Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder with These Tips
It's that time of the year... weather getting colder, nights getting longer, and energy levels dropping.
If you notice your overall mood, energy, and motivation changing with the season, you may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. For most, symptoms of SAD begin in the fall and continue on through the winter months. Less commonly, some find that their symptoms show up during the spring and summertime.
Symptoms of SAD include
- Feeling listless, sad, or down most of the day, nearly every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Having low energy and feeling sluggish
- Having problems with sleeping too much
- Experiencing carbohydrate cravings, overeating, and weight gain
- Having difficulty concentrating
- ...
5 Sweet and Savory Summer Recipes
Try these sweet and savory recipes that are perfect for summer! All of the recipes below have macros listed, as well as tips for preparing. Feel free to swap ingredients as you see fit, but be sure to log the ingredients into your macro tracking app so you know the new macro count. Tag @okonfitness on Instagram with your favorite recipe!
Dessert Fruit Pizza/Bars
Macros per bar (makes 12 bars): 5F, 36C, 9P
Tips to prepare: Preheat Oven 350°. Grease pan (10-inch pan is ideal) can be any shape to do pizza or bars. To make the crust, in a large bowl, combine oats, oat flour, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt together. Add honey and coconut oil into the mix until all ingredients are stuck together. Press mixture down firmly on the pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then allow time to cool.
While the crust is cooling, make the protein cream filling. In a mixing bowl combine yogurt, honey, and vanilla protein powder. Once the crust is cooled, spread cream topping across the cooked...
VIP Client Spotlight: Biggest Loser & Go-Getter, Valerie
Who is Valerie?
Mom. Sister. Daughter. Friend. Full-Time Finance Consultant. Side Hustlin' VIPKid English Teacher. I was born and raised in Minnesota. I attended the Univ. of Minnesota for a year and then enlisted on Active Duty in the Army as a Combat Medic; later attending the United States Military Academy at West Point and Commissioning as a Logistics Officer. I spent the last ten years all over the place traveling due to the Army. Since retiring from the Army I'm a full-time Finance Consultant by day and a VIPKid Teacher in the early mornings and evenings. I'm a chronic/genetic disease warrior with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome among other co-morbid conditions which have led to multiple joint surgeries and hardware over the years; I love to shed light and perspective on invisible illnesses and help people realize our biggest limitations really do lie within our own minds. I'm a single momma of a sweet and sassy two-year-old girl and have two dogs who are also 2, Luna, a Great Dane...
Top 7 Movements for a Stronger Core & Visible Abs
Get a Stronger Core and Reveal Your Hidden Six Pack
And steps to see your abs ...
Whether summer is around the corner, you are ready to rock that bikini on vacation or you just want to see those mystical abs!
GOOD NEWS: WE ALL HAVE ABS! AND YOU/LL EVEN BE ABLE TO SEE THEM.. FOR SOME AS SOON AS 3 MONTHS!
UNPOPULAR NEWS: IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY TO SEE THEM + THERE ARE MULTIPLE STEPS TO GET THERE!
Okay, I’m done yelling but got my point across.
One of the biggest goals Okon clients set out to accomplish is to see their abs, which is a pretty common end goal!
For many losing belly fat seems like a longgggg road, but what's more important is how dangerous stored body fat that surrounds the internal organs is. Excess fat makes it more difficult for organs to function properly.
This fat is also known as visceral fat, this type of fat circulates throughout your bloodstream which puts you at risk for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease!
But back to...
Top 5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Optimize Your Immune System
Immune System 101
The immune system is an intricate network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together as your body's natural defense system. It gets a lot of attention during the winter months (aka cold and flu season), but it is working year-round to protect you from a flu/virus or an infection that could happen at any time.
According to WebMD, "A healthy immune system protects us by first creating a barrier that stops those invaders, or antigens, from entering the body. And if one slips by the barrier, the immune system produces white blood cells and other chemicals and proteins that attack and destroy these foreign substances. They try to find the antigen and get rid of it before it can reproduce. Failing that, the immune system revs up, even more, to destroy the invaders as they multiply."
If you are somebody who tends to get sick the second someone around you coughs, maybe you need to think about strengthening your immune system. Below are five of the most...
How To: Use your FITMAS Calorie Surplus to Your Benefit -- Holiday Gains the Right Way!
The Holiday Season -- Filled with Joy & Cheer, a time to celebrate when loved ones are near!
...as well as the dreaded holiday weight gain...
Tis’ the season, to eat all the treats, cheese & meats, a real Holiday Feast... The time of year that we aren't seeing our fitness goals clear, even with the coming New Year!
It is the season of indulgence and we merrily enjoy the festive fulfillment of stuffing ourselves into a ham, potato, pecan pie coma concluding the end of this year in true American culture -- tis the season to binge eat!
But for those of us who want to make it out of the holiday season without gaining the dreaded holiday weight, here are some tips to stay fit.
Tip 1: Eat in moderation & Enjoy time with loved ones
Christmas Dinner— the biggest concern over the holidays for almost everyone! You should partake in your holiday festivities and that INCLUDES FOOD! You get to have your dinner (try to have some control) your...
Should I do cardio before or after weight training?
A question many ask is this: I like to get cardio out of the way or I enjoy cardio, so can I do cardio first? The answer depends on your goals.
Aerobic vs Anaerobic
I know we are starting off with some big words!
Some of the questions you may have asked in the past is “why can’t I do cardio before my workout and get it out of the way?” Or you may also wonder why HIIT is recommended for you to do instead of just a plain old treadmill workout.
In the following sections, I will explain all this to you.
Back to big words.
ATP And Other Fun Stuff
Your body needs ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a fuel for your muscles to contract. Without ATP, no bicep curls..or squats for that matter. There are a few systems in your body that use ATP for energy, two of them are your anaerobic system (lactic acid system), and your aerobic system (oxygen system).
Anaerobic System:
Your anaerobic system breaks down glycogen (which is kind of the energy created from...
