Healthy Lifestyle While Away

I’m hoping that this week will be full of tips on how to navigate those out of routine times in our journey. Sometimes we are left at the mercy of others when it comes to what we eat. Or we can stick to our commitment and promise to placing Christ First in all areas of our lives, including our body which is God’s Temple. Kirsten and I have already sat at the dinner table at a fried food joint as the rest of the group dined on Brown colored creations. It was difficult to have people wanting you to eat but you can’t. Kirsten and I are very sensitive to the groups needs and we feel odd most of time, but you can make great decisions while away from home. You can sit at the table with others and not eat because nothing is healthy. I’ve done it several times now and I will do it today as well. Kirsten and I will be packing our lunch and we will be cooking our own dinners. Or you can cave to the pressure of others and temptation. Let’s be honest, I love food. It’s like an alcoholic at the bar for me. I see the food and my mind races to figure out how I could eat it. I would love to eat fried foods and still be healthy, unfortunately I can’t do that, I won’t do that, no one should eat this.

I’m not sure how many of you go away and blow off your excersice and healthy living lifestyle. I would argue if you give into the temptation of the unhealthy food around you and you stop working out, it’s not much of a lifestyle for you. Maybe you adjusted your food alittle to lose a few pounds but you still cheat and eat the wrong things. Maybe you cave to the pressure of others, family, friends or those in your traveling group.
My advice, do what pleases the Lord not yourself or those around you. God wants you to be healthy and sometimes the rest of the world gets in the way. Pray and trust that God will provide a way for you to place Him first in your life. I promise you He will, He has for me already.

Walking Krape Park

Have you been to Krape Park lately? Have you ever gone for a walk there and wondered how far you traveled. Click the picture to see a Walk the Park flyer from the park district. Get walking.

My Elliptical

So, a couple of years ago Kirsten and I decided to invest in a commercial grade piece of fitness equipment. Some of you have seen it taking up half my living room. This is another purchase that I was nervous about in the beginning but it has paid off big time. I chose the Elliptical because I needed a piece of equipment that gave me a low to no impact workout. At 455lbs. I wanted to be sure I didn’t injure myself working out. If you’re considering the purchase of a piece of fitness equipment, skip the Wal-Mart sales and order a quality unit from one of these vendors. Your body will thank you for it.

       

   

The Heart Rate Monitor

Some of you have noticed that I’m always looking at my watch during workouts. I do this to make sure I’m working as hard as I should be. My watch is my heart rate monitor. It calculates the intensity of my workouts and tells me precisely how many calories I have burned. Using a heart rate monitor is the best way to see if you are pushing yourself enough during workouts. For those who don’t have a monitor I tell them to push themselves so they sweat.

A heart rate monitor senses and displays your heart rate. Walkers can use heart rate to adjust the intensity of their walk -- speeding up or slowing down to stay in their chosen heart rate zone. Two walkers going the same speed may be in different zones -- one barely working at all, the other near maximum and straining. As your fitness improves, you can walk faster at the same heart rate.

ECG-Accurate Monitors with Chest Strap

The most accurate heart rate monitors use a chest strap which fits snugly around your chest just below the breast. The transmitter detects the electrical activity of your heart just like an ECG. It relays this to a display, usually worn like a wristwatch. Make sure you stay away from the one touch finger pulse options.  

Heart Monitor Features

Basic models display only your heart rate, and perhaps elapsed exercise time. With increasing price you get a variety of useful features such as: Heart rate zone alarm: Set the zone and it alerts you when you are high or low. Timers: Countdown timer, stopwatch, interval timers, clock, alarm. Calories burned. Time in zone, splits. Fitness test. Computer link. Pre-programmed workouts.

Display and Ease of Use

Besides features, shop for how easy it is to use. Can you read the numbers easily? Does it have a backlight for use in low light? Are there so many features that you will have to carry the manual to figure out how to use it each time? Are the buttons well labeled and easy to find and push?

Also be sure to get a unit that will calculate calories burned. Polar makes some of the best heart rate monitors available. Polar Options

When I bought my monitor I bought the best on the market. I new I wanted features and my FT80 has so many. It is my personal trainer. It was the best investment I have made along my weight loss journey. (Along with quality shoes, Precore elliptical, and workout DVDs. More on those in the coming days).

Effects Of Alcohol On Your Weight Loss

If you frequently have a glass of wine with dinner, or a few beers after work, you may wonder about the effects of alcohol on your weight loss. As you diet, each food or beverage you consume has an effect on your weight loss speed. Alcohol is no exception. Alcohol has fat, just as food does. Alcohol can lead to overeating, and the calories in alcoholic beverages are generally consumed in addition to other food and drink. Liquid calories add up quickly, so be aware of the calorie content of your drink. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Drinking an alcoholic beverage from time to time won’t kill your diet, but frequent drinking will. Alcoholic beverages can be just as bad for your diet as that greasy pizza – maybe worse. Liquid calories are typically easier to consume, and drinking your calories can cause them to add up more quickly than you’d think! There are other effects of alcohol on your weight loss as well. Alcohol loosens you up, and helps you relax. It also loosens your dieting resolve. This means that you are less focused on your weight loss goals, and may inadvertently consume more calories than you originally intended. One wing or chip can turn into many, as you become more relaxed about your diet. Consuming large amounts of alcohol can be synonymous with consuming larger amounts of food. Alcoholic beverages are also generally consumed in addition to food. So, if you drink several drinks with a high calorie content, you are probably also eating at the same time. This can lead to taking in a high number of calories in a short amount of time, simply because you are not paying attention to your drinks. You can help slow this process down by drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic beverage. You’ll feel fuller, and in turn you’ll eat and drink less. There are several effects of alcohol on your weight loss. Drinking alcoholic beverages can add calories to your day quickly. Alcohol has a high calorie content, similar to fatty foods. Liquid calories in alcoholic beverages go down easily, but pack a dietary punch. Alcohol can also cause you to eat more than you originally intended. Dieters, drink with care, and be careful how many calories you consume through your drink of choice.

Union Dairy Time

Do you enjoy going to Union Dairy? They serve Cedar Crest ice cream. Click here for the Nutrition Facts info.

Tea Oatmeal Rocks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup oatmeal (I used Coach's Oats)
1 & 1 1/2 cups brewed chai (I used Tazo, but any kind will do)
1/2 mashed banana
1 Splenda packet
almonds, raisins, and pumpkin seeds to garnish

Cooking tip:
I like my oatmeal really creamy, and this cooking tip seems to really do the trick. Combine oatmeal and 1 cup of the chai the night before, bring to a boil for just a quick second, and then turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. In the morning add the other 1/2 cup of chai, mashed banana, Splenda, and finish cooking the oatmeal like you normally would.

Tea oats are heavenly.

  

                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next batch of oats was infused with vanilla & caramel flavored tea (Bigelow brand).

Cooked with:
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 cups tea
2 Splenda packets
1/2 mashed banana (for texture and sweetness)
a few drops of vanilla extract
Topped with:
granola (w/ sunflower seeds, dried coconut and raisins)
strawberries

Garden Chicken Burger with Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

1 Tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 mL) hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp (30 mL) each honey and rice wine vinegar
2 tsp (10 mL) each fish sauce and low-sodium soy sauce
1 pound (450 g) ground chicken (or turkey)
1/2 cup (125 mL) oats
1/2 cup (125 mL) each chopped onion, red bell pepper, zucchini
2 Tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Whole wheat hamburger buns

To make sauce, heat oil in a skillet; add shallots and garlic and cook until soft. Add hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and soy sauce and cook until thickened. Set aside.

In a bowl combine chicken, oats, onion, red pepper, zucchini, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and mix gently. Shape into patties about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 165 F (74 C). Serve on buns topped with hoisin mixture. Makes 4 to 6 patties.

Nutrition facts per burger, sauce, and bun: 424 calories; 24 g protein; 12 g fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 57 g carbohydrate; 7 g fibre; 910 mg sodium.

Big Bad Buzz on Vitamins

You work hard to maximize your health. Are supplements working against you?

They’re good for you. They’re a waste of money. Good for you. A waste. Good. Waste. Good. Waste. And so it goes—50 years of medical opinion on dietary supplements. Perhaps we should be consoled that scientists are inching their way toward the “truth,” but the ping-ponging of expert advice has left consumers in a predictable state: whiplashed and utterly confused. Read more…