Club Fitness

Your Stomach is Grumbling And...

2012-03-05T10:05:00.000-06:00

...You just NEED Fast food!

You are determined to eat clean.

You plan and prepare.

You cook meals ahead of time.

Your fridge is stocked withhealthy choices.

You use a 6-pack bag cooler tocarry your meals.

You stock your car, gym bag,purse, and desk with apples, almonds, protein bars, whey protein, water, and ashaker cup! You are determined and on a mission, and you are NOT going to fallof track. Until you encounter THAT time…

It Happens: There is always “THAT time”…that time when planschange, traffic is at a standstill, or something outside of your controlstrikes. It is feeding time and forwhatever reason, you are NOT prepared. Your stomach is growling at you in angerand then out of the corner of your eye…there it is. You spot the big bright sign out yourfavorite fast food chain next to that ‘all too’ convenience store, and they arecalling your name!

Fast food is calling: When your only options are a conveniencestore or a fast food chain, you CAN build a meal that contains protein, carbs,and some healthy fat; that will NOT sabotage your waist line. I am NOTsuggesting making convenient stores or fast food chains a part of your dailymeals, but what I AM suggesting is when ‘THAT time’ comes, that you areprepared and can make the best choices! It is ALWAYS better to build a meal andeat something instead of just skipping a meal.

Convenience stores

Convenience stores are alwayswithin reach and they are getting healthier options. With a little patience andan open mind you can build a balanced meal which has the right balance ofprotein, carbs, and healthy fat.

Proteins:Hard boiled eggs, Cottage cheese, turkey jerkey, Greek Yogurt, and even those “lunch-ables”. Choose the turkey ones, eat the lunch meat and throw away thecrackers/dessert. You can also find ready-made protein shakes and protein barsthat will do in a pinch (more on that below).
Carbs:Fresh fruit and fresh veggie sticks will be your best carb options here.
Healthy Fats:Unsalted and unsweetened nuts

Protein/Fat/Carb combo: There isalways trail mix. Eat the nuts and the dried fruit and you have some protein,some healthy fats and some carbs. Just WATCH the potions as the dried fruit hasa lot of extra sugar. Protein bars are another option. Many of these are loadedwith sugar and fats so read the labels and choose the most natural bars (canyou define the ingredients?) Look for bars with less sugar and carbohydrates,with higher protein. Remember, many of these bars have 300-500 calories, whichis considered a meal replacement. Eat only ½ bar for a snack portion.

Fast Food

I am NOT recommending you make ahabit of eating at fast food joints. I am merely showing that you can make itwork if it is the ONLY option. Be awarethat most fast food portions are often two to three times the serving size thatyou SHOULD be eating. Portion control is KEY! Use your hand as a guide;proteins should be the size of your fist, fats should be no larger than yourthumb, starchy carbohydrates should also be the size of your fist. Steamed orraw vegetables can be eaten in greater quantities but avoid butter, sauces,oils. Use fresh lemon, pepper to season.

Burger and Chicken Chains

Proteins:Eggs (egg whites are best), Yogurt Parfait (without granola), Small Hamburgeror Grilled Chicken Sandwich- (no cheese, no mayonnaise, no “special” sauces andTOSS the buns). Choose grilled when you can, and remove the skin. Also avoid the mayonnaise based side orderssuch as cole slaw and potato salad; as well as anything breaded and/or fried.
Carbs:Oatmeal, Fruit, salad, Baked Potato- plain (no bacon, butter, or sour cream).Avoid- French fries & other deep fried foods. Corn on the cob- withoutbutter, Steamed veggies- without butter, Sliced apples or fruit salad are alsogood carb choices.

Mexican Chains

Choose chicken or shrimp fajitas(leave off the sour cream and beans), eat the meat, veggies, and some of theavocado. Some other good optionsare: grilled chicken soft tacos, blackbeans, salads w/protein (chicken/shrimp), grilled “fresco” style steakburritos, veggie and bean burritos, and Ceviche. Just stay away from the cheese, thick sauces,and fried taco/tortilla shells.

Submarine/Sandwich chains

Choose a 6” submarine with wholegrain bread BUT eat only ½ the bread. Choose lean meats (turkey, chicken, roastbeef), and avoid the cheeses, sauces, and mayonnaise that loved to getslathered on the sub. In case you werewondering, adding lots of extra veggies are always okay!

Asian take-out

Good choices include: egg drop and miso soups; steamed, roasted orbroiled entrees; steamed or baked tofu, steamed brown rice, edamame, cucumbersalad; stir-fried veggies with chicken, tofu or shrimp (ask for light oil);sushi and sashimi.

Italian Food

Extra thin crust pizza with lightcheese and extra veggies is not a bad call. Bonus points if you can have them add chicken as a topping. Whole grain pasta with marinara sauce toppedwith grilled chicken is a great option- just watch the portions on the pasta.Minestrone soup works as well. Avoid- cream sauces, breaded entrees, garlicbread, and bread sticks.

Smoothie Chains

Acai bowls & smoothies- tryto add some protein, and limit the amount of granola or grains added.

Smoothies- choose “lite” optionsand add protein boosts and some peanut or other nut butters. Just be mindful ofserving sizes.

Avoid- sherbet, ice cream addon’s, and watch the large sizes (then can often pack well over 500 calories and80 grams of sugar)

So there you have it! Yourstomach is growling and you DO have options. Control the situation; don’t letthe situation control you! Make smart choices no matter what the situation is.

New and Approved Shrimp Fettucini Alfredo

2012-02-27T10:54:00.001-06:00

Have you heard or even tried the Shirataki noodles?

Shirataki noodles are very lowcarbohydrate, low calorie, thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanesenoodles made from yam. Shirataki noodles come in two forms, tofu shirataki andregular shirataki. Both types contain a yam flour base. The difference withtofu shirataki is the addition of a small amount of tofu. Shirataki noodlescontain 0 calories per serving because they are almost entirely made of fiber.Tofu shirataki noodles contain 20 calories per serving because of the additionof tofu. Many people prefer tofu shirataki noodles to regular shirataki noodlesbecause the texture is more pasta-like. Regardless of which you choose, bothtypes make great pasta substitutes. You can purchase shirataki noodles in avariety of pasta shapes, including angel hair, spaghetti and fettuccine.

How Do I Prepare It?

Step 1: Empty your noodles into astrainer, and rinse them with water to get rid of the liquid they were packedin.

Step 2: Dry them as thoroughly aspossible by blotting with paper towels -- remove as much moisture as possible. This is an important step, try not to skip it.

Step 3: Cut them up a bit; theycan be VERY long.

Step 4: Heat your noodles for aminute or two in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove. (If microwaving,you may want to blot for liquid one more time before adding sauce.)

The below recipe is aprotein-packed and veggie-loaded spin on my famous Fettuccine Alfredo withoutall the fat. It's super-easy and super-delicious. Check it out...

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 210calories, 5g fat, 550mg sodium, 13g carbs, 5g fiber, 24.5g protein.

Ingredients:

1 bag Tofu ShiratakiFettuccine Shaped Noodles

1 tsp. reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

1 wedge The Laughing Cow LightCreamy Swiss cheese

1 cup chopped spinach leaves

1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets,thawed

3 oz. frozen ready-to-eat mediumshrimp, thawed

2 tsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-stylegrated topping

Optional seasonings: salt, blackpepper

Directions:

1. Use a strainer to rinse and drainnoodles. Thoroughly pat dry. Roughly cut noodles.

2. Bring a skillet sprayed withnonstick spray to medium heat. Add noodles, sour cream, garlic, and cheesewedge, breaking the wedge into pieces. Cook and stir until cheese has melted,mixed with sour cream, and coated noodles.

3. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Cook and stir untilspinach has wilted and dish is hot, 2 - 3 minutes. Enjoy!

Five Things You Should Know About Eggs

2012-02-24T09:49:00.003-06:00

1.Besides the salmonella risk, downing eggs raw won't provide as much fuel.Studies show that the protein in fully cooked eggs is 91% bio available, orready to be used by the body. Raw eggs are only half as potent.

2.While a yolk carries all of an egg’s five grams of fat and 186 mg ofcholesterol, it also packs about half the egg's six grams of protein, as wellas its payload of amino acids and vitamins A, B, D, E, and K.

3.Egg yolks contain choline, an essential nutrient that helps maintain brain-cellstructure and neurotransmitters.

4. The spindly white fiber attachedto the yolk is called the chalaza, which protects the yolk by keeping itsuspended within the shell.

5. There is absolutely nonutritional difference between brown eggs and white ones. Brown eggs are laidby hens with red earlobes, and white eggs are laid by hens with white earlobes.End of story.

For a fat-burning, low dense, highprotein meal, which is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Give this recipe atry!

Scrambled Eggs With Turkey

Ingredients

1 cup egg whites or egg substitute

1 Tbsp. coarse-grained mustard

6 oz. ground turkey

Salt and pepper (optional)

3⁄4 cup chopped green onions

2 tsp. dried thyme

Butter-flavored cooking spray

Preparation

1. Whisk egg whites and mustard in asmall bowl. Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place overmedium heat.

2. Add ground turkey, breaking intosmall pieces until browned; drain.

3. Add salt and pepper, green onions and thyme. Heat for one minute, then transfer to a large bowl.

4. Recoat skillet with cooking spray.Add egg white mixture and stir over medium heat until softly set (about threeminutes).

5. Add ground turkey mixture and cook,stirring often, until eggs are just set (about two minutes).

NutritionFacts: 1 serving: 382 calories, 58 g protein, 2 g carbs, 15 g fat.

11 Reasons Why You Should Drink Green Tea

2012-02-23T08:33:00.001-06:00

Why I Plank? The Benefits of Planking

2012-02-22T15:04:00.001-06:00

When I was first introduced toplanks 5 years ago, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and thought how easy thisexercise will be! I’ve kept thinking(like everyone else) planks are a waste of time and the only reason thesepeople are doing them is because they are easy and they can tell people theyexercised.

Let me set the recordstraight: planks, when done correctlyand for the appropriate length of time and number of sets are not easy. Try holding a plank for 2 minutes, resting for1 minute and then repeating for a total of 3 to 5 sets. For me, that’s hard. For someone else, that may be easy. The appropriate length of time to hold aplank and the number of repetitions are up to the person doing the plank. (Pleasemake sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program anddoing any exercises). If you haven’t exercised for a while or are out of shape,start out slow. Do 3 planks holding eachfor 20 seconds and resting 30 seconds between plank holds. As you build your core muscles then increasethe length of your plank holds and the number of repetitions.

If you push yourself a little,doing planks are not easy and the benefits are outstanding.

Top 5 Benefits of doing Planks

1. Worksyour upper abs, your lower abs, your obliques, and your lower back (do standardand side planks to work your entire abs).

2. Buildsthe stabilizer muscles.

3. Buildsstrength for pushups.

4. Promotesgood posture and helps prevent back injuries.

5. Teachesyour abs to stay contracted in a regular standing position.

How to Do a Plank

1. Getface down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.

2. Pushoff the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly onyour elbows.

3. Contractyour abs to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.

4. Keepyour back flat — don't drop it or you'll be defeating the purpose. Picture yourbody as a long straight board, or plank.

5. Holdas long as you can. Aim for 20-30 seconds in the beginning and work your way upto one minute, as you get stronger.

6. Repeatthree times.

*For beginners, do this move onyour knees and gradually work your way up to balancing on your toes.

Variations on the Standard Plank

There are many ways you can mixup the standard plank to work your muscles in different ways while stillgetting the benefits of plank exercises.

Advanced planks

Do planks on your hands. Yourbody will be in a similar position as a push-up, except your arms are onlyshoulder-width apart.
Use an exercise ball or BOSU ball

Place your feet on the exerciseball or BOSU ball and do your standard plank on your hands. You can also do thereverse, by placing your hands on the BOSU or exercise ball instead.

Side planks

After you have raised yourself toan advanced plank position, rotate your body to one side so you are onlysupporting yourself with one hand. The other hand will be in the air.

I’m a believer in adding planksto my weekly exercise program. Next timeyou are working out with a trainer, if you haven’t been doing them, ask him or her about planks.

Insulin--What Is It and How Does It Affect Your Health and Body Weight?

2012-02-21T11:21:00.000-06:00

When people hear the word‘insulin’ they mostly associate it with diabetes and don’t pay much attentionto what it means to their own body. Insulin gets a ‘bad rap’ because of itsdirect association with diabetes, but insulin plays a BIG role in EVERY body! Insulin is responsible for determiningwhether you are storing or burning fat, your energy levels, your mentalawareness, athletic performance, and even the possibility of chronic disease! So understanding how insulin works is veryimportant to your health!

What is insulin anyway? Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreaswhen you eat carbohydrates. Have youever eaten a big pasta meal, and wanted to take a nap a few hours later? Have you ever started eating chips orcrackers and you just couldn’t stop? Ifyou have experienced one or both of these situations, you have EXPERIENCED whatan insulin spike can do to you.

So what does insulin do? Insimple terms, when you eat carbohydrates, they are absorbed into the bloodstream (as glucose or sugar) which in turn elevates your blood sugar levels.The pancreas secretes insulin to help your body process the increased bloodsugar (glucose) and store it as glycogen in your muscles and liver. If the glycogen stores in your muscles andliver are full, then the ‘excess’ blood sugar is stored as body fat! If your body is secreting insulin, it is in a‘storing’ process, and NO body fat will be burned.

Back to our big pasta meal-- whenwe ate that meal, we had a large flood of carbohydrates which led to a bigspike in insulin secretion. Sinceinsulin’s job is to ‘lower’ blood sugar, it does just that. But because of the huge insulin spike, it canlower blood sugar a bit too much, and that is when you feel drowsy, tired, andgenerally like you need a nap!

Along those same lines, when younibble on crackers, chips, or other carbohydrate rich ‘snack’ food, you get asteady release of insulin. This steadyrelease of insulin keeps lowering your blood sugar, which in turn tells YOU tokeep eating to get it back up! Now youknow WHY you just couldn’t put those ‘fat free’ crackers, chips, and crispsdown!

What does fat have to do withinsulin? Carbohydrates are directly tied to your insulin levels, but fats havea role in this as well. If you are eatinghealthy fats with your meals, these fats will S-L-O-W the digestion ofcarbohydrates which will slow the rise in blood sugar which will keep thoseinsulin spikes at bay.

What is a healthy fat? A balancebetween Omega 3 (from fish oil) and Omega 6 fats (found in vegetable oils suchas corn, sesame, safflower, peanut etc…). We naturally get enough, often toomuch Omega 6 fats in our diet. To have aproper balance, you have to be conscious of and increase your Omega 3 intakewhich can be found in fish, wild meats, and grass fed beef. An easy way to getthese is from fish oil supplements. If you are eating “bad” fats(trans-fats) or you are not eating the proper balance of omega 3 and omega 6fats, your cells won’t be able to convert the blood sugar easily, leading toinsulin resistance.

What is insulin resistance?Insulin resistance is when your cells are less affected by insulin and yourblood sugar (from carbs you have eaten) can’t move freely into your body’scells to be either burned or stored. As a reaction your pancreas secretes moreinsulin and you have both high levels of glucose (blood sugar) and insulincirculating in your body with neither of them going to where they are supposedto be. High levels of insulin trigger the production of stress hormone; cortisolalong with blood sugar will be turned into body FAT. Insulin resistancenegatively effects body fat (especially belly fat) increases the risk ofcardiovascular diseases, hormone health, including testosterone.Insulin resistance ultimatelywill turn into Type 2 Diabetes. However, insulin resistance is NOT a constantand can be improved with nutrition and exercise!

What you can do to improve your insulin health:

· Improve your diet by eating more protein, lessstarchy-carbohydrate foods, and healthy fats at each meal. Protein is VERY important because proteinsecretes a hormone that is basically the opposite of insulin, and its job is toraise blood glucose levels. The hormoneis glucagon, and it raises glucose levels by RELEASING stored energy. This releasing of energy into the bloodstream is how body fat is burned. Ifinsulin is being secreted, you are storing energy. If glucagon is secreted, you are releasingenergy. So, if you want to keep insulinat bay, make sure you are consuming protein and healthy fats at every meal.

· Eat low glycemic carbohydrates such as:

o Vegetables such as kale, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage,cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, asparagus, cucumbers, spinach, peppers,zucchini

o Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries,raspberries, cherries, blackberries, nectarines, avocado, grapefruit, tomatoes

o Grains such as steel cut oats, whole grainbreads

· Increase physical activity – Make sure you aredoing cardio and strength trainingexercises. On a daily basis, make sureyou are lifting weights, doing interval training, speed walking, jogging,running, elliptical, cycling, stair climbing, or whatever gets your heartracing and sweat going!

There you have it – Hopefully youhave a better understanding of insulin and the role it plays in your life! I know things might have gotten abit complex there, but trust me, it is really easy. Just make sure you are eating healthy fatsand protein with your carbohydrates, and you should FEEL a difference!

If you have any questions, feelfree to stop by and see Jessy or contact her at 689-1400.

Presidents' Day Favorite Recipes

2012-02-20T09:54:00.002-06:00

Celebrate United States history with some tasty recipes fromsome of our past Presidents and other political figures. George Washington was knownfor his eggnog recipe and Mamie Eisenhower for her fudge. But did you know thatThomas Jefferson had a favorite Chicken Fricassee recipe?

Thomas Jefferson'sChicken Fricassee Recipe

Serves/Makes: 6

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds chicken pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups water

1 cup dry wine

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cups fresh small mushrooms

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 cup half and half cream

hot cooked rice

PREPARATION:

1. Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Sprinkle withsalt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika.

2. Cook the chicken over high heat in a Dutch oven;remove the chicken when well browned. Reduce heat to medium, add flour, andcook the flour until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Whisk in water andwine until smooth.

3. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven; bring to aboil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 50 minutes.

4. Remove chicken, keeping warm, and reserve brothin large container. Broth may be strained to remove particles.

5. Melt butter in Dutch oven, over medium high heat,add onion, cook until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, sage and parsley. Addbroth, and chicken. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thoroughly heated.Served over rice.

NUTRITION:

495 calories, 34 grams fat, 9 grams carbohydrates, 31 gramsprotein per serving. T

Laura Bush's CowboyCookies Recipe

Serves/Makes: 36

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sweetened flake coconut

2 cups chopped pecans

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamonand salt in bowl.

3. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speeduntil smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla extract.

4. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Addchocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.

5. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough ontoungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes,until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through.

6. Remove cookies from rack to cool.

NUTRITION:

337 calories, 19 grams fat, 42 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein per serving.

Lyndon Johnson'sFavorite Chili Recipe

Serves/Makes: 10

INGREDIENTS:

4 pounds Chili-ground beef chuck OR venison

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)

2 tablespoons Chili powder (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon cumin

salt, to taste

6 dashes Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce (if desired)

2 cups hot water

1 1/2 cup canned whole tomatoes, undrained

PREPARATION:

1. Place the meat, onion and garlic in a Dutchoven.

2. Cook over medium heat until the lightly browned.Add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and Tabasco.

3. Pour in the water and tomatoes and bring to aboil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour.

4. Skim fat during the cooking, if desired. Servehot.

NUTRITION:

496 calories, 38 grams fat, 3 grams carbohydrates, 33 gramsprotein per serving.

Nancy Reagan's OnionWine Soup Recipe

Serves/Makes: 8

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons butter

5 large onions, chopped

5 cups beef broth

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup light cream

1 teaspoon minced parsley

black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add choppedonions and gently saute (about 10 minutes). Add beef broth, celery and potato.Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Puree mixture in a blender. Return to saucepanand add wine, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Stir incream, parsley and pepper to taste. Heat, being sure NOT to boil, as the creamwill curdle.

NUTRITION:

210 calories, 12 grams fat, 14 grams carbohydrates, 9 gramsprotein per serving.

Mexican Taco Salad Minus The Extra Calories

2012-02-15T15:24:00.001-06:00

OK, you don't need me to tell you that if your Mexican Taco salad comes in a ginormous greasy shell, it's probably notcalorie-friendly and is not low in fat. Taco salads often contain disturbingamounts of calories and fat.

Serving Size: 1 salad (including shell)

Calories: 945

Fat: 57g

Carbs: 72g

Sodium: 1,910mg

Fiber: 12g

Sugars: 8g

Protein: 38g

The numbers here are so staggeringly high that you may findthem hard to believe. Looks like the grease-soaked shell, heaps of fatty beef, handfuls of cheese, and gobs of sourcream add up after all.

Bottom line: Don't order taco salads when eating out.Instead, make them at home using this delicious and healthy recipe. Your entirefamily will enjoy this twist on their favorite Mexican meal.

Servings 3 (2 bowls per serving)

Prep Time - 10 min, Cook Time - 15 min, Total Time - 25 min.

Ingredients:

6 - 6” Tortillas (I used Mission Extra Thin Yellow CornTortillas)

Cooking Spray

½ lb Lean Ground Turkey or shredded chicken

½ packet of Taco Seasoning

1/3 c water

3 tbsp Reduced Fat ShreddedMexican Cheese

2 tbsp Tostito's chunky salsa

Shredded Lettuce

6 Grape Tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375degrees.

2. Sprinkle each tortilla lightlywith water and stack them on a plate. Cover the top with another plate that is turnedupside down and microwave the tortillas for 1 minute or until warm.

3. Turn two 12 cup muffin pansupside down. Mist each side of a tortilla lightly with cooking spray and centerit in the space between 4 muffin cups, creating a bowl. Repeat with the 5remaining tortillas, forming 3 bowls on each tin. Bake in the oven for 8-10minutes.

4. While the tortilla bowls are baking, spray a largeskillet with cooking spray and add the ground turkey and brown. Add 1/3 cup ofwater and taco seasoning, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer 3-4minutes.

5. Let the tortilla bowls cool for a few minutes afterremoving them from the oven.

6. In each bowl, layer ¼ cup of meat, 1 tbsp of shreddedcheese, 1 tsp of taco sauce, 4 quarters of grape tomato and some shreddedlettuce (of course in any order you choose).

Nutrition Facts:

Servings – 2 bowls, Calories - 274.0, Cholesterol - 63.7 mg,Sodium - 384.8 mg, Total Carbohydrate - 8.1 g Protein – 17.8 g

Be One in a Million Hearts

2012-02-14T09:49:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On thisday of all things love and hearts, how about showing some love for your ownheart? I just found out about the new Million Hearts campaign and its goal toprevent one-million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. And since heart disease isvery prevalent nowadays, I wanted to share the program with you.

Million Hearts is a nationalinitiative that was recently launched by the Department of Health and Human Services.Its goal is for you to commit to reducing your risk of heart disease by signingthe Million Hearts pledge in February — American Heart Month.

Here’s what you should know about women and heart disease:

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women
Every minute, a woman dies of heart disease
More women die of heart disease than the nextfour causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer
If heart disease runs in your family You cantake steps right now to help prevent that from happening:

o Stop Smoking

o Eat a healthy diet

o Lower your cholesterol levels

o Lower high blood pressure

o Be physically active every day

o Manage diabetes

o Stay at a healthy weight

o Reduce stress

o Limit alcohol

By signing it, you pledge to:

PREVENT heartdisease and stroke in your family by UNDERSTANDINGthe risks.
GET UP andGET ACTIVE by exercising for 30minutes on most days of the week.
KNOWyour ABCS: Appropriate AspirinTherapy, Blood Pressure Control, Cholesterol Control, and Smoking Cessation.
STAYSTRONG by eating a heart-healthy diet high in fresh fruits and vegetablesand low in sodium, saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol.
TAKECONTROL of your heart health by following your doctor’s instructions formedications treatment.

I just signed the pledge. And here's where you can sign onto Be One in a Million Hearts too.

http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/individuals.html

Have you signed it yet?

Too Much Stress?

2012-02-10T10:36:00.001-06:00

Stress can be a problem in itself, of course. But stress can sometimes lead to unhealthy lifestyle patterns—which lead to more stress! As you read the following ways in which stress can affect our nutritional choices, ask yourself this: when feeling overwhelmed, have you found yourself doing any of the following?

1- Drinking Too Much Coffee: When burning the candle at both ends, people often find themselves using coffee drinks to jump-start themselves in the morning, and a pattern of all-day coffee drinking often ensues.

2- Eating the Wrong Foods: Due partially to increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, stressed people tend to crave foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Think about it: how often have you turned to your good friends Ben & Jerry after a long, stressful day?

3- Skipping Meals: Another thing overly stressed people tend to do is skipping meals. Have you ever found yourself rushing out of the house without a healthy breakfast (picking up a latte doesn’t count!), or realizing you’re starving in the late afternoon because you didn’t eat enough?

4-Mindless Munching: Conversely, stress also makes us prone to emotional eating, when we eat when we aren’t hungry, or eat foods that are bad for us. Have you found yourself mindless snacking on junk food, or eating when you aren’t hungry, because of stress?

5-Forgetting Water: With busy lives, it’s easy to forget to drink your water. In fact, a good portion of Americans drink little actual water, and get water intake only from soda or coffee. Do you get a full eight glasses per day, or even four?

6- Fast Food: People these days eat at home less than in generations past, as it’s easier to just drive through a fast food place or go to a restaurant than to go home and cook something. Unfortunately, this gets expensive, and is often unhealthy.

7-Crash Diets: Because of weight gain from stress, some people intentionally eat less food than they need, or try dangerous fad diets in order to lose the excess weight. Diets that aren’t balanced with fruits and vegetables, protein and healthy carbohydrates can often be bad for your health in the long run, even if they look attractive short term.

Little Fish Pockets

2012-02-09T12:55:00.000-06:00

I found this great healthy recipe while I was searching for newrecipe ideas for white fish, and I decided to give it a try! They are called"fish pockets" because of the way you cook them, and you can chooseany white fish you like. My absolute favorite is Tilapia and I highly recommendit.

Ingredients:

1 sliced tomato

1 sliced onion

12 oz white fish

1 small zucchini, cubed (I used cucumber)

1/4 cup white cooking wine

Lemon

Lemon Pepper

Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Turn up sides of foil creating a pocket

3. Layer your ingredients in this order: tomato,onion, fish, then zucchini

4. Sprinkle lemon pepper and pepper on each layer,and pour wine and squeeze the lemon over the fish

5. Close up foil so the pocket is closed and placein baking pan

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish is opaque

Nutrition Info:

Serving Size: 1 6oz of tilapia

Calories: 351, Fat: 13g, Carbs: 13g, Protein 43g

Healthy Twist on Shrimp Scampi

2012-02-08T12:53:00.002-06:00

Most definitions of shrimp scampidescribe the dish as large shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic. Sounds delishbut definitely not very healthy since the amount of butter used is usuallynearly one half cup per pound of shrimp! Despite its high cholesterol content,shrimp is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and is a great lean proteinsource. No wonder it is one of the most popular seafood choices.

In my kitchen, I omit the butteraltogether and saute the shrimp in a little bit of heart-healthy olive oil. Toadd flavor, I will season the dish with lemon juice and white wine. Adding darkgreen spinach allows me to slip in a little of this fantastic superfood, whichis rich in vitamin A, K, folate and illness-fighting flavonoids. In order toround out the dish, I will spice it up with some fresh parsley and serve itwith high-fiber, whole-wheat pasta. The trick is to make sure the pasta doesn'tdominate the dish, so keep in mind the recommended 1/2-cup portion size.

Serves: 4, 1 serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

4 ounces whole-wheat linguini

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cloves minced garlic

6 green onions, sliced

1 pound large shrimp

10 ounces frozen spinach

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.Add garlic, green onions and shrimp, and cook until shrimp starts turning pink.Add spinach and continue to cook until the spinach has cooked through.

3. Add white wine and lemon juice and cook until most of theliquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon zest andparsley.

4. Serve with 1/2-cup pasta per serving.

Nutrition Content (per serving)

289 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 26 gcarbohydrates, 2 g sugars, 6 g fiber, 29 g protein, 225 mg sodium

The Benefit of Green Tea for Weight Loss

2012-02-07T09:29:00.000-06:00

Whether you are trying to shedunwanted pounds or keep your already fit body, there are many tools you can usein your battle to become healthy and fit: Increasing your metabolism with greentea is one easy tool worth trying.

Green tea increases fatmetabolism. It means it increases the body’s capacity to burn the fat faster.Various studies revealed the connection between caffeine and green tea. Amongthe green tea nutrients EGCG is believed to be the most important factor forgreen tea weight loss. Epigallocatechine (EGCG) seems to work well for boostingthe noradrenalin which helps boosting the body’s metabolism and lowering theappetite.

Health conscious people take intoconsideration taste, freshness and quality. They chose green tea as it providesthe desired outcome and helps them stay fit and enjoy it at the same time.Green tea controls the release of glucose which increases with the intake ofhigh calorie food. This way it also lowers the intake of calories, what isanother reason behind green tea weight loss.

The benefits of green tea do notend on helping individuals in losing their extra pounds. It maintains LDLcholesterol levels and sugar levels in the body so after people reach theirdesired weight it helps them to keep it. It also reduces the chances of anycardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.

No perfect dosage of the greentea has yet been decided for losing some pounds of weight. But still drinking2-3 cups of green tea can help you shed some hard weight. It helps you burnyour calories thus decreasing the calorie level in the body.

A Japanese magazine studyconfirmed that a man who drinks 2-3 cups of a green tea everyday lives cancerfree for 3 more years than a man who does not drink green tea. So one more advantage of green tea is ithelps body to stay far away from cancer. It is also reported that it helpsdecreasing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Beneficial Tips:

If you want to lose apound or two, just replace one non-fat latte or coffee with a cup of green tea (virtuallycalorie free), and you can save at least 150 calories a day, Research at JohnsHopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that nixing just one100-calorie drink a day, you can lose about a pound in six months.

Green tea can also give you better insulin control. Improving your insulinsensitivity and glucose tolerance can keep you slim because your body will useenergy more efficiently. Just one cup of green tea can help stabilize highblood sugar levels when combined with at least three days of exercise, accordingto a study in journal of American College of Nutrition.

Green tea can also helpprevent heart disease. Green tea has been shown toreverse endothelial dysfunction, imbalance of the contracting and dilating of the blood vessels. A recent study showed that just 30 minutesafter drinking at least two cups, the endothelial cells that line yourcirculatory system dilate--this relaxes your arteries and veins, which allows, bloodand nutrients to flow through properly.

A study also foundthat drinking three cups of green tea with a bit of low-fat milk, for threedays consecutively, help burn 106 calories per day. In one year, that canresult in 38,000 calories burned, equal to 11 pounds of fat, gone!

Three days ofexercise combined with at least three cups a day can lead to abdominal fatloss. In fact a recent study in the Journal of Nutrition showed this resultafter 3 months green tea with the combination of moderate intensity cardio.Recent research in the American journal of Clinical Nutrition found that 366milligrams of EGCG increased fat burning by 17 percent during a 30 minutecycling test.

Healthy Superbowl Snacks

2012-02-03T09:05:00.002-06:00

The Super Bowl is one of thebiggest calorie-fests of the year for many Americans. Getting your fruits andvegetables may be the last thing on your mind on Superbowl Sunday. The averagefootball fan eats about a day's worth of calories during the game, and the U.S.Calorie Control Council estimates that Americans pack away 11 million pounds ofchips on Super Bowl Sunday. Don’t give it another thought. Snack on these deliciousand healthy game day recipes.

Lemon-Drop ChickenWings

Ingredients

chicken wings, split and patted dry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/3 cup each: lemon juice and chicken broth

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

1. Toss wings with oil, a generoussprinkling of salt and pepper, sugar, and Italian seasonings in a medium bowl.

2. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray; arrange wingsin a single layer. Adjust oven rack to lowest position.

3. Set baking sheet onoven rack in cold oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes.

4. Removewings from oven and use a metal spatula to turn wings; continue to roast untilgolden brown, about 10 minutes longer.

5. Meanwhile mix lemon juice, brothand garlic. Pour over wings; return to oven; roast to blend flavors, about 5minutes longer. Scrape wings and sauce onto a platter and serve.

Calories: 173

Warm SpinachArtichocke Dip

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 (16-ounce) can lima (or butter) beans, drained

1 cup light mayonnaise

4 ounce fat-freecream cheese

1 teaspoon hot peppersauce (such as Tabasco)***

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed,drained, and squeezed dry

3/4 cup pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon lemonjuice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 8 ingredients (through mustard) in a foodprocessor, and process until smooth (about 15-20 seconds).

3. Add remaining ingredients; pulse 5 times, then processuntil mixture is consistent throughout (about 10 seconds). With a rubberspatula, transfer mixture evenly to a 1-quart casserole dish, smoothing top.

4. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brownedand bubbly at the edges. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Calories: 59

White Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, totaste

Preparation

1. Place Cannellini beans in bowl, and mash with fork; setaside.

2. Heat a small pan over medium heat; add 2 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil, and let it warm.

3. Add garlic, and chopped fresh sage leaves. Stir constantlyfor 4 minutes or until garlic is brown and sage is crispy.

4. Pour hot oil over beans; stir. Garnish with 1 teaspoonextra-virgin olive oil, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and store infridge up to 1 week.

Black Bean Hummuswith Fresh Veggies

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 small lime

Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Place the beans, garlic, tahini, cumin, oil, and limejuice in a food processor. Whirl until the mixture is smooth. Season to tastewith salt and pepper.

2. Serve in a bowl, garnished with a sprinkle of paprika.

Black Bean Hummus can be kept for 4 to 5 days, tightly covered in therefrigerator.

Black Bean and SweetPotato Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 28-can diced tomatoes

4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cupsfreshly cooked)

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried

Preparation

1. Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add theonion, garlic, and salt. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the sweet potato and lime zest, and cook 10 to 15 minutesmore, continuing to stir occasionally.

3. Add the tomatoes, black beans, lime juice, cumin, andcocoa, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Serve over brown rice, if desired, with lime wedges andcilantro, or with corn bread, biscuits, or taco chips alongside.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper, thenplace in a single layer on a lightly-oiled baking sheet.

3. Bake 20 minutes, then turn and bake another 20 minutes,until soft inside and crisp outside (if you cut the fries very thin, you’llwant to keep an eye on them to prevent burning). Serve hot.

Sweet Dipping Sauce

Whisk together 1/2 cup plain or Greek-style yogurt, 1/4 cupmaple syrup, and cinnamon to taste. Use as a dip for the baked sweet potatoes.

Savory Variation ofsauce

Add one minced garlic clove, 1/8 cup freshly-grated Parmesancheese and some chopped fresh parsley to the fries as soon as they come out ofthe oven.

Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary to oiled and salted potatowedges and bake as above.

Falling Off the Wagon? Tips on Getting Back on Track

2012-02-01T09:01:00.000-06:00

Life can be very busy. You justgot a new promotion at work. Your kids are playing two different sports, not tomention music and art lessons. Your parents are coming to visit nextmonth. Before you know it, you haven’tbeen to the gym to get your workout in weeks.

If you’re like most women, you’renot looking forward to huffing and puffing your way back into shape when youreturn from your exercise hiatus. Unfortunately, while it seemingly takes months if not yearsto reach your target fitness level, it takes sheer weeks to fall out of shape.

If you’ve taken a little time offfrom exercise, it’s important to get back into your fitness routine as soon aspossible. The longer you stay out of the fitness habit, the harder it will beto get back on track.

How quickly can I fall out of shape?

It actually depends upon yourfitness level and how long you’ve been training. Obviously, fitter individualswill see less of a decrease in their aerobic capacity and strength when takinga break than novice exercisers. As a general rule, you will begin to noticeless aerobic power after just two weeks of non-exercise.

Falling out of shape essentiallymeans that you lose the cardiovascular, strength, flexibility, and balanceprogress that you made when you were exercising. Typically, when taking a breakfrom exercise, you will experience decreased cardiovascular endurance beforeloss of strength. According to the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research inDallas, you’ll lose 10 percent of your aerobic capacity after only two weeks ofinactivity. If you take a break lasting more than six to eight weeks, you’reback to square one.

How do I get back on track?

Here’s the good news: If you werein good shape prior to taking your exercise "break", then you’re much better offthan those who have never exercised. The best way to get back on track is tosimply start moving. You may not be able to push yourself to the samedifficulty level as you once did, so start at your current ability level andgradually increase your intensity from there.

Is it ever okay to take a break?

Absolutely! If you’ve beenpushing yourself extra hard for weeks on end, then you probably need a break.Typically, a few days are all you need. Any more than that, and you may losesome of your progress.

How do I keep from falling out of shape when I’m strapped for time?

You don’t have to log fifteenhours on the treadmill every week to stay in shape. If you’re busy, seek toburn more calories in less time. Harvard University researchers studied morethan 30,000 women and found that the overall number of calories burned is moreimportant than the actual number of hours spent exercising. So, if you’restrapped for time, just increase your intensity level, and burn more caloriesin a shorter time span.

Healthy Oven-Baked Coconut Shrimp

2012-01-31T09:13:00.003-06:00

You’ve got your sweater on andyour heat is cranked up. It’s freezing outside and all you can think about isthe warmth of spring that’s couple of months away. The thought of being outsidemakes you want to crawl in a hole…a very warm hole.

This healthy twist Baked Coconut Shrimp recipewill make you feel like you are on an island somewhere, lying in the warm sun,snuggling your toes in the hot sand. Although these coconut shrimp can beenjoyed as an appetizer, I often turn it into a meal by adding a simple greensalad or a fruit salad. Don’t feel too guilty eating these as your main course;they’re baked and a much healthier alternative to the fried version.

Minutes to Prepare: 20 Minutes to Cook: 20

Number of Servings: 4 (6 shrimps per serving)

Ingredients

· 24 large uncooked shrimp (peeled, deveined andleave tails intact)

· 1/3 cup cornstarch

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (alter to desire)

· 3 large egg whites

· 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Directions

1. Preheatoven to 375 degrees F.

2. Rinseshrimp under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Ina shallow dish combine cornstarch with salt and red pepper; stir to combine.

4. Placeegg whites in a medium bowl; beat using an electric mixer on high speed untilfrothy (about 2 minutes).

5. Placethe coconut in a shallow dish.

6. Workingone shrimp at a time dredge the shrimp first in the cornstarch mixture, thendip in egg whites and then in shredded coconut.

7. Placethe shrimp on a foil lined baking sheet that has been generously coated withcooking spray.

8. Repeatwith remaining shrimp (cornstarch, then egg white, and then in coconut).

9. Lightlyspray the shrimp with cooking spray.

10. Bake10 minutes. Turn shrimp and bake another 10 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: 229.8calories, Total Fat 9.7 g, Cholesterol 63.8 mg, Potassium 170.4 mg, Total Carbohydrate23.4 g, Protein 12.5 g,

The Real "Value" is Family Dinner Time

2012-01-27T13:15:00.000-06:00

Fast food is so pervasive in oursociety. Many times, it’s more accessible than a grocery store with freshproduce. Family mealtimes are becoming a past thing, due to time-poor duelworking parents, and kids involved with extracurricular activities.

Not feeling like going through adrive thru? Burger King is now going to be experimenting with a deliveryservice in the DC metro area. For an extra $2 you can get your meal deliveredto your home (just like a pizza). This is certainly not what something ournation needs. Now we don’t even have to get in our cars to pick it up? Fast food should be LESS accessible in this country, not more. We need to get backto family mealtime, cook with our kids, and care more about the benefits thisprovides – no matter how busy we are.

This is not about being opposed to ordering delivery or eventaking away hamburgers! It is important to keep this in mind for you and yourfamily’s health and wellness, it’s just as fast to make a home-cooked meal, andthe result is higher quality food, enjoyed with the people you love. All youneed to do is a little planning and make some time in your schedule. Thebenefits to your health and well-being outweigh the cost of your time and thereis research to prove it.

Families Who EatTogether, Stay Healthy Together

Research shows that children andadolescents who share family meals 3 or more times per week are more likely tobe in a normal weight range and have healthier eating patterns than those whoshare fewer than 3 family meals together. In addition, they are less likely toengage in disordered eating (skipping meals, compulsive overeating, restrictingetc.). They are also less likely to have problems with substance abuse. Familymealtime creates stronger family bonds, and encourages positive socialinteractions.

What more could you ask for? Whenyou are the chef, you eat healthier and you live healthier. Get help from thekids. Get help from slow cookers. It’s OK to cook the same meals over and overagain.

The value of family meals goesbeyond the food–it includes the connection you make with your family and theimportance of being together, sharing stories of the day, and being a family.You don’t need a fancy meal; there are so many meals that can be pulledtogether in less than 15 to 20 minutes and get everyone involved. Wrap atortilla, pack a pita pocket, stuff a baked potato, create a stir-fry, set up asalad bar–so many ideas for busy families.

Drive- Thru Salads?

Yes the drive-thru salads containvegetables (mainly iceberg) and protein (seasoned chicken, whether breaded orgrilled), but they have nearly a half days salt worth without the dressing andthe iceberg doesn’t compare to the nutrition in kale, spinach, arugula, or romaine!

I stand by my comment, that justbecause it’s called a salad, doesn’t mean that it’s healthy. I believe inchoosing foods you love so if there is fast food places with a salad you enjoythen by all means go for it. I just happen to think you can do a better job onyour own.

If you are really in a time crunch and can get grocerydelivery, do it. Add a leafy green or two, any other veggies you like, and yourchoice of lean protein, any bean, and you have a hearty, nutritious salad.

Salads can be a more healthful choice but only if you makeadjustments to it, that is use less than 1/4 packet, for example instead of awhole packet and get grilled instead of fried chicken. Many fully dressed fastfood salads can pack in as many if not more calories than a burger and fries,but if you pay attention to portions of add-ons like dressing, cheese, croutonsand opt for grilled instead of fried chicken, it can fit into an otherwisehealthful, balanced diet.

15-Minute Vitality Salad

Just in case you are stumped for at-home salad ideas, hereis an easy recipe that literally takes 15 minutes to throw together. Add dicedgrilled chicken breast or seasoned tempeh to make this salad a complete meal.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3/4 cup dried green lentils

3 3/4 cups water, divided

1/2 cup whole wheat couscous

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups (about 2 ounces) packed baby arugulaleaves

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup prepared basil pesto

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Directions

1. Put lentils and 3 cups water into a small potand bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender but not fallingapart, about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.

2. Meanwhile, bring remaining 3/4 cup water to aboil in a small pot then pour over couscous in a large, heatproof bowl, coverand set aside for 10 minutes. Uncover, add oil and fluff with a fork. Set asideto let cool, then add cooked lentils, arugula and tomatoes and toss gently tocombine.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together pesto, vinegar,salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle pesto mixture over salad and tossto coat.

Nutrition

Per serving: 230 calories (80 from fat), 9gtotal fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 480mg sodium, 29g totalcarbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 10g protein

Don’t Waste Your Money on Naked Marketing Schemes

2012-01-25T13:23:00.001-06:00

I have had couple of clients and colleaguesasking me what my thoughts were regarding Naked Juice. I decided to take theliberty in gathering as much information as I can do before labeling it as ahealthy drink or not. This was a project I took the liberty of doing on my own.My interest stemmed out of my personal experience with Naked Pomegranate Acai15.2oz. As I was sipping the drink andchecking the label on the bottle, I was impressed with the picture showing howmany fruits they used to fill the bottle I held in my hand:

1 2/3 Pomegranates

95 Açaí Berries

1 1/3 Apples

1/2 Banana

14 Red Grapes

14 White Grapes

As what a good nutritionist would do,I looked at the nutrition label curious to see how much fiber, vitamins, sugar,and calories a bottle contained. I was under the impression that this liquidwas jam packed with vitamins and minerals:

Nutrition Label Pomegranate AcaiNaked

-One Serving size: 8oz

-Servings per container: 2

One 15.2 oz. bottle contains:

-4 Servings of fruit

-320 calories

-62g sugar (AKA 5 tablespoons ofsugar)

-0% Vit C

-2% Vit A

-0% Fiber

I was fooled by the pictures onthe nutrition label, color of the juice, and even the flavor! This bottle was nothingmore than a pretty package with what might as well be kool-aid mixed with 5table spoons of sugar and water.

This nutrition label disappointedme enough to analyze each Naked Juice sold at a local grocery store for approximately$3.67 each:

What I found was that all oftheir drinks do not have any dietary fiber, some had very poor levels ofvitamins and minerals, and others had a much better amount of nutrients. If I am buying something thatcost almost $4.00 I expect to pay for the actual benefits from the fruit usedto make the juice.

For Pomegranate Acai and all theflavors you will shortly see under the “Do Not Buy list”, the vitamins wereeliminated during pasteurization, (the juice is heated to destroy harmfulbacteria, vitamins are destroyed at high heat, and Naked never bothered to putsynthetic vitamins back into the drink afterwards.)

The good news is that some oftheir products are not impostors and do provide you with a nutritious beverage.They all cost the same so you can make a better choice of selection from thevarieties they offer after reading this.

The bad news is that all of thebeverages had 0% Fiber. That means you will not have the benefit of feelingfull longer like you would with the actual fruit in the raw, or have any of thebenefit of the soluble fiber.

The following is a very condensedversion of the Good versus the Bad:

DO NOT BUY

The following are very poor inVitamin A and C and other nutrients:

BUY these:

The following juices have beenfortified with Vitamins and added Boosters:

Suggestion:

Do not treat them as meal replacers
Eat rawfruit and veggies instead to benefit from all the vitamins and fiber needed
These should be treated as last choice forpeople who absolutely cannot eat raw fruits or veggies

Last Thought:

Be a responsible consumer anddemand the qualities of products sold are what you want. We vote with our moneyto dictate what stays and what goes out of business. Hopefully this was helpfuland you can apply it to your future purchase. Remember to be a smart shopperand always analyze what it is you are buying because you may get the samequality product for a fraction of the cost.

HIIT Workout: The Best Cardio For Weight Loss

2012-01-25T09:22:00.002-06:00

If you are unhappy with how youlook or feel, take it out on the treadmill with a HIIT Workout.

There is nothing like highintensity interval training “HIIT” to help you achieve maximum fat burning inlimited time. A HIIT workout is the best cardio for weight loss and formetabolic conditioning. In this post, I will talk about the most criticalelements of using a HIIT workout for weight loss and increased conditioning.Your conditioning and weight loss can also work hand in hand, as yourconditioning improves you will also burn more fat. HIIT involves alternatingbetween intervals of high intensity training and intervals of rest. An exampleof this would be to cycle as hard as you can for 20 seconds, then rest for 10seconds.

When it comes to increasingmetabolic conditioning, a recent study showed that HIIT increased endurancelike steady state cardio. The interesting discovery here is that HIIT only took10% of the time to achieve the same results.

Another factor that HIIT improvesis V02max, the amount of oxygen you can use per minute. This reflects youroverall physical fitness. People that have a higher V02max use more energy doing thesame activity, this helps them burn more fat.

Here is a quick 20 minutes fatblast HIIT treadmill workout that can be done whether you are at a beginner,intermediate or advanced level.

BEGINNER:

5 minute WARMUP

2 minutes power walk warm up: 3.0-4.0speed; incline 0

3 minutes power walk up hill: 3.3 speed;incline 3

5 minutes

5 minute power walk 3.3 speed or faster;incline 5

9 minutes:

1 minute power walk 4.0 speed or higher;incline 7

30 seconds off (step to sides of treadmill-straddling)

REPEAT those two 6 times…

1 minute cool down

0 incline and walk it out level 3.5

INTERMEDIATE:

5 minute WARMUP

2 minutes power walk warm up 4.0 speed; 0incline

3 minutes power walk up hill 3.3 speed ;incline 10

5 minutes

5 minute power walk 3.3 speed ;incline 15

9 minutes:

1 minute jog 4.0 speed on incline 15

30 seconds off (step to sides of treadmill-straddling)

REPEAT those two 6 times…

1 minute cool down

Put treadmill at 0 incline and walk it outlevel 3.5

ADVANCED

5 minute WARMUP

2 minutes power walk warm up 4.0 speed, 0incline

3 minutes jog incline 2.0

5 minutes

5 minute power walk 3.5 speed; incline 15

6 minutes

1.30 minute sprint 5.0 speed; incline 15

30 seconds off (step to sides of treadmill-straddling)

REPEAT those two 3 times…

3 minutes

Treadmill flat to ground

30 second jog level 5.0 or less speed; 0incline

1 minute SPRINT level 8.0-9.0, 0 incline

REPEAT

1 minute cool down

Put treadmill at 0 incline and walk it out

This is ideally done AFTER yourweight workout with one of our trainers. I do not recommend this for someonewho has bad knees or joints. As always, workouts must be coupled with a cleaneating plan to achieve results.

For maximum success with yourweight loss goals, contact Jessy at 309-689-1400 or click HERE.

Determination today equals satisfaction tonight!

2012-01-24T12:46:00.001-06:00

Go through today withDETERMINATION if you want to end today with SATISFACTION. We hear it, but howdo we live each day with determination?

Forget the past- Nothing before today or this moment right now canchange. You can’t control what has happened, what you did, what you said, whatyou ate, or what you promised to yourself prior to this moment. You can’tchange the past. Although the past hasshaped you and made you who you are today, it can’t be changed.

Decide what you want for yourself. People that are successful withchange have a commonality: they all DECIDED to change. Once you decide what youwant for your life, you will AMAZE yourself at what you can actuallyaccomplish. Decide to be the success story and theone who over-came tough obstacles. Once you decide, anything is possible!

Be determined to find solutions and not excuses. You will getbetter at this with practice. When hurdles pop up and excuses pop into yourhead, make it a challenge to yourself to find solutions. Your boss wants you towork late and you have to miss your workout tonight? Eat your lunch quicker andworkout during lunch. You hate your job? Work on your resume today and start toactually look for a new one. You hate your size? No one is force feeding youthe food you may or may not eat today. You can’t afford to get help? What ismore costly, preventative help now, or the cost of neglect later? Make better choices and decide.

Act as if- If you already were the best you that you want to be,what would you be doing, saying, eating, etc? Who would your friends be and whatwould your day be like? Start small with this and do what you can. Are you theperson who eats lunch quickly and spends the majority of your hour powerwalking? Stop thinking about this and actually do this. Do you want to be the personwho turns chaos into accomplishment? Start acting as if you are. Start to actas if you are already living that life and you will amaze yourself with whatwill actually become real.

Birds of a feather flocktogether--Misery loves company. Do your friends help you towards your goals orhinder you? Time to really evaluate this: If you are determined to have ahappier, healthier, more active and fulfilling life, you may want to look firstat who you associate yourself with.

Are you looking for a jump start?Contact Jessy at 309-689-1400 today!

Overcoming Overeating

2012-01-23T08:09:00.001-06:00

Why do we eat? We all know why weshould be eating: to supply our bodies with plenty of energy to get through theday; to get nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicalswhich help us to stay healthy and free of disease; and to get usefulcarbohydrates, proteins, and fats—all of which contribute to running our bodiesproperly and maintaining good health.

In our food-obsessed culture without-of-control portions always lurking within our grasps, how can we notovereat? It’s hard to break habits and go against the lessons we have alwaysbeen taught, like cleaning our plates, not being wasteful, or getting the bestdeal—which usually means ordering up and getting a lot more food for the money.

There are many ways to stopovereating. From the following list, find a few that work best for you, and tryseveral.

Skills for Any Setting

Whether you’re cooking your ownmeals, eating at work, or snacking at a football game, here are the strategiesyou can take anywhere

Know your portion sizes. Make your own"portion pack" to take with you or keep the following common items inmind when preparing and eating meals.

o A golf ball is the size of a serving of nuts(including peanut butter) or cheese.

o A deck of playing cards is equivalent to 3ounces of any meat.

o Use a die to estimate a proper serving of oilsand fats.

o For fruit and veggie servings, use a tennisball.

o One serving of cooked grains or potatoes isabout the size of a computer mouse.

Divide your plate. When cooking at home, lookingat pictures on menus, or shopping ala carte at the work cafeteria, your plateshould look like this:

o Half (or more) of the plate should be filledwith fruits and vegetables.

o Protein-rich foods (meat or legumes) andstarches (grains, potatoes, bread) should take up one quarter of the plateeach.

o Fill your "divided plate" only once.If you’re still hungry, have another half-plate of vegetables. It’s thatsimple.

Surround yourself with positive people whomotivate you to reach your goals, not those who want to sabotage your efforts.When you feel tempted, emotional, or if you have already gotten off-track, turnto your support group. Call a friend, email a family member, or even get online.Sometimes all you need is a short word of advice from a friendly voice.

Tips at Home

Cooking at home may be theeasiest way to control your portions during a meal, but it also presents uswith fully-stocked cupboards and refrigerators that can be tempting:

Bring home healthy fast food. Try pre-cut,frozen, or microwave-in-the-bag vegetables. Automatic portion control.
Stop the Taste-Testing Habit. If you’re the cookin the family, you may be eating a lot of calories when you taste your foods asyou cook. To stop this natural habit, try chewing gum while you prepare youmeals. Each time you are tempted to sneak a bite, you’ll have to take the gumout of your mouth. This will make you more conscious of what you’re doing.
Make fruit your dessert. It’s a great way to getmore produce into your diet, and it satisfies the sweet craving many peoplehave after a meal. Experiment with new and exotic fruits. And, when it comes tofruit, eating a little extra isn’t a bad thing.
Keep your hands busy. Many people want to eatwhen bored or just out of habit while watching TV. Keep your hands occupiedwith something else, and you won’t want to eat. Try knitting, painting yournails, shuffling cards, petting your cat—anything that keeps your hands movingwill do the trick. Or, keep your whole body busy by doing crunches, squats,lunges or other body exercises while you watch.
Make a rule that works for you and your family.No eating in front of the TV, in the car, or at your desk. This will help youavoid mindless eating when you’re not hungry.

Tricks for Dining Out

It’s difficult to control yourportions—not to mention ingredients and cooking method—when you are at arestaurant. Despite this, there are several things you can control:

Inquire about portion sizes. If it sounds huge,and it probably is, ask the server to split your entrée in half. Tell them tobox up half ahead of time (and maybe even keep it in the kitchen until you’reready to leave). Or, split the dish with a friend.
Order ala carte. When you feel like you can’twin on size, or if even half of an entrée is still way too big, order sideitems. Most restaurants do offer staples like baked potatoes, steamed freshveggies, and rice dishes. Or, even if it’s dinnertime, ask for the lunchportion. You may have to pay the dinner price, but you’ll save yourself fromeating way too much, and you’ll be much happier about that.
Decide ahead of time what you’ll order. Thatway, you won’t be tempted by the less-healthy fare when you look at the menu.If you’re familiar with the menu, don’t even look at it—simply order what youalready had in mind.
Don’t be afraid to make substitutions iningredients and cooking methods. Many people don’t like to be picky atrestaurants, but think of it this way. They’re there to meet your needs andserve you. If they don’t have something you want, ask! Vegetarians and vegansknow this scenario all-too-well, because they have to modify almost every dishon the menu to be able to eat it. Waiters and waitresses will want to complyand help out (because it means tips for them), and chefs can easily makemodifications.
Add something new. Ask for extra veggies in yoursalad, or to add vegetables to a dish (like pizza or pasta) that doesn’tnormally contain them.
Substitute. Get the plain baked potato insteadof the mammoth french fries; Ask for grilled chicken on your salad instead ofbreaded.
Tell your server you don’t want the free bread,chips, etc. when you first arrive. Or, if you do eat it, let them know that youdon’t need another round.
Don’t pick at the food left on your plate. Putyour utensils on your plate so the handles get dirty. You won’t want to pickthem up again, and you won’t mindlessly eat more while chatting over dinner.Or, try laying your napkin over top of the remaining food. Out of sight, out ofmind.

Oranges, Caramelized Red Onions and Baby Spinach in Balsamic Vinaigrette

2012-01-19T12:32:00.000-06:00

This salad is easy, different and all of the preparation canbe done ahead of time.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large red onion, cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds (try tokeep the rounds intact)

4 navel oranges

7 ounces (about 5 cups) baby spinach

Directions

1. Set oven rack 5-6 inches from top and preheat broiler.Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Make vinaigrette by combining olive oil, balsamicvinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl.

3. Dip onions into vinaigrette, being careful to keep roundsintact, and lay in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Broil until softand caramelized, 5-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Setaside or refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.

4. Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, carefully removing allof the white membrane. Slice into rounds about 1/4-inch thick, remove anyseeds, and place in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour vinaigrette over top, makingsure oranges are well coated on both sides, and let marinate in therefrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.

5. To assemble the salad, place spinach on large platter orindividual plates. Scatter caramelized onions over spinach, and then placemarinated oranges on top. Quickly whisk vinaigrette from soaked oranges, thendrizzle over top or serve on the side.

Enjoy!