TRAVEL BLOG

My daughter's 1st-grade teacher informed me she would always be a leader and not a follower. This still holds true 25-years later and such great advice. I think about her statement often and how it applies to health and fitness. We all need to be leaders and not followers when it comes to our fitness and health. Following the path of someone else with differing goals just doesn't make sense. We are all unique in body, mind, and spirit. My goal isn't to be you and I hope this is true on your end. I am a   skeptic when it comes to fitness miracles regardless of who is sharing the information. I refuse to follow the beliefs of others just because they heard it was the next best thing to sliced bread. Do you really think it's healthy to lose 20lbs in 5 days? That's craziness. I feel the same way about exercise programs. I review fitness trends before agreeing with advertised claims of it being the newest and best workout ever. What does impress me is solid research a...

Life does not promise easy, fair, fun, happiness, or even health.  In fact, life is hard and guess what, work is required and never an option.  It is up to each one of us to create the lifestyle that we live and this is not going to be found in a jar, pill, powder, or shake.  If popping a “fit pill” was the answer to all things magical and provided the body of our dreams inside and out, then I definitely would not need to write this blog.  The facts are in and they have been for decades that the way to obtain a fit physique is through consistent healthy food intake, regular exercise, plenty of rest, water, and balance of life.  The “want it now” society tries every side-step method to achieve what can only be done through sweat producing work.  There is not a pill or shake that is going to teach a person how to shop and select healthy foods for life and they will surely not sprout legs and exercise so that we consume the activity benefits.  What usuall...

Sabotage is a strong word to describe the behavior that can sneak into our life and steal the success that healthy eating and exercise has provided our bodies.   It can come in the form of our own thoughts, an unsupportive spouse, friend, and even co-workers. The important thing is to be on guard so that the forms of sabotage can be recognized and dealt with in a way that is healthy, and keeping us on track with our fitness goals. I am not addressing the occasional cheat meal or even day, I am talking about a chronic issue of falling into a trap of being swayed away from a healthy lifestyle, and allowing that to happen. Living a healthy lifestyle takes mental strength and a loving commitment to maintain our best self through consistent healthy choices each day. Let’s address self-sabotage and how it can creep into our mind and try to convince that “just this once” or “just a few bites” can become part of the healthy plan.  The issue with this type of sabotage is that it does n...

When it comes to getting a healthy fit body, it is not about making it complicated, extreme, and it is far from a science project.  There are so many confusing messages hitting us square in the face about the “right” diet and the “right” fitness fad exercise program to create what we so long to become.  Even further, people rush in droves overspending on pills, powders, gimmicks, videos, extreme fitness programs, and anything that promises a smoking hot body in two weeks or less.  Sadder still, there is no consideration of the negative effects on the body when such choices are made.  It is the dive blind and hope for the best philosophy and that would scare the crap out of me. Think about the word health and what that means to you personally. I live a life of health and fitness and teach it as a lifestyle of quality that includes eating healthy foods, exercise and stretch on a regular basis.  It is also important to reduce pain in our bodies, and stress in our l...

Many of you may be in the process of reflection, but truly it is something that should be done on a daily basis, and not only when the New Year rolls around.  The word itself screams to take a look at me/you/us and speaking personally, I include all areas of my life and not just my physical well-being.  I imagine a big mirror in front of me and gazing into that, I ask myself…am I happy with the person that I am physically, emotionally and spiritually? If any of the answers come up as a big negative, it is time to implement a change to create a better, healthier ME.  It is hard to deny the things that need fixing when I am staring back at me waiting for the action to make that happen.  Of course, I can close my eyes, put the mirror away, brush things under the rug, and procrastinate and get to it later…or not, and well, just continue to live in denial.  I am a mover and a shaker, and strive to change, progress, and become a better me today than I was yesterday an...

Remember being graded on a curve back in high school?  I implement something similar when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.  I am sure you have all heard of a 90/10 or 80/20 percent variable when it comes to eating clean and exercise.  What it comes down to for me is CONSISTENCY with a curve and that allows for the little fun off the plan meals or missed workouts that WILL be a part of my balanced life.  I really do not stress about it, and I try to have a positive and fun outlook most of the time.  There are times that my mental game can be in the tank just like anyone else, and my actions have to be stronger than my mind.  It is in these moments that I realize that the workouts never get easier, but I definitely am stronger for them.    I am not perfect and never will proclaim to be, but I am CONSISTENT.  I exercise at least five times per week and nothing extreme either.  I get in my sixty minutes and sometimes even forty-five a...

I confess that being spontaneous is a difficult one for me.   I am definitely a plan and prep girl when it comes to almost everything about Darla.   I have always done better with structure and a guide to get me from start to finish.   Where this has served me best is in my meal planning and exercise.   I am not one of those who open the door to the refrigerator puzzled by what to eat, looking for something and finding nothing.   I think that would drive me crazy, and talk about wasting energy by leaving the frig open…YIKES. I have dedicated one day out of my weekend and sometimes during the week, to plan and prep my meals.   This not only ensures that I eat healthy, but saves me lots of money, time and stress, especially when time is limited during the busy work week.   I have two crock pots that are in constant use and filled with boneless/skinless chicken breast, brown rice, quinoa, and steel cut oats at any given time.   Having crock pot chic...