By: Rachel Ventura
With the New Year having just passed, many are thinking about ways to be and get healthy. Although for some it is short lived, I love the sense of determination and motivation this time of year! It pushes me to look for new and exciting ways for my family to be healthier. Here’s what we’ve been up to…
Generally, my family and I eat pretty well, but we could of course do better. A few months ago, we took a 5 day clean eating challenge and we really enjoyed it! The goal of the challenge was to eat healthier and cleaner. It was weird at first not to be eating packaged and processed food. I never thought anything of it when I would grab a pack of “100 calorie something” as a snack. While it’s definitely a better choice than some things, it’s not really not the best for you. Not to mention the fact that it pretty much has zero nutritional value. Not really the type of thing I want to put into my body.
So the challenge included lots of fruits and veggies, lots of healthy protein, whole grains, things like that. It felt so good to be eating a very balanced diet consisting of things from the earth, that hadn’t been tampered with and processed. Thinking about the amount of processed food we all eat, makes my stomach a bit queasy, even though I am an offender! We eat processed food all the time, sometimes without even knowing it.
Next week we are starting a new clean eating challenge. This time it is for 7 days and includes a crock pot recipe each night. Sounds perfect for this busy family! We are so excited to get started!
Another thing I can’t stress enough is the importance of water. Most people do not drink enough of it, and it’s really so important! I never ever used to drink water until my first pregnancy. Once I started, I realized how much better it made me feel. These days, I drink at least four 20oz glasses of water every day, if not more. Other than the many trips to the bathroom, I love all the benefits, my skin is clearer, I feel fuller, and I know what I’m drinking is healthy for me.
Keeping the kids busy and exercising can be tricky during these cold winter months. One thing we really enjoy doing together as a family is yoga. There are lots of videos available at Target and Walmart, or you can even find yoga workouts (and many others!) On Demand. Each night, before bed, we do a gentle yoga video. It’s a great workout and also very calming. My kids love it, and so do I!
I also try to take the kids to an indoor activity of some sort at least once a week, where they can run around and be active. Our favorites are Launch Trampoline Park in Norwood and Kidsports in Stoughton. This of course can get expensive, so we try to watch for coupons and daily deals of any sort. Additionally, any day that is even close to 40 degrees, we bundle up and hit the playground! It’s one of my favorite times to go because we usually have the place to ourselves!
Now my husband and I have decided to kick it up a notch. We are both healthy and are actually happy with the number on the scale, but we both want to be in better shape. Tone it up some. My husband tried P90X in the past, and got really good results. But the workouts were very long. Not something we really have time for. When he heard about P90X3, he bought it right away.
I didn’t even know he ordered it till it got shipped to the house. I read the manual and was surprised to see it was 30 minute workouts. I had been doing a 25 minute workout On Demand each day, but I didn’t really like it. I also tried to use the elliptical we have downstairs whenever I can, but even though it’s just downstairs, it’s sometimes tricky to get in a workout with the kids. I figured I would give this P90X3 a shot!
We are 2 weeks in and we both LOVE it! The workouts are great! I love that it’s something different each day. On the 4th day, I did 80+ pushups and 80+ pull/chin ups. I had never felt stronger in my life! I’m proud each time I finish a workout. I know I am doing something great for myself and best of all it pushes me to eat even healthier. Both things give me more energy throughout the day. I’ve already lost some inches around my belly, and I just feel good. Strong. Healthy. I can’t wait till the first 30 days has passed, so I can measure and take my 30 day pictures and see the difference. And then after 90 days? Oh boy. Exciting stuff!
What are you and your family doing to be healthy? Share it here, I’d love to know!
Community Voices for Health 