I hit one of the goals today. This is something I have officially been working on consistently for about a year (minus the covid break), but really for about 30 years. I squatted three pounds more than my weight. I have been training slowly, steadily, and safely for a year to be able to do this. I am proud of myself something that is pretty hard for me to say). This feels like a very huge accomplishment, maybe bigger than it really is, but for me, it feels pretty darn big and here is why:
Read moreHow Barre Helps me stay Fit Over Forty
At 43 I am the strongest I have ever been in my life. I did it by shifting my mindset (and working seriously hard). I find talking about weight loss/ getting in shape right now, pretty tricky – mostly because I want to be careful not to promote the wrong message. And because one of the biggest pitfalls I see being “sold” in the world and on social media about fitness/weight loss is the idea that you can “start this program or that one or follow a certain diet” and you will look completely transformed in X amount of time. The problem with this is that – 1) I really believe there is no one fit all approach to health and fitness, what worked for one person may not work for all and 2) the people promoting these transformations I can bet you, are often times doing way beyond what they are sharing that they do. This is often leaving people that don’t get the results promised by some programs felling like they failed or they must just lack the discipline to change (trust me I have been there). And that can be very demotivating. For example, I can share with you what I have been doing to get in better shape, if you ask me , I would say “teaching 4-5 barre classes a week ( now online I actually do the class) and lift weights twice a week, and eat healthy. Great- sounds simple right? But what is missing is on top of that – I physically practice the class before I teach it, I am active pretty much all day with my kids, I take my dog on long walks, I eat very strategically based on the amount of exercise I do each day ( this is to make sure I am eating enough) . I am moving way more than my workouts. I am sharing all this because it is the whole real picture, not a packaged wellness program. And I am really enjoying it. Side note: Joy is a secret ingredient to sticking with a program long term (More on that another time).
Read moreWellness Tips During Quarantine
I can see in myself and those around me, how easily it could be to slip really far away from our normal health/wellness and self-care routines right now. Our once busy lives of running all around, meeting friends for workouts, or coffee, fitting in self-care like massages, facials, manicures, making time for wellness visits to doctors/acupuncturists/therapists/healers has all been abruptly stopped. We are now asked to stay home, all the time. All appointments cancelled. I feel that there is more at risk here than just getting the corona virus, but also losing the routines many of us keep in place that we need to function optimally. In this new “normal” way of living while staying home, I think it is even more important than ever to stick to a wellness routine even if it looks very different than it used to. I think a tool to managing the stress and anxieties of today’s world means maintaining a semblance of our “old” schedules and not letting our health routines get too far derailed. Here are three of my tips on what I recommend people do during this challenging time:
Read moreThe Most Important Workout Right Now Might Be For Your Immune System:
I don’t want to seem like an over alarmist but with recent new reports from the Center of Disease Control that cases of coronavirus are expected to increase in the US, I started to look for ways to protect myself and my family as much as possible. Step 1) buy face masks to have in case- apparently late on that one as they are pretty much sold out or cost a fortune. Step 2- do everything to stay as healthy as possible and work on boosting up our immune systems.
I am not an expert on this topic, but I have been doing some research and I will share some of the top tips that I have found. I will post a link in my bio to all the resources I used. What I have found and according to a recent Harvard Health Study is that there is very little scientific proof that one single food, or vitamin, or supplement can actually change the immune system, however, the study does state the first line of defense in protecting immune response is taking steps to live a healthier lifestyle: Don’t smoke, eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, drink alcoholonly in moderation, get adequate sleep, take steps to prevent spreading germs such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly, and try to minimize stress. Also, it is very important to stay well hydrated.
After scouring through many articles these seem to be the top immune boosting food and supplements listed by health experts: Citrus (any food containing vitamin C), ginger, bell peppers, turmeric, spinach, broccoli, almonds, blueberries, garlic, and dark chocolate, foods containing magnesium, green tea and coconut oil.
Herbs: Oregano or oregano oil, sage, basil, fennel, star anise, lemon balm, peppermint, rosemary, echinacea, ginseng, dandelion
For more details on immune boosting foods visit www.jessicadiazwellness.com
For more details on immune boosting foods visit the links below:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
https://annlouise.com/2020/02/05/coronavirus-boost-immune-system-2/
https://globalhealing.com/natural-health/8-foods-that-boost-your-immune-system/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322412
https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/anti-viral-foods-diseases-coronavirus-6248938/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antiviral-herbs#15.-Dandelion
https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/familyhealth/coronavirus-anti-viral-foods-to-build-immunity-and-keep-diseases-away/ar-BBZBkpa
https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/oregano-oil-benefits/
