3 Keys to a Flat Tummy

Yes, you understood me correctly...there are only 3 things you need to focus on when trying to attain the envied swimsuit model abs. Forget what you have heard about doing 1000 crunches morning and night, or eating grapefruit with every meal to boost your metabolism. Now, I'm not going to get you too excited for these 3 keys, because they shouldn't be anything too novel or unique, but the point is...that they work! So here we go....

1. CARDIO
Yes, cardio is the main key to losing weight, including the spare tire you have hanging around your hips. It is optimistic to believe that we can spot-train, meaning "I have a flabby stomach, so I am going to do an hour of crunches to get rid of the fat." Nope. Sadly, this is not how our bodies work; being physically active and integrating cardio workouts into our routines is the only way to lose fat.

2. DIET
No, I don't mean a "fad" or "crash" diet of eating only cabbage soup for a month, or drinking some concoction of tomato juice, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice; I mean being conscious of what we are putting in our bodies. Diet is defined as food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health-in other words, it is not a negative word! A huge part of losing fat, including the belly, is taking in less calories than you use! So pay attention to what you eat, and how many calories you consume. Visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx to help calculate how many calories are appropriate for you and your activity level.

3. BODY WEIGHT EXERCISES
Alright, you have the cardio, and the diet to get rid of the fat in your midsection, now you need to build some muscle to tighten it up; but, crunches are still not the key. There are many layers to your core, and in order to build a flat stomach you need to train all of them, just crunches will not do this, visit http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/abdominalcorestrength1/a/Best_Ab_Ex.htm to see the different layers and exercises on how to strengthen them!

Climbing in Seattle

4 Ways to Help Your Family Lose Weight

Trying to help your family lose weight? Here are four tips to help them fight the fat, and keep it off for good.

1. Set an example: "Kids model their parents—they learn healthy, as well as unhealthy, behaviors from them," says State University of New York at Buffalo psychologist Leonard Epstein, PhD, a pioneer in family-based obesity prevention. Telling a child to go out and get some exercise is far less effective than asking him or her to join you for a bike ride.

2. Set goals: Consider having everyone in the family sign a healthy-living contract. In the short term, don't focus on weight loss. Instead, have everyone agree to specific daily goals, such as recording a certain number of steps on a pedometer.

3. Use nonedible weekly rewards, says Daniel S. Kirschenbaum, PhD, clinical director of Wellspring weight loss programs. A small gift or a few dollars—or even allowing a child to have a friend sleep over—will help reinforce the importance of working toward specific goals.

4. Sit down for a family dinner: Kids who do this at least five or six nights a week are a third less likely to be overweight than children who never eat dinner with their families, according to a 2006 University of Alabama study. Other research shows that kids who eat more family meals consume less fried food and artery-clogging trans fat and saturated fat. Get started with quick, easy recipes for the whole family.

http://www.oprah.com/article/health/weightloss/200905-omag-family-lose-weight

Goji Berries: Miracle Fruit?

What is the goji berry?

The goji berry is also called the wolfberry. It is a bright orange-red berry that comes from a shrub that's native to China. In Asia, goji berries have been eaten for generations in the hopes of living longer.

Over time, people have used goji berries to treat many common health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, fever, and age-related eye problems. Goji berries are eaten raw, cooked, or dried (like raisins) and are used in herbal teas, juices, wines, and medicines.

What are the benefits of goji berries?

Research shows that eating berries -- like blueberries, acai berries, cranberries, strawberries, and cherries -- offers some definite health benefits. Berries like the goji berry are filled with powerful antioxidants and other compounds that may help prevent cancer and other illnesses, including heart disease.

Eating foods high in antioxidants may slow the aging process. It does this by minimizing damage to your cells from free radicals that injure cells and damage DNA. When a cell's DNA changes, the cell grows abnormally. Antioxidants can take away the destructive power of free radicals. By doing so, antioxidants help reduce the risk of some serious diseases.

Goji berries also have compounds rich in vitamin A that may have antiaging benefits. These special compounds help boost immune function, protect vision, and may help prevent heart disease.

Some research suggests that goji berry extracts may boost brain health and may protect against age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's.

While goji berries are a rich source of antioxidants -- and early research shows a potentially powerful health benefit -- it's still unclear how they stack up against other berries. Researchers also don't know whether goji berry supplements have the same health benefits as the actual berries.

-Source: http://www.webmd.com/balance/goji-berries-health-benefits-and-side-effects

-Home Nutrition Labs sells a product called Goji pure™ the World's first 100% pure, undiluted, unadulterated, unsweetened, Goji juice containing all five known Lycium Barbarum Glycoconjugate Polysaccharides LbGp 1-5!

Contains 30,000 mg of pure GOJI in each 1 oz serving!

Visit http://www.homenutritionlabs.com/products/32oz_goji.html to learn more!

Fitness at its Best!

Alison Strong Fitness in Action!

Feeding Children Responsibly

Ellyn Satter's Division of Responsibility in Feeding

"You can't play with your toys until you eat your broccoli!"

Sound familiar??

You may think you are doing your children a favor by helping them to branch out and try new things, but some studies show you may be doing more harm than good. According to Ellyn Satter (author, trainer, psychotherapist, and eating therapist) there is a division of responsibility between the parents and child concerning meal time and what is eaten.

The Parent's role:
-choose and prepare food
-provide regular healthy meals and snacks
-make eating times pleasant
-teach children about proper mealtime behavior
-don't let children "graze" between meals and snacks

In essence, the parent is responsible for what, when, and where.

The Child's role:
-deciding how much they eat
-deciding whether they eat anything at all

Fundamental to parents' jobs is trusting children to decide how much and whether to eat. If parent's do their job with feeding, children will do their job with eating:

-children will eat
-they will eat the amount they need
-they will learn to eat the food their parent's eat
-they will grow predictably
-they will learn to behave well at the table



*To learn more read Ellyn Satter's Books- Child of Mine:Feeding with Love and Good Sense, How to Get Your Kid to Eat...But Not Too Much, Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family, and Your Child's Weight: Helping Without Harming

Healthy Soda: My New Love

DRY Soda Co.

Refined Flavor/Lightly Sweet/All Natural

Today I decided to try DRY Soda Lavender as a healthy alternative to a sugary soda...wow. It is exactly as they market it! I found myself amazed by the light lavender taste, and just enough sweetness to satisfy a sugar craving. At only 45-70 calories per bottle, 14-19 grams of cane sugar, and all-natural ingredients this is a "soda" that consumers can feel great about drinking.

DRY Soda Co. has 7 delicious flavors: Cucumber, Kumquat, Lavender, Vanilla Bean, Juniper Berry, Lemongrass, and Rhubarb.

I highly recommend this "soda" to anyone that is currently trying to quit the unhealthy, calorie packed, high fructose corn syrup alternative. You get the carbonation and the sweet without the guilt.

The DRY Soda Co. website even includes drink recipes and food pairings for alcoholic alternative.
http://www.drysoda.com/index.php

Top 10 Dieting Mistakes

All of us have tried dieting at one time or another, but we don't realize that the way we are dieting could be hurting us more than it is helping. Read the Top 10 Dieting Mistakes to see...

1.Skipping Breakfast
If you skip breakfast you will make up for it later, and with more calories.

2. Not Eating Before a Workout
You will get more out of your workout if you have enough fuel for it. You want a light balanced meal of carbohydrates, proteins and a little fat.

3. Waiting Too Long After a Workout to Eat
Eat a small meal of protein and carbohydrates with in 2 hours of exercise to replenish.


4. Replacing Meals With Energy Bars and Weight-loss Shakes
There is no replacement for whole foods, your body needs the fiber and nutrients that come with real food. Use these meal replacement bars and shakes when necessary, but make it a habit to eat whole foods.


5. Eating Too Much Protein and Not Enough Carbs
You may love your low-carb diet, but carbohydrates are what your body needs for an effective workout as well as everything else.


6. Blindly Trusting Dietary Supplement Claims
You are reading marketing on the label, not research findings. Do your homework before putting anything in your body.


7. Consuming Too Many or Too Few Calories
You need to eat the right amount of calories for your activity level, go to mypyramid.gov to calculate your calorie needs.


8. Thinking You Can Eat Anything You Want If You Exercise
Many people exercise to lose weight but soon find that they need to track what they eat if they want to see weight loss. It is very easy to make up for calories burned with a single extra "treat" after your workout. Find healthy, balanced light meals and snacks relying on whole foods whenever possible.


9. Not Drinking The Right Amount of Fluids
Dehydration can be a serious problem, especially if you exercise in hot, humid environments. Drinking fluids before, during and after exercise will help you maintain adequate hydration levels.


10. Jumping on The Latest Diet Craze to Get an Edge
It's tempting to believe there is some magic formula out there that will dramatically improve our performance or weight loss, but the best approach is to stick to the basics and follow a healthy, balanced diet.


(http://walking.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/tp/dietmistakes.htm)