning machines but it is really all you need. It is some place to go and because I live in the same town, it is free for me to use.

However, I still do not think it is necessary to even go to a rec center. The excuse of not having a gym membership echoes everywhere I go at college but the tips that will follow in the rest of this post can be done in a dorm room just as much as they can be done at home.

Completely Free:
     -Use workout videos on YouTube. There are thousands of videos on YouTube that are full workouts. You could do yoga, zumba, toning, etc. There really are many options. This is the link to the channel I follow.  https://www.youtube.com/user/FitnessBlender/videos The channel is called Fitness Blender and they boast, saying they have over 300 full-length workout videos. So this one channel alone could keep you busy for a while!
     -Google, Twitter, and Pinterest are also great resources. There are websites galore that have every workout you could ever want that you can find through Google. However, Twitter and Pinterest is what I use most. If you search health and fitness you will find so many accounts that you can follow and everyday you will get new workout routines and health tips. Also, I do not use Instagram much but there are accounts on there that you could follow that do the same thing. I especially encourage the use of these because you are going to use them anyway, so when posts from these accounts show up while you are scrolling through, you will constantly be reminded to workout and be healthy.
     -Run outside! Find a cute outfit, throw on some sneakers and go! You're not paying anything to run outside, and you get to strut your stuff. Also, this is much more interesting than running on a treadmill. Looking at the same thing day after day while running gets so boring! Take new routes while you run and it will always be exciting.
     -Use websites to track your progress. If you are interested in making running your main source of cardio then I suggest using MapMyRun. You can plug in all you have eaten, your weight etc. But is also tracks you when you run or it can even track your distance while running on a treadmill. It is a really cool resource. If running isn't your thing then I suggest using MyFitnessPal. It does the same things but doesn't map your running. Both are free and are available as an app you can get on your phone. There are also Nike apps that are very similar.
     -Also you do not have to spend money on sports drinks to stay hydrated. If you read my post on water you will know it is not even worth it. Just drink water!! Go to your sink and fill up. It is great for you and it's free.

Will Cost Some Money:
     - One thing that you could find useful to have at home is a yoga ball. There are so many workouts you can do with one that you will never get bored. You can get one for $5 at Five Below and it may come with a sheet that shows you some workouts to do.
     -You could also get a yoga mat. This is great if you are going to do yoga, but also if you are going to do crunches or anything like that but you do not want to be on the floor. You can also get one of these for $5 at Five Below. (Five below is a great place to get some of these fitness tools. They are cheap and pretty good quality)
     -Another thing you could get that is cheap that you could use at home is some weights. I would go with 8 lb weights just because they allow you to do many reps but can still be a little more strenuous. I believe 5 lb weights are too easy to really get much out of them. On average, I have found they cost about $9.

Some Tips to Save Money on Groceries:
We all know that fresh fruit and veggies cost more money, they go bad quickly, and your favorites are only in season once a year. So in order to avoid these problems here are some suggestions.
     -Buy frozen fruits and veggies, or freeze your own. This is a great way to save money. They wont go bad and frozen bags of these will cost less. However, do not put a pound of butter in your veggies when you go to eat them Just steam them and add a little bit of sea salt and some pepper. This is healthy and a cost effective way to eat healthier.
-If you do want to buy fresh fruit buy less at a time. Buying in bulk does not work for fresh fruits and veggies. They will go bad and you will have to throw them out. Find a local fruit stand you like and stop by every few days to pick up what you are going to eat. These stands are cheaper most times as well. This tip will probably only help in the summer, but give it a shot!

Thank you for reading and I hope you found it helpful! If you have any comments or questions please leave them. Also, tell me any of your cost saving tips if you have them!!

Below are the sources I used or the websites I recomended throughout this post:
- http://www.fivebelow.com/sports/fitness-sports-balls.html
- http://laurenconrad.com/
- http://www.walmart.com/cp/sports-outdoors/4125
- http://www.mapmyrun.com/us/
- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Wellness Goddess: Jennifer Aniston

“Yoga calms me down. It’s a therapy session, a workout, and meditation all at the same time!”
                                          -Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston is a Wellness Goddess due to her dedication to every aspect of health. Through yoga she embodies both physical and mental wellness, but her diet also follows suit and is one to be emulated. As Sexiest Woman Alive in "Men's Health" magazine and "Fitness" magazine's most wanted body in 2011, she must be doing something right.

Some find it hard to believe that she is achieving such a great looking body without using fad diets and quick fixes. Some newspapers have even said she was eating 14 portions of pureed baby food per day, in order to lose weight. In response Jennifer said "Sorry, but the last time I had baby food; I believe I was 1, I've been on solids for about 40 years now.” Her humor here shows grace and a refusal to be brought down by those too petty to recognize success when they see it.

But I'm sure what you are most interested in is how Jennifer Aniston achieves the body and health that she has. Basically, she works out five or six days a week and makes no excuses. Some use vacation or traveling as a reason to take a break from their workout or diet but Jennifer does not do this even in the busiest of times. She says she brings 8 lb. weights with her where ever she travels in order to leave herself no leeway to avoid working out. Also she always finishes the day with a set of stretching and sit ups.

More specifically Jennifer does Budokon along with her yoga. Budokon means "the way of the spiritual warrior" and is a type of martial art that is very physically demanding and uses aspects from yoga and meditation. This is an all-encompassing work-out which has (1) high intensity cadiovascular workout (2) low impact technique (3) strength workout and (4) meditative technique.

In regards to yoga, Jennifer trains with Mandy Ingber, an expert of yoga.

Some specific moves Jenifer does are pictured below, and I urge you try them.

               Crescent Pose                            Plank

Tree Pose

Try a few of these poses or even the ones posted in the video. Yoga is a great way to achieve both physical and mental wellness. 

As far as Jenifer's diet she uses the 40-30-30 regimen. 40% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein and 30% Fat. I do not recommend this for everyone but for someone as active as Jenifer it is great. She also suggests drinking water, and making veggies the star of the meal. 

Thank you for reading this post and please leave any comments or questions you may have. Also, do not forget to check out the daily challenge!!

Below are the sources I used:
-http://thejenniferanistondiet.com/

The Perfect Workout for Toning and Weight Loss

"My New Year's Resolution is to stick to a good workout plan that will keep me happy and healthy"
                                                -James Lafferty

Above is a screen shot I took off of some twitter account. I do that a lot actually. I follow all types of health and fitness twitter accounts and screen shot practically everything. Most of these pictures I do not end up using and they end up just using up memory on my phone, however this one was different. I tried this workout one day and got attached. It looks like your basic workout, but there are reasons why I think this is the best all-encompassing workout.

My first reason is that it is convenient. Lets be honest, working out is normally a hassle. Finding time to drive to the gym or trying to find the perfect outfit that is socially acceptable to run outside in is difficult. We are very busy people and this workout makes it more realistic for us to do consistently. This workout does not require you to have a lot of room to do it and you can do it in your pajamas if you want.

The second reason this workout is so great is that it is a pretty good way to get your cardio in. No, I don't think is quite enough cardio for the day. You should probably try to do a little more than this, but if you only have 15-20 minutes to workout per day, then doing this is perfect because your heart rate will increase during this exercise.

The third reason I love this workout is because of its toning aspect. Toning is the main goal this workout was formed around. It will tone hamstrings, quads, butt, deltoids, triceps, biceps, calfs, pecs, and abs. I don't know what else you would want from a short workout!

With this workout, if you do it four times a week with stretching and a little extra cardio, I promise you will see results. Keep up with this for a few weeks and your body will feel body and you will notice toning has already begun. For me, after only three weeks I could tell my arms were stronger and so were my abs. So, start today! It is our daily challenge so try it out and comment back telling me how it went for you! Have fun!


ON ANOTHER NOTE: I will be beginning my first review of a popular diet, starting tomorrow. Most days I will put in the right margin of the page how it went for me that day and my thoughts on it. I am going to try the Paleo Diet. It is a very popular right now and has many aspects of it that sound appealing. If you would like to try it with me refer to photo and links I put beneath this section.

        -http://www.paleoplan.com/
        -http://paleomg.com/

Finally, I hope you enjoyed today's post. Comment and let me know and questions or thoughts you may have on this topic. Thank you!

Water Will Always Be Essenetial

"By means of water, we give life to everything." 

 -Koran, 21:30

One of the main principles that my wellness goals are based around is the belief that if you can achieve something by natural means you should never choose an artificial or synthetic option. This especially holds true when it comes to the subject of water. With a force as strong as water, it shocks me that so many people will choose other drinks, thinking they are healthier. Well, sports drinks, supplements, energy drinks and all other things that fall into this category are not better than water. Yes, they may provide benefits that water does not, but they often have just as many, if not more, draw backs. Also, whatever benefit you are hoping to get out of these other drinks you can get from an improved diet without deminishing your water intake.

First, let's address sports drinks and the argument for needing them. Electrolytes. This is why everyone says they need to consume sugary sports drinks. I bet most of these people do not even know what electrolytes do, however, they are right that electrolytes are good for you. Electrolytes help with the conduction of nerve impulses, and without them, you will have similar symptoms as to what dehydration causes (nausea, dizziness, fatigue, etc.) Electrolytes are a type of salt that dissociates, and actually causes your sweat to have that salty taste. For this reason, I only suggest fast-paced athletes to drink sports drinks. However, only when you must replenish your electrolyte supply. For the rest of us, we can replenish this supply through simple diet changes. A slight increase in sodium and potassium will help. Adding a little table salt to foods and eating fruits can accomplish both of these. 

Secondly, let's address water supplements. These are powders or any other mix you may add to your water. The word "supplement" tells me that they should only be used in addition to your already healthy diet. They are not to replace nutrients you don't feel like consuming through through your diet. The only time they should be taken in place of getting them through foods is if you choose to be vegetarian, gluten free or if you have allergy restrictions.

One of the many things that supplements rave about are antioxidants. Again, I'm not sure that many people know why antioxidants are so great, but they really are great for you. Antioxidants play a role in the prevention of cancer and heart disease by protecting cells from highly reactive substances called free radicals. Free radicals are unstable and will oxidize (steal electrons from) other molecules in the body. Antioxidants bind free radicals and keep them from damaging. DNA and other essential macromolecules. In order to avoid supplements but still get your fill of antioxidants, refer to the list below.       

Antioxidant	Source
Beta-carotene	These foods are normally orange in color. Carrots, cantaloupe, squash, mangoes, pumpkins, and apricots. Also leafy vegetables such as collard greens, kale, and spinach are rich in beta-carotene
Lutein	Also found in leafy green vegetables such as collard greens, kale, and spinach.
Lycopene	Found in watermelon, papaya, apricots, guava, and tomatoes.
Selenium	*Is technically a mineral, not an antioxidant but it acts as a cofactor, helping the effectiveness of antioxidants. You can find this in rice, wheat, meats, bread and brazil nuts.
Vitamin A	Found in sweet potatoes, liver, milk, carrots, egg yolks, and mozzarella cheese.
Vitamin C	Found in most fruits, vegetables, and meats.
Vitamin E	Available in most cooking oils, mangoes, broccoli, and nuts.

Finally, energy drinks. Energy drinks have little to no nutritional value. Some will advertise health benefits, but I guarantee you that energy drinks will almost always be detrimental, rather than helpful. I just use this as a rule of thumb. 

In order to consume enough water, I keep a water bottle on me at all times and drink it continuously. As stated in one of my previous posts, you know you have had enough once your urine is clear or at least light yellow. Water aids in every process your body goes through, do not deprive your body and it will treat you better.

NOTICE: I have begun a new addition to my blog, as recommended by +Jo-El Gonzalez. I am going to have daily challenges in the right hand column each day and I would love for all of you to partake, and comment to let me know how it went for you. Its a great was to start your wellness journey or to enhance it. It should be a dun little thing to do each day.

Below are a list of my sources. I hope you enjoyed my new post, please comments below and give me feedback! Thanks for reading!
-"Human Biology" By Colleen Belk, Pearson Higher Education

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.