Exercising with the same routine during every workout can get boring and repetitive. While maintaining an ongoing workout schedule is important, it’s just as important to keep up your enthusiasm about exercising! Try a few of these creative and interesting ways of getting in your exercise for those days you just don’t feel like going to the gym!

• Challenge yourself with flexing! Pick an activity, like walking through a door, every time you do, flex your stomach! Or perhaps your sitting at your desk, flex your butt each time the phone rings, or if you get an email!
• Make use of the two minutes you spend brushing your teeth by doing squats!
• Next time you find yourself at the sink washing the dishes, do some calf-raises!
• Take the stairs, not the elevator. If you have stairs at home, go up & down one extra time. Why not spend the extra minute to get your heart pumping?
• A fun way of not only getting exercise, but also starting your day off in a bright mood is dancing! Dance while picking out your outfit and while you get ready for the day.Set the timer for 5 minutes and clean as much as possible in your house! Its great exercise as you will be trying to challenge yourself to get as much cleaning done as possible, plus you get to have a clean house!
• Next time you’re on the phone, do some stretches, lunges, squats or wall-sits. Literally anything you can think of doing without the person on the other end realizing your exercising!

These are just a few ideas to spark that creativity inside you! There are many ways you can exercise without being repetitive, without going to gym and also while accomplishing many other daily activities!

Share your favorite fun workout by tweeting with the hashtag #iorganic

 We all hate being around that one person who is contagious, except for when that person is spreading smiles! It never hurts to smile too much, in fact its incredibly good for you!

Did you know…

• If you force yourself to smile, it can actually put you in a good mood!
• Smiling will boost your immune system
• It is a major stress reliever
• It is easier to smile than frown!
• Babies are born with the ability to smile
• Smiling will help you to get promoted
• Women smile more than men
• There are 19 different types of smiles

If you aren’t smiling right now, start! Make your day better, and improve someone else’s as well!

Here is some food for thought! Check out these shocking fast food facts that will hopefully steer you away from the drive-thru and point you in the direction of your kitchen! Take the extra 30 minutes to make your own food, trust me.

• Many fast food chains dip their French fries in sugar to give them their golden brown color after frying

• Strawberry flavored shakes contain 50 different chemicals

• Grilled chicken on fast food menus may contain beef!

• Hamburgers are made in huge factories and from a variety of different cattle

• Propylene Glycerol, used for antifreeze is what keeps their salads crispy!

• In order to burn off a super sized coke, fry and big mac you would need to walk for 7 hours straight!

Fast food should never be an option, and if you’re in a time crunch try finding a store you can quickly run into to grab a nutritious energy bar or fruit bowl. Your body will thank you for the extra 5 minutes you may have spared…

For 20 years the USDA has been encouraging us to reference their very well known food pyramid in order to eat a proper and well balanced diet. The food pyramid has been replaced however with the new food plate! It shows the portion sizes of what should be on our plate in each meal.

It was replaced in order to remind us all to practice healthy eating and to make it a habit! The plate is easier to understand and envision when you are making or ordering your meals.

It is important to always include the 5 food groups listed on the plate (vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy) to maintain your health and shed those extra pounds you may be getting from what used to be the very top of the pyramid!

The USDA has even created a website specifically for the new food plate that lists everything you can have in each of the sections on your plate, helps you to understand the portions and much more.

I am definitely going to take the challenge in following this new guideline and so should you!

Check it out: www.choosemyplate.gov

We’ve all heard the saying “ you are what you eat.” Despite the major cliché in conveying that statement, it really is true. Not only internally but externally as well. The biggest organ in our body is our skin, and it is just as important as all the others! I was actually surprised to hear the certain foods that improve the health of your skin, read on to find out!

• Tomatoes- Famous for their powerful ingredient known as lycopene. Studies suggest lycopene can protect your skin from sun damage. The best way to take advantage of its full nutritional value is eating it cooked or mixed with other fat-soluble ingredients like avocado, eggs and olive oil.

• Red Meat- This is one that truly surprised me! Red meat is often seen as fatty and high in cholesterol. However, it has been discovered eating the protein and amino acids in meat has helped in treating acne!

• Green Tea- Among many of the benefits this tea can bring to you, it also an protect your skin against sun burns and UV-associated skin cancers.

• Green Beans- These healthy low calorie vegetables can help you grow thicker hair and healthy nails. They are very rich in silicon, which is a strong strengthener for growing that luscious mane!

• Walnuts- Being incredibly high in omega-3s, this wonder nut can help lock moisture into your skin and protect it from free radicals. You can even increase this by combining them with almonds, flaxseed and olive oil!

• Yogurt- With its natural probiotic abilities, yogurt is a lifesaver when it comes to breakouts, eczema and even dandruff! As long as you buy organic low in sugar kinds, you will see the abilities this delicious snack can have!

Are you as surprised as I was to hear these interesting facts? The food we eat has great powers to help our body thrive. Make sure you eat all the proper vitamins and nutrition your body needs to live a happy and healthy long life!

Share your skin remedies by tweeting with the hashtag #iorganic