As I was browsing on line looking for new recipes and health information to share, I came across an article on the Benefits of Walking. I have attached it below:
Walking for Exercise: Improve Your Health
Walking can be fun as well as great exercise. Lose weight, reduce stress and enjoy yourself the easy, fun way.
It’s a nice fall day, the sunshine is warm as it caresses your back, the air is fresh, crisp and clean. Walking along you listen to the chirping of the birds, the hum of the insects and the sound of your footsteps as they lightly land on the ground. But, did you also know that as you are walking along enjoying this beautiful day that your heartbeat is increasing which in turn pumps cleansing, oxygenated blood through out your whole body, that you're burning calories, stretching and working muscles and also reducing what ever stress your carrying on your shoulders? Have you ever thought about the benefits of walking?
As with any exercise program you should always consult your doctor before you start. Walking is one of the easiest, most enjoyable and the least expensive exercise programs you can start. And, it can be started at any time, done in any weather and you don’t have to purchase a whole bunch of expensive equipment to get started. All you really will need is a good pair of sneakers.
Hints for exercising:
IF you haven’t exercised for quite some time it is recommended that you start out slowly. Over doing any exercise will only end up giving you sore muscles. Easy and slow wins the race so to speak.
Walk with a friend. You can encourage each other, especially on those days when the weather’s not so great or on the days when you may be tempted to skip exercising because you’re too tired or too stressed. This by the way is the time you need to exercise. Tiredness and stress can be alleviated through exercise. If you don’t have a friend who’s available to walk with you on a regular basis then walk with your dog. Dogs make great walking companions. They’re loyal, energetic and also great for protection.
Plan a specific exercise program and stick to it. Be selfish with your time. This is your time, time to spend doing something just for yourself. You are giving yourself the gift that will benefit your body, mind and spirit. Don’t let anything or anyone take it away from you.
Don’t over work yourself. Give yourself a moderate exercise schedule. One day on, one day off. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Most of all, enjoy yourself. Following is a sample exercise program.
Week One -
Monday: Start out slowly to warm up your muscles. Walk for ten minutes. Breathe deeply. This will help relax you as well as oxygenate your blood. Swing your arms as you walk.
Enjoy all the sights and sounds around you. Try to fit into your schedule one morning walk and one afternoon walk. Distance does not matter, movement does.
Wednesday: Start out slowly to warm up. Remember to breathe deeply. Concentrate on your body. Feel your muscles stretching and working. Swing your arms slowly in time with your legs. Walk for ten minutes. Try to fit in at least two walks for the day.
Friday: Follow Monday and Weds. schedule except today, park your car further away from the building you work in and do a mini walk. Also if there are stairs at your workplace try to use the stairs instead of the elevator. If you have to stop at a grocery store after work then park in the lot that’s furthest from the store and use this as another mini walk.
Week Two -
Sunday: Start out slowly to warm up then pick up your pace just a bit. Try to walk for at least fifteen minutes. Follow a slow-fast-slow pace. Walk slowly for five minutes to warm up, walk a little faster for five minutes, walk slow again for five minutes. This pattern gives you time to warm up and cool down. Remember, distance does not matter. If you only walk a hundred yards or so in fifteen minutes that’s quite all right. Movement matters-not distance. Swing your arms and concentrate on your breathing. Try to do this once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Follow this pattern through the week. Remember to do little things during the day such as using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from the stores and workplace for your mini walks. If you have young children add in a play period with them and play. Playing burns calories as well as reduces stress. A game of catch, tag or kick ball is great fun as well as great exercise. At the end of the week reward yourself with something nice such as an ice-cream cone with a friend or perhaps a pampering facial at your local salon.
Week Three -
Monday: Start today to increase your walking time. Remember your warm up and cool down periods. Try to set a goal of walking for at least one hour a day by the end of the month. Always increase your time and pace slowly by adding ten or so minutes each week. Use stairs instead of elevators, park further away from your destination and use that as your mini-walks, find hobbies that will incorporate exercise such as gardening, kite flying or hiking.
Benefits of walking:
Burns calories
Stretches and strengthens muscles
Increases heart rate
Increases oxygen intake
Reduces stress
Aids in weight loss
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Double Recipe of the Week!!!!
So friends, here you get the bonus...Double Recipe of the Week!!! Does it get any better than that you ask? The answer to that question is Yes - Once you experience this melt in your mouth goodness, you will wish it was Double Recipe of the Week every day :-)
First up we have a DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS:
Arugula Sauté with Garlic and Olive Oil
This recipe serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
4 cups arugula, washed
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a 10" skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the arugula, salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil and garlic until the arugula just begins to wilt. Remove from the skillet and serve.
Serving Size: about 1 cup
This makes an excellent side dish with Steak, Chicken or Seafood.
And lastly, while the weather is still perfect for grilling:
Chimichurri Chicken
This recipe serves 4
Ingredients:
1 bunch flatleaf parsley, washed and stemmed
6 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 cup cooled chicken broth
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 5 ounces each
1. Prepare the chimichurri. Finely chop the parsley and garlic in a food processor/blender. Blend in the remaining ingredients, adding the salt and pepper to taste. The chimichurri should be highly seasoned.
2. Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Pour half of the chimichurri over them and marinate for 1 hour, turning a couple of times. Preheat the grill to high.
3. Grill the chicken breasts for about 4 to 6 minutes per side. (Rotate the breasts 90° after 2 minutes to give you a handsome crosshatch of grill marks.) Serve the grilled chicken with the remaining chimichurri on the side.
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
Here is a bonus tip...
To keep your chicken ultra moist, consider brining in a Kosher Salt/Water Solution for atleast an hour before you begin the full dinner preparation
First up we have a DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS:
Arugula Sauté with Garlic and Olive Oil
This recipe serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
4 cups arugula, washed
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a 10" skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the arugula, salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil and garlic until the arugula just begins to wilt. Remove from the skillet and serve.
Serving Size: about 1 cup
This makes an excellent side dish with Steak, Chicken or Seafood.
And lastly, while the weather is still perfect for grilling:
Chimichurri Chicken
This recipe serves 4
Ingredients:
1 bunch flatleaf parsley, washed and stemmed
6 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 cup cooled chicken broth
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 5 ounces each
1. Prepare the chimichurri. Finely chop the parsley and garlic in a food processor/blender. Blend in the remaining ingredients, adding the salt and pepper to taste. The chimichurri should be highly seasoned.
2. Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Pour half of the chimichurri over them and marinate for 1 hour, turning a couple of times. Preheat the grill to high.
3. Grill the chicken breasts for about 4 to 6 minutes per side. (Rotate the breasts 90° after 2 minutes to give you a handsome crosshatch of grill marks.) Serve the grilled chicken with the remaining chimichurri on the side.
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
Here is a bonus tip...
To keep your chicken ultra moist, consider brining in a Kosher Salt/Water Solution for atleast an hour before you begin the full dinner preparation
Monday, September 20, 2010
Finding the Motivation
As I was talking to a group of friends last week and this weekend, my mind kept circling around their words and shooting out the sirens...they are lacking motivation. So being the research junkie that I am, I found some extra tips to help us all. Let me know your thoughts.
- Never forget the purpose you are losing weight for. If you're losing weight to look attractive, say that out loud every morning "I'm going to lose weight and look attractive". If you're losing weight to be healthy, say "I'm losing weight to be healthy".
- Never forget the benefits of losing weight. Imagine how energized you be, the level of impact it will have on your productivity, how seductive you will be to the opposite sex.
- Take a picture of yourself while you are overweight. Keep this picture with you at all times. Whenever you feel like eating fattening food, ask yourself "Do I want to be like this forever?" If you have already lost some weight, ask yourself "Do I want to be this again?"
- Keep a picture of your favorite actor/actress, player or model. Whenever you feel unenthusiastic, take a look at his or her abs, legs, hips and tummy. This will make you want to be like him or her and might give you the stimulus you need.
- Keep your Food Journal. Update this journal every day except your weight. Weight should be updated weekly. Looking at your progress will help you focus and stay motivated.
- Look at yourself in the mirror everyday and visualize you being slim and trim that you always wanted.
- Watch fitness and exercise related TV shows every day. After looking at people working out and eating healthy, it might encourage you to do the same.
- Look at before and after pictures. Internet is flooded with these types of pictures; a simple search at Google will bring thousands of results.
If you can afford it, hire a personal trainer. A personal trainer will not only give you training, they're also capable of keeping you motivated.
- Make the exercise a fun activity; listen to your favorite music or watch a movie of your choice while you are on a treadmill. You will be surprised how much extra walking/jogging you can do while watching a movie.
- Set small achievable goals and reward yourself on completion. Have your favorite meal, even if it is a pizza or a double cheeseburger. Losing weight does not mean that you will never enjoy your beloved meals.
- The most important tip would be to learn what works for you. It might be fitting into your favorite clothes, showing your abs at the beach, etc.
Most people have whatever it takes to lose weight. They have all the information they need, they have access to a gym. Only thing missing is their motivation. You should make motivation a vital part of your plan. You must know how you will keep yourself motivated before starting on your weight loss approach.
Follow these tips and keep finding new ways to motivate yourself constantly, and you will conquer your way to success in no time.
- Never forget the purpose you are losing weight for. If you're losing weight to look attractive, say that out loud every morning "I'm going to lose weight and look attractive". If you're losing weight to be healthy, say "I'm losing weight to be healthy".
- Never forget the benefits of losing weight. Imagine how energized you be, the level of impact it will have on your productivity, how seductive you will be to the opposite sex.
- Take a picture of yourself while you are overweight. Keep this picture with you at all times. Whenever you feel like eating fattening food, ask yourself "Do I want to be like this forever?" If you have already lost some weight, ask yourself "Do I want to be this again?"
- Keep a picture of your favorite actor/actress, player or model. Whenever you feel unenthusiastic, take a look at his or her abs, legs, hips and tummy. This will make you want to be like him or her and might give you the stimulus you need.
- Keep your Food Journal. Update this journal every day except your weight. Weight should be updated weekly. Looking at your progress will help you focus and stay motivated.
- Look at yourself in the mirror everyday and visualize you being slim and trim that you always wanted.
- Watch fitness and exercise related TV shows every day. After looking at people working out and eating healthy, it might encourage you to do the same.
- Look at before and after pictures. Internet is flooded with these types of pictures; a simple search at Google will bring thousands of results.
If you can afford it, hire a personal trainer. A personal trainer will not only give you training, they're also capable of keeping you motivated.
- Make the exercise a fun activity; listen to your favorite music or watch a movie of your choice while you are on a treadmill. You will be surprised how much extra walking/jogging you can do while watching a movie.
- Set small achievable goals and reward yourself on completion. Have your favorite meal, even if it is a pizza or a double cheeseburger. Losing weight does not mean that you will never enjoy your beloved meals.
- The most important tip would be to learn what works for you. It might be fitting into your favorite clothes, showing your abs at the beach, etc.
Most people have whatever it takes to lose weight. They have all the information they need, they have access to a gym. Only thing missing is their motivation. You should make motivation a vital part of your plan. You must know how you will keep yourself motivated before starting on your weight loss approach.
Follow these tips and keep finding new ways to motivate yourself constantly, and you will conquer your way to success in no time.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
ROW: Fiesta Steak
Ingredients
1 pound flank steak
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
IP Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato salsa
Directions
1. Marinate flank steak in garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
2. Heat a grill or sauté pan and sear steak about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Then lower heat, cover pan, and continue to cook 5 minutes more for medium doneness.
3. Slice the steak against the grain into ¼-inch-thick strips.
4. Serve with salsa on the side.
1 pound flank steak
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
IP Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato salsa
Directions
1. Marinate flank steak in garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
2. Heat a grill or sauté pan and sear steak about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Then lower heat, cover pan, and continue to cook 5 minutes more for medium doneness.
3. Slice the steak against the grain into ¼-inch-thick strips.
4. Serve with salsa on the side.
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