He said I was beautiful and he meant it. He said he loved me no matter what size I was, and he meant it. He has loved me through fat and fit and it’s hard to put into words what that means to me. I am blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life, but no matter how many times my husband told me he loved me just the way I was, I chose not to believe it. You see, I couldn’t really accept the love my husband had for me because deep down inside, I didn’t love myself.

When you’re out of shape, overweight, or full of self-pity, it’s very hard to see and understand how being fit and healthy can enhance your life. Before my transformation, if you would have told me I would soon be a confident, happy, upbeat Mom and Wife who LOVES life, I would have rolled my eyes and laughed. Back then, life was a chore, everything was difficult and I was filled with negativity and self doubt.

Being fit has changed a lot about me. Physically, I am more fit than I have ever been in my life. Spiritually, becoming and staying fit has brought me closer to my life’s purpose and helped me grow in my Faith. Emotionally, fitness has healed many wounds that I inflicted upon myself. You see, when I was unfit and unhealthy, I HATED my body. I hated the way I felt, the way my body moved, and how I felt in my husbands arms. I was exhausted and had low self esteem. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. I needed to love myself.

So what does loving yourself have to do with fitness? Well, when you love yourself because you realize you are being who you were meant to be; when you love yourself because you know you have conquered various demons; when you love yourself because of the confidence you have gained through setting and achieving goals; when you love yourself because you are seeing life through different eyes, it changes EVERYTHING! You become a better Mother, Friend, Wife, and Lover.

Going through a transforming process isn’t easy. Changing life habits is hard! However, it’s much easier when you have a support system. If your fortunate enough to have your husband’s support and participation, here are some ideas for the two of you:

Communicate your individual goals:

• Plan some quiet time together and write down your individual long and short term goals. Talk about what kind of life you would like to lead in 5, 10, or 20 years. What are some adventures being fit could offer you down the road?

Make a plan together:

• Figure out how fitness will fit into your daily life. Plan activities during your week to help you get fit.
• Find some strategies to help hold each other accountable, encourage one another, and remain focused.
• Agree on how you both would handle the situation if one of you falls off the bandwagon.

Allow Grace and Peace to be present:

• Promise to encourage and to not tear each other down. Positive self talk and encouraging words can make a big difference in completing your transformation.
• Make a promise to yourself that you will be at peace with your decision to get fit while giving yourself and your spouse the grace to make mistakes.

Make your fitness activity something you enjoy:

• Do you like music? How about taking a dance class together? Another idea is to use your iPod to create music lists for your spouse to listen to while they workout.
• Do you both want to workout but don’t know where to start? Find a personal trainer and set a few “workout dates” instead of going to a movie or dinner. After you learn a bit about fitness then you can go workout together without the assistance of a trainer.
• Do you like to travel? Plan a trip that includes hiking up a mountain, or walking from one town to the next, or pick a 5k or 10k to do together at a fun destination. Pick a vacation and then train for it.
• Do you like to cook together? Work together to plan healthier meals and snacks that are easy to prepare. Be creative and find healthier solutions to foods you both already like.

Fitness can be a great way to bring peace, energy, and fun back into your marriage. But what if your spouse has no interest in actively participating with you? Well, there is great news! You see, although you might LOVE for you hubby to join in the fun of fitness with you, your transformation will still improve your marriage even if he refuses to go along. I believe eventually, the changes in your self esteem, energy, and wellness will be a powerful tool to motivate change in your husband.

We all must realize that when we love ourselves, we change the world around us. Our view changes because it isn’t clouded by self doubt, or self pity. We see the world, our family, and our husbands in a different light. As a result we love those around us more fully. Realize that you, your family and your husband are worth taking care of and you deserve the happiness a fit and healthy life can bring. This Valentines Day, give yourself the greatest gift you can: Love yourself enough to be fit.

For more Health and Fitness encouragement visit me at www.mybodmod.blogspot.com. Also, the “Be Healthy” section on The Happy Housewives Club Forums is a great place encouragement and support to reach your fitness goals for the New Year! Come join in the fun as we share our New Years Resolutions to become fit and healthy once and for all!

• A kiss activates 34 muscles giving you a great workout!
• Kissing excites the body and dilates the arteries creating good circulation.
• When you kiss, your mouth creates saliva that can help prevent tooth decay.
• Kissing tones your jaw and cheek muscles, which is much better than a face lift!

So go and kiss your hubby, again and again and again!

Are you ever burdened With a load of care,
Does the cross seem heavy You are called to bear.
Count your many blessings Every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing As the days go by.

What a beautiful message! I find myself singing this song whenever I feel life’s burdens pressing down on top of me, when the weight of the world feels like it’s on my shoulders. But it’s not! Do you, like me, find yourself complaining more often than you’re thanking? On the forums, Dee has encouraged many of us to post five things every day that we are grateful for. I have found this to be very helpful!

So this week, my challenge to you is to create your own blessings journal. Whether it be in a beautifully bound notebook, or a cheap lined paper book you can get at the dollar store. Everyday write down the blessings of your life. There are many, trust me. Keep this book and perhaps on the bad days, you can open it up and see the wonderful things that God gives to us. I’ve noticed that the more grateful I am over the blessings in life, the less I concentrate on my shortcomings, which helps lower my stress levels.

• Temporary tattoos
• Stickers
• False teeth
• Halloween themed pencils and erasers
• Tiny decks of cards
• Fake money
• Costume jewelry
• Novelty toys

We all know we should wash our hands. But do we really know how?

• Get your hands wet with warm water
• Use plenty of soap and lather up real good
• Wash the palms and backs of your hands, wrists (or up to your elbows if you’re like me), and in between your fingers, and don’t forget underneath the finger nails!
• Rinse with water
• Dry off with a clean paper towel, and use that towel to turn the sink off (to prevent reinfecting your clean hands), also use this towel to open the door.

Remember to wash your hands after touching anything gross. The toilet, a pet, your childs nose, and before cooking (during cooking too!)

So how long should you continue to wash? Let’s just say, long. You can sing Happy Birthday twice, or even the ABC’s. Take your time.

]]> http://www.happyhousewivesclub.com/2011/08/teach-your-children-to-wash-their-hands/feed/ 0 http://www.happyhousewivesclub.com/2011/07/rules-for-staying-healthy/ http://www.happyhousewivesclub.com/2011/07/rules-for-staying-healthy/#comments Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:50:35 +0000 admin http://www.happyhousewivesclub.com/?p=1686 Let’s be realistic. It really stinks to get in shape. It’s easier to be a chubbette. I would love to eat a beef taco right now with french fries. And I do allow myself to eat these things once in a while. But I am pushing forty. I just can’t eat everything I used to be able to eat. Now I notice the pounds come on faster. So, I watch myself. It takes a lot of discipline and mostly I hate it. But I want to live. That is it. I am terrified of getting cancer and I spend a lot of my time on the internet researching health and holistic websites. Trying to find out how I can stay alive. I am getting so many letters from women who have cancer or who are recovering from it. It is heart breaking. It is reality though. But we can prevent it. I hope that is the case. I am trying. I am going to try to save all of you too. I want us all here forty years from now. So let’s get serious together.

Forget all the diets.
Love your body no matter what size it is. You need to love yourself and respect yourself. You need to want to be healthy. You have to have the desire to change your ways. If you can do this you are almost ready.

Have a positive attitude.
This is the most important step in life I think. I try to stay away from negative people. People who whine and complain all the time are a drag. When I hear someone wallowing in self pity I can’t stand it. I find a way to stay away from that person. You should too. Stay with positive people. Find happy, secure women to befriend. Don’t let anyone pull you down.

De-stress!
Whatever is stressing you out put it away. I have a gift of not thinking about things. This I know is extremely bothersome to some of my friends and family members who harbor thoughts for days and sometimes years but I don’t. I think it’s because I really don’t care about the nonesense. If my family has it’s health that is all I care about. The rest is gravy. Don’t get stressed out about anything. Nothing is worth your health. Stress will take a toll on your physical and mental being. So, de-stress.

Start to rethink how you eat.
Try to remember that you should eat to survive. You eat for fuel and energy. If you think of your body as an engine and you want it to run to it’s fullest capacity do you want to give it a bunch of crap? No.

Eat real food.
So many women I know are obsessed with low fat diet, carb free, meat free diets. They buy everything low fat and avoid carbs. I see them buying low fat pretzels and low fat chips, and fat free cookies. This is crazy. Don’t eat chips, pretzels or cookies. Change your thinking. Snack on fresh veggies, fruit, and indulge in the real thing just less of it.

Be European.
This is how the Europeans live. They eat a handful of fresh nuts as a snack. For their dinner they eat fresh meat with lots of vegetables, potatoes or rice, salad, and they enjoy their meal. The eat full meals without snacking on a lot of junk throughout the day.

Try not to eat anything man made.
Does this make sense? If you want to lose weight remember this and you will see the pounds dissolve. If you remember not to eat anything that comes in a sealed bag and eat fresh healthy foods you will improve your health and your weight. Now I am not saying it’s okay to go eat a donut because it is freshly made. Donuts don’t grow on trees. Keep apples and fresh nuts in your bag to snack on.

Eat every three hours. One book I love is The Three Hour Diet by Jorge Cruise. Please read it. Now he has this program where you can buy the food from him. If you can’t make your own meals this might be an option but really, why can’t you do it? Get back in the kitchen. Start preparing some healthy nutritious foods for you and your family.

Make sure you eat breakfast.
Coffee is not breakfast. So many moms I know grab their coffee and they are out the door. I don’t get this because I wake up starving. I can’t eat fast enough. It’s because my metabolism is very fast. Because I have learned how to speed it up by eating every three hours.You can too. Don’t skip meals and feed your body. If you feel hungry you need to eat.

Eat organic.
It is not that much more expensive. Make your priorities. Don’t buy all the extra junk. Spend your money on organic milk, vegetables, fruit and meat. I could have an entire website just about this. You can do your own research. I will tell you however that I switched to organic milk because I don’t want my children drinking milk from cows that are given hormones, steroids, antibiotics, and dead ground up cows to eat. The same goes for my beef. I want organic, free range beef for my family. I think if we all start to buy this beef eventually the commercial beef industry will clean up its act.

Remember the saying an apple a day….
Make sure you and your children eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Make a big salad with dinner. Make sure the kids eat an apple or fresh red grapes every day. Slice carrots with ranch dressing as dip instead of chips. Slice the apples really thin and call them apple chips.

Don’t buy that sugar cereal. How can you give your kids a big bowl of cocoa puffs and send them to school? Do you think they are going to be able to sit in their seat? I get crazy when I hear this whole ADD epidemic in this country. I think a lot of children are misdiagnosed or purposefully diagnosed and medicated to make their teacher’s lives easier. It is very sad. A lot of children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder actually have very high IQ’s. They are most likely not stimulated in school and they become bored and jittery. Anyway, I bring this up because many parents give their kids a lot of sugar which could be adding to their behavior problems. Don’t buy soda. It is all sugar. They don’t need it. Don’t buy so much juice. Give your children water! WATER! Lots of it. And don’t send your children off to school and expect them to behave with cans of soda, bags of cookies, and candy in their back pack. No donuts for breakfast!

• Lemons—add a slice to your water or make some fresh lemonade. Flavonoids found in citrus fruit have been found to help fight growth of cancerous cells and acts as an anti-inflammatory! Plus lemons have over 100% of your daily Vitamin C.
• Broccoli—not only can it help fight off cancer, but it’s full of Vitamin K & Vitamin C, which are great for bone health! We housewives need our healthy bones to make a happy home! Microwaving frozen broccoli is a great way to preserve most of the nutrients versus boiling or steaming it. Plus, fresh broccoli is great in salads!
• Potatoes—red ones are full of folate which helps in cell growth. One sweet potato has enough Vitamin A to fight off cancer and boost your immune system! Research has found that eating a baked potato can help you burn 25% more fat after a meal thanks to the fat resistant starches. Eat up ladies, just don’t overload with toppings!
• Salmon—fish is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids which have been known to fight depression, heart disease, and cancer. A three ounce serving of salmon provides up to half of your daily need for Niacin and that can help prevent Alzheimer’s and memory loss.

So make a delicious salad with broccoli, bake a sweet potato, squeeze fresh lemonade, and grill up a healthy portion of salmon for a perfect meal and fuel your summertime fun!

It’s okay to eat carbs just not too much. If you crave this food you should satisfy yourself or you will go crazy. I love my bagels. Instead of eating them every morning I treat my self a couple of times a week. If I eat a bagel in the morning I don’t eat bread the rest of the day. Trade calories. Had a huge breakfast? Be careful at lunch and dinner. Your body needs fat it is actually good for your body to have real fat from fatty foods such as avocado, salmon, olive oil, nuts.
Girls, it is so important not to starve yourself. When you rob your body of nutrients and calories you feel fatigued and your metabolism shuts down. No matter how much weight you lose it will all come back once you return to your normal diet. You need to change the way you think about eating.

Sugar, It’s what’s for dinner, breakfast, and lunch! Go to any grocery store and check out the label of products on any isle and you will find sugar, some plainly labeled, some masked with other fancy names. As a Mom of three, I was shocked when I realized really how much sugar was in the food I was selecting for my family. Did you know sugar is in bread, crackers, can goods, most sauces, dressings, and yogurt?

We are led to believe that if we are providing a “well balanced meal” for our families and only use sugar for special occasions or occasional rewards for the children then we are healthy. But do we realize is the amount of hidden sugar we feed ourselves and our children. We see commercials telling us that certain sugar laden cereals are good for our kids because they have “essential vitamins and minerals”, we pick a salad from a fast food menu, or a skinny latte and think we are eating healthy but they are all packed with sugar. Even “Diet Shakes” like slim fast have sugar in them. No wonder we have a weight problem in this nation. No wonder we all get so frustrated with our inability to loose weight and keep it off.

So, whats so bad about sugar? How can something that tastes so good be so bad for us?

Here are a few things I have learned along my journey to be less sugar dependent:
• Typical table sugar is void of any nutritional content. Look at the label on the sugar bag in your pantry and you will find zeros under all listings except “sugars”.

• Sugar is addictive. Do you ever crave sugar? Do you ever have withdrawals when you don’t eat sugar? Check out this link: Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake

• What does sugar actually do to your body? According to Nacy Appleton, Ph.D. sugar has many ill effects. She has a list of 144 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health. Here are just a few:
1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.
(be sure and check out the list for all 144 reasons)

• Did you know sugar can increase your Cholesterol levels “those with high plasma levels of insulin have abnormally elevated cholesterol levels”. Also “insulin inhibits the mobilization of previously stored fat.” (both quotes taken from Sugar Busters: Cut Sugar To Trim the Fat by Steward, Bethea, Andrews, and Balart). With this being said eating sugar can raise you Cholesterol and keep you fat, definitely two things healthy people would like to avoid!

The average American consumes his or her body weight in sugar per year. Another statistic is that Americans eat 130 to 140 pounds of sugar a year. The averages for children are not any better. The average child eats 36 teaspoons of sugar a day, some teenagers eat even more!

We are a nation of sugar addicts. I am one of them. Sugar was a daily part of my diet in childhood. I saw sugar as a blessed and enjoyable food. I paid the price physically and mentally for my sugar addiction. Three years ago I began to slowly cut back on my sugar. I needed to get healthy and I knew my sugar addiction was doing more harm that good to my body. I have learned many things over the past three years, but mostly I have learned sugar is poison to me. I am a different person without sugar in my life! I have energy all day, I sleep better, am not moody, my PMS is gone, and I am loosing weight easily.

My message is simple in regards to sugar. Limit your intake of it. Be aware of the content of your food and that sugar is not healthy. Please be educated as to what you are feeding your children. Replace sugar snacks with fruit and veggies. Drink more water, less juices, and no sodas. Transitioning your family to a *low sugar diet, will have wonderful healthy effects on your family.

*Please note that if you are going to transition to a low sugar diet that artificial sweeteners are not the answer. Please be cautious and research artificial sweeteners before believing they are an answer for your sugar cravings.

If you are interested in learning more about sugar and its effects please check out these websites:
• Radiant Recovery (GREAT resource for sugar education)
• SUGAR – Its Effects on Mind and Body
• Dr Nancy Appleton’s Website (Author of Lick the Sugar Habit)
• Other Names for Sugar
• Affects of Artificial Sweeteners and Their Link to Weight Gain
• Sugar Substitutes and the Potential Dangers of Splenda
• Big Sugar (video about sugar and its history)
• Sugar- Its Effects on Mind and Body

For more Health and Fitness encouragement visit me at www.mybodmod.blogspot.com. Also, the “Be Healthy” section on The Happy Housewives Club Forums is a great place encouragement and support to reach your fitness goals for the New Year! Come join in the fun as we share our New Years Resolutions to become fit and healthy once and for all!

At the first signs of spring, many new moms will emerge from their winter hibernation ready to resume outdoor workouts and reverse recent indulgences in cold-weather comfort foods. But a foray into post-baby fitness following a seasonal hiatus does require some major mom motivation, so Stroller Strides founder and LEAN MOMMY author Lisa Druxman is sharing her expertise on how to spring back into good health – and stick with it.

“Just like any other time of the year, starting back into fitness for spring requires baby steps,” said Druxman, a pre/postnatal fitness expert. “Don’t push yourself too hard – if you progress a little each day, you’ll stay motivated to meet your goals and avoid unnecessary strain. Challenge yourself, but make it enjoyable.”

One of the benefits of a spring workout is that the great outdoors can act as a gym, which means baby can come along. Believe it or not, a total body workout can be achieved at virtually any neighborhood playground. Druxman recommends:

• PLANK AT A PARK BENCH to develop endurance in core muscles that help support the lower back
• REVERSE CURL ON THE SLIDE to target the abdominal six-pack with an emphasis on the lower abs
• TRICEP EXTENSIONS ON THE MONKEY BARS with exercise tubing to strengthen triceps

But just because Mom is breaking a sweat, spring sunshine doesn’t necessarily mean warm temperatures.

“It can still be chilly, so make sure to dress in breathable layers,” Druxman said. “While you may warm up because of exercise, baby won’t, so make sure to bring a blanket for the stroller to keep her cozy.”

In addition to comfortable clothing, Druxman recommends the following key pieces of equipment to support and motivate a successful spring workout:

• Xertube® – This lightweight, inexpensive resistance band can support a total body conditioning program at home, at the park – anywhere! I of course prefer the Stroller Strides ones by SPRI®.
• BODYBUGG® – This armband is great for tracking caloric expenditure and intake.
• Nike + iPod Sport Kit – This works with your iPod so you can see your speed, distance, calories burned and more while walking or running. My favorite motivating iPod track? “Proud” by Heather Small
• ENELL® Sports Bra – Great for resuming your outdoor runs, this bra is the most supportive out there.
• SIGG™ Water Bottle – It’s so important to stay hydrated during your spring workout, and these aluminum water bottles are great for you and the environment.

Finally, to ensure new moms don’t undo their spring fitness strides, Druxman suggests “spring cleaning” a few items from the home pantry.

“Get rid of the comfort foods like boxed mac & cheese and other processed items,” she said. “Instead, stock up on the fresh fruits and veggies coming into season. A diet loaded with water, fruits and vegetables will help put an extra ‘spring’ in your step.”

Stroller Strides classes are offered in more than 1000 locations in the United States and now in Canada. The hour-long classes emphasize cardiovascular activities and muscle-strengthening exercises using resistance bands and strollers, allowing moms to interact with their babies throughout their workout. To further assist mothers in all aspects of their lives, Stroller Strides partners with LUNA® and BOB®. For more information about Stroller Strides, including class locations, visit www.strollerstrides.com.