Wellness Wednesday:Efficient Foods

I love to know the most efficient ways to get things done. I organize my kitchen so that my cereal bowls, spoons, cereal and coffee are right by my fridge where I grab my milk and blueberries every morning. I keep a set of toiletries, change of clothes and a hairdryer in my locker at work so that I do not have to remember to pack them on days I work out at the gym. My husband and I live less than 1 mile from his work so we only have to rely on one fuel efficient car. I've talked about the most efficient abs exercises in a previous E-mail. So, today I am going to talk about some extremely efficient foods that top my list of favorites.

I am a HUGE cereal fan so I couldn't have been happier when I saw some of the healthiest cereals listed in this month's issue of Women's Health:
If you like tasty flakes mixed with nutty clusters, try Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes with Blueberry Clusters. I am a big fan of Kashi cereals because they are packed with nutrients. I've kept this cereal stocked in my cupboard for a long time. YUM!
If you like crunchy honey oats try Health Valley Real Oat Bran Almond Crunch. This cereal has 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving! Natural vanilla and amaretto malt...I'm going to try this cereal next.

If you like to keep healthy snack bars around your office rather than choosing unhealthy snack machine options try Balance Bar 100 Calorie Snack Bars. These delicious treats also have 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. I'm also a big fan of Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt as a snack. The 6 oz. servings only have 60 calories and 5 grams of protein!

These foods that heal are from this month's issue of Yogalife:
Cranberries are shown to fight off gastrointestinal and urinary infections as well as helping to keep your arteries clean. They may even help prevent cavities. I love to toss dried cranberries into my salad or cereal.

Artichokes are one of my favorite pizza toppings...made from whole wheat flat bread of course. Artichokes provide tons of vitamin C, fiber and minerals such as copper and magnesium and are one of the most powerful anti-oxidants. These are also great with olives in a salad.

Quinoa...que what? This healthy grain, pronounced Keen-wa, is packed with protein and fiber. In fact, many compare its nutritional value to that of milk. Do you want to take advantage of this efficient grain but not sure what to do with it? Check out this article for recipe ideas: http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/quinoa_recipes

Apples Some things never change, including the overwhelming nutritious value of an apple. The antioxidants in apples help clear your body of bad cholesterol (LDL) and may fight carcinogens. The shiny apples I always keep in my fruit bowl are not just for decoration!

Try some of these health packed food choices next time you visit the grocery store. I’m off to try to efficiently finish my homework before class :) Have a great day everyone!

The Power of the Breath

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Good morning, are you feeling more relaxed? I know I have mentioned the importance of paying attention to your breath before but today I want to explain why self-breathing is so important and tell you how to take control of your breath. Deep diaphragmatic breathing, also known as Pranayma breathing, has been used for centuries in yoga to help relax the body, clear the mind and deepen the mind-body connection. However, research has now found that Pranayman breathing can positively effect immune function, psychological stress, anxiety and even asthma and hypertension. The exact mechanics are not yet fully understood; however, we know that by taking control of our breath we are able to override the sometime overactive sympathetic ventilatory control response. In fact, this is the ONLY visceral function we can voluntarily control, how empowering! Here’s how you can take advantage of the Power of Your Breath:

1. First start by taking some normal breaths through your nose and simply pay attention to your breath.

2. At rest, you breathe by passively activating your external intercostals and diaphragm. To maximize the power of your breath, you want to visualize filling your abdomen, then the bottom of your lungs, then the middle lungs, and finally the top of the lungs with air.

3. Place your hands on either side of your ribcage at the bottom of your sternum. When you breath, you should feel your ribcage expand out and to the sides (lateral ribcage expansion).

4. Practice breathing slowly and deeply, breathing in and out of your nose both laying down, sitting, and standing up. Use the visualization and rib cage expansion methods discussed above.

5. Whenever you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, pay attention to how your sympathetic response automatically increases your breathing frequency. Try to override that response by taking control of your breath and slowing it down by breathing deeply.

Establish a habit of taking a few minutes out of your day to take control of your body through self-breathing. Begin to feel less stressed and less anxious!

Biggest Loser Kick-off

Friday, my Wellness Team kicked off our "Biggest Loser Challenge" open to all students and employees at UNC. This is a semester long weight management and lifestyle change program consisting of bi-weekly events, weigh-ins, and team challenges. We had over 100 people apply and ended up admitting 76 contestants into the program divided into four teams: student white, student blue, employee white, employee blue. The kick-off was a 3 hour event consisting of fitness, nutrition, and body comp workshops and ended with a high energy group challenge. The energy these contestants brought to the kick-off was amazing and the team spirit/competition was already evident by the end of the evening. I can't wait to start working with these teams and get to know everyone better! Come back often for updates on this exciting challenge!

Wednesday Wellness:Virtual Grocery Store Tour

Good morning! A few of my co-workers and I have been talking about the value of grocery store tours to promote healthy eating. This got me thinking about a virtual grocery store tour and sure enough...there are already some great on line tours out there. Here is a rundown on a few healthy picks you can find at your local grocer. For a more thorough tour, visit the ADA's virtual grocery store tour at: http://vgs.diabetes.org/homepage.jsp Or play Canada's healthy grocery store game at: http://www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca/vgs/vgs_en.html Be careful, this kept me sidetracked for WAY LONGER than I thought it would!

Fruits:
Apples and Pears are a great affordable fruit that can easily be eaten on the go. For a special treat, slice them and sprinkle apples with a bit of cinnamon and spread a low-fat Swiss soft cheese on the pear.
Blueberries are great to throw in your morning cereal, oatmeal, or smoothie. These can be purchased cheaper frozen off-season. For a special smoothie treat, blend blueberries with a bit of chocolate powder.
Grapes are another easy fruit to pack for snacks.
Vegetables: Spinach is great to buy frozen to cook and serve with pasta dishes and fish. A bag of fresh spinach leaves and your favorite greens mix together for an interesting salad.
Artichoke Hearts, Onions, and Tomatoes are great on a salad.
Bite-Size Carrots and Celery make easy snacks to take to the office
Leeks and Peppers are great for stir-fry.
Dry Foods:
Whole Wheat pasta for Italian nights and Brown Rice for stir-fry are healthy fiber packed alternatives to regular pasta and white rice.
Pre-packed Tuna packages make it easy to take to lunch to add to salads or wraps.
High Fiber Cereal is a lot more appealing if mixed with a more palatable cereal of your choice. 100-calorie snack packs let you occasionally indulge in a smart portion of your favorite snacks.
Broth based soups are a great healthy and filling addition to a wrap or salad.
Salsa is an excellent substitute for fatty cracker and vegetable dips. Also makes an excellent condiment for a healthy wrap or quesadilla.
Perishables and Frozen:
Fish provides a healthy dose of Omega-3's and is low in saturated fat.
Chicken Breast is a low-fat source of protein.
Sliced Turkey is great for sandwiches and wraps
Veggie/Soy ground "meat" is great in pasta dishes.
Low fat cheeses and milk are a healthy alternative to the whole versions.
Low fat Yogurt makes a wonderful snack. Throw in fresh berries or a touch of granola for a more satisfying treat.
Baking:
Olive oil for dressings and canola oil for cooking provide healthier poly and mono unsaturated fats than butter, vegetable shortening, or palm oil, which are high in saturated or trans fat.
Unsweetened Apple Sauce can often be substituted for shortening or butter in cookie and brownie recipes for a healthy alternative.

Happy and healthy shopping!

My Clients Before and Afters

This past Fall I developed a program for my brother and husband that involved healthy eating and a structured exercise program. They both did an outstanding job and have agreed to let me publish their results. Check out what they had to say about the experience and find out if they are still keeping up with their healthy eating and keeping the weight off.

Max's Story
Although I have always been physically active, last year I found myself in a bit of a slump, eating out at work and not doing any regular exercise. This resulted in some weight gain and fatigue. Having the competition with Nick really helped motivate me to stick to my workout plan. Also, rewarding myself with a cheat day from time to time and new workout wear made all my hard work worth it. After losing about 30 pounds through exercise and healthy eating I am left with tons of energy and am sleeping great. I have maintained my current weight by watching what I eat and working out at least 4-5 days/week. I must admit, Karla is a great coach but is definitely lot tougher than she may appear.

Nick's Story
In the past couple of years, I found myself eating out almost everyday and leading a fairly sedentary lifestyle. Naturally, I gained plenty of weight this way. Having Karla to keep me on track and answer all my fitness questions was key to getting into a solid fitness routine. By competing with Max, I was able to push myself harder and the motivation came very natural after only a short time. Making the right food choices and taking my lunch with me to work has been a big part of staying with my new active lifestyle. I have found that there are many ways to get a great workout in, at the gym or at home. Not only has the weight come off, but I wake up in the mornings feeling energized. I am more productive throughout the day, and I stay focused better. I truly have integrated these lifestyle changes into my daily routine. Eventually, it becomes second nature, and that is truly an accomplishment!

Wellness Wednesday:Facing Your Fears

First off, since this is my first E-mail since I've been back, Happy New Year! Second, I do realize that it is Thursday but I am running a little behind this week as my Spring semester starts (OK, and I was at the basketball game last night...go HEELS!). I really wanted to talk about facing some common workout fears as you all start on your new fitness resolutions (you did get started, right?). Some of these are adapted from this month's issue of "Health" magazine.

Fear # 1 - I won't keep up with the already "in-shape"students in a group fitness class
Don't fret: You most likely are not the only "newbie" in the class and some of those "lean" students you fear may not even be in good shape. Get to the class a little early and let the instructor know you are new and not sure what to expect. She/He can give you a quick run down on the basics. The instructor may also be able to point you to another new student or to a location in the classroom where you can easily observe but may not be as easily seen by other students, which may leave you less intimidated. If you are really nervous about trying a new class for the first time such as say pilates, you could try it out in the privacy of your home first to get acquainted with some of the moves and/or terminology. Try an exercise video, an on line Internet class, or a TV channel such as FIT-TV on demand.
FYI- Look out for Cardio Capoeira on Wen. from 6:30-7:30 with Shoshanna at the SRC. This is an upbeat energizing Brazilian from of martial arts modified to look like a dance.

Fear # 2 - I don't want to join a gym for a year and end up wasting my money because I don't like it.
Don't fret - Take a tour and find out information about the gym before you join. Most gyms will give you at least a free preview day before you have to sign a contract. Try joining with a friend or relative so you all can go together. Or, sign-up for a group class or activity that you can chat with other people in such as aqua aerobics or a walking group, so you can quickly meet people and get into a regular work-out schedule together.
FYI - UNC campus recreation allows eligible employees to sign-up for a one week trial membership. See http://www.campusrec.unc.edu/heels.html for more information.

Fear # 3 - My schedule is too crazy and I won't be able to find the time to work out.
Don't fret - Physical activity does not have to be all or nothing. Try to find 10-15 minute blocks of time a few times a day to do some sit-ups, go for a walk, or lift some hand weights. Don't underestimate the role of spontaneous activity either. Wear a pedometer and take the stairs or park at the back of the parking lot. You may be surprised how these little efforts can quickly add up to the goal of 10,000 steps a day.
FYI - UNC's Walk for Wellness campaign is still going strong. Check out http://www.campusrec.unc.edu/heels.html#walk to learn how to sign up with a team or start your own group.

Fear # 4 - I don't know how to start
Don't fret - If your not comfortable starting at a gym, get a pair of hand weights, resistance bands, or yoga ball and start working out at home with some simple exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, bicep curls, tricep dips, and shoulder presses. Also, get outside and walk, gradually adding in 30 sec-1 min. jogging bursts while you walk. Or, join a walking group at work, a moms and strollers group such as Stroller Strides, or a physical activity/weight loss program. Many gyms offer personal training or a fitness consultation, which will help you develop a personalized fitness plan.
FYI - UNC is holding a Biggest Loser Challenge this semester open to faculty and students (faculty will compete separately from students), which will help those wanting to adapt healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle. Check out http://www.campusrec.unc.edu/events.html#loser for all the details. But act fast, applications are due Jan 19th. UNC also offers free fitness assessments and consultations. Sign up by following this link: http://www.carolinafitness.unc.edu/src/src_files/src_fitness_weight1.htm

So, what are you waiting for? Start facing your fears and commit to a healthy and happy you in 2007!