"I don't need to worry about what I look like, I'm married now" I have heard this over and over in passing and in direct conversations and it really ruffles my feathers. Although it's intended to be said in a light–hearted manner, I truly feel that there is some truth behind this statement for many people. It's ok to feel relaxed and be "comfortable" around the one you love. Being comfortable is one thing, but letting yourself go is another. It's important to maintain your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being after finding a spouse for multiple reasons.

There are over 64 percent of Americans that are over-fat and overweight.  Living this way can literally cost you money and time. The average person that is overweight tends to spend an additional $400-$1000 monthly on groceries, eating at restaurants, doctor bills, larger clothes, and insurance premiums.

Obesity-related illnesses cause an astonishing loss of 39 million work days per year in America. Your weight gain isn't just costing you, but your company as well. You are your number-one asset in life and if you aren't taking care of that asset to the best of your ability then other areas in your life will diminish.

Picture or draw a "wheel of life" categorized in sectioned pie pieces with each one individually labeled according to life's priorities. For example, mine would be sectioned into faith, family, health, relationships, finances, career, etc. When I look at my wheel, I see that my health is the glue that holds all of these categories in tact. In fact, the quality of each area of your life is a reflection upon your current health condition as well.

 

I'm a little nuts when in comes to eating the right kind of nuts. All too often my clients will write down in their Visibly Fit™ nutritional journal that they ate nuts during the day. I soon find out that their idea of healthy nuts consisted of macadamia nuts (which aren't bad, just higher in calories and fat) or worse, honey-roasted almonds, peanuts or pecans. Nuts can be very beneficial in your daily diet if you eat the right ones and if they are raw. When they are coated in honey, sugar, and salt then they become less healthy. For instance, honey-roasted almonds have 100 additional calories per ounce than without. Most raw nuts range from 150-210 calories per ounce. Studies show that people who are frequent tree nut eaters usually weigh less than people who aren't, in spite of the high calories of nuts.

Here's a nutritional breakdown of some of the most popular nuts available. I hope when you choose to go nutty, then you'll go nuts with the right one!

1. ALMONDS: My all-time favorite nut! I eat 12-15 of them daily, usually as part of my mid-day snack. Just one small ounce of these nuts offer 12 percent of your daily allowance of protein, 35 percent of your vitamin E allowance, the same amount of calcium that's in 1/4 cup of milk, and they are loaded with minerals and healthy fiber. To top it off, almonds offer a "filling" mechanism in them to keep you feeling full and satisfied and they are considered less fatty (although it's monounsaturated fat - ie. good fat and has no cholesterol) of all the nuts! I always keep some in the car as a grab and go snack when I'm on the road.

2. PEANUTS: Probably one of the most popular nuts as they are used often in cooking and they seem to be the nut of choice when watching many sports. Guess it's a bit of a sport nut! Yes, pun intended! The peanut is also a nut that many people are allergic to, so much so, that schools have a "peanut-free" table in the cafeteria for the kids to sit that have this allergy. This nut is technically a legume...a little trivia for you! Even though this nut is a great energy source, has an excellent source of resveratrol (antioxidant that's great for fighting cancer and heart disease), vitamin E, B-complex groups of vitamins and many minerals, it's susceptible to mold due to the way it grows. This is toxic to the body and roasting the nuts only reduces the toxins, but doesn't eliminate. 

3. CASHEWS: Like other nuts, cashews are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Cashews are said to offer the best source (of all the nuts) of minerals such as Selenium, Copper, and Zinc. These particular minerals are all co-factors for vital enzymes for the body. Native to South America, cashews are actually seeds that are found growing on the end of a cashew apple. They are high in monounsaturated fats, but no higher than almonds. In fact, cashews may be a tad less. BUT...they don't fill you up the way almonds do. Yes, I'm promoting my favorite nut. I'm allowed - It's my article!

 

Achieving your goals or desires for health and fitness often requires changing your thinking, and one of the best aids is keeping a journal of your daily nutrition, physical fitness, and accompanying thoughts. Your physical person is more than just what you eat; it’s also the result of what you choose to put into your workouts. And it’s heavily influenced by how you feel, which is directly related to what you think about yourself. They all must work together if you want to be healthy and fit.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Tamilee Webb of the Buns of Steel video series. The series includes close to 20 different videos for different body parts. She's in her mid-50's now, but I still remember popping in my VHS tapes and sweatin' it out with her in the 80's. She's sold over 14 million copies of her workout tapes and is probably best known for the "Buns" video. I even took a fitness class from her over the weekend and she's still got the goods! It's proof that health and fitness is a lifestyle and is to be maintained and challenged on a daily basis for better tomorrows. It doesn't matter what type of program you do....do something!!!! The mentality for most people is that they want to hurry and get in shape and then stop doing the things that got them there. Just because you cross the finish line of your goal doesn't mean that the race is over. The "hard" part of the race is complete. It now becomes a race of pace for life. Crossing the finish line only means that a new goal and finish line awaits. There are more rewards ahead. There is always room for improvement whether you are just starting a fitness program or you're a professional athlete. Sometimes you just need a challenge! Take one!

Start thinking in multiple streams and on multiple levels to increase creativity, wealth, knowledge, and health. You will see that your worth is endless. If you are reading one book—try reading three. If you are working one job then add another revenue source to your life monthly. Could be something you do only once a week. If you walk—try to jog from time to time. If you speak one language—learn another. You get the idea!