 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!
 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 <save it for your own birthday!> 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!
 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. 
A couple of years ago I started making pancakes from scratch for my children instead of using the pre-made mixes. I started out with the traditional recipe but soon after developed my own healthier version.
S. Joy’s Healthy Homemade Pancakes©
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon pure cane sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 ozs unsweetened applesauce
1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk)
Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a small ball, mix together all wet ingredients and then add to dry ingredients. Spoon batter into hot skillet to cook. Serve with 100% maple syrup.
 The New Year seems like the perfect time to turn over a new Fit and Inspired leaf, but why wait for the New Year to take one of the most important steps to eating well? When friends tell me that they are about to start a new eating plan, one of the first things I ask is if they are ready. Often they assume I am asking whether they are mentally prepared to make a significant change to their eating habits (which can be a very difficult thing to take on), but what I am really asking is if they have really given themselves the best possible chance of succeeding. A big part of this is planning ahead and having good food choices readily available, and bad food choices out of sight.
When working with someone on a new plan, I always suggest a pantry makeover. This typically takes an hour to an hour and a half to accomplish but here are a few highlights of what you should and should not have handy in your pantry:
Should have:
- Whole wheat flour
- Course ground corn meal
- Natural cane sugar
- Agave nectar
- Long grain brown rice
- Canned black, garbanzo and red kidney beans
- Steel cut or slow-cooking oatmeal
- Whole grain cereal (I prefer Kashi cereal)
- 100% Maple syrup
- Olive or Canola oil
Should not have:
- Sweet cereal (like Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles etc.)
- Chips
- Vegetable oil
- Candy
- Cookies
- Canned vegetables
 Thanksgiving 2009 is now officially behind us but the season of the Holiday Party is just around the corner. Starting next weekend, friends will be hitting ’send’ on the evite, putting out their best holiday decor and preparing their menus. I’ve got at least four parties on the calendar already (which reminds me – I need to secure some babysitters!).
Over the years, I’ve come to really enjoy this time of the year. It is a great time for catching up with friends who we see only once or twice a year due to really busy work/family lives. The challenge, though, is avoiding the temptation to over-indulge in all of the holiday treats…which typically turns into panic and a mad dash to the gym in January to repair the damage.
Here are a few tips for avoiding this trap:
Don’t skip workouts. With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, it’s easy to skip workouts. I try to keep my workouts a priority during this time of the year since I know I will be consuming extra calories. It is much easier for me to burn the extra calories instead of avoiding the cocktails or chocolate chip pie!
Don’t show up to the party hungry. Turning down good food at a party when you are hungry is like expecting a 2 year old to be quiet during an entire church service – it’s just not going to happen. Eating a healthy snack (carrot sticks and a small handful of almonds or a small salad w/ baked salmon) just before heading to a party will help you keep your defenses up.
Have a plan. I try to pick and choose my calories to avoid eating too much of everything. At one party I may choose to have a couple of cocktails and avoid the desserts, while at another party I may enjoy the desserts and have just one glass of red wine. I recommend making this decision prior to heading to the party as you may want to also alter your food choices for the rest of the day (if you plan to eat dessert at the party, you may want to avoid sugary foods for breakfast and lunch that day).
Bring your own food. While I almost never do this, I do think it can be helpful if you are really serious about your diet plan and want to avoid getting off track even a little bit. I’m warning you now, you will likely get some strange looks from your friends but don’t let that stop you – your focus will pay off in the long run!
 During this time of year one of my favorite things is hot cocoa. The traditional hot cocoa, made with sweetened cocoa or chocolate and milk or cream is quite tasty but also full of extra calories. I have found a healthy alternative that I think rivals any traditional recipe — but half the calories!
S. Joy’s Best Darn Guilt-Free Hot Cocoa
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk (I use Silk)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 packet Purevia(TM) sweetener
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Warm soy milk in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and continue to warm until desired temperature.
Nutritional Facts (per serving – 10 ozs)
162 calories, 10g sugar, 7g protein
 The holidays are right around the corner and I can almost feel the collective angst over how to avoid packing on the holiday pounds between now and the New Year. The good news is that all of this worrying is not really necessary. There are many ways to enjoy all of the holiday parties and office potlucks without paying for it in pounds and extra inches.
My next few blog posts will equip you with everything you need to know (and do). And if you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to sign up to receive Fit & Inspired Living blog posts via email. Don’t miss out!
Moving on to the topic of this post…how to remove some unwanted calories from your Thanksgiving dinner without sacrificing flavor.
It is not uncommon for a traditional Thanksgiving meal (including dessert) to consist of 3,000 calories or more. Dessert alone can easily account for almost a third of that. Consider a single slice of Cheesecake Factory Red Velvet Cheesecake - that’s right, almost 1,000 calories per slice! And while one high-calorie meal won’t completely do you in, the problem is that this one meal tends to become left-overs for the next several days…and all of those calories come right along with it. Before you know it, you’ve packed on an extra 3 or 4 pounds in one week.
Here are some tips for removing unwanted calories (and lots of them!) from your Thanksgiving meal:
1. Use chicken broth instead of bacon or fat back to give greens and other slow simmering vegetables additional flavor (I also use lots of fresh garlic and onion)
2. Go for steamed green beans instead of green bean casserole
3. Use skim milk and olive oil (instead of butter) when preparing corn bread – and if you are really daring, you can use half whole wheat flour and half white flour (instead of all white flour)
4. For corn bread dressing, use chicken or vegetable broth instead of turkey drippings and saute onions, bell peppers and celery in olive oil instead of butter
5. Sweeten yams with maple syrup or agave nectar instead of white sugar (also try having your candied yams a little less candied – the natural flavor of this root is quite nice on its own)
6. Use milk instead of cream in macaroni and cheese (I also avoid adding butter)
7. Make your own cranberry sauce instead of buying the canned variety – also try reducing the amount of sugar slightly (3/4 cup instead of 1 cup)
8. Try whole-wheat dinner rolls instead of the traditional white flour rolls
9. Make your first plate with small portions and then wait 15mins before deciding whether to have a second plate
10. Choose a refreshing glass of ice water instead of cocktails, wine or juice to wash it all down!
I ran across this web article today on Yahoo! . It immediately caught my attention since I have long been preaching the good word about avoiding soda or soft drinks. In my recent blog 10 Common Mistakes That Parents Make, I wrote that giving children soda is one of the worst things a parents can do (when it comes to nutrition). So, needless to say, I was interested in reading about a few more reasons to avoid these sugary, nutrition-less beverages.
In this article, Dr. Mao (also author of the book Second Spring - Dr. Mao’s Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age) breaks down a few of the reasons why soda is not a good idea. At the top of the list is — you guessed it — SUGAR. One drink can easily have more than the total daily allotment based on the USDA recommendations (10 teaspoons). Consuming this much sugar at one time raises insulin levels and can have a negative impact on immune levels (leaving you more susceptible to disease). Let us also not forget that any sugar that is not used in the body will turn to fat. And, as this article rightly points out, excess fat leads to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.
“But I drink diet soda”, you say? Still no good. Dr. Mao contends that fake sugar is not much better for you (and many nutrition experts also agree). Not only are you just replacing sugar with chemicals, but your mind still thinks you are consuming sugar. The problem with that is the more sugar you consume, the more you want to consume, which can lead you to bad food choices - this is the case whether it is real or fake sugar.
So, let’s just face it — soda is not a good idea. Not for adults and not for kids. The next time you find yourself wanting to reach for your current soft drink of choice, choose water or herbal tea instead!
 Fit & Inspired: I know that you were a High School and College athlete – how have you managed to keep yourself in shape after you were done competing?
April: I still enjoy athletics so much. It’s hard to stop working out cold turkey when it’s what you have done while growing up. I continue alternating my cardio workouts and weight lifting workouts. I try to get one or two 30-minute runs in each week and work out each muscle group on weights on the alternating days. It isn’t easy staying consistent without a coach on your back, but I manage to get the workouts in as much as possible.
Fit & Inspired: Do you follow any particular diet plan? What types of food do you eat and what types of food do you avoid?
April: My diet is balanced for the most part. I definitely treat myself to guilty pleasures, but I always limit my intake and balance it by eating plenty of cooked veggies, grilled or baked chicken, fish, salads and fresh fruit. I always know when I’ve indulged too much because I feel lousy on the inside. That feeling is miserable and as soon as I feel it, I straighten up right then and there and flush my system with fresh, natural foods that process well in my system. I always feel refreshed and light when I eat the right things.
The guilty pleasures not to over-indulge in are white (bleached, unnatural) sugars and flour, combining meats, carbs and starches (it is better to eat each one with a veggie…ie., meat and veggies or startches and veggies). I have also learned that ANYTHING with High Fructose Corn Syrup is a big NO NO.
Fit & Inspired: What types of exercises do you do? How often do you work out each week?
April: Here’s my workout:
Legs: leg curls, leg extensions, leg press, calf raises – 1 day/week
Arms/Shoulders: biceps curls, tricep dips, shoulder press – 1 day/week
Back: pull ups, one arm dumbbell rows, seated cable row – 1 day/week
Cardio: 30 minute runs, normally outdoors – 2 days/week
Stretch: 15 minutes – after each workout
Fit & Inspired: I know that you are busy working on building your entertainment career – how do you make time to fit exercising into your schedule?
April: I force it! As with any career, workouts are usually the last thing you want to do after juggling the day’s responsibilities — and some days I do give in and say, “I’m just too drained to go”. Guilt is often times my motivator. If I’ve skipped too many workouts, my conscious starts in on me saying ” You know, it only takes 1 hour” or “Isn’t that why you joined a 24-Hour Fitness club so that you can’t give yourself these excuses” or “You are so lazy, GO FOR A QUICK 30-MIN RUN AND GET OFF YOUR BUTT!”. After all that has set on my brain, I just go on and get it over with to shut up the inner voice in me that makes me feel lousy for not going. The crazy thing is, after all of that, I always feel sooooo good that I overcame my procrastination. The exhilaration of completing a workout sometimes feel as good as sex .
Fit & Inspired: What advice would you give other women who are trying to maintain a fit lifestyle?
April: MAKE TIME FOR YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!! I truly believe that when you look good, you feel good and by that, I would like to emphasize that the feel-good feeling I’m talking about is so much more rewarding when you’ve worked hard for it every week. When you’ve overcome those temptations to just go home or stop and pick up a crispy chicken sandwich on the way home insted of making a b-line to the gym…the victory on the inside is so satisfying. When you’re working out and feeling good about yourself and looking good in your clothes as a result, you can’t help but to have that extra swag in your step. It’s not just a physical thing, its also spiritual and mental. Trust me girls, it works!
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