Poppin' Pills

Hello fellow healthy people! We all know that we should take our vitamins. But, I’m not gonna lie- I don’t take mine as regularly as I should. You get busy and realize, “Crap. I forgot my pills…” Or you just say, “I don’t feel like swallowing a million pills today…”

There are about 50 different supplements that could help me be healthier, make me have a Super-human physique or whatever. But let’s be practical. I do not have the time, money, or room in my stomach for that many pills or liquids. SoI have come up with a list of supplements that I think are the best bang for your buck, time, and space in your stomach.

BUT WAIT! Before we get to this list, I have to add a plug for my favorite natural supplement, beauty, and hygiene company. COUNTRY LIFE! Its really great, practical, and diverse. Check it out!

Anyway, without further ado, I give you...

Best Supplements of All Time 

(All of these are gluten-free).

5. Dolphins Pals DHA Gummies for kids

(I like to leave out the “for kids” part)



Ok so these are probably not the most suitable omega oils for an adult to take, but come on.    They are possibly the most delicious supplements that I have ever tasted (and I have tasted A LOT of supplements). I actually have to limit my intake of these a day. Otherwise, I would eat the whole bottle… My sister and I fight over the red ones.

4. Stress Sheild

This stuff is a life-saver. My mom calls them  "Happy Pills". I take 2 when I’m feeling a little crabby or stressed, and it calms me right down. I can focus better and think more clearly when I have these on hand.

3. Enzymes

I seriously CANNOT live without these. Since I am gluten-intolerant, eating out is somewhat of a mission. It’s ok when you go to large chains that have allergy specific menus, but places like Bubba’s Barbeque Shack and Ping Pong's Chinese Cuisine are less sympathetic.

**On a side note, if you can’t get a restaurant to comply with your allergy needs and they don’t seem to want to understand, I have a phrase that will change everything. Just say, "I WILL DIE and my family will sue you."  It solves everything :D

Gluten-Zyme
Helps to break down proteins often associated with wheat and gluten


Pancreatin

• Taken after meals
• Breaks down protein, fat, and carbohydrate

This one is great because I sometimes forget to take my enzymes before I eat.

*Vegetarians- see Maxi-Zyme

2. Buffered Vitamin C

 

Everyone should have a good Vitamin C in their cupboard to fight of any bugs that are flying around. This one has Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Oxide to “buffer” the acidity of the high dosage of Vit C for those of us with sensitive tummies.

And the #1 Supplement of All Time….

Green Vibrance!!!

Now, if you take nothing else, you really need to consider green superfood drinks. I have tried several different superfood drinks and this is my favorite. Taste-wise, it’s the top of the list. Mix it with about 4 oz. of your favorite fruit juice or in your protein shake and you are good to go!

First of all, Green Vibrance is #1 Selling Superfood in the Nation. It has tons of benefits for your body. The major ones are:

• It's Organic!!
• Immunity building
• Supports digestion  which helps with nutrient absorption- It has 25 Billion probiotics per serving! I don’t have to take probiotics if I take this stuff!
• Improves circulation for better cellular function
• Increases energy
• Detoxification- Get rid of all that crap in your body (no pun intended)
• Brain and heart  health
• Lots of antioxidants

And, according to Vibrant Health’s website, “some consumers swear they look younger.”

Supplements are an extremely important part of a healthy lifestyle.  If you don’t currently take them and are considering it, talk to a homeopathic practitioner or regular M.D. If you already are taking supplements, you are AWESOME! Keep your eyes open for new products. Always do research and compare benefits and prices. And above all, don’t burden yourself with too many, or you will simply not take them. Make sure to ask yourself:

• What am I currently lacking in my diet?
• Am I going to take this?
• Is there anything better out there?
• What can I afford?

Well, there’s your little nutrition class of the day. I hope you feel informed.

It’s OK to Cut It Short

Hello everyone! Yesterday’s running was quite an experience I thought I’d share. When I run, I hate to quit early. But sometimes you just gotta be ok with it.

Every day when I walk, run, bike, what have you, I take my dogs. We have 6, so I can always find willing participants. Today I took Lucy and Max.

About 20 minutes into my workout, Lucy ran over to a bush and began sniffing around excitedly. Max stayed completely apathetic, as usual. I walked over and there, before my eyes, was this adorable, terrified kitty.

My sister and I named her Tempi for short from my favorite show “Bones” :D. We brought her home and the rest of my day was spent looking for a home for poor little Tempi. Luckily, I found her original owners who were very thankful to have her back. However, I was horribly appalled to find out Tempi’s real name is Rafiki. I wanted to say, “She is not a boy or a monkey.” Ugh, people sometimes.

So, I was happy to return the kitty, but unhappy about my mediocre workout. So to make up for it, I did a little bit of working out a few times during the evening. 10 minutes of running around the yard like a maniac with my dogs and 10 minutes of biking later, my workout was complete. It didn’t do much for “training” purposes, but I got my calorie burning in for the day. And I got to save a cute kitty from a tree.

The moral of this story (complete with cute pics) is that its ok to cute your workout short sometimes. Just because you don’t get a full run, or cycling session in doesn’t mean you can’t have a complete workout. Walk a little faster than usual to your class or to work. Run up the stairs instead of trudging slowly. Maybe even do an indoor ab workout like these ones from Hulu:

Total Body Pilates

10 Minute Abs

Yoga: Hips, Thighs, and Buns

Exercise is exercise. It doesn’t have to be your typical routine. Give yourself some credit.

Pace Makers

Ok, so I am a weirdo and love mornings. That’s when I do my workouts. I have more energy then and it gets my day off to a good start (while simultaneously getting my workout out of the way). Although I really love mornings, sometimes I don’t get my workout started as quickly as I should. I have that blah feeling. You know what I mean. You suit up, get ready to go, stretch, yata yata. You get out on the road and there’s just not enough fire under your butt to get going at the pace you need to be.

Well, genius that I am, I have figured out a solution to this problem. They say fast music will help raise the intensity of your workout, but I usually find myself using the “slower” beats as an excuse to walk or run at a less-than-stellar pace. Because I like to push myself, I have decided to start my workout with a song with a beat matches the pace I want to go.

I love Classic Rock, so my “pace songs” are:

• La Grange- ZZ Top: running
• Satisfaction- Rolling Stones: walking

Obviously, the stride differs from person to person due to height, length of legs, etc. So, I have compiled a list of songs that have good pace-making beats. Some of them are duel function for walking or running, depending on what speed you’re looking for. If you are reading the titles and thinking the beat seems too “slow” to run or walk to, double the beat and you have your pace.You’ll hit the ground running… literally. Enjoy!  (And yes, I have tested all of these.)

Classic Rock

Running

• La Grange- ZZ Top
• Rock ‘n Roll- Led Zeppelin
• Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leopard

Walking

• Satisfaction- Rolling Stones
• I Feel Good- James Brown

Pop

Running

• Wake Up Call- Maroon5
• Animal- Neon Trees

Walking

• Here We Go Again- Demi Lovato
• Animal- Neon Trees
• Cooler Than Me- Mike Posner
• DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love- Usher
• I Got a Feeling- Black Eyed Peas
• Pump It- Black Eyed Peas
• Kiwi- Maroon5
• Starstrukk- 3Oh!3

R&B

Running

• Kiss Kiss- Chris Brown
• Work It Out-Beyonce
• Upgrade You- Beyonce
• Bottoms Up- Trey Songs ft. Nikki Minaj

Walking

• Low- T-Pain

Hip-Hop

Running

• Not Afraid- Emeniem
• Love the Way You Lie- Emeniem ft. Rhianna
• Like a Boy- Ciara
• Forever- Drake
• Sing for the Moment- Emeniem
• Crack a Bottle- Emeneim
• Dirt Off Your Shoulder- Jay Z
• Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
• Clap Back- Ja Rule

Walking

• She Wants It- Justin Timberlake ft. 50 Cent
• Whatever You Like- T.I.
• Lollipop Remix- Lil’ Wayne ft. Kanye West

Dance

Walking

• Like a G6- Far East Movement
• All I Ever Wanted- Basshunter
• Better Off Alone- Alice Deejay

Disco

Running

• She’s a Man Eater- Hall and Oates

Walking

• Boogie Wonderland- Earth, Wind, and Fire

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

In keeping with the pumpkin trend of fall, I decided I wanted to have some pumpkin flavored breakfast. This is awesome.

• 1/2 cup oat meal
• 3/4 cup water (you can do half water/half almond milk for a creamier taste)
• 2 tbs. canned pumpkin
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• agave

Bring liquid to a boil and add the oatmeal and pumpkin. Turn to med/low temp and let it simmer until it absorbs the moisture.

Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and agave to taste.

Now, the oat meal is good like this. However, it was missing that little wow factor that I always strive for. As i searched through my fridge, it came to me.

 

BAM!

A splash of vanilla creamer completes the deliciousness. Enjoy.

Running for Time

When training for the 10K, we newbie runners focused mostly on distance and a little on time. When running for distance, equal parts time and distance training are needed. Personally, I do better with time than distance. Probably because I can set my own speed, or just because I have an I’ll-run-however-freakin’-far (or not-so-far)-I-want-to-run attitude. So when I found this program by Women’s Health, I jumped for joy. Ok not really, but I was excited.

This beginner program is an uber-slow progression toward being able to run for 30 solid minutes. None of it is based upon distance. It’s a combination of running and walking 4 times a week and body toning 2 days a week. The toning programs are there too! Talk about easy. It’s all there. (If you're feeling froggy, you can do the intermediate program to get to 60 minutes.)

I am on week three, day one. Today was 10 min walking, 10 min alternating 1 min walking, 1 min running, and then 10 more min walking. Easy squeezey lemon peezy. So, if you are like me and hate to be told how far you have to run, give this a try. I am loving it.

Women's Health Running Program