Happy Friday!!! It is time for the weekend and I am ready for a relaxing one, that’s for sure! We don’t have too much going on, which is awesome. We do have a date tomorrow night to go to Old Major, a cool restaurant in Denver. Donny has been, but this will be my first time! I’ll let you know what I think.
Time for Anything & Everything Friday, my weekly post where I share five random topics with you! I try to keep them health related, but sometimes I like talking about other things, like my upcoming vacation to Oregon! Let’s get started right away… here’s Anything & Everything Friday.
Kevin:
Tomorrow is the 6-month anniversary of getting Kevin back after his week-long-escapade around our neighborhood! He is doing awesome and is, slowly but surely, opening up to Donny as well. Once Kevin opens up, he is so cuddly, energetic and has a ton of personality. I cannot wait until the day when he can be himself around other people without being terrified! The picture above is Kevin playing with a toy from this month’s BarkBox. It is a taco chew toy that is hilarious! The dogs run around with that stupid thing in their mouths and I just die laughing. It looks so cute!
No-Sugar Snacks:
I am a firm believer that limiting the amount of added sugar in the diet can help maintain or even lose weight. From personal experience, the more sugar I consume the more I crave sugar! You might be surprised to see what non-sweet foods have added sugars. For example, ketchup, peanut butter, marinara and canned soups all have added sugars, even though they are savory foods! What? I read food labels and look to see where sugar is on the ingredient list. The lower it is on the list of ingredients the better.
Well there is no need to read nutrition labels with these foods. Audrey Bruno at Self.com has compiled a list of 10 Snacks With No Added Sugar That You Can Buy At The Supermarket. I am intrigued by the lupine beans (I’ve never heard of these) and also the beet chips. I am on a beet-kick, ya know! Out of this list, I have tried the SkinnyPop Popcorn, Epic beef bars (just a sample of one) and Justin’s Almond Butter. All three are awesome, so I bet the rest of the list is great too. What are your favorite no-added-sugar snacks?
Cameron Diaz & Water:
If you follow my Day in the Life: Mel’s Meals posts, then you know that I drink an entire liter of water first thing in the morning. I think it helps wake me up, kick-starts my metabolism and gives me energy first thing. If my advice is not enough for you, then maybe Cameron Diaz’s rockin’ bod will convince you! I was SO excited when this article came across my email. Korine Miller wrote this article for Self.com Cameron Diaz Chugs A Liter of Water When She Wakes Up — Should You Too? Obviously after sleeping for 6+ hours (I hope you get that much) you will wake up dehydrated, because your body uses water stored in your body while you sleep. Replenishing that water supply first thing helps you throughout the entire day. Do you drink water first thing when you wake up? How much?
Portland, Oregon:
My cousin is getting married Labor Day weekend in Eugene, OR. I am really excited to go see him and the whole family, plus be there to watch him get married! He and his fiancé picked their wedding date over a year ago, so Donny & I decided last year to make a big trip out of it and go to Portland, OR after the wedding. Portland has been on my vacation bucket list for a while now and I cannot believe it is already here.
Donny & I fly to Portland next Friday and will drive to Eugene that night. The wedding is Saturday afternoon, so we’ll hang out in Eugene during the day (pedicures maybe) before getting ready. We will stay the night in Eugene, but head out early the next day. Donny has some friends (that happen to be customers at work too) and we are going to meet up with them a couple times. Portland, OR has become such a food city and such a beer city that I cannot wait to eat and drink my way through it! Coffee, food trucks, nice restaurants, beers…. I mean, come on! I’ve been doing a little research, but I trust Donny’s friend Dante to really steer us in the right direction when it comes to food and beverages. Ramen is definitely on the list and also hitting up a couple food trucks. Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in Portland?
Exercise on Vacation:
Depending on the length of trip, I like to get some exercise in while I vacation. Some people are against it, some are for it. I love walking around a city and getting lots of steps in, but I also like to slip in a weight training session once or twice too. If it is a weekend getaway, then I forego the exercise. If it is a weeklong trip (like our road trip to Florida) I like to find some way to get a workout in. I recently bought some pull-up assist bands to help me with my goal of mastering a full pull-up!
While I was at it, I also ordered these smaller resistance loop bands. I figured I would use these at the gym when I workout on my own. So I was extremely pleased when this article from Greatist,com came across my email! Mini Resistance Band Moves That Make It Easy To Work Out On Vacation was put together by Molly Ritterbeck and it is perfect to take to Portland! These bands are really small and came in a small mesh, drawstring bag that I can easily throw in my suitcase without it taking up space. Plus, I feel like some of these moves are great to add to my regular workout routine at the gym to mix things up a bit! Do you exercise on vacation?
Well that is all for Anything & Everything Friday. Have a great weekend! Eat healthy when you can, exercise when you have time, but more importantly, play as much as you can!
