by Kami | Nov 11, 2013 | Choose Healthy Living
When you look in the mirror, what’s the first thing you notice? Something you LOVE or HATE about your body? Since we usually criticize our bodies, Studio 5’s Brooke Walker has issued a Body Love Challenge for the month of November. Let’s take the challenge together! So, what do I love about my body? I love my eyes. Not just because they’re blue, but because they allow me to see my daughter’s beautiful smile, my husband’s handsome face, and all the beautiful and vibrant colors on this earth God created for us. Now, it’s your turn. Take the body love challenge. What do you LOVE about your body? Also, head over to Studio 5. They are featuring pictures from their Instagram and Facebook accounts. Enter and you may see your picture...
by Kami | Jul 22, 2013 | Choose Healthy Living, Step-by-step towards HEALTH
This is my first video titled ‘What is Healthy Living?’ Does everyone hate watching themselves on video? I could critique the coloring, lighting, and angle all day, BUT I believe in these 10 steps to healthy living SO I’m being brave and sharing. Also, don’t miss the bloopers at the end. Healthy living is NOT dieting. Healthy living is a permanent change for the rest of your life. It’s enjoyable, satisfying, and rewarding. Here are my 10 steps to living healthy: 1) Stop dieting. I detest the word ‘diet’ hence why my site is called No Diets Allowed. Dieting is a quick fix to a permanent and much bigger problem. Only healthy living will provide true weight loss and results. 2) What’s your motivation? You must have a strong motivation for getting healthy. Why do you want to get healthier? Dig deep and figure out what’s truly motivating you. 3) Make a decision and commitment to change. It’s not temporary. It’s a permanent change and you’re not looking back. 4) Leave excuses behind. If you really want to accomplish something you’ll do it. If not, you’ll find an excuse. One excuse that drives me crazy is ‘I don’t have time’! Do you eat and drink during the day? Then CHOOSE to eat fresh fruits and drink water. Do you get enough sleep? Then CHOOSE to go to bed earlier. It’s a choice and we all have the ability to choose health. 5) Only drink water. Your body needs and craves water. Zero calorie and ‘diet’ drinks have artificial sweeteners that act just as bad...
by Kami | Jul 15, 2013 | Choose Healthy Living, How to Get Healthy, Step-by-step towards HEALTH
There’s an unhealthy relationship going on in YOUR HOME! It’s leaving either YOU or YOUR SPOUSE or YOUR CHILD or YOUR LOVED ONE feeling anxious, depressed, guilty, unsuccessful, rejected and just plain miserable! This needs to be stopped immediately!Do you realize the severity of the situation since in the last couple of sentences I’ve used several EXCLAMATION!!! POINTS!!!?!?! Are you prepared to learn the truth about this horrible, emotionally abusive household item that’s preventing weight loss? YOUR SCALE. It’s not your friend. In fact, it’s your enemy and should be immediately tossed in the trash. Go ahead. I’ll wait…. No, I’m serious. Get that thing out of your home before you read another line! Okay, is it gone? Whew! Do you feel better? I know I do. Let’s re-cap your relationship with ‘the scale.’ Did it just stare at you whenever you got out of the shower or sat on the toilet? Did it always remind you of that last ‘bad number’? When you worked really hard to make healthy changes, did it just make you feel like a failure? Did the numbers displayed make you feel anxious, depressed, rejected, and/or unmotivated to keep living healthy? THIS ‘THING’ IS LYING TO YOU AND PREVENTING YOU FROM LOSING WEIGHT AND ENJOYING HEALTHY LIVING! Remember the beginning of this journey YOU and I started together? There were a couple steps to jump-start your healthy living… don’t forget about my eBooks for a more in depth plan. 1) Stop dieting. 2) Figure out your motivation for becoming healthy. Personally, I don’t think a ‘number’… like losing 30 lbs… is stronger enough motivation....
by Kami | Jul 8, 2013 | Choose Healthy Living, How to Get Healthy
Death. Unless you’ve already drank from the fountain of youth, it’s going to happen to YOU and ME. It’s the inevitable final chapter for us all. Death may be OUT of our control, HOWEVER there are plenty of things WITHIN our control which influence our quality of life until that day comes. With that said, I’m pretty sure I know how I’m going to die…. or at least how I WON’T die. Do you? In 2011, the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States were as follows: *Heart disease: 597,689 *Cancer: 574,743 *Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 138,080 *Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476 *Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859 *Alzheimer’s disease: 83,494 *Diabetes: 69,071 *Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,476 *Influenza and Pneumonia: 50,097 *Intentional self-harm (suicide): 38,364 The good news: By living healthy, YOU can completely prevent these causes of death or significantly decrease your chances of dying these ways! Don’t believe me? Keep reading. Causes and risk factors for heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases (COPD), stroke, diabetes, nephritis/nephrotic syndrome/nephrosis, and influenza/pneumonia THAT CAN BE CONTROLLED are: *Smoking (including second hand smoke) *Excessive alcohol use *Prescription or recreational drug abuse *High blood cholesterol and high triglyceride levels *High blood pressure *Diabetes and Pre-diabetes *Overweight and Obesity *Metabolic Syndrome *Lack of physical activity *Unhealthy eating habits *Stress or Depression *Sun damage or excessive sun exposure WITHOUT sunscreen Well, I feel confident that I just eliminated 7 out of the 10 main causes of death by living my 6 easy health steps…. Now, what about Alzheimer’s disease? Although many risks factors for Alzheimer’s are out of our control...
by Kami | Jun 17, 2013 | Choose Healthy Living, Excuses and Myths, Health Myths, How to Get Healthy
My name is Kami, and I’m an addict. It’s been less than 24 hours since I last consumed my drug of choice. Even though ‘once an addict always an addict’, I’m now able to control how much I consume and when. Now, I can look at it straight in the eyes and flat out refuse it. Okay, it doesn’t have eyes, but go with me… My drug of choice? Sugar. “Really, Kami? Sugar?!?! (Insert eye roll) Addicts are people who are dependent on substances like cocaine, heroine, cigarettes, alcohol, and even pornography NOT sugar!” Oh, my dear friends. Unfortunately, you most likely are addicted to sugar and artificial sweeteners too. There are reasons those Diet Cokes, cookies, and the candy jar at work (shout out to my husband) cause us to keep coming back for more. Not convinced? Here are some signs you may be an addict: 1) Increased Tolerance: Do you drink more soda and eat more sweets than you use to? Do you need to add more sugar or just have ‘one more’ cookie to satisfy your sweet tooth? 2) Withdrawal: Have you ever completely given up sugar? Was it difficult? How did you feel? 3) Over Use: Do you eat more cake and cookies at a party than you originally planned? Are you unable to resist eating something sweet? 4) Loss of Control: Are you able to control how much sugar you intake? Or do you ‘need’ a Diet Coke to get going in the mornings or to eat a candy bar when you feel stressed? 5) Exceptional Effort to Obtain: Have you ever gone...
by Kami | Jun 5, 2013 | Choose Healthy Living, Excuses and Myths, Health Myths, How to Get Healthy
Jillian Michaels has been a fitness expert and wellness coach for over 20 years. Her tough, take-no-nonsense demeanor on The Biggest Loser has contributed to her becoming one of the leading health and wellness experts in the country. She doesn’t accept excuses for poor health choices. She sets high expectations. She demands change. AND she gets results. I’m a fan. Here are 10 of my favorite Jillian quotes. 1) It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs. 2) Reclaim power over your own life. Take an honest look at your current situation and own it. Acknowledge the choices you’ve made that haven’t served you and start making different choices that do. 3) As you envision the changes in your future, you have to let go of the mistakes in your past. Learn from them, and then let them go! 4) Transformation isn’t a future event. It’s a present day activity. 5) Feel the fear, then do it anyway! 6) Unless you puke, faint, or die, KEEP GOING! 7) Your LEGS are not giving out. Your HEAD is giving out. KEEP GOING! 8) Why choose to FAIL when SUCCESS is an option?!?! 9) Every accomplishment starts with the decision to TRY! 10) In this moment, you can make a different choice. It’s the small choices and the small successes that build up over time to help cultivate a healthy self-image and self esteem. Jillian has several at-home workout options. My husband and I are on...
