Category Archives: Fitness

Youthful Skin – It’s More Than Washing Your Face

I recently had a conversation with a friend about all the things it takes to keep our skin looking youthful as we age. So many people today take such drastic measures to try to look as young as they can. Too many times they end up looking like something straight out of a freak show. I am by no means against a little extra help here and there if that is what you choose to do. For me I choose to age gracefully. Unfortunately we all will age but there are things you can do to keep your skin looking years younger. The sooner you begin the more these things will help but beginning at any age will help.

In my opinion your skins best friends would be a healthy diet, exercise, limited sun exposure, plenty of water, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and good hygiene.

Lets begin with a healthy diet. Eating lots of foods high in antioxidants will do wonders for your skin. Fruits and veggies not only help you maintain a healthy weight but also keeps your skin looking younger. They help fight off all those free radicals which can age you prematurely. Also a diet high in lean protein helps as well. Protein is the building block to muscle. Having more toned muscle helps with the elasticity of the skin. By maintaining a healthy weight and not having large increases in your weight also helps maintain the elasticity of your skin. So how you feed your body makes all the difference.

Now lets talk exercise. Exercise helps in maintaining weight but it also plays a huge role in building muscle and maintaining muscle. Resistance training is very important the older we get as our body slows down in producing growth hormone. Muscle helps burn fat and as stated earlier helps the elasticity of the skin.

Now we have all heard what sun damage can do to our skin. Sunscreen is a must for healthy skin. The more your skin gets sun burned the more damage is done and the more you age. I grew up in the age of laying out in the sun with baby oil on and tanning beds. I have to admit if I hadn’t done those things I would have aged so much more gracefully. With sunscreens and spray tans now there is no excuse for damaging our skin in the sun. I’m not against a little sun but always wear a minimum of 30 SPF sunblock. You will still tan a little but you will not burn. If you have very fair skin you may need even higher SPF. I also use a facial sunscreen every day and the foundation I wear has an SPF of 15.

Staying well hydrated will also help you to look younger and will also help your skin be more healthy looking. Your skin appears fuller and small lines and wrinkles are less noticeable. You should at a minimum drink your body weight in ounces of water each day. Being well hydrated also helps all your body’s organs to function properly. If you are dehydrated it puts stress on your body causing your systems to not work at their best.

Another important thing in aging gracefully is making sure you supplement where there is deficiency. Amino acids (glutamine, carnetine, arginine, bcaa’s) and fatty acids (omega-3) all aid in keeping the skin, hair, and nails looking healthy and youthful. As we age our bodies don’t produce these things as efficiently as it once did. I highly suggest researching the effect supplementing amino acids and fatty acids has on aging.

Good hygiene is a must. You should wash your face every night before bed. Never sleep in your make-up. Exfoliate your skin regularly with a scrub. Also, use warm water but not hot water as that can dry the skin. Use moisturizers and lotions regularly as well. Nothing looks older than dry skin.

Finally, staying away from things such as smoking, alcohol, and drugs will keep you looking youthful much longer. Also, trying to live a life that is not stressful will help to. Regular relaxation whether through a favorite hobby or activity or getting a massage is a necessity to staying young and looking your best.

We Are Defined By What We Do

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We are not defined by what we think or by what we say. Our actions and what we do are what we are defined by. You can say all day that You’re going to get healthy or you’re going to workout…..tomorrow….but until we take action it’s nothing more that words. Recently at church camp with my kids I learned that we should let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. If you say you are going to do something then do it. Don’t be the kind of person who says they will do something and then not follow through with it. Be the kind of person that people know when you say something you’re going to follow through……not just say something because it sounds good at the time!!!!!

Fit Tip Friday: Schedule that workout!

Here is a little fit tip for your Friday. Sometimes life can get really busy. It’s the nature of our world today! That doesn’t need to be an excuse not to workout. One thing I find that makes it hard to skip workouts is if I put them on my schedule both the day and the time. This way I always make sure it gets done. Sometimes things do come up but if its on my schedule its easy to say I already have something that day at that time……even if the appointment is just with me. Even if you only have 30 minutes that is better than nothing and there are lots of workout programs out there that you can do at home in 30 minutes or less. A couple of examples of programs that I endorse and love are Beachbody’s P90x3 and T25. They are intense workouts that take only 25-30 minutes. If you want more info on those workouts check out my Beachbody page on my website. Just go to the Beachbody link under Products. But those aren’t the only thing out there. The main thing is to get up and get moving and……GET IT ON YOUR SCHEDULE!!!!

Addiction: Not just your enemy but God’s!

Today I felt lead to pray for and encourage those dealing with addictions. Addiction is the enemy’s way of holding many of us in bondage. Addiction is not just to alcohol and drugs. Food and exercise addictions can be just as dangerous. If you have an addiction please realize you are not alone. While there are thousands of people dealing with addictions every day, God is right there with you and there are many Godly, Christian based treatment facilities that can help. Addiction tries to make us feel better or comforted….but truth be told the good feeling only lasts a moments……Take it to God. He knows your struggle and can set you free. Seek Godly counsel and take the steps along side God to become free. It may take some time……it will definitely take some trusting…..it won’t be easy….most of all it will take you and God walking together with those you love and who love you to overcome your addiction. But remember you can do all things through Christ and that God is for you and Satan loses!!!!

Wednesday-Get that butt off the couch!!!!

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It’s midweek. I always find Wednesday the hardest day to train! For some reason I get a little lazy. When you feel that way you need to force yourself to get moving. Number one you will feel so much better. Number two it’s good for you. And finally number three it will give you that extra push to get through the week. Get that butt off the couch and get in some cardio or weight training or get outside and get active……you will feel great not only physically but mentally for accomplishing something you didn’t want to do!!!!

Protein Pancakes Great for Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I typically eat the same thing for breakfast but when I get tired of eating the same thing it’s hard to find something that has everything I need……mainly plenty of protein. Below is a recipe for protein pancakes that is really very yummy!!!! The consistency is really good. Not as fluffy as real pancakes but still very good. Enjoy!

Protein Pancakes:

1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1/3 cup oatmeal
I packet stevia
1 scoop of favorite vanilla protein powder
Cinnamon to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and cook over medium heat on skillet.

Makes 3-4 pancakes depending on size.
Calories 345
Fat 3g
Carbs 27g
Protein 56g

Failures are Opportunity

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Having failures is not always a bad thing. If we use them intelligently we can grow and become better. With every failure we have the opportunity to start over……to begin again. They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting things to be different. Use the failures to make the needed changes to become better!!!!

Sunday’s Word for a Great Week of Fitness

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There is no limit to what you can do when God is part of your life. He has amazing things planned for you this week. Keep to your health and fitness plan so you can be ready for whatever he has in store for you!!! Blessings to you all.

FAVORITE THINGS FRIDAY!!!!!!!!

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IT’S FRIDAY!!!!!! If your like me Friday is one of my favorite days. It’s the end of the work week and I can celebrate having worked hard and it’s the beginning to spending time with my family and doing fun things. So having said that I can’t think of a better thing to do on Friday than to share one of my favorite things……..my Ninja blender!!!!! I love it for making my smoothies. I have not found one that makes my smoothies as think and smooth as this one. It comes with individual containers which makes making my Shakeology or my Advocare protein shakes easy and on the go. The blades are super sharp so be careful……my hubby sliced his finger open and had to butterfly it. I would recommend this to anyone!!!! Happy blending!!!!!!

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!!!!!!!

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So many time reaching our goal depends on our attitude. Having a “can” attitude makes all the difference. Allowing yourself some grace to make mistakes is critical. God created us imperfect people in an imperfect world. Keep a mindset that I will reach my goal weather it takes 6 weeks, 6 months, or 6 years. Be consistent. Be deliberate. But most of all be willing to have a great attitude!!!! Remember attitude is everything!