Exercise Benefits

We all know that exercise can help you manage your weight, but what else can exercise do??

*A recent study states that exercise can actually help increase mental alertness in elderly patients. Read the article here

*Exercise boosts your immune system

*Exercise improves your skin

*Exercise improves mood and reduces stress

*Exercise makes stronger bones and muscles

*Exercise can prevent heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung disease and many other diseases

Best Purchases Since having Bella

Since finding out I was pregnant, I have received and purchased many things....things I thought I would use a ton, others I thought I wouldn't use at all and then come to find out its all different than you expect, and probably different baby to baby as well. Here is my list of my best purchases since becoming pregnant and/or a parent:

5 BEST SO FAR

1. A good camera. I am now officially obsessed with photography. I love it. I'm obssessed with taking pictures of my daughter and a good camera is worth every penny. Of course remember ,that a good camera won't do all the work for you. I have taken a good amount of time learning about my camera and composition and am far from perfect. At the very least, I do recommend a nice point and shoot digital camera so you can capture all the memories :)

2. Ergo. #1 the best carrier I have tried. The sling was uncomfortable past 10 pounds. The Baby Bjorn always hurt my shoulders. The Ergo? FABULOUS. Worth every single penny! And its good up to 40 pounds. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my Ergo!

3. Jogging Stroller. May not be the best purchase for non-active mommies-- but I AM active, so this was a great investment. Bella loves it, and I love involving her in exercise. Plus the one I have has the cool MP3 player built in so we can jam ;)

4. Bouncy Seat. Has gotten more than my money's worth out of this guy. Bella doesn't like to sit it for very long now that she is mobile, but from early on until she was crawling, she spent ALOT of time in this thing!! We have the Baby Bjorn BabySitter.

5. This one was a toss up for me. I think a good breast pump for BF'ing mommas is SUPER helpful and I used mine all the time when I was nursing (Medala)... but since I'm not nursing anymore, I have to choose my "vaccum cleaner" sounds CD that I downloaded from Itunes. When Bella was colicky, it seriously saved us all!! Thank goodness she doesn't need it anymore to fall asleep, but it was only $1.99 and worth every cent.

I know this list is different for every baby but these are just my experiences thus far :)

Exciting Review in Progress...

I'm pretty excited today because a very exciting product arrived at my doorstep for review over the next couple of weeks. GoWearFit (www.gowearfit.com) is in my house and charging as we speak... stay tuned for the review etc to come... these are the same makers of the Bodybugg!

Also...I've also joined Sam's After baby Body Challenge on her blog-- so be sure to show her some love! www.mamanotes.com


I'm also featured on Marcia's blog today :) Check out my interview and her blog here: http://missionpossible1.blogspot.com/2009/07/mission-possible-interview-with-mandy.html
She is one fab fitness-momma!

Third for today... Turbokick is about to rock Indy! If you are in the Indianapolis area, come check out the master class next Wednesday evening with my fav master instructor, Julie Voris. You can learn more at www.turbokick.com

Recovering from Holiday Bloat

So... how many of you are sitting there reading this blog entry wondering how you managed to gain 5 pounds this weekend??? Take a deep breath, you didn't actually gain 5 pounds of fat. Do you know how difficult it would actually be to gain that much fat in a few days? Very. However, retaining water when you've been busy at 4th of July cookouts instead of the gym can easily pack on some scale pounds that will make your jaw drop open Monday morning. Follow these tips to get rid of the holiday bloat and get back on your program. Remember though, that constantly indulging every weekend will not help your overall weight loss goals and will more than likely stall your progress. But ... if you are like me, and have a weekend (or couple of weeks a year) of indulgences, these tips can help you shed that bloat quickly.

1. Eat PROTEIN at breakfast. Like eggs. Studies show that those who eat eggs at breakfast are 5 times less likely to be overweight and 8 times less likely to overeat throughout the day. So its time to stop eating a granola bar for breakfast and start eating something hearty. I almost always eat oatmeal AND egg whites for breakfast with some berries. Gives me energy, keeps me full and boosts my metabolism.

2. Drink WATER. After a weekend or so of indulging, up your intake to even more than usual. Minimum of 80 ounces, more if you are exercising. Avoid carbonated beverages and alcohol. This alone should help you get rid of bloat within 3-5 days.

3. Eat a serving of raw nuts. Studies show that people who eat a serving of raw nuts a day reduce their appetite by 40 percent!

4. Omega-3s. Find something rich in them and eat it. Fish and flax seed are both good examples. Omega-3s are known to not only be good for your hair, nails and heart-- but they are also shown to help reduce water retention and boost your metabolism as well.

5. Get back into the exercise game. Sweat. It will help :)

Happy 4th of July!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. We had a pretty good weekend, our "staycation" as I like to call it :) Jerry and I were both off work for a few days and spent time reorganizing and cleaning the house, spending time with Bella, as well as with our friends. Time off always goes way too fast though!

Will be back to normal blogging, recipes, and fitness and parenting tips tomorrow!

Isabella is 9 months

Spaghetti Squash Pasta Primevera

Spaghetti Squash Florentine
Ingredients:
4 pounds spaghetti squash (halved lengthwise)
1 cup part skim or nonfat ricotta cheese1
10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
2 eggs (or equivalent egg substitute), beaten
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (crushed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup nonfat mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 3/4 cups spaghetti sauce (I recommend those with less than 5g sugar perserving)
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese (shredded) (Do not use fat freemozzarella - it will not melt!)

Directions:
STOVETOP: In 6-quart Dutch oven over high heat, in boiling water, cooksquash 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Remove from water. Halve squashlengthwise; remove seeds.
MICROWAVE: Halve squash lengthwise. Scrape out seeds. Place cut-side downon a microwave-safe dish and cook for about 20 minutes on HIGH or untilfork-tender, turning over once and covering with wax paper.Cool squash slightly and with a fork separate into strands. Set aside.Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, eggs, andseasonings; mix well.
Spread evenly in a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spreadthe Parmesan and nonfat mozzarella cheeses over the spinach mixture.In a large bowl, combine the squash and spaghetti sauce; toss to coatwell. Arrange squash mixture on spinach mixture; top with the part skimmilk mozzarella cheese.Cover with foil; bake at 375° F. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Makes 6 servings.