Healthy Grocery Store Habits

Being a healthy, fit and active person is so much more than the time you spend running on your treadmill or elliptical or lifting weights or utilizing your home gym. Healthy is a lifestyle that you live in every setting of your life. One of the places that is most important for you to adopt a healthy lifestyle is at the grocery store. The food that you buy when at the supermarket sets up how healthy you are going to eat for the week. If you buy unhealthy food, then you are obviously panning on eating in an unhealthy manner. We have a few tips here for some rules you should follow while at the grocery store so that you stay healthy all week long!

1: The outside perimeter is where most of your food should come from

                This one you may have heard before. These areas, versus the aisles, have the least amount of processing and are more natural foods like fruits, vegetables, grain, and dairy.

2. Choose aisle food with less than 4 ingredients.

                When choosing snacks, sauces, cereals, and all the other foods you will find in the aisles of the grocery store, you want to choose the ones that are the best out of the bunch. If a products has a huge list of ingredients, it is more likely that that product is going to contain unnatural and harmful additives or processed ingredients. Stick to the food that have the least amount of ingredients.

3. Have a 5 color cart.

                Having a colorful cart is a way of saying that you are eating your proper amount of fruits and vegetables. If you are new to the healthy lifestyle, this rule of thumb is a good one to force yourself to buy more produce. You won’t be able to resist eating the gorgeous colors in your fridge.

4. If you’re going to buy “cheat” foods, make them a small portion.

                We all know that at some point, you will pass the aisle of cookies or of chips and you will want to bring those home for those days that you just want to cheat a bit. Instead of buying an entire large bag, try buying the single serving size. This way once you cheat, you can get back on track to eating healthy and not be tempted by the remaining junk food in your pantry.

5. Stick to water, coffee, and tea.

                Coffee and tea are water based drinks and they can be customized for many different tastes. The liquids you drink should rehydrate you and nothing does that better than water and others made form water.

6. Make sure all your carbs are 100% whole grain.

                Your breads, pastas rice, etc. should all be whole grain to provide the most benefit to your health.

7. Stay away from frozen meals.

                These meals are basically void of any nutritional value.  Make it a part of your healthy lifestyle to cook more and avoid using these meals that are full of refined grains and simple sugars.

Original: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/01/healthy-grocery-shopping_n_6076090.html?utm_hp_ref=health-fitness&ir=Health+and+Fitness

Fit Tip: Stretches to Improve Your Golf Game

Many golfers start the season with visions of greatness only to become frustrated when their game plateaus or even gets worse. One of the best ways to prepare before each game is to warm up your muscles and your mind. Done consistently, golf stretching exercises can help your range of motion, your strength and ultimately your handicap.

Dynamic golf stretches are the key to a warm up and involve sports specific movements that start with a small range of motion for the first few reps and increase the range as you go. (Static stretches should only be done after your golf game.) Get to the course a little early and do this pre-game warm-up. It should take no more than 10 minutes and allow time for a few practice swings before you tee off. 

Warm up: Do three to five minutes of brisk walking in the parking lot to get your blood pumping, muscles warming and heart rate up a little. 

Golf squat with shoulder raise: Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Hold a club at each end waist level. Bend your knees into a squat and raise the club up to shoulder level. Raise yourself back up, dropping the club to waist level and repeat 15-20 reps. 

Side bends: Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Place a club on your shoulders. Lean to one side keeping your torso straight and switch to the other side. Complete 15-20 stretches on each side.

Leg swings: Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Keep your upper body straight and swing your leg forward and backward. Repeat 15-20 times and switch to the other leg.

Trunk rotation: Place a club on your shoulders holding at both ends and place feet shoulder width apart. With knees slightly bent, hinge forward from the hips slightly (Just like you do when you swing). Turn from side to side, starting with a controlled twist, aiming to get the ends of the club directly in front of you for the last few turns. Complete 15-20 swings.

Alternating toe touches: Start by standing with your feet spread as far apart as comfortably possible. Lean forward toward one leg and try to touch the foot or ankle with the opposite hand. Alternate and repeat 10 times each side. 

These stretches will warm up all of the muscle groups involved in a fluid smooth swing including the shoulders, back, hamstrings and hips.

Brought to by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Focus on Glutes

Most people wouldn’t mind a firm booty, but the more we sit, the softer our seat gets. To get a gravity-defying butt that’s strong and toned, commit to adding exercises that focus on your backside. 

Squat it out. Squats are often touted as the best workout for your butt (and thighs), and for good reason. Perform squats using your body weight, a pair of dumbbells or a kettlebell. Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, bend both knees and act like you are sitting back in a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the ground.  Keep your chest up, head lifted and abs engaged. Squeezing your glutes, drive through the heels as you return to standing.  Try a few variations like narrow squats, single leg squats or squat jumps.

Lunge, not lounge. Lunges shape the legs and buns and are part of most sports.  Keep your upper body lifted and step forward with one leg in an exaggerated step that is about double an average walking step. Bend both of your knees to 90 degrees if possible until your front thigh is almost parallel to the floor and your back knee is almost touching the floor. Return to the standing position and repeat. Perform an equal number of repetitions with both legs. You can try a few variations like adding weights and doing cross behind lunges or walking lunges.

Do the bridge. Bridges not only firm the glutes, but also work the inner thigh. Start by lying on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a towel between your knees and squeeze. Rest your arms by the sides of your body with your palms on the floor. Squeeze your legs together and lift your hips up off the floor, engaging your core as well. Lower back down and repeat several times. 

This FitTip was brought to you by LifeFitness

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Avocado, No Butter

If you’ve been on Pinterest you’ve probably seen some tantalizing pictures of recipes made with impossibly healthy ingredients. Can it be true? Do those recipes taste as good as they look? Our team wanted to find out, so we tested out a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that has NO BUTTER. The secret ingredient: the buttery and delicious super-food, avocado. A big thanks to Natalie over at Deconstructing the Home for the recipe.

I Instagrammed the entire process and as a notoriously horrible baker, I’m proud to say I only made one mistake. While they didn’t look as beautiful as the one’s from Natalie’s blog, they definitely passed the taste test. 

The recipe calls for ½ cup, or roughly one, avocado. I managed to buy a giant one, so I used about 2/3 and saved the rest for a delicious snack the next day. Isn’t she a beauty? 

Using a hand mixer, I mixed the avocado until it was just slightly lumpy and followed that with the sugar. The recipe calls for Splenda as a sugar free option, but I prefer to choose natural ingredients over processed foods any time I can (even if that means a few more calories.)

Next came the egg and vanilla, which I also mixed until smooth.

I mixed up my remaining dry ingredients (baking soda*, whole wheat flour and salt) in a separate bowl and slowly added to my lovely green mush.

*Welcome to my mistake. It turns out I only had baking powder on hand, not baking soda. These ingredients help the cookies rise, so I took to the internet to find out if I could substitute. The general consensus online was to use about twice the amount of baking powder than the recipe called for in baking soda. Two teaspoons it was. My cookies tasted delicious, but you’ll see very soon that they didn’t come out very pretty. Please be smarter than me and check all your ingredients before beginning. 

A good portion of chocolate chips came next to finish off the recipe! Note: The recipe calls for 1 cup chocolate chips, which made the cookies very yummy, but you can definitely get away with less. I would recommend 2/3 cup to cut the calories a bit, but still get chocolaty goodness in every cookie. 

Onto a lightly greased baking sheet and into the oven for 15 minutes. 

The finished product. Like I said, not the prettiest, but they were still a hit at home and at Life Fitness headquarters.

Have you ever used avocado in an unexpected way? Comment and tell us!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Avocado

Ingredients:
½ Cup avocado (approximately one avocado)
¾ Cup Splenda (or your favorite sweetener)
1 Egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or unsweetened to remove all sugar)
½ Cup chopped pecans (optional)
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 290 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.

2. Remove avocado from skin and place in mixer. Mix on medium until slightly lumpy. Add Splenda and mix on high until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. In small bowl mix together baking soda, flour, and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients. Mix on medium until well combined. Add chocolate chips and pecans and mix till evenly combined.

4. Scoop one tablespoon of dough per cookie and place on cookie sheet one inch apart. If you want flatter cookies you can use the back of a spoon to flatten them out. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Dig in!
Makes 24 cookies!

Brought to you by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Add a Jump Rope, Try Plyometrics

Plyometric workouts have long been known as one of the most efficient and effective ways to train, because they simultaneously burn calories and build muscle. Plyometrics or “plyos” are a type of exercise that encourages muscle development, power, speed and endurance. It can even build bone mass. Get all of these benefits by adding plyos to your fitness routine with these tips from Life Fitness:

What are plyometrics?

Plyometric exercises use explosive, fast-acting movements to develop muscular power. In other words, they are high-impact movements that involve jumping. 

Why try them?

By implementing plyos into your cardio and strength routines, you’ll help transform fat into lean muscle while increasing your heart rate and burning calories.   

What types of exercises are considered plyometrics?

Plyos include anything that involves jumping. Start with something less complicated like picking up a jump rope, skipping or high knees. Gradually add squat jumps, split lunge jumps or box jumps. Even try good old-fashioned burpees. You’ll see gains in strength and confidence in no time.  

How do you get started if you are new to plyometrics?

• Make sure you warm up properly.  Use 10 to 15 minutes to get your joints warm, muscles moving and heart pumping. 
• Start with the basics on a soft surface, such as carpet, a rubber mat or grass.   Check your surroundings to make sure there are no obstacles in the way. 
• Start at a slower pace, lesser range of motion and fewer repetitions. As you improve, build up to a faster speed, larger movements and more repetitions.
• If you feel any pain, stop.
• Take a day or two between sessions for muscle repair and recovery.  Listen to your body at all times. 

Fit Tip: Elevate Your Mood with Exercise

Did you know that regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress, boost self-esteem, improve sleep and ward off anxiety and feelings of depression? While exercising, the body releases chemicals called endorphins that reduce your perception of pain and trigger a positive feeling in the body that can make you all smiles. Often referred to as a “runner’s high,” the euphoric feeling can energize you and provide mood-boosting benefits long after a workout has ended.

Go for moderate exercise that you enjoy. To make sure you reap the most mood-boosting benefits, work out regularly instead of sporadically.  If you begin working out with exercises you enjoy, you are less likely to skip your workouts. Try biking, dancing, power walking or jogging on the treadmill to start. More good news: weight training can be as effective as an aerobic exercise in elevating your mood. Aim for two to three days a week of resistance training using machines, cables or dumbbells.  

Raise your mood with health benefits. The endorphin release isn’t the only thing about exercise that will get you smiling. Exercise strengthens the heart, increases energy levels, lowers blood pressure and improves muscle tone and strength. Just glancing in the mirror and seeing results will keep a pep in your step all day.  

Build healthy relationships. People who exercise regularly say they are less stressed, nervous and tense. Sounds like a great group of people to get to know. Joining a gym or group fitness class provides an opportunity to connect with people in a positive, active environment. Take time to build these relationships, in addition to your workout routine, for a happier, healthier life. 

brought to you by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Fall in Love with your Personal Trainer

You’ve decided to seriously invest in your health and hire a personal trainer.  It’s a great idea to have a dedicated fitness expert in your corner that can give you advice, keep you honest and produce results. Picking a trainer that can help you overcome your physical and emotional obstacles isn’t always easy. Be smart about your investment and take the time to choose your trainer wisely with these tips:

Do the research.  Don’t settle for the first trainer you see when walking through the gym door. Chemistry, education and skill set is important. The trainer you choose should meet your needs in motivational style, training techniques and price.  Referrals can be a good assessment of a trainer and always make sure they are certified by an National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCAA) accredited organization. 

Make it a two way street. Like any relationship, communication is important so let him or her know your goals and discuss your weaknesses and strengths.  Give your trainer the opportunity to push you and test the limits without pushing you over the edge. Be willing to work hard and follow their advice, but also be open about your lifestyle and schedule so he or she can make realistic recommendations. 

Schedule a review.  After the first month, take time to evaluate your progress.  Are you happy with the environment?  Do you find the trainer’s advice and expertise helpful? Are you dreading every session or do you come ready to take the challenges ahead?  Do you feel comfortable asking your trainer questions about your body and health? Truthfully answer these questions and discuss issues with your trainer before continuing the program.

Take a look in the mirror.  A trainer is there to motivate and teach, but you have to do the work.  Sometimes lack of results or motivation can be due to internal issue that need sorting. Like all good relationships, if you carry too much baggage, it will be hard to sustain. Take a look inside for things holding you back from success before giving up on a trainer.   

Fit Tip: Working Out While Under the Weather

Flu season is on its way to becoming an epidemic in the U.S. and while a flu shot is preventative, it won’t always help you escape a winter cold.  While your dedication to hit the gym every day is admirable, there are some symptoms of sickness that should make you think twice. Please use common sense.  If your symptoms are severe, skip the exercise and see your doctor.  Otherwise, follow these guidelines to decide when you’d be better off staying at home, getting rest and keeping your germs to yourself.

Do a neck check. You can exercise while sick if your symptoms are all above the neck, like a runny nose, a sore throat, nasal congestion and tearing eyes. Of course, you should always listen to your body and take the intensity of your workout down a bit if your regular pace feels too strenuous.  

If it’s below, don’t go. If you have any symptoms below the neck, such as body aches, chills, coughing, fatigue, stomach problems or diarrhea, it’s advised to take it easy until you're feeling better. And if you're running a fever, no matter where your symptoms are, put off exercising until your temperature returns to normal.

Follow common courtesy. Just as no one likes gym goers who sweat on equipment and don’t clean the machines, you won’t make any friends having a nonstop sneezing or coughing spell. If you suspect you’re contagious, follow common courtesy and stay home. If you do go while under the weather, use hand sanitizer and wipe down all machines after use.

Listen to your body. When suffering from congestion or low energy, exercise often helps you feel better. Know your limits and take the intensity down a notch. A brisk walk can sometimes unclog the sinuses better than an afternoon on the couch. Gentle exercise will rev up circulation and counteract that sluggish, rundown feeling. Exercising while sick is a personal decision and you’re the best judge of what your body can handle.

To avoid getting sick remember to keep up a healthy lifestyle without running yourself down. Take time to relax, get seven hours of sleep, drink plenty of water, eat healthy and wash your hands—a lot.

Brought to you by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Ski Season Training

We all know that après ski activities consist of sipping hot chocolate next to a roaring fire in a Navajo-print jacket, but what about avant (before) ski? Skiing and snowboarding are physically demanding sports and optimal conditions occur at high elevations (less oxygen) and in cold temperatures, but it’s also fun and a great way to get your heart rate up during those winter months. Whether you are a Blue Circle bunny or a Double Black Diamond Slalom, uh, mogul, you may want to do some ‘pre-season training’ to prepare before you hit the slopes, focusing on these four areas: 

Stamina.  Optimize your cardiovascular strength so you can schuss all day. Higher elevations and cold weather put extra strain on your lungs, so do some interval training on a treadmill or elliptical machine to challenge your heart rate and improve your oxygen intake capacity. Begin with at least 3 days a week for a half hour and increase the time, frequency, and intensity over time so you are in prime condition to conquer the mountain.

Core. Core strength is key for skiing. A tight, stable core allows you to control your movements with more precision. Simple exercises such as bicycles on the floor, back extensions, and full body roll ups or crunches on an exercise ball will benefit your core and therefore your skiing abilities.

Balance. All Carvaholics know where to find their CM (that’s ski slang for Center of Mass). Improve reaction time and agility by taking advantage of the balance-training aids available at the health club or for the home, such as a Bosu ball. Begin by balancing on one foot and progress up to balancing on the Bosu ball itself.  Take it a step further and try squats and plyometric drills on the Bosu ball.

Flexibility. Yoga not only keeps you limber but improves your mental focus and breathing techniques. Yoga can help protect against injury by addressing muscle imbalances and improving flexibility, so try out a beginner-level class and work your way up. The positive influences that yoga can have on your skiing (and other athletic activities) may surprise you.

This Fit Tip was brought to you by Lifefitness 

Fit Tip: Improve Your Speed; Improve Your Game

The difference between catching and missing that long touchdown pass (or the train for your morning commute) comes down to only seconds and inches, but can end up costing a lot more.  Put some hustle behind your muscle and improve your overall speed with these easy and quick tips.

Do Strength Training. View your body as an engine: more horsepower means quicker acceleration and faster speeds overall. Focus on building strength throughout your lower body with calf raises, squats, lunges and leg presses, and pay special attention to your hip flexors.  Powerful hip flexors will improve your range of motion and are the key to sprinting faster. Try the Dual Adjustable Pulley machine for single leg and balance work. In addition to your lower body, strengthening your core will improve your speed, balance, and agility by fortifying the connection between the muscles of the upper and lower body.

Do Plyometrics. Plyometric training involves high-intensity, explosive muscular contractions, which enables your muscles to exert maximum force in the shortest amount of time possible, thereby improving your speed. Pre-stretch your muscles and then harness their maximum force by utilizing jumping, bounding, and hopping movements. Jumping jacks, split jumps, squat jumps and box jumps will torch calories and build lean muscle while helping you log faster times.

Do Intervals. Amp up your overall speed with interval training, which alternates short, high intensity bursts of speed with slower recovery phases in a single workout. Interval training will enhance your cardiovascular capacity (the ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles) and ultimately leads to increased acceleration and speed.

Put on the Brakes. Speed is more than just a mad, reckless dash. As an athlete, maintaining control over your movements and agility is paramount to your performance. You can’t stop and turn on a dime with your legs flailing wildly beneath you, right? The key to slowing down is to have flexible legs, bent knees and lowered hips. Staying low will occur naturally if you are strong enough. Practice flexibility training multiple times per week.  Warm up before workouts with dynamic movements and cool down with static stretches. 

This fit-tip was brought to you by Life Fitness

Interval Training Workout Playlist

Interval training can be a great way to get an effective workout in a short amount of time. This type of workout can pose a problem for your playlist though. I’ve come up with an interval training workout playlist that will keep your energy up during the high-intensity intervals and bring the pace down for the lower-intensity and rest periods.

Music can also serve as an easy way to time your intervals and signal you to move on to the next exercise. Try this playlist with the interval training workout of the month from Life Fitness Academy: Bi’s, Tri’s and Thighs. 

High Intensity

1. Bangarang (feat. Sirah) – Skrillex
2. I Can Only Imagine (feat. Chris Brown & Lil Wayne) – David Guetta
3. Push It – Salt-n-Pepa
4. Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones
5. Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) – Michael Jackson

Low Intensity

1. Carried Away – Passion Pit
2. Crash and Burn – Savage Garden
3. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
4. The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
5. Tiny Dancer – Elton John

This fit tip is brought to you by Life Fitness 9/25/2012

Tips for Keeping Snacks Light

Hunger pangs between breakfast, lunch and dinner can strike even those with the most nutritious meal regimens. In fact, snacking has increased in popularity; 97 percent of Americans snack daily, up from 71 percent four decades ago, according to a recent study from the Journal of Nutrition. That makes for a lot of snacking!

For those who believe snacks are off-limits, here's a pleasant surprise - snacking can actually benefit a diet. In addition to curbing hunger, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics notes that healthy snacks help keep your metabolism on track, stabilize blood sugar and provide the opportunity for supplementary nutrient intake. The Academy recommends consuming snacks with less than 200 calories.

Try these tips below for guidance on how to snack smart, while not sacrificing great taste.

* Mix 'n match. Choose versatile snack options to keep up your new snacking habit. Wasa's new Crisp 'N Light Wholesome Wheat Crackerbread offers fewer calories and portion control. Its versatility allows it to be enjoyed by itself, with a variety of toppings or as a bread substitute. One slice of bread is about 100 calories while three Crackerbread slices total only 70 calories.

When a savory craving kicks in, pair two slices of Wasa Crisp 'N Light Wholesome Wheat with a thin layer of low-fat cream cheese, a slice of smoked salmon and sprinkle capers and chives on top. The salmon provides omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to heart health, and the crunch of the Crackerbread offers a feeling of satiety.

If you have a sweet tooth, try this delicious recipe that boasts approximately 110 calories, three grams of protein and only two grams of fat.

Wasa Crisp 'N Light Wholesome Wheat with Fresh Fruit and Yogurt

 

Ingredients:
1/2 orange, segmented       
1/2 kiwi, thinly sliced
1 strawberry, thinly sliced
1/2 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon mint, chopped
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt       
2 slices Wasa Crisp 'N Light Wholesome Wheat Crackerbread

Directions:
Mix together all fruit and lime zest with lime juice and mint. Spread 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt on each Crackerbead slice. Top with a few tablespoons of the fruit mixture.

* Prepare. Instead of grabbing calorie-laden chips or candy, think of snacks as mini-meals and integrate them into your overall meal plan. By planning ahead and only eating when you are hungry, you will also avoid eating out of boredom or stress, according to The Academy.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend two to three cups of vegetables daily, so as you purchase vegetables for the week, set aside some for snack time. Try spicing up your normal veggie routine of broccoli and carrots by considering bell peppers or jicama, a root vegetable low in calories and high in vitamin C and potassium. Pair your veggies with a hummus dip for a fiber-packed snack.

* Go (a little) nuts. The Academy highlights that, in addition to providing protein, folic acid and zinc, nuts have been linked to a reduced risk for heart disease, diabetes and even some forms of cancer. Two tablespoons of raw or dry roasted slivered almonds, walnuts or pecans offers less than 200 calories and can be a great portable option.