Monday, May 30, 2011

Friday, May 27, 2011

20 minute fat burning work out

From Women's Health Magazine here is a couple of moves from their
20 Minute Fat Burning Workout

the key to short but effective workouts is intensity.  You need to be working at 80-100% for the entire 20 minutes in order to see results.
So these moves are tough.

Leapfrog
Stand facing a 12- to 18-inch step. With your feet hip-width apart, bend slightly at your knees and jump up onto the step (A). Land quietly, letting your heels hit first and bending your knees as you land (B). Push off with your heels and jump back down, landing softly, heel to toe (C). Continue for 1 minute.

Bosu Burpie Pushup
Place a Bosu on the floor, dome side down, and stand facing it. With your feet hip-width apart, squat, lean forward, and grab the sides of the Bosu (A). Jump your feet back into plank position and straighten your arms. Brace your abs and do a pushup (B). Jump back into a squat, then stand. That’s one rep.  (do 12-15 reps)
Power Knee Tap N Touch
Stand alongside a 12-inch-high bench. Step up with your left foot; then, swinging your left arm to help propel your body, jump up and bring your right thigh to hip height (A). Land so both feet are on the bench, knees slightly bent. Immediately step your right foot down to the floor, and with your left foot, take a giant step behind you and sink into a lunge. Place your left hand next to your right foot (B). Do the sequence for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. That’s one set.
On-Guard Lunges
Grab a pair of 5- to 10-pound dumbbells; lunge forward with your left foot. Place your right hand on your hip and raise your left arm in front of you at shoulder height, pointing the weight like a sword (A). Step back to center. Lunge out to the left, place your right hand on your hip, and raise your left arm out to the side at shoulder height (B). That’s one rep. Do 8 to 10 reps and then do the moves on the opposite side. That’s one set. 


To see the rest of the work out (3 more exercises) Click HERE
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/fat-burning-workout-0 


Thursday, May 26, 2011

5 foods to limit or avoid

1. Soda... Pop... Soft Drinks... what ever you call them they aren't good for you.  Women who drink 2 or more cans a day have 86% greater chance of kidney failure.  Drinking 2 or more a week increases you chance of pancreatic cancer by 87%

2. Sugar..... excess sugar can accelerate aging, causes high cholesterol, can lead to type 2 diabetes.  Restrict your intake to a maximum of 3tbsp or 18g a day.

3.Oil...... avoid oils high in saturated fast - like palm oil, they increase LDL or bad cholesterol. Using good oils, high in unsaturated fats -like olive oil - these can actually lower LDL

4.Cereal.... most of them have as much sugar as glazed donuts.  Check the ingredients and if the first thing listed is Sugar... throw it away.

5.White rice....  plain.old.empty.calories.  Replace white rice with brown rice or quinoa.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Green Thumb



Why should you grow herbs at home?

Adding fresh grown herbs to your meals can add tons of flavour
they are packed with antioxidants and other good for you nutrients.

And using fresh herbs and spices can be a good substitute for salt when flavouring your food

Most herbs are sun-loving, drought-friendly...so they are easy to grow!
Pick a couple of your favourites and start your own window sill flavour factory today!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

banana berry protein muffin

Berry Banana Protein Muffin

1 small container of liquid egg whites
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 scoop of non-flavored protein powder
2.5 cups uncooked oatmeal
2 fresh bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
dash of cinnamon

Instructions:
preheat over to 350F
In a blender mix in everything
Spray muffin tins with pam or use liners
Pour in mixture and top each muffin with berries of choice
Bake for about 30 minutes

Freeze well - but allow to cool first.

Now you have a healthy, protein packed, low fat muffin!

200 calories and 15-20g of protein per average size muffin

Monday, May 23, 2011

Fit for Life Challenge

I just signed up for the

Fit For Life Summer Challenge

from Women's Health and Men's Health mag.

When you sign up you have access to tons of nutritional information
Workout information
And a support community.

You can upload your before and after pictures, and track your weight.
You could even be featured in the magazine!

I am looking forward to trying  some of the workouts and getting all kinds of inspiration for my summer workouts!

If you want to sign up too

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Healthy Food? Dinner Edition

Veggie Burger
Subsituting vegetables for beef isnt necessarily a bad idea.
But veggie burgers are often bound together with cheese, and packed with sodium for flavor.
They also tend to be huge throwing your portion size out of wack
Add a white bun, sugary ketchup, and some mayo and you just might be getting more than 1000 calories

Juice
While 100% juice is an easy way to one of your daily servings of fruit
a 16oz glass or apple or orange juice contains about 55g of carbohydrates... mostly sugar.
(about 12 spoonfuls!!!)
And juice lacks the fibre that is in fruit that fills you up.
Try to stick to one 8oz glass of 100% juice a day or less (thats one fruit serving)

Frozen Diet Dinners
When you take out high calorie fat and sugars... you also take out flavor
To make these dinners taste good they replace this lost flavour with sodium
Which means major water renetion for you
Skip the prepackaged dinners and instead, freeze home made meals into single-portion size dinners.
Use glass containers to avoid any harmful chemicals that can leach out of plastic when it gets heated.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Healthy Foods? Breakfast Edition

Bran Muffin
Bran muffins... well the fibre is good.
But there is so much butter and sugar in these breakfast staples
that they can rack up
420 calories, 20g of fat, and 34g of sugar.
Yikes!

Cream
You put such a small amount in your coffee that it seems harmless right?
But if you add a few spoons to a cup, a couple times a day... the calories start to add up
You could be consuming an extra 200 calories without even thinking about it
Oh and cream has as much fat as a pat of butter


Friday, May 13, 2011

Tip of the day



Bounce back the next day after you eat junk food.

- Celebrity nutritionist Lisa DeFazio


Don't beat yourself up about a bad day.
Making yourself feel bad wont help anything.

So instead, grab your shoes and go for a walk, walk up and down your stairs a bunch of times, hit the gym, or head out for a bike ride
and get back into the swing of things!





Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Healthy Food? Part 2

Dried Fruit
It can have 5-8 times as many calories as the fresh kind.
The sugar becomes concentrated and many brands add extra sugar.
One cup of grapes = 60 calories
One cup of raisins = 460 calories.
And all the sugar and the sticky consistency makes dried fruit a major cause for cavities.

Granola
Sure its full of healthy oats and nuts
But Do you know why its so crunchy?
Because its cooked with oil. 
And there is a ton of added sugar.
One bowl can be 500 calories.
If you like granola, portion control is really important, try just sprinkling it on top of yogurt.
And make sure you read the label and choose the healthiest brand.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Healthy Food?

Over the next few days I will be posting about some foods that might appear healthy but aren't

1. Sushi

 The veggies and seaweed wrap are low-cal

but a lot of the most popular rolls are slathered with cream cheese or mayo
(e.g., in that spicy sauce that comes on many options),

and the seafood inside may be tempura-battered and deep fried

Not to mention the white rice, and often they are filled with imitation crab - not even real fish so you can say good-bye to any potential essential oils benefits

a standard roll can clock in at 500 to 600 calories.

Then you add the tempura battered seafood and veggies side
And dunk everything in a huge dose of Soy Sauce - hellllo sodium


Try to make sushi healthier by skipping the sauce and anything tempura battered,
Asking for brown rice instead of white,
And instead of soy sauce, up the flavour with wasabi or pickled ginger


[from cosmopolitan.com]

Friday, May 6, 2011

Tip of the day



Salad first.
For one week, try eating a big salad before your regular meal. The fiber will help to cleanse your system and fill you up faster so that you eat less calorie rich foods.

- Cory Brusseau, co-founder of Dynamics of Motion

Skip the rich dressing and dried fruit though
Go for a light home made oil and balsamic vinegrette
and add fresh fruit instead.



Thursday, May 5, 2011

Guacamole

Thinking of picking up some guacamole at the supermarket tonight to celebrate Cinco De Mayo?

Check the label first.

Most store bought brands don't even contain avocados

Shocked? Yeah so was I.

Why not make your own.
Here's a recipe I use.
Its sooo tasty and super quick and easy.
(pictured above)
Ingredients


3 large avocados
2 tbsp minced scallions or onion
1 small chopped tomato
juice of 1/2 to 1 lime (use half, taste it, and add more if you like more acidity)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (one very small clove)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Peel and pit the avocados. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and mash it with a fork in a bowl. Stir in the chopped tomato, minced scallions/onion, garlic, lime juice, and salt.
Makes about 2 cups, for 2-4 servings
 
the recipe is from Eggs on Sunday

Happpy Cinco De Mayo

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Strong Arms


Here's a quick circuit for your arms and shoulders from
Womenshealthmag.com
do 3 sets of 15 of each one
Reverse Fly
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent. Bend forward at the hips and let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, palms facing. Raise both arms out to the sides as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to start. That's one rep.

Biceps Curl
Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing forward, and keep your back straight and chest up. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the weights toward your shoulders. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position, straightening your arms completely. That's one rep.
Dumbbell Cross Jab
Stand with your feet a bit wider than hip width and knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells at chest height with elbows bent and palms facing each other. Extend your left arm across your body until the weight is in line with your right shoulder. As you return to start, repeat with the right arm. That's one rep
Lying Triceps Extension
Lie face-up on a bench and hold a pair of dumbbells above your head, arms straight and palms facing each other. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells until they are at either side of your head. Pause, then lift the weights back to the starting position. That's one rep


I've done this a couple times this week
Its challenging and reallly works my shoulders which is good since they are so weak!!
Let me know if you try it!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Havent Been to the Gym Lately?

We all fall of the exercise wagon from time to time.
Work gets to busy, you catch a cold, have family visiting from out of town.

But the chronic affects of not exercising can show up within
2 weeks

So, if its been a few weeks since you last hit the pavement or the gym
Its time to grab your runners!!

Go for a brisk walk, take a yoga class, head to the gym.

Taking an extended break can be bad for your health.
Within 14 days people see an increase in belly fat and elevated cholesterol


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