Our bodies are naturally programmed to crave sugar. The natural healthy sugar is found in fruits, vegetables and many vitamins and minerals. These are the sugars that are good for us, the bad sugars are the ones found in candies, soda, and cookies. This sugar is stripped of all of its healthiness and can cause insulin insufficiency leading to diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and other  health problems. So why do we crave sweets? It may not just because you have a sweet tooth.


1. Dehydration- When our bodies aren't properly hydrated we crave sweets. When you start craving a Snickers, drink a big glass of water and see if the feeling subsides. Avoid this by staying hydrated, you should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces. Example- if you're 150 pounds, get at least 75 ounces of fluid and even more on hot days or gym days.


2. Sleep deprivation- Not getting enough sleep leads to low serotonin levels. When serotonin is low, we feel tired, sluggish, sad and irritable. The bodies automatic cure for this is ingesting sweets to increase the serotonin to feel better and get a boost of energy. Avoid this by getting enough sleep at night. We should be getting at least 7-8 hours.


3. Not getting enough protein- Our bodies need protein to function. If we don't get enough, our levels are not in balance and we try to make up for that with sweets. Avoid this by eating your protein! At least 30% of your daily intake should be from protein.  

It's Thursday-you're tired, you don't want to get out of bed... and you definitely don't want to work out. 10 minutes of exercise is worth it to feel better and change your body. No excuses

Need a reason to eat your breakfast?
People who pass eating breakfast eat 65% more fatty snacks later at night says a study at the University of Missouri. 
Eating a high protein breakfast, most people cut 200 calories from their evening nourishing. 

Try eating a cup of spinach a day. A compound in the leafy green helps strengthen muscles, and in return helps you torch more calories even at rest!

Ways to incorporate a cup of spinach:
1 cup with 3 eggs to make a delicious, protein filled omelette
1 cup mixed in with your salad at lunch or dinner
1 cup boiled with carrots, or a veggie of your liking for a nutritious side dish
1 cup with sliced almonds, goat cheese and cranberries  

Need a quick pick me up? A handful of raisins has just enough carbohydrates to get you through your workout. 

I just want to thank everyone that came out to the Wompatuck hike this past Sunday. We had a great time chatting with all of you, getting to know you better and just enjoying the beautiful weather and nature. Look forward to many more to come in the future:)

Watermelon Smoothie6 cups of seedless watermelon, chopped
1 cup of lemon sherbet, non-fat milk, or low-fat vanilla yogurt
12 ice cubes
Put half the watermelon in the blender and blend until smooth, then add half of
the ice and sherbet; blend until smooth. Repeat the process with the rest of the
ingredients.

So very very delicious! 

Feeling stressed? Studies show people who bike for 30 minutes are less stressed than those who don't. The hormone that regulates the brains response to stressors stays in full force for up to an hour!