Sleep - beauty or beast?

I have always taken for granted that I can fall asleep anywhere, no matter what. I can count on one hand night that I have spent tossing & turning with something on my mind. I need my sleep. I love my sleep.


I also know that there are many people out there that do not have it this "easy". Falling asleep can become a stressor in their lives; which then probably only makes this problem worse. Last summer, one of my boot camp clients approached me with this question ...

"I am having trouble falling asleep after our evening (7-815pm) workouts. Any advice?"

This was my response ...

"This is a individual situation, that many do struggle with. Some people have this problem when they workout later at night, as the adrenaline is "pumping" and makes it difficult for them to fall asleep. Other are the opposite, a good workout will make them "konk" right out in no time. The best thing to do is see when its best for you to workout. Maybe for the next two weeks, without boot camp, try to do some workouts in the morning and see what happens :) For instance, I am a morning workout person. I would much rather start my day an hour earlier, sweat it out, and be done for the day. 

If you find that you are an evening workout person, not a morning, but its just the sleep that's getting to you, you could look at natural ways to calm yourself before bedtime. A cup of chamomile* or other herbal tea (non-caffeinated of course!), a nice relaxing bath with soothing music, or curling up to read a good book. Of course the body is going to be pumped up after an awesome workout, but the key will be to find a way for your body to calm down and be ready for bed. Trying to clear your mind of the day, and everything else and going to sleep."

I hope this helps any of you out there who are having trouble sleeping - especially if the evening is the only time you are able to workout!

Happy Wednesday!

* Fact of the day - chamomile tea is contraindicated when pregnant

Couscous Cucumber Salad

Happy Wednesday! 

With the warmer weather here and Spring just around the corner, I have decided to give myself a "salad-challenge"! My challenge is to make at least two new salads every week for my lunches! The first one I tried is this delicious and super easy couscous and cucumber salad. It was so delicious that I ate it all before remembering to take a photo for the blog post, so I had to search for a similar looking image online. This is not quite the same, but close. 

Photo taken from homemade-recipes.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html

The Recipe:
1 cup of boiling water
1 cup of plain couscous
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


1/2 - 3/4 chopped English cucumber
1/2 grated zucchini (with peel)
2-3 chopped sundried tomatoes (this does add sodium - optional)
2 chopped green onions
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint


Chili Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp agave syrup (or 2 tsp liquid honey)
1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste


Directions:
Combine boiling water, couscous, and oil into a heat proof bowl. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes, Fluff with a fork. Add vegetables and mint, toss. 
Dressing - combine all ingrediants into a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake well. Pour over couscous vegetable mixture and toss. 


I added canned (& rinsed) chickpeas to my salad to make it a wholesome lunch salad! This would also be tasty with tuna, leftover chicken, or fish! Try different vegetables and combinations to suit your style! Feel free to post your ideas below!

Enjoy!!

Something is better than nothing

This weather is terrible! I do not like complaining about winter too much, as there are many things about it that I do love. I love cute sweaters, boots, long coats, warm drinks, skiing, and watching the sunrise sparkle over the glowing snow. That being said I can still enjoy all of these things at -5!!


Now that I have those thoughts out of my system... Let's get moving! 


This cold weather can make most of us feel like hibernating and curling up on the couch. Even though you might know that exercise is great, you feel as though you do not have enough energy to do it. Just remember, every little bit counts. Always think about moving just a little more than yesterday. Think about eating a little healthier than yesterday. With these positive and motivating thoughts in the back of your mind each and everyday, you will start to transform your life (and yourself!) to be healthier and more energized!


By exercising a little each day, you are able to workout for shorter periods of time, and you are continuously burning more calories!! Here is an example of a week's schedule to build shorter workouts into almost everyday!


Monday - one of my 20-30 minute high intensity cardio & strength workouts


Tuesday - cardio for 10-60 minutes (depending on your schedule). Great examples are skipping, stair climbing, jogging, cycling, etc. 


Wednesday - 20-30 minute high intensity cardio & strength workout


Thursday - active date! My favorite! Find someone to join you to try something new - wall climbing, basketball, tennis, yoga, a new fitness class, the list goes on!!


Friday -  20-30 minute high intensity cardio & strength workout


Saturday & Sunday - fun activity that gets you moving and enjoying quality time with friends and/or family!

How will you FIT Your Life this week?