Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Healthy Chicken Parmesan

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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp fat-free parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried garlic powder
Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp parsley
4 Tbsp bread crumbs

Directions
1. Combine all dry ingredients and mix together.
2. Coat chicken breasts with olive oil.
3. Pat chicken breasts on each side with mixture.
4. Spray baking pan and place chicken breasts on pan.
5. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
6. Serve with whole wheat pasta and fresh tomato sauce or your favorite vegetables.

Health Benefits
An excellent source of protein, but low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar. This recipe is ideal for any women’s fitness program and can be enhanced with other healthy accompaniments.

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Sensational Salmon Oriental

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A quick dinner to make that puts a smile on everyone’s face. Salmon has so many health benefits that I often order it when we dine out. This Oriental take on one of my favorite fish dishes is so yummy, that everyone always wants seconds. While many people like to use brown sugar on salmon, the orange juice and ginger adds flavor without masking the true taste of the salmon. Makes 4 servings.

1 lb Salmon
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp of frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp dried ginger
Pepper to taste
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Arrange fish in lightly sprayed baking dish.
2. Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
3. Drizzle mixture over fish.
4. Let marinate for 30 minutes in refrigerator.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Place fish in oven and bake for 30 minutes until golden and flaky.
7. Serve over rice and mixed veggies.

Health Benefits
Salmon is a great source of protein and is high in omega 3 fatty acids. Easily digestible, salmon is an excellent choice for women’s fitness and health plans that target cardiovascular benefits. Salmon improves vision and helps to prevent non-fatal strokes and lower blood pressure. It is also known to stabilize sugar levels and improve brain function. Eat healthy and be pretty and smart, too

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What You Need to Know About Osteoporosis

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Osteoporosis is a condition that can strike you without warning. It can silently sneak up on you throughout the years, and you may not know until later in the disease when simply picking up the vacuum cleaner causes your bones to fracture.

Osteoporosis means “porous bones,” and it is a serious and painful disease that causes your bones to thin and become weak and brittle over time. There are little to no symptoms early in the disease, which is why it’s so important as you get older to really make sure you are caring for your bones and body. Symptoms begin presenting themselves later in the disease in the form of bone pain and tenderness, lower back pain or neck pain, fractures with little impact, a stooped posture, and a loss in height.

There are many factors that come into play when it comes to your risk of getting osteoporosis. The disease affects women twice as much as it affects men and it tends to affect Caucasian and Southeast Asian women more than any other race. Obviously the older you get or if osteoporosis is in your family will also increase your risks of getting the disease. Even bad habits like smoking and caffeinated soda consumption has been linked as causes as well.

All of this might seem like a grim diagnosis, but it’s never too late to begin fighting this disease. The first step in the fight against osteoporosis is prevention, and one of the easiest things you can to do is to make sure you get plenty of calcium and Vitamin D. Why Vitamin D? Because your bones can’t absorb calcium without it! The Mayo Clinic suggests you get at least 1,000 mg of calcium a day and 800 IU of Vitamin D a day.

Also, it’s time to kick any bad habits you might have. Smoking and excess alcohol consumption can wear done your bones eventually. Also, cut back on the caffeine as studies have shown too much caffeine has a negative effect on your bones as well.

Adjust your diet. Eat dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. Drink low fat milk and eat low fat cheeses and yogurts. Any kind of canned fish like salmon and sardines will also help. Also add soy into your diet. The estrogens found in soy have been shown to help maintain bone density.

And finally, exercise! Building up strong bones starts with a healthy exercise routine. The best exercise for your bones will combine aerobics such as jogging with a weight lifting routine.

Osteoporosis is a difficult disease to live with, but by working on strengthening your bones now, you can help avoid having to ever deal with this painful disease.

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Ladies Dont Forget May Is Fitness Month

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The month of May is observed as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Organizations and individuals have joined in the “fitness fun” to promote awareness of the value of physical activity and how it relates to happier, healthier and more productive lives. To encourage this important mission, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports reached out to both public and private organizations to form the Presidential Fitness Partners in May.

Fitness4Her has joined the fun and is encouraging women to make a Pledge to enjoy a healthier lifestyle through physical fitness. Exercise is a vital part of a successful fitness program and it helps women to build muscle and burn fat. Physical activity strengthens the heart and offers a wealth of health benefits that last a lifetime.

May Is The Month To Begin
With everything to gain and nothing to lose, now is the time to get serious about your health and your body. Why not join the council’s efforts this month and make a commitment to physical activity and sports? You can take the first step to fitness by making a pledge for health to change your life today.

Over 100,000 people, just like you have posted a pledge and we are just waiting for you to join in. Experience the reality of other’s testimonials as you read their inspirational stories. Make your pledge and watch the interactive map when your pledge pops up from your state. It’s fun but best of all; it’s a wonderful way to improve your life while inspiring others to make healthy changes too.

Already Fit?
If you are one of those women who already know the joy of fitness, you can still make a pledge today. Motivate others with helpful tips about exercise and activities that have worked for you. Make a pledge to take your fitness routine to the next level. Share your success story and encourage others. Spread the word and you can spread the inspiration. Make your health pledge now!

Calcium: Strong Bones Are Just the Beginning

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Most of us, when we were younger, were told to drink our milk so we would have strong bones and grow up tall. While it’s true that calcium is crucial in the diets of adolescent women and plays a big role in developing strong bones and teeth, its role in our health doesn’t stop there.

Calcium is currently being called the “miracle” mineral because of its proven ability to help control and prevent a number of conditions that can affect us when we’re older. Not only does it help prevent bone loss in women who suffer from osteoporosis, but it can protect against potential strokes, depression due to premenstrual symptoms, and certain types of cancer. Calcium can also help control and lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

Calcium is essential in a healthy pregnancy because of its ability to promote bone growth in the fetus and improve bone mass in the mother. During the last two trimesters of pregnancy and if you are breastfeeding, your body will absorb more calcium from the food you eat, which might make it necessary to include a calcium supplement to your diet.

For dieting women, it’s crucial to get the required daily allowance of calcium. Recent studies have shown that calcium also plays a vital role in weight loss. Tests were conducted on women in mid-life age and the results showed that women who had high calcium intakes, didn’t gain weight and women with low calcium intakes did.

So, if we’re convinced that consuming more calcium in our diet has all of the above health benefits, why aren’t more women making a conscious effort to have more calcium in their diets or at the very least taking a calcium supplement? When you don’t have enough calcium in your diet, your body will take what it needs from your bones. This loss of essential minerals can often lead to weakened bones and eventually osteoporosis.

Getting calcium into your body is as easy as selecting the right foods to eat. Obviously dairy such as milk and cottage cheese are good choices, as long as the low-fat options are consumed. Also canned fish such as salmon or sardines can provide ample calcium as well as most dark green leafy vegetable such as collards, broccoli, kale, or bok choy.

If you still think getting the appropriate amount of calcium, for women 19 to 50 it’s 1,000 mg a day, through diet alone will be a challenge, then a calcium supplement should be considered. Whatever you choose to do, it’s essential that you begin taking calcium seriously and making it a lifetime commitment that can help you enjoy a long and healthy lifestyle.

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