Less Stress=Better Health!!!

      A lot of stress comes from being over scheduled and unorganized. While we cant fix the over schedule part, we can help fix the unorganized part of your life. Below are some simple organizational tips to help ease some of the stress in your life. 

• Start small--start with one part of your house, one room at a time, or even start smaller, one section of one room. If you start organizing the house or office all at once, you will get overwhelmed and not finish.
• Create a place for everything--for example if you create a file system in your office, it may seem overwhelming at first but once its in place, you have a system worked out and then moving forward you just file away those papers where they belong.
• Get Rid of Clutter--extra clutter makes me as an organized person squirm. If you don't need something, have not used or worn it for a year, get rid of it. Plus with less clutter there is less to clean.
• Use Decorative Baskets--I use decorative baskets or bins to hid the clutter I do need to have around the house. Sometimes we have a pile that looks unsightly, organizing it in a bin, keeps it all in one place and it looks nice.
• Put away now-- Instead of dropping items on the floor or leaving them out to be put away later, put them in their proper place now. This helps prevent a mess and keeps you from feeling overwhelmed!

If you are in over your head and have a project that you cant conquer yourself, one area that LC specializes in is organization, contact us for help!! Just email us at Ifeelgreat2day@gmail.com

Go Ahead, Eat like a Caveman!!

                   There is a diet that has recently gained media attention, that diet is called the "Paleo Diet".  According to their official website "The Paleo Diet is the world’s healthiest diet, based upon the fundamental concept that the optimal diet is the one to which we are genetically adapted. The therapeutic effect of the Paleo Diet is supported by both randomized controlled human trials and real-life success stories." 

                   Dr. Loren Cordain is the world's foremost authority on the evolutionary basis diet and disease. Dr. Cordain is widely acknowledged as one of the world's leading experts on the natural human diet of our Stone Age ancestors.

                   The Paleo Diet, is based on everyday food that mimic the food of our hunter-gather ancestors. On this diet, you are encouraged to eat meats, veggies, and fruit. But do not eat anything processed and/or in a package.

Eat:

Grass Produced Meats

Fish/Seafood

Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Eggs

Nuts and Seeds

Healthful Oils (Olive, Walnut, Flaxseed,Macadamia, Avocado, Coconut).

Do Not Eat:

Cereal Grains

Legumes (including Peanuts)

Dairy

Refined Sugar

Potatoes

Processed Foods

Salt

Refined Vegetable Oils

              Not only does the Paleo Diet have great weight loss results, but it naturally cures many diseases and ailments,just by eating certain foods, and eliminating processed foods. Diseases as serious as Diabetes, and MS have been cured or had diminished symptoms, due to following a strict Paleo Diet. This is such exciting and life changing news for our society. If you would like to get more information about the Paleo Diet, please visit the official site at http://thepaleodiet.com.

               Here at I Feel Great Today, we of course try the diets and advice before we report on it, and Yesterday I did. I ate Paleo Yesterday, and just like Dr. Cordain boosts I felt different right away. I had way more energy, and did not feel as sluggish. I also felt like my food digested better, I did not feel bloated after eating as I would when I ate processed food. So I recommend this diet, and challenge you to try it, I bet you will feel GREAT!

Dance Your Way to Health and Lots of Fun!!

     One of the worst enemies to keeping up a fitness lifestyle is boredom. Well one fun and new way to spice up your workout and stay active is to try the new fitness craze sweeping the nation--Zumba!!
      Zumba fitness is a dance fitness program that was created by Alberto Perez, a Colombian dancer and choreographer. Alberto created this program that involves dancing and aerobics in the 1990(s), and has taken the U.S. by storm. Approximately 14 million people take a Zumba class weekly in more than 150 countries.
      Classes are normally an hour, and taught by a licensed instructor. Zumba can also be done in the privacy of your own home with the use of a DVD instructional. 

             

      In a one hour session, Zumba can burn more than 500 calories. The Zumba Program also offers 8 different types of Zumba classes to choose from.

      Not only is the official Zumba Program bringing fitness and joy to its members but its also bringing aid and support to those less fortune. The Zumba Program has raised millions of dollars for many charitable organizations such as Feeding America, World Food Programme, and the American Heart Association.

     So if your looking for a fun, and beneficial way to spice up your workout than Zumba is for you!! 

Juice it Up!!!

    One great way to jump start a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating is to juice fruits and veggies. Its an easy and yummy way to get your servings of veggies and fruits. I like to do a week or two of juicing every two months. Some people choose to do it for shorter or longer duration  its totally up to your preference. As always please check with your doctor if you have any preexisting conditions that may put you at risk.
    The below recipes are my own creation and I have found to help me jump start my metabolism, boost my energy level and regulate my digestive!!                                                                                                                                      

Green Juice Smoothie

Fresh Spinach Lettuce

Green Pepper

Avocado

Broccoli

Water-not too much, just enough to make the blending easier and drink smoother.

Portions are all dependent on how much you want to make.

Put all in a blender, smooth it to a nice milkshake like texture.

All the ingredients are fresh with no additives.

Fruit Smoothie:

Mango

Peach

Kiwi

Water-not too much, just enough to make the blending easier and drink smoother.

Portions are all dependent on how much you want to make.

Put all in a blender, smooth it to a nice milkshake like texture.

All the ingredients are fresh with no additives.

Peanut Smoothie:

Peanut Butter

Banana

Portions are all dependent on how much you want to make.

Put all in a blender, smooth it to a nice milkshake like texture.

All the ingredients are fresh with no additives.

Any of the ingredients can be subsisted for preference or allergies

Enjoy!!

Making the Best of your Circumstances!!

Here at I Feel Great Today we are located in Chicago and we are experiencing flooding, and cannot get out of our neighborhood let alone get to the gym! So we have to make the best of our circumstances and make our circumstances work for us. 

-Carrying the buckets of water in and out of the basement is a great weight lifting workout.

-Taking a walk in your neighborhood is a great cardiovascular workout, and you can check out the flood areas, and help neighbors in need.

-You can do push ups, sit-ups, and other floor exercises in the comfort of your own living room.

-Today is a great day to relax and reflect on all you have to be thankful! This kind of mental reflection is good for your mental health, which in turn is good for your physical health.

Most of all remember to be safe, happy and health. Here at I Feel Great Today, we are thinking and praying for all those effected by the flooding!!!

Make Today the First Day of Your New Life!!!

Today is the DAY!!! 


Don't WAIT for tomorrow to start working on your health, fitness and money GOALS!! 

Ready. Set. Go.


The future belongs to those who prepare for it today!!!

Here at I Feel Great Today, we believe that your success is out there waiting to be conquered, and you are responsible for your own success no one else. Life is series of events, that you choose to engage in, and if you choose to live it half heartily you will have a half lived life. So you have to decide-- Do you want to be happy? Do you want to be healthy? Do you want to be successful? If you answered YES than Today is your DAY! and we are rooting you on to your best life ever!!!

Stay Positive!!

Well today is one of those days when its hard to stay totally motivated and positive. The weather is gloomy, we are dragging because its the end of the week. So feeling GREAT today takes a little effort to keep our eyes on the prize. In order to stay positive, I like to remind myself of all the things in my life I have to be grateful for and how blessed I am. A lot of time when you begin to list all the things to be grateful for, you forget the things that you were complaining about in the first place. If you want a GREAT laugh and a GREAT pick me up, then check out this video--try not to feel GREAT after!!

10 Reasons to Workout Today and Everyday!!!

If you need some extra motivation to start and keep up a workout routine today, here are 10 motivational reasons to workout Today and Everyday!!

1. Boost your mood-Exercise not only improves your physical health, but it can also improve your mental health as well. Exercise has proven to help ease and improve the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Experts believe that exercise releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good.
2. Ward off Sickness-aerobic exercise has shown to boost your immune system. Those who have a regular workout routine do not get sick nearly as often.
3. More Energy- the blood vessels in your muscles dilate which causes blood flow and oxygen to increase. This energy level increase can help you feel energized for the entire day too.
4. Improve Brain Power- Exercising can help you stay focused and engaged in everyday activities, and can improve your brain power.When you have a regular exercise routine and healthy diet, blood flow is improved and hormones are at optimum levels, and increasing concentrate level.
5. Improve flexibility-your muscles become more elastic due to stretching before and after your workout. Stretching helps to improve your overall range of motion and flexibility.
6. Burn those Calories even at Rest-engaging in cardiovascular exercises such as running, walking, and biking rises your metabolic rate. Fat can continue to burn at that rate hours after you have left the gym.
7. Sleep Better- Studies have shown that those who engage in moderate to intense exercise for 30-40 minutes a day, fall asleep twice as easily as those who do not.
8. Prevents Diseases and Live Longer- having a regular workout routine can prevent and help cure some pretty serious diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer,  and stroke. 
9. Fun, Fun, Fun-Being active can be a blast!! Its a lot of fun to mix up your workout routine and try something new, like Zumba or Kettlebell. 
10. Look Sexy-we workout for many reasons, but lets be honest, everyone works out to look physically better. Looking better helps us feel better about ourselves and helps improve our overall mood. With bathing suit season coming, now is the time that we are all working to look GREAT!!

So I challenge you to not make excuses why you cannot make it to the gym today, but rather count all the benefits and reason why you SHOULD!! I guarantee you will feel GREAT after you  do!!

Cellucor Super HD Supplement

I do not usually use supplements in my normal everyday routine but for the last couple months or so I have been feeling like my workout was getting stale and I was hitting a plateau in regards to my results. So I began  doing research to find something that was healthy and natural. I went to GNC, and spoke to one of their experts, he knew his information, and even used many of the products. After much discussion I left with a product Cellucor Super HD supplement, which is a fat burner, and sculpting agent, this is a supplement that the sales person had used and seen great results with. So I have been trying it for about a week, and want to share some information.

• Price-First of all this supplement is kind of expensive, so its important that this be something your very committed to.
• Dosage-The label tells you to take one capsule in the morning, and one in the afternoon 5 hours later. I have found that taking the one in the afternoon causes me to have trouble sleeping at night because the capsule has some caffeine in it. I have found I'm getting pretty GREAT results taking only the morning dosage, and now I'm able to sleep well too.
• Results-I started seeing changes in my body right away. I also experience having more energy and more stamina at the gym and during my workouts. I felt like my body started to look different too, a lot of the stubborn water and digestive weight were gone, and I feel GREAT!!
• Surprises-I have had some digestive problems and off and on constipation problems for quite sometime, well since taking this supplement I have been pleasantly surprised that my digestion has been working and I have been more regular than I have been in my whole life, it has shocked me!! I have also never been someone who sweats ever and not even at the gym, which was something that frustrated me because that's a natural healthy part of the process. After starting the supplement I have began having a natural sweat, and even sweat a lot at the gym, which made me feel GREAT (as strange as that sounds).

Overall I would give Cellucor Super HD supplement an A. Once you figure out what dosage is right for you, the supplement works GREAT has GREAT Results. I have and will continue to recommend this supplement to whoever wants to optimize their workout, and their weight loss.

Kettlebell Your Way To Fit!!!

      Kettlebell is the fastest fitness method for getting strength and rapid weight loss results. Kettlebell was started in Russia, and came to the U.S. in the 1960s, but has gained the most popularity in the last 20 years.The Kettlebell is a cast-iron weight (resembling a cannonball with a handle) used to perform ballistic exercises combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training. Kettlebell exercises work several muscles simultaneously and may be repeated continuously for several minutes or with short breaks.This combination makes the exercise partially aerobic and more similar to high-intensity interval training rather than traditional weight lifting.
     I find Kettlebell to be a GREAT alternative to a traditional gym workout. It targets many of the muscles that I have been forgetting or not even realizing I was missing in my traditional workout. And on top of all the positive results, its just plain FUN!!

Bob Garon

Lisa Garon

      If you are looking for a GREAT program and gym, you should definitely check out Synergy Kettlebell, founded by Bob and Lisa Garon. Not only are they the owners but they are also coaches at Synergy as well. They are both extensively certified and experienced in Kettlebell. Bob has 15 years fitness training experience and Lisa is also a certified nutritionist. Bob and Lisa also have a team of GREAT coaches and trainers at Synergy.Synergy offers personal and group training in their four locations, Aurora, St Charles, Chicago (Bucktown),and Dixon IL. Synergy stands behind their results and program so much that they even have a 100% guarantee. Go check out Synergy Kettlebell, you will not be disappointed  in  fact I think you will feel GREAT!!!  http://SynergyKettlebell.com

When You Get Sick

This Winter and Spring have been one of the worst on record, and that means a lot of us are sick and our health and fitness are suffering as well. Well I have come down with a nasty sickness and it got me thinking how to stay health and how to modify my fitness so that my hard work was not done in vain.

The following are some tips to keep you on track even when your sick!

• Be Smart About Your Fluids- when you are sick it is recommended to drink a lot of fluids. I think its great to drink a lot of water and a lot of plain tea when your sick. BUT be very careful with juice. Some juices are full of sugar are not all natural, so instead of drinking a lot of orange juice I like to substitute the juice for actual fruit like oranges and kiwi. 
• Check that Soup- soup from a can sometimes have a lot of calories and sodium. There is a myth that soup can be a light and healthy meal, but the fact is that they can pack a unhealthy punch! Make sure to check that label before you eat that soup, you can always opt for a healthier can or making it homemade.
• Be Active- Just because your sick and cant work to your full work out capacity does not mean you cant do simple things to keep your body active. Take a walk around your neighborhood, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Sometimes working out too hard when you are sick can do more harm then good, but its important to still keep moving when your sick.
• Tomato can Help- Tomato have a lot of healing properties, and can speed up the recovery. Tomato has proven to healing and cure a lot of diseases. Tomato has a lot of vitamins that can help that cold disappear. Be careful if you have a stomach bug though because the acidic properties in tomato can be hard on your stomach.
• Modify your calories-Being sick may cause you to take it easy on the working out side of your fitness routine. That means you may have to modify your calorie intake. When working out you are able to burn those calories, so it is important to keep that in mind. 
• REST REST REST-Make sure to get plenty of rest so that you are able to recover and get back to your normal routine and back to the gym ASAP!!!!