Tis’ the Season for Giveaways

Posted on February 22, 2010 by kymarie13

February is American Heart Month, so it is a great time for Healthy giveaways. Along with my Core Fusion DVD giveaway some fellow Health Bloggers are also having some amazing giveaways! These are awesome, they are easy to enter and you have the chance to get some really cool stuff, you may also find more blogs that you love! So check out these amazing giveaways!

Shedding it and Getting it

Rachel from Seddingit.com is giving away a Fitbook, which I recently wrote about in my post about fitness journals. To find out how to enter go to Go Red Month Giveaway. This giveaway ends on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 11:59 PM.

Prior Fat Girl

Jen from Prior Fat Girl is having a “HUGETASTIC giveaway from @priorfatgirl & @exercisetv. 4 different prizes! Enter to win at Exercise TV Giveaway” This giveaway ends on Thursday, February 25th at 8pm CT.

i Heart Wellness

Kris, from i Heart Wellness is giving away Daily Detox drops. She says the benefits of the drops are:

  • Weight Loss
  • A heightened sense of energy
  • Increased mental clarity
  • Eliminate discomfort caused by negative bacteria
  • Eliminate candida and built up parasites

To enter this giveaway please go to Daily Detox Giveaway! The giveaway ends on February 25th at 8pm PST.

That’s Fit

That’s Fit, a Health blog from AOL is having a Lock & Mane Gym Bag Beauty Essentials giveaway that includes “a travel sized Phillip B. Peppermint & Avocado Clarifying Shampoo, a small Phillip B. Light-Weight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse (both designed to get your hair clean, healthy and shiny in a jiffy), Jonathon Product Redo Pocket Freshen-Up Wipes for Hair & Skin (perfect for when you’re on a rush and don’t have time for acomplete overhaul), Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk (because you don’t need to wash your hair every single time you work out), and, the pièce de résistance, a Metropolis L-Ion Mini Wireless Iron (Did you even know this existed? And now that you know, how did you live without it?).” To enter go to Lock & Mane Gym Giveaway. Giveaway ends on Friday, February 26 at 5 p.m. ET.

Healthy Tipping Point

Now this isn’t a giveaway but it is a raffle and it goes to a great cause. Caitlin, from Healthy Tipping Point, is raising money to ride in the Echelon Gran Fondo Century Bike Race which raises money for the Livestrong Lance Armstrong Foundation, as well as local cancer research programs and hospitals. She has plegded to raise $3000! In order to reach for goals she is having a raffle and you could win a Garmin 305! It has a GPS inside, it can track mileage, calculate pace, create maps, design automatic speedwork workouts, and more.  Much, much more! It also comes with a heart rate monitor. You can get your tickets at Garmin Raffle. The raffle ends on Thursday, February 25 around 10 am.

And Her Little Dog Too

Leslie, from And Her Little Dog Too, a healthy living, eating, and running blog in PA is having an EO products giveaway! “EO is a family owned and operated, Certified Organic Manufacturer of personal care products using only natural and certified organic ingredients. They have over 100 items containing their signature essential oil blends.” Enter to win EO Products giveaway. Giveaway ends on Wednesday, February 24!

And don’t forget to enter my CORE FUSION DVD Giveaway. The more times you enter, the better chance you have!  :)

Filed under: MISC Wellness Info | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

You’re Sick, Should you Workout?

Posted on February 2, 2010 by kymarie13

I can be a pretty stubborn person, especially when I finally get into a workout routine, I do not like to miss a day. Even when I get sick… I used to believe that I was invincible and I could power through it and maybe, magically, it would help me get better. I was WRONG, very, very wrong. It took me talking to my nutritionist, Kayleigh, and reading an article on CNN to believe that working out while being sick is not a good idea.

When you get sick there is an infection in your body, and your body will need all of your energy to fight it off. By working out you are pushing your body to fatigue and not leaving any energy to help fight off the infection. As Kayleigh says “You can only work as hard as you can “let go,” and respecting yourself when you are sick is part of the “letting go” that leads to optimal wellness.” If you take one day off and rest, the next day (when you are hopefully better) will make you want to work that much harder because you had to miss a day. Start listening to your body, don’t push it when it can’t.

In the CNN article “Should you Workout When your Sick?”  Dr. Kellerman, of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says “I tell people to listen to their bodies. If they are sick, their body is telling them something is wrong. Even though it may be tempting to not break an exercise routine, working out may actually prolong the illness. And, in rare cases “viruses can damage heart muscles,” he added. Kellerman said it is a myth that you can sweat out germs and toxins. He acknowledges that “low levels of exercise increase endorphins and benefit the body, but an intense workout that creates high levels of endorphins can wear down the immune system.” In other words, “Don’t count on endorphins to heal you,” he said.

So if your sick this Winter or you feel like you are starting to get sick, do yourself and your body a favor. Stay home, lay in bed and watch movies! Your body will thank you. And then when you are better, get back to your routine and work harder than before.

I asked Kayleigh to recommend some good foods for when you are sick:

  • Easily digested foods that don’t make your body work too hard (your immune system is mostly in your intestines). These include: vegetable soups, chicken soups, oatmeal, salads, and light protein like chicken and fish. Stay away from high-fat foods and sweets.
  • Drink tons of water!!
  • Hot tea, especially ginger tea because ginger is full of virus-fighting substances
  • Load up on fruits and veggies, which are full of anti-oxidants
  • Garlic: the most potent anti´viral and anti-bacterial around. Add it to all your meals. Raw is best!
  • Grapefruit: full of vitamin and a potent liver detoxifier (the liver has to work overtime to detoxify the body when you are sick)

If you still don’t believe me I found another post by a fellow blogger you can check out too Fit Chick in the City.

Image from here.

Filed under: Workouts | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Nutrition Counseling with Kayleigh Pleas Part 1

Posted on February 1, 2010 by kymarie13

I felt like I had hit a plateau with my fitness/health level so I talked to Fred Devito, co-founder of Core Fusion, at Exhale about what it could be. Now I knew that my eating habits were not the best but they aren’t too bad either. Awhile ago I had given up white bread and switched to whole wheat or multi-grain bread. The only white bread that came into my diet was if I was at a restaurant. I stopped drinking soda but once in a while I will have one and I always try to make pretty descent choices when I order out. My biggest downfalls were that First, I do not eat enough fruits and vegetables in fact I hardly eat any at all. I found with living in the city and at the pace my life moves, if I buy fruits and vegetables, I don’t eat it fast enough and it goes bad. This is probably my biggest problem. My second problem was until about November I thought buying low-fat and non fat items were better for you, turns out I was very wrong! My third  problem was I do not drink enough water. So after speaking to Fred we decided that I should get a Nutritionist to help me with my eating habits and help me make good choices.

One of my favorite instructors at Exhale, Kayleigh Pleas, is a nutritionist and she was offering a special for the new year so I thought I would give it a try. I will be seeing Kayleigh for four sessions, which is very short, but on my budget, it is what I can do. Last week was my first meeting and this Thursday is my second meeting. Kayleigh had me fill out a Health history form for our first meeting and we went through where my biggest downfalls were. We talked about what kind of food I need to be eating and she made suggestions that I should incorporate into my diet and practice for the next time we meet. My suggestions were: drink at least 8oz. of water before and after meals, slow down and think about what your eating (I tend to eat way to fast), keep a detailed food journal (not calorie counting) and replace half of my sandwich at lunch with vegetables and fruit. I also needed to replace my bread with a different kind of bread. I had two weeks to incorporate these changes. One week has passed and I did not do very well… So this week I really need to work on it, otherwise there is no point for me to go to a nutritionist. I told Kayleigh about my struggles and she told me not to get frustrated that normally she suggests that people see her for 6 months because it takes a while for people to make these kind of changes in their diet and lifestyle. So I will keep you updated on my progress with Kayleigh and give you tips from her along the way. If you are interested in seeing a Nutritionist I highly recommend Kayleigh. She is great and very helpful. For more information on Kayleigh you can visit her website.

Image from Kayleigh Health.

Filed under: Nutrition/Restaurants | Tagged: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

  • Stay Connected

        
  • Follow Me on Pinterest

  • See my Inspiration on:

  • About Me

    Hello! My name is Kristine and I live and work in New York City. Since I have been here I have realized how hard it is to maintain a healthy balance while living in the City. Work starts to consume your life and you can get lost in everything around you.

    This blog is where you can read my journey on trying to maintain a healthy balance. I won't be perfect but then again it wouldn't be fun to read if I was.

  • Grab A Button

    Shape Up NYC

    <a href="http://shapeupnyc.com"><img src="http://shapeupcity.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/shapeupbutton.jpg" alt="Shape Up NYC" width="150" height="153" /></a>

  • Disclaimer

    I'm neither dietitian nor a physician, I just share what I learn through various Nutritionists, self exploration, and trial/error. I love learning about new ways to stay healthy and in shape. I wanted to share what I learn with others, so thats why Shape Up NYC is here.

  • Blog Design By

    The Blog Fairy