Take The Real Age Quiz To Find Out Your Body's Real Age!

      Dr.Oz has a wonderful website called Real Age. If you have never checked it out, trust me it is worth a look. It is a great resource for research based articles on unlimited health related topics. Not only can you learn about any medical condition you can think of, but it also has a ton of articles on healthy living. As an added bonus it also has the Real Age quiz which calculates the biological age of your body based on your answers in 4 areas: health, feelings, diet, and fitness.  Once you get your results, this website will also give you tips on how you can lower your Real Age with your Personal Grow Younger Plan.
This quiz is as much fun as it is informative. I have taken the quiz 3 times. Once as my fat self, once about 8 months ago, and again today. Here are my results:

My fat self:     Chronological age: 29 years
                                     Real Age: 33.4 years

8 months ago: Chronological age: 31 years
                                     Real Age: 23.3 years

Today:            Chronological age: 32 Years
                                     Real Age: 19.6 years! (What the! I am still in shock over this one!)


Click here to take the Real Age quiz yourself! Feel free to post your results in the comments section!

A Dose of Motivation. Part 1

       The most successful people are self motivated. This means that they are able to find the desire needed to accomplish things without the influence of others. I do not think people are born self motivated, but rather I think they carefully craft their skill. Which means that anyone can train themselves to be self motivated-and therefore successful.

 The essential elements of self motivation are:

1. Stay focused. Self motivated people are constantly reminding themselves of the outcomes of their efforts. Maybe they carry a list, maybe a picture, maybe they use a dry erase marker on their bathroom mirror so that at the start and end of everyday they are reminded of what they are working toward. Whatever the trick, the outcome is the same. Constant focus on the goal at hand.

2. Appreciate the role of self discipline in any accomplishment. Self disciple is the sister to motivation. When a self motivated person has a day where they feel anything but motivated (we all have those days) they rely on self discipline to keep them on track. Self motivated people will do what needs to be done even when they don't want to for the sake of the goal they are trying to reach. Like Nike says, sometimes you have to "Just do it."

3. Let your accomplishments fuel your motivation. Often a long term goal is achieved through the accomplishment of several short term goals. Self motivated people can appreciate these little victories and use each one of these accomplishments to fuel the fire of their motivation.

4. Believe in yourself. Self motivated people know that anything is within their power given knowledge and the right amount of time. They don't think they can do it, they KNOW they can do it.

5. Persistance is key. In the eyes of a self motivated person, a "failure" is just a set back. It is an opportunity to research alternative methods to achieve their goal, regroup, and try again.

      Motivation is fickle. When you have it there is nothing you can't accomplish. When you lose it you are defeated. I know we have all been at both ends of this spectrum and it is easy to become a victim of wavering motivation. The key is to make your motivation work for you by developing these skills and driving your own motivation. After all, if you have to sit around and wait for someone to come motivate you, you will spend most of your life waiting instead of doing.

Walk With Walgreens

    Walgreens has started a program called Walk With Walgreens. It is an incentive based program aimed at getting America moving! Walking is an excellent way to shed pounds and get healthy and just about everyone can do it. It takes no expensive equipment. Just you and 30 minutes a day. As an added bonus the Walk With Walgreens program allows you to earn coupons by tracking your walks/steps on their website (and who doesn't like coupons?).

 The low down on the Walk With Walgreens program:
- You earn coupons just by signing up and then by logging your walks/steps. (NOTE: When you sign up you get a $5 coupon for an Omron pedometer so if you are planning on getting a pedometer I would wait until after you sign up.)
- You can log your steps if you have a pedometer or you can log your distance by tracking it on their map. You enter your route and they calculate your distance.
-They have an online forum which allows you to connect to and get support from other walkers.
- The "Get Inspired" tab offers inspiration and success stories to keep you going.
- They have a mobile app so you can track your walks on the go.
- They have posts on recipes, health statistics, and tips on how to get healthy.
- They also offer the option to share pictures from your walks (you of course can also see pictures of others' walks as well).

   So if you are looking for a way to exercise that requires no equipment and can be done anywhere, walking is a great choice! If you are going to walk you might as well earn coupons for it, right? Click here to check out the Walk With Walgreens program: http://walk.walgreens.com/ .

Words Of Wisdom From Vince Lombardi

"A man (woman) can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done. "

             -Vince Lombardi

Quick and Healthy Chicken Veggie Wraps

         Looking for a healthy meal that tastes good and can be made in a matter of minutes? Well I have found it! It is my Chicken Veggie Wraps. They are super easy to throw together, light on calories, and a good source of protein, veggies, and whole grain carbs. Plus they won't break the bank.

Ingredients:
-whole grain tortillas
-fresh spinach
-fresh diced tomatoes
-sliced cucumbers
-Feta cheese- I like feta because a little goes a long way. Which means lots of flavor with fewer calories.
-1/2 of a Tyson chicken breast - I prefer Tyson fully cooked chicken breast because they are minimally processed and have no artificial ingredients. As a bonus they taste wonderful and since they are fully cooked it takes just 2 minutes in the microwave to warm them up.

        This recipe is pretty self-explanatory. All you have to do is microwave your chicken and cut up your veggies. Then assemble your wrap and voila! A healthy dinner for about 250 calories in a matter of minutes. To make the process even faster I cut up my vegetables in the beginning of the week so I can just grab them and go.

        Don't feel restricted by my choice of ingredients. Feel free to customize your wrap with your own favorite vegetables. You can also change up the cheese or add a little salad dressing. If you like things a bit spicy, try some Tobasco sauce. For those who want a vegetarian option, leave out the chicken. :)

Health Benefits:
Whole grain tortilla- Whole grains have been linked to decreased heart disease and decreased diabetes. Plus those who eat whole grains tend to weigh less.
Spinach- Spinach decreases the risk for heart disease, decreases the risk of cancer, and helps protect the brain from typical signs of aging.
Tomatoes- Tomatoes protect the skin from UV radiation, decrease the risk of cancer, and improve bone mass.
Cucumbers- The vitamin A in cucumbers is important for good vision, bone growth, white blood cell formation, and prevents cancer.

So, the next time you are looking for a quick meal, avoid the McDonald's drive-thru and make this healthy option for your family instead. :)