Fitness Friday: Smoothies, Squats, and Salads Challenge for February

So everyone knows that aside from working out, you need to eat healthy in order to be fit. Now the problem with trying to eat healthy these days is that everyone has a different version of "eating healthy". I just try and eat a balanced diet but I do limit refined white sugar, dairy and I don't eat pork at all. 

When I was younger I just basically associated diet with being thin. I never really had a weight issue and was naturally thin so I didn't really think too much about what I ate. Looking back, I ate pretty unhealthy. I LOVED (and still do) Coke...not diet coke, just regular "full of sugar" coke. I also loved fatty foods such as McDonalds and pizza. I didn't really start to think of my diet until my mid to late 20's when I went to a nutrition seminar and the nutritionist said that people need to "eat to live" and not "live to eat". She mentioned that a client came to her refusing to eat fruit because of sugar but instead she would eat "sugar free" candy all day to curb her appetite. She also spoke about how most people don't bother to look at ingredients on packaged food but rather just the calories and fat content. She commented on how she found this puzzling since the whole point of eating is to nourish your body and provide it with fuel. Therefore, if you aren't providing it with nutrients (in the case of eating sugar free candy) then what is the point of eating it. This actually got me thinking about my own habits. I was definitely guilty of not looking at ingredients and caring more about fat and calories. After this seminar I started to make small changes to my diet and gradually started eating healthier.

At the end of 2011, I really started to get stricter about what I ate. I basically cut out a lot of packaged food, started to make a lot of stuff from scratch, I added lots more fresh fruit and veggies to my diet and started to eat a lot more organic food. I also educated myself on chemicals found in cleaning and cosmetic products and started to make my own. I don't eat strictly organic food but I try to incorporate it as much as I can. I love to shop at farmers markets in the spring/summer and try to buy local when I can. I found that these small changes over the years have made a huge difference in how I feel. I have a lot more energy when I eat healthier. I also noticed that I rarely get sick, I recover faster when I do catch a cold, and some of my other ailments, such as sinus and digestion problems, have disappeared. 

While I don't usually go on diets per say, I decided to try a monthly challenge in order to jump-start a healthy eating habit. For me, once I incorporate a particular habit for a month, it is pretty easy to incorporate it into my regular lifestyle. Therefore, for the month of February I am trying the "Triple S Challenge: Smoothies, Squats, and Salads". For this challenge, I eat a smoothie every morning for breakfast, do at least 10 squats per day and eat a salad for dinner each night. I saw the Smoothie/Squat challenge posted on Instagram and then Mitch mentioned a couple weeks ago that we should start having salads for dinner in order to get more vegetables. So I added the salad part to the challenge. For this challenge, you are allowed to basically have whatever you want for lunch (though I tend to opt for healthy food) since you are getting so many nutrients at the other two meals. Also, by having a lighter meal for dinner, you don't go to bed feeling so full and bloated.

Since Superbowl fell on February 1st this year, we decided to start this challenge on Monday, February 2 and so far we are doing great. I think there was one day we slipped up but other than that we have been sticking with the challenge and I find it pretty easy. I was already in the habit of having smoothies for breakfast most mornings and 10 squats are so easy (I usually do at least 25) so the main thing that was new was having salads for dinner every night. This means that salad is our main course but we do add protein to it, such as meat or egg, to make it more filling. I have also been looking on Pinterest for different salad recipes. We have managed to make a different type of salad almost every night so far. 

I have included one of my favourite smoothie recipe below and I have also included what nutrients are found in each ingredient! Obviously you can modify it to suit your taste but I find that the recipe below tastes delicious and is packed with lots of nutrients! The recipe below makes a blender full which is enough for both my husband and I to have a large glass each!

• 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened Silk Almond Milk - high in calcium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Riboflavin and NO SUGAR
• 1 cup of organic fruit juice (make sure its 100% juice with no added sugar) - high in Vitamin C
• 1 cup of mixed berries (fresh or frozen)- high in vitamin C, antioxidants 
• 1 banana - high in potassium, vitamin B6
• 1 large heaping tbs of organic milled flaxseed- high in fiber, iron and magnesium
• 1 large handful of greens (either spinach or kale)- high in iron, fiber, and vitamin K
• 1 1/2 scoops of Progressive Vegetarian (pea & hemp) protein powder (soy and dairy free) - high in protein and iron (not all protein powders are high in iron but this one in particular is)

Try the smoothie recipe above and let me know what you think! Have a great long weekend to all my Ontario readers and spend extra time with all your loved ones for Valentine's Day and Family Day!

Belated Mommy Monday #5: Feeling like Super Mom

So I am feeling like super mom right now. This past week was really busy but I got so many "Mommy Projects" done that I have been meaning to do for a while now. It feels so good to get this stuff done. I finally got a chance to print a bunch of photos and update a bunch of picture frames, I made Cooper's newborn shadow box, dressed up his stuffed turtle, and I sent out my shower/newborn gift thank you cards. I know it is ridiculous that I am just sending out thank you cards now but my sister saw this cute idea on Pinterest using Cooper's footprint so it took a while to make them all, write a note in each of them, and mail them out but they have been mailed so that is a huge relief!

I saw the idea of a newborn shadow box on Pinterest before I was even pregnant and thought it was such a great idea. In Cooper's newborn shadow box I put in the sleeper he wore home from the hospital, our hospital bracelets, a couple of pictures, and some other small mementoes. I really liked how it turned out. Here is a picture of it.

I think I mentioned in a previous blog post that my friend gave me the idea of dressing up Cooper's stuffed toys in my favorite onsies that he has outgrown. Unfortunately, he really only has one stuffed animal which is a turtle so I dressed it up in my favorite newborn onsie. Here is a picture! 

Aside from getting some of my mommy projects done, we went to our first baby playgroup this morning. It was held at a local church. I was proud of myself for getting there on time at 9:30 am because I am often late. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of this playgroup. They had a nurse onsite to weigh the babies and a lactation consultant which is excellent but I forgot Cooper's diaper bag so I had no clean diaper to weigh him in which was a bit disappointing. The "play" aspect was not organized at all. There was a couple of mats in the middle with chairs around but there was no organized songs or stories. It was basically just parents with their babies chatting while they waited for their babies to be weighed. Cooper seemed excited to see other babies but I expected there to be songs or a story or something...I think I will only go back if I was really interested in having him weighed or speaking with the lactation consultant and keep my eye open for other groups that are more centred around baby playtime. 

I am hoping to take Cooper swimming for the first time on Thursday. He seems to love his bath so I think he will like swimming. I also want to take him to a playgroup at Starr Gymnastics but that will probably be next Monday! 

Thanks for reading...

Mommy Monday #4: De-cluttering

So I have been busy this week de-cluttering my house. I feel like society tries to tell new moms that they need so much "stuff" for their baby but after being a new mom for 3 months, I have realized that isn't the case. Babies grow out of clothes, toys, and gadgets so fast! We are planning on having more children so I am definitely saving things that I found useful but I am selling the rest of the stuff. I have been selling a lot of stuff on Kijiji and I also joined some buy/sell Facebook groups and have sold stuff on there as well. I didn't even know that these Facebook groups existed until recently. Some of the Facebook groups are specific to particular types of items such as baby carriers or cloth diapers while other groups are just general buy/sell groups. I personally find it easier to sell stuff on kijiji and the "specific item" type of Facebook buy/sell groups but I have sold stuff on all groups I think.

I really like the idea of selling stuff you don't want and then putting the money aside to buy new stuff you might need. There are also great items for sale and sometimes it can be so tempting to buy a bunch of stuff. However, right now I am just concentrating on selling stuff, then I will make a list of stuff I need or will need soon and then I will look for these items. I have been tempted to buy clothing or toys that my son might use a couple years down the road but I really think that is a slippery slope. For example, I saw these good quality toy trains, probably meant for 3 year olds, for a good price but if I start buying this stuff now, my house will just get super cluttered, super fast.

It is crazy how much money you have from the stuff laying around in your closets or in storage that never gets used. Right now I mostly just listed the baby stuff that I don't use but after those items are sold, I think I am going to start going through some of my own items like brand name clothing, shoes, and purses. If I am able to sell stuff and make some extra cash, I will put this money away and save it for a spring shopping spree. This way it's just extra cash being spent and my house won't get too cluttered because I will be clearing out a bunch of items first. I really need a new pair of sunglasses and a new spring purse so lets see if I can sell enough stuff buy these two items! I am planning to go to Florida in April and I really want to go shopping at the Sawgrass Mills Mall so I am challenging myself to sell my unused stuff and save up for a shopping spree at Sawgrass Mills Mall in April. I will definitely keep you posted on my progress. 

If you want to save up for a spring shopping spree yourself I invite you to join this challenge by taking these simple steps:

1. Go through your closets and storage and find good quality items that aren't being used that you can sell
2. Take pictures and post these items on sites like Kijiji and Facebook buy/sell groups
3. Keep the money you make in a jar and save it until April 1st 2015! 
4. After April 1st 2015, treat yourself to a guilt-free shopping spree

While this is a great way to de-clutter your house and make some extra cash, please be smart and safe about it. Do this at your own risk. If you get any suspicious emails or replies, just ignore them. Trust your gut. While most people are genuine, there are dangerous encounters. Don't give out your personal information and always meet potential buyers in a public place. I also find it safer to bring along a spouse or friend just to be on the safe side.

Happy selling!!!