Racing for the Cure

 I had a great time running, jogging, and (a little bit of) walking the 5K of the Susan G. Komen, Race for the Cure today. It was great to take part in this event. So many people are affected and effected by cancer, in every form. I ran with the thoughts of a few family members who have fought this disease. There is certainly a large amount of gratefulness I have for my health! While my running partner and I were not in the best 'running shape' of our lives (a.k.a. not having trained at all), it was a good workout and needless to say, we survived. This was my first 5K, as I don't have a great love for running, but do understand it's benefit, which is why it is still apart of my workout regimen. If it was not beneficial, you better believe I would have just donated to the event instead of having physical participation. I look forward to the many running events, especially those that include such great causes. As the saying for this 5K was continually chanted as I ran the running route: "I AM THE CURE!"  It was a simple statement...but, boy was it powerful. Keep your eyes peeled for other great events and get yourself in the mix. Go participate in something you believe in and have a hope for a better tomorrow!

Looking for Pleasure from Food & Not Finding It

Check out this link: http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/04/study-overweight-people-get-less-pleasure-from-food/#more-11263 it was an interesting read. A quick overview: overweight and obese people have fewer pleasure receptors in the brain. A study was done to test women who overate. I believe it's worth the few minutes of reading this article. If you read at a slow rate or can't retain the information you read (as I sometimes do)...it's still worth the "extra" time you'll invest into this one. It talks about "chasing the high," which I know all too well. I've chased the dream of that euphoric feeling right to the bottom of many cartons of ice cream, snickers bars, and boxes of double fried potato strips from the "golden arches."

take the fish oil, people...

There are many great and beneficial reasons to take fish oil. Inflammation, arthritis, macular degeneration, depression, bi-polar disorder, etc. You also get better sleep, better skin, better joint flexibility, and the list goes on and on. Now comes the important part, knowing what type of fish oil to purchase. It is important to have a fish oil that contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Omega-3 is responsible in helping with the overall benefit to our health, our mind, and our body. Since our bodies do not create Omega-3, we need to eat it. This fatty acid comes from...fatty fishes. Fish like salmon and tuna carry high amounts of this, however, there is another factor to be cautious of with fish. I'm sure you guessed it; mercury levels. The more fish we eat, the higher mercury levels will show up in our bodies, and that's not good. You'll also want to get a fish oil with a good balance of the following: EPA and DHA, these basically help to increase the good cholesterol levels, so you are looking for, roughly about a 1:1 ratio. Choose a high quality fish oil supplement. You want a fish oil with no mercury, no toxins, and no heavy metals. I have recently switched to the liquid form, instead of the caspule form, as it absorbes better in the body. Our normal food consumption gives us higher doses of Omega-6, so we want to offset the bad fats from Omega-6, by taking the Omega-3s. Makes sense, right? Well, that is a brief overview of fish oil. There are lots of articles and info online. Like any supplement or medication, it is always important to consult your physician before beginning your fish-oil intake. DOES SOMETHING SMELL FISHY? The last tidbit is to make sure you find a good fish oil that does not have a nasty taste or smell. You don't want rancid smelling fish oil, because it is probably not in "good standing." Bad or rancid fish oil will have an opposite effect for your health, so always check the smell. Secondly, if you plan on testing out the liquid form, try the flavored ones. I personally like the tangerine flavor, but if you are not a big fan of this orange citrus fruit, there are other flavors: lemon, mint, chocolate, and vanilla. I found a great company: http://www.strongerfasterhealthier.com/ and their omega-3 fish oil is manufactured in Norway and uses natural extracts for the flavors. Hope you found some useful information and will soon discover the benefits of including fish oil into your healthy lifestyle. Live Fierce...

Habits Are Actions

You can have good habits and you can have bad habits. In either case, those habits have some form of action. We can easily be persuaded by our emotions to make decisions. What we need to work on is keeping our goals within reach. It is entirely within our power to attain the goals we set before ourselves. For example, if I want to lose 30 pounds, it's probably not a good idea to shove a shitload of M&M’s into my mouth, every 15 minutes. Been there, done that! Literally! The bad habits we have formed can only be changed by creating a different action. It doesn't need to be complex, people. We must have the will power to simply say no and walk away. One might say, “Well, it’s not that simple!” I say, “of course it is, silly!” You say no, then walk away or throw away whatever is getting in the way of your path to success. Emotionally, it’s not easy…but the reality is, you make the choice, and then stick to it. Anticipate how you want to look or feel and decide which choice will ultimately get you there. Own it! Take Control! Be Empowered! We all need to be reminded of this from time to time. Now I can go back to this post at a later time…then take my own freakin' advice. Go get ‘um, tigahs!