Where's the Beach?

Let's face it, we all lead busy lives. Sometimes being "too busy" can be an excuse for many things like not fitting in exercise or making it a point to eat healthier meals. In an age where there tends to be a glorification of busy - you know, almost bragging about how busy someone is - I think we are overlooking the bigger issues of being "too busy" especially when it comes to our health and well-being. I think that there is often a misconception that when someone is getting in daily workouts, that they must somehow have extra time. My answer to that is that no one just  has  the time, they make the time. Somehow, some way, they figure out a way. And sometimes that means being creative. Even when we have a jam packed day, there are  ways in which we can still add in extra movement throughout day. You might not have time to do a 30-minute workout, but you probably have 5 and 10 minutes of time here and there. And that time, those little bits of movement,...

May 11-17 is National Women's Health Week . It's a great reminder for women to stop and think about our health, ourselves. So often women, especially mothers, become so involved in taking care of others that they forget to do the same for themselves.  There are many things that we can do to take care of ourselves to become happier and healthier.  Be active Being active is more than trying to lose or maintain a certain weight. Exercise (both cardio and resistance training) has amazing benefits for your body and mind. Exercise can help ease the effects of stress, elevate your mood, reduce your chances of many health conditions and disease such as heart disease and high cholesterol.  In a busy world filled with taking care of the family, household chores, demanding jobs, it's so easy to say, "I don't have time to workout." You don't have to work out for hours on end to reap the benefits. As a personal trainer , I strive to make sure that my cl...

When you set up goals for yourself, how do you measure progress? I imagine that it varies depending on the goal. It likely often includes some sort of number, like a dollar amount, a certain weight at the gym, a certain distance for running, etc. As a personal trainer, one thing I've noticed is that clients will set goals that include phrases like, "become healthier," "live a healthier lifestyle," "become healthier for my family." However, they almost all have very specific numbers in their minds that will equal those achievements. Usually it's a specific weight goal. Reaching x pounds on the scale somehow equates to being healthier.  So then it makes sense that, for many people, you measure your progress by stepping on a scale. If the number goes in the direction you want, that's success. If it doesn't, that's failure. But scales lie my friends. And yes, sometimes I have to remind myself of that fact as well. Are you ...

Soup is Good Yesterday I was definitely nice resting up my tired legs. I woke up when Jason did for his early morning swim, very, so very briefly, entertained the idea of an easy run. Then I promptly fell back asleep until the alarm rudely interrupted me. Guess I needed the sleep huh? It ended up a rainy, gloomy evening, so I threw together an Easy Veggie & Bean Soup for dinner. I used to be a soup hater, but I have since changed my ways. I realized that soups can be very hearty and flavorful when they don't come out of a can. Easy Veggie & Bean Soup Ingredients: 1/2 white onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1/2 red bell pepper, diced (only had 1/2 or would have used a whole one) 3-4 carrots (depending on size), diced 3 tbsp minced garlic 1 32 oz carton no-salt vegetable broth 1 can no-salt diced tomatoes (with liquid) 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained To taste: salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, parsley, b...