Thursday, June 19, 2008

Take Care of Yourself and Live Longer


People say we do not do enough to take care of ourselves..... read below and see if this article motivates you?



Basic Motivation for a Healthy Diet
Learn to Avoid Actions with Consequences -- By Joe Downie, Certified Physical Fitness Instructor


Our bodies are very similar to our parents, teachers, bosses and coaches. They demand we make responsible choices and work hard to be successful. They expect us to wake up on time, show up when we’re suppose to and hand things in when they’re due. Our bodies are just as demanding. Our bodies expect us to eat balanced meals containing complex carbohydrates, protein, fruit and vegetables, healthy fat, and goodies every now and then. They also thrive on smaller meals throughout the day, the proper amount of calories for our body size and activity, and all the little things such as not eating at all hours of the night, not skipping meals and not loading our bodies with innutritious meals.

There are always consequences to your actions. Your mom yells at you when you don’t wake up on time. Your boss threatens to fire you if you don’t hand in the next assignment on time. Your body does the same thing through extra weight, decreased energy and low self-esteem–all results of irresponsible choices in our nutrition habits. We are successful in so many other areas of our life–career, parenting, education, relationships and hobbies, but when it comes to eating healthy we are about as successful as that 12th grader who did whatever they wanted in high school. You know, the one who realized way too late you can’t have instant gratification all your life if you want to be successful. After realizing this they hoped to turn things around the last couple months after spending their entire high school career making irresponsible choices. How many times have we tried a fad diet or insisted we were going to eat healthy for a few weeks in hopes of changing all of our bad habits over the years.


It doesn’t work that way in life and it doesn’t work that way with our bodies if we want to be successful. Why don’t we go to the casino’s more, sleep in until noon, not do laundry, stay up late at night… because there are consequences. Why do we eat 2,000 calories in one sitting, skip breakfast, eat junk food all day long and neglect the nutrients our bodies crave?Demand more of yourself when it comes to nutrition. Our parents, teachers, bosses and coaches demand more and hold us accountable. Do the same for yourself. Be tolerant and understanding of your imperfections, but don’t justify and forgive yourself every chance you get.


The most important consequences of our lives are staring us in the face – our healthy or unhealthy bodies!Be creative when it comes to nutrition. If you eat chocolate every day, set a goal to eat it only 6 times a week. Slowly work your way down to a more manageable means. Along the way, set up systems that will help you achieve your goal. For example, the day you don’t eat chocolate, you’re probably going to have cravings. When you do, find something that helps you overcome those cravings. Maybe drink a fruit smoothie to combat the sugar craving or sit down and write out all the reasons why you want to stop eating chocolate. Find a way to help you build positive habits. Make it fun! Get together with friends and family and figure out ways to help each other. We do this at work, school or for a social club, why shouldn’t we do it for our No. 1 priority – ourselves!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Exercise Tunes


Is it easier to hear music when you exercise or focus on what you are doing?



This is a hard question. Weight training would be difficult in my opinion to listen to heart rushing music because you may speed up you repititions without paying attention to your technique and get hurt. No One wants that. But Cardio, totally different story.


At Curves, music is an important part of your workout as wearing the correct shoes.

Liz with http://www.sparkpeople.com/ knows how music can be a key part of a successful workout.


Cardio Tunes!
Get Your Body Movin' -- By Liz Noelcke, Staff Writer for www.SparkPeople.com


“My uptown girl! You know I’m in love with an uptown girl!” As these lyrics pump through your headphones, it’s easy to forget that while Billy Joel sings to you, you’re actually running on the treadmill. This is the power of music during a workout. While Billy’s girl is looking for a “downtown man,” you’re busy burning calories as the minutes just fly by…

Music can be an important addition to your workout routine, something that can make a good workout great. Often, if you are concentrating on music, you can workout at a higher intensity than normal. Tunes can distract you from mild pain and muscle fatigue, allowing you to push your body harder. Just like it is important to customize your workout routine, it is also beneficial to tailor your musical choices to fit your tastes. If you are lucky enough to enjoy the music played in your gym, then it isn’t any extra effort to enjoy this source of motivation. If, however, your gym’s choices leave much to be desired, simply create your own mix and tote your headset to your workout.

If you don’t have a workout buddy, use your “mix tape” to psych yourself up and get the energy flowing. You might try listening to fast-paced music on the way to the gym just to get into a better mindset. Once you are there, that beat can help you ease into a comfortable rhythm while running, walking, or biking. For some extra variety, switch-up the pace (or even machine!) every time the song changes. Do this for 30 minutes, and you’ll have completed a great cardio workout.

There is a lot of technology that makes listening to custom music choices much easier. From portable radios to CD players, you can bring an entire music library with you to the gym. Perhaps the ultimate, however, is a personal MP3 player, which can often hold thousands of songs that you pick and legally download. All you need to do is put on the earphones and hit play.

There are countless CDs available that are specifically mixed for working out. Some are specific for different workouts, from syncopated songs for kickboxing to disco-themed melodies for step aerobics. Try one that fits both your musical and workout tastes. 80’s music might motivate you, while hip-hop is better for your workout buddy. Expect to pay anywhere from $15-25 for any given CD, available online or even at your local music store.

Perhaps the best option is creating your own custom CD or MP3 playlist. Start with a slower song, work up to several more up-tempo songs, and then include one or two tunes to cool down at the end. Coordinate your workout intensity with each song, picking up pace as the beat speeds up. Depending on the length of each song, expect to listen to around 10 different songs during a 30-minute cardio workout.

The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale will help you move through the following playlist, created by SparkPeople for approximately a 30-minute cardio workout. As the RPE moves with each song, you should adjust the intensity of your workout accordingly. Feel free to create your own mixes to make your workout tunes truly your own.


Enjoy!Click here to learn more about exercise intensity, including how to use the RPE scale.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Dieting is it a FOUR letter word to you?

Dieting is a FOUR letter word to me.... what about you? Read Nicole article below it sounds like she might have some insight to make it a little easier.

Cut Calories Without Dieting

Cut Fat and Calories Without Deprivation -- By Nicole Nichols, Health Educator & Fitness InstructorThe word "diet" doesn’t always mean eating less to lose weight—although that’s what we commonly associate it with today. Someone "on a diet" is trying to eat less, or stop eating sweets to fit into a smaller pant size. Diet has another meaning. It also describes the food that you normally consume—following a vegetarian diet, an American diet, or "My diet consists of meat and potatoes." Improving your normal diet by making gradual, but permanent changes is a healthier way to lose weight than by just restricting calories. Low calorie and fad diets can have serious health implications—insufficient vitamin and nutritional intake, lethargy, slowed metabolism, hormonal effects, and even dehydration. Dieters commonly experience intense feelings of hunger and deprivation, which can lead to "cheating" or bingeing over time. Here are a few tips to help you decrease your caloric intake without "dieting" or feeling deprived.Don’t eyeball itStudies show that people tend to underestimate how much they really eat every day. In doing so, we consume too many calories without realizing it.

Research shows that keeping a log by recording exercise and food intake is one of the best predictors of successful weight loss.
A written record can point out your eating patterns (eating in front of the TV or in the car, eating the same breakfast every day), triggers (stress, sadness, boredom, time of day), and areas where nutritional changes can be made. You may find that you are eating less fruits than you thought or drinking too much soda, for example. Then you’ll know where you can implement healthy changes.

Reading food labels is key to healthy portion sizes. At a quick glance, a bottle of juice (or bag of chips, candy bar, or frozen entrée) may appear to contain 100 calories, but a closer look will reveal that the package includes two or more servings, which doubles the caloric content.
After familiarizing yourself with portion sizes, be sure to measure. Be exact if cooking at home, but when eating out, think about common objects. Two tablespoons of peanut butter, mayo, or dressing is about the size of a golf ball. A serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand. A medium piece of fruit is similar to a baseball.

Having trouble stopping at one serving of pretzels or chips? Buy single-serving packages of your favorite foods for built-in portion control, or measure out single servings into baggies or containers.

Hold the fat It’s important to remember that not all fats are bad. Certain oils (olive, canola), and nuts are nutritious and healthy to eat. However, fat does have more than twice the calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein (9, 4, and 4, respectively). And generally, people consume too much and the wrong kinds of fats, which means excessive calories.

When cooking, limit the amount of oil you use by using a non-stick pan. You can also use spray-able oils (avoid substitutes and go for the real olive and canola oil sprays) to coat your pans with virtually zero calories. A MISTO sprayer, available in department stores, can evenly distribute 1/2 teaspoon of oil or salad dressing, compared to the 2-3 teaspoons that you would usually pour on for the same purpose—a savings of 100 calories.

Skimp on butters, dressings, and creams, using just enough for taste. Try a baked potato flavored with salsa rather than butter, and forgo the "secret sauce" on your favorite burger. Search for lite or reduced-fat versions of certain condiments, like dressings and sauces. One serving of lite mayo has less than half the calories (85) of regular mayo (200), but is almost identical taste and texture.

Blotting the fat from greasy foods like cheese pizza or burgers is also worth the effort. One could easily soak up a teaspoon of grease, 5 grams of fat, and 40 calories from two slices of pizza alone.
Add flavor to foods without excess calories and fat by using herbs, fresh or dried. An added bonus: studies show that spicy foods, flavored with red peppers or chili peppers, may boost metabolism and help you to stop eating sooner.

When cutting out high-fat and high-calorie foods, replace them with fruits and vegetables. These essentials are low in calories, but high in volume, fiber and nutrients, which can give a feeling of fullness. They make great snacks and are easy to pack. Stick to whole foods as much as possible. A potato is a better option than an order of fries, just as an apple is healthier than a slice of apple pie.

Drink water, not alcoholNot only does alcohol contain 7 calories per gram, but it also lowers self-control when it comes to food. Limit your alcohol intake and your body will thank you. Save alcohol for a post-meal indulgence, rather than drinking it before or with food. Studies show that alcohol lowers inhibitions and control when it comes to eating, causing people to eat more than those who waited to drink after finishing a meal. Drink water throughout the day, before, and during meals to help curb your appetite. Oftentimes, people think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty or dehydrated. Dehydration can slow metabolism, but the process of drinking water and warming it to body temperature involves energy and burns calories. Plus, being well hydrated gives body at least 10 minutes more energy for exercise, according to a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine. To lose a healthy one pound of fat per week, all it takes is a 500-calorie deficit per day (which can be achieved by reducing calories, exercising more, or a combination of both). For a healthy lifestyle, not a diet, that is easy to stick with, try incorporating some or all of these easy strategies to reduce calories without giving up the pleasures of eating.