I was perusing cnn.com and found an interesting article, "Caffeinated moms keep up to drink up."
My first reaction to the title was, I totally hear you. But then as I read, I discovered moms are drinking much more caffeine than I had originally thought -- and way more than I drink in a two week time period.
I'm not tooting my own horn here, thinking I'm so grand or healthy or hooray for me. Instead I'm wondering, if they have to ingest that much caffeine to make it through the day, isn't something off here? Shouldn't some part of the day be sacrificed to maintain some of their health (or a moment to catch their breath?)?
The article says, "Caffeine works by suppressing the neurotransmitters in your brain that would normally release nerve impulses that make you tired. This is one reason caffeine is addictive, experts say. People start to depend on the boost of energy it provides. But what effect is that having on your health? Research shows that caffeine can trigger migraines, heartburn, gastrointestinal problems and put women at an increased risk of miscarriage. Caffeine consumption also has an impact on your heart."
Crazy! I know we moms do what we have to do to make it through the day, and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone or saying any mom who drinks any amount of caffeine throughout the day is horrible. I'm only wondering, are we too busy to realize the damage we're doing to our own health?
July 16, 2008
July 14, 2008
Muscle-building Monday
Try it three times this week:
Counter top push-ups
Position yourself to do a push-up by standing at your counter-top (standard height) with your palms on the ridge of the counter, arms straight, feet/legs making a 45 degree angle with the floor. Push yourself up counting 2 seconds, and lower yourself back down to where your chest is less than an inch from the counter top, counting 2 seconds.
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps, resting for 60 seconds between sets.
*If this is too easy, perform regular push-ups on the floor either using bent knees to prop you up or resting on your toes (I hate to phrase it this way but woman-style or man-style.)
Counter top push-ups
Position yourself to do a push-up by standing at your counter-top (standard height) with your palms on the ridge of the counter, arms straight, feet/legs making a 45 degree angle with the floor. Push yourself up counting 2 seconds, and lower yourself back down to where your chest is less than an inch from the counter top, counting 2 seconds.
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps, resting for 60 seconds between sets.
*If this is too easy, perform regular push-ups on the floor either using bent knees to prop you up or resting on your toes (I hate to phrase it this way but woman-style or man-style.)
July 9, 2008
Recipe time
Salad Bar Pasta Salad (Weight Watchers)
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
* 5 oz. whole wheat bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained
* 1 cup shredded carrots
* 1 cup chopped, seeded red or green bell pepper
* 1 cup bean sprouts
* 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
* 1/4 cup crumbled feta
* 1/4 cup sliced green olives
* 2 marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
* 2 Tbsp lemon juice
* 4 tsp olive oil
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
* Several dashes hot red pepper sauce
Instructions
* Toss all the ingredients in a large salad bowl until well-blended.
* Serving size: 1 1/4 cups.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
* 5 oz. whole wheat bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained
* 1 cup shredded carrots
* 1 cup chopped, seeded red or green bell pepper
* 1 cup bean sprouts
* 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
* 1/4 cup crumbled feta
* 1/4 cup sliced green olives
* 2 marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
* 2 Tbsp lemon juice
* 4 tsp olive oil
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
* Several dashes hot red pepper sauce
Instructions
* Toss all the ingredients in a large salad bowl until well-blended.
* Serving size: 1 1/4 cups.
July 8, 2008
Site Highlight
I came across another fitness blog entitled Fit Bottomed Girls. I was intrigued by the name because of the song by Queen, "Fat Bottomed Girls" and I think it's a hilarious song since it's giving props to junk in the trunk. I love to sing it really loud.Fit Bottomed Girls shows you how you can "keep a lid on the junk in the trunk" by providing information on healthy nutrition, exercise suggestions, and fitness related articles.
I've put a link for Fit Bottomed Girls in the "Sites for You" section of my blog in the right hand column (you may have to scroll down a bit depending on where you're reading this post). Go check them out and subscribe to their site!
July 7, 2008
Muscle-building Monday
Try it three times this week:
Overhead shoulder press
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, medium weights in hands, hands and weights at shoulder level (elbows bent), palms facing out. Extend your arms straight above your head (count 2 seconds up) and then lower to starting position (2 seconds down).
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps, resting for 60 seconds between sets.
Enjoy some toned shoulders!
Overhead shoulder press
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, medium weights in hands, hands and weights at shoulder level (elbows bent), palms facing out. Extend your arms straight above your head (count 2 seconds up) and then lower to starting position (2 seconds down).
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps, resting for 60 seconds between sets.
Enjoy some toned shoulders!
July 6, 2008
Holidays
How was your 4th of July? Mine was filled with plenty of outdoor activities and food. Lots of yummy food.
Keeping the balance of all that holidays offer with healthy living can be difficult. But with some careful advanced planning you can enjoy any holiday while sticking to your healthy living routine.
1). Plan your workouts that week to include the day before the holiday and either the day after the holiday or two days after the holiday. Don't stress about working out on the holiday. There's a very good chance that won't happen anyway. Enjoy your day off!
2). Hosting your own holiday party will ensure that you have plenty of healthy food & beverage choices.
3). If you're not hosting but instead attending a holiday party, offer to bring a dish and make it one of your healthy choices.
4). Assuming the host doesn't need any help or you don't want to offer it, eat a meal before attending so you're not hungry enough to eat everything served.
5). Attending a dinner party where #4 won't work? Watch your portion sizes during dinner and drink water during the meal. Eat very little or completely omit spreads and dips like butter, sour cream, gravies, white sauces (like Alfredo), etc. Load up on the veggies and trim the fat off meat.
6). When confronted with a buffet of desserts, pick your top two and decide if they're worth the calories. If they are, eat half of each one and discard the rest. If not, chose one, eat it slowly, and enjoy every bite. Then discard your dessert plate. Don't go back for more! If one dessert is served, again watch your portion size, and savor the yummy goodness. Drinking water after eating something sweet will help get the flavor out of your mouth and deter you from eating more.
In most cases of life planning ahead really does help you avoid pitfalls. Holidays are meant to be enjoyed. Don't dread the holiday celebrations this year and plan ahead to continue to live well!
Keeping the balance of all that holidays offer with healthy living can be difficult. But with some careful advanced planning you can enjoy any holiday while sticking to your healthy living routine.
1). Plan your workouts that week to include the day before the holiday and either the day after the holiday or two days after the holiday. Don't stress about working out on the holiday. There's a very good chance that won't happen anyway. Enjoy your day off!
2). Hosting your own holiday party will ensure that you have plenty of healthy food & beverage choices.
3). If you're not hosting but instead attending a holiday party, offer to bring a dish and make it one of your healthy choices.
4). Assuming the host doesn't need any help or you don't want to offer it, eat a meal before attending so you're not hungry enough to eat everything served.
5). Attending a dinner party where #4 won't work? Watch your portion sizes during dinner and drink water during the meal. Eat very little or completely omit spreads and dips like butter, sour cream, gravies, white sauces (like Alfredo), etc. Load up on the veggies and trim the fat off meat.
6). When confronted with a buffet of desserts, pick your top two and decide if they're worth the calories. If they are, eat half of each one and discard the rest. If not, chose one, eat it slowly, and enjoy every bite. Then discard your dessert plate. Don't go back for more! If one dessert is served, again watch your portion size, and savor the yummy goodness. Drinking water after eating something sweet will help get the flavor out of your mouth and deter you from eating more.
In most cases of life planning ahead really does help you avoid pitfalls. Holidays are meant to be enjoyed. Don't dread the holiday celebrations this year and plan ahead to continue to live well!
July 2, 2008
Recipe time
Frozen Strawberry Layer Cake (Weight Watchers)
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 6 cups)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 tsp table salt
* 12 oz store bought angel food cake, cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 4 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
Instructions
* To make strawberry sauce, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat until the sugar melts and the liquid comes to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash about half the berries against the side of the pan. Cool to room temperature and use immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days.
* Spoon the frozen yogurt into a large bowl and mash it with the back of a wooden spoon until soft and spreadable.
* Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with one third of the cake slices, cutting any slices to fit the shape of the pan. Top with half the frozen yogurt, spreading it to the sides. Spread 2/3 cup strawberry sauce over the frozen yogurt, then top with half the remaining cake slices, again cutting any to fit. Spread the remainder of the frozen yogurt over the cake, top with 2/3 cup strawberry sauce, and finally seal the top with the remaining cake slices. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 6 hours or up to 3 days. Let the cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before unmolding. Slice into 12 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 6 cups)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 tsp table salt
* 12 oz store bought angel food cake, cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 4 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
Instructions
* To make strawberry sauce, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat until the sugar melts and the liquid comes to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash about half the berries against the side of the pan. Cool to room temperature and use immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days.
* Spoon the frozen yogurt into a large bowl and mash it with the back of a wooden spoon until soft and spreadable.
* Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with one third of the cake slices, cutting any slices to fit the shape of the pan. Top with half the frozen yogurt, spreading it to the sides. Spread 2/3 cup strawberry sauce over the frozen yogurt, then top with half the remaining cake slices, again cutting any to fit. Spread the remainder of the frozen yogurt over the cake, top with 2/3 cup strawberry sauce, and finally seal the top with the remaining cake slices. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 6 hours or up to 3 days. Let the cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before unmolding. Slice into 12 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.
June 30, 2008
Muscle-building Monday
Try it three times this week:
Side Squats:
To perform this exercise, stand with your feet together, slight bend in the knees, arms relaxed at your sides. Keep your left foot stationary as you take a side-step with your right foot, so your feet are a little more than shoulder-width apart. Squat down, remembering to not go lower than a 90 degree angle in your knees while keeping your knees over your ankles (in other words, stick your rump out).
Push through your heels to return to your beginning position (feet together). Repeat for your left side, keeping your right foot stationary, and return to beginning position. You just did 2 reps of side squats. Complete 3 sets of 12 reps, resting 1.5 to 2 minutes between sets. If you really want a challenge, hold medium-heavy dumbbells in your hands while performing side squats.
Side Squats:
To perform this exercise, stand with your feet together, slight bend in the knees, arms relaxed at your sides. Keep your left foot stationary as you take a side-step with your right foot, so your feet are a little more than shoulder-width apart. Squat down, remembering to not go lower than a 90 degree angle in your knees while keeping your knees over your ankles (in other words, stick your rump out).
Push through your heels to return to your beginning position (feet together). Repeat for your left side, keeping your right foot stationary, and return to beginning position. You just did 2 reps of side squats. Complete 3 sets of 12 reps, resting 1.5 to 2 minutes between sets. If you really want a challenge, hold medium-heavy dumbbells in your hands while performing side squats.
June 27, 2008
Really gross!!!
I saw this clip on another health promoting site, and I have to wonder, is this real? What do you think???
June 25, 2008
Eight weeks
What were you doing eight weeks ago? Go look at a calendar to remind yourself if you've forgotten.
What are you doing eight weeks from now?
Eight weeks ago you could have started one of my exercise programs, and by today you would have already seen results. So why not start now? Eight weeks from now you'll be really glad you did.
Send me an email at thinkwellactwelllivewell@gmail.com and let me know you want to get started. It'll be the best $20 you've spent this month!
***I design a specific program for you, your abilities, your access to equipment/gym/home gym, keeping in mind your desired results.***
What are you doing eight weeks from now?
Eight weeks ago you could have started one of my exercise programs, and by today you would have already seen results. So why not start now? Eight weeks from now you'll be really glad you did.
Send me an email at thinkwellactwelllivewell@gmail.com and let me know you want to get started. It'll be the best $20 you've spent this month!
***I design a specific program for you, your abilities, your access to equipment/gym/home gym, keeping in mind your desired results.***
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