The Root: Focus on Obesity

Today I attended the Root's Focus On Obesity Conference in D.C. We discussed the challenges that the Black Community faces in terms of Health and Wellness. As I am sure you all know our community is in crisis with 60 % of Black folks overweight or obese. It is great to see the Root.com doing something to help our community.  This conference was a part of the Root's Black Fit and Healthy series. It was very inspiring to hear from the panelists: Mayor Ron Dellums; former Trenton, N.J. Mayor Douglas Palmer; President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Outreach Director Lauren Darensbourg; Black Women's Health Imperative President Eleanor Hinton Hoytt; health writer Sheree Crute. They discussed topics ranging from healthier community planning to strategies for narrowing health disparities.

Attending this conference really reminded me of how important it is that we each do our part. So what are you doing to make a transformation???  Also we have to encourage each other to engage in healthy behaviors. So invite your friends, sister, mom next time you go to your favorite workout class.

Oh and they provided a yummy and healthy Breakfast and Lunch (see below).

Eat your Fruit, Drink you Veggies!

I've posted a few tips about Juicing on my FB page and I've found that a lot of folks don't really know the benefits of juicing. My hubby started juicing everyday about a year ago and lost 30 lbs. I joined the bandwagon earlier this year. Juicing has helped both of us maintain weight loss. Juicing is a great way to stop cravings. Also, I find that my skin is much clearer and it helped with some digestive problems I had from a super high protein diet that I did when I was in the People Magazine Challenge  (I do not diet any more, I just eat whole foods and avoid the processed stuff).

 We make vegetable juices daily (sometimes twice a day) with veggies like Kale, spinach, celery, carrots, and cucumbers. Juicing is a great way to make sure you get enough veggies for the day. When you juice you get a high concentration of all of the vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) found in the whole vegetable. Trust me it is much easier to juice 4-5 cups of veggies than to eat them. Also, when you juice your body can absorb the nutrients much better because it does not have to break anything down.  You can juice fruit too but I recommend keeping the fruit to a minimum because it so high in sugar. It is much better to eat fruit whole. So drink your veggies  (well you can eat them too) and eat fruit!

If you are new to juicing here are some quick tips

1. Select veggies with lots of juice like celery and cucumbers (make this your base)
2. add veggies with more flavor like carrots (but use less of them)
3.  use a leafy green like spinach or kale to boost the nutritional value
4. use ginger, lemon, or limes to spice a bit and add flavor
5. toss a couple of strawberries (or half an apple) in if you want to sweeten it up a bit

My morning juice recipe:

2-3 cups kale
1 cucumber
4 celery stalks
1 lemon
2 carrots
4 strawberries
small piece of ginger

It's quite delicious!


Do you juice? Share your recipes

Why Wednesdays: Why is it so difficult to find whole grain bread without sugar or preservatives?

Ladies,  Have you ever looked at the ingredients on the back of breads in your supermarket? Ever notice that there are 25+ ingredients? Ever tried to pronounce any of these ingredients? Last week I spent an hour in my local supermarket trying to find a whole grain bread without high fructose corn syrup, sugar, or a ton of preservatives. Do you know what I found? Nada. There are several brands that present themselves as the healthy choice. Labels like whole grain, whole wheat, multigrain, lo-cal etc. But if you  look at the label you will see that they still have a ton of sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). So in the end I had to settle for the item with the lowest amount of sugar. I know some sugar is okay in moderation but these days manufacturers sneak sugar and (HFCS) into everything. It is so unnecessary. If you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle you need to be aware that there is sugar in foods that really do not require it.

Another issue with bread purchased in the supermarket are all the random preservatives. Have you ever noticed how quickly bread from a bakery gets stale? It is usually within one day, unlike most packaged breads which lasts for weeks.

So, if you are watching your sugar intake and trying to get you family to eat healthier you must pay attention to the labels. 

Here are a few recommendations for purchasing a healthy whole grain bread:

1. Trader Joes and Whole Foods (the generic 365 brand) have loaves of whole grain bread for less than 3 bucks. My favorite is the soft wheat from Trader Joes.

2. Buy Bakery fresh baguettes (at your local super market or bakery)

3. Feel like Baking?? Bake your own bread! Check out this site http://wholewheatbreadrecipe.blogspot.com/

Comment!

Any suggestions for a healthy whole grains bread?


 

Food Should Taste Good

Food Should Taste Good Product Review & Giveaway

Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips are a staple in my house. I've got my husband hooked on them and I don't mind because they are sooo healthy. Anyway, I was excited to get the opportunity to sample the other varieties of Food Should Taste Good Chips. I was able to try Chocolate, Multi-grain, Sweet Potato, Olive, and Lime. Sweet potato is still my favorite but the Olive chips are absolutely delicious. The Multigrain go great with some hummus or salsa. I was not too thrilled with the chocolate but they are pefect for the chocolate lover. The best part is all of them are so incredibly healthy with ingredients you can pronounce plus they have fiber and protein.. Check out the nutrition facts for the mutli-grain chips.

You know we love doing giveaways, 2 Lucky Winners will get to try five varieties of Food Should Taste Good Chips. To enter the contest you have to email us at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com and comment on this post. Also, check out their website for coupons and other promotions www.foodshouldtastegood.com

EAT: Interview with Dr. Ian Smith

We had the opportunity to interview Dr. Ian Smith!


 You may know him from  Celebrity Fit Club or the 50 million pound challenge. We got the inside scoop on his new book EAT: The Effortless Weight Loss Solution. He is certainly doing his part to fight Obesity in the our community. His new book addresses a range of topics from the first steps to achieving a healthier lifestyle to what foods to buy organic. The best part about this book is that it is about a lifestyle change, NOT A DIET.  The book focuses on the healthy things you can eat versuses all the stuff you have to cut out.  

Watch the video to get the inside scoop on his book and check out his new book (link on the left) to move forward with your healthier lifestyle. Click the Video Above!




We have one free copy of the book EAT: The Effortless Weight Loss Solution to give away to a lucky reader. If you are interested please comment on the post saying your are readying for a lifestyle change and email nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com 


The video is on youtube just in case you have difficulty with the image above. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vLFles8l5M

Caffeine - How Much Is Too Much?

Is too much Caffeine wrecking your diet ? Check out this post from guest blogger Ms. Maxine

Who's really in shape? We have to admit that between wanting to love our bodies the way they are, bulges and all, there is a little twinge of envy when we see celebrities with their perfect figures.

I'm not saying that we should strive for stick thin physiques and the six pack abs we see on TV, which were either achieved via religious dieting regimens or plastic surgery. In all honesty, exercise is more than taking interest in more than just aesthetic appeal; buckling down and getting in shape is actually good for our bodies and our minds.

Taking our fitness to a whole new level can take a certain amount of discipline, meaning breaking bad habits (I'm talking to all you smokers out there, each stick you puff lessens four minutes of your life) and vices, and for most people, a hidden vice that may be hindering your best shape is caffeine.

A few facts about caffeine:

• It was first found as a chemical in 1820 by German chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge then by French chemists Robiquet, and then again by Pelletier and Caventou.
• Pelletier named the substance caffe, from the drink it was distilled from.
• Caffeine mostly consumed by Americans in the form of coffee, tea, and other drinks and food containing cola.
• Often paired with sugar in products like soda and energy drinks, the high from caffeine is given a boost, making caffeine that much more enticing as a drink.
• Caffeine is consumed by 90% of North Americans every day, usually in the form of coffee.

The supposed weight loss effects of caffeine have been chronicled in an article by the Mayo Clinic wherein it is explained why people assume that caffeine might help them lose weight:

1. Caffeine works as an appetite suppressant: Different studies have found caffeine to work as an appetite suppressant for those who do not have a tolerance for it already. Small doses of caffeine work to suppress appetite, but the Mayo Clinic affirms this fact only until the consumer has built up the tolerance for it. When the consumer has had enough caffeine that they would need more and more for it to feel an effect, the appetite suppressing qualities of the chemical subside.
2. It boosts metabolism: Stimulating thermogenesis, the body's process of producing heat to burn off calories, caffeine is a metabolism booster. But, depending on the amount you drink, there will not be enough of an effect to burn enough calories to cancel out the coffee you just drank to suppress your appetite or get a boost before a workout.
3. It acts as a diuretic: Until the body has built a tolerance to caffeine, the body expels it as liquid, increasing loss of water weight. This short term diuretic effect of caffeine only last until you have built up a sufficient tolerance to the chemical.

While there are many attractive benefits to taking in caffeine, like alertness, loss of drowsiness, there are clear downsides to ingesting:

1. It can affect our sleeping habits: Too much caffeine can over stimulate our nervous system, causing insomnia and irregular sleeping patterns.
2. It can cause anxiety and nervousness: As our bodies become more tolerant to caffeine, this tolerance causes us to drink more and more to produce an effect. The constant stimulation of chemicals in our brains can cause bouts of sweating, nervousness and anxiety.
3. It is addictive: Affecting the same parts of the brain that illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin do, caffeine can cause people to become dependent on it (in line with a building tolerance), which can only lead to more consumption. In fact, there are even withdrawal symptoms found in people who quit caffeine after years of drinking a few cups a day. These symptoms include headaches, drowsiness and lethargy as well as mood swings and possible depression.
4. It can put a strain in your heart and circulation: Those with heart problems and hypertension are advised by their doctors to abstain from caffeine, as this stimulant causing stress on the blood vessels due to over work.

As with any chemical or drug, caffeine has its tentative upsides and its clear downsides. Taking care not to have too much and not to rely on caffeine will help you get in better shape and increase your energy levels. This hidden vice of national (if not global) caffeine dependency may actually be the barrier to a fitter, better world.

Maxine is a mother and wife who is dedicated to going green. The more she has learned, the more important she has seen it is for her family's health and well-being as well as that of the earth. When not with her family, she works for Treetopia, a seller of artificial Christmas trees.

Product Revew & Giveaway: EatStrong

We love keeping you guys informed on easy ways to stay fit and healthy. We also love sharing free products with you all. Today we have two yummy and healthy snacks for our Goddesses to try. Check out our review and then be one of the first 10 Goddesses to LIKE this post on Facebook or comment on this post and you will receive free EatStrong Snacks! After you LIKE the post or comment email us at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com.

EATSTRONG Trail Mix

This yummy sweet and salty trail mix has flax and sunflower seeds to make it even healthier. It also has small chocolate drops so you can get your chocolate fix too. It's a decent sized bag for 260 cals (plus 5 gm protein and 7 gm of fiber). I was able to divide it up and have half as my after gym snack and the other half as my mid-day snack. I love the portion control because it's so easy to eat more nuts than you planned. This is the perfect addition to your healthy snack options.

EATSTRONG Energy Boost

Many of us do not get enough protein in our diets. Nuts are a good source of protein but again portion control can sometimes be difficult with nuts. EatStrong's perfectly portioned energy bar packs 12 gm of protein with a low sugar content (7 grams) and no artificial ingredients. I was surprised to see how low the sugar content was. Most energy bars have 20+ grams of sugar , so this is definitely a good alternative.

My favorite was the trailmix but if you are looking for more protein the bar is a good option too.

Have you tried them?

Healthy Snack Ideas

Hey ladies!

This week has been so challenging! Between finals and unpacking, eating healthy has been quite difficult. However, I managed to stick pretty well to my goal of eating whole foods. The key is keeping snacks on hand and preparing as much of you own food as possible. I did a little grocery shopping yesterday to re-stock on my clean snacks. Here are a few things I picked up:

My Snack List:
Almonds
Kashi Almond Crunchy Bars ( I find these to be the healthiest granola bar)
Grapes
Apples
Baby Carrots
Unsweetened Applesauce
Wasa Crisps
Peanut Butter
Larabars (for when I'm craving something sweet)
Garden of Eatin' Baked Tortilla Chips
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus


These items make eating on the go easy for me. Even if you are not trying to eat 100% clean try to incorporate some of this items into your snack options. Here are some healthy and satisfying snack ideas. If you haven't tried WASA crisps yet then you should try them. They are newest edition to my healthy snack list. They have like 15 whole grains, a couple simple ingredients, and they are pretty cheap (2.69 @ whole foods).

Baby Carrots and Hummus

1 tbsp peanut & 2 Wasa Crisp

Baked Tortilla Chips and Hummus (or salsa)

1/4 cup of almonds and unsweetened applesauce


Quick Fitness Update:
I've been eating clean for approximately 5 days (well I had one major slip up, I'll tell y'all about it later). I've been spending at least an hour in the gym a day. I dropped 2lbs this week. I love progress!!

Got any Healthy Snack ideas to share?

Clean Eating

I read Oxygen magazine from time to time to get workout tips. The magazine has some good nutrition tips as well. They often make reference to a way of eating called "Clean Eating". I did some quick research on it a while back and I decided it would be too challenging for me. It requires the removal of all processed foods (refined sugars, saturated/trans fats, overly processed foods) from your diet. It sounded like a good idea but I did not think it was realistic for me. So I would just ignore the clean eating tips in the mag.

I came across Clean Eating Magazine while getting my hair done this past weekend and after reading it carefully I realized that Clean Eating may not be so diffcult after all. You swap out refined flour and sugar for whole grains and natural sweetners (honey, agave nectar). It appears there are ways to get around eating processed foods and still enjoying your food. Clean Eating mag offers great tips and several meal plans for eating clean.

Clean Eating has tons of health benefits because you remove the bad fats, sugars, and additives from your diets. I am still doing my research and figuring out how I can move to a Clean Eating lifestyle. I will keep you all posted as I move to clean eating.

Eating Clean Resources:

Eat Clean Mag

Eat Clean Blogs

Eat Clean Book

Comment!!

Have you heard of Clean Eating??

Are you a Clean Eater?

Workout Playlist

My fiance created a workout playlist for me and I want to share it with you all. You got to keep your music fresh so your workouts don't get boring. I try to change mine every 2 weeks or so. For other good playlist ideas check out http://www.inthegym.net/.


1.Getcha money up(remix)-Keisha cole, nicki minaj, keri hilson
2. Sweet Dreams- Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj
3. On to the next one- Jay-Z
4. Promiscious girl-Nelly furtado-timbaland
5. Numba 1-Keri Hilson Kardinal Offisal
6. Freeze-Chris Brown, T-Pain


Share your workout playlist email me at nubianfitnessgoddess.blogspot.com

The Journey Continues

It's been a while, but I think I am back to blogging for good. I started a PhD program this past August and for the past 2.5 months I let it consume my life. I have always recognized the importance of balance but I found it difficult to balance things recently. I tried not to let my new schedule affect my workouts and eating but of course it did. All the late nights I've spent studying Physio and typing papers were accompanied by snacks to keep me awake and my workout schedule has been less consistent. As a result I have gained about 7 lbs. It is quite frustrating but I am determined to work it off. I'm back to the basics; running & weight lifting.

Well today I am recommiting to myself and all of you on your fitness journey. I will continue to provide information to keep you educated, inspired, and motivated. I encourage any of you that have fallen off the exercise wagon to recommit to yourselves as well.

So look for more articles to come.
Btw Rose the Fitness Instructor has done an awesome job keeping you all motivated. I look forward to more article from her. Also, feel free to send me ideas about topics and any stories you would like to share nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com

One last thing, I'm looking to revamp NFG so if anyone has any web design or logo skills hit me up at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com

Black Women ,Hair, and Exercise

Our Hair and exercise is an on going issue for most women. It's great to see that the newstation in my hometown (Chicago), decided to do a special on it. Robin Robinson brings up many important issues in this video. Watch it, so we can discuss!






(If the video doesn't work CLICK HERE)

I have addressed the "Hair Issue" several times on my blog. At the end of the day everywoman must decided for herself what works for her. It is great to have resources and options. Here are some of my older posts on the "Hair Issue"

The Hair Issue: Dealing with Hair and Sweat

I Can't Workout, I just got my Hair Done

Sweat Hard Without Damaging Your Hair

Hair Care Products for Black Women that Exercise


Free Yourself: Caring for Black Hair


COMMENT!!!!

I know y'all got something to say, so put ur 2 cents in.

MISSION POSSIBLE: BIKINI BODY WORKOUT PLAN

So the fiance and I are headed to the Beach this week for a little a R & R. So last week I decided to do a little shopping to find a bathing suit I liked. I decided to try on some Bikinis just for the HeLL of it. To my surprise I liked what I saw, so I purchased my first Bikini ever. It's kind of surreal to me considering my starting weight ( like 205, may be even higher cause I stopped weighing myself). Now don't get me wrong I still have some work to do but I am quite comfortable in my Bikini. Anyway I wanted to share with you some of the strategies I used in toning up this summer. I also wanted to share some articles that kept me motivated this summer.
My strategy:

This summer I really tried to mix things up. I started attending a variety of workout classes like spin, body combat, and body pump. I still run but only on days when I can't get to the gym (about twice a week). I also started lifting more weights (body pump is great for weight lifting). My advice is to constantly change up workout if you want to see results.

I also tried to change up my diet a little bit by increasing my fiber and protein. I typically eat fiber loaded cereal (oatmeal) and hardboiled eggs for breakfast (if I am in a hurry I eat Kashi Go Lean Crunch). I increased my green tea intake to a minimum of 3 cups a day. I also started drinking wine instead of cocktails and increased my fruit and veggie intake.

So if you haven't already sign up at your local gym/YMCA (they have classes too) and enroll in some workout classes. If you that's not option try Exercisetv.com for free workout videos. They have 88 free full length videos.

BIKINI BODY Resources

Beach Abs Workout Video

Bikini Body Workout (Fitness Magazine)

More advice at Fitsugar.com


Still got a little ways to go before you get into that Bikini? Essence Mag did a great article on Fly Swimsuits for Black Women.

Comment!

How are you summer weight loss goals coming??????

The Fitness List

The Fitness goddess and about 7 women are participating in the American Heart Association 12 week challenge. In order to keep stay motivated and complete the challenge I came up with a suggestion that I want to share with you all. It involves making small changes as recommended by AHA to make major life improvements. Please view the info below.


Make at list of 10 things in your life that are preventing you from the healthy body that you want/deserve. List 10 things you have control over. List them in order from easiest to hardest. Then each week for the next 10 weeks you will remove/add one of the those things to your life. The important thing is that you choose things that you can stick to FOR LIFE. Do not choose something that is outrageous for your lifestyle (i.e. never eating bread). Again, please avoid extreme choices, or choices you have no control over. If you are still participating in the challenge please send me your list of 10. Also, remember they do not have to be major changes (the smaller the better). Choose things like increasing exercise and cutting back on the wrong foods. Please be detailed in your changes. The more detailed your changes are, the more likely it is you will stick to it.


Here is my Fitness List:

Week 1
Eat at least one serving of fruits and veggies a day (you should do more, but this is a challenge for me)

Week 2
Removing non-baked chips from diet (I will only eat them occasionally)

Week 3.
Spend at least 5 minutes stretching in the morning (at least 5 days a week)

Week 4.
Avoid eating more than one meal that comes in package (lean cuisine) anything frozen with high sodium per day.

Week 5
Eating two servings of fruits and vegetables per day .

Week 6.

Start my day with protein and fiber (hardboiled eggs and protein)

Week 7
Weight lifting 4 times a week (right now I do 3 days per week)

Week 8
Not eating past 8 p.m. (during the week, or nothing more than a 100 calorie snack)

Week 9
Swapping cocktails for glasses of wine (cocktails occasionally, once a month)

Week 10
Do yoga at least once a week (i don't really like yoga, but there are so many benefits, so this is my challenge0


Remember : Be creative and be detailed!
Don't forget I am making these changes in addition to continuing the exercise plan I have (5 days/wk of exercise) and other changes I made in the past (adding green tea, cutting fried foods, sugar free pudding from my sweet craving, drinking water all day. replace juice with fresh fruit, etc....


Comment!

Will you be participating?

Share you list!

Other suggestions?

Easy ways to get Fit this Summer!

Summer is almost here and I know a lot of you are trying to meet your fitness goals so you can be fit and fly. I've come across a few great products to make getting FIT this summer a little easier. Also, it's great to reward yourself with new gadgets and fitness gear. It keeps working out fresh and exciting.

Here are some items I plan to try out this summer.....

FitFlops I love to show my freshly pedicured toes during the summer so I love flip flops. Well, I have found some shoes that will tone your legs while you walk...amazing! Also, they have more support then regular flip flops so they reduce joint strain. These are definitely worth trying this summer. I love flip flops but regular flip flops do not have enough support. The benefit of toning my legs puts these shoes at the top of my list. Curious as to how FitFlops work? Click here to learn about the new technology.
The Nike-Ipod Sport Kit Now you guys now I love running especially during the summer. This little gadget is great for keeping track of your distance, calories burned, and pace. You can even program custom workouts. This is a great little gadget for the summer.

Fantasia Frizz Buster Silk Smooth Straightening Cream
This product is not really a reward but a day where my hair acts right is always rewarding. I am constantly looking for products to make hair maintenance just a little bit easier. A friend recommended this product to me. Anything that may make taking care of my hair easier I am willing to try. (I'll let you know how it goes)

MBT Shoes
Shoes that burn calories? Yes it is true there are shoes that actually increase the amount of calories you burn. The shoes are designed specifically to activate more muscles which in turn boosts your metabolism and burns more calories. I am all for effortlessly burning more calories so this are worth a try. Click here to read more about MBT shoes.



Comment!

Any great products you recommend for the summer?

Any suggestions on how to keep working out easy and fun this summer?

Also, share your fitness goals for the summer. Can't wait to hear from you!

The Secret to Weight Loss

How many of you are still searching for the secret to weight loss? That diet pill, protein shake, green tea, supplement, or vitamin....the pill that will solve all your weight problems.
Every time I run into an old friend that I have not seen for a while they always want to know "How did you do it?" "What did you take, eat, or what expensive equipment did you buy?" It seems that many women think there is some secret that I uncovered. When I try to explain to them that there was no pill, no special diet, and no expensive gym equipment they normally lose interest. It seems like no one wants to hear that I spent 6-8 hours in the gym a week. No one wants to hear that I added more servings of fruits and vegetables to my diet and cut back on sweets.

It frustrates me to see the advertisements of these diet pills and special teas. It reinforces the idea that their is an easy way out. Weight loss requires hard work and lifestyle changes. There is no other way around it.

In retrospect it seems so simple; increase the amount of physical activity in your life and cut back on the sweet stuff. I do recognize the barriers to weight loss for women of color.That's why I put together a few tips to get past these barriers. One important thing to remember though is that long term weight loss involves hard work and sacrifice. But the benefits of lifestyle changes last so much longer than a crash diet, so it's worth it.

Steps to reaching your weight loss goal:

1. Make lifestyle changes : Remember choose a physical activity and eating habits that you can commit to, for life! Try adding fruit for breakfast instead of cereal or a bagel. Make sure you get a salad or serving a vegetables a day. Find 3-4 days a week to get in 30 minutes of physical activity. Choose an activity that you enjoy like swimming or a hip hop dance class.

2. Don't let you hair stop you: Check out this post I wrote on how to care for you own hair,
Hair Care

3. Motivation: you need the support of like-minded individuals to keep you focused. It may help to work out with a friend or family member. It also helps if you get everyone in your house focused on eating right, that way you are not fighting the battle all by yourself.

SOS: Better Skin, Healthier Hair, and a Beautiful Body.

Here is some motivation for my S.O.S. participants. If you haven't joined the Save Our Sister Fitness challenge invite a friend to workout with you this week! Be sure to check out the latest S.O.S tips at sweet potato pie, Hips, Butt and Thighs...OH MY!

The Benefits of Exercise:
Get Better Skin, Healthier Hair, and a Beautiful Body.

How can you get healthier skin, hair, and a beautiful toned body?
Exercise! A healthy body equals healthier hair and skin.

Your Hair is a reflection of your Health
For many black women hair is a barrier to exercise. How ironic is that considering that exercising and eating right can actually improve the health of your hair. I've experienced it first hand. I have battled dry scalp since high school. But when I started exercising I learned to care for my own hair. I deep condition once a week so now my hair is always moisturized and dry scalp is no longer an issue. It's even starting to grow a little bit.

Exercise increases the circulation of blood to your head. Proper blood circulation allows for the hair follicles to become nourished and this results in healthier hair.
So get your body in balance with a healthy diet and exercise.

Need more proof?
Healthy Hair Link
Afrohairsecrets.com

Healthy Skin
I've read that exercise can also help keep your skin clear. I haven't had to many problems with acne since high school but I do tend to breakout when I'm really stressed. So far this year I've been handling my stress really well, I attribute this to to Exercise. As a results my breakouts have been minimal.
As mentioned earlier, lack of exercise causes poor circulation. It makes you more prone to acne and breakouts. You have to exercise to make sure your body has the optimal amount of blood circulation. If you are exercising regularly you will increase the blood and oxygen flow through your body and increase the nutrients your skin gets.

Need more proof?
Healthy Skin link


Exercise allows you to take control of your body. You can improve yourself physically (hair, nails, skin, etc.) I think it is important to realized how much control you have and be the most fabulous you can be!

IS YOUR AMPLE BOOTY KEEPING YOU UNHEALTHY?

I'm so excited to post this article written by Cruz. She will be contributing articles here at Nubian Fitness Goddess, I'm so excited to have her! Here's her first article....Enjoy!


This question is addressed to me as well. You see one of the things I find troubling in the African American community is the myth that having extra blessings in the rump area somehow excuses you from getting your health in order. I mean let's face it, most of our men (most, not all) love extra poundage in the booty area and because many of us base our self worth on the feedback we receive from the opposite sex we oftentimes think it's all good to remain overweight cause we fill out a pair of jeans nicely. Now this certainly applies to me. Getting my health on track is no new journey for me, I've been exercising on and off for many years and to be honest I would probably be at my goal weight had I not consistently let others get in my head "girl you look great" "yeah but you carry that extra weight so well" "you are just super curvy", I could go on and on but my point is I constantly gave up on myself because people, men to be specific insisted that what I had going on was the stuff black men's dreams are made of. Now don't get me wrong, I am totally sexy and I am quite fond of my figure but the truth of the matter is that there needs to be a lot less of it if I have any plans on maintaining extended health and vitality as I approach 40 years old in 2 more years.

We live in a world that gets caught up in the hype on a regular basis. The same holds true when it comes to taking charge of our health and our bodies. No one else can tell you what's good for you but you and men drooling at your ample hind parts does not excuse the extra pounds you are carrying around. Don't believe the hype that losing weight will cause you to lose your assets, no way, no how. I have been thinner than I am currently and trust me my milkshake still had boys coming to the yard.

It's nice to be curvy and to celebrate those curves but it's also nice to wake up with energy, to have joints that don't ache, to have control over your body and how you nourish it. You don't have to subscribe to a life of eating trees and berries, just change a little something everyday and move as much as you can. That's all. I'm down 14lbs since June (WHOOO HOOOOO!!!!). Could have been more but as I said, I fell into the "girl your body is hot" hype and lost my focus. Won't happen again.

BOOTYLICIOUS SISTAS UNITE AND GET YOUR WEIGHT RIGHT!

Written By Cruz

Lose for Good!

Last week I said I had a special announcement, here it goes.......

First I want to thank you for your support of Nubian Fitness Goddess. Blogging has been a great experience for me. I've learned alot from you all and I hope you find the information here valuable.

Thanks to the support from all you of you my Blog was selected to participate in Weight Watchers new Lose for Good campaign and fitness challenge. As a part of this challenge I will participating in Weight Watchers and blogging about my experience and weight loss. I will also be advertising for the Lose for Good Campaign on my blog.

Here's is the best part!
I will be awarding 2 free three month subscriptions to Weight Watchers to you guys. Look for details to come!


What is Lose For Good?

Lose for Good is a charitable effort that addresses two important epidemics: hunger and obesity, by empowering people to get healthier while also doing good for others in need.

For every pound that Weight Watchers members will lose during a six-week period, Weight Watchers will donate the cost of one pound of food -- up to $1 million dollars -- to two hunger fighting organizations.

The chosen organizations are Share Our Strength, the leading organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry, and Action Against Hunger, an organization that helps feed people in troubled parts of the world.

Click here for more information

I think this is a wonderful cause I am glad to be apart of it! Please share your thoughts.

Exercise for your Sanity

The more I exercise the more I learn about the benefits...

Life is getting quite hectic for me right now. I have made physical activity a priority in my life so no matter what I still start my day with 35-40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of toning and strength training. I commit 1 hour a day to myself and it really is helping me deal with the stressors I encounter during the day.

My summer is officially over and I am back in school, applying for PhD programs, studying for the gre, working 2 jobs (2 part time), and planning a Regional Conference (by myself) for the National Black Graduate Student Association. Despite all this I continue to find ways to squeeze exercise in to my life. No matter how overwhelmed I get I know that I did one positive thing for my body. I am actually starting to find exercise therapeutic, I sometimes even look forward to it ( crazy, huh?)

I know many of you have lives that are just as jam packed with work and other activities. But I hope you continue to make your health a priority. You are really never to busy to exercise you just have to make a few sacrifices.

If you really feel that you are to busy for exercise then check out a few of these articles to find creative ways to fit in fitness.

* Working Out at Work
*12 Tips to Fit Fitness in Your Day
*How to Fit in Fitness

So Please make your health a priority!

Look out for more information about the Save our Sister Fitness Challenge, this week!

* I'm looking for people to contribute to my blog. So if your interested please hit me up at hypothesis1913@gmail.com

Comments?
Does Exercise Bring Sanity to Your life?