Blog Feed: the woRD on fitness...Incorporating nutrition and fitness into your everyday, healthy life!

Do you ever get frustrated that the preschool where you send your children serves cheeze-its and pretzels for snack every day? Does it ever bother you that after baseball and soccer games, your kids are given snack cakes and fruit punch? In the Mar

A Better Way to Buy Produce

Published on 2013-02-28 14:34:00

Recently, I joined a produce co-op in my area and I just keep asking myself why I didn't do it sooner! It helps that a friend of mine was already involved in one, so she got me the contact information to get started. Every other week I drop off a l

Deep Water Running

Published on 2012-12-30 13:09:00

As any runner knows, being injured is extremely frustrating! If you are looking to keep your fitness up in a time of recovery, try deep water running (DWR). DWR can be used as a way to maintain your aerobic fitness or to supplement a regular traini

Don't Forget To Give Back To Yourself

Published on 2012-12-13 14:58:00

When you are thinking about which charity to donate your time to this holiday season, consider adding yourself to the list. I agree that giving your time to help others is noble and important, which is why you MUST take care of yourself. You've hea

Slow and Steady

Published on 2012-11-15 14:16:00

The horn blows and we all take off running! Everyone is pumped and adrenaline is flowing. Soon, many people will "hit the wall" and begin to slow down for the remainder of the marathon. How do we avoid this problem? There are many solutions, but

Empty Promises for Calorie Burn

Published on 2012-10-10 14:04:00

After my run today, I was stretching near the group exercise room at my gym. I noticed a couple of signs advertising an aerobics class and a weight lifting class. On those signs were estimations of calories that can be burned in those classes. I know there is no way that I would burn the amount of calories listed and many other people wouldn't burn that many either. I also can't help but laugh when I hear instructors yell out that we just burned 1000 calories in a class that lasted 45 minute [..]

Liebster Award

Published on 2012-10-09 19:15:00

I want to thank Busy-Dad-E over at www.busy-dad-e.blogspot.com for honoring my blog with the Liebster Blog Award. Apparently this award is given to up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers. What a fun day for the woRD on fitness!With this fun little award comes rules. Here they are:1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.2. Answer the questions the awarder has given you, the awardee.3. You, now the awarder, choose 11 questions for your nominees who are now the awardees.4. [..]

Sugar, Fat, and Salt....addictive? How do we stop overeating?

Published on 2012-09-22 12:06:00

I just finished reading David A. Kessler, MD's book The end of overeating. It was definitely an interesting read and I recommend it as some food for thought.For about the first half of the book, Kessler talked a lot about the enticing nature of processed foods and restaurant meals due to their overuse of sugar, fat and salt. He discussed several research studies that really showed just how enticing those foods are. I want to be careful not to use the word "addictive" because there is quite a [..]

Dietary Confusion

Published on 2012-09-09 18:47:00

Meat will kill you, milk gives you cancer, all sugar is bad, bread is evil, fruit is nature's candy, carbohydrates make you obese, and any dietary fat will give you a heart attack. What do you get when you add all of these so-called truths together? You get a diet of exclusively non-starchy vegetables. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel hungry and frail just thinking about it. Throughout my career I have encountered hundreds people who fully believe one of the dietary comments li [..]

How to make "intuitive eating" work for your children

Published on 2012-09-01 07:37:00

In my last post, I briefly discussed Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. and Elyse Resch, M.S., R.D., F.A.D.A, C.E.D.R.D. Many people may be wondering how that applies to children, especially as so many children battle obesity. Making the intuitive eating process work for children is covered in this well-written book; however, I also recommend Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, CICSW, BCD. While there are many great guidelines in Intuitive Eati [..]

Warning: Diets are Toxic to Your Health

Published on 2012-08-26 12:43:00

You have probably heard the saying that "diets don't work". Well, it is true. Research shows that people who chronically diet tend to continue gaining weight over the years. Diets can, and often do, result in weight loss. However, the weight loss from these diets is typically short lived as they are too restrictive and cumbersome to stick with for any length of time. Many of us in the nutrition and fitness industry throw around the term "lifestyle change" as a way to explain that the change [..]

Exercise Makes You Happy!

Published on 2012-08-08 18:43:00

Exercise is medicine. I believe that a large amount of disease (mental and physical) and other ailments would decrease in our country if more movement and less sitting were going on. The impact of exercise on depression has been examined by many researchers and results look pretty promising. Exercise appears to improve depression more quickly than medication alone and decrease relapses. Some researchers even believe that medication can be decreased or discharged from some patients' medical p [..]

A New Favorite Snack

Published on 2012-07-29 20:38:00

I recently bought Chobani's Champion Greek Yogurt for kids in the "very berry" flavor. The yogurt came as a 4-pack, so I had one container for each of my children and an extra for me! I sliced fresh strawberries and mixed it in each container. What a delicious snack! Each container had about 100 calories and was low in fat and sugar compared to many other yogurts. I would definitely recommend this as a great snack for children or adults.Of course Chobani yogurt is expensive, but I bought it [..]

The Latest On High Fructose Corn Syrup

Published on 2012-07-15 19:16:00

I recently attended a webinar that examined high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and its impact on weight gain, high blood sugar, high blood lipid levels, high uric acid levels, and increased blood pressure. The conclusion from the three health professionals was that we ultimately cannot blame HFCS for the previously stated health issues.While I was working on my degree in nutrition, I was taught that HFCS was a bad ingredient in foods and that it should be avoided. Naturally, that has been my thin [..]

Caffeine and Athletic Performance

Published on 2012-06-27 19:03:00

Scientists have been studying the effect of caffeine on athletic performance for quite some time. Based on the evidence that exists, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) currently reports that 3 to 9 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight can improve endurance athletic performance (lasting up to 2 hours) and short-term, intense exercise (lasting about 5 minutes). Example: Body weight = 150 lbs150 lbs / 2.2 = 68.2 kgs68.2kgs X 3 mg caffeine = 204.668.2kgs X 9 mg caffeine [..]

A Hidden Danger For Runners...

Published on 2012-06-19 14:12:00

You're outdoors on a nice day getting exercise. What could be bad about that? While you're doing your body "good" by running, you may be ruining the appearance of your skin and putting yourself in danger for skin cancer. Of course, anyone who participates in outdoor sports is at risk for this. This summer, and ALWAYS, make a commitment to wear sunscreen when you run outdoors. Remember that ultraviolet rays are still busy damaging your skin even on cloudy days. In fact, I got the worst burn [..]

Glutamine for Endurance Athletes

Published on 2012-06-10 12:33:00

Glutamine is an amino acid that has gained popularity among endurance athletes as an important post-workout nutrient. (Amino acids are the building blocks of protein). Many athletes take supplements or consume sports drinks that contain glutamine in order to improve immune function.Glutamine is an important fuel for immune cells and is typically decreased in the body after endurance exercise. Immune function is known to be lowered after endurance exercise as well, so the idea that supplementi [..]

Fiber Update

Published on 2012-06-05 18:06:00

Someone recently requested information on the importance of fiber. I did briefly address this in a previous blog; however, I'll do a little update on that today. Currently, the recommendations are 38 grams of fiber for most adult males and 25 grams of fiber for most adult females. Check this out for a more detailed breakdown. I have found with clients, it is quite difficult for men to reach that lofty goal of 38 grams daily. I recommend that you just try, try, and try some more! Even if yo [..]

Avoid the Fat Trap

Published on 2012-05-29 13:07:00

A friend of mine asked me what I thought of an article by the Poliquin Editorial Staff. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't usually give brief answers. :) I thought this article brought up some great talking points, so I am answering her in a blog post!Great points:* While exercise will still be beneficial in many ways, it is true that you can't negate a poor diet with exercise. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. * There is research that supports the id [..]

The Little Things Count

Published on 2012-05-21 12:52:00

Many times I hear people say they want to lose weight, get healthy, lower their cholesterol, and fit into their clothes. For some reason, it seems like people often forget that each and every decision they make about food and activity contributes to their success or failure. When we're baking in the kitchen, those licks of the spoon and cookie crumbs don't count. We keep making excuses instead of following through on that daily exercise. We focus on the prize, but fail to make the little dec [..]

Coconut Oil: Beneficial or Just a Fad?

Published on 2012-05-14 19:55:00

And so it begins, another trendy weight loss tool, or is it?Coconut oil has recently gained popularity as a tool to improve heart health, thyroid function, the rate of metabolism, and immune funtion. Just one teaspoon of this oil contains a whopping 12 grams of saturated fat, which is the type of fat that is known to be converted into cholesterol in the body. Just because of that one detail, I was immediately skeptical of this new fad. After doing a little bit of research on this topic, it se [..]

Summer Vegetable Salad

Published on 2012-05-10 18:45:00

1 tomato1 avocado1 yellow pepper1 green pepper2 carrots2 Tbsp olive oil1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar2 Tbsp chopped fresh basilChop first four vegetables and mix together. Add carrot shavings, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil. Stir and enjoy!This recipe really is just a jumping off point. You could add any vegetables that you have sitting in your refrigerator or take away and vegetables that aren't your favorite. Also, you could experiment with different herbs. This is easy, delicious, [..]

Strawberry Avocado Wraps

Published on 2012-05-07 17:00:00

1 pound cooked chicken sliced in small strips5 8" whole wheat tortillas3 cups fresh strawberries hulled2 tsp raspberry vinegar2 tsp Splenda2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint1 avocado sliced in stripsPreheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop the strawberries. I used the Pampered Chef Food Chopper, but you could also just use a knife. The strawberries should be soupy but still somewhat chunky. Stir in raspberry vinegar, Splenda, and mint. In the center of each tortilla place about 3 ounces of chicken and top [..]

Easy Mango Salsa Over Salmon

Published on 2012-05-01 18:20:00

1 Mango, chopped1/2 Red onion, chopped1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro1 Tbsp minced fresh mint1 Tbsp lime juice16oz Wild SalmonMix all ingredients. Grill, bake, or pan-fry salmon. Top with salsa.Notes: Why wild salmon? It has a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids than farm-raised salmon.Think this recipe sounds expensive? Buy mango when it is on sale! Also, buy several pounds of wild salmon when it is on sale and freeze it. During the off season, you can find frozen wild salmon in many grocer [..]

The China Study Part V (and FINAL): Politics and Your Plate

Published on 2012-04-23 18:23:00

Yes, this is the FINAL post about The China Study. I am mainly hitting on this section for good measure because I really don't have much to say about it. The last part of the book mainly focused on all of the organizations that make nutrition guidelines for us. Campbell picked apart the politics of these organizations and made his case that these organizations are really driven by money, not by giving recommendations that truly benefit us. To be honest, I am quite deficient in my knowledge o [..]

There's Spinach In My Pizza?

Published on 2012-04-01 11:43:00

Sorry there haven't been too many posts lately! March has been a busy month and April looks like it will be the same. Hopefully I'll be able to post more in May. However, here is another tid-bit until then:Last night we made home-made pizza, a favorite treat in our home. I pureed some spinach in our food processor and mixed it in with the tomato sauce. Everyone seemed to enjoy their pizza just the same, except for one of my boys who was a little under the weather. The pizza tasted just the [..]

Refreshing Smoothie Review

Published on 2012-03-29 13:28:00

Head over to Busy-Dad-E's blog to see a review of the refreshing smoothie!

Refreshing Smoothie

Published on 2012-03-22 16:40:00

I have been hearing a lot about these green smoothies. I finally decided to give it a try because I know I can always use more vegetables in my diet. I wasn't too excited about it, but it wasn't terrible either. I used kale which just doesn't give a nice smooth texture. I tried something different today and it was delicious, but it turned out more like a purple color! Two out of three kids in my house loved it too! Here is my recipe:1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries1 cup of fresh or fro [..]

Finding Motivation to Exercise

Published on 2012-02-27 18:31:00

Finding motivation to exercise is a struggle for many people. It can really be difficult to get an exercise routine started and it can be even more difficult to continue on a regular basis. We all want to look good in our favorite pair of jeans and feel confident in our own skin, so that may be a motivating factor to start putting one foot in front of the other. However, people who stick with exercise usually find deeper motivating factors. Looking fit could just be a nice side effect! Here [..]

The China Study Part IV: A Sham

Published on 2012-02-19 12:35:00

I have been putting this off partly because my entire family has been sick (no time to spare!) and partly because I think I am growing a little tired of this topic! Another reason I have been putting this post off is because I just really don't know where to start when trying to really review the "meat" of this book (no pun intended). There is so much to cover. The more I discover about the actual study done in China (3), the more I realize that the book, The China Study, is a total sham. Mi [..]

Running: A Social Sport

Published on 2012-02-09 18:24:00

I'm not quite done with The China Study yet, but I thought we could all use a little break! While I was out doing a long training run for the marathon I'm getting ready for, I thought about something someone said about running once. Someone told me that running really isn't a social sport, and that's probably why she never liked it. Running can definitely be a sport of solitude. It can be a time of reflection, prayer, stress relief, and thought. I have used running for these things many tim [..]

The China Study Part III: Animal Protein, Good or Bad?

Published on 2012-01-29 17:13:00

Atkins, South Beach, Sugar Busters, and the list goes on. Fad diets will probably always surround us and continue to confuse the general public. Unfortunately, it seems that Campbell is planting the seed for another fad with The China Study (1). Don't get me wrong, as I said in the last post, Campbell is completely right that we need more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diet. We also need less refined foods and meat. However, is there really truth to the claim that all animal pr [..]

The China Study Part II: Where We Agree

Published on 2012-01-23 18:44:00

Campbell seems to have a passion for disease prevention, public health, and eating well. I share these same passions and this is where we can certainly agree. This post will mostly be about where Campbell and I agree. An undeniable truth that Campbell discusses in The China Study is the fact that diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are too rampant and something needs to be done. Lifestyle is a huge factor that impacts disease risk. Unfortunately, many people and some health [..]

The China Study Part I: Is Drinking Milk Damaging Your Health?

Published on 2012-01-15 18:54:00

After completing The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD, I decided to discuss it over a few posts (1). Honestly, I feel like I could write a book about this book, but I will try to just hit the major highlights. The first topic I would like to write about concerns the question, "Are milk and other dairy products harmful to your health?" Campbell hits this topic hard and fast in The China Study as he explains that milk products cause cancer. Throughout the boo [..]

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: My Thoughts and Opinions

Published on 2012-01-02 13:06:00

I recently read Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.'s book called Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell with Thomas M. Campbell II is next on my reading list; however, in retrospect, I realize that I should have read it first. Esselstyn's book is primarily centered on his study, involving 24 subjects, and Campbell's epidemiological study in China. There are several points that I really can't begin to discuss until I read Campbell's book, but I'll do my best to r [..]

Jicama

Published on 2011-12-19 14:52:00

In an effort to try new fruits and vegetables, I recently made a Mexican salad that contained jicama. Before making the salad, I had never tried the Mexican potato, jicama. I am happy to report that the salad was quite tasty and the jicama really added a nice little crunch. Jicama, as I mentioned, is a Mexican potato found in the produce aisle of the grocery store. Unfortunately, it is quite expensive. All you have to do is peel the jicama and slice it up. There is no cooking necessary! Ji [..]

A Few Snack or Breakfast Ideas

Published on 2011-12-12 17:21:00

Although my children love fruit, yogurt, and oatmeal, they don't seem to like chunks of fruit in their yogurt or oatmeal. Recently it occurred to me that I could puree the fruit! So here are a few snack/breakfast/lunch ideas that I have tried out on my children. They seem to enjoy them! The three ideas below are healthy, have no added sugar (of course there are is natural sugar in fruit and yogurt), are filling, and great sources of fiber and nutrients.1. Thaw frozen blueberries and strawberries [..]

Lasting Changes, Lasting Weight Loss

Published on 2011-11-30 18:08:00

Some people think that it is hard to lose weight. According to the research, it really isn't out of reach. Most people, if they put a little effort into it, can lose weight just fine. The hard part is keeping the weight off. Why is it so hard? There are probably a lot of reasons, but I would say the biggest issue is that people do not make lifestyle changes. By that, I mean that most people make changes to lose weight and don't see those changes as permanent. Folks, you have to make perma [..]

Don't Forget your Fruits and Vegetables

Published on 2011-11-25 17:35:00

If you have ever tried to lose weight but felt like you were hungry all the time and unable to eat much volume of food, this post may be for you. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Yes, it really can be that simple. Most Americans get far too few fruits and vegetables in their diet. Because fruits and vegetables are low in calories but provide a lot of bulk in your stomach, they can really help to keep your hands out of the cookie jar. Or...at least lower the occurrences of your hand entering t [..]

My Struggle to Breastfeed My Twins

Published on 2011-10-02 13:56:00

It was a Wednesday morning, the day I would meet my two new babies. I couldn't wait to hold them and snuggle. As soon as my girl and boy were born, I got to see them for just a minute before they were taken to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). They were born just a few days before I reached 37 weeks gestation, so I wasn't really expecting that to happen. I came prepared with signs to go in the babies' bassinets notifying nurses that they were not to receive any formula, so I asked my husb [..]

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Blog Feed: the woRD on fitness...Incorporating nutrition and fitness into your everyday, healthy life!

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