Happy.......Holidays?

So I listened to some of you talk about your holidays and I know that as wonderful as you would like the holidays to be with family and friends sometimes it's more stress than anything else to have everyone you love in the same place......Now that everyone is most likely back at their own home and you are left with peace at last, take some time for yourself to de-stress.
Make yourself a nice warm bath add Lavender oil, Lavender is good for stress, insomnia, & Headaches.
When you are finished with your bath make yourself some Chamomile tea, Chamomile is good for stress and stomach upsets.
Take a break from the TV, read a book, listen to relaxing music, or write down your thoughts.........This is a good refresher for the start of the work week

When do you Stretch?

When we stretch a muscle, we're causing microscopic damage to soft tissue that ultimately repairs itself, which leads to greater mobility.
But the act of stretching can be stressful on the muscles and joints, which makes it more difficult for the muscle to produce the power and force usually required in a workout. This may lead to an overall ineffective workout or risk injury!
Therefore the best time to stretch is either after your workout, when the soft tissues are warm and pliable, or as a stand-alone workout that won't be followed by anything powerful or intense,(a good warm up before highly recommended).

TV=Calories

Research done at the University of Toronto has shown that kids who eat meals while watching TV consume, 228 more calories than those who eat without the TV on.

Why not Shut off the TV and sit down at the table family style and talk about your day. It is the healthier option in sooo many ways!

Acai Berry

Some of you have seen and questioned me about the Acai berry so I did my research and found the following information. I must say as much as it is tempting is as expensive it is at $80 a bottle. The companies marketing this are offering a free trial ($6.00 shipping) but for a week and if you don't call to cancel within that time they automatically charge your credit card and ship you your next bottle.

Brief Background of the Acai Berry and the Extract
Acai, pronounced (ah-sigh-EE) is a fruit that grows on the Acai Palm Trees in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil. The Acai berry is quite small in size (similar to a blueberry) and is purple in color. Acai is basically all seed, covered in a small amount of fruit pulp and skin. About 90% of the fruit is seed - the acai seed itself is not used for products or human consumption. This is partly why the Acai Berry is in such high demand, in order to extract a decent amount of pulp it is necessary to use thousands of Acai Berries.
The acai berry has a very different taste to most fruit with a very subtle creamy after taste that some have compared with chocolate. There are a handful of stores and markets (most in CA or NY) that have started offering acai berry smoothies which is probably the closest we can come to having fresh Acai in the states. The fruit is very time-sensitive, and, if not frozen within hours of harvesting can end up spoiling rapily.

If you should decide to try the acai berry please let me know, I would love to monitor your progress along the way along with your regular exercise and nutrition. Ask me for more details if you are interested.

FITNESS CHALLENGE #3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do this first thing every other morning to give your day a jumpstart!

Repeat 2x (challenge yourself and do 3x)
Try your best to go with as little rest as possible
remember to keep up with your water intake!

1st Set
30 sec jumpropes (BW)
6 squat thrusts
30 sec jumping jacks
6 box squats

2nd Set
45 sec jumpropes (BW)
8 squat thrusts
1 min jumping jacks
10 box squats

3rd Set
1 min jumpropes (BW)
10 squat thrusts
45 sec jumping jacks
8 box squats
15 crunches w/ knees to side (each side)
15 obliques elbow to hip (each side)
30 sec plank

Advice we all could use

LAUGH! LAUGH! LAUGH!
Laughter diminishes the secretion of cortisol and epenephrine (aka stress hormones)

Exercises for Mommy/Daddy & Baby

Push-up with a Kiss
Place your baby on a blanket and position your hands on either side directly beneath your shoulders. Push yourself up on your toes or if your more comfortable start out on your knees. Be sure your body is in a straight line which ever position you should chose. Engage your abs and flex your elbow kiss your baby lower your body so that you can give your baby a kiss and then push yourself back to starting position.

Leg Extension with a Crunch
Lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest. Position your baby on your shins and hold onto his/her torso or hands. Lift your legs until your shins are parallel to the ground, Draw your knees back toward your chest and lift your head up toward your baby's face. Be sure to keep your abs engaged throughout.

When you involve your child/children in your excercise routine they will enjoy the quality time together. They may even be your motivation to keep up with your exercise because they most likely will ask you each day to do excercise again.
Your exercise is thier playtime, and it sets a great example for them to begin a healthy lifestyle!

Move it & Lose it!

Dance away your trouble spots!

Ballroom Dancing 250-400 Calories per hour
Square Dancing 280 Calories per hour
Ballet 300 Calories per hour
Salsa dancing 420+ Calories per hour
Aerobic dancing 540+ Calories per hour

What are you waiting for Turn up that I-Pod and Shake It!

New & Exciting!!

I am very happy to announce that I am working on a website as well as other sites. There are going to be LOTS of great things for you to utilize such as customized nutrition, workouts that you can download and much more this is exciting for me and I hope that you utilize as much of what is available to you as you can. There is no reason for you not to succeed. I WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED!

www.whfoods.org

This is a fun website with plenty of information about eating healthy there are tips to eating healthy and cooking healthy!

Healthy Holiday Recipe Ideas

Appetizer: Fiesta Dip

1/2 cup cucumbers
1 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 cup sweet red peppers
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh cilantro
Squeeze excess moisture from the cucumbers; place them in a small bowl.
Stir in the sour cream, peppers, garlic, and cilantro.
Chill until needed.
Serve with pita bread, pita chips, whole grain crackers, or whole grain tortilla chips.

Side Dish: Butternut Squash Casserole

1 medium butternut squash
2 clove garlic
1 small onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to350°F.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
On a rimmed cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, place squash with the rind facing up.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, until very soft.
Let cool for 5 minutes and scoop out the insides, being careful not to include the outer skin.
Place the squash in a casserole dish.
Sauté garlic and onion in the olive oil, and mix into the squash.
Stir in bread crumbs, pepper and salt.
Sprinkle cheese on top and cover the dish with foil or a lid.
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes (or longer if ingredients have cooled).
Serves 6 .

Dessert: Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

3 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 – eggs or 4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cup dried cherries (non-sugar coated)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and almond extract.
Beat in the oat mixture, a little at a time, until well-blended.
Stir in the cranberries.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2" apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool on a rack for 2 minutes.

YUMMY, ENJOY! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!