So you’ve resolved to eat right this year and get regular exercise, right? Slimming down and getting healthier are common New Year’s resolutions, but following through on the commitment is an uncommon accomplishment.

There are many pieces in the weight management puzzle. Emotions, appetite, will-power, self-image, and confidence all play a part. The road towards healthier eating usually starts with some simple lifestyle changes. Make healthy eating and regular exercise part of your everyday life. Sound easy? It’s not. You have to work at it.

In terms of exercise, the most important thing is to choose activities that are fun and that you can do on a regular basis. Instead of watching TV after dinner, go out for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. Recruit a friend or family member to keep you company.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Snow Fun!

PT Tips that can help lead to a healthier new year:

• Eat three meals a day that are low in saturated fat. Meals should include a variety of fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, grains, cereals and low-fat  dairy products.
• It’s okay to snack if you snack smart. Include fruits and veggies with fun dipping sauces. Fruits and veggies are low in fat, packed with nutrients. Smart Snacks
• Choose a variety of foods to get enough carbs, protein and other nutrients.  
• Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build. If you’re training, take into account the extra calories you’re burning.

Here’s to a healthy, happy 09!

Filed under: 101-Basics, Exercise, Health, Nutrition by jane
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December 4, 2008 - If you live in Vermont, chances are you’re healthier than most, particularly those living in the South. For the second year in a row Vermont has been ranked number one as the healthiest state according to America’s Health Rankings.

Vermont’s strengths include ranking in the top five states for a high rate of high school graduation, a low violent crime rate, a low percentage of children in poverty, high per capita public health funding, ready access to primary care, low geographic disparity of mortality rates within the state and a low premature death rate. In addition, Vermont had a smoking rate that was 17.6% less than the national average of 20%.

Vermont was followed by Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Idaho and Maine.

At the bottom of the list at # 50 was Louisiana. It ranks in the bottom five states based on a high prevalence of obesity, a high percentage of children in poverty, a high rate of uninsured population, a high incidence of infectious disease, a low rate of high school graduation and many preventable hospitalizations.

The report also states that after a decade of robust gains, America’s health has leveled off and may be poised to take a plunge. Not great news - but as individuals you can do a lot to maintain your own health so start by eating healthy, exercising, and not smoking.

Where do you live? Check your state’s health ranking as well as others.  The entire report is available online.

Filed under: Charity/Cause, Health, Nutrition by jane
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November 24, 2008 - With the big turkey meal on tap this week (which can average more than 2,000 calories girls so watch out) we got to thinking about the first Thanksgiving dinner. Ever wonder what the pilgrims and their Native American guests ate at the first feast?

In 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is now known as the first Thanksgiving. The truth about the first meal may surprise you. Contrary to popular belief, they didn’t sit down to a meal featuring turkey,corn, cranberries, and pumpkin pie (in fact, they didn’t even eat with forks!).

What Was Actually on the Menu?

Historians aren’t completely certain about the full bounty, but it’s safe to say the pilgrims weren’t gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists  at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl.

Foods That May Have Been on the Menu:

Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster

Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles

Meat: Venison, Seal

Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn

Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots

Fruit: Plums, Grapes

Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns

Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

What Was Not on the Menu

Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving  meal, didn’t appear on the pilgrims’s first feast table:

Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.

Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common.

Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year.

Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time.

Pumpkin Pie: Wasn’t a recipe that exists at this point, though the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.

Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it’s unknown how many they had left or whether the hens were still laying.

Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it’s possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.

Talkin’ Turkey

Today, the holidays are a time to reflect on the bounty of nature and, more importantly, pig out with family and friends. How do you enjoy the great spread, especially the desserts, without giving up your game? [+]

Filed under: General, Health, Nutrition by maddy
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The holidays are a time to reflect on the bounty of nature and, more importantly, pig out with family and friends. For many athletes, the holidays are also a time to compete in a special tournament or competition. Whether soccer, basketball, running or some other sport, you want to enjoy the great spread, especially the desserts, without giving up your game. What’s a player to do?

If you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, don’t feel like you need to be deprived of your holiday favorites. Fitting all the yummies into a healthy eating plan is easy. Try to eat smaller portions, replace high calorie foods for lowfat options or slightly alter your recipes. For example, replace two egg whites for one egg or used dried fruits intead of nuts, or try evaporated  skim milk in place of cream or whipping cream. You can also snack on foods that are high in soluble fiber such as fruits, veggies, and legumes - they actually slow down food digestion and make you feel full longer.

Roast turkey, a holiday staple, gets high marks from most dietitians for overall nutrition. It’s low in fat and high in protein. It’s also a good source of iron,  zinc, selenium, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins. A 3-ounce serving of boneless, skinless turkey breast contains 26 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and 0 grams of saturated fat. To keep it healthy, you may want to forgo the skin and choose white over dark meat. If you’ve got a holiday sports event you’ll be burning plenty of calories so for this one day, it’s probably okay to “have it your way.”

Side dishes can be traditional or creative but chances are there will be some potatoes on the table. You can add butter and sour cream, or you can make them lower in fat by using broth as a liquid or 2% milk instead of cream. Another way to add a lot of flavor without adding extra calories is to mash them with a few cloves of roasted garlic, which adds a mellow flavor. However you eat ‘em, they’re a great source of vitamin B6.

Stuffing can also get a holiday makeover and added nutrition by using whole-wheat  bread and adding ingredients such as:

• Chopped vegetables (onion, celery, mushrooms, and eggplant)
• Nuts (toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
• Fruits (fresh or dried cranberries, apples, apricots, or pears)
• Wild rice

Cranberry Sauce, always a staple, is rich in antioxidants which help protect your body from free radical damage. Cranberries also contain salicyclic acid, the same anti-inflammatory found in aspirin. Less inflammation means faster recovery so eat up!

Freshly picked pumpkins from the pumpkin patch are ideal for decoration, but the canned version wins for ease of preparation as well as for its nutrient score. In terms of both dietary fiber and beta-carotene, canned pumpkin’s nutritional profile far surpasses that of fresh. If you’re concerned about carbs and calories, consider:

• Pumpkin mousse or soufflé as an alternative to pumpkin pie.
• One-crust or no-crust pies rather than two-crust pies.
• Nonfat or reduced-fat whipped topping rather than full-fat whipped cream.  

Most experts say you shouldn’t view a holiday dinner as a meal of extreme excess or extreme restriction. To support the rigors of training, you need to eat well, but don’t forget a dose of good, sound common sense. The best game plan is to eat small portions of a variety of protein, fat, and carbohydrates throughout the day. And most important, take time to enjoy your friends, teammates and family.

Cheers, and happy, healthy holidays to all.

Filed under: General, Nutrition, Training by jane
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September 2, 2008 - At the Olympics in Beijing last month, Nastia Liukin followed in the footsteps of Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson, the two other American gynmasts who have won Olympic gold in the all-around competition. Now she follows them onto the Wheaties cereal box.

Wheaties, known as the “Breakfast of Champions,” will give Liukin her own special edition Wheaties boxes, General Mills Inc. announced Thursday.

Liukin, who is from Parker, Texas, won five medals in the Beijing Olympics, including helping the U.S. win silver in the team competition.

The special-edition boxes will be sold starting in September.

Not every Olympian is jumping on the Wheaties bandwagon however. Swimmer Michael Phelps, who stole the spotlight after winning a record number of Olympic medals, signed with Kellog’s, who will print pictures of Phelps on boxes of its Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes cereals.

Filed under: Entertainment, Gymnastics, Nutrition by jane
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July 2, 2008 - With July 4th right around the corner, we can almost smell the bbq (maybe that’s because one of our neighbors is literally grilling a burger right now). This is the perfect month to get the summer party started so whether you’re going for a casual, fancy or diet-friendly vibe at your get-together, we’ve got some suggestions.

PT Alert! The average person attending a summer BBQ consumes at least one soda, a hot dog, a burger, chips, coleslaw, potato salad, and dessert. That can easily exceed 1,500 calories. So beware.

With some planning you can still enjoy all the festivities (and the food) without regretting it later. So, without further ado, here’s your need-to-know BBQ info:

Stock up on essentials:

(more…)

Filed under: Entertainment, General, Nutrition by jane
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June 9, 2008 - From Trend Central comes hot new beverages to keep you feeling cool and lean this summer. 

 Zrii: Harnessing the healing and medicinal properties of Amalaki fruit and other potent ayurvedic herbs, this new nutritional drink is said to aid digestion and detoxification, while rejuvenating the body, when consumed on a daily basis. The edible fruit from the Amalaki tree, also known as the Indian gooseberry, has been highly valued by Tibetan healers and Indian herbalists for centuries, due to its disease-fighting, vitality-enhancing and anti-aging properties. In its purest form, Amalaki has a sour/bitter and astringent taste, but Zrii (perhaps because it includes other ingredients such as Ginger, Jujube, Haritaki, and Turmeric) has a pleasantly tart, berry flavor. 

AquaSlim: Made with calcium-enriched spring water and appetite-curbing “plant extracts”, this new dietary supplement from Metabolife claims to aid in weight loss and fitness maintenance goals when consumed before meals, three times a day. According to the website, the active ingredient, Super CitriMax®, works to “suppress appetite without the use of stimulants,” while the calcium-infused spring water hydrates and strengthen bones.

redespresso: Boasting five times the antioxidants of green tea, no caffeine, and an intense flavor, South Africa’s redespresso is getting major buzz among tea drinkers in the States. Made from Rooibos (a red tea produced in South Africa), redespresso is specifically created for espresso machines, producing a deep red shot with a creamy yellow-ish top, and an intense nutty, yet fruity, flavor. Not limited to espresso, traditional coffee drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos can also be created, as the addition of milk lends itself quite well to the intense flavor. Supporting the growing fascination with tea culture, this coffee alternative is sure to find a niche audience, particularly among the health conscious in the States.

Filed under: Nutrition by admin
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LSD : Health nuts might be skeptical, but authorities agree that LSD does in fact do your body good. Short for Long Slow Distance, LSD is an hour-or-longer exercise session maintained at a conversational pace. Partakers can expect to build cardiovascular endurance and come away with a nice high. Keep your eye out for LSD at a gym near you.

Filed under: General, Health, Nutrition by jane
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April 24, 2008 - Do you snack on cookies? Drink juice pouches? Eat energy bars? Did you know that every year BILLIONS of drink pouches and food wrappers end up in dumpsters and landfills across America?

Well,  TerraCycle has teamed up with Clif Bar,  Oreos, Capri Sun and others to reduce the amount of  packaging going into our landfills. They will donate two cents to charity for every used wrapper collected by individuals and organizations. The collected waste will be fused and woven into a strong material, which will then be used to make backpacks, gym totes and other products.

Anyone can help (that means YOU)- visit www.terracycle.net/brigades to get started! Cool, huh?

Filed under: Charity/Cause, Nutrition by jane
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So you’ve resolved to eat right this year and get regular exercise. Slimming down and getting healthier are common New Year’s resolutions, but following through on the commitment is an uncommon accomplishment.

There are many pieces in the weight management puzzle. Emotions, appetite, will-power, self-image, and confidence all play a part. The road towards healthier eating usually starts with some simple lifestyle changes. Make healthy eating and regular exercise part of your everyday life.

(more…)

Filed under: Exercise, Health, Nutrition by admin
No Comments »