The Best Foods for Women in their 20s

I found this article on Women's Health and I learned a lot from it. Your 20s are a crucial time to take care of your body for the long term.

Your nutritional needs depend on your age. We outline the foods you should eat in your 20s to help you look and feel your best!

By Phillip Rhodes; Additional Reporting by Elizabeth Callahan

Calcium (and Vitamin D) for Bone-Building

The Problem: This is your last chance to strengthen your skeleton. When you hit 30, you're pretty much stuck with what you've got.
The Fix: Drink two eight-ounce glasses of vitamin D-fortified, low-fat milk every day. You'll get 581 milligrams of calcium and five micrograms of vitamin D, the perfect nutrient combo to develop break-resistant bones.
Broccoli also deserves a place on your menu. It contains a respectable 43 milligrams of calcium per cup and is also home to magnesium, vitamin K, and phosphorus, all of which, research shows, play a major role in keeping you upright from here to Social Security.
Find naked broccoli unbearably boring? Top it with a nearly decadent layer of melted low-fat cheddar for the ultimate bone-friendly side dish, says ADA spokesperson Kerry Neville, R.D.

Microwave Meals for the Time-Cruncher

The Problem: Between jobs, boyfriends, working out, and trying to keep some measure of a social life, who has time to eat, let alone eat healthily?
The Fix: Choose microwave-friendly meals that have the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and veggies in one package (we like Kashi's Sweet and Sour Chicken).
In general, look for these qualifications when choosing a frozen feast: 450 milligrams or less of sodium and no more than three grams of total and one gram of saturated fat per 100 calories, says Constance Brown-Riggs, R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
Bonus: Harvard scientists found that every one-serving increase in daily vegetable intake decreases your risk of heart disease by 4 percent.

Beef for Sports Injuries

Whether it's because you're bombing down black diamonds or entering too many charity 5-Ks, you are seven times as likely to tear an ACL as a man in the same age group.
The Fix: Beef. It's the perfect muscle food because it's packed with protein and creatine—both build muscle, which basically acts like bubble wrap around tendons and joints.
Try this ligament-loving Tex-Mex salad recipe: Brown a quarter pound of extra-lean ground beef over medium heat. As it cooks, sprinkle it with black pepper, two teaspoons of chili powder, and a couple dashes of hot sauce. Place the cooked beef, one diced tomato, and two tablespoons of low-fat cheese over a bed of lettuce and top with salsa.

Flaxseed for Undetected Depression

The Problem: A Red Bull may boost your mood temporarily, but it won't improve your long-term outlook.
The Fix: Eat a tablespoon of ground flaxseed every day.
It's the best source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a fatty acid that researchers say improves the operation of the cerebral cortex. That's the area of the brain that processes sensory information, including pleasure signals.
To meet your quota, sprinkle it on salads, vegetables, and cereal, or mix it into a smoothie or a shake. You can find ground flaxseed in the health-food section of your grocery store.

No Excuses

I have been watching the Biggest Loser this season and it is so inspirational. I love watching the contestants transform from the inside out. Many people do not realize how much obesity can affect you mentally. The contestants have truly seen what they have been made of and pushed themselves to achieve so much.

This season has been the season of "No Excuses". The trainers use this a lot to keep the contestants motivated. I love it and I thought I would reflect on what this means to me.

There are so many things that each of us deal with every day. There's work, trying to stay in touch with friends and family, daily chores like cleaning and cooking, school, studying, errands to run, animals to take care, etc. You get the idea. On top of this, we try and lead healthy lives by working out and eating well. It can be a hard thing to balance no doubt.

However, it is all about how you think about it and how you manage your time. A quote that I love is, "There is someone busier than you that found time to workout today". I know that seems kind of harsh but it's true and I think it really connects with the idea of no excuses. You will make time for what you want to make time for.

Here is my advice: get organized and make a schedule. Something I do is plan my workouts out for the next week. So usually on Sundays I will sit down and schedule out my week of workouts. This helps me stay on track and saves me time throughout the week so I don't have to think of a workout. I know what to expect so I can prepare for it.

This is also a great idea for your nutrition. Before I moved to California, I would plan all my meals out for the week as well along with my workouts on a note card. That way all I had to do was look at it and I would know what the plan was for that day. It took away from having to think and decide. I had already done this so I just had to go with the plan. I want to start doing this again because I found it really worked for me.

There are 24 hours in a day. That's a lot of time and if you really sit down and think about it, I know you can schedule in at least 30 minutes of exercise no matter how busy you are. On the Biggest Loser, they had Michelle Obama come in and do an exercise with them. She also talked about how important exercise and nutrition is and how she makes time for it every day. Do you think you're busier than the First Lady? Probably not. What excuse do you have to not lead a healthy lifestyle?

I have to admit that since I have moved, I have sub-consciously been making excuses. I am living with a woman who cooks a lot of Mexican food and it's usually not too healthy. At first, I didn't think I had much control over this so I was kind of like "oh well". But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that no matter what my "Mexican Mama" cooks, I still have control over how much I eat of it and I can try and make it healthier.

In conclusion, no matter how busy you may be, don't make excuses to skip out on exercise that your body needs and make healthy food choices. There will be days when you won't exercise and there will be times that you indulge in desert. It's not expected that you workout every single day and have no slip ups from time to time. Just be mindful and conscious and make an effort to lead a healthy lifestyle. There is really no excuse not to and your body will love you for it :)

How to get in a better mood

I really liked this article so I thought I would share :)

Get in a Better Mood...now!!

You're in a lousy mood and want to feel better fast. What you need is a happiness fix—right now! Try one of these spirit-boosting tips to jump-start joy in 5 minutes or less.
1. Start a blog. Like journaling, it gives you an outlet for your feelings. “But it may be even better for triggering happiness because people can leave you positive comments,” says Caroline Adams Miller, coauthor of Creating Your Best Life. Begin one at Blogger.com.
2. Make up a ridiculous story. If someone is fueling your sour mood, create a goofy character in your head based on that person. “Imagine an outrageous comic calamity befalling him,” says Amy Riley, a life balance consultant for Tiara Coaching in Chicago. You’ll get a good chuckle out of it.
3. Put yourself in the movies. Think of your favorite film scene, one that makes you feel great every time you see it—like Bridget Jones kissing Mark Darcy in the snow. Now picture yourself as the main character. “Embracing that moment triggers optimism,” says John Ryder, PhD, author of Positive Directions.
4. Soak up the sun. Go outside or stand beside a bright window and bask in the warming rays for a few minutes. Sunlight ups the level of vitamin D in your body, which in turn keeps serotonin (a feel-good hormone) high, explains Mehmet Oz, MD, coauthor of You: Being Beautiful.
5. Touch your toes. “It opens up your hip joints, which is where most people store tension,” says Dr. Oz. Hold the position for a minute, then slowly roll up. As you lift, so will your mood.
6. Take it all in. “Little things in life that inspire joy are often subtle and don’t always grab your attention,” says Barbara Fredrickson, PhD, author of Positivity. So be on the lookout for small wonders: butterflies in your garden, an amazingly bright full moon.
7. Turn on the tunes. Listen to your favorite upbeat song and you’ll be happier in seconds. “Music has a powerful influence over state of mind,” says Alice Domar, PhD, director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health in Waltham, Massachusetts. That’s because music—especially songs that make you boogie—activates the part of our brain that’s hardwired for pleasure.
8. Show off your moves. Speaking of boogying, that’s another quick way to break into a smile. Got two left feet? It doesn’t matter. “Any form of movement will release endorphins and elevate your mood,” explains Dr. Domar. So while you’re listening to that favorite song, get up and dance.
9. Put photos on the fridge. We look at our refrigerator about 27 times a day, so make the most of it. “Research shows that the happiest people have many joyful family photos displayed in their homes,” says Adams Miller.
10. Get plant-happy. Deadhead the spent flowers on your gardenia or buy a bunch of tulips at the market. Studies show that being around foliage or colorful blooms relieves stress, soothes sadness and increases calmness.
11. Create a new code. Change one of your passwords (e-mail, voice mail, ATM) to a word that primes you to think in an optimistic way—the name of your much-loved pet, the funny nickname you call your husband, or even the word love.
12. Break out of the box. Do one small thing that’s new and unexpected. Put a temporary tattoo on your ankle. Top off your morning coffee with some whipped cream. “Novelty makes people feel good,” says Adams Miller.
13. Mark your calendar. Make a note of an upcoming event that you’re looking forward to—a weekend getaway with your best friend, an outdoor concert with your husband. The sheer anticipation you feel every time you see it penciled in is almost as good as the special event itself.
14. Be generous. A recent study found that when people spent as little as $5 on others, they reported greater feelings of joy. Shopping at the grocery store? Pick up a few staples for your neighbor. Just bought a cup of coffee? Give the barista an extra $5 to pay for the customer behind you.
15. Turn the negative positive. List five to 10 things that went wrong today, then read them out loud, says Riley. It may sound counterintuitive but it works: When you hear all of it together—you dropped your morning bagel on the floor, noticed a new gray hair, discovered that your teen used the last of the shampoo—you’ll see how minor it all is. And a little perspective goes a long way.
16. Send out good vibes. “Text three friends and tell each of them one thing you like about her,” says Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, author of The How of Happiness. Your kind words will make them (and you) feel terrific.
17. Lend a hand. Call a local nursing home, shelter, church or charitable organization and ask how you can help. Those few minutes on the phone are all it takes to kick your spirits into high gear. Knowing that you’ll soon be helping others—and then following through—makes you feel good about yourself, says Susan Ouellette, a health care educator in Baltimore, Maryland.
18. Think of the good stuff. Spend a couple of minutes reflecting on your accomplishments over the past five, 10, 15 years, recommends Dan Baker, PhD, author of What Happy Women Know. Maybe you’re a more skilled cook now than you were then, or perhaps you have developed a lifelong hobby into a successful part-time business. Recognizing and acknowledging your growth will provide an immediate sense of gratification. You’ll be cheered instantly.