Newest Skincare Craze!

As most of you know, I am an avid consumer of anything that will slow down the aging process.  That doesn't mean I don't want to grow old gracefully, it just means I want to GRACEFULLY slow it down!  Hands down, however, I will say that WORKING OUT is the fountain of youth! As our metabolism slows down with age, we will slowly and automatically put on those 2 or 3 pounds each year after the age of 40.  However, if you are working out (and I mean not just speed walking), you will keep those extra pounds at bay and get younger each day!!! Yay!!!

Now the face is a different story because we don't work out the facial muscles like we do the rest of our muscles so what do we do about gravity and that pesky sagging skin? I am always on the lookout for the newest anti-aging product and I am truthfully NOT obsessed or addicted to any one product - YET! I just recently was introduced to a new night-time product that is natural and comes from the oleander plant and is promising amazing results - i.e. fewer wrinkles, firming and tightening skin, erasing age spots and sun damage, etc. etc. etc.  I always tend to use at least 3 products per night on my face/neck but this new product insists on being your only nighttime love.  It guarantees you need nothing else! Sounds good, right? Soooo, I'm trying out this product for the next 5 days and I'm taking before/after pics to see the results for myself because I wouldn't want to promote something that I didn't totally believe in! By the way, I have my husband Rick doing it too because it's also for men. 

I will keep you posted on the results!

Countdown to Summer has begun!!!

I know you are anxiously awaiting bikini/speedo (yuck!) season, right? We all anticipate and become determined that THIS summer will be the BEST summer I ever look! Horray, right?
It's super important to have goals but don't beat yourself up in the process. Take one day at a time - one workout at a time - one meal at a time - one breath at a time - Not in that order of course!
Small changes and commitments every day add up and before you know it, "Voila"!, you are the best YOU can be!
I hear soooo many people talking about various "cleanses" this time of year and there ARE some benefits to CERTAIN cleanses but sometimes just taking out those "bad habits" (caffeine, alcohol (WHAT?!), smoking, etc.)  is all the cleanse you need.  Take care of yourself and love yourself and your body will love you back by looking awesome, performing well and taking you into your future "grown up" years!

So Many Supplements!

I know there is always controversy surrounding what supplements, if any, someone should take whether they are athletic or not but I have my own personal arsanal of pills that I choke down each day and I certainly do hope it's not for naught!
I'm going to briefly go over what I take each day and why and then you can decide for yourself if you want to add it to your vitamin repertoire.
First of all, the majority and most throat-consuming pills I take are recommended by Timothy Ferris, author of "The 4-Hour Body".  They are called PAGG.  Policosanol, alpha lipoic acid, green tea extract and garlic extract.  I take these FOUR times a day with only the Policosanol at night. 
All four of these supplements are explained in detail in Ferris' book. 
Now, the rest which are taken sporadically throughout the day:
Vitamin D3- Pure Pharma brand
Fish Oil - Pure Pharma brand
Magnesium and Zinc - Pure Pharma brand
GROH - hair vitamin
Lurong Essential - velvet deer antler for fast muscle recovery
Green Coffee Bean Extract - fat loss

I also, on occasion, take L-Glutamine and L-Carnitine for carb and sugar cravings!

For more interesting information regarding the world of Amino Acids, I recommend the DIET CURE book.

Falling off the face of the Earth!

Seriously, I cannot believe that it's been close to a year since I last blogged! That just about explains my life - totally into something one minute and the next - WHERE'd SHE GO?
However, I must say that I AM just as into fitness and nutrition as I ever have been regardless of my blogging or not. Maybe I just thought I ran out of things to say...that I was boring...blah blah.  Anyway, I will make a better effort to enlighten all my "fans" out there with hopefully a few more entries.

There are sooo many exercise (never spell that correctly!) and nutrition tips out there I think "Why would anyone listen to me?".  Guess what?  I have tried just about everything and/or at least read about it to some capacity that I venture to guess I am not completely ignorant on nutrition and fitness!

I wouldn't even stop at nutrition and fitness.  Is there an Infomercial you keep watching and wondering if you should try? Chances are, I've tried it!  i.e. Wen hair product, Suzanne Somer's FaceMaster, home ultrasound machines, gazillion vitamin supplements, makeup kits, hot buns (for my girls' hair), the list goes on and on.  I am the poster girl for consumerism!!!

But, I digress.  I want this blog to feed you with healthy ways to continue your life path and maybe a few options to add to your daily rituals.  With that said, I shall continue with options in subsequent posts.  Stay tuned!!!

The Challenge is On!!!

I have officially started Advocare's 24-day challenge as of yesterday! I can already feel the effects - in a good way! The first 10 days are a cleansing or detoxifying of your body -it is NOT the kind of cleansing where you don't eat and end up on the toilet all day!
It simply prepares your body for the rest of the challenge to feel its very best! We all need to "scrub out" our insides every once in a while, right?
Also, super exciting is the Open House at the River Crossing Club this week! I have enjoyed getting to meet so many new people who have come out to try the classes! Sometimes it's intimidating to just show up somewhere you've never been with people you've never met and sweat! Just showing up is the hardest part! So proud of all my Body Burners and Zumba peeps for bringing new friends and supporting the club- Thank you!
Open House lasts until Saturday and you can find the schedule on this blog site.

Spark it up!

Recently my fellow crossfit friends have been touting the great benefits they are getting from drinking Advocare's Spark drink before workouts.  I decided to try it for myself and am actually surprised how much more energy and focus I have! I don't even miss my morning latte - yet!
I became a distributor for this company because I believe they are really out to help athletes' performance and general public's well-being. 
My husband, Rick is taking the Advocare 24-day challenge and I plan to start next week! I'll let you know how it goes! If you are interested in looking at my website, feel free to go to:

https://www.advocare.com/120331160/Store/default.aspx

Eating for your Bloodtype

I was recently recommended to read "Eat Right 4 Your Type: The individualized diet plan" book.  I briefly read over the synopsis for each bloodtype - particularly my own which is A type.  It seems to make a lot of sense historically and if you have specific "issues" with certain foods, you may find the information to coincide with what you already suspected.  If you want to know specific foods to eat or not to eat, then I suggest purchasing the book.

Here's the basic idea:
Type O: The hunter
       * meat eater
       * hardy digestive tract
       * overactive immune system
       * intolerant to dietary and environmental adaptions
       * Responds best to stress with intense physical activity
     
Type A:  The cultivator
       *  The first vegetarian
       * Reaps what he sows
       * Sensitive digestive tract
       * tolerant immune system
       * responds best to stress with calming action

Type B:  The Nomad
       * Balanced
       * Strong immune system
       * most flexible dietary choices
       * dairy eater
       * responds best to stress with creativity

Type AB:  The Enigma
       * modern merging of A and B
       * sensitive digestive tract
       * overly tolerant immune system
       * an evolutionary mystery