Dare You To...

Just as important as setting goals is tracking progress.

My 2012 Resolutions were...
Make my bed each morning:CHECK! Easy.Stretch each night before bed: CHECK! I like this. It's one step that tells me, "Okay, it's time to relax and sleep."Eat 6-8 servings of fruits & vegetables daily:.... Half credit?  This started out pretty well, probably through about August or so.  But then life got busy and crazy, and some weeks I got PLENTY of vegetables, but other weeks I did not.  It simply wasn't my focus of attention. 
Sleep 7-9 hours each night: CHECK! Drink water: CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!Run 3 times per week: I'll give myself a CHECK here.  This was going strong up until the past month or so.  Between work and finals and the holidays and the cold, rainy weather, I've not been running 3x/week, although I have gotten at least once a week.Run 600 miles in 2012  DailyMile Challenge: NOT accomplished.  Note, I'm not saying I failed, because I did my best and ca…

Just writing to wish you and your family a warm and happy holiday season.  Whatever you celebrate, make the most of it and spend it with those you love, doing things you enjoy.

I don't have much else to say, so I'll share a few happy holiday posts from others:

     Follow these Christmas Care Instructions from Melissa Joulwan.

     Get your holiday gigglesfrom Courtney.

Jenn shares a scene from the best holiday movie.  SMILE!

So relax! Enjoy! Keep calm and...

Jabbawockeez is a hip-hop dance crew that made it big after winning America's Best Dance Crew's first season.  They're an international sensation, celebrated for their innovative choreography and engaging performances.  Now, not only do they showcase their own talents on video, but they use their knowledge to help get you on your feet, dancing just like them:



Well, maybe not exactly like that, but you get the idea.  So if you're ready to work on your hip-hop skills, Jabbawockeez is coming to a living room near you!


In their"School of Dance" instructional dance and fitness DVD program, the dance team members give step-by-step lessons that create some really impressive dance combinations.  Through learning the moves, you also get lessons in...
(1) Coordination & Balance
(2) Syncopation & Timing
(3) Musicality & Rhythm
(4) Groove
(5) Flow

... all while working up a sweat, of course!



The First DVD, "Top Rocks," really eases you in.  If you…

Whether you're looking to sleep better, energize, lose weight, gain endurance, or build muscle, there are supplements out there that claim they can help.  Maybe you're interested, but don't want to purchase a whole package without knowing whether the product is actually effective.  This is where Bulu Box comes in.
Bulu Box is a subscription service that provides you with a box filled with 4 to 5 nutritional supplements from top brands.  Each month, a new box is delivered with a new variety of vitamins, supplements, sports nutrition, meal replacements, digestion aids, natural remedies, herbs, and beyond.  When the company offered to share a sample box with me, I agreed, always ready to try something (or in this case, many things!) new.  

When the box arrived, it was basically I expected in terms of the sample sizes.  There were a number of items inside, all in a trial size or containing single-package. Just enough to try out the item to see if it meets your needs and helps y…

I'm a little late on this, but I recently stumbled upon the March 2012 edition of TIME FOR KIDS.Intrigued by the cover story ("Sugar Overload!"), I took a look inside.


I was pleased to see health issues taking center stage in an educational children's publication.  The article starts off like this, explaining how sugar is hidden in a lot of foods we might not expect (like sauces and crackers), in addition to those we already know (like candy and soda).  TIME encourages kids to search labels for the many aliases of sugar, consider the amount of sugar in various food products, and maybe think about cutting back.

All good, right?

While I do applaud TIME's effort at helping young people identify added sugar and think about its unhealthy effects in their body, I was sorely disappointed with the article's lack of attention to what IShealthy.  The well-intentioned writer warns students all about the unwanted "Sugar Overload" and displays the shocking amoun…

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all had a joyous holiday with your family and friends, and got some time to ENJOY the long weekend.  I'll give my reminder from last year toThank Your Bodyand all the wonderful, miraculous things it does for you on a daily basis. 

My Thanksgiving was lovely, thank you!  My mother hosted a delicious dinner, and I spent the evening surrounded by family--wouldn't have it any other way. The only thing missing was a dog, if anyone wants to send one my way. ;)  You're surely also wondering what we ate. One thing that there was plenty of: VEGETABLES.


And plenty of leftovers, which I put to good use.


On Thanksgiving morning after watching the parade, my mom and I took a walk around the neighborhood, and let me say: It was gorgeous! What a perfect fall day! The air was crisp and clean, leaves crunched under our feet, and I just barely needed the sweatshirt I'd put on.  Perfection!  I'd forgotten how much I enjoy just spending time outdoors in the…

The Canadian Cancer Society has a message for you: #YouAreLoved.


Step 1: Watch
You Are Loved by Fight for Life features three female cancer survivors, describing their individual battles and encouraging women to speak to their doctors.



Step 2: Listen
Cancer doesn't discriminate anybodyDon't live in fear; enjoy everything! Enjoy as much as you canIf you know something is not right, make sure you talk to your doctors.Allowing people to support you doesn't negate the fact that you are still strong and abled.
Step 3: Start a conversation
Share this video and invaluable message with your loved ones.Take their words to heart, and know that life can change at every corner.Be cautious. Be smart.Early detection is key. Seek a medical opinion if you've got any questions.Don't waste time; do what you want in life, now. Check outFight for Life for more information.

I dare you tostart a conversation with your mothers, aunts, friends, grandmothers, sisters, co-workers, and doctors.  E…

So you ran a race. GREAT!  But are you recovering properly?  Today, our racing season guest writerdares you to take your race recovery seriously.  Don't know how?  Amanda's got you covered:
-----

Do you take race recovery seriously?
I see it all over the place—runners who run a race on the weekend and then are back out there pounding the pavement HARD a couple of days later. While I understand getting caught up in the race high, I also cringe when I see this happen. Why? Because recovery from a race is something we all need to take seriously.
Racing breaks your body down, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Even a short effort—a 5k or 10k, is enough to do some damage. Yes, you didn’t go far, but you did (I assume!) go hard. Respect that your muscles want some downtime.
What I recommend is that, for races up to a 10-miler, you take the week after a race fairly free form. That is, no specific workouts that you must follow. Instead, let your body and mind be your guide. Feel like r…

But actually.


Dental floss. That annoying little string that seems much more inconvenient than it ever actually proves to be.  It's time to get flossing.


If you're perfect and floss daily, feel free to close the browser right now.  But if you're like most of the people I've spoken to, stick around.
I confess, I'm guilty of not flossing nearly as much as I should. I do it when I remember, which is rarely, or when I stumble upon the tiny containers, after the dentist gives me a new one, or when I am reminded of the benefits of flossing.  Now, understand, my teeth have been just fine.  My dentist has yet to comment on my gums or accuse me of not flossing enough.  However, I am no longer taking that to mean I'm in the clear.


Floss isn't just for getting that stubborn piece of food out from between your teeth.  It's a habit that leads to health in other ways. Let's see how:

Dangers:
PlaqueGingivitisGum disease (may trigger inflammation in the body)Tooth d…

Today is a monumental day in America, a day for the history books, a day for national pride, and a day for us in America and abroad to look back on the past year and see what's been accomplished.

I started a blog.

Sure, there's this election thing going on, and we cast our votes for the next American President, but what's REALLY exciting is that one year ago, I started a blog, and have since kept and grown it.  Dare You To... has been in existence for exactly one year. 

Happy "blogiversary" to me!

When I was somehow persuaded to finally create the blog and write my first post, I had no clue how much it would grow, take over my life, and take on a life of it's own.  I've met some amazing people--both online and in person--and learned so much about health, wellness, fitness, blogging, sharing, and the power of community encouragement and support.  Special thanks to my FitFluential family for helping me grow, and thank YOU, my readers, for sticking with my thr…

Good morning!  Hope you're recovering well after the storm and its repercussions.  In case you missed it, last week on the blog we had a Motivational Monday, a (Paleo) Recipe Book Review, and the final post recapping the Live Lean Eat Green Photo Challenge. Be sure to look back on those!

Today in our running series,we've got Erin guest blogging about her experience running, as someone who is NOT a runner!  There was a day when I was not a runner, either, but she and I are both living proof that change is possible.

-----
Hey everyone! My name is Erin and I am a vegetarian blogger over at Girl Gone Veggie. As a fellow FitFluential Ambassador and huge Dare You To fan when Meredith put out the call for guest bloggers to share their running stories I was really excited. I am not what I consider a runner, but lately I have been running and I LOVE it.

For a little bit more background about me, I am 22 years old, a senior in college majoring in marketing, and a year-long vegetarian! I …

Continuing my October Challenge here. See photo batch 1, batch 2, and big batch 3.

October 26: Tell someone why you love them.


27: Eat a vegetable with breakfast.



28: Try to set a new plank PR today!



29: Make cookies with 2 healthy subs.




30: Try a new recipe.


That one was a hurricane-food fail, so tried this instead:

31: Snap a pic of something beautiful! 



This challenge has inspired me to use Instagram more, capturing random accomplishments, moments, inspiration, and beauty.  So follow along!

Looking for your own new recipes? Check these out!

Want to do something similar in November? Try THIS!

What are your typical baking swaps? 
How do you sneak veggies into breakfast?

Have a great weekend!

Earlier this month, I shared WIAW: Making It Paleo, where I told you about the Make It Paleo cookbook by The Food Lovers and showed you some of the recipes I tried out in my kitchen.  The response to the photos that I posted and have been tweeting and Instagramming have been great. People see these meals and think, "That's Paleo? That doesn't look so hard."  

And it's not! It's just delicious.  Now that I've worked my way through many of the recipes, I'm excited to give you a full review. 


The book opens with a foreword by Mark Sisson. That was just about all I needed to see to be convinced that this would be a good book. He's one of my absolute top Primal/Paleo resources. When I have a question, I typically go to his site first; it is such a rich resource for all things health-related from a primal perspective, while still balancing out the "normal" of today's world. I highly recommend you check it out.

SO, the fact that he endorses …