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Confessions of an Endorphin Junky
Being a long distance runner and health nut for the past 15 years, I've always noticed a direct correlation between my diet and exercise routine and my mood. Endorphins, serotonin, and all other 'happy chemicals' can be boosted by eating certain foods - - and by sweating! Join me on my neverending quest for happiness through what I eat...and how often I move my body .
I saw
this story
today on the surprisingly large amount of people that are affected by deep vein thrombosis or DVT, and it's kind of shocking, random, and scary all at the same time.
Although I'm vaguely familiar with this condition which is chara
I'm going home to South Jersey this weekend to participate in the Walk for Autism in Philadelphia this Saturday. I come from a huge family (tons of cousins :-) ), and one of my cousins happens to be autistic.
He's 16 now but was diagnosed before the ag
My boyfriend and I went down to the South Jersey shore this weekend, and we were lucky enough to be able to experience wakeboarding for the first time with my aunt and uncle, who own a condo on the bay...along with wave runners, a boat, and of course, wak
Tomorrow, my beautiful little sister leaves to go to college. She's 10 years (almost to the day) younger than me, and I'm finding this extremely hard to come to terms with...I can't even imagine how my parents must be feeling, as she is the last of us 3
Despite being fairly deeply involved in the healthcare industry, I (like many others) had never heard of the condition known as sarcoidosis until the recent untimely death of famed comedian Bernie Mac. As tragic as is passing at just 50 is, it seems to h
Who gets bronchitis in August? Obviously, yours truly. Ever since I came down with a horrible case of bronchitis (which almost turned into pnemonia) 4 winters ago, I've been extremely prone to it and get it at least once a year. So the minute I noticed
Most people who know me well enough are aware of my borderline obsession with salmon and avocados. I suppose that how I grew up eating formed my craving of foods chock full of Omega fats instead of chocolate and potato chips, so I thank my parents f
I'm a major klutz.
It's bad people. I've been known to completely trip and fall down the stairs in restaurants while wearing high heels on first dates, to catch my shoes on the pavement and fly through the air during daily runs in the park..and chew
To some, it may seem odd that I'm writing a blog post about smoking, considering that I also call myself an athlete. But truthfully, I believe that if I speak about my achievements and life as a runner and healthy lifestyle advocate, then it's only
I will never forget my first espresso.? It was almost?4 years ago ? the day that I had an interview with a prestigious news publication.? I hadn't slept well the night before and figured that caffeine would give me just the boost I needed to ace i
I spent this past weekend in the Catskills (upstate New York) and am proud to say that the only exercise I got was a brief swim in the pool.?
The majority of the weekend was spent eating, drinking beer, laying in the sun and sleeping.? It was great.? I do
Ahhhh, exercise.? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.? Good for my heart, my body, my soul, my MOOD...my butt, my health - -?you have been my faithful companion for the past 18 years and molded me into the person that I am today.?
Not only has
I went home for my little sister's highschool graduation this weekend, and did something that I
NEVER, EVER
do...I weighed myself.?
Not only have I never owned a scale, but I'm a firm believer that weighing one's self obsessively, or even more tha
Temperatures are going to be in the 90's this weekend and all next week, and I'm already starting to think about how this will impact my running schedule.? I actually despise the heat.? Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than being warm - - or even worse
Have you ever been so tired that your face was actually exhausted??? It's happened to me on way too many occasions, and it completely has detrimental effects on every aspect of my life.? Working out, work, mood, what I eat, everything.
Sometimes I just ca
I LOVE to eat...who doesn't?
I eat most of these foods (or at least try to)?every single day.? Along with 64 oz. of water - - works for me!!
Baby Carrots or Whole Grain Pita Dipped in Hummus
I love hummus, but pita chips can be dange
Although I confidently call myself an athlete, like any other normal red-blooded human being, I do have vices.? I will admit that lately, even more often than usual, I've picked up a cigarette when stressed out, eaten way too much chocolate, stayed in bed
...is so hard to do!
Although I generally like to think of myself as a 'low-stress' person, I admittedly get frustrated, stressed, flustered, and straight up ANGRY on occasion.?
Like most people, the normal things can push my buttons.? A bad day at work, a fight with a f
I recently wrote about how proud of myself I was for waking up early in the morning to work out, as I normally don't get to the gym until after 10 at night.? Well, that concept lasted for about 2 days.?
I've got a few things working against me.?
1) I
About 3 months ago, a friend of mine was paralyzed from the waist down after slipping and falling in his Brooklyn apartment.?
He was knocked unconscious, and when he woke up, he was unable to move his legs and had to use a loose cable to lasso his cell p
When I was an 8 year old little girl living in Danville, California, I vividly remember being completely disgusted by the idea of participating in any type of sport.? Sweating? Ew. No thank you.?Not me...noooo sir.
I would watch?my classmates (includ
Here in the office (as in?many other offices around the globe),?there is?an infamous candy bowl that resides on the desk of our lovely administrative assistant.? And luckily (or un-luckily, depending on the health/diet/fitness code that you live by),
I've previously written about the incredible benefits of exercises that use your own body weight - - chin ups, pull ups, push ups, etc.? I had a chin up bar installed in my apt almost 4 years ago, and have noticed incredible gains in my strength since the
I'm so proud of myself......I normally wait until after 9 PM to workout, but this morning, I was up by 7:30 to do a 4 miler in Liberty State park.? Applause welcome!
I knew I wouldn't have time to to my run tonight, so I had to fit it in, and I didn'
A friend randomly asked me today over IM what I would pick for my last meal...
After getting over the morbid nature of that question, I can't stop thinking about my favorite foods. I'm starving now!
The first thing that popped into my head was this d
Being single for the past few years has given me more insight to myself and others than I've had in ages. I've had interesting conversations with both singles and those in committed relationships, and one subject that always intrigues me is the issue
So I'm lucky enough to live close enough to work to be able to walk there in less than 10 minutes.? This combined with the fact that I also have a huge 24 hour gym in my apartment compex leaves me with no excuse to NOT workout.? "Not enough time" isn
So - - I don't know about anyone else, but when I really step up my workout/running routine, my appetite goes through the roof!?
I've noticed in the past month, since I've been running at least 25-30 miles a week , PLUS hitting the weight in the gym,
Last night, my roommate mentioned that she wants to really get into shape for a wedding that she's going to be?a part of?in early June.? This gives her a little over a month, which, in my opinion, is more than enough time, as she's already a lean, fi
I've yet again decided to attempt to kick my caffeine habit....
Wish me luck!!!
The weather is so gorgeous, and I'm so excited to run.? Who is with me???
?
I've always been a huge advocate for strength training - - and it definitely has extremely positive impacts on my body and endurance. Unfortunately, it seems as if many women are reluctant to lift weights or strength train b/c they're afraid of getting '
Frequently touted as a superfood but (in my opinion) still under-appreciated, this delicious, fragrant, and homey-smelling spice might just be the secret to regulated blood sugar and inflammation reduction. I use cinnamon everyday, either in my oatmeal o
Since getting deathly ill with a horribly stomach virus more than two weeks ago, my workout routine (and my eating patterns) have been out of whack. And although I feel completely 'off' from not hitting the weights, running, or using the stairm
M E M B E R P R O F I L E
Natalie Vavricka
Sweat is bliss
I'm a self-proclaimed exercise addict and endorphin junky and also the Community Manager here at Quality Health Connect. Running abnormally long distances, jumping out of helicopters, doing chin-ups, laughing, smiling, and eating bananas, chocolate, and other 'happy' foods are just a few of my many favorite things
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