A Healthier You - Motivation

So, you’re super motivated today to start a new exercise routine soon, but you know you’ve said this before. 

How do you make this time stick?

I recently came across a mention of Dr. Ryan E Rhodes whose area of research is on the psychology of physical activity. It’s hard to sum his research up into one point, because there are so many great ideas in his works, so I’m giving you all the idea that has really stuck with me: 

Every one of us has wonderful intentions when it comes to being physically active. We all at some point in our adult life have thought “Tomorrow I am going to start working out!”. You’re serious and determined in that moment, but according to Dr. Rhodes this is where the breakdown happens. Over 50% of people who set good exercise intentions will fail to follow through. Your alarm buzzes the next morning and your resolve to get to the gym or go run dissolves away; you have failed to turn your intention into action. His research is looking to remove the intention-behavior gap and he has some handy tips to help with this. Here’s 5 of the 10: 

1. Make it Comfortable at First: Positive feelings during exercise predict the continuations of a physical activity program. Keep your own pace when you exercise. It’s more important to feel comfortable then to push yourself.
2. Find the Daily Benefits: Motivation based on stress-relief, mood management, and anxiety reduction achieved after physical activity is more powerful motivation than long term benefits.
3. Make it Social, Challenging or Enjoyable: To stick with and exercise routine, you need to find ways to overcome boredom. Make physical activity part of your social life (walks with a friend), finding activities that challenge you, or linking activities you enjoy with physical activity (reading, watching TV).
4. Do it Where You Live or Work: Make sure you have activities you can do close to home when time is limited or weather is bad.
5. Create a Detailed Plan: Plan what, where, when and how you will do your physical activity. Schedule exercise as an appointment in your calendar. People who make highly detailed plans are more likely to implement those plans.

The other 5 tips can be found in this image below and more about Dr. Rhodes can be found here. 

Above all remember your health is important and you are 100% deserving of the time you need to take care of yourself ❤ 


Written by: Wenona Mertens

A Healthier You - Summer Vegetables

Last week we took a look at the healthiest fruits you can load up on this summer so this week we are going to switch gears and see what the vegetable world has to offer our bodies. We already know all veggies have amazing benefits but which ones are the best? Here’s our top 5:

1. Spinach: List after list, this super food is always at the top and for good reason. 1 cup has 56% of your daily Vitamin A and 100% of your Vitamin K, plus loads of antioxidants.
2. Carrots: These bright orange veggies are packed with beta-caroten, antioxidants, and just 1 cup has 428% of your daily Vitamin A.
3. Broccoli: Not only is it the perfect mate for ranch dressing, studies have shown broccoli could help protect the heart and block cancer growth.
4. Peas: These tiny, sweet rounds of healthy goodness are packed with fiber, protein, vitamins A, C, K, and B.
5. Sweet Potatoes: Such a versatile vegetable- Eat it baked, mashed, or sliced and you’ll gain half your daily Vitamin A, 25% of vitamin C and B-6, and 12% of your potassium needs. Also sweet potatoes are low in the glycemic index 😊

Now shoot it to me straight, what super-veggie do you think we should be loading our plates with?

Written by: Wenona Mertens

A Healthier You - Summer Fruits

Summer is the best time of the year for fresh, ripe, juicy fruit. There’s nothing better than the smell of a freshly cut watermelon on a hot summer day! And don’t ever get me started on cantaloupe!! With summer winding down I thought it would be the perfect time to send out a list of the most nutritious fruit choices.

Here’s the top 10 but if you’d like to read more Healthline has a full article of the 20 Healthiest Fruits on the Planet:

1. Grapefruit: Great source of vitamins and minerals and helps with weight loss and insulin resistance.
2. Pineapple: 1 cup has 131% of daily Vitamin C and helps with inflammation and digestion.
3. Avocado: Loaded with healthy fats and low in carbs which aids in heart health.
4. Blueberries: Exceptionally high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, and manganese.
5. Apples: Contains high amount of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K and some B vitamins. Also contains a gut healthy prebiotic fiber and antioxidants.
6. Pomegranate: Has anti-inflammatory effects and has 3 times higher antioxidant levels than green tea.
7. Mango: Contains Vitamin C and soluble fiber along with compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
8. Strawberries: Rich in vitamin C, manganese, folate and potassium but also low in glycemic index which shouldn’t cause a blood sugar spikes.
9. Cranberries: Contains vitamin C, E, K1, copper, manganese, antioxidants and is known for preventive powers when dealing with urinary tract infections. 
10. Lemons: Loaded with vitamin C, helps lower blood pressure and could help prevent weight gain.

As you can see, you can’t go wrong with fruit so pick your favorite and enjoy! 

Thank you,

Wenona Mertens

Bon Voyage Family Vacation Season?

As summer begins to wind down, memories of your beloved vacation linger in your mind.  It seems an eternity until the next vacation....but, does it have to be?   NO!  There are lots of cheap and/or free "mini-vacations" you can pull off in one weekend.  Don't limit yourself to one vacation a year.  Enjoy the time you have with your family and make it something that happens several times a year or as often as possible. 

Here are a few ideas to help you on your new vacation schedule: 

 * Go to a local water park for a day. 

 * Go camping at a local campground. 


 * Plan a fishing trip with your family. 

 * Find a cheap hotel on Cheaphotels.com and plan a night away - make sure they have a pool!

 * Spend a day playing putt-putt golf and then a picnic. 

 * Go hiking to a local landmark.

 * Plan a night of star gazing with your family and see who can find the most shooting stars. 


There are many things you can do to expand your vacation time, but the most important and valuable way is to spend it with those you love. That point alone will make the most simple, cheap, and shortest vacation one of your most memorable. 

Happy Fall!!!!

Written by:

Delilah Atkins

A Healthier You - School Bus Safety

With the big yellow buses taking to the roads again in a few days I thought it was important to review some tips to keep everyone safe- you on your way to work and our kiddos, as they bus to and from school.

Tell your children:

• While waiting on the bus keep three giant steps back from the road.
• Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before loading or unloading.
• Look both ways before stepping into the street.
• Never walk behind the bus.
• When crossing the street to or from the bus walk far enough in front of the bus that you can see the bus driver’s eyes.
• Stay seated and keep your voice down while the bus is in motion.

As a driver:

• Drive slower during the hours school buses are on the road. You’re more likely to unexpectedly come up on a bus stopped in a road or children playing in the street during the hours of 0600-0800 and 1400-1600 so it’s better to drive slower than you normally would to give yourself more reaction time.
• Never pass a school bus that is stopped. Not only is it dangerous but it is ILLEGAL.
• Be alert! Children often don’t see dangers so it could be your good decisions behind the wheel that saves a child’s life.

Above all be patient. School traffic can be frustrating when mixed with work traffic but those few seconds you lose by driving a bit slower may be the seconds you need to avoid an accident. Have a great and safe school year everyone!!

Thank you,

Wenona Mertens

August 2019 C2 Employee Spotlight

This month the employee spotlight is on Michael Boggs.  Michael came to C2 Freight in November of 2018 to be our Chief Operations Officer from an accounting background. 

Michael is married to Christy and they have 3 beautiful children.  Abby is 16 years old and plays soccer.  Andrew is 13 years old and plays baseball and basketball.  Avery is 9 and plays soccer and basketball.  Michael and his family live in Huntsville, AL and are very active serving in their church through activities like teaching and summer camp. 

Michael works hard to keep us on track to make our goal, helps ensure that we make our bonus, and keeps us up-to-date during our morning team huddle.  He is also our resident grill master for our weekly summer grill outs. We appreciate all his hard work!  Thank you Michael!!!!