Home Office workout

Using a yoga ball as an office chair is pretty cool.  I move around a lot more, my back is straighter, and, let's be honest, it's way more fun.  I still have my nice office chair in here, but I'm trying to use the ball for at least half of the day.  I put a cushion under it so that I could still maintain an ergonomic workspace.  I use an ergonomic keyboard, wireless mouse, and dual screens that are directly at my eye level.  I get a lot of natural light and have plenty of space for 5 minute yoga breaks. :)  Definitely a better work environment than the dark cube farm at work!  I may work longer hours at home, but I certainly don't mind it!  Plus, the cat and dog have chairs to sleep on in here.

Nutrition Chart

My favorite and easy lunch is brown rice, black beans, kale, and tomatoes in a wrap.  It has a ton of vitamins that we need!  Here's a table of the vitamins and minerals that we need, why, where to get them, and signs you need them!  Room at the end to add in others :)

Vitamin	Good for	Foods	Signs You Need It
Vitamin A	·         Vision ·         Immune and Inflammatory systems ·         Cell growth ·         Reproduction	Sweet potato, carrots, spinach, kale, hearty greens, bell peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupe, papaya, oranges, grapefruit, asparagus, watermelon, apricot, green beans, parsley, broccoli, celery, plums	·         Visual impairment ·         Dry eyes ·         Eye inflammation ·         Rough/dry skin
Vitamin B6	·         Nervous system ·         Sugar and starch breakdown ·         Metabolism ·         Inflammation	Garlic, tuna, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, hearty greens, kale, green beans, cod, tomatoes, turkey, salmon, leeks, sweet potato	·         Fatigue ·         Anemia ·         Eczema ·         Convulsions ·         Seizures
Thiamin – B1	·         Energy ·         Nerves and muscle activity ·         Heart function	Tuna, sunflower seeds, black beans, dried peas, green peas, pinto beans, lentils, lima beans, sesame seeds, oranges, grapes, garlic	·         Loss of appetite ·         Pins and needles sense ·         Numbness in legs ·         Muscle tenderness, especially in calves
Riboflavin – B2	·         Protects oxygen damage ·         Energy production ·         Maintain B vitamins	Yogurt, soybeans, spinach, tempeh, almonds, green peas, collard greens, celery	·         Sensitivity to light ·         Tearing, burning, itching around eyes ·         Soreness around lips, mouth, tongue ·         Peeling skin around nose ·         Cracking of skin around mouth
Niacin-B3	·         Cholesterol ·         Blood sugar ·         Process fats ·         Genetic processes	Chicken, tuna, halibut, lamb, salmon, spelt, sardines, peanuts, asparagus, sweet potato	·         Generalized weakness ·         Lack of appetite ·         Skin infections ·         Digestive problems
Pantothenic acid – B5	·         Turns carbs and fat into energy ·         Stress ·         Healthy fats	Avocado, yogurt, mushrooms, corn, sweet potato, cauliflower, eggs, broccoli, collard greens, celery, sweet potato	·         Fatigue ·         Listlessness ·         Weakness ·         Numbing/tingling/ burning/shooting pain in feet
Vitamin B12	·         Red blood cells ·         Anemia ·         Nerve cells ·         metabolism	Sardines, salmon, lamb, shrimp, halibut, scallops, yogurt, cod	·         red, sore tongue ·         tingle/numb feet ·         nervousness ·         memory problems
Vitamin C	·         Prevents free-radical damage ·         Lowers cancer risk ·         Regenerates vitamin E supply ·         Iron absorption	Papaya, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, pineapple, brussels sprouts, kiwi, oranges, cantaloupe, kale, apples, asparagus, celery, watermelon, plums, grapes, sweet potato, garlic	·         Poor wound healing ·         Frequent colds/infections ·         Lung-related problems
Vitamin D	·         Calcium metabolism ·         Bone strength ·         Blood pressure ·         Inflammation ·         Fatigue ·         Cancer ·         Muscles	Salmon, sardines, eggs, shiitake mushrooms	·         Muscle aches ·         Lowered immunity ·         Chronic low energy and fatigue ·         Auto-immune disorder
Vitamin E	·         Protection for UV rays ·         Prevents free-radical damage ·         Cell communication ·         Cancer ·         Alzheimer’s	Sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, hearty greens, papaya, asparagus, bell peppers	·         Digestive problems ·         Tingling/numbness in hands, arms, legs, or feet ·         Liver or gallbladder problems
Biotin	·         Healthy skin ·         Sugar usage ·         Energy supple in nerve cells	Swiss chard	·         Hair loss ·         Muscle cramps ·         muscle coordination
Calcium	·         Bone strength ·         Acid/alkaline balance ·         Muscles	Yogurt, tofu, sesame seeds, collard greens, spinach, cheese, scallops, sardines, oranges, asparagus, banana, celery, garlic	·         Low energy ·         Weak bones
Choline	·         Cell membranes ·         Nerve communication with muscles ·         Chronic inflammation	Eggs, chicken, turkey, scallops, shrimp, sardines, cauliflower, swiss chard, asparagus	·         Fatigue ·         Insomnia ·         Kidney/urine problems ·         Fat in blood ·         Nerve-muscle problems
Chromium	·         Blood sugar ·         cholesterol	Onions, tomatoes, oysters, whole grains, potatoes	·         high blood pressure ·         high blood sugar/cholesterol
Coenzyme Q	·         Restore vitamin E ·         Prevent cardiovascular disease ·         Blood sugar	Fish, whole grain germ	·         Ulcers ·         High blood sugar ·         Gum problems
Copper	·         iron utilization ·         prevents free-radical damage ·         bones and connective tissue ·         thyroid ·         nerve protection	Quinoa, squash, sesame seeds, cashews, soybeans, barley, sunflower seeds, tempeh, chick peas, lentils, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds. Ginger, pineapple, almonds, raspberries, garlic, leeks, asparagus, sweet potato, garlic	·         anemia ·         poor blood vessel strength ·         bone/joint problems ·         skin sores ·         irregular heartbeat ·         frequent infections
Cysteine	·         detoxify chemicals and heavy metals ·         protects free-radical damage ·         breakdown mucous in lungs	Poultry, yogurt, egg yolks, red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, oats	·         frequent colds
Flavanoids	·         Blood vessel protection ·         Enhance vitaminC ·         Protects oxygen damage ·         Inflammation	Apples, apricots, blueberries, pears, raspberries, strawberries, black beans, cabbage, onions, parsley, pinto beans, tomatoes	·         Easy bruising ·         Frequent nose bleeds ·         Excessive swelling after injury ·         Frequent colds or infections
Folate	·       red blood cell production ·       nerves ·       dementia	Lentils, pinto beans, chickpeas, spinach, black beans, kidney beans, hearty greens, lima beans, oranges, strawberries	·         irritability ·         mental fatigue/ forgetfulness ·         insomnia ·         periodontal disease
Glutamine	·         Intestines ·         Antioxidant ·         Acid-base balance ·         Muscle mass	Cabbage, beets, beef, chicken, fish, beans, dairy	·         Frequent colds ·         IBS
Iodine	·         thyroid	Yogurt, milk, eggs, strawberries	·         Goiter ·         Weight gain ·         Fatigue
Iron	·         Oxygen transport ·         Energy production	Soybeans, lentils, spinach, tofu, sesame seeds, chickpeas, lima beans, olives, swiss  chard	·         anemia
Lipoic acid	·         Regenerate vitamins C and E ·         Antioxidant ·         Blood sugar	Hearty greens	·         High blood sugar ·         Frequent colds or infections ·         Cataracts or glaucoma
Vitamin K	·         Bone health ·         Cancer	Kale, spinach, hearty greens, Brussels sprouts, parsley, romaine lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, plums, grapes	·         Excessive bleeding ·         Heavy periods ·         Easy bruising
Magnesium	·         Bone strength ·         Energy production ·         Nervous system ·         Inflammation ·         Blood sugar	Quinoa, watermelon, pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, soybeans, sesame seeds, halibut, black beans, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, asparagus, strawberries, watermelon, brown rice	·         Fatigue
Manganese	·         Utilize key nutrients ·         Bone health ·         Synthesize fatty acids ·         Blood sugar ·         Nerves ·         Thyroid ·         Protects free-radical damage	Spelt, brown rice, chickpeas, spinach, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, tempeh, rye, soybeans, oats, banana, celery, strawberries, grapes, sweet potato, garlic, brown rice	·         Nausea ·         Vomiting ·         High blood sugar ·         Skin rash ·         Low cholesterol ·         Dizziness ·         Hearing loss ·         Reproductive system difficulties
Omega-3	·         Inflammation ·         Blood ·         Risk of obesity ·         Cancer	Flax seeds (ground), walnuts, salmon, sardines, soybeans, halibut, scallops, shrimp, tofu, strawberries	·         Depression / fatigue ·         Brittle hair/nails ·         Joint pain ·         Inability to concentrate ·         Dry, itchy skin
Potassium	·         Blood pressure ·         Kidneys	Swiss Chard, lima beans, potatoes, yams, soybeans, spinach, papaya, pinto beans, lentils, kidney beans, oranges, banana, strawberries, watermelon, plums	·         Weakness ·         Nausea/ vomiting ·         Constipation ·         Abnormal psyche ·         Fainting from low blood pressure ·         Cramping/bloating
Protein	·         Immune system ·         Healthy skin, hair, and nails ·         Enzyme production	Quinoa, chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, halibut, shrimp, cod, scallops, soybeans, asparagus	·         Weight loss ·         Fatigue/weakness ·         Frequent infections ·         Severe fluid retention
Selenium	·         Protects free-radical damage ·         Thyroid ·         Joint inflammation	Halibut, tuna, cod, sardines, shrimp, salmon, barley, turkey, lamb, scallops, asparagus, garlic, brown rice	·         Muscle weakness or pain ·         Discoloration of hair or skin ·         Whitening fingernail beds
Zinc	·         Blood sugar ·         Metabolism ·         Immunity ·         Smell and taste	Lamb, scallops, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, oats, yogurt, turkey, shrimp, green peas	·         Impaired smell and taste ·         Lack of appetite ·         Frequent colds and infections