Tag Archives: oregon

Fabulous Adventure Vacations with Just Enough R&R

There are three kinds of people in the world: those who take a vacation to totally relax. They go to place like Hawaii and Mexico to stay at an all inclusive resort to golf or spend time in the spa. A vacation is a way to get away from the world.

Then there are those who see a vacation as an adventure. It’s a chance to hike a mountain pass, to camp on the ridge and see the sunrise. A vacation is a chance to breath deep as they plunge into new experiences and to see what their bodies can do.

Then there are people like me who want a little bit of both. I want a good hike in the morning, followed by an amazing meal of local cuisine. I don’t mind getting up for sunrise as long as there is a cup of tea and a comfortable bed waiting for me at the end of the day. I want to get away from my every day, but I still want to experience what the world has to offer. If that describes you too, I’ve got some great ideas for a fit adventure followed by a little R&R.

RUN

Hood to Coast Relay: Here’s your chance to see that amazing sunrise! This 198-mile relay race takes you from Mount Hood to Seaside, Oregon. It’s the longest relay foot race in the world, starting early on Friday morning and lasting well into Saturday. Stay the night at the Shilo Inn in Seaside after the race to rest up, have a good meal, and catch the shuttle service back to Portland on Sunday. (more…)

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Pamela

Mississippi Retains Least Healthy State Title, Hawaii Ranks Healthiest in 2024 Rankings

According to the latest, and frankly most, state health rankings, the healthiest states are mostly found in the western and northeastern parts of the country while the least healthy are in the South. America’s Health Rankings have released their list for 2024, with Hawaii taking the top health spot.

The top three is rounded out by Vermont and Minnesota. At the bottom of the overall list are Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. To determine the overall health of each state, America’s Health Rankings combined information about individual health choices, environment, public policy and clinical care. States were also ranked on percentage of adult population who smoke, are obese, are physically inactive, and have diabetes.

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Posted on December 12, 2023 by Elizabeth

Colleen Fields Lost 124 Pounds by Food Journaling and Taking Control of Her Life

When most people start a diet, they focus on the numbers that appear on the scale, but Colleen Fields had a different sort of goal in mind, her dress size. In January 2024, Colleen weighed 304 pounds and wore a size 26 W. Her goal was to shed enough weight so that she could wear a size 12 by her 40th birthday. She knew she had just under two years to make it happen.

As a child, Colleen remembers being “chubby,” but says her real struggle with weight didn’t occur until after she had her second child. She gained 75 pounds with her son and never shed the extra weight. Then, a divorce and the demands of being a single parent caused her to gain even more.

Colleen explains, “I had a terrible marriage that left me with significant self-esteem issues. I left him shortly after my son was born and I poured myself into my kids (I also have a daughter, same father, who is three years older). I went back to school, I worked full-time, and I shuttled them to all of the normal kid activities – Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, gymnastics, baseball, soccer, dance, swimming, etc. I wanted to give them as much of a normal childhood as possible despite the fact that their father was not involved in their lives, and in the process I ignored myself. I would leave work, pick them up from day care, take them to their activities, grab fast food, get home and do homework, then put them to bed and I would do my own homework. There was no time for me and I didn’t make me a priority.”

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Posted on May 18, 2023 by Dani Stone

Best White Water Rafting Locations in the U.S.

White water rafting is a fun, but challenging recreational sport involving an inflatable raft. This type of outdoor activity can be done with several people working together to navigate through the rough rapids of the river or similar body of water.

White water rafting not only challenges your physical ability, but mental as well. White water rafting helps improve your overall strength and endurance levels as well as self esteem, self confidence, and helps reduce stress levels. Team work is crucial, thus making it more fun! Below are a few safety tips, as well as a few of the best places to go white water rafting. Good luck and have fun!

White Water Rafting Safety Tips:

Wear appropriate protective gear: helmet, life jacket, protective eye wear, and water shoes
Listen to your guide
Eat a light meal before rafting
Know and understand the dos and don’ts
Never go rafting alone
Know the lay of the land
Have fun!! (more…)

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Matt

Mt. Whitney Climb, Pt. 2

There’s been a minor setback in my Mt. Whitney conquering plans. We didn’t win the lottery. See, you pick dates that are best for you, then you are entered into a lottery. From there, it’s up to chance.

This isn’t to say we have no chance to climb Whitney this Summer. We just need to go for a second round of date options.

It would be a letdown if we don’t make it, but I still plan on a challenging hike, which means I will still document my progress here at Diets in Review. If Whitney doesn’t work out, we’ll probably stick to California, or possibly Oregon.

I just got back from San Francisco, where I visited for five days. It’s an exciting town. One that I fulfilled several indulgences, one of which was actually exercise. I probably walked more than 10 miles, and when you picture what the streets of San Francisco are like (hint: not flat), I probably countered not doing any strength training, and eating out every day. It felt really good that I encountered almost no physical pain after my extensive walking. Before I started working out again, I would have been sore all over.

So, I have no plans on looking at the scale in the next few days. And the fact that I’m battling a nasty cold doesn’t help me get back into the swing of things. I made a decision to discontinue my physical therapy for my back injury, mainly because I’ve pretty much memorized the routine I was given.

Once I get over this cold, I’ll hit the gym and man the fitness ball to get my core strength back in gear. And the good news is that I’ve met a couple potential hiking buddies, which I needed badly. I’ll need to pack up a backpack and lug around 20+ pounds to get a better sense of what kind of shape I’ll need to be in.

Next week this time, I’ll give you a weight update, and hopefully an update on our climb plans. I fear it will not be good news (the weight part), but I’ll do my best to prove myself wrong.

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Jason

Slow Food in Schools

It’s finals week, and I’m up to my ears in research. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but it is painful to absorb that much information in such a short period of time.

My research topic is very pertinent to this blog, so I’ll share a bit with you. I’m arguing for Slow Food in Schools. What is Slow Food? It is a movement spurned by activism, as a protest to the proliferation of fast food, in our towns, and even scarier, in our schools.

In the 2024 study conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, only Oregon and Kentucky received an A- for their commitment to eliminate junk food in schools. As many as 20 states got Fs for failing to raise standards above the USDA minimums, which have been deemed as the leading cause of childhood obesity in this country.

Of course, any good argument has two sides, and the fast food industry likes to argue “don’t look at us, kids can’t drive themselves to Pizza Hut”. True, but why would they need to, when we are bringing Pizza Hut to their schools?

Lose the guilt and gain the consciousness and learn more about your local chapter of Slow Food in Schools.

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Gretchen