Exercise is medicine is the theme for May! Last week I posted on gardening as a great form of exercise and the May client spotlight, Luci Furlow, is a perfect example of living a healthy active lifestyle and Luci loves to garden! Luci & her husband, Mack own Seasonal Color Greenhouses in Athens. Luci is not only an amazing gardener but she is an devoted mother, wife, and friend! Luci started working out at TransFit over nine months ago and has amazed me with all that she has accomplished in such a short time! What I love about Luci is her quiet, yet very determined, hard-working spirit! Her attitude inspires all those who are around her daily! When Luci puts her mind to a task: watch out world--- anything is possible! Congratulations Luci for reaching a personal goal this year and for committing to living a healthy family lifestyle. Can't wait to see what the future hold for you!!!
In Lucy's words...
I have always found time to exercise since I was a teenager - I enjoy walking and doing strength and cardio fitness classes. My husband, Mack, won a free TransFit session at a charity raffle, and he was so happy to give it to me. Caroline has really opened my eyes to taking care of this body that God has created just for me - be it healthier eating, making the time for exercise, or knowing when to rest. I am grateful for the many gifts God has given me, and I want to be a good steward of those gifts - including my health and the health of my family! Exercise is great for my physical AND mental well-being. I attend a weekly Transformer class, and I leave feeling strong and ready to tackle the rest of my day! Caroline is such a positive, caring and encouraging person, and she makes every minute count when you are with her. On other days I will run, walk, or strength train using an at-home workout. I feel so much better if I get in 5 days of exercise in each week. Finding the time can be challenging when those busy weeks come up, but I just schedule it on my daily to-do list like it's any other item to check off. Fortunately, my work is fairly active - Mack and I own Seasonal Color Greenhouses, a plant nursery here in Athens. I have many days during our busiest seasons where I am planting containers for residential clients for a few hours each weekday. In April, I ran a half-marathon in Nashville - which is something I said I would never be able to do. I trained for 16 weeks - very slow and steady - and when I crossed the finish line, I was beside myself and even cried! Mack did the full marathon, and we were happy to have those accomplishments to celebrate. It was such a fun trip to get away with family and friends to run a great race in a cool city - and then go out and enjoy ourselves! As far as my goals that I am currently working on, healthy eating has to be at the top. I am much more aware of the food and drink I take in when I write it down each day. My eating habits have certainly improved over the last 6 months. I really do feel better when I eat well and drink plenty of water! Planning meals is another great way to ensure I am getting in "good for me" food. The busy weeks do catch up with me, and I won't eat as well as I should - and I can feel the difference. It doesn't happen every night, but our family likes to gather for "family dinner" often. I enjoy cooking supper to wind down the end of the work and school day - and sitting down to eat with our family of 4 is sometimes the best part of my day! One of our favorite family dinners (super fast, budget-friendly, and everyone will eat it!) is Spaghetti! I serve it with spinach salad (add in whatever veggies you have on hand - carrots, tomatoes, avocados, etc. - and dress with a fresh vinaigrette)! Enjoy!
Family Night Spaghetti
Serves 6 (easy to double and freeze)
- 12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
- 3/4 lb. ground sirloin (or venison)
- 1 c. chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 c. dry red wine
- 1 26 oz. jar of pasta sauce (with no added sugar or cheese)
- 2/3 c. milk (I use skim)
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Brown meat over medium-high heat. Drain meat, if necessary. Add onion & garlic, and saute for 3 minutes. Add wine, and cook for 3 minutes. Add sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. (Cook noodles while it simmers.) Stir milk into sauce, and simmer another 2 minutes. Serve sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.