I really had the most awesome weekend! The weather was great, the sunshine was just so glorious! I couldn't resist spending every moment outside. I love seeing all the flowers and trees blooming and hearing all the birds chirping! Sunday morning I went for a run. Did 8 miles which felt really good. I'm trying to challenge myself a bit more and so I've been trying to beat my time. I was glad to see that there were a lot of people out on the trail. Some walking, some biking, some other runners. But one thing that struck me was that most of the people were meandering along the trail. Now granted, some people are out there just to enjoy some family time together or just to be outdoors. But others are out there to get some exercise. They were dressed the part - in sneakers, shorts, sports tops, water bottles, etc. But they weren't really getting exercise; they were just strolling along. To really get the most out of your walk for exercise, you have to walk at a brisk pace and increase your heart rate. There are definite benefits to fitness walking. You can lose some weight, increase your metabolism, increase fat burning, improve cardiovascular health, tone your muscles and not to forget improving your mental health; walking can really help to clear your head and give you clarity on some thoughts that plague you! Fit Living is organizing Fitness Walking Groups. Weekend, week night and week day morning groups are available.  Let's get fit together; we'll progressively challenge ourselves plus learn some ways to improve overall health and fitness with diet and exercise tips. Being in a group adds support and motivation. Walk With A Purpose! Call or email Fit Living today to sign up. See you on the trail, Beth.

It seems that every magazine cover and internet search engine has some mention of how to detox your body to lose weight or cleanse your body. There are plenty of reports of young celebrities using aggressive detox regimes to fit into those slinky outfits. Even in my circle of friends, we were talking about trying this. So, this prompted me to do a little research on the topic. This is the information that I found - I'm not recommending that you do it, I'm just providing the info if you are interested. First, let's start with what a detox is NOT. It is not using laxatives to aggressively purge your system. This is not safe as it can lead to electrolyte imbalance, severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. The real purpose of using a detox plan is to rid your body of toxins. The body's organs perform detoxification through their normal functions including the skin, liver, intestines and the kidneys. Use of any modalities of detoxification are thought to support and enhance these natural systems. Using a detox regime is recommended 4 times a year, with the change of seasons. Herbal supplements are thought to bind with toxins to aid their excretion or aid the breakdown of toxins. Foods definitely play a role. High fiber will aid in the excretion of toxins. Specific foods to add to your diet include fresh fruits and vegetables; rice especially brown rice; whole grains like quinoa, millet, buckwheat; beans; unsalted nuts and seeds, but avoid peanuts and peanut butter; herbal teas especially green tea, lots of water and unsweetened juices, rice milk. One cup of coffee is allowed a day mainly to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches! Foods to avoid include sugars and sweeteners, dairy products, wheat in bread or pasta, yeast, alcohol, chocolate, high fat foods, red meat. Exercise will help to increase the pumping of blood and lymph through the body's filtration systems and increases loss of toxins through perspiration. Heat from a sauna or hydrotherapy is also believed to increase circulation and loss of toxins through persperation. Use of laxatives or colonic irrigation is a quick way to flush the intestinal tract of toxins; both good and bad bacteria are washed away. Probiotics are thought to preserve the intestinal lining's protective barrier and helps to replace the healthy bacteria that has been flushed out. I'm almost done with the 21 day Digestive Health program that Herbalife offers. I'll be back when I've finished to let you know how it worked. Anyone have a successful method or ideas that you'd like to share????

Have a great week! Beth