Fit & Inspired Living

Ways To Get The Body Right – Fast!

2010-08-02T20:33:42Z

We’ve all done it a time or two – decided to try to lose a few pounds quickly in time for a big event.? Whether you are trying to look good at your best friend’s wedding or want to make a statement at the family reunion, losing a few extra pounds could be the difference between feeling ok or feeling great about the way you look.? Here is how I shed a few pounds for a big event (and there is no starving yourself involved).

Avoid caffeine and alcohol

First thing in the morning, drink hot water with freshly squeezed lemon juice

For breakfast, 1 cup of fruit, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt and a slice of dry toast and a glass of water

For morning snack, one protein shake

For lunch, chicken breast and small salad and another glass of water

Afternoon snack, one apple and another glass of water

Dinner, baked fish lightly seasoned with grilled vegetables and another glass of water

Cup of detox tea

Nothing to eat after 7pm.

Do this for 5 days and you just might have to buy another outfit.(in a smaller size)!

Recipe: S.Joy’s Eggplant Croquettes

2010-07-27T02:48:34Z

One of my fondest childhood memories is spending time in Victorville, CA with my Aunt Mae who was (and still is!) a great cook. Healthy cooking wasn’t her thing, but she made these wonderful eggplant croquettes that I just loved. Here is my take on her recipe, made just a tad bit healthier!

Ingredients:

1 Large eggplant

1 Egg

4 Tablespoons of whole wheat flour

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

1 Tablespoon of pure cane sugar

Coconut Oil

Directions:

Peel skin off of Eggplant and dice into 1-inch cubes. In a medium pot, boil eggplant cubes for 20 mins and then drain well. In a mixing bowl, add 1 beaten egg, whole wheat flour, salt and sugar. and mix until moistened. Heat coconut oil in a skillet. Spoon mixture into skillet and fry for 90 seconds on each side.

Random Fit & Inspired Tips

2010-07-14T03:35:52Z

Since most of my friends and co-workers know about my passion for health and fitness, I often get a lot of questions about healthy eating and various fitness tips. I thought I would share a few of these frequently asked questions (and my answers!).

Q: What should I eat before a morning workout?

A: It really depends on how your body responds. Personally, I prefer not to eat anything before an early morning workout (within 30 mins of waking up). If I didn’t eat much the evening before and wake up starving, and especially if I plan to go on a long run, then I may have a piece of dry toast. Any more than that, and I tend to feel slightly sick to my stomach in the middle of my workout. I definitely wouldn’t recommend eating a full breakfast before a morning workout.

Q: What is the best type of oatmeal to eat?

A: Any oatmeal that has to be cooked for more than 2 minutes is good, but the best of the best is steel cut oatmeal. Steel cut oatmeal is especially hearty and full of healthy whole grains and fiber. I eat my oatmeal the way Tosca Reno recommends in the Eat Clean Diet (check out my book review), which includes adding the following to a bowl of plain steel cut oatmeal: 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 tablespoon of bee pollen, 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds. Bonus tip: Steel cut oatmeal takes 25 – 30 mins to prepare so save time by preparing two days worth of oatmeal at one time. On day 2, simply add a bit of water and warm in the microwave!

Q: How can I strengthen my core?

A: Having a strong core is very important, but often overlooked. Almost any exercise involving a stability ball or a Bosu ball will strengthen core muscles. Find some good core workout tips here.

Q: Which is better – a treadmill or an elliptical machine?

A: I prefer a treadmill because it allows you to burn more calories (if you are running). Any time both of your feet have to leave the floor, you are automatically burning more calories than doing a similar exercise that doesn’t require both feet to leave the ground at the same time. That said, if you have knee trouble then an elliptical machine could be the better fit for you.

Q: How can I make sure that I stick to my healthy eating plan?

A: There are several little things that you can do to make sure that you reach your goals:

Watch your attitude – a positive attitude will give you the mental capacity to remain disciplined when making food choices
Plan ahead – know what you are going to eat each day, pack lunch and snacks if you are going to be away from your home
Get the facts – understand how many calories your body burns at rest and know how many calories you are burning while exercising…this will determine how many calories that you can consume each day
Drink 64 ozs of water daily and have the first 8 to 12 ozs first thing in the morning
Avoid eating within 3 hours of bedtime
Eat real food
Get moving! Exercise is key

Q: What types of things should I avoid consuming?

A: Here are a few things to avoid:

Soda, diet or regular
Fast or cheaply made food (think McDonald’s, Taco Bell etc.)
Food that isn’t really food (if you can’t pronounce have of the ingredients listed on the back of the label, don’t eat it)
High-fructose corn syrup

Q: Once I have reached my goals, how do I stay on track?

A: Assuming that you’ve gotten there the healthy way (through making good choices, eating healthfully and exercising), staying on track is just a matter of sticking to your fit and inspired way of living. Making good food choices most of the time, enjoying and appreciating whole and nutrient-rich foods and maintaining an active lifestyles. When you decide to treat yourself to dessert, enjoy it but don’t over-indulge. And remember, it is not what you do from December to January, it is what you do from January to December!

A Few Facts And Opinions About Tea

2010-05-16T03:23:33Z

Ever since a friend of mine introduced me to Teavana, a loose tea store in the Dallas Galleria mall (they have several other locations too), I’ve been crazy about loose leaf tea. According to Wikipedia, after water, tea is the next most often consumed beverage. Many cultures consider tea to be an integral part of a healthy and centered lifestyle.

Here a few facts about tea:

All tea originates from the Camellia sinensis plant. What creates the various varieties of tea (White, Green, Black, Oolong) is how it is prepared and cured. What is often referred to as Herbal tea, is really an infusion of various leaves, flowers or fruit (think mint or peach or lemon).

White tea is the least processed of all teas. It doesn’t have a lot of caffeine but has the highest concentration of antioxidants. Green tea is a very popular variety and is the most common type of tea consumed in Asia. As it is processed, it is minimally oxidized. By contrast, Black tea is highly oxidized and has the highest amount of caffeine. Oolong tea is oxidized at a level in between Green and Black tea. Some credit Oolong tea with being an appetite suppressor (I drink Oolong tea but I can’t really say whether it suppresses my appetite but I do find that it settles my stomach after a large meal).

The major health benefit of tea is the polyphenols that it contains. According to research, Polyphenols behave like antioxidants, which remove free radicals in the body. Another great thing about tea, in my opinion, is that it is very, very relaxing.

And, now a few opinions:

My favorite tea to drink is Silver Needle white tea. Silver Needle is the highest quality white tea that you can find. It is only harvested for a few days in the spring and the production of this type of tea (only found in the Fujian province) is highly regulated to maintain its quality. The flavor of this type of tea is very mild. It also pairs well with lavender for a soothing and relaxing night time tea. (Tip: When brewing Silver Needle tea, the water should not be boiling hot. I typically add a couple of ice cubes to my steeper before pouring in boiling water to bring the temperature down to about 180 degrees)

The other day, I tried Gyokuro tea after the manager at Fat Straws (my all-time favorite Bubble Tea spot!) was kind enough to give me a free sample. I don’t drink Green tea very often, but I immediately fell in love with this tea. Without knowing anything about Gyokuro tea, I could tell after the first sip that it was a very high quality tea. The flavor of the tea is very delicate and fine, but at the same time, very flavorful. After some research, I discovered that it is the highest quality green tea that you can find. The tea itself is grown in the shade, which I guess explains why it is so delicate. So delicate, in fact, that the leaves can be eaten after it has been steeped! (Tip: Gyokuro tea should be steeped at 140 degrees)

Since I like my tea slightly sweet, I avoid adding too many calories from sugar by sweetening my tea with Stevia extract.

Getting Back On The Fitness Wagon

2010-05-05T02:33:16Z

Let’s face iout – life can be hectic and sometimes fitting in a workout, or making a healthier food choice doesn’t quite make it to the top of the priority list. For the past couple of months, I have even found myself in what I call a “fitness funk”. Between a new puppy (a handsome Boxer named Kobe!), a new job and the normal hustle and bustle of managing a family, my schedule has been completely turned upside down. On top of that, the additional stress from some of this change has resulted in a less than optimal amount of will power (the result of which has shown itself in the form of succumbing to the temptation of dessert a couple times a week).

Long story short – I, S. Joy of Fitandinspired.com, found myself off of the fitness wagon.

Just to be clear, off of the wagon is not my favorite place to be. The worst thing about being there is that it can quickly turn into somewhat of a vicious cycle — the stress from not working out dampens my mood so that I don’t necessarily feel like working out, which increases my stress level because I’ve gone yet another day without working out (and ate poorly), which continues to dampen my mood. You get the picture, right?

So, what do I do when I find myself in this particular place?

I try my best to stay positive! Is it really the end of the world to go a week (or even two) without working out? Is it a tragedy to have gained a few pounds? The answer is obvious – No.

The best way to get out of a fitness funk is to recognize that you are in one, resist the temptation to beat yourself up about it and just get to the gym (or outside to run, walk etc.) - if only for 20 minutes. Before you know it, you’ll be back into your normal routine which will kick off another, more positive, cycle. Getting back into your routine will make you feel better and give you the motivation to keep those gym appointments AND will give you the will power to stick to your healthy eating plan, which in turn will make you feel better!

P.S. Just for the record, I’ve since gotten my act together, working out 3-4 days a week and dropped those few pounds.

Recipe: S. Joy’s Roasted Root Vegetable Soup (clean meal)

2010-02-21T02:10:04Z

This recipe was inspired by a roasted vegetable salad recipe I ran across in the Spring 2010 Consumer Reports Food & Fitness.

Ingredients

5 large Carrots, washed and unpeeled

4 medium size Daikon, washed and unpeeled

1 medium Fennel bulb

1 medium Garlic bulb (approx. 6 cloves)

24 fl oz Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Broth)

1 T fresh Rosemary

1 t dried Marjoram

Salt & Pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the tops and ends off of the carrots and daikon and then slice in half length-wise. Slice fennel bulb. Cut the tip of the garlic bulb. Place all vegetables in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are fork tender.

Put roasted vegetables into a large saucepan on medium heat. With a hand blender, blend vegetables while pouring in chicken broth. Blend until soup is of desired consistency. Add rosemary, marjoram and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm with corn bread or whole wheat dinner rolls.

Get Great Abs – No Crunches Necessary

2010-02-20T02:31:31Z

Today, a friend of mine asked me for some tips on how to get great abs. (And just to be clear, great abs means a flat stomach with some muscle definition.) Despite what a lot of people think, crunches don’t really do the trick.

There are two important elements to great abs – Cardio and Diet. 100 crunches every day is not necessary.

So, here’s my plan:

Cardio. This could be anything from running to step aerobics to spin class. Anything that gets you sweating works. The more intense the cardio session the better but the key is at least 30 minutes of sweating 4 or 5 times a week.

Diet. The key here is to reduce the amount of simple sugars and simple carbs. Keep lunch and dinner to lean protein and vegetables. Get a good amount of complex carbs (steel cut oatmeal, whole grain cereal) in during breakfast. Drink lots of water and limit alcohol (which is basically sugar).

Want to go that extra mile? Incorporate core exercises into the routine to keep internal abdominal muscles strong and tight.

That’s it. Do this consistently and pretty soon you’ll start seeing that six-pack!

5 Great In-Home Exercises

2010-01-27T03:10:03Z

As much as I enjoy my gym workouts, there are times when I just can’t get there and with two small children, I can’t always get out for a run around the neighborhood.

Here are a few of my favorite exercises to do at home:

1. Jumping rope – great for getting the heart rate up and great for lower leg muscles.

2. Crunches – two sets of 25; make sure to suck in ab muscles for optimal results.

3. Push-ups – they may be old-fashion but they get the job done; 3 sets of 10.

4. Standing lunges – 15 per leg

5. High-energy yoga – 30 to 60 mins will provide a good amount of both strength and flexibility training

Don’t forgo exercising just because you can’t make it to the gym – even as little as 20 mins of in-home exercising is better than nothing!

5 Tips For Staying On Track

2010-01-10T03:20:24Z

I’ve read a few articles recently that said the #1 resolution this year (and most prior years) is to lose weight. I’ll save my soap box speech about why that is a faulty goal for later (there are lots of ways to lose weight and not all of them are healthy). And so, having realized that many of my readers are probably in the midst of re-committing themselves to a healthier lifestyle, I wanted to share 5 tips for staying on track:

1. Rally your support group. Tell friends and family what you are doing. Not only will they provide support (if they are good friends and truly caring family), but they will also help you to be accountable. Ask one of your friends to check in with you periodically to ask about your progress.

2. Set yourself up for success by planning ahead. This is key for anyone with a busy schedule. Prepare large portions of healthy dinners and put the leftovers in single serving containers for lunch the next day. For breakfast, I like to cook a double portion of steel cut oatmeal so that I’ll have some already prepared for the following morning. I can then take it to work, pop it in the microwave, and then add my protein powder, bee pollen, ground flax seeds, walnuts and fruit (more on this power breakfast in a future post!).

3. Avoid the common trap of over-estimating the number of calories your burning. In August of last year, Time magazine published an article titled Exercise Won’t Make You Thin. The article itself is a fascinating read, but the overall conclusion was that people often consume more when they exercise. Some of this is because the body is hungrier following exercise, but some of it is also mental in that we tell ourselves that we can have a little extra just because we went to the gym that day. And often, this little extra is not so little. Decide the number of calories you are going to consume as part of your new plan and stick to it.

4. Stay focused. Making a significant positive change in what you eat and how you exercise is not easy. It requires a lot of mental strength to break yourself from any habit, and unhealthy eating and fitness habits are no different. Keep your goals in mind at all times. Schedule time for exercise, even if it means having to skip a social event or miss that late night TV show you love so much. Avoid that piece of cake at the office, even if it is your boss’ birthday (if you are going to allow yourself a treat, be very selective and watch your portions).

5. Think positive. No one accomplishes anything that they don’t believe they can accomplish. As long as you have set reasonable goals for yourself, you can reach them. It will take work and it will take dedication, BUT YOU CAN DO IT!

To Eat Or Not To Eat. I Say Eat!

2009-12-16T04:06:05Z

A comment that a co-worker (who I will refer to as Candace) said to me recently struck me as very odd. We were talking about training for marathons (she had recently ran a half-marathon and I ran a full-marathon a couple of months back) and I was telling her about an article I had read that said long distance running suppresses your appetite. Candace’s eyes immediately lit up. She thought that was great because she doesn’t like to eat.

What?!?

Now this is completely foreign to me because I thoroughly enjoy eating. Except for a two or three-day fast twice a year, I never skip meals. Next to sleeping, and maybe one or two other things, eating is my favorite thing to do. I guess she noticed my confusion with her statement so she clarified it by saying that she does like to eat, but she tries not to in order to keep her weight down.

Again – What?!?

While it is true that not eating will cause you to lose some weight, where is the fun in that (not to mention that it isn’t all that healthy)? Life is too short not to enjoy good food. The key is to choose the right foods. Foods that are healthful, fresh and natural. Not only are they pleasant to the palate, but they make our bodies feel good, our skin bright and vibrant and our muscles strong.

I just think that it is much more fun to eat well and exercise to maintain a healthy weight.

Ok, I guess I better get off of this soap box now.