HLS 2010 ? The Sessions

New Friends!

Kath, Caitlin, Heather, Tina, and I started planning the first Healthy Living Summit a couple of years ago because we wanted a place for the group of us to come together with other bloggers and readers. We wanted a chance to meet all the people that we read on a daily basis or those who offer advice or friendship through their regular comments. This event was built under that manifesto and we’re thrilled to see it come to life today.

Morning Sessions:

I sat in for the last part of the Fueling for Fitness presentation this morning led by Rebecca and Heather (both sports nutritionists) and really enjoyed what they had to say. They are both great speakers and had a lot of information to share about fueling for fitness the healthy way.

I was particularly really interested in their ‘cliff notes’ version of a new concept called Metabolic Efficiency Training. The concept focuses on training the body to burn fat more efficiently as an energy source. The concept has certain meal plans depending on which part of the training cycle you are in or how much exercise you have for that day. There’s a book out right now about it that I want to pick up and read.

They had a lot of other great things to say about body image, weight, etc. When the sessions are available online (hopefully sometime next week) I encourage everyone to check it out!

Quaker Snack Break!

I tried one of the new mint chewy bars. I’m a big fan of all things mint flavored and this one did not disappoint.

Stepping Up Your Photography

My friend Nicole was the photography guru today. She takes awesome photos and I knew she would have some great advice.

The poor thing was so nervous! Nicole – you did great, no need to be nervous.

Nicole had a lot of first hand experience and knowledge of how the camera works and what settings will work best for you.

A run down of SLR v Point & Shoot (p.s. you don’t need a fancy camera to take great photos! Knowing how to use your p&s will take you far!)

SLR Settings explained:

Auto – Does everything for you
P – Auto, but adds control
AV – Aperture priority. You changes the aperture (change depth of field)
TV – You change the shutterspeed and the camera corrects aperture
M – All you

Point and Shoot Settings:

Macro – Uses larger aperture for shallower depth of field
Landscape – smaller aperture, wider depth of field
Sports – Fast shutter speed
Color Balance

Some great advice I was able to take away.

Low lighting? Crank up the ISO. <– good to know for all the conference photos
Diffuse direct lighting from windows by covering the window with a sheet, then bounce the the light from the window with a white poster board or piece of paper.
Play around with your settings. Learning to take great photos comes with trial and error.
Gimp (google it!) is a great *FREE* editing photo software that Nicole swears by!

When lunch time rolled around I was STARVING. I think of all the nervous energy of running around has amped up my metabolism or something because I just can’t seem to get enough to eat.

Thankfully we had an amazing lunch set up thanks to the people at Arnold & Oroweat.

There was a mix of sandwich fix ins, salads, fruit, etc. We had it all.

My plate had a little bit of everything (quiona, garbanzo bean salads, roasted vegetable sandwich, etc) and everything was really delicious. Our catering chef really worked with us to make sure we had a ton of delicious healthy options for our attendees. She really didn’t disappoint.

For dessert a bite of each of the dessert bars offered. (Catch a theme on my style of eating here? )

I caught up with my Disney Marathon buddy Monica during lunch.

Check out the new blonde hair! Hot Mama!!

After lunch I caught part of the panel discussion of The Ups and Downs of Pushing Publish led by Anne P.

Everyone in the discussion had so many wonderful things to say about blogging and how it has effected their lives in a positive way. Several points were discussed regarding negative comments, the pressure to blog multiple times a day, blog comparison, etc. It was truly enlightening and another good one to check out online.

One big thing I took away was not to feeling pressured to be like everyone else on my blog. My blog is a reflection of me and as such I should feel confident and proud of everything I post.

Next up, The 5 Ws of Strength Training by Chandra.

Why? To be strong, increase bone health, boost metabolism, overall health
When? Time of day is a personal preference. Before or after cardio is based on your goals. If not training for a race, strength train first and cardio after. Minimum needed 2 times a week with 8-10 exercises hitting all muscle groups
What equipment? Anything! Body weight, resistance bands, free weights, gym machines, etc.
Where? Virtually anywhere – the park, at home, at the gym
How? ask fitness instructors for help, do magazine moves in front of a mirror, make sure you have proper form before attempting moves to avoid injury

Athenos Snack Break!

Sooo many great Feta & Hummus inspired recipes.

It was almost too much good food. I grabbed a piece of everything to sample and just had a tiny bite.

Bloggers blogging.

Our day ended with Caitlin and Gena’s presentation – Stop Staring Over Your Shoulder: How to Avoid the Comparison Trap.

My favorite part was Katie from sweettaterblog.com – watch it and try not to tear up like I did.

And with that the sessions of the day came to close.

Thanks again to all our sponsors and the 200 attendees who came. You guys seriously rocked and I have never been more thrilled to be a member of such a powerful, amazing community.