Do This to Feel Better Fast (and a Food Rant)

by Nia Shanks | Follow her on Twitter here

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time at a computer desk, sitting. I hate to break it to you, but sitting for long periods of time is not good for your health, or posture.

However, I’ll share a super simple tip you can use to feel better, increase your energy, and improve your mobility.

Set a timer for 15 minutes, and whenever it goes off, get up and do something.

I greatly recommend placing the timer across the room so each time it goes off you have to get up. Depending on where you work, this may not be practical, but at least make an effort to put the timer out of reach.

What should you do when the 15 minutes are up and it’s time to do “something”?

Here are some quick ideas to get you going:

Jumping jacks (20 is a good number)
Walking or reverse lunges (I like to hold the bottom position and focus on stretching my hip flexors with each stride)
Overhead squats
Scapular wall-slides
Push-ups and lunges or squats
Walk up some stairs
Jump rope
Glute bridges

It truly doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do something. This would be an excellent time to perform some mobility drills based on your limitations and needs as well.

Setting a timer to go off every 15 minutes is a productive and easy tip to incorporate. Plus, after a couple of hours you’ll have moved more than most people do in an entire day, and it will only take you a matter of minutes! I guarantee you’ll feel better, too.

Another tip – this works well when watching TV. Instead of using a timer, get up and move around or do something quick during commercials.

Simple. Quick. Effective. You have absolutely no excuses for not doing this. Set your timer now!

And Now . . . Time for a Brief Rant

I don’t go off on a rant very often, but sometimes it’s just necessary.

Recently someone criticized me for drinking protein shakes and enjoying ice cream on occasion. “Too much fake sugars” and “consuming all of those protein shakes isn’t optimal” I was told.

I recently spoke with my good friend and fellow Beautiful Badass, Marianne Kane, about these comments, and she gave her opinion on a similar situation she encountered.

There is way too much judgement out there regarding diet! If you reveal a “cheat” meal or something “unhealthy” that you ate you are either applauded for being a rebel, or judged for being a bad influence to obese people (not that showing a picture of an apple will suddenly make them change their ways, as everybody knows by now what is classed as healthy or unhealthy). The bigger issue is how this judgment seems to change depending on the subject’s circumstances; a “fit” person is a rebel for eating junk, an obese person is greedy and disgusting, yet a person who is emaciated and starving is encouraged to eat this junk and everyone else feels happy about that!!

This irks me a lot!

~Marianne Kane, MyomyTV.com

Look, I acknowledge that everyone would be better off if they never consumed sugar or fake sugar ever again, for the rest of their lives. I also believe we would all be healthier if we grew our own food in natural, optimal conditions and only consumed grass-fed meat, wild caught fish, free range poultry and eggs, raw dairy, and other free range meats. (Get resources for purchasing these items locally can be found here).

Adding to that, ideally everyone would get at least 20 minutes of direct sunlight every single day, and only drink water that cascaded down the peaks of the snowy Rocky Mountains, and lived in pollution-free areas. Trust me, I could go on and on about “ideal” situations, eating habits, and living environments.

But the truth is, it’s not realistic for most people to follow those guidelines every day for the rest of their life, and so I won’t suggest such a thing. And obviously, many of those suggestions aren’t the least bit practical for some individuals. Setting unrealistic goals leads to aggravation and unnecessary stress.

Furthermore, I have heard of fitness professionals who claim they never eat junk food, but I have friends who have seen these people eat such “forbidden” foods and don’t allow people to take pictures of them doing so.

I refuse to present a façade implying that my eating habits and choices are optimal each and every day. I’m not going to act like I don’t have personal demons when it comes to past relationships with food. Hell, I even revealed my battle with disordered eating habits that plagued me for years.

I’m not going to act like I’m perfect or that I eat “optimal” (whatever that really means) every day of my life. I will not be a hypocrite and tell you not to eat something that I do. I don’t subscribe to the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality. Leading by example is something I strive to do on a daily basis, and to help you achieve the same.

Yes, I eat grass-fed, local beef and poultry, eggs, and dairy. Yes, I also eat full fat, sugar laden ice cream on occasion. And, if I’m feeling really crazy, I’ll have a glass of wine, a beer, or a Magners.

In regards to protein shakes; would I prefer to get all of my protein from natural food sources? Of course, but for the amount of protein I am eating each day, it’s not realistic and I use protein shakes to supplement my protein needs.

My Main Priority

I will always strive to provide you with simple, no nonsense nutrition guidelines (as I did in Beautiful Badass Nutrition Principles) and strength training information. There are more important things in life to concern ourselves with than spending every waking moment thinking about our daily diet and training regimens.

My nutrition habits and food choices are better than they were a few years ago, and a few years from now, I’m sure they’ll be even better.

My main goal with nutrition (besides eating primarily real food) is to make small, continual progress. For example, over the past few months I have only purchased grass-fed butter, local eggs and bacon. In addition, I just started drinking milk with my post-workout shake and like many of the foods I eat regularly, the milk is purchased locally and comes from grass-fed cows that aren’t given any hormones or antibiotics.

I’m also making an effort to buy protein powders made with minimal ingredients and use natural sweeteners, such as stevia. (When I find one that tastes great, I’ll let you know. Still searching).

Bottom line – eat real food at least 90 percent of the time, and enjoy some of your favorite not-really-food-items once a week or so.

On that note, I’ll be attending a Super Bowl party with my family this Sunday, and rest assured I’ll be eating some home-made cookies that are made with sugar and butter; I may even take a picture.

http://www.thewellnesschick.net/ Ann Olson

Eating something containing sugar every once in a while won't be detrimental. It's pretty terrible that someone would say that to you. This “holier than thou” attitude regarding natural vs fake food is just going too far.
http://jeromie-sacrifice.blogspot.com Jeromie

This is the best protein I've found. I actually call and ask them to use stevia only when I order. The vanilla whey isolate with the vanilla flavored So Delicious coconut milk tastes like ice cream, so be careful. :)

http://rxwhey.com/products-page/proteins/
Jolene Ball

Rock on with your Badass rant Nia :) Nicely done.
http://www.julialadewski.com julia

well said. i agree with everything. i drink 2 shakes a day… post workout and one in the evening at work… cuz when you coach for 5 straight hours, it kinda helps to have something fast and on the go.

people are ignorant and rude sometimes.
http://shredfitkelly.blogspot.com/ Kelly

Thanks for sharing…I love the food rant!! At a time when I am getting more conscious about where my sugars come from, I have cut out a lot of sugar from my diet (switched from coffee creamers to half and half and stevia, no more ketchup o…n my eggs…ex.) I still allow myself a Mojito when out to eat and occational ice cream or sugary treats once in a while. I feel great for cutting sugar out of the everyday foods but will always enjoy endulging my sweet tooth too! Judgement sucks, but I have to admit, I have been guilty from time to time. It's like knowing what good form is and watching someone risk injury when using bad form. It's natural to cringe when you see someone make choices that hinder the sucess they are striving for, and then wonder why they are not succeeding. As we learn, we natually want to share, but tend to forget how long it took us to get this far, and how many mistakes we had to make to get here. =] Great Blog!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=522440056&ref=tn_tnmn Lauren

If I ever hear anyone preaching about “clean” or “unclean” foods, Paleo dieting etc I direct them here:

http://www.printfection.com/brainygear/Cheese-Wht-Womens-T-Shirt/_p_5412790

or here

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

Great post Nia!

Lauren x
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=522440056&ref=tn_tnmn Lauren

If I ever hear anyone preaching about “clean” or “unclean” foods, Paleo dieting etc I direct them here:

http://www.printfection.com/brainygear/Cheese-Wht-Womens-T-Shirt/_p_5412790

or here

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

Great post Nia!

Lauren x
Lulu

Regarding protein powders: If you are interested – there is one brand of whey I use. There is a whey isolate and whey blend option. Several great tasting flavors. Sweetened with stevia and whey from rBGH-free and grassfed cows. http://www.kaizennaturals.com/flavours/decadent-chocolate_isolate.html
jennifer vogelgeaang

I love your food rant! I feel like there is a lot going on right now in the politics of food, and especially how making the so-called right or wrong choices can effect training. Its a subject that's getting a lot of heat right now and I think some people are getting too caught up, as well as trying to push their beliefs or opinions on everyone else. Marianne was right though, what standard is being applied to one group isn't always applied to a different group. But what's most important, in my opinion, is that you've dealt with your food demons in the best way possible. You've given yourself easy access to good food by purchasing quality eats. You've found an easy way to supplement your protein needs to support your training. When you treat yourself you do it with a REAL treat, not some fat-free, sugar-free imitation. And you dont beat yourself up about it because in the end, who really cares? You're eating great food and you're beautifully badass. Ignore the haters. Eat the damn cookies every once in a while. You are a wonderfully human inspiration. Keep it up. :)
jennifer vogelgeaang

I love your food rant! I feel like there is a lot going on right now in the politics of food, and especially how making the so-called right or wrong choices can effect training. Its a subject that's getting a lot of heat right now and I think some people are getting too caught up, as well as trying to push their beliefs or opinions on everyone else. Marianne was right though, what standard is being applied to one group isn't always applied to a different group. But what's most important, in my opinion, is that you've dealt with your food demons in the best way possible. You've given yourself easy access to good food by purchasing quality eats. You've found an easy way to supplement your protein needs to support your training. When you treat yourself you do it with a REAL treat, not some fat-free, sugar-free imitation. And you dont beat yourself up about it because in the end, who really cares? You're eating great food and you're beautifully badass. Ignore the haters. Eat the damn cookies every once in a while. You are a wonderfully human inspiration. Keep it up. :)
Brittany

As someone that follows a mostly plant based diet, I can bot agree more. I constantly here “oh wait, you can't eat that.”. News flash. I can eat what I want. And. Yes, there are days when i do “cheat”. But i am far healthier than those who want to call me out on it. As far a protein, you must try sunwarrior protein. I've had great success with it!!
Ms Jane

What you eat is your business! I eat a predominantly Paleo style diet and I do this because I have a few major health issues and have found that eating this way just simply makes me feel better. It's never been about weight loss or adhering to one particular regime. I do however sometimes eat chocolate, ice-cream and pavlova (a huge piece the other night covered in cream and blueberries)! You gotta live a little folks!
E Franco

I'd like to think that there are no “bad” foods; just bad habits! A scoop (or two) of ice cream every so often…..a good treat to thoroughly enjoy! A gallon of it every other day….bad habit. Eating like it's Super Bowl Sunday EVERY Sunday…bad habit. Doing it once a year on the ACTUAL Super Bowl Sunday….to be enjoyed (AND I WILL, thank you very much!!!)

I've wasted a lot of life feeling miserable about myself because maybe I splurged here or there….really twisted my attitude towards foods for a long time. Thanks to girls like you who share there insight and knowledge (Beautiful Badasses, Girls Gone Strong, and the like) I feel like I can just have a “normal” relationship with food the way it was intended…eat “real” food, including real ice cream, and not feel guilty about it for days on end; not over-analyze every morsel that crosses my lips; and to stop and simply enjoy, savor what I am eating instead of valuing it only for its calorie content, or lack there of. Thank you! I am so thankful I stumbled across your website & Girls Gone Strong…I am becoming strong and confident, and feeling quite badass myself these days!

….Besides, I wonder if those nay-sayers can deadlift like you…hahaha….I would imagine you would have the last laugh on that one. AWESOME!!!
http://www.beautifulbadass.com Nia Shanks

Hey, everyone!

Thank you for the comments here! Truthfully, I didn't expect such a huge response! Thank you all!

I appreciate the time everyone took to read the article and comment. I LOVE my readers! Y'all are amazing and are the driving force behind this website!
Rudyinparis

Hi Nia, I just discovered your website the other day. I really like your mindset, and I couldn't agree more with this current post. Thanks for writing it!
dbt1959

None of us are perfect; we can only hope to get better. Thanks for all you do and put out there; now toning my middle aged ass with hip thrusters. And loving it.
Nancy C

It's Girls Gone Strong not Girls Gone Perfect.
http://GordonWayneWatts.com/#health FLASH Gordon Wayne Watts

Wow, oh wow! — You hit a nerve here, Nia! (I too am surprised by the response.)

Anyhow, while I did just learn from Deb (who owns Deb's Gym, where I lift) that protein in protein powders is not absorbed as much as in protein in “real food,” nonetheless, I think that this bloke was wrong to criticise you:

Although you are no longer a vegan like me, you still preach (and practice, I'm guessing) eating lots of “real food,” that is healthy –including many *organic* fruits & vegetables –and (since you eat some meats) *grass-fed* animals that *haven't* been fed boat-loads of hormones.

Also, I admit that while I TRY to be vegan 100% of the time, just like you said, sometimes “real life” gets in the way, and it's just not practical. (But I do try.)

Lastly, whatever you're doing is working: You dead-lifted 330-lbs, as a BW of 125-lbs, and while that may not seem impressive, let's not forget that you're a stellar 5'6″ tall, making your pull a *very long* (and difficult) one.

Most GUYS who are your height / weight would play hell pulling 330. In fact, I'm almost 125 myself, and only 4″ taller, so, with a very similar reach, even when I am in excellent condition (which is not always the case), I have only been able to pull 320 over the same ROM, (i.e., when I sometimes place the weight on 4″ blocks).

And I'M a Super Hero!

:D

So, if even _I_ (and a hand-full of *other* superheros) have trouble keeping up with you, obviously, you're “doing something right,” so, Blimey! This bloke, here, is off-centre, out of order, and wholly without honour to criticise you.

– 'Flash' Gordon Watts
Rachel

Nia, right on. As Marianne stated, there's too much judgment. People can't seem to help making flip judgments and comparing themselves to others.

If you want ice cream, have the ice cream. These so-called “optimal” eaters and food purists are boring, pedantic, and as you pointed out most of them are lying through their clean-eating teeth.

I sure as hell don't want to live in a world without ice cream, beer, and pizza sometimes. What fun is that?

Last I checked, food was something to be ENJOYED as well as something to be consumed for the nourishment of the body.

Eating kale has its place. So does a double-dip waffle cone of cookies-n-cream ice cream.

IF that means my diet isn't “optimal,” so be it. But know this – optimal isn't any fun.

I think people have got to try to find a system of eating that suits their lifestyles. Not everybody has the mental strength to consume only 100% organic foods 100% of the time. In fact, I think anybody who says they do this is lying. Flat-out lying. IF they're not lying, they may need to have that stick surgically removed from their ass.

Just sayin.

Keep being a badass, girl. You are pimpin it.

-Rachel
anna

Loving every word in this post. So true. I have found a company called, “Designs For Health” that uses grass fed, organic, non-denatured whey (etc etc). They promote a Paleo Style of eating for health. I have found their products and supplements to be the most effective for me thus far.

TrueProtein.com is also good cause you can make your own blends. I'm not sure if they are organic or not, but I use them for my post workout shakes mostly.

Lastly, sugar cane is on the planet for a reason friends. :0) So is honey ~

p.s. ENJOY the Super Bowl cookies, I KNOW I'll be eating nachos that day for sure!!!
Camila

Regarding Stevia: have you tried KAL (without the fiber added) brand? It's so sweet with no aftertaste…and it's pure (no 'dextrine' added)
http://www.b-fast.co.uk Dave

GREAT post Nia, I often get comments when I have something outwith my normal healthy eating habits, usually from someone with 25% BF and the mobility of a fossil. Optimum would be lovely to achieve in nutrition, training and recovery but it very rarely happens, Making progress everyday to increase the quality of what we do is all that can be asked. That said I love some cake every now and again…
http://www.itrainthereforeieat.com Stephanie

Great post — I agree whole-heartedly that there needs to be less scrutiny on people who enjoy the occasional “cheat” (and aren't ashamed of it!) I just actually posted a picture of the most delectable ice cream in my last post, and although its something that I only enjoy every once in a while, it's one of my favorite treats in the world! I completely agree that there needs to be more thought of balance and reality when commenting on other people's food intake. And I'm with you on super-bowl Sunday… I will be bringing some butter filled cookies to the party I'm going to, and you better be damn sure I'm going to have one of them!
http://www.girlhabits.com/?p=4534&cpage=1#comment-2273 carolina

thank you. this was awesome and i agree with you. everyday is not perfect, but as long as we strive for better than yesterday, that's all that matters. :o)
Kate

Hi, I have only recently started to eat unprocessed foods only. i am overweight and I wanted a diet that wouldn't deprive me of anything. And so far so good. I am on the 8th day and have lost 5lbs. On occasion there are ingredients that haven't been 'perfect' like baked beans with a jacket potato – but it was the best option from what was available to me at that time. I also had to go and test some food for my mother 60th birthday celebration – which wasn't ideal – but due to having begun eating this way, my appetite was diminished and I didn't eat as much as I previously would have done. It didn't affect my weightloss either as it was a very small blip. I guess I am a purist's worst nightmare as I have to also confess to eating chocolate! I had to allow myself a small bar each evening, I consider myself pretty much addicted and the small bar was my equivalent to methadone :D as it happens, i am no longer craving it and have stopped having it. I always aim for 100% unprocessed but if I achieve 80+% then I am happy. This isn't really a diet but a lifestyle and its easy to maintain. I think you have the perfect attitude towards food.
http://www.beautifulbadass.com Nia Shanks

Congrats on your success and finding what works best for YOU!!!

Thank you for your comments. :)