Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

This tapenade can take regular chicken or fish to a new level of delish:) OR  you can use endive lettuce leaves to dip into the deliciousness!!

1 Avocado

1 tbsp Cilantro

6-8 Green Olives, chopped

1 Tsp Red Onion, chopped

1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Celtic Sea Salt

1 Head of Endive, separate leaves

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except the endive.  When mixed serve in a bowl and use endive leaves to dip.

1)   KEEP IT CLEAN
Before you head out on your adventure, make sure you wash your cooler well with soap and     hot  water. Dry it thoroughly

2)   START WITH SOMETHING SOLID
Make your own ice blocks with milk cartons, it tends to last longer than ice cubes.

3)  THINK AHEAD FREEZE DRINKS
Freeze drinks & juice boxes the night before!!! The colder the better!!

4)  ORDER IS EVERYTHING
The less you move things around the colder the contents will stay.  First things to be eaten go on    top and itens that you need last go on the bottom of the cooler.

5)   ZIP IT, CLOSE IT, TWIST IT
Make sure that food is placed in containers that fit tightly and/or put the containers into zip lock bags.

6)   KEEP IT SEPARATE
Make sure cooked food is kept in another cooler away from non-cooked food.  Cross contamination is a BIG No No!

7)    IN THE SHADE
Keep your cooler out of the sun as much as possible. Cover it with a blanket or tarp.

8)    CLOSE IT
Each time you open the cooler the inside temperature warms up.  Keep others out by placing a heavy object on top of the cooler.

9)    CLEAN THOROUGHLY
When you get home make sure everything is removed from the cooler and cleaned thoroughly with soap and hot water. Let it air dry before storing it.

I find the word “Goal” thrown around and loosely used as though it has no meaning. Similar to The Teflon Don – meaning nothing sticks!!!! I find that to be the case with many of us. “I’m going to drop 20 pounds, my 25th high school reunion is coming up and I need to vamp my body”.  We want a change, a transformation, but haven’t the foggiest idea how to get there. And nor do we have a plan.

I believe in setting goals – without them we are going nowhere FAST!!! So here’s the deal with goals……… Goals are great but you must be smart about them. Having goals lead me to my 1st NPC Figure Contest in 2008. I never would have made it without my coach or my written personal goals.

To set goals they must be:

1) Realistic
2) Attainable
3) Specific
4) Measurable
5) Trackable

There are 2 Types of Goals:

1) Performance
a) Ex: I will walk in the am & the pm each day
b) I will swim for ½ mile each day

2) Outcome
a) I want to weigh 30lbs less

Setting an Outcome goal without a Performance Goal is the equivalent of participating in a triathlon without ever training for it. That leaves you with little chance for success.

Breaking goals into actionable steps is KEY.   And it keeps you motivated.   Future goals are hard to attain without immediate goals to keep you focused and motivated.

Champion athletes don’t become champs 1st and then train like one- hoping that training and dedication pay off. It doesn’t work like that.

Treat your health as you would your business – with Goals: Performance and Outcome based.

So what are you GOALS now?????

If food labels said “Sugar” it would be a cinch to figure out what foods to eliminate. That’s why the burden lies with us………………………. and Knowledge is Power!!!!

CODE WORDS FOR SUGAR

This list is just a Start and by no means inclusive!!

FRUCTOSE
AGAVE
DEXTROSE
CANE JUICE CRYSTALS, EXTRACT
CANE SUGAR
MOLASSES
FRUIT JUICE CONCENTRATE
FRUIT JUICE
SORBITOL
TURBINADO SUGAR
DEHYDRATED CANE JUICE
CORN SYRUP (OR HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP)
SUGAR
INVERT SUGAR
LACTOSE
MALTODEXTRIN
HONEY
MALTOSE
GLUCOSE
SUCANAT
BARLEY MALT

Regardless of how they spell it – ALL of the above are SUGAR!!!!

Sugar is a common ingredient in most processed foods, even if it doesn’t taste sweet. That’s why you need to check out the food label and be a “Label Detective”. Salad dressings, ketchup spaghetti sauce and peanut butter often contain some form of sugar. Despite the sugar not being listed in the top ingredients, it might have 2-4 different types of sugars included:☹

Don’t’get schnookered by the healthy packaging and how it screams out to you – instead do some sleuthing and check out the food label and ingredients as they always tell a different story.

Remember you are now “Armed and Dangerous” and ready to select the healthiest and best tasting food for you and your loved ones!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder (MRM – sweetened with Stevia)
1 Tbs Organic Unsweetened Peanut Butter
2 Ounces Organic Milk (you can use water if you prefer)
2 Ounces Fresh Water
Few Ice Cubes
Blend for 35 seconds and you’re good to go!!!

I don’t know about you but for me once Halloween hits, the holiday season official kicks off and the dreaded weight gain looms heavy!!!

With “Eat Drink and be Merry” as the mantra for many during the holidays its no surprise that the average American gains between 10-12 pounds. There’s no reason for you to be part of the statistics!!! This year you will be armed and dangerous, as I will share with you my strategy for surviving the holiday bulge!!

So here are my Secret 7 Tips on How To Avoid the Holiday Bulge

1) THE FIRST BITE IS RIGHT – ever wonder why the first bite of chocolate cake is the best and as you continue to eat nothing tops the 1st bite? According to scientists pleasure is found in the first bite – so indulge and have a bite or 2 of the decadent dessert and leave it at that as your enjoyment will dissipate as you dig in.

2) BYOD – Worried about the unhealthy food choices at the party? Bring Your Own Dish!! I have yet to hear of a hostess who has a problem with a guest pitching in. Bring an appetizer of hummus and fresh veggies.

3) SLOW AND STEADY – It takes approximately 20 minutes for our bodies to feel full so there is no sense of rushing and shoveling it in!! Sit down and savor your food. Slow eaters consume fewer calories before feeling full.

4) KEEP IT TIGHT AND IT’S ALL RIGHT – I’m referring to your meals!!! Do you honestly think you can resist the temptations of a holiday party when you are starving? Hell no!!! The day of the party make sure you eat your regular meals (never going longer than 3 hours) and your daily water requirement. No skipping meals to save yourself for the party food!! That’s when we binge and pack on the pounds.

5) EARN IT AND BURN IT – Plan to workout before the party! After a vigorous workout in your fat burning zone (bike ride or run), metabolism is high which means the body is effective at burning the party food. Any extra calories can be taken care of the next day. So put on your heart rate monitor and get in the zone!!!

6) JOT IT DOWN – I always recommend a food journal especially during the falalalala season. My clients who keep a daily account of what they are consuming have the most weight loss success. Between the accountability and the knowledge attained from the relationship of the food consumed and its corresponding energy and mood levels it is well worth the effort!

7) TREAT YOURSELF RIGHT – There’s no doubt about it the holidays are a crazy, and stressful time of the year! Don’t forget to treat yourself to some “YOU” time. Don’t skip your manicure appointment, steal away and get a massage, or a cup of coffee with a friend. Most importantly just Breathe!!! The holidays are also for making memories and sharing time with those that we love.

From a rational perspective we all know how important it is to eat well but its not enough to motivate some, so maybe cold hard cash is the incentive you need to re-work your diet!

1) INCREASE YOUR SALARY – Although its not supposed to happen the reality is employers may not hire an obese or overweight individual due to the risk of increased health care costs.

2) SAVE AT THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE – The annual medical bill for an obese individual is  $1,429 are higher than a non-obese person.

3) EAT LESS – SPEND LESS -  You never know. If the average dinner costs $5.00 and you split them in half, you save $912.50 a year!!!

4) CUT YOUR INSURANCE PREMIUM – Overweight policy holders pay higher premiums because of their increased health risk.

So the question is this: CAN WHITTLING DOWN YOUR WAISTLINE ADD SOME CHA-CHING TO YOUR PURSE?

The Grapefruit Diet, Cabbage Diet, Soup Diet, Starvation Diet……….Diets come and go!!!!!! But the fact remains: the extra weight prevails. More importantly, these fad diets can be dangerous.

Here’s a quick snapshot of some trends that many believe are the real deal:

1) Meat is BAD for You

This fact remains an issue for women. We find that most women don’t consume enough protein! Here’s a reality check: if you don’t get your protein from your diet, your body will take it from your lean muscle mass!!!! And that my “Protein Fearing Friends” is a big PROBLEM!!!!!  We need our lean muscle mass to burn fat. Women are under the misnomer that having too much muscle mass means you will look like the Hulk! NOT TRUE!!  The reality is lean muscle mass will make you look lean and toned.  Think fitness model:)

If that doesn’t work for you how about this: for every pound of muscle you gain, your body will burn an extra 50 calories per week. Lean muscle burns more calories that fat does.  How would you like to burn calories while resting or sleeping??  Increase your lean muscle mass!!!!

2) Fat Free is the way to Go

Heck no!!! Fat free is code for Sugar laden and calorie packed.  Think about it – if they are removing the fat what are the replacing it with?  HELLO!!!  Many take the liberty of eating more when the food is “Fat Free”.  Remember when Snack Well Cookies first came out? I remember the Chocolate Chip Cookies – they were really small and people were eating the entire box in one seating.  Why not its fat free!!

Not only is a fat-free diet not healthy its also not filling.  Fat has an important place in your diet and its critical for body function even while watching your weight.  Our bodies require monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

3) Run From All Carbs

All carbohydrates are not created equal!!  Run from refined carbs such as white bread and soda.  The staple for many Americans.  Choose healthier carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.  Yes veggies are a carb!!!  If every plate was filled with a rainbow of veggies everyday life would be good:)  We need to compliment our proteins and fats with an assortment of vegetables.  The alkaline rich vegetables balance the acidic based protein!! When was the last time you had a piece of fruit?  How about quinoa?  There are many whole grains to choose from.

4) Cut Calories and Weight Loss is Ensured

We are talking quality versus quantity here.   Choose foods, be it protein, carbs, veggie, fats that are as close to their natural state as possible.  The more the food has been modified or altered the less nutritional value it has.  Fish=go for wild, meat=look for grain fed beef, chicken=cage free.  Think: what would your grandparents eat?  Now all of my grandparents hailed from Ireland and they had no clue as to a Whooper or a Big Mac. They didn’t have much raising their large families but my parents always said they were never hungry. Believe it or not I have found although I might pay alittle more for quality the taste is 100% better and the health benefits are PRICELESS. I eat my veggies and fruits according to the seasons – ensuring that they are fresh and priced accordingly.

5) All Brown Grains are Best

All things brown are not created equal!  There are alot of poseurs out there, don’t be fooled. Your best bet is to choose Whole Grain and Whole Wheat when checking your labels.

Its the extra fiber in whole grains that is paramount.  First and foremost: You feel full and you eat less:)  In addition, it helps regulate the insulin that’s produced with every meal you consume.

How’s that for a reality check?

Sand is a great foundation for a beach resistance work-out!

1. Short Sprints – 60 meters. All out – heart thumping, arms pumping sprint.

2. At the end of the sprint drop down to the sand and:

- 10 Push-Ups
- 10 Jumping Lunges
- 10 Mountain Climbers

3. Begin at #1 again and perform 10 times. Time yourself and as your speed increases – increase the number of floor exercises by 10.

This workout is fast and furious and and you can increase it as your fitness increases. No need to hit the gym while on vacation – just hit the sand☺ grrrrr….

For the past 2 months I have been walking on a track every morning. I can’t begin to tell you how much it has benefited my bod but also my mind. Think about it – how many minutes a day do you spend quiet without interruption – no tv, radio, headphones? As a single mother of 3 children I can answer that unequivocally Not soo much!!!!

When I decided to start walking the track (now that the weather is cooperating) I got my sneakers and clothes ready and the most important thing on my list was my ipod. I can’t possible walk without it!!!! Or can I? The 1st day was tough without it afterall did I really want to think while walking? I hate being alone with myself at times!!!! I wanted a diversion and hence my ipod. I forced myself not to bring it and began to enjoy being quiet with myself and being in touch with where I was at. Being grounded, and focusing on me and my thoughts. I didn’t think about what I had to do, where I had to be next – I just relished in the walk and each time my mind wondered I gently tugged it back to the present. I guess its meditation 101 – my style of course while moving my body.

Each day I pick lane number 1 or 4 and while on 4 I step on the letters that are imprinted onto the track ‘HHH” for Half Hollow Hills the name of the school. I decided to create my own name – HAPPY, HEALTHY AND HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS. I repeat my mantra when my feet hit the letters.

So who’s with me??? Are you happy, healthy and hungry for success? If not now then when?
Join me………………..