Joy Bauer

Today I've been thinking about strategies to avoid gaining a million pounds this season. I remembered a segment featuring Joy Bauer, nutritionist on the Today Show, about making smart decisions during the holidays. I love her tips because they are totally do-able (says the girl who's eating a frosted sugar cookie while writing this). One of my favorite Joy Bauer tips is her "Rule of One."

"Follow My "Rule of One"If you keep your portions in check, you can enjoy every highlight of your favorite holiday meals and events without going overboard. Stick with just ONE of each deliciously tempting hors d'oeuvre, one plate of food, one alcoholic drink, and one dessert (or a sliver of two, if you can't decide)."

Get more advice from Joy here.

Enjoy Holiday Hoopla Without Gaining a Pound

It's Going Around

Right after Thanksgiving, my poor little three year old got super sick with a cold. His eyes were red and water, he coughed all night and his nose was runny. Luckily, there was no fever. Also luckily, he's a pretty good sport about being sick and chooses to play all day still. Unfortunately he found out really quickly that he had germs that we didn't want. As an act of rebellion, he'd cough on us. What a punk...chemical warfare. Needless to say, I caught the nasty cold and have been cranky all week (because I'm not a good sport). It seems that everyone in Oklahoma has a cold right so today I did a little research on how to prevent illness. I found a great article from Parenting.Com about preventing illness. Check it out and hopefully your family can dodge the germs this season.

5 Simple Ways to Prevent Illness

by Denise Brodey

I had to include this part of the article because I've been doing the opposite. I guess it's time to bundle up and get out there.

"Research shows that spending time outside can promote better sleep, boost overall wellness, and may improve your mood. "Being outdoors in daylight for as little as twenty minutes a day can make a big difference in raising your energy level and preventing the winter blues," says Norman Rosenthal, M.D., director of seasonal studies at the National Institute of Mental Health and author of Winter Blues."

Kitchen RX

I found a great article on Runner'sWorld.Com that talks about how regular foods can assist in the healing process. I'm usually skeptical about taking a million different supplements (I do take some) so learning about how normal foods can help heal is a point of interest to me. The more I learn about food, the more I become obsessed with blueberries. I could eat them every day...good thing they're good for me. Also, the more I learn about sugar, the more I know I need to cut back (arg!). Check out what you can do to help your body heal.

Kitchen RX

By Liz Applegate Ph. D.

Image by Anne E. Cutting

Or So She Says

I'm totally obsessed with this blog. It's written by one of my friends from high school who's super clever, cute, fun...I could go on and on. It addresses almost everything pertaining to mommyhood....really womanhood in general. Check it out and you'll be hooked too. Today there was a great post about staying healthy. I loved it!

5 Easy and Practical Ways to Boost Your Health

Dose of Reality

Vitamin Supplements have been a mystery to me for a long time. I know I should be taking them but I don't know what to take. Sometimes I hear that the only thing supplements do it make your pee really expensive. Sometimes I hear that if I don't take supplements I'll die an early, painful death. I'm pretty sure the reality lies somewhere in the middle.

The other day I came across an article in Runner'sWorld.Com that better explained what I should be taking. I've been taking a multi-vitamin but have recently added Omega-3. Small steps right? Maybe by the end of the year, I'll have added another supplement to maintain a healthy body.

Dose of Reality

by Mathew G Kadey, M.Sc., R.D.

Dogs

I like dogs...sometimes...but I think I can speak for most when I say an unleashed dog is not something you want to meet out on a run. I was out the other day and man's best decided he wanted to be my best friend. The dog jumped on me and followed me half way down the street. Yikes! At least he was friendly.


Today I did a little research on how to stay safe when approached by a dog and found a good/funny video (link below). The lady that's smiling the whole time cracks me up...I'm easily entertained.

How to Stay Safe When a Dog Approaches You

Why We Run

Once again, Kristin Armstrong's blog totally spoke to me. If you want to feel all warm and fuzzy, click on the link below to read her post.

"When my children were young, I ran for my sanity, I ran for myself, I ran to set a good example because they watched me move. Today they run alongside me. We run because we can."

Because We Can

To Buy or Not to Buy

Because my baby is eating solid foods, I'm more conscious of organic. In an ideal world, I'd love to buy everything organic but I just don't have the money. I also don't have the time to travel everywhere to find all organic things. Today I came across a slideshow on WebMD detailing the most important foods to buy organic. Check it out and make more informed decisions at the grocery store.

Organic Foods Picture Slideshow

Road-Trip Runs

I found a great article on Runner'sWorld.com about finding time to run when on vacation.

Road-Trip Runs by Jeff Galloway

It kinda drives me crazy when I hear people say that it's not worth it to work out if you can't at least get a certain amount of time. My philosophy is that anything is better than nothing.

The article actually reminded me of how Bekah sometimes wears her running clothes and brings her jogging stroller to the zoo. I love it. You get to see more animals and get a workout.

Back Power

Throughout the course of the day you can usually find me holding a baby or a car seat or a toddler or a bag of groceries...or all of the above. Consequently, by the end of the day I usually feel a little like Quasimodo. I know I need to practice better posture but I also need to add some back strengthening exercises into my daily routine. I know, I know, none of us really have time to add one more thing to our routine but I'm pretty sure doing a little strength training each week will keep us from looking like this when we're older. (I don't mind the old part, but I'm not sure I want to deal with the hunched over, old part.)

Today I found a great article on RunnersWorld.Com. Check it out to learn about how to strengthen your back and core.

Back Power

by Laura Leicht

Treadmill Workouts

With all this snow, it's nearly impossible to get a good outside run. Check out the article below to learn how to maximize the effectiveness of your treadmill exercise. Better on the Inside

by Jeff Galloway

A Great Resource

I recently discovered this page on the Nike website with tons of running tips. I think it's a great resource for all runners.

Posted by: Bek

I'm Sick of It!

Click below for some great information about how to stay healthy during cold and flu season.

Foods that Fight Sickness

The Thrill of the Chill

This next week is supposed to bring our coldest weather of the season. Believe me, I know the thought of getting all bundled up to go outside and freeze your...um...run...off, isn't that appealing. BUT, as any runner knows, you will feel good once you're out there. You'll feel especially good about maintaining your running during any season. Check out the article below for some strategies to beat the cold weather.

Weather Wise

Jeff Galloway

20 Minute Workouts

A couple of posts ago, I talked about 20 minute workouts. Click below to read a great article from Runner's World detailing a few short exercises to keep you in shape throughout the holiday season.

Just 20 Minutes

Jeff Galloway

Shake Those Hips!

I got an email a few days asking the following question about strengthening hips. In my research, I discovered that many problems (other than just sore hips) occur when your hips aren't strong (i.e. IT Band problems). Read the Runner's World article below to learn proper ways to strengthen your hips and improve strength throughout the entire leg.
Question:
"So, I started running again this week. It's been a while. Do you think you could post some simple exercises to strengthen hips? Mine are killing me! :) Also, maybe some good stretches?"

Answer:

All in the Hips

Do Jogging Strollers Make You Run Faster??

Today I found an interesting Runner's Forum about this topic. What do you think? Does running with a jogger make you stronger and faster? Click below to see what others had to say. Runner's World Jogging Stroller Forum

Vulnerability of the Try

A few days ago I wrote about Kristin Armstrong's blog post, The Vulnerability of the Try. I told you I was going to think more about what I am going to try and how I need to better myself. As I spent the weekend thinking about it, I realized that I need to try to be more honest with myself. Sometimes I'll grab an unhealthy snack in the middle of the day (i.e. cookies, ice cream, etc) and say to myself, "This will be the only treat I'll have today." Inevitably, after I put my little guy down at night, I'll convince myself that I deserve more. I often say to myself, "I'll do that chore (i.e. mop the floor...yuck) after I put my toddler down for the night." Once again, the time will come and I'll justify not doing it because I'm tired or because I know I can do it during nap time the next day...or because I'm having the extra treat mentioned above. I know this happening every once in a while isn't that big of a deal but it's become a bad habit for me. For the next week, I'm going to try to be more honest with myself. I know as I do this, I have the potential to be both a healthier and stronger person mentally and physically.
What do you need to try??

6 Rules of Good Nutrition

As you may have guessed, I love the Eat This, Not That website and book(s). Today I found the article, "6 Rules of Good Nutrition." I like it because the information is good and, more importantly, relatively easy to follow. Check it out and make some easy but important changes in your daily routine.

Running for Two

I found this article in the October Issue of Runner's World Magazine and loved it. Paula Radcliff and Kara Goucher are two elite women runners. The article talks about how their pregnancies have affected their running. One of the things I most liked about the article was when one of them said that they would be tired or sick and then feel better after being out for five minutes. I almost always find that to be true. Today I hesitated as I got ready for exercise but by the time I got back, I felt a million times better. Click below to find your own pearls of wisdom.

Great Expectations

Paula Radcliffe and Kara Goucher are cruising through their pregnancies. Learn how they stay fit before, during, and after the most exciting time of their lives.

By Katie McDonald Neitz