New Years Eve Guide To Drinking

One of my favorite blogs posted a great guide to smart alcohol consumption for the new year. Many health professionals persuade alcohol abstinence. While this may be no sweat for some, its good to figure in some of your regular behavior when considering healthy choices.

It is possible to indulge from time to time and you shouldn't have to skip out on traditions or social events all together because you're looking to get fit. This guide I found does a good job at reminding us about the most important rule while drinking, to be smart and responsible.

Having a good healthy meal before you go out for the evening will act as a good base to protect your organs against alcohol damage. Avoid mixed drinks and dark beers as both can pack on the calories. In addition, don't be afraid to ask for water between drinks. It can lessen the amount of alcohol you actually take in if you slow your night down and play it smart.

In addition, remember that other drinks can be heavy in calories as well. Juices, soft drinks, and coffee drinks (with additives) all pack a mean calorie punch to your diet.

Importance of stretching and flexability

The importance of stretching and flexibility has been talked about for years. However its often over looked or not done properly.

And while there has been a long debate over if stretching before or after exercise is better. Stretching before exercise is recommended for vigorous activity, to prepare your muscles to move. You'll find a better range of motion or movement if you stretch before hard, because your body is more prepared and has been warmed up for activity.

Afterwards stretching is also recommended to help work as a warm down, and to move the lactic acid you build during activity out of the muscles.

An article from the department of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University says that age in particular effects your range of motion the most. Daily activities are influenced by our flexability. Regularly stretching can help lengthen and restore muscles back to their younger form. The GSU article says stretching can help

relax your mind and tune up your body,
preserve range of motion
maintain flexibility
prevent injury during exercise
prepare muscles for vigorous activity
develop body awareness
promote circulation

The GSU article, including a list with pictures and descriptions of some helpful daily stretches is available here.

For length of stretching, this Q&A on the Runners World website has a good response to the amount of time you should promote to working your muscle flexibility. In general, about 30 seconds holding for each stretch is best.

Slowly moving forward to a steady hold is ok, but try not to bounce or move around too much while stretching as you could do more damage to your muscles than good.

For more information on stretching and flexibility, here is a great videojug video on stretches to improve flexibility.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a serious problem that affects millions of women. The calcium deficiency disease can damages your bones significantly.

Video-jug has a great osteoporosis library that I couldn't pass up sharing. They have clips from a certified doctor about everything from the definition and cause of the disease to treatments and prevention.

I highly suggest checking out what the library has to offer even if you aren't currently experiencing symptoms.

Winter Sports

I love being home with my friends and family for the holidays. The best part about spending time at home is the time we spend packed on the couch playing cards, watching tv and catching up. In addition, when on topic, my siblings and parents are quick to spout out new ideas for A Sizable Apple posts, and always tell me about the newest recipes and workout tips they've tried.

Recently, my sister had the idea to highlight some of the best ways to exercise during the winter season. I know not all my readers get to experience cooler climates, but living in Michigan all my life, I can't help but do a little research on how to make half the year a little more enjoyable outside.

My mother is an avid runner and the winter months don't stop her. She'll be out while the sun is rising getting her miles in for the day. She uses YakTrax every morning to add a little support on her running shoes in the different conditions.

Years ago, me and my dad use to go cross country skiing around town, and while we don't have the equipment anymore, it's a great activity, along with snow shoeing for a crowd and to get children involved with. I've even seen families trek through neighborhoods on snowy winter days. New equipment of any sort can get expensive, but if you look through local garage sales, re-selling sports shops and online you may be able to find a decently priced set.

Ice skating, skiing, snowboarding and sledding are all great calorie burners as well, and since moving in snow or sand is more difficult, even snow ball fights can be a great way to get a workout and enjoy the weather.

For all your winter outdoor activities, its important to remember that hypothermia can be a very dangerous problem. Here is a great link to a site I found which discusses winter sport safety.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my readers!

I hope you take today to spend time with your family and friends and take a break from your quest for a healthy lifestyle.

Check out more of this comic here.

Cardio Craze

The best means of healthy weight loss have been proven to be a balance of healthy eating habits and regular exercise. Specifically, women should strive to meet the daily calorie intake (check out my article on the personal calorie counter), as well as the recommended daily activity (at least 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity 3-5 days of the week). For women looking to lose weight, shape up, or keep fit, continuous cardio workouts are the best route. Cardio work is beneficial for more than fitness results as well.

* It's one way to burn calories and help you lose weight
* It makes your heart strong so that it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood
* It increases your lung capacity
* It helps reduce risks of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
* It makes you feel good
* It helps you sleep better
* It helps reduce stress

From About.com As for best means of cardio work, it all depends on what you're favorite is, and what activity you are able to raise your heart rate doing. Suggested routine for cardio work is a solid warm up to prepare your muscles, then picking a comfortable pace to workout at, monitoring your heart rate manually or with an electronic heart rate monitor. Some recommended cardio activity include step aerobic, running, walking, biking, swimming, elliptical and rowing. For more cardio information, check out the following About sites for some more detail- intensity, top cardio exercise, cardio for beginners.

Holiday Coffee Drinks

Picking up a coffee to keep you going throughout the day is more a regular activity than it ever use to be. Especially for those on the go, Starbucks is just as necessary to have in hand as is your briefcase. I've been doing a lot of reading lately about our favorite coffee drinks. Most favorites are as much calorie wise as a full meal!

This article takes a good look at just how taxing some quick drinks are. As the winter months come upon us, trips to the coffee shop to warm up will most certainly increase. It's important to keep in mind how taxing these drinks can be, and to think about alternatives.

Video: Alternative medicine

The interest in alternative medicine in America has risen significantly from a few decades ago. Techniques from Asian countries have moved their way to the west and proven that different methods of healing can help in cases of pain or suffering.

Alternative methods like meditation have brought many peace and serenity. The spreading of eastern medical ideas was proven by Oprah's acceptance of acupuncture a few weeks ago.

While there are few doctors in the states that can supply alternative means of medicine, there are several at home practices as well. The surge of yoga and pilates believers is a great example of the American embrace of eastern practices.

This video jug library of alternative medicine has great information on a few of the most common practices. Although not all of them are eastern related, the library offers great video chapters on chiropractic medicine, hypnosis, yoga, pilates and massage.

Here is another link to videojug looking at acupuncture treatment individually. I'd highly suggest checking it out if you have any curiosity in any of those fields, or if you are currently practicing, as videojug does a great job of incorporating basic introductions and additional in depth information.

Wheat-grass

Just recently I came across the idea of drinking a blend of wheat grass for health benefits. I've heard that the grass, which is usually blended and drank like a shot, has some of the same incredible vitamins that dark vegetables provide.

So is it worth it? This article from Stanford writes wheat grass off as a marketing gimic, while this site provides 40 reasons to wheat grass benefits.

While some sites boast the extreme levels of nutrients and other benefits, the old fashion approach to meeting nutritional guidelines will stand strong as my favorite method. After all, sticking to a recommended diet with a multi-vitamin will help you satisfy multiple aspects of your diet. What's your take on wheat grass?

Favorite Links

Key to Aerobic Success
Here is a great article on continuing with aerobic exercising. (Check out my earlier post on the differences between aerobic and anaerobic workouts.)

Eat to Beat Stress
Women's Health Magazine had a great feature on 9 foods that can help combat stress. Definitely worth the read, and great ideas for snacks to keep on hand when times get tough instead of ice cream and candy bars.

Eat This Not That
Kelly has a great review of the book over at her blog Basil and Spice. The author, a Men's Health Magazine writer has written a few books already but this one looks promising with its every day usable information.

Fact or Crap? Choosing A Personal Trainer
Here is a great feature on things to look for when looking for a personal trainer. Making sure you're getting quality information from a knowledgeable source before you take any of their guidance to hear.

Make It Your Way
Here's a great feature on recipes to make on your own that mimic the great taste of fast food places at a much healthier cost. (Check out my post on Fast Food Attacks.)

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Lunch Box Diet

I found this interesting diet, called the Lunch Box Diet, on a new diet blog I've been peaking around at. It's called the Lunch Box Diet, and the concept is to fill a plastic lunch box 60% full with fruits and vegetables, 30% lean proteins and 10% dressings.

Although the creator, Simon Lovell a personal trainer from England, dislikes calling the concept a diet, although it's been covered by Elle Magazine as so. The idea is to munch on the contents in the lunch box for lunch and dinner, every hour throughout the afternoon.

Personally, I think the idea is valid, but question its practability. For those constant snackers, sticking to the 60/30/10 idea and only relying on the box may be a helpful way to get through the day. The boxed multi-meals will definitely combat over eating. In addition, pre-packing meals for the day is a good way to insure you make all your fruits and veggies in for the day.

However, many women are on hectic schedules that end with coming home and fixing dinner for some hungry little ones. Creating dinner out of your box may be a problem then.

Ideally, I think the lunch box plan is great for a single woman with a hectic work life. If you're on the go, in the office past 5, or find yourself looking for a quick solution to dinner solo; a lunch box meal plan could be a good solution to your munching habits.

Here's a link to the Elle Magazine review, and another to Simon's diet site. What's your take? How do you keep from snacking throughout the day? Would the lunch box diet work for you?

Pulse Rate

Monitoring your pulse rate during activity is key to your health. Over working your heart can lead to bodily harm including feeling faint and dizzy, actually fainting or falling unconscious, heart attack, or death.

On the opposite spectrum, working out at a low pulse rate will not benefit you as much as working in your target heart rate zone.

There are two simple ways to check your pulse. One is manually. This site does a very nice job of describing ways to check your pulse using your fingers.

Another way to monitor your heart rate is with an electronic heart rate monitor. These usually consist of a band that straps around your chest (females, under your breasts) and a coordinating wrist watch that reads from the monitor on your chest.

Heart rate monitors can get pricey, so unless you have heart problems, or exercise frequently, usually checking your pulse rate manually will do. My favorite most trusted brand of heart rate monitors are from the Polar line, but here is another link of monitors for under $100.

Favorite Links

Body Philosophy
Here is a very disturbing but well written article taking a look at body image issues in young girls ages 6-12. Interesting to hear what some of these girls have to say about their looks, and why they feel that way.

Winter Foods
Real Simple Magazine has a great guide to cooking and storing the best of winter produce. From squash, to lemons check this link out to get the best out of fresh produce in the colder months.

Fake Bacon
Real Age had a great feature on a few different types of bacon substitutes, all lower in calories and fat. Definitely worth checking out for any bacon lovers!

Daily health mistakes & fixes
One of my new favorite blogs to check out does a great job at analyzing a couple typical mistakes we make everyday like skipping breakfast, and making dinner out of the drive through. After addressing the mistakes, the site goes into detail about damage control and what to do next time.

Winter Sports
This post does a good job of highlighting ways to stay active during the colder months. This would not only be a good read, but something to tape up in the hot chocolate cabinet to remind you of your options to stay active!

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Diet Review- 10 pound melt-down

Shape Magazine has a new feature on losing 10 pounds fast. Although I hear most women talking about wanting to lose more than 10 pounds, this day by day break down guide.

What I like most about Shape's 10 pound melt-down feature, is how simple the magazine makes it sound. The magazine breaks down a weeks worth of meals into 3 snacks and 3 meals.

They make dropping the weight within a week or two seem simple. Taking weight loss goals in smaller increments like 10 pound steps has been shown to be more successful.

What I'm not so keen about is their fitness recommendations. Shape says to meet your 10 pound loss, you'll need to fit in 300 minutes of cardio during the week. Assuming you flock to the gym for all the days of the week, this breaks down to about 40 minutes of cardio a day, which is well over the 30 minutes of cardio work for 3-5 days a week recommended by the US health department.

Most likely, if you're doing 40 minutes a day of cardio work, you're not looking for Shape Magazine to tell you how to drop 10 pounds. Jumping into a new fitness program as intense as Shape recommends could leave participants injured or set up for failure.

My suggestion to those interested in the 10 pound melt-down would be to implement some of Shape's ideas into your normal routine. Odds are, if you are able to slowly incorporate some new habits like a positive change in nutrition or extra time in the gym, you'll stay on a healthy track longer than someone crash dieting.

Shape's week long meal plans are all helpful and nutritious. Calories for the day are already set so following each day will keep you on a good routine. If you're looking at a quick weight loss, increasing your cardio activity will help more so than any other exercising.

For extended results, I'd recommend setting up a one time evaluation with a doctor or physical trainer for personalized workouts that can specifically benefit your goals.

Healthy eating for holiday parties

'Tis the season to bring out that holiday cocktail dress, party hop and enjoy time indoors with family and friends. But, for all the party hopping you do this holiday season, how do you keep your figure and enjoy the best munchies at the bash?

Real Simple Magazine posted a great guide to choosing between red and white wine to simple appetizers. Here are my favorites from their guide:

Red or white wine?
Red wine wins this one for its cholesterol healthy and anti-blood clotting benefits. But, if you're prone to headaches, stick with white over red instead.

Hard vs. soft cheeses
When going in for the dairy, it's best to stick to soft cheeses which can be up to 40 calories less than its harder counterparts. On the other hand, you will get a more powerful punch of calcium from harder cheeses, offering up to 200 mg more.

Pigs in a blanket or mini quiche?
Although both options won't work wonders for your figure, quiche will score you some nutritional benefits like calcium and protein.

Ham vs. roast beef Both are great sources of protein, but roast beef will score you almost three times as much iron, vitamin B. Ham contains more sodium than roast beef.

Chocolate kisses or candy canes?
This one goes to the cane. Although candy canes are almost pure sugar, nibbling on one of these will hold you over longer than a kiss.

Check the link for more tips like gingerbread vs. sugar cookies and coco vs eggnog as well. And as always, consider alternative tricks while out during the holidays. Filling up before you go out will save you from munching too much, and socializing away from the kitchen counter will also help you limit snacking on holiday treats.

Nutritious choices on a budget

Recently I've heard a lot of talk from friends about how hard it is to stay healthy with a hectic life. In addition to that, much of the issue is on food and money.

Nutrition education has started to grow because of our national obesity epidemic, and although lots of women understand what eating healthy takes, few can actually afford a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.

However, eating healthy is not just about the expensive produce section. There are other ways to eat well, especially on a budget.

Canned Fruits- I must admit, if given the choice, I would always vote for fresh fruit over canned. However, canned fruit is one of the cheapest items in a grocery store, and also one of the most versatile and often over looked.

Canned fruits can be strained and washed for a fantastic quick fruit salad, and the juices left behind can be tossed with any sort of meat, used as dressing for salad or pasta, or the liquid base for rice.

Frozen Vegetables- Again, not nearly as glamorous as the fresh section, but there are many benefits to buying frozen. First off, frozen assorted vegetables are quick and easy. You can throw them in the freezer and forget about them for awhile, and still come back to them later, something not remotely possible in their fresh form. Also, they are much more affordable and often pre-cut.

One example of the beauty of frozen vegetables is my favorite pineapple chicken stir fry which takes literally 5 minutes to make and is well under $10. Combine frozen veggies, grilled chicken strips with canned pineapple bits (and or pineapple juice, very cheap) and soy sauce.

Get your meat in on a budget-Sadly, there's not too many ways to get around this one. Getting fried chicken at KFC is always going to be cheaper than buying the good healthy version.

I like to buy the biggest bag of frozen chicken breasts I can find and keep it in my freezer for whenever I need it. It can get a little pricey, but you definitely get your money's worth and if you can split it with roommates, you'd be in good shape.

How to do carbs right- Whole wheat products, again, are most expensive than white bread or plain pasta. However, this may be helpful in your nutrition quest.

As a pastaholic, I haven't quite found a love for whole wheat pasta. When I do eat pasta, I try to mix half whole wheat and half regular, which has cut my noodle consumption.

What are some budget and health issues you have? What tricks do you use to manage your nutrition? What aspects of your health are still tricky for you to manage?

New tool & usage- adding stretch bands to your workout

I was first introduced to stretch bands as means of alternate strength training during my swimming career about 7 years ago.

Like big rubber bands, these training tools can be used in a variety of ways during exercising. Because of their variety and ease, stretch bands make for a great travel companion.

I've been hunting for awhile to create a good post about exercising while traveling, and stretch bands have definitely proven to be a great tool to keep fit on the go. Because stretch bands work of the resistance of your own body, they are especially great to use for anyone with an injury, handicap, or new to exercising.

They're also quite inexpensive, and mold to different routines as your ability changes. One new blog that caught my eye this week had a great feature on stretch bands, including a video with different usages as well.

I highly suggest any readers who aren't familiar with the use of stretch bands to check out the video or this link which shows some typical exercises using stretch bands with handles on end.

Here is a link to an Amazon.com page selling stretch bands with handles, and here at yogaaccessories.com is another great place to order stretch bands at a great price.

Personalized Calorie Counter

Your daily calorie intake depends on several different factors. If you're younger, more active, or smaller framed, you'll need more calories daily than someone older or less active.

Counting calories daily is one of life's less exciting chores, and can also be near impossible. But knowing what your intake should be is a good way to figure out a ballpark to base your shopping and daily intake off of.

RealAge has a great online calculator where you can plug in your personal stats to determine your personal calorie intake. The site also breaks down your fats, carbs and protein intake by percentage, grams and calories specifically, helping you narrow down your intake even further.

Favorite Links

Fast Food Freaks Rejoice Here's a great look at how to use takeout and fast food menus to your advantage. The site offers some great tips on how to eat well when you're faced with the choices of burgers and fries. Definitely a must read article for anyone who travels often or drawn to the golden arches.

Laptops & Posture One of my recent new favorite blogs takes a look at the health risks to using laptops, especially in those late teens to twenties. Definitely worth thinking about our time and attitude while at work or school and on a computer.

Energy Drink Evaluation I've wanted to write a post on the real effects of energy drinks for awhile, but this post summed up my thoughts pretty well. Keep in mind that the companies of these products are not held responsible for the advertising and terms they print on the cans; a theory that is also looked at in this link.

Dietary Fat Explained I know as a non-nutritionist, my knowledge for the nutrition label only goes so far. When it comes to dietary fats. In this link, a trained fitness professional does a great job of breaking down trans-fats, saturated fats, monounsatuated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Make your own protein bars

Protein and granola bars are great to keep on hand. If you're on the go, need a quick breakfast, or a fast snack, reaching for something prepackaged is always tempting. However, packaged snack bars can be full of sugar, or quite expensive for the healthier versions.

A favorite among my siblings when we were little were Kudos bars, which were basically a chocolate covered granola bars plus chocolate chips and candy bar crumbles.

As evident by Kudos, the idea of nutritional snack bars has quickly spun out of control. Marketing to obese consumers who are more interested in flavor than nutritional values, snack companies are competing and taking over those companies who pride themselves on nutritional products.

Especially for parents, creating a healthy snack they can make with their children that is tasty is a perk. I'm all for home making simple dishes as often as possible, to control intake. So, when I caught an article and video post for making your own protein bars, I had to share it with my readers.

The recipe I found was very simple and also included the nutritional information as well. In addition, it seems fairly easy to substitute ingredients for something else. Dried fruit, cereal, or broken pretzels, could all be great additions to snack bars. While the following recipe was recommended, but altering the ingredients could keep some healthy variety in your life. Here's the recipe as given from the article I saw.

Stir together the following:
2 cups raw oatmeal
1 cup protein powder
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups trail mix
1/2 cup ground walnut
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup honey
2 cups peanut butter

Move into oiled container & cut into bars

nutrtition facts: serving size 1 bar (68g) serving per recipe 24 amount per serving: calories 310 total carb. 31g 10% dietary fiber 4.2g 17% protein 11g

Here's a quick link to the article, and also a link directly to the video.

100th Post!

Dear Readers-

After just over 3 & 1/2 months of blogging, asizableapple has reached its 100th post!

I'd like to take this time to thank all my readers (be it your first time on the site or 100th!) for making posting every day a joy. I have truly enjoyed bringing you the best information on women's health and fitness I can find, and also love reading all your comments and emails.

As always, please feel free to email me (asizableapple@gmail.com) with any questions, comments or ideas you have for the blog. Happy Reading!

Health Dilemmas Solved

It's a matter of life- should I have another chocolate? Work out twice today? Pizza for dinner or Chinese? As human beings, we're not perfect, and days come and go with health toss-ups and decisions.

Thankfully, Real Simple magazine has paired up some of the toughest food and wellness choices to find the best choice all together. Here are some of my favorites-

Post dinner restaurant woes-
Your meal is wrapping up, but your night isn't finished yet. Should you go for a second glass of wine or dessert? RS says dessert! Real Simple says women should have one serving of alcohol a day, although they do suggest to choose your post dinner treat with moderation.

Sleep in or workout-
Real Simple says although eight hours of sleep is a recommendation, daily workout beats snooze time. Even those who enjoy their beauty sleep can grow accustom to waking up early.

"Going outside to exercise in the morning light will help reset your body clock and eventually make it easier to wake up earlier," explains Shawn D. Youngstedt, Ph.D., a sleep researcher at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Do or don't doughnut in the morning-
If it comes down to the doughnut or skimping on breakfast in the morning, RS suggests going with the doughnut. Although the pastry isn't the best for your body, starting the morning on empty is even worse for your system.

As for Chinese or pizza, RS suggests Chinese instead. Pizza is higher in calories and fat while you may get a couple good for you veggies in your Chinese takeout.

I'd highly suggest checking out the link for some great other tips on weights vs. cardio, stretching vs. walking for warm-up, and 3 workouts a week vs. a massive weekend blow-out.

What sort of toss-ups do you face throughout the week? How do you decide?