Creating Your Healthy Lifestyle Journal!

Hello everyone!

Today, I wanted to talk about something that I just started two days ago, but let me tell you...I have never been more focused in my life! I started something called a Pageant Playbook; I put everything I need/want to know for my next pageant in there!

Wait. You do pageants?

Well, long story short...I did a few pageants when I was younger, took a 6 year hiatus, and now I decided to enter another one! It's about 4 months away (in October) but I am extremely excited. One thing I am doing differently for this one is that I am getting SUPER ORGANIZED. I realized though that this "playbook"can be applied for EVERYTHING! Especially a health and fitness journey!

So, I decided that I wanted to share with you all how to make one! It's super simple, and really effective!

Materials:

• Binder
• Dividers
• Inspirational Pictures/Phrases/Words
• Looseleaf Paper

What to do:

First, decorate your binder! Right now, it's a boring, blank canvas. Glue on your inspirations on both sides of it! For my pageant book, I have my favorite titleholders on the outside and inside flaps of the binder. This way, whenever you are feeling unmotivated, just one look at your journal will get you motivated again. You won't even have to open it!

Next, organize your binder. You want your:

• diet plan
• exercise plan
• food journal
• measurements
• space for your regular journal. 

Use your dividers and put these in the order that you find works for YOU. That way, you always have everything in one place. If you have questions regarding your diet plan or your fitness plan, they are all together. Want to see your progress? Your measurements are all in one spot! (We'll get into more detail about each section in later posts!)

Then, fill each section with what is important! Do you follow a specific diet plan? Print it out and put it into that section! If it's in a book, post-it note the important pages and slip that book into the binder. That way, you always have it on hand! Fill your food journal, measurements, and regular journal with loose leaf paper! Everyday, write down what you are eating. Every week, take your measurements and write them down! You can even take weekly pictures, print them out and glue them next to your measurements! Your regular journal is where you talk about how you are feeling. Weight loss, gain, or maintenance is a journey! You need to process through things and one way to do that is by writing!

Finally, add your finishing touches! Any other section you think may be important? Put that in there! Any extra pictures you find, go ahead and make this journal your own. Everyday, flip through it for inspiration! When you have questions, they are there. When you need motivation, it's right there! It's super easy and well worth it!

Let me know how it goes! Maybe I'll post my Pageant Playbook for the world to see :)

xoxo,
Jo

What's the Deal with SODIUM?

Last night on ABC.com, a study was announced about the infamous food product: SALT.

According to the study, excessive salt consumption was linked to nearly 2.3 million cardiovascular deaths worldwide in 2010.

That's a lot of people.

Even worse, that means that 1 in 10 Americans die from too much sodium in their diet.

Now, this is only one study, so until more comes out, this cannot be taken too literally. BUT, the idea that salt can cause this much fatality is incredulous! It's almost saying that not only is sugar a silent killer, but so is salt.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans already has about 1/2 of the population in America on a low sodium diet. They say healthy Americans should not consume more than 2300 mg/day, but if you are over the age of 50, have any disease, or are African American, one should not consume more than 1500 mg/day.

With food being so processed these days, it seems as if it is almost impossible to not eat at least 1500 mg of sodium per day!

So how do we combat this?

First of all, we eat less processed foods. Focus on incorporating whole foods into your snacks and meals. Rather than reaching for a protein bar, vegetables and hummus provide you with more nutrients and is less likely to have added sodium..

Also, we read nutrition labels. Food companies are allowed to be 20% off on those labels! Read them carefully, and ALWAYS TACK ON 20% MORE!

Finally, we exercise. Salt is sodium and chloride: two elements our bodies use as electrolytes. When we sweat, we get rid of those electrolytes. If you do eat a lot of salt one day, do some high intensity cardio so that you can sweat some of it out. *JUST NOTE YOU WON'T SWEAT IT ALL OUT, AND YOU NEED TO REPLENISH YOUR BODY AFTERWARDS*

Let's eat healthy everyone!

Love always,
Jo

Traveling and Exercise

I am originally from New Jersey, but I live in Boston because I go to school there. Whenever I have to go to New Jersey for an event, family gathering, or because my mom want me to, I find myself in fitness funks. For 2-3 days, all I want to do is sit in bed and watch Netflix with the occasional toss and turn.

Maybe it is because I take a bus (because its a whole lot cheaper) and spend about 7 hours sitting in a somewhat uncomfortable position. Or maybe because traveling, no matter how long or short, just makes you tired.

Anyway, I want to figure out a way out of this rut I find myself in when I change cities for a few days. Do you guys have anything you do to help you?

I think I'm going to do some research and write a subsequent post detailing my findings because I know I can't be the only one with this dilemma.

Hope #FITMARCH is going great! How'd you do on the challenge yesterday?! The post detailing #LIVEAPRIL will be up in. A few days! We're going to start early on the "breathe" part of the series with a lot more yoga practice.

See you soon!
<3,
Jo

Spinach and Cheese Omelet

I LOVE BREAKFAST. There, I said it. It is the most amazing meal in the entire world. And no, I cannot function without it.

Not only is it great because it helps you start the day off right, gives you needed energy to get through the day, and jumpstarts your metabolism BUT, breakfast food has to be the best category of food there ever was!

One of my absolute favorite breakfasts is an omelet. Living in a dorm though, that requires getting to the dining hall for breakfast...and with 8 AMs most of the days of the week, I find it really hard to get there. Now that I am home for spring break though, I decided to make myself an omelet today. BEST. DECISION. EVER.

I would have taken a picture of it...but I ate it before I realized I should...so...sorry =/

Here's the recipe:

1 whole egg
1 egg white
2 oz ground turkey
1 handful spinach
3 mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 oz fat free cheddar cheese

Stir-fry the turkey, mushrooms, spinach, and onion in a skillet with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil at medium-high heat until it begins to brown (about 5 minutes). Then, remove the ingredients from the skillet, clean the skillet, and add another 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and the beaten eggs. When bubbles start to form on the edges, lift a portion of the eggs with a spatula to let the runny eggs flow beneath the cooked eggs. After about a minute, flip the omelet.

Add cheese and the stir-fry mixture onto half of the omelet. Fold over the omelet to cover the contents, serve on a plate, and then enjoy!

Nutritional Information (estimate)
Calories: 204
Protein: 29 g
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Fat: 6 g

Pair the omelet with an apple and a glass of green tea, and you have the greatest breakfast...EVER.

GO TRY IT TOMORROW. IT'S DELICIOUS.


Love,
Jo

Your Gym Bag Essentials

Telling yourself you are going to the gym is one thing, but actually going requires a lot more than just thinking about it and saying it. One thing that can really help motivate you to go to get that workout in is to pre-pack your gym bag!

Having all your exercise essentials ready in one place really helps when it comes to spontaneous decision making. Think about it: if you are thinking about the pros and cons of getting a workout in, a major factor is actually getting everything you need together. If you have everything all in one place already, half of the work is done and you will be more inclined to get up and go! 

As part of FIT MARCH 2013, I want to instill an idea of pre-organization in you all. I like to call it: thinking ahead. (My mom used to always tell my sisters and I to think ahead before asking questions/going to school because it would make us understand everything better).

Heres how to "think ahead" for the gym:

• Shorts/yoga pants/leggings. Whatever you feel comfortable in, put them in your gym bag. That way, you already have your favorite workout outfit waiting for you.
• T-shirt and sports bra. Do I need to explain?
• Socks. No one likes working out without socks on. Unless you're doing yoga.
• Sneakers. This one's self-explanatory, but put your sneakers by/into your gym bag. It'll get you even more motivated!
• Water Bottle. Whether your environmental or not, you need your water! If you're going to a hard workout, maybe coconut water is better!
• Makeup Remover wipes. Working out in makeup is just asking for breakouts, so take it off!
• Deodorant. And do not forget to reapply...
• Hairbrush and hair elastics. I have had my only hair tie break on my countless times during a workout. Bring extra and a hair brush so that your hair doesn't hinder your workout for the day.
• Tampons. If it's that time of the month, you want to make sure you have plenty to go around, just in case!
• Ipod/MP3 Player. And make sure it's charged...
• Towel. Because you know you are going as hard as you can, and you're going to need something to wipe the sweat away ;)

There you have it! Now, every night before you go to bed, make it a habit to pack your gym bag! Think ahead for the next day and make it that much easier on yourself to get a workout in!

Love you always!

Jo

How To Reward Yourself!

Hey guys! When Nemo hit Boston, I decided to film a video but I didn't get around to editing/uploading until today...haha so here it is!

Also, stay tuned because something really exciting is going to be announced Friday!

Love always,
Jo

5 Ways to Stay Motivated

During the middle of every month, I always lack motivation. I start the month with a bang, and end the month strutting, but midway I cannot find the willpower to workout sometimes.

Women's Health has a new issue out for March 2013 (Jessica Alba is on the cover), and they had an article about staying motivated. What I liked about this article was that it wasn't the cliches you hear everywhere: think of what your body will look like in 4 months, etc. These were about what would happen immediately after a workout, and it got me excited to workout again!

Here were the rewards they talked about:

1. Boost Brain Productivity
2. Make Healthy Friendships at the Gym
3. Get Glowing Skin
4. Have Hotter Sex
5. Sleep Better

If you want to know more about how exercise actually helps with these, please read the article! It was really inspiring and helpful! 

Now, I need to go do the fat burning body workout they had in this issue too!

Adios!

Jo