healthy – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Find your passions {express yourself & decompress}!

By Jenna Jamieson | July 7, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

Life can be a mountain. It is much more a mountain than a beach. There are challenges to overcome, hoops to jump through, and hills to climb to meet your goals and achieve your dreams. Passions, hobbies, and ways to fill your time in a meaningful way for yourself and others help combat the challenges and obstacles. You may not even think about the hobbies or things that you do to relieve stress, whether it be spending time with your kids, going on a date with your spouse, exercising, reading, cleaning and organizing your house, or some other hobby that you love. There are hundreds of hobbies you can use to enhance your life and those around you. It will make you stronger, happier, and more relaxed to devote some of your own time to your health. It may just seem like everyday life to most people, but having avenues to decompress are vital. They keep you happy, healthy, thankful, and sane.

Not only are hobbies important to decompress at the end of the day or week, or at the end of a very traumatic or draining month, but they allow you to express yourself in a unique way. I often scrapbook and exercise to destress and reduce any tension that I feel. I love to scrapbook to get my creative juices flowing and to reconnect and visit all the fun adventures that I have been fortunate enough to be able to experience. I have been scrapbooking for 10 years and it is one of the most calming and refreshing hobbies that relieves stress. On the other hand, I love a good workout and sweat session to boost my energy and rejuvenate my body after an exhausting or frustrating day. Both are great hobbies that help my mind and body in different ways. My small hobbies have helped me maintain a balance in my life and a thankful spirit in my heart.

Finding your passions and sticking to them will make you feel more at ease with your life, giving it more depth and meaning. You might also find that channeling your hobbies will give you energy, express your creative side, and remind you to be thankful for all that you have.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Bacon?! Yes, please!

By Jenna Jamieson | October 28, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment

Who doesn’t love a great sweet or maybe bacon? Who was completely bummed by the new research that the World Health Organization aka WHO released this week about bacon, sausage, and hot dogs? I have to admit that this was information I already knew, but information I never really want to hear (or at least not see plastered across every media outlet known to planet Earth). I think everywhere I looked I saw articles, broadcasts, and posts reminding me of the harm of these foods. Depressing, right?! Or maybe not, maybe just news we needed to hear, be reminded of, and information to make us more well informed people about what we are shoving into our mouths each day (sometimes even me, on occasion)! 😉

On my list of nutrition improvements I continually have 1) Reduce sodium intake 2) Decrease sugary foods and 3) Increase naturally flavorful, non-processed foods (i.e. fruits and veggies, proteins in their most raw form). Salts and sugars are an ongoing health concern that can always be improved no matter where you are at on your fitness and health journey. Since the holidays are coming and Halloween is just around the corner it makes following these nutrition goals a bit difficult (even for me), but I have some tips that may just be the key to your nutrition success!

Remember that salts and sugars are often heavy additives in processed foods and of course in candy. It is important to think about how much salt and sugar is in your diet (cereal, candy bars, sandwiches, pizza, salads, etc) – most people eat three times or more servings of the recommended amount of daily sodium. That’s scary, especially considering heart disease and cardiovascular concerns are the number one killer.

To cut down on salt and sugars, consider eating more naturally sweet or salty foods that don’t have as much added to them for flavor. Fruits like watermelon, strawberries, apples, oranges, and pineapple which are naturally sweet are great choices. Decrease processed meats, chips, cheese, and other salty foods and consider eating foods that are in their more natural form such as chicken, fish, and other meats that you can control how much salt is added. For desserts, consider a dessert that has fruit in it or a dessert that has a fruit topping such as pudding or mousse with fruit. Further, when it comes to cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, and other sweets make them from scratch so you can control the additives, preservatives, and other ingredients such as sugar and sodium that are placed in the dessert. Sometimes you can make a less sweet cake, cheesecake, or tart and add fresh fruit that makes it less sugary, but still tastes delicious.

It may seem like a heartbreaker that bacon isn’t good for you and may cause cancer or that cookies like snickerdoodles are high in sugar, but it isn’t something we didn’t already know. After all, we don’t think fried cheese, pickles, and chicken are good for us, do we?! 😉 Like I say, everything in moderation. Life is too short not to enjoy the things we love (on occasion)! 😉

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Believe in yourself and you shall achieve!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 28, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment

It’s been a long time since I have had the chance to write, to inspire, to motivate, to share fitness advice, and engage with readers. I am excited to have the opportunity (and time) to make this a priority again. After all, helping others is a passion, a goal, and a dream.

I haven’t been conscientious about fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness my whole life. In fact, I actually didn’t care about it at all in high school and weighed about fifteen to twenty pounds more than I do now. I didn’t care about working out, taking rest breaks to clear my mind, or eating fruits and veggies. Once I graduated from high school and started college, I realized I needed a way to clear my mind and relieve stress. I also wanted to develop healthy habits that I would carry with me through life. That’s when I changed my life and started working out as my personal way of clearing my mind, de-stressing, and making my workout “me” time. I changed my life. I changed my future. I developed a workout schedule, nutrition habits, and maintained a routine that would fit my lifestyle.

During this time, I tried several different types of exercise and different workout schedules to figure out what I liked, what I didn’t like, and what I thought worked best for me. First, I started working out at my house. I would go on jogs outside each day or jump rope. It was an effective (and cheap) workout and made me feel better once I was done. Eventually I bought a treadmill and usually ran five to ten miles each day. I liked this because I could fit it in when it was convenient and I didn’t have to think about the weather. I stuck with that for a long time, probably a few years. I got bored with the treadmill and wanted a change in pace. I decided I would start going to a gym rather than working out at home. I started using the bike, elliptical, row machine, and occasionally the treadmill along with the weight machines. I got much more variety which was great.

Then, one day I started experiencing pain in my shins and ankles. I went to an athletic trainer and physical therapist to see what I had done that was causing me to feel pain. They said the machine use was causing rubbing on my joints so I started nine weeks of physical therapy to help loosen up my body, joints, and muscles. It started to help, but the physical therapists suggested lessening my machine use as that can often be hard on your joints. It was back to the thinking board. I decided to invest in fitness DVDs and workouts (which are very expensive I might add)! This allowed me to workout from home, let me do my workout whenever it fit into my schedule, made me be accountable, and forced me to use my own body weight during the workouts. I found that when I did workout at a gym it was easy to change my fitness days or routine. I could easily skip the stop at the gym causing me to rotate a workout day or two during the week. The fitness DVDs helped to fix that problem! I always had the DVDs at my fingertips and could do my workout at my convenience – no excuses!

So, you might be thinking she just rambled on and on about working out from home, working out from a gym, having sore joints, etc. The point being that sometimes fitness changes over time. Sometimes you are completely dedicated (like I am now) or completely not interested like I was in high school, BUT it is never too late to start making changes to lead a healthier lifestyle. Small changes, large changes, or just adding more changes that will help you sustain your lifestyle. You might start working out at your house, as I did, then change to a gym, and then end up back at your house, in a fitness club, or creating your own walking group, etc.

Regardless of what you choose is best for you, there are always resources and people that can help you achieve your fitness goals. You can find resources all over the web, there are cookbooks and exercise books everywhere, but one of the most important things you can do for yourself to further your health journey is believe in yourself. In life, whatever your goals are personally or professionally, you have to take your goals and believe in them, own them, have a strong passion for them, and make them part of you. That’s part of succeeding in fitness, health, nutrition, and wellness (and in life). Own up to what you put in your mouth, challenge yourself to a workout, and remember to focus on your goals. If you can do that, you can do about anything and that includes changing your health habits for the better.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Food cheat? Only in moderation!

By Jenna Jamieson | April 7, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment

Sorry for the short hiatus! I have no excuse…I wasn’t on vacation, I really wasn’t any busier than normal, and I actually have a lot of health inspiration so there is no reason for why I haven’t posted lately. 🙁 I hear people say all the time this is my cheat day, so I can eat whatever I want today, but for today only. Other times I hear people say it’s the weekend so I can eat what I want because I workout five days a week. I also frequently hear people say they have cheat meals where they can eat whatever they want. I think one important thing to remember is that while allowing yourself to enjoy all food groups and pleasures in life is great, it is still equally as important to exercise the idea of moderation AND considering the calories you are putting in your mouth. With that being said, rather than having a cheat weekend, cheat day, or cheat meal, consider having a partial cheat meal whereby you eat a dessert after dinner or you eat fish for dinner, but still have fries as a side or you have scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach and a few slices of bacon as a side.

It is important to recognize that moderation needs to be considered when it comes to health, wellness, nutrition, and exercising. My advice to people who want to enjoy some of the food luxuries in life, but still stay on a well-balanced diet is to consider eating cheat snacks or partial cheat meals. I recently had a salad for dinner with no meat and then decided after dinner I still wanted something else and preferably something sweet. I had a small cupcake after my salad and really found that it made more sense to have a salad and a small cupcake rather than a large unhealthy dinner followed by a large dessert. My salad was filled with lots of veggies and greens that were great for me and then the cupcake was just a hint of cheating that satisfied my sweet tooth. The best bet? Choose not to have a large piece of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cornbread followed by a large piece of chocolate cake or have an all you can eat buffet followed by dessert. This is an overabundance of calories that ruin an entire day (or even week) for a person because of the large amount of calories that are being consumed in just one meal. Instead choose to pair the healthy with a small indulgence or treat that can accent the meal or be a small token of what you are craving rather than eating a large unhealthy meal and dessert.

That’s a wrap! Go enjoy a great salad and a cupcake or your dessert of choice (just don’t go overboard with a large dessert such as a carrot cake, or a brownie sundae with chocolate and caramel sauce and whipped cream. Enjoy your small cheats in moderation because I promise that you will feel better when you’re done, enjoy less calories, and won’t feel sick from over consumption!

~jj

Workout shoes matter…a lot!

By Jenna Jamieson | March 19, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment

My boyfriend and I recently went shopping and he ended up buying another pair of running shoes. This is something that people don’t always think about, but it actually is very important. Your shoes can either enhance and help you through your workout or they could be hindering you, causing damage and pain during your workout. There are several things to remember about your workout shoes: 1) Try to keep a general estimate of the number of miles you put on your shoes 2) Have a dedicated pair of shoes that you only use to workout 3) Be sure to find shoes that are specific to your activity–in other words, have running shoes for running, interval/circuit/cross training shoes if you’re doing multi-activity training, walking shoes for walking, and so on.

1) Be sure to estimate the number of miles you are putting on your shoes. Shoes need to be replaced typically after about 500 miles, but can range anywhere from 400-600 miles depending on your level of activity, type of activity, and how much “wear and tear” that is caused by your workout, or naturally occurs over time from extensive use. This is important because when your shoes start to breakdown, the padding which lends support to your feet starts to wear down. Further, your shoe laces get stretched over time and no longer keep your shoes snug and in place causing your shoe to be loose, causing your foot to lose valuable support.

2) Be sure you have a dedicated pair of workout shoes, or if possible two or three pairs that you can rotate to keep from having to replace shoes as often and to stretch their life a bit longer. I am definitely guilty of not switching mine out enough–shoes are expensive, so if you don’t either, you aren’t alone! Additionally, be sure to take shoes off properly—don’t step on the heels to take them off or pull them off without unlacing them. This causes damage and stretching to your shoes altering their protection and support to your feet. P.S. Be sure you are wearing the right size, too! This is vital and can prevent sores, chafing, and rough skin on your feet. If you aren’t sure, just ask to be sized, ask for advice, or even ask if they have a machine or computerized test that can look at each foot to determine where you put the most pressure. These are key components to not only successfully finding the right pair of shoes, but also to keeping your feet healthy and happy! 😉

3) Lastly, and maybe one of the most important tips to remember is to have shoes that are specific to the activity you are performing. Activity-specific shoes are vital to help with your overall success, performance, and can help enhance your ability to last longer, go farther, and challenge yourself more without pain, discomfort, or damage to your feet and heels. After all, your feet are a pretty important part of your body, so be sure to take care of them, appreciate them, and cherish them!

Maybe this gives you an excuse to go shoe shopping?! Or just an opportunity to reevaluate your workout shoes to ensure you have the right type and size!

~jj

Stay-cation or vacation, just make it an active one!

By Jenna Jamieson | January 7, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment

Sorry for the almost-a-month long hiatus. I took a short break to spend time with family over the holidays, enjoy some relaxation, and go on vacation with my boyfriend to Europe. Our time in Europe was quite lovely and what I liked most about it was that it was an active vacation! After walking mile after magnificent mile going from place to place in Europe I realized how much I absolutely love it there. I have always dreamed of having a job where I can either walk, bike, or bike/walk to work. That is something that was a majority in Europe (biking and walking everywhere and by everywhere I literally do mean everywhere, everywhere, everywhere 😉 ) and is probably one reason why you don’t see many, if any, obese people there. I would say Americans could learn a thing or two from them! I found it to be refreshing and fun, and a little exhausting, too! My point is that whether you go on a vacation like me or enjoy a stay-cation at home remember that you can always make it an active vacation, which is my favorite kind! You can go to Europe where staying active will not only be easy, but also unavoidable 😉 You can go on a beach vacation and take walks or jogs along the beach or you can go on a mountain vacation and go skiing. Just remember that when you go on vacation, don’t just throw your workout out the window. Consider small workouts, walks, and exercise routines that will keep you moving. If you’re enjoying a stay-cation, consider hikes, organizing and cleaning to keep you busy, or other small routines that keep you active.

Once I got home and gave myself a few days to recover from the vacation and get back into the correct time zone after the jet lag, I got myself right back into my workout routine. The week I would be starting back my workouts just happened to be Christmas week, but after taking 9 days off it was important to get myself back into the groove of life. I got up Christmas morning and decided to hit the workout room before any Christmas festivities got under way. Plus, all my Christmas fun is typically on Christmas Eve. Anyway, back to this Christmas workout when my mom decides to semi-jokingly and semi-sarcastically say, “You just have to workout, don’t you?” As if somewhat sickened, yet proud that I hold the will and motivation to workout on Christmas Day when many people do not hold the same discipline or expectations. I know she knew in her mind that either way no matter what that I was going to workout because we had no plans or restrictions that would prevent me from fitting in a quick 30 to 40 minute workout. Not to mention, for me, it is important to stay true to myself and my health, meaning I make it a priority even during the holiday season. As I expressed to my mom, it’s the time of year when we all tend to eat a little more, eat a little less healthy, and eat until we feel like we might pop because we are so full.

My point? Remember that you should try to keep the promises you make to yourself and goals you have for yourself, even during the holiday season. That means sticking to your workouts, taking walks, and doing short exercise routines in-between holiday parties, festivities, etc so your friends and family understand that health is very important to you. This keeps you in your normal routine and rhythm so that come January you are already in your same workout routine and schedule rather than taking a long hiatus from Thanksgiving through the New Year when you eat more calories and can easily slip into the winter slumber of not working out. If you take a hiatus be prepared for a difficult time when you start back up again. It makes it that much harder to get back into the swing of things, get your body and routine back in sync, and fulfill new resolutions that you should have never given up or done away with for a month to begin with. Don’t feel guilty if this is what you did, but consider making changes next year to keep your healthy lifestyle routine all year round!

So whether you are going on vacation, enjoying a stay-cation, or intertwining the two as I did during my holiday season, make it an active one that keeps you moving, gets you going, and helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the process!

Happy New Year, may 2015 be the year for exercising, good eating, and healthy lifestyle choices for you and yours!

~jj

Burn the calories you eat…even if that means counting calories!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 26, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

Ever hear the saying don’t count calories? Or counting calories doesn’t help you lose weight? So here’s how I feel about this and I have said this time and time again and I am going to keep saying it because I truly believe it…Everything in moderation! While counting calories may not help you lose weight, it will help you maintain your weight. You may not lose weight by counting calories, but I can promise you that you will likely gain weight by not counting them. It is best if you count your calories and make sure you are burning enough calories based on your fitness goals and ideal weight for your height and age. If that means counting calories, then you should do it! And yes, I realize counting calories is extra work and not the most fun thing in the world, but losing weight once you put on the extra calories isn’t the easiest task either. It’s better to fix or curve the problem from the front end before it starts rather than try to fix it from the back end after it is spiraling. And to be clear, I am not saying count calories one for one; take a guess and round to make it easy on yourself. Have a benchmark and estimate in your head. This doesn’t have to be homework or something you write down unless that is what is going to help you be accountable. For me, I usually keep a going tab “in my head” and basically click the reset button at the beginning of each day. It’s not a weekly tab, just a general daily caloric intake count so that I can ensure I am burning as many calories as I am consuming in order to maintain a healthy body weight.

Further, it is best to not only count your calories, but also consider what you are putting in your mouth! So rather than treating your body like a garbage disposal or trashcan, consider what you are putting in it. Counting calories to some people means you can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within your desired caloric intake range, but that’s not always the best way to think about it. You should also consider what is going to help fuel your workout, what will help build muscle, and what will make you feel the most energetic. It is often said that eating junk makes you feel lethargic and lazy, which can often lead to poor results when you workout because you don’t have a high energy level to push yourself during your workout. So my best advice to you? Read and remind yourself of the graphic below.

~jj

A {healthy} routine…what foods do YOU feed your family?

By Jenna Jamieson | August 14, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

Whether your family consists of kids, you’re a newly married couple, or you are a baby boomer near or in retirement, a great way to keep up with your health is by using those around you to keep you in check. It doesn’t mean that they hold you accountable for what you put in your mouth, but it might mean that the reason you serve healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables with meals is to be a mentor to inspire and provide an example to the people in your life (kids, sisters/brothers, cousins, spouse, etc). It means YOU care enough to help show those around you that through healthy eating and regular exercise you decrease your chances for diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Consider making health a daily family event or routine. For example, make dinner an occasion where you make a protein, carb, and vegetable side. You can help your kids learn about their food choices by placing foods in categories that are easy to understand such as “Go”, “Slow”, and “Whoa” which is used in school heath curriculum. For example, fruits and vegetables in their raw form are usually “Go” foods (eat most often, almost always) while canned fruits in light syrup or frozen vegetables would fall under “Slow” foods (eat less often, sometimes) because a lot of the nutritional value in these foods lessens once they are altered. Examples of “Whoa” foods (eat least often, once in awhile) might include donuts, cake, cookies, chips, and other foods that are high in sugar and sodium. Help teach those around you how to categorize their foods. Make this a fun activity for kids (or adults) by cutting out foods they love and asking them to place each picture under the correct category. This helps them learn while providing a great chart to hang on the refrigerator as a reminder. We all need a reminder every now and then and what better place than on the front of the refrigerator so you are constantly reminded every time you open it?! 😉 Once you understand the idea of categorizing individual foods such as breads, cheese, meats, pasta, etc. into “Go”, “Slow”, and “Whoa” you can take it a step further by combining food groups (as we often see when we make meals). For example, a bagel pizza or English muffin pizza made with low fat cheese or vegetable lasagna/pasta made with a red sauce would be considered “Go” meals while macaroni and cheese or pizza would fall into the “Slow” meals group and deep dish sausage pizza or fried chicken with gravy would fall into the “Slow” meals group.

Remember that your attitude toward food, nutrition, exercise, and fitness impacts your children, your spouse, and those around you so make sure you are the positive influence that helps them stay healthy! For example, take a 30 minute walk in the evenings with your spouse or take a family bike ride. Think of fun activities that allow you to make memories and are fun so that your children, spouse, and family have a positive experience as it relates to exercise. Making a positive association with exercise and healthy foods is very important, if not vital. This helps you, your children, your spouse, and family recognize the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise while also making them feel like it is easy, fun, and stress-free. After all, remember that health starts with family and friends because children, friends, and family often echo the behavior of people they are surrounded by. Be the difference in your family and group of friends to show those around you how to make health a priority through regular exercise and healthy eating.

~jj

Superhero in action…busy building muscle!

By Jenna Jamieson | August 7, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

Last week my boyfriend unintentionally came in to see me while I was working out. He didn’t realize I wasn’t done working out yet, but it did throw off my rhythm for the last 15 minutes (cool down portion) of my workout. It is important to realize that working out each day is a chance to take a break from your normal activities. It gives your mind and body a break from the routine of life while giving you fresh energy.

I workout almost everyday and mostly so my mind and body has its own time away from everything and everyone. Therefore, when I workout, everything and everyone waits. I put music on and get into a different mode. I do not stop for Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media. Instead I avoid it because how can you really be working out and clearing your mind if you are on social media?! I literally take a break from everything…tv, internet, social media, technology, socialization, etc. Whatever might be on social media, any posts you are tagged in, or texts you are sent can wait. They will still be there when you are done. Unless there is a medical or family emergency that cannot wait, I suggest you consider doing the same thing. Give your mind and body a break…from everything! You will be happy once you start doing your workouts without interruptions and in peace so that you can actually wind down, refresh, and have time to yourself. After all, your workout may be the only time all day that you ever get to yourself. Take advantage of it!

Realize there is reason behind not allowing interruptions or pausing during workouts. Once you are in your workout, you get into a rhythm and pace that keeps you going and motivates you not to stop. Being interrupted can throw off your rhythm and your workout, making parts of your workout stressful or chaotic if you lose your motivation and pace. My tip to you is to make it a habit to not stop in the middle of workouts!

Aren’t convinced that interruptions, distractions, etc are a problem when working out? You should think again and that’s because you will get better results and see results more quickly if you maintain a steady pace while keeping the correct form. In other words, try to maintain pace without stopping for interruptions or distractions such as children, pets, etc so that you can consistently keep your heart rate up. And on a side note, how do you think athletes keep in shape?! Through heavy discipline and training without and yes, I repeat, without interruptions or distractions! They train and continue to train each day with a strict and steady regimen that keeps them on track to improve their mind and body.

As for the superhero reference in the title (in case you are wondering), it refers to the Under Armour dri-fit workout shirts I wear when I workout…I have a Batgirl, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman one! So each time I set out on my workout, I envision myself as a girl on a mission. A mission to conquer my workout as Batgirl, Supergirl, or Wonder Woman! It’s more fun this way and it’s healthy for us all to have a little bit of kid in us at heart! 😉

~jj

A recipe for health: Summer Spaghetti

By Jenna Jamieson | July 14, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

I thought it would be different to share a healthy recipe today. I am a huge pasta fan so I thought my simple Summer Spaghetti recipe would be a great one to share. You can vary it however you want and feel good about eating it because it is much lighter than a typical “red sauce spaghetti.”

Summer Spaghetti

-whole wheat pasta of your choice (I have used several different types, but I think classic spaghetti noodles work best)

– 1 TBS pasta water

-1-2 TBS EVOO

-Parmesan Garlic shredded cheese (yellow bottle next to plain Parmesan cheese)

-Asiago and Parmesan cheese (I use about 1/4 cup of each)

-half lemon squeezed (or less depending how much acidity you like)

-1-2 TBS pesto

-1 cup chopped broccoli (you can substitute yellow or green zucchini or any veggie you prefer)

-Pepper, red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook the pasta to your desired tenderness. Cook broccoli in microwave or on stove. Combine pasta, broccoli, lemon, EVOO, pasta water, and pepper in saucepan or skillet and stir together over low heat. I mix in the cheese last and leave it on a few more seconds to allow to combine with all ingredients. Now, enjoy!

That’s an easy and light summer recipe that can be thrown together very quickly! Remember, exercise is great, but leading a healthy lifestyle is a balance of nutrition and exercise. You should try to exercise and eat for success (and in moderation, too)!

~jj