Switch Things Up...

During your strength training lift one set of heavier weights than you’re used to. And on your walk or run, add backward walking and sideways shuffling in one-minute bursts. You’ll challenge your muscles in new ways, work them at a variety of angles, and improve your balance. These things will tone you up and burn extra calories.  Just a few ideas I am going to start incorporating during the winter months!

Torani...

I finally had the occasion to try these sugar free syrups!  I am not much for flavored coffee, but, these hit the spot for a festive Thanksgiving brunch.  I couldn’t make up my mind so I got the Pumpkin Pie and the Salted Caramel.  The pumpkin pie had rich flavor of pumpkin pie filling with complements of nutmeg, cinnamon and other warm spices.  The salted caramel had the richness of buttery caramel which is brought to new heights with a pinch of salt.  Both have zero calories but the salted caramel does have 95mg of sodium! Yum!  I think I have to have another cup of festive coffee!

Pie Info...

Thank you Shape Magazine...I think this picture tells the perfect story!  We still have five weeks of “Holiday” to contend with!

The Leftovers...

Turkey, turkey everywhere!  My favorite is Bob’s vegetable, turkey soup!  Bob made sure he made plenty of turkey stock this season, that means we did have two turkeys!  What else can I say, turkey, the stock, your choice of vegetables and Voila!  Soup! 

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!

Happy Thanksgiving...

You having your good days and you have your bad!  This is not going to be the best day for me.  We are hosting a brunch this year!  The theme is build your own mini waffles.  We will be having whole wheat mini waffles with a mixture of berries, mini chocolate chips, whipped cream and maple syrup.  Than there will be the corn mini waffles with turkey a deconstructed gravy/stuffing and cranberries.  There will be sides of Brussels sprouts salad, a medley of squashes, grapefruit slices and a pumpkin roll up cake!  My mouth is watering already!  There are a lot of healthy choices, but it will still be hard not to craze over the not so healthy!  Ha Ha - I will try not to let the word “mini” fool me!

Huge Workout...

What do Turkey’s say?  Gobble, Gobble!  That is what I will be doing all day tomorrow!!!  I am just going to have to really work it during my workout this morning!  This is what I plan on doing to prepare for tomorrow!  35 minutes on the treadmill walking - unfortunately I have a little pain in my achilles tendon and hopefully resting it by not running will help :(.  How about an extra 50 crunches, lot’s of extra reps on my arms and squats - if it doesn’t hurt too much!  I will also be doing some extra miles on my bike today, there are still things to be picked up for tomorrow and I will be on my feet most of the evening prepping and more house cleaning!  

Cayenne Pepper...

I am not anticipating cutting myself, but with all the prep work and cooking we will be doing from today until Turkey Day it could happen!  So, just in case - I might have to try this!  Stop Bleeding - you’d think it would burn, but a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on a cut will quickly stop the bleeding and actually relieve the pain.

Coffee...

All those flavored coffees out there right now, and after a weekend of Starbucks offering 2 for one on any Holiday coffee concoction - OUCH!  Watch out calories!  Of course I din’t partake in such frivolousness!  A cup of black coffee contains just 2 calories. But doctoring your cup of joe can introduce caloric landmines. Whipped cream could tack on 80 to 130 extra calories, as well as 8 to 12 grams of fat. A tablespoon of sugar adds up to 50 calories, so stick with calorie-free sweeteners like Splenda or better yet Stevia.  And think twice before dumping creamer into the mix: Full-fat milk can add up to 140 calories. Reduced-fat and skim milk are smarter choices.

Mindless Eating...

Gone are the days of a basic turkey on bread.  Now it's all about the gourmet cheeses and pesto spreads, the dried fruits and candied nuts, and that doesn't only pack additional flavor—it's a lot of extra calories, too.  Concider prioritizing favorite ingredients. Instead of going for aioli-flavored mayonnaise, brie cheese, and calorie-dense ciabatta bread, select just one to make your lunch more deluxe. Same goes for salads: A healthy option can quickly go south if you load up on toppings like shredded cheese, nuts, croutons, and bacon bits. So don't overdo the accoutrements just because your favorite salad bar offers them.  It's a start and these little steps will help imensely!

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!

Shop Around, Literally... 

Short and sweet - I never really thought about this before - and now I see how true this statement is!  The center aisles of your local supermarket are loaded with highly processed, sugary, and fatty foods. The first couple of outer aisles is where you'll find all the fresh produce, dairy, and seafood!  Shop the perimiter!

Treadmill Time...

It’s hard for me to get motivated to get on that treadmill, but it’s now dark out all the time!  At least I still have the weekends until the first signs of snow and ice!

BUT - remember first and foremost: don't reach for the rails. 

The minute your workout starts to intensify, the temptation is always there: grab the rails.  Whether you're on a stair climber, elliptical or treadmill, reaching out for those support bars can undermine your workout in ways you probably don't realize.

It may seem harmless to get your balance or hold yourself up a little, but it's very easy to support half your weight without really trying that hard. Supporting half your weight with your arms can cut into your calorie burn by as much as 35 percent!  And as counterproductive as those lost calories are, the long-term effects are much worse. The bad thing about it is that you're not activating your core.  You're not working on posture if you're holding on, and you're not engaging your muscles naturally.

If you don't hold on, your neurological system is going to have to fire like crazy, which will give you better balance and reflexes for life!  The fix? Start out slow and engage your arms and core into the motion of the exercise to promote balance and strength. Too often, you get the urge to amp up the speed on the machine and have no choice but to grab the rails for balance.

If you're going so fast that you're having trouble staying up without holding the railings, that tells you that your core isn’t strong enough to go that quickly, and you need to work on that first before you start going so fast that you need to grab the railings! It's better to start off slow, and be able to balance!

Motivation...

Maybe I am a little obsessed with Kirstie Ally, I just don’t want her to fail!  This is the type of article I like sometimes because I would just want to prove them wrong and that would be a great motivation within itself!

Over the years Alley’s fluctuating weight can be tied to key aspects of her career, and some of our experts speculate her motivation to lose the weight each time could be coming from the wrong place —her pocketbook. "First, a contract with Jenny Craig, followed by the opportunity to do the Oprah show in a bikini, then her own line of weight-loss products and a stint on Dancing With the Stars. There was a big prize and deadline attached to the discipline each time,” says fitness expert Lisa Avellino.

According to Hollywood Nutrition Expert Lisa DeFazio, “In my opinion, [Kirstie] lost weight in an unrealistic and extreme way by dancing for 5 hours a day and reportedly eating just 1200 calories per day. Now that she's no longer motivated by the money or the millions of viewers, it's likely she could put the weight back on."

All of our experts agree, if Alley is able to make health her primary motivation, she'll have a better chance of keeping the weight off.  Avellino adds,  "Love yourself more and keep your eye on the real prize—a new and improved you is all the motivation anyone really needs!"

MUSHROOMS DELIVER CANCER-FIGHTING ANTIOXIDANTS...

It’s the Fall and I can’t get enough mushrooms!  I just love the earthiness flavor and I am probably trying to justify my brunch choice from yesterday!  All I have to see on a menu is “wild mushrooms”  and read no more!  Ha Ha, I had the most amazing HASH yesterday with duck confit, wild mushrooms, russet potatoes and a fried egg.  Not the healthiest choice in the world, but delicious and I am ready to attack the treadmill!  More good news about mushrooms - One study showed that women who ate just one third of an ounce of raw mushrooms a day (that's about one button mushroom) had a 64 percent reduction in breast cancer risk. Other research suggests that mushrooms reduce the effects of aromatase, a protein that helps produce estrogen – a major factor in some breast cancer.

Pumpkin AGAIN...

I am going to try this over the weekend!!!!

Pumpkin Body Scrub
Makes one application

Ingredients
½ c. cooked pumpkin, pureed
½ c. brown sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients.

2. Stand in tub or shower stall. Using a damp washcloth, scoop up a bit of mixture. Apply to body, starting with your feet and working your way up (avoid your face). Scrub gently using circular motions. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!

Worst Appetizers for your Waistline...

As the holiday season ramps up, we’re bound to come across the inevitable holiday party appetizers. As much as we love them, appetizers can be some of the biggest saboteurs when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet. First off, they are small and seem “harmless,” causing us to not pay great attention to what and how much we eat. Second, many of them are unbalanced, containing mostly refined carbohydrates and fats, and lastly, we tend to fill ourselves up on them, leaving little room for the more healthy part of the party—the meal. 

Saying no to all appetizers isn’t the answer, but being aware and smart about the choices you make will help!  Pass on the Puff -  Puff pastry is one of the largest offenders of unhealthy appetizers. Most puff pastry or filo dough appetizers are full of butter and refined flours. Some to Avoid: Spanakopita, cheesepuffs, anything wrapped in puff pastry, mini-crescents, pigs in a blanket.

On a Personal Note...

People often ask me if I am still riding my bike to work!  They are quite surprised with my reply - that I am!  I than ask them if they have ever skied before -  It’s all about the gear!  It took me a few years to figure it all out especially after getting drenched after a brutal rain shower that came out of nowhere!  I was wearing just a water resistant jacket, that was when I knew I had to start rethinking my gear.  First it was a rainproof jacket, than something to put over my backpack to keep my valuables safe! Than it was the pants and last, but not least - the helmet cover!  Because they are all so light weight, I have my gear with me at all times!  I have pulled over many times to put it all on, on either my ride to or from work!  I will continue to cycle work until the first sight of ice!  As for any rain - I feel as though I am drier biking to work than taking the bus!

Baked Lentil Chips...

I am not necessarily a “chip” person, but once in awhile I do like to get a good crunch on!  But, when I do - I get the Trader Joe’s Lentil chip!  I usually just eat them plain, but feel free to dunk them into any “guilt-free dip!

PER SERVING (1 oz., about 22 chips): 110 - 120 calories, 3g fat, 150 - 220mg sodium, 19g carbs, 3g fiber, 0 - 2g sugars, 4g protein

Mushrooms...

Mushrooms are known to help support the immune system, but the ones with the greatest impact are medicinal mushrooms such as maitake, reishi, coriolus, agaracus, and shiitake. These mushrooms contain powerful compounds called beta-glucans, which are proven to help activate the immune system.  So glad I added shitake’s to my steamed cod and veggies this weekend! I love mushrooms in just about anything!! 

Vinegar...

My salads most of the time are pretty simple.  I make sure I always have tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers on hand.  If I am having a salad as my main meal, lunch or dinner, I can add more and I will always  add a protein to it!  All my dressings are made with vinegar - NO OIL!  Vinegar is another ingredient that may have weight-loss benefits. In one 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, including 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a meal resulted in subjects eating 200 to 275 fewer calories through the day.  I use white wine, red wine, champagne, apple, rice wine and sherry vinegars - all 0 to 3 calories per tablespoon!

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!

Bok Choy...

This leafy green cabbage is the number one veggie in China and boasts 10 times the recommended amount of vitamin A in just one cup. Packed with antioxidants, it's no surprise that several studies show that high intake of Brassica vegetables (a family of vegetables including kale, broccoli, and bok choy) may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including prostate cancer.  I use bok choy in all my veggie stews!

Quick Tip for Toning Arms...

When and if I ever start to drive again (I do have a license), I thought this was a great way to help keep your arms in shape!

Tone those arms while you're sitting in traffic! Simply place your palms on the steering wheel at 3 and 9 and press them inward to strengthen the chest. Then, place your hands inside the wheel and press outward to tone your rear delts. Try to hold these squeezes for 10-20 seconds and repeat as often as you can. The person in the car next to you won't even notice.

BTW - my official time for the half marathon was 2:15:24!

A Quick Brush Up on Table Manners that Still Matter...

I know I need this every now and again!  If you think people don’t care about etiquette at the table as much as they used to, think again. One soup slurp or tooth pick is all it takes to turn some people off. So to stay on your toes, here is a quick—and necessary—table manners refresher course from Louise Fox of the Etiquette Ladies, Canada’s Etiquette Experts:

• If you are the recipient of a toast, keep your glass at arm’s length—never drink from it. Instead, simply nod your head and graciously say, “Thank you.”
• Never take your cocktail to the dinner table.
• Allow your food to cool on its own—never blow on anything.
• If you wear lipstick, keep it off your plate and napkin by blotting it as soon as you apply it.
• Your napkin is there for you to dab your mouth only. Do not use it to wipe off lipstick or (God forbid) blow your nose.
• Keep your elbows off the table at all times.
• Don’t put your purse, keys, sunglasses, or eyeglasses on the table.
• Take food out of your mouth the way it went in. If a piece of steak fat went into your mouth with a fork, spit it out onto the fork.
• Remove an olive pit with your thumb and index finger.
• Taste everything on your plate before you add salt or pepper.
• Leave your plate where it is when you are finished with your meal—don’t push it away from you