Walking

I love walking!

I used to walk every day before I moved into the apartments we just moved out of, I didn’t feel comfortable enough in those surroundings to get outside and walk around the neighborhood. Now that we are back in a friendly environment, I’ve begun walking again.

That’s my aerobic exercise, walking. Adding aerobic exercise or “cardio” to your workout routine has numerous health benefits including building endurance and strengthening your heart, reducing the risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure. Aerobic workouts also help you burn calories and lose weight.

Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity. You should be able to carry out short conversations while doing aerobic exercise. If you are having trouble getting enough air while you’re talking, you are most likely performing anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is medium to high intensity exercise that concentrates on building strength, speed and power. In some cases anaerobic exercise occurs simultaneously with aerobic exercise.

I carry stress in the muscles surrounding and associated with my spine, when affected I get incredibly tense and painful. Sometimes I’ve had to start walking slow until the muscles start to relax and pick up speed as I go. No matter how I feel when I first start walking, I always feel great when I’m finished. I suggest cardio for at least 20 to 30 minutes three to five times a week.

I get up at 5:20, walk from 5:30 to 6:00 and then get ready for work. It’s a really great way to start the day: you feel awake, alert and ready to go!

Anti-inflammatory foods

www.gutsyhealth.com
Food is fuel the body’s organs use to perform at optimal levels. The largest organ of your body is your skin, so it makes perfect sense that a poor diet full of inflammatory foods will cause the body to break down. For example, Acne is an inflammatory disease and all of its lesions are inflammatory.

The food we eat is converted to sugar as it is digested. Foods that are rapidly converted to sugar are a problem. Prevent rapid rises in blood sugar, rapid rises cause an insulin response in the body which leads to an inflammatory response.

Above is a list of good anti-inflammatory foods created by Susan at GutsyHealth.com These foods should be supplemented into your daily diet over other more inflammatory foods.

My elliptical and me

One of my new year’s resolutions is to tone my body.

When I was a teenager, I was fortunate to have a good metabolism, I weighed 110 lbs. at the most and at 5’2’’ tall I felt extremely comfortable in my own body. Since then I have put on more weight as my metabolism slacked off and my bad habits grew. This is uncomfortable for me to tell you, but at the most I weighed 145 lbs. Since then I’ve lost 10 lbs. and right now I weigh 135 lbs. My goal is to be 120 lbs., in good shape, with good eating habits.

I bought myself an elliptical with my Christmas money and I can’t wait to start using it on a daily basis. My plan is use it in the evenings when Cameron and I watch movies. I will start with 20 minutes on tension level 1 the first week and add 20 minutes each week until I hit an hour, then work my way up the tension levels in a similar fashion.

Adding aerobic exercise or “cardio” to your workout routine has numerous health benefits including building endurance and strengthening your heart, reducing the risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure. Aerobic workouts also help you burn calories and lose weight.

Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity. You should be able to carry out short conversations while doing aerobic exercise. If you are having trouble getting enough air while you’re talking, you are most likely performing anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is medium to high intensity exercise that concentrates on building strength, speed and power. In some cases anaerobic exercise occurs simultaneously with aerobic exercise.

The long term effects of fast food

One of my new year’s resolutions is to “eat fast food only occasionally, if at all.”

Starting this week, I will begin to limit my consumption of fast food meals. I eat fast food way too often for my own good. It has become something quick and easy to grab, instead of taking the time to plan healthy meals. For the first month I will allow myself up to two fast food meals a week. The second month I will only allow myself up to one fast food meal per week. The third month I will allow myself up to one fast food meal every two weeks. After that month is over I will only have fast food on occasion, if at all.

To help myself adjust to this transition, I’ve found this infographic below that has some great facts and figures about the negative effects of fast food on the human body, provided by nutritionist Kimberly Snyder.


[Via: The Long-Term Effects of That Fast Food Meal]

The negatives of drinking soda

One of my new year’s resolutions is to “drink soda only occasionally, if at all.”

Starting this week, I will begin to limit my consumption of soda. I do not drink soda every day, but I do drink it more than once a week which is definitely more often than I should. For the first month I will allow myself up to two sodas a week. The second month I will only allow myself up to one soda per week. The third month I will allow myself up to one soda every two weeks. The fourth month I will not allow myself any soda at all. After that month is over I will only have sodas on occasion, if at all.

To help myself adjust to this transition, I’ve put together a number of facts regarding the harmful effects of soda. The infographic above has some great facts and figures provided by Term Life Insurance. Below you can find some extra facts I was able to find independently.

• With a pH of about 2.5 (about the same as vinegar), soda is the most acidic beverage you can buy. Why does that matter? Acid oxidizes whatever it comes in contact with. For example, if you put soda or vinegar on metal it will rust it quickly. Think of the effect something like that would have on your body!
• The high levels of phosphorus contained in sodas can leach calcium from your system. Osteoporosis, tooth loss, periodontal disease and gingivitis can be problems associated with a high phosphorus intake.
• For those of you with a diet soda in your hands, the news isn’t any better, in fact it’s worse! One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about fifty-six milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time as much as two hundred fifty milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream. Methanol is toxic to the human body.
• Then there’s the caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal can strike people who drink a single cup of strongly brewed coffee or drink caffeinated soft drinks regularly. Caffeine-withdrawal symptoms include not only headache, but also fatigue, mild depression, muscle pain and stiffness, flu-like feelings, nausea and vomiting.

I invite any of you to join me in this resolution. Soda, although tasty, is not beneficial to our bodies at all and can be removed from our diet with a little effort and support.

Apples = amazing

I am going to take a moment of your time to gush about apples.

Fall brings the season of apples, apples are plentiful this time of year and one of the reasons I love this season. Apples are my favorite fruit. Why? They are easy to find, easy to serve, always affordable and extremely good for you.

Apples are packed full of antioxidants and a fiber called Pectin. Pectin is a soluble, fermentable and viscous fiber; a combination with a huge number of health benefits.

• The free-radical fighting power of the natural antioxidants found in an apple help prevent aging effects and breakdown of the brain; reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
• Red apples contain an antioxidant called Quercetin that can help boost and fortify your immune system; reducing the risk of sickness.
• Several compounds found within the apple’s peel and in the apple itself help prevent the growth activity of cancer cells in areas such as the liver, colon and breast.
• The fiber in apples lowers cholesterol by binding with fats in the intestines and passing it out of the bodies’ system. In slowing the build up of cholesterol and preventing the cholesterol in your system from solidifying, the fiber in apples also helps keep the arteries and heart cleaner and reduces the risk of heart disease.
• The fiber in apples will help you maintain weight by filling you up without costing too many calories.
• Biting and chewing on apples stimulates saliva production in the mouth. Saliva reduces tooth decay by lowering levels of bacteria.

This is only a short list of the benefits of apples. I could go on longer than you dare to read. Suffice to say, they are incredibly good for you and it is very true that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”.

How do you consume apples?

I like to eat them cut into small pieces for easy snacking (better than chips while you're gaming!). When I feel more ambitious I will cook them with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top or convert them into homemade applesauce. And then there is the always amazing fresh apple cider…or any apple cider for that matter.

Healthy snack suggestions

Here are some natural low calorie snacks for you to munch on between meals. Remember that fruits and vegetables trump processed foods any day, but I will post some processed snacks as well as tutorials in the near future. These are the basic items you can use to make healthy snacks, they are best used in their natural form, but you are welcome to add a little peanut butter here or a dash of low-fat dressing there.

Don’t drown your food!


Dairy

Cottage Cheese
Yogurt

Fruits

Apple
Apricot
Banana
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Cranberries
Grapes
Honeydew
Kiwi
Olives
Orange
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plum
Raisins
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tomatoes

Meats & Poultry

Chicken Meat
Hardboiled Egg
Prosciutto
Turkey Jerky
Turkey Meat
Tuna Jerky

Nuts & Seeds

Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Macadamias
Peanuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts

Vegetables

Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celery
Edamame
Green Beans

I am always looking for new snacks to enjoy that won’t take up too many calories in my day, so feel free to make suggestions!

Portion control

www.infinitelifefitness.com

As we sail into the season of giving, let’s face it; it’s also the season of eating. Feasting on large portions of food and snacking on sweet treats will really get to you if you don’t know how to control your portions. This is something that will sneak up on you if you don’t pay attention.

The basic items to compare your portions to are:

• A deck of playing cards = one serving (three or four ounces) of meat, poultry, or fish.
• Half to a whole baseball = one serving of fruit, vegetables, pasta, or rice.
• One domino = one serving (one ounce) of cheese.
• One tennis ball = one serving (one cup) of yogurt or chopped fresh greens.
• One golf ball = one serving (2 tbsp.) peanut butter, jam or salad dressing.
• One die = one serving (one tsp.) of butter.

Some helpful tips on keeping your portions relatively small:

• Eat breakfast every day.
• Eat three smaller meals with two light snacks between meals.
• Pay attention to what you are eating and fully enjoy the smell and taste of your foods.
• Eat slowly so your brain can get the message that your stomach is full.
• Take seconds of vegetables or salads instead of higher-fat, higher-calorie parts of a meal such as meats or desserts.
• Avoid eating in front of the TV or while busy with other activities like gaming. It’s easy to get distracted and lose track of how much you’ve eaten.
• If you eat out get a doggie bag for half of your meal.
• Or, if you eat out split a meal or dessert with a friend.
• Ask for salad dressing, butter, and sauces on the side so you can control how much you use.
• Break down leftovers.

Grocery shopping tips

Firstly, and most importantly, never shop on an empty stomach. Your stomach will lead you to impulse buy those forbidden foods it craves. It helps to plan your meals ahead of time and make a list. A list keeps you much more focused on the task at hand rather than dallying down each aisle choosing what you think might make a nice meal.

When you arrive at the grocery store, shop the perimeter of the grocery store first. The perimeter is where the fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and fish are usually located. Avoid the aisles in the center where many of the junk foods lurk.

Choose “real” foods, such as 100% fruit juice or 100% whole-grain items with as little processing and as few additives as possible. If you want more salt or sugar, add it yourself. Avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients or ingredients you can’t pronounce. The first two items on the ingredients list are the most prominent, so make sure those ingredients are something healthy or relatively so.

Fill your shopping cart with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meats, fish, poultry, beans and nuts.

• Produce – Spend the most time in the produce section. This is the first area you will encounter in most grocery stores. Choose a large selection of produce that you feel comfortable with, but don’t be afraid to try something new.
• Breads, Cereals and Pasta – Choose the least processed foods that are made from whole grains. Choose brown rice and whole-wheat breads and pastas. To help transition yourself into using whole grains, you can start with whole-wheat blends and slowly transition to 100% whole-wheat.When choosing whole-grain cereals aim for at least 4 grams of fiber per serving, and the less sugar, the better. Cereals, even those with added sugar, make great vehicles for milk, yogurt, and/or fruit. Granolas tend to have more fat and sugar than other cereals.
• Meat, Fish and Poultry – The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week. I recommend tilapia because it’s pretty tasty and widely available, affordable, not too fishy, and a good source of omega-3 acids. In regards to other meats be sure to choose lean cuts (like round, top sirloin and tenderloin), opt for skinless poultry and always remember to watch your portion sizes.
• Dairy – Dairy foods are an excellent source of bone-building calcium and vitamin D. There are plenty of low-fat and nonfat options to help you get three servings a day. If you enjoy higher-fat cheeses, keep your portions small.
• Frozen Foods – Frozen fruits and vegetables (without sauce) are a convenient way to help fill in the produce gap, especially in winter.
• Canned and Dried Foods – Pick up a variety of canned vegetables, fruits and beans on hand to toss into soups, salads, pasta, or rice dishes. Whenever possible choose vegetables without added salt and fruit packed in juice. Tuna packed in water, low-fat soups, olive and canola oils and assorted vinegars are healthy additions to any pantry.

Walking for aerobics

I love walking.

That’s my aerobic exercise, walking. Adding aerobic exercise or “cardio” to your workout routine has numerous health benefits including building endurance and strengthening your heart, reducing the risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure. Aerobic workouts also help you burn calories and lose weight. Other forms of aerobic exercise include but are not limited to jogging, running, cycling, swimming, and so on.

Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity. You should be able to carry out short conversations while doing aerobic exercise. If you are having trouble getting enough air while you’re talking, you are most likely performing anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is medium to high intensity exercise that concentrates on building strength, speed and power. In some cases anaerobic exercise occurs simultaneously with aerobic exercise.

I carry stress in the muscles surrounding and associated with my spine, when affected I get incredibly tense and painful. Sometimes I’ve had to start walking slow until the muscles start to relax and pick up speed as I go. No matter how I feel when I first start walking, I always feel great when I’m finished. I suggest cardio for at least 20 to 30 minutes three to five times a week.

Take a look at this amazing infographic created by everybodywalk.org …

Visit www.everybodywalk.org!