Love this...

Great quote! ("...get back up!")

"It doesn't matter that you get knocked down in life. All that matters is that you get back up!"
- Ben Affleck
(Oscars '13)


*Many congrats to him for getting "back up" and proving that you CAN do --you have to BELIEVE to ACHIEVE!

Karma cleanse

Choose plank!

I say if you have to choose 1 toning exercise, then make it a plank!
(Sharing Prevention Magazine's graphic)

Home remedies to sooth your nagging cough

Have a cough for a few days? Here are some Doctor (& grandma!) suggested home remedies that you may want to try:

*COUGH?
Go to your cupboard and get out the HONEY!! According to Chris D'Adamo, Ph.D., assistant professor @ Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine "the nerves that sense sweetness & those that control coughing are closely related....by targeting one, you may suppress the other."
Suggestions: try adding honey to your hot tea (or some have suggested coffee. Personally, I have not tried this, nor wish to, but some that have seem to really like it!) Or dip apple wedges in honey for a tasty, yet soothing, snack.


*HEAD COLD with POSTNASAL DRIP?
Post nasal can be such a nuisance!
Alpa G. Desai, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Stony Brook University, suggests taking a HOT shower. The steam vapors help loosen the congestion that is in your chest.

*TICKLE in THROAT?
Best home remedy (passed down generation to generation for a reason!): gargle with some warm salt water!

*DRY COUGH?
Here's something I had never heard of: According to Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., chief medical dir. of the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess' Well & Being @ Willow Stream Spa in AZ "SLIPPERY ELM is one of the best herbs for treating a dry cough, because it protects the sensitive tissues of the mouth & throat." (You can try a variety of flavored lozenges that contain slippery elm, such as: 'Thayers Slippery Elm').

SOURCE: Shape Magazine, March '13

Chill ...(Water that is!)

According to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine:
Exercisers who had 20 ounces of CHILLED water an hour BEFORE a workout (& every 15 minutes during) DELAYED their rise in body temperature by 30 minutes.
(Note: the quicker your temp spikes, the faster you tire out!)

So chill that water & go workout!!


Source: Fitness Magazine,
March 2013

So true!!

Sharing this....so true!!!

Special "day" ;)

FAT Tuesday!

Mardi Gras is French for "FAT Tuesday"! Instead, make it "Healthy Tuesday"--eat well & hit the gym!!!

Celebrate your health: keep moving and stay well!!

What's your motivation??

Life IS too short!

Trying to lose weight, get in shape & live healthier? Follow the "80/20" guide!

If you are trying to lose weight, get/stay in shape and live healthier I suggest keep this in mind: 
Live 80/20! 

80/20:
Make 80% of your daily food/meals with whole foods (veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds). 
Allow yourself 20% room for a slight indulgence, such as a glass of wine or small piece of chocolate.

If you have a temptation to reach for that doughnut, first ask yourself: do I want this to be my 20% for the day?

Occasionally 20/80:
During holidays & special occasions, give yourself permissions to reverse the ratio for that meal or that day.  Just make sure you're back to 80/20 moving forward!  As I often say--"it's all in moderation"! 


Source/Credit: ToeSox 2/2013
(PS: I LOVE my ToeSox for Pilates & Barre classes!!  Highly suggest.  Organic cotton, fit great & keep your feet "healthy"!! Check them out)

The words of the tongue...

Look how far you have gotten!

Planks!

 

Me doing a plank with hands down (notice: elbows and wrists are under shoulders, neck aligned with spine, heels pushed back slightly)
*And yes---I LOVE my new, round mat!

 I LOVE planks!  One big reason: it's a fabulous
MULTI-TASKER (as shown in this 2nd pic).  Notice in this plank what muscles are working hard to keep you stabilized in this position? 

Plank on elbows (notice: elbows under shoulders,
 neck aligned with spine, heels pushed long/back)

I know I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: FORM 1st!

Form: 
*Have feet hip distance apart
*Elbows under shoulders
*Neck STRAIGHT with spine
*Glide shoulders down the back and drop them into "imaginary back pockets"
*Engage the abs by pulling them up (picture a string attached to belly button and pull it up toward ceiling).  Engaging abs also helps stabilize the hips...don't rock the body!
*Apply some pressure into heels (by lightly pushing them back & feel elongating through the back of your leg)--when you do this you'll really feel everything-front to back/CORE-engage even more!!
*Hold in CORRECT form for as long as you can--working up to a minute to 1 1/2 minutes.
(Remember: don't get frustrated if you can only hold it for 15 seconds--it is better to hold it in the CORRECT form as mentioned here vs. a longer time incorrectly!)
Every few weeks try increasing your time until you can hold it for that minute!  Trust me, you will get there but it just takes time!!

Try a few a day (and they don't need to be done back to back.  You can do one in the morning and one at night.) 

It is one of the best things you can do for your core, body, spine, posture, etc. so try to do them several times during the week.  After several months I know you'll feel the benefits as I had.  Again, it takes time and won't happen overnight! 

Be sure to check out different varieties on YouTube or Google "planks". Power2theCore! :)

focus on the good!