Trot for Hunger 5k

While most of us are looking forward to spending the holidays with our family and enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner,  many people will be without food, shelter, and clothing. Run for a good cause! Let's raise money to feed others who aren't as fortunate as we are in the 12th Annual Trot for Hunger. Get that good run before you stuff yourself..lol

November 28th.  For more registration details go to www.some.org and click on the Trot for Hunger tab.

Foods to Eat Before and After a Workout

Do you find yourself pigging out after a great workout? Do you eat heavy before a workout thinking you're just gonna burn it off? Want a list of great foods to eat before and after your workout?
Follow the link :
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/best-workout-foods/

Run n' Mate 5k

Join DC's Social Running Series on July 20th! Meet new people and exercise all in one setting!

http://www.runnmate5k.com/eventinfo.html

The Biggest Loser Run/Walk

A race for all fitness levels, whether you are ready to set a personal record or this is your first race, come join us at The Biggest Loser RunWalk! Each registered participant and finisher will receive the following: • The Biggest Loser Finisher's Medal• Commemorative Technical T-Shirt• Drawstring Backpack• Chip-Timed Race for Runners and Those Tracking Personal Goals• Free Downloadable Race Photos• Award Divisions for Runners and Walkers • Celebrity Appearances• Hydration Stations with Water/Sports Drinks Along the Course  and Food at the Finish Line• Finish Line Festival Entertainment by Billboard Chart Topping Artist &    Former Biggest Loser Season 5 Contestant, Dan Evans • Last but not Least, a Truly Inspirational and Unforgettable Experience.


http://www.biggestloserrunwalk.com/Washington-DC-5K10K-KidsRace-2013

Health Benefits of Juicing

It’s great that you’ve decided to make some changes in the way you eat.  Implementing a juicing plan in your life and not only knock off unwanted weight, but juicing will energize your life and bring you back to optimal health.Culinary professionals know that valuable micronutrients are destroyed when heating food. It’s a fact that nutritionists from all over the globe are aware of but you won’t hear any of that in the fast food commercials.  The actual cooking process alters the shape of the chemical makeup of these nutrients which is why eating organic fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure you receive proper nutrients.It’s often been said by health authorities that to stay healthy you should have at least 6-8 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This is the whole concept behind juicing.  With juicing, you can easily extract your required recommended servings and reach your optimum daily vegetable goal with little effort.There are three main health benefits of juicing. First, juicing can help your body make the most use out of vegetables.  The fact is, most of our bodies digestion system is impaired from years of eating junk food. This results in less than optimal intake of the precious nutrients that fruits and vegetables provide almost defeating the purpose of eating this high powered energizing fruits to begin with. Juicing completely counteracts this flaw in your eating habits by allowing your body to intake the fruits and vegetables maximum value almost instantly.Not only does juicing allow you to intake optimum value, but it allows you to easily consume the perfect amount of vegetables.  Think about it, we are all busy in our day to day life, and who has the time to pick out 6-8 fresh fruits and vegetables? Not to mention if you are a carb type of person who needs to eat a full pound of vegetables per 50 pounds of body weight per day.  For some people the thought of properly managing your nutrition seems like a full time job and to be honest with you, if you’re trying to do it manually, it can require full time responsibility. Juicing can cut this full time management of your vegetable intake into just a few minutes of your time per day.It’s always best to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. One of the other health benefits of juicing is that juicing not only makes eating a wide variety of fruits easy but fun as well. Many people eat the same types of vegetables everyday. Although technically you are eating healthy, your taste buds may hate you leaving you feeling bored with healthy eating. After bordum sets in, it’s not at all uncommon to quit the “health kick”. A healthy eating plan is only effective if it’s consistently followed. With juicing there’s no reason why you can’t finally stick to your health plan because juicing makes eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables easy.  Fruits and vegetables that you would not normally eat taste amazingly good when mixed with other fruits in the juicer.Although the health benefits of juicing are numerous, it is only fair to warn you, vegetable juicing alone is not a complete meal. Juicing has a limited amount of protein and almost no fat, so even though you are getting your complete supply of fruits and vegetables, you will still need to eat a well balanced amount of protein and fat in order to stay healthy. The only exception is if you’re on some sort of detoxification or fasting program. In this case using juicing as a meal may be an option for you.It is important to listen to your body when juicing because your body has a way of letting you know when something is wrong. For those who have hypertension or are overweight, or diabetes, consulting a doctor before starting a juicing routine is a wise decision. Some people, when beginning the juicing routine start to feel nauseous because of the extra intake of nutrients. The best way to avoid this is to use organic vegetables and fruits whenever possible.


Wanna know great juicing recipes?  Follow the link below:
http://juicerecipes.com/recipes/

Cut Out White Foods!

Most white foods (bread, rice, pasta, sugar, flour) are primarily made up of refined carbs and empty calories, so cutting them out of your diet is one of the quickest ways to shed pounds and improve your well-being.



Step 1

Cut out obvious flour and sugar. This includes white bread, sugar you add to tea, cereal and other food items, and foods that you know contain sugar and flour, such as soft drinks and packaged cakes and cookies.

Step 2

Read product labels. White flour and sugar go by many names. Look at the label on processed foods to determine if a food is truly white flour- and sugar-free. Other names for sugar include sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, cane sugar and syrup. Other names for white flour are bleached all-purpose flour, bread flour and enriched flour.

Step 3

Substitute foods that you can eat for the ones that are missing. Whole grains and whole-wheat flour make a nutritious change from white flour. Sugar substitutes are more challenging. Although artificial sweeteners are calorie-free, there is evidence that they can slow weight loss. Natural sweeteners, like honey, aren't processed, but are also high in calories. For best results, use natural sweeteners, but less of them.

Top 11 Health Benefits of Water & How Much You Should Drink Daily

Top 11 Health Benefits of Drinking Water

You will be amazed of the benefits of drinking water as follow:Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. Here are the further details on how to achieve fat loss by drinking water.Natural Remedy for Headache:Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. That means you’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises. Water also helps to fuel your muscle.Helps in Digestion and Constipation:Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy:Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water adds with lemon is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In another words one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve your immune system. Follow this link for further information on how lemon water can improve your health.Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you.Good Mood: Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.Can you see the importance of water to your body after understanding the above benefits of drinking water.


Follow this link to generate your daily requirement of water..
http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html

Fruits/Veggies & Their Benefit to Your Health

Apples	Protects your heart	prevents constipation	Blocks diarrhea	Improves lung capacity	Cushions joints
Apricots	Combats cancer	Controls blood pressure	Saves your eyesight	Shields against Alzheimer's	Slows aging process
Artichokes	Aids digestion	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Guards against liver disease
Avocados	Battles diabetes	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin
Bananas	Protects your heart	Quiets a cough	Strengthens bones	Controls blood pressure	Blocks diarrhea
Beans	Prevents constipation	Helps hemorrhoids	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones	Protects your heart	Aids weight loss
Blueberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Boosts memory	Prevents constipation
Broccoli	Strengthens bones	Saves eyesight	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure
Cabbage	Combats cancer	Prevents constipation	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Helps hemorrhoids
Cantaloupe	Saves eyesight	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Supports immune system
Carrots	Saves eyesight	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Promotes weight loss
Cauliflower	Protects against Prostate Cancer	Combats Breast Cancer	Strengthens bones	Banishes bruises	Guards against heart disease
Cherries	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Ends insomnia	Slows aging process	Shields against Alzheimer's
Chestnuts	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Chili peppers	Aids digestion	Soothes sore throat	Clears sinuses	Combats Cancer	Boosts immune system
Figs	Promotes weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Fish	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Supports immune system
Flax	Aids digestion	Battles diabetes	Protects your heart	Improves mental health	Boosts immune system
Garlic	Lowers cholesterol	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	kills bacteria	Fights fungus
Grapefruit	Protects against heart attacks	Promotes Weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
Grapes	saves eyesight	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Enhances blood flow	Protects your heart
Green tea	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Helps stops strokes	Promotes Weight loss	Kills bacteria
Honey	Heals wounds	Aids digestion	Guards against ulcers	Increases energy	Fights allergies
Lemons	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Limes	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Mangoes	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Regulates thyroid	aids digestion	Shields against Alzheimer's
Mushrooms	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Kills bacteria	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Oats	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	prevents constipation	Smoothes skin
Olive oil	Protects your heart	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Smoothes skin
Onions	Reduce risk of heart attack	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Lowers cholesterol	Fights fungus
Oranges	Supports immune systems	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Straightens respiration
Peaches	prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes	aids digestion	Helps hemorrhoids
Peanuts	Protects against heart disease	Promotes Weight loss	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Aggravates Diverticulitis
Pineapple	Strengthens bones	Relieves colds	Aids digestion	Dissolves warts	Blocks diarrhea
Prunes	Slows aging process	prevents constipation	boosts memory	Lowers cholesterol	Protects against heart disease
Rice	Protects your heart	Battles diabetes	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes
Strawberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	boosts memory	Calms stress
Sweet potatoes	Saves your eyesight	Lifts mood	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Tomatoes	Protects prostate	Combats cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart
Walnuts	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	boosts memory	Lifts mood	Protects against heart disease
Water	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Conquers kidney stones	Smoothes skin
Watermelon	Protects prostate	Promotes Weight loss	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure
Wheat germ	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
Wheat bran	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
Yogurt	Guards against ulcers	Strengthens bones	Lowers cholesterol	Supports immune systems

Become A Warrior!

Want to be apart of the world's largest obstacle course & mud run? You can!  Become a Warrior and register for the Warrior Dash to raise money for St. Jude's Research Hospital. Let's have fun and support a good cause at the same time!

www.warriordash.com

Top On the Go Fitness Apps

Keep track of your calories, food intake, even your daily exercise all within the palm of hand. These great apps are sure to be a big help.

1. My FitnessPal
2. Lose It!
3. Noom Weight Loss Coach
4. Calorie Counter by FatSecret

Race to Stop the Silence!!!

Its still not too late to register.
This annual event is part of year-round efforts by Stop the Silence to bring attention to child sexual abuse, its treatment, and prevention. With your help, we can do better for those most vulnerable in our communities… the children… and help survivors heal and thrive. Please join us this year as a runner, walker, cheerleader, donor, sponsor, or visitor. Come be a part of the solution.

http://www.dcrace.org/

Dieting vs A Lifestyle Change

Starting with Food Choices: 
When you start a diet, a wide variety of foods immediately become off-limits. In some cases, eliminating these foods from your daily diet can actually lead to significant health risks. For example, some diets eliminate all carbohydrates. But carbs, especially whole grains, protect you from heart disease, cancer and diabetes. With a lifestyle change, however, your food and beverage choices remain unrestricted. In fact, you can eat and drink anything you want in moderation. Adopting healthy lifestyle changes allows you to include all necessary and appropriate foods in your daily diet -- which helps maintain your physical and mental health.

Getting & Staying Motivated:
Because a lifestyle change allows you to indulge occasionally, it helps maintain your motivation. On a diet, many of your favorite foods and treats will likely be off-limits. When an overwhelming craving for double fudge chocolate ice-cream strikes, you are basically out of luck. And, let's be honest, a frozen banana probably won't satisfy you. For many people, these strict limitations make dieting difficult. Unlike a diet, lifestyle changes allow you to indulge in these treats in moderation. Over time, you teach your cravings to evolve from a double serving of double fudge chocolate ice cream to one scoop of chocolate frozen yogurt. Because you allow your body and mind time to adapt, the changes are easier to manage. And when change is easy to handle, your motivation remains strong.

Results that are Sure to Last:
According to the American Council on Exercise, or ACE, only about 5 percent of dieters successfully keep the weight off. In fact, most dieters regain a third of the weight within one year, and almost all of the weight in three to five years. When you reach your weight loss goal on a diet, you will probably stop dieting, and the weight will slowly pile back on. But when you reach your weight loss goals through healthy lifestyle changes, those changes have become a permanent part of your life. Even if you relax a bit, you will probably maintain many of those healthy changes. If you are looking to lose weight for the long haul, you must make a commitment to permanently change certain aspects of your lifestyle.

Kettle Classic 5k Run/ Walk

Lets run/walk for a cause.
The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command is hosting a 5K Run & Walk to benefit Turning Point Center for Women and Children, a dynamic housing program for homeless mothers and children that includes comprehensive support for job training, education, and employment.

Register Today!
http://salvationarmynca.org/kettleclassic/

Metropolitan Branch Trail 5k

Register today for the Metropolitan Branch Trail 5k.
http://www.gometbranch.com/

Are you tired of commiting yourself to lengthy diets & seeing temporary results? Although it takes a lot of dedication & focus. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is imperative.  I will offer tips, links, & even my own daily routines to assist on your journey to getFIT♥ Are you ready? Lets Go!