Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Eat Less And Feel Fuller Longer

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If you want to lose weight the healthy way, look for foods that are packed with nutrients, are low in saturated fats and sodium and keep you feeling full longer. To help you get started, I chose 5 super foods that taste great, are nutrient rich and help you maintain satiety so that you stay feeling fuller longer without having to consume additional calories.

Beans
Blast the fat away when you fill your tummy with beans. They’ll keep you feeling full, and are high in resistant starch, which means that half the calories you consume from eating beans cannot be absorbed. They also create the fatty acid butyrate, known for its fat burning properties. Studies show that butyrate improves mitochondrial function in your cells, leading to a decrease in fat. Beans will also help lower sugar levels to control or ward off diabetes. If gas is a problem when you eat beans just remember that the more beans you eat, the faster your body will build up the good bacteria you need to digest them. If you still have difficulties, consult your physician for the best way to keep the gas from developing but still allows you to enjoy these healthy benefits.

Pine Nuts
So tasty and delicious, pine nuts add flavor to salads, fish, vegetables and meats. But did you know that pine nuts can help suppress hunger? A mere ounce to 2 ounces of pine nuts each day can help you reduce your food intake by up to 36% without making you feel hungry. Pine nuts contain pinolenic acid, a naturally occurring fat that stimulates cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), both powerful hormones that alert the brain that the stomach is full. These small nuts also contain the highest protein content of any nut, making them one of the super foods that provide double benefits while helping you lose weight.

Vinegar
If you eat lots of salads, you know that the dressing you choose make make all the difference between a calorie conscious salad and a full on fatty salad. One choice is to drizzle your salad or greens with virgin olive oil and vinegar. Not only is vinegar low in calories and contains no fat, it also slows the absorption of carbohydrates and prevents sudden surges in your blood sugar. Vinegar also slows the passage of food through your stomach, making you feel fuller longer.

Cinnamon
I use this delicious spice on sweet potatoes, toast, oatmeal and even stews. Cinnamon slows the passage of food through your stomach, making you feel fuller longer. It also lowers your blood sugar levels by stimulating glucose metabolism. We like to sprinkle some in our hot chocolate for a sweet spicy touch that warms the heart, body and soul.

Apples
Dining out can be a challenge when you are trying to lose weight. To keep calories in check, I eat an apple before going out. Apples are the perfect choice for a pre-dinner snack. Chase it with a glass of water and both will keep you feeling satisfied without feeling full. You’ll be able to enjoy your meal but you won’t be tempted to devour the bread in the basket before your dinner arrives. That’s because the pectin in apples is a soluble fiber that allows you to feel satiated and keeps your blood sugar regulated. Apple pectin prevents spikes in blood sugar that lead to increased fat storage, too. Apples are a great choice for snacks, breakfast, and desserts.

Farmers Market Vegetable and Penne Pasta

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After a long day or a vigorous workout, I love this abundant mix of veggies over pasta. The colors are amazing and will dress up any table. It’s great to have for lunch or dinner.

2 red peppers
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cups zucchini
1/2 cup carrots
12 cherry tomatoes
1 large eggplant
2 Tbsp fresh basil
2 ounces, 2 Tbsp olive oil
Fat-free or low fat Feta cheese, crumbled
Whole wheat penne pasta, cooked according to directions

Directions:

1. Coat large skillet with cooling spray and olive oil.
2. Saute onion and garlic until golden.
3. Add all cut-up vegetables.
4. Place over medium heat, 12 minutes or until tender.
5. Cook pasta.
6. Serve vegetables over pasta.
7. Add Feta cheese on top.
8. Can serve as a meal or side with chicken breast. Also good cold the next day.

Health Benefits:
Low in fat, low in cholesterol, low in sodium, low in sugar. This dish is full of antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients. High in fiber and easily digestible, this farmer’s feast is a great choice for a healthy and successful diet to live by.

Empowering Your Brain To Think to Shrink

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Women’s health depends on all over fitness and that includes our mental health as well.
It takes brainpower to stick to a diet and exercise plan and we rely on the messages from our brain to tell us when we are hungry and when we are satisfied. It is the power of the mind that helps us to reach our goals. It is that quiet nagging from the brain that keeps us focused and committed to a certain task. The brain is so powerful that it can literally think to shrink.

Keeping the brain healthy means eating right and getting plenty of exercise. Brain cells like all of the other cells in our body rely on amino acids to grow and remain healthy. Food like Salmon and other coldwater fish, contain DHA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid found in the gray matter of the brain.

It is also important to stay well hydrated by drinking an adequate amount of water, especially during physical activity. The brain is about 80% water and suffers anytime the body becomes dehydrated. Remember to include green tea in your daily beverages, as it has certain relaxation properties that enhance brain function and emotional stability.

Along with a women’s fitness diet, exercise is important for healthy brain activity. Physical activity improves circulation and helps to rid the female body of toxins, both important to healthy brain activity. At least 30 minutes of exercise at least 6 days a week is recommended for every woman no matter what her age, weight or size.

To get the most from your mind, give it something challenging to work towards. The brain loves to focus on something new and will begin to go to work, figuring out the quickest way to bring about a goal. In your women’s fitness program, ignore the urge to do the same workout daily and instead work toward a higher level, more reps, more sets, or adding weights, plyometrics or circuit training. If you can only do a few in the beginning then that is perfectly fine. Just know that any improvement in physical activity does wonders for the brain.

The best way to challenge your mind for fitness success is to set goals with a diet and exercise journal. Write down your goals, and then record everything you eat, drink and all of the activity you do each day. Set long term and short term goals so there is always a time frame to work toward. Read your goals daily and empower your brain to think to shrink.

Bountiful B’s That Help To Combat The Big C

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Beets, Beans, Berries, Broccoli and Bran, five foods that begin with the letter B and each packs a powerful arsenal of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants that help to fight cancer. I selected these foods beginning with B to make it easier to remember, there are of course many other foods that also possess cancer-fighting qualities.

To give you an idea of why these foods are so good for you, I’ve outlined the benefits below. If these are not foods that you normally eat, try gradually adding them to your regular diet. This will give your body a chance to adjust to the taste and effect of each of these foods.

Beets
The beautiful color of beets is one of the reasons this vegetable is so good for you. They are full of phytonutrients that provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification benefits that help to prevent cancer.

Beans
Full of fiber, beans are a great source of protein that is low in saturated fat. Beans are loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. Eat canned or dried beans, depending on which you prefer. Beans are an inexpensive menu item that can be eaten with most any meal.

Berries
Berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients, which have been proven to slow down the growth of pre-malignant growths and tumors.

Broccoli
Broccoli is full of vitamins and nutrients and it also contains sulforaphane to boost enzymes in the body and flush out cancer causing chemicals. Broccoli is very versatile and can be eaten steamed, grilled, boiled, microwaved, or eaten raw on a salad. Adorned with a sauce or just a sprinkle of salt, broccoli is one of my favorites.

Bran
Wheat bran is thought to accelerate the metabolism of estrogen, a known promoter of breast cancer. Eating wheat bran is also beneficial in the fight against colon cancer. Try adding bran to your morning breakfast or snack. Incorporate it into other menu items, so that you can enjoy bran at other times during the day and so that you don’t get burned out just having it for breakfast.

A New Year, A New You!

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Renew your commitment to yourself, refresh your workout and revitalize your youth.

It’s the beginning of a brand new year full of exciting opportunities. Time to put away the decorations, throw out the left over food and turn the attention to yourself. Are you as physically fit as you would like to be? With only six short months before official swimsuit season, there’s no better time than now to get serious about your diet and fitness goals.

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, begin by acknowledging that this will not be an easy task. Whether you have 5 pounds or 50 pounds to lose, it is important to have a plan in place if you truly want to succeed.

Careful planning is the secret to successful weight loss. An essential component to every goal that we set for ourselves, a plan-of-action gives us the discipline we need to succeed. That’s why I believe so whole-heartedly in keeping a fitness journal. From planning each meal in advance to setting a schedule for your workouts, these small steps will make all the difference in achieving that beach-ready body.

But it’s up to you to persevere. You owe it to yourself to eat healthy and to stay physically fit. It’s time to refresh your workout and revitalize your youth. With as little as 30 minutes a day of exercise, every aspect of your being will benefit. Hair, skin, nails, and even your brain will be invigorated. Achieving that sleek, sexy body is just an added bonus that you truly deserve.

You have complete control to make the changes you need to reach your goals, but you don’t have to go it alone. At www.Fitness4Her.com your personal trainer, Karen Ficarelli—that’s me—is only a click away. Through my library of blogs it is my desire that you will discover many new women’s fitness, health, diet and nutrition tips, as well as plenty of healthy recipes along with the inspiration and motivation to stick to your fitness plan. Sure, you’ll hit plateaus and encounter obstacles that keep you from your workout, everyone does. That’s why I created Fitness4Her, to help women just like you achieve their fitness goals.

Now, I’m asking for your help. You can help me reach my goals for 2013 too. My goal is for Fitness4Her to become your go-to source for women’s diet and fitness tips that will help you stay motivated and inspire you to attain the body that you desire. I believe in women’s fitness because it makes such a positive impact in my own personal life and I want to share that enthusiasm with you.

Make this your year succeed!

~Karen