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Metuchen High School Hall of Fame Experience - Forever #21

10/6/2024

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WALKING THE HALLS 
What a weekend! I don't even know where to start! I now have a special bond with an incredible group of people that
I never could have imagined... the Metuchen High School Hall of fame. And the class of 2024! I am truly still in shock and trying to reel it all in. I know more than anything in my heart of hearts that I belong with this group, but it's still
hard to comprehend. I know that my superpower is my work ethic that continues to this very day! I have a competitive nature like no other, and a will to win. I developed that thanks to athletics and it continued into my adulthood
and career. But again, hall of fame? Me?  I know I have the stats, the trophies, the all-state, all-county, the scholarship to college...but hall of fame?  I was never able to grasp it back then and I'm still grappling with it now. I did that? Me? It feels good to have validation for the athletic accomplishments by making it to my high school hall of fame. But what truly puts everything into perspective is that this hall of fame is not just sports. I'll quote the requirements:

“The Metuchen High School Hall of Fame was created to honor alumni, employees, and major contributors who have distinguished themselves by their achievements in scholarship, athletics, career, community service, and/or society as a whole. The honor of being elected to the MHS Hall of Fame will be afforded to those who, through their actions, have contributed to the established vision of the Metuchen School District. The selected Hall of Fame honorees will continue to serve as positive role models providing inspiration, hope, support, and relevance to our community.” 
I’m pinching myself because in my world, this doesn’t describe me, or does it? I know I was able to throw a wicked drop-curve, scored a few points in basketball (1,519) and I helped lead my field hockey team to championships but as a person beyond athletics? My identity was always sports, but then, upon reflection, it hit me, sports led me to the Hall of Fame because it gave me a platform beyond athletics. 

COLLEGE CAREER 
When it came to my collegiate career, no, I didn't crush my personal college softball goals, I wasn’t the star pitcher or the best hitter, but winning not one but TWO big east championships and two trips to the NCAA softball regionals crushed any personal goals I had ever imagined because we did it as a team! It was definitely humbling to be a smaller fish in a big pond at a D-I school, absolutely, but it molded me. It showed me the power of team! It showed me that I don’t have to be the best to still be a winner.  I used to ask myself what if I played basketball in college? Or Field Hockey? Basketball was my favorite sport to play if we’re being completely transparent. The scholarship offers were there but I chose softball. What about field hockey? Field hockey was supposed to be a side hustle to keep me in shape for basketball and softball and it turned out to be a love like no other. I was raw at field hockey not having played it until I got to high school but again, work ethic led me to success and by senior year, I was actually considering going to a smaller school to play 3 sports, I wanted to be Melissa Neon Deion Sanders Maikos to the 3rd degree! But, that was not the path I chose. 

GOING PRO
After my college sports career, I decided to go pro! Not playing sports, but talking about sports for a living. Thus becoming a sports broadcaster during a time when females were not always welcome to “talk sports” for a living. However, I grew up playing with the boys, I also grew up with and played with plenty of badass female athletes and I was going to be their voice! Besides, I knew sports, I grew up watching, playing, studying, living sports! Even sports I didn’t play, I knew what to do. I practiced, by going to my bread and butter, my work ethic, competitive nature, and love of sports. My sports broadcasting career lasted over a decade. I've met, covered, and reported on tremendous athletes at all levels from little league to the big leagues, from pop warner to the NFL, from hometown heroes to NCAA national champions....but it was the ability to tell their stories of perseverance, to tell the stories behind the sports, and to shine a light on female athletes with segments on the news, to promote women in sports as a female sports broadcaster. Sure, growing up, I thought I’d be pitching for the New York Yankees but alas, I never went pro in playing sports, but I did go pro in athletics with my sports broadcasting career. This allowed me to build a network and a platform to be that role model for others. To use the broadcasting stage to become an ambassador for Breast Cancer awareness, to fundraise for first responders and our military, to get involved in my community and shine a light on shadows that would ordinarily be left in the dark. I had a voice and I used it without even knowing it thanks to sports. 


THANK YOU
If it wasn’t for my dad putting a baseball bat and basketball in my hand as a child, my gramma bringing me to Knicks games and giving the other team “the horns”, my mom being my biggest fan win lose or draw, my sister setting the standard for being a Maikos sister, and my brother for letting me play sports with the boys, my trajectory would have been very different as a child  growing up in Metuchen. If not for my high school career that led me to Boston College, I would have never become a sports reporter. If I never went to Metuchen High School then to Boston College and onto a sports broadcasting career, I would have never become the educator I am today.
And without a doubt, if not for Kathy Glutz aka Coach, who nominated me and believed in me the minute I stepped foot into Metuchen High School, I would not be here today.

I'm proud of where my path has taken me. I’ve had tremendous opportunities to use sports, television, and education as a platform to live up to the expectations of being a Metuchen High School Hall of Famer and I’m honored and humbled to have my name go down in history with the greatest to represent the town of Metuchen and Metuchen High School. I will always wear my number 21 with pride! I have it tattooed on my wrist as a reminder of where I've been, to keep me humble and of course as a superstition! Go Bulldogs! 

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Don't Call it a Comeback

6/17/2024

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Let me preface this post with the fact that I am BLESSED! Throughout my life, I never broke a major bone (a few fingers here and there) I never had major surgery which some might call it luck but honestly, I was fortunate. Growing up, I played competitive sports all year round. I was rough on my body.  I played softball in college as a pitcher and outfielder. There was a lot of stress and torque on the shoulder throughout the years.. A few setbacks during my career but nothing major. 

Fast forward to present day, we’re talking 20 plus years later and I knew something was wrong. As a Gen X’er I’ve been taught to push through it.  And let’s be real, I’m not trying out for the New York Yankees any time soon (or ever) and at 48, clearly my pitching days are over! But, it got to a point that I struggled to do simple everyday life moves. For example, as a teacher, writing on the board, I had trouble washing my hair, downdog in Yoga was done but not without shooting pain running from shoulders, down through my triceps and biceps. Push-ups, pull-ups?!? Forget about it. 

I bathed myself in icy hot, biofreeze, essential oils; all of it.  I did mobility, stretching, ice, cryotherapy, I tried it all; no dice. Then came the X-Rays and MRI’s. The T word was uttered to my dismay.  Torn. Labrum, torn, there’s also a slight tear in the rotator cuff. . 

TORN
My shoulder is torn, now what…the S word, surgery or suffer in pain. I don’t mind pain but I was struggling; my workouts were not meeting my expectations because of my shoulder, and so for me surgery was my only option. 

SURGERY #1
July 2023 I had my first surgery to repair a torn labrum. I also had a bicep tenodices which repairs the tendon that connects the bicep muscle to the shoulder. After surgery, I had high expectations.  I was motivated, determined, and disciplined with my rehab and physical therapy. 

PHYSICAL THERAPY
I started physical therapy and I was rehabbing at home. I was following doctor’s orders, doing my shoulder exercises and doing everything I could to make my comeback.  But after 8 weeks, something was not right. Something was off. My gut (and my shoulder) were talking to me. A few follow-ups with the surgeon, a switch to a different physical therapist and we discovered that I was initially not getting the correct therapy.  Long story short,  surgery #2. 

SURGERY #2
The day of my 2nd surgery, November 10th, 2023. We went to physical therapy right after my surgery and got after it.  I say we because that was all Todd my PT and Markell, my husband. I don’t really remember it because of the anesthesia, nerve block and meds. 
DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK 
Let the comeback part II begin!
My new mantra was to get MAD - It’s an acronym for Mindset And Determination. I kept my same goals from surgery #1. The physical therapists I worked with were amazing, my husband came with me to see what they were doing so he could help me at home. It didn’t happen overnight, it didn’t happen without tears, and it couldn’t have happened without the people in my life that believed in me.  I’m not where I want to be just yet! But new goals have been created, with the same mindset and determination to continue to grow and get stronger. 
I know there will be hiccups along the way but I also know that “nothing can dim the light that shines from within” - Maya Angelou





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The Benefits of Foam Rolling

6/11/2024

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ROLL OUT! 
The Benefits of Foam rolling 

The great exercise guru Jane Fonda would often utter the phrase, “no pain, no gain” in her 1980’s workout videos. And yes, I had them all on VHS! The idea of no pain no gain, stems from the belief that in order to achieve something worthwhile,  you must endure some hardships or struggle. Welcome to the world of Foam Rolling! 

Foam Rolling
Foam rolling is a technique that can be used to promote myofascial release, which can, in turn help reduce or eliminate trigger points in the muscles. Utilizing a “roller” before or after an exercise routine is a form of self-myofascial release (SMR). The concept is to release fascia that has gathered together for a big old knot party in your muscles. These fascia party-goers love to get close to one another and “stick” together, causing you pain, inflammation, and the ever so painful “knots”.  


The Fascia Partiers 
Fascia is present all throughout the body. In fact it’s a three-dimensional connective tissue with multiple layers just hanging out in your body, waiting for a party! Those deadlifts you crushed yesterday, your fun little jaunt walking the dog, or the plank challenge you “accidently” signed up for…the fascia peeps are ready to get the party started! Fascia tends to stick together in the party we call our body! If we regularly practice myofascial release, we can break up the fascia party without having to call the cops or in this case, a massage therapist or a physical therapist which can be costly. Instead, I’m crashing the party and I’m bringing my friend the foam roller along for the fun! 

BENEFITS 
Here are five key benefits of incorporating foam rolling into your health and wellness routine:

1. Reduces Injury and Speeds Up Recovery
Foam rolling can break down adhesions and scar tissue. Breaking up the fascia will improve blood flow to the muscles which helps promote healthy tissue and therefore can improve the recovery process 

 2. Improves Flexibility
Static stretching is awesome, but adding in a foam roller takes it to a whole new level. Foam rolling enhances your flexibility by putting a bulls-eye on the fascia thus releasing tension and therefore improving range of motion.

 3. Reduces Inflammation
Foam rolling can help to flush out metabolic waste products also known as those fascia partiers that are partying rent free in your body. By reducing inflammation, you are more likely to have less tightness in your muscles.

  
4. Improves Posture
At some point in your life, you may have experienced back pain. A regular routine of foam rolling can help improve not just your performance but it can result in improved posture. Improved posture can lead to better movement and performance overall! 

​5. Mental Impact

No doubt there are numerous physical benefits but foam rolling can also have a positive impact mentally.  Foam rolling releases tension in your body giving you more self-confidence in your day-to-day routine as well as fire you up to go out and crush your next workout! 

Fun Fact:  Did you know that in addition to supporting the body’s structure, fascia is one of the primary water storage units found in the body!  That means in addition to foam rolling, HYDRATE!!!! Drinking water will definitely rain on the fascia party parade! As the fascial fibers become unstuck, the fascia will begin to glide more comfortably across each other.  Over a period of time, this process can lead to healthier tissue. Even our fascia party goers can become happy, healthy, hardy tissue!

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30 day Reset

5/22/2021

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It’s no secret I like to workout. However, I’ve struggled with over working out, too much cardio (how is that even possible?!?!) and forcing myself to take “rest” days. Why? My workouts are my therapy, it’s where I can go physically and mentally to get my Queen Elsa on and “Let it Go!” and forget about any stress, anger, sadness, or struggles to just focus on me. Working out is my safe place. Plus, I workout because I want to feel good and look good.  Even when the pandemic hit full swing and gyms closed, I never stopped working out. It just looked different, I didn't "let myself go" with my diet, yet I gained a good 15+ pounds.
So what in the world was going on??? The frustration set in, the depression set in, as did the realization that this might just be my life. I hit a rut.  Exercise became a chore and I just did it because it's what I always did and it was my routine. However, my workouts sucked because I fatigued quickly, recovery was slow, and the worst part, no matter how hard I worked, zero, zip, zilch, none...NO RESULTS. No weight loss, no toning up, jeans were tighter, shirts were snug, and the tipping point...One of my students asked me if I was pregnant. 
I've been here before, I've cleaned up my diet, switched workout routines, I've lost weight and felt better, felt healthier.  However, for some reason, this was not working this go-round. I broke down. I was at my heaviest weight I've ever been, I felt horrible physically, mentally, and emotionally. A few months prior to my breakdown, my amazing, long-time friend, Aimee Labrecque Whiteman told me about Arbonne's 30 days to Healthy living. I resisted, I've done "programs' ' before and they worked for the most part but were not sustainable. Primarily because of the following factors: it was financially a strain, cooking was a major component, from meal prepping to grocery shopping trying to find compliant brands, to the fact that I am not a cook and in fact I hate cooking or just too restrictive for what I like to call "life", I always struggled to “stick with it” even with results. 
But Aimee said some keywords that opened my eyes...She said, "THIS IS NOT A QUICK FIX. THIS IS NOT A DIET. THIS IS A LIFESTYLE AND YOU CAN DO THIS" 
And thus began my Happy Healthy journey with Arbonne's Nutrition products. It's been about 90 days and yes, I've lost weight but for me, it was more about developing healthy habits that are sustainable and fit into my lifestyle. Is it easy? No, and if it was then everyone would do it, but is it worth it? 100% Yes. Is there cooking? Yup, but it’s cooking 101 and even I can do it. But here is my biggest “win” with Arbonne, I’m back to my happy workout place with an added component: nutrition. My workouts were missing this key component. I am now fueling my body with nutrition that I need to maximize my workouts. I feel stronger, I feel energized, and I can complete a workout without fatiguing or feeling like I’m working out just to workout. Am I where I want to be? Nope but I know I'm on the right path. 
​
click here for an overview of the 30 day Healthy Reset #thankyouArbonne  


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No Nuts, No Dairy, No Gluten - No problem

1/1/2020

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January 1st, 2019, the day I changed my diet. Check that, the day I threw out the playbook, started from scratch and completely revamped any and everything I had previously put through my digestive system.
​
Let me drop some stats:
It's been 448 days (but who's counting?!?!) 
I've lost 23 pounds
I've had 0 Beers
I've had 2 slices of Pizza (and paid mightily for it)

Food Challenges: 
Here's something you cannot quantify: you can't put in a stat sheet the countless times I cried because I read a label and discovered, nope I cannot eat that, it has gluten. Then the times I wanted to throw a temper tantrum because I found the most amazing cookie but oh wait...it's gluten free, dairy free, but "may contain tree nuts".
And then  those times where it's nut free, gluten free, I'm almost home free but there's that dreaded "milk" ingredient.
I have the trifecta of food allergies: no nuts, no dairy, no gluten - no problem, ummm tell that to my sweet tooth!

Life Challenges: 
It's been a challenge. It's been a struggle. It's been frustrating. It's been eye-opening, but most importantly it's been life changing... for the better. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The dropped lb's has been sweet, but fitting into those jeans or shorts that I haven't worn in years is even sweeter.  I hate stepping on the scale, for me it's about how I feel mentally. And mentally, I'm a new person. Prior to this change, my safe place was no longer safe. My safe place being the gym. It became a chore because I was working out like a beast but did not relish in any results. In fact, I felt like I was getting fluffier with each squat, row, or deadlift. "it's just muscle" is what I kept hearing or "well, you are 40 something, it is what it is; hormones, pre-menopause, it's life." Or here's my favorite, "you are fine, you look great." If you could see me now, I'm rolling my eyes and doing an inappropriate gesture. I REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT.  And I didn't.

Fast forward to today and I've truly only just begun on this journey. I'm proud of how far I've come, but, despite, indulging in a few sweet treats, I'm far from done.
I truly believe, however, this cannot be done alone. I'm so thankful for a Crossfit community who supports it's members of all shapes and sizes, ages and genders, RX level or scaled. And for my dear friend Eat Thrive Move - Dawn Cameron, who provides AMAZING meals customized for my special diet. I'm thankful for my spin community and for those who loaned me cookbooks and provided guidance as to what I can eat beyond trees and branches.

I'm thankful for 45 days of Whole30.
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And of course, my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, my #rideordie who stands by my side through pizza cravings, cooking disasters, and grocery store tears, Markell Blount. I feel blessed to have such an amazing partner to be with me through the up's and down's of this journey.
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The Teacher Life Part I - Eating

11/1/2019

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Lunch duty, hall duty, first period planning, grading, collaborating, when on Earth is a teacher supposed to eat?!?!

Let's break it down
Lunch duty - sure you can eat your lunch while on duty but keep in mind you need to be on duty, on time, and alert. That eliminates the luxury of heating up your lunch if need be, so you must pack a lunch that is simple, quick and easy.
Which is one of the reasons why teachers tend to gain weight. Simple, quick and easy, is typically, not the healthiest.  It's much easier to grab that donut from the teachers lounge or that pizza slice from the lunch room. We don't eat healthy because it's just not conducive to the teacher life. We eat when we can, not when it's convenient or when our bodies tell us too. And let's be real, typically convenient means a candy bar or something that we probably should not be consuming.

How many of you eat while you grade? Guilty! In fact, I've had to explain to parents and students why there is a strange sauce or stain on their assignment. Yea, that's from my lunch. We eat on lunch duty, hall duty, we eat in between classes, barely chewing whatever it is we throw into our mouths, we eat when the students aren't looking and some of us just flat out eat while we teach. Again, not the healthiest way to eat. 


Culinary trained Chef and Nutrition Therapy Consultant, Dawn Cameron from Eat Thrive Move brought up a valid point; most people don't sit down and enjoy their meals. We eat on the run, we eat on the go, we eat when we can instead of sitting down and chewing our food, allowing our digestive system to do it's thing.  She said many of us eat under stress. Yikes! Guilty again!

How many of you eat during departmental meetings or faculty meetings or collaboration? Guilty! Again, we eat when we can, not when it's convenient.

How many of you have even forgotten to eat! Guilty! It's the end of the school day and you're cranky, tired, and need a snickers! You are hangry! That's not good for anyone!
Don't even get me started on the whole going to the bathroom deal! Another blog for another time!
Welcome to the teacher life where our superpower is the ability to hold our pee for hours upon hours, multi-task with the best of the best and eat a whole meal in less than :60 seconds.

Cheers to all the teachers out there who do what we do! I know how much time you spend taking care of your students and everyone else! Spend a little "you" time when it comes to your nutrition. You'll not only feel better but your body will thank you and you'll find yourself switching from surviving the school day to thriving the school day! 

Here are some of my favorite websites to help you meal plan:
Skinnytaste
Blog Post 50 Lunch Ideas for Teachers
Vegan Teacher Lunches
Teacher Trap Pinterest Board
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The String Bean Conundrum

10/11/2019

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The String Bean Conundrum

All of a sudden it happened...I had a hankering for string beans! Wait, what?!?! String beans, hold up, I have a wicked sweet tooth, why am I craving the goodness that is string beans!  Perhaps this plant-based life is working! 

It all started when I went to this one particular grocery store which is known for it's organic aisles for days, vegan choices galore, healthy salad bars, and all the Kombucha your heart could desire in every flavor imaginable! It was there, that the string beans caught my eye ...

Dawn Cameron of EatThriveMove
Let me digress with a little back story, I have become quite the reader...albeit I'm reading food labels, but I've learned about all sorts of goodies that find there way into our food. I call them goodies because boy oh boy do they make the food taste yummy, however, those goodies are NOT so good for your body. So, I've spent countless hours in  the grocery store reading labels and understanding that if you can't pronounce it, it's probably not good for you. Along this short journey thus far, I've learned a plethora of information thanks to the wisdom and sheer talent courtesy of Eat Thrive Move's Dawn Cameron,  Nutrition Therapy Consultant and culinary trained chef. 
Check out her expertise right here  → EatThriveMove

Back to the string beans, in my container they went after I read the label of course, the only ingredients: string beans, sea salt, and pepper. They were delicious! 

Then about a week later, it happened again, the string bean craving! Off to that same grocery store I went... and there they were again in all their glory- I started to put them in the container but noticed more ingredients! Last time it was just straight S-beans with a lil salt and peppa- this go round -  canola oil, some sugar crap I couldn't pronounce and some other ingredients that made me go "hmmmmm".  There were more "goodies"  I couldn’t pronounce without asking Alexa so I just walked away, tail between my legs, pouting, no string beans for me today, I mean C’mon "Grocery Store" it’s string beans why you gotta do them like that!

Moral of the story, reading is fundamental not just for your brain, but your body as well. 
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The #peelife

9/19/2019

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There’s #saltlife, #mermaidlife, #oceanlife, #huntinglife #woodlife,
#lakelife, you name it, there is a #life for it and probably a bumper
sticker too! Well, here’s one for ya, the #PeeLife and I’m clearly living
it hard core!
I have not slept through the night since I up’ed my water intake on
a daily basis and switched to the #plantbasedlife. Inevitably,  if my alarm is set for 5 am, the #peelife kicks in at
4:45 am. So much for
going back to bed. #nosleeplife.

Teachers are known to have super powers, one of those being the power to hold it for hours upon hours upon hours. In fact, I’m pretty sure I went a full school day without hitting the lavatory and I’m sure I’m not alone when it comes to the #teacherlife.

I had to relinquish that pee hold power. We have 90 minute blocks.There’s no way I can hold it that long!
And it hits me fast! All of a sudden I’m doing the #peelifedance.

It’s gotten so bad, that my students know what time it is...It’s Pee Pee Time. Sigh, it’s not something I’m proud of but I know it’s a direct correlation to all the water I’m drinking, and at times inhaling.  #waterlife
I’ve literally had to schedule my day around my H2O consumption. The other day day I had to go to the dentist. I knew I'd be in the chair getting that #toothlife" straightened out and there would be NO WAY in the middle of the suction and drilling, that I could get up and hit the restroom. So I made sure I slowed down my water consumption
at a certain point in my day.

#H2Olifelessons

What has my life turned into!?!?! It’s revolving around water and pee’ing. The good news is, I know how beneficial
water is for my body and I’m all about that #hydrationlife so happy pee’ing and cheers to your next glass of water!

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I can't even grow a plant let alone live the plant life!

1/7/2019

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Let me preface this blog post with one quick fact about me, I am a plant killer, not by choice; I've planted them in my yard, tried having plants in my house, received plants from friends to love and nourish with water and it's always an epic failure! I've killed plants that didn't deserve it, so I basically gave up, until now.

I'm going the plant based life! Yes, I know that doesn't mean I have to become
​a horticulturist! In fact that's not happening!
However, eventually, I'd love to grow a garden, but baby steps because I'm only on day 5 and this is not easy. 

I’ve had to overhaul my nutrition because I recently discovered food sensitivities and allergies to pretty much everything I was eating... basically I can eat grass! I  was flabbergasted with what my blood work showed, how my body currently looks, and how I feel physically and mentally which is like absolute crap.
So...enter the plant based life!

The picture is a Beyond Meat Burger (and it was scrumptious!)
mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli (already consumed at the time of this pic) eggplant, and string beans. It was not hard to cook and it was a really good meal! Oh, also, I’m not a cook. Let me repeat, I am NOT A COOK; but I’m learning. I have no choice and at times it’s annoying.
But I’m learning new things about the kitchen, reading a ton….of labels, and figuring out what I like and what I don’t like. I.e. kombucha - not a fan.

Follow me on my journey as I have jumped right into the deep end of the plant based life. I know I’m going to make mistakes, I know there will be setbacks, I know I’m not perfect, but I also know that is okay.
Cheers to plants!

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Challenge Accepted! #youarewhatyoueat

1/1/2019

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Glutamine, flaxseed and poop oh my! Welcome to the healthy habits challenge! This challenge is a challenge I’m participating in at my gym. I was hesitant at first because the challenge started after the New Year
and there is a lot of pressure on New Year’s resolutions and such.

However, let me preface this post with this little nugget of truth:
This is NOT a New Year’s resolution, this has been a healthy lifestyle adjustment.  It’s 6 weeks and has nothing to do with how much weight one can lose, or inches, or all the aesthetics that go with many of these challenges. It’s about incorporating one healthy habit each week. At the end of the challenge, you’ve incorporated 6 healthy habits into your life.

The challenge was created by Dawn Cameron, a professional chef, and nutritionist and owner of Eat, Thrive, Move. After reading and educating myself on what the challenge entails, my #rideordie #partnerincrime #accountabiltypartner #swolemate, #husband and I decided, let’s do this.

Here are the guidelines:
Every week for 6 weeks, add one healthy habit to your routine.  
My thoughts: I was reluctant because I didn’t know what the challenges were and I was thinking they would have to do with something that is not easily maintained. So often we go on diets or new exercise regimens and they aren’t sustainable and we wind up reverting back to what is comfortable. However, after receiving the challenges, I discovered this challenge is do-able and it's something you can maintain without upending your entire world!

Challenge #1
Upon waking up, drink 12 ounces of water. My thoughts: I would drink
water for the most part in the morning but not like this. Now I’m making sure I do;
I’m more cognizant of it. I make sure that before I eat anything, do any exercise,
even before I brush my teeth, I’m dropping some serious H2O into my system.
In fact, I even “water prep” the night before! #notjoking - To be honest, after a week, I’m digging this healthy habit. It’s simple yet I feel like before I even get my day started I’ve accomplished something! I know I drink water throughout the day but now for some reason, this means something. It’s kind of hard to explain. Crazy but it just feels good!

There are opportunities incorporated within the challenges to help you.

Opportunity #1 - Learning about poop...that’s right, poop. We attended a Digestion Seminar by Eat Thrive Move where we learned all about digestion and what you put in your body is integral to your overall health.  And your poop tells the story that you truly are what you eat; that can be a good thing and a bad thing! For me, it’s been bad!  I’ve always had a sensitive stomach, but I never really read labels or worried about what was “in” my food, until now. I’ve read more labels in the last two weeks that all told I’ve probably read a mini novel!

The Digestion Seminar taught me that digestion is key! I know that gut health is definitely a buzz word and it seems like wherever you look, commercials, social media, magazines, etc., there are pills, powders, and magic potions promising to get you healthy.  

What your poop is telling you
There is no quick fix, I feel like we all know this yet, we want instant results; I am included in that “we”. I’ve tried everything and anything. Shoot, the last year I didn’t eat “bad” I didn’t eat perfectly “clean” however, my body decided what I was eating sucked, for lack of better words. I couldn’t figure out why those pills or shakes that promised you would lose weight and feel better didn’t work. Why was I actually PUTTING ON WEIGHT!?!?  And how the hell is everyone else dropping pounds like it’s nothing yet here I am doing everything the program says and gaining weight! It’s because my body rejected it. I had to get to the root of my gut and by the root it meant drilling down into my digestion. My body wasn’t digesting food properly, it wasn’t absorbing the nutrients or using anything I was eating for what it was supposed to do which was provide nutrition. I’m talking about chicken, turkey, protein shakes, none of it! Enter the plant-based life and educating myself on digestion and nutrition.
Healthy Habit #2 starts Monday - Stay tuned!

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