Eating Healthy and Working Out on a Budget

Hey Everyone! Hope ya’ll are doing well and that you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I have learned to write my posts in Word from now on because I was so close to finishing this post and it was deleted…so now I have to start all over!

I am sitting here really excited because my family should be arriving in about 30 minutes and they will all be staying with me and we'll be spending the whole weekend together! I am missing Michael though because he left for Argentina last night and will be there until Wednesday. He said he is learning Spanish fast! I guess he didn't need that Rosetta Stone... :p

This blog post is about my experience with eating healthy and working out on a tight budget. Especially with today’s economy, many people are trying to save money and usually the first thing to go is healthiness! I just want to let you know about some of the ways that I stay healthy while saving money.

First of all, I have recently become a major fan and advocate of couponing. Through couponing, I have been able to cut our grocery bill in half or more sometimes. Many people believe that you can only find coupons for unhealthy food items. And, while this is often the case, I have been able to find many coupons for healthy items like orange juice and many other kinds of juices, chicken, salad items, organic and almond milk, fruits, and yogurt. I get these coupons by buying a double pack of Sunday newspapers and then saving the coupons until these items go on sale at a grocery store. I then match the coupon up with either the store’s coupon for that item or just use the manufacturer’s coupon on the sale item. I have been able to get many of these items for less then a dollar by doing this.  Although I am not an expert, I am still learning and hope to become better at couponing in the future. In the last few weeks, I have taken a $43 grocery bill and only paid $11 dollars for it and at one store I saved $90 by couponing.

Second of all, I stay healthy, but also save money, by buying only the produce and meat that is listed on sale in the store’s circular. Produce and meat is often difficult to find coupons for so when I can’t find one, I just buy whatever fruit, vegetable, or meat that is on sale for that week, especially during Walmart's Rollback Days!

Third of all, I have discovered that you can send emails or letters to companies whose food you tend to frequently buy.  Many organic food companies or any company that you are interested in will send you coupons if you request them. Also, another way to find organic coupons is by going to http://www.organiccoupons.org or http://www.organicfoodcoupons.com .Let me know if you have any questions about this!

Finally, you can save money even when you workout. There are several ways to do this. First of all, you can find a local gym that offers discounted rates. The gym I go to costs $10 (or $20 if you plan to do the classes on top of using their equipment). This is a great deal and several, at least in the Atlanta area, are offering deals like this. Another way you can work out without breaking the bank is by working out at home by following workout videos on TV, YouTube, etc. You just need to be sure to push yourself even though the teacher can’t see you! Finally, we can all go for a run, hike, or walk outdoors without spending a dime… just be sure to drink plenty of water and push yourself to go a little further each time.

Well, thank ya’ll for listening! Let me know your thoughts on this post! I really appreciate your feedback!

Take Care and Happy Memorial Day,

Ariel

Peter Rabbit Organics, Organic Strawberry and Banana 100% Pure Fruit Snack, 3.5-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 10)

"Losing It With Jillian"??

Ok everyone!! I want your opinion! What are your thoughts on Jillian Michaels and the launch of her brand new show??? I'm very excited for the launch of her show and encourage you all to tune in on June 1st at 10 pm to check it out! I think it's great that she is moving in with families to help them in EVERY area of their life.... eating right, exercising, and everything in their lives that they need to change to have the healthiest lives "from the inside out" (http://www.nbc.com/losing-it-with-jillian-michaels/about/).

They call Jillian Michaels' style of helping families "tough love", but I call it EXACTLY what they need and what we all need to get focused and change. To be completely honest, I have a REALLY hard time working out and eating right without some type of accountability. That's why I am a huge advocate for taking classes instead of just hopping on an elliptical and working out "until I get tired..." which usually ends up with me stopping earlier than necessary. And, without the help of my husband pushing me to eat well, I will cheat..... A LOT!

Accountability is exactly what Jillian Michaels is! She's a challenger, but also an encourager. She's expects hard work, but also understands pain. She cares about each individual and each family as a whole. Needless to say, I'm excited to see how "The Biggest Loser" star changes these families for the best and what new nutritional and work out ideas she introduces!

Thank you for reading! Post a comment and let me know about your experiences with Jillian Michaels or any other work out star!! And check out "Losing It with Jillian" June 1st at 10 PM on NBC!

~Ariel~

Minerals or Chemicals?

Hi Friends!

I hope you have been having a great start to your week so far! Since my blog was started as a service to you to help you do all you can to take care of yourself and be the most healthy that you can be, I've been doing quite a bit of research on the best methods to use to be the most healthy you! Today, I'm going to be talking today about the benefits of mineral makeup over chemically based makeup, specifically in the area of foundation. Mineral makeup has been taking this country by storm in the last few years, but do many of us really understand why or what this makeup really is? I know I certainly didn't until about 6 months ago. I heard that it was the best makeup for the health of your skin, but I never thought I would be able to afford it.... sound familiar to anyone?

Well, last fall, one of my girlfriends became a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant and I hosted her first party for her and that is when I fell in love with the products and especially how awesome the mineral foundation felt and looked on my skin compared to my cheap powder foundation that was so heavy and cakey!! :) And I was shocked to find that it only cost me $18 compared the almost $30 mineral makeup products that I had seen in the stores. 

Just a few weeks after my face first got introduced to the wonderful world of mineral makeup, I decided to sign up as a Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay as well. I was looking for a way to stay at home and make money helping people with something I loved...MAKEUP :) and all things girly! When I began my business at the end of October 2009, I bought my first 2 mineral foundations (one for when my skin was pale white and one for when I had more color in the spring and summer). Now, over 6 months later, I still have about 3/4 left in my lighter colored container and about 1/2 left in my darker colored one.... and I use it EVERY DAY!! I can't believe how long it has lasted me and, really, how much I have saved through having a product that is healthier for my skin! I love it!!!

But the real question that we're all asking is... what is the fuss all about?? What really is the difference between mineral makeup and chemically based makeup and are there different kinds of mineral makeup?

First of all, mineral makeup is made of pure ingredients, although most include other ingredients outside of the "all natural" minerals. Here is what the scientists at Mary Kay say about their mineral makeup: 

No ingredient used in mineral makeup is “all natural.”  That’s because minerals 

undergo extensive purification and processing before they are incorporated into a 

cosmetic product.  Even the water used in cosmetics is treated!  While Mary Kay® 

Mineral Powder Foundation contains natural ingredients, we don’t say it is “all 

natural” because that’s inaccurate. 

Mineral makeup is great for all skin types and helps to protect the skin from environmental damage and even out skin tone. It also gives skin a more flawless look and a beautiful base for color. According to the Mary Kay product description, it also makes lines, wrinkles, and other imperfections seem to disappear. 

As someone who has sensitive skin, I especially love it because it's been clinically tested for skin irritancy and allergy, it's fragrance and oil free, non-comedogenic, and dermatologist tested.

Here's a little quick video of the Mary Kay mineral makeup since this is the type that I am personally more familiar with:

http://varicast.variview.net/FileFactory.aspx?Player=1&MediaID=35394

From my research, it seems that, overall, mineral makeup is simply healthier for your skin because it allows it to breathe more than the cakey chemically based foundation and it's more lightweight, but overall, it seems that the biggest advantage of the mineral makeup is its flawless look! Also, it seems that different companies have different ingredients in their mineral powder makeups. Although I personally enjoy and love my Mary Kay mineral foundation, you definitely need to find what works best for you and what you believe is the most important element of the mineral makeup. 

If you want to find more information about mineral makeup in general, please visit: Mineral Makeup Experts. They have a great deal of information about this topic from why you should switch to how to apply it!

Also, if you would like to order any from me, you can visit my website at http://www.marykay.com/actyson or email me at thehealthyandbeautifulyou@gmail.com. 

Thanks for listening!! If you've already tried different mineral makeup, let me know your thoughts in my comments section! I'd love to learn more from people who have tried it and want to share their opinion!

Ariel

Thank You for Being a Mom!

This is a post to recognize all of the wonderful moms out there and how they have made us who we are!! I really love and appreciate my mom and all that she has done for me! She has always been there as a constant support and encourager to me and has made me feel so loved as a daughter! She has pushed me beyond where I ever thought I would go and has believed in dreams for me that I would have never thought would come true! I am truly thankful and blessed to call her mom! I love you mom more than you'll ever realize!

                          My mom and me at my wedding in December of 2007

I am also very appreciative and thankful for the wonderful mom-in-law that the Lord has blessed me with! She has been so welcoming of me into the Tyson family and I truly do feel like a daughter and sister to this precious family. She has also been so supportive of me and makes me feel like I am so special! I have also been so touched by her generosity and genuine love for her family! She has also been a good example for me since her husband is in ministry and we are following the same path. I love you Angie!

               At our wedding, with Michael, dad-in-law Mike, and mom-in-law Angie.

Now, it's your turn!! Leave a comment and let me know some of your favorite things about the mom(s) in your life!!

Happy Mother's Day,

Ariel


  

An All Natural Diet and Nutrition Program and Simple Arm Exercises that Work!

Hey Friends!

I found this great website that features some great nutritional ideas:

http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/burnfat.aspx

Ultimately, the makers of this site want you to take the next step and use their Diet Solution program, but you can get a great deal of information on nutritional and fat burning foods just from watching the free video designed by a nutritional expert and exercise specialist. This video features foods that will help you burn fat and shows how some foods that we consider healthy actually aren't. This expert also discusses the many, many different foods that we can actually eat to burn fat and the ones that we should not be eating, which includes sugar and bad fats, especially processed foods, among other types! This video also discusses calories and that you don't need to count calories because the number does not matter as long as you are eating good calories that are full of nutrition and help your body to burn fat. The makers of the video also discuss how foods and portions must be specific to you, which is where most diets fail. After watching the free video, if you do want to take it a step further, they do offer a program that will be specifically designed to meet your nutritional needs, but, even if you aren't ready to do that at this point, I would definitely suggest that, while watching the video, you are taking notes of the specific foods that you should be eating! This video has been a great resource for me as I am keeping track of my daily food intake.


Arm Exercises

I also told you in my last post that I would discuss some great arm exercise routines that I learned last weekend from my friend Kristen. First of all, pick out your two favorite work out songs from your playlist. These songs need to be really energetic! You should start with 5-10 lb. weights and begin in a standing position with your arms down by your side, a light weight in each hand.



When the first verse starts, you should begin lifting both weights to your chest.

Do this move continuously throughout the first verse of the song. When the chorus comes on, switch it up and, begin with your weights close to your chest, palms facing out....

Then lift your weights by extending your hands as straight as they will go up towards the ceiling.

Repeat these two exercises, switching with each verse and chorus for the first song.

After this song finishes and the next one begins, start a new set of arm exercises, beginning in a squat position with your knees facing forward and slightly bent, arms down by your side and palms facing toward your body.

Then extend the arms straight out to the side with your palms still facing down. 


Continue this for the first verse of the song. This will work out your shoulders and upper arm muscles.

When the chorus begins, start with the free weights close to your chest and then extend them backwards.

Repeat these two exercises for the entire song. Each day, you should switch up the routine with other arm exercises, etc.

Please let me know your thoughts on this exercise routine as well as the nutrition program!!

Thank you for listening!

Ariel

Flooding After the Wedding

Wedding in Tennessee and Tonsils Surgery

Hey Everyone!

Sorry it has taken me a bit of time to post to my blog! I plan on posting every day or every other day from now on, but I got caught up with a few out of the ordinary experiences this week. First of all, I went to a college girlfriend's wedding last weekend (April 29th-May 2nd), where I caught up with my college girlfriends and had a blast during the pre-wedding festivities and the wedding itself, which was planned to be an outdoor farm party, but, because of the rain and flooding, turned into a beautiful party of 400+ people in a 100 member church! It was amazing and the bride was so beautiful and glowed the whole weekend! :) I also learned some great arm exercises from some of my athletic friends! I will feature these as well as a great nutrition plan in my next post!

Her wedding was on the 1st and I planned on leaving that night and just getting home to Woodstock early Sunday morning, but, while at the reception, we got word that many interstates, including the one that I used to get back home, were closed because of flooding. I ended up staying Saturday evening and woke up to howling winds and a tornado siren Sunday at 6 in the morning. The group of us that had stayed in town that night all went running to a cellar in the house only to find out that it had been flooded. After a few minutes of hiding out, we discovered that the tornado had gone right down the street in front of us and that the yard was already under a few feet of water.

After rushing out of the house, we ran into more flooding and couldn't leave the town for about an hour. When the rain let up for a few minutes, we made it on to the highway where we saw several more tornadoes and some cars floating in water before finally making it out of the Nashville area....

Yesterday, I went in for surgery to have my tonsils removed so I am now laying around, watching movies and tv, trying to recover...and really missing working out and eating something other than clear liquid foods. It is painful to talk and swallow, but, as long as I am taking my pain meds, I feel that I am recovering pretty quickly.

Thank you all for listening! I hope to be back up and moving soon, but for now, I am doing research on some great nutrition and fitness ideas for you as well as great ways to care for your skin and hair!

Talk to you soon!

Ariel