America vs. Everybody else

Information from this podcast is from whydontyoutrythis.com (link to article)

five (easy) things to do for a healthier you

Pop is the worst. Drink some dang water.

It's very well known that pop is bad for you. So why do so many people drink it every single day? Because it's addicting, it's something to do with friends, it gets you going in the morning, it tastes good, blah blah blah. Whatever the reason, I'm just going to pound it in your head some more, It's so bad for you. How bad? 

1.  It increases your blood pressure.
2. It destroys your teeth.
3. It may contain brominated vegetable oil which is banned by the World Health Organization and banned for use in food in most other countries including all of Europe and Asia. It was first patented as a flame retardant. You can find it in MOUNTAIN DEW, FANTA ORANGE, SUNKIST PINEAPPLE, AND SQUIRT just to name a few. 
4. It adds a lot of extra calories to your daily intake that is not giving you any nutrients. 
5. It has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones, and liver problems. 
6. It contains fake sugars. Want to scare yourself? (It is October). Google aspartame and phenylalanine. 

Guys, drinking one soda a day adds up to about 91,000 calories a year! That's also about $574.50 a year. That's a plane ticket. Or five months of groceries. Or 6 months of gas. Or a wardrobe upgrade. Or just more money in your savings account. 

I'm a lucky girl, I love water (thank you, parents). But if you don't love water because it's so boring (wah wah) try adding a water enhancer like mio to it (just check the ingredients for aspartame!). Or add fruit! There are a ton of combinations that are amazing. My favorite is a red apple and a couple cinnamon sticks. Please drink water. It's so good for you. Like just as bad as pop is for you, water is 100X so good for you (think healthy skin, healthy insides, more energy). 

Running!

Running was pretty hard for me to get into . I have never been, and will never be one of those people who just can't wait to go for a 10 mile run to contemplate life. However, I have learned that going out and pounding the pavement to some good tunes has some major health benefits for my mind and body. 

Depending on body type, weight, and speed you can burn 600-1200 calories in an hour. You're strengthening legs and core while getting all the benefits of cardio. One of the greatest things about running is you can do it pretty much anywhere! As a college student you probably don't have a ton of time for fitness. Lacing up some running shoes and heading out the door to run for 30 minutes before class is a great way to do a workout without the huge time commitment and effort it takes to go the the gym. 

You don't need any of this but here is the gear I have on me whenever I go for a run. 

A watch is good for timing your runs, and mine has a calorie counter on it which is nice to see the benefits of my efforts. 

Good running shoes are a must if you are doing a lot of running. They are well worth the investment and should last about 8 months (unless you're doing a crazy amount of running) 

My knee has been injured for a while. This helps me control the pain so I can make it through my runs. 

Good music is a major perk of going for a run! It's an excuse to listen to a new album or enjoy an oldie but goodie. A safety light is a must for anytime you think cars might have some trouble seeing you. Notice my shirt is also bright. 

Don't go alone! It's more fun, you'll have more motivation, and it's safer to run with a buddy. 

Let's start with a four letter word- goal.

I don't know about the rest of you, but visual goals are the best way for me to make a change. I also love lists and getting to cross things off of those lists (nerd alert). That's why I've designed the following page to help me keep track of exactly what I have accomplished and what I still need to do to finish my fitness goals for the month.

This printable is meant to be a checklist of classes and fitness goals I want to accomplish over a month. During October I want to run 20 miles, do 4 yoga classes, 2 pilates classes, 3 spin classes and have 4 my choice hours where I can go slackline in the park or borrow my boyfriends dog and take him to the park to run around. 

I'll print this out and put it in my planner. My planner is my life line to saneness with all the craziness of life. If this printable is right there in my October calendar page I'll see it often and remember to make it to spin class so I can check off one of the triangles. 

The point is, you can do this too! Goals are an absolute must and we've all heard the line that you have to write your goals down if you want them to go anywhere. Use mine or make your own. It doesn't have to be fancy. A piece of paper and a pen is enough to make this happen. Just determine how much you can accomplish within a month and start there. If you don't have a gym membership, look into one or get creative. There are online videos and at home fitness programs you can use. Or maybe you just want to walk two miles five days a week. Just write it down! Make a chart and have fun checking off your accomplishments. Don't forget to reward yourself (just not with food, you're not a dog!).