Quick Tips to Keep from Overindulging at Thanksgiving

Okay so we all know that Thanksgiving is the day to stuff ourselves silly and then enjoy the food coma all that deliciousness brings on; however, it really is important to keep our food consumption within the normal standards so we don't ruin ourselves for the whole week. 

 

Did you know that the average American consumes over 3000 calories on Thanksgiving and for most women equates to almost 2 days worth of food!!  That's insane! 

By all means go ahead and enjoy yourself but try not to double your daily intake of food.  I know that's hard but here is a morning to evening schedule I found in Health magazine that will help you indulge in the healthiest way possible:

Morning

• Eat breakfast. Even if you don't eat first thing in the morning, be sure to snack before the big meal.
• Sneak in a workout. Stick to your normal routine and try to get at least a shortened workout in. If you normally exercise at a high intensity, there's no reason not to. But if you're not a gym-goer, start the day with a walk that gets your body in gear.
• Make a plan. You can avoid overeating with easy preparation. If you're in charge of the meal, select a few filling, low-cal dishes to mix with all the casseroles, and make a smaller serving of your favorite foods. And if you're not cooking, bring a healthy appetizer so you're not tempted to hit up the cheese tray.

Afternoon

• It's OK to snack. If you're like most families that eat their Thanksgiving meal midafternoon, don't be afraid to nosh throughout the morning.
• Start with a salad. Salads are considered diet food for a reason. They're full of vital nutrients, while not doing a lot of damage to your waistline.
• Balance your plate. Have some turkey and Aunt Judy's fresh cranberry sauce, and save room for pecan pie, but also make room for semi-healthy sides. Choose nutrient-rich vegetables, like sweet potatoes, and the white meat on the turkey, as opposed to nutrient-empty food, like gravy, white bread, or chips and dip.

Evening

• Forgive yourself. If you do overeat, it's OK.  You'd have to overeat by 3,500 calories to gain a pound. Your overall eating trends are what create your weight and health, not one day of splurging
• Get back on track. With that being said DO NOT start baking Christmas cookies the day after Thanksgiving, but instead going back to your healthy routine. Plan a post-Thanksgiving jog or hike for friends or family who are in town to get you out of the house and away from leftovers.
• Send home the leftovers. If you'll be tempted by leftover pie and drumsticks, donate the leftovers to a homeless shelter or send them home with relatives. But if you're stuck with the leftovers create a structure, and combine only one unhealthy treat at each meal with your turkey sandwich on whole-wheat.

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been a long time since my last post and I apologize.  I do not know where the year is going!  Does anyone else feel like 2010 has just flow by?! 

In honor of the upcoming holiday I decided to post a delicious and healthy butternut squash recipe.  It's really easy to make and yummy on these cold cold nights.  Apparently I'll be making this soup when I go back East to visit my family, aren't I a great daughter?!

This is a take off of a recipe I got from my client so the measurements are an estimate.  Feel free to add more or use less of certain ingredients if you choose.  You can truly make this recipe your own!! 

Happy cooking!

Ingredients needed:

1 butternut squash
1 red apple - cut into pieces
1/2 white onion - chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced (I like garlic, but if you don't feel free to add less)
2 cups of chicken broth or water (you can use more or less depending on the thickness you want)
Olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pot - about 2 T)
Nutmeg (about 1 teaspoon)
Cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2.  Cut the squash in half and place it face down in a bowl or dish filled with about an inch of water.  Cooking Tip - Place the squash in the microwave for about 1 - 2 minutes before you cut it in half.  This will  make it softer and easier to cut.

3.  Place the squash in the oven for about 35-45 minutes or until soft

4.  While the squash is cooking cut up your apple, onion and garlic and add them to a large pot.  Add the olive oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and pepper.  

5.  When the squash is ready take it out of the oven and scoop out the flesh and add it to the pot. 

6.  Add the chicken broth or water and let cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes.   

7.  When the soup is ready add the whole mixture to a blender or food processor and puree it until you get the desired texture. 

8.  Take it out of the blender or food processor and serve!
9.  You can add a dollop of yogurt if you choose.  This will help thicken the soup if it comes out too thin.

Enjoy!!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

E-

Fire Up Your Burn w Intervals

Does your exercise routine include intervals – training that alternates high-intensity bursts with slower?  It should and here’s why:

·         Intervals can cut gym time by 25% because you can burn calories and fat faster than maintaining one pace

·         Intervals keep your metabolism cranked higher and longer after your workout, helping you burn an extra 120 calories AFTER you’re done….who doesn’t want that?!

·         Intervals will work with any form of cardio and helps keep you from getting bored

Self magazine calls it the shortcut to slim and I completely agree, it helps me get more bang for my buck when I’m working out.  Below are a couple of examples of how to incorporate intervals into your daily workout. 

RPE = Rate of perceived exertion: on a scale of 1 – 10 where 1 is sitting on the couch (sad, I know) and 10 is carrying the couch!

Interval Exercise #1 – for beginners –

Warm Up – 5 minutes of cardio at a moderate pace (RPE – 5 or 6)

Intervals – Alternate between 1 minute at a harder pace (7 or 8) with 1 minute of an easier pace (4 or 5).  Repeat the whole cycle 6 – 8 times

Cool Down – 5 minutes at an easy pace (4 or 5)

Interval Exercise #2 – pump it up a little –

 Warm Up – 5 minutes of cardio at a moderate pace (RPE – 5 or 6)

Intervals – Start at 30 seconds for as hard as you can maintain (9-10) with 1-2 minutes of rest.  Repeat the whole cycle 6 – 8 times

Cool Down – 5 minutes at an easy pace (4 or 5)

Remember, do what you can and if you ever don’t feel well stop and rest and always always stay hydrated!!

How to stay healthy in a job that may be hurting you!

Most of us have jobs that force us to stay in unnatural positions for long periods of time.  Whether you sit all day, stand all day, or squint at a computer screen you know that our jobs can be quite damaging to our bodies.  While I can't convince your bosses to let you work less or take more vacation time I can give you a couple of pointers to help reduce the everyday pains caused by your job! (and no, I can't make the annoying coworker vanish!)

DO YOU SIT ALL DAY LONG? 

It's official: Sitting too much is bad for you!! Not only does it place pressure on the low back and tailbone, causing pain and even sciatic nerve trouble for some women, but two recent studies also found that the more time people spend on their butts each day, the more likely they are to die of cancer or heart disease.  Sitting at a computer all day also tends to cause people to hunch their shoulders causing poor posture and a tense upper back.


How to stay healthy: The way to ward off both back strain and the scarier, more serious health effects of sitting is fairly simple.  For five minutes every hour, get up and do something - take a bathroom break or go outside for a lap or two around the block.  If low-back pain is an issue for you, add in some stretches too, at least once every couple of hours.  One easy one is to prop the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other, bend over and hold.  To stretch the shoulders place your hands on a door frame and lean forward.  Plus, the more active you can be during your off hours, the better it will be for your health.

DO YOU TAKE CARE OF KIDS?
Congratulations on the calories you're burning! With all the carrying and stroller-pushing, moms and dads of young kids often have strong legs and practically ripped arms. But many of them also end up with soreness and tightness of the low back and shoulders.

How to stay healthy:
Make sure you lift with the legs when you pick up your child, like how you'd lift anything else that's heavy, especially if he's all the way down on the ground.  And if you're tall, get stroller-handle extenders.

DO YOU TYPE CONSTANTLY?
Spending 20 or more hours a week in front of a computer can put someone at risk of wrist injuries.

How to stay healthy: "When you're typing, keep your wrists in a neutral position," says John Lloyd, Ph.D., a certified ergonomist in South Florida — never rest them on your desk or hold them up too high. "Ideally, your forearms should be supported on armrests." Taking frequent breaks from your keyboard, at least a few minutes each hour, will help too.

DO YOU STAND FOR HOURS ON END? (LIKE ME!)

On the positive side, your job is more active than someone who's stuck at a desk, so you've got some built-in protection against heart disease and obesity. That said, anyone who's ever walked around an amusement park or museum for a day knows that after several hours on your feet, your legs just hurt.

How to stay healthy: It seems counterintuitive, but after a long day of putting pressure on your legs and feet, the smartest thing to do is move them.  Fifteen minutes of brisk walking a day will soothe leg fatigue and reduce swelling.  Who knew?!

ARE YOU SUPER-STRESSED?

Most of us have some degree of stress in our lives and at our jobs, and that's fine — even exhilarating. Where things get ugly is if the pressure becomes chronic and your body and brain are constantly awash in stress hormones like norepinephrine and cortisol. That can lead to extra belly fat, and increased blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

How to stay healthy: Is there a magic "pill" for stress? Some experts say yes, and that it's exercise — physical activity can stop the production of cortisol and get rid of tension held in your muscles. Though any kind of physical activity will work, intense cardio like jogging or stair climbing may work best. One study from the University of Missouri in Columbia found that women who ran for 30 minutes felt less stress and anxiety than those who did something a little easier.  Research also shows that listening to music can help our mental and physical state.  It can help lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate by distracting the brains from stress.

Hopefully some of these pointers will help make your work day just a little less painful!

E-

Exercise of the Week - Iron Jumping Jacks

I found this exercise when Fitness magazine did an article on how "Sex and the City" actress Kristin Davis stays in shape and I love it!  Plus, who doesn't want to look like her!  It's easy to do, targets multiple areas of the body, and is a great take off on your everyday jumping jacks.  You only need about 3 or 5 lb weights in each hand.  Motherly advice...be careful with this exercise if you have bad knees!

1. Start with your feet together, a weight in each hand, and elbows bent so the weights are at shoulder level, and the palms are facing each other.

2. Jump fee out to the sides, landing with wide feet, as you press the dumbbells overhead to form a V shape with your arms. (at right)

3. Lower weight to shoulders as you jump your feet together

I would do about 15 reps of this.  It will get your heart going and your muscles burning!  Rest for 30 seconds and do another round of 15. 

Enjoy!!

Recipe of the Week - Better Blueberry Muffins

If you hadn't already known, muffins can be a huge calories suck.  They are generally way too big so they can tip the scales as over 500 calories and have ton of sugar and fat in them.  No one wants that!!  The recipe below is delicious and it won't give you a muffin top, which is even better!  I've made this recipe and people LOVE it and they don't have to know that one muffin has less than 200 calories!

Makes 12

Prep Time - 20 Minutes

Total Time - 50 Minutes

For the Muffins:

1 1/2 cup whole - wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (NOT instant)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons lowfat buttermilk

1 large egg
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried

For the Topping (I didn't add this and it was still yummy!):

1/4 cup blueberry all-fruit spread
24  fresh  blueberries, washed and dried

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, oats, baking power, backing soda and salt in a large bowl
2. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla
3. Toss blueberries with flour mixture
4. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir gently
5. Line a 12 count muffin pan or a loaf pan with nonstick spray or lines, divide batter evenly, sprinkle with remaining sugar
6. Bake 12-15 minutes or until tops are just set
7. Remove pan from oven and top each muffin with 1 teaspoon fruit spread and 2 blueberries
8. Bake 3-5 more minutes or until golden
9. Let cool, serve and enjoy!!

Nutrition Info for 1 muffin
173 calories
4 g fat (less then 1 g saturated fat)
31 g carbs
4 g protein
3 g fiber

*found recipe in July Shape magazine

At Home Exercises

I saw this article and thought it was perfect for people who may not be able to have a trainer or get into the gym, although everyone should have a trainer (you like that shameless plug?!).  Remember, there is always time to do a little activity and something is better than nothing!  

Workout routines for toning # 1: HOVER SQUAT

 Hover above a chair seat as if you were going to sit down, without letting your butt or thighs touch the seat. Hold for 30 seconds, building up to 1 minute. Do these body toning exercises whenever you get a moment, aiming for once an hour.

Workout routines for toning # 2: KITCHEN DIP

 Every time you're in the kitchen, perform triceps dips using a kitchen chair: Stand in front of a chair as if you were going to sit down, then bend knees and lower hips, placing hands on the seat edge, fingers pointing forward, arms straight. Walk feet forward, and with feet flat and torso erect, bend and straighten arms, keeping butt close to chair seat without touching it. Do 8-15 reps.

Workout routines for toning # 3: SHOPPING SQUEEZE

As you push your shopping cart, or whenever you're walking, contract your butt muscles as tightly as you can and keep them contracted as you walk. (No one has to know!)

Workout routines for toning # 4: COMMERCIAL CRUNCH

 Anytime a commercial comes on while you're watching television, do an ab exercise of your choice until the show you're watching returns; pick a new ab move for each ad.

Workout routines for toning # 5: TELEPHONE WALK

 Whenever you're on a cellular or cordless phone at home, walk around for the duration of the conversation. (Wear a pedometer and see the steps add up.)

Workout routines for toning # 6: BALANCING ACT

 When you brush your teeth, or while standing at the kitchen sink, lift one leg slightly and bend and straighten your standing leg to perform one-legged squats. Tighten your buttocks and keep your abs contracted as you squat. After 10-15 reps of these body toning exercises, switch legs and repeat.

-article found on www.shape.com/fitness