Archive for Healthy Gifts

Measure for Mindful Weight Loss

January 3, 2012 A New You, Healthy Gifts, Recipes & Articles One comment

“Lose weight!”  That is probably the most common New Year’s Resolution.  Every year you approach weight loss in the same way, and instead of learning from each weight loss attempt, you do the same things over and over regardless of how effective it has been.  This year try something completely different, or try an old strategy in a different way.  For example, you could get out your measuring cups and spoons and use them to build your confidence and mindfulness around food.

There are no perfect portions

When it comes to eating and weight loss, I’m all about mindfulness.  One way to increase mindfulness is to weigh and measure your food.  But not in the traditional sense of using the scale to see how little you should eat, use it learn more about your specific needs.  How much food do you need to eat for your specific needs and goals?  This is a common question that has a complicated and variable answer.  You can begin to answer this question by mindfully measuring your food, journaling and reflecting.

You have probably heard that a portion of meat, fish or chicken is 3 ounces, a portion of pasta is ½ a cup or a portion of vegetables is 1 cup.  These are simply reference amounts, not the perfect portions of food that you should eat.  You may need 2 portions to feel satisfied today but only half a portion tomorrow.

Develop skills to eat with confidence

Your measuring cup and food scale can not tell you how much food you need to feel satisfied.  By mindfully measuring the food that you intend to eat, eating and then reflecting, you will learn what the right portions of foods are for you.  You will begin to trust your body’s responses to different kinds and combinations of food.  Collecting this kind of information will make you a more confident eater.

Calorie awareness

The Perfect Portions food scale pictured here also has a very nice feature of telling you how many calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients are in the food.  Calorie awareness is key to confident eating, not so that you count calories, but so that you understand the concept of calorie density.  It’s important that we occasionally have that ah-a moment when we realize how few or how many calories are in our favorite foods.

Counting carbohydrates?

If you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes and are counting calories, this scale is for you.  Used wisely, the data from this food scale will result in dramatically better blood glucose control.

Hey Ladies, Get the Support You Need

December 14, 2011 Exercise, Healthy Gifts, Recipes & Articles No comments

Another barrier to exercise that I commonly I hear from clients, is related to undergarments.  That’s right-sports bras that don’t fit and don’t do what they are supposed to do.  A sports bra is supposed to be comfortable and supportive, allowing you to move freely.  A sports bra should not cut off your circulation or limit your ability to breathe, and you should not requite two bras to get the support you desire.

If any of this is resonating with you, please visit Fleet Feet for a sports bra fitting.  Fleet Feet is super-unique in its commitment to being the premier resource for sports bras.  They carry the largest variety of sports bras and apply their FITLOSOPHY to fitting bras as well as shoes.  Fleet Feet takes the time necessary to find a sports bra that truly fits your body and allows you to exercise as you please, whether it’s running, jumping jacks, playing double dutch, twirling in circles, dancing, or whatever else you can dream up.  You are no longer limited by ill-fitting, non-supportive sports bras.

This may seem like a frivolous thing to those who have not struggled with finding a bra that properly fits. But trust me, I have had clients nearly come to tears when they learn of this service.  If you know someone who may benefit from a sports bra fitting, give them a gift card to Fleet Feet.  You don’t know how liberated they will feel.

Workout in the comfort of your own home

December 12, 2011 Exercise, Healthy Gifts, Recipes & Articles 4 comments

Strength training is essential for a strong body, bones and mind. Doing a full-body workout twice a week is the recommendation for general health and fitness.  It doesn’t take long to strengthen the major muscle groups of your body, 15-20 minutes can get it done, and the pay-off is huge.

What motivates you to lift weights?

The strongest motivator for me to lift weights is strengthening my bones.  When I was in college I did a bone density scan and found out that I had osteopenia (low bone density).  After I had baby Sara, my bone density dropped even more and I was diagnosed with osteoporosis.  When I learned about my “bad” bones, I started lifting weights to protect my bones and I started looking for the cause of my poor bone density. Ultimately, I found out that I have celiac disease.  Not only does uncontrolled celiac disease cause nutrient malabsoprtion, it may also trigger an autoimmune attack on bones.  So now, to boost my bone density I stick to my gluten-free diet and lift weights twice a week.

My bones are what keep me from veering too far away from weight lifting, but it’s the sense of strength and empowerment that makes me really enjoy weight workouts.  I see it in clients too; many people find that lifting weights not only lifts their spirits, but it boosts their body image as well.  

What’s preventing you from doing regular strength training workouts?

Feeling uncomfortable in a gym setting is the most common barrier I hear from my clients.  For those of you that are comfortable in a gym, get there, do it and stay strong.  But if you aren’t getting to the gym, either because you don’t like the gym or because your schedule prevents it, get yourself set-up to lift weights at home.

While you can go to great lengths and detail for your home workout facility, here is the basic equipment you need, with links to Perform Better, an excellent online resource.

  • A yoga mat to lay on (and use for yoga), although if you have carpeting, a towel to lay on the floor will do
  • A few sets of dumbbells and possibly a rack to store them on
  • A stability ball

The next barrier that I often hear, is not knowing how to lift weights safely and effectively.  A few personal training sessions is a super-healthy holiday gift for people new to weight lifting as it is very hard for some people to make this kind of investment in themselves.  Look for someone who is well credentialed and trained in Functional Movement.

Here are some good books and links to online resources for self-learners to find out more about weight training:

Happy lifting!  It’s worth it!

Do You Move Enough?

December 10, 2011 Exercise, Healthy Gifts, Recipes & Articles One comment

Since I returned to work from maternity leave about two months ago, I have been adjusting to a new workout routine.  My loved workouts with the girls in the stroller aren’t possible when I work at 8 am.  I need to workout in the morning before work and I have about 30-45 minutes to squeeze in a workout before the kiddos wake up.  So I am committed to 5 am workouts and my preferred mode of exercise is running.

Then it got dark. And cold. The cold isn’t as bothersome as the darkness; running should be relaxing, not scary.  I kept thinking some crazy person was going to jump out of a dark ally and get me!  So three weeks ago I decided that running outside in the dark simply wasn’t worth it.

For the past three weeks I’ve been thinking, “What can I do, at home, for a good workout?”  I have been piecing it together with a few workout DVD’s and I have maintained my strength training routine with our home-gym equipment.  I am proud of my weight lifting; I haven’t been this consistent in years.  Since Dena was born 5 months ago, I have been doing two weight workouts each week, which is really good for me.  But without running, I am missing a good cardio workout.

Then I saw a new pedometer that I wanted to check out as a healthy holiday gift for my KVOA news show.  Wow, what a  wake up call!

Striiv is a nifty little device that does more than traditional pedometers. It has a touch screen, a built-in interactive game and the ability make donations that will provide clean water to families in South America, polio vaccines, and help save the rainforest, based on the steps you take each day.

A pedometer is a little device that you stick on your waistband and it counts every step that you take. I recommend them as a way to monitor your physical activity and to help motivate you to move more. The goal is to take 10,000 steps per day to reach a level of physical activity that minimizes the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle that lead to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s, etc.

I consider myself an active person, so I was really started by the numbers I saw on the pedometer.  Here they are:

  • Monday, 1,343 steps
  • Tuesday, 4,556 steps
  • Wednesday, 8,273 steps
  • Thursday, 5,552 steps

I have a sedentary job, talking with people about food, nutrition, exercise, mood, and health.  There’s not a lot of moving around when I have a full day of nutrition and food counseling–but I can’t believe how few steps I had on Monday! Tuesday and Wednesday I had some unusual activity at the UofA, organizing our Instructioal Kitchen and touring the Student Union restautrants to improve gluten-free otpions.  And even on those days, I was still below the goal of 10,000 steps.  I was still lifting weights and trying home DVD workouts and I still didn’t reach the goal.

What gives? Is 10,000 steps unachievable? No, it’s not, but I realize now that it takes more than 20 minutes of exercise to make up for the fact that I sit the rest of the day.  I have to figure out how to incorporate more exercise into the wee hours of the morning.

Using Stiiv has reinforced two facts:

1.  Monitoring exercise is essential.  I was really surprised that I have so few steps in my day.  I thought I’d be much closer to 10,000 steps in my everyday life and that other exercise would push me way over the target.  Now I have hard data showing me that I need to move more during my day and that I simply must exercise more during the week.

2.  Focus on your exercise routine, figure out how to get it done and do it.  I’ve been mulling over what to with my exercise routine for three weeks and that’s long enough.  Wearing the pedometer stimulated an overdue conversation with my husband that made me really think about what I need.  To figure out what you need, answer these questions?

  • What kind of exercise do I want to do?
  • When can I exercise? What days of the week? How much time do I have? What’s my “back-up” plan if that doesn’t work?
  • Why is exercise important to me?

To accomplish my exercise goals, I need to find a workout that I can do at home that serves as an alternative to running on workdays.  This is my mission for this weekend:

I am looking for recommendations for DVD’s or other modes of home-exercise.  What do you like? Any favorite workout programs that you can do at home?

What the pedometer has done for me is reinforce how important it is to have planned exercise every day.  I can’t let the weather and darkness stand in my way, and I can’t keep putting it off!  If I can’t do what I normally do, such as running, then I have to find a suitable alternative. And quickly too…seriously, less than 1,500 steps?? I still can’t believe it!

Herb & Spice Blends

December 6, 2011 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Healthy Gifts, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles 3 comments

Absolutely full of beneficial antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, herbs and spices are some of the greatest tools in your healthy kitchen.  Not only do they impart tremendous health benefit to your plate, herbs and spices are scrumptiously flavorful, which encourages you to establish and maintain healthy (and tasty) habits. They are Nature’s way of making healthy taste good.  These herb and spice blends make wonderful gifts that keep on giving, as the recipient is able to sensationalize their foods all year long!

These blends from Eating Well are a tasty package for new chefs and those who have fast-paced lifestyles. You can add a dash of one of these when you are in a pinch and need a simple, delicious meal in minutes.  These are also great for families who are trying to encourage kids to eat veggies and fruits; add a little flavor, and they will come around to roasted broccoli.

Herbs and spices are a great way to personalize the food that you eat.  Use more or less of any of these in the foods that you prepare.  Taste, and adjust to your preferences.

Invest in high quality spices and dried herbs. You want their aromas to be powerful and simply intoxicating.  Mix the blends in a large bowl and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.  Herbs and spices don’t ever go “bad”, but they will lose some of their aromatic and flavor qualities.

Tuscan Spice Blend  Great for pasta, sliced tomatoes, poultry and omelets.  Also good with salmon or lamb.

  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 6 tablespoons dried basil
  • 3 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano

Indian Spice Blend  Great for tofu, chicken breast, legumes or sauteed potatoes. Would also be good in brown rice pilaf with garbanzo beans or in a zucchini omelet.  Toss with broccoli and olive oil and roast in the oven.
  • 6 tablespoons curry powder
  • 3 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger

Caribbean Jerk Blend  Goes well with meat, poultry, and legumes.  Also interesting on griled peaches, pineapple, tomatoes or zucchini.  This blend is from MyRecipes.com
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Spanish Blend  Nice with pork chops, tenderloin or shrimp.  Also brown rice and zucchini.
  • 6 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoons regular paprika
  • 3 tablespoons dried cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground dried lemon peel
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

A beautiful thing about using herbs and spices, is that not only are you making your food look and taste delicious, you are also taking a step towards better health.

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