A breath of fresh air

Take a hike…literally!  It’s a great way to add some excercise to your life without having to hit the gym (and it works just as good as going to gym for toning your legs).  If you’ve never gone before, now is a great time of year to add it to your routine.  The weather is great and the scenery outside is beautiful.

Now that you’re excited about hiking and your bag is packed, you just need to find a good trail to get you started.  No worries…got it covered.  Not too far from Cameron Landing apartment community is Panola Mountain State Park (2600 Georgia Highway 155).  They actually offer a guided hike with a beautiful view of the Atlanta skyline each Sunday at 2:00 p.m.  The departure spot is the park’s nature center.  Give them a call at 770-389-7801 if you’re interested.  Have fun! 

(Photo Credit: gastateparks)

3 reasons to workout in the morning

So I just recently started trying to give morning workouts a try.  There have been a few battles with the snooze button on my alarm clock, but I’m starting to get into the habilt.  I’ve realized that there are some added benefits to hitting the gym in the morning.  Here are the top three benefits…

1. Exercise increases mental alertness. By working out in the morning, you’ll wake up faster and be mentally focused on your day ahead before most people take their first sip of Starbucks.
2. Working out in the morning will help boost your metabolism.  This is a great benefit if you’re trying to burn off a few extra pounds.
3. By working out in the morning, you don’t have time to come up with any excuses not to do it.  Like I said before, sometimes after work when you’re tired, you’re just too drained to hit the gym.  NO EXCUSEs in the morning!

Give it a shot and see if morning workouts may be the thing for you.  You’ve got a great fitness center here at Cameron Landing so might as well put it to use…and then you won’t have far to go when you stumble out of bed!

Farmer’s Markets near Cameron Landing

Are you eating local? Not only have you got the agonizing decision of which of the wonderful fresh fruits and veggies do you want to purchase, but you have the choice of farmer’s markets as well. Just south of us, in Henry Country, you’ll find more farmers’ markets and locally-grown food options than you could possible imagine.

• There is the Thompson Market on Keys Ferry St. in McDonough. That market opened in April and will be in business until October- Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Then, there is the Henry County Farmers Market at Heritage Park. It opened on May 27th and will operate through September 30th. It will be open every Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Event Center at Heritage Park in McDonough.
• The other Henry County Farmers Market, also sponsored by the 4-H club, is in Hampton and opened May 28th and will be open through September. It will operate every Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the park adjacent to the Hampton train depot.
• Lastly, there is the new market in the City of Locust Grove. That farmers market is open on the first Saturday of every month, beginning this Saturday (June 5) through November 6, on Highway 42 on the sidewalk between Peeksville Rd and the post office. Hours of operation will be 9:00 a.m. to noon.

All these locations plus all the farm fresh goodies for sale means that it is going to be a yummy (if not decision fraught) summer indeed.

Making a delicious HEALTHY Smoothie

My little man has been asking me all week if we can make a slurp. While I was pretty sure I knew what he meant, it is dangerous to assume. So I asked him, “What is a slurp?” He replied, “You know. When you put vanilla yogurt and strawberries in that mixer-upper thing and mush it all together.” I told him, “Sure!” Curious, though, I asked him where he learned how to make a slurp. Very nonchalantly he told me, “Caillou”… duh.

Since he spends most of the day grazing on whatever snack food he can get his hands on, I thought this sounded like a healthy alternative for a mid-morning snack. So I put out all of the ingredients and little man added everything to the blender.

To read more of this article and recipe, visit MyRentalPad.com.

In-Season Produce: Markets near Cameron Landing

Do you shop for your fresh food and produce locally? If not, you may want to give it some serious consideration. Although today’s global market allows us to buy foods grown almost anywhere in the world at any given time, this option is not the most sustainable.

Buying in-season fruits and vegetables that are locally grown helps to eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods across the country – and in some cases – the world. Not only does your food dollar go directly to the farmers, but you’re able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, better tasting, unprocessed produce. According to the National Resources Defense Council, in-season foods for the state of Georgia (and surrouning areas) include:

Blueberries Cabbage Carrots Greens Snap Beans Strawberries Vidalia Onions Yellow Squash Zucchini Asparagus (Tennessee) Bananas (Florida) Broccoli (Florida, North Carolina) Cantaloupe (Florida) Cauliflower (Florida) Celery (Florida) Chinese Cabbage (Florida) Collards (Tennessee) Cucumber (Florida) Eggplant (Florida) Endive (Florida) Escarole (Florida) Gourds (Tennessee) Grapefruit (Florida) Herbs (Tennessee) Honey (Tennessee) Honeydew Melon (Florida) Indian Corn (Tennessee) Kumquat (Florida)

Leafy greens (North Carolina) Limes (Florida) Mamey Sapote (Florida) Mixed Greens (South Carolina) Mushrooms (Florida, Tennessee) Okra (Florida) Onions (Florida) Oranges (Florida) Papaya (Florida) Peanuts (North Carolina) Pecans* (Alabama) Peppers (Florida) Potatoes (Florida) Radishes (Florida) Scallions (South Carolina) Squash* (Alabama, Florida) Sweet Corn (Florida) Sweet Potatoes * (Alabama, North Carolina) Tangelos (Florida) Tangerines (Florida) Tomatoes (Florida) Watermelon (Florida)

Here is a short list of markets that sell fresh locally grown foods near the Cameron Landing area. If you can suggest any other markets, leave a comment and let the community know!

Markets near Cameron Landing

Ready to Warm Up?

One of the great things about Georgia weather is that it can change so quickly. I’m saying that now because wouldn’t it be great if it could warm up a little faster? Winter is still with us though and if we want to continue our exercise plans, we are going to have to adjust. You can use the treadmill at the gym or the track outside. Don’t let the cold weather stop you. Just make sure that you dress appropriately for the outside conditions.

For more winter health tips click here. Do you have any health tips you would like to share?