Happy Labor Day! I hope most of you have the day off and are gonna cook out! There are so many simple and delicious options for clean eaters that go great on a grill. If you are tired of the same old BBQ, try marinating your chicken in this pesto recipe before throwing it on that flame. I usually put between 12 and 18 boneless, skinless thighs into a gallon ziplock bag with one batch of this recipe and message it all together. I generally let it marinate for 2 to 4 hours, then cook it on the grill over a piece of tin foil. You can use one of those grilling grates but be careful because the oil will cause large flames when it hits the heating element. Enjoy!!!
Basil Pesto
Total Time:
5 min
Prep
5 min
Yield:
1 cup
Ingredients
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
Directions
Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.
Copyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Monday, September 3, 2012
Saturday, September 1, 2012
09-01-2012... Cheating and Resting
Last night was my cheat night... I had a few beers with good friends, and some snacks that don't normally fall into my clean eating diet. That is ok though. If you've read my previous 60 something other blog entries, then you know I strongly support cheat days or meals. "Cheating" is important because when you completely deny yourself any of the foods you enjoy or crave, then you are far more likely to give up on your clean eating lifestyle all together. It's a huge burden to place on yourself to be perfect all the time. I do try to mitigate the damage though. I try to make sure I pair up a cheat day with a workout day to make sure my metabolism is going strong when I'm cheating. I usually do my cheating later in the day, several hours after I have given my body clean food to optimize my workout.
Usually my day after a cheat day is a day off from the gym. So, you guessed it, today I am resting my body. Rest days are very important for overall health. There is such a thing as over training. Over training leads to injury and fatigue that can mimic flu like symptoms, among other things. The best results always come with plenty of rest. I chose my rest day after a cheat day because I know that when I eat poorly, my body is not at it's best the next day. While the inclination may seem to get up and work off the "cheat", I find that my chances for injury increase when I try to push my body with out the right fuel in my tank.
Now over cheating and over resting are problematic to a healthy lifestyle, so find a good balance. I try really hard not to cheat more than once a week and I rest one to two days a week. If I rest twice in a week, they are seldom back to back days. My ideal schedule is workout three days, rest one day, repeat.
So, any thoughts on cheating and resting? I always love to hear how others do it. No one has all the right answers, but collectively we sure do have a lot of them!
Stay healthy!
Usually my day after a cheat day is a day off from the gym. So, you guessed it, today I am resting my body. Rest days are very important for overall health. There is such a thing as over training. Over training leads to injury and fatigue that can mimic flu like symptoms, among other things. The best results always come with plenty of rest. I chose my rest day after a cheat day because I know that when I eat poorly, my body is not at it's best the next day. While the inclination may seem to get up and work off the "cheat", I find that my chances for injury increase when I try to push my body with out the right fuel in my tank.
Now over cheating and over resting are problematic to a healthy lifestyle, so find a good balance. I try really hard not to cheat more than once a week and I rest one to two days a week. If I rest twice in a week, they are seldom back to back days. My ideal schedule is workout three days, rest one day, repeat.
So, any thoughts on cheating and resting? I always love to hear how others do it. No one has all the right answers, but collectively we sure do have a lot of them!
Stay healthy!
Friday, August 31, 2012
08-31-2012
So this morning was pretty awesome. I had originally planned to go to the gym and hit my shoulders, back, and biceps...but the opportunity arose for a bike ride with my hubby and one of our awesome neighbors. I was a little hesitant about getting on the bike today because I had a huge leg (and butt)workout yesterday and wasn't sure I was up for it. I am so happy I went though. We did 11.3 miles around our picturesque farming town. It was gorgeous...just a hint of crispness in the air gave us a preview of fall which is always pretty special in New England. It took about an hour through gradual inclines and declines, winding roads, with ample scenery. When we got home we jumped right into the pool. The water was only 70 degrees but felt like heaven. I even tootled around on the float for a while before hitting a warm shower. If every workout was like this, I would never want to do anything else!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Update 08-30
So I have been back to my healthy self for four days now, eating clean and hitting the gym... The old "1...2....punch"! I have only lost one pound but I am not bummed....I am excited....because I know I am on the right track! Yes, if I starved myself I might have lost two or three pounds in these 4 days but I guarantee those pounds would be back with even more next week.
Here is why I have only lost one pound and by doing it this way will lose and, more importantly, KEEP OFF even more in the weeks to come.
I am eating clean, which means I am eating non-processed food, in it's most natural state, that my body recognizes as food and fuel. I am eating 4 to 5 small meals a day. Why? Because I am training my metabolism to keep up with me and burn what I give it right away knowing that I will provide more food (fuel) soon.
When you starve yourself, you are actually training your body to save some food, in the form of fat, for a rainy day. When you starve yourself, your body learns not to trust you. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to function so if you eat less often, your body will actually not burn fat... At least not right away. A starving body eats muscle first. Crazy huh? That is the way our bodies have been designed to work. remember, we were built to be hunters and gatherers who did not always have ready access to food, so our bodies evolved into the perfect energy storing devices...kinda like the hibernating bear. When you starve yourself you may appear to be losing weight on the scale but you are not losing the fat you wanted. You are losing muscle and storing fat.
So, I am in the process of retraining my body and getting it to trust me again, so my metabolism isn't where it should be yet. The good news is that our bodies are quick studies so it shouldn't be long before I am burning calories with a vengeance.
I am back to doing regular weight training and cardio, which means 4-5 days a week in the gym. Muscle weighs as much as fat (a pound of muscle weighs as much as a pound of fat...just like a pound of feathers weighs as much as a pound of bricks), but takes up far less room and, I feel, looks more attractive. I know that I have put on muscle in the last 4 days. I know you are thinking 4 days is not long enough to put on muscle. Not true... Especially because I have always done some weight training, even over the summer. What I changed was the weight...I have gone heavier and have forced my body to do it (read: as much as I can without injuring myself). I have also worked each muscle group twice this week so my body is starting to realize it needs to get some more muscle in those places if this is going to be a regular thing. It's amazing what you can train your body to do and how quickly. As much as we are forced to listen to our body (hunger, pain, etc), our bodies are also forced to listen to us!
So, losing a pound this week is a good thing. It means that despite putting on muscle weight, I am losing fat because my body is learning to trust me and not store anymore fat despite the fact that I am actually eating more than I did last week. Cool, huh? And if you think a pound is no big thing, check out the picture below!
It has always been my hope that others would come along with me on my health and fitness journey. The reason for my blog is to inspire and be inspired by my readers. If you are like minded, please read through my blog entries for clean eating recipes and fitness tips. I am just like you, I am sure, in so many ways. Let's help each other be as healthy as we can, for ourselves, and the ones we love! I also love feedback, so go for it!
Here is why I have only lost one pound and by doing it this way will lose and, more importantly, KEEP OFF even more in the weeks to come.
I am eating clean, which means I am eating non-processed food, in it's most natural state, that my body recognizes as food and fuel. I am eating 4 to 5 small meals a day. Why? Because I am training my metabolism to keep up with me and burn what I give it right away knowing that I will provide more food (fuel) soon.
When you starve yourself, you are actually training your body to save some food, in the form of fat, for a rainy day. When you starve yourself, your body learns not to trust you. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to function so if you eat less often, your body will actually not burn fat... At least not right away. A starving body eats muscle first. Crazy huh? That is the way our bodies have been designed to work. remember, we were built to be hunters and gatherers who did not always have ready access to food, so our bodies evolved into the perfect energy storing devices...kinda like the hibernating bear. When you starve yourself you may appear to be losing weight on the scale but you are not losing the fat you wanted. You are losing muscle and storing fat.
So, I am in the process of retraining my body and getting it to trust me again, so my metabolism isn't where it should be yet. The good news is that our bodies are quick studies so it shouldn't be long before I am burning calories with a vengeance.
I am back to doing regular weight training and cardio, which means 4-5 days a week in the gym. Muscle weighs as much as fat (a pound of muscle weighs as much as a pound of fat...just like a pound of feathers weighs as much as a pound of bricks), but takes up far less room and, I feel, looks more attractive. I know that I have put on muscle in the last 4 days. I know you are thinking 4 days is not long enough to put on muscle. Not true... Especially because I have always done some weight training, even over the summer. What I changed was the weight...I have gone heavier and have forced my body to do it (read: as much as I can without injuring myself). I have also worked each muscle group twice this week so my body is starting to realize it needs to get some more muscle in those places if this is going to be a regular thing. It's amazing what you can train your body to do and how quickly. As much as we are forced to listen to our body (hunger, pain, etc), our bodies are also forced to listen to us!
So, losing a pound this week is a good thing. It means that despite putting on muscle weight, I am losing fat because my body is learning to trust me and not store anymore fat despite the fact that I am actually eating more than I did last week. Cool, huh? And if you think a pound is no big thing, check out the picture below!
It has always been my hope that others would come along with me on my health and fitness journey. The reason for my blog is to inspire and be inspired by my readers. If you are like minded, please read through my blog entries for clean eating recipes and fitness tips. I am just like you, I am sure, in so many ways. Let's help each other be as healthy as we can, for ourselves, and the ones we love! I also love feedback, so go for it!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I'm Back Baby!!!
Today starts the school year here, and with that the summer is basically at an end. Yes, the warm weather may be here for a few more weeks and the pool isn't quite ready to be closed. I will hopefully be wearing shorts and sandals just a bit longer but the mostly carefree schedule of a stay-at-home mom with kids on no particular schedule are done.
I greet this change with very mixed feelings. Although I am grateful for what was probably the best summer ever for my family, I am happy to return to the structure of the school year and all the activities that go with it. The summer was full of fun, a lot of get togethers, cookouts, trips, etc. But with the carefree I also got a little careless. In my attempt to "go with the flow", I found myself not eating right and I discovered beer (I don't completely regret that). Even though I was still working out, it was not as often as I normally did and we all know you can not sweat away a bad diet.
I made some huge mistakes this summer and I am lucky that the only ill effects I suffered was gaining about ten pounds. With my history of stomach issues, I could've landed myself in the hospital. I had committed myself before to never letting myself get that sick again... It wouldn't be fair to my family.... So the mistakes have got to stop!
So now my routine is back. The kids got on the bus this morning and I got my butt over to the gym. I did my meal planning and grocery shopping yesterday to make sure we would all be eating clean more regularly. With the kids back in school it is time to get back to taking care of me, and now I have a little more time to do it. I am also motivated by the fact that, with the unhealthy state of school lunches these days, I have to work super extra hard to make sure I am planning and packing healthy meals my kids can take to school, and more importantly, will enjoy!
I will still have my cheat meal or wine once a week...because deprivation never works (and football season is upon us!). I will, however, try to be better about not rewarding myself with food. I will set my goals and think of a prize to get when I reach it... perhaps those new boots I have been wanting :)
My blogs should be more regular now, because, as I have written before, one of the most effective tools we have is accountability. I will use my accountability to you the reader as one of my motivators to stay on track.
So, no more excuses...who is with me? Who else is committed to living a healthy lifestyle with clean meals and exercise? I'm back baby!!!!
I greet this change with very mixed feelings. Although I am grateful for what was probably the best summer ever for my family, I am happy to return to the structure of the school year and all the activities that go with it. The summer was full of fun, a lot of get togethers, cookouts, trips, etc. But with the carefree I also got a little careless. In my attempt to "go with the flow", I found myself not eating right and I discovered beer (I don't completely regret that). Even though I was still working out, it was not as often as I normally did and we all know you can not sweat away a bad diet.
I made some huge mistakes this summer and I am lucky that the only ill effects I suffered was gaining about ten pounds. With my history of stomach issues, I could've landed myself in the hospital. I had committed myself before to never letting myself get that sick again... It wouldn't be fair to my family.... So the mistakes have got to stop!
So now my routine is back. The kids got on the bus this morning and I got my butt over to the gym. I did my meal planning and grocery shopping yesterday to make sure we would all be eating clean more regularly. With the kids back in school it is time to get back to taking care of me, and now I have a little more time to do it. I am also motivated by the fact that, with the unhealthy state of school lunches these days, I have to work super extra hard to make sure I am planning and packing healthy meals my kids can take to school, and more importantly, will enjoy!
I will still have my cheat meal or wine once a week...because deprivation never works (and football season is upon us!). I will, however, try to be better about not rewarding myself with food. I will set my goals and think of a prize to get when I reach it... perhaps those new boots I have been wanting :)
My blogs should be more regular now, because, as I have written before, one of the most effective tools we have is accountability. I will use my accountability to you the reader as one of my motivators to stay on track.
So, no more excuses...who is with me? Who else is committed to living a healthy lifestyle with clean meals and exercise? I'm back baby!!!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Keep Those Healthy Habits Up, Even on Vacation!
Well, I have been in Rhode Island, on a beach vacation, since Saturday and have managed to be good, a little lol! Got up and ran two mornings and put myself through a boot camp on the in-between morning. Bootcamps are kinda my thing but if you know me then you know I HATE to run! You might have guessed that I have been doing something here that warrants running...and you would be right! It's hard to be on vacation by the shore without enjoying some yummy seafood and it certainly doesn't help that there is an ice cream stand within walking distance of the beach house! On day two I had a big gooey sundae there ...lol! Running won't burn enough calories to erase an ice cream sundae (unless we are talking about hours versus minutes), but it is better than completely surrendering to bad habits...so I run. I have been having one dietary indiscretion, in the form of ice cream or a margarita, a day but have stayed true to my healthy way of eating the rest of the day. I have no doubt I will get a little off track while here, but the important thing for me to do is make sure I make it easier to get back on track when I get home.
As I have written about before, it is easier to get back on track if you don't get completely off track when on vacation. It is so tempting to over indulge and not exercise when away. In fact, I think the definition of vacation has evolved to make us think that is exactly what we are supposed to do while on vacation, drink a lot and go to midnight "all you can eat buffets", while avoiding any kind of physical exertion. The problem with that is we end up feeling bloated and gross on vacation and that follows us when we return home. Vacations are great and many studies have affirmed that it is certainly good for your health to take them, but there is always a risk of falling so far off the health wagon when we do that many find it impossible to get back on. It is hard to feel motivated to eat right and exercise when you feel heavy, bloated, and discouraged. So keep up most of your healthy habits while on vacation and you will find it easier to stay the course and feel a lot better while on your vacation too!
I have to say that there is something about the beach that makes running easier. Is it the cool and clean air coming off the ocean or the vacation state of mind that makes a run a bit more enjoyable? I don't know. I will say that I am tempted to keep on running even after I get home to see if location really is the key. I am going to have to because the Hubby and I are signing up for the Warrior Dash in September. If you don't know what that is, look it up!
Oh well, back to playing ball and flying kites with the kiddos...I will check back in soon!
As always, I wish you the happiest and healthiest life....even on vacation!
As I have written about before, it is easier to get back on track if you don't get completely off track when on vacation. It is so tempting to over indulge and not exercise when away. In fact, I think the definition of vacation has evolved to make us think that is exactly what we are supposed to do while on vacation, drink a lot and go to midnight "all you can eat buffets", while avoiding any kind of physical exertion. The problem with that is we end up feeling bloated and gross on vacation and that follows us when we return home. Vacations are great and many studies have affirmed that it is certainly good for your health to take them, but there is always a risk of falling so far off the health wagon when we do that many find it impossible to get back on. It is hard to feel motivated to eat right and exercise when you feel heavy, bloated, and discouraged. So keep up most of your healthy habits while on vacation and you will find it easier to stay the course and feel a lot better while on your vacation too!
I have to say that there is something about the beach that makes running easier. Is it the cool and clean air coming off the ocean or the vacation state of mind that makes a run a bit more enjoyable? I don't know. I will say that I am tempted to keep on running even after I get home to see if location really is the key. I am going to have to because the Hubby and I are signing up for the Warrior Dash in September. If you don't know what that is, look it up!
Oh well, back to playing ball and flying kites with the kiddos...I will check back in soon!
As always, I wish you the happiest and healthiest life....even on vacation!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Backdrop for This Mornings Workout!
I love taking my workout on vacation versus taking a vacation from my workout! This is where I did my boot camp this morning... Some beautiful running roads here too... As the postcard says "wish you were here", lol!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Focus on This Hour Every Week and you Will Lose the Extra Weight!
It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, finding the time to get healthy is hard. If you are a working parent, balancing career and kids, those two things consume your life and there is little, if any, time for you. If you are a stay- at- home parent, chances are you are over committed with all things related to kids and home (sport practices, dance lessons, and caring for every aspect of your family). I don't think I ever believed my stay-at-home mom girlfriends about how busy they were until I became one. The point is, staying healthy and getting in shape feels unattainable because it's just one more thing to add to the already impossibly long list!
For busy people like all of us, sometimes the key to being healthy is to incorporate healthy habits into the time we have already allocated to something else. This might mean going for a walk on your lunch break, or doing squats in between pancake flips (yup, I do this). It could also mean just changing the way we do the things we already do.
The good news is the time you can make the biggest impact on your health is time already allocated every week foraging for food. The average American spends about one hour a week grocery shopping, but what you do in that hour can help you reach your goal or keep you in your rut. The grocery store is where you set your dietary tone for the week...good or bad. This is where you can set the course for a healthy week or make the bad decisions that end up on your hips later in the week. The point is...if you can get through this hour making the right decisions, losing weight could feel effortless.
If you are like me, then temptations in our homes are the hardest to resist. I know that if I am aware of the presence of corn chips or ice cream in my home, I will eventually give in and eat them. If they are not in my home I won't go out of my way to go to back to the store to get them if I'm craving salt or sweet. Because I do the grocery shopping, a have a ton of control over what foods are in the house. If you are trying to be healthy then it's a good idea to make sure you are the one in your household doing the shopping. If someone in your home insists on junk food, it's ok to ask them to respect your decision to remove temptations from your home. If you are the week willed one in the house, and are prone to buying junk food, then perhaps sending someone else in the house with more will power is best. Also consider taking a healthy friend grocery shopping, not only to get some shopping tips but also to keep your grocery cart headed in the right direction.
If you can control this one hour, you can lose a lot if not all of your extra weight. Plan out your healthy meals and snacks for the week and limit your shopping to those ingredients. Leave the junk behind to avoid it showing up later on your behind..lol!
If you need a little help figuring out what to buy and prepare as healthy meals and snacks, consider purchasing monthly or yearly healthy meal plans and shopping lists from cleaneatingonline.com.
As always, I wish you the happiest and healthiest life!
For busy people like all of us, sometimes the key to being healthy is to incorporate healthy habits into the time we have already allocated to something else. This might mean going for a walk on your lunch break, or doing squats in between pancake flips (yup, I do this). It could also mean just changing the way we do the things we already do.
The good news is the time you can make the biggest impact on your health is time already allocated every week foraging for food. The average American spends about one hour a week grocery shopping, but what you do in that hour can help you reach your goal or keep you in your rut. The grocery store is where you set your dietary tone for the week...good or bad. This is where you can set the course for a healthy week or make the bad decisions that end up on your hips later in the week. The point is...if you can get through this hour making the right decisions, losing weight could feel effortless.
If you are like me, then temptations in our homes are the hardest to resist. I know that if I am aware of the presence of corn chips or ice cream in my home, I will eventually give in and eat them. If they are not in my home I won't go out of my way to go to back to the store to get them if I'm craving salt or sweet. Because I do the grocery shopping, a have a ton of control over what foods are in the house. If you are trying to be healthy then it's a good idea to make sure you are the one in your household doing the shopping. If someone in your home insists on junk food, it's ok to ask them to respect your decision to remove temptations from your home. If you are the week willed one in the house, and are prone to buying junk food, then perhaps sending someone else in the house with more will power is best. Also consider taking a healthy friend grocery shopping, not only to get some shopping tips but also to keep your grocery cart headed in the right direction.
If you can control this one hour, you can lose a lot if not all of your extra weight. Plan out your healthy meals and snacks for the week and limit your shopping to those ingredients. Leave the junk behind to avoid it showing up later on your behind..lol!
If you need a little help figuring out what to buy and prepare as healthy meals and snacks, consider purchasing monthly or yearly healthy meal plans and shopping lists from cleaneatingonline.com.
As always, I wish you the happiest and healthiest life!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
It Really is Up to You!
Most of us can absolutely control how we look and feel. We just have to do the work. No one said it was going to be easy... But nothing beats the feeling of turning heads and feeling like you can conquer anything!
Set your goals and know that you can achieve them! If you need support, or accountability to reach your healthy goal, join the Questers (more info on that on the right of this page). All are welcome!
Set your goals and know that you can achieve them! If you need support, or accountability to reach your healthy goal, join the Questers (more info on that on the right of this page). All are welcome!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Avocado Breakfast Bowl
Avocado Bowl Breakfast
I saw this recipe on lifehacker.com and modified it a bit. It's a cool and creative way to make a healthy breakfast. My husband and I tried it yesterday and it was yummy... A keeper for sure!
Slice avocado in half, take out pit, and place avocado in microwave safe dish, hole facing up
Wisk one egg in bowl like you would to make scrambled eggs
Pour whisked egg into the cavity left by the pit (don't fill too high or egg will ooze out)
Top egg with a sprinkle of your favorite cheese and a pinch of salt
Microwave for about 1 min or until egg is cooked and avocado is soft
Top with a teaspoon of salsa
enjoy!
You can also do this in the oven if you like your cheese nicely browned but it takes a long time, about 1/2 hour on 425 degrees.
I saw this recipe on lifehacker.com and modified it a bit. It's a cool and creative way to make a healthy breakfast. My husband and I tried it yesterday and it was yummy... A keeper for sure!
Slice avocado in half, take out pit, and place avocado in microwave safe dish, hole facing up
Wisk one egg in bowl like you would to make scrambled eggs
Pour whisked egg into the cavity left by the pit (don't fill too high or egg will ooze out)
Top egg with a sprinkle of your favorite cheese and a pinch of salt
Microwave for about 1 min or until egg is cooked and avocado is soft
Top with a teaspoon of salsa
enjoy!
You can also do this in the oven if you like your cheese nicely browned but it takes a long time, about 1/2 hour on 425 degrees.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Turkey Gorgonzola Burger
We have tried this recipe and love, love, love it! Enjoy!
Turkey Gorgonzola Burgers
1 lb lean ground turkey
3 oz Gorgonzola cheese, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 100% whole-grain buns
6 Tbsp barbecue sauce (see recipe posted three days ago)
Shredded cabbage (optional)
1. Preheat grill to medium. Combine first five ingredients and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Lightly mix together and form into 6 patties. Brush them with oil.
2. Grill burgers for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until internal temp is 165°F. Toast buns for 2 minutes. Serve burgers on buns; garnish with barbecue sauce and cabbage, if desired.
Makes 6 servings . Per serving: 293 cal, 11 g fat (4 g sat), 27 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 545 mg sodium, 26 g protein
(from Women's Heath Magazine, 2012)
Turkey Gorgonzola Burgers
1 lb lean ground turkey
3 oz Gorgonzola cheese, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 100% whole-grain buns
6 Tbsp barbecue sauce (see recipe posted three days ago)
Shredded cabbage (optional)
1. Preheat grill to medium. Combine first five ingredients and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Lightly mix together and form into 6 patties. Brush them with oil.
2. Grill burgers for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until internal temp is 165°F. Toast buns for 2 minutes. Serve burgers on buns; garnish with barbecue sauce and cabbage, if desired.
Makes 6 servings . Per serving: 293 cal, 11 g fat (4 g sat), 27 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 545 mg sodium, 26 g protein
(from Women's Heath Magazine, 2012)
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Clean BBQ Sauce
Clean BBQ Sauce
We tried this on our burgers yesterday (Memorial Day) and OMG delish! I won't use bottled BBQ sauce ever again. This was far tastier and no high fructose corn syrup or other unclean ingredients! I doubled the red pepper flakes for a little kick in the butt! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan whisk together 1/2 cup water, tomato paste, vinegar, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper flakes.
Bring sauce to a boil on medium high and continue boiling for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in oil. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Courtesy of "Clean Eating Magazine"
We tried this on our burgers yesterday (Memorial Day) and OMG delish! I won't use bottled BBQ sauce ever again. This was far tastier and no high fructose corn syrup or other unclean ingredients! I doubled the red pepper flakes for a little kick in the butt! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan whisk together 1/2 cup water, tomato paste, vinegar, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper flakes.
Bring sauce to a boil on medium high and continue boiling for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in oil. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Courtesy of "Clean Eating Magazine"
Monday, May 28, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
My Simple Banana Pancakes
Clean eating is often as simple as replacing the ingredients in our favorite recipes with ingredients that are simpler and more true to their most natural state. Banana pancakes are a favorite in my household so we make them a bit healthier. We replace refined white sugar with Sucanat, which is pure dried sugarcane juice. We replace refined white flour with whole wheat flour. Also instead of pancake syrup, which is mostly high fructose corn syrup, we use 100% pure maple syrup. Enjoy!!!
My Simple Banana Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1 tbsp Sucanat
2 1/2 cups 1% milk
1 mashed up ripe banana
Real Maple Syrup
Directions:
Coat skillet with organic cooking spray and heat on stove on medium heat.
In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash up one medium sized ripe banana into a sauce like consistency. Add flour, Sucanat, and milk to banana sauce. Whisk all the ingredients together, until well blended.
Pour mixture into hot skillet forming a 8 inch round pancake, flip when batter is bubbling and edges formed. Remove when cooked though, repeat until batter is gone.
Drizzle maple syrup on pancakes as you serve.
Makes about 11 pancakes.
My Simple Banana Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1 tbsp Sucanat
2 1/2 cups 1% milk
1 mashed up ripe banana
Real Maple Syrup
Directions:
Coat skillet with organic cooking spray and heat on stove on medium heat.
In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash up one medium sized ripe banana into a sauce like consistency. Add flour, Sucanat, and milk to banana sauce. Whisk all the ingredients together, until well blended.
Pour mixture into hot skillet forming a 8 inch round pancake, flip when batter is bubbling and edges formed. Remove when cooked though, repeat until batter is gone.
Drizzle maple syrup on pancakes as you serve.
Makes about 11 pancakes.
Friday, May 25, 2012
My Fun Cardio!
I gotta tell ya, getting on a treadmill or exercise bike is not my favorite thing. In fact, I can easily talk myself out of it. It can be boring! It's hard to keep going when all you have to occupy your mind is the ticking of the timer, right? 5 mins...5 min, 1 sec... 5 min, 2 sec....and on and on, ticking away....holy boring! Sometimes I can bring a book and distract myself reading on the recumbent bike, but then I find myself slowing down because I'm paying more attention to the book than my heart rate. I can sometimes run on the treadmill at the gym while watching tv with headphones on, but I have the same attention problem...plus I am always looking at the timer, ticking away.
Like me, you make not be the kind on person that enjoys the mundane. If it's not fun, I don't want to do it. BUT, cardio is soooooo incredibly important to our health. Our hearts need exercise, but do all cardio workouts have to involve a piece of stationary machinery?...NOPE! Let me tell you about the way I LOVE to get my cardio in...and it's fun!
I weight train 4 to 5 days a week. Sometimes at the gym, but in a lot of ways I prefer to do it at home...because I can't dance between sets at the gym :). ... A.) I am not a very good dancer and B.) unless you are in a Zumba class, no one there is dancing. At home, I crank up music that gets me moving, and if I am not doing my weight set, I AM DANCING! I normally try to do 3 sets of 14 reps of each weight lifting exercise, then rest that muscle for 30 seconds between sets, and during that 30 seconds I dance... Energetic, probably goofy looking (though I think I am a dance goddess in my little gym) dance. cardio is all about keeping your heart rate up and dancing surely does that. If I dance between my weight sets, I have accomplished weight training and cardio all at once.... Plus if my dance involves that of the Latin variety I have also worked my abs!
So what's your cardio exercise of choice? What do you do to make cardio more fun? I'd love to hear your ideas!!!
Like me, you make not be the kind on person that enjoys the mundane. If it's not fun, I don't want to do it. BUT, cardio is soooooo incredibly important to our health. Our hearts need exercise, but do all cardio workouts have to involve a piece of stationary machinery?...NOPE! Let me tell you about the way I LOVE to get my cardio in...and it's fun!
I weight train 4 to 5 days a week. Sometimes at the gym, but in a lot of ways I prefer to do it at home...because I can't dance between sets at the gym :). ... A.) I am not a very good dancer and B.) unless you are in a Zumba class, no one there is dancing. At home, I crank up music that gets me moving, and if I am not doing my weight set, I AM DANCING! I normally try to do 3 sets of 14 reps of each weight lifting exercise, then rest that muscle for 30 seconds between sets, and during that 30 seconds I dance... Energetic, probably goofy looking (though I think I am a dance goddess in my little gym) dance. cardio is all about keeping your heart rate up and dancing surely does that. If I dance between my weight sets, I have accomplished weight training and cardio all at once.... Plus if my dance involves that of the Latin variety I have also worked my abs!
So what's your cardio exercise of choice? What do you do to make cardio more fun? I'd love to hear your ideas!!!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
This puts the state of our health today in perspective....
From Dr. Hyman's blog. Not to pick on the poor cop, because he doesn't look much different than a good portion of the world today. The point is that what used to be considered "mind blowing" in terms of being overweight is now commonplace... But reversible... And it's never ever too late to turn things around!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Simple, Tasty, and Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast is the foundation, upon which we build our healthy day! Within the first hour of being awake, you should ALWAYS drink a big glass of water and then have a breakfast that combines a protein and complex carbohydrate for optimal energy. Like our cars, we will not function properly without the right fuel in our tanks. It takes fuel to lose weight and be healthy... Skipping meals (especially breakfast) makes you gain weight and is unhealthy...
This breakfast is super easy and probably one you have every week already...
My Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwich
-Two eggs, over easy
-One piece of organic whole wheat toast
-Organic butter or organic butter spread like Smart Balance Organic
-as much spinach as you like
-pinch of sea salt and pepper
Toast and lightly butter your whole wheat toast. Place cooked over easy eggs on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper and top with a bed of spinach.
The over easy egg and butter make this a nice moist breakfast and the ingredients deliver a good carb/protein balance that will surely jump start your healthy day! Enjoy!
This breakfast is super easy and probably one you have every week already...
My Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwich
-Two eggs, over easy
-One piece of organic whole wheat toast
-Organic butter or organic butter spread like Smart Balance Organic
-as much spinach as you like
-pinch of sea salt and pepper
Toast and lightly butter your whole wheat toast. Place cooked over easy eggs on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper and top with a bed of spinach.
The over easy egg and butter make this a nice moist breakfast and the ingredients deliver a good carb/protein balance that will surely jump start your healthy day! Enjoy!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Today Could be the First Day of your New Life!
Today is the day that the Questers Page goes live! The Questers Page is open to whoever wants to join and is basically a blog for all people looking to connect with others also on their way to their health and fitness goals. All you have to do to join is:
-contact me at healthquest@sigct.com and let me know you would like to participate.
- find the page on the blog I will create for you and write something about yourself (who you are, what your health and fitness goals are, maybe a "before picture").
-then blog freely on the Quester Page about your journey to be healthy, include recipes or motivational snippets, etc.
- support other Questers by reading and commenting on their pages and posts.
The idea is that we all need support and help along the way. This is a forum for both. So join in and let's get healthy together!
-contact me at healthquest@sigct.com and let me know you would like to participate.
- find the page on the blog I will create for you and write something about yourself (who you are, what your health and fitness goals are, maybe a "before picture").
-then blog freely on the Quester Page about your journey to be healthy, include recipes or motivational snippets, etc.
- support other Questers by reading and commenting on their pages and posts.
The idea is that we all need support and help along the way. This is a forum for both. So join in and let's get healthy together!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Avoid the Last Hooray Today for the Best Start Tomorrow
Avoid the Last Hooray!
I post this today because many of you may be thinking about becoming Questers and transforming yourself into the happy and healthy people you always wanted to be, starting tomorrow. If you have made this decision to begin a new day in your life, I am so proud of you! Great days are ahead as you watch and feel yourself getting closer to your goals!
From experience, let me warn you about the "last hooray", other wise known as the "I will start eating healthy tomorrow, so I'm gonna eat and drink my hearts delight today" syndrome. I know this one all too well as it was the way I use to start all of my diets before I discovered clean eating. The day before I started a diet, I would have a big fatty dinner and desert and wash it down with several margaritas or a bottle of wine. The problem with this, as I have found out, is that what you eat and drink today will set the tone for tomorrow. If you eat a lot of fatty, salty foods and drink a whole bunch of margaritas today, tomorrow you will not have the energy to start exercising and your body will not work as it should. Think about the last time you had a good binge, didn't you feel like crap the next day? It's easy to talk ourselves out of exercising or eating well when we feel like crap.
Tomorrow morning I want you to be able to bounce out of bed and enthusiastically embrace the first day of your new healthy life. Take it easy today to have a good day tomorrow. Remember, a good healthy way of eating includes having a treat from time to time, so you will be able to enjoy your favorite treat again soon.
As always, I wish you the happiest and healthiest life!
Becky
I post this today because many of you may be thinking about becoming Questers and transforming yourself into the happy and healthy people you always wanted to be, starting tomorrow. If you have made this decision to begin a new day in your life, I am so proud of you! Great days are ahead as you watch and feel yourself getting closer to your goals!
From experience, let me warn you about the "last hooray", other wise known as the "I will start eating healthy tomorrow, so I'm gonna eat and drink my hearts delight today" syndrome. I know this one all too well as it was the way I use to start all of my diets before I discovered clean eating. The day before I started a diet, I would have a big fatty dinner and desert and wash it down with several margaritas or a bottle of wine. The problem with this, as I have found out, is that what you eat and drink today will set the tone for tomorrow. If you eat a lot of fatty, salty foods and drink a whole bunch of margaritas today, tomorrow you will not have the energy to start exercising and your body will not work as it should. Think about the last time you had a good binge, didn't you feel like crap the next day? It's easy to talk ourselves out of exercising or eating well when we feel like crap.
Tomorrow morning I want you to be able to bounce out of bed and enthusiastically embrace the first day of your new healthy life. Take it easy today to have a good day tomorrow. Remember, a good healthy way of eating includes having a treat from time to time, so you will be able to enjoy your favorite treat again soon.
As always, I wish you the happiest and healthiest life!
Becky
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! Hopefully, your sacrifices for the good of your family have not gone unnoticed. I am hopeful that today, you are being showered with adoration and gratitude. Gifts are always nice too but maybe you have at least been gifted some me time today or a day free of mommy chores.
Everyone else is hopefully making a big deal about you today but what are you doing for yourself today? How much of yourself have you given up for your family, your career, your free time, your health? We moms will do anything for our families, but are we really doing what is best for them when we are not taking care of ourselves? Maybe today you will celebrate yourself too and commit to making sure you have what you need to be happy and healthy.
Mother's Day is the celebration of Mom and all she does. I know Mom's everywhere are uncomfortable with the lime-light, but just for today, let it shine on you! You can do anything! Moms are real life superheroes, guardians of the future, protectors of the innocent, and we can do 5 things at once and well!
Take some time for yourself today and do something that will bring you closer to your healthy living goal. You deserve it!
Everyone else is hopefully making a big deal about you today but what are you doing for yourself today? How much of yourself have you given up for your family, your career, your free time, your health? We moms will do anything for our families, but are we really doing what is best for them when we are not taking care of ourselves? Maybe today you will celebrate yourself too and commit to making sure you have what you need to be happy and healthy.
Mother's Day is the celebration of Mom and all she does. I know Mom's everywhere are uncomfortable with the lime-light, but just for today, let it shine on you! You can do anything! Moms are real life superheroes, guardians of the future, protectors of the innocent, and we can do 5 things at once and well!
Take some time for yourself today and do something that will bring you closer to your healthy living goal. You deserve it!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Set to Salvage!
Well, as with a lot of good things, they sometimes come to an end. So, our girl's getaway is all over, for now. Jen and I had a great time at the Cape, lighthouse hunting, wave watching, socializing, walking around the shops, eating some good seafood, and relaxing in the local pub. We even stopped for a wine tasting at the Truro Winery and sampled some of their finer juices, leaving with some to enjoy at home as well of course.
Even though we did a lot of walking and some swimming, with the foods I ate and the drinks I drank, I have no doubt that I have done a little damage to the progress I have made over the past few weeks. In fact, I won't even step on a scale or measure my waist for at least a week to give myself a chance to get back on track. I know I've done damage...no sense in seeing it on the scale and getting down about it. It is better to pick up where I left off before vacation, as if no interruption ever occurred.
Luckily, I know the following to be true: many good things do come to an end, but eating clean and living healthily is not one of them. No matter how many times I "fall off the wagon", there is always tomorrow to start over again. Just as the sun rises in the morning, so does the dawn on another chance to eat right and exercise. It is never too late to work toward your healthy living goals, unless you let it be. It's like the saying, "Oh crap, I dropped my phone on the floor ....I'll just smash it until it breaks". When we drop away from our goals, we just need to pick them up, brush them off, and carry on. No sense in completely destroying what is left, when it can be salvaged.
So, today I begin to salvage myself. I had my perfect start shake for breakfast and am planning my healthy meals for the rest of the week. I will hit the gym as soon as the kiddos are on the bus and have already picked up my latest copy of Oxygen Magazine for motivation.
Are you ready to join me and salvage yourself? If you are, I encourage you to read more of my blog entries for some motivation and tips. Consider becoming a Quester (there's a blog entry on that too) and let a larger community help you and support you in your journey to live the happiest and healthiest life!
As always, I appreciate your feedback, so let it fly (I never mind good intentioned criticism either...it's all apart of the process).
Be well and enjoy some other vacation photos I have included.
Even though we did a lot of walking and some swimming, with the foods I ate and the drinks I drank, I have no doubt that I have done a little damage to the progress I have made over the past few weeks. In fact, I won't even step on a scale or measure my waist for at least a week to give myself a chance to get back on track. I know I've done damage...no sense in seeing it on the scale and getting down about it. It is better to pick up where I left off before vacation, as if no interruption ever occurred.
Luckily, I know the following to be true: many good things do come to an end, but eating clean and living healthily is not one of them. No matter how many times I "fall off the wagon", there is always tomorrow to start over again. Just as the sun rises in the morning, so does the dawn on another chance to eat right and exercise. It is never too late to work toward your healthy living goals, unless you let it be. It's like the saying, "Oh crap, I dropped my phone on the floor ....I'll just smash it until it breaks". When we drop away from our goals, we just need to pick them up, brush them off, and carry on. No sense in completely destroying what is left, when it can be salvaged.
So, today I begin to salvage myself. I had my perfect start shake for breakfast and am planning my healthy meals for the rest of the week. I will hit the gym as soon as the kiddos are on the bus and have already picked up my latest copy of Oxygen Magazine for motivation.
Are you ready to join me and salvage yourself? If you are, I encourage you to read more of my blog entries for some motivation and tips. Consider becoming a Quester (there's a blog entry on that too) and let a larger community help you and support you in your journey to live the happiest and healthiest life!
As always, I appreciate your feedback, so let it fly (I never mind good intentioned criticism either...it's all apart of the process).
Be well and enjoy some other vacation photos I have included.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Trying to Stay on Track While on Vacation
Well its 6 am on Tuesday morning, our only full day in Cape Cod. My bestie Jen and I are on a girl's get away, enjoying the sandy beaches and sights. It's funny how even when I don't have my kids to wake me up at the crack of dawn, dawn manages to wake me anyhow...lol. So here I am blogging (yup, have IPad, will travel)!
There are definitely a lot of things I can do to get myself off track while here. We are doing all of my favorite vacation stuff, which always includes eating and drinking. As I have mentioned before, I LOVE TO EAT and you cannot come to the Cape without eating a lot of yummy seafood, not always prepared in the healthiest way. Margaritas are also on the menu and we certainly pounded a few drinks last night sitting in the resort pub, chatting away with some new Bostonian friends we made. But I have been working so hard trying to meet my goal of wearing a bikini by July 1, so I don't want to do too much damage.
There were things I did in preparation for our trip to help mitigate a potential vacation induced setback. I kicked my workout into overdrive last week. I did literally twice as much weight training as I normally do so my muscles would still be burning calories, in repair and recovery mode, while I was here for a few days. I was also very good at making sure I ate every couple of hours in the weeks leading up to this so my metabolism would be a little faster than normal. I packed nuts so at least my in between meal snacks would be healthy and even threw my workout clothes in the suitcase, hoping there'd be a gym here.
Yesterday we managed to get quite a bit of exercise and I loved that it was doing things I don't get to do at home. We treaded water in the resort's deliciously heated outdoor pool for TWO HOURS! Did you know you can burn up to 236 calories an hour treading water at a moderate rate? That certainly made me feel better about margarita number two last night lol! We also did a bit of beach walking which can burn a minimum of 330 calories an hour. The best part about beach walking or running is the incredible workout you get for your stabilization muscles trying to keep balance on the loose sand. In our case, being the off season, the beaches have yet to be groomed so we balanced quite a lot trying to navigate around all the seaweed, and other washed up sea debris (various shells, crabs, and some trash unfortunately). You can actually burn 30% more calories walking on sand than pavement trying to keep your balance. I think we will try to do both of those again today, weather permitting.
Anyway, time to get off the blog and back to vaca! Here are some photos of where we are. I have more on my camera I will upload later! Enjoy your day... I know we will!
There are definitely a lot of things I can do to get myself off track while here. We are doing all of my favorite vacation stuff, which always includes eating and drinking. As I have mentioned before, I LOVE TO EAT and you cannot come to the Cape without eating a lot of yummy seafood, not always prepared in the healthiest way. Margaritas are also on the menu and we certainly pounded a few drinks last night sitting in the resort pub, chatting away with some new Bostonian friends we made. But I have been working so hard trying to meet my goal of wearing a bikini by July 1, so I don't want to do too much damage.
There were things I did in preparation for our trip to help mitigate a potential vacation induced setback. I kicked my workout into overdrive last week. I did literally twice as much weight training as I normally do so my muscles would still be burning calories, in repair and recovery mode, while I was here for a few days. I was also very good at making sure I ate every couple of hours in the weeks leading up to this so my metabolism would be a little faster than normal. I packed nuts so at least my in between meal snacks would be healthy and even threw my workout clothes in the suitcase, hoping there'd be a gym here.
Yesterday we managed to get quite a bit of exercise and I loved that it was doing things I don't get to do at home. We treaded water in the resort's deliciously heated outdoor pool for TWO HOURS! Did you know you can burn up to 236 calories an hour treading water at a moderate rate? That certainly made me feel better about margarita number two last night lol! We also did a bit of beach walking which can burn a minimum of 330 calories an hour. The best part about beach walking or running is the incredible workout you get for your stabilization muscles trying to keep balance on the loose sand. In our case, being the off season, the beaches have yet to be groomed so we balanced quite a lot trying to navigate around all the seaweed, and other washed up sea debris (various shells, crabs, and some trash unfortunately). You can actually burn 30% more calories walking on sand than pavement trying to keep your balance. I think we will try to do both of those again today, weather permitting.
Anyway, time to get off the blog and back to vaca! Here are some photos of where we are. I have more on my camera I will upload later! Enjoy your day... I know we will!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Strategy for Success!
We all have our moments, when something just finally
clicks in our heads and we become determined that we've had enough of something
and know something has got to change. We have our "ah-ha moment",
when the clouds part and the sun shines through the previously darkened sky and
we can finally say to ourselves, I am sick of being this way and I CAN CHANGE!
You can change! Even if it's only a little, and you'd be
surprised how those little things add up. In fact, it's probably a series of
little things that got you to where you are unhappy, and it may be a series of
little things that will reverse that.
So, you know something has to change, now what? It's time
to turn that desire to make a change into a plan and that requires identifying
a goal and the actions that will help you accomplish it.
A great way to make a plan, and enjoy the process, is to
set short, medium, and long range goals. Short range goals are those you can
accomplish relatively quickly, in a week or a month, or even immediately. These
short range goals are kinda like the building blocks you use to reach both your
medium range and long range goals. Examples of short range goals are:
Join a gym
Buy some dumbbells
Rid your house of unhealthy foods
Order a Clean Eating magazine or cookbook
Sign up to be a
Health Quester
Replace toxic cleaners in your house with green cleaners
Go for
a walk every day this week
Lose two pounds this week
Drop a dress size by next
month
Do 3 cardio sessions this week
Try Yoga this week
Stop drinking soda now
Do 20 squats a day for one week
When you set your short range goals, you will find that
they will combine to help you reach your medium range goals, which are a little
further in the future (within the next year) and are a bit bigger. Some
examples of medium range goals may be:
Fitting into the size 8 dress I bought by my high school
reunion in eight months
Being able to do a half marathon next summer
Getting
off insulin in 12 months (with your doctors approval)
Be able to do 60 squats a
day within 12 months
Participate in a fitness competition next year
Complete a
year of clean eating
Long range goals are those that are further out. They
might even be your ultimate goal, or something that cannot be obtained in a
year (although if that does happen, give yourself a huge high five!). Examples
of long range goals are:
Run a full marathon in two years
Lose 100 pounds (enter time frame here)
Become a certified personal trainer in 18 months
Climb a
mountain in 2 years
Win a fitness or weight lifting competition in 5 years
Remain independent at 70 years old
Make sure your goals are specific. An example of a
non-specific goal is, " I want to be healthier". This kind of goal is
difficult to measure and should be avoided. You want goals that, when met,
there is no doubt that you have accomplished something. You want to be able to
take that goal into the end zone and spike it!
Write these goals down and display them prominently.
Check or cross them off as you accomplish them. Nothing feels better than
checking off an accomplished goal. That sense of accomplishment makes you
strive for and focus on your other goals.
You should get into a pattern of constantly setting and
checking off goals. That's not to say that you are never happy with yourself.
Sometimes a goal might be maintaining what you have already accomplished. Maybe
you finally took off the last ten pounds you were hoping to. Now maybe your
short term goal is to maintain your new weight for a week without gaining a
pound back.There are always goals that can be set once others are met.
Remember to set goals that are rewards for setting other
goals. Maybe your goal for this week is to buy that charm for your bracelet you
promised yourself when you accomplished one of your medium range goals.
Your goals should also be attainable because if you never
get to check anything off your goal list you will quickly become discouraged.
Make sure you give a lot of thought to where you are now and where you want to
go so that you won't bite off more than you can chew ex: climbing a mountain in
2 months when you can barely climb the stairs in your home now. I always encourage
folks to push just beyond what they think they are capable of (mostly because
people underestimate themselves), but be honest with yourself and keep your
goals attainable, so you can celebrate your successes.
Now share your goals with someone. It's so much harder to
fluff off when you are accountable to someone else. Its also fun to share your
accomplishments with those who know your goals once you reach them. Share your
goals with family members, friends, and others you know and love.
Also consider joining the "Health Questers
Page" so you can share your goals, successes, and struggles with others
just like you. It's free and as simple as sending a request to healthquest@sigct.com. There you will
find others to motivate you and cheer you on as well as shared recipes,
inspirational stories, and good old fashioned peer support.
I wish you the greatest success and, as always, a happy
and healthy life!
Please consult with your doctor before changing your
nutritional or exercise regimen.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Stay able as you age, or at any age, with this important exercise
I talk about staying "able" a lot. Staying "able" means being able to do what I want, when I want, well into my old age. Someday, I want to be that 70 something year old woman who can still climb Mt. Washington or swing my grand kids around without ending up in the hospital.
I know that if I want to be able throughout my life, including later in my life, I need to be working on it now. I wrote in a previous post about how our bodies lose muscle mass as we age. The elderly are far more prone to back, hip,and knee problems that prevent them from taking part in normal activities and eventually take away their independence.
The way to combat that is to weight train now.
No place is more important to train if you want to stay able than your core and legs. You can prevent a lot of future injuries by keeping your legs and core strong, so you will avoid debilitating falls or injuries. Strong legs and core muscles also keep the strain off your back.
Let me introduce the "squat".... If you haven't heard of it already. Squatting is a functional exercise that can be performed at any age and garner results. Performing squats correctly can help you avoid injury as you strengthen hip, thigh, and core muscles. If you perform squats regularly you will increase your balance and joint mobility and strengthen connective tissues.
So, how many squats should you do to keep yourself able? My physical therapist told me that those 40 years old and younger should do 2 squats per year of age daily (so a 40 year old should do a minimum of 80 squats a day). Those over the age of 40 should do a minimum of 1 squat per year of age daily. It may sound like a lot but it can be broken down into chunks. I started off by doing mine over the course of the day...10 squats while waiting for the blender to finish making my shake...10 squats while heating up my tea, etc. Now that I am good at them, I get them all out of the way at once.
It's important to do squats correctly so I attached a video of a physical therapist performing the exercise for you. Good luck and Happy Squatting!
Squat video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6ZE3O6svwc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sources:
www.ptsportswellness.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/squats-good-or-bad
www.livestrong.com/article/224286-hip-knee-problems-in-the-elderly
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Introducing the "Health Questers Page", your next challenge!
Recently, I posted about the effectiveness of working on your healthy living goals as a group rather than "going it alone". In my posting about Dr. Hyman and Pastor Warren's collaboration, I told you about the success they saw in creating small groups of people looking to lose weight and live healthfully. Accountability and support are so important in reaching our goals. It works for me, whether it's been training with a partner for an upcoming event or blogging for you. Knowing that someone else is interested in my progress motivates me. The proof is in the pudding when you figure I've lost ten pounds since starting this blog a month ago...lol.
This same concept exists all over, beachbody.com, jillianmichaels.com, to name a few. These are perfectly good sites with good information, and good programs, but you have to pay for the daily support pages that basically do what I am proposing. But it's really only about connecting people to each other, so why pay for that when social media is at our fingertips? I decided to dedicate space on my blog for just that. It's called the "Health Questers Page" and it's free!
The "Heath Questers Page" is actually a separate blog linked to my main page. Each person who would like to be a "Quester" will be given the ability to "author" posts for the blog that relate to information on clean eating or other nutritional information. They may also post links to articles, tips, motivational snippets and encouraging words, exercise routines or videos, or general healthy living information to share with the other Questers (no copy-write material please).
Now, this isn't a weight loss plan, so it's largely up to you to set your goals and work toward achieving them. What you will find here is a collaborative effort to share healthy living information and a place to be accountable to your fellow "Questers" as you work toward your goal. Here you will find information, motivation, and inspiration. Perhaps you'll be the source of all three for someone else!
To get started simply let me know via email (healthquest@sigct.com) that you're interested in becoming a Quester. On the launch date of the new blog you will notice a page assigned to you (limited to the first 20 Questers).That page should be a place where you would write a little bit about yourself and what your health goals are. Refer to my "Then and Now" post for a sample of how this might look.
Please email me (healthquest@sigct.com) with your interest in participating as soon as possible, as personal pages will be limited to the first 20 Questers. The anticipated launch date for the Health Questers Page is May 18, 2012.
I am really looking forward to working with the Questers. I know I will learn as much, or more, from them as they will from me. I can't wait to hear from you! Sign up now and start your own Health Quest!!!
As always, I recommend you check with your doctor before beginning new exercise or nutritional regimens.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Then and Now... My New Goals
Becky Leger Health Quest
Before: So, this was me....after my health quest began. It was 2009, a year after I committed myself to working out regularly. It might surprise you to know that at this point I was working out 4 to 5 times a week and still stuck at about 160 lbs (at 5'3"). I was about to win my first weight lifting competition at the police department with 31 reps of 75 pounds, but I could not lose weight. I obviously had developed some muscle mass but you couldn't see it under the fat I was still lugging around after having my second child. A year later I was still hovering around 160 lbs and still working out. I won my second consecutive weight lifting competition with 35 reps of 75. I felt good...I could feel my growing muscles and I had the resting heart rate of a marathon runner, but the person I saw in the mirror didn't look as good as I thought she should for all the work.After: This is me within the past year and now. What changed that allowed me to lose the weight that no amount of exercise seemed to melt away? I went from that unmovable 160 lbs to the 135 lbs I am now. I am a size 6 for the first time in my life! I started working out a little less and began eating clean. It's not about working hard, it's about working smart. I love the look of my toned arms and Having the
strength to swing my kids around.
So, what goal do I want to attain for myself now? I could be pretty happy if I stayed where I am but I have this idea in my head that someday I could wear a bikini again. My tummy is my trouble spot. I have the best abs of my life now but can't show them off because of my "mommy belly". I would like to see if losing ten more pounds and letting go of a few remaining vices can help me get there (gluten and wine).So that's it...my goal weight is 125 lbs and wearing a bikini by July 1st. I will accomplish this by cutting gluten (wheat products) and wine from my already clean diet and reducing my cheats days to my two day girl's get away next month and a little when I'm on vacation in June. I will add a little
more cardio as well.
Start thinking about what your goals will be and how to will reach them. The challenge is coming next!
Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you. I wish you the happiest and
healthiest life!
Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your nutritional or
fitness regimen.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
What do Dr Hyman and Pastor Rick Warren have in Common?
As I have been writing my blog I find myself asking, why is healthy living such a hard sell for so many people? As my mom reminded me in so many words this week, it's largely because for so long people have been trying to do exactly that, sell it. Charlatans and those looking to make a quick buck with their "must buy now" weight loss gimmicks have made a lot of people feel that when someone starts taking about health, the sales pitch ain't far behind. But I understand where the hesitation comes from; if you've invested your time, your money, and your hopes in gimmick after gimmick, diet after diet, and found nothing but failure and disappointment, why subject yourself to further agony? I could understand that not only would you not want to hear a spiel about health...you'll likely run in the opposite direction! Going one further, I blame the diet for profit industry for a lot of the obesity problems we experience today. They have turned the word "diet" into a four letter word in more way than one, if you know what I mean.
I started this blog, in part, to combat those who advise you in the direction that best lines their pocket. When I told you in my first post that I was not here to sell you anything, I meant it. I have no ulterior motive in passing on my experiences or recipes. I just want you to live a healthy life and not go through some of the things I had to before I had my healthy living epiphany. The only profit I have realized is in the ten pounds I have lost since I made myself accountable to you :) I don't tell you this to solicit praise from you. I am telling you this because I want you to know that my intentions are good and I am not selling you a gimmick... I am not selling anything at all. The truth is, reaching your health and fitness goals doesn't have to cost you any additional money at all.
My goal is to just motivate you and provide you with some tools and information to get you there. I learned that correct information was the key to weight loss success and that we don't need infomercials or gimmicks to get healthy. We just need each other. We need to share information with each other and support each other.
As it turns out, I am not the only one that feels this way. I receive a lot of information every morning via email from different sources about fitness and nutrition. One person I have been following for a little while is Dr. Mark Hyman, the author of the book, "The Blood Sugar Solution". This morning, as if on cue, I received an email about a collaborative effort between Dr. Hyman and Pastor Rick Warren, to find out if social media is the cure for unhealthy living.
If you are unfamiliar with Pastor Warren, he is the founder of Saddleback Church with over 30,000 members that meet in groups of 5,000 weekly. He is also the author of "The Purpose Driven Life". A lot of what Saddleback does, it does in small study groups. Warren had reached out to Hyman to find out how he can effect the waistline and overall health of his increasingly rotund congregation.
Warren and Hyman decided to try the small group approach to weight loss and healthy living. Over 15,000 church members signed up to take part! It cost them nothing but their time and commitment to participate. They shared healthy living information with each other, recipes, DVD's, written material, etc. They also made each other accountable to one another, sharing their successes and setbacks. They employed some "positive peer pressure" to each other. They taught each other self care and took care of each other.
The result of this experiment was astounding. The 15,000 participants lost over 250,000 lbs!!! What they learned was that those who participated in groups lost twice as much as those who did it alone! Some of the diabetics in the group reported no longer needing insulin and some were even able to stop taking their blood pressure medication! The members reported better sleep, more energy, better mood, better blood pressure, better skin, and better sex drive (yippee)!
This is exactly the kind of thing I set out to encourage through my blog, and I think it's time to take it to the next level. In the next few days I am going to finally post photos of myself before my quest began...and now. I am going to set some new goals for myself and bring you along on my quest to attain them.
Then I'm going to ask you to join me! I want you to consider doing the same as me. In the spirit of accountability as mentioned above, let's form a cyber group of people that are accountable to each other as we help each other meet our fitness goals....much as Pastor Warren and Dr. Hyman did. I'll provide more information about how exactly we will do this in a future post. Just start thinking about if this appeals to you.
If you are interested in the Warren/ Hyman article, you can find it at www.drhyman.com. Under UltraWellness Blog, article titled, "Can Social Networks Cure Disease?"
Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you and I hope you will start this exciting new quest with me!
Always consult with your doctor before changing your nutrition and fitness regimen.
I started this blog, in part, to combat those who advise you in the direction that best lines their pocket. When I told you in my first post that I was not here to sell you anything, I meant it. I have no ulterior motive in passing on my experiences or recipes. I just want you to live a healthy life and not go through some of the things I had to before I had my healthy living epiphany. The only profit I have realized is in the ten pounds I have lost since I made myself accountable to you :) I don't tell you this to solicit praise from you. I am telling you this because I want you to know that my intentions are good and I am not selling you a gimmick... I am not selling anything at all. The truth is, reaching your health and fitness goals doesn't have to cost you any additional money at all.
My goal is to just motivate you and provide you with some tools and information to get you there. I learned that correct information was the key to weight loss success and that we don't need infomercials or gimmicks to get healthy. We just need each other. We need to share information with each other and support each other.
As it turns out, I am not the only one that feels this way. I receive a lot of information every morning via email from different sources about fitness and nutrition. One person I have been following for a little while is Dr. Mark Hyman, the author of the book, "The Blood Sugar Solution". This morning, as if on cue, I received an email about a collaborative effort between Dr. Hyman and Pastor Rick Warren, to find out if social media is the cure for unhealthy living.
If you are unfamiliar with Pastor Warren, he is the founder of Saddleback Church with over 30,000 members that meet in groups of 5,000 weekly. He is also the author of "The Purpose Driven Life". A lot of what Saddleback does, it does in small study groups. Warren had reached out to Hyman to find out how he can effect the waistline and overall health of his increasingly rotund congregation.
Warren and Hyman decided to try the small group approach to weight loss and healthy living. Over 15,000 church members signed up to take part! It cost them nothing but their time and commitment to participate. They shared healthy living information with each other, recipes, DVD's, written material, etc. They also made each other accountable to one another, sharing their successes and setbacks. They employed some "positive peer pressure" to each other. They taught each other self care and took care of each other.
The result of this experiment was astounding. The 15,000 participants lost over 250,000 lbs!!! What they learned was that those who participated in groups lost twice as much as those who did it alone! Some of the diabetics in the group reported no longer needing insulin and some were even able to stop taking their blood pressure medication! The members reported better sleep, more energy, better mood, better blood pressure, better skin, and better sex drive (yippee)!
This is exactly the kind of thing I set out to encourage through my blog, and I think it's time to take it to the next level. In the next few days I am going to finally post photos of myself before my quest began...and now. I am going to set some new goals for myself and bring you along on my quest to attain them.
Then I'm going to ask you to join me! I want you to consider doing the same as me. In the spirit of accountability as mentioned above, let's form a cyber group of people that are accountable to each other as we help each other meet our fitness goals....much as Pastor Warren and Dr. Hyman did. I'll provide more information about how exactly we will do this in a future post. Just start thinking about if this appeals to you.
If you are interested in the Warren/ Hyman article, you can find it at www.drhyman.com. Under UltraWellness Blog, article titled, "Can Social Networks Cure Disease?"
Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you and I hope you will start this exciting new quest with me!
Always consult with your doctor before changing your nutrition and fitness regimen.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thanks on my One Month Blog Anniversary... Changes are Coming
Thank you for reading my blog about healthy living. I have had a really nice reception with over 400 views in about a month since I started writing. Perhaps these numbers are small compared to others, but it makes me feel good that anyone is reading what I write and perhaps is on their own health quest.
My blog will hopefully evolve a little as I finally acquired an IPad and am no longer tied to a desk. I'm kinda excited about being a little more Mobil with the ability to take and post photos. Perhaps you will soon accompany me to the gym or someplace else health related.
As always, I welcome your comments on my topics and would love to hear about your journey to be healthy. Perhaps you are just getting started and would like to share your goals with me to give yourself some accountability. Heck, I've lost ten pounds since I started blogging just being accountable to you...so it works...lol!
It is my sincerest hope that you have the happiest, and healthiest, life!
Yours in Health,
Becky
My blog will hopefully evolve a little as I finally acquired an IPad and am no longer tied to a desk. I'm kinda excited about being a little more Mobil with the ability to take and post photos. Perhaps you will soon accompany me to the gym or someplace else health related.
As always, I welcome your comments on my topics and would love to hear about your journey to be healthy. Perhaps you are just getting started and would like to share your goals with me to give yourself some accountability. Heck, I've lost ten pounds since I started blogging just being accountable to you...so it works...lol!
It is my sincerest hope that you have the happiest, and healthiest, life!
Yours in Health,
Becky
Why Having Muscle is Necessary to your Long Term Health
I have always loved toned muscle, not that I always had it. There were times in my life that not even a single bump of toned muscle appeared on my body, but I knew I always wanted it. A lot of my desire came from being a Police Officer, knowing that my appearance had a lot to do with my survivability as a cop. It is well known that bad guys were less likely to attack officers they perceived as being in shape and certainly being in shape meant I had better strength and endurance to survive a fight. A few troublesome injuries drove the point home for me. But for most women, muscle is still perceived as unattractive and in some cases, vain. I totally understand that perception because I think that we woman fear that if we lift weights we will turn into those man looking bodybuilders you see on TV. The truth is that obtaining that male-looking body is impossible unless you are trying to (8 hrs a day in the gym and with some chemical help).
What is true about weight training is that is the most effective way to lose or manage your weight, along with healthy eating habits. Study after study have affirmed that strength training (either with weights or using body weight) increases your metabolism and keeps your body burning calories throughout the day even after your training session ends.
Maintaining muscle tone decreases your chances of gaining weight as you age. It's important to not be overweight as you age because the extra weight puts a lot of strain on your aging joints. Without adequate muscle mass you are far more likely to experience injuries requiring reparative and replacement surgery making it less likely you will be "able" and independent into your golden years. I don't know about you but I want to enjoy being able to do what I want, when I want, right up until the day I die.
So, why should you worry about any of this if you are still in your twenties and thirties? You will lose about fifty percent of your muscle mass during your lifetime as a part of the natural aging process. Sedentary individuals can begin losing muscle mass as early as in their twenties! Most others begin losing muscle mass in their thirties. Again, without adequate muscle mass you are far more likely to experience injuries, such as back and joint injuries from strains, sprains, or falls, at any age.
The good news is that you can slow down muscle loss or even reverse muscle loss. The even better news is that it's never too late to start fighting this process. A study out of the University of Nottingham showed a group of subjects over the age of 60 were able to reverse muscle loss as effectively as twenty-something year olds just by exercising three times a week for 20 weeks.
Add weight training to your exercise routine, not only because it will make you toned and looking fabulous, but because it will help you maintain a good quality of life well into your old age.
Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you. Please consult your doctor before beginning a new diet or exercise regimen.
Sources:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/04/23/strength-training-may-give-boost-to-seniors-brains?
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-fitness/2008/09/04/how-to-avoid-losing-muscle-as-you-age
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-importance-starting-strength-training-after-566897.html
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Quick and Healthy Snack you can Feel Great About!
If you haven’t heard, Kale is a “Superfood”. Its
nutritional values are off the chart and should be a part of your healthy
lifestyle. Kale is a great source of vitamins A,C, and K, B6, calcium,
magnesium, potassium, and fiber. I’m a “snacker”, so the fact that you can make
this super healthy food into a chip intrigued me. Here’s how:
Kale Chips
One bunch of Kale (usually made up of 5 or 6 leaves)
Garlic powder to taste
Sea salt to taste
2 tsp of olive oil
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rectangular glass
baking dish in oven to preheat with the oven.
-Wash Kale and remove leaves from stems. Tear leaves up into
about 3-4 inch pieces and place into a large bowl.
-Drizzle olive oil over leaves, stirring to coat.
Sprinkle garlic powder and salt over mixture, stirring to
coat.
-Make a single layer of leaves on the bottom of pre-heated
baking dish. Bake, stirring at least once, for 20 minutes or until leaves are
crispy.
Remove to a paper towel lined bowl and eat when cool enough J
I’m not
perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing, just like you.
Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J
Please consult your
doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen. Kale is high in vitamin K and should be avoided by those on blood thinners.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Options Improve your Chances for Success
When we think of getting in shape, we often chose our preferred
method, whether it be getting a gym membership, running, or
signing up for Zumba classes, to name a few. It seems we tend to put all our
eggs into one basket.
I advocate treating
our health like we do our financial investments…diversify, diversify, and
diversify. We know that our financial health depends on our money being
allocated in a diverse portfolio, so that when one investment stops producing
(or worse, takes a hit) we have other investments that are growing and
hopefully covering our losses. Your health is a lot like that. If you invest in
one place, for example a gym membership, as your only option for getting fit,
you are setting yourself up for failure. Why? Something will happen that will
keep you from going as much as you need to. It’s not a “maybe something will
happen”, something WILL happen because life happens… (Car breaks down, can’t
afford it anymore, can’t find child care, don’t feel like driving, or you run
out of time). The same happens if you just chose running and a rainy month gets
you off track. Maybe you’ve chosen those Zumba classes and will experience the
same pitfalls as trying to get to the gym. I find that I can get my workout in
everyday I’m scheduled for it if I have multiple options. Here are the “tools
in my tool belt (aka options)” and how by themselves I can be set up for
failure and how by having all of them I am successful.
-
Gym membership- I love going to the gym. I get
at the Gym what I can’t get any place else; personal attention from someone
with fitness expertise and access to variety of quality equipment. Sometimes I
learn something new just by watching another member perform an exercise. The
drawback is that I have to drive there and I have to factor in travel time,
childcare, and gas. It’s easy to talk myself out of making the trip some days
so it’s good that I have other options. Like…
-
A Home Gym- I am lucky to have a home gym,
complete with treadmill, recumbent bike, weight bench and dumbbells, DVD player
and mats. You don’t need all of this though. A simple set of light, medium, and
heavier weight dumbbells (or exercise bands) and a little bit of space in your
living room or bedroom are all you really need. Home gyms are great when you
are pressed for time and can’t get to the gym. Sometimes I forget to wash my
workout clothes or just don’t feel like being presentable so it’s great to be
able to work out where no one is watching (except my yellow lab). However, sometimes
working out at home doesn’t “work out” lol. As a stay at home mom, I just need
to get out of the house sometimes. When the kids are home, they want to be
where Mommy is. If I’m in my home gym, so are they. It can be difficult to
concentrate on the workout or do a fitness DVD without tripping over them. I
have mitigated this a little by making a “kid friendly” area in my home gym,
complete with two kids sized cushy armchairs and TV, but if hubby is home, off to
Planet Fitness I go or to:
-
Boot Camp/ fitness class/ or sport: Sometimes I
can talk myself out of going to the gym because I get bored…you know like the
commercial “I lift things up…I put them down…” lol. I may not actually feel
like exercising at all, but know once I get into an exercise class or boot camp
with other people, I will have fun! The social aspect of this kind of training
is so rewarding and FUN. It can bring me out of my shell! I also like tennis or
going someplace to hike, when I have time for a change of scenery. I go when I
can but let’s face it, we are usually talking about something that requires
time and travel. So when I want a change of scenery, but don’t want to drive to
get there, it’s time to:
-
Run/ Bicycle: I can strap on a pair of sneakers and an Ipod
and head out my front door or hop on my bike to enjoy an energetic workout. But, then it rains
sometimes so I’m back on the treadmill at the gym or in my home gym. Then
sometimes I can’t get any kind of workout in so it’s good that I:
-
Eat Healthy- this is the most important tool in
your tool belt. You can win 80% of your weight loss/ weight control battle just
by eating clean and controlling your portions. It gives you a lot of wiggle
room when you can’t get a workout in.
Not only can having several workout options keep you from
missing an exercise day, it keeps it fun. Variety is the “spice of life”.
Variety in your workouts keeps it interesting and keeps you going. By the way,
your body likes it too and your results will be even greater J
I’d love to hear about your diverse portfolio of workout options J
I’m not
perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing, just like you.
Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J
Please consult your
doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.
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