No time to workout...BAH HUMBUG!

Have you ever just had one of those days that doesn't seem to slow down no matter what you do?  Well, that happened yesterday!  The holidays are always busy but add to that, a hubby that is not well, a best friend that is also not well, and a daughter that needs a tooth extracted, and you have a very complicated day!

My days are pretty normal.  I get up, do some work from my computer and then wake up the kids, feed and dress them, finally getting them on the bus at 7:40.  After that, it is finish my coffee, work out, and go on with my scheduled day.

Oh but yesterday, it was a different story.  I had to do all my normal morning stuff.  Add to that, our Elves on the Shelf, Red and Diamond.  Then, I had to run to Target, like that is ever a problem, to get an Elf Pet because we were making reindeer cookies in the evening and asking Red and Diamond to bring one.  Of course, come Christmas shopping was done.

But my friend, Diana, looked like hell.  She was out there in left field and not looking good at all.  Rushed home to get her to lay down.  Only to figure that she couldn't take her friend to work so I volunteered.  Then ran to the school to pick up Sofi to take to the dentist to get her tooth pulled.  Back home, got her comfortable, ate lunch, and was waiting to work out.

Didn't go down like I planned.  The 3 times I tried to start working out, I got an important phone call.  After the call, Sofi wanted something to eat but since she cannot eat anything hard, I had to figure out what to get her.  Totally caught off guard and the grandparents weren't here with her goodies yet.  It was just nuts!

With just a minute to spare, literally, I got to my workout done.  I mean, I had a minute between the time I finished and the time I walked out the door to the bus stop.  I could have used not having time as an excuse, but I didn't.  I got it done.

Mind you, that was all before 3:30.  Things got much more complicated in the evening.  That is why I need to get my workouts done EARLY!  With our evening so hectic, there is no way I could ever get the workouts done when the kids get home from school.  Not only that, I want to make sure I am present for them so working out while they are here takes time away from them and that is NOT ok with me!

Let's hope Friday goes a bit more smoothly!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Astrid

Secret Sodium BOMB!

You may be surprised to learn that one food that you may eat every day chews up nearly 50% of your daily recommended sodium allowance. The culprit?  YOUR SANDWICH!

I know, devastating, right?  But don't let it get you down!  You CAN eat a healthy sandwich every day and this is how.

1. Whenever possible, make your own sandwich rather than get one out. Sandwiches from your local restaurants tend to be much higher in sodium and calories due to increased seasonings and condiments, more processed ingredients, and larger portions in general.

2. Skip the processed lunch meats and make a sandwich using leftover chicken, fish, or steak that you cooked yourself. ALWAYS bulk cook those proteins! And, you can even skip the meat all together!

3. Load your sandwich up with plenty of fresh ingredients like veggies, avocado, and fresh herbs. Consider going condiment-less!

4. You HAVE to have cheese on it? Stick to brick cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, or swiss cheese, which all have 150mg of sodium or less per serving (less than half that of many other varieties).

5. You may not think of bread as salt, but breads are often a hidden source of sodium with many brands packing around 250mg of sodium into a single slice. Look for lower sodium, natural breads in the freezer section of the grocery store like Ezekiel Bread.

6. If you like nut butter sandwiches, be sure to choose a natural variety with no salt added and you’ll skip the sodium altogether. Bonus: Most of the unsalted added varieties have no sugar added either, to keep calories in check. The big thing here, keep it to 2 tbsp, no more!

7. For canned ingredients, such as beans or tuna, be sure to look for lower sodium options. You can also rinse and drain beans before using to cut the sodium by 40%.

8. Skip the chips. Chips are NOTORIOUS for having too much sodium! Even the healthier options! Why not throw in carrots and hummus or snap peas as an alternative? Now, go out and make some healthy choices, cut down that sodium, and enjoy a GOOD sandwich!