April 27, 2024

Need a little inspiration? By Jennifer Austin

November 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment

If the hustle and bustle of the season has taken your energy, time to reset with a motivation boost. Let others inspire you with their words.
 

“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.” -Henry Ford. Do you really want to get fit? Getting healthy and fit is not easy. It takes effort, commitment and dedication. It’s really up to each individual how hard he is willing to work. Fitting in exercise may mean getting up earlier, staying up later, paying attention to pre and post workout food and hydration. Be honest with yourself about the requirements of living healthy.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt. Ultimately the choice is yours. You’re the one who has to take the next step on a run, who has to log those extra five minutes on the stair climber, and put forth the effort to complete your last chest press set. A common mistake is promising to get fit to please others. In the beginning, motivation will come easy. However, when workouts get tough one only person can make it happen, you. Work on your mind and your body will follow.

“When you are good to others, you are best to yourself.” -Benjamin Franklin. We’re all in this together. Balancing work life, family life, personal life and many other obligations and responsibilities. It seems the pace of our world continues to get faster and faster. A little kindness and support goes a long way. Letting a fellow exerciser work in a set, handing them a mat when you can see they’re struggling to reach it or offering to help spot their exercise helps us all reach our health and fitness goals. And the bottom line is, exercise is more fun and interesting if it involves smiles and light conversation, instead of frowning and rude comments.

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.” -William James. There really and truly is a special quality in each of us that will kick in when we want to accomplish a goal badly enough. It’s the, I will not give up thoughts. Sometimes we don’t even define it as such, but it is there and it propels us forward. This is the quality, for example, when we never give up trying to teach our children to read. Just because they don’t get the words right at first doesn’t mean we toss the book over our shoulder and say forget about it! Transferring these qualities of patience and perseverance to our own health quest is what translates into results. Results mean pushing through and powering on. Don’t let yourself off that easy, work hard!

Lean on words of others to regain your inspiration. Print out their words or put them into your phone. Look at them often, memorize them as a mantra, do whatever it takes to continue your journey to healthy living. It’s worth it.

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Get Motivated!

November 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Get Motivated with #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern)! You are not alone in your fitness journey. Chat about all things fitness with others also living healthy. You’ll swap ideas, find accountability and encouragement, make new friends, pick up tips, set new goals and breathe energy into your workout!

 

Here’s how to join:
Log onto your Twitter account and follow @HealthyWayMag to view the chat questions. Questions for discussion will be posted as Question 1, “Q1″, Question 2, “Q2″ and so on. Offer your opinion and experience via answers to Question 1 noted as “A1″, designating your answer to Question 2 as “A2″ and so on. Consider our weekly fitness chat as your virtual fitness-club meeting! You’ll chat with others who share your passion for healthy living!

 

Monday November 23, 2015 #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat Sponsored by Handana:
Handana is a sweatband that is worn on your hand, not your wrist. Their innovative and patented design, allows for you to be hands-free during your fitness or sport. You’ll be inspired to to reach your finish line! Made in the USA, Handana is a high performance, fashionable, sweat band that is soft, yet durable and machine washable. And it works for every one, even if you have sensitive skin or allergies, and it fits all sizes. An ideal gift for the fitness enthusiast in your life! To order yours go to www.myhandana.com!

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Ease Muscle Tension by Jennifer Austin

November 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Tense, stiff and sore muscles do not have to be a part of driving and traveling long distance! One rule to always remember is posture, posture, posture. Sitting in proper posture will make a significant difference in how you feel during and after hours in the car or on a plane.  Following a few basic principles will also help.

Take regular breaks. Taking a “stand-up” break every two hours will decrease muscle soreness from decreased circulation.

Change or shift your position often. Obviously, this is limited when seated. However, you can reset your posture often. For example, slide back in the seat if you’ve scooted forward. Sit up straight if you’re slouching.

Move your extremities often. That means wiggle your toes in your shoes, move your fingers, and circle your wrists and ankles if you’re able. Break up the monotony of sitting motionless for hours on end.

Stretch. Try the following upper body stretches to relieve muscle tension caused by traveling long distance. The following exercises may be done standing or seated.  Hold all stretches for 10-30 seconds. Make sure you’re breathing comfortably through each stretch. Stretch to mild tension, not pain. As always, consult your physician before beginning any exercise.

Lace your fingers behind your body. Pull your shoulders down and back; slowly extend your elbows pulling your hands toward the floor, and then pull your shoulder blades together.

Reach both arms straight up overhead. Keeping your weight centered, slowly reach to your right, then reach to your left.

Lace your fingers behind your head, pull your shoulders down and back pinching your shoulder blades together; and then pull your elbows wide.

Pull your shoulders up toward your ears, then release.

Pull your shoulder blades together, then release.

Pull your shoulders down, tilt your right ear toward your right shoulder. Release and repeat, tilting your left ear toward your left shoulder.

Pull your shoulders down; rotate your chin toward your right shoulder. Release and repeat by rotating your chin toward your left shoulder.

Make a loose fist with both hands, slowly extend your fingers.

 

*Disclaimer: Results may vary from person to person.

 

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Escarole, Kale and Sweet Potato Crock-Pot Soup by Helen Agresti, R.D.

November 13, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Escarole, Kale, and Sweet Potato Crock-Pot Soup

This time of year brings cooler weather and warm comfort food.

This hearty soup recipe is just that.  I took traditional escarole and bean soup and increased its nutrient power by adding kale and sweet potatoes.  Sweet potatoes add fiber, calcium, and iron.  They also give us a boost of vitamins A and C, which is much needed during flu season.   Sweet potatoes may even help regulate blood sugar levels.  Kale is a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that make this soup even more nutritious.  For those that like a little more protein in their meals, I also added lean Italian turkey sausage.  The turkey sausage provides a nice balance of flavors and satiety to an easy family meal.

 

Ingredients

(10-12 servings)

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Parmigiano reggiano rind
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped
  • sea salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 2 (32 oz.) boxes organic chicken broth, low-sodium
  • 4 cups escarole, chopped
  • 4 cups kale, chopped
  • 1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 pound Italian turkey sausage (optional)

 

Directions

1. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a warm crock-pot.  Add the parm rind and garlic.

2. Place the sweet potatoes in the crock-pot, season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the remaining ingredients.

4. Set crock-pot on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6+ hours.

5. Ladle soup into bowls and top with whole grain crostini.

 

Helen is the founder of Professional Nutrition Consulting and The 24_7 Dietitian app. She’s a mom of 5, contributor for the Huffington Post, triathlete, and chocolate lover. Helen is passionate about educating families on how to cook healthy meals and snacks at home. You can now receive Helen’s Personal Nutrition Coaching thru her 24_7 dietitian app-available on iOS and android. Go to www.pronutritionconsulting.com for more info.

 

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Do you inspire health and fitness? Thank You! By Nicole Bryan

November 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment

To Those Who Inspire Fitness- Thank You!

Some days we are unable to do it for ourselves, but a few simple words of encouragement from someone else (sometimes even a stranger) can give us the energy to keep moving forward in our fitness journey. You never know who you will inspire and those that have inspired you may never know of their impact- here’s your opportunity, and your challenge for the week:

Everyone likes to hear a “THANK YOU- you have made a difference in my life.” A simple word, email, text of “thanks for your fitness/healthy living encouragement, it made a difference for me” just may make their day or week, or even their year. Show gratitude to those who have inspired your fitness and healthy living by paying it forward and passing along your motivation to inspire others. Consider these acts of generosity, just to name a few:

Tell them! Say thank you directly. Give a shout out to your training buddies next time one of them paces your run or thank your boss for offering a corporate wellness program, for example.

Share with them your current activity. Email them a recent race photo, they’ll love it! Let them know you’ve kept it up.

Recommit to your initial goal. Everyone falls off their fitness program every so often, use the energy of how they encouraged you and recommit. No one is perfect and no one can be 100% motivated, 100% of the time. Take one step today to get going again.

Donate equipment you’re no longer using to inspire kids and fitness. Requirements and guidelines vary from district to district so your best bet is to call your local junior high and high school directly. Ask if they’ll accept used gym and fitness equipment.

Offering a Thank You to your fitness mentor never goes out of style! Acknowledge your gratitude and pay your fitness-motivation forward- Who can YOU encourage? If you know someone struggling with their workout goals, offer a few words of encouragement or motivation.

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Workout Consistency= Fitness Results!

November 7, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Your health is cumulative. One workout will not make or break your fitness! The key is to be consistent, that’s where results happen. So how do you stay consistently interested in your exercise program? Find others who share your successes and challenges of balancing life responsibilities with exercise, find workout accountability to stay on pace, find others who can offer you a “you can do it!” when needed, find gear tips to make your journey more comfortable, find motivation through hearing from others excited to reach their goals.

You’ll find all of this and more at #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern) on Twitter. JOIN US to super-charge your workout motivation!

Here’s how to join:

Log onto your Twitter account and follow @HealthyWayMag to view the chat questions. Questions for discussion will be posted as Question 1, “Q1″, Question 2, “Q2″ and so on. Offer your opinion and experience via answers to Question 1 noted as “A1″, designating your answer to Question 2 as “A2″ and so on. Consider our weekly fitness chat as your virtual fitness-club meeting! You’ll chat with others who share your passion for healthy living!

 

Monday November 9, 2015 #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat Sponsored by AthLights:

AthLights makes safety for outdoor exercisers easy with their personal LED lighting system. They boast the world’s smallest, lightest, safety light for runners, bikers, hikers, walkers and every athlete. Simply clip the light anywhere on your clothing and you’re good to go. The new and improved, even stronger magnetic back is visible for up to 600 feet away. And as a bonus, each set comes with replaceable 40-hour batteries. Purchase yours for $9.99 +shipping and handling, and exercise outdoors with peace of mind. AthLights makes a great gift for the athlete in your life! Email info@athlights.com for group discounts.

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Could this spice ease muscle soreness? By Tera Busker

November 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Turmeric has been getting a lot of attention in the health and fitness industry lately. You may know turmeric as a spicy, golden powder in curry recipes that gives Indian dishes its incredible flavor. But, what you may not know about turmeric is that it can help you recover from your next workout.

What is turmeric?

Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh which resembles the ginger root. Curcumin, the main active compound in turmeric which gives it the bright color, is loaded with health benefits. For years, naturopaths have been prescribing turmeric and curcumin to treat a number of ailments such as:
high blood pressure
arthritis
joint pain
prediabetes
ulcers
heartburn
depression

Most recently, a new, double-blind, randomized-controlled study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology in March 2015 found that curcumin can help reduce pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and aid muscle recovery in physically active people. Participants in the study were given curcumin twice daily and asked to perform a heavy eccentric exercise.  They were monitored for 2 days and the researchers not only found that the curcumin helped reduce DOMS, but also improved the participants performance due to the anti-inflammatory properties.

Supplementation

Turmeric or curcumin can be taken in pill form or in the whole form as a spice. If you are choosing to supplement your diet in pill form, either with turmeric or curcumin alone, make sure to seek out a brand that contains the compound piperine, which will aid in absorption. If you would rather consume turmeric “as is”, select an organic, non-irradiated brand that is packed with naturally occurring curcumin.

Please note that turmeric and curcumin supplements are not suitable for pregnant women or individuals with bile duct dysfunction or gallstones. Turmeric also has the ability to slow the clotting of blood so it should not be mixed with blood thinners or taken within 2 weeks of any type of surgery. Consult your doctor before beginning any supplementation regime.

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI.www.fitnesstogo.net

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