fitness – Page 2 – kateneedsfitness

Brain Power through Exercise

August 21, 2024January 27, 2025Posted in wellnessTagged brain boost, brain power, fitness, focus, holistic approach, holistic wellness, workout, workout for women, workout planLeave a comment

We all know exercise is good for our physical health- it helps us tone up through gaining strength, keeps our energy levels high, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases, but did you know that exercise is also a total game-changer for your mental health?

It’s true! Grab your yoga mat- I’m here to spill the tea on why exercise is your mental health BFF.

Stress Slayer: Feeling overwhelmed? Exercise is a natural stress reliever. When you get your body moving, your brain releases endorphins, those feel-good chemicals that leave you feeling happy and positive. Plus, focusing on your workout can take your mind off your worries for a bit. Getting your heart pumping and a little sweat dripping is a great release for emotions.

Mood Booster: Exercise has been shown to be JUST AS effective as medication in treating mild to moderate depression. Regular physical activity can help improve your mood, reduce symptoms of anxiety, and boost your overall sense of well-being.

Sharpen Your Focus: Feeling like your brain is in a fog? Exercise can help! Studies show that regular physical activity can improve cognitive function, memory, and concentration. So next time you need a mental boost, even five short minutes of movement can help you feel more alert and focused!

Sleep Savior: Having trouble catching those Zzz’s? Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Just be sure to avoid strenuous workouts too close to bedtime, as they can actually have the opposite effect. If nighttime is the best

Confidence Catalyst: Feeling good about yourself is a major mood booster, and exercise can definitely help you get there. Whether you’re hitting a new personal best or simply feeling stronger and more energized, exercise can give you a major confidence boost.

The Best Part? You Don’t Have to Become a Gym Rat!

The beauty of exercise for mental health is that you don’t need to spend hours pumping iron to reap the benefits. Even small amounts of physical activity can make a big difference. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Take a brisk walk or jog outside.
Sign up for a group fitness class – Barre, anyone?
Hit the pool for a refreshing swim. ‍♀️
Do some bodyweight exercises at home – squats, lunges, push-ups – the possibilities are endless!
Find an activity you enjoy – dancing, hiking, biking – the key is to get your body moving and have some fun!

Remember, it’s all about finding what works for you. So lace up your sneakers, get out there, and start sweating your way to a happier, healthier you!

Let me know in the comments below what your favorite ways to move your body and boost your mental health are!

Stay sweaty, my friends!

Katie

P.S. Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start? Find recipes, a Getting Started checklist, and my favorite ‘straight-to-the-point’ program by clicking the tabs in the menu at the top of this page. Send me a message if you have specific questions, I’m happy to help!

Before Your Warm-Up

June 29, 2020Posted in Gym WorkoutsTagged basics, exercise, fitness, workout, workout for women, workout planLeave a comment

Exercise is a basic human need and can make you feel your best in every area of your life. There are many benefits and I think everyone should know the basics in order to meet goals and feel their healthiest for their entire life. Cue Workout Basics.

On my new Freebies tab (see above), you’ll find the Workout Basics pdf you can have sent to your email inbox- it includes things like how to find time and motivation, and why we perform a warm-up before our workout and cool down after, plus much much more!

Head to the Freebies page to get your copy; don’t worry I won’t flood your inbox with a million other emails!

How to Start

May 28, 2020November 24, 2020Posted in Gym WorkoutsTagged family, fitness, healthy, howtostart, nutrition, selfcare, wellbeing, wellness, workout, workout for women, workout planLeave a comment

I think it is incredibly important to take care of ourselves every day, but especially now in the current world we live in (due to Covid). Most of us are living completely different lives as we figure out how to stay safe and keep our families healthy. What we eat, how we move, and how we rest are all important to our overall health, and all of these working together will help us feel our absolute best.

Exercise and nutrition will take us a long long way, but I don’t think either one has to be difficult. There is way too much information on the internet and sometimes it’s hard to break through all the noise to find what is actually true. There is no single right way to do anything, so it comes down to finding what works for you and your family and your schedule. What works for you might not work for your friend, or for your neighbor, or for your sister- but if it works for you, that’s what matters. Maybe you’ve tried that one diet your co-worker told you about, but then you quit after just three days because you were hungry and it felt too hard. That just means it wasn’t the right way for you.

Staying healthy comes down to this: 1. finding ways to be active and 2. eating good food from the Earth. These will help you feel happy and more in control of your life, which can have a huge effect if you have, what feels like, a hundred responsibilities. If you feel overwhelmed, and like you are putting more effort into the lives of those around you than you are giving to yourself, you might want to think about re-prioritizing. Giving a little extra time FOR YOU during the day will create the space you need to feel recharged and ready to take on the needs of your family- without feeling stressed or tired.

Exercise and movement is not all about losing weight, but being able to move freely, without pain or restrictions. You should be able to pick up your small children with ease. Mopping the floor shouldn’t be that hard and you should be able to grab a bowl from the top shelf or squat down to tie your shoe without pulling a muscle. All of these daily tasks can be performed more smoothly when your muscles get a chance to grow stronger with just a little bit of resistance (strength) training.

You won’t look like a body builder when you lift weights, unless you’re actively trying to do that (it takes A LOT of time in a gym!), but it will make you stronger, more flexible, and more confident in your every day life. When you take care of your body, it naturally finds the weight and shape it is comfortable at. We don’t have to be a size two to be happy, and we don’t have to starve ourselves to get to the “right” number on the scale. That number doesn’t actually exist. What matters is how you feel in in your body and mind. No number on the scale is going to make you feel happy if you still don’t feel well.

It isn’t difficult to add just enough movement and a few vegetables into your day to notice a difference in the way your feel. Try adding one more serving of vegetables to a meal. Stretch for a couple minutes in the morning when you wake up. Start small, notice how you feel, add more time and effort as you go. When we go too hard too fast we set ourselves up for failure unless we’re completely prepared for every obstacle. Possible, but much more difficult than starting from zero and taking one step at a time.

What small step will you take towards healthy today?

Week 1 Day 1

January 31, 2018March 20, 2018Posted in Week 1Tagged cleaneating, fitness, food, recipes, whole303 Comments

Breakfast: Mashed sweet potato with almond butter, whole almonds, and cinnamon mixed in

Lunch: Banana, macadamia nuts.

Dinner: Pizza Spaghetti Pie. Spaghetti squash and pasta sauce, plus your favorite veggies. One of my favorite meals, ever!

Whole30 says you can pretty much eat as much as you feel like you need at meals, but try to cut out snacking between meals. If you workout regularly, or are pregnant or breastfeeding then you should snack because your body will need the extra fuel.

One of the first things I do when I meal prep is boil 3-4 (or half a bag) sweet potatoes. It takes about 30 minutes, but they get so soft and easy to mash, and the skin peels right off. I make this breakfast regularly, so it saves me so much time each morning. You can also cook the spaghetti squash ahead of time and then throw together the rest of the ingredients later when you’re ready to cook and eat.

Most days, I stay pretty full from breakfast or I eat breakfast late in the morning, so my lunch will be a snack or preworkout type food. I started this on New Years’ Day so I’m pretty sure I woke up really late in the day, I usually eat much more than a banana and nuts for lunch!

-Sweet potato bowl-

Week 1 Day 2

January 31, 2018March 20, 2018Posted in Week 1Tagged cleaneating, fitness, food, recipes, whole304 Comments

Breakfast: 4 egg whites, diced russet potatoes

Lunch: Nachos

Dinner: Chicken breast, broccoli, potato slices

I like to mix my eggs whites with some (compliant) almond milk and spinach, cook, then top with salsa, hemp hearts, and Franks hot sauce.

Nachos. Are. Awesome. They are so easy to make and so satisfying! I sliced potatoes on the medium setting on my mandoline slicer, brushed on both sides with melted coconut oil and dusted with salt and pepper. Into a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes (flip halfway) and they come out crisp and delicious! While those are cooking, I browned ground beef and seasoned like tacos (I make my own seasoning). When everything is finished cooking, layer chips-beef-salsa-avocado (garlic powder, s&p, crushed red pepper)-jalapeños-hot sauce. My mouth is watering.

I seasoned the chicken breast with Tuscan seasoning and cooked in a cast iron skillet. Potatoes sliced into thicker rounds, brushed with coconut oil (I do this with a lot of foods), add pepper and garlic salt, and bake in oven 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, flip halfway. These come out soft and are a definite repeat food.

In the beginning, there were a lot of potatoes in my meals. Potatoes don’t work for everyone and can cause tummy issues, so pay attention to how you feel when you have them and cut them out if you think they might be causing a problem.

Week 1 Day 3

January 31, 2018March 20, 2018Posted in Week 1Tagged cleaneating, fitness, food, recipes, whole302 Comments

Breakfast: breakfast casserole

Lunch: Pizza Spaghetti Pie

Dinner: Butternut noodles + beef

I used this recipe for the breakfast casserole, but used ground beef, and cubed the sweet potato instead of sliced. The yolk of the egg usually gives me stomach aches (and I did have one later this day) so I avoid them when I can, but since I was making this for my family I used the whole egg. So easy to put together and can be made the night before so you can have it on rushed mornings too.

Lunch was leftovers, I can eat this warm or cold and it’s awesome both ways. You can make this with different add-ins every time and you probably wouldn’t ever get tired of eating it.

I was excited to find these butternut spirals on super sale because cutting squash, although worth it, is sometimes difficult and always scary. I cooked a pound of ground beef in a cast iron skillet and added onion, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Once meat was browned I added the noodles and a can of fire roasted tomatoes and covered the pan with a lid to help the noodles soften. After a couple minutes, I added this Tuscan seasoning then covered and cooked for a few more minutes, until the squash was soft enough. I added Frank’s Red Hot to mine, as with every dish ever.

Week 1 Day 4

January 31, 2018March 15, 2018Posted in Week 1Tagged cleaneating, fitness, food, recipes, whole30Leave a comment

Breakfast: Hashbrowns, avocado, beef burger

Lunch: Butternut noodles + beef (leftover)

Dinner: White chicken chili

When I plan meals I base them on what is on sale that week at the grocery store and build my plan around what I find that week. I do most of my shopping at Aldi, but stop in to Walmart to check if there is any meat on clearance. I try to have a protein, carb source, and vegetable with each meal.

I think these are the hash browns I made for breakfast, just make sure to check the ingredients label to see if they are compliant if you are doing a Whole30. I made a regular burger patty seasoned with salt & pepper and once cooked cut it into pieces and put it in a bowl with the hash browns and topped with avocado (s&p, garlic powder, crushed red pepper mixed in) and mixed it all together. Easy and filling.

I had never made a white chicken chili before, but it sounded so good on a disgustingly cold evening. I found this recipe on Pinterest, and made it on the stove top. I usually don’t have every ingredient on hand for recipes I find, but make do with the ingredients I do have. For this one, I had chicken thighs, used coconut oil instead of ghee, bone broth (that I found on clearance for 25 cents a piece!), and no lime or cilantro. It was still SO GOOD and am actually surprised I haven’t made it again since this! I love everything to be spicy and jalapenos give this just the right amount of kick.

Week 1 Day 5

January 31, 2018March 15, 2018Posted in Week 1Tagged cleaneating, fitness, food, recipes, whole302 Comments

Breakfast: Egg whites + diced potatoes

Lunch: Butternut noodles + beef (leftover)

Dinner: Cottage Pie

Egg whites are a regular breakfast for me, ready in minutes and have a ton a protein to keep me full, especially with hemp hearts on top. If I had busy mornings, I would put the eggs and veggies, etc. together in a mason jar at night so I could just throw it all into a pan in the morning and it would be ready even faster.

The butternut noodles + beef lasted so many days and were just amazing as the first. If you work and have to meal prep on Sunday (or whatever day), that can be your lunch for the week!

Cottage Pie is just like Shepherds Pie, but using beef instead of lamb. I have been making this for a long time so I don’t use a recipe anymore, but you can find a similar one here. The only vegetables I used were carrots and celery, and the spices I used were a little different; you can season how you like. I also didn’t use yeast, I believe in the recipe I linked it is used as a thickener, but I don’t find that to be necessary. Mashed potatoes layered on top of meat and vegetables, then baked in the oven until golden. Comfort food is the only way to go in Winter and this is everything I wanted and needed.

-egg whites-

Week 1 Day 6

January 31, 2018March 15, 2018Posted in Week 1Tagged cleaneating, fitness, food, recipes, whole30Leave a comment

Breakfast: Sweet potato bowl (leftover)

Lunch: Butternut noodles & beef (leftover)

Dinner: Burger, potatoes, mixed vegetables

Breakfast and lunch were super easy since the sweet potatoes were already cooked from prep earlier in the week, and the noodles and beef were leftovers. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of meal prepping. You can prep once a week, twice, or every night before bed if that’s what works for you. Try out one way, if that doesn’t work then try something else. It’s about finding what works for you and your family!

This dinner is a favorite of mine. I season the ground beef with a few different spices, whatever I’m feeling that day and cook on the grill or a cast iron grill pan. The potatoes can also be grilled or put in the oven (400) by brushing with coconut oil, seasoning, and put on aluminum foil or baking sheet for 20ish minutes. I used the potato slices as a bun for my burger and it was pretty amazing, no need for bread! I also added a grilled pineapple slice and a few jalapeños on top, a combination I’ve been obsessed with ever since a friend suggested it as a pizza topping. I knew the pineapple would taste good on top of the beef because of a burger I had at the restaurant Tortuga’s Lie while on vacation in the Outer Banks.

I make mixed vegetables a couple different ways. The easiest, and how I made them this day- a frozen bag from the freezer in the microwave for 4 minutes. Obviously the go to when I’m pressed for time. The other way, when I have the time, is to chop fresh vegetables of choice (broccoli and carrots are my usual), drizzle with coconut oil, season, roast at 400 for 20 minutes. If you make the potatoes in the oven, you can stick everything in together and it will be done in about the same amount of time!

Week 1 Day 7

January 31, 2018March 15, 2018Posted in Week 1Tagged cleaneating, fitness, food, recipes, whole30Leave a comment

Breakfast: Egg whites, diced potatoes with green pepper and onion

Lunch: Chicken sausage, diced potatoes

Dinner: Nachos

This is an easy breakfast, and one I used to have pre-Whole30 too. You can prep the potatoes ahead of time, just chop and store in the fridge in water to keep them from turning brown. Drain and rinse when ready to use.

Chicken sausage is something you have to be careful with if you’re doing a Whole30 because almost every package I’ve come across has weird added ingredients. There are maybe two compliant labels at my Walmart and I haven’t seen any at Aldi, but I’m sure a more health conscious store like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s would have more options. The potatoes for this meal were leftover from breakfast.

Similar to the nachos from Day 2 , this time with both beef and shredded chicken, sautéed red & green peppers and onions, salsa and jalapeno. Salsa and chips is one of my favorite things to binge on, but when I make this I only slice enough potatoes for one serving for each person so I know I can’t over do it.

Whole30 has a timeline outlining how you might feel during the thirty days and it was similar for me. The first couple of days were perfectly fine, I had recipes lined up and food prepped and I was anxious to get started. I never had a hangover type feeling, but I had a day of wanting to eat all of the things, and a separate one for kill all of the things. The only opposite feeling I had was that I felt like I had more energy already after only a week instead of wanting to nap as the timeline suggests. Having more energy is one of the best parts of this whole thing; to not feel like I need a nap in the middle of the day make me so much more productive and happy.