some easy rules.

1. don't drink your calories.
1. don't eat fast food
1. eat out of the fridge-not the freezer. 

now.. of course it won't kill you to go out once in a while and enjoy a hamburger and a nice cold coke. but do these things SPARINGLY. you will eat more fresh things, nutrient dense foods, and have way more energy.

don't diet. don't count calories (unless you have extreme health problems or do competitions or something).
if you let food overtake your thoughts... that is when serious problems can arise.
people always think "well I won't get an eating disorder" and that may be true.
but you COULD get something called
disordered eating. 
this is where food overcomes your thoughts. 
you stress about every calorie. 
you don't eat when your hungry. 
you keep eating when you are full.  
you save calories all day because you are so worried. 
you don't eat after workouts. 
you eat something and feel guilty. 
BE CAREFUL PEOPLE. 
this is your body we are talking about. 
it is NOT A GAME. 

Exercise Helps in the Fight Against Cancer

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, both mentally and physically. People diagnosed with cancer immediately start thinking about the end of their life, what will happen to their loved ones, etc. However, a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. It is possible to survive. Research has proven that one of the most helpful ways to overcome cancer is through the power of a positive attitude. It takes mental and physical strength to remain strong in the face of this type of medical issue. The best way to do that is to continue an exercise regimen during treatment.

Many people exercise as a way to relax and forget about the stresses that they have in their lives. Most medical professionals will say that a big key to beating cancer is to stay calm and not worry about the future. Worrying about the disease and what may happen can weaken the immune system, which can actually strengthen the disease’s ability to take hold in the body. A good workout keeps the person immersed in the moment and focused completely on what they are doing. Another reason to continue exercising is a positive body image.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments can affect the patient’s appearance and body image. The effects of the disease and their treatments for different types of cancer, depending on where it exists in the body or whether it is from a disease like mesothelioma, can affect the body in different ways.  According to the National Cancer Institute, exercise helps to improve body image and body composition. The article points out that breast cancer treatment, for example, tend to lead to significant weight gain. Exercise is a great way to control this problem and get the body back to a healthy state after the treatments. Recent data also indicates, although it is not conclusive, that exercise “improves progression-free and overall survival.”

The biggest benefit that exercise can bring, is allowing the patient to have a positive attitude. Continuing to exercise is a way of fighting back against the disease. It is the patient saying “cancer will not beat me!” The patient who can continue to exercise, no matter how tired they are or how badly they feel, is proving their mental strength. It takes a positive attitude to keep it going.

Exercise is an important aspect to defeating cancer. It can help relieve the stress of the disease and keep the patient relaxed. It can improve the patient’s body image and appearance. Exercise may even play a role in increasing survival odds after treatment. Most of all, exercise helps the patient to have a positive attitude. It is the best way for a patient to continue to fight, trying to strengthen the body while it is being attacked.  
Written by: David Haas

after 7.

ok so you know that advice that you hear from.. well.. EVERYWHERE? 
this is one of those "little tid-bits" that I am going to say may not be the BEST advice to follow.
DON'T EAT AFTER 7PM!
ok let me paint you a picture. 

you have been at school since 9am.. you didn't want to spend $7,000 on food at school you come in at 8pm(exhausted of course..AND HUNGRY) but.. tisk tisk.. don't eat after 7. so you go to bed hungry. 

now. lets break down what has happened in your body.
without food (energy) your body can't perform cell functions, store energy, perform transport..(and all that other fun biology stuff).
something maybe more relatable would be.. 

YOUR METABOLISM SLOOOOWWWS DOWN. (which is why it is best to try to eat 4-6 smallish meals to keep your metabolism going.. side note)

here is some NEW advice to go in place of the OLD advice.
listen to your body.  are you hungry? are you full? have you eaten enough today? (yes sometimes we don't eat enough) does your body feel satisfied? 


take a look at this hunger scale... you wanna start eating at around 4 and stop around 7.  rule of 7's.. before a 7 after 7pm?... eat a little something. it won't kill ya!


sincerely,
Aubri who's gonna go eat oatmeal at 11pm 

diets.

"A desire for a quick solution for weight loss has led to the mystification of exercise and diet and an environment ripe for promoters of quick weight-loss methods and fad diets."
--NASM Personal Fitness Training Manual


Ok.. so you have all heard it all. Diets from "Special K Diet" to "Atkins" to (the one that horrifies me maybe the most) "HCG".  one thing they all have in common? THEY MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT. and that is normally what people think about when starting these.  They are severely missing the underlying things such as "this weight loss won't last without lifestyle change" and "this could have negative effects on your body".  


it is a KNOWN fact that your body needs a little of everything to function properly.  proteins, carbs, fat.  


ok here is a big one that has lasted a long time "low-carb" or "no-carb" (can't believe that last one) "fat burns in a carbohydrate flame"  to utilize a max amount of fat one needs sufficient carbs to continue krebs cycle (this cycle helps make atp.. that is boring biology stuff).granted you can't eat all carbs. everything is a balance!   


bottom line..... 
95% of diets fail and most will regain their lost weight in 1-5 years
Source: Statistics on Weight Discrimination: A Waste of Talent, The Council on Size and Weight Discrimination

• 75% of American women surveyed endorse unhealthy thoughts, feelings or behaviors related to food or their bodies
Source: Three Out Of Four American Women Have Disordered Eating, Survey Suggests, Science News, from (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422202514.htm) 
• 91% of women recently surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting, 22% dieted “often” or “always”
Source: Information obtained from the National Association of Eating Disorders, from (www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/index.php) 
• Almost half of American children between 1st– 3rd grade want to be thinner and half of 9 - 10 year old girls are dieting
Source: Rate of Eating Disorders in Kids Keeps Rising, US Department of Health and Human Services

don't subtract.just add.

everywhere you go you hear people saying.. 
"I'm giving up soda". "I'm not eating fried foods anymore". "I am quitting carbs".  
ok... so of people that say that? how often do they stick with it? 
well I don't have some fancy statistic to prove my point but you know what I'm saying.
so next time you want to re-evaluate your diet and make some improvements. don't cut things out.
just add things. (yes it can be this simple)
add water (I can't emphasize that enough... ADD WATER))
add raw, whole foods (fruits and veggies)
add diversity to your meals (carbs, fats, and proteins)
by doing these things, some of your "not as favorable" habits will naturally become lessened.
               i.e. if you are drinking more water then your thirst will be quenched more often and you won't have as large of a desire to drink soda. 
so ADD ADD ADD :) 
p.s. don't ever punish yourself or make yourself feel guilty for eating a so called "bad" food.  more to come on that later.

who i am :)

so I thought before I started blogging out about fitness and health that I should tell you who I am.
my name is Aubri. I am studying fitness leadership at the University of Utah and I am minoring in nutrition.
I have also recently been certified as a personal fitness trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  


I am the first to admit.. I obviously don't know it all! What I do know, however, I would like to share :) so I hope that at some point you will find SOMETHING on this blog somewhat motivating. 


stand more than sit - aubri

I'm Number 1029.

remember your ability.

my legs burning. sweat dripping.  I can feel the fans blowing around me and on this 10 minute climb I am ready to GIVE UP.  but then... the instructor says something.


"for the rest of this climb...climb for someone who can't do what you're doing right now.  Someone who would give anything to have your legs for just these 60 seconds.  If you gave your legs to someone that needed them, I guarantee they would not lay, sit, or give up"

next time you are doing something with your body that is "hard" or "strenuous"-disassociate yourself from the situation.  think of someone who is jealous of what you get to do... and then do it for them.  surprise yourself.