BlindAlive.com

Accessible Fitness, more choices for more people

Fitness has always been a concern with regard to both mental and physical health regardless of age, gender, or any other variables that make each one of us unique. And for those in the blind community, fitness is every bit as much—if not more—important.

Exercise for the visually impaired is something that should be incorporated into a weekly, if not daily, routine for a variety of reasons that are both similar and different from people within the sighted community. For those with total loss of sight as well as for those who are low sighted, a lack of regular exercise can bring on a host of other issues, including weight gain, sluggishness, and perhaps worst of all for many, insomnia or a circadian rhythm that has been thrown completely off track.

A quality workout done at the right time of day and at the right pace to meet your unique physical and mental needs is just what the doctor may have forgotten to order. For many blind people, fitness has been a challenge: without someone to guide you and without the ability to drive yourself to the gym, it becomes obvious why so many visually impaired individuals give up—but with the BlindAlive line of Fitness Workouts for blind people, you’ll never have to depend on anyone else again.

Yoga and Strength Training with wieghts for blind people along with a variety of other cardiovascular exercises help our bodies stay toned, help us gain muscle mass and lose weight, but most of all, can help lead a blind person away from a sense of helplessness.

Are you ready to sweat? Come get healthy and leave all your notions of not being able to get fit due to your visual impairment behind with BlindAlive!

Good Girl Moon Shine

November 01, 2015  /  Melanie

We’re happy to bring you a guest post from Melanie Peskoe, and hope you will enjoy reading it as much as we did.

We all know the benefits of water. H2O is nature's gift to us. It's nourishing, sustaining, and cleansing. I could go on and on singing the praises of water, but it's been well documented how good water is for our bodies. That being said, is it just me or do you ever just get bored with plain ole water?  Now don't get me wrong, I love water and drink a lot of it daily. I would never think of replacing water, however, who doesn't want to add a little spice to life, right? Well, I found a drink that not only literally adds some spice to life, but it's good for you too! How does that sound?

Unlike soda (side note: in your region is it called soda, pop, soft drinks, Coke...or what? We call it soda in these parts) this drink has no caffeine, artificial colors, syrups, etc. No sugar either, although it can be sweetened using stevia (the jury is still out about stevia, but it does not raise blood sugar as does other artificial sweeteners. I use it and like it so I feel comfortable sharing this with you.) This drink also doesn't have added vitamins or electrolytes, it's just a few simple, nutritious ingredients that deliver a powerful punch!

Are you curious to know what it is yet?

It's called Good Girl Moon Shine. Yes, you read that right! This drink, invented by creators of the popular eating plan Trim Healthy Mama will, as they say, “revolutionize your life.” It's the “Baptist-friendly buzz toddy” that will make you sing. I kid you not, this drink is just that good. What's in it you ask? Hold onto your hats and prepare to be shocked. Here is the recipe.

In a 1 quart mason jar, (I actually use a 20 ounce shaker cup with a lid) add enough ice to fill about ¾ of the way full. To the ice add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger,, 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, one half teaspoon of stevia powder, and water to fill completely.

No, you haven't been transported to the weird science blog. Hang in here with me and you'll not regret it. Put your lid on and give it a good shake. Good Girl Moon Shine has a little bite that just kind of grabs you in the back of your throat similar to soda. It has a sweet and sour kind of taste that leaves you wanting more, seriously!

If you want to change things up and add a twist sometimes, I recommend making GGMS with flavored herbal tea. I love Celestial Seasoning wild berry or raspberry zinger. Oh wow, is that tasty! Just heat a mug full of water and let a teabag steep while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients then remove the teabag and pour over the ice.

Now, if you are more of a purist, you can make what the sisters of Thin Healthy Mama call “Wonder Woman Whiskey” that really gives you a zinger! This method uses fresh ginger and a hot pepper in a blender with a cup and a half of water. Once blended , strain this over a cheesecloth into a mason jar filled with ice. In this version of GGMS you could use Bragg's ACV which is raw and organic. Add a half teaspoon of stevia and give it a shake. Don't forget to put your lid on tight though!

Are you still with me? Have I totally freaked you out with this? I know at first I thought people who raved about this natural energy boost were out of their minds. I never in a million years thought I'd ever be drinking ginger and apple cider vinegar of all things! Yet, here I am, drinking it and loving it! I have one or two large glasses of this a day in addition to plenty of water. I've noticed that it sure does give me a little pep in my step!

For more information about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar read this post at the popular wellness website Mercola.com. Additionally, to learn more about why we love ginger read this post at the popular blog Medical News Today.

What are you waiting for? Go get your SHINE on!

Melanie Peskoe holds a BA in Communication and a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Louisville. Her professional interests include health promotion, emergency preparedness for the disabled population, fundraising and grant writing. Melanie’s life philosophy is “when others ask why,  I ask why not.” She can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

 

BlindAlive - Creator of Eyes-Free Fitness® - Doylestown, PA 18901

COPYRIGHT © BlindAlive All Rights Reserved. Eyes-Free Fitness is a registered trademark of BlindAlive