What are you going to do this winter?

My friend, Melody, sent me this cartoon. I'd love to say that it really is me. But it is not. I do not like winter or being outside in the cold. But cycling is my main activity. So what am I going to do this winter? How are you doing to get motivated to move this winter?

Try something new

We (my husband and I) joined 24/7 and so far it is okay. We have only made it there at 5:30 am one time. Oh, when that alarm goes off at 5:15 am it is absolutely shocking to my system. And, honestly, that whole workout seemed like a dream because it was dark when we went and dark when we came home. We are still working on a daily schedule. But mornings do seem to work better because we are so tired in the evenings. It does help to have someone who also wants to go. So find a workout buddy who helps to keep you be accountable to whatever activity you choose.

Add simple extras

When you are at home add a few extras into your daily routine. For example, if you have stairs turn around and climb them again before reaching your destination. If you did, this every time you went up and down you would add a little extra movement and good steps to your day. It is recommended we walk 10,000 steps every day. Have you ever worn a step counter to see how you do? On an average day I walk 3,000 steps and I am in and out of my office. On a busier day I walk around 5,000 steps. So to hit 10,000 steps you need to take an extra lap during the day often, run the steps a few times before you hit the shower in the morning, or walk a few laps around the interior of your house. See if a co-worker will walk with you during your lunch hour or right after work. Many schools allow walkers during certain times of the day for free.

You could also do some simple 10 minute exercises like back leg kicks while cooking dinner or lunges while watching the news. While at your desk sit up straight and tense your abs. You will know you are doing it correctly if you can still talk and breathe while tensing.

All of these things will add to your regular workout routine.

Be creative and get moving!

Tips for watching fat and sodium

Most people consume more than the recommended amounts of fat and sodium in their diets. On a daily basis we require 65 grams or less of fat and no more than 2300 miligrams of sodium. Here are tips to help with fat and sodium consumption:
· Canned foods add a lot of sodium. Wherever possible, you should try to find canned foods without added salt. This includes soups, broths, canned tomatoes, canned beans and canned vegetables. At the very least these products should be rinsed before use. The difference in outcome in sodium when freshly boiled beans, versus canned beans, were used was 941 mg sodium versus 176 mg for one recipe!!!
· Cheese adds a lot of saturated fat and sodium. To keep a recipe within the latest guidelines by the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization, you should never use more than a half tablespoon of cheese per person. If you are looking to add flavor, consider ground black pepper or dried oregano. Cut way back on the amount of cheese that you use.
· Bread adds a lot of sodium. To keep most sandwiches from going way over the recommendations for sodium intake, limit all sandwiches to one slice of bread per person. You definitely need to have a variety of whole grains such as cooked brown rice and oatmeal in your diet to obtain enough fiber without getting too much sodium. There are low-sodium breads by Ezekiel bakery, but you may have to go to a whole foods market to find them. Some are available at Hy-Vee.
· Deli meats add a lot of sodium. Everyone knows they should try to eat lean when it comes to meat and poultry. But I bet they don’t realize how much sodium is in the deli turkey they are eating, even when it is “reduced sodium.” When this ingredient is put on bread with a tiny amount of light mayonnaise, the sodium goes to more than half a day’s supply. Fresh cooked chicken or tuna without added salt are great alternatives.
· Beans and lentils add a lot of fiber. The fiber appears so high on those recipes.
· Vegetables make the serving size of dishes a lot larger for the calories they contain. Salads, soups and stir-fry dishes that have a lot of vegetables always seem to have huge portions for the calories they contain as compared to other recipes.
· Oil and margarine really add a lot of fat. Oil and margarine are fat, of course, so this should not seem like a surprise. But you really have to be stingy when using them. It is easy to get carried away because you want something to fry nice or taste good. I tried to limit the amount of fat used in a recipe to 1/2 or 1 teaspoon per person. Here are ways to help you use less fat:
· Use a spray container of oil for cooking and baking.
· Choose a cruet with a shaker top to sprinkle oil on salads.
· Measure oil; don’t pour.
· Cut oil in baked goods by half and substitute with unsweetened applesauce.
· Use light margarine where possible. This usually doesn’t work for baked goods but is fine for spreads and cooking.
Source: Nutrition and Health Communications

Need help?

I was reminded of a website today that might help some of you with your fitness goals. Check out www.nutritiondata.com !

Having an organized kitchen

Being organized in the kitchen can save time, money, waste, and stress. The tips below will help you create a clean, organized work space.

Organize your storage space
Alphabetizing your spices might be going a little too far and cause you stress trying to keep them in order especially if you don't live alone! However, grouping like items is really necessary. Keep your canned goods together. Keep your snack foods together, etc.

Create specialized work areas
Even if you have a tiny kitchen, carve out specific areas where you know you will take care of certain tasks such as mixing, cutting, and rolling. If you do something more than once a week, set up a special spot for that area and store all of the things that you use for that process close by. For example, if you are a baker, store all of your baking staples and tools near ample counter space so that you have room to mix and roll your favorite biscuits.

Have the right equipment
Garage sales are a great place to find items like bakeware or food processors to help stock your kitchen with equipment.

Hang a chalkboard or a small white board in your kitchen
Use the board. Get into the habit of marking down grocery lists, ingredients for recipes, or a weekly menu.

Check all of the food in your refrigerator and freezer before each shopping trip
Check expiration dates and confirm what staples you need to re-stock. Use things that will spoil within the next few days and make sure to use them in your meals before they spoil. Date everything you place in the freezer. Even butter, fruit juice, frozen meats, casseroles or frozen vegetables can go bad. Use the food that has been in the freezer for the longest time.

Plan your week
Look at your schedule and figure out how much time you are going to have for dinner each night. Spend 15 minutes on the weekend planning and making sure you have everything you need. Put the list of meals on the frig to let your family know what you will be eating for the week.

Prepare batches of cut/diced foods and freeze for use in your upcoming menus
Chop fresh parsley, onions, peppers and carrots and freeze them for later use. This will also cut down on waste and spoilage if the items don't get used in time. Fresh herbs can be chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Place desired amount in each cube and fill with water. It is easy to add the fresh herbs to a recipe by dropping in one ice cube.

Cook on the weekends if you can and/or double or triple recipes that freeze well
Most soups freeze well. Make a large batch and save half in the freezer for a quick dinner later on. Lasagna and spaghetti sauce also freeze well. Watch upcoming posts for those recipes.

Make sure your kitchen is clean before beginning to cook
This will save time and insure keeping food born illnesses at bay, too.

Read your recipe through twice before starting to cook
Especially when you are using a new recipe. Better yet, learn to cook without using a recipe using simple techniques for great taste. Keep reading this blog for more of those techniques as they will be in future posts.

Have tips of your own? Please feel free to comment on this post and add them!

Setting your New Year's Goals

The ever popular New Year resolution season is here. Many of us set goals and let them quickly fizzle within a few weeks. How do you keep your resolutions? What are some good resolutions to make? How do you make a really good resolution?

Goal setting can be an invaluable tool for success in life. However, many people don't know how to set and follow a goal. A good goal has three components.

1) A good goal is measurable and specific.
2) A good goal is reasonable.
3) A good goal is written down in an obvious place for review and reminder.

Many people say things like "I'm going to exercise more". This is not measurable or specific. What does more mean? The questions how often and how long need to be answered. I also hear people set goals like "I'm going to exercise two hours everyday". This is possibly unreasonable. Time, family, job, and necessity all need to be considered when setting an exercise and/or nutrition goal.

A really good beginning goal might be: I will walk on the treadmill 30 minutes at least every other day and if time allows every day.

Or if you are trying to eat healthier maybe one nutrition goal every few days is good. Sometimes we try to do it all at once and it becomes overwhelming. So decide to stop eating sugar and then a week later decide to start eating one more cup of fruits or vegetables a day. Conquer one specific goal and then add in another one. Before you know it you will be fit and healthy!

Remember everyone's body is different. Everyone needs to decide what works best for them. Use a sticky note on the fridge to help you remember your goals. But also journaling about your goals will document your progress. Once you conquer your goal and throw away your sticky note, you will have a journal entry to review. It is always rewarding to go back and see all of your accomplishments!

Keeping it real during the holidays

I'm sure many of you are lamenting all of the holiday foods you have already eaten at Thanksgiving and through December. How do you enjoy the holidays without being too extreme one way or the other?

My general rule is everything in moderation. In other words, don't eat the entire box of chocolate covered cherries (something I only enjoy at Christmas) in one sitting! I'm sure each of us have our favorite holiday treats and foods. But they are no fun to eat when you beat yourself up for even enjoying a taste. And if you indulge too much, the misery in "stuffed-dom" that you feel is also no fun. So enjoy some holiday treats and tastes and think about the following:

1. Don't go to a holiday party or dinner extremely hungry. Sometimes people think they are going to wait to enjoy all of the holiday treats. And, then because they are too hungry, they find themselves overconsuming.

2. Do have a taste of everything you want. If you find something you particularly enjoy, have another taste. If you find something you don't like, don't finish it! It's okay to leave it on your plate.

3. Don't tell everyone you can't eat because it's not on your diet. Obviously, if you are diabetic you can't or shouldn't eat sugar. I have been to parties before where someone, usually a woman, didn't eat anything because they couldn't or shouldn't. Whatever! If you take the time to go to the party, be prepared to be a gracious guest. Take a small plate. Take a couple of bites and say nothing. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. No one will notice. They will notice a few months down the road when you look fabulous. And they will also notice a few months down the road if you don't look fabulous (I thought she said she was watching what she ate?). Not eating at a holiday party is not normal or acceptable.

4. Do spread your calories out over the course of the day. You will never become hungry and find you actually eat less. Each time you eat try to consume 400-500 calories. If you eat five or six times that is 1800-2000 calories which is a normal amount needed for an average person who exercises 30 minutes per day.

5. Do find time to exercise during the holiday season. It will not only help you keep from putting on holiday pounds it will also help reduce stress while keeping you in shape. You may not gain any weight during the holidays but you can become out of shape with no exercise.

6. Do remember that alcohol adds lots of calories. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram which is very close to 9 calories per gram in fat. So choose carefully. Wine can have half the amount of calories of beer or a sweet mixed drink. A margarita tops the calorie chart with the highest amount at 175 calories for an average size.

7. Do remember to eat before you indulge in an alcoholic drink or just enjoy the drink with or after your meal. This can have a huge impact on the food choices you make.

8. Don't skip the sweets. Try a taste. If you have really been watching what you eat and are afraid you will blow it, don't take a whole piece of anything. Only put a bite of what you would like to taste on your plate. If you take the whole piece, you might find the urge to resist too tempting.

9. Do share. If you are eating out during the holiday season, possibly try and share a meal. If you are shopping and eating out quickly, decide what you are going to eat and what is reasonable and put it aside. Throw the rest away at the beginning of the meal so you are not tempted to overeat. Portion sizes at restaurants are very large and usually more than we need at one meal.

10. Do remember to slow down and eat slowly. During the holiday season we are so rushed for time. If you eat slowly, you will feel full before you overeat. You are better off eating a little something slowly and then eating again a couple of hours later.

These are some tips that have helped me through the holidays. If you have a bad day, know that one bad day won't ruin your plans. However, if you have lots of bad days...like the whole month of December...you will have some back-tracking to do with your healthy eating and exercise.

Happy Holidays! Enjoy!

Hot chocolate for one..or many

We have officially entered cold weather and our first winter storm is on it's way! There is nothing better than a warm cup of hot chocolate. Try this cheap and healthier version:

If you have a tea kettle, put water on to boil.

In a large mug:

1 rounded tsp. of baking cocoa (make sure to look for the store brand which is cheaper than Hershey's)
3 rounded tsp. of sugar
dash salt (opt.)
1/2 c. of powdered milk

Add boiling water. All of these amounts can be adjusted to taste or size of mug. You can add creamer or half and half for a creamier version. Add it like you would to coffee. For an extra touch, top with a dollop of marshmallow creme or a Peeps winter mint marshmallow star or snowman.

You may also stir the first 3 ingredients together with a little warm water to make a syrup, add milk, and heat in the microwave.

Cocoa, powdered milk, sugar, and salt are staples that are easy to keep on hand and use for many quick recipes.