Sunday, February 9, 2014

28 Day Water Challenge: Drink Up!

     Ladies and Gentlemen of the fitness community it comes to my attention that consuming water throughout the day can be a struggle.  Depending on the type of work you do, stress levels, and various other factors can make drinking water throughout the day not an easy task.  Welivegood has put together a small challenge for those willing to accept.  For the next 28 days we challenge you to reach a new level in your fitness routine by replacing your daily sugary drink consumption with only water.  Yes, 28 days straight through without any cheat days.  Although you will be tempted to trade a glass of water with a sugary drink, trust me it is the best feeling to know that you did not give into that temptation for a quick sip. You will not be alone on this journey, just know that your fellow Welivegood fitness family is here to support you along the way.  Currently I am on day ten of the challenge.

There is no secret to success or any strategies, just consistency and the will to want to complete a personal challenge for yourself should be motivation enough.  What I can tell you is that you need to get a few water bottles and have them readily available throughout the day.  Find a water fountain or sink where ever you may be mostly throughout your day because the sugar cravings will be calling.  If it comes down to it and the bland taste of just plain water begins to bog you down, infuse your water container with some fruits.  The addition of strawberries, watermelon, raspberries or sliced lemons will build for a better taste and encourage you to stay committed to the challenge.  So drink up my friends and stay hydrated.

If you accept the challenge, repost this picture on your instagram and add the tagline #welivegood





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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Pack The Fridge, Meal Prepping For The Weeks To Come

    
Every great exercise program needs a perfect routine to be planned out to be able to successfully gain the right results.  With that in mind the same concept needs to be worked up for the meals that you consume throughout the week.  Proper meal prepping can be the pivotal point making sure that the outside appearance that you are diligently striving for is sync with the foods that you are feeding your insides.  When done correctly, the desired results will come quicker and stay longer. Do not get the process of preparing foods for weekly consumption misconstrued.  There is a method to this madness that once learned will make all future preparations of the weeks to come seamless.  So head to you local grocery store or food market and grab some ingredients because your fridge is going to be packing.
    
     The two biggest strategies behind an effective meal prep are preparing specific foods and tracking your progress with a photo journal.  Preparing specific foods consist of gathering the essentials such as proteins, healthy fats, raw greens, and carbs.  Hope you have a bunch of storage containers because you are going to need them. Your going to want to pack a container for breakfast, late morning snack, lunch, late afternoon snack, and dinner.  With the right meal preps and all your storage containers filled with food, there is no doubt that achieving the fitness goals you have set will come easy.  Tracking your progress with a photo journal of the meals you prepare for each hour of the day will allow you to visually monitor the healthy foods that you are consuming throughout each week.  This will come in handy for when you have those days that you steer off course with a meal so you can regain focus by viewing meals you have previously consumed.

     Look no one said this healthy living thing was going to come easy, but with guidance, patience and determination you can do it.  Continue to strive towards the ultimate goal of your fitness journey and the rewards you reap will be worth every drop of sweat, fat, and tear.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Food For Thought: Chicken with Grapefruit

 
 
MAKES 4 SERVINGS. Per serving: 266 calories, 27 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates (2 g fiber), 10 g fat (2 g sat), 438 mg sodium
 
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp grapefruit juice
2 tsp honey
3 cups trimmed watercress
2 grapefruit, cut into segments

1. Season chicken with thyme and half of the salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken, 6 minutes per side. Add wine, broth, juice, and honey. Simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup. Season with remaining salt and pepper.

3. Put watercress and grapefruit on 4 plates. Top with chicken and sauce.
 
 
courtesy of menshealth




Sunday, January 26, 2014

2014 New Year's Resolution: Get Fit!


 
Happy New Year's. I know it is kind of late but it is still the start of this 2014 year and what more of a way to start off the year right than with a little health and fitness.  We all know the number one new year resolution set by millions all over the country is to exercise.  Welivegood would like to help you throughout this year by holding ourself accountable for keeping you motivated and committed.  With weekly post and monthly challenges that we hope brings another part of excitement into your exercise commitments. 

Getting fit should be a fun activity and should never feel like a burden or a task.  A few things to keep in mind that will ensure that you stay on path throughout the year.  One, set a goal; whether it is to lose weight or a few inches, even to get leaner and pack on more muscle. Two, develop a plan; every goal that we set no matter what the arena you need a good plan on how you are going to reach and achieve that goal. Three, stick to it; keep track of your progress with a weekly journal so that you can see winning results no matter the gain. Finally, don't beat yourself up.  At the end of the day you try your hardest each day and do this for the change that you want to see.  No one else can be more committed to the goals set than yourself.  So keep focus know that Welivegood has your back.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

ASK THE MONEY GUY: My Credit Is Horrible, Is It Too Late To Fix It?

  The most common question that exists when it comes to conquering debt and acquiring financial freedom is 'My credit score is too low, how can I fix get it back up higher?' Well, today ladies and gentlemen you will find out two simple methods that can when used correctly will help sky rocket that slumping credit score.  The two methods that we will look into consist of using a secured credit card and a personal loan.

  Let us jump right in here.  The secured credit card is a form of revolving credit that has is backed by an amount of cash as the collateral which becomes your credit limit for the card.  Most of your financial institutions offer this form of card, but you may not see it advertised as much.  The basis behind the card is that it is primarily used to help rebuild or establish credit for you if you have limited or none.  Simply use the card on purchases like groceries, gas, salon, etc. once a month, then pay the balance off once the billing cycle comes due.  Remember the point of the card is to help rebuild or establish credit so do not go over board and max out the card.  For those with low scores, secured credit card, can be a great approach to generate current credit history so future lenders or creditors can monitor your current activity with the credit relationship you have with 'xyz' financial institution.

  Depending on your current situation, a personal loan maybe a better option for you.  Taking out a personal loan for the total amount of debt you owe could be used to consolidate the things weighing your score down.  What happens when you do this approach, is that you payoff the many debts owed at the various company's you have a collection account with.  Clearing these company's off your credit report with this approach will cause your credit score to tip higher;  the personal loan that you just used for those balance payoffs is now consolidated down to one loan, with one monthly payment and fixed interest rate for a set monthly term.  Yes, the interest rate may be high but trust the Money Guy because in the end it will worth it once you see how high your score has gotten.

  So I ask you to take a second and examine where your credit score is currently;  Ask yourself could it be higher.  Just know one of these two methods can be a handy tool for your success.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Smoothie A Day, Will Keep Energy Shots Away!

 
We all have seen the commercials that advertise taking energy shots when you feel that two o'clock sluggish feeling come on.  Trust me, you do not want to give into getting hook on those nasty energy shots just to try and get through the slump portion of your day.  Instead try an grab a fruit blended smoothie for a change.  Fruit smoothies provide an assortment of benefits for your body, but not only that, they are quite tasteful  too.  Smoothies can range from consisting of all fruits to consisting of all vegetables, whichever one is to your personal liking.

Smoothies are so simple to make; either make by following a recipe from a well known site/blog or just grab your blender and your favorite fruits and mix away.  The nutrients provided from consuming a healthy smoothie do so much wonders to the body from supporting the functionality of the heart, to maintaining normal or lower blood pressure, to providing disease fighting antioxidants.  Those are just some of the gainful benefits, the list can be a lot lengthier.  On the other hand, energy shots do not provide a real benefit factor.  What they do provide are high amounts of caffeine loaded into tiny bottles causing you to experience an increase in your chances of high blood pressure, rapid heartbeats, unusual vomiting, nausea, trouble sleeping, and nervousness. If you are new to the energy shot concept, stay away!

Most of us are always trying to find a quick solution to our lack of energy problem when it presents itself daily.  Why not drop the energy shots from your daily work routine or late night study session and instead replace it with a healthy fruit smoothie.  The taste alone will wake your taste buds up and with all the nutrients and vitamins that are consume from just one cup will give you the much needed energy to finish strong.  So to my friends that do not own a blender go find a smoothie bar in your gym, fitness center, or community. No excuses! And for those who have access to a blender, let there not be a sluggish day no more because you possess the tool that will help maximize you throughout the day.


WebMD
forbes

Monday, October 7, 2013

Key to a Healthy Figure: Fruit Infused Water


By now you have all seen the pictures and all the recipes posted on numerous health websites where there is a pitcher filled with water infused with a variety of fruits.  Well the numerous pictures expose a great practice not only gets you to consume more water, but also to help your cleanse toxins within your body. 

The human body is design to naturally cleanse toxins out throughout our daily lives that we live throughout the variety of healthy nutrients that we consume daily.  Sometimes, the amount of vitamins and nutrients that we gain our body are simply not enough to rid some of the excess toxins that build up.  By drinking eight glasses of water each day we can provide the body of the cleanse that is necessary.  The reality, though, is we find it difficult to consume eight glasses of water a day because the fact of the matter is water is boring, tasteless, and unappealing.  This is where infusing water with fruits comes to play.  It rids the outlook on water as boring, tasteless, and unappealing; reintroducing it as enjoyable, tasty, and appealing.

Numerous health benefits are associated with fruit infused water.  The infusion of watermelon in water can support optimal eye health and boosts immunity.  Watermelon is rich with Vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system's defenses against infections and viruses.  If you enjoy adding lemon into your water know this; The citric acid in lemons has the ability to dissolve built-up toxins in the body, allowing them to be flushed out through urination. Try squeezing some lemon juice into a glass of water and drinking first thing in the morning. Infuse water with cucumbers and mint leaves helps to flush out toxins in the liver, kidney and intestine areas.  Allowing for a cleaner functioning digestive system.

The infusion of fruits into water allow for the body to get a great cleanse that will leave you looking and feeling good on both the inside and outside.  So my friends, go ahead an turn that boring glass of water into a flavorful drink that will have you drinking all day long. Bottoms up!

Sources
wikihow