Trick or Treat?

Happy Halloween! 

With the holiday being tomorrow I just wanted to remind y'all that dark chocolate is a Paleoan "treat." Have a talk with your kiddos about going through their stash before they can start eating it. This way you can weed out the "tricks" of refined sugar, processed, preserved, and all around unhealthy candy first.

Be sure you watch your own intake of these tempting "tricks" as well because you don't want to undo all the work you've done detoxifying your body from the current Westernized-American diet. No matter how enticing the packaging may appear, keep in mind these things are not healthy for you!

Have a spooktacular time, enjoy yourselves, and be safe!

Progress Report

I know I said I would update you all at 4 weeks, but I've been crazy busy at work (55 hour work weeks) and then family in from out of town. So, instead I'm going to post my 3 week comparison I did for my own benefit. I also wanted to give y'all a big thank you for following along with my journey and for starting your own! You keep me motivated every day just by following and I hope this blog is helping you stay motivated as well.

Keep in mind this is 4 1/2 weeks after I started being Paleoan:

I haven't been tanning, the lighting was just off on the second set of pictures. If you look closely (thanks to my arm challenge) my chest is starting to slim and lift, my stomach is starting to flatten, and my legs have a little more definition. Oh yeah that spider bite I told you about? You can see it there on the side of my leg! 

I hope this encourages some of you to start Paleo and stick with it! I'll post another set of pictures in a couple of months so you can really see a significant difference. I'm also getting a full blood work done, now that I've been Paleoan for a month and a half, just to see where my numbers are. James is down 20 lbs and I'll post another set of pictures of him at the next progress report as well.

Goals

It is a great idea to make yourself some small, attainable goals. One of mine has been to improve my time on my mile without overexerting myself. My mile has generally been a walk/jog without having to huff and puff for air at about 15 minutes. Well this week, with a little more endurance for jogging, my time is now:

This did not happen over night, it has taken me about 2 months to get my jogging endurance up and my mile time down. It's happening though, and you can start checking your goals off too!

Make a realistic set of goals to attain to keep you motivated. There's nothing worse than feeling defeated because you set your goals too high from your current position!

Night-Night Time

That's what we call sleep in our house, and no we don't have kids... yet. "I can sleep when I'm dead!" is a phrase I hear constantly in today's society and in fact I even used to use it myself. That is until I found out how important sleep is to your health, cortisol levels, and healing your own body. Did you think our human diet is the only thing that's changed since Paleolithic times? Think again: sleep has definitely changed for the worse I'm afraid.

In today's fast paced, multi-tasking, always gotta be on the go society, lack of sleep is just something that happens. However, this lack of sleep can seriously elevate your cortisol levels. Yep there's that cortisol hormone again! I know we've covered some causes and effects of it already, but like I've said anytime I come across new/additional information I'll pass it on. Are you ready for this:

• Just a refresher: when we are stressed our bodies make more cortisol to give us more energy to handle it.
• Now since we have more energy because of this increased cortisol it makes it harder for us to sleep.
• Lack of sleep has been nationally recognized by the CDC as a public epidemic. Yes really, and for more information on the effects feel free to visit the link.
• When we are sleep deprived or have poor sleep quality (getting up and down during the middle of the night, snoring, etc) we put stress on our bodies. Thus, making more cortisol.

Cortisol in our bodies:

• It controls our connective tissue strength, but too much cortisol can weaken the tissue. Which means irregular amounts can cause premature aging and wrinkles. Yikes!
• It also controls how much sodium is in our blood. More cortisol = more sodium = higher blood pressure = not healthy.
• Cortisol (as stated in my previous blog post) can release excess amounts of sugars and fats from your liver and decrease your insulin sensitivity. This is a whole other issue in and of itself, but for this instance decreased insulin sensitivity can cause you to feel hangry. This hangry feeling can lead to overeating which leads to obesity! 

Wow, how crazy all that can happen from lack of sleep. So with this new found knowledge let's implement:

During the Paleolithic era our ancestors slept from about sun down to sun up. Since this is near impossible in a modern world with our 40 hour work weeks, let's aim for 8-9 hours of solid sleep a night. I'm sure for a lot of you this has been an eye opener. It certainly was for me! When I was working 2 jobs I would only average 20-24 hours of sleep a week which is less than half the recommended amount (based on 8 hours of sleep a night). Even up until I learned about all of these damaging effects that sleep deprivation has, I would stay up late to visit with friends/family and sacrifice my sleep because I thought I could always just catch up on it later. Uh-uh! From this moment on I'm making it a goal to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and I hope you will too. 

One more very important cortisol fact before we break for today: caffeine can also elevate your cortisol levels. So for those of you, like my former self, who fake it to make it with coffee,soda, or tea all day you're adding to your sleep deprivation by elevating your cortisol levels with caffeine.Cut it out! Try drinking decaf  instead and see what kind of effects you notice with your sleep pattern. Hey, I'm not saying you have to give up caffeine all together (I love my morning caffeinated coffee), but let's keep it to one or two cups in the morning when our cortisol is naturally higher. 

Grains and their effects

But whole grains? They're healthy for you, right? Absolutely not! Are you shocked? I was when I found out. We've been told whole grains are one of the healthiest things you can eat, so why and how are they unhealthy?

Grains contain gut irritating proteins, protease inhibitors, antinutrients, and they can increasingly irritate autoimmune diseases. One grain protein is called lectin. These proteins are not broken down in digestion and can attach themselves to hormone receptors to gain access to our body through the intestinal wall by looking like all the other essential proteins in our body.

Why is this bad? These proteins can be mistaken by our immune system as foreign and our body will attack the lectins like they are a virus. Well, when our immune system attacks these lectins, that look like our other essential proteins, they also attack our essential proteins. Uh-oh!

 Not only that, but lectins can cause problems with our transglutaminase. Transglutaminase enzymes in our bodies bind and modify all proteins in our body. So if lectins can look-like our essential proteins and cause damage to them; then, in turn, it can damage our transgluatminase enzymes which can damage all of our organs because transgluatminase modifies and sends proteins out to every part of our body. Ouch!

So all that scientific research mumbo jumbo aside, the take away is grains contain some harmful proteins that can actually damage your entire body! Gut irritations include ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. After I learned this I can't look at grains the same again. Why would you eat grains if you have this knowledge of what it can do to your body?

Lectin is also found in legumes and dairy. I challenge you to delve more into this. Do your own research and see what you come up with! (Check out the Toxicity portion of this Lectin definition for a simpler break down. You can also get plenty of links to more scientific research links from Robb Wolf.)

Take a breath and relax...

Relax? What does that mean!? 

Well, it's along the same lines of destressing and releasing tension. This is something I myself struggle with on a daily basis. I'm usually always on the go or doing something to keep me occupied. Perfect example being this blog I'm now into because I love being productive, helpful, using my time efficiently, and above all else I love interacting with other people! I'm one of those "social butterfly" types. During a 7 year stretch of my life I was constantly working two jobs; at first because I wanted to and then because I had to. I finally dropped down to one job at the beginning of 2013. 

So you see, "relaxing" is a hard concept for me and I'm sure for some of you as well. The majority of people today have so many things to do and so little time. Isn't odd we've invented so many machines to make our lives easier, but we're still not getting everything we want accomplished?

There is nothing that says relaxing can't also be productive. You can relax by having a cup of coffee while skimming the news, fold laundry while watching tv, tidying up the house (having a clean house alone will help relax me) while listening to music, reading a book or kindle, taking a bath, etc. Find what works for you and set aside some relax time at least once a week for your own health and well being. 

With that being said... I'm off to relax a little myself after my arm challenge workout tonight and curl up with Robb Wolf!  

Progress Report!

Hey there Paleoans! It's been 26 days since we started eating Paleo, but only 2 weeks since we started taking pictures (opps!). I took some comparison pictures for James, but I didn't want to him to take mine until it's been 4 weeks. So here it is:

I know he's not wearing the same pants, but that's only because the first pair is too big now! You can see his stomach has gotten a little smaller, but again this is only a difference of 2 weeks. Congratulations honey!

Feel free to keep me updated with pictures of your own if you'd like to showcase your progress as well. Be sure to let me know if you have privacy concerns about showing your face and we can leave it out like the pictures above.

Paleoan

Paleoan: [pa-leo-an] a person who eats only fish, lean meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts based on the preagricultural human diet in the Paleolithic era for health and wellness reasons.

But Michele paleoan isn't even a real word?! You're absolutely right; but when people ask me why I'm not eating dairy or bread, giving them the answer "I've changed to the Paleo diet" sends them into complete and utter confusion. They automatically assume I'm doing some extremely  ridiculous fad diet, but I'm not. Being paleoan is a lifestyle just like being vegan or vegetarian. Paleoan has a nice ring to it and it fits!

Try being paleoan for at least 30 days and see how you feel. What have you got to lose? You're dairy/grains/legumes? Trust me when I say you don't need them. You'll hardly even recognize they're missing from your diet. Why? Because they aren't good for you! To truly understand the difference between a westernized diet and the paleo diet you'll just have to give it a go. If for some reason it's just not a fit for your personal health and wellness you've only lost 30 days with your precious processed foods and that is just a little blip on your life timeline.

Benefits of taking this challenge:

• I send out AP emails daily.
• You'll look and feel more vibrant, energetic, and healthy.
• Saving money on eating out.
• Losing weight if you've taken to unhealthy eating habits.
• Becoming more toned if you're already slim.
• Improving your cholesterol, blood pressure, sugar levels, etc.

*Important notes: being paleoan is a lifestyle not a cult, so if you slip and have a cheat meal it's ok! Nobody is going to shun you for falling back on old habits. This challenge can begin you're ready, not just starting from the date of this blog post. Email me/comment for access to the paleoan AP emails. This is about you becoming the healthiest you possible, period.

I'm here to be your friend, to help guide you with my opinions and personal experience. I'm not a certified expert in nutrition or personal training, but I have done a lot of research and gained knowledge that I'm more than happy to share with y'all.

Arm Chalenge

I'm going to try doing pull-ups and dips for the next 30 days at the gym to tone my arms. So, you are free to try it with me 3-5 times a week, but I'll give you guys and gals a few options that you can use in or out of the gym.

For triceps use a dumbbell or the triceps weight machine with low weight (find out the max weight you can use for 10 reps that gives you a good burn, then divide it by two and use that weight). You'll do 3 quick sets of 15 triceps extensions. These quick, low weight reps are like cardio for your arms to help burn the fat and tone your muscles. Use this same method for your biceps.

Now your "armpit flab" (yeah you know what I'm talking about, that flab right next to your armpit that jiggles) you will need to do pull-ups, a lat pull down bar, or a seated row machine because it is the best way to work out your latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles to burn the fat off. You can buy a pull-up bar at any sports store and it shouldn't be too expensive. These are usually models that you can set up at the top of a door frame in your home. For assisted pull-ups use a chair until you get comfortable enough to do them on your own. Don't worry, if you can't get to the point without using a chair, you're still doing them and this is still great for your arms.

Good luck to all you challenge accepters!

Behind the scenes

Hey there Paleo followers, I hope we're all having a lovely Wednesday? Instead of posting more Paleo info for you today I'm going to give you some more background about me, your friendly Paleo Accountability Partner and blog host! Since I started Paleo and this blog three weeks ago, five of you have been following my posts and decided to join the Paleo way of life, I'm so excited to share this journey with you!

I know my blog posts make it sound like I'm an expert and it's been an easy hop, skip, and a pony ride for me to live Paleo, but here's a little secret: I'm not an expert. I'm a woman who researches to find answers and I used to live off fast-food, caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes before deciding to turn my health around! It has been a slow process at that, but I did it! I started out a few pounds shy of 200!

The Breakdown:

August 2011- I stopped drinking dark sodas due to a severe kidney infection. I found out about new studies from my NP (nurse practitioner) who told me about the dark caramel coloring in them leading to chronic kidney disease as you age. Yikes! I was up to almost four liters of Pepsi a day, uh-oh. I was a Pepsiholic and not just the drink. I still own Pepsi PJ pants, Pepsi flip-flops, Pepsi lip gloss, and Pepsi shirts. It was hard for me to give up, but I did it! From there on out it was Sierra Mist (still a Pepsi product) or Sprite if it wasn't available and I started eating healthy (or what I thought was healthy).

March 2012- I started to hit the gym at least 3 times a week. Gradually I increased my trips to the gym up to 6-7 times a week.

July 2012- I had officially dropped 40lbs! I still had 10 to go and my belly flab.

August 2012- Minor set back, I was bitten by a brown recluse spider on my right calf and had to have outpatient surgery to cut out the dying muscle tissue before the poison ate my leg off. That ordeal kept me out of the gym for a few months, but I'll spare you the gory details. I gained back 10lbs that I lost, ugh. Then I got lazy and didn't get back into the gym until February 2013.

November 2012- I gave up the alcohol. I'm not saying from time to time I won't have a glass of red wine, but believe me I stick to one maybe two if I'm eating a big meal.

February 2013- Back in the gym again, 4-5 times a week. I lost that 10lbs within three weeks.

April 2013- Walked/Jogged my first 5K, official time at 46 minutes.

August 2013- During a weight training class at the gym I was doing leg extensions and my hip kept making this awful popping sound, so I made an appointment with a Chiropractor. (Is anyone else noticing a pattern? August doesn't seem to be a good month for me, ha!) A couple x-rays later and the report was my tailbone was awkwardly angled too high, my left hip was slightly higher than my right hip, and my tailbone was actually curved into my left hip. Fifteen appointments, a tailbone adjustment (not pleasant), and a bunch of money later my hip was still making that popping sound. Now it was just an issue with the tendon in my right hip felxor.

September 2013- I started eating Paleo and gave up caffeine for nine days to detox my body from it. I was a pot of coffee a day drinker, and now I only have my 1 big cup in the morning with my coconut milk creamer.

Cigarettes- I started smoking occasionally (2-6 a week) in November/December 2004, then slowly became a regular smoker (about half a pack a day) by August 2005. I had a small triumph in 2007 where I quit from March-November, but then I started up again that December. I know I was already quit, what was I thinking?! At one point I was so stressed I was up to a pack and a half a day, tsk-tsk. Now, I wish I could say I'm 100% nicotine free, but alas that would be untrue. However, I haven't picked up a cigarette since July 19, 2013. I do vape an E-Cig now, but I'm down to 8mg of nicotine and will be officially quit by my birthday December 16. At least it's a step in the right direction.

Why do you even care about any of this? I wanted to share this with y'all to explain that I know where you're coming from. There are a lot of bad and unhealthy habits we've gotten ourselves into over the years that are hard to give up and will take some time to kick. Take it one day at a time and if you feel the need to give in to a soda craving, go for it. Just remember keeping toxins in your body is not good for it, but every now and then won't do much damage.

Something to look forward to:

I'm currently working on tweaking a recipe for Paleo Pistachio Fudge and creating a recipe for Dark Chocolate-Pumpkin Bars as a treat when guests or holidays arrive. Once I work out the kinks I'll upload the recipes for you.

Substitutions

But Michele I just can't go Paleo because I couldn't live without cream in my coffee, desserts, bread, sour cream, cheese, etc.
News flash: most of these things you crave are processed and filled with additives that your body gets addictive to much like drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, etc. I'm sure you're all dying to know what you can substitute for those things you love and crave:

• If you're an avid coffee drinking and love to pour on the creamer, use non-dairy coconut milk creamer. My go-to brand is So Delicious, and I can testify it is delicious! My favorite is the hazelnut.

• Ice cream lovers: So Delicious also makes a non-dairy coconut milk frozen dessert much like ice cream without the added sugar. If you love frozen creamy treats this is definitely for you! But if all you want is the sugar high from dairy ice cream then this is not a good substitute for you.

• Fruit is high in natural sugars and is great if you're someone who craves desserts and the sugar rush, but don't overdo it because fruit is also high in carbs.
• If you just can't live without cheese you can use almond cheese.
•  Have a  thing for popcorn and movies?  Try eating pistachios instead.
• Candy lover? Dark chocolate (85% cocoa or better) is absolutely Paleo! We eat the Lindt brand because of it is the purest we've found as far as ingredients. Godiva/Ghirardelli is amazing, but it's more processed than you realize (compare the ingredients to Lindt).
• Spaghetti squash is a great fill-in for spaghetti noodles. (I'll be adding my personal recipe for this soon!)

I'm sure there are more I just haven't come across yet, but when I do I'll definitely post them for y'all! Paleo is an easy way to live if you just think outside of the box and past the food choices you've been molded into. Examples: Tacos- ditch the tortilla and make a taco salad, you still have all of the yummy fixings and can use an all-natural or homemade salsa as your dressing, Burgers: ditch the bun and use lettuce to make a burger wrap, French fries- although starches are not apart of Paleo eating, sweet potatoes are high in vitamins and are fine to have every once in a while (no more than once a week in my opinion) you can make baked sweet potato fries. I will be posting recipes on a separate page (link located at the top of my blog underneath the welcome message) for easy access.

Snacks!!

Young and old, who doesn't like snacks?! 3 small portioned meals a day with 2 snacks (mid-morning and mid-afternoon) is a great way to keep your metabolism up and going throughout the day. Trust me, for the hangry animal inside, I highly recommend snacks to keep you feeling satiated and not hangry. For those who are unfamiliar with the term hangry, it is a state of being when you are so hungry you get angry and snippy with those you come into contact with. Unfortunately for those in my life, I definitely can be a hangry monster if I let myself slip on my snacks. I'm not sure why but those Snickers commercials don't lie; I'm not me when I'm hungry!

So I took the liberty of listing out a few healthy snack ideas for you guys:

• Hard-boiled eggs (a great recipe that I used, being new to boiling eggs, is located here)
• Nuts with fruit/veggies
• Small portion of meat (3 oz) and a few veggies
• Roasted Vegetable Medley (Check out my recipe page)
• Small side salad with a few pieces of chicken/steak
• Hard-boiled Egg Salad (Check out my recipe page)

I'm also working on a recipe page for the blog so that you can have quick access to them instead of having to pick through my blog posts. I should have it up by tomorrow morning :) Happy Paleo!

Sunday Morning Breakfast

This has always been one of my favorite things of the week, lazy Sunday starting off with a family breakfast. I can remember being little and cooking breakfast on Sundays with my Dad and/or Mom. Bacon, eggs, biscuits, and orange juice. Well, times have changed! I'm actually allergic to orange juice now (or the preservatives used in the juice mixes these days, the doctor and I are unsure, but I digress.Once I'm fully detoxed I'll try fresh squeezed OJ and let you know if I need a big dose of benadryl or if I'm free to drink OJ again!), and being Paleo I don't eat grains so no biscuits!

Here is my idea of a Paleo breakfast (Sunday morning or not):

Green Eggs, Bacon, Avocados, & Peaches

Ingredients:

4 Slices uncured bacon

4 Natural Eggs (I use large brown)

1 Avocado

1 Peach

1/2 Green bell pepper

1/2 Jalapeno

4 Green onions
Cilantro

Sea salt

Black pepper

Directions:

You will use two frying pans, lightly coat them with extra virgin olive oil.

1. Dice/chop green bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and green onions
2. Slice the avocado and peaches in half, then slice to desired size
3. Crack all 4 eggs into a bowl
4. Combine eggs, vegetables, salt and pepper to taste
5. Pour eggs and vegetables into frying pan and scramble on medium heat to desired hardness
6. Place bacon in frying pan and cook on medium heat til cooked to desired crispiness, remember to flip bacon to cook the other side
7. Serve and enjoy!

*This recipe is made to serve two, please double/triple as needed.

Ahh stress!!!

Yes, stress. We talk about it all the time, and it rules our lives! We all know it's bad for our health, but did you know when you're stressed you release a hormone called Cortisol? This is a big factor in your health and fitness. Cortisol builds your belly fat by releasing sugar and fats from your liver because your body thinks you're in fight or flight mode! Chronic stress is counterproductive to a healthy lifestyle.

Things to lower stress:

• Get organized. Easier said than done right? Work one room at a time until you have successfully organized your home. Keeping it organized is much easier once everything has a designated place. This is more time efficient and keeps you from being stressed trying to find things or by cluttering up the energy in your living space which alone can cause stress. (This method can also be used at work.)
• Using lavender oil or incense in your home or work space is shown to decrease stress.
• Amethyst stones are also shown to decrease stress by placing them in areas where you need help calming your stress level. (Ex: desk at work, office at home, kitchen, etc.)
• Yoga at least once a week is a great stress reliever and beneficial for your muscles after your week of workouts.
• Get rid or limit exposure to people or activites that cause you stress! I know it's hard to cut ties; but if they are bad for your health, why are you keeping them in your life?
• Time or lack thereof is a big cause of stress. This comes back to organization. Stay organized to give yourself more time to get ready for events/work or tackle the morning traffic so you're not rushing to get to work.
• Effective communication or lack thereof can also be a factor in your stress level. Arguments, disagreements, and going along to get along can cause your stress levels to spike. Take a deep breath and collect your thoughts before communicating with anyone to avoid disagreements. Use the same method when talking to someone about plans you're not that interested in or plans you're trying to finalize.

In summation, reducing your Cortisol levels is entirely in your hands by reducing the stress in your life. Take a good look at this list and if there is anything or everything on it that you can relate to, please think about your health first and try to find solutions to your sources of stress. If these solutions don't work for you, ask someone you care about to help you find solutions. Nobody should have to sacrifice their health because of stress. This can affect more than just your belly fat such as high blood pressure, cardiac problems, etc.

Be sure to check out my Paleo Lifestyle Tips page!

Accountability Partners (APs)

I picked this little helpful buddy system up from a fitness guru and Team Beachbody coach friend of mine. The basic concept is to have a partner who will help you stay on track and accountable for eating Paleo and working out. Let's face it for whatever reason we, as people, need someone to lean on. And I don't know about you, but I hate feeling like I'm going it alone!

*Updated 5/1/14* If you do not have someone to hold you accountable,  feel free to follow me on any social media listed below for inspiration/motivation.

 @PaleoMichele 

or like me on Facebook

     https://www.facebook.com/paleolifestyledfw

I'm just throwing it out there people!! And guess what?! Happy Friday, you made it, helllllooo weekend!

Stay healthy and preservative free

A great way to stay healthy and free of preservatives is to use fresh and organic ingredients. Again this is not a deal breaker, but as fresh as possible is always healthier! I may not be able to buy all my produce organic, but I sure won't skimp when it comes to spices/herbs that I use constantly! For those of you who love salads and the dressing to top it off with, here is a Paleo friendly salad dressing from my personal recipe book. (This one is a modified version of my mom's, so thanks Mom!)

Balsamic/Red Wine Vinegrette

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Red wine vinegar

Balsmic vinegar

Dry Thyme

Sea salt

Black pepper

Dry mustard
1 Garlic clove

Directions:
Combine in a pourable container 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup balsmic vinegar, 2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1 pressed garlic clove (1 tsp fresh minced garlic or garlic powder can be substituded). Shake, serve, and enjoy!!

*Note: if you do not like red wine vinegar you can exchange it for white wine vinegar. Double/triple the recipe as you'd like!

Weigh-In Wednesday & a recipe too!

No, I'm not going to weigh myself every Wednesday; however, it has been two weeks since we started eating Paleo so I figured an update was in order. Now it is always better to take measurements and pictures to track your progress more accurately. The scale is more of a guideline for dropping the fat. Once you start to build muscle all bets are off, and really you should just get rid of the scale all together because muscle always weighs more than fat!

 I'm down 6 lbs. and James is down 9.5 lbs. I'm so excited to report we're getting healthier, and we've noticed a big difference in the way we feel. Now our bodies are still detoxing from all the preservatives and additives we've put in them for so long and we're still a bit sluggish on energy from all of that work. But in two more weeks we should be all hyped up on natural vitamins and minerals, oh boy!

So here's one of my personal yummy Paleo recipe creations for you guys:

Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Scallops with Asparagus

Ingredients:
Frozen wild caught shrimp and scallops (fresh is also great!)
Asparagus half a bunch
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Lemon
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder (or 2 cloves of fresh garlic)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
You will use two frying pans, lightly coat them with extra virgin olive oil.

Vegetables:

1. Cut half of a bunch of asparagus in half
2. Slice up a whole red bell peppers
3. Combine asparagus and red bell pepper into one frying pan
4. Sprinkle one tbs of black pepper and one tbs of garlic powder over the vegetables
5. Use a citrus press to apply half of the lemon over the vegetables
6. Cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes or desired softness (a little crunchy tastes amazing!)

Seafood:

1. Run cold water over seafood to thaw
2. Throw seafood into the other frying pan
3. Sprinkle one tbs of black pepper and one tbs of garlic powder over the vegetables
4. Use a citrus press to apply half of the lemon over the vegetables
5. Cook on medium heat for 6-10 minutes or desired sauteed texture 

Serve and enjoy! Throw some nuts on the side and some fruit as you wish.

*This recipe is made for two servings, double/triple accordingly!

Physical Exercise

What, you thought all you had to do was eat right to stay healthy? Sorry to burst your couch potato bubble, but exercise is just as important as the food you put in your body! Now I'm not saying you have to go all out like a body builder, but you do need to work out. Here are some work out basics, and when you're feeling confidant check out some more rigorous work-outs.

• Make sure you warm up: I suggest walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes at a moderate pace to get your heart rate ready for cardio.
• At least 30 minutes of cardio.
• Weight circuits: 3 sets of 8-12 reps. Start with low weight and if you're not a little sore the next day try upping it next time. Alternate your muscle groups: arms one day, legs the next, then core the next, and repeat. Allow yourself one day for just cardio to let your muscles rest. (You don't have to go everyday. Use the routine when you go. Ex: Monday- arms, Wednesday- legs, Saturday- core.)
• Cool down by stretching it's very important for recovery and the overall well being of your body.

I'm a gym rat because that's where I get motivated. Seeing older men and women in great shape from working out or young toned men and women really makes me want to kick it up a notch. Working out at home has the best intentions, but just never works out for me. If that's your thing, go for it! Bodyrock.tv has a lot of at home work-outs you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Good luck!!