Tips to Staying Healthy This Cold & Flu Season

I hate being sick. Don't you? I was listening to the news the other day, and they were saying that instances of cold and flu viruses hitting people are much worse and coming on much earlier for some reason. I haven't been feeling so great the past week or so, which isn't a big surprise to me because I think everyone I know is either sick right now or has been in the past few weeks. It is no fun! I thought I might offer some tips to how you can try and stay as healthy as possible despite all the germs that may be surrounding you!

1. Wash your hands. This is so simple, and it's something that we've been taught since we were tiny, but it is the best thing that you can do to fend off germs from others. If you aren't able to wash your hands all the time, keep some hand sanitizer on you.

2. Beware of gym germs! If there is one place where the germs are swimming, it is the gym. Sweaty people touching all sorts of machines, dumbbells, mats, and equipment can foster a whole lot of germ spreading. Some gyms will offer sanitary wipes to wipe down equipment. USE THEM. Avoid touching your eyes/nose/mouth while you are at the gym. You may also want to wipe down your water bottle, mp3 player, and cell phone or whatever else you may be touching while you are working out.

3. Get some sleep! Our bodies tend to get sick when our immune systems are weakened and we are worn down. This usually happens when we are running low on sleep.

4. Eat right. Along with a lack of sleep, eating poorly can also leave our bodies feeling nutrient-less and run down. On the flip side, getting in an adequate amount of foods that are filled with nutrients can keep our immune systems strong. This means LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies. Tis the season for delicious citrus. Take advantage of that fresh vitamin C! It is also beneficial to take your vitamins to make certain you are getting all of the nutrients possible.

5. Keep moving! Exercise can help boost your body's defense against cold and flu viruses. Keeping your body strong and healthy by eating right and exercising is always a good idea, especially during sick seasons. However, it should be noted that exercising to the point that your body is run down can make it hard for it to fend of sickness.

6. Let's all quarantine! If you are feeling sick, avoid going out and spreading your germs to others. If you know others are sick, avoid contact with them. The same goes for your kiddos. You aren't doing much for anyone if you are sending sick kiddies to school or wherever they may be spreading germs.

7. Stay hydrated! Drinking lots of water can help to keep your body flushed free of toxins, can help to replace water lost through fevers, and can help to keep your body fluids balanced properly.

I hope your these tips will help you and your family to stay healthy this season!!

Beware: The Holidays are Heavily Upon Us

If you haven't noticed, we are in full swing of the holidays. I love it. I love it. I love it! I hope you are loving it too! It is definitely the time of year that stresses people out the most as far as their health is concerned. We seem to have less time to work out, and the food is abundantly before us. So much food...everywhere...and most of it is not greens and lean protein. Just saying. When times get crazy (and the food abundance gets crazier) a reminder of a few healthy holiday tips might just be beneficial.

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Don't skip meals. Instead of not eating all day to "save up" your calories, try to eat clean and healthy (and normally) and when you get to your holiday parties eat sensibly. If you skip meals you will be more likely to overeat when you get to your holiday functions.

Journal your food. You may consider this a nuisance, but if you are wanting to avoid the extra calories from excess bites here and there, the best way to do so is to write down your caloric intake. Keeping a food journal can help you to be more aware of what is going into your mouth.

Make your food choices worth it. There is going to be an abundance of sweets and junk, that is just the way it is. However, not all of it is going to be worth it. If there is some kind of sweet treat or divine indulgence that you make once a year and absolutely die for, by all means, have some. If you arrive at party with a table full of day old store bought cookies, passing them up is probably going to be OK. 

Get moving. When time seems short, the first thing that we let fall through the cracks is our workout time. Don't let this be the case. Try to keep your workouts regular, and you will feel so much better. (Especially if you aren't eating as well as you usually do.) If you don't have lots of time for exercise, get your family moving instead. Make some holiday memories by going snowshoeing, walk around the neighborhood to look at the lights, deliver your neighborhood treats on foot, go ice skating, etc.

Try to get some sleep. Believe it or not there is a direct correlation between not getting enough sleep, and not losing weight. Your body needs your sleep time to recharge and repair itself.
Get adequate amounts of sleep and you will help keep your body in a healthy place during the holidays, and your mood will be better too!

Bring your own healthy additions to the holiday spread. If you are attending a holiday party, bring a healthy side, salad, or appetizer to share. If you do this you will know that there is something there that you can eat and feel good about. Veggie trays and fruit platters are a great and easy contribution.

Don't give up! The worst thing you can do is throw in the towel, and say you'll start over in January. Just keep going doing the best you can, and then sure...kick it into high gear in January. There is no reason not to continue on with your progress throughout the holiday season. It IS possible!

Have a happy, healthy, holiday season!

Get Your Family Moving!

On Saturday, my family decided to take a hike to the Wind Caves. My family definitely loves to eat, go to movies, sit and play games, and relax...BUT we always try to do some things that are active as well. Sometimes we run together, like we did for our Turkey Trot...and sometimes we shop together. (I totally count that as physical activity.) But on Friday, we hiked together. 

I think this is SO important for parents! Helping your kids to get physical activity is crucial. It is really easy to let them sit and watch TV or play on the computer all day, but that isn't doing much for their health.

We had a great time hiking, talking, and laughing...and of course taking all sorts of photos. Aren't those cacti unreal? I think they are such weird plants. Don't mind that I am the shrimp of the family. 

Plus, when you get to spend time outside, you will probably find some amazing sights to behold. It is a gorgeous world out there.

 The view from the top was awesome!

The scenery is so different from the pretty Utah landscape I am used to, but this is a definite desert kind of beautiful.

It was such a fun thing to do with the whole family! It definitely felt good to get moving after all sorts of Thanksgiving eating had gone down! Do you have fun ways to get your family moving?

Weekend Weather and Wednesday Wonders

So if you weren't in Utah this weekend, you missed out on QUITE the storm. My sweet and darling family was in town, so we all were able to enjoy it together!

 

They were here visiting from Arizona, so they were thrilled to see a white out. If only I shared the same enthusiasm.

The weight of the snow wreaked some havoc on the trees by my house, and we got a whole lot of this...

Needless to say, some of us were home bound for a while.

But it does look pretty...from the inside?

Some of you have wondered about some healthy and delicious recipes for the upcoming holiday season, and so I thought I'd share some of my favorites...

Appetizers: 

- Cinnamon Almonds

- Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips 

- Fresh homemade Salsa 

- Easiest Guacamole Ever

Sides: 

- Butternut Squash Soup   

- Cornbread Stuffing

- Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce 

- Roasted Veggies

Desserts:

- Healthy Pumpkin Pie 

- English Trifle
- Healthy Banana Puff Pillow cookies 
- Cinnamon Bun Cake

 Make your holiday preparations smart ones! xoxoxo

Feeding An Army & Crock Pot Chicken Chalupas

I mentioned yesterday how much I loved my trip to Lake Powell. I also mentioned that we had 40 people that I planned food for. Many people think that feeding a large group means immediately resulting to frozen pasta dishes and pizza, with lots of potato chips and packaged cookies. I get that those are easy options, and sometimes in big groups the easy option wins out. However, maybe the following tips can help you think in quantity AND quality.

1. Include a fruit tray or a veggie platter at EVERY meal. Even if your "veggie platter" is nothing more than a big bag of baby carrots and some hummus. If you don't want to cut up your veggies yourself, purchasing a tray at Costco or your local grocery store is really easy to do. We had a fruit tray or a veggies out for every single meal in Powell and they ALWAYS were scarfed up!

2. Use a crock pot. It is easier to cook for a crowd when you don't have to be a slave to the kitchen all day. One of the recipes that I make every year in the crock pot are chicken chalupas. This recipe makes a lot, but I doubled it. People then have the option to put this chicken over chips, in a tortilla, over salad, or on its own. It is SO tasty!

Crock Pot Chicken Chalupas

4 lbs. cooked cut up chicken

2 large onions diced

3-4 cloves of garlic

3 - 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

2 – 7 ounce cans diced green chilies

3 - 151/2 ounce cans pinto beans

2 cans black beans

1 1/2 Tablespoons oregano flakes

1 tablespoon cumin

Cook chicken in crock pot, add remaining ingredients (mix tomatoes, garlic and onions in food processer )

Mix together and cook in oven at 325 degrees in a large roster for 2-3 hours, or crock pot for 3-4 hours. Squeeze lime juice in before serving

I also served this with diced tomatoes, avocado, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, black bean salsa, and any other toppings you may want.  This stuff is SO GOOD, and it keeps really well too. 

3. Give "create your own" options. One of the hardest parts of feeding a large group is attempting to please everyone's tastes. For lunches I always have several different kinds of lunch meats, cheeses, wraps, bread, toppings, and even lettuce for lettuce wraps. It is amazing to me that people really do usually go for the healthier options. Even with the chalupas, people have the option to make salads if they wish to avoid all of the extra chips and tortillas. 

For one of the dinners I had everyone assemble their own pita pizzas. These are so easy, healthy, and portioned perfectly. These are great for kids as well because they love to get involved on making them! When kids are involved in the cooking and creating process they are far more likely to eat their food! 

4. Have a good mix of healthy and not so healthy snacks and treats. You may want to eat perfectly healthy, but that doesn't always mean everyone else does as well. Moderation is a good thing, and having a good mix of healthy treats with some others sweets is OK. Once again, if you provide the healthy options, you may be surprised at how people devour them. Along with whatever treats you may have, include nuts, pieces of fruit, fruit leathers, jerky, etc. Not all snacks on vacation need to be covered in sugar and processed to the nines.

Feeding a group can be healthy, and may just require a little creativity. Include as many fruits and vegetables as you can! Keep it simple, keep it healthy, and you will have a happy crowd!

It is HARVEST TIME! Don't forget to buy local!

Remember last year when I RAVED about our local farmers market? Well, my preaching is back. Now is the time when most farmers markets are FLOURISHING with goodness, and you most certainly should take advantage of it!

When you buy local you are buying fresh, high quality, produce and you are supporting your local economy at the same time. Plus, let's be honest, it just tastes better!

In almost every case you will find that the produce is less expensive, and there will be amazing varieties of different types of produce you can try. You may even develop a new taste for something you haven't ever had before. 

If you aren't sure where there is a local farmers market close to you, I can fix that! Go to Local Harvest  and you will be able to enter in your location. It will bring up all of the closest farmers markets to your area. My search looked like this...

You can also search for farms, meat processers, wholesalers, and grocery co/ops, and restaurants, prettty neat-o if you ask me! SO, go local! Try out your nearest farmers market. They are so much fun, and full of fantastic finds! 

Also...don't forget to enter the August Anthem's Mix Giveaway if you haven't yet! 

I Forgot to Tell You...

So, there are a few things I forgot to mention from my AZ trip. 

1) Eat at Sauce. 
I think this makes like the 20,000th eating recommendation I have for Arizona. How about if you are ever planning on going there, consult with me first, K? Anyways, back to Sauce. Ever heard of it? My sister LOVES it, and for whatever reason in all of my Arizona visits I have never been there. Well, we took care of that. OHHHH. It's so good. We may or may not have eaten there for lunch two days in a row....annnnd I may or may not have eaten the same thing both times.

The Turkey Avocado Feta salad is BOMB. Just looking at this photo makes me hungry.

2) Driving in the car is not that fun.
Although Papa Les is a good time, Spending about 22 hours in a car within a period of three days is not what I'd consider the best form of exercises. You should avoid doing that.

The view may be pretty...but...still.

3) iPhones are essential for road trips. 
Well, they are essential for life too, but for road trips especially. Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends, Instagram, Twitter, surfing the web, texting, and my music library saved me. Thank you to all of you who participated in making life better for me :)

4) The olympics are still awesome
We spent a lot of evenings watching the olympics and I have decided that I'll take the body of a sprinter, thank you. WOW. They are unreal. I love when they show snippets of their training procedures and what their regimens are. They really really do work SO hard. I am sad that the games are drawing to a close because I have loved watching them so much!

5) My family is the best.
I love them so much, and it has been so fun to spend so much time with them!

Ok...so maybe I've mentioned that like 5,000 times...but it's still true!

Summer is ending...isn't it...?

UGH. I know that saying, "all good things must come to an end," but that doesn't mean I have to like it. There are a few things that always let me know really quickly that summer is over.

1. The first thing that always reminds me that my favorite time of year is over is that everyone leaves me.
It has become a trend for my family members to venture to Utah for the summer to enjoy some down time, and although it is always CRAZY when they are here, I love it.

We work out together. We swim together. We craft together. We eat together. We laugh together...and somewhere in between all of that I fit in sleeping, working, and a social life. We go a million miles a minute, and I love it.  Then, all of the sudden everyone leaves...and it always makes me sad! I had to say goodbye to the last of the visitors yesterday.

 And so instead of dealing with the realization that everyone is gone, I hopped in the car with these fine individuals and ventured to Arizona for a few days... :)

 My dad insists on stopping at the Cracker Barrel every time we drive through Flagstaff. Oh, the Cracker Barrel...

2. The second thing that always reminds me that summer is ending is quite a bit happier, and makes dealing with the blow a little easier. FRESH PEACHES! Oh my gosh I forgot how much I love fresh Utah peaches.

I've said it once and I'll say it again. Fresh produce is the best thing ever. If you want your family to learn to love healthy fruits and vegetables, stop feeding them canned stuff, and give them the GOODS! There is nothing better than the fresh and delicious taste of fresh produce. FRESH PEACHES people. I'm telling you. They are worth coming to Utah for. My mom bought a whole box to bring back with her to Arizona. They are that good.

I'm still sad that summer is ending. Hearing everyone talking about going back to school is so crazy to me. When did time start flying by so dang quickly?

A Surprisingly Good Fast Food Find

My darling roommate is a 6th grade teacher. She happened to have a plethora of tickets from a reading program her school did, and she decided to share the wealth with my family. I kinda laughed when my sister told me to meet the clan at Chick-fil-A, because I was pretty certain that there was not a THING on the menu that I would want to eat.

Well, I was wrong, and I'm not going to lie...I'm a little bit impressed. We used our kids meal coupons to feed the fam, and we were not disappointed. Who knew that Chick-fil-A offers grilled chicken nuggets, and that you can swap out your fries out for fruit? I most certainly did not. It was actually really good!  

 The calorie count is awesome! For the 4 piece grilled chicken nuggets pack it is 80 calories, 1 gram of fat, 17 grams of protein! AND they are made from 100 percent all-breast meat NOT pre-formed meat. It is cut really thin, and without all the fat. I was impressed. This meal was gluten free AND paleo approved...WHAAAAA?
Ummm...like I said...awesome. Also, the fruit cup only has 60 calories in it. Who knew I'd ever be endorsing fast food on the blog? I, of course, think that cooking at home is going to be the best option, but this is pretty dang good if you are on the run!

The winner of the July Jams Giveaway is Amber Handy! Email me at megolina21 at gmail.com and I will get you hooked up with your tunes!!

#30: 30 high knees in place

This one is easy, but great to amp up the heart rate. Just run in place, getting your knees as high as you possibly can! Do thirty on each leg for a total of sixty!

More family time and a Winner!

This morning the Smith and Wilson ladies started the day out right with a group workout at the lab. It was so much fun! I'm telling you, if you are bored with your workout routines and such, find a workout buddy to help you get through! Working out with people makes it all MUCH more fun! Aren't they beauties? 

 

This afternoon we met up with Papa Les for lunch, which is always a good time. Can you tell these little ones just eat him right up?

This sad face was actually because of the child-size cup I had, but it should also be showing how sad I am that my sister Nichole and her kiddos are leaving tomorrow. I hate when fun comes to an end! :( 

 And if this isn't just the cutest thing you have ever seen, I really don't know what is...

 I love these people. They are always a treat. 

DAY #18: 18 box jumps

I am suddenly extremely obsessed with box jumps. You can do these with stairs, a bench, plyometric boxes, rock ledges, bleachers, or whatever else you can find. Basically you are just jumping from the ground to the bench with both feet at the same time. As my sisters have been here I've been pushing them to jump higher and higher on the boxes we have, and it is SO fun to see them progress! 


It is also time to announce the winner of the Xango product giveaway!! 
The winner is...

Congrats! Email me at megolina21 at gmail.com and we'll get you all hooked up with your winnings! 

Grocery shopping is hard to do.

Oh the empty fridge...You know when you get to that point where you open your fridge 20 times, magically hoping that something else is going to reappear next time you open it? I'm there. I HATE when I don't have any fresh produce. It kills me. Good thing I'm going to eat dinner with my family tonight :) Elaine never disappoints with the fresh fruits and veggies. I love her for that.

I have  a love/hate relationship with going grocery shopping. I hate it because I hate it. Going to the store is kind of a pain. I swear I almost always forget something, I usually buy way more than I planned on, and I always walk past the cereal isle with a little sadness in my heart. (Ever since eating paleo I miss cereal more than anything.) I love it because I know I will have awesome options to eat for the next little while, I'll have a ton of delicious fresh produce, and I will be prepared. Making good food choices is allllll about being prepared. These tips also help me when I am trying to be a smart and healthy grocery shopper...

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- Make a menu. Decide what your schedule is going to be like for the upcoming week. Figure out what your are going to eat for all of your meals.
- Make a list. When you have your menu you will be able to make a list of what you are going to need. Having a plan at the grocery store is KEY. Wandering down isles aimlessly is what gets us into trouble, and leaves us lurking in front of the Oreo cookies. Click HERE for my Muncher Cruncher approved grocery list. This list is before my paleo days began, but it is still a good one.
- Don't shop hungry. This is a common tip that you probably hear all the time, but it is a good one. When you grocery shop on an empty stomach you will want to eat everything, so you will more than likely buy everything. This will cause you to stray from the plan. It also will help you to avoid binging on samples. Click HERE to see just how costly Costco samples can be on your diet.
- Avoid your weaknesses. If you know you venturing past the bulk candy is going to mean you are going to want to grab lots of sugary sweets, don't even venture past. Don't put yourself in temptations way! Be sure to get some healthy snacks that will keep you armed with good food when you get home!
- Wear a medical mask or your running shoes. The bakery is always going to smell amazing. I don't know how to tell you to avoid that...except to cover your nose and sprint with your cart.

Go prepared when you grocery shop, and you will be prepared when you come back home to stay healthy and keep up with the good habits that you have worked SO hard to develop!

What are you grocery shopping tips and pitfalls? Do you have a hard time avoiding the less healthy items?

DAY #15: 15 burpees 

Burpees are killer. There is just no way around it, but they are also GREAT. They are a perfect way to spike that heart rate up, they are a total body exercise, and they are killer so you feel super tough and legit doing them....or maybe after you are done with them. With these burpees, try to get your chest all the way down to the ground. Go for it!

Get Your Family Moving!

When my family gets together we are always up for something fun! I love that my family is always willing to get out and do active things. Tonight we went ice blocking as a family, and it was a blast!

 It was perfect temperature outside. Utah surely knows how to do summer nights right.

 I think that if families would realize just how fun it is to get outside and run around they would be healthier, and much happier!

 I mean what is better than sliding down grass on a block of ice only to have to turn around and run back uphill right after? :)

 Good weather. Good family. Good times. That is for sure.

What does your family do to stay active?

DAY #11: 11 inchworm push ups

These are THE BEST. I have my clients do them all the time because they are great for your legs, core, and arms. Doing these will give you a solid core, and will definitely strengthen everything else in the meantime. If 11 is too hard for you, start with one and build up. If 11 is too easy, go for the gold and add more in!

Family Night at The Lab

Tonight my family came into The Lab for a workout party of sorts. It was so much fun!

I put them through a series of circuit exercises, and they killed it! Don't you love my dad showing off his muscles? I am smiling so big my eyes disappeared. That is how much I love having my family here, and at work with me. So awesome!

DAY #9: Nine 10 second Sumo Squat holds. 

With these you hold your legs in a wide squat position with your knees and your feet turned out. Squat down as low as you can, trying to make your legs parallell with the ground. Squat down low and hold for ten seconds. Repeat this nine times! Hold weights if you need to increase the intensity!

Happy 4th!!

I love the 4th of July. I really really do. I love the patriotism, the fabulous red white and blue clothing choices that come out of the woodwork, the bbq's, the pool parties, and OF COURSE the fireworks. I am ecstatic about tonight because I know that there are great fireworks in store! My fourth of July activities for today were a little out of the norm, but so much fun!

My friends and I decided to hike Stewart Falls, and it was so beautiful. We weren't the only ones with that idea...It was awesome to see a lot of families out getting their exercise on together!

Thanks to my friend Scott for documenting the whole hike! 

 It was such a beautiful hike! If you are ever in UT, take the time to get out there and do it!

It is very easy to get together with our friends and family and gather around food. We do it all the time, and of course it is so fun. However, every now and again, decide to get out and do something active with your family instead!

The July challenge continues...

Day #4: Four lengths of walking lunges.  

Find a long hallway and lunge down and back four times. Carry dumbbells if you need to make it more difficult. You should end up doing around 50 lunges :)
Tonight I'm going to The Stadium of Fire. SO FUN! I can't wait for all of the patriotic festivities! Happy 4th of July! 

If You Were Wondering Where I Get it From...

I know that my family and I are very similar in our likes and our dislikes. However, last night was a definite representation of just how similar we are.

My sister and mom were determining what we should have for dinner, and they decided that a salad bar sounded good. I, of course, agreed. I am never one to turn down a salad bar.

 I think this is SUCH an awesome idea to feed a group because everyone can make their salad however they like it. We had rotisserie chicken, kidney beans, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, avocado, pineapple, tomatoes, olives, beets, carrots, diced almonds, and sunflower seeds. SO, SO, GOOD! I had everything except the kidney beans. My family hardly has a meal without a fruit platter.

 Doesn't that just look awesome? It was. I can vouch for it's awesomeness. My salad looked a little something like this...

 Yum right? After we all ate we decided our night wouldn't be complete without a little bit of frozen yogurt to top it off. Like I said, surprised as you may be, this wasn't my idea either! My family and I really are just one and the same. No wonder I like them so much. ;)

 Aren't these ladies just beautiful? I sure do love them, and their stripes.

 My sister had a look-alike walk in, so we tried to be very sneaky and get a photo of them together.

 It is very clear that we really like our frozen yogurt, and that we have great balance.

As I was thinking about how similar I am to my family members, I began to think of the positive effect we have on one another, and that all families can have one each other. One family member can have such a great impact on the rest of the family as far as introducing healthy food items and even getting others involved in exercise and physical activity. My challenge to you would be to evaluate yourself and the role you are playing with your family. Are you having a positive influence on those who are around you, or are you having a negative influence? What can you do to change the influence your are having? Just some food for thought...

What does your family love to do together? Do you feel like you are an active and healthy family, or an unhealthy one? Have you tried to implement healthy habits in the lives of those you love?