7 Days to Skinnies Day 5

Day 5 Wednesday Jan 11

I quit.
I hate feeling like I can only eat what is on the list. I don't think eating that is that regimented and restrictive is that healthy. I think variety, and moderation are healthy.
I have spent the last few days researching and working on a presentation about body image and I realized just how terrible it is to encourage everyone to fit into "their skinnies" instead of encouraging everyone to be healthy, happy, and enjoy their food.

Yes the food is tasty, and I love the breakfast smoothies... but I felt like I was constantly thinking about what I could eat. So while the recipes are good, I don't want to eat only these things for an entire week.

I love the idea of simple exercise ideas that everyone can do daily - those are great. And I will continue to do something active every day.

I just don't like the idea of being on a plan and feeling restricted - If I want to have a chocolate left over from christmas I don't want to feel guilty because it's not on the "plan".

So while I am going to finish the chicken salad and bruschetta chicken I made because they are yummy but I am not going to worry about the meal plan so much.

SO here is what I ate today....

So Once again I stared the day off with a Breakfast Smoothie - I added spinach this time. I love adding spinach to smoothies because its a good way to get some greens and you can't really taste it! They are quick to make in the morning.

Lunch was a Pepperoni pizza bun :)


Because I have soccer practice on Wednesday nights I didn't go to the gym after work

When I got home from work I had bruschetta chicken with feta melted on top, carrots and cherry tomatoes.  And A little piece of cheese cake.


Now I am off to do a little strength before my 1hour soccer practice.


Health and happiness xX

Create healthy Habits

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Flat Bellies

Well It's that time again....

Everyone starts thinking about swim suit season

and looking for ways to get muscle definition, and flat tummies...

So here are some of my flat belly tips!

Back in 2010 I told you about a German Study that found that

The first 10 minutes of jogging specifically targets visceral fat

Visceral fat is the realllly dangerous type of fat that surrounds your organs...

It contributes to chubby bellies, and makes your organs run less efficiently...

So its really important to reduce this type of fat....

(it typically starts to decrease the fastest after you start exercising... but be patient.. you might not see results right away)

So Step 1

add cardio to your routine.. try to do 3-4 times a week of at least 30 minutes

Step 2

add full core exercise to your regime... instead of just targeting your abs

The Plank

1.Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest.

2.Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms.

3.Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground and don't stick your butt in the air.

-hold for as long as you can focusing on keeping your abs tight and your hips up.. start with 10-15 seconds and work up to 3 minutes

 

T- Stabilizer

Get into a push up position

(a). Shift your weight to your left hand and rotate your body, raising your right arm into the air so that your arms and torso form a T

(b). Hold for one or two seconds, then return to start. That's one rep.

-do as any as you can in 1 minute

 

Nose-to-Knee Crunch

 

Get in plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart on a stability ball

(A). Draw your right knee toward your chest

(B). Hold for 1 second, then return to plank position. That's 1 rep.

-do 2 sets of 12-15 reps

 

Oblique chair lift

Lie on your back with hands resting lightly behind your head, feet on the seat of a low chair or the edge of your couch, knees bent 90 degrees.

Keeping shoulders flat on the ground and knees together, drop knees to the right.

Then pull your bellybutton in and up and lift shoulder blades off the floor, twisting the left shoulder across your body toward your right hipbone.

 Lower to the starting position. That’s one rep;

do 15 reps, then switch sides and repeat.

-do 2 sets of 15 reps on each side.

Step 3

Watch your diet.

Reducing sodium intake will reduce bloating and water retention

Women's Health Magazine has a 1500 Calorie meal plan you can find here

Eat foods that fill you up and keep you feeling full for longer...

Fibre:oatmeal, whole grain bread and pasta, fruit and vegetables,

Protein:use whey protein in your shakes, eggs, beans and legumes, lean meat and fish

Fat: yes you read that right... fat - good fats.  mono and poly unsaturated fats will keep you feeling full

Avocados, olive oil, almonds,

4 Fitness Trends

On the Glamour Vitamin G blog I came across a list of 4 fitness trends according to searching on Yahoo

I will let you know what they are and then in the following week or so I will post more info about them!

Working out outside: Searches for treadmills and other indoor workout programs are down 26% when compared to the same time in 2009. Instead, searches for “outdoor yoga mats” have spiked, so have searches for “hiking yoga.”

Tai-Chi: If you think this form of fitness is for the older demographic, think again. According to the numbers, more people under the age of 34 are searching for Tai-Chi programs,

Boot camps: Searches for fitness boot camps are skyrocketing these days

Diet plans: The most popular searches? "Raw food diet" (up 106% this month) "paleo diet" (up 90%) and "Mediterranean diet" (up 52%).

Do any of these spike your interest? What fitness key words have you been searching lately?

Diet Pop = Heart Disease

I have written about the dangers of pop before..

Now there is new research linking Diet Pop to Heart Disease.

People who drink diet soda every day have a 61% higher risk of having vascular events than people who dont.

Key thing to take away from this study is that Diet Pop is NOT the best replacement for high sugar content beverages.

Soft drinks should be a treat, NOT something that you drink every day, or even every week - even if its diet.

The sugar, the artificial sweeteners, the chemicals, articial flavors and colors... these are all bad for you.

Have you ever wonded WHAT is in a can of coke that makes it calorie free... that means Nothing in that can can be utilized by your body as a source of energy...

here is a link to a video from The Today Show covering the study..
http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/diet-sodas-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health/17y1h0fuf?from=en-ca-infopane

Click Here to read my post about increased Pancreatic Cancer risk associated with Pop

Heart Healthy Food

Here are some things to try if you are looking for heart healthy foods to add to your diet..

Make homemade salad dressing with 1tbsp Flax seed oil for a big dose of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids

Or sprinkle ground flax seeds on your cereal or yogurt every morning

Add legumes such as peas, or beans to 4 meals a week - this can cut you chance of heart attack by 22%

Hazelnuts have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack

Induldge a bit:

Eat a few small pieces of dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) a week - high in flavonoids, dark chocolate helps arteries stay flexible and prevent plaque build up

A beer a day has been shown to reduce cholesterol, increase antioxidants in the blood , and reduce the protein fibrinogen which promotes blood clots (red wine is also a good choice - but you have to choose one of the other - not both!)

Cook with spices such as ginger and turmeric a couple times a week - they are great because of their anti-inflammatory properties

Take a B vitamin complex every morning (a combination of folic acid, B-6 and B-12) - studies have shown that levels of homocystein (linked to heart disease) are about 40% lower

Diet vs. Exercise

Women's Health recently discussing whether its diet or exercise that is the most important. They looked at 6 common situations.
Here's what they found

To Lose Weight - Diet
To Boost Energy - Exercise
Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease - Diet
Prevent Type 2 Diabetes - Exercise
To Prevent Cancer - BOTH - plant based diet and consistent exercise
Improve Mood - Exercise

To read the full article including reasons why they came to these conclusions check out the article here

To sum up - both diet and exercise are vital to living a healthy lifestyle. Avoid yo-yo dieting or yo-yo exercising and try to maintain consistency with both. Everything in moderation

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Across Canada For Your Heart

Heart disease is the number one killer  in North America. And it is almost 100% preventable.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has some health and lifestyle factors that you can control that can reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 80%
Here they are:
-Dont Smoke: smoking causes hardening of the arteries. This will lead to a heart attack. People who smoke have nearly double the risk of certain types of stroke. The good news? Within 24 hours of quitting smoking your risk of heart attack decreases.
-Lower your cholesterol: cholesterol is produced by the body and taken in through the diet. Despite all the negative press cholesterol gets, some cholesterol is needed in the body. The difference is between HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein). HDL- "good" cholesterol- helps to remove plaque from building up in the arteries. LDL- "bad" cholesterol - actually promotes the build up of plaque in the arteries - which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol can be lowered and controlled through diet and exercise
-Manage your Weight - Being overweight can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. All of these increase your risk of heart disease. Manage your weight by controlling your meal portion sizes, getting 30 minutes of exercise every day, getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and avoiding excess added sugar.
-Get Physically active! - get moving! it is recommended that you get atleast 30 minutes of exercise each day. But new information has come out saying that you can start to see health benefits from 10-20 minutes. So try getting 10minutes of exercise 2-3 times a day and then build up to a more substantial exercise program - Check out this link for some 10 minute exercise programs!
-Monitor your blood pressure - if your blood pressure is high, some ways of lowering it are: lower sodium intake, exercise, eat a low-fat diet, and talk to yoru doctor
-Manage your Diabetes - by controlling blood sugar, eating a well-balanced diet, having healthy weight and exercising.
-Limit alcohol intake - one or two drinks a day for women or something like red wine has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease. Any more than that is dangerous. And some of the previously mentioned lifestyle changes are much more effective - such as exercise, lowering your weight, eating a well-balanced diet
Reduce Stress - identify stressors in your life and how to manage them. Talk to friends and family about wha is going on in your life. Take time for your self to relaxe or practice mediation, and get active!

I know this is a lot of information but it is important information. I got it from the website of a friend who is riding her bike across Canada to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Check out her website Across Canada For Your Heart to learn about the journey and find out how to donate!