Weekend Wrap-Up: Movin' On Up (Literally)!

My weekend was marked by stair climbs, weight lifting and running from here to there. No, I wasn't at a CrossFit class. No, I didn't spend all weekend in the gym. No, I didn't participate in a women's bodybuilding competition (though that would have been super impressive).

No, what I did was much less fun than all that... I spent the weekend moving into a new apartment on the top floor of a brownstone, to be exact - 4 flights up and no elevator in sight (welcome to New York!). So, between all the stair climbing and box lifting, I got a pretty good workout this weekend, which made me wonder... approximately how many calories did I actually burn? If my throbbing calves were any indication, I'd guess a lot!

With the help of a handy dandy online calorie counter, I figured out that I burned at least 2000+ calories just in the 4 hours I spent moving - that's not even counting the unpacking part. That's a lot of calories! - which got me thinking... how many calories on average do we burn while doing day-to-day chores or other activities? Exercise can be found in many ways. You definitely don't have to go to the gym to find it. Sometimes we have days when our to-do list is a mile long and it's impossible to fit a workout in. No worries, my friends! By staying busy and crossing items off your to-do list with gusto, you are burning more calories than you thought!

I've listed some examples of calories burned in the span of 30 minutes! Remember, calorie counts are dependent on your weight, so consider these to be approximate figures...

IRONING - 70 calories

VACUUMING - 90 calories

CLIMBING STAIRS - 285 calories

PAINTING - 100 calories

RAKING LEAVES - 225 calories

CAR WASHING - 140 calories

LAWN WORK - 120 calories

In addition to the calories burned, most of these activities give you a resistance workout as well. Washing your car works for arms and your core. Raking leaves gives you a great all over workout! Climbing stairs works your leg muscles, while vacuuming attacks your arm muscles. Even cooking can be considered a calorie burning activity, especially if you're burning things and doing the 'smoke detector' dance like me!

Courtesy of usmagazine.com

Oh, and the best news (for people like me who like to practice their vocal stylings while cleaning) is that singing also burns 75 calories in 30 minutes! So tack that on to your boring household activity and you'll really be getting somewhere!

Hope you all had a good weekend! If you live in NYC, you might be getting a dinner party invitation soon once I get this place under control. And if you don't live in NYC, that's a good reason to get yourself on a plane headed this way! I actually have a skylight in my apartment and a view of the Freedom Tower and Empire State Building across the water! Renting doesn't get much better than this!

And now...for a photo montage of my moving weekend. Peruse and feel sorry for me. After all those stairs, my quads burn like the fiery pits of hell.

Moving day breakfast of champions.

 

Gotta unpack the most important things first!

Living room before the mess of boxes arrived.

Bedroom before being beautified.

What a sweet man! Helping me line the kitchen drawers (a job I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy).

Walter, not so sure what's going on.

My helper collapsed... Time to call it a day.

Top o' the Afternoon to You: The Amazing Combo of Green Tea & Mint

Allow me to give credit where credit is due. I was never much of a tea drinker growing up, unless it was sweet tea of course. I actually discovered my love for tea in a very unlikely place, Costa Rica. Two years ago, Adam and I lived in a tiny beach town called Santa Teresa for 3 months. We saved up our money, took a hiatus from life and surfed every day. It was there that we met two very wonderful Brits, Jen and Harry. We lived in the bungalow next door to them and many afternoons, they would ask us to join them on their porch for afternoon tea.

The Brits weren't the only ones drinking tea though. Our friend Rotem, who owned the Israeli restaurant there, also introduced us to the concept of drinking hot beverages at the beach. His tea was extra special because it was laden with fresh mint leaves. I'd take that tea over dessert any day of the week.

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Since I've been back in the States, I've continued the tea revolution... maybe because I miss Costa Rica or maybe just because it does a body good (sorry, milk).

Out of all the teas, green tea is one of the best options because it's antioxidants are not lost during fermentation. Its leaves are processed differently, allowing it to retain it's 'goodness'. Green tea...

• Has a high concentration of the antioxidant EGCG, which may help protect the body against cancer-causing free radicals. - Sayonara, cancer!
• Nourishes the lining of your blood vessels, helping to prevent clogging of the arteries. - Put the doughnuts down and let the tea do it's work!
• Improves your cholesterol levels by reducing the bad cholesterol. - Bye bye, bad boys!
• Speeds up your metabolism so that you burn more calories. - Work it out!
• Contains a strong chemical antioxidant called a catechin, which has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. - A natural flu shot, much more fun than the alternative!
• Can help to delay and possibly reverse the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. - If you remember nothing else, remember this!
• Helps diabetics by slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. - Slow down, sugar! 
• If applied topically, can help with wrinkles and other skin issues. - Forget it, face lift!

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Now, let's talk about the best part...fresh mint! Mint...

• Aids in digestion. - Who needs post-dinner indigestion awkwardness?
• Acts as a natural sedative which, although mild, will help calm you down. - A little mint, count to 10 slowly, wa lah!
• Cleanses the blood. - Spring cleaning of the arteries!

I could go on all day, but we're wasting time!! Put the kettle on and get to drinking already!

...And now, a Costa Rica photo montage to peruse while you sip your tea! With no further ado....

The rain falling from our bungalow roof, taken with Adam's new amazing camera.

Our neighbors, on a Sunday stroll.

My favorite Brits, Jen and Harry, exploring the coastline.

Our other neighbors, the howler monkeys. Always causing a ruckus.

Headed to the 'Hermit Crab' beach for an adventure.