Educational

Always Sunny with Bloggers in Philly

by Nicci on 06/07/2011

I’m very excited for the Third Annual Healthy Living Summit being held in Philadelphia this year!

My first trip to Philadelphia, any suggestions on great places to visit?

For those of you wondering, this Summit is for bloggers and non-bloggers who are living/seeking a balanced lifestyle.

I rushed home, from my Monday workout, to purchase a ticket!

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Last year the Summit was held in Chicago….what a blast and learning experience.

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I enjoyed making connections with bloggers all over the globe!

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It’s about community and encouraging each other to live a healthy lifestyle.

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Meeting people who are passionate about the same interests.

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If you are attending the Summit….Let’s Connect!

Take a PEAK at last years Healthy Living Summit…

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Hello to My Plate!

by Nicci on 06/02/2011

The food pyramid has been around since 1992, and this month the USDA came out with a new icon.  I personally think this new icon is very simple and clear; showing an example of  portion control and how much of each nutrient we should be consuming.

This is the new food plate released for June 2011 by the USDA.

 

More information is available at the Choose My Plate website!  The website has lots of information on food groups, preparing healthy meals, tips and interactive tools.

Did the food pyramid confuse you? What do you think of the new icon?

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Let’s Get Ethical in the Kitchen

by Nicci on 08/19/2010

I need something delicious to make this Thursday a good one. Seriously, it’s my first day back to work from vacation but at least it is almost the weekend. My only reason for returning this week is to finish up board packets for next weeks meeting. snooze fest.

My day started with a delicious Vega Choc-a-lot Blueberry Smoothie.

I added frozen organic blueberries to the mix, to get my daily fruit on! The mix calls for water but I’m all for adding almond milk to my smoothies.

The Vega shake and go is from my HLS swag bag. love.love.love.

Angela’s Empower Glow Bar….amazing. I’ve never tasted a granola bar like this one before. I need to order this bar asap!

Still hungry, I couldn’t help but eat cereal with chia seeds and granola added in.

(Hello- it’s definitely time for a grocery shopping trip after work)

Currently working my pedometer from my HLS sponsor, planning to count my steps today. I know I do more sitting than walking during the work week but I’d like to see exactly how many steps during my 8-5 office job, I’m getting in.

Recap time from the Healthy Living Summit!!

”Cooking Ethical Meals on the Cheap” was a great presentation by Evan of Food Makes Fun Fuel and Lin from Tea Time with Lin.

Now, that I’m back to eating meat occassionally, I’m trying to incorporate more organic, cage free and grass fed products in my life.

Here are some of my notes from the session.

  • Eggs- cage free
  • Dairy- look for milk free from rBst, store brand organic is reasonably priced just as name brands
  • Poultry- buy free hormone, whole birds, or meat on the bone
  • Fish- wild fish nutritionally better

Money Saving Tips $$

  • Buy directly from farmers, usually inexpensive

Healthy Meal Ideas

  • Roast whole chickens and store in containers for the whole week
  • Buy all natural, grass fed beef to make your own burgers
  • Buy fish in season
  • Buy meats in bulk and freeze excess

Eating on a budget

  • Grow your own herbs
  • Grow your own veggies
  •  

www.localharvest.org- for local food/grass fed in your area

How do you practice ethical eating?

 

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Summer Sports and Staying Hydrated

by Nicci on 07/24/2010

Summer Softball is a killer, especially in the hot Texas heat.  We haven’t won any games yet, but were definitely having fun in the sun plus swim time after every game.

Losing isn’t too bad considering were in the ”just for fun” league, but it’d be nice to win.

Team picture from last weeks game….SCORCHER!

We played in 100 degree weather.

Tomorrow we have a double header so I’m ready to water log and hope for a victory :)

Hydration Tips

For workouts of less than 1-1/2 hours, you should

  • Drink about 16 ounces  of cool or cold water 1 to 2 hours before you exercise.
  • Drink about 16 ounces of cool water or a sports drink 15 minutes before you exercise.
  • Drink about 5 ounces of cool water every 10 minutes during exercise.
  • Have about 34 ounces of cool water on hand per hour.
  • Drink about 16 ounces of cool or cold water or a sports drink just after exercise.

Other Pointers and Recommendations

  • Wear loose-fitting clothing that will allow air to circulate but protect you from the sun.
  • Avoid direct exposure to the sun. Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
  • Drink cool water rather than cold water, because the body absorbs cool water faster.
  • Do not drink juices or sodas during exercise, because these drinks contain more than 10% carbohydrates (sugar) and are not absorbed well during exercise. It is okay to drink sports drinks because they usually contain less than 8% carbohydrates, but these can lead to too many calories if you drink too much of them. When it comes to workouts lasting less that 1-1/2 hours, there is no difference between drinking sports drinks and cool water to stay hydrated. Sports drinks do replenish the salt and minerals lost through sweating, although a healthy diet is usually adequate for this

 Do you enjoy indoor or outdoor summer activities?

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