Put Down the Waffles: Health Resources You’ll Actually Use

There are a lot of special observances in March. I’m not sure exactly who designates some of these celebrations, but there sure are some I can get behind: International Francophonie Day (macarons!), World Sleep Day (I repeat: SLEEP), Sweden’s Waffle Day (extra Vermont maple syrup, please), National Corndog Day (no joke–there are knights jousting with corndogs on this website).

But there have been a few too many of those kinds of observances in my life lately.

I’ve even taken it upon myself to establish and privately celebrate a few additional ones, like Look, There’s Cake in the Office Kitchen! Day and Yay for Girl Scout Cookies in the Pantry! Day. And if I’m being totally honest, those aren’t once-a-year observations. The only conclusion: it’s time to refocus. And guess what? Yep:

There’s a day for that. Thirty-one days, actually, because March is National Nutrition Month.

Luckily, in this technological age there are some great health and fitness resources that make it easy to get back on track when the pound cake, banana creme pie, and potato chips get to be too much. And yes, all of those foods have ‘Days’ in March.

1. MyFitnessPal. There are many beautiful things about MyFitnessPal, most of all its ease of use. This free site and app helps you set and follow your goals. Logging your food and exercise in a diary throughout the day is painless thanks to features such as importing recipes from URLs. Another fantastic aspect of this app is the depth of information available. Rather than tracking calories alone, I keep an eye on my carb/fat/protein breakdown, as well as vitamins, potassium, and others.

   

2. MapMyRun and MapMyWalk. Another benefit of MyFitnessPal is it’s ability to sync with other apps, inlcuding MapMyRun and MapMyWalk. Research shows that planning and setting goals result in lifestyle changes that last, and these apps make it easy to plan a fitness routine that requires nothing but two legs. Whether following a structured program or simply tracking a walk around the neighborhood, monitoring activity and seeing progress is sometimes all the motivation I need.
3. TempoRun. If seeing progress isn’t enough, then a good playlist may save the day. Apps like TempoRun match your music to your pace. Ideal for running, walking, elliptical-ing, or any other activity that benefits from a steady pace, the app automatically categorizes your music from walk all the way up to sprint. Never again will you awkwardly fumble with your music while trying to gracefully saunter.
4. SkinnyTaste.com. This is one of the greatest healthy recipe collections I’ve encountered, for three simple reasons: (a) I’ve never made a recipe from here I didn’t like (and my kids even like some of them, eye-roll), (b) the recipes are easy and generally call for ingredients I have around the house or can find easily, and (c) they use fresh, whole ingredients. Get ready for farm stand season, you’re going to need that produce!
5. Pinterest. I know a lot of people already using Pinterest, but I know many others who aren’t. If you like to cook and value an easy way to store and access recipes, Pinterest is a must. As my free time has decreased and my screen time has increased over the years, my digital recipe collection on Pinterest has replaced my beloved cookbooks. The real selling point for me is the fact that it’s searchable, saving loads of time. Use some hashtags (I like #light) and make searching your own pinned recipes even easier.

   

6. Other moms. I get a lot of ideas and support from other moms who get my hectic lifestyle and the struggle to stay healthy in the midst of it. There’s no better place to start than the Burlington VT Moms Blog Health and Fitness categories.

I’d love for you to find me on Pinterest and join in on the fun!