14 DAY NUTRITION CHALLENGE

1) Drink minimum 2L of water everyday

WHY? Check out the following article from Livestrong http://www.livestrong.com/article/424740-what-are-the-benefits-of-drinking-a-gallon-of-water-a-day/

TIPS-replace a second cup of coffee, caffeinated tea, juice or pop with a glass of water-always have a water bottle or glass of fresh water with you wherever you are

Activity Level Environment Fluid Requirement (L/day)Sedentary cool 2-3Active warm 3-6Sedentary cool 3-5Active warm 5-10+

2) Eat adequate amount of protein from lean meat sources everday

Divide your ideal body weight in pounds by 2.2 to determine your weight in kilograms. Multiply that number by .08 for your daily protein allotment in grams. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/8760-need-daily-protein-requirements/#ixzz1iQ3ySnQAWHY?Check out http://www.livestrong.com/article/388398-protein-in-your-diet/

3) Eat something green everyday

Check out http://www.livestrong.com/article/322051-top-ten-healthiest-green-foods/ for the top 10 healthiest green foods

4) Eliminate or Cut back on added sugar everyday

Check out http://www.livestrong.com/article/411078-some-health-risks-from-eating-too-much-sugar/-avoid adding any unnecessary sugar to foods, drinks-try using natural sweeteners like stevia if cutting out sugar completely is not an option, avoid the aspartame and splenda alternatives as these are hard on the digestive system.-replace sweet treats and desserts with fruits- try something new like pomegranates or other unique seasonal fruits-choose a day of the week to enjoy your favourite dessert-pick a small sweet treat a day if it is too hard to quit cold turkey-remember carbohydrates break down to sugars in the body so eat proper amount of complex carbohydrates and choose a variety of grains like rice, whole wheat grains, couscous, quinoa

5) Track your serving sizes of food and drinks-for proper serving sizes for you individual needs the Canada’s Food Guide provides helpful guides-use measuring cups-use smaller bowls or plates

-read nutrition labels and serving sizes**NEED: link for calculating recommended nutrition intake and proper serving sizes

14 Day Physical Activity Challenge

1) Take at least 10 minutes everyday to spend on Stretching-Give yourself time to go through the stretches properly and do not make it hurt it should just feel like a release, you do not want to tear anything doing these stretch especially if you are not be properly warmed up Stretches good for long work days at desk or standing include (choose according to your problem areas):a. Downward dog

b. Hamstrings on wall

c. Hip flexors

d. Child’s pose

e. Knee to Chest

f. Ears to shoulders

g. Chest stretch in Doorway

h. Glut Stretch

f. Mermaid stretch

g. Spine Stretch

h. Low Back Stretch

i. Shoulder stretch (use a rope, sock, towel if hands cannot touch)

j. Hamstrings and Back (hold on to a chair or table and unlike this picture keep arms extended)

2) Stick to your workout routine of physical activity 3-5 days per week-need help with designing a program to suit your needs? Feel free to message me and we can work one out!-you don’t need a gym membership to achieve this, be creative in your home or take advantage of local park and tracks, pull out one of those good dusty workout DVD’s you got for a Christmas years ago!-are the pressures of parenthood limiting you from this? How about going for a brisk walk pushing the stroller or going to the park, make this more intense by choosing a route with hills or a park with a lot of area and play ball games or tag. Kids need to fresh air and exercise to, it is beneficial for both of you to be out moving around each day (we know that regular physical activity helps regulate sleep and balance hormones and growth cycles!).

3) Do 10 minutes of core exercises everyday

Choose 3-4 exercises that you have “enjoyed” in the past or some from this list (make sure to vary them day-to-day):a. Front plankc. Side plankd. Dead buge. V-Sitf. Heel touchesg. Leg Raisesi. Ball crunchesj. Exercise Ball hand and feet holdsk. Bicycle