Instant Oatmeal - A Power Food

Did you know that oatmeal is considered a power food? It took me a long time before I came to accept it as so....oatmeal and I never really got along. It was always a bit too mushy for me. However, I persevered and overcame my "fear" of trying to gag it down because it is so good for us. Oatmeal can propel you through sluggish mornings. You can also down a bowl a couple of hours before a workout to feel fully energized by the time you hit the gym or yoga mat, or at night to avoid a late-nite binge. It couldn't be easier to prepare - just add water. Buy the unsweetened, unflavored variety and use other power foods such as milk and berries to sweeten the taste.

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, meaning that it attracts fluid and stays in your stomach longer than insoluble fiber. It also works like a bouncer for your body, showing troublemakers the door. For example, soluble fiber helps remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from your system. So, in essence, it helps fight against heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and obesity. And, what makes it a power food, you ask? It has superpowers to boost energy, reduce cholesterol (like I just stated), and it maintains blood sugar levels.

So adding a bowl of oatmeal to your daily nutritional intake benefits you more than you probably realize.

Eat in good health!!!

10 GREAT 100-calorie snacks

It gets to be that time of the day when you are so hungry that you could eat just about anything....even a horse. I have so been there and done that. Did you know that it only takes 100 calories to stave off hunger. Here are 10 healthy pack-and-go snack ideas for us very busy people guaranteed to tide you over until your next meal.

1. 2 cups air popped popcorn with 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese.
2. 1/2 banana sprinkled with cinnamon; 1 tsp. almond butter mixed with 1 tsp. plain
nonfat yogurt for dipping.
3. 2-oz. can of king salmon.
4. 1/2 tbsp. avocado spread on 3 whole grain crackers.
5. 10 kalamata (greek) olives.
6. 1 medium hard-boiled egg
7. 10 almonds and 15 dried berries.
8. small baked potato topped with 1/2 tsp. dried onion flakes mixed with 2 tbsp. non- fat plain yogurt.
9. 1 graham cracker; 2 tsp. tahini (sesame butter)
10. 2 large strawberries and 1/2 oz. dark chocolate (melted in a microwave) for
dipping.

Remember that 2-3 hours is the maximum number of hours you should go between meals if you want to keep your hunger in check.

Fact or Fiction: Cola-type soft drinks can damage your kidneys

FACT!!! Despite the fact that cola drinks are globally popular, there is absolutely nothing even remotely healthy about cola drinks. Drinking 16 ounces or more daily (whether it is diet or regular), doubles your risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a recent NIH study. While it is already known that consuming any type of soft drink - the average American adult consumes 59 gallons' worth per year - is associated with several risk factors for kidney disease (hypertension, diabetes, and kidney stones....just ask my brother-in-law about his kidney stones), the spike in the cola category was amazing. And cola has another knock against it...consumption is associated with significantly lower bone density in women, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. So, the bottom line is that if you are going to indulge in an occasional soda, go for Sprite, 7-Up, ginger ale, and other non-cola drinks. The NIH study found that non-cola drinks didn't have the same impact on the kidneys. But you'll be better off if you skip soda altogether, even the sugar-free varities; recent research showed an association between drinking diet soda and weight gain. Isn't that what we are trying to battle, anyway. Besides, think about it....do you really want to put something into your body with ingredients that you can't even pronounce, let alone know what they really are. Can't you take a Coke and pour it on your corroded car battery to remove the corrosion? Can't you take that same cola and pour it into your toilet bowl to remove lime deposits? Makes me go UUGGGHHHH!!!

"All things are difficult before they are easy."

A breakfast question answered

Hello everyone! I am back from my much needed and much anticipated trip. Due to weather, our plans were changed a bit and we did not get to New Mexico. But hopefully one day I can get there. None-the-less, I had a great time and had so much fun. I can't wait to go again with the same people sometime soon.

So, while I was gone, I received a few messages about what to do for breakfasts. Many of you seem stuck and want some ways to change it up but still want to make sure you are getting all of the proper food groups and nutrients. So here are some examples of breakfasts:

1) 1 c. high protein, high fiber cereal(at least 8 g. protein and 5 g. fiber per cup)
1/2 c. skim milk
1/2 c. blueberries
Coffee or tea
Water (at least 8 oz.)
Total of 274 calories

2) 1 c. nonfat cottage cheese (add a few chunks of pineapple if wanted)
1/4 c. sliced strawberries
10 almonds
Coffee or tea
Water (at least 8 oz.)
Total of 301 calories

3) 1 whole wheat English muffin, split
4 hard boiled egg whites
2 tomato slices
1 slice reduced-fat cheese (5 g. fat or less per oz.)
On muffin, spread egg whites, place tomato on egg whites and top with 1/2 slice
cheese on each half. Toast in toaster oven until cheese is melted.
1 c. diced cantaloupe
Coffee or tea
Water (at least 8 oz.)
Total of 295 calories

Hope that helps. The last one with the English muffin is my favorite. I kind of feel like I am cheating and eating a McMuffin.

And off I go!

Hey ya'll. Well, I am off on my vacation adventure. I literally have one foot out the door, but wanted to post a note before I left. Part of my trip will be spent in New Mexico at a cattle ranch. And the other part will be spent at Possum Kingdom. I am so excited for many reasons for this trip.
So, keep all of your questions and when I return I will answer them. Have a great week and exercise, exercise, exercise.

Scissors for ABS

This exercise is a great addition to your AB routine. While its main focus are the rectus abdominis, it also works the obliques, transversus abdominis and the iliopsoas muscles....laymans terms, the whole stomach. Yea! We love that!

Lie flat on the floor with your legs extended, toes pointed and hands by your sides. Tuck your pelvis under you by flattening your back into the floor and lift both legs off the floor a few inches, keeping legs straight. Alternately kick your legs up and down using an even cadence. Do as many as you can before you just can't do any more, rest, then do it again!

SAFETY NOTE: Avoid excessively arching your lower back. If your back is arching a lot try raising both legs a little higher until it normalizes, or place your hands flat right under your buttocks to help with that pelvic tilt.

"Each time you make a positive choice, you close the distance between the way you want to live and the lifestyle you want to leave behind."

The "Facts of Life"

Okay. A woman found my blog and after reading my entries about ABS, she decided to call me. We talked for what seemed like hours. Great woman, very spunky, seems like a lot of fun, and very motivated. However, she was extremely frustrated with that fact that she has been trying for months and months to do her best to define her abdominal muscles to achieve that ever-so-desireable 6 pack; but to no avail. So after talking about her exercise regime, I came to the conclusion that she simply is not eating clean. And by eating "clean" I mean this: You can't cancel out a Big Mac and fries with a workout -- or even two workouts. Fitness conscious women know that what you eat is responsible for the way you look. When you eat clean, you will shed superfluous fat like there's no tomorrow. Even morbidly obese people who have adopted the clean-eating lifestyle have enjoyed a whole new existence with not only lower body fat levels but also with a healthier body and the prospect of living a longer, happier life. Proper nutrition will bring out your lean muscle and help your abs pop just the way you want them. Of course, and as always, maintaining a good cardio and weight training routine will get you there even faster. So for clean eating I mean this...

- Eat six small meals per day.
- Eat lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal.
- Lean protein = lean poultry, fish, egg whites, soy beans, legumes, lentils,
and limited nuts.
- Complex carbohydrates = fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains.
- Drink plenty of water every day. At least 3 liters.
- Avoid all processed, refined and chemically charged foods.
- Avoid sugars, except for naturally occurring sugars in fruit.
- Avoid trans and saturated fats.
- Avoid sodas and juices since they contain loads of sugar, either fake or real.
- Limit treats to one per week rather than an entire day.

Perseverance is the key. If you are regular with your workouts and consistent with your clean eating, you will succeed. There can be no other result. So when you are feeling too lazy, tired, or whatever the excuse may be to go to the gym....go to the gym. Don't feel like eating clean today? Eat clean today.

"If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished."

ABS's Worst Enemy

Have you ever noticed your profile starting to resemble a pregnant woman midday? Of course you have, we all have experienced that at some point...if not daily. Bloating is no fun!!! Your stomach gets distended and tender and you just feel awful. The best way to combat bloating is to prevent it from starting in the first place. Here are the best ways to avoid bloating:

- Avoid excessive salt
- Drink plenty of water
- Avoid chewing gum
- Chew food thoroughly

Abs again with the Bench V-Up

Hey ya'll. I am going to try to post a few more entries over the next week as I will be going out of town starting on the 13th of September. Those of you who like to call and ask your questions, save them until I return and I will answer them then.
So here is the next in the series of stomach exercises. Enjoy!

Bench V-Up
Targets the rectus abdominis.

Sit on the edge of a bench perpendicular to it (you can also do this exercise on the floor). Firmly grasp the other side of the bench with your hands behind you. Keep your feet together, legs straight, and lift your legs off the ground until they are parallel to the ground and lean back slighty. Keep your back straight and your chin lifted. Crunch up as you simultaneously lift your legs up toward the ceiling forming a "V" with your body. Hold for a second and slowly lower to the start position and repeat.

"Ideas don't work unless 'I' do".