Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Archives for December 2009

Healthy Chicken Recipes

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Chicken is one of my favorite foods to eat. When I was growing up, my mother always insisted on a well balanced diet and enjoyed trying out various healthy chicken recipes. She was always careful when she cooked chicken, making sure it stayed moist and flavorful. I would quickly finish every bite because it tasted so good.

Now that I am a mom with three boys and a husband to feed, I find myself searching the Internet and scouring cookbooks for healthy chicken recipes that I can feed my family. It seems they are always hungry and they happen to be quite fond of chicken too.

My youngest likes oven baked fried chicken, while the other two enjoy grilled chicken avocado sandwiches. My husband prefers my Chicken Parmesan with extra tomatoes. Tomatoes are full of antioxidants and are best eaten with protein for extra health benefits. The girls from the club prefer my Ficarelli Special; a healthy chicken recipe that includes grilled chicken, Bibb lettuce, tomato and goat cheese.

If you are like me, you get tired of the same boring food week after week. Even dining out, I sometimes feel like all the food tastes the same. That is when I decide that it’s time to find something different to make. I don’t always have the ingredients that are called for so I create my own variation of healthy chicken recipes and most turn out delicious. I guess between watching my mother and grandmother cook and getting tips about what tastes good from my boys, I’ve turned out to be a pretty good cook.

I’m a personal trainer, specializing in women’s fitness, so I encourage the women that I work with to eat healthy foods and to always include a protein at every meal. We exchange healthy recipes, healthy dessert recipes and healthy snacks that we share with one another. It’s a fun way to emphasize a healthy lifestyle.

You can find a whole coop full of healthy chicken recipes when you become a member of Fitness4Her. It only takes a few minutes to join. Once you sign up, just look in the category called Healthy Cooking to find nearly 100 recipes, complete with explanations of the health benefits of each entree. These are recipes that I have gathered over the years and that are low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar.

Not only are there delicious recipes available in the Members Only Section, you can learn exercise routines, get advice on weight loss/weight gain and all around fitness tips and tools to help you get started. There are on-going challenges and contests for Members Only and best of all—it’s free to join!

An active lifestyle and what you eat are important to your overall health. As a member of Fitness4Her.com you’ll have access to my exercise program. A combination of strength training and aerobic exercise aimed at keeping your body in optimum shape. Couple that with a diet that is healthy and lean to control weight and increase overall strength.  Here are a few healthy chicken recipes!

Feel free to add your favorite healthy chicken recipes to the comments below!

Exercise routines, healthy chicken recipes and down to earth tips and advice—all free when you join Fitness4Her.com today. So what are you waiting for? Join today.

Fad Diets Are Bad Diets

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Fad diets always exaggerate weight loss results. The truth is losing weight requires work, that is, if you want to keep those extra pounds from coming back.

The latest trendy diets all claim success, but for how long? Chances are they are so low in calories that you will definitely lose weight but when you resume eating regularly, you’ll put that weight right back on.

There are many reasons that fad diets are bad. One of which is because they lack a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Many of these diets shun certain food groups and are just not nutritionally sound. Succumbing to these types of diets sets you up for failure or worse.

When you deprive yourself of a certain food group, you run the risk of nutrient deficiencies. An imbalanced diet can lead to ketosis. Sound scary? It is! This is a condition that causes the body to break down muscle tissue. No! This is the last thing you want to do, as a matter of fact it’s a last ditch effort from your body indicating that trouble is brewing.

Another reason that fad diets don’t have lasting effects is because they are terribly boring. Eating one particular food all day long, completely avoiding certain food groups or having to eat foods in a specific order are lifestyles that few people can adapt forever.

Think about people whom you know or celebrities who have lost weight. Which ones have kept it off? Was it the friend that was on the grapefruit diet or the extremely low fat diet? Was it the celebrity who is endorsing the diet that’s guaranteed to work? More often than not, it is the one who was willing to combine exercise with a balanced diet.

Many of these fad diets are extremely low in calories, no wonder people lose weight from them, but are they depriving themselves of needed nutrients, by eating such a small amount of food? Most importantly, is this a quick fix weight loss or one that will last forever?

The only way to achieve permanent weight loss is to find a diet plan that you can live with. If you love ice cream, fine! Just reduce your calorie intake by portion control or food choices but keep a balanced diet and stick with a regular exercise routine. If you find that you begin to level off or start to gain weight then you may need to re-examine the type and quantity of food that you are eating.

Starting a journal will help you to keep track of your diet and weight loss plan. By writing down your foods and activity each day, you are preparing yourself for a life, free from the worries of weight gain. This method has been proven to work time and time again.

Making smart choices about what you eat, combined with a sound exercise plan can be your ticket to permanent weight loss and a Beautiful body. Stay away from fad diets, they only work for a short while, and winners like you are interested in benefits that last a lifetime.

Tell us about your diet experiences in the comment space below:

Richards Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse

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So sweet and berry-delicious, a delectable dish to complement any meal. Makes enough for 10-12 servings, so everyone can enjoy. A great dessert for ladies’ lunches, family gatherings or small parties.

4 tsp. gelatin
¼ cup water
8 oz. low fat cream cheese
1 cup pureed strawberries
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 large egg whites
¾ cup stevia

Directions
Whisk together gelatin and water, let stand 5 minutes until gelatin blooms, and is completely dissolved. (glue-thick)
By hand, whip cream cheese, strawberries, lemon juice and gelatin mixture until smooth.
With electric mixer, whip egg whites and sugar.
Pour cream cheese mixture into egg whites and gently fold together.
Dish mixture into a pretty dish, looks lovely in a glass trifle.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or for best results refrigerate a few hours.
Serve cold in a chilled wine glass over strawberries, or cut a slit in a strawberry and garnish your glass, it looks pretty and tastes heavenly.

Health Benefits: Low-fat, low-sugar, low-sodium, but still a tasty treat. The strawberries are rich in fiber, potassium and vitamin C while the egg whites give it the protein needed at every meal. Sweeten with stevia, for a no calorie way to enhance this dish. Stevia doesn’t affect your blood glucose levels, either.

Tell us and our readers what you think of this recipe in the comment space below:

The Secret to Clobbering Cankles–Build the Muscle and Burn the Fat

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The big buzzword for this season, a person is said to have cankles if their calf merges with their foot, erasing all sign of ankle definition. Millions of Americans suffer from the dreaded cankle. While the term gets its share of laughs, there is nothing funny about cankles for those who are plagued with them.

Heredity, obesity and even pregnancy can play a big part in whether or not someone is affected by cankles. Mostly associated with overweight individuals with fat ankles, by contrast, a skinny person whose legs are devoid of shape may appear to have disappearing ankle syndrome, too.

Diet can affect the size of cankles. A diet high in sodium can cause you to retain water, causing your legs and ankles to swell. Avoid as much as possible, the amount of processed food that it is in your diet. Develop a habit of eating healthy foods that are low in sodium, calories, sugar and fat.

Drink more water. Consuming at least eight 8 oz glasses of water every day will help move the excess salt and retained fluids from your body. A body that is well hydrated will actually retain less water.

The 2 main muscles in the calves are the gastrocnemius and soleus, sometimes referred to as the twins. Developing these muscles will give you shapely, sexy legs.

Sculpting the shape of the calf can help to make ankles look thinner. This can be accomplished by doing calf raises. Try these easy to do exercises when you are watching television. Stand behind a stationary chair with your hands on the back of the chair for support. Rise up and down on your tiptoes, as if trying to see something on a top shelf. Repeat these 25-30 times until you are able to do 3-5 sets of these. If you are looking for a bigger challenge to this exercise, you can add weights to take it to the next level.

Walking is one of the most beneficial exercises that you can add to your fitness routine. Spiritually uplifting, this low stress activity can improve your overall health and result in significant weight loss. Brisk walking at least 3 times a week for 30 or more minutes will give you the best results. Walking combined with stretching, jumping, lunges, squats and Pilates can also help you clobber those cankles!

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Nectarine No Apple Applesauce

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The nectar of the gods, as one Chinese Emperor hailed the nectarine, it’s fiber rich and full of vitamins. Great as a complement to any meal or enjoy a serving for snack. Adding a small amount of Stevia instead of sugar will sweeten your dish without adding calories.

16 nectarines, stems removed
¼ cup of Stevia to taste

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
3. Cook until applesauce is thick.
4. Serve hot, warm or cold, it’s delicious anytime.

Health Benefits: Nectarines provide a high source of carotenes that are especially beneficial for heart health. This fruit is high in potassium and vitamins A and C. Using the no-calorie stevia to sweeten this dish doesn’t affect blood glucose levels, either.

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