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Eat Your Bright-Colored Fruits and Veggies
I read this in Mark’s Daily Apple Today… fantastic! Enjoy.
Why should we eat bright-colored fruits and veggies? Mark Sisson scratches the surface for you (and me!):
Blueberries – Anthocyanin-rich blueberry juice improved cognitive function and memory in aging adult humans.
Raspberries (black and red) – Raspberry juice shows anti-atherosclerotic effects in hyperlipidemic rodents, and although human studies are lacking, there is a strong basis for considering them a healthful food.
Blackberries – Perhaps my favorite berry, blackberries are rich in flavonoid pigments with in vivo evidence of protection against neurological degeneration and bone loss.
Purple sweet potatoes – Tons of references in my sweet potato post (that’s my post about sweet potatoes, not my sweet post about potatoes). Same goes for regular purple potatoes.
Eggplants – Nasunin, a potent eggplant anthocyanin that is strongly absorbed in the GI tract, displays antioxidant effects. Make sure to eat the peel, though.
Cherries – Although (again) human studies are lacking, the considerable anthocyanin content of cherries suggests that their efficacy in animal models may well carry over to us.
Cranberries – Cranberry juice, whose anthocyanins are bioavailable in humans after drinking, improved vascular function in heart disease patients.
Purple tomatoes – In addition to carotenoids (more on those below), purple tomatoes also contain significant levels of anthocyanins.
Purple carrots – Same goes for purple carrots.
There are even vegetables that have feet (roots?) both in the colorful camp and the sulfur-rich or leafy-green camps. Like:
Red leaf lettuce – Leafy green and colorful.
Radicchio – Leafy green and colorful.
Red cabbage – Sulfur-rich and colorful (with 36 different anthocyanins).
Purple cauliflower – Sulfur-rich and colorful.
Purple kale – Leafy green, sulfur-rich, and colorful.
I could go on, but I won’t. The point is that any plant with these colors is going to contain these compounds, because these compounds literally are the colors. That means I’ve missed the vast majority of anthocyanin sources, but it also means that you’ll have an easy time finding them out there in the world. Eat up (but rinse your mouth out after; they stain) and go for blues, reds, and purples.
Oh, yeah. There are a couple other relevant flavonoids. Anthocyanins get the most press, but there are other foods with potentially beneficial health effects due to flavonoid content.
Turmeric – Contains curcumin, which gives the spice its distinctive, persistent yellow color. I’ve written an entire piece on the health benefits of turmeric, and curcumin is responsible for the lion’s share of them.
Apples and onions – A light yellow pigment, quercetin is found in apples and onions (except for white onions). Red and yellow onions are high in quercetin (PDF), while most of the quercetin in apples resides in the skin.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are pigments that provide the orange, yellow, and red colors found in foods like carrots (get it?), sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, bell peppers, squash, watermelon and tomatoes. You’ve got beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, gamma-carotene, and beta-zeacarotene, which can be partially converted to retinol, the active (animal) form of vitamin A. You’ve also got lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin, which cannot be converted to vitamin A.
Don’t rely on carotenoids to fulfill your vitamin A requirements. Liver and egg yolks are much better, more reliable sources. Besides, beta-carotene supplementation doesn’t seem to work very well. In several studies, it has appeared to increase the risk of lung and prostate cancer, and a 2007 Cochrane review found that beta-carotene supplements were associated with an increase in general mortality. “Supplementation” of alpha-carotene, via carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables, however, appears to have the opposite relationship. Huh, food’s good for you… who knew?
Get carotenes through orange vegetables and fruits, like squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, and bell peppers.
The other carotenoids – the ones that don’t convert to vitamin A, like lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin – appear to be helpful. Both lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the retinas of our eyes, where they seem to play major roles. The more lutein and zeaxanthin you eat, the more it accumulates in your retina (although this is most pronounced in patients with low baseline pigment levels). Low dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with elevated incidences of age-related macular degeneration, and a similar relationship was found for cataracts.
Get lutein and zeaxanthin through spinach, kale (what doesn’t kale have?), dandelion greens, chard, collards, romaine lettuce, paprika, and turnip greens.
Lycopene does some cool stuff, too. It reduces lipid peroxidation in people with heart disease, as well as protects the skin against UV-related damage from the sun. There’s also a lot of research into the effect of lycopene intake on cancer.
The best sources of lycopene are cooked tomato products, like tomato paste or sauce, especially cooked with fat (but not sunflower oil!), but lower levels can be attained through raw tomatoes, pink grapefruit, pink guava, and watermelon. The absolute best source, however, is gac, a Vietnamese fruit that beats tomatoes by 70-fold. It also contains high levels of other carotenoids, all of which are bound by long chain fats, making them even more bioavailable. Anyone every try gac?
Betalains
Although betalain pigments are described as “deep red” and “purple” and sound similar to the anthocyanin family, they are not the same. They look different (just compare a beet to a strawberry – not quite the same). In fact, betalains and anthocyanins have never been found in the same plant; they appear to be mutually exclusive. Besides the beet (where “betalain” gets its name), rhubarb, and the stems of chard, there aren’t very many sources of readily edible betalains. I suppose you could throw together a floral salad of bougainvillea, amaranth, and purple cacti, but for the most part, you’re going to get your betalains from beets.
All beets contain all betalains, just in different ratios. In purple or red beets, betacyanins predominate. In yellow beets, betaxanthins predominate.
Possible benefits of betalains include:
Inhibition of lipid peroxidation.
A beet extract rich in betacyanins showed cytotoxic effects on human prostate and breast cancer lines.
What If You Just Want Sleep for Valentine’s Day?
It’s February 14th in three days. Now, for some, this means chocolates and flowers and a movie date. But, for me, it means the need to be sexy-ish for my hubby. Now, he NEVER has put this on me per se, but, come on, it’s kind of an expectation for husbands in that their is lingerie everywhere you turn and hot models with crazy green eyes promising “yes, your wife will look THIS hot if you let her shop here”. And, heck, I could use some new underwear and a cute bra…
So, what happens if you just want to go to bed for Valentines Day eve? Like, for real – nothing extracurricular, just actual sleep. After all a working mama needs her rest or else all bets are off on a good attitude. But, I realize that’s sort of selfish, too. There are two people in this relationship after all. So, I have come up with a motivator to get me through the day and on into the night. (One which I happily pass onto you).
In addition to paying him (and you) some loving attention you surely could both use, think of your time together as a work out. Bonus. Two-for-one! Heart-pumping, relationship-building bliss. It might make it fun and challenging in the best of ways.
So, pick the music play list now and get some new candles for the bedroom. You’ve got 72 hours until “love day”.
False Foods Are Arrogant Intruders
Picking up my sons the other day from their play area at the Y, I walked in to see the lights low and hear the sound of a voice playing from a tape recorder (or so it sounded). A caregiver of a child had brought in a slide show story for the kids to enjoy, which they were. Seated like school children, they watched the lighted images flip and tell the story on the wall of the play room. It was quiet, except for the noise of the recorder, and it was calming to watch them all intently focusing.
Just then, a women came through the door and started talking loudly. Ignoring the clear signs of the mood of the room, she squawked to the worker and called out for her son to come to her. She was verbose and, to be frank, rude. It was strange to me that she would take no note of the lights being dim, the slideshow on the wall and the voice from the recorder. It annoyed me, but I said nothing as she gathered things, chuckling and carrying on for what felt like several minutes.
To be fair, I realize I sound like a snob of sorts. And, I fought judging my own attitude toward her. However, her strange behavior and disregard for basic observation was baffling to me. And then, in that moment (odd though it seems) I made a correlation: her behavior was like that of an unwanted, misplaced guest much like fake “food” is to our body.
Now, bear with my stretch for a good metaphor of the event (it really was what I thought about in that moment). Her disregard to how the play room was operating was the same as the way chemicals and preservatives act in our body. It is misplaced, in the wrong environment – and it reeks havoc on it’s surrounding. It upsets the body and is unwanted, yet, it doesn’t leave until it has passed through – jarring things and affecting attitudes. Then, and only then, does it leave. But the damage is done.
Because it is upset, the body does not operate to its full capacity. It’s jarred, altered, and distracted. Why? Because what happened is not in flow with how things ought to be – it’s not how our bodies are set up to function. But, if you are apt to eat quite a bit of “false foods” you have slowly grown accustomed to how your body operates with the interruptions, frustrations, and annoyances (I speak from thorough experience, my friends… decades of it!). You don’t fully know the difference and so the disturbances – fatigue, stress, weight gain – seem to be “situation normal” when really it’s a massive snafu and we need to change it.
And, with that, I urge you to incorporate real food into your diet. Strive for 100%, but if you are just beginning, shoot for 80% to start. Read the ingredients – on EVERYTHING – and learn what you are up against. Stop the insanity – the crabby irritations chemicals and preservatives cause can be cured! Trust me, you have no clue until you clear them out how much more serene your body can be. And how peaceful it will seem.
When Inspiration Turns to “Eh”
I’ve had a very weird year. Full of lots of ups and one very abrupt downward spiral. Without going into too much violin music let’s just say that sometimes being the best at what you do doesn’t get you places. And neither does working your butt off. Again, saving you the immense whining I am teetering on the verge of doing, I will say that much of my inspiration and drive has turned into complete apathy.
Disappointment will do that.
It’s strange, I look at my children or others and think “Oh, sure YOU can do it, you were born with this or that or born into this or that or your friends will help you out because they have success in that area. All you have to do is put your whole effort into it, or no effort into it or make a phone call”. Me, on the other hand? Nada.
I wasn’t born into privilege. Heck, I wasn’t even raised in a house where two people could stand each other for very long. My genetic heritage is that of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s. My financial inheritance is even worse. I do have an incredible work ethic and I used to have a pretty sharp mind. Until lately.
Lately I feel like my brain is stuck in slow-motion. My inspiration is little if any. My efforts seem futile and I don’t see the glorious light at a seemingly never-ending tunnel. For a while I was in free-fall, grappling for some sort of hold. I gained one now and again, then, I fell again (metaphorically speaking of course… insert witty pun here about falling). Now I am no longer falling but tripping my way up a mountain. Covered in snow. And ice. Every movement forward is a struggle and every dream I dared to dream a very distance echo of a life I feel I am no longer living.
You see, I hate half-assing anything (sorry, no other word for it!). HATE it. But I feel as if that is the summation of my days lately. I have started acting in theater again – rusty robotic motions replace what used to feel so fluid. I try to write and I stall out. And I don’t even dare to create from scratch any visual media. In short, my inspiration has not turned into “eh”. Half of me, the “me” that makes me “me”, is merely surviving the day.
I have wonderful, WONDERFUL things in my life – my kids, my husband, my friends. But, again… I feel like I can not be 100% in those areas either. And it’s all because of one unshakable ingredient that has entered into my very soul. That ingredient is fear.
In the past I could push fear aside. It was a gift – or an annoying personality quirk depending on who you talk to I suppose. But when things don’t go the way you work so, so hard for them to and you try and try to make it happen and you fail, and fail, and fail or people simply patronize you, fear becomes your constant companion.
Fear is a force that must be reckoned with, sometimes on a daily basis. Some days just getting out of bed can be a tremendous victory over fear of what the day holds. Other times fear consumes and belittles you and you can think of nothing else but mechanical motions that get you through the mere existence of life. Fear of failure, fear of others’ opinions, fear of never ever living up to what you thought you were born to do in any area of your life. It’s a whirlwind and it can shrink you from an unstoppable force to a desperate beggar. (Or a whiner as the case may be).
Life can inflate you and then rip the very earth beneath your feet. And in these times all the annoying “power scriptures” and inspiration poster quotes taunt you. (I mean, hey, they work for that kitten, why not me?!) But when failures loom and nothing seems right, fear is there to pick you up just to throw you back down. Time and time again.
Now… my point of all this (and there is one). If fear of failure is stopping you from trying something new or dedicating to a lifestyle because one more loss is more than you can bear – I get it. If fear of others watching your failures keeps you from every risking, and, therefore, ever failing – I get it. But see, you, to me, are that kitten on the poster. You CAN do this – whatever it is. And that is a strange, albeit true, dichotomy of this strange curse I seem to be experiencing.
I may lose faith in my “destiny” in my “gifts” but I NEVER lose faith in others’ potential. I have this strange quirk (as some see it) to see into your potential and encourage it. And even though I may not be able to do it for myself I can do it for others.
Also, despite my let downs and second guessing myself and lack of inspiration and hope in other areas of my life, in the area of health and fitness, I have had success. Slow, painstakingly stubborn success, but success. And I want to tell you if I can do it, a monkey can do it. It’s not impossible. And I DO understand the need to vent or whine or hit a wall or rip that freaking poster with the mountain climber and his “dare to dream” quote off the wall and burn it. I do feel for those going through this immense weight of the “lesser thans” or “not capable ofs” with weight loss or food addictions because in other areas I am right there with you. But this one, I have conquered.
So, have at it, ladies. Vent on. Tell me all about it. I am listening. And I will sort through the fear you have (because, not trying really is based mostly on fear and temporary circumstance – a deadly concoction) and find your potential. I will be your light at the very long tunnel and your cheer leader on the sidelines. It’s what I do. And, right now, I have a lot more time to do.
Write me if you want or comment on the site or Facebook to start a sort of forum. Just do it. We need each other. We weren’t’ meant to live in solitude. AND, I promise not to read Emerson to you. (Or, God help us all “Chicken Soup for the Soul”)!
Gearing Up to Toxic Down
I am anticipating the Detox Diet which I will start on Saturday. My hope is to be 48 hours ahead of those also participating and starting on Monday. I have started to par down and go without bread as of today. Then no gluten at all tomorrow. Finally the absence of all sugars on Friday. Then, the full on detox.
65 hours and counting…. lack luster start with a glorious finish!
Oh Bread, Why Must You Taunt Us So?
The smell of fresh, hot bread makes me want to run and embrace its charms with a spreader of warm butter and perhaps a bit of honey. Even thinking of it brings an almost druel-like response. Why does this mix of flour, yeast, salt and water (basically) yield such passion? Why do we happily get in line at the bakery for a free slice of bread (and buy a VERY over-priced loaf to not feel guilty)? Why do we ignore the intent to eat a delicious, pricey entree, opting instead to gobble down the bread basket beforehand? It’s not like it’s exotic. Bread is everywhere. Even organic, fresh, “home made” bread isn’t that expensive. And it’s common.
Bread has become an American necessity. And we eat our weight in it almost every month. It sneaks into our life for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even snack time can include some form of bread. And kids seem drawn to it with the same passion as their parents.
So now, as I embark on going without it for three weeks, I come to this conclusion – bread is the devil. It sneaks up on you wherever you are and tempts you to fill your body with simple sugars and grains you don’t need. It’s also full of gluten toxins – wheat being a huge one. And yet…. most of us roll our eyes and shrug our shoulders at the idea of having no bread because going withOUT bread is simply not an idea we wish to wrap our heads around.
But wrap my head I must. Because even though I have cut my bread consumption down by 50% or more from my former life it is still a temptation. (Mostly because of it’s cohort – butter; that is also on the no-go list). But I will forge on… ignoring the call of my food-lover and turning instead to a purer life, negate of wheat and gluten. After all, doing away with old habits is part of breaking free and creating a new you. One that, perhaps, can easily resist the wafting smell of fresh loaves.
Prioritizing is Part of Mothering
I just sent my youngest son, almost 3, out into the first real snow of winter. Fat snowflakes are falling hard and he could no longer resist the urge to go out and play with his dad and brother. So, I bundled him in layers and sent him out giggling.
But, I already know that he is bound to get cold because I sent him out ill equipped for such cold weather.
After much searching his “winter” coat can not be found. His skin is only guarded by long johns, a heavy fleece jacket, hat, mittens, socks and boots. This is not enough and only time will tell when the snow will lose its magic and the cold and wet will win out. My son, however, is happily oblivious to this and plays on with no care except to how he gather more snow for the snowman he is helping make.
You see he doesn’t prioritize having a warm coat on because he doesn’t know yet that without it he will soon be forced to miss out on the fun of the snowfall. Such is the joy of childhood – not yet knowing consequences to action. This is both good and bad, depending on the situation.
Adults, however, do not have this luxury. And yet we often act as though we do. We pretend that our actions, our being ill-equipped for the things life throws at us are of no consequence. We learn information and throw it aside based on how we “feel” or how we decide to live that day unto itself. I, for one, know I am quite guilty of this. And, because of consequences to those actions I am now having to overcome, I am stopping certain actions and habits in my life so that when life’s weather changes I am prepared.
As a mother you have been given the amazing gift of being responsible for yourself and your children. And you must prioritize responsibility by guarding your children against things and events they are oblivious to. Cold weather, hot weather, jumping off of high places, swimming alone, on and on.
One thing that they are oblivious to but you are not is their health and your health. It is part of the motherhood calling. It is in your power to change the course of their future health and the course of yours by daily decisions you make. And you can do it by prioritizing one simple thing: eat real food, not things that claim to be food but are made in a lab. Real food for your very real life.
So much information is thrown at us daily. Caloric intake, sodium content, “good” cholesterol, “bad” cholesterol… it’s annoying and frustrating to wade through it all and find the actual truth of it all, because, hey, EVERYONE has an agenda. But if you prioritize eating real food then all the other information on those silly food labels will fall into the right place.
What God Did For Us – Christmas Eve and the Flu
I’m not one to blog about what others deem as “religious convictions” – sticking mostly to my passion for helping moms embrace lifestyle health. But being that it is Christmas Eve, I feel it’s appropriate to wax a bit more spiritual. That, and the fact that being up with my son as he battled the flu last night brought to me interesting reflections on God and Christmas.
Last night my younger son (age 34 months) wasn’t feeling his best so I decided to snuggle with him in his bed. About fifteen minutes later he sat up, looked at me, said “Moooommmmy” and then the gagging began. I sat up, gently grabbed him, aimed his illness onto a pillow than held him and told him to get sick on my shirt (his bunk bed is VERY hard to get out of so there wasn’t time to make it to the bathroom). The purging only lasted about 45 seconds then I began to clean him up, myself and the bed. My husband was recruited to help which he did willingly and sweetly. Then, fresh sheets, new pajamas, towels within reach and we laid down again.
Round two hit about fifteen minutes later. This time I had the towel, covered my lap, grabbed my son, held him and took the brunt of the flu on my clothes and towel. Again, I cleaned him, changed him, myself and resumed our snuggling. Luckily two rounds was all it took. And after each episode my baby was very happy and even chatty. Relieved to be purged of the evil within his gut.
I had several thoughts as this was happening – for my son (sadness he was ill and too little to understand it all), his brother (the amazing fact that he was able to sleep through it all), my husband (thank goodness for parenting being a team sport!) and myself (how in the world did I grow into a woman willing to endure vomit on myself to bring comfort to my son?). And I later reflected on my son’s pain and my love for him and God’s son and His love for us.
I was willing to take on the gross, icky, disgusting illness I did not earn or inflict so that my son could have comfort and know love in that moment. I stepped into the path of warm, gag-inducing gut juice because I wanted his comfort more than my comfort. And I did it knowing my potential suffering (uh, pretty sure the flu has my name all over it by now). My son was more important and his pain and agony was enough to push me to act on his behalf.
There aren’t many mothers (or fathers for that matter) I know who wouldn’t have done the same thing. And this is a little piece of how we reflect God to our children. Because He did the same for us on a much larger scale 2000 years ago.
God saw the suffering of the world – our icky, gag-inducing, “soul vomit” – and sent his son, Jesus, to comfort us and bring us into His arms. We are ill, sick and in pain and it hurts God heart. He’s our Father and He loves taking care of us. But we are inflicted and need help. He willingly stepped into the picture to hold us and care for us even though He did not earn or cause the pain. But because of His sacrifice and the sacrifice of Jesus we can find relief and happiness in the midst of all the muck and ick our world throws our way. And He began this journey to sacrifice on Christmas Day in a manger in Bethlehem.
So, this Christmas, I hope your family is well and far from the flu. However, even if illness comes your way and you are caring for sick little ones, remember, in an odd way you are living out a small allegory of God’s love for us. (Be happy it’s only the flu and not what some of us dish out on a regular basis!)
Much love and Merry Christmas my fantastic mama-cohorts. Enjoy the ride! It’s the greatest call of your life.
Is Being a Mom Enough?
A friend came over today to deliver homemade fudge (delicious by the way) and we began to talk. In short, with her two little boys – ages “almost 2″ and 5 months – it seems hard for her to feel fulfilled without doing more than “just being a mom”. I completely relate. We both feel that we need to be a mom and with every spare minute we have to be working, doing, creating, helping out, and on and on. Then she said – “maybe we just need to accept that at this time in our lives being a mom is enough”.
It made me realize that our society, our culture, usually doesn’t put much value on “just” being a mom. They expect women to do it all. To find time to work on their career, clean the house, organize the bills, stay fit and healthy, raise responsible, kind, devoted children, teach, and cook Martha Stewart-worthy meals. To society THAT is what “enough” is. “Just being a mom” is simply not the “enough” the world says we are to be.
But can we really be all of those things? All at one time?
Can we really expect our kids to learn how to be well-mannered, intelligent, educated, kind, devoted and creative if we don’t invest time in them? Does our house stay clean with just a few minutes a day? Are our bodies going to have toned muscles without using them and challenging them? Can healthy meals be made in a hurried manner (to this one I actually say yes, but that’s not the point).
And what about our husbands and friends? Will they feel like we love them if we never make eye contact with them? Or dream with them? Laugh with them?
The simple answer is a simple no. We can’t.
Each of these things take time. Lots of time in many instances. And to do it all, all at once means we are missing out on other parts of life. It will pass by us, unnoticed. We will accomplish tasks but are we building relationships as we do that? It’s hard to swallow for me, but again the answer is no.
My hope is that I can do my part to encourage moms to incorporate their kids in life with them – let them help you cook, garden, bake, and even take them with you to exercise. That helps. You can be with them AND do things. But, the other things take time and much of it is best done when they are occupied or not around. So… how does that work?
I’m not sure exactly as I am also trying to tackle the pull of what I feel “called” to do (write, act, encourage moms…) and “called” to be (a mom). This part of life is full of sacrifice and it can feel like time and opportunities are passing you by. But, I have been told by moms older and much wiser that life has a funny way of catching up with you (or you to it as it may feel). They have encouraged me to not run a sprint through life but walk a few miles, then jog a bit so you can see the scenery and love the feel of the wind on your face.
So, I encourage you to join me in being counter-cultural. Put down the measuring stick you feel you have to measure up to outside of being a present-minded rockin’ mama. Take your kids out and set an example for them of how to be in the moment. Teach them how to run, bike, be free. Show them how to cook and laugh, and read. Hold them, snuggle them, tickle them. Take the time to discipline them in love and mold them into people who see the value in others. Let THEM be your “enough”. Because, let’s face it… they are.
Holidays Make Me Lazy
It seems that in the United States the “Holiday Season” starts on Halloween and stops around January 4th after every bit of the left overs are eaten and all fancy drinks are swallowed. It also happens that that span of time is the time of year where weather gets cooler, people stay in more often, the light is more scarce, and new television shows are sprouting up. All of which culminate into a formula for less exercise and more eating of goods not so good-for-you.
I for one start my days off slower and my nights are lazier. I love listening to Christmas music and staring at the tree. Or planning Holiday recipe baking. Or just looking at ideas for Holiday centerpieces I am sure I’ll never actually create but, man, don’t they look amazing! Add this time management neglect to the baking of all things delicious and you have a recipe for a squishy, sleepy body.
So, how do you beat this “Holiday Slide” into feeling less and less motivated to treat your body right?
First off, recognize that not all treats are created equal. If you sit back and consider what you really remember about Holiday eating you can think of a few special items that beckon you back to Yester-year. Or the “one thing” that creates fun memories year after year. Stick to those items when you are planning out (yes… PLANNING) your list of “must haves”.
Secondly, accept the fact that you must move in order to improve muscle tone. Sitting on the couch under a warm blanket with a cup of cocoa watching The Biggest Loser will not, in fact, help you build muscle definition or increase your endurance. (Trust me, I’ve tried).
Finally, find ways to motivate yourself. With snow on the ground and holiday parties on every corner – not to mention baking, card mailing, and decorating – getting up and getting out to exercise is often an uphill battle for all. So, pull out that Holiday dress or pick out a new pair of running shoes and set a goal. Motivate yourself to put in your P90x or get to the YMCA with things you see and goals you set for your self. Not “easy” goals like “get out of bed” or radical ones like “lose six pounds in a week” but ones which will challenge you and keep you running toward them. (Here are some guidelines to help you get started!)
Remember, Holiday traditions are great but the tradition of neglecting what your body needs is one we can all learn to never celebrate again!
