Well, Denise Austin beat me on this one. I've been wanting to post this tip for a while but kept putting other things ahead of it. I learned this my first year going to HealthQuest and have tried to keep it in the back of my mind because it really does work. So, here is her newsletter for today. She says it better than I could anyway.
Is getting a flat stomach one of your fitness goals? If it is, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: You can work your ab muscles all day long and achieve great results - just by going about your daily life! By paying attention to your posture and pulling your abs in tightly, you'll be giving your abs a continuous workout for hours at a time.
Does it sound too good to be true? Well it isn't! You may think that sexy abs can only come from doing hundreds of crunches a day, but you'll achieve more noticeable results much more quickly simply by standing up straight and tucking everything in.
Give it a try right now! Sit or stand up super straight. It might help to imagine that there's a string attached to the crown of your head and it's pulling your whole body upward. Picture your spine getting straighter and longer. You'll soon notice that your hips automatically tuck under and your tummy squeezes in - quite the opposite of how your stomach protrudes when you're slumped over.
Standing upright like this works your abs - and, if you can keep it up all day, just imagine how 16 hours of ab work will strengthen your core! Even better than that rock-hard stomach you'll achieve will be the way you look slimmer and more confident with that excellent posture. Go for it!
Now, with shoulders back and tummy tucked in, go have a great day!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Raising the Bar
I have noted before that one of the things that I don't like about going to Health Quest or watching shows like the Biggest Loser is that they set up competition among the participants. To me, we should only be competing with ourselves. Pushing ourselves to make us better, healthier, stronger.
But I recognize that some people like that competition. They need a goal. Something they can aim for and beat.
So, in that vein and that vein only I pose the following, just in case anyone is interested. The Wii soccer points this morning: 490.
The bar has been raised.
But I recognize that some people like that competition. They need a goal. Something they can aim for and beat.
So, in that vein and that vein only I pose the following, just in case anyone is interested. The Wii soccer points this morning: 490.
The bar has been raised.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Recipes
Here is something I never thought I'd say. My sister and I talked recipes last weekend.
Really.
Truly.
You see, cooking is really not her thing. Matter of fact, I received an email earlier this week that said "Sit down before reading". She had made meatballs - homemade ones! She was most pleased and you know they were good because the almost 16 year old human garbage disposal that lives in her house loved them.
Anyway, it got me to thinking of adding an element to the blog. Sharing recipes. If I can figure out a way to make it easier I will but for now I will just post them in a regular blog. Since I get copies of all comments emailed to me if anyone wants to leave a recipe in a comment box I will copy and post it in the blog - with full credit going to the owner, not to me.
Here is Andrea's contribution. Please correct me if I get it wrong.
Apple Snacks
Start with two multi-grain tortillas. Spread on a layer of peanut butter (she uses natural but I'm allergic so I'll stick to my low sugar variety). Slice up an apple (she says you can also use a banana) and lay the slices on the peanut butter. Drizzle with honey. Roll up like a burrito and eat!
Here is something that I've come up with. It is very customizable so the ingredients will vary.
Dinner Pouches
I've made these with both chicken breast and salmon.
Take a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with a little non-stick cooking spray in the middle.
Take a thawed skinless boneless chicken breast and slice into long strips and then cut the strips in half. If you use salmon just leave it as the fillet that you bought. Throw the strips in a large bowl.
Slice up your favorite vegetables - I've used onions, bell pepper, tomato, potato. Would also be great with carrots, squash, zuccini, whatever like. With carrots and potatoes be sure to cut the pieces small. Toss into the bowl with the chicken strips. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings that you like (Cajun, Italian, Greek, Jamaican, etc.) Toss it all together to spread the olive oil and seasoning. Spoon into the center of the foil. Bring together the sides along the top and roll down. Roll the ends up to seal. Leave a little room along the top between the foil and the food for the steam to work around. Put the packets on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Salmon will take a little less time usually.
This is a healthy preparation with a good oil. When ready to serve you can either pour off the juices or serve in a soup plate to catch the juice. You have your meat and veggies all in one place. To clean up, just toss the foil in the trash. They can also be made up in advance and kept in the fridge until cooking time. This actually gives the seasoning more time to work.
Share with us some of your favorite healthy recipes!
Really.
Truly.
You see, cooking is really not her thing. Matter of fact, I received an email earlier this week that said "Sit down before reading". She had made meatballs - homemade ones! She was most pleased and you know they were good because the almost 16 year old human garbage disposal that lives in her house loved them.
Anyway, it got me to thinking of adding an element to the blog. Sharing recipes. If I can figure out a way to make it easier I will but for now I will just post them in a regular blog. Since I get copies of all comments emailed to me if anyone wants to leave a recipe in a comment box I will copy and post it in the blog - with full credit going to the owner, not to me.
Here is Andrea's contribution. Please correct me if I get it wrong.
Apple Snacks
Start with two multi-grain tortillas. Spread on a layer of peanut butter (she uses natural but I'm allergic so I'll stick to my low sugar variety). Slice up an apple (she says you can also use a banana) and lay the slices on the peanut butter. Drizzle with honey. Roll up like a burrito and eat!
Here is something that I've come up with. It is very customizable so the ingredients will vary.
Dinner Pouches
I've made these with both chicken breast and salmon.
Take a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with a little non-stick cooking spray in the middle.
Take a thawed skinless boneless chicken breast and slice into long strips and then cut the strips in half. If you use salmon just leave it as the fillet that you bought. Throw the strips in a large bowl.
Slice up your favorite vegetables - I've used onions, bell pepper, tomato, potato. Would also be great with carrots, squash, zuccini, whatever like. With carrots and potatoes be sure to cut the pieces small. Toss into the bowl with the chicken strips. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings that you like (Cajun, Italian, Greek, Jamaican, etc.) Toss it all together to spread the olive oil and seasoning. Spoon into the center of the foil. Bring together the sides along the top and roll down. Roll the ends up to seal. Leave a little room along the top between the foil and the food for the steam to work around. Put the packets on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Salmon will take a little less time usually.
This is a healthy preparation with a good oil. When ready to serve you can either pour off the juices or serve in a soup plate to catch the juice. You have your meat and veggies all in one place. To clean up, just toss the foil in the trash. They can also be made up in advance and kept in the fridge until cooking time. This actually gives the seasoning more time to work.
Share with us some of your favorite healthy recipes!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
7 Rules for Eating
This came from today WebMD newsletter - I only formatted it to fit this space. I particularly like #7.
Choose Food Over Food-Like Substances, Food Writer Michael Pollan Tells CDC
By Daniel J. DeNoon WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
March 23, 2009 -- We Americans suffer a national eating disorder: our unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.
That's the diagnosis delivered by food author Michael Pollan in a lecture given last week to an overflow crowd of CDC scientists.
As part of an effort to bring new ideas to the national debate on food issues, the CDC invited Pollan -- a harsh critic of U.S. food policies -- to address CDC researchers and to meet with leaders of the federal agency.
"The French paradox is that they have better heart health than we do despite being a cheese-eating, wine-swilling, fois-gras-gobbling people," Pollan said. "The American paradox is we are a people who worry unreasonably about dietary health yet have the worst diet in the world."
In various parts of the world, Pollan noted, necessity has forced human beings to adapt to all kinds of diets.
"The Masai subsist on cattle blood and meat and milk and little else. Native Americans subsist on beans and maize. And the Inuit in Greenland subsist on whale blubber and a little bit of lichen," he said. "The irony is, the one diet we have invented for ourselves -- the Western diet -- is the one that makes us sick."
Snowballing rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the U.S. can be traced to our unhealthy diet. So how do we change?
7 Words & 7 Rules for Eating
Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words:
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."
Probably the first two words are most important. "Eat food" means to eat real food -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, yes, fish and meat -- and to avoid what Pollan calls "edible food-like substances."
Here's how:
Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?" Pollan says.
Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.
Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad.
Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. "There are exceptions -- honey -- but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren't food," Pollan says.
It is not just what you eat but how you eat. "Always leave the table a little hungry," Pollan says. "Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, 'Tie off the sack before it's full.'"
Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It's a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. "Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?" Pollan asks.
Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.
Some excellent things to remember! Food and eating properly should not be seen as a chore or a necessary evil. "You are what you eat!" Don't know who said it, but I remember it from elementary school. Fueling our bodies for our day's work should be a pleasant experience and one to be savored. If our days are so full that each meal is a grab and go then maybe, just maybe, we should take a step back and take a good look at what we're doing. Stressing ourselves with too many activities or responsibilities can create so many more problems, not just in our health, that it isn't always worth it.
Now, go and have a great day!
Choose Food Over Food-Like Substances, Food Writer Michael Pollan Tells CDC
By Daniel J. DeNoon WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
March 23, 2009 -- We Americans suffer a national eating disorder: our unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.
That's the diagnosis delivered by food author Michael Pollan in a lecture given last week to an overflow crowd of CDC scientists.
As part of an effort to bring new ideas to the national debate on food issues, the CDC invited Pollan -- a harsh critic of U.S. food policies -- to address CDC researchers and to meet with leaders of the federal agency.
"The French paradox is that they have better heart health than we do despite being a cheese-eating, wine-swilling, fois-gras-gobbling people," Pollan said. "The American paradox is we are a people who worry unreasonably about dietary health yet have the worst diet in the world."
In various parts of the world, Pollan noted, necessity has forced human beings to adapt to all kinds of diets.
"The Masai subsist on cattle blood and meat and milk and little else. Native Americans subsist on beans and maize. And the Inuit in Greenland subsist on whale blubber and a little bit of lichen," he said. "The irony is, the one diet we have invented for ourselves -- the Western diet -- is the one that makes us sick."
Snowballing rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the U.S. can be traced to our unhealthy diet. So how do we change?
7 Words & 7 Rules for Eating
Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words:
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."
Probably the first two words are most important. "Eat food" means to eat real food -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, yes, fish and meat -- and to avoid what Pollan calls "edible food-like substances."
Here's how:
Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?" Pollan says.
Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.
Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad.
Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. "There are exceptions -- honey -- but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren't food," Pollan says.
It is not just what you eat but how you eat. "Always leave the table a little hungry," Pollan says. "Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, 'Tie off the sack before it's full.'"
Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It's a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. "Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?" Pollan asks.
Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.
Some excellent things to remember! Food and eating properly should not be seen as a chore or a necessary evil. "You are what you eat!" Don't know who said it, but I remember it from elementary school. Fueling our bodies for our day's work should be a pleasant experience and one to be savored. If our days are so full that each meal is a grab and go then maybe, just maybe, we should take a step back and take a good look at what we're doing. Stressing ourselves with too many activities or responsibilities can create so many more problems, not just in our health, that it isn't always worth it.
Now, go and have a great day!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Change and Discipline
The following came from my Upper Room devotional this morning. While it was primarily geared, when written, to address our spiritual beings, it seemed to fit what we're all trying to do with our physical beings as well.
WHEN DEVELOPING a disciplined practice, one of the most valuable gifts we can give ourselves is gentleness. In everyday life, we tend to associate discipline with rigidity, rules, and consequences for misbehavior. Sometimes this kind of discipline is indeed necessary. However, we tend to downplay the equally important role of gentleness in making changes. Change requires a great deal of effort from anyone engaged in it, even if the change is positive. Change plunges a previously ordered system into temporary chaos, and chaos is stressful. Gentleness takes into account our effort and stress; treating ourselves gently is a way of offering encouragement and appreciation for the work being done.
- Sarah Parsons
A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent
Now, go have a wonderful day!
-Deanne
WHEN DEVELOPING a disciplined practice, one of the most valuable gifts we can give ourselves is gentleness. In everyday life, we tend to associate discipline with rigidity, rules, and consequences for misbehavior. Sometimes this kind of discipline is indeed necessary. However, we tend to downplay the equally important role of gentleness in making changes. Change requires a great deal of effort from anyone engaged in it, even if the change is positive. Change plunges a previously ordered system into temporary chaos, and chaos is stressful. Gentleness takes into account our effort and stress; treating ourselves gently is a way of offering encouragement and appreciation for the work being done.
- Sarah Parsons
A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent
Now, go have a wonderful day!
-Deanne
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Laughter
In today's newsletter from Denise Austin the topic was laughter and how good it is for you - physically and mentally. Obviously laughter is going to improve your mood, helps release stress, and gives you an overall feeling of well being.
It also does a pretty good number on your abdominal muscles if you can really get a good belly laugh going.
Well, while the topic is not entirely appropriate here, I have to say that my day's workout is now complete thanks to a text I received this morning. My sister sent me the funniest thing this morning about something that had happened to her. That was one of the best laughs I've had this week. My last good belly laugh was Saturday while I was brushing my teeth to go to bed. Billy found a creative way to remind me it was my turn to pick up the newspaper on Sunday morning and we just could not stop laughing.
So, Denise is right.
Laugh. Laugh hard. Laugh often.
It also does a pretty good number on your abdominal muscles if you can really get a good belly laugh going.
Well, while the topic is not entirely appropriate here, I have to say that my day's workout is now complete thanks to a text I received this morning. My sister sent me the funniest thing this morning about something that had happened to her. That was one of the best laughs I've had this week. My last good belly laugh was Saturday while I was brushing my teeth to go to bed. Billy found a creative way to remind me it was my turn to pick up the newspaper on Sunday morning and we just could not stop laughing.
So, Denise is right.
Laugh. Laugh hard. Laugh often.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Lest I Jinx Myself....
I think I've finally dropped far enough down into the "normal" range! I've been "normal" the last 5 days - the last couple of those I've been creeping back up the scale, but still in the right range.
I just LOVE when my Mii gives me the thumbs up instead of watching her belly pooch out. Now, if I don't get some serious exercise tonight I may not make it tomorrow, but 5 STRAIGHT DAYS. That's a record for me.
And one that I'm actually very proud of. Almost as good as the day I got 451 points heading the soccer ball.
I just LOVE when my Mii gives me the thumbs up instead of watching her belly pooch out. Now, if I don't get some serious exercise tonight I may not make it tomorrow, but 5 STRAIGHT DAYS. That's a record for me.
And one that I'm actually very proud of. Almost as good as the day I got 451 points heading the soccer ball.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
BOOST YOUR METABOLISM!
This is Denise Austin's Newsletter for today. I take no credit for today's post.
I always caution people that there are no quick fixes to weight loss, and that's true. Hard work, time, and dedication are what's needed to reach your goals! It's the only way to win lasting results.
But while slow and steady wins the race, there are still a few ways you can increase your body's calorie-burn rate! Try these tips to keep your metabolism humming at top speed during your workouts and throughout the day!
Go aerobic — choose a routine with enough intensity to make a difference! Walking, biking, cross-country skiing, swimming, and step aerobics are all great, heart-healthy choices!
Don't skip meals or snacks, especially breakfast — you'll activate your body's starvation response and actually slow your metabolic rate! Small meals throughout the day keep your metabolism burning at a steady pace.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes — after a half hour, your body starts tapping into stored energy (that is, fat) to keep moving!
Shake it up — change your workout every six weeks. Your body will have to work harder to adapt to a new routine!
Avoid alcohol and smoking — both keep your body from burning belly fat.
A few changes to your routine can give your body the boost it needs to keep burning fat. Give them a try today!
Now, go have a great day! (That's from me!)
I always caution people that there are no quick fixes to weight loss, and that's true. Hard work, time, and dedication are what's needed to reach your goals! It's the only way to win lasting results.
But while slow and steady wins the race, there are still a few ways you can increase your body's calorie-burn rate! Try these tips to keep your metabolism humming at top speed during your workouts and throughout the day!
Go aerobic — choose a routine with enough intensity to make a difference! Walking, biking, cross-country skiing, swimming, and step aerobics are all great, heart-healthy choices!
Don't skip meals or snacks, especially breakfast — you'll activate your body's starvation response and actually slow your metabolic rate! Small meals throughout the day keep your metabolism burning at a steady pace.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes — after a half hour, your body starts tapping into stored energy (that is, fat) to keep moving!
Shake it up — change your workout every six weeks. Your body will have to work harder to adapt to a new routine!
Avoid alcohol and smoking — both keep your body from burning belly fat.
A few changes to your routine can give your body the boost it needs to keep burning fat. Give them a try today!
Now, go have a great day! (That's from me!)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
I love comparing "Wii" stories with Deanne!! It's like sharing a very special friend!!
Finally, a good doctor's report for me - my cholesterol is down to 205 - it's been pushing 240 for a decade!! That's plenty of motivation to keep me on track!! Not to mention that I've lost 9 lbs. since January 1st. YEAH!!! And even though I really miss my cokes and chocolate - living without caffeine has made more of a difference in how I feel than I EVER thought possible!! Now that the days are longer and the weather so nice - I'm hoping to start putting in "two a days" - 30 mins. of exercise in the morning and 30 mins. after work.
Finally, a good doctor's report for me - my cholesterol is down to 205 - it's been pushing 240 for a decade!! That's plenty of motivation to keep me on track!! Not to mention that I've lost 9 lbs. since January 1st. YEAH!!! And even though I really miss my cokes and chocolate - living without caffeine has made more of a difference in how I feel than I EVER thought possible!! Now that the days are longer and the weather so nice - I'm hoping to start putting in "two a days" - 30 mins. of exercise in the morning and 30 mins. after work.
Friday, March 20, 2009
CHASTISED!
I was actually chastised by the Wii this morning.
Truly.
I was doing the free step for 30 minutes. The goal is to reach 2400 steps. You will recall a while back that I actually passed the 4,000 step mark in 30 minutes. So that is always my personal goal when I get started.
So, I hit 800 steps in about 6 minutes. 800 steps is the Wii goal for 10 minutes. There is a woman's voice that talks to you throughout. One of her jobs is to let you know your step count (the free step and the free run are the two "games" that you can actually change the channel and watch regular TV so the remote talks to you). She said "You've reached 800 steps!", which is usually the end of the sentence.
But today, she continued. "You're going too fast! Step with the rhythm! Going to fast could cause you to lose your balance and fall off the Wii balance board!" Well, hearing all of that nearly caused me to fall off the balance board. I've never heard it before.
Then, of course, I got tickled. There's never anyone else around to hear what hear so I can't share it. But the thought that the Wii was getting on to me was just too funny.
Now, it did not slow me down. (Remember, I will not listen to anyone who is negative!) I finished the 30 minutes with 4,236 steps.
I wonder what she'll have to say about that!
Truly.
I was doing the free step for 30 minutes. The goal is to reach 2400 steps. You will recall a while back that I actually passed the 4,000 step mark in 30 minutes. So that is always my personal goal when I get started.
So, I hit 800 steps in about 6 minutes. 800 steps is the Wii goal for 10 minutes. There is a woman's voice that talks to you throughout. One of her jobs is to let you know your step count (the free step and the free run are the two "games" that you can actually change the channel and watch regular TV so the remote talks to you). She said "You've reached 800 steps!", which is usually the end of the sentence.
But today, she continued. "You're going too fast! Step with the rhythm! Going to fast could cause you to lose your balance and fall off the Wii balance board!" Well, hearing all of that nearly caused me to fall off the balance board. I've never heard it before.
Then, of course, I got tickled. There's never anyone else around to hear what hear so I can't share it. But the thought that the Wii was getting on to me was just too funny.
Now, it did not slow me down. (Remember, I will not listen to anyone who is negative!) I finished the 30 minutes with 4,236 steps.
I wonder what she'll have to say about that!
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