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Healthy tips for getting and staying in shape by Stephanie Mendes, ACE certified Personal Trainer and Co-Owner of Arlington Personal Fitness.“With the right food choices, physical activity and not smoking, we could prevent about 80 percent of heart disease, about 90 percent of diabetes and 70 percent of stroke, “ says Walter Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. Most of us know the right food choices. Eat less red meat and consume more fruit and vegetables. Drink fewer sugary drinks. Putting it in to action is a more difficult task. We need to change our behaviors not just our thought processes. Focus on behaviors and not just outcomes. Easier said than done. Here are 10 easy …
It’s Fall. Autumn is a great time to embrace the beginning of a new fitness program. A few good guidelines, whether you head outdoors or to the gym, will help you get started on a safe and successful routine. To begin safely, break your program in to four components. 1. Cardiovascular Training: After you have your doctor’s agreement, get started, but start slowly. In the beginning, aim for three times per week. Depending on your fitness level, start anywhere with 10- 30 minutes of your favorite cardio activity. Walking is a great place to begin! I love pedometers and you can consult my …
Have you seen the cute new Food Pyramid, called MyPlate? The brightly colored circular plate came out last week and is meant to give consumers a fast, easy to grasp reminder of the basics of a healthy diet. It consists of four sections, one each for fruits, vegetables, grains and protein. Beside the plate is a smaller circle for dairy, suggesting a glass of low-fat milk or perhaps a yogurt cup. Gone is any reference to fats, alcohol, oils or sweets. The old pyramid was instantly recognized by millions of American school kids, parents and consumers, but was disdained by nutritionists as too…
The sudden understanding of a concept or idea is often described as an “Aha” moment. The “Aha” moment occurs when one’s perception is suddenly changed — a flash of insight that changes our world view. It is a moment of clarity, a defining moment where one gains real wisdom--wisdom YOU can use to change your life. When committed exercisers are interviewed, research supports that this “Aha” moment is central to success in their pursuit of a healthy and fit lifestyle. Sometimes health and fitness feels like an all or nothing, one size fits all deal. Do this, eat that and you will be thin and…
Will Eating Carbs at night Make You Fat?This rumor has been around for years. Indeed, it is hard to separate diet myth from diet fact. While the saying goes, eat like a King at breakfast, like a Queen at lunch and like a pauper at dinner, research supports the idea that cutting calories throughout the day will result in as much fat loss as focusing on cutting carbs out of your dinner. “Your body doesn’t store fat more readily during the evening than any other point during the day,” says nutritionist Alan Aragon. “So a better focus is to figure out how many calories you need to consume and …
Sound like a miracle? This little miracle is called Interval Training. Interval Training is performing short bursts of exercise, followed by periods of recovery. Interval Training burns more fat because of these intense bursts of exercise. The more calories you burn in a workout, the more FAT you burn. Interval training allows you to workout at a higher intensity than regular training because of the recovery periods. The “extra” burst pushes your heart rate to an uncomfortable level and then you “rest” and allow your heart rate to resume its normal workout level. With interval training you …
Pedometer PowerHow many steps do YOU walk per day? A sedentary person may only average 1,000-3,000 steps a day. 5,000-7,999 steps per day is the typical daily activity excluding sports or exercise and might be considered “low active.” 7,5000-9,999 likely includes some exercise or walking and is considered “somewhat active.” Health experts are recommending a daily goal of 10,000 steps for overall healthy and fitness. 10,000 steps is equivalent to walking approximately five miles. The goal of 10,000 steps per day for health and weight loss was popularized in Japan but did not come from any …
Recently I spoke with Jessica Ganzer, R.D., who told me a few interesting facts about our eating habits in the 21st century. Did you know that 50 percent of food is eaten outside our homes? Families eat less than three meals together per week. With that information, it is not surprising that our waistlines are creeping up. One third of Americans are now considered obese. Luckily, Ganzer was able to share some great tips on how to eat more healthily on the run. The first good rule for more healthy eating habits is to keep healthy snacks on hand, in your car, in your bag, or in your office…
Do you find yourself eating more, exercising less and gaining a few unwantedpounds during winter, even AFTER the holidays? You are not alone and there arescientific reasons why.The impulse to eat more as days grow shorter is driven by the body’s need tosurvive. Our ancestors needed more body fat to endure the lean cold months. This isthe reason our brains are programmed to increase our body weight during the autumnand winter months.An additional factor in this winter weight gain is the decrease in Vitamin D. Ourbody absorbs Vitamin D from sunlight. As daylight decreases, so do our Vitamin …
Congratulations! You made it through the holidays. Now is the time to think about your 2011 Fitness Goals. To start your goal setting, the first thing you need to do is remember that your goals need to be SMART. Specific. Specific refers to what you are going to do. Use action words such as exercise, eat, coordinate. Think about why you are choosing this particular goal. A good idea of a SPECIFIC goal is: "I am going to walk three miles in 45 minutes by March 1." Measurable. If you can't measure it, you can’t manage it. Choose a goal with measurable progress. You may have a long …
