Happy New Year! I can’t believe 2023 is already here; it feels like just yesterday that I was writing to you in celebration of 2022. As we head into this season, I’m keenly aware of how many fitness personalities, gyms & supplement, or activewear brands are hoping to make a quick dollar off of your motivation to get fit this year. It’s important to me not to contribute to that culture of quick “fixes” that always let us down. Instead, I want to offer you more realistic, sustainable, and maintainable solutions that will keep you healthy and fit until 2024! At BeFitSRQ, we’re passionate about putting together customized and achievable plans that let you reach your goals faster and more joyfully than ever before.
Top 10 Healthy & Fitness Resolutions for 2023
- Get Specific With Your Goals: What does ‘toning up’ or ‘losing weight’ actually mean to you? How will you measure it, why do you want it, how will you get it, and how much is enough? When you formulate a new goal (or resolution), put it through the SMART test. Is the goal Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-framed? If not, then adjust it so that it is – and write it down. Compare ‘I’m going to lose weight this year’ to ‘I’m going to lose ten pounds by March,’ to get an idea of how much more compelling a SMART goal is.
- Be Active Whenever You Can: Think about the last time you got in the car to drive a 15-minute walk. Did you absolutely have to do it because you were on a tight schedule or because you were late to meet someone? If not, then could you have walked instead? This is the principle behind being active when you can – it acknowledges that fitting in activity or exercise isn’t always possible but requires you to pledge that when there isn’t anything to come between you and exercise, you do go ahead and work out. It’s important that you learn to distinguish between ‘can’t’ and ‘can’t be bothered.’
- Increase Fruits and Vegetables: Fruit and vegetables are packed with health-promoting, disease-fighting phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and ideally, you should be consuming five to eight portions a day. If it seems daunting, think about spreading your intake throughout the day. Never leave the house without having at least one portion, for example. You could start the day with a fruit smoothie or a fresh juice; have a side salad with your lunch, some vegetables with dinner and use fruit and raw veg as snacks between meals to reach the target. Dried, canned, and frozen varieties count, too – and one of your daily portions can be a juice-based drink.
- Visit The Gym Often: Research by the Fitness Industry Association found that the frequency with which an exercise newbie gets to the gym after joining is a predictor of their future success. Nearly 30 percent of new gym members visited their club less than once a week during the first month, and it was these people who were most likely to have dropped out by the third month of membership. So once you’ve signed up, keep swiping that card until it becomes a habit.
- Be Body Aware: It’s amazing the number of Pilates and yoga aficionados who regularly sit with their legs crossed, arms folded, and torsos drooping! Body awareness isn’t something that stops the moment you leave your exercise class – it’s something you should be keeping tabs of 24-7. The key points to look out for are hunched, tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, a hanging-out stomach, a jutting-forward head, and crossed limbs. If you can ‘scan’ your body regularly throughout the day, you’ll become an expert at recognizing when your posture is less than optimal and correcting it. The bonus is that you’ll look and feel instantly taller, slimmer, and more graceful.
- Start A Training Journal: Nope, they aren’t just for professional athletes. Anyone who works out regularly (or plans to!) should keep a log or blog of what they do, including where they are at the outset (in terms of fitness level, weight, and so on) and what their SMART goals are. You will find that keeping a diary or blog is motivating, fascinating, and very useful. If you find a newly defined shape creeping up on your thighs, you can check out what exercises you have been focusing on the last few weeks. If you get a 10km personal best, you can look to see what sessions might have accounted for the improvement. It’s also useful if you come up against an injury or recurring illness – as you can look for signs of overtraining or overdoing things.
- Get Your Fluid Intake Right: We won’t categorically say that you should drink two liters (approx 68 oz) of water per day, as this has not been proven to be essential for every individual. But if you are regularly active and rarely drink a glass of the pure stuff, we urge you to increase your intake. While the cold weather may not make you feel so thirsty, overheated offices and public transport are very dehydrating. And though you may not feel it, you are still sweating during exercise in cold weather. The recommended fluid intake for adults is 1ml per calorie of food intake – for example, 2,000ml (68 oz) for the average woman’s 2,000 calorie per day diet. While much of this comes from our food, it is important to take in healthy fluids throughout the day – and what better than cleansing, calorie-free, sugar-free, fat-free water? Try increasing your intake by 500ml (17oz) for a couple of weeks (just one small bottle of mineral water) and see if it improves your concentration, energy levels and skin.
- Find Balance In Your Fitness Activity: If you love running or have a passion for any specific activity, it’s tempting to restrict yourself to just doing that one thing. But do so at your peril! It’s really important to have a balance of different activities in your regime – including some strength work, some flexibility training, and some aerobic exercise. You will reduce your risk of injury or burnout, gain fitness in neglected areas, and you will almost certainly improve your performance in your favorite activity, too.
- Don’t Be So Intense In Your Training: I’m not talking personality here, but effort level. Research shows that there are myriad benefits to be gained from high-intensity exercise (a higher lactate threshold, greater calorie expenditure, improved cardiac output) – but there is also a lot to be said for gentler-paced workouts (such as increased fat utilization, stress reduction, lower blood pressure). And besides, working hard all the time compromises your immune system and leaves you vulnerable to injury. Apply the hard-easy rule, following tough, challenging sessions with something easier and less intense the next day.
- Learn A New Activity: Whether it’s surfing at the beach, horseback riding, a tennis lesson at your local club, or signing up for a course of Pilates sessions – pledge to acquire a new activity-related skill this year. The body gets complacent when you always do the same thing, and having adapted to what you normally do, no longer finds it challenging. Giving something new a try will force your brain and body to master new motor patterns. It’s absorbing, fun and ultimately more rewarding than more of the same old, same old!
Healthy Recipes To Start 2023 Off Right
Start 2023 off on a high note by incorporating these healthy new recipes into your rotation this year. Here are some of my favorites:
Ingredients:
- 1 mango, peeled and cubed
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup halved strawberries
- 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons agave or honey
- 4 scoops Keto Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 cup 1% milk, (you can also use almond milk or coconut milk)
- toasted sunflower seeds, for garnish, optional
- toasted chia seeds, for garnish, optional
- coconut flakes, for garnish, optional
- fresh fruit, for garnish, optional
Directions:
Combine cubed mango, spinach, berries, agave or honey, protein powder, and milk in a blender; blend to a thick smoothie consistency. Divide between 4 bowls. Arrange the seeds, coconut flakes, and fresh fruit over the top. Serve.
Ground Turkey Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound extra lean ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can black beans, rinsed well and drained
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 whole lime, juiced
- 12 (6-inch) low carb flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup low fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce, divided
- thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
- light sour cream, for serving
- lime wedges, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Grease a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground turkey; season with cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently.
- Stir in tomato paste until well incorporated.
- Stir in beans, chicken broth, and lime juice, and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat.
- Place 1 tortilla on your working surface and spoon about 3 tablespoons of the turkey mixture onto one end of the tortilla.
- Roll up the tortilla and set aside.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas and ground turkey mixture.
- Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of previously prepared baking sheet.
- Arrange rolled up tortillas seam side down over the enchilada sauce.
- Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with cheeses.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let stand few minutes.
- Garnish with sour cream and green onions.
- Serve with lime wedges.
Looking to prioritize holistic wellness in 2023? Look no further!
Are you ready to get festive with your home scents?
We’ve got you covered with all the high-quality essential oils and oily products you need to live a low-toxin life in the new year. Check out the newest blends here.
Re-Introducing: Element Tree Essentials
Element Tree Essentials is one of the few fantastic product lines we sell at BeFitSRQ. Let me share a little bit more about it with you!
This small business was founded by a lovely lady named Kasey, who perfected her lotion candle formula in her kitchen before beginning to sell products at local markets. As Kasey’s business grew, her customers began to share that the healing lotion from her candles helped to relieve their dry, cracked skin and even soothed their eczema symptoms. Her premium lotion candles are…
- Made with Cosmetic Grade soy wax, grape seed oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and Vitamin E
- Infused with rosehip oil to soothe dry skin
- Rich in botanical oils and vitamins
- Free from phthalates, sulfates, or parabens
- 70-80 average burn time
- Poured by hand
Come in today to grab your favorite scent and experience the luxurious lotion candles that add both ambiance to your home and nourishment to your skin.
Is sunscreen harmful to your skin over time?
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States; in fact, over 10,000 people are diagnosed each day! It makes sense, then, that our culture is so sunscreen obsessed… but are there hidden dangers of using sunscreen on a daily basis?
Let’s start with how the sun actually causes skin cancer. The sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which consists of two types: UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are longer in wavelength and can penetrate deep into the skin, causing damage to the collagen fibers and DNA. These types of rays have been linked to premature aging, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. UVB rays are shorter in wavelength and only penetrate the outer layer of skin, known as the epidermis. These rays are the primary cause of sunburns.
Sunscreen works by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering the sun’s rays away from our skin. There are two types of sunscreen: chemical and physical. Chemical sunscreens convert UV rays into heat, while physical sunscreens work by using inactive ingredients that sit on top of the skin and reflect or scatter the UV rays away. Some common physical sunscreen ingredients include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. There has been much debate over the years about the safety of sunscreen ingredients, specifically chemical sunscreens.
One of the most common active ingredients in chemical sunscreens, oxybenzone, has been shown to be a hormone disruptor. This means that it can mimic or interfere with the body’s natural hormones, which can lead to a variety of health problems.
You should also look for sunscreens that are labeled “broad-spectrum,” which means they protect against both UVA and UVB rays. You should always choose a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
However, sunscreen is not the ideal form of UV protection.
UV protective clothing protects against both UVA and UVB rays; it’s usually treated with a UV-resistant finish or has built-in SPF protection. The clothing will absorb, reflect, or scatter the UV rays away from your skin and won’t come off like sunscreen. When shopping for UV clothing, look for items that are labeled “UPF 50+.” This means that the clothing has been tested and proven to block out at least 98% of the sun’s UV rays.
If you’re interested in up-leveling your skin health in the new year, head over to BloqUV to learn more about how they can help you with your goals!
Re-Introducting: Laser Therapy!
Have you struggled with chronic pain, achy joints, sports injuries, or overly sore muscles? Look no further! At BeFitSRQ, we offer Laser Therapy, a proven remedy for:
- TMJ6
- Neck Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Elbow & Joint Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Low Back Pain
- Sciatica
- Arthritis
- Sports Injuries
- Soft Tissue Damage
- Plantar Fasciitis
Come in today to see if Laser Therapy is right for you!
January Events
Sarasota Seafood and Music Festival: From January 27th-29th, head to JD Hamel park on Friday evening 4-10 pm, Saturday 11-10 or Sunday 11-6. Enjoy live performances, delicious food, and great company. General admission is FREE!
New Paddler Day at Nathan Benderson Park: New Year, New Hobby! Try paddling for the first time with no strings attached from January 14th, 2023 @ 9:30 AM -11:30 AM.
Sarasota Marathon: Whether you want to run a full marathon or a 5k, kick off your new year’s resolutions with a race that challenges you and draws you into a community with other runners! Claim your spot here.
I hope you had an incredible holiday season and that this newsletter inspired you to go after your goals! I hope to see you soon in the new year.
Sincerely,
Michele