Great Workout/Delicious and Nutritious Lunch Recipe!

Just got back from the gym and all I can say is I am VERY TIRED! I had an excellent cardio workout, but it's funny though, I don't think of it as work so much any more. As each day goes by, I find myself looking forward to the "torture". I did a solid hour of cardio today including 20 minutes on the eliptical, 20 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes on the treadmill. I had my heart rate up for a good while! I had recent foot surgery and it has greatly impacted my ability to walk with no pain, so the treadmill is a real challenge. If you find yourself in this situation, just take it easy and work up to it, maybe do 5-10 minutes at a time. When I got home, I decided to make a healthy salad for lunch. I have become very mindful of what I eat, so I do not even buy any junk food for fear of returning to my old ways!
Try this wonderful salad at home when you get a chance, it was super tasty!

Here's a photo of the basic ingredients. It includes spinach, celery, red and green bell pepper, sliced pear, broccoli slaw and feta cheese.  Everything is so easily put together! I have discovered the broccoli cole slaw recently and love the fresh, crunchy addition to the salad. I also tossed in some dried cranberries, and a small handful of sunflower seeds. For protein I added a small package of pink salmon and drizzled a small amount of balsamic vinegar dressing! Served it with a tall glass of green tea.....Very delicious and nutritious!

Interesting Cleanse Idea

Hey everyone! got this video today in my inbox from David Bach, the financial guru. Thought it was interesting and might be worth trying....hmmm, kind of pricey though!


Watch the video:
Welcome to My Kitchen

Life is Good! When Depression Sets in Go For a Walk!

Every night when I go to sleep I think of that day's blessings. There is so much to be grateful for and I try to always focus on the positive! Unfortunately, many folks out there can only dwell on the negatives in their life. They can't think of anything positive because they have too much pain in their body, are in too much financial trouble, have marital woes, etc. The list could be endless. What I have found since my journey began is how tremendously my mood has improved since I started focusing on a healthy routine of eating right and exercising daily. It is rare for me to feel depressed, stressed out or anxious.  From my research into this, the links between anxiety, depression and exercise aren't entirely clear — but working out can definitely help you relax and make you feel better!

Other benefits of exercise are:

1. Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance. This has started happening to me. It feels great to get those old jeans to button again!
2. Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood or at the gym can help your mood. The folks here in Columbus are always super friendly!
3. Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
4. Cope in a positive way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on its own can lead to worsening symptoms. So try to avoid those strategies and instead put your shoes on and go out for a long, brisk walk!

By the way, as of today I am 5lbs lighter! I accomplished this in 12 days by just eating healthy and focusing on exercise daily! I am not where I want to be, but definitely on the way!

Biking on a beautiful day! Visit Terry Hershey Park!

From everything I hear and read it is vitally important to do some kind of activity every day for at least 30 minutes in order to maintain good health and weight loss goals. With that in mind, I was lucky enough to have discovered Terry Hershey Park in Houston. The hike and bike trails are wonderful and very well maintained. The asphalt trail is almost 11 miles long, with many scenic dirt trails along the bayou for your enjoyment. I rode my bike for at least 30 minutes without stopping, which really got my heart rate up. The trail has many many challenging turns and hills (called anthills) and is very family friendly. I absolutely fell in love with this place. I am just a beginner biker, but I found the trails to be very user friendly, set along the scenic banks of Buffalo Bayou. I highly recommend you get out there, and do something, ANYTHING! Just get active, you will enjoy yourself more than you realize!
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On the Go? Try this!

Ok, today I found myself rushing to find something to eat. Ever since I have made a concerted effort to eat at home and stop eating out (hard to avoid bad stuff at a restaurant) I usually whip something up that's nutritious. Today I looked in the freezer and decided to try a Lean Cuisine just to change it up from the normal salad or smoothie. I have to say it was very tasty! I tried the Grilled Chicken Primavera. It has grilled white meat chicken with asparagus, tomatoes and whole wheat pasta in a creamy garlic sauce. It has 220 calories (not bad at all!) and 5 grams of fiber. I paired that with some VitaCoco 100% pure coconut water! It has only 60 calories. For desert I had 1/2 container of Fage yogurt with honey and a couple walnuts (about 120 calories). This was a total of 400 calories and I am very full! Try this for yourself ..I think you will like it too! A fast and delicious lunch!

Staying MOTIVATED is the key!

I was at the gym today with Stephanie for my last official training session ( I only paid for 4) before going out on my own. I have to admit I have many reservations about whether I will stay motivated by myself to keep going. One thing I definitely noticed was that my endurance has improved in this short time span. When I started my journey about 10 days ago I was not able to stay on the elipticle more than 2 minutes without having to stop to catch my breath! Today, I was able to go 6 minutes, stop and catch my breath for a second and go another 5 minutes. I am told that many people have to take baby steps, but before long they will be improving by leaps and bounds. If you find yourself wanting to give up, DON'T!! KEEP GOING!! Nothing worth accomplishing is ever easy at the beginning! Now that Stephanie is letting me loose on my own she gave me a very specific work-out plan to follow. You can use this routine or tweak it a bit depending on your own ability:

Minimum 3 days a week:

FIRST: 6 min on EACH--------eliptical, bike, treadmill. This is great cardio work and will get your heart rate up which helps you burn more calories.

SECOND: 3 SETS OF 8 REPS------rowing (45lbs), pull down (60lbs), tricep press(20lbs)

THIRD: 3 SETS OF 8 REPS-------leg press (100lbs), leg extension (40lbs), leg curl (45lbs)

FOURTH: 3 SETS OF 12 REPS-----back extension (40lbs), abdominal (30lbs)

FIFTH: 3 SETS OF 8 REPS-------chest press (15lbs), shoulder press (15-20lbs)

LAST:  3 SETS OF 8 REPS-------multi-hip(40lbs-for the outer leg), (20lbs-inner leg)

Today's Tip: I learned that to achieve maximum weight loss and gain endurance you should strive to get your heart rate up to 80-85% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is figured by subtracting your age from 220. For example: 220-54(my age)=166x85%= 141. So in my case I should try to get my heart beating at 141 beats per minute to really burn calories!

The importance of a good night's sleep!

Everyone who knows me knows that I just can't sleep! This problem started for me after I retired from my full-time job. Back when I was working 10 hour days, running a household and chasing after 4 kids I had no problem sleeping. As a matter of fact, I could hardly wake up in the morning because I was just dead tired! Slowly though, after leaving my hectic job for good, I developed very bad patterns. I would stay up long after everyone else was in bed fast asleep. The tv and pc became my nighttime partners and soon enough, I was having major difficulty winding down and falling asleep! Not only was I staying up all hours into the night, but I was creating a secondary problem, constantly snacking on bad food choices!  We all know what snacking on chips does to the waistline. NO MORE! Now when I reach for a snack, I conciously make it a healthy choice such as plain popcorn, cucumber slices with a crumble of low fat feta on top, or apple slices with a dab of peanut butter! I have discovered that sleep deprivation is a very common problem, especially for post-menopausal women! The funny thing is that ever since I started a very concerted effort to focus on my health (not just on losing weight) I am sleeping so much better! I guess all the work I am doing at the gym is paying off in more ways than one. I am not 100% where I want to be, but I can tell my sleeping patterns have improved tremendously. Before, I would sleep fitfully, and now I am getting much more restful sleep and sleeping at least 6-7 hours a night.

According to the Harvard Women's Health Watch these are 6 vital reasons to get enough sleep:

1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer

These reasons alone should be enough to motivate you to do whatever you can to ensure you get a good night's sleep. Just remember, if you want to feel your best, stay healthy, and perform up to your potential, sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Learn what's keeping you awake and how to avoid it,  and also learn  to determine your personal sleep needs. Do what you must to bounce back from chronic sleep loss and get on a healthy sleep schedule...I know I did!

Every Healthy Body Needs a Healthy Soul! Meditation Anyone?

Today it is storming outside, which, in my opinion, is just beautiful. Nature has a way of telling you sometimes that it's ok to slow down and take it easy! The sound of the rain on the tin roof is delightful. Soon enough the birds will be chirping again and the sun will be shining, but while it is raining I will reflect on the importance of not only having a healthy body, but the importance of having a healthy soul as well. My good friend Mollie who lives in San Antonio has encouraged me to take up meditation. I have to say that I am intrigued and am definitely going to look into it. She sent me her favorite cd from Dr. Andew Weil who she swears is the best to get her to a happy state of mind. I am looking forward to listening and learning as soon as I get it. In the meantime I have researched the topic myself and have read that if stress has you anxious, tense and worried, meditation is highly recommended. Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace.

According to the Mayo School of Medicine, meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. It was originally meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. And these benefits don't end when your meditation session ends.  It has been found that meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and can even improve certain medical conditions! I think that is something we all should take notice of  and should be reason enough to give it a try. 

According to the Mayo Clinic the emotional benefits of meditation include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
• Building skills to manage your stress
• Increasing self-awareness
• Focusing on the present
• Reducing negative emotions

 With that in mind, some research suggests that meditation may help such conditions as:

• Allergies
• Anxiety disorders
• Asthma
• Binge eating
• Cancer
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Pain
• Sleep problems
• Substance abuse

Of course, as always, be sure to talk to your health care provider about the pros and cons of using meditation if you have any of these conditions or other health problems.

So when you get to feeling overwhelmed or feel like life is just too hard to handle, maybe you should take a break and meditate!

PGX Daily!

Hi everyone! recently I heard Dr. Oz touting this great stuff called PGX Daily that he recommended we all should try. He had a reknown Dr. on the show talking about the health benefits and how it works to suppress your appetite. Dr. Oz said his wife drinks it daily and it has worked wonders for her so I decided to go out and try to find some. I researched it on-line first to make sure it wasn't going to be another hokey supplement that we hear later is detrimental. You can find it at Whole Foods, Vitamin World, and a couple of other health food places. I have to say that I have taken it 3 days straight and I am HARDLY HUNGRY. It comes in pill form, but the powder form is more potent is what I was told. I will give you periodic updates on how I am doing with it. Here is the information on it taken directly from the maker's website:

PGX^® (PolyGlycopleX^®), is a novel complex of water-soluble polysaccharides (plant fibers). It was developed after many years of research, most of it focused on the link between blood sugar levels, appetite, and weight gain. PGX safely and effectively supports healthy blood sugar levels within normal ranges, reduces appetite, and helps inhibits weight gain.

To understand how one product can do so much you need to understand the link between blood sugar, appetite and weight gain. Blood sugar levels go up and down during the day, for example, after meals. When blood sugar levels are low, the brain signals the body to eat, resulting in food cravings and appetite.  
To lose weight effectively, appetite needs to be addressed. To many this involves trying to suppress appetite, but this is a short-term, ineffective solution. For long term success, appetite needs to be positively addressed through healthy blood sugar levels. PGX^® helps to address appetite thereby helping you control weight. PGX has also been proven to to support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

PGX^® is taken with meals and is available as a softgel capsule or in granular form. PGX^® is sold through grocery stores and pharmacies, health food stores, and through health care professionals and natural dispensaries. You can feel confident in using PGX^®, because it has been proven to be safe in two independent clinical trials.

Monday mornings are the hardest!

I have to admit Mondays are super hard for me. It's extremely difficult to get out of bed and get motivated to get fit! I admit I have to do a lot of talking to myself. My session at the gym with Stephanie today was especially difficult. I have a long way to go to get in shape, especially to build up strength in my core. Today was one solid hour of cardio, including eliptical, lunges, free weights and spinning. It helps to have someone who has a sunny disposition while still being very demanding and pushing you along. I find the eliptical especially hard and it seems that only after 5 minutes I am struggling to catch my breath. That, obviously, is a true indicator of how far I have to go to get where I need to be. All around me, there are people (young and old) going super fast and lasting quite a long time without stopping. Stephanie assures me I will get to this point someday and encourages me to continue on a regular workout regimen in order to get the results! All I can say is that I will certainly do my best and only time will tell! I know I am committed to making a lifestyle change in order to live healthy over 50!

Yummy Oatmeal Recipe

I am always trying new things in order to discover what is tasty while being highly nutritious. Here is a recipe for some hot delicious oatmeal that doesn't take too much of your time to make. You can cook your own steel cut oats at home, but I personally like the instant to save time. At my local H-E-B I have found Better Oats brand called Oat Revolution! It is an old-fashioned instant oatmeal with flax already in it. They have many wonderful flavors and are pretty low in sugar and have 22 grams of whole grain per serving. Try it and see if you like it or modify it to your personal liking!

1 pouch instant oatmeal made with 1 pouch water in the microwave
1/2 small diced apple
3 chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp cocoa powder for all the antioxidants it provides (H-E-B brand is great!)
Hot and delicious and less than 200 calories!! Enjoy!!

By the way, for a nice beverage with your breakfast, try coconut water. It is light and refreshing. I am drinking VITA COCO brand with peach and mango. It has only 80 calories and is an easy grab and go option for a healthy drink!

Have a happy and healthy day!

Basic recommendations to get fit!

I am learning quite a bit every day about what I need to do personally to get fit. I know I have a long way to go to get where I would like to be, but if I don't get started it will never happen! You too should just decide to jump in if you would like to make a positive change in the condition of your health! Don't worry if you can only do 5 minutes worth, tomorrow try to do 6. Take baby steps if you have to, but don't give up! We can all be FIT AFTER 50! I have a great trainer named Stephanie here in Columbus and she is very supportive when I want to stop, encouraging without being pushy is the key! I will be sharing with you some fun facts that I am learning as I go along. 

Here are some basic recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine:

Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week

OR

Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week

AND

Do eight to 10 strength training exercises, 8-12 reps of exercise twice a week

Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enought to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight aor maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain  health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Hope this helps you get motivated! Now get off the couch and move!

Cardio Routine/Lunchtime!

Gym time today focused on cardio! A decent workout combination is: 15 minutes on the treadmill with a speed of at least 3-3.5 per hour, 15 minutes on the eliptical, 15 minutes on the bike going at least at a speed of 14. I recommend also doing arm exercises with small hand weights (no more than 5lbs) while you're riding. After all the floor time I hit the raquetball court which was highly invigorating. Needless to say I am tired, but hopefully will see some major improvement on the waistline soon! You must stay hydrated. Drink at least 16 oz. water throughout your workout to avoid cramps.

Great lunch time smoothie: VERY LO-CAL AND DELICIOUS!
1 c. Green Tea (homemade, buy organic if you can)
1 c. Almond Milk ( I like Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla and it only has 40 calories per cup!)
1 large Swiss Chard leaf ( wash it thoroughly since chard can carry dirt on the leaves)
1/4 c. Greek Yogurt ( I really like the plain Fage Brand)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 small banana
4 walnut halves
1 handfull of frozen blueberries

If you would like to add whey powder for extra protein you may do so. I would recommend 1/2 scoop to avoid unnecessary calories. I have tried the Jillian Michaels Vanilla Cream flavor and it only has 100 calories per scoop.

High protein breakfast is a must!

One of my favorite breakfasts has become something very simple, yet so nutritious! Try this next time:

Step 1:  Saute a handful of spinach, some onion, red and green bell pepper (throw in a few pickled jalepeno slices for a kick if you crave spicy) in 1 tsp olive oil

Step 2:  After sauteing your veggies scramble an egg in the same pan next to the veggies
Step 3: Cook 1 or 2 slices of Turkey Bacon for 2 minutes in the microwave (I have found Jennie-O brand is best)
Step 4: Toast 1 slice of Ezekial bread (sprouted grain bread found in the freezer section). You might sprinkle a bit of feta cheese for a little extra protein.

For a calorie-free beverage I enjoy a tall glass of iced green tea (made at home, not the store bought kind) with a few frozen blueberries thown in for natural sweetness.

This breakfast is less than 300 calories and super protein packed which experts say you need in order to lose weight and give you the energy to start your day right!

Enjoy!! Off to the gym I go....

My new life

After moving to this small country town I was sidelined by foot surgery and 2 months of healing and therapy, my son's wedding, and my sister's illness. FINALLY, the new year is here and I am ready to start my new life. More mobile and more motivated than ever before especially since being incapacitated didn't help my waistline any! I feel that as I age my metabolism has really slowed down and now is the time to take drastic action. It is no fun to find that the jeans you normally wear are so tight you can't breath. I began to get serious about my goals at Christmastime. That is when I decided to give myself the best gift possible. I went to Target and purchased a fabulous new bicycle. Target is a great place to buy a bike when you do not want to spend the big bucks that bike shops want to charge, but you still want a pretty good bike for your daily exercise. The model I bought was the Schwinn Trailway Hybrid Model #S5985TGB. I don't feel you could ever go wrong with a Schwinn! As the new year came, I did what a million other folks do and joined the local gym in order to get really serious about building up strength. I am thoroughly enjoying it so far and actually look forward to it. Today I hired a personal trainer for just 4 sessions in order to kick start my action plan. Her job is to help me acheive my goals and challenge me to keep going when I want to quit, which is VERY often. She also measured and weighed me and even though I am not too overweight for my height (5'7"/154 lbs)I am very out of shape! Along with my new exercise goals I plan to eat healthy and make most of my meals in order to avoid fatty foods. Dr. Oz's show is a great source of great tips and motivating ideas! I watched a segment recently for a great smoothie using swiss chard. I had never even bought this veggie before, but I do beleive it will become one of my staple items. The recipe calls for:
1 c. Swiss Chard
1 c. Green Tea (not the store bought kind!)
1/2 c. Blueberries (frozen is ok)
2 Brazil Nuts ( I used walnuts)
1 tsp ground flaxseed
I revised the original recipe just a bit by adding 1/2 small apple, 1/4 tsp fresh ginger, and a large sprinkle of cinnamon. I had to use a tsp of raw sunflower seeds since I could not find flaxseed at our local grocery HEB Pantry foods. They have quite a selection of fresh fruits/veggies though! The smoothie was delicious and I have to say I was not hungry for quite a while after drinking the whole thing! You might want to try a variation yourself, by using cocoa instead of cinnamon or a different fruit. Until next time, stay happy and healthy!