Showing posts with label Health & Fitness books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health & Fitness books. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Book Review: The Jane Austen Diet


Book: The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness by Jane Austen and Bryan Kozlowski

Edition: Paperback

Description:

What can Jane Austen teach us about health? Prepare to have your bonnet blown…

From the food secrets of Pride and Prejudice to the fitness strategies of Sense and Sensibility, there’s a modern health code hidden in the world’s most popular romances.

Join Bryan Kozlowski as he unlocks this “health and happiness” manifesto straight from Jane Austen’s pen, revealing why her prescriptions for achieving total body “bloom” still matter in the 21st century. Whether that’s learning how to eat like Lizzie Bennet, exercise like Emma Woodhouse, or think like Elinor Dashwood, explore how Austen’s timeless body beliefs are more relevant, refreshing, and scientifically sensible now than ever before. After all, it's still a truth universally acknowledged – Jane Austen’s heroines don’t get fat.

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Currently Reading: The Jane Austen Diet

Happy Saturday!

After reading two mystery books back to back, I was set on finding something different to read. I was going through one of my bookcases when I found this nonfiction book, The Jane Austen Diet by Bryan Kozlowski and Jane Austen. I'm always interested in what research someone can gather from books. And from the description, it looks like the author took inspiration from Jane Austen's characters and looked into their lifestyle in regards to food, health and fitness. So, it will be interesting to see what informmation is in this book and how it relates to the characters.


Book: The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness by Jane Austen and Bryan Kozlowski

Description:

What can Jane Austen teach us about health? Prepare to have your bonnet blown…

From the food secrets of Pride and Prejudice to the fitness strategies of Sense and Sensibility, there’s a modern health code hidden in the world’s most popular romances.

Join Bryan Kozlowski as he unlocks this “health and happiness” manifesto straight from Jane Austen’s pen, revealing why her prescriptions for achieving total body “bloom” still matter in the 21st century. Whether that’s learning how to eat like Lizzie Bennet, exercise like Emma Woodhouse, or think like Elinor Dashwood, explore how Austen’s timeless body beliefs are more relevant, refreshing, and scientifically sensible now than ever before. After all, it's still a truth universally acknowledged – Jane Austen’s heroines don’t get fat.

Monday, December 3, 2018

Book of Interest: Balanced and Beautiful: 5-Day Reset for Your Body, Mind and Spirit

Okay, I admit it, I have become a bit sedentary as well as not eating healthy or exercising as much as I should. I don't usually buy a lot of healthy and fitness books because I feel like I know what I need to do get healthy but every now and then I could use a little outside motivation.

I was thinking of getting this book because according to the description it's an intensive five day program which is probably what I need to challenge myself in getting healthy again. I'll let you know if I decide to buy this.


Book: Balanced and Beautiful: 5-Day Reset for Your Body, Mind and Spirit by Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn

Description:

A five-day intensive program to jumpstart your health and fitness, lose weight, and boost energy from the New York Times bestselling authors and founders of the massive global health and fitness brand, Tone It Up.

As the founders of the Tone It Up fitness and health brand, Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn have taken the world by storm with their fun, dynamic approach to getting in shape. In this eagerly anticipated book, they deliver a revolutionary plan to help you get in your best shape in just five days.

We all go through patches when our fitness and exercise goals languish because of pressing life events—weddings, travel, vacations, work crunches. Whether you just enjoyed an indulgent weekend or simply need to reboot your routine, Tone It Up: Five Day Reset will get you back into the fitness groove and focusing on you. Filled with routines, recipes, encouraging wisdom to transform and bolster your mindset, and the advice and support of the dedicated TIU community, Tone It Up: Five Day Reset makes it easier than ever to reach your goals and feel great.

Inside Tone It Up: Five Day Reset you’ll find:

- High-intensity dynamic exercises to tone, firm, and sculpt every inch of your body, with special focus on your booty, abs, arms, and thighs.

- Nutritious, customizable meal plans featuring recipes for blueberry lemon zest muffins, build-your-own street tacos, Buddha bowls, protein popsicles, and smoothies.

- Daily advice for sweating out the hard parts, finding a community of supporters, staying calm amidst the crazy, and loving your amazing body through the process.

- Beauty strategies for keeping skin hydrated, hair glowing, and stress-levels low.

Five days to reset your body. Five days to start seeing results. Five days to feel strong and beautiful. Tone It Up is all it takes!

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Book of Interest: The Total Me-Tox

I'm trying to get back to being healthy again and I found this book The Total Me-Tox that looks interesting. I already successfully completed my 30 day healthy snack challenge. It was hard because I do love chips but I noticed before I started the challenge that I was eat far too many of them.

I've always been really good with exercising and eating healthy but sometimes you slack up a bit which is why I'm thinking about buying this. The descriptions makes it seem like the book has an easygoing approach to getting healthy.


Book: The Total Me-Tox: How to Ditch Your Diet, Move Your Body & Love Your Life by Beth Behrs with Wendy Shanker

Description:

A holistic, practical, and down-to-earth approach to losing your bad habits and taking control of your health today. Before hitting her stride as one of Hollywood's hottest rising stars, Beth Behrs was a junk-food-loving couch potato, high-strung and stressed out. And then one day, she decided she'd had enough: she was going to take back her life. Beth began with simple steps that led to big changes, and now she wants to help readers do the same.

In The Total Me-Tox, Beth shares her journey toward wellness, along with easy-to-follow original recipes, shrewd shopping tips, and fun living-room fitness routines (a.k.a. "Meh Workouts") designed to revitalize and inspire even the laziest among us. As entertaining as it is instructive, The Total Me-Tox is an achievable program for looking great and feeling great.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Books of Interest: Whole New You and Stirring Up Fun with Food

I love watching "Tia Mowry at Home" it's one show that I make sure not to miss. The food always looks so good and easy to make and ever since the show first premiered in 2015 on the Cooking Channel, I always wondered why Tia didn't have a cookbook? I guess I don't have to wonder any longer because her new cookbook Whole New You will be available in March. Can't wait to read this.

But that's not the only cookbook I will be buying, Sarah Michelle Gellar will be releasing Stirring Up Fun with Food in April. The book will focus on making food a little more fun which is something kids would really like. I believe her food company Foodstirs is also focused on making food creative as well. I think it's pretty cool that both Sarah and her husband Freddie Prinze, Jr. will both have published cookbooks.


Book: Whole New You: How Real Food Transforms Your Life, for a Healthier, More Gorgeous You by Tia Mowry

Publication: March 14, 2017

Description:

From the star of the Cooking Channel’s Tia Mowry at Home comes a timely clean-eating cookbook that will change the way you think about what you eat and jump-start your journey to a healthier, more gorgeous you.

When actress Tia Mowry landed her breakthrough role on the sitcom Sister, Sister, she swapped home-cooked meals for catering spreads. But her teen-dream diet of candies and carbs turned into a nightmare when she developed endometriosis, a painful disease that affects one in ten women worldwide.

Two years and two surgeries later, some surprising advice from her doctor inspired Tia to radically change one of the most basic elements of her life: her diet. After ditching the dairy and the refined sugars and processed foods, Tia’s pain receded drastically. What’s more, her migraines stopped, her skin cleared up, and she was finally able to get pregnant. Drawing on the latest research on whole plant foods, inflammation, and gut flora, Whole New You chronicles Tia’s journey to wellness and provides all the resources you need to feel better, including

• A ten-day menu plan to begin your healthy life
• More than 100 delicious recipes
• Lighter versions of your favorite comfort food recipes, including “Buttermilk” Fried Chicken and Crispy Collard Chips
• Healthy recipes for your kids
• Tips and tricks for eating on the go
• Complementary approaches, such as acupuncture and yoga, for whole body healing

Like a trusted friend, Tia recounts both her setbacks and her triumphs—and shows you how to listen to what your body is telling you. With Whole New You, your healing begins now.






Book: Stirring Up Fun with Food: Over 115 Simple, Delicious Ways to Be Creative in the Kitchen by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Gia Russo

Publication: April 4, 2017

Description:

More than 100 fun food-crafting ideas that will engage, delight, and amaze kids-from actress, entrepreneur, and mom, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and former Martha Stewart Living editor Gia Russo.

Why stop with making basic brownies? Why not put them on a stick and decorate them? Why not take boring broccoli and turn it into a yummy cheese muffin instead? Sarah Michelle Gellar learned quickly that to get her kids to be adventurous with food, she had to involve them in preparing it. She wanted that process to be fun and help them develop self-confidence, creative thinking, and even math skills! So Sarah and co-author Gia Russo came up with more than 100 fun food-crafting ideas that take basic food preparation to a surprising new level.
Organized by month, the book offers projects for every occasion and theme, including Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, Shark Week, Halloween, and even a Star Wars Day with licensed Star Wars creations! The possibilities are endless!

Friday, January 13, 2017

Book Watch: Four Yoga Books of Interest

I was working out this morning when I started thinking about health and fitness books. I was wondering why we buy them if we know what we need to do to be healthy? We all know that it's important to be healthy but I guess knowing that and knowing what to do means nothing if you're not actually eating healthy and exercising. I think one of the main reasons we buy these books is that they are motivating. I have a few of them sitting on the shelf that range from general health and fitness to yoga, and depending on how they are written, the books can inspire someone to get healthy and make changes in their lives.

I don't buy a lot of health and fitness books just ones that interest me. Lately, I've really become interested in reading more about yoga. I love the be in the moment/mindfulness that I feel when I'm doing some of the moves, it's very relaxing. Anyway, here are four yoga books that have caught my attention and I've added to my wishlist.



Book: The Living Clearly Method: 5 Principles for a Fit Body, Healthy Mind & Joyful Life by Hilaria Baldwin

Description:

Hilaria Baldwin knows what it means to be pulled in many directions―as a mother of three, businesswoman, yoga instructor, Instagram sensation, and wife of actor Alec Baldwin, she has to work hard to remain centered. Through her life experiences, struggles, and personal growth, Hilaria has developed a method for using movement and mindfulness to create an unbreakable mind-body connection, an illuminating method that shapes her life.

The Living Clearly Method shows how to blend purposeful movement with conscious breath to move through our lives with grace, calm, and positivity. By using Hilaria’s five simple principles―Perspective, Breathing, Grounding, Balance, and Letting Go―you can flow through any situation with the beautiful union of mind, body, and spirit that a yoga practice can create.

But learning to honor the body and listen to the soul does not end when you get off the mat. Hilaria believes strongly in finding ways to integrate the five principles into your entire life, so for each step she also shares her own routines that keep her active all the time―from the little motions that engage her body during household chores and the foods that keep her well nourished to the philosophy that grounds her when she’s being pulled in a million directions at once.

This book is also packed with practical tools such as timesaving tips, delicious recipes inspired by clean and plant-based eating, mini-workouts that seamlessly integrate into your everyday life, breathing exercises, and customized yoga and meditation routines.

The Living Clearly Method teaches you to listen to your body, tune in to your mind, and develop the consciousness to clear your head and find peace in your life. It is a beautiful, intuitive guide for living the healthiest life possible, both inside and out.






Book: Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear. Get on the Mat. Love Your Body. by Jessamyn Stanley

Publication: April 4, 2017

Description:

From the unforgettable teacher Jessamyn Stanley comes Every Body Yoga, a book that breaks all the stereotypes.

It’s a book of inspiration for beginners of all shapes and sizes: If Jessamyn could transcend these emotional and physical barriers, so can we.

It’s a book for readers already doing yoga, looking to refresh their practice or find new ways to stay motivated.

It’s a how-to book: Here are easy-to-follow directions to 50 basic yoga poses and 10 sequences to practice at home, all photographed in full color.

It’s a book that challenges the larger issues of body acceptance and the meaning of beauty.

Most of all, it’s a book that changes the paradigm, showing us that yoga isn’t about how one looks, but how one feels, with yoga sequences like “I Want to Energize My Spirit,” “I Need to Release Fear,” “I Want to Love Myself.”

Jessamyn Stanley, a yogi who breaks all the stereotypes, has built a life as an internationally recognized yoga teacher and award-winning Instagram star by combining a deep understanding for yoga with a willingness to share her personal struggles in a way that touches everyone who comes to know her. Now she brings her body-positive, emotionally uplifting approach to yoga in a book that will help every reader discover the power of yoga and how to weave it seamlessly into his or her life.






Book: Namaslay: Rock Your Yoga Practice, Tap Into Your Greatness and Defy Your Limits by Candace Moore

Description:

Candace’s approach to yoga, which combines old-world principles with a modern-day perspective comes from her own experience fighting back against a dangerous illness and depression. Her focus on perseverance and overcoming adversity transforms Namaslay into a powerful, motivational guide to help you live your most authentic life.

With a distinct visual format, Namaslay guides readers step by step through more than 100 yoga poses. The poses are broken down by experience level into a series of progressions and include modifications for those who can't quite achieve the full expression of a pose just yet. Full-color photos and tips on overcoming common mistakes helps people get the most out of every pose.

Namaslay also features three 30-day yoga programs that focus on: de-stress, core strengthening, and back pain. You will also find specific yoga sequences that are customized for everyone from the office dweller to the endurance athlete.

Written with heart, humor, and swagger, Namaslay is a book for everyone, from beginners to advanced practitioners and even the simply curious.

Namaslay’s high-quality, edgy yet beautiful photographs add an artful flair that puts it in a class of its own—as appropriate for a coffee table as a yoga studio!






Book: Strala Yoga: Be Strong, Focused & Ridiculously Happy from the Inside Out by Tara Stiles

Description:

In Strala Yoga, Tara Stiles explains the origin and philosophy of this feelings-based style of yoga, which is spreading like wildfire around the world—from New York City to Barcelona to Singapore. Focusing on the power of combining movement with intuition, Tara walks readers through the importance of moving with ease and creating space in their lives. Strala isn’t about strict poses; it’s about your body and your abilities. By moving how it feels good to move, readers will not only get a great workout but also release stress, free up space in their minds, and open themselves up to creativity.

Tara lays out simple, step-by-step information on everything from how to use the breath in movement, to how to create ease, to how to set up a home practice. More than ten routines—each illustrated with clear, instructional photos—offer both easy and more difficult tracks, appealing to beginners and seasoned yogis alike, and aim to help readers dissolve stress, get better sleep, gain energy, or even wind down after a tough day. Tara also offers up both a 7-day jumpstart and a 30-day program to help readers bring yoga—and its varied benefits—easily into their lives.

My goal is to help you feel connected and gain strength, calm, clarity, and ease from the inside out.
Get ready to feel amazing, and enjoy the ride!
” ~Tara

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Book of Interest: Ballerina Body


I'm really interested in reading this but I have to be honest, I'm not a fan of the cover. A couple of months ago on Twitter, Misty Copeland asked fans to chose which cover they liked best (see choices below).

If I'm walking down the aisle of a bookstore, A is not the cover that would catch my eye. Although it's a more dramatic cover showing a powerful leap, there is too much open space making it easier to overlook. Which is why I like B because it definitely stands out with her presence front and center while also quietly showing her strength and grace. Obviously more fans were in favor of A since it's the one selected, perhaps the paperback edition will feature cover B.

(Image Credit: Twitter: @mistyonpointe)

Book: Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Lighter, Stronger and More Graceful You by Misty Copeland

Publication: March 21, 2017

Description:

The celebrated ballerina and role model, Misty Copeland, shares the secrets of how to reshape your body and achieve a lean, strong physique and glowing health.

Misty Copeland believes "There has been a shift in recent years in which women no longer desire the bare bones of a runway model. Standards have changed: what women do want is a long, toned, powerful body with excellent posture." In other words, the body of a ballerina. In her first health and fitness book, Misty will show women how to find the motivation to get healthier and stronger, and how to reshape their bodies to be lean and flexible, with step-by-step advice, meal plans, workout routines, and words of inspiration.

Celebrating the importance of healthy fats and a fitness regimen based on ballet exercises, Misty shares her own time-tested exercises and an eating plan focusing on healthy fats, both of which keep her in top shape. Tips for motivation and words of encouragement as well as tips on how to keep going even when you may want to give up. An inspiring section on the importance of finding mentors, and eventually being one, plus excerpts from Misty's personal journal, round out this important book on grace and strength.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Currently Reading: Corpse Pose


A few minutes ago I was looking through my bookcase trying to find something different to read, I spotted this. I forgot I had this, I bought it a few years ago. What made me interesting in buying it was that it's a yoga themed cozy mystery book.

I'm nearly finished with The Reflections of Queen Snow White and The Little Paris Bookshop, I should have the reviews up soon.


Book: Corpse Pose (Mantra for Murder Mysteries book #1) by Diana Killian

Edition: Paperback

Description:

A.J. Alexander wasn't on a quest for self-realization. But as the new owner of Sacred Balance yoga studio, she's going to have to turn up her inner voice or wind up in a corpse pose -- for good...

Ever since her husband ditched her -- for another man -- A.J. hasn't exactly been on the road to inner peace. Then her yoga-guru aunt is found dead, and A.J. is named the sole heir to her lucrative yoga studio -- making her a multimillionaire, a prime suspect and the killer's next target.

Monday, June 20, 2016

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #170: The Sleep Revolution

I put in a hold for this at the library, hopefully I will be able to read it soon. Why does it seem like everyone is so busy and tired that lack of sleep has become a real issue? People are simply not getting enough sleep.

What made me want to read this was the interview with Arianna Huffington I read in the April 2016 issue of Cosmopolitan. She made some good points about the importance of sleep and taking naps. 



Book: The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington

Description:

We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, writes Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post. And this has profound consequences – on our health, our job performance, our relationships and our happiness. What is needed, she boldly asserts, is nothing short of a sleep revolution. Only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives.

In her bestseller Thrive, Arianna wrote about our need to redefine success through well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. Her discussion of the importance of sleep as a gateway to this more fulfilling way of living struck such a powerful chord that she realized the mystery and transformative power of sleep called for a fuller investigation.

The result is a sweeping, scientifically rigorous, and deeply personal exploration of sleep from all angles, from the history of sleep, to the role of dreams in our lives, to the consequences of sleep deprivation, and the new golden age of sleep science that is revealing the vital role sleep plays in our every waking moment and every aspect of our health – from weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease to cancer and Alzheimer’s.

In The Sleep Revolution, Arianna shows how our cultural dismissal of sleep as time wasted compromises our health and our decision-making and undermines our work lives, our personal lives -- and even our sex lives. She explores all the latest science on what exactly is going on while we sleep and dream.  She takes on the dangerous sleeping pill industry, and all the ways our addiction to technology disrupts our sleep. She also offers a range of recommendations and tips from leading scientists on how we can get better and more restorative sleep, and harness its incredible power.

In today's fast-paced, always-connected, perpetually-harried and sleep-deprived world, our need for a good night’s sleep is more important – and elusive -- than ever. The Sleep Revolution both sounds the alarm on our worldwide sleep crisis and provides a detailed road map to the great sleep awakening that can help transform our lives, our communities, and our world.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Book Review: Before I Forget


Book: Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's by B. Smith and Dan Gasby with Michael Shnayerson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

“I know where I’m going. I’m still myself. I just can’t remember things as well as I once did. So on short trips, I work hard not to be confused. I’ll say to myself, What are we going to do? How long are we staying? It’s like I’m talking to my other self—the self I used to be. She tells me, This is what we need to buy—not that. I’m conscious of that other self guiding me now.”

Restaurateur, magazine publisher, celebrity chef, and nationally known lifestyle maven, B. Smith is struggling at 66 with a tag she never expected to add to that string: Alzheimer's patient.  She’s not alone. Every 67 seconds someone newly develops it, and millions of lives are affected by its aftershocks.

B. and her husband, Dan, working with Vanity Fair contributing editor Michael Shnayerson, unstintingly share their unfolding story. Crafted in short chapters that interweave their narrative with practical and helpful advice, readers learn about dealing with Alzheimer's day-to-day challenges: the family realities and tensions, ways of coping, coming research that may tip the scale, as well as lessons learned along the way.

At its heart, Before I Forget is a love story: illuminating a love of family, life, and hope.



Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

Before I Forget takes a very heartbreakingly honest look at how B. Smith and her husband Dan Gasby are dealing with her having Alzheimer's. They were not aware at first that she had the disease just that she was starting to become forgetful. But as her forgetfulness became worse it was time for her to get checked out. Testing indicated that she indeed had Alzheimer's but B. and her husband soon found out that there is little help for this very degenerative disease. As of yet there is still no cure or effective treatment to help those who are suffering from Alzheimer's.

In nearly every chapter, the reader experiences what B. is going through from her increasing loss of memory to a nerve racking incident where she went missing. You can also see the stress of being a caregiver, as her husband Dan although sometimes in denial, does the best he can for B.. He wants to make sure she is happy and well cared for but she also needs an outside home caregiver which is something she disapproves of having.

There is a lot of research and health information provided in the book, it gives readers an informative look at Alzheimer's. Dan knows that the likelihood of a cure or treatment being found in time to help B. is low but he's adamant that there will be one in the future. However, more research and funding are needed.

This was a very well written, researched and deeply heartfelt book. It's hard not to feel sad while reading this because you can see how everything changes for a person and their family when someone has Alzehimer's. This is an emotional book that's part memoir, part guide to caregivers, part healthy lifestyle guide and part research and advocacy guide for Alzehimer's.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Book Review: Thinner in 30


Book: Thinner in 30: Small Changes That Add Up to Big Weight Loss in Just 30 Days by Jenna Wolfe

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

A month from now, you'll wish you had started today.
Yes, a month is all it takes to see long-term results.
And seriously-even YOU can lose that weight!

Food and exercise fads come and go, mainly because they just aren't sustainable. After a few days, you're hungry, bored, or hungry AND bored. That's why the Today show's very first lifestyle and fitness correspondent, Jenna Wolfe, created her famous 30-Day Fitness Challenge for her viewers. The challenge was wildly successful because of its unprecedented and simple approach to everyday health and fitness-one small tip a day for 30 days.

Now, in THINNER IN 30, Jenna takes her foolproof program to the next level, giving you the tools and motivation you'll need to achieve your wellness goals with thirty small changes that add up to big results-in as few as 30 days. It's all possible without joining a gym, counting calories, or signing up for a trendy class you can't even pronounce. The perfect plan for busy men and women of all ages and fitness levels, THINNER IN 30 puts the focus on small, bite-size tips which lead to long-term weight loss.

Jenna blends athletic wisdom, laugh-out-loud humor, and easy-to-follow advice, like how many times to chew your food per bite, what the heck carbs are all about, and how to sneak in workouts without any time, money, equipment, or energy (pretty much covering any excuse you may have). THINNER IN 30 will help you discover just how easy it is to get healthy without having to deprive yourself or work out 12 hours a day.


Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Health and Fitness beginners, looking for some motivation to start getting healthy, well I think Thinner in 30 would make a good resource (even for health nuts).

The author Jenna Wolfe gives 30 easy to use and follow changes which also includes plenty of tips and advice to get the reader started on their way to being healthy. There are also exercises and workouts provided throughout.

I love taking challenges so doing this one wasn't such a big deal for me. After completing Thinner in 30, did I notice a difference? Actually, yes, because as much as I don't like to write down what I eat which was change #2, I made myself do it. By doing that, it did make me aware of what I was eating especially when I was snacking. I'll be honest, I thought I was eating more healthy snacks (like fruits and veggies) but what I found was I was also eating a lot of chips. That's my mindless midday snacking.

I also like change #14 which is Reward Yourself. Getting healthy isn't necessarily easy but if you've been doing a good job making time to exercise, even if it's just walking the dog, why not congratulate yourself for staying with it.

The most difficult change for me was #15 which was Prepare Your Meals and Workouts for the Day/Week. I never have any idea what I want to eat and I certainly have no set plans when I workout. So to actually figure it out in advance was a bit of a challenge for me. I gathered up some of those quick and easy recipes I always say I'm going to make and yet again, made myself do it. Yeah, some of the recipes weren't so great but I found out that if I had to I could find time to cook. I also like that take-out wasn't out of the question but I made sure to go for the healthy options.

As for the workouts, knowing what I was going to do ahead of time beyond working my upper body, lower body or total body wasn't bad. But I still prefer to just pick and choose when the time comes to workout.

By following this challenge you're gradually getting use to making healthy food choices and making it easy to fit in exercise. But also with being more relaxed such as with changes #9 (Stop, Sit and Disengage for at Least Five Minutes a Day) and #28 (Drop One Stressful Thing in Your Life).

This challenge wasn't bad and I even found quite a few things I would like to continue doing.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Book Watch: Kate Hudson's "Pretty Happy" Health & Fitness Book

Besides her acting, Kate Hudson has become known for being healthy and in great shape. She's also the co-founder of a fitness apparel line that's becoming very popular.

As a bit of a fitness buff, I'm interested in giving this a read.



Book: Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body by Kate Hudson

Publication: February 16, 2016

Description:

I didn’t just wake up one day understanding how to take care of myself. I had to learn how to do so over time, and I continue to learn—each and every day. This is a process, and my body is constantly changing. So is yours. And when I learned how to accept that I will always be like this, I relaxed. Our bodies do not stand still for time.

When you understand yourself and connect to how you can become body smart, you realize pretty quickly that the perfect, the ideal is not the goal. Instead, the goal is feeling good in your body. That’s what leads to confidence, to feeling and looking fit, and being pretty happy. Doesn’t that sound great? I think so!

In almost every interview she gives, Kate Hudson is asked the same questions: What do you eat? How do you stay so fit? What workout do you do? What’s your secret? Well, the secret is that the sound bites the media loves so much don’t tell the story, and the steps you need to take to have a healthy, vibrant and happy life can’t be captured in a short interview. The key to living well, and healthy, is to plug into what your body needs, understanding that one size does not fit all, all the time, and being truly honest with yourself about your goals and desires.

Like everyone else, Kate is constantly on the move, with a life full of work, family, responsibilities and relationships. In Pretty Happy, Kate shows how she honors her relationship with herself through exercise, making the right choices about what she eats, and constantly going back to the drawing board and starting fresh, instead of holding herself to unrealistic standards of perfection and giving up when she falls short. Focusing on the Four Pillars of Health to enhance her well-being, Pretty Happy shows the benefits of:
  • Cultivating an Intuitive Relationship With Your Body
  • Eating Well
  • Awakening Your Body through movement
  • The Miracle of Mindfullness
Full of questionnaires to help you assess your Body Type and your stress levels, advice about cleanses and keeping your diet and body balanced, and plenty of interactive Drawing Board exercises, Pretty Happy is a beautiful, insightful, and personal look at health from the inside out, an authentic plan for an authentic life from a woman who truly lives what she speaks.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #9: Thinner in 30

The beginning of a new year always seems to prompt people to want to be healthier and get in shape. I'm no different, it something about that time of the year that's inspiring and a little hopeful. On this upcoming Fitness Monday post I hope to have some kind of update to my weight loss efforts.

This book that has caught my eye and according to the description, it will have easy to use health and fitness advice. That's good because anything too hard or difficult and most people will lose interest it.



Book: Thinner in 30: Small Changes that Add Up to Big Weight Loss in Just 30 Days by Jenna Wolf with Myatt Murphy

Description:

Food and exercise fads come and go, mainly because they just aren't sustainable. After a few days, you're hungry, bored, or hungry AND bored. That's why the Today show's very first lifestyle and fitness correspondent, Jenna Wolfe, created her famous 30-Day Fitness Challenge for her viewers. The challenge was wildly successful because of its unprecedented and simple approach to everyday health and fitness-one small tip a day for 30 days.

Now, in THINNER IN 30, Jenna takes her foolproof program to the next level, giving you the tools and motivation you'll need to achieve your wellness goals with thirty small changes that add up to big results-in as few as 30 days. It's all possible without joining a gym, counting calories, or signing up for a trendy class you can't even pronounce. The perfect plan for busy men and women of all ages and fitness levels, THINNER IN 30 puts the focus on small, bite-size tips which lead to long-term weight loss.

Jenna blends athletic wisdom, laugh-out-loud humor, and easy-to-follow advice, like how many times to chew your food per bite, what the heck carbs are all about, and how to sneak in workouts without any time, money, equipment, or energy (pretty much covering any excuse you may have). THINNER IN 30 will help you discover just how easy it is to get healthy without having to deprive yourself or work out 12 hours a day.

Friday, August 21, 2015

Book Review: Shape Up Sisters!


Book: Shape Up Sisters! What It Took for My Town in America's Fattest and Poorest State to Lose 15,000 Pounds by Linda Fondren

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: Rodale Books

Description:

Linda Fondren, one of 11 children born to a single mother in the poorest and fattest state in America, watched the consequences of obesity ruin her sister's life--and was motivated to open an all-female gym in her hometown of Vicksburg, MS, with the motto "positively reshaping women." Then, witnessing how many middle- and low-income Vicksburg residents were brought up short in their fitness and health efforts by limited budgets, time, and access to resources, Fondren responded by striking at the root problem.

In 2009, she spearheaded Shape Up Vicksburg, a City Hall-supported program in which she convinced the local hospital to offer free health screenings, restaurants to create healthy low-cal menu options, and Walmart to host weigh-in stations. Fondren signed up more than 2,500 Vicksburg residents to take charge of their health and nutrition--many of them for the first time. They lost more than 15,000 pounds.

Shape Up Sisters! is a get-healthy prescription for regular people with jobs, budgets, and real-life challenges. Fondren offers tactics to incorporate exercise into daily activities, delicious recipes and menus to for eating healthfully on a budget, and motivation for a major attitude shift. She wraps it all in her empowering personal story and the uplifting tales of women who have changed their lives by following her simple strategies.

With Fondren's approachable personality and practical advice, Shape Up Sisters! is both an easy-to-use guide and a bold statement in the greater national narrative about improving health and weight loss across socioeconomic lines.



Rating: 3 stars

Review:

I wanted to read this because I was interested in knowing how the author encouraged her town to get healthy and get in shape. However, I was a little disappointed because the book spent only a small portion focusing on it.

The majority of this book was a combination of health and fitness and self-help with a little bit of the author's biography sprinkled in. This wasn't a bad read but the information provided is more for someone who is new to the whole health and fitness thing and would like to start getting in shape. It has the basics on what healthy food you should eat and various exercises to use to get in shape. There is also motivational and self-help information to help work on your self-esteem and more.

There is a chapter near the end where the author points out ways that others can create a similar program and get involved in your community as well as ways to encourage others to get healthy.

On a side note, I always wanted to do something to help with illiteracy such as work with an existing program or start my own and this book does give me some suggestions to think about.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

New Book Purchase: Tone It Up


Yesterday evening after I left the comic book store, I went to Target with the intention of looking at the weights but most of them were gone. I guess the summer is not the best time to go looking for fitness stuff.

So with no success there, I ended up strolling over to the book section and found Tone It Up: 28 to Fit, Fierce, and Fabulous by Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn. My fitness plan is going good but I like the 28 day challenge this book includes. I'm not sure when I'll start reading this but I'm looking forward to it.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Book of Interest: Tone It Up: 28 Days to Fit, Fierce, and Fabulous


With summer approaching really fast doesn't it seem like wherever you go someone is exercising, be it riding bikes to taking the dog for a walk. Every little bit counts, that's why for the past 18 days I've been doing the 30 day squat challenge. I might not always be able to squeeze in time to exercise but at least I'm able to do the challenge.

Which is why when I saw this book I immediately added it to my wish list. I'm always looking for a little extra motivation to get healthy.


Book: Tone It Up: 28 Days to Fit, Fierce, and Fabulous by Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn

Description:

Are you ready to sweat, tone, nourish, and empower your way to your fittest, fiercest, most fabulous body and life?

Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn, the founders of the Tone It Up fitness and health brand, have taken the world by storm with their fun, energetic, girlfriend-to-girlfriend approach to getting in shape. To them, being fit isn't just about looking smokin' hot in a bikini, but a whole-body, whole-life way of being that starts with respecting your body and taking care of your beautiful, amazing self, inside and out. With their 28-day program that incorporates brand-new fitness routines, delicious recipes, and mental and spiritual practices, you'll transform your body, your attitude, and your life to bring out the gorgeous goddess within you!

In just 28 days, Katrina and Karena will help you get:

- FIT. With daily fitness challenges, workout plans, healthy-eating tips, and delicious recipes, you'll be on your way to the strong, sexy body you're after.

- FIERCE. You'll align your mind and body through visualization exercises, daily meditations, confidence-boosting tips, and dares to move outside your comfort zone.

- FABULOUS. This is the fun stuff: beauty, friendship, inspiration, joy, and all the things to give you that unmistakable glow so you radiate from the inside out!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Book Review: Love Your Body


Book: Love Your Body: Eat Smart, Get Healthy, Find Your Ideal Weight, and Feel Beautiful, Inside & Out by Talia Fuhrman

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

As the oldest daughter of Joel Fuhrman, MD, bestselling author of Eat to Live and Super Immunity,
Talia Fuhrman knows that the true meaning of health and wellness comes not only from delicious, nutrientrich foods, but also from the power of positive energy and zest for a truly fulfilling life. In Love Your Body, Talia Fuhrman shows readers how to get their green juice on, find their ideal weight, and get radiant, clear skin—and also how to gain confidence, enjoy strong friendships, and explore the passions that make them jump out of bed each morning with their widest smiles.

Motivated by her own struggles, and those of her friends—weight gain, skin troubles, stomach aches, frequent sickness, migraines—Talia knows that eating a plant-based diet packed with all-natural, nutrient-rich ingredients makes body issues a thing of the past. With a fresh, engaging voice, Talia inspires readers to nourish their mental and emotional health, too. She places a strong emphasis on inner beauty, and offers advice on how to maximize their social lives, and care about the world around them.

With nutrition tips, actionable advice, and delicious recipes, this mind-body manual offers a fun, simple roadmap to a vegan lifestyle, and proves that loving your body—inside and out—can be positively delicious!




Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Although this book is more geared to those who live a vegetable based or vegan lifestyle (I'm not vegan), I found this to be quite informative. The book covers things from food to friendship to self confidence to brain health to caring for the environment (the last chapter). This book is about gaining inner and outer beauty by following a healthy lifestyle.

I like that the author starts off talking about inner beauty because if you don't care about yourself then odds are no one else will.

As for the food section, after reading this I was inspired to try almond milk which I found wasn't bad. I've been thinking of including it on my grocery list to buy from time to time. There are recipes throughout, some were not for me but I did jot down a few that I might like to try later.

What I enjoyed about this book was the upbeat and optimistic writing (which kind of has a magazine feel to it) and the author wasn't being too preachy or too insistent on following her way of life. Not everyone is vegan and I found that the author wasn't trying to overstate or press that issue forward. This is just what she does.

This book might not be for everyone but I liked it.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Book Review: I'll Have What She's Having


Book: I'll Have What She's Having: My Adventures in Celebrity Dieting by Rebecca Harrington

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: January 6, 2015

Description:

A hilarious look at the eating habits of the skinny and famous--from Gwyneth's goji berry and quail egg concoctions to Jackie Kennedy's baked potato and Beluga caviar regimen--Rebecca Harrington leaves no cabbage soup unstirred in her wickedly funny, wildly absurd quest to diet like the stars.

Elizabeth Taylor mixed cottage cheese and sour cream; Madonna subsisted on "sea vegetables;" and Marilyn Monroe drank raw eggs whipped with warm milk. Where there is a Hollywood starlet offering nutritional advice, there is a diet Rebecca Harrington is willing to try.

Facing a harrowing mix of fainting spells, pimples, and salmonella, Harrington tracks down illegal haggis to imitate Pippa Middleton, paces her apartment until the wee hours drinking ten Diet Cokes à la Karl Lagerfeld, and attempts something forbiddingly known as the "Salt Water Flush" to channel her inner Beyoncé. Rebecca Harrington risks kitchen fires and mysterious face rashes, all in the name of diet journalism. Taking cues from noted beauty icons like Posh Spice (alkaline!), Dolly Parton (Velveeta!), Sophia Loren (pasta!) and Cameron Diaz (savory oatmeal!), I'll Have What She's Having is completely surprising, occasionally unappetizing, and always outrageously funny.



Rating: 3 stars

Review:

If you're a regular reader to my blog then you know I love to read books where someone takes on a project. Which is why I wanted to give this a read. In this day in age where celebrities are treated like Gods it no wonder why they are the ones it seem like people are looking to for answers for everything including diets.

I'll Have What She's Having is a humorous look at the author attempting various celebrity diets or diets that celebrities have tried.

She tried 14 different diets which included Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.

In this short book the author detailed the ups and downs of each diet including some of the less appetizing meals she ate and horrible exercise treatments she endured.

As funny as this is I do wish the author had expanded on her experiment more because each chapter is very short and concise.

This was a fun book with an interesting concept but I don't think it was executed well. Especially compared to how well written and researched Jennifer, Gwyneth and Me was. But I try not to compare books and when I really look at this book I see a funny book (it did make me laugh) that shows all these wacky diets that the author was trying. And she make a good point that these celebrities are pretty much crazy for even trying these diets and that goes for those attempting these diets to try to look like them.

Overall, this is probably not for someone who is looking for tons of detailed information about health and fitness. Although the author does provide details just not as many as some might like. In the end, this is an entertaining look at someone who tries various celebrity diets.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Currently Reading: Thrive


I'm nearly finished with reading Ballet Shoes and Ghost Hunt vol #1 and should have the reviews up tomorrow.

And since I'm almost through with those two I figured I would start on a new book, Thrive. I picked this up at the library. I'm not really a self-help kind of reader but I thought I would give this a read to see if it's inspirational/motivational. 


Book: Thrive: The Third Metric To Redefining Success and Create a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder by Arianna Huffington

Source: Library

Description:

Following the success of her acclaimed Third Metric conference, Arianna Huffington, president and editor in chief of the Huffington Post, is writing a book that offers women (and men) a new definition of success, one that focused not only on career advancement, but on the equally important goals of health and wellbeing, personal fulfillment, giving back and living a life of purpose and meaning.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Book of Interest: Dial Om for Murder



I know I haven't read the first book that's currently sitting on my bookshelf but that doesn't stop me from wanting to read the second one.

I love reading cozy mysteries but I really like the ones that have something different and are not just a copy of other series.


Book: Dial Om for Murder (Mantra for Murder book #2) by Diana Killian

Description:

When one of A.J.'s celebrity yoga students gets permanently bent out of shape, and another is accused of the crime, A.J. has no choice but to position herself as a sleuth to find the real killer.