Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving!

The most dangerous holiday to dieters is upon us, readers. I'm heading home for a Thanksgiving Day 10K, double dinner celebrations and family time. What are your dinner and workout plans? Check back on an update to my holiday weekend, for now, check out this Thanksgiving calorie cutting article from Women's Health and Hungry Girl's Thanksgiving ask for help section. Happy holiday!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Ask a pro: Reebok Global Instructor Jade Alexis part 2

Remember Jade Alexis? She's the fun, functional and fierce Reebok Global Instructor I interviewed last week. Check out the rest of my interview with her, here!

ASA:
Has the launch of Reebok's female-focused fitness initiative helped to broadcast your message of making workouts fun?

Jade: Reebok's message falls in line with my desires to have a FUN work out. Thus far, working with Reebok and knowing that their initiative is in line with my philosophy encourages and motivates me to be on point and keep it FUN!

ASA: You talked about preventing burn outs through balance, how do you keep your workouts balanced?

Jade: On a regular basis I do the things I really enjoy; ride, swim, box, do weights, and practice yoga. In occasion when I need a change of pace, I may play basketball or try a new/different class or workout w/ a friend. Additionally, I make sure to incorporate all: weight/strength training, cardiovascular and flexibility into my week. Most importantly I balance training with rest and recovery, I have 1-2 days off a week.

ASA:
What role does nutrition have in your life? What's your favorite quick go to meal and what's your guilty food pleasure?

Jade: Nutrition is VERY important, it effects my energy levels, my health, my sleep ... Favorite quick to go meal is Greek Yogurt w/ blueberries and granola ...guilty food pleasure, sweet potato fries and I LOVE crumbles, apple or berry w/ a scope of ice cream!

ASA: What's your favorite at home exercise and at home workout equipment?

Jade: Exercise: Push up Equipment: Jump Rope What products does Reebok make that could help women workout from home or on the go while traveling? - Jump rope - resistance bands - dumb bells - stability balls

ASA: Living in a four season state; how do you keep exercising new and exciting when you're stuck indoors or in the same environment?

Jade: When it gets to cold to be outside, I move it indoors and can do many of the same things indoors that I do outdoors, swim, ride - its not as climatic or as refreshing being indoors though.... I also try new things there are a variety of classes offered at the gym, so its always new and exciting to try a new class or different instructor.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Healthiest city in the U.S.


I promise, I'm not all about depressing news. How about the nation's healthiest city? Drum roll please, and the award goes to Burlington, Vermont!

A distance of about 32 marathons away from the round town of Huntington, West Virgina, the nation's unhealthiest.
Check the article for some comparisons on how both 'ton towns measure up; then tell me about your city!

I posted at my MLive blog with my thoughts on the fit life in Michigan, but my workout routines have rarely ventured out from there.

Check it out and let me know what's up with your town. Tell me where you're from or where you've been; conducive environment to a chiseled six-pack, or more likely to see townie guts with remnants from last night's six pack?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A look at the fattest city in the US

Wanna know where I'm not going to move when I graduate? Huntingington, West Virginia. The tiny town on the west edge of the state is among the many nationwide struggling with the weak economy. Among the financial issues is one of a bigger size; obesity. Nearly half Huntington adults are over weight, making them the most obese city in the country.

How does this happen? Five foot nine, 233 pound mayor David Felinton says in an Associated Press article at comcast.net there's more important issues at hand for Huntington. "We've got a lot of economic challenges here in Huntington. That's usually the focus."

Usually when the top obese city list comes out, I shurg in my couch, thinking; how can it get that bad? There's no excuse for forgetting about your health, but the article was very well put together. Take a look at what life has been like in Huntington, and put yourself in those steal toed work boots. What would you do? I try to promote healthy eating and exerising on a budget, but environment has a great effect on us all. With so much on their plate (literally and figurativly) is there hope for Huntington?

Monday, November 17, 2008

Pom alright

A box of these cute little guys arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago. The friendly folks at Pom Wonderful contacted me asking if I was interested in a couple jugs of juice. I've never been a big pomegranate fan, but I am familiar with some of the health benefits so I decided to agree and give the juice a go.

First off, I can't think of a way to make drinking juice any more fun than the bottles Pom Wonderful uses. Juice aside, I made sure to save a couple of these guys to use latter (maybe a cute coffee table vase?).

The juice is decent. It's not my favorite, but it wasn't gross. It tasted similar to Manishewitz grape wine I'd sip on at Passover Dinner. I didn't see my little 8 oz bottle at the store, but my local super market did have the double sized version for a little over $3. A little steep for my nutrition on a budget preaching, but I did find another way to make the juice work.

Dinner.

The Pom Wonderful site has a pretty good section on how to use pomegranates in every day cooking. I ended up making a quick dinner that put the S.F.C (same freaking chicken) to shame. I brought a combination of pom juice and chicken stock to a roiling boil then stirring in a spoonful of flour to thicken the mixture. Serve that over chicken or ham for a yummy pomegranate glazed treat. The whole process took me about 10 minutes and I faked a fancy dinner in the process, definitely worth it for a little splurge.

Pom juice is a fantastic, healthy, versatile treat; something a little more grown up (and easier to feel good about) than a candy bar at check out and also a chance to change up dinner.

Are you a pom juice drinker? Seen the funky bottles? What do you think?

Friday, November 14, 2008

Odds and ends from Nancy Clark

I recently found registered dietitian Nancy Clark's monthly nutrition newsletter in my inbox, score! Here are some highlights from her jam packed Novermber/December articles:

Protein
The maximal effective single dose of protein to build new muscle is ~35 grams of high quality protein (milk, egg, fish, meats) at one time. While most athletes easily eat this amount—plus more—three times a day to fulfill their daily protein requirement, elderly folks may not. Hence, they become weak and frail. The bottom line: Be sure you (and your parents and grandparents) maintain your health and vitality by enjoying protein with each meal!
Organic foods—are they better?
Many athletes debate whether or not they should buy organic foods. In terms of nutritional value, studies in the US suggest no significant differences, but studies in Europe report higher amounts of nutrients, including antioxidants. Eating a larger portion of conventionally grown produce can resolve any potential differences.

The bigger issue relates to protecting the soil and limiting water pollution from pesticides and fertilizers that seep into the ground. For those reasons, buying organic produce is a smart choice, particularly if it is locally grown, uses less fuel to be transported, and supports local farmers.
Simple strategy for eating better
If you want to improve the quality of your diet, think about one thing you could do each day to contribute to a healthier intake. Write down your goal for the day, then assess your level of confidence in achieving that goal. For example, your goal might be to eat fruit with lunch. If you are very confident you can do that, go for it. But if you are not at all confident, take a look at the barriers, and perhaps figure out another way to boost your fruit intake. Banana on cereal for breakfast? Fruit smoothie for a post-exercise recovery drink?

The bottom line: Set yourself up for success by developing sustainable eating habits. Stop making resolutions—dietary “shoulds”—that repeatedly fail.
Want food help?
The best dietary advice comes with a one-on-one consultation with a sports dietitian. To find your local expert, check out the referral network at www.SCANdpg.org.
Recommended Reading
Helpful books can be a welcome gift. Here are a few suggestions for your active friends and family members. Of course, I recommend these books that I have written:

Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 4th Edition (2008)
The sports nutrition bible for learning how to eat to win.

The Cyclist’s Food Guide: Fueling for the Distance
For cyclists who are doing long rides or tours.

Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions
Perfect for novice marathoners who fear hitting the wall!

Excellent books by other authors include:

American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide by Roberta Duyff
What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating by Miriam Nestle
Vegetarian Sports Nutrition by Enette Larson-Meyer
Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family by Ellyn Satter
Healthy Homestyle Cooking by Evelyn Tribole

Nancy's newsletters are packed with info! I highly suggest making your way to her site to sign up for the free monthly letters!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Ask a pro: Reebok Global Instructor Jade Alexis

Jade Alexis is a spin, bootcamp and cross-training specialist out of New York City. She's one of 17 women in the Reebok Global Instructors Team aimed at giving women more options to make workouts fun.



I got a chance to send Jade a few questions to find out how her methods of training work. Check out some of her responses today and check back for more later on!

ASA: What kinds of exercising are involved in a boot camp session?

Jade: My boot camp training session includes a plethora of total body and body weight exercises and incorporates many sports conditioning drills. The exercises involved in the class included things such as running, hopping, jumping, push ups, squats, lunges, and speed ladder drills/agility.

We also do short sprints, slides and have the body move in different directions and at different speeds. Each session encompasses all; strength, cardiovascular and functional exercises.

ASA: How is boot camp training beneficial?

Jade: Beneficial because it motivates one to work hard and push to a state of mind over matter in which new limits can be reached - one can reach and feel a great sense of accomplishment. From a physical standpoint, you burn a ton of calories, build strength and develop cardiovascular endurance all while having fun!

ASA: What is the proper attire for boot camp training? Does Reebok offer specific boot camp gear?

Jade: Clothing that won't restrict movement. Really, whatever is comfortable. Reebok has several shoes, cross trainers that are appropriate for this type of class.

ASA: A lot of popular weight-loss television shows (Celebrity Fit Club, The Biggest Loser) rely on boot camp training, why do you think this is and what options do women have to mimic boot camp training on their own?

Jade: I suspect that these shows use boot camp training because it is fun or at least it can be! Its great for TV and when done well and incorporated with a good nutrition plan and sufficient rest then weight loss/results are guaranteed - that's great for these TV shows.

Several of these shows such as the biggest loser have workout videos that can allow women to mimic boot-camp workouts on their own. Taking a boxing class or a boot camp class and learning the moves and drills can give women some of the tools to be able practice "boot-camp" on their own at home.

ASA: What does cross training accomplish that a single track routine does not?

Jade: Over time a single track workout routine will likely get boring and the body will adapt to doing the same exercise over and over again. One will reach a point where the body no longer gets the same results from the same workout. Cross-training mixes things up so that the body is constantly challenged in different ways to avoid boredom, as well as engage more and different muscles and prevent the body from adapting which will ultimately help avoid a plateau in results.

ASA: You talked about keeping workouts fun, functional and fierce; can you explain this a bit more? How do you encourage fun, what workouts are most functional and why, and what is it to exercise fierce?

Jade: Fun! Exercise should be fun, we should smile and laugh and enjoy the exercise we are doing, it shouldn't be a dreadful experience. I encourage fun by encouraging people to participate in activities/sports/exercises that they enjoy doing - that's why boot-camp is fun, it takes pieces from different sports that many enjoy. Additionally, good, upbeat music, smiles, good positive energy and words also aid in creating a fun workout.

Functional! Involves doing movements that mimic our everyday activities so that we can become stronger and more efficient in our daily lives and/ or sports that we participate in

Fierce! Means to go hard! Give it all, 100 % and be intense.

Monday, November 10, 2008

How to choose the right gym

Last week it was 70 here. Seventy degrees in November. I rode my bike to classes in a short-sleaved shirt, jeans and sunglasses. Global warming, you're not always a bad guy.

Thanks to the sunny weather I also took off for an afternoon run. Gosh am I gonna miss running under the red and yellow trees with beautiful blue skies.

We may be fighting off cold weather for now, but eventually I'll be snow shoeing it around campus with white fluff up to my waist.
Don't believe me?
Yep, when I take this year's homage to Antarctica, it will most certainly be gym season. Memberships can be costly though; are you getting everything you want out of your gym? Check out my MLive MichFit post on guidelines to choosing the right gym!

There you'll find great links there to a couple resources with checklists, budget conscious tips and an anti-rip off guide.
Location, price, programs, amenities, fine print, what can't you live without?

Tell me about your dream gym!
Tell me about your gym. Love it? Hate it? Just live with it anyway? What would be the one thing you would change if you could? Comment or email me at asizableapple@gmail.com.

Friday, November 7, 2008

More business on the pink ribbon

I've seen more pink ribbons in the last month than a nurse would in a newborn ward. Every stop to think about the whole trend?

Might not be as good as it seems,
says one of my fellow MLive bloggers.

Need a little more info? Check this MSNBC health article- the politics behind the pink ribbon. I wrote about this a little bit about a year ago, but I think cancer and your money are both big enough topics to give another go around.

Does the pink campaign sway your purchases at all? What's your favorite way to support breast cancer? Here's mine!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Women, wash your hands!

My grandpa use to freak out about how little we washed our hands. My parents were always too busy shuffling a kid or two to swim practice or helping someone with their science project to make sure everyone's hands were scrubbed clean before dinner.

And don't lie, you don't
always wash your hands after going to the bathroom or before eating. Yep, there's a lot of invisible bugs festering around all of us, but maybe more on women?

I was pretty surprised to read this
MSNBC health article citing a study that claimed women have more bacteria on their hands then men.


The researchers aren't sure why women harbored a greater variety of bacteria than men, but Fierer suggested it may have to so with the acidity of the skin. Knight said men generally have more acidic skin than women.

Other possibilities are differences in sweat and oil gland production between men and women, the frequency of moisturizer or cosmetics applications, skin thickness or hormone production, he said.

Yuck. Note to self, scrub those palms more often. Also found this quote later on in the article pretty interesting:
The average hand harbored 150 species of bacteria.

Not only did individuals have few types of bacteria in common, the left and right hands of the same individual shared only about 17 percent of the same bacteria types, the researchers found.

By the way, does anyone else think about how many germs you come in contact with while at the mall? How many bodies slipped on that sweater, ran their snotty hands over that Guitar Hero box or held onto the oh-so-not-clean railings? I make it a point to try out as many Bath and Body Works products as possible; better yet if they have an anti-bacterial try me soap by the in store sink!

What do you think? Does this prompt you to wash more, or have you always been a regular washer? How 'bout hand sanitizers, do you swear by a certain brand? Fill me in on comments!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Do you want 4-year-old fries with that?

Ewwwwwwwww. Not much left to say, ladies. If you have had time to hit up the fast food drive through in the last month, then you can make time for this 5 minute video. This is another gem sent to me (keep 'em comin', mom!) from Hungry Girl.

I know I'm not the only one whose come across a little left over from a long lost Happy Meal;
hmm, how long has this been here? It doesn't look too old. Maybe just four years old? You've GOT to check out this video on how fast food vs. real food ages.

What do you think? Does proof like this and movies like Supersize Me stop you dead in your tracks, make you re-think your Big Mac or not phase you a bit?