Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Take Your Fitness Journal To Your Next Doctor Appointment

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journaling

The next time you go to see your doctor, take along your fitness journal. Show your doctor that you care enough about your health and fitness to keep an account of everything you eat and drink and all of your activities. Your doctor will gain much knowledge about you if you share your food and exercise diary. Be sure to include notes about how you feel after exercising and whether or not your diet is satisfying your appetite. Keep a record of your measurements, too.

It’s difficult for your doctor to advise you on health matters if he or she only sees you once or twice a year. By bringing your fitness journal you are making your doctor privy to a complete diary of your daily health.

If you are having difficulty with anything, like leg cramps, headaches, stomach disorders, or heart palpitations, write these things down to talk over with your doctor. It’s not always easy to remember to tell the doctor about occasional disorders, some of these ailments maybe minor but some could be early signs of health troubles. The more your doctor can know about your health the easier it will be for him or her to advise you.

Stress has a way of interfering with our diet, digestion and level of energy. So it’s important to make notations about the way you are feeling too. Illnesses also play a part in our appetite and our ability to perform physically. If you are faced with any difficulties such as these, be sure to record them in your journal.

Your doctor may advise you on diet changes once he has information on what you have been eating. You may be advised to increase your activity or decrease your daily consumption, too. The doctor may have suggestions that can help speed up your weight loss or make it easier to overcome stressed or strained muscles from working out.

Remember, your doctor wants to help you stay healthy. Anything you can do to help your doctor understand your health and lifestyle better will benefit both your doctor and you.

Your fitness journal can be your own private story of your eating habits and your fitness level. Remember, your doctor wants to help you stay healthy. Anything you can do to help your doctor understand your health and lifestyle better will benefit both your doctor and you. As you write your goals each week, you are adding a very fundamental factor to your complete wellness program.

Apple/Banana Breakfast Sandwich

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Getting 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables is easy when you start your day with a delicious fruit sandwich. The peanut butter holds it all together and gives you the healthy fat and protein that you need to stay satisfied.

1 apple, thinly sliced
1 banana, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp chunky low-fat peanut butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 or 2 slices Ezekial bread (raisin), toasted
Sprinkle of honey

Directions:

1. On a plate or cutting board, spread peanut butter on the bread slice(s)
2. Layer each ingredient on top of bread, saving the honey for the topping.

Health Benefits:
An apple a day will help to keep the doctor away…that’s because apples provide so many healthy benefits. A great source of fiber, apples also help to regulate blood sugar and satisfy your hunger. Eat one before dining out and you won’t be tempted to gobble up the bread in the bread-basket before you get your order.

Hope, Health and Happiness

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Inspiration

Hope is defined as an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one’s life. When we set goals, we adopt an optimistic attitude that we will succeed; we have hope that we can reach our goals. Unfortunately, we don’t succeed, we lose hope and give up. This is very true when it comes to dieting and exercising.

Your health should be a priority in your life. People rarely appreciate their health until it’s gone. If you have always been somewhat healthy with few problems, it’s easy to take your health for granite. Treasure your healthy body and treat it with care. Eat a healthy diet and exercise at least six days a week.

If you are looking for inspiration, sometimes you need only look around you. Women, in particular, can find the inspiration to exercise by looking at their family and realizing how important their life is. If you are a mother, you have a responsibility to protect your own health so that you can care for your children.

Remember, exercise can be walking, jogging, riding a bike or playing a game of tennis or volleyball. These activities are good for your heart and will increase your stamina and circulation as well as burning calories. Be sure to include resistance exercises to keep your muscles strong and toned. These exercises done on rotating days will give you the most beneficial workout. It only takes 30 minutes a day, but once you get started it’s easy to keep on going for a bit longer.

A hopeful attitude combined with a healthy body and mind is the recipe for happiness. Imagine waking up each morning, bursting with excitement, energy and joy for the new day. Developing a positive mindset will transform your life, your health and renew the joy and passion for life.

Live each day to the fullest. Take advantage and be grateful for what you have and concentrate less on what you don’t. Set goals and work towards them, but never forget how far you have come. Give your body the love and appreciation it deserves, speaking positive words that build you up rather than tear you apart. The time and love you devote to your body will not be wasted. This investment will give you a return of health and happiness that can last a lifetime.

Teriyaki Lamb Chops

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teriyaki lamb cutlets

Add some versatility to your menu with lamb chops, cooked especially for the girl who wants a bikini ready body. This delicious and nutritious dish goes all out to cut fat and calories but never skimps on taste.

(4) 5 oz. lean lamb chops
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp ginger
Pam cooking spray

Directions:

1. Trim fat from chops.
2. Place chops in zip lock bag.
3. Combine sherry and next 4 ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
4. Pour into plastic bag over chops to coat.
5. Zip plastic bag and place in refrigerator to marinate chops in mixture for 6 to 8 hours.
6. Remove chops from marinade and grill 7 to 9 minutes on each side.
7. Bring marinade to a boil then simmer and pour over chops.

Health Benefits:
Low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol and low in sodium. A high protein meal that is big on taste but low enough in calories to keep your waistline small.

Love Your Legs

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You can have long, lean and well-toned legs when you do the right exercises to keep them looking their best. Exercises that shape your ankles, build your calves, and tone your thighs. No matter what your age or size, you can improve the look of your legs in just a few months.

Walking is an excellent low-impact activity that helps to keep your legs in shape. A leisurely stroll is nice, but for real results, you will want to step it up a bit and put a little speed in your walk. If you encounter pains in your shins, you can try a quick exercise to help stretch your muscles, avoid shin pains, and actually help shape your calves and ankles. It’s also a great way to strengthen these muscles, so do this exercise often.

Simply rise up on your tiptoes while holding onto a stationary object like a chair or table. Tip up until you feel the stretch in the back of your calves, then ease back down until your feet are flat. Repeat this 20 times, rest and repeat 20 more times. This quick exercise can be done anytime and nearly any place.

Protect your knees from impact. Knee problems plague many people as they age. Taking steps to safeguard your knees from injury in your younger years may mean you won’t have to plan for a knee replacement later in life. Most knee injuries occur during sports- or work-related activities. Wearing a knee brace and good quality shoes with sufficient support can help to protect your knees when running and walking. Be sure to use a mat when working out on the floor at the gym or at home to keep your knees from grinding on the floor when you are kneeling or on all fours.

One of the best exercises to work the entire leg is the loveable lunge. This is also a great exercise for shaping the butt. Lunges work the muscles in the back of the legs, reducing fat and toning the muscles to give a nice smooth silhouette from your toes to your tush. These exercises are easy to do in the comfort of your own home. You only need a small area to work out, but be sure to use a mat for the most comfort and safety when doing resistance exercises such as these.

Standing with your feet together, place your hands on your hips, lift your chest and draw your shoulders down your back, pull your navel inward to engage your core muscles. Inhale, step with your right foot forward and lower your left knee towards the ground, as you exhale step back with your right foot to a standing position. Hold your shoulders squarely on top of your pelvic area. Repeat on the left side, lowering your right knee to the ground and then stepping back with your left foot.