Staci Speak

I flew out of bed this morning and said “honey, please make coffee! – I have to write”  A lot of you know the feeling. I was laying in bed thinking of something someone said to me at the gym the other day – and also reevaluating my answer.  I have been picking it up a  notch lately – but not for any one specific thing.  The usual question is “Are you getting ready for a show?” I love this question – for me I take it as a compliment BUT – I am not getting ready for a show.

This is the topic that lends to my inspiration this morning.  I don’t want to be always “getting” ready for something – I have decided that I am staying ready.  Now that means alot of different things to any number of us, for me it means me being emotionally, physically and spiritually READY for whatever opportunities God gives me.

What this does not mean is that I need to walk around at 114 lbs ready to take a stage – but it does mean for me to stay at a place physically were I am always ready for that wonderful moment that may come out of no-where.  Our overall wellness of course is not validated by what we look like on the outside – but it does have a little to do with the overall package. Am I wrong?  Going deeper here – I would NOT be motivated to maintain my physical wellness if I was not emotionally and spiritually in the right place to begin with. I am talking about food here! We are what we eat. My staples of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, Vitamin D, B Complex, Flax and Cod liver oil AND Multi-vitamins at  night help drive me to want to stay ready.

One thing is definitely connected to the other.  Start with what we put on the inside – this translates into how we feel about what we do with the outside and further more how we maintain that. Then by doing these things it helps us to continue to nurture the other other areas of our life that we must keep in check. Our attitude of gratitude, our humility, our generosity – for example.  AND on the flipside of this – being grateful and helping those with less and laughing at ourselves more often will keep us spiritually on task which leads right back into keeping us motivated to maintain ourselves emotionally and physically.

Finally – my point – ask yourself if you are always “getting” ready for something … Ask your self have you every been or “felt” ready… what was it like – write it down. Study it like you would for a test. It really is that important.  My challenge for you today is to not just get ready… but STAY ready – because mark my words, if that magical moment presents itself and YOU are not ready I guarantee that some one else will be!

Follow @NourishedFit on twitter! Alyson Boyd is my fav nutrition blogger to date!

http://www.nourishedfitness.com/

I love this question!!!!– Staci, my relationship with my husband has been very difficult after I gave birth to our second child. I gained almost 45 lbs. and my husband and I fight all the time now because he says that I’ve gotten too lazy to take care of myself. I try to explain to him that it’s difficult to find time for myself during the day when the kids need so much attention, but he thinks I’m only making excuses. He also says I neglect him physically, but it’s hard to feel attractive when he’s always telling me he’s upset with my weight. What do I do? (Emily, Boise, ID)

First – know that you are not alone – and that you can do this. First let us tackle the lack of energy – eating right will give you more energy to work on other areas so your game plan here is to;

1. Switch out processed simplex carbs for healthy complex carb choices like oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes and eziekiel bread.
2. Eat protein and something green with every meal every day
3. Drink your 6-8 glasses of water a day – hydration gives you energy and mental clarity
4. Routinely take multi-vitamins at night for optimal nutrient absorbstion
5. Try braggs apple cider vinegar to flush out toxins that cause you to be sluggish.

You will notice a change in how you feel first – these are easy changes that do not affect or need the approval or validation of anyone around you. Once you start “feeling” better – look for activities that include the children. Mommy and me workouts, bike stroller combinations – programs at the Y and park districts give you the option to take a class as well. Again these are new changes that do not create an upheaval in your family life.

Notice I have not told you to sit down and have a conversation with your husband. The reason for this is that I want you to take ownership in the elements here that you have control over. Make changes that you can dictate. You will start to become your old self again. He will probably talk to you about the positive changes. Do not seek validation in him – please find validation within yourself! Yes his support is needed, but if you feel like you do not have it today, then take baby steps like I suggested. Working on one manageable thing at a time until you have it all handled! Trust me when you start eating healthy complex carbs, taking vitamins, exercising regularly with your children, and doing push-ups every morning, you will stop neglecting your husband physically – and yes men are simple creatures sometimes it does not take much to make them happy. – You shall see that everything will start to turn itself around!

In 1946 the founder of Chick-fil-a made the desicion to close their restaurants on Sunday to give their employees the opportunity to worship if they chose to or simply rest. Truett Cathy and his family – I have been reading…. run some very amazing marriage retreat organizations and youth support foundations in addition to their restaurant chain.  Wow so much more than fast food. As you all know I am not a fan of fast food at all… but what prompted this bit was a salad that my client Christy picked up at Chick-fil-a last night -

 I got pretty excited over the cabbage!! Anyway – to the point – a great healthy option – and I love that the founders of Chick-fil-a are such a quality group of people and have their eye on the big idea!

In my book Motiv8n’U “This is the  number one healthy option that I am grateful for” (Boyer, 2010, pg 200) 

Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar

My assistant Liz asked me this interesting question.. “My mom tells me that the protein and nutrients in the yolk,outweigh just eating the eggwhites only. Is this true? Why not eat yolks?” 

Ok, so here is the deal. I am not saying do not eat yolks. I am suggesting that if you have a specific weightloss goal or are trying to “clean” up your diet, that there are some very specific ways to do that.

Here is a quick reference as to nutritional content of both the white and the yolk. Take a look here and we will talk more in a minute!

                                 Whites        Yolks

 Calories                            17                 59
 Fat (g)                               .06               4.51
 Saturated Fat (g)           0                  1.6
 Carbs (g)                          .24               .61
 Protein (g)                       3.5              2.7
 Cholesterol (mg)           0                 210
 Sodium (mg)                   55               8
 Calcium (mg)                  2.3              21.9
 Vitamin D (IU)               0                 18
 Folate (mcg)                   1.3              24.8
 

As you can see, there are quite a few wonderful nutrients in the yolk. However, if you are eating eggwhites for the protein, limit your yolks to one per meal. Research shows that if you do not have cholesterol issues, you can have up to 7 yolks per week. If it is the Vitamin D, Calcium, and Folate you are seeking, Vitamin D can be found in sunlight,salmon & shrimp, Folate in oranges, strawberries, avacados, beans, peas, asparagus, broccoli.. I could go on and on. Calcium can be found in dairy choices and additional supplementation.  If you are eating alot of the above foods mentioned, and you probably are if you eat clean, then it will be ok to limit your yolks to an occasional one without hindering your nutritional needs!

I was working on a paper for my Informal Logic class and the focus was deductive and inductive arguments. We were asked to evaluate an article and determine the argumentative style and validation – weak or strong.

The article I chose is essentially a review of a product. The interesting point I found came from researching components that were actually “in” the product reviewed – instead of just stopping at the product itself – and buying into it.  It is my opinion that this is inductive reasoning.

Deductive arguments are arguments whose premises being true would mean the conclusion absolutely must be true. (Moore & Parker, 2007, pg. 504)  Furthermore, inductive arguments are arguments whose premises being true would mean the conclusion probably is true. (Moore & Parker, 2007, pg. 504) I imagine we could then dissect deeper to compare absolute and probable.  In defining absolute we find words like certain, perfect, pure, and complete. (dictionary.reference.com)  By contrast probable is defined as likely but leaving reason for doubt and having more evidence for than against, inclining the mind to believe, but still leaving room for disbelief.  (dictionary.reference.com)

The premise here is that the product “NO BOMB” will provide faster recovery from workouts and provide a long lasting “pump” to the muscles for a continued aesthetic affect throughout out the day thereby resulting in an overall more muscular well defined physique.

Everything upon a first read of the review, and comparing it to what I know in the industry lends toward the possibility of a valid or even strong argument in behalf of the product.

Upon researching the ingredients – I came up with this information; folic acid – is used for cell regeneration, and Glycocarn for increased blood flow, I also found that Beta Vulgaris is really beets and used for stimulation, pine bark is an antioxidant and finally Butea Superba is used for sexual enhancement. Talk about a continued pump. Who cares what your biceps look like.. anyway. Inductive… barely! –

I conclude that the validity of the claim is actually weak because the premise is the claim that the product will do a certain set of things under the pretense of what the components of said product are supposed to do but have never really been medically proven to do.

Staci Boyer   

Moore, Brooke and Parker, Richard (2007) Critical Thinking McGraw-Hill