Healthy Life Pro

I absolutely love organic peanut butter and eat it almost daily. I'm even guilty of eating a tablespoon straight from the jar. Peanut butter just so happens to be one of the best sports nutrition superfoods. It's a rich source of healthy fat and quality plant protein. Did I mention it tastes amazing!


Did you know good fats help boost your metabolism to more effectively burn body fat? Unfortunately eating fat has received lots of bad press and blamed for making us fat. Not true. There's a difference between fats that help keep us healthy and fats contributing to being unhealthy. Compare a donut to a handful of raw nuts for example.

Healthy fats like peanut butter and other nut butter are shown to promote good health. Another thing to keep in mind when enjoying peanut butter is portion size. I don't sit around with a spoon in my jar until it's gone, although tempting. We can enjoy our good fats but just like with all macro nutrients, eating the right amount to maintain our fitness is essential.

Good fats have numerous health benefits and studies show can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, joint pain, and boost our immunities. The nutrients contained in peanut butter provide our body with protection from many illnesses including certain cancers and neurological disease. It's also shown to reduce our total cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) and triglycerides.

My love affair with peanut butter began with 'PB and Js' and still remains to this day. Mom wasn't far off with the importance of eating this healthy fat. It has helped me maintain my physical fitness over decades. I use peanut butter toast prior to and even following my workouts. I also enjoy a tablespoon when craving something before bed. If I want to create my own peanut butter cup, I toss a few dark chocolate chips on the spoon for an awesome treat.

Be well and Stay Healthy

Adopting a healthy lifestyle and achieving fitness goals can provide a feeling of accomplishment in the beginning. We plug into our fitness apps, fit bits, eating right and motivated to exercise. We are in fitness euphoria and experiencing self-motivation at its peak. We are determined and feel nothing will get in the way of reaching our goals, right?

This is awesome but the struggle is usually not in starting but in the maintaining. We all need to start the process of getting healthy but even more important is being able to continue the lifestyle.

As we progress in our fitness journey, things often become less important. Our determined mental game starts to soften.

Week three of the start may not feel as good or exciting anymore. Other things take priority and somehow being too busy to exercise or eat right dampen our motivation.

Week four seems to be filled with obligations that become more important than the promise we made to ourselves to get healthy.

Week five may involve a long vacation where fitness is set aside and anything goes with food that will surely expand the waistline. Exercise is also put on the back burner. I mean who wants to be active on vacation is the typical feedback.

In a short time, our goal to get healthy has taken a back seat and old patterns have returned. The struggle is real for many out there.

Processed foods have replaced the good carbohydrates consumed just a month ago. The menu has returned to pizza and burgers instead of lean proteins and healthy fats. Water intake is also not what it should be for optimal fitness. What happened?

Believe it or not, choices and behaviors like this happen all the time. It can cause feelings of failure, discouragement and many of us give up. None of us are immune to returning to poor eating habits and reasons not to exercise. We somehow think once we reach our goals, we can start slacking. We miss the point of getting in shape is staying in shape.

Lasting results happen when fitness becomes our lifestyle. This means being mindful of how we eat, staying active and getting plenty of rest. It also means taking responsibility for the choices causing us to return to unhealthy patterns. This will require getting back that motivation felt so strongly upon starting our fitness program.

If you are unable to do it alone, hire a qualified personal trainer or find a workout partner. If you are sabotaged at home, start creating two separate meals to ensure that you're eating healthy. If too busy seems to be a problem, it's time to review your priorities.

Achieving your fitness goals is a great accomplishment. Learning how to maintain them is truly what it means to live a healthy lifestyle.
Thanks for stopping by my Blog. Don't forget to subscribe and never miss a free update!

Be well and Stay Healthy

Getting fit has nothing to do with going on a diet. In fact, I came up with an acronym for the 'diet' word and how it affects us:

Living a healthy lifestyle is not about restriction but allowing for moderation. It's not realistic to eliminate a favorite food forever from our diet. I consider my occasional splurges as treats and not even cheats. Because eating them in moderation is an enjoyable experience. It's called living a balanced healthy life.

I don't believe having a fresh baked brownie now and then is cheating on my fitness program. I follow a 90/10 rule consuming a wide variety of good carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats 90% of the time. I allow for 10% indulgence like a glass of wine or dark chocolate. These small treats won't derail my efforts as many of us are taught to believe. It's what we do consistently that defines what our body looks like.

I will even apply the 80/20 rule eating healthy foods 80% of the time and allowing 20% for indulgence. This comes in handy when on vacation or during the holidays. I will not turn down a piece of my Mom's home-baked pie or biscuits with butter and honey ... are you kidding me?

I do feel indulgences need to be quality. I don't waste time on packaged process junk foods but will splurge on home baked goods made with real ingredients. I also enjoy a good burger, gourmet pizza, and frozen yogurt with toppings. When I treat myself, I still want to be in control of the quality of the food. I also don't believe in having a free ticket to binge on thousands of calories on splurge day. That is defeating the purpose of a splurge meal or day. If I want a burger and fries, I enjoy the meal and move on.


I don't plan a treat day either but listen to my cravings. I work hard, eat clean 80 to 90 percent of the time and know eating a slice of apple pie Ala mode is not going to break my fitness bank. I will savor every bite of my indulgence and eat slowly. I eat slowly anyway, but really take even more time when eating a treat.

Having treat meals are always a personal choice. Sometimes there are physiological and psychological issues to consider. Those suffering from emotional eating disorders may not be good candidates for treat meals and should be under the guidance of a physician. Also, newbie fitness adapters may not be able to manage treat meals just yet and succumb to past triggers and old behaviors. Medical issues like diabetes require food monitoring and certain treats may not be in their best interest.


I utilize treat meals for balance in my healthy lifestyle. Thinking we can sustain on boiled fish and broccoli is not realistic. I enjoy some sort of sweet treat or fun meal a couple of times weekly and still maintain a healthy body. It really comes down to how we apply treat meals. It's not a reward for being deprived all week or for completing a hard workout.

There is a place for eating healthy and allowing for treats in a healthy life. Living a healthy lifestyle shouldn't feel like a burden or deprivation. If that's the case, a review of your current nutrition plan is advisable. An unsustainable nutrition plan will cause many of us to return to unhealthy eating habits. Life is too short not to eat healthy and it's also too short not to enjoy some splurges along the way.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog. Remember to subscribe and never miss a free update.

Be well and Stay Healthy

Believing anything happens quickly is not realistic. Fitness is a process of small changes creating large results over time. No magic wand to instantly provide a chiseled physique or bikini body. We may want that, but not how it works. Quick fix thoughts only set us up for frustration and failure.

Achieve fitness one day at a time. Biceps don't suddenly appear after your first day in the gym. What does occur when you apply fitness daily is progress. The muscle will show up but let it work, grow and build. It's like a fine wine or great simmering stew. The journey will be rewarding but patience is required.

One of the worst things you could do is to jump into a fad diet or take unregulated fat burning supplements thinking this is the answer. Read the small print on any of these pseudo-fitness deals. "Best results when accompanied with a healthy diet and exercise program" is what you'll find.

All that needs to happen is to follow the small print which is the best advice on those bottles. In fact, any results achieved comes from implementing a healthy nutrition plan and exercise. You're the one doing the work, not what's in those bottles.

Fitness done daily will take time and effort but the lifelong results are the reward. It's also a journey and not a destination. There's no need to feel rushed or stressed about getting fit. It's really a simple process often over-complicated. Find healthy foods and exercise you enjoy and this is what keeps you coming back for more.

Avoid jumping ahead in your mind to what you want now and focus on today. What are you doing today to reach your fitness goals? Did you exercise, eat healthily, and get plenty of rest? Awesome! Celebrate your daily achievements. Write them down if it helps. Stay positive even when things aren't showing up as fast as you think they should.



We're all different in how our bodies respond to change. Comparing to friends or people we see at the gym is the thief of joy. We're not here to be or look like someone else. Our job is to become our best healthy self through daily choices. Who cares if your friend lost 5lbs and you didn't reach that mark. Fitness is not about who is faster at achieving results.

The goal is getting fit and loving ourselves through the process. The days are going to pass anyway so focus on adopting a healthy lifestyle the right way. Today is what we have, tomorrow isn't promised and yesterday is gone. Be in the now with your fitness and you'll get there one day at a time.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog. Don't forget to subscribe and never miss a free update!

Be well and Stay Healthy

Fitness gimmicks are a billion dollar industry causing frustration for consumers not seeing the results of their promises. The truth is nothing exists in a bottle or package to create lasting fitness. I am a strong advocate to debunk food and fitness myths and their false guarantees to deliver a perfect body in 10 days or less.

I can really get on a soapbox about this subject and sometimes do. Today seems fitting to fling a little soap around and clean up the fitness myth mess created by dishonest marketing in the fitness world.

Most of America wants to get fit fast and companies are not dumb in knowing how to market that dream at top dollar. Store shelves and online sites are crammed with millions of miracle fitness makers. As consumers, we are responding to those scams and making supplement companies very rich indeed.

You are the target group these billion dollar companies have placed their focus and promising fitness in a bottle of wonder. Next time you open your wallet to buy a gimmick guaranteed to melt fat overnight and create instant muscle mass, please realize this is a fairy tale. You can either waste your time and money or get serious about getting fit the right way.

Supplements and herbs aren't FDA regulated. Companies can put anything on their bottles to sell the product, and that is exactly what they do. I am a hard sale when it comes to supplements or gimmicks and I refuse to believe anything not backed up by science. Take a close look at the small writing on most unregulated fitness supplements and you will read the following: should be combined with a healthy eating and exercise program for results.

Stop right there! Guess what, if you just start eating right and exercising you would see results without buying an expensive bottle of quick fix hype.   Most of our nutrients can be obtained through eating a wide variety of healthy foods.

Some foods can naturally boost metabolism getting rid of the need for any unhealthy stimulant fat burners. Getting fit and staying healthy takes a lifestyle that can't be purchased at the store. You are the secret to your success! Myths are for fiction story books and fairy tales.

FITNESS MYTH

It would be nice to simply snap our fingers and make our bodies the way we want them, but that's not life or reality. It's time to face the truth of what it takes to achieve fitness and get off the gimmick-go-round.

Getting fit will take a commitment to eating right, consistent exercise, lots of water, and plenty of rest. This lifestyle will provide the results you're looking for guaranteed by your daily choices. Doesn't that sound like a much better investment of time and money?

Stay Healthy Fitness Tips:

What we eat plays the largest role in our health and fitness. Working out is a great compliment and necessary to create a balanced program. However, there are more hours outside the gym and in the kitchen making or breaking our fitness goals.

Eating right requires a fairly disciplined nutrition program consuming wholesome real food, mostly plants. This is not to say eating the occasional treat is off limits because that isn't realistic. Sticking to healthy eating 80 to 90% of the time is enough to maintain a fit and healthy body.

When eating right and exercise becomes a lifestyle, there is no stress or overthinking the process. We operate on auto-pilot doing what feel is natural and normal. We would feel weird eating crappy and suffer the consequences of not feeling good the next day.

Nutrient timing or eating superfoods every several hours is typical for those living a healthy lifestyle. There is not much thought in calorie counting or fear of eating too much but a focus on consuming quality nutrients. We take on an eat to live philosophy functioning at it's best without even realizing it. As long as the food is healthy, wholesome and nutrient-dense, we feel great eating it.

Keeping a food journal to start eating healthier can be a helpful tool. After awhile, you will find it's no longer required because you are simply living what you have learned.

Adopting healthy eating habits is a process so allow yourself to be a beginner. The goal is enjoying the process regardless of how long it takes. Results of eating right include feeling your best because our food is medicine, fuel, muscle building and stress relieving.



Eating healthy should be a simplistic and realistic way of living. Nutrition should never feel like a burden. It is really a fun adventure of change learning how to substitute unhealthy choices for healthier alternatives.

It is true we can't out exercise a crappy diet. Succumbing to food guilt and using exercise as a punishment is not the path to fix the issue. Learning how to eat right to achieve our fitness goals is the answer and there is never guilt connected to that.


Healthy food can also be considered preventative medicine. Eating wholesome food, mostly plants is shown to reduce inflammation, in turn reducing our risk of disease.

Want to feel better and improve your quality of life overall?  Start eating healthy. What we choose to eat and do daily is a choice. Our choices determine the type of life we want to live. Wishing for good health just doesn't happen, but when we apply the work is what creates positive change.

The effort to eat right becomes a habit which creates a healthy lifestyle. Eventually, you look back and don't even think about how hard it was but how great it feels now. Congratulations, you made it!

Thanks for stopping by my Blog. Remember to subscribe and never miss a free update!

When it comes to fitness more isn't always better. Sometimes more exercise, supplementing more, and eating more protein can adversely affect our body. More is not better, better is better.

Getting fit and maintaining a healthy body is a simple process. It really doesn't require more fitness foods or grueling workouts to reach our goals. All it takes is a consistent effort of eating right and exercise. Quality over quantity.

Focused workouts utilizing differing energy systems of the body throughout the week is sufficient. What this means is mixing up cardio, weight training, core work and flexibility for a well-balanced program. Exercising at least 4-times per week is shown to maintain a healthy body according to research.

Active rest days are a great way to have fun when not performing a structured workout. Enjoy being active and healthy is the point.

Thinking about nutrition in a healthy way is also important. Eating more than is required of any macronutrient can backfire our good fitness intentions. Food is our fuel and muscle building tools. As long as we're keeping it healthy and eating lots of veggies, lean proteins and good fats we are on the right track. Eating more protein doesn't create more muscle. It is the symphony of eating healthy plus working our muscle stimulating lean mass gains.

We require a certain amount of each macronutrient and over-consumption of one can actually have adverse health effects, just as eliminating healthy foods can cause nutrient deficiencies. More is not better, better is better. Also, quality over quantity.

Spending hours in the gym thinking this is beneficial to your fitness is inaccurate. This is a perfect example of how many think more is better. Overtraining can have adverse effects on our body. No wonder a rapid state of burn-out is happening.

Over-use of joints and even muscle breakdown can occur when the body is overtrained. Overtraining syndrome is actually a thing and breaks down our immunities, prevents muscle growth, and puts unwanted stress on our body. Also, exercise addiction may occur for those feeling guilty eating off track and psychologically beating themselves up in the gym. Effective workouts are focused and effective taking no more than an hour to complete.



What it comes down to is being fitness smart and stop believing more is better. Embrace you are doing enough and enjoy the process of getting healthy.

Often times, basic, simple but challenging workouts provide the best results. We are able to maintain our bodies without overworking them to the point of burnout or injury.

Stay away from exercise gimmicks, fads, and nutrition myths. If it's too good to be true, it is. The only proven scientific claims to successful fitness are eating right and exercise. Fads and gimmicks are big money makers in the fitness industry. Do your homework.

The takeaway is simply to eat right, exercise consistently and enjoy a balanced life. This is true fitness and nothing more to it. More is not better, better is better.

Trying to achieve the so-called perfect body causes many of us to take drastic measures. Whether from detox cleanses, extreme caloric restriction, surgical change of normal organ function, to outward cosmetic procedures. All those methods don't mean a thing if a healthy lifestyle is left out of the equation.


No matter what you do, it's still about the lifestyle. Extreme measures without learning how to buy, cook and eat healthy foods won't do it. Without regular exercise or nutrition knowledge, it's all wasted time and money.

What happens when you reach the end of one of those popular restricted calorie shake diets? What did you learn? Are you prepared to eat right and educated with a lifelong nutrition program?

What happens after a few fat cells have been sucked out (liposuction) and you are still hitting the pizza and donuts? The same goes for surgically altering your stomach with a band and still continuing to eat fries and drink soda. What has been learned?

This is exactly the point. What is truly being learned about health, fitness, nutrition and how to achieve it?  Sadly, without the proper information to guide you toward a healthy lifestyle, most return to the weight and size (or larger) than prior to going drastic.

This blog is not to be judgemental or offensive, but to open your eyes to what it means to get healthy. Nothing inside a packaged shake mix or on an elective surgery table is going to provide health and fitness. Good health is achieved through daily food choices and exercise creating a habit that becomes a lifestyle.

The belief quick fixes can stand alone to create the hot body of your dreams is a fantasy. If product companies or surgeons are telling you some magic shake or getting something snipped will do it, they're wrong. I will go as far as to say negligent in feeding you a load of BS. Regardless of the procedure, it will take living a healthy lifestyle to maintain your body.

Have you fallen into the now trap? Quick fix solutions never provide permanent change.

Are you unwilling to invest time to learn how to eat right and enjoy awesome workouts? This is what it will take to get healthy. The desire is there, otherwise, you would not be seeking a way to get results. Why not get fit the right way and forget about how long it will take? The goal is enjoying the process, not the destination.

Are you are serious about getting fit and staying healthy? It's not found in a bottle or on a table, but in how you think and live. Change takes changing your daily routine. Start by writing down goals and begin a healthy lifestyle list.

What are some simple things you could do right now to get motivated and moving in the right direction? Build on your list and follow-through with your thoughts.

Short-term goals could be replacing processed foods in your refrigerator and pantry with healthy selections. Another could be adding exercise 3 times per week, or losing 5lbs. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is about daily progress and not perfection. Be patient, don't compare yourself to others, and celebrate each daily victory!

Thanks for stopping by my Blog. Remember to subscribe and never miss a free update!

Be well and Stay Healthy

Rushing for any goal can create stress, frustration and missing way too much of what's important in life. I have learned to take things a little slower, practice patience, listen intently and enjoy the moment.

I have implemented this philosophy into my fitness, nutrition, work, and play. I enjoy teaching that nothing good happens fast and the process is the result. 
Lifting with purpose creates the best environment for muscle growth and reduces the chance of injury. Nothing good happens fast and muscle growth takes time. Patience is very important and better results happen when you take it slow. 

Be well and Stay Healthy