LET'S GET PHYSICAL WITH SPECIAL GUEST WRITER

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE,

Today I have a good friend of mine fitness enthusiast/motivational speaker Krystle Brideau doing a special post regarding health and fitness. Krystle will be contributing to CanadianEcoMom in the coming weeks to help you start living a healthier lifestyle with simple baby steps designed to help all who are interested in change. I hope you will feel inspired to start making small changes for a happier more energetic you.
Be sure to follow Krystle on Instagram @Motiv8orv as well as reach out to her on Facebook- Krystle Brideau 

5 WAYS TO OVERCOME YOUR FITNESS EXCUSES

• My body isn't capable.....
• I don't have enough time...
• I can't afford a gym membership...
• I'm just not motivated....
• I love food too much....

Does any of that sound familiar? Do you have excuses piling up as to why you can't get yourself into shape? Well luckily, you're not alone. In fact, it's very common for people to convince themselves that they can't make fitness a part of their lifestyle and 9 times out of 10, they're wrong! If this sounds like it could be you, let us re-evaluate these excuses shall we?

First and foremost, I want to address that anyone starting out a new fitness regime should consult a Dr. and be given the go ahead for exercise, especially if you have existing health conditions, or you are over the age of 45. Better safe than sorry!

3 EASY WARM UPS TO WAKE UP YOUR BODY

1 - My body isn't capable

Believe it or not, you can achieve flexibility even as an adult! I know, it sounds crazy, right? It's very important that every day (especially before and after a workout) you take 2-5 minutes to stretch.  By stretching, I don't mean contorting yourself into a pretzel, or standing on the tip of your big toe with your other leg behind your head. I just mean simple basic stretches to get the blood flowing and activate your muscles to let them know they're still functioning.  Better flexibility will improve your performance while engaging in physical activity, and it can significantly decrease your risk for injuries.  If you stay consistent with this, you will feel the difference and not only that but it makes you feel good! Who doesn't like to feel good?

Starting out slow and building up your endurance is very important.  Jumping right into a routine after living a sedentary lifestyle is looking for trouble.  You end up discouraged because you have trouble keeping up, you aren't strong enough to go through the moves and everything seems impossible, your muscles end up sore and you feel like roadkill so you end up throwing in the towel. The reality is, you are going to feel ALL of those things at first.  The good news is, letting them get to you is optional.  Start slow and listen to your body.  It's going to be hard if it was easy everybody would be walking around shredded and obesity would not be an issue.  It takes as much mental strength as it does physical strength to maintain this lifestyle. So get it into your head that you WANT this and commit to doing whatever it takes to overcome your obstacles.  Consistency + Determination = Accomplishments



2 - I don't have enough time

There are absolutely not enough minutes in the day, but you can't let a busy lifestyle get in the way of your goals.  A 1-hour workout is only 4% of your day. The average Canadian spends approximately 2.5 hours a day either on social media, browsing the web, playing games, or watching videos. It's not that people don't have enough time, it's that they aren't prioritizing their time efficiently. Sit down and make a list of your daily tasks. What time are you waking up? What are your work hours? Do you have a set bedtime? Find a time slot that you can commit yourself to 30 minutes 5 days a week. Logging your activities let you visually track your progress. Obviously there will be times when something comes up unexpectedly, such is life, we deal with it, and we get back on track!

3 - I can't afford a gym membership

I would really like to know when it became mandatory that all exercise must be completed in a fitness facility. Oh wait, that's right! It hasn't!  So why is everyone claiming it's a barrier between them and being in shape? Because it's an easy excuse!  Body weight exercises are very efficient at not only burning calories and torching fat, but also at toning muscle. They can be done indoors, outdoors, and you can make it more challenging by using everyday household items to add weight, bottles of water, cans of soup, using children works wonders! Get creative!  Taking a walk, going for a jog, or a hike, dancing to your favorite songs. All FREE. All great for your cardiovascular health.

A few free apps I would recommend to somebody just getting started are:

Workout Trainer - Large database compiled of ready to use workouts.  You choose the difficulty, length, type of exercise and then click play. There is also access to an online community, where people share tips, make challenges, and keep each other motivated.

Nike + Running - A  tracking app that calculates how far and how fast you run/walk/jog.  Turning on GPS to track your exact route is optional.

4 - I'm just not motivated

This is a tough one, because unfortunately you can't force someone to do something they don't want to do. You need to set goals, write them down and put them somewhere that you will see them every single day.  Being able to see them will keep it fresh in your mind so you can't use the excuse "I forgot today."

Take a before picture.

I can't stress this enough.  You don't have to show people, but you will want it for yourself. Trust me on this one.  This is where you are going to find a lot of your motivation.  As you progress weekly/monthly, continue to take pictures similar to the infamous before picture you originally took. The moment you compare two side by side photo's and see a difference this will hopefully motivate you to continue down the path to a healthier  lifestyle.  What better motivation is there than seeing your own progress? Sure it's impressive to see progress pictures of John Doe who lost 200lbs, its great and inspiring! But how awesome is it when you look at your OWN pictures, and see that you've lost 6 inches, that your clothes are fitting better, that you can see muscle definition, or that your skin is tightening up? Be your own motivation!

If that still doesn't give you the extra push you need, you can turn to social media. There are thousands of fitness guru's out there sharing their journeys in hopes of inspiring others.  If you're somewhat tech savvy, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube are great sources for motivation and again it's free.  Using hashtags and keywords to search makes life so much easier.

#fitness  #exercise  #workout  #weightloss  #motivation  #fitspo



5 - I love food too much

Would you go to the gas station, and fill your gas tank up with windshield washer fluid?  Probably not, because it wouldn't be good for it, and it wouldn't work.  Very similar to humans and food. In order for you body to function at its full potential, it needs to be fueled accordingly.  When you're feeding yourself empty calories you're essentially doing more harm than good.

It's important to get the nutrients you need by eating whole, non-processed food. Fruits, vegetables, and protein are a good place to start.  A good trick to keep in mind when you do your grocery shopping is to stay out of the center aisles!  Try to keep your shopping in the outside aisles, where they keep the produce, dairy, and meats. Keep in mind, the price of a box of cookies or bag of chips is similar to the price of a fruit or vegetable on sale!

Trading margarine for butter, Cooking sprays for virgin olive oil or coconut oil, sodas for water, regular salt to sea salt.  These are all things most people use daily and are very simple to substitute. People tend to struggle with the nutritional aspect of getting fit because they feel overwhelmed with information. Don't over think things, this really isn't rocket science. With the simplicity the internet provides us, finding healthy recipes online is no harder than walking a dog (which, might I add, is a great form of exercise!)

A good website or app to use if you're interested in knowing the nutritional value of your food consumption, or care to know your daily calorie intake:

My Fitness pal - Log your food, track your calories and set goals

With all the latest diet trends and magic weight-loss potions being promoted by the media and big name celebrities, it's very easy to be persuaded by one of these quick fixes. Although some of them may give you results, they won't be permanent and are certainly not sustainable. Eat healthy, drink lots of water, and get that body moving. It's really that simple.


I want to thank Krystle for being a part of CanadianEcoMom and stay tuned because she will be back with another fitness post soon. 

CanadianEcoMom Final thought- As I am getting older I find I am struggling with my weight I take full responsibility for that. I know that I am the only one who has the power to change It. I do have medical limitations, but there are still things I can do like walking, swimming, and cycling which is something I recently have taken up doing again. Anyone can workout within their limitations. Doing something is better than nothing at all. It truly does take time and determination to get to that sweet spot. I heard Gillian Michaels say this once and it stuck in my head forever "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable" because no one ever said a workout was easy hence why it's called a WORKout.

If you would like to contribute a specialty post please feel free to email me at canadianecomom@gmail.com I have many different modules that I am slowly rolling out and I am always looking for new writers especially mommy bloggers and like-minded individuals.

Makeup'Asylum is transitioning to CanadianEcoMom

After taking much time this summer and several other small breaks in the past three and a half years has given me a lot to think about. That being said I realize that it's not the blogging I dislike it's always been about my content. I want to come on to my blog and focus on lots of different things that interest me and will help reach many different audiences. Talking about the 90th shade of nude lipstick has literally lost its "Lustre" for me. I just want to talk about what makes me happy. Products I love, hate and NOT limited to makeup only. So Makeup'Asylum has now been laid to rest and I am happy to announce my new space here on blogger CanadianEcoMom. I will have a range of topics covered here on my blog and offering up info on products that are not only safe for you, but your family and the environment too. It's going to be a slow process as I am just beginning to transition my home into a more eco-minded space.Some things I have been doing for years and don't find them at all to be NEW solutions to helping the environment and being deemed safe. To me it's just common sense really. There are times not everyone will agree with my points of view and that is fine, but lets realize "We can agree to disagree" and end it at that. I hope you will all enjoy what is yet to come from this new journey and stick around for relateable content that EVERYONE can enjoy.

Here is my new logo for CanadianEcoMom which you can also find me on Instagram to.

HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE 

GREEN IS GOOD

SUPER EASY NO BAKE PROTEIN BALLS

So as most have you have probably noticed I have not posted in quite a while. I have been taking some time to spend with my family and rethink the direction in which I want Makeup'Asylum to take over time. If your curious what makeup and products I have been trying, hating or loving, feel free to check out my Instagram as I have been posting most goodies there as of late. However I have been shifting my interest back to an old love affair which is cooking. I am self taught and have been cooking since I was 10. I use to religiously watch the Food Network and have read some 20 cook books or more. I have always been super passionate about the art of cooking and creating flavours that people will love and remember. I feel that food is a universal language and everyone can appreciate something about it, be it a taste, smell, the way food looks when it's lovingly platted, and it surely is the one thing that brings family together.

So I posted this pic on my Instagram a few days ago and had several people interested in knowing my version of this yummy no bake protein ball recipe.

So enough jabber, lets get on it

Things you are going to need are

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

A deep bowl

Wooden spoon and spatula or if you have one a food processor


To make your protein balls you are going to either put in the bowl or directly into a food processor the following ingredients

• 1 cup of old fashioned long cooking oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (You can use it as is or toast the coconut on the stove top which is how I do it because you can stir it often and keep a better on it browning) Again I used Bob's Red Mill

• 1/2 cup of peanut butter, you can use regular Kraft if you prefer or a raw organic PB if you want to keep it as natural as possible and lower in sugar. I used MaraNatha organic peanut butter

• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or regular (but keep in mind all the extra sugar) or cacao nibs is a good substitute

• 1/4 cup of 100% Pure Maple syrup preferably organic if you can find it near you. I use Irresistibles Bio Organic 100% pure maple syrup no.1 light, you can use what you want, just make sure it's real. This brand can be found at Metro and Food Basic's stores throughout Canada.

• 1 tbsp of carob powder this is optional, but I find it adds more depth of flavour to the overall recipe I used Bob's Red Mill

• 1 tsp of Vanilla extract which I used Market Pantry pure vanilla extract from Target, however I am looking to get something that's better quality for future recipes

You can also add Chia seed to amp up the calcium, protein and fiber if you like and if you don't have chocolate chips on hand you can also used dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins or blueberries.

You can add flax, but i recommend adding ground flax as flax seeds whole are very difficult for the body to digest and the sharp ends can be damaging on the soft lining of the intestinal tract.

Once you have all your ingredients in the bowl you can use a wooden spoon and get the old elbow grease going and give the ingredients a good solid mixing which is how i do it and it works out fine.

However you can just give everything a quick whirl in the food processor and your good to go.

Once you have incorporated all the ingredients you can now form them into balls. I usually rub my hands with a bit of coconut oil to make handling the mixture easier as it will be somewhat sticky from the syrup and sugars.

You can make them small or larger depending on your preference a golf ball size is a good choice

Once you have all of them made put them in the fridge for about 20 mins and the will set up nicely. You can then go ahead and eat a couple or store them in a tupperware container for later use.

These are delicious when your on the go and need a mid-day pick me up and instead of reaching for chips, chocolate bars, or a soda pop that will just give you a bad sugar crash in no time, give your body something better to work with and let me know how you feel after a week or two of doing so. I guarantee you won't want any of that crap ever again.

My family has been loving these and even my son who is super picky thinks these are delish, so I can also say these are KID SNACK APPROVED, just be mindful that unless you use ingredients that are for sure nut free you can NOT send these as a snack to most schools, so please avoid that and save these for at home or family road trips.

Let me know if you found this helpful and would like to see more posts like this in the future

Thanks everyone and I hope you try these out and please feel free to send me your pics of your finished protein balls so I can post them here for everyone to see and enjoy:)

BE HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL FROM THE INSIDE OUT XO