My Fitbit Experiment: Part 1

My Fitbit

Thanks to the suggestion of some friends, I recently purchased a Fitbit.  This intriguing little piece of technology is much more than a pedometer.  It tracks my steps, but it also tracks how many calories I'm burning, how efficiently I'm sleeping, and graphs how active I am throughout the day. 

Sleep graph example

Activity level graph example

The website (which anyone can have a free account with) has tons of tools, like a food diary, a journal to track your mood, allergies, and make notes, and logs for blood pressure, glucose, and more!  I know I sound like I've been paid by the creators of this little gem, but I assure you I have not.  I'm just so impressed by this tiny contraption!  What a great tool to get and stay motivated.  One of my favorite features is that I can compete with my friends and family for how active we are.  I'm aiming for 1st place!

Stay tuned for future experiments to see how caffeine, alcohol, activity level, and diet affect the sleep graph!

My Fitbit Experiment: Part 2

I love dancing anyway, but it's so much fun to see the proof of how good it is for me!  Can you guess when some of my favorite dances came on? And I have to admit... knowing that my fitbit  was counting every step actually did get me to stay a little longer and do a few more dances...

Line dancing from 8 til 11:30pm

Product Review: NatureBox!

I heard about this marvelous variety box through EarnedIt, an application linked with my fitbit.

Nature Box sends you 4-6 snacks every month that are free of artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and trans fats.  If you've ever been to any of my Wellness classes, you know this is right up my alley!  Many of the snacks are even gluten-free!  I love that it ships automatically... with my busy lifestyle and seminar traveling, it's great to have a few healthy, grab-and-go snacks that simply arrive at my home... I don't even have to think about it!  These are perfect for the plane or when I'm on my way to the gym.

In addition, they donate a meal to feed hungry children for every box sold... I love a company with a conscience.

So far (I've been signed up for the service for about 6 months), I have gotten delicious snacks: blueberry bites, umami nut mix, tamari almonds, lemon pepper pistachios, chocolate spiked trail mix, and more!  Every box also comes with an info card which includes a list of what you've received, healthy eating tips, and a recipe or two. On top of that, their customer service is incredibly friendly and helpful!

My complaints (though minor) are that occasionally, the snacks are made with soy, a high allergen and controversial food, and I can't purchase the a la carte items I've tried and loved (those lemon pepper pistachios were delicious!!). There are rumors that they are enabling customization for the boxes through their website, but I have yet to figure out how to do this. (I will update this post once I hear back from customer service.)

Over all, though, I think this is an excellent product for the busy person who always wants to keep a few healthy snacks on hand or is looking to change things up a bit. They also have an office snack box for larger crowds.

Click here for a discount to try a box of your own!

My most recent Nature Box