One Month Down

A Royal Flush's Biggest Loser contest has reached the end of the first 30 days.  It is hard to believe how fast January went by.  Everyone is doing a really great job and we are so excited to see our staff slowly getting healthier.

As a whole, the company is embracing a healthier lifestyle.  We are keeping baskets of fruit in the kitchen.  We added a blender so people can make healthy smoothies for breakfast.  And we put a treadmill in the office bathroom so employees can work out during lunchtime.

I am excited to tell you that as a whole the group has lost 45 pounds total in January.  We currently have seven people competing for the grand prize.  In the lead, at the moment is Bill with 8% lost.  Anthony is right behind him with 7% loss.

But we still have two months left so stay tuned to see who is going to win!

A Healthy Winter

Are you having difficulty staying active during this winter season? Well, we have got the perfect idea for you! Introducing challenges on FitBit. This feature allows you to link you FitBit tracking device with friends and, officially, form challenges. 

If you're wondering what a FitBit is, let me explain it to you. A FitBit tracker is a small device that comes in many different forms, that tracks your steps. But it doesn't end there. The FitBit also tracks your high energy time, stairs climbed and calories burned. In a nutshell, it's the best tracker ever.

Back to the challenges; the FitBit dashboard, the page that displays your numbers, give you the option of challenging your friend to many different challenges. Also, the friends you challenge can invite their friends and so on. Doing this is THE BEST motivation that anyone can ask for, especially during this winter season.

The beauty of this is that anyone can join the challenge, no matter their location. For example, one of our interns is in a week-long competition with out construction sales representative. Did I mention that the intern is at school in Massachusetts?

So if you're having difficulty staying active this winter, gather some friends, near and far, and have competitions; believe me, the bragging rights are amazing.

National S'mores Day

It's that time of the year again! Who is ready to celebrate National S'mores day and eat some s'mores?

BUT, there is a problem; after eating a delicious, gooey, chocolaty s'more, the guilt follows.

What if.. you can eat a s'more and feel great afterward?! 

Introducing the s'more substitution; a blog that will give you alternatives to a sinful snack.

First; the banana boat!
Take a banana and slice it, with the peel, down the middle, length wise. Throw in some dark chocolate chips, marshmallows and some almond butter. Wrap it up in foil and put it on the grill. YUM!


Next, the gluten-free s'mores bar
Simply replacing the graham cracker with gluten-free graham crackers. Take a look at the recipe here.

Lastly, the s'more smoothie
In a blender, add almond milk, a frozen banana, low-fat marshmallow dip, dark chocolate, gluten-free graham crackers and blend it all together for an AMAZING experience for your taste buds!

Let us know if you have any alternatives; we always love hearing from you!

Healthy, Speedy Breakfast

As you may know, I am an intern at A Royal Flush. I am also a full time Sophomore at Bay Path College in Massachusetts. This basically means that every second of my day is full.

For some particular reason, which I have yet to figure, I always seem to skip breakfast because I wake up, get ready, and by the time I need to leave, it is way too late for breakfast. I am pretty sure that many of you reading this experience the same thing. Whether you are on your way to work or late on dropping your children off at school, breakfast seems to be the easiest thing to forget about.

Now, we all know; breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So, I have found a few breakfasts that are fast and easy:

The first one is Emerald Breakfast on the go!. They come in three delicious flavors, Breakfast nut, S’mores nut and Berry nut. Not only are they delicious, but they are good for you and have tons a protein.

Next there is Special K Breakfast Shakes. With 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, the breakfast shakes keep you full for a long time

Lastly, there are the Clif Bars. They come in a variety of flavors like peanut butter, chocolate chip, and blueberry crisp. They, like the Emerald trail mix, are delicious and have 9 grams of protein.

These are just some of the options out there.  What is your favorite “fast food” breakfast of choice?

I hope that you will benefit from these recommendations. I know they work for me and hopefully work for you.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog: The Super Bowl 

Staying healthy and active in an office

At ARF, everyone in the office is watching what they eat and trying their hardest to get a workout in. But working in an office can be a place of great temptation and workout laziness. On that note, here are a few tips to help you stay healthy and active.

1.       Have a stock of healthy snacks at your desk. There is always someone in the office that loves bringing in treats for everyone else. Usually, those treats are not exactly the healthiest option. Having a snack drawer give you options and the opportunity to make a good decision.

2.       Feel free to fidget. Did you know that fidgeting can burn up to 350 calories a day? That’s right! 350 calories. So go ahead, tap your feet and talk with your hands.

3.       Pack your own lunch. Doing this gives you control over what you eat. Also, you save TONS of money.

4.       Replace your chair with an exercise ball. Balancing yourself on an exercise ball workouts your abs, helps you with balance, and relieves stress from your lower back. So what if you look a little funny, at least your back will feel AMAZING.

5.       Drink lots of water. Not only is water extremely good for you, but the more water you drink, the more you have to get up and use the bathroom.

6.       The power of a water bottle. While at your desk, you can do a few bicep curls. Just use a water bottle as dumbbell and if anyone catches you, pretend you were just having a drink.

7.       Take the stairs. Skip the elevator and take the long way. This helps you get in a few extra burned calories.

These are just a few tips, but they are sure to set you on your way to feeling healthier. They may be small, but add up when they are used together.