Inertia-Isaac Newton was on to something.

An object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by an outside force. An object at rest stays at rest until acted upon by an outside force.
We all know this right?
I haven't really thought about inertia since high school, until this week. This week I realized that inertia actually controls my life. It's why when I'm "on," I'm really on, and when I'm "off," I'm totally off. Have you ever been on a roll getting lots of stuff done and then sat down for a minute to eat lunch or sort the mail and completely lost your momentum? How many times have you thought "I never should have sat down!"  Some days I am on fire and get so much accomplished. Other days I can't seem to get myself in gear at all.
So what's going on here? What are the "outside forces" at work that kill my energy and keep me from being the upbeat, active person I really want to be all the time?
And just as importantly, what outside forces can I use to get myself going when I'm mentally or physically "at rest?" Obviously, exhaustion and the need for reasonable amounts of sleep are factors here, but they are definitely not the whole story.

Here's what I've come up with so far for what I'll call negative outside forces:

• avoidance-when I really don't feel like doing the task at hand for whatever reason
• desire for down time- any parents relate to this one?
• actual physical fatigue
• mental fatigue
• lack of a goal to work toward
• looking at the big picture and feeling overwhelmed
• need for a chance to just blow off steam
• Facebook, Pinterest, email, etc

And on the positive side:

• momentum
• feelings of accomplishment
• encouragement from others
• focusing on only the task at hand and not looking at the whole to-do list
• taking the first step-the next one is always easier
• getting closer to a goal
• having the end in sight
• endorphins!

So my challenge this week is to figure out a way to enjoy my times at rest without letting them take over indefinitely and, as much as possible, to stay in motion.

So far I'm doing really well, but I'd love to hear how others deal with their "lazy side" and keep from becoming a total couch potato. 

What do you do in the moment to snap out of a slump and get back in the game?

Oh, and one more thing: NEVER end your workout lying face-down on the floor! Our 14-minute workout this week ended with a series of "supermans" and, after the minute was up this morning, I promptly fell asleep right there on the floor. Oops!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

~M-C

Eat More Kale

You've all seen the t-shirts and the bumper stickers, right? So what's all the hype about kale?
This slogan originally began as a t-shirt to promote local business, however, aside form the controversy that surrounds it (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9REGSB00.htm), you really SHOULD eat more kale-it's one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet.
I'm not going to list all the great vitamins and minerals in kale, but trust me when I tell you that it's a powerhouse.

Here's a recipe I'll be making many times this week:

Crispy Kale Chips  
Ingredients

• 1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food.

Some people say these take the place of potato chips for them, I won't go that far, but they are definitely yummy! 

I'm told if you use less oil, you can crush these up into a powder and mix them into popcorn with a bit of parmesan cheese. I might have to try that too.

I also use kale almost every time I make soup. Wash it, take out the stems (I saute them in olive oil and eat them separately) and throw them in whatever soup you are making. Just make sure you let them simmer until they are tender or they can be a bit bitter.

How are you making kale this week?

In health and haste,

~Mari-Chris

6FIT Week 5-The 24-Hour Workout!

JUST KIDDING! But I got you to read on, didn't I?

I'm kidding about week 5, but not kidding about the 24-hour workout. The concept isn't mine, but I love it. The idea is to behave as if you're working out all of the time and it can really change everything from what you eat to how you carry yourself and even how you dress.

For example, you'd never eat a big fried meal before a workout, would you? No-you'd eat a healthy meal with lots of veggies and you'd never stuff yourself.
When you work out, you focus on your form, so why not stand up straight, hold in your middle and keep your chin up all day?
And if you're not going anywhere special, wear your cute kicks so you'll be ready if the opportunity arises for some active fun!

I'll admit, I can't remember to do it all the time, but when I do, I feel really great. I find myself doing calf-raises while I wait for my coffee to heat in the microwave, or putting away the laundry 1 pile at a time (bedrooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors!) rather than stuffing as much as I can into 1 basket so I only have to climb the stairs once. Just standing up straight and holding in my stomach takes a lot of work, so I know I must be strengthening something, right? And when I feel strong, I'm much less likely to hit the baking cabinet and grab a handful of chocolate chips on my way by. Don't laugh-it's the only junk-food I have left in the house!

Give it a try. See if you can work "exercise" into the things you already do everyday. It won't replace a good workout but it will definitely help you make better choices and you'll feel great!


So how's everyone doing with Go Vegetarian week? Are you missing meat? Have you found that you aren't missing it much?

This is not a tough one for me because we don't eat much meat around here, but I'm hearing that lot's of people are struggling with this one. I used to cook some type of meat for my family at least 4 or 5 nights a week. Originally, we cut back in order to scale down our food budget. Then, the more I read, the more I became committed to buying only meat from animals that were raised humanely and fed well. Since that kind of meat is so expensive, we consider it a treat these days. We're not fanatics-I still eat whatever is served if I'm not at home, but I want to feel good about what I spend our money on when I have the choice.

Here's a really easy vegetarian recipe, especially for people who don't like tofu. I was never a tofu fan but I've found I love it when it's cooked right. Just try it-you might change your mind. Serve it with brown rice or quinoa and a steamed vegetable (green beans anyone?) for a complete meal.


 Seriously Delicious Baked Tofu:
1lb tofu sliced into 1/2in rectangles
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine (mirin)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced fresh garlic

Preheat oven to 350.
Place tofu in a single layer on a lightly oiled casserole dish.
Whisk all other ingredients together and pour over tofu.
Bake until tofu is lightly browned and sauce has thickened.  (About an hour but watch it closely because it can be different depending on the variety of tofu.)

Okay, my 1/2 hour break is over (thank you Grandma and Grandad!) and the children are about to descend so it's back to school vacation week madness.

Enjoy the weather and don't forget to try something new today!

~Mari-Chris

I told you so!

Wow-lots of views for my last post. I guess folks were more nervous about hunt, gather, grow week than I thought! How's everyone doing so far? Not as bad as you thought it was going to be?

Two different people have remarked to me this week that they can't believe their energy level given that they're "only" eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and unprocessed foods. It's eye-opening, isn't it? Gives you a whole new perspective on what your body really wants you to put into it.

It turns out, you can get all of the nutrition and energy your body needs by eating the hunt, gather, grow way. Not only that, but your body will become much more efficient. If your body is not wasting time and energy trying to digest foods it wasn't meant to process, it will have more time and energy to do everything else.

And who thinks they're missing out on carbs?
 Guess what-the foods that you are eating are actually full of carbohydrates. The only difference is that they are complex carbs, as opposed to the simple carbs found in breads, crackers, cereals, etc.

Simple carbs are metabolized pretty quickly, giving you a short burst of energy (and spike in blood sugar) and then that familiar drop (plummeting blood sugar), which makes you crave more carbs and the cycle continues.
Complex carbs are metabolized much more slowly so your blood sugar never spikes and you feel a much more constant, stable energy level and generally feel satisfied longer than you would with simple carbs.

Blah, blah, blah, so the point is THIS IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR YOUR BODY!!!

Two weeks in and you already have the first Two pieces of the 6FIT puzzle:

1. Stay hydrated-it makes you feel good and makes your body work well.
2. Eat "real" food-it makes you feel good and makes your body work well

Are you sensing a theme here?

And how are you doing with broccoli and melon, our foods of the week? I have to admit that I've just been steaming lots of broccoli and haven't gotten very creative. I might give this a try before the week is out:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/broccoli-sun-dried-tomatoes-50400000112125/

It's broccoli with sun-dried tomatoes and pine-nuts and it looks so pretty.

As for melon, it makes me feel like summer is here-hooray!

So you've gotten on a roll and you're feeling good and then what? A holiday weekend sneaks up on you. Whether you're celebrating Easter or Passover or just a plain old weekend, you have to have a plan because flying by the seat of your pants is just not going to work (and you're going to need larger pants!).

We'll be having brunch with my family and dinner with my husband's family and they're both potluck so I'm bringing 6FIT-style foods to both meals. That way I'll be sure to have options that I'll feel good about.

I also plan on enjoying a mimosa at brunch, a glass of red wine with dinner and definitely dessert! 

The thing is, I've already made these decisions so not only will I feel no guilt but knowing that I'm going to treat myself will keep me focused on the veggie/hummus platter that I'm bringing rather than the gorgeous cheese plate that will be calling my name SO loudly.

And lest you think that points are ever far from my mind, broccoli will be on the menu all weekend and I'm getting plenty of exercise points this week so I won't even miss the few points I lose. 

What's you plan? Think about it now while you still have time to make good choices.

Are you eating out? Can you pull up the restaurant menu online and decide what you'll eat ahead of time?

Can you bring a dish that you'll feel good about eating?

Can you decide now which indulgences you're going to enjoy so that you have something to look forward to?

Worst case scenario? You have the option of taking an immunity day, but if you plan ahead, you might surprise yourself. 

Whatever you choose to do, decide now and share it with your team so you'll feel accountable and less likely to fall off the wagon in the moment.

Okay, we're waiting...

Have a great weekend!

~Mari-Chris