Week Plans!

Exercise: Pilates, Yoga, Weight Lifting.

Eating: Protein, Veggies, Fruit

Pamper: Massage

Entertainment: Zoo, Gardening, Baseball Game

To all have a wonderful and healthy week!

My Culture and Food!

What does this picture say about my culture?
picture taken 6/10

Last night my anthropology professor ask us to question the type of foods we grew up eating. I started to think about my culture and the foods that I love.

I have southern roots so most of my food picks included everything fried and smothered in gravy. As a child that was my way of eating and it worked for me. My entire family and friends ate that way. There was nothing wrong with it until....I moved to California.

When I moved to California it was hard to accept the west coast culture because every dish was healthy. I was embarrassed to fry around my friends because they did not cook that way. I had no idea that my cooking style was bad for my health. It was a true wake-up call.

So last night the professor ask the class to question everything we eat this weekend and decide if it is culture driven. She want us to figure out who introduced the foods to us and if it is healthy for us. This is going to be an interesting weekend.

I have struggled for years to keep my cultural foods. It has to be all or none when it comes to eating healthy. Now it is time for me to design my own food culture. I can see the list clearly and it does not include fried chicken, gravy, carbs, sweets, non-organic and processed foods. It include fresh veggies, fruits and lean organic proteins. Can I live with it? Yes, I can!

Thank you Professor R. for opening my eyes to my cultural foods.

Question: Has your culture (food) increased your waistline?

Happy Anniversary to My Blog!

Happy 1 year anniversary!

It has been a year of reality checks and learning to love myself.

Pilates: I have lost 2 inches from my waist since I started Pilates three weeks ago (3 days a week). The muscles in my arms and legs are popping out also. This is my favorite exercise this far.


Weekend: Zumba and Spinning class this weekend. Pool party with a ton of food but I will be in control.

School: Learning so much about non-human primates. Only 3 more weeks before class is over and I can not wait. I'm planning to go on a long vacation.

Hope you all are doing well and enjoy your weekend.

Getting a Nature Workout!

Exercise: My exercise this weekend was helping my dear friend build and plant a raised garden. We pulled weeds, measure hammered and shoved. This was a huge raised garden and it took us 8 hours to build and 5 hours to plant. When it was all over it was so rewarding to see the outcome. I told my friend I could do this every weekend because of the reward to come in a few months. My abdomens, arms, back, legs, butt, and thighs got a really good workout.

Thai Massage: This was the best massage ever. I got pulled, pushed, and bend in half. It felt so good during and after. This type of massage looks painful but it is one of the best way to get a good stretch. It's called "yoga for the lazy person". The therapist found so many sore spots on my body. I had no idea that my body was in so much pain. Most of the sore spots were in my legs and lower back. My plan is to go back to getting a massage every week. Being a member of Massage Envy make it possible because it is so affordable. I would recommend to all the people that workout to invest in yourself by getting a massage at least once a month. Your body will love it.

Eating: I had a great eating week and added a new vegetable to my diet. Beet leaves taste good when saute in a little olive and onions. Great addition.

School: Last week in my physical anthropology we learned about traits, genes, genetic drift, gene flow and natural selection. This week will be all about monkey's. This class and subject is crazy but very interesting.

Week Review!

Week recap!

Exercise: Still going strong and on track. This week I went back to doing Pilates because I really missed it. I need this class because it really keeps my abs in top shape. The cardio classes are good for my heart and reducing fat but doing Pilates a few times during the week help me maintain toned legs, arms and abs. It's so gentle and relaxing. I have realized that jumping and running around in my boot camp and Zumba class can be really hard on my 42 year old body.

Eating: Saturday I had homemade fried chicken, rice and gravy. OMG! It was so good. I have not eaten like this in months. I woke up thinking about the dish and decided to make it and enjoy every bit of it.

School: Well we have a new teacher for my anthropology class. She knows how to keep the class on track and she do not allow people to disrespect her or the class. I made a "B" on my first test and an "A" on my homework assignment. This week we will focus on DNA, genes, mitosis, and meiosis. I can not believe my desire to learn about these topics. Two weeks down and six more to go.

Awareness: Living life should not be toxic. I realized once again that toxic people should not be in my life. Happy day!