Did you know??

    Believe it or not, as little as 15 minutes of exercise per day can be enough to help you reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 14%, and add 3 years to your life expectancy!  Why isn't that info all over the news and magazines??  Anyhow, research studies have been published proving that short bouts of exercise, even with modest efforts, can yield substantial rewards.  You no longer need to feel like your gym workouts need to be over an hour to help you stay fit and healthy ..just get moving!  Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk up the escalator, park further away, it's these little things that add up, and either help us or hurt us. 

*Be Active, Live Life.*

Wow, Wegmans!

    Earlier this week I made my way over to Northborough to check out Wegmans, a new supermarket that puts a whole new meaning to what a supermarket is and can be.  Wegmans has raised the bar when it comes to better quality products, a crazy abundance of choice, restaurant quality prepared foods, great customer service and beautiful displays.  I must admit, it is a bit overwhelming because of the size and amount of variety..so go in with a list if you want to do your grocery shopping.  Otherwise, I fully encourage all foodies and anyone else that appreciates good food to make the trip, walk around, have some lunch and enjoy what this new market has to offer.  This is more than a supermarket, it's an experience. 

Check out the website for more information:
Wegmans

Food Additives: Do you know what you're eating?

  These days, far too many food manufacturers are cramming harmful additives into the foods we eat each day.  Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance it's appearance and taste, some are of natural origin, such as, pickling or salting, and others of artificial origin.  The problem with many of these artificial, and some natural, additives are the side effects they cause when ingested, being linked with cancer, digestive problems, neurological conditions, heart disease, obesity, and more!

Be proactive about your health, look at food labels, if the ingredients list is a large paragraph full of words you can barely pronounce you may want to think twice.  Products that are especially guilty of this are low-fat/no-fat processed foods.  If they are taking the fat out.....then what are they putting in it's place??  
Know what you're eating! 

Just for curiosities sake - Calorie Calculator

    Ever wonder how many calories you burn during certain activities?  Click on the link below to see what your energy expenditure is when you do anything from sitting to karate!

Physical Activity Calorie Calculator

Let food be fun!

  On my grocery list for last week were ingredients to make turkey tacos.  After making them I still had a lot of leftovers, so to prevent meal boredom I recreated my turkey tacos into baked tostadas, and they were super yummy!  Here's how I did it.....
   
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Place your tortillas on the baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
Bake for approx. 5 mins. or until crisp, and golden brown.
Once cool, spread on guacamole, layer on top the seasoned ground turkey, iceberg lettuce, and garnish with salsa.

 Baked Tostada

Baked and seasoned flour tortilla with guacamole, taco seasoned ground turkey, iceberg lettuce, and homemade tomato-serrano salsa.

Mexican kitchen must have's...

    To always have on hand - Tortillas or tortilla chips, mexican spices (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, salt), fresh garlic.
     Ingredients to pick up - Meat (mine being ground turkey but can be anything you want), tomatoes, onion, avocado, limes, cilantro, peppers (depending on heat preferences you can choose anything from a bell pepper to a habenero)

Is salt really so bad?

    There are many mixed messages when it comes to the effect salt has on the body in accordance to how much we consume.  Salt is essential for health in small amounts, so here's the skinny on how much and what kinds of salt are best.

1. Sea salt:  Derived from the evaporation of sea water, this salt is usually unrefined, and contains natural traces of minerals found in the sea.  
2. Kosher salt:  Refers to flake salt, and is so named because it can be used to prepare meat according to Jewish dietary guidelines.  Both kosher and sea salt are favorites in the kitchen.
3. Table salt:  Comes from salt mines, is refined and, in most cases, iodized.  Tends to be a favorite for bakers because of it's fine grain.

As for which is best...
   Due to being in it's most natural state, sea salt seems to be the most health conscious choice, although, still be aware of consumption amount.  
   Regardless of which you choose, remember that the current recommendation is to limit daily intake of sodium to no more than 2,300 mg, or 1,500mg for people with hypertension, African Americans and adults 51 or older.

Eataly: They cook what they sell and they sell what they cook.

    The secret to quality life?  Quality products.

Enter a world dedicated to quality: that means quality food, quality drink and ultimately quality time.

   Eataly, one of the highlights from my NYC trip, challenges the idea that quality products, good eating and shopping are only accessible to a select few, when it's actually a right that we all have.  Everything that this market place encompasses fits with my belief that quality products are at the core of health and well-being.

"Good food brings all of us together."

"We believe that one of the greatest sources of joy is what happens around a dinner table."

 

 "Here, you won’t just discover what you love, you’ll also learn about what you love."

"When you demand quality products, you support the local farmers, fishermen, butchers, bakers, and cheesemakers who produce them. You create a better environment—for eating and beyond."

Cured meats and Cheeses.

Freshly baked breads.

Mozzarella made right in front of your eyes.

Delicious meals.

Every corner of Eataly New York shares a commitment to community, environment and local food traditions, the principals of Slow Food. 

Be proactive about your health.  Check out the website to get all the info and make sure to visit next time your in New York!

Eataly in NYC

Fake sugar can trick you into weight gain.

Thirsty or hungry and trying to stay thin? Then grab a diet soda or artificially sweetened dessert. It has no calories, so it's ok. Or is it??

Image via Wikipedia
As a nation we have been exposed to chemical sweeteners for forty years and not one scientific study has shown any association between sugar substitute and weight loss. Instead, researchers are now discovering that artificial sweeteners may actually cause weight gain.

What artificial sugars do in the body..

When consumed, they convince the brain that they're real sugar, so in response the body releases insulin to help metabolize the sugar. Well, there is no sugar for the insulin to metabolize, so the excess insulin will then perform its other bodily task which is to signal the body to store fat.


Ditch the artificial sweeteners and opt for the real stuff.

Relax to improve fitness

Today was an exhausting day! Awake by 5am...at work for 6am sharp...and I didn't stop going until I got home at 4pm. I wanted to get in a workout...but I was too exhausted to even think about it. So what do I do when I feel like this??? I either try to push past it...or I stretch.

Stretching and flexibility work are outrageously underrated. It feels good and is so good for you. On days that I can't get into the gym or I'm feeling way to tired to workout, I know that stretching will get me up, get my blood circulating, and help me relax.

I love FitTv, it is just so convenient! Whenever I am in a mood like today I turn on this channel to help me out. Sixty minutes of "All Star Workout - Stretch Fusion" and I am feeling great.
I encourage everyone to check out the show schedule online so you know when certain shows are on...or if you have comcast cable you can get exercise videos on-demand.

If you don't want to do an entire workout video..take ten minutes out of your day and do a few stretches that you already know and are comfortable with.

Bottom Line.....
No excuses! If you don't want to workout hard because you are tired, don't have enough time, or just don't feel like it, at least stretch. It is very low intensity work which means the benefits far out weigh the amount of energy it takes to do it. You will truly feel great afterward.

High FACT Diets

It is so hard to know who or what to listen to when it comes to weight loss and nutritional advice. One source says one thing, while another is saying the complete opposite...how do we get it straight?

What it really comes down to is we need to listen to OURSELVES. What a scary, confusing concept to actually trust our own body's to tell us when we are full and done eating.

"Animals instinctively know what to eat. So do we. We just don't know that we know this." - Marc David

Inside our gastrointestinal tract we have over one hundred million nerve cells (that's more than in the spinal cord!) that send messages up to the brain informing it of what nutrients it needs to eat and how to metabolize them.

This means that the gut-brain tells the head-brain what it wants...but most of us don't pay attention to this.

Try tuning into your gut-brain and see if you can eat to the point of energy instead of to the point of full. Leave your meal before you are filled with food. You may still feel a little hungry, but use that hunger and desire for more food into the next thing you do after your meal.

Upset stomach, heartburn, stress-induced digestive shutdown, feeling tired, sluggish, unfocused, and heavy are all symptoms that can be associated with eating to the point of full. Feel lighter, more focused, and more energized if you eat to the point of energy instead. In turn, it can lead to a lower caloric intake and weight loss, simply by being more aware of what and how much we are eating.

Stop listening to others and listen to yourself, because no one knows what you need more than you.

*Live, eat, and believe in yourself*

Bored with the same old routine?

Image via WikipediaA common mistake made by many is going to the gym and doing the same exercise routine day in and day out. There are a couple reasons why this is undesirable when you are trying to avoid boredom and fitness plateaus.

1. Switching up your workouts adds more excitement and prevents the onset of boredom and increases the rate of adherence with a fitness program.

2. Many of the body's physiological systems ( ie. muscular system) adapts to an exercise program after about 6 to 8 weeks. If you don't modify your workout routine you will reach a plateau due to your body's adaptation to the repetitive training stimulus.

So how do you change things up?? Here are a few ideas...

1. Change the intensity of your workouts. Ex. If you jog, try running. If you walk, try walking at an incline. Also try incorporating intervals.

2. Try cross training. Don't hold yourself down to only one piece of cardio equipment while working out, try others that are offered at your gym, or try exercising outdoors.

3. For strength training, try switching the order in which you perform your exercises.

4. Use different strength training equipment. Ex. Dumbbells, cable crossover equipment, elastic bands, medicine balls, and calisthenics.

5. Incorporate balance - the use of stability balls, BOSU balls, and balance boards helps challenge your body in new ways.

*Goodluck breaking through boredom and fitness plateaus!*

Related articles

• Workout Mistake - Are You Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again? (dailymuscle.com)