Fast Food Nightmare

http://www.livestrong.com/article/8722-need-fast-food/

I came across an interesting article after having a heated debate with a friend who eats fast food at least once every day.  On top of the many health risks fast food contain, including heart disease, and high blood pressure,  eating these fatty foods makes you overeat!  By consuming more fats and sugars, our  bodies become immune to the hormone we are supposed to produce that tells us we are full!  Not only this, but consuming so much fat leaves us sapped of energy, and still craving more fat.  This is a vicious cycle none of the fit and fabulous want to be sucked into!  Watch what you eat!

Ab Buster

Let's face it, many of us judge ourselves based on how flat our bellies are...well judge no more!  This is the sit-up routine I love to do, and it really works!  All you need is a pump up song with a fast beat and you're golden :)

Begin by lying on your back.  After starting your pump up tune of choice (I prefer anything by Kanye West or Britney Spears!), start with your legs bent so that your feet are comfortably flat on the ground.  Raise until your shoulder blades are off the ground, then lower your back until the edge of your shoulder blades touch down.  Do not allow yourself to go all the way back down to the ground, you are aiming to keep your abs contracted at all times during this exercise!

Do 12-15 of these mini crunches, then quickly roll over into the plank position and hold for 12 counts. The plank position is basically where you are in a standard pushup position, but you are resting on your forearms (bent at a 90 degree angle) instead of your hands with your arms extended fully.  Keep your back straight and your butt down!  

After holding this position, roll to the opposite side and repeat the crunches, same number.  After 12-15 reps, roll back into plank position and hold for another 12 counts.  Keep in mind you are following the beats of the song, meaning right when you finish your crunches, you want to roll into plank position in as quickly as one beat!  It's meant to be challenging!

Feel free to modify the amount of reps/counts to your personal capacity.  Enjoy your tight abs!!

Slow Down!

Having watched a nutrition video in my physiology class today, I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the current mindset of many.  Food, which used to be viewed as an important part of socializing, and bonding, is now mostly viewed as an ingredient to keep us fueled.  The notion of eating as a family around a table has been replaced with people eating on their own time, whenever they please, wherever is most convenient (eg in front of the television or standing up, which actually makes you want to eat more!)  Instead of buying fresh food frequently, the frozen, ready-made dinner has become popular.  Fast food chains thrive off of the promise of being able to "have it your way", letting you design your own greasy meal.  This mindset centers around making food to please each of us individually, which fuels our new norm of multi-tasking and doing ten different things at once.  With our busy schedules, we are neglecting to cook for ourselves, and are therefore harming our health.  Not to mention the high-cost of dining out frequently, eating out tends to encourage larger, less nutritious meals.  

I was lucky enough to grow up in a family where my mother and father would work together to prepare dinners for us every night.  Eating out was more of a treat, and missing our family dinners were not permitted by any means.  This allowed us to share so much more than just a meal together--we would talk about our days, politics, history, culture, and really learn from each other.  Our family dinners have heavily impacted the person I have become, and I am so thankful that my parents cooked and made us eat together.  My family has always been very close, and it's precisely because we have all made interaction with each other a priority.

Food should not be viewed as a simple fuel--you will be depriving yourself of so much pleasure if you don't slow down to appreciate it!  Socialize while you eat.  Chew your food slowly (to allow your stomach to let you know when it is full!), and try to really taste and enjoy.  Get creative--invite someone over to cook with you, pour yourselves some wine (a glass of red wine IS actually healthy for you!) and make a night out of it!  Only by cooking for yourself, can you be absolutely certain of how healthy your meal is.  Indulge one of your greatest senses :)

Food For Thought

With my collegiate life soon coming to an end, the stresses of the real world are starting to dawn on me, and I have one worry.  Will I end up homeless?  This is of course the unrealistic side of me speaking that wonders what the real world will be like (and of course, in the most dramatic of terms!)  How will I survive without financial help from my parents?  Will I starve to death?  Will I have to work a job I hate just to make ends meet?  Where will I get health insurance?  While these are all valid concerns...I can't help but know in my gut that everything will be okay, and not just for me, but for all of us.  I know that only by maintaining strong mental and physical health, life can be truly lived, which is all any of us can really ask for at the end of the day.  Life is about being the best YOU that you can be--everything else is subordinate.  It's important that we savor the present moments and appreciate our loved ones--being aware of life's small details are what grounds us, allowing us to maintain good mental health (which is even more important than physical health, in my opinion!)  We must train our minds as we do our bodies, and continue to embrace the positive energy in our lives.

Stress is an unnecessary demon, and puts us at risk of obesity, heart disease, and  depression, among other things.  A life filled with stress is a life wasted.  I, personally, find humility when I read the international news.  My "stress" seems so trivial when compared to what some have to suffer through everyday.  

I am a huge proponent of meditation--whatever that may be to you.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I meditate by going on long walks alone.  This helps me clear my mind (and get in that hour and a half of low-impact, fat burning cardio!)  Find beauty in the world around you, and focus on something that settles your mind, body, and soul.  Whether it be expressing yourself in artistic avenues (writing, painting, music), or just laying in a park staring at the sky, meditation will help ease stress, giving you a more balanced, healthy life!  After all, the road to a fit and fabulous lifestyle starts with a fit and fabulous mind!

Recipe of the Week!

One word.  Salmon.  Salmon has been my latest obsession!  It's a wonder-meat--high in protein, packed with Vitamin D (helping your body maintain strong bones and teeth!), B12, niacin, selenium, B6, magnesium AND omega-3 fats!  Among other things, these omega-3 fats help prevent blood clots which cause strokes, as well as decrease the likelihood of depression and aggression.  Now that's one healthy meat to fuel our fit and fabulous lifestyles!  On top of the tremendous nutrition your body is getting, salmon (and most fish in general) will not leave you feeling painfully stuffed (say goodbye to the embarrassment of having to secretly unbutton your pants after a meal, yes!)  

Here's one of my favorite recipes for salmon.  It's quick, easy, and cheap.

Ingredients:

Salmon

Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze (I like the kind with a hint of honey and pineapple)

Ginger (powdered)

Lemon (optional)

Directions:

1.) Place slab of salmon on a pan (easier if you place it on tin foil so the sauce doesn't char to the pan and make a mess!)  Set your oven to broil.

2.) Pierce salmon in many places with a knife.  Flip over, do the same.  Stick it in the oven for 1-2 minutes.

3.)  Pull salmon out.  Sprinkle desired amount of ginger on fish (I personally don't think you can have enough ginger!)  Baste meat with teriyaki sauce.  Flip fish over, repeat ginger sprinkling and teriyaki basting.  It's a lot easier to cut the fish up with your spatula and flip the smaller pieces, rather than trying to flip the entire fish.  Squeeze lemon juice over fish if desired.

4.)  Stick salmon back into oven, cook for about 7-9 more minutes.  Watch the fish and make sure it does not overcook--it will become too dry.  Check on it periodically by piercing the thickest parts of the meat.

5.)  Enjoy!  I like to steam broccoli or corn to eat with it.  :)

After you have enjoyed your dinner, think about all the tasty leftovers you'll have!  I personally like to wrap the salmon in whole wheat bread and eat it as a teriyaki salmon sandwich.  One piece of Costco salmon can last me (a single gal) for almost a week!  Bon appétit!

Know Thyself

I had a great conversation with a friend today about body shapes, and I felt the need to write about the importance of knowing your body, its limits, and your own genetics, because I have known far too many girls that stretch themselves to unhealthy, and sometimes dangerous levels to try and lose weight.  The fact of the matter is that we cannot really control where our body likes to store its fat.  I have known many women that pack their extra pounds in their tummies, and others that have very thin midsections, but larger butts or thighs.  Ladies, you must remember that although we are living in a society that encourages hanger-type bodies, this type of body is not the norm!  I know, it's tempting to want to look like those models in Vogue, but REMEMBER that the majority of these models rely on drugs to curb their hunger, and many are on the verge of death.  We are so lucky that we don't have that kind of career-reliant pressure that forces us to torture our bodies.  It's important to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet as well as physical activity.  Sure, you can "diet" in the sense of micromanaging your food for a couple of weeks to lose weight, but this is not a recommended way to go, because these changes are mostly temporary and the weight is easily gained back.  Be mindful of your diet, but please DON'T STARVE YOURSELF!

I can't say how sad it makes me to see how much pressure women are under to be rail-thin.  Starving yourself to be skinny will leave you constantly sapped of energy, damage your hair, and cause your breath to smell (ew no thanks!)  As well, many women who force themselves into frailty are also putting themselves at risk for hip fractures, chronic diseases, heart failure, or even cancer. If you want to lose weight, make a lifestyle alteration, and set realistic goals for your body type.  We must learn to love the body each of us has been given.  Some of us will always have a butt, don't think of it as such a bad thing (hey, Sir Mix-a-Lot seemed to like it enough to write a song about it!)  Starvation will not necessarily make your thighs disappear.  So embrace your curves, increase your fruits and veggies, get active, and lose weight the natural way!  Be kind to your body--if you aren't, you'll have no place to go.

Please Your Palate While Staying Skinny!

How many times have you gone out to a restaurant, ordered your food, and received a meal for three on one plate?  One of the greatest lessons I learned while traveling through Europe is how much we eat in America.  For instance, the french indulge in all the tasty foods, even the fatty ones, and are able to stay skinny because they monitor their portions.  Remember that it is completely OKAY to eat your fudge sundae dessert, just be mindful of the amount you are consuming.  In fact, studies have shown that finishing a meal with a few bites of dessert actually tricks your body into feeling like you have completed your meal, and will stop you from craving more food after.  Restaurants from the Cheesecake Factory to the California Pizza Kitchen serve unhealthily large portions, and what's worse is that we often finish our plates without thinking about how many calories we're consuming!  A good trick is to eat slowly so that your body can let you know when you are satisfied to stop eating.  When eating quickly, the body naturally consumes more because it cannot feel itself becoming full.  Next time you are out at dinner, really take an honest look at how much food is on your plate, and whether or not you really need to clean your plate.

Mix It Up!

I had an interesting conversation about exercise with my brother a couple of days ago.  He was talking to me about how he'd like to get back into great shape, but that he was not quite sure what the correct way to approach a new fitness regimen would be.  Through describing what he normally does on a weekly basis, I brought to his attention that he already gets more exercise than he'd think.  He plays tennis a few times a week with his buddies, which may not sound like much, but this form of exercise can burn up to many hundreds of calories.  What's better yet is that it doesn't even FEEL like exercise!  My brother is getting a great cardio workout, burning fat (tennis is generally played for longer durations, tapping into the body's fat stores), and best of all, having FUN!  What more could you ask for out of a workout?!  This led me to write a post on this topic because it is incredibly important for those of us who hate the idea of exercising and view it as a chore.  It doesn't have to be a chore if you are doing something you enjoy!  Keep in mind that many things you enjoy doing are in fact EXERCISE!!  Even low-strenuous activities such as gardening can burn up to 250 calories in an hour.  Just try not to be sedentary!  Your body is still burning calories while resting, however, you'll find yourself having to watch your calories that much more without physical activity.  I ended up advising my brother to continue playing tennis 3 times a week (or more because it is an enjoyable hobby of his), take a 45 min-1 hour power walk 2-3 days a week, and weight train at least 3 times a week.  This should trim down unwanted body fat and leave the body with lean muscle.  He is performing both low-strenuous and high strenuous activities by mixing up his workouts and making them enjoyable!

For example, some of my favorite things to do are people watch and listen to music, so for me, power walking is my guilty pleasure.  I have come to love it because it doesn't feel like exercise, I get to see so many different people while I'm out, and I'm blasting some great tunes.  Sometimes I even lose track of time while I'm walking, and before I know it I've already walked 5 miles!  Also, I am by nature a competitive person, and love any sport involving a ball, so whether it's kicking around a soccer ball with a friend, shooting hoops, racing each other, etc., I have fun when I turn my exercise into a game.  Find what works for you.  It's important that you do a hobby you love, and do it as much as you can for the health benefits!  Exercise doesn't have to be in a gym on a boring treadmill.  I find treadmills harder to walk on because the scenery isn't changing, and you can see the time (which goes by sooooo slowly!) in front of you.  Begin viewing exercise as FUN by doing activities you enjoy, and you will soon begin developing a healthy lifestyle!

On The Go? Fit And Fabulous Reminders

Today was one of the worst days I have had in a while.  Recapping, I woke up to find my car window had been shattered--someone had broken into it in the middle of the night and taken some things of value.  After waiting around for a few hours to repair the damage/file the police report, I was then late to my lab (and believe me, this professor makes a scene out of it!)  I then rushed straight to my acting class downtown, only remember 3 hours into the class that I had left my keys INSIDE the drivers side lock while I was paying the meter.  Needless to say, a very nice homeless lady had taken my keys and was watching my car for me, so the day ended on a positive note.  Regardless of running around and having a million things on my mind today, I managed to stay conscious of my diet (which I hope all of you are doing as well!)  Given that I had about 4 hours of downtime this morning while waiting for the glass repairmen to come, I wandered into the kitchen, opened up the refrigerator out of boredom, and began mentally craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  As I began removing the jar of peanut butter from the refrigerator, I began to realize that I wasn't even hungry (I had just eaten a bowl of cereal!), and that eating this sandwich was merely a way of distracting myself from the process of waiting.  So naturally, putting the fit and fabulous mindset to work, I shut the refrigerator, grabbed a good book, and began catching up on some reading.  Before I knew it, the repairmen were here and I was off to school.  Stopping myself from pointlessly eating that pb&j sandwich, or habitually grabbing that handful of wheat thins, I saved myself at least 400-500 calories today that I didn't even need.  This goes for most all snacks we eat out of habit.  The body does not need food nearly as much as we'd like to believe.  A healthy reminder is that we should eat until we feel satisfied, not until we are completely full.  Sticking to a diet of many small meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism busy, as well as decrease your appetite.  And when you feel hungry, pour yourself a tall glass of water and drink it before you begin eating.  It will surprise you how often we mistake hunger for thirst.  Reflecting on today, I am surprised I did not settle for less healthy foods, as it is more tempting to do so when you are on the go and do not have the time to plan your meal out.  Luckily, I ALWAYS keep at least one, if not two pieces of fruit on me at all times.  These are my lifesavers--healthy carbohydrates that you should be eating every single day.  My favorite at the moment are crunchy red apples--I never leave home without one (and when I'm craving sour candy, I bring a sour apple to substitute for the craving.)  Try bringing fruit or vegetables with you when you leave your home for an extended period of time, whether it be a small bag of carrots, an apple, a banana, etc.  You will begin to notice that it will fuel you for longer than you'd imagine, and it does wonders for your budget!  It is also very empowering to look back on your day when you think about what you've eaten, and know how healthy you've been in your choice of snacks.  Remember, you are what you eat!

Metabolism...how does it really work?

Personally (and I know I'm not alone!), I have always been a bit intimidated by medical lingo, and have unfortunately tried to avoid understanding how the human body really works due to the difficult terminology.  Lucky for all of us, understanding how our bodies work is not nearly as complicated as we'd imagine.  I'd like to try and break down the facts of metabolism in simple terms, in hopes that it will help kick-start your new fit and fabulous lifestyle!  So, what is metabolism?  Metabolism is the process by which our body breaks down food and converts it into energy (whether it be in the form of fat, or giving us that extra push in our workout!)  Metabolism is a complex process, however for our purposes, we will stick to the basics.  Your body uses different systems to provide the energy needed to exercise (eg glycolysis, the system in which your body burns glucose in the anaerobic beginning stages of your workout.)  Depending on intensity levels and duration of exercise, your body is either burning more carbohydrates, or more fat (and no, your body does not really pull energy from protein for workouts, so eat it after exercising!)  Carbohydrates are essential to exercise, because when we begin working out, our primary source of energy comes from carbohydrates, and then we begin to burn fat.  Because many of us want to burn as much fat as possible, we must keep in mind that the more intense our exercise, the body increases its metabolism of carbohydrates and decreases its fat metabolism.  Why?  Basically, when we are exercising intensely (running/heavy cardio), our body is utilizing more fast muscle fibers, which do not contain as many "fat burning" enzymes.  These fast fibers are better at metabolizing carbohydrates.  On the flip side, when we choose low-intensity, prolonged exercise, lipolysis (the process of breaking down fat) is triggered.  

So what does this all mean?  Once we establish our health goals, we can begin to plan our exercise regimen with much more accuracy!  Whether it be to strengthen our hearts and become as fit as possible (without putting much emphasis on weight-loss), we can design a list of foods to eat, as well as know that higher-intensity exercises will help us meet our goals.  If we decide we'd like to drop a few pounds and maintain that weight, we must assess and track our daily caloric intake, as well as focus on low-intensity, prolonged exercise (eg power walking at a brisk pace for an hour.)  

As far as fueling our bodies, please remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!  It is vital that you eat within one hour of waking up, even if you are not hungry--you want to fire up your metabolism early in the day for optimal performance.  Here are a few things to keep in mind as you eat throughout the day:

1.)  EAT!!  Depriving your body of food when you are hungry will actually slow down your metabolism and set you up for gaining MORE unwanted weight!  Your body will go into survival mode and begin storing energy instead of naturally burning it because it does not know when it will be fed again.  I cannot stress this point enough.  Do not deprive yourself of food when you are feeling hungry!  Weight-loss coming from the starvation technique is TEMPORARY, and it leaves you unhappy!!  It is possible to eat and stay slim!

2.)  Try and eat multiple small meals throughout the day.  A good rule of thumb is about 5-6 small meals of about 300 calories or less.  Try to avoid pointless snacking in between, as these snacks are to blame for those extra 400 or so calories that we can't seem to shave off from our daily intake!

3.)  Begin tapering off your meals toward the end of the night.  Your body does not need so much energy when you are getting ready to sleep, and you should feel hungry for breakfast in the morning.  Avoid late night snacking at all costs...your body will store the energy in unwanted places while you sleep!  Instead, try drinking a cup of decaf green tea.  You will get an antioxidant boost, as well as fill your empty stomach enough to satisfy you before bedtime.  

Now that you have decided to turn your life around and adopt a health-conscious mindset, keep in mind the effects of the fuel you choose to put into your body, and the different ways to influence your metabolism to compliment your lifestyle.  Whether its taking a long walk with a friend, or running stairs to "Kanye's New Workout Plan", get out and do something active today and work your metabolism!

"I hate exercising, I never see any results!"

Ahh, the all too common quote used by far too many of us.  Exercise may seem like the demon to many of us who are simply too busy to fit in that half hour of cardio between work and dinner.  And when we finally become so fed up with feeling "soft", especially after gasping for breath after walking up that short flight of stairs (embarassing!), we manage to create an amateur fitness routine for ourselves, only to hopelessly give up a week later after seeing no immediate results.  If this is the mindset you have toward exercise, you are not alone!  But it is NEVER too late to start leading a healthy lifestyle!  All it takes are a few minor tweaks in how we view life, physical activity, and feeling healthy.  Now I know what many of you are thinking--you are no longer a teenager, so your metabolism simply is not as fast as it used to be in your younger years.  While it is true that metabolism does slow down as we age, it must not be viewed as a barricade to maintaining a healthy weight.  The basic building blocks to leading a healthy lifestyle include fitness and nutrition, or shall I say nutrition and fitness (because for many of us, nutrition is equal to, if not MORE important than exercise!)  We cannot labor for hours in the gym and eat what we normally eat--large plates of pasta/fast foods/bagels (and all other foods with these simple "bad" carbohydrates.)  This entails managing what you eat, and planning your grocery lists carefully!  You must change the way you eat PERMANENTLY to lead a healthy lifestyle.  I cannot emphasize this point enough!  Sure, it's still possible to lose weight quickly by temporarily starving yourself, but in doing so, you are actually slowing down your metabolism and setting yourself up for weight gain again.  I will dedicate my next post to the metabolism, and how we can speed it up/slow it down by the nutritional choices we make.  STEP 1:  Deciding that you want to change your habits and lead a healthy lifestyle is KEY!!   You can do it without as much effort as you'd think!  Start today!