Superfoods!

Have you ever heard of 'Superfoods'?!?  Well, they've been around, and they're here to stay!  Modern science - biochemistry, to be exact - is showing us exactly which foods have the most good in them for our bodies and minds!  Now, you no longer have to guess which foods are the best choices, the information is out there if you look for it!

Some things we know just by common sense and passed on wisdom.  Like a banana is better than a candy bar!  That's a no brainer!  But what about the best foods to fend off a cold?  Or how to eat in order to avoid getting certain diseases later in life, like diabetes, heart disease or even cancer? The 'superfoods' hold the secret!

Many foods not on the list are 'super' good for you too, but these are the best of the best!

Beans

A great low-fat, low-calorie source of protein. Helps control weight and blood sugar levels.

Blueberries

Keep your brain at it's best.

Broccoli

Great for preventing cancer.

Oats

Lowers cholesterol.

Oranges

Great source of vitamin C, which can protect against heart disease and cancer.

Pumpkin

Keeps skin young and healthy and protects it from sun damage.

Wild salmon

Improves heart health.

Soy

The only complete vegetarian source of protein.

Spinach

Good for excellent vision, and contains vitamin C, vitamin B complex, vitamin K, potassium, calcium and iron.

Tea -- green or black

Protects against heart disease and cancer.

Tomatoes

Contains vitamin A for vision, B complex, C, potassium, and iron.

Skinless turkey breast

The leanest meat source of protein.

Walnuts

Protects your heart, veins, arteries and capillaries.

Yogurt

Boosts the immune system.

Okay!  So you probably don't have any diseases just yet, but if you want good eating habits later, you've got to develop the habits now! 

Eat a diet of different foods, as freshly prepared as possible, and improve everything from you well-being, to your skin and hair, and even your FUTURE! 

Dance It Out!

In honor of Zac’s birthday week, why don’t you get out a copy of HSM (1 or 2, doesn’t matter), and see if you can not only learn all the dance steps, but bring them up to performance level?!?  Learn one musical number at a time, that way you can really perfect it, and give it your all. 

What is performance level?  It’s when you give it all the energy you have and get your whole body and mind involved in the dance!  That means, you should definitely be out of breath at the end of the music!  From the moment you stand ready to go, to the last pose, you should have energy in every part of your body – have you seen the difference between someone ‘just standing there’, and a dancer ready to perform?  The dancer is using way more energy, and building way more fitness, JUST by standing there energized!

So grab some friends, and no matter whether you are good enough to perform or not, dance like there’s nobody watching and get your groove – and your fitness – ON!

(photo: pr photo)

Get Sweaty!

We realize that ‘young ladies don’t sweat, they glow!”, but that kind of thinking is waaaay too old fashioned!  It’s one thing to walk or bike ride or go for a swim, but are you really making it into a work-out?!? 

If you are truly out of shape, then by all means start by simply doing SOMETHING!  But once that get easy, if there‘s no effort involved anymore, you’ve got to step it up a notch!  Funny as it sounds, heavy breathing and perspiration are the signs of pushing past the easy, and building new strength and lasting power! 

So, make sure you make a midday change of clothes and a shower worthwhile a couple of times a week!  Your heart, lungs, muscles, brain and soul will thank you!  - Just don’t forget the shower part!!!

Mental Fitness

Do you stretch your mind?  Do you take it out for a good workout?  Or do you let it sit and vegetate?  Don’t be a couch potato inside and out!  Learn something new!  And we’re not just talking ‘book learning’ either!  Your mind is involved in everything you do, including the physical stuff.  Figuring out a crossword puzzle or learning to walk on the balance beam are both great ways to expand your mind!  And that doesn’t only count for succeeding at what you’re doing – the learning process is when your mind grows the most! 

Oh!  So you can already walk on the balance beam!  Fabulous!  Then take it a step further and work on something you DON’T do well already.  Learn to play a new game, solve a puzzle you’ve never solved before, read an entirely new book, take a class in photography (which may mean seeing the world in a whole new way!)… the possibilities are endless.  Just allow yourself to be a  beginner when you are one!  Give yourself a break, and enjoy how it challenges you!  It’s like body-building for your brain!

The body affects the mind, and the mind affects the body – you want to have both running at the top of their game!