How to Eat a Simply Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast seems to be the most overlooked meal of the day. I grew up eating a breakfast of sugar-filled cereal in vitamin D milk and a PopTart.

My husband either went without breakfast or would have one of those combinations of heart stopping bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, etc.

My sister doesn’t eat breakfast at all.

More and more studies have shown the importance to not only health but to maintaining a healthy weight.

I like to illustrate the importance of breakfast to my clients by asking going through the following: when was the last time you ate? Usually dinner is around 7pm. How long until the next meal if you skip breakfast? That is probably around 16 or 17 hours without anything to eat! What is your body using for fuel? It needs something to keep going just like our cars!

Breakfast is a necessary part of giving your body the necessary energy to face the day!

So eat breakfast!

Now comes the tricky part: what do you eat for breakfast that is actually healthy?

A Pretty Pink Sprinkled Donut? NOPE!

The majority of all food that is advertized for breakfast is not healthy and contains loads of sugar, unhealthy fats, and cholesterol.

Here are my 9 favorite Healthy (& Vegan) breakfast ideas:

• Green Fruit Smoothies
• Nondairy Yogurt with sliced fresh fruit and topped with granola
• Vegan French toast
• Fruit spread (with no high fructose corn syrup) on whole wheat toast
• Vegan muffins
• Fresh fruit topped with finely chopped nuts (or nut butter)
• Whole grain cereal with nondairy nut milk
• Non-instant oatmeal with fruit
• Green Fruit Juice

As you probably tell from this list is I tend to eat more fruit in the morning. I feel fruit is a great way to get energized for your day. To help you feel full longer, add nuts or seeds.
Now, I need your help! What is your high-nutrient breakfast favorite? Leave a comment below so I can add it to the list!

12 Quick Tips for How to Lose Weight Walking the Block

There are many women I come in contact with on a daily basis that are looking for a way to lose weight. With 70% of women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS, being obese (drastically higher than in the general population where 30% of women are obese), it is no wonder that weight loss is one of the largest concerns in women!

There is good news! One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get started on your weight loss goals is to start walking on a regular basis. Walking can help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, increases energy levels, and makes you feel great!

Walking does not require any special equipment or a gym membership to get in a great workout. All you really need is a good pair of walking shoes and you can do this pretty much anywhere. It is especially great for those of you who travel so much!

Getting out there and walking the block in your own neighborhood for 30 minutes 4-5 times a week can make a huge difference in how you look and feel!

In order to give you the nuts and bolts of what you should know if you are going to kick off your weight loss program, I have put together a list of the 15 top tips for walking for weight loss.

Gear: First up, you will need comfortable, well-fitting shoes with great support. I encourage you to go to a sporting goods store and have them fit you with a pair of shoes that work well for your feet. Also, you will want light-colored & reflective clothing if you plan on walking in the evenings or at night. If you are only going to be walking during the day, bright or neon colors work great to make sure that traffic sees you.

Goals & Rewards: Before you even start your walking program, sit down and actually write out your goals. What do you plan to do this week and this month for walking? What is your reward if you meet these goals? Make sure your goals are small and achievable which will help you stay motivated as time goes on. Make sure your reward is something that you really want like that high-speed blender.

Music: Create a fun playlist that you can listen to on your phone, iPod, etc. while you are walking. If you would prefer to listen to a book on tape, make sure you have a few to choose from and have them loaded onto your player.

Weights: Buying hand weights that are 3 pounds or less is optional but it is a great way to increase the intensity of your workout a little more!

ID & Water bottle: Never go walking without your ID in case something happens along the way. A water bottle is a necessity if you are going to be walking to replace the water loss during exercise. Get a great water bottle that is fun and BPA-free.

Against the traffic: When you are walking along roads, a good rule of thumb is to go against the traffic. Walk on the left side of the road/sidewalk. This allows you to see drivers and for them to better see you.

Hills/Terrain: Another way you can increase the workout intensity is to change up the route. Add a few hills or a different type of terrain. In the desert, there are roads, gravel, sand, or even hiking up the mountains we have. It all makes your muscles work a little differently and are great ways to change things up.

Fast: Don’t just stroll along on your workout walk. You will not get much out of a slow walk. Pick up the pace and go as fast as you can handle. As your body gets better and better with dealing with regular workouts, you can pick up the pace or add a little more distance

Heart monitor & pedometer: These help you know if you are actually getting a good workout. You can see if your heart rate is just a little elevated that you are walking at a good pace. If you wear a pedometer, you can make sure you get at least 1,000 steps per day which is a great motivating tool in getting up more active on a daily basis.

Buddy: Find a walking buddy. It is easier to get yourself motivated when you are going walking with a friend. For example, I would never go hiking by myself, but a group of us women from work plan at least once or twice a week to meet at a trail for our hiking adventure. When you have a friend or group of friends to go with, it is more fun and you are more likely to stick with it!

Charity walk: There seem to always be charity walk/runs going on. See about signing up for one to walk in. This is a great motivator to improve your fitness level so you are ready for the event and a great way to support a charity of your choosing.

Cool down/stretching: Every workout, including walking, needs a cool down. This can be 3-5 minutes long and can consist of your walking at your beloved stroll pace and some stretching. This is very important because it is what helps bring your body back to its normal state and will help prevent injuries.

Don’t forget that while walking can be a big part of your weight loss program, you still should have fun!

Make walking fun and do what you enjoy. I prefer to choose places to go hike that have lots of interesting things in nature to see. Figure out what works for you that will help you enjoy your time of getting healthy

Name the easiest tip from the top 12 that you could add to your weight loss program. Leave your answer in a comment below.

15 Ways to De-Stress your Nest for a Happy, Healthy Home

Creating a comfortable and inviting home can have a large impact in your overall health. If you do create this environment, you can encourage healthier behaviors. You may be surprised how easy it is for you to focus on matters that are important to your health and your family when your home is uncluttered and appealing.

Your home is where is all comes together!

Now ladies, don’t misinterpret what I am trying to say here. I am not saying that your home must be clean, orderly, and look like it came out of a designer magazine. The key to a healthy home environment centers on making your home a place you can relax, rejuvenate, and recharge so you can better deal with the world around you.

Take a look around your home and ask yourself how you feel when you are in that space. Does it make you feel stressed or does it help you feel comfortable and relax? Your home does not have to be perfect. It just must be a place that feels inviting and warm to you!

When your home feels warm and inviting to you, you can spend your time focusing on your health. A healthy home can help encourage and promote healthy behaviors in other areas of your life.

Here is a list of my top 15 favorite small changes you can make to your home today to make it a haven for you and your family and promote health and de-stressing for your whole family.

1. Create your relaxation zone. Make one place in your home a comfortable place you can escape to in order to relax. This can be a simple chair and lamp in the corner of your bedroom that makes you feel comfortable and stress free.
2. De-clutter your home room by room. When you have less clutter around the home, you are able to think more clearly and feel more comfortable and relaxed. Take it one room at a time and clear the extra clutter.
3. Bring fresh flowers inside to help brighten the mood and atmosphere. There is nothing more relaxing than dealing with nature and beautiful flowers.
4. Create an organization station for papers. Do you find a counter in your kitchen seems to be the catch all for papers? Create and area or a wall station where you can organize everything and take away the stress from seeing a mess of papers in the kitchen.
5. Hang a large family calendar next to the organization station so that you can easily keep track of your family’s activities. This creates less stress in home trying to remember what exactly you had going on tonight.
6. Set out big bowls of fruit and vegetables in your kitchen for décor. This creates a great smell in your home and promotes healthy eating from the whole family.
7. Make sure you have plenty of natural light coming into your home. Get rid of heavy and dark drapes. Natural light will lift your mood and promote relaxation.
8. Turn off the TV and facebook. Start working on a hobby of yours.
9. Choose natural paint colors for a more relaxing atmosphere. Bold colors can promote stress.
10. Laugh often.
11. Get social. Go out and have fun with friends. Research has shown that people who spend more time being social are happier and have less stress.
12. Create a family game night. In our world today, families are so busy they hardly even get to eat together any more. Mark off one day on your calendar and label it family game night. Spend time together as a family playing board games or whatever games are interesting to you. This will help your family be happier and closer overall.
13. In addition to game night, make sure your family sits down and eats together as a  family, old fashioned style. This will help build stronger family relationships and give the parents and kids time to
    talk about what is going on in their world and what they may be struggling with.
14. Put the computer in the office and limit time spent mindlessly on it. It is more important for your comfortable, inviting, and healthy home that you spend less time on the computer and more time as a family or working on hobbies you enjoy.
15. Last but not least, make your bathroom into an oasis. There is not better place to relax than in the bathroom. Make it inviting and a great place for you to de-stress.

By focusing on creating a home that is comfortable and inviting, you are setting it up to promote healthy behaviors and create a happy and healthy family.

Do you have some healthy home tips you would like to add? Leave me a comment below and let me know: what is your favorite way to create a comfortable home?