image via www.gotmilk.com

I recently went for my yearly physical and was slightly annoyed when the nurse suggested I be tested for a vitamin D deficency.  I was on my high horse for sure.  "I run an organic meal delivery service.  I eat tons of yogurt, fruits, vegetables- no way am I deficent in vitamins."  Well I am now off my high horse because I found out that yes, in fact I am very low in vitamin D and I need to take a supplement.  My nurse practioner explained that many more people are becoming deficent in vitamin D now that everyone wears sunscreen.  Most people get the required D from fortified foods and I don't really eat ANY fortified foods.  So, why care about vitamin D?  Deficent vitamin D can cause all types of health problems such as fatigue, muscle weakness, moodiness and even autoimmune diseases.  So next time you are at the doc I suggest having your D checked!

6 weeks ago I set out to challenge myself (and you dear readers) to see what you could do for your health and well being in 6 weeks.  I am pretty happy with myself right now.  I stuck to eating (mostly) Mamisma meals and was (and still am) religious about going to dance classes at Mazi and guess what? I have seen a pretty great pay off in my body and the way I feel.  There is still time in case you are starting a little late.  2-4 weeks can still bring on a dramatic difference if you really change your diet and shake up your workouts.  Mention this blog post and get 15 percent of your order for the month of June!

DCBA is a formula for getting that flat-belly: Diet first, cardio second, building muscle third and ab exercises last.  Follow it and you WILL lose weight.  Follow the cinch meal program, do cardio for an hour 3-5 times a week, strength workouts 2-4 times a week, and then 5-10 minutes of core work 3's a week.  Follow this formula combined with Cinch or Flutter and you can see results in as little as a week!

It was brought to my attention (by my sister) that it is Celiac Awareness Month.  I have had a crash course in gluten-free living when my sister was diagnosed with celiac disease.  There are a lot of misconceptions out there about celiac and gluten-free living.  I think that one of the biggest is that it is not really an "allergy."  In my sisters case she really cannot have a drop of gluten or she will have a stomach ache and feel sick.  It has been a complete change in her lifestyle to adapt to GF living as for those around her.  1 in 133 people have CD so it is actually pretty common (hence all the new gluten-free products that are coming out on the market by the day!) and most people will come across a gluten intolerance or celiac at some point.   Here are some websites that I have found really helpful in learning more about this disease.  www.csaceliacs.org, www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com, www.mayoclinic.com

image via www.vogue.com

I, like millions of others out there,  love the idea of doing a cleanse.  A cleanse can mean many different things to different people.  It could be eliminating caffeine, sugar, white flour and processed foods or be as extreme as following the master cleanse of lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup.  It certainly has become in fashion to "cleanse" with stars such as Gwenyth Paltrow talking it up in fashion magazines and blogs.  My personal philosophy is that the body naturally cleanses but that we can help the process by eating well and taking care of ourselves.  I could never do a full juice cleanse- I need the energy and satisfaction that food provides to power through my workouts.  I think of food as healing so when I "cleanse" I make every bite a nutritional powerhouse and I try to eliminate things like sugar, wheat and dairy.  I think this Vogue article is great at breaking down the truths and myths of cleanses.

image via chicagocaninerescue.org

Check out the cute pups available at Chicago Canine Rescue (or any other shelter).  Spring is a great time to adopt! You have the weather on your side and extra motivation to go for that long walk or run.

It is about 6 weeks till June 1st.  Where do you want to be this summer? How so you want to feel? Energized, confident, healthy, sexy...those are a few words that come to my mind.  6 weeks is enough time to get ready physically and mentally for summer and to realistically drop weight, tone up, or whatever it is you want to do. 

If you are looking to do a little spring cleaning in time for summer keep it simple with Mamisma meals.  A new study in Appetite Journal found that the more complicated people thought their diet program was the more likely they were to drop it.  In order to really see results one needs to follow a healthy diet coupled with a good workout routine which leads me to my second point.

Find a workout you love and stick with it.  Give it a good six weeks coupled with the new diet to see results.  I happen to LOVE Mazi fitness center.  I take their pilates ball class, dance cardio, and Ballerina Bum Bootcamp classes.  I always feel great afterwords, the time blows by and I am hot, red in the face, muscles shaking by the end of class.  (Fyi, if you want to tone up-especially core and legs-try the pilates ball class.  I think it should be called short-shorts!)  Whatever it is find something you love to do.  A place where you want to go workout and stick with it and be consistent.  In six weeks you will be feeling and looking amazing!

No, not that Renee but they actully do look a lot alike and they share the same first name!  Renee Rogers, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and fellow health nut and we are working on a new program that will allow you personal consultations, individualized meal planning and access to Mamisma A La Carte meals to help you lose weight and reach your health goals quicly and painlessly!  More to come soon!

I have started taking dance classes at Mazi Dance Center and WOW!  Dance is such a great workout!!!   Two sisters, both who have danced professionally, run the place and they are super sweet and nice, encouraging me as I fumbled and improvised my own moves when I would get lost is a sequence.  By the end of the Dance Cardio class I was tired, sweaty, and ready for a break and I consider myself in pretty good shape.  The time in here is more fun than the elliptical machine and way more inspiring.  I took a class with Marisol and it is fun to watch her make crunches look graceful.  They have a great deal for first time customers to try a week of unlimited classes for 25 bucks.  They have a ballerina Bum Bootcamp that I am looking forward to taking and a pilates ball class that looks like a great workout for your thighs and hips (I saw the tail end of a class on Saturday).

"Junk food is literally addictive, producing changes in brain chemistry similar to those cocaine causes, says a new study." Read the whole study here.  Basically researchers gave rats lots of good ol' junk food and the rats began to eat compulsively. The pleasure center of the brain was lit up when they were eating the junk food, the same center as if they were on drugs.  The saddest part is that when the researchers took away the junk food and health food was offered the rats were so upset that they starved themselves for two weeks.  "Dr. Gene-Jack Wang of  Brookhaven National Laboratory, who points out that fast food meals are stripped of fiber and nutrition and designed to trigger innate preferences for fat, sugar, and salt.  'We make our food very similar to cocaine now.'" (excerpted from The Week magazine)