Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Graces Greek Salad

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This meal makes a great side with any lunch, healthy snack or as a complement to your main meal. Add with pita bread and hummus for a complete meal even picky eaters can enjoy. This recipe serves 4 to 6.

7 oz. feta cheese ( fat-free)
1 bag Romaine lettuce
4 tomatoes cut up
1 cucumber sliced
12-20 Greek black olives
2 Tbs. fresh herb (oregano or basil)

For Dressing:

6 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove crushed
Pinch of pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in large salad bowl.
2. Combine all ingredients for dressing in small bowl pour over salad.

Health Benefits:
High in Vitamins A, C and K, romaine lettuce is a great choice. Tomatoes are full of antioxidants that protect the body against free-radicals. Eating cucumbers can help to lower blood pressure and give your complexion that radiant glow, so definitely include them with your salads. Olives are a great source of Vitamin E, another contributor to healthy skin.

Oh My Aching Back

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Question: What’s the difference between a strain and a sprain?

Answer: A strain is a muscle or tendon injury; a sprain is a ligament injury.

Back strain is when you pull your back muscles.

Simple strains are the most common cause of back pain, especially lower back pain. Muscle strain is often caused by overuse of a muscle or overloading a muscle. When a muscle is stressed beyond its limits, injury occurs.

A muscle strain (or pulled muscle) is an overstretched or torn muscle. With injury comes inflammation, which is part of the healing process. Inflammation causes pain and can also trigger muscle spasms. The severity of a muscle strain can range from mild to severe.

Strained back muscles can occur when the back is overloaded – such as when you lift a child or anything that’s really heavy. If your muscles are weak, they are more easily overloaded and can become injured. While any muscle can be overloaded, building your muscles helps them to become stronger so you don’t get injured when performing everyday tasks.

Poor lifting techniques as well as lifting objects that are too heavy can overload your back and cause strained back muscles. A fall or an accidental twisting of the back can also cause pulled back muscles.

You can strain your back muscles through overuse, too.

Back pain often occurs when a muscle contraction is held too long. Your body is made to move. When you hold one position too long, your back muscles become fatigued and strained. If you keep switching positions you are able to shift the workload to another group of muscles, preventing any one group of  muscles from becoming fatigued.

If you do too many repetitive movements, such as too many reps using weights, you can cause muscle strain from overuse. Increasing back exercises or weights too quickly can also cause back pain due to overuse injuries.

Poor posture is another main cause of back strain. The muscles are forced to work harder in order to support the spine, which leads to fatigue, strain, and back pain.

The lower back is most commonly strained, that’s because the lower back has to support the weight of the upper body, when standing or sitting.

The symptoms of back muscle strain.

Pulled back muscles include symptoms of back pain and muscle weakness and sometimes  back muscle spasms. The back pain may come on suddenly, but usually begin gradually.

The muscles begin to stiffen or spasm to cause you to reduce motion and prevent further injury. Muscle injuries cause inflammation. Inflammation is a part of the healing process, but may trigger muscle spasms. Muscle spasms may bother you for the first couple of days after an injury – when inflammation is at its worst. Though not serious, back muscle spasms can be painful. Inflammation also causes pain. So, that’s why your back aches when you strain your back muscles.

Healing time depends on the severity of the strain. Mild muscle strains usually heal within two weeks. Moderate muscle strains may take six to eight weeks to heal. Consult you physician if pain intensifies or lasts longer than normal.

When you begin rehabilitation, start slowly and increase movements daily. It’s important to get the blood flowing through the muscles, but you don’t want to do anything too fast and cause further injury to your back.

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Fresh and Fruity Spinach Salad

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A great treat anytime of the day. I enjoy it for snack or lunch, you can pair it with a half sandwich of your choice if you desire meat with your meal.

8 cups fresh packed spinach
1 cup strawberry halved
1 cup blueberries
1 11oz. can Mandarin orange section, drained
1 cup of walnuts
2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Tear spinach into bite sized pieces.
2. Toss in strawberries, blueberries and Mandarin oranges.
3. Sprinkle with walnuts and parmesan cheese.

Health Benefits:
Walnuts are a good source of protein as is the parmesan cheese and it’s important to include a serving of protein at every meal. Spinach is iron-rich and an excellent source of Vitamins A, C and K. Low in sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat and sugar. This is an excellent choice for a healthy meal.

Oregano – Theres More To It Than Just The Taste

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If you want to fight infection and help to prevent or prolong the onset of disease in your body, make sure you get plenty of oregano. Often thought of as just an herb to season tomato sauces or other Italian dishes, fresh oregano is a wonderful source of fiber when eaten in larger quantities. The fragrant smell attracts the olfactory glands and causes that mouth-watering sensation of a hungry appetite.

Oregano has anti-bacterial properties that help to fight infection. It is said that Hippocrates, born around 460 BC used oregano on his patients. He may not have known the full nature of infection, but he was aware that eating oregano could prevent it. This benefit is due to the oils thymol and carvacrol found in oregano.

An excellent antioxidant, it can be compared to the benefits found in apples and blueberries. Like spinach and other leafy vegetables, fresh oregano is nutrient and vitamin rich. A good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, manganese and calcium as well as containing omega-3 fatty acids.

Oregano is one of the few herbs in which the flavor is stronger when it is dried rather than fresh. Most commonly associated with Italian dishes, the smell and savory taste of oregano were the main culprits responsible for the pizza craze that hit this country after World War II.

Oregano is usually purchased dried in spice jars at the grocery store. However, some stores sell it fresh. You can also buy seeds or seedlings and grow your own fresh oregano. When storing oregano, put it in a plastic bag filled with air and place in the crisper of the refrigerator. When using fresh oregano, you will probably need to use three times as much as you would of the dried variety to achieve the same intensity of flavor. Other spices that go with oregano are garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, pepper, basil, and dried onions.

There are many recipes that call for oregano, both fresh and dried. If you’re stuck and looking for some new ideas of what to cook for yourself and your family, I’ve got a treasure chest full of healthy meals to share with you. Many of them include oregano and some of the other spices listed above. Just click on the Healthy Cooking category for your choice of recipes. You must be a member of Fitness4Her to get access, so join today. It quick and easy to do, plus it’s free. So join today and cook up a healthy meal with the savory essence of oregano.

When Exercise Becomes A Pain In The Back

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It used to be, if you wanted fab abs, the formula was simple. Do a hundred sit ups and leg lifts. Only problem was that theory resulted in an aching back for some flat ab seekers.

Recent studies have found exercises that build the core muscles help to alleviate back pain and will even help to strengthen you back muscles. They tone the muscles without damaging the spinal disks which as ever so fragile. Plus, core exercises give you a lean, long, appearance like that of a dancer’s body.

There are 29 core muscles in the torso that provide a stable midsection, vital to all of your motions. The core muscles connect the actions between the lower and upper body, as nearly every action you take is transferred across the core muscles. That’s why it is so important that these muscles are strengthened, but done so wisely.

Your center of power lies in your core strength. The best core exercises maintain a neutral spine and most movements occur at the hip rather than the back. You will see quick results when you begin working out with Pilates’ specific exercises.

Another proven method for relieving back pain is fast walking using a vigorous arm swing. If you have back pain, begin by walking on a regular basis. Walking will actually strengthen your core. As you become stronger, step it up by slowly adding jogging, cycling, or elliptical training to your routine.

Seven Ways To Avoid Injury When Exercising:

1. Perform most core exercises on a solid surface.

2. Muscle endurance is more important than muscle strength; muscles must have good endurance before concentrating on core strength.

3. Avoid core training first thing in the morning. You must warm up your muscles, then stretch before putting too much stress on them.

4. When you first begin exercising, learn to handle your own weight resistance before adding any weights to your work out. Adding weights too soon can lead to injury.

5. Aerobic exercise is important for building core muscles and reducing fat, especially around the stomach area.

6. Engage your core muscles when lifting weights or performing total body workouts during exercise or sports to protect your spine.

7. Always use good form when exercising. Bad form causes muscle fatigue, which destabilizes the spine and can lead to injury.

Follow these tips to keep you safe when strengthening your core muscles. You’ll begin to feel the difference as your core becomes stronger. Your range of movement will improve drastically and it won’t be long before you see the visible differences. Fabulous abs, that make you look younger, sexier and better than ever.

Having back pain after exercise?  Tell us and our readers about it in the comment space below: