So this summer has gotten off to a rough start as far as getting my diet, exercise and “life” in sync.  This is never an easy task, but my body definitely feels it when I am not eating right or exercising on a regular basis.

So much so that I become sluggish, and start relying on caffeine and sugar to keep me going through the day.  This starts off a terrible cycle—the “I’m just going to have a small piece” trap.  Once you start down this path and you are not in a routine of a strong healthy diet plan and regular exercise regime, its really easy for the discipline to get thrown out of the window and the pounds to start coming on–or more importantly you just won’t feel good about yourself!

As I tell my patients, “the hardest part is getting started.”  Once you start exercising and eating right the benefits you gain from it will have you coming back for more!

I thought I would share with you some easy tips on not only getting started with your “healthy lifestyle”  but making sure you stay healthy while keeping up with your busy schedule!  And as always, we will focus on maintaining a strong sexual health and giving some extra attention to your vagina!  We are all about learning and being comfortable with our bodies here at dryepez.com!

If you are just getting started I recommend doing this first thing in the morning.  Wake up an hour earlier and go for a 30 min run.  If you get it done early then there are no excuses or unscheduled events to sidetrack you later from getting to the gym.

Quick tip:  Have your workout gear ready to go the night before so in the morning you don’t waste time “looking” for what to wear.

The CDC recommends 30min of cardiovascular exercise on at least 3-5 days a week to reap the health benefits which include:

• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Improved blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Improved heart function
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis
• improved muscle mass
• boosts libido
• decreases risk for breast cancer
• decreases hot flashes and menopausal symptoms

-Try to include yogurt in the morning–rich in probiotics which promote good “bacterial” growth and prevent yeast and bacterial vaginosis.  A yogurt a day keeps the gynecologist away! Greek yogurt particularly has higher levels of protein and will give you more sustained energy for the day.

–Smoothies are an easy way to include a lot of fruits and green veggies all in one healthy (and yes it taste good too!) drink.

Quick tip: you know those bananas that have been slowly turning black on your counter?, well take them, place in a zip lock and throw them in the freezer, then next time you make a smoothie grab one of the frozen bananas as a base, add some frozen/fresh blueberries, kale or spinach (which you should also place in ziplock bags and freeze ahead of time–it blends better this way), add almond milk, a scoop of yogurt and some whey protein powder and there you have it a quick and easy shake high in protein, antioxidants, potassium, iron, calcium, fiber, and vitamin K.

-A cup of java has now been shown to improve memory!…we can all use that extra bolt of energy and neurons!

Take it off!

-Make sure to strip off those workout clothes and work clothes asap!—a lot of women will stay in there yoga clothes all afternoon and run errands in their lululemon.  What they don’t realize is that they may be causing their “lulu” to go “lemon”.  Vagina’s need ventilation to prevent bacterial and yeast overgrowth  Spandex does not offer that ventilation and promotes moisture buildup.

Equally as important is to change out of your work clothes and underwear when you get home and put on loose cotton pajama or lounging pants after a long day at the office–and it feels more comfy!

I always stress the importance of not sleeping with underwear on.  Your vagina needs to breathe!

-Diet is extremely important.  Instead of eating three large meals a day we should be eating every three hours, small healthy meals.  Consuming six small meals during the day keeps our metabolism working and our blood sugar at a constant level throughout the day.  The worst thing you can do is skip meals! You will eventually get hungry and this will usually be late at night, which is the worse time for you to be ravaging through your cabinets or going to the drive thru….we have all been there!

Stay away from processed fatty foods and eat antioxidant rich, cancer fighting foods to boost your immune system.  Water consumption should be between 8-10 bottles of water daily.  Get in the habit of packing your own lunch to work this will keep you from being tempted by fast food or those free lunches at work.

Quick tip:  If your running late, just throw whole fruits and veggies in your bag, you can chop them up at work for an even fresher salad!

Make every day “hump day”!

-Sex is good and healthy for you!  Studies show that couples who have sex are happier, healthier, and feel younger!!  It does count as a cardiovascular exercise…maybe not 30 minutes worth but definitely a good warm up!

-A good night’s rest goes a long way for a busy focused next day.  You’re not in college anymore and all-nighters just don’t cut it.  especially when kids are involved the next morning!  There’s a reason why sleep deprivation is used as a torture technique….don’t do this to yourself.  Schedule yourself enough time to get at 8 hours of sleep a night.  Some studies show that you can lose more weight with adequate sleep!  so catch those z’s girlfriend!

Quick tip:  A good challenge that I learned from reading Adriana Huffington’s book Thrive, is to do a sleep challenge with your friend or partner.  Try to get to sleep one hour before you usually do…It will make a huge difference!  I challenge you!

-Make sure you schedule your annual gyne visits and pay attention to your body.  There are often very clear warning signs that we should pay attention to prior to any serious ailment. Any new sign or symptom that occurs over a course of a few weeks that does not resolve or worsens is a reason to seek medical attention.  don’t delay!   The sooner you see your doctor the sooner you can get back on the road to recovery!