Monday Workout

Well it's Monday Workout again.

What did you do today?  I just finished Insanity Max 30.  It's an intense 30 minute workout, and I loved it.  Beach Body makes a large assortment of workouts that range from beginner all the way to advanced.  Are you read to start the September challenge tomorrow?  Are you ready to start moving for just half an hour a day?  I'm very excited about starting this journey with you.  By the end of September I hope that we all feel Stronger, look younger, have better flexibility and more Energy.

 

Moving to stay healthy is not as hard as it seems, Yes you do sweat, Yes you find out that you have muscles that you never realized you had, but the benefits of exercise are so many that it is important that we move.  If you don't use it, you will loose it!  What an appropriate saying. 

 

If you do not keep your body healthy and active you will not be able to use that body in the future when you need it.  Think about your patients in the hospital or home setting.  Think about the people who don't take care of themselves, they could be morbidly obese, have multiple medical issues, have an addiction and so on.  Think about what you need to do in order to care for that person.  Now think of the person who does take care of themselves but has some form of physical disability perhaps a knee, hip or back injury who becomes ill.  What is the difference that you notice when you care for them?  The care we give to our patients is the same but you will notice that some patients are easier to care for than others.  Some situations call for two nurses while others can call for as many as 6 depending on the situation.   How does this affect your body?  If you are not healthy how do you feel after a shift?  Now think about what the difference will be once you are healthy and stronger.  How will this affect your work? How will it affect you home life? 

 

Getting healthy and fit helps us as nurses in so many ways.  It improves our memory, strength, flexibility, moods, posture, detoxifies the body, increases stamina and so on.

 

So get ready to move.  Tomorrow we start our journey to getting healthy together.



Sunday Planning

Sunday is here again and it's time to make a plan of attack. 

What are your goals for this week?  Write them down in your transformation journal and put a box beside each goal.  It doesn't matter if you have one goal or several goals.  Once you've completed that goal place a check mark in the box so that you know you've completed that goal.  Then move onto the next goal. 

Each goal we make and accomplish helps us to change our lives.  Being healthy is an everyday struggle.  One of your goals could be to simply drink 8 -8oz glasses of water 3 day this week, or not eat the junk food in the lunch room or at the nursing station that so often sits there waiting for us to cave into the temptation.  You are stronger than you think, you can create better eating habits.

So I have a task for you.  Create a meal plan for the week, or go on-line and find a one week healthy eating plan follow it to the letter.  See what happens when you eat healthy for that week.  In your transformation journal write down how you feel each day, are you tired?, do you have more energy?, what is your mood like?, and so on.  At the beginning of the week you may feel sad and depressed because you are not filling your body with unhealthy food, by the end of the week you may feel like you have all kinds of energy.  Each person is different, and our reactions to food can be very interesting.  Ever wonder why you get tired around 1500hrs in the afternoon?  Could it be your eating something that your body really doesn't like and is having a hard time processing it?  Perhaps you might consider a one month total body reset in the future.  But that's getting ahead of ourselves.  The goal this week is to try to eat healthy with no junk food, alcohol(God forbid), or highly processed foods, and nothing from a can unless it is canned fish in water and low sodium.  Try to eat all natural foods, fruit, vegetables, meats (unprocessed like chicken breast, steak, fish ext.), think about a crock pot meal that you can freeze left overs for easy meals to take to work.  By planning ahead you can have healthy ready made meals in your freezer with careful planning and still be able to feed your whole family.  It's hard to do this, but with dedication and CHOOSING to be healthy you can accomplish this goal.

Here are some sites that have meal plans:

If you are interested in a Paleo meal plan check these sites out - http://paleoleap.com/paleo-meal-plan/, http://paleogrubs.com/paleo-diet-meal-plan, http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/healthy+recipes/week+1+paleo+diet+meal+plan,26300

For healthy light meal plans, try these sites - http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/healthy+recipes/week+1+paleo+diet+meal+plan,26300,
http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/shop-once-eat-week, http://goodcheapeats.com/2015/02/whole-30-meal-plan-for-the-week/, http://thenourishinghome.com/2014/11/free-whole30-meal-plans-2/

Here are some image plans of healthy eating as well (just examples)-




Each of these meal plans are different, You need to find and tailor a meal plan that suites your bodies needs.  How many calories do you NEED to eat each day,  These images are just examples of what is out there.  The hard part is figuring out what your body needs.  Here is a simple calculation to figure that out.

This calculation comes from the Beach Body 21 Day fix extreme program. ( I am starting this program September 1)

Calculate: Calorie Baseline:

 Sedentary lifestyle (desk job, lots of TV time)                                      Your weight in lbs x 11 =
 Moderate lifestyle  (light house work, on your feet part of the day)     Your weight in lbs x 12 =
 Active lifestyle (manual labor, on your feet all day)                             Your weight in lbs x 13 =

Calculate: your caloric needs:

Baseline Caloric need  + 450 = Caloric needs

Calculate: your caloric target:

Caloric needs - 750 = calorie target.

Once you know your calorie target number then you can start looking for meal plans within that calorie range.  The hardest part is realizing that food is not the enemy, it's what fuels our body.  We need calories in order to function.  The goal is eating the RIGHT calories to fuel our bodies so that we get healthy.   Don't be afraid to google a meal plan within a specific calorie intake, you will be surprised at how many options are out there. 

Make your plans, fix your goals, write about the outcome of each goal in your transformation journal.

YOU CAN DO THIS

Saturday Relaxation

It's Saturday and it's time to relax.

How are you going to relax today?  Talk a walk, read a book, curl up in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine?  What every you choose, it's the right choice for you.  You know what you need, you just have to listen to yourself.

So what are the benefits of Relaxation?  There are many benefits and as nurses we should know most of them, the only problem is we tend to forget to relax because we are so busy taking care of everyone else.

Over the next few weeks I plan to go over some of the benefits of relaxing.  Did you know that relaxing helps decrease hypertension and lowers the risk for heart attacks and stroke.  If you think about how stressful life can be, it is understandable that high stress levels can increase hypertension and the risk for strokes and heart attacks.  There are many papers, and studies out there that discuss stress and the negative affects it has on the body.  Thus as nurses we need to find the time to relax and enjoy life.  We need to keep are hearts healthy.

Think about the last time you went for a massage, how did you feel afterward?  Like Jell-O perhaps, totally calm and feeling great?  I bet you were able to tackle a difficult problem the next day and it didn't even phase you.  By relaxing you are reenergizing yourself so that you can tackle difficult situations and problems.

As Sarah Klein (2014) stated in her article 10 Health Benefits of Relaxation, life goes on, no matter what kind of day it is. But relaxing whenever possible, and in whatever way works for you (whether it's reading a book, taking a walk, meditating, running, you name it!) is healthier for you than you might think.

So take 30 minutes or an hour, or as much time as you need to relax and unwind.  Let the stress of the week go.  Work will be there when you have to return to it.  There are always new challenges and new adventures coming your way.  Never be afraid to do what is right for your body and your mind.

Reference:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/stress-awareness-day-relaxation-benefits_n_1424820.html

Friday Reflections

It's hard to believe that a week has already flown by.

Reflecting back on the week I am glad that I was able to start up my Facebook page for Nurses Getting Healthy.  That is where we are going to cheer each other on while we work to get healthy.  If you are interested in joining the group you are most welcome.  Here is a link to the page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/940694885987164/

I will be honest, I didn't eat very healthy most of the week and I am feeling very guilty about it.  So I decided to a 3 day refresh cleanse,  I want to reset my body so that I am ready for September 1st.  I want to prove to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to.  I've done it before I can do it again.  When I was 12 or 13 I was taking swimming lessons and working on my Green badge.  I failed it twice, once at summer camp and once at the pool.  I was so angry, I wanted to be able to finish that level but I had trouble with the whip kick, I couldn't figure out how to get my legs to move the right way.  On my third try the instructor I had got in the pool and told me to face the wall and float.  She grabbed my ankles and told me to relax as she guided my legs in the proper movement.  Once I understood what I needed to do I was able to pass that dreaded Green badge and went on to become a life guard and swimming instructor.  That one person made a huge impact on my life and it was such a simple thing.  This woman showed me that patience and guidance is how to achieve the best results.  I have applied that in my work as a Nurse on the unit and as a Critical Care Nursing Instructor.  By showing new nurses what to do and guiding them through the learning process they understand more and learn better.  They feel more confident and are not afraid to ask questions.

So how do we do that on our journey to getting healthy?  We need to guide and encourage each other.
Reflect on the last time a nurse asked you a question.  What was your response?  Did you guide them to the answer?, or do you tell them they should know the answer to that question?

Now think about your health, what do you really know about it.  Who do you ask questions of?  How do they treat you, do they guide you or make you feel bad for not knowing the answer?

It is impossible to have all the answers, if you think you do, you are wrong.  By guiding each other we can accomplish our health goals one day at a time.  Fight for what you want,  work hard to achieve that goal, we as nurses are here to support you.

Thursday Pampering

It's Thursday and it's time to be pampered.

I had a headache earlier today and I did my workout and I have to say I love endorphins.  I spoke about them yesterday and boy did they do there job today.  So to pamper myself I desided to make a healthy chocolatey treat.

This recipe is from Beach Body but you can substitute a different protein powder if you like.  Use what you have, don't waiste it.

Chocolate Shakeology Pudding

1 1/2 scoops chocolate shakeology
1 ripe medium avocado
1 medium banana cut into chunks
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice.

Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth.  Poor/scoop into bowels and place into fridge for 1 hour or until set, then enjoy.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, don't forget to pamper yourself you deserve it.

Wednesday Encouragement

It's Hump Day!!! Yay. 

I was thinking about some of the reasons why people don't like to exercise.  I wanted to find a way to encourage all of you with a simple positive aspect of doing a workout.  I remember talking to my mom who is in her 70's now and I have to laugh.  She is from a different era but I understand what she hates about working out, I on the other hand love the reason she hates.  My mom grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, she is a classic beauty like Marilyn Monroe.  My mom has curves! She has that ever elusive hour glass figure that everyone seems to want.  I have it too and it can be a pain to buy clothes because almost everything is made for women shaped like boys.  When I asked my mom why she didn't like to exercise she told me and I quote "I HATE TO SWEAT, IT'S GROSS.  A lady does not sweat!"  Well she told me!  I guess that's why my mom usually goes to things like aqua fit.  She can't tell that she's sweating because she's in water.  Well I love to sweat and here are some great benefits from sweating.

- Boosts endorphins:  exercising increases the level of the 'feel-good' endorphins that naturally release during exercise.  There are studies out there that have found group workouts actually increase endorphin levels and cause less pain for individuals who work out together than train alone.
(I encourage you to find a work out partner and cheer each other on, get sweaty and let the endorphins flow)

-Detoxifies the body:  sweating can flush the body of substances like alcohol, cholesterol and salt.  As Dele-Michael said "Sweat purges the body of toxins that can clog pores and plague the skin with pimples and blemishes." (Borreli, Lizette. 2014).
(People have complimented me on my skin a lot over the years, so I guess a good work out and lots of water really does the trick)

-Lowers Kidney stone risk (Who Knew): Apparently sweating is an effective way to get rid of salt and retain calcium in your bones.  By sweating the accumulation of salt and calcium in the kidneys is limited thus the kidney's do not have to work so hard eliminating the salt and calcium through the urine.
(If you exercise and your sweating you drink more water, this helps flush out the toxins and keeps you hydrated)

-Prevents colds and other illnesses ( I believe that, I've worked out with a cold and I got rid of it faster) : Dr. Diane De Fiori from Australia is a dermatologist and she stated "Sweat contains antimicrobial peptides effective against viruses, bacteria and fungi.  Theses peptides are positively charged and attract negatively charged bacterial, enter the membranes of bacteria, and break them down." (Borreli, Lizette. 2014).  So basically sweating is a good thing because it helps us stay healthy and that's what we want, to be healthy.

-Sweating is your own person HVAC system (how is that possible?) : Our bodies adapt to the temperature changes within our environment, sweating helps our bodies regulate our body temperature more easily.  Thus if you exercise regularly your sweat glands will be healthy and be able to help control your body temperature on warm or cold days and it even helps those women in MENOPAUSE. (Stewart, Lisa. 2015).

So although sweating does not necessarily look attractive to some people it's of great benefit to us.  Don't be afraid to go to the gym, workout class, or outside and sweat it out.  You can sweat and know that you are clearing your body of toxins, helping to prevent yourself from getting sick and best of all working on amazing looking skin.

Get out there and start SWEATING it's healthy and so good for you.  Never be afraid to do something that will ultimately make you feel good.

References:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/sweat-it-out-5-surprising-health-benefits-sweating-actually-dont-stink-309718

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-amazing-benefits-sweating-you-didnt-know.html
 

Tuesday Recipes

Hello Everyone.

It's Tuesday and it's recipe time.  I've chosen to give you two Paleo friendly recipes that are healthy and nutritious.  I am a chocolate lover and when you are trying to eat healthy it sucks that you can't eat the things you love.  So I went digging through all my recipes and came up with two of my favourites.

Chocolate Avocado Strawberry smoothie (serves 2)

1 cup frozen strawberries
1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
1tbsp. cocoa powder
1.5 cup almond or coconut milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. raw honey(optional)
dark chocolate, grated

mix first 6 ingredients in a blender, pour into 2 cups and sprinkle grated dark chocolate on top.  YUM!

Paleo Mint Brownies (makes 12 squares)

1 cup Almond butter
1/3 cup Honey
1 Egg
2 tbsp. Coconut oil (melted)
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
Pinch of salt
Coconut oil spray

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
Place the almond butter, honey, egg, coconut oil, and peppermint extract into a large bowl
Use a hand blender to combine until smooth
Mix in the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt
Prepare an 8x8 inch baking pan with coconut oil spray
Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

(I don't always use the peppermint extract.  Tastes yummy without it too.)

I hope you enjoy these recipes.  Have a wonderful day and eat healthy.

Monday Workout

 

 

   It is Monday again and it's hard to believe that a whole week has gone by.  Workout Monday is here so lets talk about exercise.  I know how hard it is as a nurse to fit in that extra time that we need to exercise everyday.  I decided to start with small goals.  I went on-line to search out 30 day challenges.  I have to say I've found tones of them and I have done several.  I really enjoyed the 30 day challenges because each day gets progressively harder.  My favourite is the 30 day ab challenge and the 30 day leg challenge.  From there I started looking at DVD programs, I got a few but it was hard to do an hour long workout when I'd been up since 430am and didn't get home until 830-9pm.  So I looked again and I found 30 minute workouts and I have to say that I love them.  30 minutes of sweating like crazy and then I'm done. I don't have to think about working out again until the next day.  And that's the hard part, staying motivated to do a workout each day.  That is why I decided to become a member of Beach Body.  I tend to like their programs because they are hard and make me work for it.  I've also done Jillian Michael workouts as well as many others including a belly dancing one. (Some I enjoyed and some I didn't, that's the learning curve)

  Everyone has different tastes and they like different trainers because everyone has a different style that they learn from.  I know myself well enough now that I need a short intense workout to feel good.  I usually have to go for a walk afterwards to calm down. ( I went straight to bed one night after an Insanity Max 30 workout and lets just say, I did not sleep well because my legs were very restless).  Everyone has different needs when it comes to exercise and only YOU can figure out what those needs are, but there is tones of help out there to guide you on your journey.  I can be one of those people.  It is one of the reasons I started this blog, to be your cheerleader.

   I bet that most of you have workout DVD's in your basement.  I bet they are collecting dust.  So here is my challenge to all of you.  As you know, yesterday I said I was going to start a group page on Facebook with the same title as this blog.  I plan to work on that later today.  I Challenge you to go downstairs to your workout DVD collection and dust one of them off.  I Challenge you to do a 30 day work and eating healthy with me for the month of September.

   I plan to do 21 day fix extreme, including following the meal plan.  I also plan to do 3-day refresh before and after the workout to get the maximum results.  I will do a before picture and YES I will post it on Facebook, at the end of the 30 days I will post an after picture so YOU can see the results.  My hope is that you will do this with me.  We can encourage each other to work hard and motivate each other to keep going even though it's hard.  I am in my last week of Insanity Max 30 and I have to say that I've gotten stronger and my endurance is better. (Even if I feel like I'm about to die when I'm finished)  My biggest stumbling block to getting healthy is not the workout part it's the eating part.  I LOVE FOOD.  So for the month of September I'm going to PROVE to myself and to you, that you can make amazing changes with eating healthy and exercising 30 minutes a day.

ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

If you are interested in a simple 30 day workout checkout this website out. http://30dayfitnesschallenges.com/

If you are interested in Beach Body workouts check out Insanity Max 30, Piyo, T25, CIZE, 21 day fix and 21 day fix extreme, and P90X3 all of these programs are around 30 minutes.
https://teambeachbody.com/checkout/-/bbcheckout/challengepack?referringRepId=784724

ONLY YOU CAN DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO GET HEALTHY.  ARE YOU BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE.

Sunday Planning

Well it's Sunday.  Today is a good day to plan for the rest of the week.  What does that mean?  Well as nurses, when we are at work we have a routine, guidelines and strategies that we follow to help us get through a shift no matter how easy or tough our day is.  Let's take what we do at work and apply it to our everyday lives.  It's not that hard, set a small goal that you want to accomplish this week, like going for a 1/2hr walk everyday or climbing the stairs each day at work, no elevators unless its a code.  Or how about I choose not to eat potato chips this week( that is going to be killer).  Take it one day at a time, write about how you feel in your inspiration journal each night after you accomplished your goal, and if you didn't accomplish your goal, write about how that made you feel and make a choice on how to do better tomorrow.

I have a goal this week, my goal is to start a Facebook group with the same name as this blog, it's going to be for challenges, those challenges can be anything from exercise, to eating healthy.  I plan to challenge all of you to start exercising and then we can help cheer each other on, on Facebook.  It's always easier to work as a group and motivate each other.  I plan to have this page up before September but the first challenge will start September 1.  I hope you will all join me there, I know we can get healthy together.

Saturday - Relaxation

Saturday is relaxation day.

What do you do for relaxation?  Read a book, watch TV, a movie, have a bath or just hang out with family and friends?

Try to find time to just relax and unwind today.  One day of rest helps to rejuvenate the body, mind and soul.  Consider Meditation, I know it's hard to sit still and calm the mind but try it out for 60 seconds, then add 5 seconds each day until you reach 5 minutes.  Now that's an accomplishment, nurses have minds that go a mile a minute. 

I hope you all enjoyed your Saturday.

Friday Reflections

It's Friday.....YAY!!!!

I've been thinking about what to write today and decided that Fridays should be for reflection.  Thinking back on what has made you decide to get healthy.  Now there's a whopper of a question.
What made you decide to get healthy?  Can you answer that question?

For many nurses if we are not healthy we can not do our job to our fullest potential.  Think about it.  If you are tired or moody, who ultimately suffers?  Our patients do. 

I decided to start getting healthy a few years ago and believe me it has been an up hill battle.  I realized that I wasn't as healthy as I thought I was when I ended up with a shoulder injury.  I was at work, I was going through a lot of family stress at the time with my mother having surgery and my father having a stroke two weeks later.  I went to visit them up north to help them for a week then returned to work.  I thought I was fine and did all the things that I normally do but I was taking care of a patient that was too large for me to handle.  I was helping an RT change the tapes on an ETT when my patient started to vomit.  I reacted, that's what nurses do!  I reached over with my right arm grabbed the patients shoulder and pulled him over onto his side while still holding the ETT.  I hurt my shoulder due to that movement.  I went on modified duties, and did all the right things but I ended up injuring my left shoulder due to over compensation.  Now I'm stuck with a bilateral shoulder injury and it sucked.  So I went to physiotherapy and slowly started getting stronger.  I realized that I needed to get strong again and I was determined to do just that.  I did all the exercises that I was told to do but it just wasn't enough.  (I tend to be a bit crazy with workouts).   So I decided to do a 30 day challenge, then I did another one and so on.  I kept working at it and now I can do push ups again, granted only about 5-8 full push ups but I can do lot's of modified ones.

How many of you have injured yourself while working with a patient?  I bet it's a lot.  Nurses do a lot of repetitive motions which can potentially cause an injury.  How do we protect ourselves?  Your not going to like the answer.  You have to exercise and  get stronger.  Exercising is a great stress reliever and by gaining strength we have better control over our body mechanics.  We learn to breath better, sleep better and you tend to have more energy.  You also feel good about the simple accomplishment you made.

Reflect on what you believe is the reason you want to get health.  Write it down in your inspiration journal.  It's amazing what we learn about ourselves and how strong we really are.
                                               

Thursday - Pampered

Thursdays are for being Pampered

What did you do to Pamper yourself? 

As nurses we work very hard and forget that we need to pamper ourselves once and a while so that we can rejuvenate and feel good about ourselves.  Take the time to do something that is selfish.  Yes selfish.  We are so concerned about everyone else that it is time to do something good for you.  It can be as simple or as complex as you want.  A bath, manicure, going to a game/show, getting your hair done, a massage, a glass of wine or reading a good book for an hour.  Just do something.

This week I went for a massage and next week I plan to get my hair done.  Simple pleasures that help me to relax an feel good.  It's ok to do something for yourself and not feel guilty about.  Take back that power so that you can give of yourself as you always do.


                         

Wednesday Encouragement

Wednesday Aug 19, 2015.

As nurses and individuals we are constantly encouraging others to do better.  We encourage our patients and their families to eat better, start exercising, and lead a healthier lifestyle.  But we need to do that too.  We need to encourage ourselves to do better, we need to practise what we preach to others.  How can others lead a healthy lifestyle if we are not living it and struggling with them.  Being healthy is hard when there are so many temptations out there like fast food, coffee shops, junk food isles, convenience stores, movie theaters, amusement parks and so on.  On top of all that we have the media inundating us on the radio or TV with adds for unhealthy foods, and unrealistic images of the "ideal" body type.  Both men and women struggle each day with body image issues and self esteem.  It's time to work together and start talking about changing ourselves and how we are getting healthy each day.

There are many people who have touched my life over the years, my mom and dad, my husband Brad, my best friends Rose, Leanne, Katie, Fonia, Denise and Dayna.  Each of my friends has had an impact and guided me on the path to change things.  They might not know it but they are my hero's. 

Who are your hero's?  Who encourages you to do better? 

Here is a simple assignment - go to the store and buy a journal.  This journal is going to be called - My Inspiration.  Put everything that inspires you to do better in this journal.  It can be anything from a picture, a text, a card, and so on.  Write your goals and aspirations in it.  Write your accomplishments in it, even the ones YOU think are insignificant.  Then when you are feeling down and out, Open that book.  READ IT!  Look at what inspires you, see your goals again, see what you have accomplished and KNOW that you can do anything you put your mind to.

This is a picture that I use to inspire me to workout.  I know that I will never look like this but this keeps me motivated to keep trying to better myself physically.  I'm working on it and it's a slow process but I will get there.

Mandy blank is one of my inspirations to get my body in better shape.  So is Shaun T and many others.  Find something or someone inspiring and use it.  Don't be afraid to take one small step forward.  Each day will get easier.

Lets inspire each other.

Tuesday Recipes

Tuesday August 18, 2015

Today is recipe day, I decided to talk about breakfast which is supposed to be the most important meal of the day.  I'll be honest, I am so not a breakfast person.  When I did Whole30 I forced myself to eat breakfast and followed the plan religiously.  But I was usually a bit nauseous afterwards.  When you work shift work and have to be up at 430 in the morning to start getting ready for work a heavy breakfast that you would normally eat around 930 in the morning does not sit well that early.  I prefer to drink a protein shake.

I have tried many protein powders over the years and I admit some are pretty good like New Zealand Whey.  But many including the vegan protein powders are gritty and either have a dirt like after taste or have so much sugar in them that they are too sweet.  I discovered Shakeology recently and I spent the $40 dollars to have there sample pack shipped to me so I could try all the flavours including the vegan version, and I have to say it's the best tasting protein drink that I've ever had.  I use it every day and I have started to experiment with different ingredients.  Experimenting makes Shakes fun, so be adventurous and try something different.

Everyone is different and has different needs.  If you are like me and you prefer protein shakes for breakfast try to get samples of different protein powders so that you find the one that is best for you. If you are interested in learning about Shakeology go to this site to learn more about it. 

http://www.shakeology.com/andrea1974

 

If you like a regular breakfast then I challenge you to eat a clean breakfast.  Try this Recipe, it's my favorite from Whole30 - http://Whole30.com/


Serves two - Dinner breakfast

4 eggs sunny side up
4 sausage patties
1 sweet potato sautéed in coconut oil
1/2 green pepper sautéed in coconut oil
1/4 c finely diced onion sautéed in coconut oil

Sausage patties recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1/2 lb ground pork, turkey, or chicken
1/4c onion
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp. coconut oil

In a large skillet over medium heat cook onion in 1tbsp of coconut oil for about 2 minutes until soft, transfer to mixing bowl add remaining ingredients (pork, sage, salt, black pepper, garlic powder).  Mix well and form 4 equal patties.  Return patties to skillet and brown 2 min each side then put them on a baking sheet into the oven for 7-10 min. 

For those who want a different take on Protein shakes try this recipe

Morning gourmet Protein Shake - Lavender cookie

1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology or protein powder of choice
1c Almond Milk
1tsp lavender
2oz lemon juice
mix all ingredients in a blender and enjoy.

What is your favourite healthy breakfast?  Share it with me and others.

Monday Workout

Today is Monday and I decided that on Monday's we should talk about exercise.  I Know, exercising can totally suck.  At 40 years of age I can honestly say that some days feel like they will never end and I really don't feel like spending what little free time I have exercising.  Working 12hr shifts, spending time with family, grocery shopping, cleaning the house and laundry, when is there time to exercise?  I've looked into all kinds of different gym's, personal trainers, and home programs.  These are my thoughts and experiences with each.

Gym's - They can be very intimidating.  When you walk in you see men and women working out and they seem to know what they are doing.  It's a meat market in some cases.  Monthly fees, different classes, having a trainer - being pushed to sign up for more training sessions.  I got frustrated because most gyms are not month to month, you have to sign a one year or two year contract that you can't seem to get out of.  So I went to LA Fitness.  I had a month to month membership and loved the cycle class they help but....time went on and I stopped going but I was still paying month to month because I thought I would go.  I finally decided to put the membership on hold.  Why pay for something you are not using.  It is a waist of money which can be used elsewhere.

Personal Trainers -  I loved having a personal trainer, it was a lot of fun and I really worked hard and looked foreword to my sessions.  The only major problem I ever had was that I usually became really good friends with my trainer and we would start chatting instead of working out.  Sigh..... (but I've got some great friends out of it and they still give me great tips)

Home programs - Working out at home can be very intense depending on what you like and the program you choose.  I personally like really hard workouts.  If I am not soaked with sweat at the end of a workout, to me it wasn't good enough or I didn't work hard enough.  Many home workout programs, DVD's, and computer programs are a great start to learn what type of workouts are out there.  I have many great DVD workout programs that I love to do. 

But Do You Have to any of these types of things to start getting HEALTHY?  YES AND NO.  Start out slow.  Go for a walk around the block, run or walk the stairs at work, go for a swim, dance or play with the kids.

JUST MOVE YOUR BODY!!!!

You only need to move for half an hour and after that half an hour your tired and hot and sweaty but you feel good, you have a smile on your face because you did it.  You exercised and it didn't kill you.  You made it through and all of a sudden You have energy!  Where did that come from? 

So this is my challenge to you.  Exercise for 30min each day for one week.  How do you feel after each workout?, how did you sleep?, how did you feel the next day?
I bet you slept better, felt better and even though you didn't want to exercise you did it anyway just to feel good about yourself and this small step to better health.

Good luck everyone.  Talk to you tomorrow.

Today is Sunday August 16, 2015.

 

I guess I should tell you all a little more about myself.   I have battled my weight since I was a kid, I've dieted, worked out with trainers but I always felt bad about myself.  I was teased a lot growing up.  Being 5foot 9inches by the time you are 12 years old sucks.  Being the tallest kid in the class I was usually called the CN Tower or the Amazon girl.  

 I am still 5'9" and I have a large bone structure.  That does not mean that I am morbidly obese.  It's literally just genetics, I got my dad's height and bone structure and my mothers looks.  I hide my weight very well because I'm tall.  At my highest weight I was 230lbs.  I've lost over 30lbs and I am still going. 

 

I managed to do this with hard work.  There is no quick fix when you are over weight.  You have to be diligent.  YOU have to figure out what your body needs.  YOU have to figure out what the best diet is for you.  I went to one of those diet centers that helps people loose weight and it work for a while but after a year and a half I had to stop.  I just couldn't afford it anymore.  Many of these diet centers cost a large some of money and while they do work you have to be on there products, but what happens when you stop their products?  The weight starts to creep back on.  After I left the diet center I was at I spoke to my sister in law about her lifestyle.  I was intrigued but what she told me so I went out and learned about Whole30.  I did the Whole30 day program of cutting everything out, then slowly adding things in.  I learned what my body needed and discovered that for MY body type I needed to eat a more Paleo like diet.  I still have my sweets and salty treats every now and then but I learned that dairy is not good for me on a regular basis.  I also learned that wheat is not that great for me either but I still eat it on occasion, I just pay for it the next day. 

 

Will Whole30 work for you? I don't know.  It worked for me and it helped me to learn what foods my body likes.  Perhaps you have done another program that works for you.  Share it with me and the other people who may read this.  Lets work together to cheer each other on.  We can find a healthy way of eating and still find treats that we love that won't derail our progress to better health.

 

I am going to try to post Monday to Friday.  Each day will be about a different topic.  Things that I have learned or heard about.  Saturday and Sunday will be rest days, days to reflect on what you and I have accomplished over the week.  Small steps is all it takes.  Make one small goal, write it down, how did you feel after you achieved that goal.  Share with us your success.

Welcome to Nurses getting healthy

Hello my name is Andrea.
I've been a Critical Care Nurse for a number of years now and the one thing all nurses have in common is that we give our all for our patients and their families as well as to our own families.  We give our time, patience, listening skills, critical thinking skills, our strength and our knowledge.  As nurses we give all of ourselves to everyone but who takes care of US.  Our families, and friends do there best but ultimately we have a habit of neglecting ourselves.

I challenge all the nurses out there to start taking better care of themselves, one day at a time.  Eat clean for one day, go for a walk, do the stairs at work.  Just do something to better your health.  Tell me what you did today to improve your health.  Let's talk about it.  Let's share the trials and tribulations of getting healthy together.