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Every day, we are faced with choices. Beef or chicken? Paper or plastic? McDonald's or Wendy's for lunch? Collapse on the couch or do some quick exercises? How do you choose? How do you know you are making the right choice? I know, it can be tough. But there are some things you can do to help yourself out. The first is to plan ahead. What? Plan ahead? How can that help? Planning lets your choice be a wise and informed one, instead of "oh, wow, I only have 30 minutes for lunch and I still have to stop at the store! I only have time to drive through and grab...something...on my way. What if you had thought about this the night before - or better yet when you did the grocery shopping - would that have made a difference? Sure it would! And you know it, but heck you're way too busy to worry about that. Stop right there. You are never too busy to think of yourself. Take a moment and pick out a few things you know that are good for you and that you enjoy. Cut up some veggies...
This week we are all trying to cut out the crap that we find hiding in our diets right? well I have a product for you :) If you really like flavored water, but have found that the kind you like contains things that are... less than desirable... I found that Aquafina Flavor Splash has absolutely nothing scary in it. It is 0 calories, 0 carbs. It contains Filtered Water, Natural Flavors and a few other ingredients to protect flavor and freshness. Another thing that I've been doing that's been pretty cool is completely cutting bread out of my diet (even the gluten free kind). 1 out of 3 Americans are gluten intolerant and/or celiacs. (more information on the disease @ http://www.celiac.org/cd-main.php). Everyone in my family has this and it ranges from a stuffy nose to gluten actually eating a hole in a family members stomach. eek right? Anyway. Instead of bread I've been wrapping sandwiches, tacos and anything that would usually contain gluten and other bread like products. Who...
post coutesy of SparkPeople.com New SparkTeam for Kids Health -- By Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer Turn on the news any night of the week, and you're likely to see a story about one of the many discouraging trends that contribute to the prevalence of overweight and obese children. As a result, parents, teachers, and other mentors have been looking for ways to get their kids off of the couch and playing outside, and persuade their teens to reach for an apple instead of a candy bar. SparkPeople.com wants to help you find solutions to keeping your kids healthy and active. With almost 1 million parents visiting SparkPeople each month, we're uniquely qualified to work with our members to tackle this problem head on! Kids can learn from the healthy habits you are adopting on SparkPeople, and your choices can end up impacting the health of your entire family! To tackle the childhood obesity epidemic, we've started a Kids Health SparkTeam for parents, teachers and everyone...
One of the favorite places for our family to eat is Ponderosa; second on the list is probably The Golden Corral. For those of you not familiar with these places, they are "family buffets". You know, the "all you can stuff in your face" kind of restaurant. When you're a teenage boy it's a GREAT place for dinner. However, when you're a mom trying to keep things under control, they can be a dangerous place for dinner - unlimited everything, including dessert, and you don't have to cook! But, if you're trying to eat right and you find yourself facing mountains of mashed potatoes, piles of perfectly prepared fried chicken, tons of tasty - oh, sorry, got carried away there - facing an huge choice of high calorie foods there is something you can do. Start with a salad. Big deal, you say? It is. Fill your plate with lettuce. I mean FILL it. Lettuce is mainly water, hardly any calories worth mentioning. Add some other veggies - carrot and celery sticks, mushrooms...
The School Lunch Dilemma To Buy or To Pack? -- By Liza Barnes, Health Educator Its lunchtime at the office and you’re hungry. Your morning has been stressful, and your co-workers are pooling their money for some fried take-out from the local burger joint. You decline their invitation (even though comfort food sounds particularly comforting right now), and instead sit down with the healthy lunch you brought from home, complete with whole grains, lean proteins, raw vegetables, and lots of water. You know you have an afternoon full of meetings, phone calls, and errands, and the fiber and vitamins will carry you through your to-do list valiantly. Congratulations, you made a responsible adult decision, which will benefit your energy levels and probably your long-term health. Do you think you would have made the same decision in the lunch line in the third grade? Kids in school face complicated lunchtime decisions on a daily basis. The decision to buy or to pack is only the beginning. On the...
Cardio Tunes! Get Your Body Movin' -- By Liz Noelcke, Staff Writer “My uptown girl! You know I’m in love with an uptown girl!” As these lyrics pump through your headphones, it’s easy to forget that while Billy Joel sings to you, you’re actually running on the treadmill. This is the power of music during a workout. While Billy’s girl is looking for a “downtown man,” you’re busy burning calories as the minutes just fly by… Music can be an important addition to your workout routine, something that can make a good workout great. Often, if you are concentrating on music, you can workout at a higher intensity than normal. Tunes can distract you from mild pain and muscle fatigue, allowing you to push your body harder. Just like it is important to customize your workout routine, it is also beneficial to tailor your musical choices to fit your tastes. If you are lucky enough to enjoy the music played in your gym, then it isn’t any extra effort to enjoy this source of motivation. If, however...
Thou shalt not force, bribe or coerce thy child to eat. Thou shalt set a good example by eating at least five fruits and vegetables, three whole grain products, and three dairy servings per day thyself. Thou shalt make mealtimes pleasant. Thou shalt encourage thy child to help in meal planning, preparation, and cleanup. Thou shalt back off when mealtime becomes a power struggle. Thou shalt accept food "binges" as phases that will eventually pass. Thou shalt accept the fact that thy child is an individual and thus will dislike certain foods (and there may be many!). Thou shalt not give up on introducing thy child to new foods. Thou shalt realize it sometimes takes ten tries to get a child to accept a food. Thou shalt use this division of responsibility for eating: As the parent, thou art responsible for deciding when and what to serve. Thy child is responsible for deciding how much (if any) will be eaten. Thou shalt give thy child a multivitamin-mineral supplement if he is a picky...
Most experts recommend that you exercise up to 90 minutes most days of the week, emphasizing that you gradually work your way up to that duration. However, a recent study conducted at Boston Sports Clubs found that participants who exercised for 20-30 minutes did so more consistently than those involved in 45-60 minute workout sessions. This study shows that you're more likely to stick to a shorter duration workout than a longer one. Action Sparked: If you and your family members are having trouble staying consistent with exercise, try a shorter workout session. Tell yourself that you'll exercise for 10 or 15 minutes, and follow through with it. Of course 10 minutes of exercise is better than totally skipping a workout. But, once you've hit that small goal (whether it's 5, 10, or 20 minutes), ask yourself if you could keep going. You may find that planning on a short workout is enough to get everyone to the gym (or park, trail, etc.), and once you're there, you can...
A new study published by the University of California at Berkeley shows that women who practice yoga have better body images and less disordered eating patterns than women who take part in traditional aerobic exercises. Study participants filled out surveys about the type of exercise they performed, how often, and their feelings about their bodies. Action Sparked: This particular study didn't put women into different exercise groups, so researchers can't be sure whether women who already felt good about their bodies tended to steer towards yoga, or if the yoga itself helped improve body image. However, yoga, a mind-body exercise, allows practitioners to tune into their bodies, emphasizing their strengths and abilities, not their size or appearance. This focused practice is also a great stress-reliever. Yoga could help many individuals (not exclusively women) focus on the positives of their bodies, thus improving how you feel about your body, while helping improve flexibility, strength...
It's Sunday night and, like millions of workers across the land, you're once again rummaging through a cluttered refrigerator looking for something appetizing to pack in tomorrow's work and school lunches. Or worse, it's Monday morning, and you're grabbing whatever you can find--often predictable and boring, and not necessarily nutritious. If this sounds like you, perk up! With just a bit of planning, you can pack a lunch with both nutrition and pizzazz. Try these tips to make your family's lunches-to-go filling and fun: Pick a variety of foods. Include items with fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and crackers. Try to incorporate foods from at least three of the four major food groups: dairy, protein, fruits and vegetables, and bread and grains. Choose healthier alternatives as much as possible. Go for less processed foods, which are lower in sodium, fat, and sugar. For example, a fresh apple is better than apple juice or apple pie; a turkey sandwich...
Everyone likes a pat on the back every once in a while. And there’s no better time to get one than when you’re out of your comfort zone, challenging yourself to improve, nervous about whether you can succeed. Most people approach weight loss from a position of "pain". They constantly nag themselves, berate themselves and expect nothing but perfection, no matter how much progress is made. Tools of the trade are guilt, doubt, shame and self-flogging. Instead of celebrating the 24 pounds they’ve lost, they see the 6 they still haven’t lost. Sound familiar? To people used to beating themselves up, it may seem like the best way to get motivated. But consider this: if you attempted to motivate an employee like that, how long do you think they’d stick around? How successful would they be? Let’s do it differently this time. Try to approach your weight loss from a position of "possibilities" instead. Find ways to use regular rewards to pat yourself on the back and give a word...
Refresh Your Treadmill Workout Is there anything more boring than the treadmill? After endless hours staring at the same wall, anyone would start to wonder if that's all there is to exercise. But it doesn't have to be that way. By shaking it up and loading your workout with variety, you can rediscover the fun of a good treadmill workout. The first thing to remember is that any workout is and can be what you make it. The opportunity to go all out or to barely break a sweat is completely up to you. With that being said, even though the treadmill might be an uneventful and boring thought to most, you have the ability to make it fun and challenging. Change up the pace If you always walk at the same speed for the same amount of time, your body will get used to the routine and you might not see the long-term affects that you desire. Keep in mind that the body responds to changes in pace and sparks your metabolism accordingly. You can begin by trying a pyramid scheme. For example: walk...
Can you explain to me in simple terms the concept of "burning more calories than you consume" in order to lose weight? If I'm eating 1400 calories a day, but only burning 500 a day exercising, how can this be making progress? It sounds like you’re referring to a "calories in vs. calories out" type of equation. One pound of fat is made up of roughly 3,500 extra calories. To lose 1 pound of fat, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the calories burned by your body on "idle". This is the minimum amount of energy needed by the body at rest in the fasting state. This includes the body functions such as circulation, breathing, generating body heat, transmitting messages to the brain, cellular metabolism, and the production of body chemicals. A simple way to determine your BMR is using the basic "rule of ten". Multiply your weight by the number 10 and this is your BMR. For example a person weighing 150 pounds...
SparkPeople Sponsors help keep the site free! --> When you think about “fitness classes,” what images come to mind? Do you picture skinny people (leg warmers included) jumping around and kicking their legs to loud music? Although that might have been the case 10 or 20 years ago, the latest trends in classes focus on the mind-body experience, and helping people of all ability levels. If you considered taking fitness classes at your gym, you probably picked up the schedule, only to find a list of unfamiliar and confusing classes. Spinning? BOSU? What does it all mean and how do you decide which class is right for you? Here’s a guide to some of the most popular classes and how you might benefit from them. Spinning/Group Cycling Spinning is an intense cardio workout on a specially designed stationary bike. A certified instructor leads the class, indicating when to adjust your speed and resistance level (making it easier or harder to pedal). Spinning classes are typically set to music and use...
Some babies are sensitive to certain foods. Therefore, when introducing a new food to your baby, offer one new food at a time. Wait 3-5 days before offering the next new food. During this time, watch for the following reactions: rash, wheezing, diarrhea, or projectile vomiting. If you notice a reaction, inform your health care provider, and do not feed your baby that food until she is one year old. Most babies outgrow these reactions once their digestive and immune systems mature. Before the age of 1, it is best to avoid foods that often cause food sensitivities, especially if there are food allergies in your family. These foods include: Strawberries Fish and shellfish Peanut butter and nut butters Peanuts, tree nuts, and seeds Tomatoes Egg whites Chocolate Citrus fruits and juices (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, kiwi, pineapple) Wheat (before 6 months) Honey (the bacteria in honey can make a baby very sick) Although any child can develop a food allergy, the risk is higher in allergic...
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