Stress is a part of everyone’s life.
What differs is how each person responds to it.
Situations that one may find stressful, someone else may not.
We all react differently…physically, mentally or emotionally to stress.

Stress, anxiety or worry can strain our bodies and cause health possible health issues.

Common effects of not handling stress well

-Migraines or Headaches.
-Moody or Emotional.
-Insomnia
-Digestive issues.
-Skin breakouts.
-More severe health issues can be attributed to stress as well (heart health, obesity)

Ways to de-stress

-Make a conscious effort to relax. Spend time in prayer, meditation, yoga or doing something that is quiet and promotes slowing down and relaxing.
-Say “No”. Don’t over commit. Yes, I know you want to do it all…family, work, friends, your own personal time, but you can’t! Prioritize and say no to everything else!
-Delegate. Have someone else in the family help with household duties, have a co-worker take care of some of the work load, hire others to do tasks that would allow you to free up some of your time and alleviate stress.
-De-clutter and get organized. If your desk, work area, house is cluttered and a mess odds are your mood and stress level will be too! When things are neatly organized and in their proper place there is less to stress and be anxious over.
-Melatonin can help with stress by allowing you to get sound sleep and helping with headaches/migraines as well as being a powerful anti-oxidant and has been shown to be effective in treating some forms of depression.
-Exercise! Endorphins are good for the body & make you feel good! Get up and get moving!

“Give your stress wings and let it fly away”
~Terri Guillemets

Question of the day
What do YOU do to de-stress?

*disclaimer*
I am not listing the 100 calorie snack packs because while they do exist I’m focusing on healthy, natural snacks not prepackaged stuff.

These are just a handful of the healthy snack options available at 100 calories or less per serving.
Or use the free calorie calculator to see how many calories are in your favorite snacks!

Fruit:
1 medium apple
1 small banana
1 cup of blueberries
1 cup of blackberries
1/2 cup of cherriees
1 medium grapefruit
approx. 20 grapes
1 nectarine or orange
1/2 of a papaya
1 cup of raspberries
1 cup of strawberries
1 medium peach
1/2 of a medium sized mango
1/4 of a medium avocado
2 medium kiwi
1 cup of pineapple

Veggies
3 large raw carrots
1 cucumber
1/2 c edamame
4 beets

Misc
2 cups of popcorn
1/4 cup of hummus
1/2 oz of cashews
1 cup of salsa
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/3 cup of Wasabi Peas

Want to try something new and different?
Check out the 100 calorie meal recipes

Question of the day
What is your favorite snack?

Resistance Bands help you perform upper and lower body exercises with ease yet working your muscles.
They’re excellent for all fitness levels since they usually come in varied resistances…light, medium, and heavy.
Resistance bands are good for general strength and conditioning as well as for using for rehab of an injury.
You can easily incorporate the use of resistance bands to help with cardio and strengthening specific muscle groups.
Resistance band exercises are perfect for those working out at home or on the road since they’re compact and light!
(no more excuses that you’re traveling or away from home and can’t exercise!)

Here are a few quick workouts you can do using resistance bands:

Triceps Extension Using Resistance Band
-Start by holding the band in one hand & placing that hand behind your back.
-Now grab the other end of the band with the arm that is over your head.
-Extend the top elbow until your arm is fully extended.
-Return to the starting position and repeat.

Biceps Curls Using Resistance Band
-Stand with feet shoulder width apart.
-Step on the middle of the resistance band with both feet.
-Grasp ends with underhand grip.
-Flex at the elbows and curl band up to approximately shoulder level.
-Return to start position and repeat.

Alternate Lying Chest Presses
-Lie on your back with the resistance band underneath you and hold the ends with both hands.
-Start by pressing one arm up towards the ceiling and then return to the starting position.
-Repeat with the other arm.

Resistance Band Lunges
-Stand with feet hip width apart. Take one leg and step back about 2 feet standing on the ball of the foot.
-With the front foot step on the resistance band and hold the other ends with your hands.
-Lower body by bending at right hip and knee until thigh is parallel to floor.
-Return to start position.
-Repeat

Question of the day
What is your favorite part of the body to workout?

1) Work out at home instead of the gym. There are plenty of exercises you can do without equipment, you can walk, run, run up and down the stairs, do yoga…use your imagination.

2) Prepare food at home. It’s cheaper and healthier!

3) Sign up for coupons (yes there are some sites that offer coupons for organic, natural healthy foods! — organicdeals.com and savingnaturally.com are two of my favs)

4) Check out Craigslist or local ads for used exercise equipment. I just got a treadmill for $60!

5) Get a Gold Card from GNC and save 20% (I’ve saved LOTS using mine)

6) Make your own cleaning supplies (you’d be amazed what some vinegar and baking soda with a bit of essential oils can do). There are too many recipes to post all here but search “homemade cleaning supplies”. Here’s one link that has some basics, for cheap non-toxic cleaning.

7) Buy in bulk. Whole grains, pastas, dried fruits, nuts, seeds can be purchased in bulk for a savings.

8 ) Buy from local farmers markets, fruit stands. Visit localharvest.org to find these in your area.

9) Spend time in prayer, meditation daily. It’s free! and good for the soul & spirit (remember this blog is about Balancing healthy body, mind and soul)

10) Want to work out to a new dvd? Check your local library or if you already have NetFlix, they have some good yoga and workouts on there now too.

11) Drink water instead of soda. If you get bored or don’t like the taste of plain water, jazz it up with some fruit in it.

12) Use organic coconut oil for cooking, and doubles as a great body moisturizer and hair conditioner too!

Question of the day
Do you find it hard to be healthy on a budget?
What’s one of your budget tips?

Let’s start off with the basics…
What is a calorie?
A unit of energy.
Excess energy or calories then will lead to body fat increase. So use up that energy either through a workout or other physical and enjoyable activities.
Scientifically, a calorie is the energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 cubic cm of water by 1 degree Celsius.

Or, as some would like to believe…

If you eat more calories than you need (for normal body functions and for activity that you perform), then your body will store the extra energy as fat (that’s when you gain weight).

If you eat less calories than you need, your body will burn fat to provide the extra energy (this is how you lose weight).

It’s really basic math, you put more into your body than what it needs it’ll store it.
If you use more energy than you provide to your body, it’ll burn off existing fat supplies.

One pound of body fat equals approximately 3,500 calories.
So then you need to cut 3,500 calories from your diet to lose one pound.
If you were to cut even 100 calories from your daily intake and do nothing else differently, you would lose almost a pound a month, over a year you would lose about 10 pounds.
If you wanted to lose more weight, you could cut about 500 calories a day which would be 3500 calories a week.
Want to lose more than a pound a week?
Increase your physical activity!

How many calories a day do you need to maintain your current weight?
Here’s a calculator that can assess that and give you a rough idea.
This and other calorie calculators are not an exact science because it doesn’t take into consideration your current physical structure (body fat %, muscle, etc.)
So, just use it as a guideline but not something that is set in stone.

The other day, I posted about how to quickly burn 100 calories.

*disclaimer*
You will not see me mention diet soda because in all honesty IF I was going to drink soda (which I don’t any more-former Mt Dew addict) I’d drink the real deal instead of soda with artificial sweeteners (Splenda, Sucralose, Nutrasweet, etc.) that in my opinion do more damage to you than the sugar in regular soda. Ditto any item labeled sugar free, unless it contains a natural form of sugar (honey, agave, molasses, stevia).

Today’s post is about how to easily cut 100 calories a day.

• Grill or broil your chicken, fish rather than fry it.
• Give up a beer. Even light beer has 100 (or more) calories per 12 ounces.
• Skip the glass of wine. A 5 oz glass of wine has 100+ calories.
• Use less dressing on your salads.
• Give up one soda a day. That’ll be anywhere from 120-160 calories gone right there!
• Have coffee instead of that frap or latte.
• Stay away from food from vending machines! Make sure to bring your own healthy snacks.
• Instead of butter on your toast or bagel, use fruit jams.
• Substitute egg whites or egg replacements for eggs in recipes.
• IF you’re going to insist on fast food, don’t super size the meal.
• When eating sandwiches, have them open face. You’ll save on one piece of bread (70-100 calories)
• Use smaller plates, it’ll take less food to fill the plate and by appearance it’ll look like a full plate and you’ll eat less.
• Use chop sticks instead of regular utensils (and don’t cheat and use your fingers!)
• Have fresh fruit sorbet instead of ice cream for dessert.

Question of the day
What is your favorite way of cutting calories?

Franklin Antoian is a Personal Fitness Trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise.
He’s also the founder of ibodyfit.com, the world’s largest online personal training website.
He has a new book out…
The Fit Executive.

This book is about fitness for today’s busy professionals (and really anyone who thinks they’re too busy to work out).
It’s an easy read (y’all know I like quick, easy, short to the point reading and this fits the bill).
Like the about this book page says:
Information in this book is introduced quickly and concisely. This book is designed to help you become a Fit Executive as efficiently as possible.
The book is 166 pages and loaded with straight forward information to get you up and going.

The dedication says it all…
This book is dedicated to the one billion businessmen and women around the world who think they do not have enough time to get fit. You do.

The book is broke down into different sections:
Part One: Fitness Due Diligence
Part Two: Weight Loss
Part Three: Motivation
Bonus: Executives Only

Included in the book are links to great resources and easily accessible by scanning the bar code thingies (ok you can tell I do not have an iphone) or in the ebook version click on the link!

Each chapter has a short recap of key points you should remember from the pages before.
At the end of each part is a summary as well.
Again, love simple, concise information.
It sinks in faster (at least for me!)

This book covers everything you need to know from start to finish to get up and moving, keep moving and reap the benefits of being fit and keep that lifestyle going.

Compliments of Franklin, two winners will be chosen.
One will receive an ebook version of the book and another will receive the physical book.

Contest open until Feb 12, 2012 11:59 p.m.
Winner will be announced on Feb 13, 2012 via email.

Mandatory Entry
Visit ibodyfit.com and come back and comment on something you learned.

Additional Entries:
For each thing you do here, you must put it in a new comment for it to count as an entry.
Please do not combine things you do or it’ll only count as one entry in the contest.

Follow follow @ibodyfit on Twitter
Like iBodyFitcom on Facebook
Subscribe to iBodyFit’s YouTube channel
Sign up for the Free exercise of the month (on right side)
Connect with iBodyFit on LinkedIn

Copy & paste this tweet, then when you’re done come back and comment with the link of your tweet
2 winners for The Fit Executive Book http://wp.me/p1XoKe-2VH @ibodyfit @taraburner #fitness #nottoobusytoworkout

Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Give @taraburner Klout
Sub to this blog via RSS Feed
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Connect with me on Posterous
Add me to your circles on Google+

Sign up for the free Balancing Healthy Body, Mind, Soul online paper
Like Tara’s fitness page on Facebook
Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Add WillWearYourAd to your circles on Google+
Follow @WillWearYourAd on Twitter
Like WillWearYourAd on Facebook

– Disclaimer: I have personally reviewed the products listed above. My opinions are totally mine…honest and unbiased. I’m not responsible for shipping or the delivery of any prize.

I bet you think that Vitamin B12 is just for energy but it’s needed for so much more…

Vitamin B12 is a vital vitamin.
Vitamin B12, also called Cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a critical role in many vital biological functions:
Normal functioning of the brain and nervous system
The metabolism of every cell in our bodies
Critical in DNA synthesis and regulation
Helps to regulate fatty acid synthesis and energy production
May protect against brain atrophy associated with Alzheimer’s disease and impaired cognitive function
High-dose administration stimulates activity of the body’s TH1 suppressor T-Cells.

Signs that you may be lacking in Vitamin B12
Fatigue
Difficulty speaking (stammering)
Slow reflexes
Limbs being jerky
Problem with memory
Soreness in legs or arms
Anemia
Weakness

Hydroxocobalamin Versus Cyancobalamin?
99% of the Vitamin B12 supplements on the market contain a very inexpensive form of B12 called Cyanocobalamin.
Hydroxocobalamin is an expensive form of Vitamin B12 that lasts much longer in one’s system, and it is also the naturally occurring form of B12 found in liver.

Delivery
There are many problems with the efficient delivery of Vitamin B12 supplements.
For instance, B12 sublingual drops and sprays are better than pills or capsules.
That being said, there is no delivery system that can compare to our sustained 8-10 hour time-release patches.
Each patch delivers an undiluted 5mg dose of Vitamin B12 Hydroxocobalamin directly into the bloodstream.
This gives the liver enough time to process and metabolize the entire dosage efficiently.

If you don’t know the difference between the delivery systems of supplements check out this post that describes transdermal patch delivery vs oral delivery.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause severe damage to the brain and nervous system, even at levels only slightly lower than normal.
That’s why it is so important to supplement your normal dietary intake of Vitamin B12.

I personally use AgeForce’s Vitamin B12 patches for few reasons:
The patches are more efficient in delivery and I know that they’re formulated, tested, and made in the good US of A and as most of you know by now that’s a selling point for me.

Always consult a nutritionist, dietitian, licensed medical practitioner and a certified personal trainer prior to taking any supplement, modifying your diet and/or beginning any exercise program.

Question of the day
What’s your favorite exercise?

Added Giveaway
Was just informed, one lucky winner can win a month’s supply of Vitamin B12 from AgeForce

Contest open until Feb 11, 2012 11:59 p.m.
Winner will be announced on Feb 12, 2012 via email.

Mandatory Entry
Visit AgeForce and come back and comment on what item you’d try.

Additional Entries:
For each thing you do here, you must put it in a new comment for it to count as an entry.
Please do not combine things you do or it’ll only count as one entry in the contest.

Follow follow @ageforce on Twitter
Like AgeForce on Facebook
Sign up for their newsletter in the top right on their site
Add Ageforce to your circles on Google+

Copy & paste this tweet, then when you’re done come back and comment with the link of your tweet
Win months supply of #vitaminb12 http://wp.me/p1XoKe-2Vl @ageforce @taraburner

Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Give @taraburner Klout
Sub to this blog via RSS Feed
Follow me on Tumblr
Follow me on Pinterest
Connect with me on Posterous
Add me to your circles on Google+

Sign up for the free Balancing Healthy Body, Mind, Soul online paper
Like Tara’s fitness page on Facebook
Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Add WillWearYourAd to your circles on Google+
Follow @WillWearYourAd on Twitter
Like WillWearYourAd on Facebook

– Disclaimer: I have personally reviewed the products listed above. My opinions are totally mine…honest and unbiased. I’m not responsible for shipping or the delivery of any prize.

The Science Of Transdermal Time-Release Patch Delivery Of Dietary Supplements Versus Oral Delivery

For the last 100 plus years, we’ve been swallowing pills, capsules, powdered drinks, and sublingual sprays, to get the benefits of health and fitness dietary supplements.
Today, most doctors will tell you that oral delivery has become “old-school”, as the science of transdermal time-release patch delivery replaces hundreds, if not thousands of dietary supplements and prescriptive medications each year.

The key to understanding the advantages of transdermal patches versus pills, capsules, drinks and sprays, is the word “Delivery”.
The formulas in most oral dietary supplements are good, if not very good!
But the strengths and weaknesses of oral supplement delivery comes into better focus if you understand the how hard it is to delivery supplement formulas when swallowed, versus direct to bloodstream transdermal patch delivery.

OK, that being said, here are the steps, or stages that a perfectly good dietary supplement formula goes through when swallowed in pills, capsules, powdered drinks or sublingual sprays.
1. You swallow the pill, capsule, mixed drink, or spray. Good so far – right?
2. In your stomach, the supplement is bathed in incredibly powerful digestive acids for 2 to 4 hours; depending on what else you eat before, or after you swallow the supplement.
3. Anywhere from 50% to 95% of the original supplement dosage is destroyed by the digestive acids in your stomach
4. After 2 to 4 hours, the surviving supplement dosage leaves your stomach and enters your small intestine where, over another 2 to 6-hours, it can be absorbed into your bloodstream to deliver the benefits of the formula.

Bottom line: When you take any dietary supplement orally, at best you only get 50% of the original formula dosage, and in most cases a lot less then that, no matter how good the formula is!

OK, lets see how transdermal patch delivery works:
1. You place the patch on your arm or your stomach.
2. Over 4 to 12 hours, depending on the patch, the formula dosage moves through your skin, directly into your bloodstream.
3. Most high-quality transdermal patches deliver over 95% of the formula dosage safely into your bloodstream.
4. The time-release function of the patch allows your system to metabolize the formula dosage efficiently so you get the full benefit of the original dosage.
Bottom line: Transdermal patch delivery of dietary supplement formulas is direct to bloodstream delivery and you get the full benefits of the formula dosage over an extended time that allows your system to take full advantage of the formula ingredients and benefits.

At Phase4 Pharmaceutical, we are at the forefront of research and development of transdermal patch delivery of USA made and inspected health and fitness dietary supplements. We hope you will visit our website, or call us at: (305) 788 6604 (EST) to learn more about our products and our company.

So, 100 calories doesn’t seem like much but if you do multiple things listed here you’ll be burning more calories and not even realizing it.
Many say they don’t have time to work out or exercise…we all have the same 24 hours, we just use it differently.
No matter how busy you are, you can make time for these quick 100 calorie burners!

These approximations are based on a 140 pound woman so give or take on the amount of time for each activity depending on your own weight.

Running – 11 minutes
Walking – 19 minutes
Bicycling – 11 minutes
Elliptical – 12 minutes
Yoga – 31 minutes
Hula Hoop – 20 minutes
Vacuuming the house – 28 minutes
Gardening – 21 minutes
Golfing – 23 minutes
Jumping Rope – 18 minutes
Dance – 26 minutes
Jumping Jacks – 12 minutes
Bowling – 32 minutes
Zumba – 12 minutes

If you want to see how many calories you burn based on your weight and activity, check out a calorie calculator to get can get an estimate of how many calories you burn during different exercises.

Question of the day
How will you burn extra calories today?

It’s a thrill to introduce Antoinette (Toni) Church this week as the Fitspo Friday Feature.

Feel free to connect with Toni on Twitter @tonee78
Check her page out on Facebook
and make sure to stop by her blog at Runninglovingliving.com
If you’re on Pinterest, make sure to follow her boards at tonee78

Q: Have you always lived a healthy fit lifestyle?
I started on my healthy journey at 19 after I had my first daughter. Prior to having her I never exercised mostly due to being a severe asthmatic. I began weight training and running which actually helped to alleviate my asthma symptoms inspiring to keep working out. I have been working out ever since trying everything from Pilates to Yoga to Bootcamp to Crossfit to…well you get my drift. I became a certified personal trainer at 20 because discovered my passion for fitness and I wanted to share that passion with others, which I did for about 8 years. I am no longer a certified personal trainer now but I am a registered nurse which also allows me to share my passion for health and fitness.
I got pregnant in 2008 and due to a rough pregnancy I basically stopped working out until after I had my daughter in October, but once I go the okay to start exercising again, I did. I started my blog last year as a way to chronicle my journey to a sub-2 hour 1/2 marathon and during this journey I rediscovered my passion for both writing and running. My blog allows me to motivate and inspire others to get and stay fit. 15 years after working out for the first time I am still as passionate about fitness and this year I plan to take my goals to the next level by attempting to run a 1/2 marathon in 1:45 and the NYC marathon (my first) in 4:00.

Q: What keeps you going, motivated?
My family keeps me motivated because I want to live the healthiest life possible so I can be with them for a very long time, plus I want to set a good example for my daughter. Reading other blogs and connecting with other fitness minded people keep me motivated, it is inspiring to see what other people are achieving and the support that also comes along with being a part of a blogging community.

Q: What is your favorite workout?
My favorite workout is running. I fell in love from the moment I took my first run. My relationship with running has been rocky, we have had our ups and downs and some injuries to boot but I can’t imagine my life without running. Running helps me to reduce my stress, feel good and work through my problems. During my long runs is probably the only time my mind quiets and only focuses on one thing…running.

Q: What are some of your goals?
I have 2 big goals for this year. The first is to run a 1/2 marathon in 1:45 and the second is to run the NYC marathon in 4:00.

Q: What are some of your accomplishments or things you’re proud of?
My biggest accomplishments are my 2 daughters and being married to my husband for almost 12 years (together 16). Running the Long Island 1/2 Marathon in 1:54:36 on 5/1/11 was a big accomplishment for me.
I am proud of the fact that at 24 years old I went back to school and became a Registered Nurse. I am also proud that I started my blog last year and it is still going strong!!!

Q: What is one random fact we should know about you?
I have live on Long Island my whole life, a short 30-45 minute train away from the city, NYC that is, and until this past October I have never gone to the city on my own. My first adventure to the city for the 1st NYC blogger playdate, where I met up with a bunch of other bloggers I had never met for hot yoga and brunch! I guess you could say I am all grown up now!!!

Q: What words of advice would you like to leave the readers?
Start today, start slow and find something you love. Putting off getting fit until a better day doesn’t work, just do it!! Start slow and ease into any activity to avoid injury. Find activities you love, if you try running and hate it then find something else….if you love what you are doing then you are more likely to stick with it!

Run often, Love completely, Live Fully