One more reason to get your ZZZZ's...

Think you are too busy to get those few hours of sleep you are missing out on?  Think again.  Research shows that when we get the proper amount of sleep we are able to make better food choices and turn down food when we are not truly hungry.  


Check out the article here.

Important Weight Loss Tips

Looking to lose a few pounds?  Check out this article by Dominique Adair, a registered dietitian who has helped her clients lose more than 2,000 lbs. combined!  

The six (well really 5) most important weight loss tips EVER!

Say Goodbye to My Pyramid!

The USDA has just announced that the Food Guide Pyramid that we have known for so long is history!  They introduced the new icon, MyPlate, to remind us to choose healthy foods at each meal.  MyPlate shows us  that half our plate should be covered with fruits and vegetables. How many of us actually do that??  A much needed reminder! 


Check it out at choosemyplate.gov.  The website has some great resources including how to plan a menu, tips for grocery shopping, and a food tracker to analyze your food intake.

Skull Crushers

This is a fun exercise to target the back of your arms and butt.  Make sure you squeeze those glutes and don't let your hips drop! 

Click here if you'd like to see a video of how this is done.

Fish Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup corn                                                   
1/4 cup diced red onion                               

1 cup peeled, chopped jicama            

1/2 cup diced red and orange bell pepper                    

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped    

1 lime, zested and juiced 

                                        

 2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tbsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tbsp. salt 

6 (4 oz) tilapia fillets 

several spoonfuls sour cream

10 corn tortillas 

Directions:

• Preheat grill to high heat.
• In a small pan, saute red onions (optional).
• In a separate pan cook corn until slightly blackened.
• In a medium bowl, combine corn, red onion, jicama, red and orange bell pepper, and cilantro.  Stir in lime juice and zest.
• In a small bowl, combine cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt.  Brush each fillet with oil and sprinkle with spices.
• Grill tilapia on each side for 3 minutes.
• Warm the tortillas and top each tortilla with tilapia, sour cream, and corn salsa.

Note: These tacos have a little kick.  If you don't like spicy food don't eliminate the cayenne and black peppers, just add less of each. Also, the jicama might be hard to find, but it's worth the search.  It gives the salsa a nice crunch. I found mine at Sunflower Market.

Side Lunge, Reach, Curl, & Press

Want to work your glutes, quads, biceps, and shoulders all in one exercise?  Here it is...

Start

Finish

 Click here to see a video of how this exercise is done.

Strawberry Summer Salad

Salad:
1 small head of Romaine lettuce
About 5 oz. baby spinach
1 Granny Smith apple
1 Fuji, Gala, or Braeburn apple
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup craisins
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Dressing:
2 tbsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. mustard seed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil


Place all dressing ingredients in jar and mix very well. Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Just before serving toss salad with dressing.  Serves 10-12.


The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup sugar.  Last time I made this I forgot to add the sugar and it was still good, just a little more tangy.  So for a healthier version just omit the sugar!

Core Training

Training your core is a great way to improve balance, posture, and the overall way you move.  And, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a flat tummy? But the core is not just your abs!  The core consists mainly of muscles between your neck and hips--this includes muscles in your back--and others that help protect and move your spine and pelvis.  There are two categories of muscles in the core: the stabilization system and the movement system.

Stabilization

When you build a house you start with a foundation.  Without the foundation the house could not stand.  Think of your stabilization system as the foundation to your house or the muscles that help you to have good posture.  Without it you will be more prone to injury.  Do you have low back pain?  Strengthening your stabilization muscles will take unnecessary pressure off the spine and may help decrease your back pain. 

A great stabilization exercise is the plank.  Now spice it up by doing this.

Movement

These are the muscles you probably think of when you think of core musculature.  Your 6 pack abs are definitely part of this category!  Many people work on these muscles first, ignoring the stabilization muscles.  The body cannot properly use the muscles of the movement system until the stabilization muscles have been trained.

A great movement exercise is the ball back extension with rotation or try this.

Most people tend to focus more on the movement system which can result in injury. Try this core exercise routine out--it has some awesome stabilization exercises!

How Much Water Should I Drink?

The average human being should be drinking about 96 ounces of water per day.  This means you should not wait until you are thirsty to drink! If you are trying to lose weight add 8 ounces extra for every 25 pounds you are overweight.  For example, if I was trying to lose 50 pounds I would drink 112 ounces of water per day.  Why?  Well, drinking water helps the liver to function properly and will actually help your body burn more calories from fat. 


It is also important to consume plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.  Drink 16 ounces of water about 2 hours before you exercise.  Then drink 20-40 ounces of water for every hour of exercise.  If you are exercising for more than an hour you may need a sports drink...but we will discuss that another time.  After exercise drink 20 ounces of water for every pound of body weight lost during exercise.  This should keep your body happy and hydrated!


Other fun facts about water:

• About 60% of your body weight is water.
• If you are on a high protein diet drink lots of water! Protein requires almost 7 times the amount of water it takes to break down and use carbs or fat. 
• When increasing your fiber intake also increase your water intake.  Fiber keeps your digestive system regular but if not consumed with enough water will have quite the opposite effect!

February is American Heart Month

Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer among women 20 years old and older?  
Did you know that heart disease kills more women than the next four leading causes of death combined?
Did you know there are things you can do to prevent heart disease right now so you do not become part of these statistics?

Discover facts like these and more at the American Heart Association's website.  Click the link below to see their 7 simple steps you can take to improve your heart health.

http://mylifecheck.heart.org/Multitab.aspx?NavID=3&CultureCode=en-US