Welcome! Running is a life style for many. A hobby for others, and a workout for everyone. This is a blog dedicated to staying healthy, working out, running, and living as naturally as possible. It is for those who want to live a healthy lifestyle. At this blog you can learn everything from: medical mumbo jumbo, a new workout, to a new recipe, to how to clear your skin, to that 6 pack abs, losing a few pounds. If you can't find something, please send a message or suggest it! Please read the page 'About me' to learn more about who runs this blog! Personal Tumblr
I thought I would start posting reviews on shoes I own- far too many shoes, may I add..
Of course the catch here is, all I own are Nike’s when it comes to athletic shoes.
Anyways, for my first review I’m doing the new Nike Free’s.
Before I review, I just want to define my foot dimensions, as it will be different for every reviewer. I have average width feet. I prefer a wider foot bed though. I have above average arches, so I look for
Price: In the states they run for about 110. In Canada 130.
Review: 6/10
Positives: Light, wide foot bed, and airy
Negatives: Tongue rubs foot, always have to adjust to be comfortable. Low arc.
Details: In the rarity that I do a bad review for Nike, this is one. In fact when I buy Nike’s 90% of the time I never try them on. I do a lot of my buying through the states as it’s cheaper, and they arrive before they do in Canada. So I hit up the online stores and buy. And that 90% of the time, it’s great because the shoes always fit me like gloves. Especially the last Nike 5.0’s, they are to date, still one of my favourites.
So here’s the problem with these runners: The tongue. Designed very poorly, & very cheaply. I’ve never had a problem with Nike’s that they rub against the top of my foot.. and as soon as I put these on, they did.
But as an avid Nike wearer I knew Nike’s need to be worn a few times to be fitted to your feet, they always mold as you wear them. And as I have kept wearing them to the gym or somewhere else they have gotten better, but not to the expectation that I had for them. And not anywhere in compare to other pairs.
When it comes to the arch, which is a big thing for many.. I found the arches not too bad. The last 5.0’s fit my arch like a glove. I had never found a shoe that fit me so snugly without insoles. These didn’t measure up to those.
There are some positives.. They look so sexy haha! And they are super light, which is always a plus for me. Running in them was actually pretty pleasant when I had a good pair of socks on. But even then, when I took my socks off I had red marks on top of my foot.
Now am I returning them? Well no. 1. I wore them without really trying them on, so there goes that. And 2. I am a sucker for a nice looking Nike.. meaning I’ll suffer the pain if there’s any at all.
So finally, would I recommend these? A simple answer: No. A complicated answer? For certain things I would say they are still great shoes. You just have to know how to work the comfort to your level. With everyone’s feet being different, everyone will find the comfort different so don’t take my review entirely. I still going to wear these just as much as any other pair, I just have to take extra care of knowing how to adjust to them and keeping my feet comfortable.
No they won’t be my marathon runners, but I’ve definitely had worse.
Everything you need to know about smart grocery shopping
This is really targeted at North American buyers. What a lot of people don't know is, how slack our food labeling and the FDA works with food brands. Especially compared to a continent like Europe. For example, in most of Europe GMO's are completely banned. The European Union is incredibly strict with their food laws, so when I go grocery shopping in a place like Spain, I'm really not even looking for organic labels.. I'm just looking to see it's local and fresh. Read more about that here.
Unfortunately North America is pretty behind in that world, and you have to educate yourself when it comes to chemicals in your food you buy and put into your body.
When it comes to buying your groceries, education & awareness is key to health and your money. This is a mega post I warn you, but that's because the food industry and especially the organic food industry is so enormously large.. And so much is hidden behind doors.
There is so much to learn, so much to be aware of when it comes to both organic and 'natural' things. To this day, I am still learning and reading about organic foods, how they created, where, chemicals, what words mean. Because when I am shopping and see these words, I want to know exactly what they mean and be sure I know what I'm putting into my body.
I'm going to try to shorten all my knowings into a smaller how-to, and maybe make some more sense of confusions.. A lot of posts and stats I post are also linked through to the originals, where you will also find much more information.
Firstly, organic. Is it really going to save your life over buying non organic?
Simple answer, will be no. But it will never be a reason for you not to make the switch. Especially if you have kids or have a health problem. Studies have shown that people who eat organic, or people who don't eat organic aren't necessarily saving lives. Because when it comes to pesticides in fruits so to say, you'd have to eat millions of them to get a harmful dose. But studies have also shown that chemicals and hormones found in meats and other non organic foods, have lead to cancer. And when it comes to kids, studies have shown that pesticides in kids increased the odds of ADHD. (Study reports)
And to me, you shouldn't need more reason than that to make the switch. You know you're putting pure food into your body and getting all the available nutrients. Rather than putting something altered to look like it? And you will taste a major difference.
When it comes to groceries, where to go?
ORGANIC.
Is it really that much more money? No. I've been a long time devotee to Whole foods since it opened it's doors in Vancouver, where I live. Since then, I barely step foot into another non-organic store. And in the summer time I go home to Europe and am reminded of how bad our food system is.
Now of course, a lot of people don't know. Whole foods isn't an all organic store. There are tons of products that aren't USDA organic certified. But they do have to meet a certain chart of health and chemical free guideline.
This does not give a free go at buy anything without seeing what's in the ingredients. It starts with basics of learning what an ingredient is, and what the toxic ones are. Spending those few minutes reading and looking for government signs, and researching brands- where they are made, how they are run.
Fruits & veggies - go ALL organic.
Here's something that really matters about where you are living. If you live in a warmer climate area, say California.. you will have much more options of local organic growers. In Vancouver, during the winter time? All my organic strawberries are going to come from the south. Until summer starts. There is no excuse to shop anywhere else but an organic food for vegetables and fruits. The cost is almost the exact same as another non organic carrier.
Fruits that are especially full of pesticides, chemicals, and are altered to look good to a consumers eyes: Strawberries, tomatoes, apples, grapes, and lettuce.
Meats - Go organic, grass-fed
To me, meat can sometimes be almost bigger to buy organic than fruits or vegetables. Because meat is easily one of the most fake products on the grocery market. I rarely eat red meat, and when I do it's the best you can buy and in very small portions. There's just no reason for it, and when you stop having it you lose the appetite for it. Or at least I did.
And unfortunately we have to look at horrid reality of the meat market when it comes to how to buying it. How it's brought up, how it's killed and treated. If you are eating meat, it's the least you can do for that animals sake.
For example here's how the difference measures up in most American farms:
Now at Whole Foods they use a system of numbers on the packages called "Animal welfare rating" You may have seen them if you've shopped there before, but never payed much attention. You should. Here's more on that:
Chart and more info found at their site here
When it comes to tags saying grass-fed. This is also hugely important. The diet of good meat and a healthy cow will be grass fed. They are not fattened up by hormones to get the most out of them.
Grass-fed isn't just great for the cows, it's great for the effects on the meat after it's in our bodies.
Grass-fed beef is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which we desperately need in our diets today to balance all the omega-6 fatty acids we consume.
Grass-fed beef is high in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is being shown to fight cancer.
Grass-fed beef is high in vitamin E.
Grass-fed beef is high in beta carotene.
Grass-fed beef has a much lower risk of E. coli due to both diet and processing.
And when it comes to other animals such as: chicken, pork, and fish. the importance of organic doesn't change. The only exception I would allow, which I do all the time is buying fish local. Knowing that it's come straight from the water and was wild is key. Mind you where you live there could be all sorts of chemicals or radiation where you live in your waters effecting your fish, growing in your fish, and then transferring into your body. That you can never quite know unless they are farmed in a habitat. For that I recommend having a connection with your buyers you buy from, say if you buy from a local fish store, get to know the owner and how he breeds his fish. They usually are keen on building relationships and making sure their customers are happy. If they aren't, that's a sign they're hiding something and to move on.
I hate to bring it up, but as someone who really believes in animal rights.. you must look into how your food is being treated. RESEARCH your foods company. It can be horrendous research sometimes, but it's the reality if you're going to eat meat. If you can't be knowledgeable about it. Don't put it into your body.
I read constantly of mass production meat farms inhumanely killing and treating their animals. I don't want to repeat what they did to animals such as their chickens.. but know it's not what you want to be happening to your food. Companies where can't find any information on their farms and animals DO NOT buy their meats. It's that simple. A simple Google search of: food companies caught mistreating their animals will bring up thousands of studies and undercover investigations.
What I would say if you must eat your meat is, really try to get your intake of it at the lowest possible. Maybe twice a week. Small proportions, and only organic. Focus on having it as a side, and having more of something else like salad and vegetables to fill you up.
Remember we do not need to eat meat like we do. It's the most mistreated food in this world. To me personally, it shouldn't be used as a pleasure food like it is, but as a small dietary food. The more naturally grown food we can eat, the more the world and our bodies will thank us.
And finally, pantry-like groceries..
Go organic if you can. Natural also okay. But mainly, know your ingredients.
When it comes to groceries, knowledge on ingredients really is the most important. So much can be found in small prints and mumbo jumbo that you wouldn't know without the knowledge. And there's no way I can even begin to go into that all that, but I would suggest really reading into it. There's so much learning material out there about this stuff.
To me the best you can do is research brands of the food you're buying. Say your cereal brand. Go to their website and other sites and learn about them. Learn where there food is made especially. There's sites you can use, depending on where you live that can check if your brand really is an organic brand and if their facilities are clean and natural.
How to make sure you get organic? labels.
Here's some labels to memorize.
A lot of companies play up the marketing gimmick where they know they can't legally say it's organic, but they can work their way around it. They can put "some organic materials used" or "natural". Here's more info on that:
When it comes to GMO's, here's more things to etch into your brain.
In North America, food labeling does not require GM or GE foods to be labeled, you can still find out whether or not your produce is genetically engineered by looking at its PLU (price lookup) code on the sticky label added to grocery store produce:
Those stats, and much more fantastic info on organic world find here
Lastly, some other terms you will want to memorize:
Natural or all natural – This label means “minimally processed” and that the meat can’t have any artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, or any other artificial ingredients in it. Animals can still be given antibiotics or growth enhancers and meat can be injected with salt, water, and other ingredients. For example, this term can be applied to all raw cuts of beef since they aren’t processed. The natural label does not reflect how the animal was raised or fed, which makes it fairly meaningless.
Naturally raised – This claim should be followed by a specific statement, such as “naturally raised without antibiotics or growth hormones” in order to obtain USDA approval. Read different labels carefully to understand what naturally raised really means to the piece of meat you’re buying.
Grass-fed – This term claims that the animals are fed solely on a diet of grass or hay and have continuous access to the outdoors. Cattle are naturally ruminants that eat grass, so they tend to be healthier and leaner when fed this way. In addition, grass fed beef has been shown to have more of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, if meat is labeled as grass fed but not certified organic, the animal may have been raised on pasture that was exposed to or treated with synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Free-range or free-roaming –Broadly, this term means that the animals weren’t confined to a cage and had access to the outdoors. Unfortunately, there are no requirements for the amount of time the animals spend outdoors or for the size of the outdoor space available. The terms free-range or free-roaming also don’t apply to egg-laying hens. While it’s difficult to tell exactly what free range means on meat packaging, you can contact the producer directly for clarification.
Cage-free – The term means that egg-laying hens are not raised in cages. However, it does not necessarily mean they have access to the outdoors. Some eggs may carry the American Humane Certified label but many cage-free claims are not certified, making it a very misleading label.
Pasture-raised. This claims that the animals were not raised in confinement and had year-round access to the outside. Again, there are no requirements for exactly how much time the animals spend outside or the size of the outdoor space available, so it can be misleading.
No hormones added or hormone-free – This term indicates that animals are raised without the use of any added growth hormones. For beef and dairy products it can be helpful, but by law in the U.S., poultry, veal calves, and pigs cannot be given hormones, so don’t pay extra for chicken, veal, or pork products that use this label.
Certified Humane Raised and Handled – This is a voluntary certification regulated by the Humane Farm Animal Care, a non-profit organization aimed at ensuring the humane treatment of farm animals. The label means that animals have ample space, shelter, and gentle handling to limit stress, ample fresh water, and a diet without added antibiotics or hormones. Animals must be able to roam around and root without ever being confined to cages, crates, or tie stalls.
I encourage you to venture even more into this world to educate yourself as much as possible. Because trust me, there's a lot more. My advice will always be that there's no excuse not to go organic. Use that extra dollar and put it towards that.
Don't let the brands & industry fool you into buying something altered.
Education is a great weapon we have, so use it.
Happy shopping!
And any other questions or concerns don't hesitate to ask!
Vitamin D is one of the most needed vitamins our bodies needs, and doesn't get much from food. Although there is some, which I'll explain more below.
As most people know a big way it's known to get this vitamin is through: Good ole sunshine.
But here's what a lot of people don't know.
When we need vitamin D the most- in winter, it's almost impossible to get the daily amount we need just form sunlight. And the reason being that if you live north of Los Angeles (or the equator), the sun isn't strong enough. therefore, that hour you thought spending in the sun was helping you? Nope.
Here's a great pic to help explain:
It also of course, isn't the safest way to get your dose.
For me personally, I live in Vancouver where it rains 90% of the winter and I'm this lost southern European girl craving sunlight.
So when it is sunny I throw myself outside and bask everything I can get, but at the end of the day live off Vitamin D drops.
Easiest, tasteless way to go.
I highly recommend them.
You can get about 50 drops for 10-20 bucks at a health food store, or a vitamin store. These are a few I have:
Of course they come in capsules also, which deliver a larger dose. But I'm not the biggest fan of capsules/pills so I veer away from those.
Can you get too much Vitamin D? Yes. But it's hard to do. Very high doses of vitamin D can cause extremely high levels of calcium in your blood, which can lead to heart rhythm problems, kidney stones and damage, and severe muscle weakness. This calcium excess usually happens if you take 40,000 IU per day for a couple of months or longer, or take a very large one-time dose.
Moral of this story? Don't let things like that freak you out. Read, and educate yourself on everything you put into your body. Talk to your doctor before starting them if you want to be comfortable and safe.
Lastly, there's a way to get some vitamin D in your body through what you eat. But it's very minimal. Some of these foods are:
Here's one final image to conclude everything about vitamin d intake. Common summer!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
Side note before I start, apologies are in line for the absence of this blog. This blog requires quite a bit of attention which I've found hard to find with life lately, but I am slowly comin back! Going to be editing it over the next few weeks to work better, and more posts to come. So with that, lets begin..
Ah yes, Diet.
The dreaded D word. Also non existing in my life, but for this post it shall.
So diet or exercise? Which one do you need to meet your goal? Hopefully I can help!
Reminder that doing just one of these won't keep you in your best possible health & shape. You need either an equal of the two or even more of one. There is no less.
First battle to tackle: Wanting to drop a dress size?
You'll need to focus on: DIET.
When it comes to wanting to lose weight, the first thing that comes to peoples mind is exercise. Mostly in the idea that if you run those calories off, you can put them in. Doesn't really work like that unfortunately. The right diet will focus on putting in the right amount of calories and foods.
So how to narrow calories down? Stick to these two guidelines. 1. A primary plant based diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts ect.) 2. Limit processed foods- these contain lots of empty calories in the form of sugar and unhealthy fats and sugar.
Of course all this is different for each body type, how much body fat you have and how much you want to lose. If you have trouble tracking calories- which at the end of the day I'm not a huge fan of doing, but realize it sometimes works for certain people. So that being said, try an app! Lose it! is a good one to try out.
Want to increase energy?
You'll want to focus on: DIET
Exercise can bring you a surge of energy, but at the end of the day diet will leave you lasting longer. This is a lot about timing, knowing when your blood sugar is low and how your body generally works with your schedule. Remember that you're not only eating to get your blood sugar back to normal, but also your brain. Your brain has neurotransmitters which are chemical substances which keep your moods up.
How to have the perfect diet for a happy mind & body: Most people eat 5-6 times a day, which maintains blood sugar levels. Try about every three hours.
For example: Someone like me, I am always hungry. I have a very high metabolism thanks to genetics and youth. But I just find it pretty annoying as I'm always looking for something to eat, and tend to think about food at bad times.. The best way for me to fix this, is eat foods and shakes I know will keep me full for at least 2-3 hours. A lot of times I ignore my hunger because of my schedules or work, only eating when I get the chance. Which a lot of people have that problem, so fix in snacks between meals if you can. Bars, or nuts are my best bet to keep it all satisfied.
If you feel really fatigue during the day load your diets with food rich flavonoids. These are found in foods such as: blueberries, blackberries, and acai juice (what I drink everyday!) Another important thing is: water. People often feel fatigued at lunch for not being hydrated. Always carry a water bottle to remind yourself to refill.
If you're looking to reduce risk of heart disease
You'll need to focus on: EXERCISE
This is especially important for women, as it is the number one cause of death in America. The simplest way to explain it is this- exercise alleviates stress, lowers cholesterol, and increases blood flow; all those combined improve health more than diet alone does.
So how much do you need? You want to be aiming for about 150 minutes of cardio a week. Some days more intense. Also include days of resistance training (weights). If you are so against going to the gym, walk and go outdoors. Wear a pedometer to count your steps, and aim for about 10,000 steps a day or about 5 miles. If that seems like a lot, it won't be if you wear it all day. It will bring awareness to you- maybe you'll realize how much more steps you get by taking the stairs, or going the long way around the grocery store. You can even get great pedometer apps on your phone now if you don't want to carry around a little gadget.
Next best thing? Sit less. You've heard it before. The science behind it is pretty spectacular actually.. Enzymes in the postural muscles change when you sit for say longer than 30 minutes, this affects glucose and lipids. I've realized how much of a blessing it is to be a restless person. If you find yourself having to sit for a long time, shift your weight, improve your posture, roll your muscles, and remember to be breathing. If you can focus on putting movement into your schedule along with your work or daily life. Get up to get water. For lunch, move and stretch. The maximize time you should be sitting is 2hrs.
If you want to keep your mind sharp
You'll need to focus on: Exercise
Exercise is huge on keeping your mind young, and active. It also keeps down the amount of abnormal protein deposits in the brain that link to Alzheimer's. Before I move onto how to achieve this, it's important to remember how vital diet is for brain health also. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables will improve brain health besides exercising.
Now, to take action. Movement is all you need for brain health. This can be in forms of aerobic exercise, or strength training- in fact; both actually work different parts of the brain! so try to include both in your life.
And if you want to physically give your brain a workout? Work on puzzles. Get into the habit on doing them in the morning especially. Try Sudoku or crosswords.
If you want to boost your libido
You'll want to focus on: Exercise
This one will be different for each to their own. It could be psychological just as much as it could be your lack of exercise. Don't be embarrassed by it either, you are definitely not alone. And the most common answer to why women have this is probably an easy guess: body image. Exercise can improve this, not the the physical aspect but the idea in your mind and your self-esteem.
Any type of exercise for this will make your feel better about yourself, but yoga is actually one of the best. Reason being that yoga is so much more than just exercising your body, is exercising your mind and your ideas, how you calm your body and the way you breathe.
When it comes to libido, there are so many different aspects besides what I mentioned above. It could also have to deal with your hormones, medications, or even disorders. So if you find yourself still stuck even with a great athletic life and body, it may be something more and need to be brought up with your practitioner.
So, I hope you found what you were looking to improve, and do just that. As always, any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to hit the ask button and have a conversation with me.
Any other requests you'd like me to do- send away!
Any idea how to stop heartburn? Especially while working out.
Depends on a lot of factors. If you're overweight. Age. If you're eating too fast or the wrong food. Maybe you're working out too fast after eating. If it just comes while working out. Even if it's from eating. A lot of people misconceive what heartburn is. It doesn't just come from eating it could be from stress, or a more serious condition. It really depends on how serious it effects you.
You could try popping an ant-acid before you eat. Or before you hit the gym. Eat a healthy, non fatty meal also.
That's about all I can recommend without knowing the back story!
Calling all six packs & six pack wanna-be's I have the best app for ya'll..
About 3 weeks ago I downloaded an app called: Runtastic: Six pack out of curiosity. Normally I veer very far away from workout apps, because I just don't think I need them or will improve my workout. That and I don't wanna be at the gym with an app playing ruining my music. Another thing is I don't like signing up and receiving all this junk mail they send you. But a friend of mine has other apps by this company Runtastic that makes all sorts of ones, and told me to check it out as he knows I'm a littttle bit obsessed with my stomach area.
What was different about this app when I first opened it was you could do a test run! So I did just that. And I did actually use it at the gym, mind you I didn't watch the screen- but the counting and instruction was on.
Here's where they catch you. For the full version it's 4.99 - which I have never paid for a workout app, nor did I want to haha. But this app really grew on me, and I wanted to go on after I got through the first level and bought it.
So for the extra 4.99 - hey, it's cheaper than a trainer.. you get I believe it's 50 more exercises- no ads! - and can make your own workouts, which in my opinion is the best part.
Here are some of what you get for free:
It's an overall really well done app, that gets your abdominals burning. If you do it everyday like it says, you will definitely see some results!
Check it out, test it out- let me know what you think!
In the last post I talked about nutritional requirements.
Well this post I'll help you reach those.
Here are my top things a person should strive to have:
Base your meals on starchy foods
Eat lots of fruit and veggies - like mom says!
Eat more fish - including a portion of oily fish each week.
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
Try to eat less salt - no more than 6 g a day for adults
Get active and stay active. Have a healthy weight.
Drink plenty of water
Don't skip breakfast!!
My way of living personally, is 80% healthy eating & lifestyle. 20% indulgence and fun. So to say I eat almost all 99% natural food during the week. I have balanced meals and shakes everyday. I workout or do some sort of activity daily. But as the weekend roles around I let myself go. I sleep in when I can, I eat a pile of french toast and pizza followed by watching movies and relaxing. It's all about finding a balance that works and satisfies you.
Another thing which is debatable is calorie counting. Which can link all back to what I've been talking about with nutritional requirements. Reading the side of packages and nutritional guidelines on food has become second nature to me. When it comes to calorie counting, you won't find me doing that- not frankly because I'm watching my weight just because I know my diet doesn't need to be based off calories with what I eat. The only time you need to watch calories is if you're eating bad food. Such as fast food, fried food. Then you have that as your indulge if you choose and have small proportions.
Moral of this is, you shouldn't have a calorie counter on the side of your calender thinking "I'm eating less calories I'll loose more weight" This works if you are on a diet plan and have totally switched your life around dietary wise.
When it comes to "nutritional requirements" there's a lot of myths and ignorance.
So what does "nutritional requirements" mean?
Well everyday a certain amount of every nutrient is used by the body. This amount therefor must be replaced, either from the diet or from body stores.
For some nutrients a daily intake is not crucial as the amount used is a small proportion of that available in the body. However, if the daily needs are provided from body stores over a period of time, then the stores gradually become depleted, the functional form of the nutrient becomes unavailable and eventually clinical deficiency develops.
Then for other nutrients there is little or no storage, and therefor a regular intake is necessary.
A requirement is defined as the amount of a specific nutrient required by an individual to prevent clinic signs of deficiency. Two problems arise from his definition:
1. The possibility that depletion of reserves to a level short of clinical deficiency may be harmful to health, or that amounts greater than the minimum may have a positively beneficial effect. And 2. quantifying requirements of nutrients for which there is no definable deficiency state.
Now to get into the number science background of finding your deficiency numbers is far too great, and hard to explain.
So how do you know how much intake one needs in his or her body to stay healthy? It's something you need to get tested for. Blood tests, watching your diets. Visiting a nutritionist.
Not to long ago the UK introduced something called GDA- which stands for: Guideline Daily Amounts. A single figure that shows up on the food label to show the contribution made by an average serving to the daily needs.
Any questions about this, or questions about your body can be sent to my inbox!
And if you made it through this post..
My next post will be about what foods to have in your diet to create a balanced.. so shall we say.. meeting the "nutritional requirements"
gracieabrams
tangentwithtanner
discoholicmusic
areudirty
turnnoffyourmind
jimmyeatworldofficial
romaincrisis
