Everyone knows the infamous quote by Benjamin Franklin that states "in this world nothing can be certain, but death and taxes." However, he left out another VERY crucial certainty - our bodies changing as we get older. That is definitely a certainty in life!

It's one of those milestones that you remember hearing about and thinking "that will never happen to me" AND. THEN. IT. DOES. And boy does it. I'm okay with getting older, this milestone though just kind of sneak attacked me overnight and I wasn't ready or prepared for it. 

Chasity and I have been blessed to not have to battle with our weight too much growing up, and working out has always been a regular part of my life (until recently) which has helped manage my weight but wasn't a necessity.  I've also never been big on regularly checking my weight on a scale and just used my clothing as a guideline. Well, this week my clothing definitely told me that it's time to start paying attention; I had to rip myself out of one piece of clothing to get it off and then I tried putting on my only pair of expensive jeans (citizens of humanity) and was wiggling to get them up when I completely ripped them a good 12 inches down the thigh. Needless to say, I got the message. Times are a changing!

So Chasity and I decided to join together to talk about tips we use to continue to fight against mother nature, to try to stay healthy and active.

Water:

We know how important water is both for health and losing weight. It increases energy, flushes out toxins, promotes weight loss, improves skin complexion, boost immunity, etc. Although the benefits are known, sometimes it can be so hard to get enough water on a daily basis. So here are our tips on how we increase our water intake.

Chasity's Trick: Drinking water with lemon! I've been doing it for several years and it's my favorite. The little kick from the lemon is exactly what I need to keep me coming back for more.

Kristin's Trick: A water bottle & my car! Unlike Chasity, I hate lemon in my water (so that doesn't work for me). For years, I feel into a horrible habit of going all day long without drinking water. I'd get so wrapped up with work that it just wasn't something on my radar. Recently, I bought a 32 ounce water bottle and have made it a point to drink 32 ounces on my way to work and my way home from work. My commute is 45 minutes, so it's a great way to make sure I get water incorporated into my day; I've got nothing else to do during the drive so might as well do something that is good for my body and mind. 

Exercise:

This is another obvious MUST DO to maintain a healthy weight, increase happiness, reduce stress, improve memory and energy, help you sleep better, etc. It is recommended that we incorporate at least 30 minutes a day/ 5 days a week. Seems simple on paper but somehow much harder to actually do and stick to. 

Chasity's Trick: Running! With three small kids, getting myself to the gym every day isn't always an easy or possible feat. Going on a run (quick or long, depending on my kids) is a surefire way to get some-sort of exercise into my day. Plus, with my recent arm surgery - lifting weights or doing anything too extreme is still a little questionable, so running keeps my arms safe and the weight at bay. 

Kristin's Trick: A workout buddy!! I don't like working out by myself and in all honesty 99.9% of the time won't work out, if I don't have someone to motivate and go with me. Over the years, my sister and I have trained for different races which has helped to regularly workout & have a buddy to do it with. However, life changes as do schedules and it just hasn't been something we've done in awhile (hence the pants ripping). Working out in the morning is really the only time I have to get a workout in but I'm not a morning person, so it doesn't work out well if I don't have someone to go with. Now, I have a workout buddy and we go at 6a. She keeps me accountable and motivated. Bonus tip: if you are trying to workout in the morning but like me, it isn't your finest hour - make sure your workout buddy is a morning person, or else you will both flake. 

Diet:

Oh the infamous "D" word!! Why can't bacon, ice cream and bread count as eating the rainbow? With soo many different theories out there on what to eat, how to eat and all conflicting information - one's diet is something that is unique to everyone but does hold important value in the impact our diet has on our health. A healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains etc. really help our bodies fight certain cancers, reduce heart-disease, obesity, etc. Eating healthy is so much more than our weight or looking good in our clothes; eating healthy is essential to fueling our bodies to work for us, not against us. 

Chasity's Trick: Cutting out sodium! Being diagnosed with Meniere's disease last October, cutting out sodium was technically more of a "have to" or else my Meniere's keeps me in bed. BUT, I have noticed a huge change in not feeling bloated and waking up feeling good and hydrated. At first it was frustrating because that was just something else I had to manage but now I really love watching my sodium intake. 

Kristin's Trick: Meal prepping service! Eating healthy is much easier for me to maintain than regularly working out -- but only if I am prepared. For the most part, I am on point with my eating while at work, until I get home. I come home and become a carb-monster; which obviously isn't going to work out now that my body is slowing down and not metabolizing like it used to. The problem is I HATE meal prepping and going to the grocery store which means that I yo-yo between having healthy food readily available and eating whatever is in the pantry. So now I use a meal prepping service that provides me with 10 meals ( 5 lunches and 5 dinners) that are properly proportioned, already cooked and a well-balanced meal. 

Life is a balance and as in all stages of our life, we have to learn, grow and evolve. Keeping up with Mother Nature can be a challenge, but it's about balance and finding the tools, tricks and tips that work best in your life. Hope some of our tricks have helped you think of ways that you can be creative & please, feel free to comment on tricks you use to keep yourself healthy, active and energized. 

<3,

Kristin & Chasity