I’m In Love With The Coco

If you haven’t tried  incorporating natural coconut oil into your daily life, you are missing out on one trend that is here to stay! Trends come and go but this recent coconut oil craze is all you need to improve so many aspects of your life, and here’s the best part- it’ll save you money AND time. Coconut oil has something great to offer almost every part of your body, inside and out! Here are a few of the magic oil’s most impressive attributes:

1. Your hair LOVES the stuff! Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which is a saturated medium chained fatty acid. It has a low molecular weight and a high affinity for protein which allows it to penetrate the hair shaft and absorb all the greatness it has to offer. Just apply a small amount from roots to tips and let it sit for 20 mins, then wash and condition as usual. You’re hair will thank you.
2. Your skin is a big fan as well. Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about your birthday suit! Not only is coconut oil a GREAT moisturizer for every inch of you, it helps reduce stretch marks, wrinkles, and uneven pigmentation. It works the same way with your skin as it does with your hair by being able to penetrate and repair on a deeper level than your average moisturizer or oil. Rub small amounts of coconut oil on your body (a little goes a long way) just as though you were applying moisturizer and let your skin soak it up!
3. You can eat it! Well you already knew this I’m guessing, but did you know that coconut oil can help reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2, and even aid in weight loss? Since it is made up of medium-chain fatty acids and not long-chain fatty acids like most other saturated fats, coconut oil is lower in calories and harder for our body to convert to stored fat and easier for our body to burn off. Coconut oil can also increase our HDL (high density lipoprotein) levels which is GOOD cholesterol and lower our LDL (low density lipoprotein) levels which is bad cholesterol. So how does it help in reducing risk of Alzheimer’s you ask? Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease in which brain cells and synaptic attachments degrade in the brain due to a lack of energy source. Coconut oil is a great source of ketones (fats used as alternative energy sources) which can allow your brain to use these as a substitute for the lack of glucose.

Fun Fact: Resveratrol found in RED WINE can also reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s because it stabilizes the biomarker that degrades with the progression of the disease- drink up! (in moderation… obviously…)

 

Thanksgiving foodies

As an athlete, Thanksgiving is (shamelessly) my favorite holiday! The day consists of my 3 favorite things:

1. Running your local turkey trot in the AM– Getting to see all of your fellow fit friends while loading up on those endorphins and negative calories for the day to come has to be my favorite Thanksgiving day tradition!
2. Family time– Turkey day wouldn’t be the same without your entire family joining together to create memories! Even if some of those memories consist of your 6 year old cousin tossing a glass of red wine on your new boyfriends’ “wine” colored cashmere sweater to see if it blends in, they will always be meaningful and entertaining.
3. FOOD– gluttony may be one of the 7 deadly sins, but all athletes love to eat. And after running the 5k AND 10k turkey trot, stuffing my face is in the forecast. But my favorite part of Thanksgiving is, by far, the following week filled with leftovers of stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes and every other perfect foodie favorite! My all time best Thanksgiving leftover recipe is shown below- Happy eating!

 

Thanksgiving quiche:

• 2 cups shredded turkey
• 2 cups green beans
• 2 1/2 cups stuffing
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup milk (almond)
• muffin baking tray

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray baking tray with coconut oil. Whisk together 5 eggs and add salt and pepper. Place even amounts of turkey, green beans, stuffing, and any other Thanksgiving favorite into individual muffin cups on tray. Pour whisked eggs on top and sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven and cook for 20-30 mins or until eggs are to your liking. ENJOY!

 

You have one life- don’t settle for mediocre

What are the biggest issues in your life right now- at this current moment? Some of the things going through your mind might be: I want to lose weight,  I’m bored with my job, or I need more money. These things are some of the most common complaints in our society but the real issue is that these things are in YOUR control and no one realizes this! Let me fill your head with some mind blowing, quick fixes you can use as baby steps in order to improve your situation in a few of these issues:

LOSING WEIGHT:

There is no secret here, this one is the ice breaker. Losing weight can be a huge obstacle and it takes a ton of your mental and physical power which you need for the other issues on the list- right? This may be true, but what if you could improve your mental AND physical power at the same time? Pushing yourself to work out once a day for 30 mins will help you gain fitness, improve your mental will-power, and build the confidence to change more things in your life; like your job.

BORED WITH YOUR JOB?

Okay this one may be a little more drastic but I GARUNTEE you that once your confidence improves, other aspects of your life will follow and moving forward into a new, more rewarding career can be one of them! Not only will this be exhilarating and exciting, but it will earn you more money as long as you don’t settle!

You have one life and one body- both of which should be treated with the utmost respect and drive they deserve. If you’re not happy with something, take some action and change it. I promise you it sounds a lot scarier than it actually is!

Getting your priorities straight

Do you ever lay there in bed and your mind just won’t shut off? And it’s not about the pros in your life, no, your mind is working against you. It’s churning all of the negative aspects of your life. Throwing thoughts of worry and anxiousness at you left and right. My guess is that most of you have had this happen to you- and as you lay there and attempt to dodge these consuming thoughts, sleep is slowly slipping away minute after minute. Thankfully, this happens to me on a weekly basis. Now why do I say “thankfully” you ask? Well, the more it happens, the more I am able exercise my ability to be in control of my own emotions and thoughts. As much as it is neglected in todays society, emotional health is a huge factor in the success and overall physical health. This past week I was laying in my bed and thinking of how I can improve my life. How do I make more money? How do I occupy my time to better myself? How do I become happier? These questions can be daunting. I reach one goal and there is a brief time frame of happiness, excitement, content, and pride- and then it dissipates and the anxiety slowly builds again. Always thinking what I can do better. Don’t get me wrong, anxiety and these types of questions are the things that drive the human mind and they are, at times, necessary….but not always. But the problem is that I have great health and I am in dental school. Dental school; the thing that I have been working towards for the past 6 years. I knew that when I made it into dental school, nothing could bring me down! I knew that it would make me happy forever…so I thought. But recently I realized something: the things that make me the most happy and keep me excited and driven are not success and status. These things are my friends, family, and boyfriend. These things never lose their spark. These things don’t need improvement. When I have an awesome run, eat a great meal, or watch a beautiful sunset, I am full of life. These are the things that make me the most happy. THESE are the kinds of things that should be consuming your thoughts right before you fall asleep at night. So I challenge you to exercise your emotion. Make it more efficient, logical, and stronger. Make it your bitch.

Quantity vs. Quality

We all know there are not enough hours in the day to check EVERYTHING off of our “to do” lists. I often get stuck in the battle between finishing work or dipping out a little early in order to get that 6 mile run in I also had on my list for that day. But what if I told you that you could do both?! I know what you’re thinking- “Kailand finally found a way to pause time!”. Well to be honest, if that were the case I would not be in dental school and would instead be sharing a glass of champagne with Elon Musk. Lucky for you, I’m not that smart. My solution to your time crunched training frame is quality over quantity! Instead of your 6 mile steady run, change it to a 3 mile hill run- hills are a runners best friend! They improve your turnover, leg strength, and endurance. Now, since Florida isn’t the most optimal place to find hills, I usually hop on a treadmill for these workouts. Check out this easy and effective workout below!

-Set to 1% grade

• .5 miles easy run warm up

Intervals X’s 4

– .25 miles @ 5% grade (pace should be 15-30 seconds faster than 6 mile run pace)

– .25 miles easy @ 1%

– .5 miles easy cool down

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