Lebenslustiger.com (Entries tagged as fitness)

My Muffin

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:57:00 +0000

I work out regularly.

Ohhkeeey - after summer break I need to work my way back into it again...

Sometimes - very rarely though - I manage a few disciplined days in a row with limited food intake and if I am lucky, I even loose a tiny bit weight.

It shows right away.

In my face.

More wrinkles.

The area I actually want to reduce and which stays completely unimpressed by all my efforts is my belly.

My Muffin.

This big, soft area which drapes so nicely over a low waist jeans.

Do you know, what I'm talking about?

[update: I removed the link to her blog because of this. I don't want to support a blog like that with sending traffic it's way...

Well - there is for sure one person who doesn't know what I'm talking about and that is Joanna.

She seems a really nice person in fantastic shape after having three children.

~~Here~~ you can no longer read how she does that.

After a plate with scampis and baguette Joanna is so full and satisfied that there wouldn't even fit in a bit of ice-cream. And right in the middle of having a delicious piece of cake her disciplined little stomach signals her: Oh - STOP - I have ENOUGH!

]

I'm in awe - and of course jealous - because MY body would NEVER do that...

But envy doesn't melt belly fat either, I realize...

So, maybe this video shows the way to deal with the matter but I think I lack the amount of self-confidence it would need to take on that way...

...

And then my adorable and lovely daughter showed me the solution while cuddling in bed at night time the other day: "I love to rest my head on your pretty Mommy-Muffin!", she said.

Sometimes all you have to do is just changing the perspective and see a "problem" from a different kind of angle, accept a nice compliment, listen more to your wonderful kids and all of the sudden it's - well, not exactly gone - but a LOT better.

Enjoy your food - ALWAYS

XOXO, Anette

Favorite Places

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:15:00 +0000

I just arrived in California a few days ago. So lovely - I missed it a lot! If you would like to get up-dates it would be wonderful to connect via twitter and Instagram!

Meanwhile here is a re-post from last summer:

Back to my old home town Santa Barbara for a few weeks.

Well, what's new?

Not to much - i guess, and that's a good thing...the wonderful sun, the beautiful beaches, the ice-cold ocean, relaxed easy living...

Let's take a look then at some of my favorite places around town over the next weeks.

Are you ready for some more fruit and vegetable pics? Because I'll start with my deeply beloved farmers market!

Santa Barbara and it's neighbor cities Goleta and Montecito put on a farmers market in different locations on each day of the week!

Fantastic - I have been so grateful for it all those years we lived in Santa Barbara and basically never missed my 'market days'.

I have always been treated to the most wonderful, sun-kissed produce.

It's all fresh, local and mostly organic. If you are a regular at the market you get to personally know many of the farmers, which makes your shopping an even more fun event.

Some of my favorites at this favorite place are:

Hmmm - I"m off to lunch now...

XOXO, Anette

Healthy resolution: CHEWING

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:16:00 +0000

Healthier eating - a popular New Year resolution!

I have been checking out various forms of healthy eating basically since teenage times: wholefood, vegetarian, vegan, raw...organic anyway.

Here is my personal take: "You are what you eat"

YES - that's right - ALMOST!

Actually it should read: "You are what you eat, digest, absorb, breathe, think and move."

You can fill yourself up with the most super fresh, healthy ingredients available - only they ALONE most likely won't make you an instantly healthy, vibrant happy camper.

One of the key points are good digestion and proper absorption of nutrients beginning in your mouth.

Chew, chew, CHEW - 30-40x every bite...UFF...

Sure you heard about it before, but it's so easy to forget - especially by impatient personalities like myself.

Though I LOVE food and eating I want it to go quickly; chop CHOP; sometimes eating standing up at the counter or munching in the car; already thinking about something else I need or want to do next...

Does that sound familiar to you?

So I came up with a trick to lure me into chewing: crunchiness ( I HAVE to post the Wikipedia explanation here, because it's so hilarious: Crunchiness is the gustatory sensation of muffled grinding of a foodstuff. Crunchiness differs from crispness in that a crisp item is quickly atomized, while a crunchy one offers sustained, granular resistance to jawaction. While crispness is difficult to maintain, crunchiness is difficult to overcome.)

My favorite crunch to overcome:

slightly roasted

wonderfully fragrant

sunflower seeds!

Nothing added - nothing fancy, super healthy and really inexpensive but OH so delicious!

On top of salad, vegetables, soups, mashed potatoes, casseroles...

What are your (eating) tricks?

More tricks to ward off a cold

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:06:00 +0000

So - Chili is great. We already talked about that.

What else could you do to keep your body strong and fit in winter time?

One of my all time favorites are ripe fruits.

They contain a load of many different vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and phytonutrients to give your precious temple just that extra boost you need now.

Plus you stock up on plenty of enzymes which will assist you in digesting your way thru the holiday season...

Fruits and even tropical fruits are now available around the year in supermarkets, but it's important to get them in excellent quality - if possible from organic farming - and RIPE, because only then their good stuff will be bio-available to your cells. And if you are looking for something different than pineapple or mango then you have to go with a specialty shop that carries also fruits from Asia. MELISSA's ships right to your home and subscriptions are available. Also makes for a great, healthy last -minute christmas present...

What else?

Just the perfect amount of a bit of movement...

A long and detoxing bath with a good mineral salt. Don't forget to skin brush during the bath...

Afterwards a relaxing time at the fireplace with warm socks, a cozy blankie and a cape...

TEA TEA TEA - very important...

And PLENTY of sleep - haha - I know, it´s easy to give advice, it´s much harder to walk the talk.

What's your secret cold fighting agent?

Happy Day,

Anette

Cold and flu fighting chili elexir

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:41:26 +0000

I am grateful - we have been blessed with great health this year.

Even the start of the colder winterish season didn't bring a cold so far.

So - when I found these beautiful chili varieties at the farmers market last week...

... it made me think of a magic immune-boosting cold and flu fighting elixir I once heard about.

I definitely will give it a try to support my body further against winter's nasty flu and cold bugs.

Chilis contain next to many vitamins and minerals CAPSAICIN and this makes

those little hotties from natures powerhouse extra effective.

It stimulates the metabolism, cleanses the respiratory tract and speeds

up blood circulation. Due to it's heat producing properties it is also used for pain relief.

Here comes the recipe for this all natural elixir:

2 cups Water
2 or more slices of chili
6-10 or more thicker slices of ginger
juice of 1 lemon
optional:
3 garlic gloves
half an onion
8-10 sprigs of thyme

Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the chosen ingredients.

Let infuse for 10 min or more, strain, add some honey to taste, STAY OR GET WELL and ENJOY!!!

Oh - I also love them as a spicy Christmas decoration...

Boßelcaching

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:47:00 +0000

What on earth is THAT???

It's the word marriage of two activities i recently tried out.

Boßeln and Geocaching.

'Boßeln' is like Bowling...

Without a roof over your head

Without the finger holes in the heavy ball

Without pins to knock over

Without a place to order food or drinks - so, you bring your own

Without rules whatsoever ( at least, in our case...)

BUT

With a lot of FUN!

And for Geocaching - I'm sure, you have heard about it but maybe haven't tried it yet like me - it's the 21st century version of outdoor treasure hunting using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.You will be amazed, because most likely there will be several caches hidden right in your neighborhood and everywhere else in the world. YES, even in my remote countryside!

Really fun - especially for " I hate walking" kids of all ages... Some caches can be tricky to find...pen, paper and creative thinking are good things to bring on this kind of adventure and reading the 'hint' might come in handy as well...

As life itself - it's the process that counts...

So, do yourself and your Neuropathways a favor and say: YES! to unfamiliar and unusual situations. Embrace life!

There are so many colorful little and big adventures life offers without needing to be hurtful to you, yours or your budget.

Once in a while or why not every day? - leave the same old pathways in your brain and, for example, literally just take a new route on your way to places.

I always discover or notice a little treasure if i take a different route: could be a special tree or someone's well decorated entrance, a fun looking new shop on a corner or the friendly old lady smiling at her dog...

If you love words then don't be shy and let social media become your playground. Become a fan of authors, artists, organizations, businesses or public persons you are interested in - send a message or leave a wall post with your praise, blame or burning question and in no time you can have an exhilarating, blossoming conversation with fun people who are generally hard to get a hold of in non virtual life.

GIVE IT A TRY!

Yogatta do some swimming

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:58:06 +0000

Oh have i been longing to go to a great yoga class for more than a year now!

Since we moved to a remote little country village in northern Germany, my yoga class mates are:

- a mat

- one to three cats watching me and this mat

- music

That's it!

So, for the time I'm visiting Santa Barbara, I try to escape to a yoga class in my favorite studio as often as possible to spark and renew my motivation and to seek fun ideas and inspirations for my home practice.

Well - big surprise!

While I was gone, many yoga teachers in this town have miraculously changed into swim teachers these days.

(For following this article it's important that you keep in mind that I did NOT attended a single Bikram yoga class while visiting Santa Barbara and that you remember, it's August in Southern California while I'm writing this...)

The teacher heats the room to a sauna-like temperature, takes great care that all windows and doors are securely shut and starts guiding- already breathless- yogis through 50+ Chaturangas on their slippery mats who try to keep up while diving through puddles and lakes built of their own SWEAT.

I do understand, that it might be beneficial to release toxins with the sweat and experience a "deeper" practice with those already half cooked muscles BUT is that REALLY fun???

I NEED AIR!

I need FRESH air! Yoga is about LIBERATION!

Let's go to the beach - AHHHH - what a wonderful, refreshing and FREE feeling...

Sometimes you have to take a BIG jump and free yourself from what everybody else is doing and thinking.

Find YOUR 'mojo' and restore your inner freedom.

Locally grown

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:28:21 +0000

Hawai'i is the newest of the 50 US states (since 1959) and just like in big Mama country, one can find burgers and fries on every - o.k. friends - second corner.

That fact generates an interesting question : WHAT to eat then???

Easy answer: Raw foods!!!

Next to famous Ahi 'Poke' - raw tuna marinated with soy sauce, spices, onions or seaweed - and shops who cater to the ambitious raw food enthusiasts with raw pizza, crackers and more good stuff like this raw coconut lime cake,

i personally think, delicious fresh fruit is THE way to go on the islands!

Fruit in tropical abundance - locally grown pineapples ( Hawai'i is also known as the 'Pineapple-State'),

locally grown Mangoes (growing on REALLY tall, big trees),

and - my favorite - locally grown Papayas (extremely enzyme rich),

as well as locally grown lilikoi,

starfruit,

bananas,

coconut.....

just to name a very few.....

Did you actually know, that the black Papaya seeds are edible?

Their look not only reminds of black Peppercorns - their taste does too!

You could actually dry and grind them for a Pepper replacement. Here on the islands, they like to make a really tasty papaya-seed-salad-dressing.

I just love to eat a few of them along with the golden, soft - oh so yummy - flesh right out of the skin. HMMMM......

Food is ready.....

On a happy day....

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:46:20 +0000

....school is out for summer!!!

Ahhh, good bye alarm clock, good bye sleepy eyes, good bye packing school lunch, good bye catching the bus, good bye.....

AND

Welcome all you unknown sunny secrets!

Welcome time for lot's of family activities, welcome time for good new books, music and yummy food, welcome balance between relaxation and adventure.

What will be behind summer's petals???

Well, let's stay in touch - because next week lebenslustiger.com will take you to one of the most fabulous places on earth! All i'm saying now is - and that's no secret anymore -

I LOVE SUMMER!

Have a great summertime, everybody....

More barefoot stuff - the beginning

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It's hard to start.... cold, cold asphalt - stones hurting feet. The six bare-footers did not see that coming on their hike through the HARZ national park....Hiking barefoot, exploring nature with all senses - they had hoped for mud and moss!

"Feel civilization - feel the way man made his paths" says Herman Martens, biologist of the national park. It's all about feeling and sensing your surroundings." Feel the earth under the soles of your feet. Feel, how your toes are pushing the grass blades out of the way, how your skin is getting rosier and starts to prickle." Bare feet slide through shallow puddles, jump into icy-cold streams, dancing joyfully and happy through the mud. Berry thorns poke, roots and twigs push, blueberry bushes scratch.... But then.... finally.... soft, moist, oh so comforting moss - gently soothing this exhilarating adventure.

Barefoot hikes, barefoot trails, barefoot parks are sprouting everywhere. You see people running , getting their groceries or eating out bare feet.

It is an phenomenon of our have-everything society. Only after the experience of all the comfort of a protecting, warm shoe is taken for granted one can decide to liberate oneself of it.

Look here for more inspiration on the topic

www.barfusspark-egestorf.de

www.natural-running.com

vibrams five fingers

nike free 3.0

This text got its inspiration from the HAZ

Barefoot running

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Speaking of shoes...

Last fall i got introduced to running WITHOUT shoes. Yes, not that i wasn't aware of the concept of being barefoot. I love it. On sunny days, in sunny California, on sunny beaches.....nothing worse then being stuck with shoes in this kind of environment. But last fall, that was in icy cold Germany, beginning of November, just a tiny bit above 0 degrees!

I was really worried my toes would go numb and fall off or i would end up with pneumonia or at least a cold i would carry with me into the new year or other horrifying scenarios BUT instead got the gift of being able to run as free and liberated and as far as never before with beautiful rosy, warm feet and toes! I could not believe, that there would be such a difference in the running experience. I mean, if i pick up my old runners i would say they weigh as much as almost

nothing. Well, i can't explain it to you scientifically, all i can say : 'It is a great feeling' - you might want to try it yourself. Most fun is to run on soft terrain like grass, forrests, shoreline - basically same as running with shoes, or do you really like running on asphalt? And with springtime around you don't have to even share my worries.......

If you feel like wanting a bit more protection, for example in a Forrest,check out VIBRAMS FIVE FINGERS, another great company with a fun product!

ENJOY