Did you know...
Cardiovascular disease is our nation's #1 killer, and physical inactivity significantly increases the risk for it. Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing, walking, or many other activities can help your heart.
According to the latest joint American Heart Association/American College of Sports Medicine guidelines on physical activity, all healthy adults ages 18-65 should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days of the week. Our 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp exceeds these guidelines and you get an ever greater benefit!
Quick Exercise Tips
1. Develop fun activities. Add variety. Develop repertoire of several activities that you enjoy. That way, exercise will never seem boring or routine. Learn 18 different push-ups in our 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp. You have to enjoy at least 1 of them!
2. Find a convenient time and place to do activities. Make it a habit.
3. Surround yourself with supportive people. Decide what kind of support you need. Do you want them to remind you to exercise? Ask about your progress? Participate with you regularly or occasionally? Make a date with a family member, friend, or co-worker. Be an active role model for your children.
4. Keep a record of your activities. Reward yourself at special milestones. Nothing motivates like success.
5. Wear comfortable, properly fitted footwear and comfortable, loose-fitting clothing appropriate for the weather and the activity.
Kick Start Your Healthy Habits Today!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
14 Quick Vegetable Facts
One of the biggest challenges people face is getting enough veggie servings into their daily life. These quick veggie facts should give you an sense of how important veggies really are and even provide a few new ways to implement them into your daily menus.
1. Extolling veggies- they are naturally low in calories, but high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
2. According to the USDA, we're suppose to get 5 servings of vegetables per day. That's about 2.5 cups worth.
3. Less than one third of Americans meet the daily vegetable requirement.
4. If you buy smart, you can meet your daily requirement for less than $2.50 per day.
5. Vegetables start losing their nutrients the moment they are picked, albeit slowly. Once in contact with water or heat, the process is greatly accelerated.
6. Wash vegetables just before serving.
7. Eating raw vegetables retains more nutrients than heating them. And if you're ever tasted fresh corn, minutes after harvest, you know it's not as weird as it sounds to eat uncooked.
8. Choose veggies from all color ranges, as each color represents a different set of nutrients.
9. Chopping vegetables into larger pieces helps maintain nutrients better than finely chopping because less surface area comes in contact with air or water that leech out the nutrients.
10. Steaming, microwaving, and a pressure cooker are the best cooking methods to retain nutrients.
11. Keeping the vegetable peels on is recommended where possible because the peel and the area just below contain large amounts of nutrients such as fiber.
12. If preparing veggies in boiling water (i.e. corn on the cob), nutrients leech into the water. Don't lose them by discarding this water, use it to prepare a soup or broth.
13. Remember ADEK- Vitamins that are fat soluble (Vitamin A, D, E, K). A tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil on a freshly prepared garden salad actually improves the bio-availability of these vitamins.
14. Vegetables can be served as a snack- carrot sticks, celery sticks filled with peanut butter, cherry tomatoes, etc.
What to do at the grocery store:
If you're on a tight budget - buy veggies in season, they'll be much cheaper than imports from the other side of the planet. Check the frozen section at the grocery store- many times you'll find cheap vegetables as well. Their nutritional value is often close or equal to that of their own fresh equivalent.
1. Extolling veggies- they are naturally low in calories, but high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
2. According to the USDA, we're suppose to get 5 servings of vegetables per day. That's about 2.5 cups worth.
3. Less than one third of Americans meet the daily vegetable requirement.
4. If you buy smart, you can meet your daily requirement for less than $2.50 per day.
5. Vegetables start losing their nutrients the moment they are picked, albeit slowly. Once in contact with water or heat, the process is greatly accelerated.
6. Wash vegetables just before serving.
7. Eating raw vegetables retains more nutrients than heating them. And if you're ever tasted fresh corn, minutes after harvest, you know it's not as weird as it sounds to eat uncooked.
8. Choose veggies from all color ranges, as each color represents a different set of nutrients.
9. Chopping vegetables into larger pieces helps maintain nutrients better than finely chopping because less surface area comes in contact with air or water that leech out the nutrients.
10. Steaming, microwaving, and a pressure cooker are the best cooking methods to retain nutrients.
11. Keeping the vegetable peels on is recommended where possible because the peel and the area just below contain large amounts of nutrients such as fiber.
12. If preparing veggies in boiling water (i.e. corn on the cob), nutrients leech into the water. Don't lose them by discarding this water, use it to prepare a soup or broth.
13. Remember ADEK- Vitamins that are fat soluble (Vitamin A, D, E, K). A tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil on a freshly prepared garden salad actually improves the bio-availability of these vitamins.
14. Vegetables can be served as a snack- carrot sticks, celery sticks filled with peanut butter, cherry tomatoes, etc.
What to do at the grocery store:
If you're on a tight budget - buy veggies in season, they'll be much cheaper than imports from the other side of the planet. Check the frozen section at the grocery store- many times you'll find cheap vegetables as well. Their nutritional value is often close or equal to that of their own fresh equivalent.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Think Green: Spinach
Randi and I are both huge fans of Naked drinks--in particular the Green Machine one. The difference is Randi makes hers and I buy it. She uses spinach to get the green nutrients. Ask her in class how to do it! Here's some background on Spinach!
For $1.50, the price for a large bag of spinach at the grocery store, you can
For $1.50, the price for a large bag of spinach at the grocery store, you can
- reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis
- lower your cholesterol
- raise your I.Q.
Spinach is...
- excellent bone-builder, containing vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium.
- High in flavonoids, plant molecules that act as antioxidants, which have been shown to prevent breast, stomach, skin, and ovarian cancer.
- Great source of vitamin A and vitamin C, which not only keeps you from getting sick in the winter, but also de-clog your arteries and reduce heart disease.
- contains antioxidants that neutralize free radicals in the brain preventing the effects of aging on mental activity. Studies show both animals and people who eat a few servings of spinach per day improve their learning capacities and motor skills.
Serving ideas:
- Make your own Naked juice drinks
- Saute spinach with olive oil, pine nuts, and raisins- the olive oil helps better absorb its nutrients.
- Include spinach leaves in your salad
- Ask Randi how to hide spinach to make sure you get your servings in!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Healthy Eating
Makeover Chicken Cheese Enchiladas
The original chicken cheese enchiladas recipe has over 1,000 calories and 45 grams of fat have been removed from the original recipe to make this one healthy! Add a salad with a lite salad dressing and you've got a healthy meal!
Prep Time: 25 minutes Bake: 45 minutes
1 1/2 Cups (12 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
1 Can (10 3/4 ounces) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 Can (10 3/4 ounces) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 Can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 Can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
4 Cups cubed cooked chicken breast (all white meat is best!)
1 Cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 Cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided.
12 Fat Free flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, soup, chilies, and olives. Set aside 1 1/2 cups for topping.
Add the chicken, 1/2 Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cheddar cheese to remaining soup mixture.
Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a 13" x 9" pan baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with reserved soup mixture.
Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. top with onions. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
6 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 2 enchiladas equals 508 calories, 18 grams fat (11 grams saturated fat), 123 mg cholesterol, 1,164 mg sodium, 40 g carbs, 2 g fiber and 46 g protein.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Fitness Tips for 2010!
MAKE MINI-NEW YEAR'S FITNESS RESOLUTIONS
Instead of just resolving to 'exercise more,' make mini-New Year's resolutions that will keep you committed to regular exercise.
Problem: Taking care of yourself on a daily basis can be challenging. From daycare to meetings or just catching up with friends, it can often feel like 'you' don't really fit into the equation of 'your' life.
Solution: Make yourself a priority! Let people around you know that you're hoping to make a big fitness change in your life and ask them for their support. Your friends can help you with day-to-day tasks--or even exercise with you. Enroll in Habit 4 Health's 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp by January 6th with a friend and you each get 5 FREE workouts!
Problem: You want to lose weight and tone your muscles, but haven't set any concrete targets and you're not sure how to go about achieving your fitness goals.
Solution: Write down what you eat, drink, and how you feel before, during and after exercise and you'll be more likely to stick to a new healthy living plan. Habit 4 Health's 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp includes mandatory writing of goals and a food journal to increase the chances of you accomplishing your health and fitness goals. Add to this journal quotes that inspire you to workout when you don't really feel like it.
Problem: Fitness goals are too lofty and could set you up for failure. For example, you want to lose 50 pounds in your 8 week 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp.
Solution: Talk to your doctor or 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' instructor to help you set realistic fitness goals. Break your larger New Year's resolutions into smaller more tangible fitness targets and tasks. This will keep you motivated and increase your odds of being successful.
Problem: You would rather go out with friends for an apres-a-bad-day-at-work drink than workout.
Solution: Take the morning 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' so you get your day started off in a great mood and you already have your workout in for the day by the time the day goes bad at work. Get your friends to hop on the fitness train with you! People are more likely to stick to their fitness regimen if they have someone to support them.
Instead of just resolving to 'exercise more,' make mini-New Year's resolutions that will keep you committed to regular exercise.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTION #1: MAKE TIME FOR YOU
Problem: Taking care of yourself on a daily basis can be challenging. From daycare to meetings or just catching up with friends, it can often feel like 'you' don't really fit into the equation of 'your' life.
Solution: Make yourself a priority! Let people around you know that you're hoping to make a big fitness change in your life and ask them for their support. Your friends can help you with day-to-day tasks--or even exercise with you. Enroll in Habit 4 Health's 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp by January 6th with a friend and you each get 5 FREE workouts!
NEW YEAR RESOLUTION #2: WRITE IT DOWN
Problem: You want to lose weight and tone your muscles, but haven't set any concrete targets and you're not sure how to go about achieving your fitness goals.
Solution: Write down what you eat, drink, and how you feel before, during and after exercise and you'll be more likely to stick to a new healthy living plan. Habit 4 Health's 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp includes mandatory writing of goals and a food journal to increase the chances of you accomplishing your health and fitness goals. Add to this journal quotes that inspire you to workout when you don't really feel like it.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTION #3: SET REALISTIC FITNESS GOALS
Problem: Fitness goals are too lofty and could set you up for failure. For example, you want to lose 50 pounds in your 8 week 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' Fitness Boot Camp.
Solution: Talk to your doctor or 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' instructor to help you set realistic fitness goals. Break your larger New Year's resolutions into smaller more tangible fitness targets and tasks. This will keep you motivated and increase your odds of being successful.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTION #4: ENLIST YOUR FRIENDS
Problem: You would rather go out with friends for an apres-a-bad-day-at-work drink than workout.
Solution: Take the morning 'Kick Start Healthy Habits' so you get your day started off in a great mood and you already have your workout in for the day by the time the day goes bad at work. Get your friends to hop on the fitness train with you! People are more likely to stick to their fitness regimen if they have someone to support them.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)