Exercise of the Week - Try a Bulgarian Lunge to target your butt and thighs

This is another one of my favorite exercises.  You can maintain the correct form pretty easily while really working your butt and your thighs.  This exercise has made many many clients whine and whimper but they thank me when they see the results! 

* A small aside....please be careful when you are trying anything on this website.  If you have any abnormal aches and pains, STOP! 

What you need...
A chair

If you are a beginner stick with using just your body, if you've been doing this move for awhile and want to make it more challenging hold a dumbbell in each hand. 

How to do the exercise...
Stand on left leg, 2 or 3 feet in front of the chair
Place the toe of the right foot on seat of the chair, with slight bend in the knee (as you can see in the picture)
Keep your chest up and shoulders back throughout the move
Bend the left knee 90 degrees and the right knee drops down toward the floor
Make sure the left knee doesn't go in front of your toes.  If it does move further away from the chair.
Hold bottom position for 1 count and then return to the start.
Repeat for 10-15 reps and then switch to the other leg.

When doing this exercise you should feel a stretch in the back thigh and hip as you lunge downward.  You should feel the muscle in your front thigh working as your come up from the lunge.  You should feel no pain in your knee, if you do, STOP!

Hopefully this exercise will help get the nice perky butt and toned thighs everyone is always after!!

Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!!

E-

Portion Distortion - Your Portion Size Guide!

So I know we all wish the proper portion of a steak or pasta (or whatever you love!) would be the size of a dinner plate but it just isn't!  In most cases it is much much smaller.  Over the past 20 years accepted portion sizes have grown larger and larger.  To help you master what 1 cup or 3 ounces really looks like I thought I would give your some easy tips to guide you on how large your portions really are and to put an end to all of this "portion distortion."  P.S.  The portions may seem small but trust me, it really is enough so resist the urge to add more to your plate or bowl!! 

Rules of Thumb

8 fl oz - One Fist Clenched

• Cold and Hot Beverages

1 cup - Two Hands Cupped 

• Breakfast Cereal, Soup
• Green Salads (lettuce or spinach)
• Mixed dishes (chili, mac and cheese, stew)
• Chinese food 

1/2 cup - One Hand Cupped

• Pasta or rice
• Hot cereal (oatmeal)
• Fruit salad or berries
• Tomato or spaghetti sauce 
• Beans (cooked or canned)
• Mashed potatoes 
• Cottage cheese 
• Pudding
• Ice Cream

3 ounces - Palm of Hand 

• Cooked meat (hamburger patty, chicken breast, fish fillet, pork loin)
• Canned fish (tuna)

1 Tablespoon - Two Thumbs Together 

•  Peanut butter
• Salad dressing
• Sour cream
• Dips
• Cream cheese
• Margarine
• Mayo

Hopefully this makes cooking and eating a LOT easier and takes out most of the second guessing!!

E-



Ways to Stay Healthy All Winter Long

Since it's the time of year for sniffling and sneezing, I thought it might be a good time to go over ways to stay healthy all winter long.  Below are some great tips to help avoid germs and keep your immune system working; thus, decrease your chance for illness.  So let's raise our glasses to a happy and healthy holiday season!!

Tip #1 - Eat to beat illness!

That's right I said it, the foods we eat help to keep our bodies and immune system running.  Foods that help keep us at our prime include high-quality protein (fish, lean meats, and beans), brightly colored fruits and veggies and omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish, walnuts, and flax seed).  Load up your plate with these power players and keep your immune system in tip top shape!!

Tip #2 - Keep moving!

Exercise can keep you from getting sick by stimulating your immune cells  that target cold infections.  Studies show that people would did moderate activity for 30 minutes most days averaged less colds per season than a less active person.  So put down the remote and get moving and say bye bye to the cold bug. 

P.S.  The general tip for exercising when sick is to listen to your body.  If the systems are below the neck, relax and recover.  If the systems are above the neck keep moving but don't overdo it!

Tip #3 - Keep hydrated!

Drink plenty of water and keep the air at home warm and moist (room temp at about 69).  Humidity helps to kill the flu virus so if you live in Denver like me where there is zero humidity you may need to enlist in a nice humidifier. 

Tip #4 - Befriend bacteria!

The good kind, that is!  Probiotics are friendly microbes that may strengthen the immune system by crowding out the bad germs that make us sick.  Probiotic rick food (yogurt, aged cheese, or kefir, to name a few) may help shorten bouts of the common cold and reduce the severity of symptoms. 

Tip #5 - Get some rest!

Getting less than seven hours of sleep in the weeks before being exposed to a cold virus can make you 3 times more likely to develop a respiratory illness than if you got eight or more hours, according to a recent study.  That's because even minor sleep deprivation suppresses immune function.  So use this as an excuse to sleep in and get those much needed ZZZZs!

Tip #6 - Wash Up! 

Your biggest defense against germs is old-fashioned hand washing.  Soap up long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" twice through, about 20 seconds.  If you can't wash than use a hand sanitizer, especially after touching very germy surfaces, I'm thinking doorknobs, TV remotes, and money.  Also, do you best to prevent the spread of germs.  If you are sick, sneeze into your sleeve, toss tissues immediately, and if you can stay home until you feel better because let's be honest, no one likes it when a stranger coughs right in your face!!!

Hopefully some of these tips will help reduce the amount of time you spend sick or help you improve your winter time habits!

E-