health Archives - Dine and Dish

Cucumber Citrus Infused Water

Kristen — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 16:23:04 +0000

Especially as the summer months come around, staying hydrated is key to a healthy lifestyle. If you are looking for a way to increase your water intake, like me, take a tip from the spas and make up a batch of Cucumber Citrus Infused Water…made especially cute in a jar glass and pitcher from Tuesday Morning.

One of the biggest challenges for me in this whole weight loss / healthier lifestyle journey is water. I’ve never been a big lover of drinking water…I don’t know what it is but I’ve just never been able to consistently be a water drinker. Oh I know how good water is for me and how essential it is if you are wanting to lose weight, but up until recently it just wasn’t something I could consistently remember to do.

I tried setting “drink your water” reminders on my phone to go off during the day (by the way…there’s an app for that!). I tried having giant glasses filled at every possible place I might be in the house – hoping it’d entice me to chug a cup or two down. I’ve tried buying bottled water, sparkling water, filtered water, warm water, ice cold water and none of those things ever really made me want water….

The post Cucumber Citrus Infused Water appeared first on Dine and Dish.

FitBit Giveaway Package

Kristen — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 14:08:45 +0000

I’ve got a fun giveaway for you today!! If you have been at all observant recently, you’ve probably seen every other person you know wearing little colorful bracelets on their arm. No, these aren’t the new “Livestrong Band” replacements… they are FitBit’s! The most recent innovation in health and fitness wearable exercise tracking!

If you aren’t familar with what a FitBit does, it’s a bracelet that can track your daily steps and your overall activity level. It can also monitor your sleep, which I love. When you pair it with the handy FitBit smart phone app, you get a screenshot of your days activity and your sleep snapshot… so you can see exactly why you might be exhausted in the morning. Maybe you thought you were sleeping when really you had an incredibly restless night. It’s a great little device, I tell ya!…

The post FitBit Giveaway Package appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Weight Watchers Tips for the Holidays

Kristen — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 02:38:12 +0000

Weight Watchers tips for keeping healthy habits during the holiday. A special thanks to my friends at Celestial Seasonings for sponsoring this post.

Over the past week since announcing that I’ve joined Weight Watchers, I’ve had several emails of support and also questions from people wondering why I chose Weight Watchers. Obviously, there are so many different options for weight loss support out there… why Weight Watchers?

Well, my answer is easy. I need a program that allows some flexibility when it comes to food. As a food blogger and food photographer, I am around food ALL the time. Good food. Really good food. And I have a hard time with the thought of eliminating certain categories of food or food altogether for shakes and supplements when my job relies on me being able to create, taste and appreciate food. In short, I need to be on a program that teaches me moderation, but doesn’t teach me elimination. I need to learn how to be around food without letting it control me. I need to be the one in control. I definitely need to start developing healthy habits that last a lifetime. It may sound completely cliche, but I know I am beginning a lifestyle change, not dieting….

The post Weight Watchers Tips for the Holidays appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Boost It with Blueberries {Recipe: Secret Ingredient Oatmeal}

Kristen — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 15:30:07 +0000

I thought about going back through my past 6 1/2 years of blog posts to count how many times I brought up the fact that I was trying to lose weight, or struggling with my weight, etc. But then I knew that it would just be “a lot” and decided to go with that. It’s been no secret that I’ve had a constant struggle with the scale since having kids. With each baby, I’d gain weight and would always hold on to 5-10 pounds afterwards. Well, with 4 kids, that 5-10 pounds has definitely added up!

I was thrilled when the folks at the Blueberry Council asked if I wanted to chat with Alison Sweeney, host of one of my favorite reality shows, The Biggest Loser. I have followed Alison since her early years on Days of Our Lives and have watched her have some of the same weight struggles I have. It’s been so neat to see her turn her life around and come full circle into a healthy lifestyle. …

The post Boost It with Blueberries {Recipe: Secret Ingredient Oatmeal} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Sick? What to Do, What to Do?

Kristen — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 02:46:21 +0000

This is the final post of a four part series on health and staying well, sponsored by PediaCare®.

When my kids get sick, they go down hard and fast… there is no easing into it. One day they’re fine, the next they are down for the count.

I’ll admit, I love having my kids home, even when they are sick. It gives us a chance to slow down and chill together for a bit. When my friends at PediaCare® asked me to share what my favorite sick day activities are, I’ll be honest… I take extra advantage of the rest and relaxation and snuggle time. When the sick one isn’t sleeping, reading, playing board games, watching movies and just spending the sick day enjoying not having the normal hustle and bustle of our lives is what we enjoy most. …

The post Sick? What to Do, What to Do? appeared first on Dine and Dish.

5 Ways to Make Staying Healthy Fun

Kristen — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 02:39:35 +0000

I have a skill I think most moms have… I can tell when my kids are coming down with something simply by the way they behave. Things like extra cranky moods, taking a nap in the middle of the day when they don’t normally nap, and coming around for extra snuggles are sure fire signs to me that one of my kiddos doesn’t feel well. Kids like to be happy and are supposed to be happy… and when they are healthy they are happy!

The folks at Pediacare recently asked me to share some tips on how we make staying healthy fun around our house. As I type this, I have two sick kids at home with me, so… well, I’m no expert, but I do know that if we want our kids to be healthy, we’ve got to make being healthy fun….

The post 5 Ways to Make Staying Healthy Fun appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Real Talk: Health and Red Faced Running

Kristen — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:33:39 +0000

A feeling of pure happiness washes over me every time I see the photo above. Then, at some point, that happiness turns to disappointment and shame.

You see, that was probably one of the happiest “regular” days of my life. My husband and I were in Park City, Utah on a little getaway. I was feeling healthy because I had made exercise a priority in my life. I was feeling beautiful… thin, healthy, and in shape. I had a confidence that I hadn’t had in a very long time.

Nick and I went on a 20+ mile hike through the mountains and enjoyed every moment of it. It was an amazing day….

The post Real Talk: Health and Red Faced Running appeared first on Dine and Dish.

A Happy and Healthy New Year

Kristen — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:53:39 +0000

The promise of a new dog was under the Christmas tree… something my kids have been begging for for years. My kids came downstairs on Christmas morning and their response to the news of our new family member was underwhelming. It was then, combined with the fact that it was the first Christmas in which the sun has been up before my kids, that I knew something was wrong.

Sure enough, one by one, hour by hour, they were going down… fevers spiked, coughs filled the air, naps were taken instead of playing with the new Christmas presents. We were hit and hit hard with Influenza A. By the 26th and a full day of doctors office visits, we had cancelled our plans to spend a week in Texas visiting my parents, and instead prepared for an isolated, hermit style Christmas break with PJ’s, movies and board games.

…

The post A Happy and Healthy New Year appeared first on Dine and Dish.