Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Explaining the Diet Principles – Part 1

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You have examined your present way of eating and have decided to make healthy changes in your food choices. But do you know that diet is more than just about the food you eat? It’s also about your eating habits, as we talked about earlier in Part 1 of the Fitness4Her Diet. {+}

1. Eat often, but eat in small portions.
I try to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. My meal schedule works best this way: 7 am: breakfast. 10 am: snack. 1 pm: lunch. 4 pm: snack 7pm: dinner. I’ve eaten this way my whole life, and never had a weight problem or a significant health problem. If your daily exigencies don’t accommodate this exact schedule of eating, try to create a similar one, with five small meals instead of three large ones. Remember that when it comes to a women’s fitness, eating frequent, small meals will help keep you from overeating and from making unhealthy food choices.

Going for long periods of time without eating causes your metabolism to all but shut down to conserve fat and energy. A slower metabolism burns fewer calories.

Try eating an apple about a half hour or an hour before mealtime to ensure that you don’t overeat. This is an especially valuable tool if you’re going to be dining out. If you eat an apple shortly before going to a restaurant, you won’t eat all the bread in the breadbasket while waiting for your food.

When you prepare a meal, keep the portions small—each serving about the size of the palm of your hand. Larger portions tend to make us feel as if we need to eat all the food on our plate, that’s why I stress preparing small portions. However, if you need to cook a big pot of food, for the family or to eat throughout the week, you can still practice portion control.

Serve yourself a reasonable but small portion in a nice dish and don’t go back for seconds. Make it difficult to dish up extras, by tossing the spoon into the sink, closing the pot and putting it out of mind. If you feel the need for an additional serving, wait at least 10 minutes after your first portion before going back, this will give your stomach enough time to send a signal to the brain that it is full.

The key to portion control is to stop eating when you are full. Learn the language your body is speaking. Don’t take another bite past that satisfied feeling. Remember: your next meal is only a few hours away.

2. Don’t skip meals.
A mistake that dieters often make is skipping meals to cut calories in an effort to lose weight. But did you know that forgoing just one meal a week for a year can do major damage to your health, including your metabolism. When we deprive ourselves of regular meals, the levels of the feel good serotonin get thrown out of kilter, leaving us feeling cranky and craving starches or sugars. Our metabolism slows down, as our body struggles to conserve energy. We must keep our body fueled with food in order for it to work efficiently.

So enjoy your meals, people who eat regularly are more likely to keep off unnecessary pounds. Don’t feel guilty about eating. Negative thoughts like guilt, produce negative results and reactions. Plus, it goes back to diet as a way of life. This has absolutely got to be a way of eating that you can live with. Thus, skipping meals is not the solution.

Remember to always plan ahead to your next meal and try to keep a healthy snack on the ready. This way you will be less likely to skip a meal or leave yourself open to calorie laden temptations.

3. Don’t forget your fiber.
Fiber is important because it reduces body weight and body fat. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals. For optimum colon health, 25-35 grams of fiber is recommended each day.

Soluble fiber comes from foods that are easily dissolved in water. This type of fiber helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels while helping you control your hunger and cravings. It tends to give you a nice full feeling, which keeps you from over eating. Foods containing soluble fiber include strawberries, apples, pears, chickpeas, beans and oatmeal. These foods are particularly good for lowering cholesterol. 10 grams of soluble fiber will help to lower your LDL, which is also known as the “bad cholesterol.”

Insoluble fiber comes from foods that can’t be dissolved in water. This type of fiber adds volume to food without adding a lot of calories. Eating foods that contain insoluble fiber will help your digestive system stay regular. Foods rich in insoluble fiber include high fiber cereal, whole wheat bread, wheat bran, fruits and vegetables.

Increasing fiber can help decrease the risks of colon and rectal cancers. It helps to control blood sugar levels and has been proven to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. Diets high in fiber have been associated with lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels, making it a positive force in decreasing the risk of heart disease.

Adding more fiber to your diet has relieved intestinal conditions such as constipation and diverticulitis. Fiber helps to increase the size and bulk of your stool and softens it, making it easier to pass. An increase in fiber may help to alleviate conditions such as hemorrhoids and irritable bowel syndrome.

It’s very easy to increase the amount of fiber you get everyday. Adding a cup of raspberries to your breakfast can provide you with 8 grams of fiber. A cup of split peas adds a whopping 16 grams to your daily intake. For a mid-day snack, 3 cups of air-popped popcorn supplies your body with over 3 grams of fiber.

Try this healthy hint: Instead of weighing your salad down with cheese, add a handful of nuts instead. This will give you protein and fiber in one serving. Nuts are high in saturated fats, so a few nuts will do.

Start a discussion by leaving a comment.

Part 2
Part 3

When You Say Something Often Enough It Starts To Ring True

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You’ve probably heard before that speaking positively to a child will do more for his self-esteem than criticism. Encouraging a child to study and making learning fun, will help him to develop his skills better than calling him stupid or trying to shame him into studying. That’s because whatever you say over and over to a child, will stick with him. He will begin to believe the things that you say about him, whether positive or negative.

The same is true about the way that you speak to yourself. When you say something often enough you begin to believe it. More powerful sometimes than actions, words cut to the very core of our souls. So if you self-talk about hating the way you look, about being fat and unattractive, or if you are calling yourself names, sooner or later, you will begin to believe all of that. And the sad thing is, that once you start to believe it, you achieve it. Yes, if you believe you can’t succeed, you can’t.

But if you speak words of praise and gratitude to all that you have achieved, you will feel uplifted and capable of success. A feeling of calmness will come over you once you realize what a magnificent creature you really are. Once the need to punish yourself has passed, you can move forward to accomplish greater feats in your life.

One of the big things you might notice when you talk positively to yourself is the way that you embrace life and accept all of its challenges. With a new-found strength and confidence you’ll take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and just say no to defeat.

Start today, sit quietly for a few minutes and reflect on all of the wonderful things in your life. Shut out all negative thoughts and fill your mind with positive affirmations of all of your accomplishments. Be sure to meditate on any changes you would like to bring forth in your life. Stamp out any thoughts of criticism or deprecation.

Repeat: I am beautiful, I am strong, I have accomplished some wonderful things in my life.

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Smoky Turkey Chili

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Smoke filled flavor with a Southwestern flair. Come home from a hard day and belly up to the bar, then scoop up a bowl of this heart-healthy chili and dream about golden sunsets and deserts. This colorful blend will remind you of an Arizona sky.

1 pkg. Jennie O Turkey, lean ground
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, medium chopped
1 (16 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 small can, no salt added, diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp of chipotle chile pepper
Hot sauce to taste (optional)
1 can of red kidney beans
1Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Bay leaf

Optional: you can add shredded low-fat cheddar cheese for family members, but if you are trying to watch your weight and fat consumption, try this dish without it.

Directions:
1. Heat nonstick soup pot on medium heat.
2. Add olive oil and turkey to heated pan.
3. Cook turkey until it is no longer pink.
4. Break up with wooden spoon.
5. Add onion and cook until tender.
6. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese.
7. Cook on low heat for 1 hour.
8. Add spices to taste, but they are totally optional.
9. Remove Bay leaf before serving.

Health Benefits
A low fat, low sodium, high protein dish that makes chili a healthy choice for your diet. The kidney beans are protein rich and full of fiber, but heed caution, you might have to stay away from open flames after eating.

Have you tried this recipe?  Tell us what you think of it in the comment space.

Your Brain and How it Functions

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In my member post Think to Shrink, I talked about the power of the brain and how to effectively use its force to bring about change in your life. In this post, I want to focus on the brain and how incredibly hard this organ works to keep the body functioning.{+}

The brain depends on five key players to assimilate and process all the messages and tasks coming from the rest of the body. The cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, pituitary gland, and the hypothalamus make up the five main parts of the brain. Memory, involuntary movements and dreams all stem from these top performers.

The Cerebrum
The biggest part of the brain is the cerebrum, which encompasses 85% of the brain’s weight. The cerebrum is the thinking part of the brain and it controls your voluntary muscles — the ones that move when you want them to. This part of your brain allows you to dance, exercise or ride a bike.
When you have to concentrate, you’re using your cerebrum. You need it to solve financial problems, figure out a recipe, and paint a picture. Your memory lives in the cerebrum — both short-term memory (what you ate for dinner last night) and long-term memory (the name of that handsome guy you dated two summers ago). The cerebrum also helps you reason, like whether or not to have that piece of chocolate cake.
The cerebrum has two halves, with one on either side of the head. Some scientists think that the right half helps you think about abstract things like music, art and romance. The left half is said to be more analytical, helping you with math, logic, and speech. Scientists do agree that the right half of the cerebrum controls the left side of your body, and the left half controls the right side.

The Cerebellum
Next in line is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is at the back of the brain, located below the cerebrum. It’s a lot smaller than the cerebrum at only an eighth of its size. But that shouldn’t diminish its importance. This part of the brain controls balance, movement, and coordination (how your muscles work together). Your cerebellum allows you to stand upright, keep your balance, and move around.

The Brain Stem
Another brain part that’s small but mighty is the brain stem. The brain stem sits beneath the cerebrum and in front of the cerebellum. It connects the rest of the brain to the spinal cord, which runs down your neck and back. The brain stem is in charge of all the functions your body needs to stay alive, like breathing, digestion, and circulation.
Controlling your involuntary muscles like telling your heart to pump more blood when you’re biking or signaling your stomach to start digesting your lunch, is just part of the job of the brain stem. It is also responsible for sorting through the millions of messages that the brain and the rest of the body send back and forth. The brain stem works like a secretary for the brain.

Pituitary Gland Controls Growth
The pituitary gland is very small — only about the size of a pea. Its job is to produce and release hormones into your body. Growth hormone (GH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and prolactin are the six main hormones released by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The posterior lobe produces only two hormones: antidiuretic and oxytocin.
These hormones can play a major role in a woman’s health. The luteinizing hormone stimulates the ovaries to produce eggs and the sex organs to produce sex estrogen. Prolactin stimulates the mammary glands of the breasts to produce milk. This is the hormone responsible when a nursing mother finds herself lactating at the sound of a baby’s cry. The pituitary gland commands the milk production because of a signal it received from the hypothalamus!

Hypothalamus
The main function of the hypothalamus is to maintain the body’s status quo. Blood pressure, body temperature, fluid and electrolyte balance, appetite and body weight are all part of the hypothalamus domain.

It is responsible for signaling the pituitary gland to take action by producing certain hormones required to keep the body healthy. Ultimately the hypothalamus can control every endocrine gland in the body and alter blood pressure (through vasopressin and vasoconstriction), body temperature, metabolism (through TSH), and adrenaline levels (through ACTH).

Your Nervous System
The brain is the ring-leader, but it takes a lot of nerves to run the show. This big job requires the spinal cord, a long bundle of nerves inside your spinal column known as the nervous system. These nerves allow messages to flow back and forth between the brain and body.
The nervous system is made up of millions and millions of neurons, which are microscopic cells. Each neuron has tiny branches coming off it that let it connect to many other neurons.
Think back to the first time you drove a car. Your brain had to think about pressing the gas, steering the car, watching the road, and maybe even hitting the brakes — all at once. It was pretty hard work at first. But eventually, as you got more practice, the neurons sent messages back and forth until a pathway was created in your brain. Now you can drive nearly any vehicle without thinking much about it because the neurons have successfully created this pathway for your brain.

Emotions
Your brain has a small group of cells on each side of it called the amygdala. The word amygdala is Latin for almond, and that’s what this area looks like.
The amygdala is responsible for emotions such as fear, anger, happiness or sadness. It can make you feel wonderful or turn your day upside down. Learning to control your amygdala is the key to keeping life’s little ups and downs in perspective.
When you Think to Shrink, you have to take control of your mind to focus only on your goal and how you will achieve it.
Be Brain Healthy
• Eat healthy foods. Be sure to get plenty of potassium and calcium, two minerals that are important for the nervous system.
• Get regular exercise.
• Wear a helmet when you ride a motorcycle.
• If you drink alcohol, use it moderately.
• Don’t take drugs or use tobacco.
• Challenge your brain with complex activities, such as puzzles, writing, reading, playing music, crafts, or anything else that works your brain.

Start a discussion by leaving a comment.

Workout Motivation: 20 Ways to Get Going

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I often hear people say, I need to workout, but I just can’t get motivated. Even seasoned athletes experience highs and lows occasionally before getting started.

There are so many ways to motivate yourself to exercise, and I want to share some ideas that have helped me. Sure I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Just like everyone else, there are days when I’m too tired, or have too many things scheduled to find time to exercise. With three boys, I have a plate full of responsibilities and everything seems to require top priority. But my workout is my time for myself, so I have a secret stash of motivational jolts that keep me on the fitness trail.

1. Remind yourself how good you feel after your workout. I always feel on top of the world after a good workout. It’s a natural high. Allowing myself to dwell on those thoughts help to motivate me to get going.

2. This is your special time for yourself. While many women make time to take care of others (kids, husband, other family, co-workers, boss), they often neglect taking time out for themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t break that exercise appointment.

3. Think about the calories you will burn. If you count calories, you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn.

4. Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, choose an activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, you’ll reap benefits.

5. Think about how you’re going to look as you continue to exercise regularly. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that body image drive you.

6. Magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. I get energized when I read about other people striving for the same goals as me.

7. Cover models. When I see a cover model that looks really good (and most look terrific) it helps motivate me to work harder.

8. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into fitness training. I can relate to the ups and downs they go through, and learn from their experiences.

9. Success stories. I find the success stories of others to be motivational inspirations.

10. I reward myself. Especially if I am having trouble getting motivated. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, a book, a magazine, a pretty new nail polish, or a small bouquet of flowers. One of my friends buys herself fitness presents to reward her dedication.

11. Fitting into new clothes. The love of clothes is a great motivator for staying in shape. If you want to look good in all the new styles. Work out!

12. Adrenaline rush. I get a rush when I exercise and it lasts long after my workout.

13. Stress relief. Stressed from a long day at the office? Get out and work it off. It really helps to have this physical outlet to let go of all that tension.

14. Time for contemplation. Sometimes, I enjoy losing myself in my thoughts when I exercise. I’ve found it often helps me uncover solutions to daily problems.

15. A workout partner. Not only is it much more fun to exercise with a friend, you have a sense of responsibility to them to keep your workout appointment.

16. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.

17. A coach or trainer. Worth the money, just for the motivation.

18. An exercise Journal. People who keep a journal of their workout routine have a far better chance of success than those who do not. The journal is your own personal checkpoint to remind you where you came from, where you are now and what your intended goal is to be.

19. Looking at a before picture of myself. You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. Find an old picture of you taken before you began working out.

20. The dread of feeling disappointment from not exercising. I hate the guilt, frustration and feeling like I have missed something very important when I skip my workout. So I remind myself of that when I’m feeling too tired or lazy to workout.