https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCyEzDUwQME

This video is me answering the question I was asked many months ago about I felt being transparent in both a negative and positive way.  Basically I talk about how I went from being the bully to being bullied and how it changed me into who I am today and how I rock to my own beat. I hope all of you enjoy. “Everyone has skeletons in their closet, I am just brave enough to admit mine”.  Keep in mind I have never made light of someone’s body type or weight.  

Your fitness blogger,

Shay-lon xoxo

 

I am back! I have been gone for two days too long, everyone probably missed me, and wants to know if I am still kicking it among the living, am I right? LOL. Okay, maybe not. Today I decided to do an interesting topic to stir up some debate, discussion and difference of opinions. I figured this would be something simple, yet interesting to here people’s thoughts on. Topic of the day being “dried herbs or fresh herbs” and why? I want to know why you prefer one over the other, do you think there is a huge cost difference between the two? which herbs do you use dried and which herbs do you use fresh? Is there a herb you do NOT like and which herb would you say is one of your favorites? which herbs do you use the most? Any recommendations you would like to share as far as what herbs go well with certain foods, and if you have a garden and would like to offer advice on how to grow them, please add that information as well.  Hopefully this will get people talking. 

My mom has always been the type and still is the type where she will use ONLY dried herbs, I have never seen her use fresh herbs not a day in my life and I am 24, so in 24 years I have never seen my mom use fresh herbs; why? The reason being, I believe has to do with the price difference and the shelve life, dried herbs typically last longer, which in turn means less money she has to spend.  Some of you may disagree with her logic and that is totally okay, I want to hear your logic. I myself, never thought anything about either one growing up, because I didn’t care. Since about a couple of months ago, I went from using dried herbs to using more fresh herbs, mainly because I enjoy cooking and some of the recipes I have made required that I use a fresh herb. I have used cilantro with white rice and I have used rosemary with cooking my chicken thighs.  Those are the only fresh herbs I have used thus far but I am still teaching myself to venture out and whenever I find a recipe I like, I always liking having to try a new herb it calls for.  When I use dried herbs, it normally consist of parsley flakes and Italian seasoning, sometimes garlic powder. Although of the late, I have been using fresh garlic as well, it isn’t fun to peel, but it does make a difference in the dish.  Nonetheless, we will discuss the two different types of herbs, learn something new possibly and then everyone can share their opinions.

Dried herbs

• Said to have a “stronger” flavor and be more potent, which means you can use less of it.
• Good for cold climates, when fresh herbs may be harder to find or grow
• go stale quickly
• store in an airtight container away from heat and light
• Sometimes dried can lose some of their flavor overtime
• some dried seasonings come with 6 or more different herbs (i.e Italian seasoning)
• you get more in the container
• the more exotic, expensive spices are no cheaper than buying them fresh 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V94UDjkJy5k

Step 1

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet placed flat on the floor about hip-width apart. You can place weights on your feet to help keep them rooted on the ground. Now sit about halfway up and place your hands di­rectly out in front of you. Your arms are straight with palms together and your chin is up and off your chest. You can hold a dumbbell or a medicine ball to make the exercise even more difficult.

Step 2

Take a deep breath and then exhale while slowly twisting your torso as far to the right as you can manage without chang­ing the angle of your torso from the floor.

Step 3

Now inhale slowly and rotate your torso back to the starting posi­tion. Repeat by rotating torso to the left side.

Thanks for reading, feel free to ask me questions or share your concerns, and if you would like any tips and/or advice on this exercise, I am here to help.

Your fitness blogger, 

Shay-lon xoxox

 

Easy, simple, variety, veggies, fruits, meat.  A salad is a mixture of different foods that we enjoy normally sitting on a bed of lettuce, spinach or perhaps pasta (depending on the type of salad).  Many health enthusiast are pro salad and say it is one of the many healthiest foods to eat.  I mean if we think about this, it seems true because in most cases people use veggies and fruits on their salad and if they want some protein will add some meat.  Nothing wrong with eating a salad, right? It goes well with pasta dishes, lunch, and normally is a better option than eating a sandwich with the same toppings.  So, you are wondering why I am making a post about salad, you probably think I want to talk about all the different types of salads and give you recipes, well hate to bust your bubble, I actually want to dive into the actual reasons why people consider salads so healthy.  Yes, I did say one reason (veggies and fruits) but in my opinion, I never believed salads were as healthy as people made them out to be because most salads are just carbs (not that carbs are bad) and lack nutrients depending the salad. Not to mention, the amount of dressing people add to their salad can make a difference in the overall salad, I have known two types of people: The ones that will not eat salad unless it is covered in dressing and the ones whom will eat salads without dressing. Very few times have I met someone who is a ‘happy medium’, I mean I don’t blame people for using dressing; hell I use dressing! I have not an oz of crazy in me to eat it without  dressing! LOL & that isn’t on my bucket list either, although I commend those who do not use dressing whatsoever. I love salads, but I just don’t take it at face value and say they are all healthy, because in my opinion, this could be proven false. 

Many people believe that by ordering a salad, they are eating healthy and in many cases they are probably right because it has minerals and some vitamins (depending on what greens you use) and is low in calories, not to mention the amount of fiber and antioxidants.  The problem is most salads START off healthy but after adding an abundance of toppings and dressings, you wind up eating the same amount of calories as a big mac from McDonald’s (especially salads ordered from fast food chains).  This does not mean one should stick to the basic stuff: lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes with lemon or vinegar but it is wise to choose toppings that offer a hearty nutritionally-balanced meal. 

1. Adding cheese adds flavor depending on the type of cheese, and most people don’t mind a shredded cheese or parm cheese, but most people don’t often realize the amount of fats cheese has and the calories alone.  If you add cheese, keep in mind that a half a cup is usually enough if you are someone watching your diet.  Although I am not against having cheese on salads, as long as you know how to properly portion it or keep in mind moderation
2. The crispy noodles people add to their salads, they have an Asian based flavor and had some crunch to the salad, the problem once again lies on the fact it holds a lot of sodium and about 5g of fat per serving (doesn’t seem like a lot, but depending on your serving size will add up) . I like crunch in my salad sometimes too, there are other ways to get the crunch that are healthier options for your salad (water chestnuts) just one idea out of many. 
3. breaded chicken, I am a fan of chicken on my salad, well I am a fan of meat.  Not everyone is and that is okay, but if you are one who enjoys having chicken on your salad then this information is specifically for you. We all know that chicken holds a lot of protein and low amounts of fat (normally) depending on how it is cooked, but there is a BIG difference in having breaded chicken and skinless chicken breast.  The breaded chicken breast is the same as eating a cheeseburger when you include how much fat is has and the amount of calories per serving. Instead eat baked or skinless chicken breast on your salad, it will cut the calories and the fat down by a lot. 
4. Adding fruit is a great idea for a salad, but the thing to keep in mind is to choose the fruit wisely. Dried fruit normally has tons of sugar and packed with more calories than a fresh fruit such as an apple. Just something to keep in mind when you order a fruit salad or decide to make your own 
5. Bacon/Turkey bacon. I will be the first to admit, I love bacon on my salads, I love bacon for breakfast and I love bacon on my hamburgers, wrapped around my chicken. I love bacon. I eat turkey bacon, although I will not deny the fact that if someone offered me a piece of bacon that wasn’t turkey bacon, I would still eat it. I know it it can be rough because bacon taste really good but we need to pay attention to the labels because some turkey bacon has the name nutrition as the full fat pork bacon.  If you are looking for a better option than to have bacon on a salad, try having ham cut up in pieces (less calories)
6. Olive oil and vinegar may not always be the healthiest option. Yes it probably does a little better than a creamy Italian dressing but many times it ends up being about the same amount or  Italian ends up being lighter than your olive oil and vinegar. This doesn’t take away from using it of course, because it is a better choice than your ranch or french dressings.  If you are looking for a better option, try a light balsamic vinaigrette.  Although I am not against eating any dressing, I think one should have the choice to use which ever they please, but just know you can go from a healthy salad to an unhealthy salad by using too much of one thing. 
7. Avocados. I made a post previous to this one talking about the amazing avocado that people adore,  Many places put a lot of emphasis on eating avocados, and will have a handful in a salad (making it a high calorie salad) because avocados have tons of calories.  Continue eating your avocados of course, but a better option sometimes would be a salsa (depending on the type of salad), or the better option would be to eat the avocados in moderation like anything else. 

Hi everyone, I wanted to do a semi short post about using the correct posture. I knew a guy, well know a guy whose name is David aka Chape. He had a guest post talking about using posture and ways to help you so that you can work on it, especially if you are one to sit at an office all day. I would highly recommend his blog post —–> https://chapeblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/04/guest-post-a-good-posture-at-middleme/. I decided after being complimented at the store on my posture, I wanted to write something about it. I know it doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but it actually is and it plays a part in our body alignment, and can be the determining factor as we age in how well our gait is.  My professor of my ‘Biomechanics” class before I graduated, told our class to pay attention to the way people walk, stand, sit and think about their body mechanics.  This isn’t normally something I would do, unless someone was walking in a way that catches my eye, but he said he does it and it comes natural to him.  I now can understand this, because with me wanting to be a personal trainer; taking note of all these things can come handy when I am training my client.  If posture was never a huge deal to you, then maybe after reading this, you will decide to pay more attention to your posture and be more observant of others (even if it comes to no use for you).  Personally I have a harder time keeping my posture when I am at a keyboard versus when I am standing. I use to have bad overall posture because it was comfortable, and because I didn’t care, now I walk like I have some confidence and with dignity but I still have issues with sitting at a computer using good posture (something I will continue to work on).  Now let us get started. 

Poor posture results from certain muscles tightening up or shortening while others lengthen and become weak, which often occurs as a result of one’s daily activities.

To have “good posture” means to be aware of always holding yourself in a way that puts the least strain on your back. 

Health problems from poor posture:

1. headaches and jaw pains-  leaning your head forward while sitting make it more likely for you to clench your jaw (tightening your facial muscles can lead to headaches and jaw pains)Repeated jaw clenching can contribute to tension in the temporomandibular joint (wearing it down overtime) and this could include neck and upper back pain. 
2. Shoulder & back pains- slouching can cause pain and muscle tension. Also if you try to pull the shoulders backwards (over-correcting) then it can create pain and stiffness in your back. Overtime slouching your back can cause permanently rounded shoulders or joint degeneration in your spinal column.
3. Reduced lung function- It said that leaning or hunching forward can impact your lung capacity by 30 percent. This means when your lungs do not perform as well, your heart and brain (among other tissues) do not receive as much oxygenated blood. All of which can lead to shortness of breath, clouded thinking, heart and vascular disease. 
4. Gastrointestinal pains- poor posture can effect your effectiveness of the gastrointestinal system.