Happy Holidays…

I haven’t been to a lot of parties, but I worked a lot of catering Holiday parties!  I am exhausted and need to take this time to try and rest up!  I will be back January 6th!  In the meantime I am going to get in as much exercise as I can and eat as well as I can!  Good luck - stay focused and pick your battles!

Until Next Year - Keep thinking veggies and protein!

Find Balance… 

Avoid the all-or-nothing thinking!  Trying to avoid favorite holiday foods altogether will levee you feeling deprived.  Allow yourself to enjoy the holidays, including your favorite seasonal foods, but take small portions.  Balance heavy meals with better choices during other meals throughout the day, and consider increasing your activity during this time of the year to help compensate for the extra calories!

Heavy Lifting to Sculpt a Stronger, Leaner, Slimmer Body…

Tired of sweating through multiple cardio sessions a week and still feeling like you're stuffed into your skinny jeans? Start pumping more iron! This will help you add more metabolically active (i.e. fat-burning) lean muscle mass to your frame.  

Pears…

I think pears are an overlooked fruit, with so many more people grabbing apples at this time of year. One of the highest-fiber fruits, a medium pear offers about 6 grams, which can help with blood sugar control and promote weight loss. An excellent source of vitamins C and K, pears are also packed with B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.  "And A Partridge In A Pear Tree"

The Healthy Obesity Debate… 

Have you heard the term healthy obesity? It's a phrase used to describe overweight people who aren't experiencing health problems typically associated with carrying extra weight. Well, new research analysis presented in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that even overweight and obese people who have good cholesterol and blood pressure levels may be at risk for adverse long-term outcomes. Some health professionals have reported the contrary, but we're going to keep an eye on the scale just in case. Need another reason to shed some pounds? A high body mass and large waistline have been associated with hearing loss. Study findings suggest that obesity may affect blood flow to the ear and that moderate physical activity reduces the risk for loss of hearing. Sounds like it's time to get moving!