Sweet-Tooth Fix..

C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E & N.U.T.E.L.L.A 

Chocolate makes everything better!Who needs therapy when the world has Chocolate;)

For all the Chocolate lovers out there i am sure we have always got a knock on head reminding us to stay away from the goodness of the 'Chocolate fountain' when we are trying to eat right. Here's a good news,there are so many smart ways you can indulge into the chocolate heaven without feeling guilty or having to deprive yourself! Did i mention raw 'Cocoa' is actually one of the top super foods too. :)

It did not take me long to realize that the best quality of desired outcome can only come when you put both your heart and soul into something! "kitchen" used to be the long lost word in my dictionary until recently my passion for following a healthy lifestyle drove me into preparing my own version of clean eating.I never thought i had say this but i am actually discovering new horizons and proudly announce myself as the new #amateur chef of  'My Kitchen'..

'Chocolate' and 'Nutella' are two of my absolute faves..Before i started changing my ways i had these sugar high days when i use to over indulge and end up feeling guilty later..Sounds familiar..now i can have my cake and eat it too!!!The key is to focus on pairing the right foods and eliminate the ones that cause that insulin to spike without giving your body any energy or nutrition.It is probably too soon for me to elaborate on the health guide yet but you get the zest. 

Nothing fancy but i did give baking a shot for the very first time and i will let you guys be the judge of how well i did.Although the aroma that came out from my kitchen sure made my dog 'Onyx' drool!:D 

Here's the link i used to make http://themessybakerblog.com/2012/07/27/nutella-almond-bars/

• 'Nutella-Almond Bars' I had to modify the recipe a little since my husband is a big fan of peanut butter and pecan,i ended up baking two different versions with the same recipe.It turned out great and the best part-it is actually a 'No-Bake'recipe.#instantScore

Here's the link i used to make http://greatist.com/health/recipe-dark-chocolate-avocado-cookies 

'Dark Chocolate-Avacado Cookies' I obviously had to make it my own by changing the look of it..instead  of using 'Chocolate Chips' i cut small pieces of my favorite 'Green and Blacks' organic dark chocolate and pressed it into the fresh out of oven cookies while they were still moist. 
You can follow the exact recipe for your ease. I was able to yield about '14 cookies' from my batch.

To sum it all up..me and onyx had a blast baking and being creative.Who knew cooking and baking was so much fun..I certainly didn't! ;) until next time savour each bite and bake away!!:)

Going an 'Extra-Mile'..

My Wristband..

"It is always wise to achieve some kind of result before you reward yourself",says my mind.Well in the battle of 'Mind' and 'Heart',no matter who comes out as a winner we all know you can never go wrong with your instincts. That's why i decided to go an extra mile and invest on my new activity tracker :)

Here is the official site http://www.fitbit.com/flex for the wristband that i got recently.There are many different kinds of activity tracking devices and pedometers available online and in the electronic shops.I highly recommend you splurge on one that best meets your needs and help you keep more active.I did a little comparison research to help me get my money's worth and as a beginner 'Fitbit Flex' stood out to me.This link might help you  http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/08/fitness-wristbands-comparison/ with some basic comparisons as far as features and price goes.

The wristband is really light weight and the functions are also real easy to use.I also love the fact that you can buy the bands separate and i intend to get them in all four colors as i get use to wearing it.:D The bands are waterproof and you can wear it pretty much 24/7 unless you need to charge it.I personally don't have any complains as far as i know there will always be some sort of updates going on with technology and things will keep changing.

Apart from few cons like it doesn't track the stair climbing activity,you have to create your daily food log (it doesn't automatically calculate even if you are eating the same amount/type of food everyday),there is no display on the band itself so you have to sync the device with your Android, iOS or PC to check your activity stats.Overall i am excited to use my wristband.It is a great starting tool that will motivate me to move more often and keep going!

Here is a product review video i found on You Tube you can check it out before giving it a GO--

Disclaimer:All the links,videos and images i share on this blog are what has helped me gain perspective in my journey towards a healthy lifestyle.I am not endorsing any specific brand or organisation.You all can solely follow whatever appeals to you!
No pressure,Cheers!!:)

Status Update..

My 2 Weeks of dive into the "Healthy Pool"

"Motivation is what gets you started,Habit is what keeps you going"~ Jim Rohn

It has been around 2 weeks now paving my way through lifestyle changes.Its not all that easy let me tell you whoever said the 'beginning is the hardest' was not entirely wrong.I have had all kinds of excuses you can think of for not to progress but i also learnt a very important lesson somewhere in between me wanting to move forward and temptation wanting to pull me back that it would be really easy if i drop all this, or i can take a leap and see myself doing it not only to loose some weight but also to carry on with it for the rest of my life.The second option made more sense.Now that it was clear the only thing i needed to work on is to stay focused and cultivate the habits that will keep me going without looking back.

My oopsies-

• My pig-out day: After few days of keeping healthy my body started having all these cravings of foods that are considered a big no-no when you want to eat right.[Solution:I didn't let myself  feel guilty.I was prepared for such obstacles.Instead the next day i balanced it out by eating healthy and finding ways to avoid it from happening again.]
• Off Track: A pinch of motivation from here and there makes you want to do better each day.I realized as soon as i lost touch on weekend i started to fall back on my healthy habit.[Solution:Staying connected to whatever motivates you is the key.Never ever loose focus!]

My daisies-

• Positive Changes: Not all was lost.For the first time in my life i actually enjoyed being in the kitchen.Yup,People who know me knows that how allergic i am to the kitchen and cooking!;)
• Being Prepared: Planning your day ahead is very helpful and keeps you from being side tracked.
• Small Changes: Substituting bad food habits by replacing the grocery with good food choices will not only make your body eat good but also leave you with no other option than to eat that.(Hence,leading you to healthy habit forming naturally)

It might seem like nothing is happening but as you keep going you will notice your body feels so much better when you eat right,get some exercise in on daily basis.The boost in the energy comes all natural that alone is enough to make you repeat it all over again the next day!I have picked my path and i have no intention of getting it done all  in one day.I do encourage everyone who are into their ventures to stay focused!!

My Quest towards 'Healthy Living'

Lifestyle Changes-Beginner!

First things first..even if you are a beginner or a pro in the whirlpool of infinite choices we face in our day to day lives.There will always be days when we give into the temptations around us.It is perfectly okay to be normal so i keep reminding myself from time to time. After-all we are only humans:) So my friends the zest here is even if you feel like you have tried everything and are thinking of giving up i want you to pause just for a second and think..stopping will be the end but keep going and i promise you will find your way.I once read somewhere that, "Never give-up on something you can't go a day without thinking about".

So back to my roller coaster.Let me let you guys in on a secret today.I have tried like a million times all sorts of different ways to loose weight,tried to keep active,gym,workouts and what not..everything is as good as you are in maintaining a core regimen!Every year i make my resolutions only to see it fade away as weeks pass by.Time to stir things up a little this year.Keeping it simple,less is more specially if you are someone whose day begins before the sun rises and keeps going even after the sun sets!

For those who have read my old post are familiar that i had been raving about health and lifestyle changes for quite a while now.The key is to slow down and pace it to your own speed.There are tons of methods available everywhere try to find what appeals to you and stick to it.What works for one might not work for you i learnt it the hard way and here we are back to square one.Oh well i am prepared to do it all over again even if it takes me forever to get there. After all practice make perfect!Right ;)

My Game Plan-

Take time to weigh out your options before you start moving forward.Change things gradually and ease your way up to where everything will come naturally to you.Rushing will only make you frustrated.One step at a time tip-toe if you must it will change your life for good.You will feel a whole lot better than what you felt yesterday.Simple changes like switching Herbal/Green tea for coffee,Snacking on your favorite fruits.Adding one or two different veggies that you normally wouldn't even glance through at a grocery store etc your body will thank you for it i promise.I will write an entire post on 'Food' once i feel like i have got it down myself

So until then here are few basic changes i have initiated might help you kick start!

1.Sleep:We all know early to bed and early to rise makes a man Healthy,Wealthy and Wise!

• If you are a night owl like me you know how difficult it is too even think about being a morning person.It can change!
• You must strive to get at least 6-8 hours of good night sleep i'd like to call it as my 'Beauty Sleep'.
• It will not only make your day start right but also rejuvenate your body for aches and pain.Body heals itself while we are asleep and getting good sleep will get you going in the right direction.

2.Exercise:Stagnant water always stinks,flowing water is always clean!So keep moving..

• That doesn't mean chasing bulls the first day your start being active;) Be real and know your limits.Start by doing simple things, park your car farther at work so you can get an early walk in,take stairs instead of elevator.
• Stretches!seriously even if you don't exercise make it a point to move and stretch your part of body thats being use constantly every 30-60 mins. Ex:if you work on a computer all day--stretch your neck and arms in intervals,stand and sit few times on the spot,and most important blink you eyes and glance through your surrounding to give your eye much needed relief.
• Walks are the best form of free workout available to everyone and if you have a dog its even better walking him can give you an excuse to get out and my personal experience a tired dog is always a happy dog.If you are a dog owner for a while you know what i am talking about!!!

3.Eating Habits:You are what you eat..Took me a while to grasp it;)

• Incorporate whole form of foods.Fruits and vegetables like dark leafy greens and berries are packed with anti-oxidants and nutrients.http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/top-10-reasons-to-eat-more-fruits-and-vegetables
• Do some research of your own.There are videos on you tube that tell you how to read the nutrition label,give you swap/healthy alternatives on what you have been eating wrong,etc
• This might help you begin-http://nutritiondata.self.com/

Last but not the least,like i said earlier start making small changes that way it will be easy to stick to it.Eating 5-6 small meals/day keeps your body regulate better and help that metabolism ramp up!!i know mine is going over the roof right now..That reminds me its time for my evening snack..Gotta keep that belly happy!:)

Until then..
Put on the thinking cap and ride along with me on my journey!

Disclaimer:All the links,videos and images i share on this blog are what has helped me gain perspective in my journey towards a healthy lifestyle.I am not endorsing any specific brand or organisation.You all can solely follow whatever appeals to you!

No pressure,Cheers!!:)

If I may..

It has been a while since the 'diary days' and my last blog..Gosh!i don't even remember where i had hidden my true persona since i had moved from Iowa..Yet here i am back at it,writing is something i not only enjoy but it brings a spark of excitement in my blood stream.It might seem a little extreme for those who have not experienced anything exciting.After spending few weeks at home not working or being able to focus on some sort of set schedule it dawned to me how purposeless life can be if you don't know where you are heading.Hence the blog!!:)

I got the idea for this blog after reading through all different topics since morning and the simple fact that there is a wide array of things available just a click away made me realize my life has been an open book all along at least that's what i had like to think anyway.So here in this blog i will share all the things that i come across which fascinates and motivates me from movies,food,music,internet,quotes,news,social media pretty much anything and everything.So get prepared to read more of me since i am sure my mind has broken free!lol

I have been raving about a healthy life style change to my husband for quite a while now finally he will be glad that i will be sharing it with you all instead of him.;)I read this article http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/revamp-resolutions#slide=1 this morning and thought it helped me jump start in the right direction.Today has been a day about gathering insight on how to lead a healthy lifestyle without actually trying too hard.Simple changes in our day today life can go long ways.I have taken my first step and have no intention of looking back!

I invite all the readers to comment and share anything that will help us better our lives.i intend to create a positive experience through this blog and i hope you all will help me surround myself with happy and fun loving people.Looking forward to a new beginning!

"Life is short, live it. Love is rare, grab it. Anger is bad, dump it. Fear is awful, face it. Memories are sweet, cherish it.” – Unknown