Remember when we were kids and our parents would send us outside to play?  We would find our balls, jump ropes, hula hoops, buckets, shovels, and blocks and we would run around playing tag and hide n’ go seek. We were bounding here and there, jumping on the jungle gym, riding our bikes and even at night, we would scurry around catching fireflies. Our hearts and souls were content, our skin radiant and our body’s full of joy. We had been moving for hours. Laughing, singing, chasing and, without even knowing, providing ourselves with wonderful aerobic exercise.

Grab a tight hold of those memories and work your hardest to forget what you have learned now. Forget that you have learned that adults do not play. Forget that going to the gym is the only way to get a workout in. Forget that a computer screen needs your attention and forget about your darn phone.

Remember that being outdoors and moving your body awakens you, lightens your spirit and provides beauty and scenery that inspires. Remember that you do know how to walk, run, skip, jump rope, hula hoop, climb, bike and scurry. Remember that if you open a door, you are there! You do not need to drive or prepare to get “outside”, just open your door and voila, you are in it!

Moving your body outdoors is serious fun and an easy way to get exercise in without even thinking about it.  Look down a path in the park and try to run to the first tree, skip to the fifth tree and hop to the eighth tree.  Make an obstacle course that no one but you can see.  Jump over every rock or branch and do a standing push-up against every mighty oak. Jog for thirty seconds, run for ten seconds and skip for thirty more seconds.  Repeat until you are smiling, rosy-cheeked and winded!  Be creative, step outside of this technology controlled box we have been programmed to live in and relive what you best remember: Playing outdoors!

Now, this is how to flip exercise and make if fun again!

…..As always, I believe in you and I wish you the very best health possible.  Please always make time for you, listen to your body and please strive to eat healthily, drink ample water and take your vitamins!

If you are looking for the highest quality Vitamin and Mineral Supplements personalized for you, please go to www.personanutrition.com and take their on-line questionnaire providing individualized vitamin and mineral recommendations. Persona is the only Science Based supplement provider on the web today! Take advantage of their knowledge and use it to your health’s benefit!

This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information from this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.

If you are like me, there is nothing more dreadful than a fitness activity that feels wrong.  Whether it be a spinning class, Zumba, running or lifting weights, what feels wrong to an individual should not have to be done. What feels right, whether that be walking, climbing mountains, swimming or hot yoga, should be embraced and definitely replace the activities that are not enjoyable. What this boils down to is being true to yourself and owning the fact that what is best for you may not be the most popular and that is just fine!

Feeling good about getting fit is key to the process.  If you are trying out different activities and you find some boring and others unsuited to your needs, drop them.  There is no sense in doing something intended to help you when it actually causes you dread, boredom or stress.  However, sometimes an activity, especially those that are new to us, might require a few try’s before a decision to whether or not it is a good choice can be made.  Zumba, for instance, is a bucket of fun, but the first few classes can be intimidating and overwhelming.  Once you realize that you are not alone in learning new moves and that no one cares if you mess up, you might end up really liking Zumba.  Or not, and that is A-OK!

Fitness is essential to a healthy life and, like all things, should suit who you are and not only change your body for the better, but also change your mind for the better.  Again, if you find that every time you go to the gym you feel anxiety and every time you take a spinning class your back aches and you cannot wait to be done, change your routine to something that brings you joy! Fitness should always feel right! You are worth taking the time to find out what works best for you and I just know, once you do, your fitness will not only be right but also invigorating, stimulating and a true joy!

I wish you the best health and I hope you will take the time to nurture yourself today with healthy food, plenty of water and your favorite activities.

Please remember to take your vitamins and take your time! Enjoy your journey! Always!

If you are looking for the highest quality Vitamin and Mineral Supplements personalized for you, please go to www.personanutrition.com and take their on-line questionnaire providing individualized vitamin and mineral recommendations. Persona is the only Science Based supplement provider on the web today! Take advantage of their knowledge and use it to your health’s benefit!

This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information from this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.

When you think about calories, I am betting that you are under the impression that they all count.  Well, they do and they don’t.  A great way to gauge if a calorie counts or not is by tracking how many you consume.  If you are able to consume more than 2000 calories a day, your calories are most likely those that don’t count, don’t count towards your wellness that is.  It is easy to eat high calories if you are eating nutritionally deficient foods, it is difficult to eat an abundance of calories if the foods you eat are nutritionally ripe.  Calories that count are those that are nutritionally ripe and full of the macro, micro and phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and fats that our bodies need.  They fill us up, give us sustained energy, and revitalize our hormones, our brain functioning, and our overall metabolism.  These foods include organic produce, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish, seafood, grass fed dairy products, free range eggs and natural organic grains.  These foods are naturally nourishing and produce a low glycemic response within the body that maximizes healthy blood sugar and decreases overall adiposity.  It is not about counting calories or restricting calories, it is about eating calories that count.  Look at 300 calories of soda.  All sugar, which raises our blood sugar causing our body to dump insulin which results in a “crash” (and makes us feel terrible!) 300 calories of vegetables will normalize blood sugar, increase satiety, reduce inflammation and give sustained energy.  Think about eating a bag of chips, you ingest processed potato, salt and trans fats, an easy 1000 calories that do nothing for your body.  Now consider eating a salad, full of greens, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, onion, garlic, olives, avocado, salmon, and egg, you receive a cornucopia of nutrients and a dose of heart-healthy fats that our bodies need for all bodily functioning including cardiac regulation and hormonal stability. These foods also lend to healthy skin, nourished hair and nails, strong bones and happiness.  Your mood is directed by your food.  That is why processed foods are termed “Junk” foods and they leave you feeling bad.  They are useless, commercially driven and marketed food “stuffs” that increase adiposity, inflammation, depression, and disease.  The calories in such products do not count towards anything but disease, obesity, and overall poor health.

Here is the key to calories:  Eat all you want of the best most nutrient dense foods. This is intuitive, the best sources of nutrients are vegetables and fruit.  Do not eat processed foods, packages foods, refined sugars or drink any type of sweetened beverage (such as soda and fruit juices).  Find great food and think your drink!  Do not cut calories, but only eat those that count!

If you are looking for the highest quality Vitamin and Mineral Supplements personalized for you, please go to www.personanutrition.com and take their on-line questionnaire providing individualized vitamin and mineral recommendations. Persona is the only Science Based supplement provider on the web today! Take advantage of their knowledge and use it to your health’s benefit!

This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information from this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.