Do you drink Vitamin Water?
Twenty Ten January 1, 2010
Nothing Like a New Year's Day Sunrise
Good Morning. Can you believe it is is 2010? As I get older time goes by faster…Funny how that works!
Are you bring in 2010 with a New Year’s Resolutions? I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. Seems to set me up for failure every time. Instead I like to make small healthy choices throughout the year. Sometimes we set our expectations so high we don’t meet them and then we think we have failed ourselves when all we need to do is make realistic goals for ourselves.
Here are a few goals you can make throughout the year to better yourself for the long run. Some ideas seem really simple and silly and others are a bit more challenging, but either way they will make you healthier for life.
– Try to have at least two cups (or more) of fruit a day. Did you know that one cup equals one small apple and most people don’t get the required two cups of fruit a day. Don’t know what equal a cup? Click here.
– If you don’t typically excercise try walking 2-3 days a week for 15-30 mins. You’d be amazed what a walk can do for
you, mentally and physically.
– Already in shape and ready to continue on into the new year? Try to make some new goals. Add a new excercise into your routine to spice things up a bit or register to run or walk in a race whether it be a 5k, 10k or even a half or full marathon.
– Do you find yourself eating out a lot during the week for lunch? To save money and calories try bring your lunch to work. What is most effective is if you bring everything to work on Monday and then you don’t have to worry about it the rest of the week.
– Eating a lot of processed foods these days? Want to improve your diet but don’t know where to start? One way is to take one or two processed items out of your house. Take a stand and toss it in the garbage can and vow that you will not buy those items again (maybe buying them occasion depending on what the item is) and replace those items with fresh vegetables or fruit or better yet both!
– Trying to kick the soda habit? For starters switch to Hansen’s soda, then buy soda every other week and then slowly 
adjust and then buy it once a month and then once every other month. Soda should be a treat that you have once in a great while. Not something that you have everyday. Soda is really just empty calories and robs your body of calcium.
– Do you get that afternoon sweet tooth? Try munching on vegetable slices, almonds or apples and peanut butter.
– How much water do you drink per day? Not enough? Drink more water in twenty ten! Did you know that m
en should consumer about 3.7 liters of water a day and women should consumer 2.7 liters of water a day, and this is just for the body to function! There is no real trick in drinking more water…You just have to do it. It is a conscience effort. If the taste of water isn’t your thing try adding fruit to your water for a little flavor or even cucumbers. Perhaps buy a special mug or glass that you have on your desk daily to remind you to drink water.
These are just a few small ideas to help you jump-start the new year. New Year’s resolutions can be difficult and are often hard to follow through with. We all want to start the new year out fresh and want to make a commitment to change something for the better. I say start with something small and improve it though out the year. Have a happy and healthy New Year!
Staying Healthy on a Budget March 12, 2009
Today everyone’s budgets are tight! Just because your budget it tight doesn’t mean you can’t eat healthy. Fruits and vegetables are typically more expensive than a box of mac and cheese, but it is important to still maintain your health in these tough times.
Here are a few tips in eating healthy on a tight budget:
– Cut coupons from your Sunday newspaper
– Buy fruits and vegetables at your local farmer’s market. They are cheaper and the money goes directly to the seller vs. the middleman when you buy it at the grocery store. Also majority of farmer’s market products are organic.
– Next time you are out do some price checking. Buying in bulk doesn’t necessarily mean it is cheaper. I have compared prices with Costco and Target and I find that Target is generally cheaper (especially when I use the coupons I cut from the Sunday newspaper).
– Bring your lunch to work/school. It is healthier, you know where you food came from and can save you up to $25 a week!
– If you go out to eat, order water instead of soda. Water will help you metabolize food faster and carry nutrients to your cells.
– Send an email to Amy’s Kitchen (http://www.amyskitchen.com/lemonslice/dear_amy/send_letter.php )stating you would like some coupons. You will get an email requesting your address to where they can send the coupons. (I just got mine yesterday!!)
– Carry a snack with you if you are on the road a lot (bora bora bars, lara bars, nuts, peanut butter and jelly, raisins all travel well)—this works well too if you have kids.
– Always carry a bottle of water with you. Better to stay hydrated throughout the day and it will help you to stay full and not over eat.
– Look at your local grocery paper weekly for what is on sale. Try to buy products that are on sale as often as you can. This can save you a lot in the long run.
Healthier foods (whole wheat bread, fruits, vegetables) may be more expensive, but they will keep you fuller longer. Eating healthy and saving money might require a bit of foot work, but it is worth it and your wallet will thank you!
Lastly, a friend recommend this site to me and I thought I would pass it along. The site is called Tip Jar: http://moderator.appspot.com/#16/e=3cfc
Easy Energy Article February 27, 2009
I found this article and really liked it and wanted to share (espeically to those who run long distance):
Here are a few key points that I thought were important:
– re-fueled with orange slices, LifeSavers, and Fig Newtons (I recommend whole wheat fig newtons)
-recommends snacks that are as close to whole foods as possible
– avoid ingredients such as partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial dyes
– “Sucking on hard candy during a long run or marathon can be a nice alternative to energy gels”
– suggests adding one half cup of orange juice (which contains the electrolyte potassium) and a pinch of salt (sodium) to four cups of water
Nutrition… Before You Exercise February 17, 2009
Do you often wonder what you should eat before a workout? It isn’t necessarily what you eat before a workout that is so important rather than what you ate the few days prior to working out. It is important to keep your body fueled on an on going basis. Therefore, what you eat just before a workout isn’t as important as what you ate the few days prior to a long run, bike ride or hike, but is still important.
With all that said, there are three levels of intensity:
– High intensity, shorter time; activity usually lasts an hour or less (2-5 mile run, intense workout at the gym, tennis, hockey)
– Moderate intensity, moderate time; any activity that last between 1-3 hours long (half marathon, marathon, intense cycling or hiking)
– Low intensity, longer time; anything that last longer than 3 hours (long walk, bike ride, ironman events)
The most important factor in eating before exercise is to make sure what you are eating is easily digestible.
For a high intensity workout it is best to fuel your body with simple carbohydrate (fruits, dates) because once you eat them they go straight to the liver for immediate energy.
For a moderate workout it is good to fuel your body with about 5% protein, 35% fat and 60% carbohydrate. A good example would be a lara bar and some apple sauce.
For a low intensity workout it is important to be more balanced and eat something that is more along the range of 10% protein, 70% fat and 20% carbohydrates. An example would be 100% whole wheat pancakes with flax seed old and a banana.
As you can see the first thing our body wants during an intense work out is simple carbohydrates and once that is depleted, it moves on to complex carbohydrates.
A lil note on protein:
Some people think protein is good just before a intense work out, but what they don’t know is that too much protein requires more fluid to be metabolized than carbohydrates or fat, therefore, many people suffer from muscle cramping. More so if they aren’t hydrating daily. Protein is also meant for building muscle rather than fueling it. 
Keeping hydrated daily will also decrease the amount of stress that is placed on the body, which will allow the body to work harder and perform better and usually requires less recovery time.
Side Note: I usually try to keep these posts short and sweet and this one just got out of hand. I hope it kept your interest and maybe you learned a thing or two. Again, you have to find what works for you, but hopefully you can use this as a mini guideline.
Water does a Body Good February 9, 2009
Did you know that water is more important than food? We can go weeks without food (although it is not recommended), but not more than 48 hours without water! You are probably wondering why… well water isn’t something out body can store. Instead it is something we constantly need otherwise we will not be able to function. It has been figured out that an average adult loses approximately 2.5 quarts (10 cups) a day! It is probably why you hear people say you need to drink 8-10 cups a day. We need to replace what we have lost.
Personally, I don’t think 8-10 cups is enough. 8-10 cups only replaces what we have lost, whether it is through perspiration, respiration or urination.
Below are some key reasons to up your water intake:
– Water carries nutrients to our cells
– Water aids digestion
– Water flushes out our body of wastes and keeps our kidneys healthy
– Lubricates and cushions our joints
– Water reduces inflammation
– Water regulates body temperature
– Studies have also shown that drinking water can reduce our risk of colon cancer
– Water fights fat (helps the body metabolize fat)
– Drinking water is also key to reducing water retention (you retain water when you don’t get enough water)
Now that we know the low down on water you probably want to know how much water you should drink a day. Well, if you don’t really drink water to begin with I suggest you start with the 8-10 cups a day. (Yes you may be running to the restroom more frequently, but your body will appreciate it). 
Once you are a pro at 8-10 cups a day I sugguest that you should take your weight and divide it in half and that is the minimum amount of ounces you want to drink a day.
What if you don’t really like water? Try adding lemon to your water for a lil flavor. You could also get a lil fancy and add cucumbers for a refreshing taste or even apples! Don’t be afraid to experiment! Find something that will work for you.
It also helps to have a water bottle at your desk or at home that will remind you to drink water. Next time you go out to eat have a glass of water instead of soda. For every cup of caffeine you have you should drink an extra cup of water.
Cheers!
Food for the liver January 15, 2009
With all the junk we eat these days our liver gets overtaxed. Our liver is suppose to extract all the fat 
soluble toxins that our kidneys can not handle. When we eat a lot of processed food (fast food, chips, cookies, cakes, frozen meals) our liver gets over worked and isn’t able to extract the toxins from the body, therefore, the fat stores within its own tissue.
Below are a few liver supporting foods that we should add to our daily diets:
– kidney beans
– raw almonds
– peas
– soybeans
– raw salads with fresh vegetables
– fruits
– leafy green vegetables
Next time it is 2pm in the afternoon and you want to reach for that mid afternoon snack reach for some raw almonds or some fresh fruit and a large glass of water. Water is also known to flush out toxins and cleanse the liver. Enjoy!!
Fiber January 8, 2009
Do you know how much fiber you consume a day? Did you know that your daily fiber intake should be between 20-30g a day? Most Americans today don’t even consume half of that.
If your fiber intake is low I urge you to add more fiber to your diet. Fiber does a body good for many reasons. Fiber is known to fight diseases and help prevent many others such as heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, hemorrhoids, constipation and other intestinal problems. Fiber also helps control diabetes and reduces risk of diverticulosis. Fiber also prevents us from over eating because it adds bulk to our diet, therefore, it helps us feel full longer.
So what foods have fiber in them? Here are just a few below.
– beans
– peas
– apples
– blackberries
– avocados
– oat bran
– oatmeal
– corn
– broccoli (cooked)
– lentils
– pears
– lima beans
One thing to think about is that when we had fiber to our diets we also need to make sure we drink more water. Fiber binds with water and causes the body to eliminate more water. If we increase our fiber intake we also need to increase our water intake to prevent dehydration.
Lastly, there are supplements out there, but it is way better and to get your fiber from food. Supplements cause us to miss out on important nutrients we get from food.
Try this instead of that…. January 1, 2009
Bringing in the New Year many of us try and make a conscience effort to eat better. Below I created a chart to jump start your New Year with some healthy options. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
|
Instead of: |
Try this: |
Even better: |
|
french Fries |
baked potato |
baked sweet potato |
|
canned vegetables |
frozen vegetables |
fresh vegetables |
|
soda |
100% fruit juice |
water with lemon |
|
milk chocolate |
70% or more dark chocolate |
grain sweetened chocolate |
|
cows milk |
vanilla silk soy milk |
unsweetened silk soy milk |
|
white pasta |
whole wheat pasta |
spelt pasta |
|
potato chips |
100% stone ground chips |
popcorn |
|
canned fruit |
dried fruit |
fresh fruit |
|
ice berg lettuce |
romaine lettuce |
spinach |
|
Raisin Bran |
Puffins (Barbara’s Bakery) |
oatmeal |
|
Nature Valley granola bars |
Barbara’s Bakery granola bars |
Nutritious Life 