Taste Tester

While shopping at Publix a couple days ago I "discovered" Attune ; a chocolate wellness bar. I agonized over purchasing this bar since I have never seen it advertised. But I decided to give it a try and look at it as research.

When I arrived home I Googled Attune, which lead me to the Attune Foods Website. Where I was able to take my investigation a bit further. Apparently, these chocolate bars are

• 5x more live active cultures than yogurt
  
• an excellent source of calcium
  
• only 90-100 calories (depending on the flavor)
  
• good for "on-the-go" snacks
  
• Delicious!!
  

I am now in love with this product. It comes in several different flavors (Chocolate Crisp, Dark Chocolate, Mint Chocolate,and Blueberry Vanilla). To top it off they are now made with vegan and gluten-free ingredients. They also have granola probiotic(probiotics are good bacteria in your digestive tract) wellness bars (which I have yet to try).

If you would like to try Attune, you can find it in the yogurt section of your local supermarket. I recommend the Chocolate Crisp, it tastes so good you won't believe that it's good for you. Just remember to calculate the 100 calories into your daily caloric intake.

As a fitness professional, I believe that it is important to test and research certain products, especially "healthy" foods. So I will continue to do research and taste tests on products that claim to be healthy and tasty; so keep checking back for my reviews....and if there is a particular product or food item you'd like more information about please feel free to contact me.

Personal Lows and Cardio Highs

I actually plan on writing an article with the same title, but since it is still a work in-progress....and I it's time to update the blog, I figured I would post some information on the mental benefits of exercise.
From a young age, I have suffered with clinical depression and anxiety. At first it was difficult to deal with especially as a teenager. I self medicated and ate my way through my emotional pain. It was during my teen years, the years that I suffered with depression the most, that I grew to a massive 250+ pounds. It's safe to say that I hated my body and my self-esteem was non-existent.

Years passed, I saw therapists and tried medications which worked, but I just didn't feel like that it was for me.

The event that changed my life was my father's wedding. I was hoping to find a nice dress to wear to the wedding and even asked a friend to come along and help me pick something out. I couldn't find anything, that I liked, that would fit me!! Devastated, I went down to Goodwill and found something that would hide my "rolls" to wear. The day of the wedding I vowed to myself that I would lose weight so I can wear what I want to wear and not have to worry about being embarrassed or disappointed when I go shopping.

The day after the wedding I stopped drinking soda and started eating healthier foods. I purchased a jump rope, a few exercise DVDs and began working out for at least an hour a day. Before I realized I had lost 50 pounds. This motivated even more, so I joined a gym and never looked back!

Today, even though I still suffer the effects of depression and anxiety they aren't as present in my life as they were before.

I'm not the only one who feels that proper diet and exercise has helped change and control my depression. Research shows at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve depression symptoms. But smaller amounts of activity - as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time - can improve mood in the short term. "Small bouts of exercise may be a great way to get started if it's initially too hard to do more," Dr. Vickers-Douglas says.

Some evidence suggests that exercise raises the levels of certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise may also boost feel-good endorphins, release muscle tension, help you sleep better, and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It also increases body temperature, which may have calming effects. All of these changes in your mind and body can improve such symptoms as sadness, anxiety, irritability, stress, fatigue, anger, self-doubt and hopelessness. (http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/exdepression)

So the next time you're feeling depressed avoid just laying around, for a quick mood booster (that will help you lose weight at the same time!) go for a run around your block, or just take the dog out for walk and get some fresh air. Trust me it helps!