Now that you have all your wonderful fresh, healthy food it’s time to take it home and get it ready for the week. To do this, wash and prep your fruits and vegetables for easy access during your busy week. A great idea is to cut up some different vegetables and put them in a container so that you have them on hand to add to salads, soups, omelets or sandwiches.

Next, you will do the same thing to anything you had purchased in a large bag or container. Take some snack bag size Ziploc baggies and divide the bigger bag into single servings. Put these in your pantry for easy “on-the-go” snacks.

Now you have all your healthy food home and ready to go, let’s talk about some tips at dinner time. First thing; use a smaller plate. Smaller plates equal smaller portions. Next, make sure you put your food on the plate in the kitchen, Do not bring all the food from the kitchen and serve yourself at the table.  Put the correct portion on your plate and leave the rest in the kitchen. The last thing to think about is remember to really enjoy your dinner. Eat slowly. Put your fork down in between bites. This is not a race. Savor each bite, talk with your family and relax.

This cycle is what happens to most people. We may start off with a routine and the pounds and inches are coming off, then all of a sudden, our results are at a standstill, we get frustrated, unmotivated and give up. Well, I am here to tell you there is hope!

Doing the same thing day after day will not yield you the results you desire. To continue getting results, you must continue to challenge your body by mixing up your routine.

Why is this important? When you work the same muscles, the same way at the same intensity, your body adapts and therefore doesn’t have to work as hard.  Think back to your very first day of starting your routine and you may notice that you can get through your workout a little easier now.

What you want to do is shock, or confuse your body. You want your body to always be taxed and challenged. Do this by switching your routine to incorporate using different muscles, times, or intensity.

If you are a fan of the treadmill and normally jog three miles a day at a nice and easy pace, try switching back and forth between a light jog and all out sprints. If it is usually flat, program in some hills. If you are a fan of strength training, add cardio into your routine. Take a new class; add Yoga, cycling, martial arts, boxing, etc. The possibilities are endless.

The point is that your exercise should never be “easy’. Yes, as your fitness level increases you will find things easier to do but that is when you change it up to make it hard again. Challenge your body and you will continue to see better and better results!

Inflammation is defined as swelling, redness, pain, tenderness, heat, and disturbed function of an area of the body, especially as a reaction of tissues to injurious agents. This pain can come from over-training and not allowing adequate rest, lifting a heavy object, twisting or straining your back, or even from bad posture. Whatever the cause, most back aches can be subsided with a few easy home remedies.

Think warm:
Use a warm compress, heating pad, or a heated gel pack. One reason this helps is because the heat promotes blood circulation in the area which reduces inflammation.

Get some Zzz’s:
Get to bed early and let your body rest. Make your goal 8 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is so important as this is the time your body uses to grow and repair itself. To help relax (and reduce the inflammation) take a warm bath with Epsom salt as the salt reduced the symptoms.

Watch what you eat:
Did you know some foods are anti-inflammatory foods? They consist of omega-3 fatty acids and include items such as fish, almonds, avocados, oatmeal, and fruits. Aim for as many of these foods in your diet as possible.

If all else fails:
You can also try an over-the-counter pain killer such as ibuprofen or aspirin. These pills can help with the pain.

The thing to remember is to let yourself get better before you begin working out again. It may be difficult but being “out of commission” a day or two will be better in the long run. Apply heat, get plenty of rest, watch what you eat, and you’ll be back to your exercise in no time!

We all have memories of sitting at the table as a child having our mom reminding us to “eat your vegetables”. Well, although hard to admit, she was right! Vegetables are something everybody should eat more of and kale is a great place to start!

This bundle of joy is packed with nutrients that can help prevent cancers, cataracts, emphysema, and rheumatoid arthritis. It is also full of great minerals such as iron, manganese, calcium and potassium. You can enjoy a cup of chopped kale and it will only cost you 33 calories! Also, that same cup of chopped kale will give you 206% of your Vitamin A and 134% of your Vitamin C.

Okay-so now you are convinced this wonderful super food must be added to your diet, right? So you run out to the store, buy a bag of kale, come home and stare at it blankly…what do you do with it?

My all-time favorite thing in the world is Kale Chips. That’s right – you heard me – CHIPS! These little puppies are so good I make them at least 3 times a week (and on occasion I have been known to make them 3 times a day…don’t judge…yes, they are that good!).

Now, anyone who knows me is well aware that I am, by no means, a good cook. You can ask my son about my cooking and he will be overjoyed to recite the story that includes me, the kitchen, and my rock-hard brownies (to make things worse, it was a brownie mix…oh yeah, messed up brownies that you “just add water” to). However, my kale chips rock! My point here is that anyone and I mean anyone can make these. They are fast, easy, and oh so good!

What you need:
Kale
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wash kale and dry off with towel
Line baking sheet with parchment paper
Tear kale into bite size pieces and place on parchment paper
Drizzle with Olive Oil
Sprinkle with seasoning (this can be anything; garlic powder, no sodium all-spice, etc. just whatever you like)
Place in oven for about 10 minutes
They will be ready when edges of kale turn brown but not black
BAM! Chips are ready!!
You can let them cool or eat them warm.
Trust me, make these once and you will start stocking up on the kale!
Enjoy!

First published on momseveryday.com