Get Your Steps On...Why We Love Walking

Now that it is starting to get warmer and sunnier out, us Blendah Babes love to get outside and get our steps on. Even just a brisk 30 minute walk, three times  per week is all you need to start boosting your health on levels you wouldn't even know were possible.  Not only does walking improve your overall health and help to burn fat, it improves your overall mood and stress levels.  After a long day at work it can be easy to get home and plop our butts on the couch, but taking the effort to lace up our sneakers and head outside can do us a world of good. Take a look below at some of the amazing benefits of walking.

Walking is great to do by yourself or with a buddy. Carlie & I love to go on long walks together...some of our best brain storming sessions have come from our walking time. In fact, the idea of Blendah Babes came to us while enjoying a nice beach walk together last fall. It is amazing the clarity of thinking a little fresh air can give to you.  
I received a FitBit as a gift last year and it has become one of my most prized belongings.  Wearing this little tracker on my wrist has changed my day to day life.  I am constantly checking my FitBit app to see if I have met my step goal for the day.  If I am short on my steps by dinner time, I make sure I walk around my house or outside until I meet my goal by the end of the day.  
There are many types of fitness trackers/pedometers on the market today and I can't recommend them enough! As I have said before, our greatest wealth is our health. Investing in products that can keep us healthy and active is well worth the cost.  
So come on Blendah Babe nation..what are you waiting for? Get out and get to walking. And if you own a FitBit, please find and add me as a friend-- Carley147. There is nothing better than a little healthy competition to get moving :)

Summer's Here!

Memorial Day is coming up this weekend.  In my family this means two things:
1. To remember those brave men and women who gave their life for this incredible country.
2. Kick off to summer.

Summer is the greatest season of the year.  It's time for sun dresses, baseball, cook outs, beach days, swimming, fireworks, and late nights by the campfire.  It's time to celebrate life and live outside again.  Summer is also extremely busy.  It seems as though there's always something going on each weekend.  Whether it's a barbecue, graduation party, wedding, birthday party, Fourth of July cook out, or simply a day by the pool with friends it seems as though every weekend is booked before summer even starts.  This is not a bad thing, it's great!

However, this amazing season comes with a price...sunburns, hangovers, and the endless potential for poor food choices.  So how can you keep this price low?  Moderation.  And sunscreen...lots of sunscreen, but that's for another article.

Summer cookouts almost always consist of hotdogs, hamburgers, macaroni salad, brownies, and coo coo juice.  Oh sorry, my family may be the only ones to fill Gatorade coolers with coo coo juice ;)  It's important to make healthy food choices, eat small portions, and drink in moderation to maintain your health and to make sure your weekly workouts don't go to waste.  Instead of 2 hotdogs every weekend, try having one each month.  Instead of filling your plate with macaroni salad, fill it with vegetables.  Instead of brownies, have a slice of watermelon.  These are small changes to the weekly summer diet that will help you feel great so you can enjoy every weekend.  Here's a few more tips...

1. Eat a healthy meal at home before you go to a party.
2. Fill your plate with veggies.
3. Eat fruit for dessert.
4. Go for chicken or fish instead of hotdogs and hamburgers.
5. Drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.
6. Bring a healthy dish.
7. When you do indulge, savor one small serving instead of 2 or 3.

This weekend I'll be bringing a toasted almond and Gorgonzola salad to my family cookout.  I will most likely eat veggie sticks and guacamole, grilled chicken, watermelon, and a decedent chocolate dessert.  I'll be sure to drink plenty of water and fully enjoy a few glasses of coo coo juice.  The key is to enjoy everything in moderation, except fun.  Load up on the laughter and fun!

Our Greatest Wealth Is Our Health

Happy Sunday smoothie lovahs! This is Carley with an “EY” checking in with you for today’s blog post. I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my own personal journey to health and happiness and I have a secret to share with all of you… I wasn’t always a health conscious person. Healthy habits were not something that came easily for me---in fact the word “health” is not one I used in my vocabulary at all until recent years.

                Growing up I wasn’t a very active child. I was not interested in sports, outdoor activities, or vegetables.   When I grew into an adult these same habits remained.  I moved in to my first apartment and health was the furthest thing from my mind.  If a meal didn’t come from the freezer and go straight into the microwave I wasn’t cooking it. I was a regular at fast food joints, and  I loved sitting on the couch and watching TV for hours on end.  

                I was constantly tired, worn down, and lacking energy. I never connected the dots that my lifestyle affected how I felt on the inside until more recent years.  As I grew and matured into my early to mid –twenties my hair, skin, and body were maturing and changing in ways I wasn't comfortable with.  My skin was dull and would break out.  I was gaining weight and feeling self–conscious about myself. Overall I was unhappy.  I knew a change had to be made but I didn't know where to start.  So I decided to start one step at a time. 

                Day by day, I started to incorporate small healthy steps into my life.  My first focus was on learning how to cook. Once I began reading recipes and grocery shopping on a regular basis, I started to notice how important the ingredients are in what we eat as well as how we prepare our food.  Taking the extra thirty minutes to prepare a meal with fresh ingredients was a hassle at first, but soon became to be my favorite part of my day. After a couple of weeks I couldn’t wait to come home from work and prepare a new recipe filled with ingredients I knew were good for me.

                Once I started to get my nutrition in check, other aspects of my life started to change as well. I had more energy and my skin was more vibrant.  I didn’t feel tired and sluggish all the time. I realized when I stopped eating poorly, I stopped feeling poorly. That was my first major step in my journey into health and happiness.

                Now a days I beam with joy when someone refers to me as a “health freak” or “in great shape.”  I have worked very hard and pushed myself outside of what was normal and comfortable for me to get this way. I couldn't be happier with where I am today in my journey.  Today, I exercise regularly and actually enjoy working up a sweat.  Five years ago you couldn't get me to run across the street let alone run five miles.  I prepare fresh nutritious meals and love using local ingredients to fuel and sustain my body and mind. Five years ago I would have never believed I would drink a smoothie made with fruits and vegetables daily but now I count on my smoothie and look forward to it every day. 

                They say new habits take 21 days to form into your regular routine. So I challenge you. This month, find a new healthy habit to incorporate into your lifestyle. It could be as small as taking the stairs at work, or a larger feat such as eating clean and green. I challenge you to make this commitment to yourself. Give yourself that full 21 days and I promise the benefits you will see will amaze you.  Push yourself outside your comfort zone and before you know it that habit will become your go-to.  There is no better feeling than feeling alive, energized and vibrant.  Health is the greatest wealth we have.