I Am Crystal Nicole: Self-Care Sunday + Fitness Challenge

 

Hello My Lifestyle (Fitness) Lovelies,

Its Day #2. Hope you all slept well, reset and have newfound pep in your step now that we laid the groundwork for success with our why and goal setting yesterday.

Today is #SelfCareSunday Day. And this is a day to relax, plan and prepare for a successful week starting Monday. Later, I am dreaming of a face mask, nails, along with a bubblebath + a glass of Cabernet (Fun Fact: a 5 ounce glass of red is approximately 129 calories and Rosé comes a bit lower at 125 calories) Although we are focusing on fitness, we definitely have to continue to indulge and enjoy our lives. Work Hard, Play Hard (and Balance). We can definitely circle back to some of my faves in this area too😍

But first, let's make sure we have all the tools for success to win the week. Did you download My Fitness Pal? If not, find the link here. P.S. Its free. This is a great way to log all meals and H20 throughout the day. And here's a tip, you can scan the SKUs on your food packages to keep track of your calories. Just make sure you update your serving size to reflect your exact portion, a food scale is great for this area.

Ok next, we need our tool kit: measuring spoons and measuring cups - both dry and liquid. These are great to quick parse out a portion size. For example, when I make a pot of rice, I can use my 1/2 cup measure to divide out individual portions - that is the suggested serving size, btw. Additional tools that would be helpful are a blender, a juicer and a food processor. Makes making celery juice, smoothies or riced cauliflower a snap!

Speaking of food, have we done out with the old in with the new "food toss"? It always feels so therapeutic. In the words of my mentor, Dean Graziosi, "what would you feed a million dollar race horse? Well that is what you should be feeding yourself too." Only the best for YOU. Notice the theme this month is all about YOU😉

Now we need to replace our old food with the new. Rule of thumb...think My Top #5: Fruits, Veggies, Protein, Carbs and Dairy. PS. Both frozen and fresh versions of proteins and veggies work so mix it up. PPS. If you are lactose or dairy-intolerant, there are plenty on non-dairy substitutes out there that are just as good. And of course healthy snacks and sweets (ideas: almonds, popcorn, dark chocolate) you can add into the mix. We want a lifestyle we can live with. Not boring, no flavor, boiled everything with zero taste. The extra calories to add a sauce or marinade are worth it. Even playing around with seasonings can be a great way to enhance the traditional chicken or fish recipe. This fish rub recipe I found is FIRE💥 Will share that out as well.

This brings me to meal prep, if you have Tupperware that is divided into sections, that's perfect. Back to our 1/2 cup of rice example - I would pop a scoop into one of the sections. Next, we need to prepare our protein and veggies. This is a great opportunity to utilize that oven, its my BFF. All proteins have different cook times and oven temperatures. For example, chicken cooks low and slow @ 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or high and fast @ 450 degrees for 15-18 minutes. While fish bakes @ 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Veggies, are the same. Pick your favorite and stick them in the oven too. Wanna bake all together? the protein, veggies, carb. Sheet pan recipes are a pretty popular choice for this idea. Plus, great for a woman on the go, you can bake dinner and finish up the day's to-do list. Multi-tasking at its BEST. 

Speaking of multi-tasking, instead of grocery shopping physically, I utilize technology and order my groceries through online platforms that deliver within 2-hours or you can schedule for a more convenient date/time. I like the Instacart platform, you can find a multitude of your favorite stores (and not just grocery, Sephora for beauty is even available for delivery). Plus, Amazon Prime + Whole Foods has partnered up for free delivery, so all you favorite organic yummies can be delivered straight to your door. If you are anything like me, I have different lists for different stores. So I will organize and schedule my deliveries accordingly.

Side Note: We as a squad can share recipes too. Pinterest is also a great platform to discover new recipes and ideas.

Let's chat water, it's important to stay hydrated. The Golden Rule has always been 8 glasses a day. My new goal is to drink a gallon of H20 a day which equals 128 ounces, How to help me through measuring my ounces. I use glasses that hold up to 16 ounces of liquid. I know if I drink 8 glasses I made my goal of 128 ounces (The Breakdown: 16 ounces x 8 glasses = 128 ounces). I will make it a game and tell myself 7 (glasses) before 7pm, Another tip, INFUSE. I call it my H20 Bar, I have lemon, lime, and you can also use cucumber, mint, fruit, essential oils. Take your pick. I will share out a few water infusion ideas to get you started too. 

To keep it simple to start, a lemon squeeze, does wonders for you. A lemon squeezer is the best investment ever to get all the juice out of your lemon. I would say you can use a half of a lemon (squeeze) per 16 ounce glass - need more do the whole lemon you can't go wrong. Plus, if you drink 16-32 ounces of lemon H20 first thing in the AM on an empty stomach, you kick off your body's digestive system. This technique is right up there with taking a shower and brushing your teeth.

Also, for our spiritual health journey, make sure you have a yoga mat and a journal handy. I suggest including this step in your Daily Method of Operation aka your DMO. Closing your eyes for 15-20 and just listening to a neutral sound, such as your air-conditioner could work wonders in your alignment for the day. When you come out of meditation, having your journal ready is great for any ideas that may come to you or simply expressing you gratitude and appreciation or write how you are feeling in this NOW moment is a great way to document your journey. If the morning doesn't feel like the right time, you can always pick up your journal at the end of the day to pen your thoughts and feelings. Remember, you are creating the lifestyle that works for you, so pick and choose the ideas you believe would benefit your DMO. And of course, when in doubt, ask me, I am here to support!

And the cherry on top of self-care is sleep. Its important to rejuvenate our bodies night after night. Besides our bed is our friend, what else do we use 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are many benefits to sleep, besides being happy (although I still covet my black coffee in the AM after a good nights sleep). Although every one is different, I will say Oprah in her talk show days could operate on 6.5 hours. I would say if you could get closer to 7 or 8 you will be good to go! More sleep has health benefits, which checks the box on our FIT-ness goals: creativity, less stress are all benefits to getting those Zzzz's. 

On a spiritual level, our dreams speak to us, to show us and give us clues to how well we are aligned when we are awakened state. From a health perspective, dreams do help heal our mind and body. I found going to sleep to a guided meditation on loop is so therapeutic. Eventhough I am in a sleep state, experts say our subconscious mind is still active, listening and learning affirmations while sleeping. Trust me you will wake up feeling like a million bucks! There are plenty to choose from on YouTube. I am happy to share out a few of my favorites during our 30-days.

So lets make our Fit-ness journey FUN! #Day2 #BlogBoost. Until next time. Cheers & Namaste!

XOXO,

CNJ