Move and Be Spontaneous! Tips from Terri Trespecio at the Martha Stewart Book Signing

After the Martha Stewart book signing of "Power Foods 150 delicious recipes with the 38 healthiest ingredients" on Saturday at the Fairway Market in Stamford, CT, Whole Living senior editor, Terri Trespicio took the stage for a fantastic presentation on how to get energized. This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for because my energy level is low and I'm so easily exhausted. I'll share a couple great tips that she shared.


(Pictures: left Martha Stewart and me, right Terri Trespicio, Whole Living senior editor)

Stand Up! It can be as easy as that. Sitting for eight hours at the computer leads can cause havoc on the body. Simply standing up can be enough exercise to start with to get you moving. I always say baby steps and standing up I can handle. I have been standing up try to stand up at work every hour. It should be more like 2 or 3 times an hour just so I move and stretch. I get terrible neck and shoulder pain and simple "exercise" aka standing is a small comittment I can make at my desk and help to alleviate the pain and keep me moving. If you spend hours a day sitting, STAND UP!

Be Spontaneous in the Produce Section! I never thought of this. I always buy the same produce and prepare the same meals. I've never ventured out because I don't know what to do with strange fruit and vegetables. I don't know how to prepare it or what to serve it with. I hope the Power Foods recipes will help with that but just buying it and trying it, what can it hurt?

Just Breath! Finally the last great tidbit is a form of baby steps to meditation. Terri estimated that you take about 20 breaths in a minute. Her suggestion is to count 20 breaths when you're feeling stressed. It gives you a no stress minute. I've tried to do this several times and I generally start getting random thoughts shooting in at 6. I have work to do. But it's a great way to start "meditating" and destressing without a big commitment.

So my mission for this week is to Move more simply by standing, to get crazy with produce and to count to 20!

Jan