Coca-Cola Balanced Living Workshop Here I Come!

I was compensated for my participation in Coca-Cola’s Balanced Living Workshop, but my thoughts and views are my own.

Woo hoo! I’ve been selected as a Chicago-area mommy blogger to attend the Coca-Cola Balanced Living Workshop next week in downtown Chicago. Imagine – two days filled with one-on-one fitness and nutrition consultations, cooking demos and more – all while dressed in jeans and free from carpools. (Did I mention I’m excited about this?) The goal of the workshop is to find a balanced approach to both personal and family wellness. Just getting there is part of my balancing act.

There couldn’t be a better time to step up my health and wellness routine. December – the month of endless sugary and carb-laden temptations. Gift baskets, peanut brittle, peppermint mocha hot chocolate. Throw in a winter vacation, and I have to bring my Midwestern body out of the closet. It’s enough to make my head spin, and if someone wants to keep me on the straight and narrow, I’m all yours. 

I hope to bring my fellow hypochondriacs some new health and diet findings. I’ll participate in an interactive cooking demonstration with professional chefs. Maybe I’ll bring back some new dinner ideas. I could definitely use some inspiration in the kitchen. I think my dinner repertoire has become rusty. Last week my 13-year-old told me to throw some vegetables into our usual pasta marinara. Voilà, pasta primavera was born in my household. 

I’ll visit a local grocery store with a registered dietitian to brush up on reading labels and selecting the best produce. I know there’s a trick to choosing the healthiest products but seriously, when I see endless store shelves stocked with multiple versions of the same product, my eyes glaze over. Ultimately, I end up reaching for the tried and true. If I could just learn how to swap foods à la Buy This, Not That. 

My goal for the coming year is to cut back on carbs. Incorporate more veggies into my traditional dishes. Substitute cauliflower for starch…that kind of thing. Keep the family happy and in the process start making amends with my metabolism.  We can co-exist peacefully, after all. 

I have another goal. I want a fitness expert to tell me if the time I’m spending at the gym is effective. Maybe I should spend less time on the elliptical and more on strength training. Is it better to work out 30 minutes every day of the week, or 4 days a week for 45 minutes? What activities will help me burn calories even while at rest? Which machines are best?  

I promise to report back on my inspirations/revelations with you. With a little help from this workshop, we can all enter 2013 looking and feeling our best!  

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