Thursday, March 31, 2011

254/365 Rows on a Ball

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

As you may have caught on, I like doing rows of every kind. This one is particularly cool because you're not standing or sitting, you're balancing on a ball!

Here's how to do it:
1. Select a balance ball that is a little bit taller than your knee. You don't want a ball too big or else it'll be more of a lower back exercise than an upper back exercise simply because of the way you'll have to position the ball.
2. Put your dumbbells of choice in front of the ball to keep the ball from rolling.
3. Roll onto the ball so that your tummy is supported and your toes are touching the floor.
4. Grab onto your weights, keep your back engaged, and row! Pretend there's a ball on your spine and you've got to squeeze it with your shoulder blades.

In health,

Lauren

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

253/365 Hold it Right There

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

This was suggested to me by a friend. In order to pick up the intensity of your weight lifting and really test your anaerobic system (the one for creating a lot of power quickly) is to hold your contractions. For example, if you're doing 12 reps of an overhead press, hold your arms up straight in the air for an additional 10-30s. You could also try holding your arms when they are shoulder level.

I did this in my workout today and really enjoyed that extra burn and challenge. To start out, I would recommend only holding the position on the last set of your exercise so that you don't get too burnt out. Remember to drink that protein after you finish!

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

252/365 Hardcore Parkour

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

The following video is not parkour.


According to American Parkour, "parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment." Safety is one of the most important things about training for parkour. It's not meant to be a way for people to show off or try something stupid. It's about practice, discipline, and knowing your limits.

I'm writing this blog because a friend Brian has been doing parkour for about a year and loves it. It's a great work out that requires you to have immense control over your body for jumping, running, hanging, etc. If you've seen Casino Royale, remember the guy at the beginning that James Bond is chasing; I believe you could call that parkour.

The American Parkour website should be able to direct you to a parkour facility near you. If there was one near me, I would definitely give it a shot. When I get the chance, I'm going to visit my friend's gym where he started parkour training and now works.

In health,

Lauren

Monday, March 28, 2011

251/365 Just because it's _____ doesn't Mean You're Excused from Exercise

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

When I worked at my college's gym, my fellow coworkers and I knew that it'd be a slow day if it was raining. For some reason, bad weather outside deters people from exercising inside. Don't let this be you! Things like "raining," "Friday," or "your menstruation cycle" are not what I consider a valid reason to not exercise.

Reasons that you are excused from exercising are:
- You feel like you're getting sick, you are sick, or you have just recovered from getting sick
- You feel pain in your chest (not how Cee Lo feels it) or on the left side of your body when doing regular exercise...go see a doctor
- You can't breathe or are short of breath

So if you want my respect as a fellow fitness enthusiast, don't let petty, temporal excuses get in the way of your burn.

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, March 27, 2011

250/365 Blood Pressure

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Blood pressure is a measure of how hard your heart has to pump blood through your arteries. Many factors affect those two numbers in your blood pressure score. First off, the top number represents the pressure against your blood vessels while your heart is contracted (systole). A good score is below 120mmHg; a score above 130 means pre-hypertension and a score above 140 means hypertension. The bottom number represents the pressure against your blood vessels while your heart is relaxed in between contractions (diastole). A good score is below 80mmHg; pre-hypertension is 85 and hypertension is 90.

These values are affected by the amount of resistance in your blood vessels (total peripheral resistance). Our blood vessels are supposed to be flexible. The more stiff they are, the harder your heart has to work to keep blood flowing. TPR can be exacerbated by smoking, physical inactivity, stress, consuming a lot of sodium and/or trans/sat fat, and genetics. Exercise has been known to decrease blood pressure. Through exercise, your heart gets stronger and pumps blood more efficiently (there's a lot of physiology behind that, if you want to know more, just let me know).

If you want to get your blood pressure checked, do it after sitting for 5 minutes and before you exercise. The person who takes it will make sure that your back is fully supported, your feet are flat on the ground, and you aren't talking or laughing.

In health,

Lauren

Saturday, March 26, 2011

249/365 Cholesterol 101

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

You've got your HDLs, your LDLs, and your tri-glycerides. The values of these in your blood make up your total cholesterol. Ideally, your total cholesterol should be below 200mg/dl; this score is calculated by this formula: total cholesterol = LDL+HDL+1/5(triglycerides). So what exactly are these particles floating around in your body?

High density lipoproteins (HDLs) are considered good because they pick up LDL cholesterol and transport it to your liver to be reused by the body or excreted. Low density lipoproteins (LDLs) are considered bad because they contribute to plaque build up in the bloodstream. Triglycerides are fat that can ultimately be converted to LDLs which makes the risk for heart disease greater.

Those commercials for cholesterol drugs are right in that you cannot tell someone's cholesterol levels just by looking at him/her. Eating red meat, foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and consuming more than one drink a day (for women, two for men), have been known to increase total cholesterol. If you recall a previous post I wrote, consuming alcohol can cause us to consume fattier foods to remove the alcohol from our systems; it's a vicious cycle.

Alas, there's hope! Exercise has been known to increase HDLs and decrease LDLs. Now we shouldn't cut out fats from our diets entirely because all of our cells need fat (remember freshmen biology?). It's important to have a balanced fat consumption. We are encouraged to eat omega-3 fatty acids because we already consume a lot of omega-6 fatty acids from red meat.

In summary, your ideal scores should be as follows:
Triglycerides less than 150

LDL less than 100
HDL greater than 60

You can get your cholesterol score by asking your doctor to do your bloodwork during your annual physical.

In health,

Lauren

Friday, March 25, 2011

248/365 Football Player Syndrome

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I am only saying this because I care; I don't mean to offend anyone. There's a woman whom I've just started training. She played basketball in college; her husband played football. She's decided to get her life back and start working out again. During our session, we started chatting about her husband and how he's got Football Player Syndrome and now the Triple Threat (Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol). This Triple Threat makes anyone at a much greater risk for having coronary artery disease or a stroke.

Football Player Syndrome is a term she and I came up with. It's something that tends to happen to former athletes: they stop working out at their former intensity but still eat like they are playing 4 hours a day. They have always listened to their coaches to work hard and eat hard. Unfortunately, once that's over, they have no way to burn off the calories they are so accustomed to eating (have you been watching The Biggest Loser? Rulon is a gold medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling).

I'm writing this in case there are any former athletes reading this or if any readers know friends like this. Gaining weight has effects other than clothes fitting tighter and feeling sluggish, these other effects can be fatal. Know your numbers now so that 20 years down the road, you won't be asking yourself, "How did I let this happen?" The numbers I'm referring to are your tri-glycerides, cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting glucose. I'll get into these in the coming days.

In conclusion, you former athletes, you don't have to train like you did in high school or college; just stay active and control your diet. You're not a kid anymore; aging changes your metabolism and unless you do something to keep it running well, you could be diagnosed with this Football Player Syndrome. There are still trainers out there to help you but, ultimately you must decide to want this for yourself.

In health,

Lauren

PS: I love working with former athletes because that drive to work hard and be disciplined never goes away once it gets turned on  :)

Thursday, March 24, 2011

247/365 Mushroom-Spinach Pasta

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Since I had leftover raw mushrooms and thyme, I decided to try to make a cream sauce for pasta. This recipe was inspired foremost from my mother since she makes this wonderfully herbed mushroom sauce and a recipe from a book called 400 Sauces: Dips, Dressings, Salsas, Jams, Jellies & Pickles; How to Add Something Special to Every Dish for Every Occasion, from Classic Cooking Sauces to Fun Party Dips by: Catherine Atkinson, Christine France, Maggie Mayhew (longest book title ever, sorry!). Is this dish healthy? Not particularly but, it is delicious. The heavy cream and butter aren't so bad as long as you don't drink the sauce after you've eaten the pasta, mushrooms, and spinach.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 box of mushrooms (any kind), chopped to bite size pieces (the little, blue plastic bins at the grocery store)
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
a couple sprigs of parsley chopped or 1/2 tsp parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
favorite pasta (I chose Cavatappi)

Recipe:
1. Heat oil in a pan on medium-low. Add the butter and hear it sizzle.
2. Add the mushrooms, herbs, garlic, and salt; stir it every so often. About 7 min in, while the mushrooms are still cooking, add the fresh spinach on top so that it will wilt; put a cover on the pan; turn the spinach over so that it will cook evenly.
3. Meanwhile, cook your pasta to al dente.
4. When the mushroom is cooked and tender, take off the lid, and turn the heat up so that any excess water will cook off. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn. Once excess water is cooked off, add the cream and bring it to a boil. After it's boiled, put the lid back on and turn off the heat.
5. After your pasta is ready, drain it, pour it into a bowl, then immediately pour the mushroom-spinach sauce over the pasta. Top with cheese if desired.

I was rather impressed with the simplicity and flavor of this dish. I hope you enjoy!

In health,

Lauren

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

246/365 Kettlebell Toss for Hamstrings

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Kettlebells are a super fun way to switch up your free weight routine. Since kettlebells are weighted on one side with the handle on the other, you lengthen your lever (your arm) to make exercises a little more challenging. Plus, kettlebell moves often involve you throwing the weight or gripping it in a way you can't easily do with dumbbells. Here is a fun exercise for your hamstrings, core, shoulders, and eye-hand coordination.



I tried drawing a paint image of it but, it just wasn't working out. Basically, you want to make sure the power is coming from your hips, your arms are doing minimal work but they are still obviously involved with the move. Keep your core tight while doing this move to maintain balance and control of your center. To skip his instruction (quite helpful for all the pointers on alignment and how the motion works), fast forward to 1:58.

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

245/365 Diabetes Alert Day

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Today, March 22, is Diabetes Alert Day. There are 25.8 million people in America with diabetes; it contributed to the death of 231,404 people in 2007. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has created a test that takes less than 3 minutes to know if you're at risk for Type II Diabetes.

Type II Diabetes can be prevented with regular exercise, decreased weight loss, and healthy eating habits. Exercise has an insulin-like effect on the body and can help regulate sugar for diabetics. You can find out more here.

In health,

Lauren

Monday, March 21, 2011

244/365 Spring is in Session - Tool for Running Outside

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Though it is snowing here in New England, it is Spring! Time to get outside and enjoying the fresh air.




For you runners/joggers/walkers, here's a great way to map out your route: g-map! This neat tool was recommended to me by a wonderful guy named Jay here at my work. His day starts out with 30 min of calisthenics, a 4-mile run in the afternoon, and a 90 min visit to the gym twice a week. Did I mention that he's 61 years old and has been doing this since he was 20? Amazing! For G-Map, all you do is type in your starting point then double click on every intersection that you run by. It will tell you how far you've run and approximately how many calories you've burned.

A couple refreshers for outdoor activity...
1. Wear sunblock! I know it's not always sunny (in Philadelphia haha) but those rays of UVA and UVB will still sneak by the clouds and damage your skin.
2. Stay hydrated! The spring breeze is refreshing but it can make you forget that you have been sweating. Drink water before and after you run and of course throughout the day.
3. Stretch! Prevent tightness and stay limber by stretching after you exercise.

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, March 20, 2011

243/365 Sports Inspired Exercise

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Watching the VCU Rams upset higher seeded teams left and right in this year's March Madness is making me want to start playing basketball. If you are like me and lack the coordination to actually play basketball well, you could train like a basketball player anyway to get a great workout. Here are some basketball inspired moves for you to try:
1. With your medicine ball, shuffle to your right while rolling the ball on the ground; guide it with your hand. Pause, grab your ball, bounce it, get under it, and toss up like you're going to shoot. Repeat on your left side then...work it!
2. Find a partner and a medicine ball. Take a wide, staggered stance, and toss the medicine ball to your partner overhead. You can also do this as a chest pass.
3. Suicides! You probably haven't done these since you were a kid but, it's a great way to work on agility and boosting your metabolism.

In health,

Lauren

Saturday, March 19, 2011

242/365 Sit-Up to Stand

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I love this abdominal exercise that I found in Shape magazine. It's called Sit-Up to Stand. Here, you'll work your entire core and legs too.
1. Start out laying on your back. You can hold a medicine ball to make this more challenging.
2. Without using your hands, sit up swinging your legs to your side, knees bent.
3. Still without using your hands, stand up.
4. Lay back down the same way you stood up.
5. Repeat x 12, switch which side you sit up on each time.

In health,

Lauren

Friday, March 18, 2011

241/365 DIY Junk Food: Banana Bread

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,


I never like tossing out over-ripened bananas. Generally I will make cookies with them but, this time I decided to make some banana bread. Sadly, I didn't have a loaf pan so I had to bake it in an 8x8 pan, still came out great.





The original recipe was from allrecipes.com. I made a few adjustments to make it a little healthier.
- 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce instead of butter
- 1/2 c. sugar (1 c. would have been over sweet since my bananas were really ripe = really sweet)
- added 1/2 c. ground flax seed
- omitted milk (read: forgot to add in milk)
- used whole wheat flour instead
- since my pan was not the traditional loaf pan, my baking time was decreased by about 10 minutes.

Voila! A super easy, delicious banana bread. I hope you enjoy!

In health,

Lauren

Thursday, March 17, 2011

240/365 Lasagna Rolls

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
I must confess that I turn into Garfield when I eat lasagna. It is one of my favorite dishes whether it is with a meaty tomato sauce or if it is a creamy vegetable version. Kelby and I decided to put a twist on the usual lasagna recipe by rolling up each lasagna noodle instead of laying them flat in stacks. My argument for this is that you get a better idea on portion; the real reason was because it was an awesome, fun idea that worked out quite deliciously. Still, it's a good way to keep track of calories by making these individual portions instead of trusting yourself to cut a reasonable sized square of lasagna. The recipe was inspired by this one we found on allrecipes.com.  We made two changes 1. For the tomato sauce, we added 1lb ground beef after sauteing the onions and 2. we didn't use zucchini for the vegetable part, just spinach. 
We arranged our rolls like so:
1. Laid out a lasagna noodle
2. Spread cheese mixture evenly on the noodle
3. Put 2 spoonfuls of vegetable mix at the end of one end.
4. Rolled up vegetable mix in the lasagna noodle. Once vegetable mix was rolled over once, put another 2 spoonfuls on the noodle. Rolled up noodle all the way, gently placed in sauce covered pan.
5. Topped rolled up noodles with tomato sauce and cheese.

Kelby and I found that we cooked down the sauce a little too much; we ended up adding Prego to the leftovers to make it saucier. Next time we make it, we'll play around with tomato paste and another can of crushed tomatoes. I'll be sure to update when we make it again.

In health,
Lauren

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

239/365 Stop and Stair

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I so enjoy using one's environment to build a workout. It allows you to get creative, be resourceful, and do exercises you wouldn't be able to do in a gym. Enter staircase. Your heart will race while your legs burn. Be sure to go inside afterward to exercise your upper body.

Here's a 15 minute workout that you can do using a staircase, the longer the better y'all! If it becomes too intense, you can walk down after each exercise coming up.
- Sprint up
- Side step up: left leg leads, walk down, right leg leads; for more of a challenge, keep two steps in between your feet
- Bunny hop up on both legs
- Two steps at a time
- 15 push ups on the stairs
- Sprint up
- Side squats up: left leg is up two steps, squat, shift weight to left leg, rotate up so that right leg is now two steps up, squat, repeat
- 15 dips on the stairs
- Repeat!

If you have questions or want further details on how to do these, don't hesitate to ask.

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

238/365 Nectarines

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

As I've said before, it's best to buy fruits in season. They are usually on sale and taste supremely delicious. Nectarines are in season from May to September and imported from Jan to April so they should be available to purchase. They are a genetic variant of peaches. You should feel for a nectarine whose skin is without blemish and is firm but not solid. They are quite aromatic at room temperature.

I like to eat them as an alternative to my peach cup (sans juice it comes in). They are juicy, delicious, high in vitamins A and C and fiber. There's a great recipe that I made last summer using nectarines. Perhaps I'll make it now for a simple, fresh dessert...we'll see.

In health,

Lauren

Monday, March 14, 2011

237/365 DIY Junk Food: Rich Chocolate Pie

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

In honor of Pi day, Kelby and I baked a chocolate pie...and what a pie it was! In fact, I would go so far as to call it Your Royal Pie-ness! It was insanely delicious and rich. The recipe is from allrecipes.com. I accidentally baked it for 30 minutes instead of the recommended 35-40 min but it still tastes fantastically gooey; the contributor said that it was best undercooked anyway. Definitely serve this with whipped cream or a tall glass of milk to wash it down. Enjoy!

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, March 13, 2011

236/365 Thank You Barefoot Contessa

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

While I was running the other day, Barefoot Contessa was on. She made this incredible dish that I couldn't wait to make. So, Kelby and I made her fantastic, succulent roast chicken with carrots, and potatoes. I have to share this recipe because it was easy to follow and tasted incredible. Unfortunately, I have no picture of it because we sliced it and devoured it too quickly for me to snap a shot. Anyway, here's the link. Go impress someone with your kitchen prowess. This chicken is not greasy, fatty, or anything. It is simple and delicious. Bon appetit, y'all!

In health,

Lauren

Saturday, March 12, 2011

235/365 Okay to Kinect

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Today I went to PAX East, a huge video game conference in Boston, MA with Kelby and our friend Josh. There were lots of games to demo that will be released soon. One particular console I've wanted to try is Xbox's Kinect. This technology is able to recognize your body movements, even your face, while you play games like Zumba fitness, The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I.

If you know me, you know that I am not a big fan of motion sensor video games as exercise. I think it's a good way to start someone who is sedentary to get active and moving. I believe that there are better ways to work out that are more effective physically, socially, and emotionally. However, the Kinect doesn't allow you to cheat as much as consoles with wands or controllers since you are the controller.

While I don't encourage video games as exercise, I confess that the Kinect would be my exergaming system of choice.

In health,

Lauren

Friday, March 11, 2011

234/365 It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Banana-Man!

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Perhaps it is because I like to make people do funny exercises or maybe I wish someone would make me do these. Still, I find myself fond of a particular exercise: Banana-Man! This exercise is great for your core and just plain fun (or at least fun to watch); it's best done with more than 3 people if you are prone to embarrassment.

1. Banana: Start out on your back, arms stretched out overhead.
Without pushing off the floor, move into...
2. Superman: Lying on your stomach, arms and legs hovering off the floor.
3. Repeat! Have someone call out Banana/Superman and feel your core working.

In health,

Lauren

Thursday, March 10, 2011

233/365 Happy Snack Tip 5: Turkey Roll Ups

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Carbs from bread, crackers, granola, Goldfish, etc. seem to be a large part of snacks. To cut that out and focus on the protein and fat, here's an easy happy snack recipe for you!

Ingredients:
- slice of deli meat of choice (I prefer turkey breast)
- slice of cheese
- slice of avocado, nice and thick!

Recipe:
- stack deli meat on top of cheese
- arrange avocado on one side of your meat-cheese stack
- roll up, enjoy!

One of these roll ups is about ~150 calories so you can go ahead and have two of them!

In health,

Lauren

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

232/365 Happy Snack Tip 4: For You Grazers Out There

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

If you consider yourself a Grazer and want to curb your cravings, here are some tips:

Keep water or other flavored water handy. Sometimes when we think we're hungry, we're actually thirsty. Guzzling a huge glass of water, tea, or low-sugar drink can keep our tummy full and make us less inclined to want to munch. Something else you can do is freshen up after you snack. Nobody likes the taste of orange juice or any food right after you brush your teeth. Keep mouth wash, floss, or a toothbrush handy to cleanse your mouth after each snack. Your hips and dentist will thank you. Chewing gum can also help satiate your oral fixation without adding calories.

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

231/365 Happy Snack Tip 3: Seeds

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,


To piggy back on what I wrote about yesterday, nuts are a great way to add protein and fat to your happy snack. However, not everyone can eat nuts (sorry to those of you with allergies). An alternative to nuts are seeds!

From freshman Biology, you can recall that seeds are mostly made up of nutrients so that the fertilized cells can grow into big strong plants. Hence, seeds are a great addition to your snacking repertoire. Sunflower seeds have vitamin B1, B5, B9, and E in a 1/4 cup worth ~180 calories, 16g fat (unsaturated, the good kind!), and 6g protein. You can read more about them here. Pumpkin seeds are also a good option.

If you get the seeds in the shells, you also have to work a little harder to get your snack. This can be good for those of us who sometimes speed through snack time. It allows you to slow down and really decide if you're hungry and need more energy from a snack.


In health,

Lauren

Monday, March 7, 2011

230/365 Happy Snack Tip 2: Granola Bars with Protein

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

When deciding what to snack on, choose something with protein and good fats. Where carbohydrates take about an hour to digest, protein takes 2, and fat takes 4. The point of a snack is to keep you satisfied until your next meal right? A happy snack choice would be something that can do that. Go for protein!

Granola bars can be great sources of that ideal mix of macronutrients. Brands I recommend are Clif, Kahshi, FiberOne, and Odwalla. The goal is something with protein, fiber, and healthy fat that is also tasty. As always, be wary of high fructose corn syrup and other synthetic products that your body won't recognize. If your body doesn't register it as energy, you will continue to crave food until you reach something that is recognizably calorie dense and nutritious.

What are your favorite granola bars to snack on?

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, March 6, 2011

229/365 Happy Snack Tip 1: Portion Control

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Snacking becomes a challenge when you can't stop. A snack is supposed to be a small meal, <300 calories. Meals are ideally defined moments in our day where we focus on the art of eating, meaning we turn off the TV, step away from our desks, and enjoy our meal. I know this is difficult in the first place, but we should try to do this with our snacks too. That being said, I will impart to you whatever tips I can when it comes to snacking this week.

Tip 1 is to make smaller portions. If you buy big bags of crackers, pretzels, trail mix, etc. to be more economical and eco-friendly, transfer your snack food into a small ziploc or reusable container. If you bring the whole bag with you to work, to your desk, to your couch, etc. you will be more inclined to eat the whole bag. Instead, make your bag smaller. This way, you set yourself up to have a controlled portion of snack food and will make yourself do more work in the future in order to eat more of your snack food.

As a guideline, if you really feel like you have to get seconds of snack, it's probably time for you to eat a real meal.

In health,

Lauren

Saturday, March 5, 2011

228/365 Figure 4 Abs

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Here's another abdominals exercise coming at you from a book about training for MMA. I'll write the title in as soon as I remember. Bare with me as my paint illustration is not that great.

1. Lay on your back, knees up, feet planted on the ground.
2. Take your right ankle and put it on your left knee. Lift up your left leg straight out, keep your ankle on your knee.
3. Crunch your upper body in while also bringing your left leg into your chest.
4. Repeat and switch sides.

This exercise works you doubly hard because of the leg action. Your hip flexors attach to your spine so your core is having to work extra hard to contract and stabilize your body.

In health,

Lauren

Friday, March 4, 2011

227/365 Racing Season

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Though there are races every weekend all over the place, spring, summer and fall are the major road racing seasons. You've got your charity 5ks, community 10Ks, sprint triathalons, half, and full marathons.

The only race I've done is the Monument 10K, a tour of Richmond's lovely Monument Ave with over 30,000 people. I did it twice and had a blast. A race that I'd love to do is the Tough Mudder , run 3 miles of hell; don't worry, there's beer at the end! If you do well, you could don the champion Viking helmet. My next endeavor will be the sprint triathalon which means that I should probably work on my cycling and swimming. Oh boy...anyway, find races near you with Runner's World's handy dandy tool.

In health,

Lauren

Thursday, March 3, 2011

226/365 Edamame, Edamayou

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

One of my favorite restaurants in Richmond, Sticky Rice, serves this rolled in salt as one of its appetizers. Edamame, soybeans, are a great snack that is packed with fiber, protein, and good fat. They can be purchased fresh or frozen, in their pods or out of them, and are easy to prepare; all you do is steam them on the stove or in the microwave. You can eat them as a snack or add them to your fried rice or noodles.

In health,

Lauren

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

225/365 Bread Pudding

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

For my own little Oscar party, I had some Brie cheese and wine served with slices of apple and chunks of a French Baguette, a combination I learned from my dear friend Cole. I couldn't finish the baguette that day (I would be shocked if I or anyone else could single handedly) and was left with a hard loaf two days later. This inspired me to make some bread pudding.

Bread pudding is really easy to make. I didn't have all the ingredients for this recipe, so I made these changes:
- I only had 3 cups worth of old bread
- 1/2 cup sugar instead of 1
- 2 egg whites, 2tbsp butter, and 2 tbsp applesauce because I didn't have 2 eggs
- I didn't have pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, or raisins so I used 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup craisins
- I also added 1/4 of flaxseed for extra fiber
- I didn't make the custard

Be as creative as you can with this sort of thing. You could add nuts to make it more filling and more nutritious.

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

224/365 National Nutrition Month

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

March is National Nutrition Month. This month, challenge yourself to fulfill a nutrition goal to better your eating habits or at least be more aware of them.

Examples are eating:
- at least 1 cup of leafy greens a day
- 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
- less red meat and more lean meat
- more fish
- 35g of fiber/day
- more whole grains

Happy Nutrition Month!

In health,

Lauren

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