Challenge:
*** At least 20 minutes of intense cardio, 5 days a week:
Starting at a slow pace for 1 minute and then at your max for 1 minute, 20 minutes total, 5 days per week, no excuses. (can you do 30 minutes?)
*** No added sugar (no sugar added to your food or listed in the ingredients):
What is included: Any product with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, fructose, dextrose, glucose or maltodextrin in the ingredients list
Who can benefit from this challenge?:
• If you are struggling with meeting your daily cardio commitment
• If you are not doing your cardio intensely enough
• If you are making bad food choices
Why we need intense cardio:
#1 it can help you avoid dozens of serious chronic diseases
See all of the top reasons we need cardio exercises here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676
Why do we need to cut down on sugar?
Foods with added sugar contribute to a higher risk of health problems like diabetes and cardiovascular disease
American’s are consuming 22 teaspoons a day of sugar, that’s 88 grams! The American Heart Association (AHA) is urging people to aim for no more than 100 calories of sugar a day (six teaspoons or 24 grams). The recommendations apply only to what are known as added sugars—those that are added to foods during manufacturing, or by consumers. They don't include sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other foods.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
INFLAMMATION: What is it and why do I care?
Like Dr. Oz? ... he spends a good portion of his book, YOU On A Diet on the topic of Inflammation and links to weight gain and health problems!
What is it: Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense system against infection and toxins using white blood cells to protect your body. Just enough inflammation is supposed to be produced to keep the body protected but our way of living and/or environment can make inflammation a constant in our bodies
Why is it a problem: Inflammation is becoming more recognized as a major cause of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, weight gain and aging in general.
Most Common Causes: The most common cause of extensive inflammation is our diet with sugar, animal fat, processed foods and high-glycemic foods contributing to the internal problem along with lack of exercise. Other things contribute but to a lesser extent, such as environmental allergens,infections, stress,and toxins.
Link to weight gain: Anything that causes inflammation can make you gain weight, and any weight you gain can cause more inflammation.
What is it: Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense system against infection and toxins using white blood cells to protect your body. Just enough inflammation is supposed to be produced to keep the body protected but our way of living and/or environment can make inflammation a constant in our bodies
Why is it a problem: Inflammation is becoming more recognized as a major cause of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, weight gain and aging in general.
Most Common Causes: The most common cause of extensive inflammation is our diet with sugar, animal fat, processed foods and high-glycemic foods contributing to the internal problem along with lack of exercise. Other things contribute but to a lesser extent, such as environmental allergens,infections, stress,and toxins.
Link to weight gain: Anything that causes inflammation can make you gain weight, and any weight you gain can cause more inflammation.
Why You Are Not Losing Weight
A lot of my clients are very knowledgeable about exactly what it takes for them to lose weight or at least have a general idea. So much so that when I talk about what they need to do that they are not doing, sometimes I think they just hear the wha wha sound the Charlie Brown adults make. Even while investing in a trainer for weight loss people miss, avoid or don't realize there are basic things they may be overlooking.
There are only a few fundamental things you need to do to get leaner.
>> See how many of these you are missing most days!
1) Sleep. Aside from throwing your fullness and hunger hormones out of balance, without it you exercise at 100% effort & it may lead to bad snacking.
2) Eat every couple of hours. Otherwise you slow your metabolism down. Start with a filling, healthy breakfast soon after waking up.
3) Eat based on your calorie needs. If you are not making the progress you want, you need to know this number daily.
4) Intensity. You have to push yourself when you exercise, don't just go through the motions.
5) Consistency. You have to keep a regular cardio and strength training routine.
6) Don't obsess about the number on the scale. Its about fat loss, not weight loss so look longer term.
See what some readers of men's health magazine suggest:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_5_18/ai_85011031/pg_3/?tag=content;col1
There are only a few fundamental things you need to do to get leaner.
>> See how many of these you are missing most days!
1) Sleep. Aside from throwing your fullness and hunger hormones out of balance, without it you exercise at 100% effort & it may lead to bad snacking.
2) Eat every couple of hours. Otherwise you slow your metabolism down. Start with a filling, healthy breakfast soon after waking up.
3) Eat based on your calorie needs. If you are not making the progress you want, you need to know this number daily.
4) Intensity. You have to push yourself when you exercise, don't just go through the motions.
5) Consistency. You have to keep a regular cardio and strength training routine.
6) Don't obsess about the number on the scale. Its about fat loss, not weight loss so look longer term.
See what some readers of men's health magazine suggest:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_5_18/ai_85011031/pg_3/?tag=content;col1
Thursday, January 28, 2010
50 Calorie Snacks
FOOD FINDS - quick low calories snacks:
* Archer Farms Organic 100% Real Fruit Strips - 45cal (keep these in the car for a sweet treat)
* Quaker Rice Cakes - did you forget about these? 50cal Carmel Corn and Chocolate are tasty and low calorie (also great to keep in the car)
* Babybel Light Cheese - 50 calories in the light variety and 70 in the others...
* Motts Ready to Eat Sliced Apples - all ready to eat and only 30 calories per bag
* Fiber One 50 Calorie Yogurt - peach, vanilla, strawberry & key lime pie
* Skinny Cow Mini Fudge Pops - 50 calories each for your chocolate cravings!
* Motts All Natural, No sugar added Apple Sauce - 50 calories, add some cinnamon if you like
There are a lot of really good snack choices out there beyond apples, prunes and baby carrots, which are all really good too. Look up my post about reading nutrition labels and you will understand how to choose the right healthy snacks.
* Archer Farms Organic 100% Real Fruit Strips - 45cal (keep these in the car for a sweet treat)
* Quaker Rice Cakes - did you forget about these? 50cal Carmel Corn and Chocolate are tasty and low calorie (also great to keep in the car)
* Babybel Light Cheese - 50 calories in the light variety and 70 in the others...
* Motts Ready to Eat Sliced Apples - all ready to eat and only 30 calories per bag
* Fiber One 50 Calorie Yogurt - peach, vanilla, strawberry & key lime pie
* Skinny Cow Mini Fudge Pops - 50 calories each for your chocolate cravings!
* Motts All Natural, No sugar added Apple Sauce - 50 calories, add some cinnamon if you like
There are a lot of really good snack choices out there beyond apples, prunes and baby carrots, which are all really good too. Look up my post about reading nutrition labels and you will understand how to choose the right healthy snacks.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Clean Out: Replace with Healthy Snacks
Clean Out:
Is your pantry or refridgerator full of unhealthy foods?
Get out a few bags and shop in your pantry for unhealthy foods and bag them up and put them aside for play dates, parties or donations, having too many easy to reach poor quality foods around is too tempting!
In my house, each week we choose a salty and a sweat snack for the week - - maybe Newman's O's and Sun Chips or Edy's Slow Churn and pretzels. That's it, those are the treats for the week. In addition we usually have a stock of items like baby carrots and low-fat dressing, prunes, apples, kiwi, high fiber cereal, lower sugar granola bars to snack on.
Great snack choices are below: Stick to serving sizes!
•Clif Nectar bars, any variety; real fruit, good fats and fiber (also good are lara bars, look for low-fat <2g saturated, low-sugar <10g, a lot of these are made with fruit so expect to see some sugar)
•Thomas’ Sahara 100% whole wheat pita pockets with any variety of hummus or spread some pomi strained tomatoes, oregano and part-skim mozzarella for a great healthy pita pizza; don’t like the whole wheat pita? Try a fresh baked whole wheat bread. Toast the whole wheat bread then spray on some olive oil and add garlic powder. Then the pomi strained tomatos etc. and under the broiler for 1 minute. Its delicious!
•Health Valley Organic Vegetable soup, no salt added (but go ahead and add a little), no fat, high fiber, low sodium
•Kashi all natural granola bars, any variety; whole grains, high fiber, low sugar
•The Baker 7 or 9 grain whole wheat bread (or similar) with a light coating of land o lakes light butter with canola oil, 6g of fiber in the bread and the best choice in butter/margarine with only 2g of saturated fats
•An apple with the skin on – gala or fuji have skin that is not as tough as a red delicious for example; an apple a day truly is a great goal
•Triskets – baked whole wheat crackers high in fiber and good fats. Try topping each with a little monetary jack cheese and salsa or a little Pomi strained tomatoes and shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
•The laughing cow light original swiss cheese – one wedge with a few (3-4) Newman’s Own pretzel rods.
•Fresh vegetables, celery, carrots, peppers, broccoli dipped in any variety of Drew’s all natural dressing and marinade – try smoked tomato! Mrs Dash 10 Minute Marinade also a good choice; try these on chicken too!
•Edys Slow Churned Ice Cream, half the fat, put it in a small desert bowl to minimize portion so you don’t double the size and negate the benefit – small portion of hydrogenated oil but still a better choice; Healthy Choice Premium Ice Cream Bars/Fudge Bar or Ice Cream Sandwich – 80 calories and ½ a gram of saturated fat
•100% whole grain fig newtons
•Fast food?– try Mcdonalds fruit and walnut salad
•Smoothies – fresh or frozen strawberries (fresh is best) with low fat vanilla yogurt and 1% milk or one small scoop of Edy’s slow churned vanilla ice cream; a banana, apple juice and fresh or frozen strawberries; add a kiwi to either too!
•Light oil Popped corn (or air pop). This is easy. Get plain corn kernels with a little heated olive oil (measure 1 tbsp), cover, pop, add a little salt and enjoy
•Chips, best choice, ruffles Natural sea-salted, reduced fat chips
•Fruit salad – strawberries, banana & kiwi. If you serve desserts make at least ½ per week fruit – salads, smoothies etc.
•Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat Cereal – low sugar and “high fiber (five or more grams) and great taste – try with organic valley fat free milk! (note: not all Kashi cereals are this good: strawberry fields tastes great but only has 1g of fiber)
•Nature’s Path Organic FlaxPlus multibran cereal
•Kashi TLC Oatmeal Dark Chocolate cookies or any variety
Is your pantry or refridgerator full of unhealthy foods?
Get out a few bags and shop in your pantry for unhealthy foods and bag them up and put them aside for play dates, parties or donations, having too many easy to reach poor quality foods around is too tempting!
In my house, each week we choose a salty and a sweat snack for the week - - maybe Newman's O's and Sun Chips or Edy's Slow Churn and pretzels. That's it, those are the treats for the week. In addition we usually have a stock of items like baby carrots and low-fat dressing, prunes, apples, kiwi, high fiber cereal, lower sugar granola bars to snack on.
Great snack choices are below: Stick to serving sizes!
•Clif Nectar bars, any variety; real fruit, good fats and fiber (also good are lara bars, look for low-fat <2g saturated, low-sugar <10g, a lot of these are made with fruit so expect to see some sugar)
•Thomas’ Sahara 100% whole wheat pita pockets with any variety of hummus or spread some pomi strained tomatoes, oregano and part-skim mozzarella for a great healthy pita pizza; don’t like the whole wheat pita? Try a fresh baked whole wheat bread. Toast the whole wheat bread then spray on some olive oil and add garlic powder. Then the pomi strained tomatos etc. and under the broiler for 1 minute. Its delicious!
•Health Valley Organic Vegetable soup, no salt added (but go ahead and add a little), no fat, high fiber, low sodium
•Kashi all natural granola bars, any variety; whole grains, high fiber, low sugar
•The Baker 7 or 9 grain whole wheat bread (or similar) with a light coating of land o lakes light butter with canola oil, 6g of fiber in the bread and the best choice in butter/margarine with only 2g of saturated fats
•An apple with the skin on – gala or fuji have skin that is not as tough as a red delicious for example; an apple a day truly is a great goal
•Triskets – baked whole wheat crackers high in fiber and good fats. Try topping each with a little monetary jack cheese and salsa or a little Pomi strained tomatoes and shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
•The laughing cow light original swiss cheese – one wedge with a few (3-4) Newman’s Own pretzel rods.
•Fresh vegetables, celery, carrots, peppers, broccoli dipped in any variety of Drew’s all natural dressing and marinade – try smoked tomato! Mrs Dash 10 Minute Marinade also a good choice; try these on chicken too!
•Edys Slow Churned Ice Cream, half the fat, put it in a small desert bowl to minimize portion so you don’t double the size and negate the benefit – small portion of hydrogenated oil but still a better choice; Healthy Choice Premium Ice Cream Bars/Fudge Bar or Ice Cream Sandwich – 80 calories and ½ a gram of saturated fat
•100% whole grain fig newtons
•Fast food?– try Mcdonalds fruit and walnut salad
•Smoothies – fresh or frozen strawberries (fresh is best) with low fat vanilla yogurt and 1% milk or one small scoop of Edy’s slow churned vanilla ice cream; a banana, apple juice and fresh or frozen strawberries; add a kiwi to either too!
•Light oil Popped corn (or air pop). This is easy. Get plain corn kernels with a little heated olive oil (measure 1 tbsp), cover, pop, add a little salt and enjoy
•Chips, best choice, ruffles Natural sea-salted, reduced fat chips
•Fruit salad – strawberries, banana & kiwi. If you serve desserts make at least ½ per week fruit – salads, smoothies etc.
•Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat Cereal – low sugar and “high fiber (five or more grams) and great taste – try with organic valley fat free milk! (note: not all Kashi cereals are this good: strawberry fields tastes great but only has 1g of fiber)
•Nature’s Path Organic FlaxPlus multibran cereal
•Kashi TLC Oatmeal Dark Chocolate cookies or any variety
Friday, December 18, 2009
Resolutions: Time to change bad habits
Resolutions
The reason resolutions (or diets or exercise routines) fail is because people approach them as all or nothing things. It has taken me years to outline a fitness routine I can really keep week after week. If something in my schedule changes then I have to take a few weeks and adjust my routine. Its not always perfect.
Dieting by eliminating a food group, drinking shakes instead of eating meals or using foods to cleanse is no way to live long-term so it will not work for most people. Deciding to exercise by going out and running until you feel nauseous or lifting weights that are too heavy with poor form is no way to start an exercise routine.
You need to pick a resolution that you can really follow through on – that means you’re ready to commit to it and it's something that you try to change gradually, not all at once on Jan 1. Below are some ideas that together will maximize your health and fitness, but just choose a few to start with and build from there!
1) REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE: Become aware of how much sugar you consume and reduce it. One teaspoon of sugar is 4grams.
2) EAT 100% Whole Grains: Not "whole wheat", not "multi-grain", not "enriched, unbleached or refined", find wheat pasta you can enjoy.
3) BURN FAT: Plan a certain number of days you can really commit to cardio exercise and do it. Walk, run, bike, ellip.
4) IMPROVE YOUR SNACKS: Potato chips, full fat ice cream, candy, cake, cookies, sugary cereals. Have them outside your home/office only occasionally
5) STOP OBSESSING: I really understand how crazy a number can make all of us but focus more on good consistent habits instead of the scale.
6) BUILD MUSCLE: If you train consistently one day a week you need to be sure to do a second day on your own, building muscle requires consistency.
7) SAY NO TO NEW DIET TRENDS: A new year brings new diets & new diet books. A good pattern of eating 90% of the time allows for 10% splurges.
8) LIGHTEN UP: On your butter, measure your oils every time, use cream, jelly and cheese sparingly. Start becoming more aware of what you eat.
9) EAT OUT LESS: You really don't know how many calories you are consuming when you eat out. Eating out often makes it very hard to stay fit.
10) PUT YOURSELF FIRST: A lot of things can come between you and fitness: your job, your family, your friends; no one can keep you on track except you!
The reason resolutions (or diets or exercise routines) fail is because people approach them as all or nothing things. It has taken me years to outline a fitness routine I can really keep week after week. If something in my schedule changes then I have to take a few weeks and adjust my routine. Its not always perfect.
Dieting by eliminating a food group, drinking shakes instead of eating meals or using foods to cleanse is no way to live long-term so it will not work for most people. Deciding to exercise by going out and running until you feel nauseous or lifting weights that are too heavy with poor form is no way to start an exercise routine.
You need to pick a resolution that you can really follow through on – that means you’re ready to commit to it and it's something that you try to change gradually, not all at once on Jan 1. Below are some ideas that together will maximize your health and fitness, but just choose a few to start with and build from there!
1) REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE: Become aware of how much sugar you consume and reduce it. One teaspoon of sugar is 4grams.
2) EAT 100% Whole Grains: Not "whole wheat", not "multi-grain", not "enriched, unbleached or refined", find wheat pasta you can enjoy.
3) BURN FAT: Plan a certain number of days you can really commit to cardio exercise and do it. Walk, run, bike, ellip.
4) IMPROVE YOUR SNACKS: Potato chips, full fat ice cream, candy, cake, cookies, sugary cereals. Have them outside your home/office only occasionally
5) STOP OBSESSING: I really understand how crazy a number can make all of us but focus more on good consistent habits instead of the scale.
6) BUILD MUSCLE: If you train consistently one day a week you need to be sure to do a second day on your own, building muscle requires consistency.
7) SAY NO TO NEW DIET TRENDS: A new year brings new diets & new diet books. A good pattern of eating 90% of the time allows for 10% splurges.
8) LIGHTEN UP: On your butter, measure your oils every time, use cream, jelly and cheese sparingly. Start becoming more aware of what you eat.
9) EAT OUT LESS: You really don't know how many calories you are consuming when you eat out. Eating out often makes it very hard to stay fit.
10) PUT YOURSELF FIRST: A lot of things can come between you and fitness: your job, your family, your friends; no one can keep you on track except you!
Friday, December 11, 2009
MODERATION and Holiday Eating
Moderation is the key to successful holiday eating but it may be the key to successful dieting too. The best tip I've heard for keeping on track with your fitness goal during the holidays is rating your food. If its not a 9 or a 10 walk away. Don't waste your calories and fat consumption on cheesecake if you really love pumpkin pie. Don't eat it just because its there. Chances are if you have some body fat to lose a lot of it is from eating things just because they are there.
How living without MODERATION impacts your fitness goal (weight loss)
1) Start Saying No More Often. If you take on too much and say "yes" to friends and family when you really mean "no, I can't I have too much on my plate to do that", you are negatively impacting your health. Stress increases hormones that are fat storing.
2) Sleep.Stop burning the candle at both ends. We know that lack of sleep lowers our fullness hormone and increases our hungry hormone. Sleep more.
3) Stop Overeating. Its not a contest, you don't have to eat more than everyone else in the room. Is happiness really linked to fullness? Become aware of when you are full and STOP. Really, being a slave to food is ridiculous when you think about it!
4) Limit Drinking. Drinking 2 drinks can be as fun as drinking 5, especially if you don't usually drink 5+ drinks. Just as your stomach expands and your sense of how much food you need to eat to make you "happy" grows with your waistline, the more you drink the more tolerance you have for drinking. If drinking is a part of your normal social scene, start to reduce your social drinking over time. Slow down your pace and alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
5) Purchase in Moderation. Drive by the donut shop 4 times and stop on the 5th. Pick one splurge family snack per week to enjoy, make the rest of the snacks fruits and veggies.
Nothing is off limits if you eat/drink it in MODERATION. If you can't work more Moderation into your life you are going to be on the YO-YO for a lifetime.
How living without MODERATION impacts your fitness goal (weight loss)
1) Start Saying No More Often. If you take on too much and say "yes" to friends and family when you really mean "no, I can't I have too much on my plate to do that", you are negatively impacting your health. Stress increases hormones that are fat storing.
2) Sleep.Stop burning the candle at both ends. We know that lack of sleep lowers our fullness hormone and increases our hungry hormone. Sleep more.
3) Stop Overeating. Its not a contest, you don't have to eat more than everyone else in the room. Is happiness really linked to fullness? Become aware of when you are full and STOP. Really, being a slave to food is ridiculous when you think about it!
4) Limit Drinking. Drinking 2 drinks can be as fun as drinking 5, especially if you don't usually drink 5+ drinks. Just as your stomach expands and your sense of how much food you need to eat to make you "happy" grows with your waistline, the more you drink the more tolerance you have for drinking. If drinking is a part of your normal social scene, start to reduce your social drinking over time. Slow down your pace and alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
5) Purchase in Moderation. Drive by the donut shop 4 times and stop on the 5th. Pick one splurge family snack per week to enjoy, make the rest of the snacks fruits and veggies.
Nothing is off limits if you eat/drink it in MODERATION. If you can't work more Moderation into your life you are going to be on the YO-YO for a lifetime.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)