New Blog! (still not giving up on this one though)

I was looking through my old posts on this blog and getting nostalgic. Does anyone else remember how much fun we used to have blogging and commenting? I enjoy other social media, but I miss the thought process that goes into blogging vs. the immediate sharing on Facebook or Instagram.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I started a new health and fitness focused blog. I'm setting it up mostly for my Challenge groups that I run on Facebook to give them information about workouts, meal plans, and my own recipes. I'd love you to visit me there, but stay tuned on this page for more frequent updates!

Creating a Fitness Habit

I've tried and failed so many times in life to create and maintain a habit or commitment to my health and fitness. I've had the best and most consistent results in the last 3 years or so, even during my last pregnancy. So, what worked for me?

Accountability: 
There are so many different ways that you can accomplish this. One that I've liked is to be a part of a Challenge Group. It is so helpful to keep company with like-minded people, or people who have similar goals. On those days you don't feel like working out, you know that someone from your group will notice your absence, or that your coach might give you a call or text to check in! If you are having problems or feel like you're failing, let your coach or partners know, that's why you're a group!

Many programs also come with a Workout Calendar, or you can create your own. I love having a physical calendar where I can cross out my workout for the day and see those X's adding up over the course of the weeks! When I consider skipping, my obsessive personality is bothered by the fact that the day will have a blank.

Combine Fitness with Nutrition:
 This one is HUGE for me! When my workouts are in line, I am less likely to fill my body with things that aren't going to fuel me for my workouts and specific goals. I'm not talking about deprivation, but making sure that you're choosing wisely. I've always felt that I eat healthy, but realized that I often come up short on vegetable and protein portions when tracking them for my workout goals. I have also been using Shakeology for several months now, and have noticed a huge energy boost and reduction in cravings for junk!

Solomon and I enjoying our Greenberry

Create and Use Incentives:
One of my favorite incentives is to choose the workout that I will accomplish next and buy it for myself as a reward.

My reward for finishing Insanity Max 30 this Friday is 21 Day Fix Extreme.

People often choose to buy a specific piece of clothing that they are hoping to fit into by the end of a particular workout program.

Another incentive that works well for me is to have workout outfits that I enjoy wearing. Rather than throwing on those old running shorts from the bottom of the drawer, choose something new to go with a new workout, or reward yourself with a new pair when you've stayed on track for a set amount of time.

Consistency: 
It is hardest in the beginning to develop a new habit. When I started Insanity Max 30, I decided to switch my workouts from evening to morning. I am most definitely NOT a natural morning person, but I love the feeling of accomplishment when I've finished something of worth so early in the day.
It was extremely hard to make myself do my workouts when I felt so lethargic, but now my dependence on caffeine is gone, and I feel strange if I have a schedule issue that makes it impossible to work out in the morning. Creating consistency takes the most work for the first few weeks, but with the other steps, you will have a habit that becomes as normal as making that morning coffee!

My Favorite Workouts

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, post-baby changes were one of the more minor things on my mind. After my daughter was born, I started walking any day that it was above 30 degrees and doing some yoga when she was a few weeks old.

My first introduction to intense at-home workouts was Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred, which I completed in summer of 2008.

I was very happy with the results from this workout series. Most workouts marketed to women weren't nearly intense enough, and I wanted to get good results!

I stuck with Jillian after this, and have done her Ripped in 30, 6 Week Six-Pack, No More Trouble Zones, and Yoga Meltdown. Yoga Meltdown and Ripped in 30 are my favorites of everything she's created.

 I still do some of Jillian's workouts occasionally, but I've found some new workouts that I love even more. A friend of mine had gotten some awesome results doing Turbofire and invited me to join one of her Clean Eating Challenge groups on Facebook. I needed some accountability to get eating healthy again after having my son in 2013, so I joined. She was recovering from a knee injury at the time and couldn't do workouts with any jumping, so she posted about a new Beachbody workout called PiYo. Its a Pilates/Yoga hybrid strength workout with Chalene Johnson, and let me tell you, its my favorite workout series ever! It includes the same kind of strength/yoga combinations as some of Jillian's programs, but Chalene is such a fun trainer! The program also includes so many more workouts that Jillan's program, so its a lot harder to get tired of it!

I still felt like I needed to make some gains in the muscle department, so when another friend started posting about Insanity Max 30, I decided to do something crazy and order the Challenge Pack with Shakeology. I'm finishing the 60 days this Friday, and the results have been amazing so far! I can do pushups and burpees like nobody's business!

What's my favorite overall? I'd have to say that PiYo has been the most fun, its the workout I most genuinely look forward to doing, and my flexibility has improved tremendously too! I was also inspired to sign up as a Beachbody Coach, so that I can inspire others in their journeys toward wellness and a full life.

What are your favorite workouts? Are there any challenges to your health that you would like to improve through better fitness and nutrition?

Insanity Max 30-Day 2

I started this workout yesterday and maxed out at only 4 minutes in. . . and I thought I was in pretty good shape!
After doing a lot of Jillian Michaels' workouts in the past, I get the whole concept of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), and I'm totally sold on it as the best way to get fit quickly. Knowing that won't get you through these workouts though!
I love the combinations of moves Shaun-T includes in the workout, and I absolutely love his demeanor as a trainer, he's much less annoying than Jillian!
There were a few things in the second workout that I had to modify, mostly the pushup sequences since I broke my elbow as a kid and have a hard time keeping proper form. I also got interrupted several times by the littles, which is also to be expected!

I'll let you guys know how everything goes as a continue, I'm loving it as the moment and hope that the newness doesn't wear off anytime too soon. 



       

The Triplets are Here!

Remember my Somali friend who has kidney failure and was pregnant with triplets?

She was hospitalized at 26 weeks into the pregnancy so she could receive dialysis 7 days a week. Her doctor's original hope was that she would make it to 30 weeks so that the babies would have a fighting chance.

She defied all statistics and expectations and amazed all the doctors and medical staff. The three boys were born Thursday morning at 32 weeks gestation. The biggest was 3lb 8oz. and the smallest was 3lb 2oz. They have some breathing problems, but should only need to be hospitalized about a month.

I don't have pictures, but InshaAllah I will get some up soon. Laila is doing better now that she is no longer pregnant, but keep up the prayers for her complete healing!

MashaAllah! Haleluyah! I am just amazed at how this has turned out.

The boys' names are Zakariyah, Yahya, and Ayub :-)

Why Circumcise me?- A film

This health issue is something that has existed, mostly in Africa, for about 4000 years. The type of circumcision that is more problematic is Pharaonic, which removes the clitoris, inner, and some of the outer labia. The area is then stitched shut except for a tiny hole. Most of the girls with this procedure have trouble urinating and menstruating. They also endure a lot of pain on their wedding nights and during childbirth.

I don't want to be too graphic, but just want to give examples of some of the pain my friends have endured. One friend used to have to urinate a single drop at a time, it would take her several minutes to empty her bladder. Another's husband was not able to open her fully for 5 days after marrying. During childbirth, she had to be cut open in all four directions (like a plus sign) to allow the baby's head to pass. She also bled a lot and had to receive several units of blood. Some women die after being circumcised, or when giving birth in primitive conditions.

This practice is still way too common and we need to make sure it doesn't continue to happen to the next generation. I have seen my own friends suffer, but I know that it doesn't have to be that way for their daughters. It is also mostly the women in these cultures who do the circumcisions and insist on continuing the tradition.

The film is in Somali with English subtitles. It also goes into some of the social issues regarding circumcision. It is not only a Somali issue though. It also occurs all through populations in North and East Africa.

Another Swine Flu Post

The vaccination being created for H1N1 will most likely include an adjuvant called squalene. It is used to increase the immune response from a vaccine, so that a smaller dosage can be used. The problem? This adjuvant has never been approved for use in any vaccine in the U.S. and has only been used in 3 vaccines ever approved for use worldwide!
It was contained in experimental Anthrax vaccines that have been strongly linked to Gulf War Syndrome. Please don't get these vaccines for your children! They greatly increase the risk of developing auto-immune disorders over time.

Please read the whole article here:
Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine's Deadly Little Secret Exposed.

Personally, I would refuse this vaccine even if threatened at gunpoint.
Don't give into the fear-mongering. The vaccine itself poses a much greater risk to your health than the virus itself does.

There is also an online petition you can sign to show that you are against any mandatory vaccination attempts.

Swine Flu Vaccine

Update: another from Dr. Mercola's site

Please check out this article, Ten Things You're Not Supposed to Know About Swine Flu Vaccine.

Every year in the United States alone about 36,000 people die from complications of regular seasonal flu. Most of these people have underlying illnesses that make them more susceptible to Pnemonia. No where near that many people have died from this lab-created virus yet.

Please educate yourselves as to how toxic these vaccines can be and think twice about getting one. There are many natural things you can do to support your immune system before or during an illness. One of the most important of these is Vitamin D. You need to make sure your supplement is D3 and not D2 because D2 has to be converted to D3 in the body and is therefore less efficiently absorbed. New research shows the proper dosage to be around 1000IU per day, not the 400 that was previously recommended. Another natural anti-viral is wild Oregano oil.

Oh, and here are some of the poisons included in the vaccines:

Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)	Neomycin and streptomycin (antibiotics)		Resin and gelatin - known to cause allergic reactions
Formaldehyde – a known cancer causing agent	Aluminum -- a neurotoxin linked to Alzheimer’s disease		Polysorbate 80 (Tween80™) – which can cause severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis
Phenol (carbolic acid)	Triton X100 (detergent)		Egg proteins (including avian viruses)

Yesterday's fun

Yesterday was an interesting day for the husband and I. We went to Office Max and finally found a desk that we liked and also ordered some bookcases that matched. We were able to take the bookcase home, while the bookcases will be delivered sometime next week.

When we got home I put Layla to sleep, then set out to get a few groceries while he put the desk together. He does read directions, but prefers to be left alone while working on things like that. I took my time at the store, then went to this weird little store that I had noticed before called Every Day Deals. It was so weird. It was like a wonderland of dented cans and boxes, discontinued brands and packaging, and slightly expired food. I was lured in by the $1 cantaloupes on their signboard.

I did find a decent cantaloupe, two boxes of blueberries for $1 (some were moldy), and a few boxes of discontinued cereal. One of them expired last month, but for cereal that's just fine in terms of usability. My mom would always take expired stuff from the health food store she worked at while I was home, so it doesn't freak me out. Basically, meat and milk are only good a day or two past the date, but grains, nuts, and other non perishables won't hurt you, they will just not be as good in flavor or texture.

When I got home the hubby still wasn't done with the desk. It took him about 6 frustrating hours in all, but at least I have somewhere to sit as I type this. Our bed should be delivered Wednesday, and we just need to find a couch of some decent sort. I still want to do the majlis someday, but unfortunately, it is looking to be a little too expensive right now. ;(

Last night we also ordered a Berkey water filter from Pleasant Hill Grain, which will pay for itself in a little over a year. Then I ordered some training pants for Layla from Sammis Corner.

Layla has been going on the potty sometimes, so I am hoping to have her done by the time she is 2. Wish me luck! She is still talking like crazy and craves constant attention. We will have to do just a post on her later.

I am loving Portland so much!

Swine Flu-Courtesy of the US Government

There is some information circulating that suggests the swine flu that is currently beginning to circulate may be an artificial lab-created mutant virus. It is a virus that contains components of Avian, Human, and Swine viruses. Check out what is being said in this video about this current illness that is spreading. It may have been an experiment that was designed to create chaos in the population to make people more open to having their freedoms taken away to prevent spreading of an epidemic. That may not be what will happen with the current virus, but this may just be a cruel experiment.
Check out the video to get more information:

She's sick...

So it wasn't just teething after all. Layla's fever got higher yesterday afternoon, so I decided to take her in and have it checked out. She just has a sore throat, and one of her ears looked a little red inside. As much as I'm not a fan of antibiotics, she is on Amoxacillin as well as Motrin and Tylenol. Whenever the medicine wears off, her fever spikes again. The highest she's gotten was 102.4. We're just taking it easy today, trying to get her to sleep as much as possible. We'll also work on getting her back to normal with a probiotic once she finished the antibiotics course. She even wanted so sleep laying on my chest last night, which she hasn't done in months.

Pray for our sick Layla.