TIME TO GET HEALTHY !!!! ....

WELCOME FRIENDS TO OUR FIRST "GET HEALTHY" BLOG HOP!

Fellow host, Stephen Tremp, approached me to help host this bloghop to help writers to get fit or keep fit. Many of us have gained a few extra pounds over the winter and now that SUMMER is here, this is a great time to start a new routine. My other co-hosts, Alex J. Cavanaugh and L. Diane Wolfe, have kept fit for years and have even guest posted on my blog about how they stay fit. AND NOW we are here to help you!

I am thrilled that so many have joined the hop and will offer their tips on how they stay in shape. If you'd like to hop along, please DO... Even if you just want to begin fitness and come along for the ride.  Say Hi, and offer your enthusiasm and excitement about getting healthy.

Let me begin by saying that I am not talking about a fad diet that will harm you or where you will lose a large amount of weight ONLY to gain it back plus a few more. I am talking about a life change. AND this doesn't have to be major. You can start by doing one small change at a time.

The first thing we all need to do is MOVE. WE are ALL guilty of spending countless hours at the computer. So this easy step is to WALK AWAY. No big exercise routine. Just WALK. Even if it is just around the block, to the grocery store, to the post office. If you can walk a half a mile to a mile a day, you are off to a wonderful start. Many of you have joint issues. I understand, I have arthritis. But movement is VERY important, even if you have this affliction. 

Another great way to move ... take the stairs. If you live in an apt, don't use the elevator. OF course if you live on the 20th floor, this won't work, BUT if you live on the second, third, or even fourth, try it. Start by going down, that is much easier. TAKE YOUR TIME ... breath deeply. You can do this.

Now for step two: Food. WE all love to munch throughout our writing endeavors. I have a few suggestions to replace those chips, crackers, cookies, and any other high sugar, high carb snack. No, I don't want you to munch on celery sticks or carrots, although they are a good substitute, they are hardly satisfying. ALMONDS are super delicious and have protein and good fats. Make sure you buy raw/natural... No salt, no roasted .... read the label and make sure the ingredients read almonds ONLY.

Fruits are another AMAZING snack. Apples are naturally sweet, and very satisfying. Slice them up, put a sprinkle of cinnamon on them and enjoy. Now for the past few years I avoided bananas because they are high in sugar, BUT I just recently came across an article that I would love to share with you. I don't know who the author is, but the person who sent it to me send pass it on... so I will ...

You will be awed by how healthy this fruit is for you!

"Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

DEPRESSION:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:

Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

ANEMIA:

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

BLOOD PRESSURE:

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

BRAIN POWER:

200 students at a Twickenham school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

CONSTIPATION:

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

HANGOVERS:

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

HEARTBURN:

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

MORNING SICKNESS:

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

MOSQUITO BITES:

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

NERVES:

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system..

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

ULCERS:

The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chroniclercases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL:

Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!'

Share with your friends!"

As a final note, I would like to share a personal experience with all of you. As many of you know I have be into health and fitness for the past three years. Having gained over fifty pounds from writing, I decided to take charge of my life again and have lost and kept of 85 pounds. But last week I actually had a small crisis ... for the first time in years, I dragged myself to the gym. And I mean dragged. I didn't want to go, I had NO energy, and I felt like crawling under a blanket and just watch a movie. Now most of may think ... "What's the big deal, Michael ... you can afford to take a night off! Besides, I feel like that all the time." 

EXACTLY! We all come up with ALL kinds of excuses not to workout. Well I discovered something that night. As I stumbled through my usual routine, I felt worse and worse. Seriously, I was crawling. SO NOT ME! After an hour of ab work and so lifting, I still had to do my cardio. The THOUGHT of a twelve mile bike ride was less than lusterful .... Every fiber in my body screamed NO WAY!!! GO HOME!!!! DROP INTO BED!!! I actually argued with myself (internally of course... otherwise I would've been taken away in a straight jacket. LOL). 

Inching my way to the bike, I then threw over my two-ton leg and plopped onto the seat. I set the bike at one level under my usual setting and pumped. It was sheer torture. It felt like an hour to do the first mile, but in reality it was only a bit over four minutes. The second mile mirrored the first. I increased the tension on notch. Mile three, I began to pump faster. My head cleared. Mile four only three minutes 35 secs. By the time I hit seven miles I felt GREAT... Seriously. The endorphins finally kicked in AND they really DO make you feel better. I breezed through the final miles and I trekked home in my usual time.

So you see, it really does take more energy to push yourself to move THAN to actually move. I've always known this, but that night I honesty understood it.

You can do this. Taking the first is the hardest one. I hope you this helps. Remember to take is slowly and DON't hurt yourself. On the next hope I will be more specific about how to change your eating habits for a more healthy life. 

I would love to hear what you do to stay in shape. And don't forget to hop around and visit my co hosts and our blogger friends.

Also, if you have an extra minute, please scroll down to my previous post. Our friend Charmaine Clancy having an AMAZING giveaway!

Have a wonderful day everyone!