Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and asked yourself that question? Do you frequently feel like you tried your hardest but you have nothing to show for it? Let's look at some ways to manage time more effectively to have results to show for it at the end of the day.
#1. Define Your Goals--Some people are into structure, some aren't. I recommend doing what works for you. If writing 3 things you want to do by the end of the day on the back of a receipt and sticking it in your pocket works for you, then do it! I don't care. I like having a day planner with time blocked off for each part of my day, with my running "To Do" list on the side. I can tell you right now, though, that if I asked my brother to keep one, it would never get written in. Ever. He's a "back of the receipt" kind of guy, and you know what? It works beautifully for him. So define your goals and put them somewhere. A secondary thing to do, once you have a focus for your activities, is to prioritize them. For example, I have a goal of working out for 30 minutes every day. It's a priority for me. Another priority for me is to learn something new. If I have 2 hours left in my day, I might try a new workout. Why? Because both of these things are priorities for me and I have a limited amount of time, so I'll learn a new workout for bonus points. Let's say in this 2 hours left scenario I also needed to...I don't know...return Library books. I might just bump that to the next day, because while returning them is important, the library books won't impact my health like working out will.
#2. Bust Time Wasters--If you frequently find yourself intimidated by your To Do list and jumping on FaceBook to compensate, you need to become aware of your bad habits and cut it out. If you are supposed to be setting up lunch meetings and instead you grab a coffee and hang out on Twitter for an hour, become aware of it and cut it out. A good way to catch yourself at this is to write down everything you do, every 15 minutes for 1 day. Don't lie to yourself and don't hold back. From when you wake up, begin recording even the mundane details. I realized I spent about 40 minutes every day just staring into space thinking of what to do next. That's what led me to a to do list! Almost an hour wasted literally doing nothing (not that thinking is bad, it's not, I still spend plenty of time doing it, but there's no need for me to stand around figuring out what to do next instead of having a plan of action that I wrote up yesterday and charging forward! Then I get to spend more time with my kids and husband after completing my To Do's :) )
#3. Rinse and Repeat--There's a Japanese Proverb that says, "Beginning is easy. Continuing is hard." My sentiments exactly! Don't just do this once or twice and then write it off. If you want a successful life, you have to change the way you do things. If you want to get healthy, you have to change the way you eat. If you want to catch a rainbow trout, you have to have a certain bait. You see where I'm going with these analogies? If you're unhappy with your life--MAKE A CHANGE! And then keep doing what is successful and modify what is unsuccessful.
Just never, ever stop. A friend of mine once pointed out that in Texas, Highway 45 runs all the way from DFW to Houston. And it doesn't matter if you go 50 miles an hour or 5 miles an hour--you'll get to Houston. Just don't lay down and don't turn around.
Lizi
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
It's here...
Alright, I did it! I posted my first rough, unedited video on YouTube! Here's the video for your viewing pleasure:
My daughter spilled juice all over my camcorder. I thought it survived. The green stripe at the bottom says otherwise! :o
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think you could get healthy by sprinkling a little powder on your family's food? It seems almost too easy, but consider this: It took 18 years of research and development and over 20 million dollars for this product to be available!
Nutriverus is a multivitamin/multimineral/antioxidant/glyconutrient powder that can be added to virtually any food. I've put it into yogurt, ranch dressing, on egg cups, on meatloaf, sprinkled over vegetables, in salads, on fish, on chicken breasts and in protein shakes to name a few. I did all of this without telling my family to see their reactions (this is what you get with a nerdy scientist mom in the house!) My husband noticed no difference in the food, but after I did it for a week he told me he felt better and had more energy. My kids (who are very picky eaters) only noticed it in plain vanilla yogurt (but when I added a dash of cinnamon they no longer noticed it) and ate it without issue in every other food and beverage I put it into.
Some additional benefits:
-When you get this every month, just like a vitamin at the store, you're also saving the life of a malnourished child in critical condition around the world for that month
-You're giving your body the nutrients it needs to heal and repair itself, the common side effects of which are feeling great and having more energy
-When you try it and see amazing results and tell your friends, you can get a 25% discount on your own product. Tell 4 friends, nourish 5 kids and get your product free
How cool is that? If you're interested in helping me save 50 kids by Thanksgiving of 2012, e-mail me at mannateamkratos (at) gmail.com and let's change the world together!!
Lizi
And We Work It Out!
I have changed my workout routine. I am a very driven person, and if allowed to do my own thing, I'll run myself into the ground, lay there for a second, then get up and keep running. That's just how I'm wired. I'm ready to rock and roll all the time, I talk really fast and animated (as you'll see more of with the Vlogging I'll be posting) and I love to run!
When I left weights, I have to be very careful about my form because I favor explosive, dynamic, high intensity training versus slow, steady lifting. Again, this can obviously have a giant downside, and I'm super grateful for my sweet, muscular, weight-lifting husband who watches me and is like "Slow down crazy woman! Enjoy the burn." --He's right, too, when you focus on the muscle your working on (example: bicep curls) and instead of doing 21's like I favor, you lift and then oh so slowly release you'll go much farther with less reps.
So, where oh where can I turn to in the fitness world to force myself to slow down and focus on what I'm doing instead of concentrate on burning off my extra energy with running or calisthetic exercises?
When I left weights, I have to be very careful about my form because I favor explosive, dynamic, high intensity training versus slow, steady lifting. Again, this can obviously have a giant downside, and I'm super grateful for my sweet, muscular, weight-lifting husband who watches me and is like "Slow down crazy woman! Enjoy the burn." --He's right, too, when you focus on the muscle your working on (example: bicep curls) and instead of doing 21's like I favor, you lift and then oh so slowly release you'll go much farther with less reps.
So, where oh where can I turn to in the fitness world to force myself to slow down and focus on what I'm doing instead of concentrate on burning off my extra energy with running or calisthetic exercises?
Did you figure it out yet? :p
Yoga, of course! Now I went through everything on wonderful Youtube.com last night looking for a routine that worked for me. I personally can't do a routine if it involves laying still and concentrating on your breath. So, I bookmarked a couple of these for me in the morning, when I need peace of mind the most:
This is Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown Level 1:
And here is Sadie Nadini's 20 minute Weight Loss & Fat Burning Routine:
Both of these were fun--especially the part where my cute little 4 year old was trying to do yoga with me last night haha! She likes to make it dangerous. Like crawling under my downward facing dog and popping up, missing my nose by a hair's breadth! I should film that and call it "Ultimate Adrenaline Yoga For Moms!"
So, my new routine, again customizable to my daily level of crazy, is:
Morning: Yoga routine 15-30 mins
Noon-ish: Going on a run (preferably) or a Core Workout (Like Sean Vigue with Motley Fitness, he's amaaaazing!)
Afternoon: If I still have energy left to burn, or have to skip my noon routine, I like to do the Supreme 90 videos right now. I am ashamed to admit sometimes I curse the day Tom Holland (he's the host) was born in the middle of a routine, but by the end of it I mentally apologize to him because I feel amazing :)
I hope these little glimpses into my world help to inspire you to keep growing and changing and adapting to a healthier, happier lifestyle!!! :)
Lizi
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Just Do It!
I've noticed a trend in people that are changing their lifestyles.
They want to change their eating habits. They want to start working out. They have a general idea of why they want to do that: live longer, lose weight, look fabulous, have more energy and so on.
And then they talk themselves right out of it!
Either their wasn't specific enough information on exactly when to do what exercise, or when to eat what specific meal, or what kinds of foods you should combine, or that sounds like too much food or not enough food and so on.
For the love--Don't talk yourself out of a healthy lifestyle!!!! ALL OF THOSE ARE EXCUSES!!!
The bottom line is this: Eat healthy, real foods (real foods don't come through a window or out of a bag/box). Aim for 5 days per week of mixed exercises. Drink plenty of water. Supplement your nutrition appropriately.
That's pretty much it.
"But!!!" I hear you cry, "But do I do cardio, or yoga, or weights, or pilates, or yogalates, or Insanity, or use a personal trainer? And when I eat, do I eat according to my blood type, or low fat, or low carb, or Paleo, or according to an endo-ecto-mesomorph plan, or 500 calories a day? And do I weigh myself, or measure inches, or use calipers, or buy a $200+ body composition scale?"
The answer to those questions is...yes.
Ha! Now I've really got you trippin'!
You can do whatever kind of exercise you like. I myself, for example, love to run and lift weights. So, if my day allows it, I go on a 2 or 3 mile run (to some of you that's puny, to some of you that is a Herculean feat, to me that's what I have time for). If you like Yoga, do that! If you have a personal trainer, use them. If you used to like one thing but you got bored of it, FIND SOMETHING ELSE! It's the Age of Information, y'all--there IS something out there for you.
You can follow whatever realistic eating plan you want to--as long as it's real food (You know, fresh fruits and vegetables, the best meat you can afford, prepared in your home with healthy ingredients you add yourself. If you have no idea what real food is, open a new tab on your browser and fart around for a bit finding out--it's worth it). You cannot eat a fast food diet and be okay--you might take the buns off and have a chicken breast with a diet soda but consider this #rant: The "chicken breast" is made up of old, bacteria-laden mixed parts (bacteria laden because of antibiotic use in modern farming, mind you), then it was injected with a sugar/salt water mixture to make it moist and tasty (barf), then it was fried, then it was coated in liquid smoke to make you think it was grilled. You can re-name your diet soda chemical soup. You basically consumed a bunch of garbage that will release free radicals to zing around in your body, damaging otherwise perfectly happy cells, which (if you eat like that I'm guessing you don't care about supplementing vitamins too much) don't have the proper nutrients to then recover from the damage. You age your body every time you eat that junk. Cut it out! /#endrant
I think he says it best:
They want to change their eating habits. They want to start working out. They have a general idea of why they want to do that: live longer, lose weight, look fabulous, have more energy and so on.
And then they talk themselves right out of it!
Either their wasn't specific enough information on exactly when to do what exercise, or when to eat what specific meal, or what kinds of foods you should combine, or that sounds like too much food or not enough food and so on.
For the love--Don't talk yourself out of a healthy lifestyle!!!! ALL OF THOSE ARE EXCUSES!!!
The bottom line is this: Eat healthy, real foods (real foods don't come through a window or out of a bag/box). Aim for 5 days per week of mixed exercises. Drink plenty of water. Supplement your nutrition appropriately.
That's pretty much it.
"But!!!" I hear you cry, "But do I do cardio, or yoga, or weights, or pilates, or yogalates, or Insanity, or use a personal trainer? And when I eat, do I eat according to my blood type, or low fat, or low carb, or Paleo, or according to an endo-ecto-mesomorph plan, or 500 calories a day? And do I weigh myself, or measure inches, or use calipers, or buy a $200+ body composition scale?"
The answer to those questions is...yes.
Ha! Now I've really got you trippin'!
You can do whatever kind of exercise you like. I myself, for example, love to run and lift weights. So, if my day allows it, I go on a 2 or 3 mile run (to some of you that's puny, to some of you that is a Herculean feat, to me that's what I have time for). If you like Yoga, do that! If you have a personal trainer, use them. If you used to like one thing but you got bored of it, FIND SOMETHING ELSE! It's the Age of Information, y'all--there IS something out there for you.
You can follow whatever realistic eating plan you want to--as long as it's real food (You know, fresh fruits and vegetables, the best meat you can afford, prepared in your home with healthy ingredients you add yourself. If you have no idea what real food is, open a new tab on your browser and fart around for a bit finding out--it's worth it). You cannot eat a fast food diet and be okay--you might take the buns off and have a chicken breast with a diet soda but consider this #rant: The "chicken breast" is made up of old, bacteria-laden mixed parts (bacteria laden because of antibiotic use in modern farming, mind you), then it was injected with a sugar/salt water mixture to make it moist and tasty (barf), then it was fried, then it was coated in liquid smoke to make you think it was grilled. You can re-name your diet soda chemical soup. You basically consumed a bunch of garbage that will release free radicals to zing around in your body, damaging otherwise perfectly happy cells, which (if you eat like that I'm guessing you don't care about supplementing vitamins too much) don't have the proper nutrients to then recover from the damage. You age your body every time you eat that junk. Cut it out! /#endrant
I think he says it best:
Drink your freakin' water too. Your body is over 90% water--you literally need it to live. If you get all of your water from carbonated crap, you're surviving but you're not thriving. When you drink your 8-10 glasses daily, your body releases toxins stored in your cells for your kidneys to deal with, which can often make you lose weight. Also, your cells release extra water they were HOARDING because they thought you lived in a desert, which often causes you to lose weight. Additionally, your molecular functions work properly when they have enough H2O to work with, giving you more energy. Oh, and you'll probably lose some weight.
On supplementation: The only reason I recommend it is because we've jacked up this planet so much our plants can't absorb the nutrients necessary for our optimal health. Some of us have seen the study on the peaches in the 50's versus the peaches now. Basically, we said screw composting, we'll concentrate on phosphorus/nitrogen balance in the soil only to make sure we can make more food to make more money. Do you think dirt is made up of 2 minerals? If you've gone through 10th grade chemistry, then you know it's incredibly more complicated than that. In addition to the declining nutritive value of our food because of crappy farming practices, we're now also genetically modifying it without enough testing to make sure that's okay to eat, spraying it with pesticides, covering it in salmonella, e.coli and MRSA--and recommending everyone eat more of it! The USDA recommends 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily for men, and from 9 up to 13 servings per day for adolescent teenage boys. Don't get me wrong here: EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES! Just be aware that what you put in your body might have unnatural issues, and to counteract that, you might need to add additional plant-derived nutrients. Examples would be antioxidants, because they fight free radicals to keep your cells happy, glyconutrients to keep your cells communicating properly and recovering from damage, enzymes to properly break down and use nutrients from the plants you eat and so forth. Another thing to supplement is protein if you--like me--don't get enough of it. I eat really healthy, but I am also busy, and if given the choice between stopping my life to cook up a bunch of meat because I forgot to on a Sunday (when I try to prepare it ahead, but seriously, I'm not perfect) OR eating chopped up raw broccoli and roasted red pepper hummus, guess what wins every time? The faster one! And while chickpeas in hummus are healthy and have protein, that's not enough to sustain my level of output during the day. Therefore, I supplement with a good, clean, real protein powder, and vitamin complexes derived from plants, and glyconutrients, and antioxidants and omega 3 essential fatty acids (they're necessary for a healthy brain, eyes and heart as well as a natural anti-inflammatory).
Sorry for the nutrition rant. I'm a little passionate about the care and keeping of the world and the human body.
Anyway, you can complicate your life as much as you want to, but you'll end up feeling like a failure and quitting. Don't do that. Don't give up on being healthy, or being able to see your feet when you look down, or running a mile, or living to be 130 years old and the world's top endurance knitter (I don't even know if that exists...yet...). Don't give up on your desires for a better, healthier lifestyle.
Just do it already.
Eat real foods. Aim for mixed exercises 5 times per week. Drink your water. Supplement appropriately.
Repeat, and enjoy a long, healthy, happy life.
Lizi
Bust Your Guts
With commercials on Activia yogurt with Jamie Lee Curtis' endorsement and billboards for Yokult popping up along major highways, the public is becoming more aware of the link between yogurt and healthy bowels. But what many people don't understand is why that link is important.
More than 70% of the body's seratonin is made in the gut. Seratonin is a brain neurotransmitter responsible for feeling calm and happy--if your gut is unhealthy, your thoughts won't be balanced. Also, more than 80% of your immune cells are made in the gut--so not only will your thoughts be hard to reel in, your health will suffer.
If you don't have the proper balance of beneficial bacteria in your bowels, also known as "probiotics", then when you are exposed to bad bacteria such as e.coli, strep or salmonella, you're more likely to succumb to the bad bacteria. When you replenish your good bacteria daily, your odds of becoming seriously ill from bad bacteria decrease.
So, take care of your guts! They're super important to your mental and physical health, and are often overlooked in whole body wellness. My kids like the GI Pro Balance sticks from Mannatech--while they've never had a pixie stick or a Fun Dip, they eat these little yogurt flavored slim sticks the same way. We just rip off the top and the kids pour it right into their mouths. I keep these and Mannabears in my purse for meltdowns--so much healthier than candy and just as effective for changing the kids' focus.
Hope you guys are enjoying this cool weather and replenishing that healthy gut flora!!!
More than 70% of the body's seratonin is made in the gut. Seratonin is a brain neurotransmitter responsible for feeling calm and happy--if your gut is unhealthy, your thoughts won't be balanced. Also, more than 80% of your immune cells are made in the gut--so not only will your thoughts be hard to reel in, your health will suffer.
If you don't have the proper balance of beneficial bacteria in your bowels, also known as "probiotics", then when you are exposed to bad bacteria such as e.coli, strep or salmonella, you're more likely to succumb to the bad bacteria. When you replenish your good bacteria daily, your odds of becoming seriously ill from bad bacteria decrease.
So, take care of your guts! They're super important to your mental and physical health, and are often overlooked in whole body wellness. My kids like the GI Pro Balance sticks from Mannatech--while they've never had a pixie stick or a Fun Dip, they eat these little yogurt flavored slim sticks the same way. We just rip off the top and the kids pour it right into their mouths. I keep these and Mannabears in my purse for meltdowns--so much healthier than candy and just as effective for changing the kids' focus.
Hope you guys are enjoying this cool weather and replenishing that healthy gut flora!!!
Friday, October 26, 2012
VLOGGING!!!
(Sounds like a new word for vomit haha! But I'm talking about Video Blogging...Video + Blogging = Vlogging!)
Today I'm going to be working on several little segments while my hubby works on saving 50 kids by Thanksgiving!!!
Keep your eyes peeled for the latest developments in our family. Team Kratos has been growing like crazy, so I thought blogging in video might be a little shorter and sweeter for everyone. I'll start posting them in the coming weeks for you guys.
Until then, remember:
Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Follow your dreams!
Do things that make you happy. Like curling your hair :p
Eat healthy, nourishing foods and feed them to your friends and family.
And please forgive me for being an erratic poster. I will do my best to continue to inspire you all to live your best lives, as well as uncomplicate the crazy world of health for you in my own weird way.
God bless, you're the best!!!
Lizi
Today I'm going to be working on several little segments while my hubby works on saving 50 kids by Thanksgiving!!!
Keep your eyes peeled for the latest developments in our family. Team Kratos has been growing like crazy, so I thought blogging in video might be a little shorter and sweeter for everyone. I'll start posting them in the coming weeks for you guys.
Until then, remember:
Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Follow your dreams!
Do things that make you happy. Like curling your hair :p
Eat healthy, nourishing foods and feed them to your friends and family.
And please forgive me for being an erratic poster. I will do my best to continue to inspire you all to live your best lives, as well as uncomplicate the crazy world of health for you in my own weird way.
God bless, you're the best!!!
Lizi
Monday, October 22, 2012
We Like To Move It Move It!
Our house is turning into a pseudo-gym! Our living room is used for Core Workouts, Plyometrics and working out with DVD's, and our huge kitchen/dining room houses my husband's bajillion giant weights, our trampoline (or rebounder, as it's known by some), our kitchen table bench that doubles as a workout bench and our kitchen chairs, also known as additional stand-in workout equipment.
It's awesome though--I love living a healthy lifestyle by eating right, supplementing with food-based technology and moving my body. Plus, our kids love to "do cardio" by jogging laps around the backyard or kitchen table and they also enjoy yoga. How cool is that? Other kids are developing juvenile diabetes and we're training superheroes in this house!
Anyway, the purpose of this post is to share with you this amazing core workout Michael (that's my husband) turned me on to today. If you enjoy working that core like crazy, give this intense but short workout a try!
Be the ball, Danny! (you'll get it during the video). Hope you are having an awesome night living life with a major impact!
PS: Want to see my precious face? Tune in to www.mannatechlive.com tomorrow Tuesday October 23rd at 7:30 pm Central Standard Time--I'll be on Tuesday Night Live with the 2MannaSisters regarding Xtreme Food Makeovers! This will be broadcast all over America and in 22 countries internationally, so don't miss out! :)
Lizi
It's awesome though--I love living a healthy lifestyle by eating right, supplementing with food-based technology and moving my body. Plus, our kids love to "do cardio" by jogging laps around the backyard or kitchen table and they also enjoy yoga. How cool is that? Other kids are developing juvenile diabetes and we're training superheroes in this house!
Anyway, the purpose of this post is to share with you this amazing core workout Michael (that's my husband) turned me on to today. If you enjoy working that core like crazy, give this intense but short workout a try!
Be the ball, Danny! (you'll get it during the video). Hope you are having an awesome night living life with a major impact!
PS: Want to see my precious face? Tune in to www.mannatechlive.com tomorrow Tuesday October 23rd at 7:30 pm Central Standard Time--I'll be on Tuesday Night Live with the 2MannaSisters regarding Xtreme Food Makeovers! This will be broadcast all over America and in 22 countries internationally, so don't miss out! :)
Lizi
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