Healthy Recipes from HFA

Healthy dinner ideas are hard to come by... 

                    Try this out!! easy....warm....and ready for the family to eat during our busy evenings. Add on a dark green vegetable and slice up at apple.....done!!

Stop chasing...

           Cardio…….you can’t get

         anywhere chasing a bad diet.

There is one simple truth that I have learned about cardiovascular training. It is this; no matter how hard you run or bike or swim toward your goals, if you are chasing a bad diet at the same time the road will be slow and frustrating.

 I read an old saying this week that said “A man who chases two rabbits, catches neither.”  Top performers in all sports spend just as much time, if not more on their nutrition training as their physical workouts. Weight loss clients consistently make the mistake of thinking that they can spend more time in the gym instead of tracking their food and controlling the impulse to eat without thought.  Diets high in calorically dense foods are not as healthy as diets high in nutritional density, knowing the difference can make or break a program and directly affect the results you get. Forty mile training rides will feel much different when they are preceded by good nutritional choices over fasting or junk food.

                How do you know if you have a bad diet? There are a few ways to tell. Does your diet cut out entire food groups? No fat and No Carb diets have become very popular lately. But there are important reasons that we need these types of calories. Carbohydrates are fuel for the brain, without then we become foggy, slow, and see loss on memory. Fats are directly linked to our hormones which control everything from reproduction to important brain and fat storage receptors (http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/why-science-matters/fats_effect_on_the_brain).

                Do you lose weigh on your plan? Even the smallest amount of weight a week can be encouraging, but if you are not seeing the scale move in a positive direction that can be a motivation killer and encourage more bad food habits if it feels hopeless.

                Is your Diet plan too easy? Does everything you eat come from a package? Some people can eat prepackaged foods and learn what a health portion looks like, while others can’t. When you eventually fall off the plan it can make it increasingly hard to want to start again when the food is uninteresting. Also, what do you do doing those inevitable life events like holidays and a friends birthday party? What have you learned about handling those high pressure moments?

                Does your diet allow you to share time with family and friends? A diet that your family cannot follow will make food preparation twice as tough. Many times in our life we eat because others are hungry. If your office goes to lunch because Sarah is hungry, often you will find yourself eating off your program. These moments with your family and friends are an important to our mental wellbeing and any program should allow for them and prepare you to stay on track while you participate.

                And finally, does your Diet leave you hungry, or grumpy? A nutritional program can be hard, especially if your goal is weight loss. But it should not be torturous. If you find your mood swinging from one extreme to another or just hanging out in the dumps you could be getting too few carbohydrates. You could be feeling denied too many joys. Nutrition experts suggest a small amount of dark chocolate daily as a treat. It will be much easier to fend off binges if you have a few go to treats that are allowed without guilt.  

                If you are not seeing the results your thing you should from the gym, maybe it is time to take a look at what you are putting in the gas tank. We cannot ask great things from our bodies without giving it the building blocks it needs to do the job. 

To find out how to develop a good nutritional plan that compliments your training plan the trainers here at Health and Fitness Academy are always available to help. Contact us at 208-557-2823 or email me at ghouston@mvhospital.net. Make it a great day.

ZZZZZ....BORING!

I’m bored with food and don’t know what to do!

Lately, I’ve felt a little like a child who throws a fit when they don’t want the type of food you are serving them. No! No! No! I don’t want that! It’s not that I don’t like all of the food in my fridge and freezer; I’m just bored with it. It doesn’t sound appealing. It makes me feel like there is nothing to eat because what I have isn’t attractive and cooking definitely isn’t either when I’m already hungry, so then something out to eat sounds better and that’s where I end up. A habit of eating out too often can prove to be disastrous for me if I am not careful and aware.

What is a girl to do?!

I google searched “I’m bored with food”, and an awesome article from www.theculinarylife.com popped up! Perfect!

Here are the top 10 ways they recommend not getting bored with your food:


· 1. Pick up one new thing from the produce section. Sometimes all it takes to unlock a little creativity in your cooking is forcing yourself to try something new. Never tried leeks? Or perhaps there’s a different color of potato that’s caught your eye? Grab it. Cook it.


· 2. Visit the spice aisle. Most of us cook with salt and pepper, but there’s a whole world of flavor out there, just begging to be tasted! Peruse the spice section and pick something you find intriguing. I personally recommend pimentón dulce or herbes de provence. Both are easy to use and tough to screw up.


· 3. Buy fresh ingredients instead of canned or frozen. There’s no shame in buying convenience foods, but you’re missing out on a whole world of yum by eschewing living produce. Consider using fresh basil instead of dry or fresh berries instead of frozen. You might just be surprised what a difference it makes.


· 4. Try the unprocessed version. Yes, rice actually comes in brown. So does sugar. The next time you’re at the store, shake it up a bit by grabbing a different colored variety of something you normally buy.


· 5. Search the internet. Sites like Epicurious let you search by ingredient lists, so the next time you find a motley crew hiding in your crisper, try to use as many different ingredients at once as possible.


· 6. Garnish it. Just like an old jacket with a new pair of shoes, a new garnish can spice up what’s become the same old dish. There’s a bounty of fresh herbs, artisan vinegars, and new cheeses in the world. Go. Try them.


· 7. Buy a new pot or pan. This may seem like a bonehead recommendation, but think about it: new toys are fun! If you buy a spiffy new piece of cookware, you’ll probably enjoy using it… at least more so than the crappy soup pot your mom gave you when you left for college fifteen years ago.


· 8. Pair it with wine. Sometimes a decent bottle of wine is all it takes to brighten a meal. I’m talking $10 decent, not one-month’s-rent decent. Visit your local wine shop, tell the clerk what you’re having for dinner, and plunk down $10-15. Better yet, invite a friend over and share it.


· 9. Cook the same ingredient four times. This may sound odd, but it makes sense. If you take the same ingredient and cook it four or five different ways, you’re being creative on some level, right? And you’ll most likely try something new, right? Sounds like un-boringness to me.


· 10. Cook with a friend. Hello! No-brainer here! Invite someone over for dinner, or have a small dinner party with three or four friends (or coworkers/family if you’re of the socially anxious persuasion). Cooking with other people can liven up a blasé Wednesday night, especially if you task them with bringing part of the meal (read: alcohol).


And guess what?! As I read through the article, I clicked on the “Epicurious” link to learn more and already found a new recipe, that is SIMPLE, to try. I also LOVE spending time with my husband and as long as we are hanging out, he’s up for anything, so I already showed him the recipe that WE (cook with a friend) can make together. It also looks like a great recipe to make in bulk and be able to use at different times of the day throughout the week to mix it up! I’m already a little more excited about food than I was before starting this blog post and I hope these suggestions help light your fire for food again too!


Until next time,
Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1
hearley@mvhospital.net

Tabata Tuesday!

The Tabata Revolution

Tabata training is a high-intensity workout protocol with fitness as well as weight loss benefits. It can also be a very short workout – as short as 4 minutes. Therefore, Tabata training is pretty attractive because it saves time.

A Japanese physician and researcher, Dr. Izumi Tabata, invented Tabata training. His interval based training model includes 20/10 intervals, repeated eight times. The 20/10 interval means 20 seconds of all-out exercise, followed by a 10 second rest. When you repeat that eight times, the total time for the Tabata set adds up to four minutes.

When Dr. Tabata tested out his new type of training for six weeks, he found that the participant’s aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels increased during those six weeks. The anaerobic level was increased by 28% in his participants! 

Although interval training is not a new form of exercise, it has been gaining popularity in the past few years. Interval training was originally designed for running, but this type of interval training can be used for running, cardiovascular training, core training, and/or weight training.

Tabata training is good for helping to raise your metabolism and get your heart rate up immediately. During Tabata, the exercises are performed at a very high intensity; therefore, your body has to work harder to keep up the exercise. This makes the heart work harder and causes your metabolism to jump (which is great if you are wanting to lose fat)! Your metabolism will not only jump during your workout, but will stay high after your workout too. This means your body will burn fat for hours after exercising with this type of intervals.

The options for Tabata workouts are only limited to your imagination. Many exercises and types of equipment can be incorporated into Tabata workouts.

If you are just starting out with Tabata training, start with 4 exercises per Tabata. Here is an example:

1.      Push Ups

2.      Squats

3.      Medicine Ball Slams

4.      Jump Rope

Here’s how you do it. Do 20 seconds of push-ups, then rest for 10 seconds. Do 20 seconds of squats, then rest for 10 seconds. 20 seconds of ball slams, 10 seconds of rest. 20 seconds of jumping rope, 10 seconds of rest. Then, do that whole series again. Completing the series twice will take you 4 minutes. You could do the series up to 8 times for a 16 minute workout. Add in a five to ten minute warm up and cool down and you’ve got a full 30 minute, intense, workout.

Don’t be deceived though – 20 seconds may not sound very difficult, but if you are pushing to the maximum that you can, those 20 seconds will seem like forever, and the 10 second rests will feel like nothing. Be prepared to sweat in a Tabata workout because you will be working hard.

Before beginning a Tabata workout, make sure to warm up well by getting your heart rate up and doing some dynamic stretching to get your body ready for the demands of the workout.  

Benefits of Tabata Training

·         Teaches your body to tolerate lactic acid

·         Increases your threshold for exercising

·         Keep your metabolism running

·         Keeps your body burning fat after your workout

Precautions of Tabata Training

·         Make sure you can do all the exercises properly, and with good form, before ever putting them into a Tabata workout

·         Start slow – start with one Tabata set of 4 minutes, then work your way up

Are you ready to try out some Tabata training? Here are some exercises to try, Tabata style. Remember, you can mix and match and of the exercises. Pick 4, 2, or even just 1 exercise to use in your Tabata cycle.

·         Mountain Climbers

·         Burpees

·         Stair Laps

·         Sprints

·         Squats

·         Deadlift

·         Pull Ups

·         Sit Ups

·         Bench Press

·         Crunches

·         Bicep Curls

·         Triceps Dips

·         Shoulder Press

·         Flies

·         Leg Raises

·         Calf Raises

Whatever exercise you choose, it is wise to choose exercises that use a large number of muscles, or large muscle groups to get the maximum benefit.

Have some fun with your Tabata training and let us over here at HFA know if you create a Tabata set or whole Tabata workout that you just love. We would love to hear about what you created! 

Deep Thoughts by Jennifer

The Path to Something – Whatever That May Be –in a Nutshell

Get excited about something.

Make a decision you want to do that something.

Study out the something.

Create a plan.

Show up!

Move your feet.

Keep a smile on your cute face.                                                         

Fall down.

Get up & dust off.

Move forward…smiling.

Smell a yummy flower.

Stub your toe…Fall down.

Get up & dust off.

Keep climbing…smiling.

Celebrate your wins!

See the amazing sky.

Focus on the finish line.

Fall down…scrape your knee

Feel frustrated…sit longer.

Get up & dust off.

Smile, refocus, keep moving.

Notice growth…even in unexpected ways.

Get lost.

Hmmm…now what?

Back track

Or…maybe explore new path

Fall down!

Bleeding!

Wonder if this something is worth it.

Sit and ponder.

Choose to get back up & dust off.

Smile, Be grateful, move forward.

Know you’re getting closer.

Feel encouraged!

Push a little harder.

Dig a little deeper.

Fall down.

Seriously!!

Curse words!

See others who have fallen and don’t get up.

Choose to drag yourself up & dust off!

Move forward…

Tired, kinda smiling, knowing you still got more in ya.

Second, third or fourth wind arrives                                                              .          

You can see the finish line!

Feel excitement in your whole body!

Stumble…

Stay on your feet…exhausted but strong.

Hear the crowd cheering!

See others smiling!

Smell your success!

Touch your aching body & those who support you.

Taste the blood, sweat and tears of your efforts.

Fall down…in gratitude!

Stay down…savor the moment and the journey.

Give thanks for each time you fell, took courage and made the choice to get up & dust off.

Smile and move forward…

To your next something.                                                        

Until Next Time…Go BE Great, 

                                                      

Jennifer Saunders

BS, Ace Certified Personal Trainer                                                          

Reiki Energy, Life/Success Coach

ButtinGear

                      

         

Fartlek is not a dirty word.

Fartlek

                A Swedish term for “Speed play” used in the Fitness world to describe a type of interval workout. Unlike structured tempo workouts fartleks are far more flexible and fun. After a warm up you play with speed and intensity alternating Moderate-to-hard efforts with easy recoveries for the Duration of your workout. This type of training has become popular amongst cyclists and runners because they have seen great gains from less training time.

            Fartlek training is also good in groups. With more than one participant allow for various speeds and challenges as you challenge others. The goal is to keep it free free-flowing and seamless without watching a clock or following a set plan.

Here are a few Fall Cardio Ideas.

Fartlek for one

            After you warmup for your next walk, run, or ride simply set visible goals for yourself. A street sign, phone pole, or fence are great targets. Simply go hard until you reach it, then slowing down to recover after your target has been hit, then pick a new target. The best part is there is no distance to far or short, it is all up to you. Fartleks also work well on the weight floor. For example create a fartlek using Burpees and Bench press. Follow your set of bench press with burpees through the chorus of your favorite song.

Friendly Competition

            If you would like to take the boring out of your workout, find a few friends and add a fartlek to your group workout. Take turns leading the group in a moderate to high intensity moments then allow the group to recover at a slower pace. Then follow the next leader.

            September is the fartlek challenge. Simply create your own Fartlek workout and submit it to me at ghouston@mvhospital.net. At the end September the HFA team will vote on the most creative Fartlek to receive two weeks of training free.  Enjoy and have a little fun with it!

Can you be comfortable with being uncomfortable?

     I recently was asked to be a speaker and provide a presentation to a large facility in town. I would be speaking a total of 8 hours at 8 different locations and in front of 8 different groups of employees of this facility. Although I have been a speaker and given presentations before, I still was experiencing feelings of anxiety, nervousness, doubt, and inadequacy. Would they understand the material I was presenting? Would I bore them to death and have people fall asleep? Would anyone be motivated by the presentation I was giving? Would they walk out with hope in their heart or feel like it was a waste and an hour of their life they would never get back? Yes, my doubts can run DEEP!

     Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time preparing the presentation and headed off to my first facility. I was definitely nervous but I know this material! It is something I teach on a daily basis. I just kept reminding myself to stay focused on what I know and what I can control and leave the rest in God’s hands. I feel that if I provoked questions and people actually asked them in a presentation, then I did a good job at keeping them engaged. I had at least a handful of questions in the first presentation as well as multiple private questions afterward and follow up emails from a few employees, so overall, I considered it a success! This trend, with each presentation, has continued and I have received wonderful feedback that keeps me fueled and looking forward to the next presentation!

     As I have gone through this process, it continues to remind me of how uncomfortable I was before the presentations started. I had every doubt in the book racing through my mind! It also has made me very aware that I am asking people to step outside of their comfort zone and risk being “uncomfortable” to live the life they want to live. The core message from my presentation is ACTION. Action elicits CHANGE. CHANGE can be uncomfortable. CHANGE is the unknown. CHANGE can be scary. CHANGE can be exciting. ACTION...CHANGE…ACTION…CHANGE! COMFORTABLE…UNCOMFORTABLE…AH!

     So it got me thinking, how do you get comfortable with being uncomfortable? When uncomfortable things come up, what tools or tips can be put in place to make “taking action” easier each time? There are a lot of things that happen in life that place us in uncomfortable situations and how we respond can really make a big difference.

     Here are a few tips from Psychology Today by Pamela Madsen:

     1. Walk, or run outside. Movement in the fresh air can really help ease feelings of anxiety, stress and unease.

     2. Write about it. When I write, blog or journal, it is a tool for me to move through my own uncomfortable feelings. Try it.

     3. Help a friend. Get out of your own story and help someone with theirs! There is nothing like leaving your own uncomfortable feelings alone for a while to support someone else in theirs.

     4. Get on the table, and get a massage. Give a massage. Make love. Moving physical energy is wonderful for helping pass the weather through your body. Get out of your head and into your body.

     5. Give yourself some mantras: "Everything is going to be okay. If it's not Okay it's not Over" is a favorite of mine. Also reminding myself, that I am indeed the solid earth and the weather will pass.

     6. Water in. Water on. Water out. Water is a great mover of energy. Drink lots of it, pee, and take long showers or bathes.

     7. Be in stillness. Meditate and connect to your breath.

     8. Connect to your own spirituality and or religion. If you have a spiritual practice - practice it! Connecting to a higher power can be a beautiful way to find comfort in uncomfortable times.

     If you are going to win your own amazing race, it's all about not letting being uncomfortable make you throw in the towel, not start the race, or give up in the middle.And it is good to know, that whatever you are feeling discomfort about, there is someone else out there in the world, feeling exactly the same thing. We are never really alone in our discomfort. Sometimes just knowing that can make us feel more comfortable!

     I hope this message has resonated with you today and encouraged you to TAKE ACTION although it may be uncomfortable. You will be amazed at what you are capable of and I would LOVE to be the one you share your successes with! Please feel free to comment, post to Facebook, or even email me at hearley@mvhospital.net. Let’s go be great!


Until next time,
Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1
hearley@mvhospital.net