"Quick Tips" primarily for Breakfast & Morning time

Good Afternoon! As always.. thanks for tuning in!

Sometimes I don't really have enough for a blog per say, but chatting with different friends these last few days I have been slowly remembering just easy "Quick Tips" for healthy living. I will reiterate I am not a nutritionist, I am not a personal trainer, and these tips may not work for everyone. My goal in all of this is to motivate, push, encourage and hope that in some way I can help inspire you into some form of bettering your life. :) And I hope all of you know I am ALWAYS here for specific tips, questions.. or just support. I never push my beliefs on anyone, but lately I really feel like God is steering me and working directly through me :)

Morning & Breakfast Quick Tip's (Note: I will probably be continually adding to this as I remember as well as learn new great tips!)

• Very first thing I do when I wake up is chug a big glass of water - sometimes it's tough to do but seriously, just do it. You'll get a bit of a headrush and you can just feel your body waking up. Plus it's a good idea for us coffee drinkers as your body is already dehydrated from sleep & coffee on top of that just makes it worse which can make you fatigued.
• If you do make a habit of purchasing coffee, don't do the drive through and as painful as it will be without any caffeine intake yet - park as far as you can away and walk. Wake up your body!
• Say you usually wake up at 7:00 every other week start setting your alarm even 5 minutes earlier so 6:55 then 6:50 and so on. Use that 5 minutes to do something... anything! Walk, do some crunches, have a dvd cued up and just get a little sweat on. It's tough to start but once you do you'll notice how much more positive you are and how much better your day is!
• Everyone says it and so will I - EAT BREAKFAST especially after you 5+ day kickstart workout! I don't believe in huge drastic changes.. ease into breakfast or a healthier breakfast then you are less likely to give up! You like sweet breakfasts like pastries? Try Greek Yogurt - lots of protein and so yummy! I love plain Greek Yogurt with a little local honey in it. Trade in those sugary cereals for brands like Kashi which are whole grain high in protein & fiber and will keep you full longer and no sugar crash! If you like eggs and not eggs whites what I like to do is one egg and one egg white - I throw in some spinach and mushrooms usually. If you're not a veggie person just start off with a tiny bit of a veggie and if you need to throw in some low fat cheese (or something like feta) and slow up the veggie portion and decrease the cheese!
• If you like oatmeal one of my favorites is old fashioned oats, scoop of whey protein powder, and raisins with a little cinnamon.
• I know no carb diets are popular and I limit my carb intake but in my opinion carbs=energy and you need energy in the AM. The thing is you don't want to "sleep on energy/carbs". Again, ease into it but for me no carbs after 5:00pm and I go to bed relatively late. If you want to eat carbs as I always say "Whole grain or bust!". Whole grain has more fiber, is usually more hunger satisfying and has much more nutrients then white flour products. Make a bunch of brown rice and keep it in a tupperware so you don't just eat it at night when you have time to make it (Great in eggs, with lunch). I also space out my carbs - "Ok, I have had a whole wheat english muffin 3 times this week, I'm going to skip it today".
• Drink lots of water. I know some people hate water and if you need a little help from Crystal Lite.. Then so be it. Keep your body hydrated! Never consume anything with high fructose corn syrup, stay away from drinks branded as energy or sports drinks (gatorade, powerade, even vitamin water [if anything get the zero version] - they have a LOT of sugar! For me as long as I keep a water bottle by me when I'm out & about, on the computer, near my bed - I find myself unconsciously reaching for it and BAM I'm a few bottles down! I like to use reusable aluminum bottles :)
• Many times when you think you're hungry you're actually thirsty! If it's not necessarily meal time yet and you want to snack try drinking down a big glass of water and wait ten minutes. If you're still hungry - eat! The benefit of doing this anyway is you'll be less likely to over eat now! If I know I'm going to be out and about I'll literally keep a gallon jug of water on me.

More to come! I have many general throughout the day tips that I will post all together in my next blog. If you have more to add or questions - write me or comment! mikaelaacrist@gmail.com

No excuses start incorporating a few tips in every day! Trust me.. eating well and taking care of yourself starts making everything in your life better and goals & dreams seem so much for feasible!

Lots of love...

Motivation...

Well.

Here we go... Again.

What I mean by "again" is as much I try to just maintain a healthy lifestyle it is so easy for the excuses to get in the way of just that... not enough time, I'll do it tomorrow, just this time, moving, convenience and the list goes on. You know what I'm talking about.

As a kid I was strange as I preferred veggies over the fried food, had no desire to eat fast food and a common story my mother loves to tell is how she would pack me with a can of corn when I was going to pizza parties - as I preferred eating that can of corn then icky greasy pizza.

Funny how more than anything our social lives change our eating habits over time. Instead of making that chicken breast and broccoli at home we end up grabbing the burger, fries and beer. At least that's what has happened to me. I won't lie, as much as I love my alone time it seems more and more I crave to be in social settings. My thought is I used to work in social settings aka club scene, bartending even I would say most food industry type jobs are pretty social. I think maybe transitioning into more of a corporate setting and not being basically forced into being social anymore has made me crave company. I laugh at how you can get so burned out working in those scenes and then you crave it when you don't have it.. oh, catch 22's!

For those of you who don't know I've been on crutches since April 27th - I see an orthopedic surgeon on June 7th and will learn more then. So far all I know is I have several fractures in my foot. Before it happened I wasn't consistent in the gym but I was eating well and keeping physically active, mostly riding my beloved bike and always doing home "body weight exercises". I was planning on doing the Tough Mudder in September up in Tahoe - I was feeling motivated and ready to take on any challenge. I have always wanted to do a marathon and was starting to look into training/signing up.. and all that jazz. Yes, I have a broken foot but really it's no excuse for making a habit of eating whatever I want.. nachos, burgers, mac n' cheese, pizza, double helpings, and of course beer; not doing any physical exercise... and somehow it has been my excuse for all of the aforementioned.

I really do need to mention one of the biggest motivators for me (besides the general of feeling of bleh) is www.toneitup.com. Katrina and Karena take a very positive, inspiring, "you-can-do-it" - approach to fitness and just general living. I accidentally found there blog looking at a beachy hair tutorial (http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Beachy-Hair-Tutorial-Bikini-Series-5082) and just started reading and watching their videos.

I started this blog to be brutally honest of my health adventures. So here we go.. I am 5'6" .. ok, ok.. 5'5.5" and currently 131 pounds. I'm not one of those girls saying "omgsh I am soooo fat" but I am NOT in shape and more than anything I am not living to my full potential. I know I have a broken foot but there is still so much I could/should be doing and honestly I feel like a disgrace to myself . "Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you" -Ralph Waldo Emerson "Be proud, but never satisfied"-Unknown. Those are my mottos.

Started this to share recipes, share what motivates me, share the temptations and tips. Thank you friends & family for always being supportive and as always I would love your input :)

Much Love,

Mik