Healthy Wife, Healthy Life

Its Week 2 of Healthy Wife, Healthy Life :o)

First, I already feel like I have a lot more energy this week. I give credit to two major things for this.. first, kickboxing.. second, lots of water! Kickboxing gives your metabolism a serious boost. And not just while you're sweating your behind off in class. It kick starts your metabolism and the effects last long after class is over if you're doing it regularly. Second, I have been drinking lots and lots of water each day and I can definitely tell a difference. Sure, I'm running to the bathroom a lot more, but feel healthier, more energized, and more focused.

In addition to lots of water and exercise, I've upped the intake of fruits and veggies in our house. I'm a carb girl so its a little bit of a struggle. But, thanks to the "Look Cute in your (Swim) Suit" challenge, I've been making sure to add fruits and veggies whenever possible. In the challenge, we earn points for getting enough fruits, veggies, water, and exercise each day. Its great motivation! Lance and I are going to Florida for a beach wedding the second week in March and I definitely want to be ready to look cute in my suit! :o)

Half-marathon training is starting a little bit slow. According to the plan, the official training plan does not begin until the end of the month. But I've been trying to get a little bit of a head-start. Training my body to run 13 miles in the next 5 months is going to be tough, so I need as much of a head start as I can manage. I've been doing 2-3 miles, 3 times per week and am getting my running groove back!

One last thing I'd like to add before sharing a great recipe with you all! Lance and I purchased a humidifier a couple of days ago. Exciting, right?! Haha. Anyway, if you're familiar with Michigan winters, you know it can get very dry around here. Our house has seemed especially dry this winter and Lance and I have both been waking up in the morning with sore throats, dry sinuses, and just overall not feeling like superman and superwoman in the morning. We could totally tell it was from it being so dry in our bedroom. So Lance went out and purchased a humidifier for us and the change is like night and day! Its hard to explain but the air in our room is so comfortable now. I feel like I can breathe so much easier and I wake up feeling much better. You know how sometimes you don't know how icky you were feeling until you feel better? Well, that's what the humidifier has done for us. I recommend it if anyone else is experiencing a similar problem.

And now for an awesome salad recipe I wanted to share with everyone. In an effort to cut calories and take in more fruits and veggies, this salad ROCKS! Its so good and gives you greens, fruit, calcium, and lots of vitamins!

Ingredients:
Organic Baby Spring Mix
Chopped Walnuts
Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
Dried Cranberries
Chopped Apple pieces
Halved purple or green grapes
All-natural Light Raspberry Cabernet Vinagarette Dressing

Directions:
Mix together desired amounts of each ingredient, add dressing, and ENJOY!