Saturday, October 18, 2008

Articles

Ok, I really found this one interesting, but I am only going to include the link because it has several links from the article that will lead you to other articles that are helpful. Enjoy!

http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/7035

Tip

I found this on realage.com:

Olive Oil for a Flat Belly


Our Most Popular Tips »
That bagel? It could go right to your gut. Literally. But a bit of olive oil each day may help keep your middle little.

That's what researchers are saying after testing two diets -- one high in carbs and the other based on healthy fats from olive oil. The "fat" diet kept bellies flatter.

Why Belly Fat Is So Bad
Besides making you sad when you zip up your pants, excessive abdominal fat increases your risk for high blood sugar and many other health problems. But in a recent study of overweight people, a Mediterranean-style diet -- where approximately 30 percent to 40 percent of the calories came from unsaturated fats, like those in olive oil -- seemed to help prevent tummy-expanding over time. Another bonus: The fat-focused diet helped people maintain better insulin sensitivity, too. Not so with the high-carb diet, which seemed to encourage body fat to relocate to people’s bellies.

Recipe

Ok, I found this recipe on allrecipes.com a few years ago and we love to make this one. It is so easy and soooo tasty it is really worth a try.

Southwest Chicken Salad I SUBMITTED BY: Sandy

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
4 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 small red onion, sliced into rings
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 ounces tortilla chips
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DIRECTIONS
In a covered jar, mix the lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, and cumin. Cover, and shake until well blended.
Place the lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with the chicken, black beans, onion, and tomato. Just before serving, toss with the dressing mixture and Parmesan cheese. Serve with tortilla chips, either crushed over the top of the salad, or on the side.

Recipe

Ok, so here is a recipe I saw on TV. I really get bored of the same thing over and over again and am constantly on the lookout for a good recipe. This was on Lidia's Kitchen on PBS.

Ingredients:

6 oz. of bacon, cut into small pieces (still raw)
3 stalks of celery cut up
1/2 small onion in small strips
1 can 28 oz. diced tomatoes (I prefer the petite diced)
1 box 16 oz. lasagna noodles
parmesan cheese
water

Instructions:

Break the lasagna noodles up into smaller bite size pieces. Boil some water and put the pieces in to cook. In a large frying pan start cooking up the pieces of bacon. When they are cooked through but still soft add the celery and onions and saute until bacon is crispy and the onions and celery are soft. Add the tomatoes and then put in roughly about 1 cup of water to the can to get the rest out and add it to the pan as well. Put the heat at medium and put the lid on and let it simmer down. When the noodles are well cooked strain out the water and put in a large bowl. Add the sauce to the bowl and mix together. You can either add the parmesan cheese here or let people add it at their own discretion. I actually like it without the cheese, but it does taste good with it as well. Enjoy!

Tip

I found this article online and thought it would be helpful and beneficial. It is amazing if you change your life just a little it can make a big difference!


10 Essential Health Tips
(The Basics to Practice Every Day)



"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

Recipe

Healthy eating is very important as well as exercising to losing weight and being healthy. Veggetables is something you should be eating in almost every meal. Every once in a while we like to eat salads for dinner. One of my favorite is Cobb Salad. This one I actually got off of Wikipedia:


Cobb salads are presented in a variety of ways. One common presentation uses a round bowl or plate, and places the ingredients in quadrants, arranged based on color and contrast.[5]


[edit] Original recipe
The original recipe contained:[6]

Lettuce (head lettuce, watercress, chicory, and romaine)
Tomatoes
Crisp bacon
Chicken breast
Hard-cooked eggs
Avocado
Roquefort cheese
Chives
Special Cobb salad vinaigrette

[edit] Salad dressing
Although there are many variations on the dressing used for a Cobb salad, this one is purported to be the one originally used at the Brown Derby.[6]

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry English mustard
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup full-flavored olive oil
3/4 cup salad oil


For the salad dressing we have actually just used red wine vinaigrette because my husband wasn't a big fan of the dressing given.

Article

Here is another article I got:



Aerobic Base Building
The first step to reaching progress in your fitness level is to create a base of aerobic fitness, known as Aerobic Base Building. Aerobic refers to the energy created using the oxygen system, and base building refers to building a base from which one can later advance from. To build an aerobic base, you must exercise in the aerobic range, gradually adding more duration to absorb the training effectively.





You should commit to an aerobic base building period for 6–12 weeks when you are just beginning an exercise program, returning after a break from training, or recovering from an injury or overtraining. The longer the lapse in exercise, the longer the base building period should be.

Aerobic base building workouts should be at a heart rate range of approximately 65%–75% maximum heart rate. Using a heart rate monitor is critical because it provides immediate, continuous, accurate feedback.

To calculate your aerobic heart rate range, you can use the age-predicted formula to estimate your maximum heart rate: 220 – age. Example: If you are 30 years old, your estimated max heart rate is 190 BPM. From there, multiply 190 x 65% and 80% to get a range of 123 to 152 BPM. For more information on heart rates, see the Target Heart Rate handout.
By using a heart rate monitor during all workouts and focusing on aerobic training, you’ll enjoy numerous benefits:
Increased fat metabolism: The body prefers fat for fuel when exercising at aerobic heart rates.
Better performance: Aerobic exercise improves VO2max (oxygen use during exercise), the chief predictor of endurance performance.
Stronger immune system: The immune system can be strengthened with exercise because it helps to increase the number of macrophages and T-cells. Research shows that by increasing these “fighter” cells in the immune system, you may have better protection against diseases like cancer.
Increased resistance to fatigue: The more effective the heart is as a pump, the better it is at providing oxygen to the body. Better oxygenation translates to improved energy.
Lowered risk of heart disease: Aerobic exercise has been found to have positive effects on all controllable risk factors of heart disease, including blood pressure and total serum cholesterol.
Decreased tension and aid in sleeping: Exercise creates and improves balance in the body. Hormones are in better balance and tension is reduced, creating a better environment for rest.
Increased general stamina: The stronger the heart is, the less work it has to do over time to produce the same cardiac output. With less work comes greater endurance.
Psychological benefits: It is well documented that 30 minutes of exercise per day improves mood and reduces symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.

Articles

Here is something my Spinning Class instructer sent to me:



Metabolic Training Newsletter
Issue 3
August 2008






Most people work out either too hard or not hard enough. Both will not yield the results you want. Get started by learning the importance of building and aerobic base and how to achieve it.



Look for more on heart rate training and news about metabolic training in our next issue.
Using a heartrate monitor is not only simple and inexpensive, it can help you stay motivated to acquire your fitness goals. Success doesn't have to be a luxury.


Heartrate Training 101

Performing aerobic exercise without using a heart rate monitor is like driving a car without a speedometer. Sometimes you feel like you're driving 60 mph only to look at the speedometer to see that you are driving at 80. Not wearing a heart rate monitor is much the same. Sometimes you feel like you're working hard but in truth, you're hardly working.
Since we all have to exercise for health we might as well use our time efficiently every single time we train. Time and health are our most precious assets. We need to spend them wisely.
Exercising efficiently does not mean exercising as hard as you can each time you work out so it's important to train smarter, not harder. If we always exercise at our most strenuous limit every day we would set ourselves up for getting injured, sick, or both.
Training smart also means cross training. By performing different types of activities like running one day and cycling another, at different intensities, we make sure the body doesn't grow accustomed to one specific training modality. Once the body gets accustomed to doing the same activity at the same intensity, it plateaus and adapts to whatever level it gets used to regardless of the intensity or lack thereof. The body needs to be tricked by shaking things up and performing different activities at different heart rates on different days.
Let's look at an ideal training schedule for some one who is fit and works out 5 days a week. Day one could be at 75% of max heart rate. Day two could be at 80%. Day three might be your anaerobic interval day. The day following your anaerobic work should either be a recovery day or a day off and day five would be steady state or aerobic intervals.
Determining one's heart rate percentages can be tricky. Most of the formulas out there are inaccurate at best and are based on age. This assumes that we lose heartbeats every year. This author feels that maximum heart rates are determined by genetics and on ones personal level of fitness. The formula I recommend, (short of performing a metabolic test) to determine your ideal zones is as follows. While wearing a heart rate monitor, you should perform an all out effort to see how high the heart rate gets. This effort should be performed on a day that you are well rested, as this effort is not only difficult, but also uncomfortable and not the least bit pleasant. While performing this all out effort, take note of the highest heart rate number you see. Let's say that number is 167. We add 5 beats and call this 92%. So in this example, 172 bpm would be your 92%. 159bpm would be your 85% 140bpm is your 75% and 65% is 122 bpm.
Based on the above example a reasonable five-day training schedule would be as follows. Day one would be running on the treadmill at 75-80% or approximately 152-159 bpm. Day two might be stationary cycling at 140-150 bpm. Day three might be our anaerobic day performed on the treadmill. Anaerobic intervals are performed by warming up until you feel ready to begin your very hard effort. When you feel ready, begin to exercise hard and get the heart rate to 172 or as close to it as possible. Stay there for one minute if possible, and recover until the body gets down to 70% for two minutes.
The cycle should be repeated over and over for your entire session and followed by a long cool down and stretch. Day four would be recovery or a day off. The following days you would perform aerobic intervals or stay at one heart rate for the entire treadmill or cycling workout.
Something to keep in mind is that your maximum heart rate number you see is neither good nor bad. It should not be judged. We are all so distinctly different in this respect. I often hear people say they can only get their heart rate up to 160. The number is merely information. It is the number of heartbeats your body uses per minute during an intense period of exercise. More importantly, it not how hard you work, it's how easily you work hard. Many trained athletes can perform very hard efforts at relatively low heart rates.
A good example would be a set of identical twins, one who is conditioned and in good physical condition, and one who never works out. Both are given the same task to complete, like walking up five flights of stairs. At the end of the task, the deconditioned twin would undoubtedly have a higher heart rate than the conditioned twin, because she requires more heartbeats to climb the stairs. She would also take longer to recover than her twin sibling. The conditioned twin would also have a lower heart rate as her body uses fewer heartbeats to do the same job. She would also recover at a faster rate.
Lastly, an important factor to consider is that we do not live by aerobic training alone. In addition to building a strong aerobic level of fitness, we must also build muscle to create a strong healthy, balanced body. Remember, it is the muscle that burns the calories and the fat even while we are at rest. It takes 70 times the number of calories to sustain a pound of muscle versus a pound of fat. Two people could be the same height and weight but the one with the higher amount of muscle will look leaner and fit. Muscle takes up less room that fat so the above-mentioned folks might even wear different suit sizes and look completely different as well.
For Those New To Working Out
If you are brand new to wearing a heart rate monitor and have just begun an exercise program the following suggestions might be helpful. For the first few weeks merely observe the monitor while you exercise. See what the different heart rate numbers feel like. Notice how you feel at the various heart rates. Notice when your body feels warmed up and ready to perform the your work out. After you are consistent for a few weeks perform the field test I described earlier to find your zones. Always check with your physician to make sure you are healthy enough to perform an exercise regime.
A Word About Perceived Exertion
So many times I hear exercisers who don't wear a heart rate monitor say, that they know where their heart rate is. (I find this questionable at best since most have never even worn a monitor) This is often called perceived exertion. The problem with perceived exertion is that it is perceived. Our perception is often incorrect and dependent on so many factors. One might perceive that they are working out very hard when in reality, they very often they are hardly working. They might feel as if they are working hard perhaps due to a difficult day in the office. Perception is subjective and often inaccurate. Using a heart monitor gives an objective and accurate read in spite of how we feel. Along the same lines, after a great day, we might feel like we're working effortlessly and we're actually working very hard. It just feels easy because of our state of mind.
Our perception is colored by the events of our lives. As I mentioned above it is subjective due to what ever is going on with us emotionally. Why leave such an integral piece of information to chance. If you're going to work out anyway, why not spend the time effectively and take out the guesswork.
"I can't lose weight"
Another thing I often hear people say is that they can't loose weight despite the fact that they exercise every day. Undoubtedly when I'm given this information, the person is not in the habit of using a heart rate monitor to work out. The truth is, most people either work out to hard or not hard enough. Either way, you won't see the results you're looking for.
The heart may be the most important muscle in our body. Unlike our biceps or other muscles that we can see, the heart in not visible. The only way to actually see what your heart is doing is with a heart rate monitor. So my question to you is, "Why leave such an important observation to chance?" Heart rate monitors are in my opinion the most important piece of fitness equipment one can buy and at prices starting as low as $29 it is an investment well worth the money.
Lastly, studies have shown that people who stay mentally engaged while exercising stick with a fitness lifestyle longer than people who are just watching the clock hoping to pass the time quickly. The heart monitor provides interactive information that helps the participant stay engaged making the time spent working out more enjoyable. Isn't that what it's all about anyway?





92% 85% 75% 65%
195 181 159 139
194 180 158 138
193 179 157 137
192 178 156 136
191 177 155 135
190 175 155 134
189 174 154 133
188 173 152 131
187 173 152 132
186 172 152 131
185 171 151 131
184 170 150 130
183 169 149 129
182 168 149 129
181 167 148 128
180 167 147 127
179 166 146 126
178 164 145 125
177 163 144 125
176 162 143 124
175 162 142 123
173 160 141 122
172 159 140 122
171 158 140 121 HEART RATE
170 157 139 120
169 156 138 120
168 156 137 119
167 155 137 118
166 154 136 117
165 152 134 116
164 151 134 116
163 150 133 115
162 149 132 114
161 149 131 114
160 148 133 113
159 147 130 112
158 146 129 112
157 145 128 111
156 144 128 111
155 143 127 110
154 142 125 109
153 141 125 108
152 140 124 107
151 139 123 107
150 139 122 106
149 138 122 105
148 137 121 105
147 136 120 104
146 135 119 103
145 134 119 103
144 133 118 102
144 133 117 101
143 132 116 100
*if any of the numbers feel too strenous lower your zones for a few weeks until you gain the aerobic capacity. Use common sense. Start at 65% if need be and work your way up. See your doctor before you begin any exercise program.

Reason for this blog

So, I am frustrated with my body and I know there are many out there that are feeling the same way I am right now. I was so skinny when I got married, but after two kids, medical problems, crazy birth control, and a bit of depression I am overweight. Some people might even label me obese. It is frustrating because inside I still feel like the skinny person, but in the mirror I can't see that girl. I go shopping for clothes to only come out having bought nothing because what I thought I should be able to fit doesn't and I am completely bummed out and just want to get out of there. But as of late I have had renewed motivation and want to get out and share it to maybe help someone else get motivated as well. This is to be my goal sheet and diary to getting my weight down. Six weeks ago I started a spinning class and my starting weight was 183. I am now down to 178 so there is progress, no matter how slow. I am also striving to eat healthy and stay away from the sugars and bad carbs (yes, I do believe in eating carbs, but only the good ones). I will share recipes on occasion that we enjoy and include articles I read that are worth putting out there. I like to find new tips and like to share it with others. So, if you are reading this I truly hope this helps you as much as it will help me!