My sister and I are more than a little bit obsessed with Powerade sports drinks.

Jen prefers her Powerade fully loaded since her body needs the extra carbohydrates while I reach for Powerade Zero because I do not need the extra calories or carbs. But what we both need is to stay hydrated and when we’ve overdosed on water the Powerade line packs a perfect (fruit-flavored) punch.

The labels indicate there are electrolytes and things like B-12 in these drinks which is a great way to rehydrate after a workout, but truthfully we drink the stuff because of the taste.

In case you were wondering, Jen loves the orange flavor and I’m the president of the Powerade Zero fruit punch fan club.

Now I really must go get us a few refills to keep these Powerade sisters activated.

I saw this image posted on Pinterest and its words made an impact on me. In fact, its message stopped me in my busy tracks and caused me to pause and write.

We talk non-stop about how busy we are at home, at work, after work, after school, all week, and all weekend.

We brag about how busy we are.

We talk about how busy we are like it’s a badge of honor.

Well, quite frankly, I’m getting kind of tired of talking about how busy I am and hearing about how busy you are.

Are you too busy to workout? To grab coffee with a friend? To read a book? To get a good night sleep? To cook a healthy meal? To thank the good Lord for your blessings?

Or are you too busy making excuses?

Join me. Stop glorifying busy.

This weekend we’ll be springing our clocks forward one hour in celebration of daylight saving time.

I don’t know about you but celebrating losing an hour of sleep isn’t my idea of a celebration so I’ve invited Dr. Karen Koffler, Medical Director of Canyon Ranch Miami Beach, to share some simple tips on how to properly adjust to daylight savings time:

“Even though an hour difference seems like a minor change in your daily routine, studies have shown that daylight savings actually increases your risk of having a heart attack. Dr. Koffler recommends going to bed at least one hour earlier – even though it’s Saturday night – and to sleep an hour later, which shouldn’t be a problem for most. Sleep deprivation is not the only factors that comes into play, other serious side effects are low immune system and messing with peripheral clock, which is why you should also stay hydrated and eat a good breakfast.”

Now I really must go spring forward and fall back to sleep.

JUST BECAUSE IT’S GLUTEN FREE DOESN’T MEAN IT’S GOOD FOR YOU!

There.

I typed it out loud.

This is a subject that’s been gnawing at me as I watch, read, and listen to people who appear to be gaga over all things gluten free.

Yes, that gluten free, triple chocolate and caramel cake with cream cheese frosting recipe you posted on Pinterest looks divine. And those new gluten free, zesty barbeque potato chips? They sound wonderful, too. But let’s remember to use our (gluten free) noodles and read the ingredients lists and nutrition facts before we OD on gluten free.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of healthy options out there for those people who simply can’t stomach gluten. I’ll give you a hint, they usually reside around the perimeter of the grocery store and usually contain a few ingredients that you can actually pronounce.

Now I really must go get off my gluten free soap box and hit the gym.

When I am on the hunt for fashion forward active wear for yoga, running, training, travel and exploring the great (in or) outdoors I shop Lucy.com.

In fact, some of my all-time favorite workout gear is from the Lucy line. Why? Because of the quality, style, and fit. I mean, what Fitness & Spice Girl doesn’t love black pants that don’t fade or get stretched out over time? Tank tops that whisk away sweat, hold your iPod, and don’t look like what everyone else is wearing in the gym? And cozy hoodies that help warm you up before and after your workouts? And…well, you get the idea.

If you are in need of new workout clothes, today (November 5th, 2011) is your lucky day. Lucy is turning 12 and is celebrating with a one day 25% off everything in store or online event. So run or bike to a Lucy store near you or hop online at lucy.com (and then go workout) and stock up.

Now I really must go to Lucy’s birthday party…and I’ll buy if I want to.

I’m a cheater.

There. I said it.

I’ve been cheating on Starbucks.

Why in the world would one do that, you ask? Because I discovered another coffee shop in town carries sugar-free chocolate syrup. I’ve been adding this sugar-free syrup to my Americanno order nearly every morning for the last week. I’ll admit it tastes ahhh-mazing but after a little process of elimination I figured out it is the reason my stomach has been a hot mess. And by “hot mess” I mean I’ve been doubled over in pain at times. Not cute.

And to make matters worse, this morning when I went inside the unnamed coffee shop I asked to see the ingredients list and nutrition facts of the delicious sugar-free chocolate syrup. I assumed the label would inform me that through the wonder of chemicals I have been consuming zero calories and zero carbs in my coffee. Um, no. I was wrong on both counts. It turns out the syrup contains 80 calories and over 20 grams of carbs per ounce, which is fine if you enjoy drinking calories, but I don’t unless, of course, it’s a protein shake.

The moral of my story? Assume nothing. Listen to your body. Know the (nutrition) facts. And never, ever cheat on Starbucks.

Now I really must go to Starbucks so I can perk up!

I have long, thick hair that takes just over forever to dry. But don’t take my word for it, just ask my stylist who lovingly jokes that he doesn’t lift shoulders when I have an appointment.

But, I recently, and by recently I mean Saturday, started using a new product by Kenra that has cut my hair drying time in half. Yes, half.

Since I workout 5-6 days a week I am one of those people that wash my hair everyday which means drying it everyday so anything I can do to speed up the process is a Godsend.

Someday I’ll get brave enough to try dry shampoo but until then I am sold on Kenra Blow-Dry Spray. And right now Kenra is making a donation to breast cancer related charities on this and some of their other products so it’s doing good for two causes, my sanity and humanity.

Now I really must go before I blow this entire post with my dry sense of humor.

If you are too busy to make your own 100 calorie packs, you are too busy.

Why should you make your own 100 calorie packs?

A. It’s easy
B. It’s economical
C. It helps with portion control
D. It helps you retrain your brain on what is and what isn’t a reasonable portion size
E. Because I said so
F. All of the above

If you answered “F” you get an “A”.

My favorite DIY 100 calorie packs for on the go AND at home? Almonds, peanut butter, hummus (with a side of veggies), protein powder, protein bars (homemade or pre-packaged just re-packaged a bit), and edamame.

Now I really must go grab a snack pack because just like Staples…that was easy.

Got a target weight?
Got a target pant size?
Got a target bench press?
Got a target race time?
Got a targeted number of veggies to eat today?
Got a targeted number of glasses of water to drink this week?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then go to Target. That’s right. Target stores (all 1700 or so of them) now carry my favorite fitness accessory, fitbook!  Swing by the fitness aisle at Target to check out fitbook, a nutrition and exercise journal and goal setting system. If you answered “no” to all of these questions then go to Target anyway, because who doesn’t love Target?

Now I really must go to the gym so I can…(wait for it)…stay on Target!

What is better than coffee? Coffee ice cream.

What is better than coffee ice cream? 150 CALORIE COFFEE ICE CREAM made with whey protein powder. Yes, yes I am screaming about this ice cream.

Arctic Zero makes pints of ice cream in a variety of flavors (including coffee and chocolate peanut butter, my current obsessions) so you can eat the entire pint for 150 guilt-free, gluten-free, protein-packed calories.

Visit www.myarcticzero.com to check out all their flavors and find out where you can scoop some up in your neck of the woods or visit Amazon.com and have Arctic Zero shipped right to your door.

Now I really must go to the gym and stop on the whey for another pint of coffee.