Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving!
Holiday season is here and I know we are all looking forward to those huge holiday meals! Unfortunately, no one wants extra lbs as part of their New Years Eve outfit. This blog will help you step into the meal prepared with some do’s and don’ts for the Turkey Day.
DO:
-Get a in some exercise Thanksgiving morning. Yes, it's a holiday but no need for a break! Take a brisk walk, run or another fun activity that you and perhaps the family would love to enjoy.
-prepare your dishes, always using light, low fat, and fat free healthy substitutes. For example, substitute 1 egg for 2 egg whites, fat-free yogurt for sour cream, fat free chicken broth for gravy, use sugar substitutes and wheat breads instead of white
- look online to get ideas on how to provide several delicious healthy side dishes, desserts, and even main turkey dishes!
-stick to white skinless pieces when choosing which piece of turkey to eat. This is an excellent source of protein.
-Skip seconds and opt for dessert instead!
-Choose yummy fall vegetables. They will give your plate color while filling you up on fewer calories. Try new foods - don't waste calories on food you can have all year (like bread)
-Leave the LEFTOVERS!!!! No need to take those extra calories home with you! Remember they rarely leave!!
DON'T:
-Go into your Thanksgiving meal hungry- that could be your worst downfall. Drink plenty of water before and during the meal.
-Heap huge servings of each dish on your plate. Instead pretend that you are taste-testing each dish.
-fill up on creamy, cheesy and fried dishes that you know are high in fat.
- fill up on canned fruits and vegetables. These are high in sodium and the taste is not even close to the real thing. Opt for fresh berries, baked apples and other fresh fruit instead.
Really focus on the flavors of this Thanksgiving meal. The meaning of Thanksgiving is not about stuffing yourself, but appreciating the food you do have.
Focus on family and friends during the meal instead of the food. Help clean up and take a nice walk after the meal. This will give you some extra bonding time and really allow you to give thanks for your loved ones!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thank You vets! - Happy Veterans Day!
This afternoon as I was picking up my two youngest and walking them to our special corner of campus to begin homework Dylan, my youngest, begins explaining the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. "Did you know", she says, "that the Pilgrims didn't even have turkey at the first Thanksgiving?". I act shocked and say, "What, you mean all these years, I've been eating turkey and it's been a sham!" She laughs and says, "Yeah". I said, "isn't it cool though, that if we want we could even eat pizza on Thanksgiving?" Excitedly, both of my youngest kids said "YEAH!". And Logan adds, "so take that Pilgrims".
It's a small blessing, but I'm thankful that I live in a country where my choices, continue to remain my choices! This is not a political stance, but an opportunity for me to reflect and teach my children, that even with the smallest of privileges that price was paid by someone else that came before you.
So today, and everyday, to our veterans everywhere I want to say THANK YOU!
Happy Veteran's Day from MEMfit!
It's a small blessing, but I'm thankful that I live in a country where my choices, continue to remain my choices! This is not a political stance, but an opportunity for me to reflect and teach my children, that even with the smallest of privileges that price was paid by someone else that came before you.
So today, and everyday, to our veterans everywhere I want to say THANK YOU!
Happy Veteran's Day from MEMfit!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Did you know that when you drink a Gatorade you are actually ingesting 14 grams of sugar? Or that Vitamin Water contains 13 grams of sugar and 50 calories per serving? That equals 125 calories in one drink. We all know sodas are full of sugars and calories, but most drinks are very sneaky in hiding their sugars. This is easily done through deceptive advertising and marketing. Most people are unaware about the hidden calories in many drinks including juices and “waters.” Check out the following to see how your favorite drink may stack up. This might be a wake up call!
Coca-Cola (12 oz) 39 g sugar
Amp Energy Drink (8.4 oz) 31 g sugar
Arizona Iced Tea (8 oz) 24 g sugar
Apple Juice (8 oz) 26 g sugar
Chocolate Milk (8 oz) 24 g sugar
Gatorade (8 oz) 14 g sugar
Ginger Ale (12 oz) 33 g sugar
Full Throttle (16 oz) 58 g sugar
Lipton Iced Tea (12 oz) 33 g sugar
Minute Maid Orange Juice (8 oz) 24 g sugar
Monster (16 oz) 54 g sugar
Mountain Dew (12 oz) 47 g sugar
Nestea Iced Tea (16 oz) 34 g sugar
Pepsi (12 oz) 40 g sugar
Powerade (8 oz) 14 g sugar
Red Bull (8.34 oz) 24 g sugar
Rockstar (16 oz) 60 g sugar
Snapple Tea (16 oz) 36 g sugar
Sobe (8 oz) 29 g sugar
Sprite (12 oz) 39 g sugar
Starbucks Bottled Frapp (9.5 oz) 33 g sugar
Vitamin Water (8 oz) 13 g sugar
(20 oz) 33 g sugar
Look for the following "buzz words" on the ingredient list, then step away because it is a sneaky name for sugar in a calorie-sweetened beverage!
- high fructose corn syrup
- fructose
- sucrose
- dextrose
- fruit juice concentrates
- honey
- sugar
- syrup
- corn syrup
You now can be your very own detective! Start picking up the bottles and examine the nutrition labels. Make sure you check out the serving size! Some drinks can have up to 3 servings causing you to ingest 100s of calories! In the end, water is always the best option!
(written by Alyssa Dragutsky)
Coca-Cola (12 oz) 39 g sugar
Amp Energy Drink (8.4 oz) 31 g sugar
Arizona Iced Tea (8 oz) 24 g sugar
Apple Juice (8 oz) 26 g sugar
Chocolate Milk (8 oz) 24 g sugar
Gatorade (8 oz) 14 g sugar
Ginger Ale (12 oz) 33 g sugar
Full Throttle (16 oz) 58 g sugar
Lipton Iced Tea (12 oz) 33 g sugar
Minute Maid Orange Juice (8 oz) 24 g sugar
Monster (16 oz) 54 g sugar
Mountain Dew (12 oz) 47 g sugar
Nestea Iced Tea (16 oz) 34 g sugar
Pepsi (12 oz) 40 g sugar
Powerade (8 oz) 14 g sugar
Red Bull (8.34 oz) 24 g sugar
Rockstar (16 oz) 60 g sugar
Snapple Tea (16 oz) 36 g sugar
Sobe (8 oz) 29 g sugar
Sprite (12 oz) 39 g sugar
Starbucks Bottled Frapp (9.5 oz) 33 g sugar
Vitamin Water (8 oz) 13 g sugar
(20 oz) 33 g sugar
Look for the following "buzz words" on the ingredient list, then step away because it is a sneaky name for sugar in a calorie-sweetened beverage!
- high fructose corn syrup
- fructose
- sucrose
- dextrose
- fruit juice concentrates
- honey
- sugar
- syrup
- corn syrup
You now can be your very own detective! Start picking up the bottles and examine the nutrition labels. Make sure you check out the serving size! Some drinks can have up to 3 servings causing you to ingest 100s of calories! In the end, water is always the best option!
(written by Alyssa Dragutsky)
Monday, October 25, 2010
October/November camp - Week 2
Todays' workout is 2 for 2
Completed the following exercises in this order:
Mountain climbers
Shoulder press
Star jumps
Bicep curls
Jumping jacks
pushups
Complete each exercise for a total of 2 minutes with 30 seconds fast and 30 seconds slow. Let's get started!
Completed the following exercises in this order:
Mountain climbers
Shoulder press
Star jumps
Bicep curls
Jumping jacks
pushups
Complete each exercise for a total of 2 minutes with 30 seconds fast and 30 seconds slow. Let's get started!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Trick or Treats?
So Halloween is coming up and I know everyone is salivating at the thought of digging into some serious sweets without packing on the unwanted pounds. Can this possibly happen? The answer is YES! You can still enjoy Halloween while also enjoying your waistline. Here are some helpful tips to a healthier Halloween.
Tips to prepare for Halloween night:
Set a healthy example for your family. Halloween is only one day so if you are going to treat yourself, make sure you’ve already had a healthy meal and have been drinking plenty of water so you don’t fill up on sweets
Put the candy and snacks out of sight until Halloween day. Preparing for Halloween night doesn’t mean you have to partake prior to the day. Use it as a reward for working hard all week.
Having a party? Set a healthier menu. You could carve out pumpkins and place healthy dips in them such as hummus or salsa or offer seasonal fruits instead of sugar-loaded candy
Workout the morning of Halloween or get a good workout in by taking your kids trick or treating on a challenging neighborhood route (hills). Don’t have kids? Offer to babysit or grab some friends and walk the neighborhood for some good physical activity
Focus on creative ideas instead of candy to pass out at the door. Some ideas are sugar free candy, granola bites, temporary tattoos, toys, false teeth, etc. The possibilities are endless. *
Sort through the candy, tossing out the definite no-no’s.
Consider the following candy swaps when indulging on Halloween night.
1. Fun size bars: Instead of Butterfinger (100 cals) eat 3 Musketeers (63 cals)
2. Fruity candy: Instead of Air Heads (3 at 140 cals) eat Dum Dum Pops (3 at 77 cals)
3. Miniature candy bar: Instead of Twix bar (3 at 150 cals) eat Tootsie rolls (3 at 70 cals)
4. Chewy candy: Instead of Milk Maid Caramels (4 at 160 cals) eat Now and Later (4 at 53 cals)
Try these healthy recipes for Halloween Night:
Baked Pumpkin Seeds
Instead of throwing away the seeds after carving your pumpkins, bake them for a healthy treat!
Clean and separate the pumpkin seeds. Preheat the oven to 350ยบ. Put the seeds on baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes, take them out and stir the seeds. Bake again for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool and they are ready to eat! You can experiment by adding different spices to them once cooled.
Orange Jack-o-lanterns
Make your own Jack-o-lanterns the healthy way. All you need are oranges, fruit cocktail, and a sharpie!
Cut the tops off the oranges as if you were carving a pumpkin. Scoop out the orange, being careful not to rip the peel. Add the orange to the fruit cup and mix. Using the sharpie, decorate the orange and set aside to dry. Scoop the fruit mixture into the oranges and chill for an hour before serving.
*Healthy snacks to pass out at the door:
Sugar-free candy or gum, rice krispy treats, granola bars, homemade trail mix, small bag of pretzels, nuts, raisins, popcorn, or cereal, graham crackers/ginger snaps/vanilla wafers, stickers, toys, false teeth, temporary tattoos, tiny card deck/games, yo-yo’s
Tips to prepare for Halloween night:
Set a healthy example for your family. Halloween is only one day so if you are going to treat yourself, make sure you’ve already had a healthy meal and have been drinking plenty of water so you don’t fill up on sweets
Put the candy and snacks out of sight until Halloween day. Preparing for Halloween night doesn’t mean you have to partake prior to the day. Use it as a reward for working hard all week.
Having a party? Set a healthier menu. You could carve out pumpkins and place healthy dips in them such as hummus or salsa or offer seasonal fruits instead of sugar-loaded candy
Workout the morning of Halloween or get a good workout in by taking your kids trick or treating on a challenging neighborhood route (hills). Don’t have kids? Offer to babysit or grab some friends and walk the neighborhood for some good physical activity
Focus on creative ideas instead of candy to pass out at the door. Some ideas are sugar free candy, granola bites, temporary tattoos, toys, false teeth, etc. The possibilities are endless. *
Sort through the candy, tossing out the definite no-no’s.
Consider the following candy swaps when indulging on Halloween night.
1. Fun size bars: Instead of Butterfinger (100 cals) eat 3 Musketeers (63 cals)
2. Fruity candy: Instead of Air Heads (3 at 140 cals) eat Dum Dum Pops (3 at 77 cals)
3. Miniature candy bar: Instead of Twix bar (3 at 150 cals) eat Tootsie rolls (3 at 70 cals)
4. Chewy candy: Instead of Milk Maid Caramels (4 at 160 cals) eat Now and Later (4 at 53 cals)
Try these healthy recipes for Halloween Night:
Baked Pumpkin Seeds
Instead of throwing away the seeds after carving your pumpkins, bake them for a healthy treat!
Clean and separate the pumpkin seeds. Preheat the oven to 350ยบ. Put the seeds on baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes, take them out and stir the seeds. Bake again for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool and they are ready to eat! You can experiment by adding different spices to them once cooled.
Orange Jack-o-lanterns
Make your own Jack-o-lanterns the healthy way. All you need are oranges, fruit cocktail, and a sharpie!
Cut the tops off the oranges as if you were carving a pumpkin. Scoop out the orange, being careful not to rip the peel. Add the orange to the fruit cup and mix. Using the sharpie, decorate the orange and set aside to dry. Scoop the fruit mixture into the oranges and chill for an hour before serving.
*Healthy snacks to pass out at the door:
Sugar-free candy or gum, rice krispy treats, granola bars, homemade trail mix, small bag of pretzels, nuts, raisins, popcorn, or cereal, graham crackers/ginger snaps/vanilla wafers, stickers, toys, false teeth, temporary tattoos, tiny card deck/games, yo-yo’s
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
What's up playas!
Ok, so.....I just couldn't of another cool way to start the email! Go figure!
I'm so excited to get started again with the October/November boot camp. I am really looking forward to the new workouts, equipment and , best of all, CAMPERS! A few notes to remember:
1. Please remember to hydrate before, during and after camp! Gatorade/Powerade drinks are fine, but I like good ole' fashioned water. Does the job just fine!
2. EAT SOMETHING - No matter if you're attending camp before work or after. Contrary to popular belief, food is more than our companions! Your body actually needs food to function, so make sure that to get the battery going, you put the right thing into it so it can perform for you.
3. Give me a heads up if you won't be attending camp. Not a big deal. Emergencies come up, and we certainly understand that, but so we can plan accordingly please let us know!
4. If you need to contact me at anytime, you may call me at 901-283-0864 or email at info@mem-fit.com. (You may also text to the above mentioned number).
WOD:
1 minute stations
-squats
-pushups
-dips
-shoulders
In between a set, we incorporated lateral movements and sprints. And as always....finished up with abdominals
I'm so excited to get started again with the October/November boot camp. I am really looking forward to the new workouts, equipment and , best of all, CAMPERS! A few notes to remember:
1. Please remember to hydrate before, during and after camp! Gatorade/Powerade drinks are fine, but I like good ole' fashioned water. Does the job just fine!
2. EAT SOMETHING - No matter if you're attending camp before work or after. Contrary to popular belief, food is more than our companions! Your body actually needs food to function, so make sure that to get the battery going, you put the right thing into it so it can perform for you.
3. Give me a heads up if you won't be attending camp. Not a big deal. Emergencies come up, and we certainly understand that, but so we can plan accordingly please let us know!
4. If you need to contact me at anytime, you may call me at 901-283-0864 or email at info@mem-fit.com. (You may also text to the above mentioned number).
WOD:
1 minute stations
-squats
-pushups
-dips
-shoulders
In between a set, we incorporated lateral movements and sprints. And as always....finished up with abdominals
Monday, October 11, 2010
Workouts for the week.....October 11, 2010
Tuesday - Take a run today. You should get in at least 2 miles. When you complete this run/jog/walk. Complete the following - 30 pushups - 35 squats - 30 dips - 40 ccrunches or situps.
Wednesday - So let's begin with 2 minutes each of the following exercises: up/downs, skier (with lunge), high knees (make sure to get your knees above your hips) finish up with ....that's right burpees!!!! Rest for 2 minutes and then begin 2 minutes of the following exercises: crunches, situp (reach and touch the sky), bow and arrow (REMEMBER - SLOW) and oblique crunces (try to touch your ankle - side to side). Rest for 2 minutes and then complete the following: lunges, squat jumps (with a weight or med ball if you can), lunges. Repeat 2X! Enjoy
Thursday - Begin with completing dips beginning with 1 and going to 10 (complete one rep, then two reps, then three, etc.). Immediately go into pushups completing them in the same fashion. Rest for 1 minute. Take a 1 mile run - try to accomplish this in 10-12 minutes. Time yourself! Complete 100 crunches (vary these). Then repeat!
Friday - Complete the following:
45 Mountain climbers (R/L = 1)
35 pushups
40 Mountain Climbers
25 Wide pushups
35 Mountain Climbers
20 tricep pushups
80 jump rope rotations
40 sumo squats
75 jump rope rotations
35 plie squats
Repeat 2X - Rest as needed in between sets
Wednesday - So let's begin with 2 minutes each of the following exercises: up/downs, skier (with lunge), high knees (make sure to get your knees above your hips) finish up with ....that's right burpees!!!! Rest for 2 minutes and then begin 2 minutes of the following exercises: crunches, situp (reach and touch the sky), bow and arrow (REMEMBER - SLOW) and oblique crunces (try to touch your ankle - side to side). Rest for 2 minutes and then complete the following: lunges, squat jumps (with a weight or med ball if you can), lunges. Repeat 2X! Enjoy
Thursday - Begin with completing dips beginning with 1 and going to 10 (complete one rep, then two reps, then three, etc.). Immediately go into pushups completing them in the same fashion. Rest for 1 minute. Take a 1 mile run - try to accomplish this in 10-12 minutes. Time yourself! Complete 100 crunches (vary these). Then repeat!
Friday - Complete the following:
45 Mountain climbers (R/L = 1)
35 pushups
40 Mountain Climbers
25 Wide pushups
35 Mountain Climbers
20 tricep pushups
80 jump rope rotations
40 sumo squats
75 jump rope rotations
35 plie squats
Repeat 2X - Rest as needed in between sets
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