Wednesday, February 20, 2013

A Little Sickly

I have been a little under the weather these past couple of days, so today I thought I'd share

7 Tips if you catch a cold

  • Drink lots of fluids. Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water are all good choices. They help replace fluids lost during mucus production or fever. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can cause dehydration.
  • Grandma was right. Generations of parents have ladled chicken soup into their sick children’s mouths. Now scientists have put chicken soup to the test, discovering that it does seem to help relieve cold and flu.
  • Go to your room! If possible, stay home from work (I did) if you have a fever or a bad cough, or are drowsy after the medications. This will give you a chance to rest as well as reduce the chances that you’ll infect others.
  • Adjust temperature & humidity. Keep your room warmer, but not overheated. If the air is dry, a cool-mist humidifier or vaporizer can moisten the air and help ease congestion and coughing.
  • Try a neti pot. To help relieve nasal congestion, rinse your nose (I know this sounds weird, but it really helps) with warm saline solution, meaning salt water. Be sure to use distilled or filtered water, not tap.
  • Vitamin C & Echinacea. The jury is still out, but it appears taking vitamin C & Echinacea at the onset of a cold may shorten the duration of symptoms. As with all of these tips, check with your doctor.
  • Apply some VapoRub. This is my secret go-to treatment when all else fails. Did your mom use it on you, too? It brings back memories of her TLC… and really helps improve my breathing and reduce my coughs.
Day 26:
Breakfast: egg and turkey casserole
Lunch: Applebee's roma chicken and shrimp (under550menu)
Dinner: broccoli and cheese soup

Day 27:
Breakfast: egg and turkey casserole                                 
Snack: pistachios
Lunch: broccoli and cheese soup
Dinner: me and the bf went and had dinner at Boston Pizzeria where I had a salad with lettuce and mozzarella cheese with hot sauce as dressing and then grilled chicken with marinara sauce with mixed veggies.
Dessert: I had a fugdesicle and I put my finger in Shauns cheesecake just to try a little taste I couldn't resist :)

51days

Monday, February 18, 2013

Char Town

 
Like I said I went to Charlotte for the weekend to visit a friend. After arriving Friday night it was time to freshen up and get ready for the night.
 
 
 
Then we were out on the town.

 
The next morning I woke up to this, now let me tell you I have been wanting to see snow for such a long time. So I enjoyed a day of fuzzy blankets, a long hot bath and movies.
 

After being lazy all day, we decided we wanted to stay in for the night and cook dinner and have a game night

 
After such a wonderful, yet draining weekend, I need to go by these tips below to recharge my battery!

Ten Steps to Recharge your Batteries after a Long Weekend


Sleep

One of the most important things you can do to regenerate and restart your body is sleep. You need to make sure your circadian rhythm is back on its proper cycle. You can do this by shooting for 8-10 hours of sleep for the next 5 nights. Make sure to get to bed early in a dark room with no distractions. If possible try to wake up at your normal time no matter how you feel. Regenerating this cycle will tell your body its time to get back to normal.

Water

With all the toxins built up from a weekend of campfire smoke, off-plan food, and other indulgences it is obvious we need a flush. This is not to mention the dehydrating alcoholic drinks and lack of water consumption that occurred during the weekend. Drink 2-3 Liters of water a day, period. This is an essential step in your detox.

Exercise

No matter if you feel like it or not get back into your exercise routine. The following day after vacation is the perfect day to start exercising again. I know some of you will be itching to get back into the gym and some of you will be dreading it. For those of you who are dreading it just know that in the end it will feel like therapy. Endorphins will be flowing and the sweat will be dripping. The term “sweat it out” has a definite truth to it! Make sure to give it your all while working out. It’s not about working longer – its about working out harder. Use your energy from those extra ‘Long Weekend’ calories to power your workout to another level. Your body will love it.

Dandelion Root Tea

This tea is an important part of liver detoxification. Try one cup a day for the next three days. A great brand is Traditional Medicinals and it can be found at the Superstore. For a great herbal diuretic with liver tonic properties Dandelion leaf is good as well. Try dandelion tea and see how it makes you feel. You will be surprised.

Stretching

This may not be a part of your routine but it should be. Work on lengthening your muscles that may be stiff or stagnant from a weekend of partying. Start with your quads and hamstrings holding each stretch for 30 seconds. You will feel more relaxed and mobile for your recovery week.

Avoid/Reduce Stress

If you are getting right back into a strenuous lifestyle or job do everything you can to reduce your stress. My favorites are meditate for 15 minutes a day, try a yoga class, go for a massage, take in a funny movie/laugh at something, or simply just take 30 minutes a day just to yourself to do what you like. Do everything you can to not get stressed out. You don’t want to contribute to an already worn out body.

Vitamins

You may have missed your vitamins all weekend… Get back on your multivitamin and omega 3s. You need to replenish your system that may have been depleted over the course of the weekend. These will help with mental clarity, detoxification, and cellular health. Trying to keep your skin healthy? Get your vitamins.

Get Back to Your Healthy Eating

Green veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains are essential in getting you back on track. For 5 days try to stay away from sweets. Pump up your nutrition by drinking a Green Drink every morning and including green veggies like broccoli and asparagus twice a day. DAMY Members – it’s time to get back on plan. Start right away.

Drink Green Tea

Now, more than ever, you need antioxidants to get rid of the free radicals you built up all weekend. One of my favorite ways to accomplish this is to drink green tea. My favorite brand right now is simply the PC Tropical Green Tea. Drink 2-3 cups of Green tea each day this week. If you haven’t done it before you will notice how amazing you feel from it.

Organization

Keep your mind at ease by being organized. Create a 5 day plan prioritizing what needs to get done. Don’t overdo it. Only plan to accomplish the essentials. Seeing it in front of you will relax your mind and reassure yourself that this week is going to go smoothly. From there, take it one day at a time. Include these ten steps in your plan. Simply write them out at the top of each page. Then, do them. You will feel great about how quickly you recover.




Day 23:
Lunch: hunan chicken just onions and broccoli (no rice)
Dinner: Taco night (lettuce, lean beef, Mexican cheese, fat free refried bean, peppers and onions)
 
Day: 24
Lunch: leftover taco night (lettuce, lean beef, Mexican cheese, fat free refried bean, peppers and onions)
Snack: Sonic strawberry's slushie
Dinner: homemade broccoli soup, crab meat, turkey sausage and cheese. (very random dinner but once I go home I just ate whatever I had at the house)
Dessert: fudgesicle
 
Day 25:
Breakfast: egg and turkey sausage casserole
Lunch: homemade broccoli soup
Dinner: Shish Kabobs  
 
 
53days.