How is everyone doing with the Cardio Club? Does everyone know about the Cardio Club?!? If not, listen up! Molly has come up with a great way to not only track your cardio, but also have fun doing it! The theme is Trecking The Appalachian Trail. Long story short, for every 15 minutes of cardio you do you earn 2.5 miles for your team. You can also earn tons of bonus miles by answering the trivia questions correctly. Remember to write down your answer and put it in the box located near the white board. You wouldn't want to shout out the right answer and have other teams steal it from :O! Not sure what team you're on? No problem! Just ask one of your friendly FT Trainers to help you out.
If you're not on board yet get going! There's prizes for the winning team members! (I would tell you the prizes but that would ruin the suprise!)
Joe Cronin aka "The People's Trainer"
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Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
This is a great article because it breaks Carbohydrate and fat metabolism down into an easy to understand way. There is a lot of information and mis-information out there on the internet about fat and carbs. It is easy to get lost in the fray. I personally think that this article is not pushing any issues and just speaks the facts, and it sites its sources unlike a lot of other websites. What to do you think?
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/carbs-weight-gain.html
~Brian
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/carbs-weight-gain.html
~Brian
Monday, September 26, 2011
Animal Walk
Thank you to everyone who came out on Sunday for the Animal Walk. We had a great time and raised over $8000 for Farm Santuary!!! Here is a link to the Farm Sanctuary's website if you'd like to learn more about it :
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/farm/
Farm Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates and provides lifelong care for hundreds of animals who have been rescued from stockyards, factory farms, and slaughterhouses. Here, the animals are given all the care and love needed to recover from a lifetime of abuse and neglect. All of the animals have nourishing food, spacious, clean barns, and acres of green, sunny pastures in which to roam.
-Molly
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/farm/
Farm Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates and provides lifelong care for hundreds of animals who have been rescued from stockyards, factory farms, and slaughterhouses. Here, the animals are given all the care and love needed to recover from a lifetime of abuse and neglect. All of the animals have nourishing food, spacious, clean barns, and acres of green, sunny pastures in which to roam.
-Molly
Saturday, September 24, 2011
9 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Cut Salt
Cut back on salt, and you might dodge a heart attack or stroke. Here's how to lower your sodium intake
By Angela Haupt, January W. Payne
Salt is everywhere: dumped into cans of soup, packed into hotdogs, and swimming in salad dressing and salsa. Exactly how bad for you are all those tiny crystals? That question's surprisingly controversial. In May, several researchers reignited a debate by suggesting that cutting salt intake doesn't benefit heart health, contrary to conventional wisdom. In their Journal of the American Medical Association study of 3,681 people without heart problems, those who had the most salt in their diets actually had the lowest risk of dying from heart disease.
But that conclusion runs against the long-standing consensus among experts—and against the latest evidence. If Americans made small daily reductions in salt intake, say the authors of a new analysis that appeared Thursday in the British Medical Journal, the country could have up to 120,000 fewer cases of heart disease, 66,000 fewer strokes, and 99,000 fewer heart attacks annually. (Though essential in small amounts, sodium increases blood volume, making the heart work harder and increasing pressure in the arteries.)
The federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, updated in January, recommend people limit sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day, or 1,500 milligrams if they are older than 50, African-American, or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. Here are some suggestions for cutting back on salt, provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Stephen Havas, vice president for science, quality, and public health at the American Medical Association.
1. Cook from scratch so you know exactly what's in your food. You might be surprised at the sodium content included in your favorite prepackaged meals: The non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest analyzed a range of processed foods and found, for example, that ready-made roasted carved turkey containing up to an astonishing 5,410 milligrams of sodium per serving. Half of a ready-made pepperoni pizza might contain as much as 1,350 milligrams.
2. When you do opt for packaged foods, choose products that are sodium free or low in sodium. A typical cup of miso soup, for instance, contains 700 to 900 milligrams of sodium, so look for canned soups with "low sodium" or "reduced sodium" on the label. If you can't find many of these products, Havas advises asking your local grocery store to start stocking them. Even bread and cereal may surprise you: The CSPI found whole-wheat bread contains anywhere from 150 to 190 milligrams of sodium per slice, depending on the brand. White bread had 115 to 230 milligrams per slice.
3. Make smart swaps. You don't necessarily have to sacrifice taste. A McDonald's Egg McMuffin, for example, packs 820 milligrams of sodium; a wiser choice is two scrambled eggs, which have just 180 milligrams. Canned tuna typically contains 300 milligrams of sodium per 3-ounce serving, which doesn't include mayonnaise. Substitute fresh grilled tuna steak and you'll only be getting 40 milligrams of sodium. And be wary of salad dressing: Some brands jam more than 700 milligrams into each 1.5-ounce serving. Stick with your own oil and vinegar instead.
4. At restaurants, ask your server which foods are prepared without added salt—and order those items. "The more restaurants hear this, the more they're going to change the way they're cooking," Havas says. Fresh steamed veggies and roasted entrees are often the smartest choices.
5. In the kitchen and at the dinner table, substitute spices, herbs, and salt-free blends for salt.
6. Avoid instant foods such as pasta, rice, and cereals, which usually contain salt. Spaghetti sauce, according to the CSPI, contains 270 to 770 milligrams of sodium per serving, depending on the brand.
7. Rinse canned foods to wash off some of the salt.
8. Check labels for sodium in all its forms. Table salt is mainly sodium chloride, but canned or packaged foods can contain other forms of sodium.
9. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce has "essentially no sodium," Havas says. If you're cooking veggies, don't add salt, and carefully read the labels on frozen vegetables to make sure it hasn't been added already.
By Angela Haupt, January W. Payne
Salt is everywhere: dumped into cans of soup, packed into hotdogs, and swimming in salad dressing and salsa. Exactly how bad for you are all those tiny crystals? That question's surprisingly controversial. In May, several researchers reignited a debate by suggesting that cutting salt intake doesn't benefit heart health, contrary to conventional wisdom. In their Journal of the American Medical Association study of 3,681 people without heart problems, those who had the most salt in their diets actually had the lowest risk of dying from heart disease.
But that conclusion runs against the long-standing consensus among experts—and against the latest evidence. If Americans made small daily reductions in salt intake, say the authors of a new analysis that appeared Thursday in the British Medical Journal, the country could have up to 120,000 fewer cases of heart disease, 66,000 fewer strokes, and 99,000 fewer heart attacks annually. (Though essential in small amounts, sodium increases blood volume, making the heart work harder and increasing pressure in the arteries.)
The federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, updated in January, recommend people limit sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day, or 1,500 milligrams if they are older than 50, African-American, or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. Here are some suggestions for cutting back on salt, provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Stephen Havas, vice president for science, quality, and public health at the American Medical Association.
1. Cook from scratch so you know exactly what's in your food. You might be surprised at the sodium content included in your favorite prepackaged meals: The non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest analyzed a range of processed foods and found, for example, that ready-made roasted carved turkey containing up to an astonishing 5,410 milligrams of sodium per serving. Half of a ready-made pepperoni pizza might contain as much as 1,350 milligrams.
2. When you do opt for packaged foods, choose products that are sodium free or low in sodium. A typical cup of miso soup, for instance, contains 700 to 900 milligrams of sodium, so look for canned soups with "low sodium" or "reduced sodium" on the label. If you can't find many of these products, Havas advises asking your local grocery store to start stocking them. Even bread and cereal may surprise you: The CSPI found whole-wheat bread contains anywhere from 150 to 190 milligrams of sodium per slice, depending on the brand. White bread had 115 to 230 milligrams per slice.
3. Make smart swaps. You don't necessarily have to sacrifice taste. A McDonald's Egg McMuffin, for example, packs 820 milligrams of sodium; a wiser choice is two scrambled eggs, which have just 180 milligrams. Canned tuna typically contains 300 milligrams of sodium per 3-ounce serving, which doesn't include mayonnaise. Substitute fresh grilled tuna steak and you'll only be getting 40 milligrams of sodium. And be wary of salad dressing: Some brands jam more than 700 milligrams into each 1.5-ounce serving. Stick with your own oil and vinegar instead.
4. At restaurants, ask your server which foods are prepared without added salt—and order those items. "The more restaurants hear this, the more they're going to change the way they're cooking," Havas says. Fresh steamed veggies and roasted entrees are often the smartest choices.
5. In the kitchen and at the dinner table, substitute spices, herbs, and salt-free blends for salt.
6. Avoid instant foods such as pasta, rice, and cereals, which usually contain salt. Spaghetti sauce, according to the CSPI, contains 270 to 770 milligrams of sodium per serving, depending on the brand.
7. Rinse canned foods to wash off some of the salt.
8. Check labels for sodium in all its forms. Table salt is mainly sodium chloride, but canned or packaged foods can contain other forms of sodium.
9. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce has "essentially no sodium," Havas says. If you're cooking veggies, don't add salt, and carefully read the labels on frozen vegetables to make sure it hasn't been added already.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Weight Training and your Posture
A comprehensive weight-training program is one that consists of exercises for all parts of the body to ensure whole body strength – neglecting major muscle groups would result in imbalances, therefore, negative effects of the individual’s health. For example, training only your ‘beach muscles’ (such as biceps, chest, and abdominals) might seem appealing to begin with, but will inevitably result in poor posture and uneven overall strength. Whichever muscle group is the least appealing to you, just do it at the beginning of the week and it's all downhill from there. Just do it, you'll be glad you did.
-Paul
-Paul
Thursday, September 22, 2011
5 Nutrition Tips for New Athletes
5 Nutrition Tips for New Athletes
By Hana Abdulaziz Feeney, MS, RD, CSSD
For Active.com
Beginner athletes often struggle with under-fueling their workouts, particularly when taking on a new endurance endeavor like a triathlon or a half marathon. A common misconception of beginner athletes is that they have to be "competitive" or "elite" to need to replenish their body like experienced athletes. Also, beginners often have weight loss goals, leading them to reduce calories before, during or after workouts, which does not promote weight loss or enjoyment in exercise. As a result of not getting enough of the right nutrients at the right time, beginners fatigue early during exercise, both mentally and physically.
These are the top tips for beginner athletes who want to feel great during exercise to reach their performance and body composition goals.
Don't Exercise on an Empty Stomach
Put some gas in your tank before starting your workout. Carbohydrate is the preferred fuel for exercise, so 30 to 60 minutes before exercise eat something that is easily digested and carbohydrate-rich. Great pre-workout snacks are:
• Low-fat fruit yogurt
• A banana
• A slice of 100 percent whole grain toast with fruit preserves
• A small bowl of oatmeal with sliced strawberries or apples
Before workouts lasting 90 minutes or more, a more substantial pre-workout meal is appropriate to help your stomach feel satisfied throughout the exercise session. A balanced meal before a workout could be:
• Low-fat fruit yogurt with a sprinkle of granola and sliced pecans
• Sliced banana and natural peanut butter spread on 100 percent whole grain crackers
• Scrambled eggs with veggies and a slice of 100 percent whole grain toast with fruit preserves
• A bowl of oatmeal with sliced fruit and a side of cottage cheese or chicken sausage
Pay Attention to the Toilet
As the temperature climbs and you spend more and more time sweating, your risk for dehydration will increase. Even slight dehydration makes exercise harder than it has to be. The best indicator of hydration is your urine color. Urine should be a pale yellow color without a strong odor. The goals are to start exercise with pale colored urine and to produce pale urine within an hour of finishing your workout.
If you are noticing dark-colored urine following workouts, you need to drink more throughout your workout. However, if your urine is clear or if you have to stop repeatedly to use the restroom during exercise, you are drinking more fluids than you need and you can back off on your intake.
Don't Run on Fumes
You should expect to be fatigued at the end of your longest run ever or the hardest bike ride you've ever done. But you shouldn't feel like your body has been completely depleted and you have no more gas in your tank.
When you are exercising longer than 60 to 90 minutes, you will need to replenish carbohydrates that are being burned during exercise in order to keep your engine running. There is a limited supply of carbohydrates stored in your body, and once they are gone, you are done. You will feel mentally and physically tapped out. It's not an enjoyable experience, and it is does not motivate you to wake up the next day and hit the pavement again.
You will need about 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of exercise. Experiment with different combinations of foods and sports products to reach this goal. During exercise mix-and-match these 30-gram carbohydrate options:
• 1 banana
• 6 pretzels
• 2 Fig Newton's
• ¼ peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• 1 package of Clif Shot Bloks or Gu Chomps
• 1 gel pack (Clif, Gu, or Powerbar)
• 16 oz. sports drink (Clif, Gu, Powerbar or Xood)
Salt May Be What the Doctor Ordered
If you finish your workout with white crust on your visor, your clothing or on your skin, you are likely a salty sweater. The longer you exercise, the more salt you will lose in your sweat, so you'll need to consume extra salt (sodium) during exercise.
If you are exercising long enough to need to replenish carbohydrates, you will also need to replenish sodium. Pretzels and sports products provide sodium; to ensure that you are getting adequate sodium during your workout, stay on the lookout for any of the following signs of hyponatremia (low blood sodium) during and after your long workouts.
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Muscle cramps
• Disorientation
If you experience these symptoms, increase your sodium intake during exercise by choosing higher sodium sports products or by adding an electrolyte replacement to your water or sports drink. The symptoms of hyponatremia are very similar to symptoms of dehydration, so consider your symptoms in relation to your consumption of fluids and urine color. If your urine is clear and you have a headache, it's likely that a salty snack will help and more water will make the headache worse.
Respect Your Body After Exercise
Your body just did something amazing. You just reached a new exercise peak! Honor your body following exercise by having a nourishing, balanced meal within an hour of finishing exercise and drink plenty of fluids.
After exercise and especially after a race, your body is working hard to rehydrate, to store carbohydrates for tomorrow's workout, to repair fatigued muscles and to reduce inflammation to promote optimal recovery from exercise. Focus on unprocessed and colorful foods to make a balanced recovery meal:
• 100 percent whole grain toast spread with ricotta cheese, sprinkled with ground ginger and cinnamon and topped with sliced pear or berries
• 100 percent whole wheat pita stuffed with chicken or salmon salad (mix curry powder, grapes, raisins and pecans into salad)
• Spaghetti squash or 100 percent whole grain pasta with marinara sauce and low fat chicken sausage and spinach salad
• Smoothie with yogurt, tart cherry juice, banana, blueberries and almond butter
• Baked yam or sweet potato stuffed with sautéed spinach and chicken
• Scrambled eggs with a tortilla, black beans, salsa and fruit salad
http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/5-Nutrition-Tips-for-New-Athletes.htm?page=2
These are some great recommendations for both beginners and those who need a little refresher on what to eat and when to eat it. Listen to your body carefully and it will tell you what it needs! Have a healthy day!
~AS
By Hana Abdulaziz Feeney, MS, RD, CSSD
For Active.com
Beginner athletes often struggle with under-fueling their workouts, particularly when taking on a new endurance endeavor like a triathlon or a half marathon. A common misconception of beginner athletes is that they have to be "competitive" or "elite" to need to replenish their body like experienced athletes. Also, beginners often have weight loss goals, leading them to reduce calories before, during or after workouts, which does not promote weight loss or enjoyment in exercise. As a result of not getting enough of the right nutrients at the right time, beginners fatigue early during exercise, both mentally and physically.
These are the top tips for beginner athletes who want to feel great during exercise to reach their performance and body composition goals.
Don't Exercise on an Empty Stomach
Put some gas in your tank before starting your workout. Carbohydrate is the preferred fuel for exercise, so 30 to 60 minutes before exercise eat something that is easily digested and carbohydrate-rich. Great pre-workout snacks are:
• Low-fat fruit yogurt
• A banana
• A slice of 100 percent whole grain toast with fruit preserves
• A small bowl of oatmeal with sliced strawberries or apples
Before workouts lasting 90 minutes or more, a more substantial pre-workout meal is appropriate to help your stomach feel satisfied throughout the exercise session. A balanced meal before a workout could be:
• Low-fat fruit yogurt with a sprinkle of granola and sliced pecans
• Sliced banana and natural peanut butter spread on 100 percent whole grain crackers
• Scrambled eggs with veggies and a slice of 100 percent whole grain toast with fruit preserves
• A bowl of oatmeal with sliced fruit and a side of cottage cheese or chicken sausage
Pay Attention to the Toilet
As the temperature climbs and you spend more and more time sweating, your risk for dehydration will increase. Even slight dehydration makes exercise harder than it has to be. The best indicator of hydration is your urine color. Urine should be a pale yellow color without a strong odor. The goals are to start exercise with pale colored urine and to produce pale urine within an hour of finishing your workout.
If you are noticing dark-colored urine following workouts, you need to drink more throughout your workout. However, if your urine is clear or if you have to stop repeatedly to use the restroom during exercise, you are drinking more fluids than you need and you can back off on your intake.
Don't Run on Fumes
You should expect to be fatigued at the end of your longest run ever or the hardest bike ride you've ever done. But you shouldn't feel like your body has been completely depleted and you have no more gas in your tank.
When you are exercising longer than 60 to 90 minutes, you will need to replenish carbohydrates that are being burned during exercise in order to keep your engine running. There is a limited supply of carbohydrates stored in your body, and once they are gone, you are done. You will feel mentally and physically tapped out. It's not an enjoyable experience, and it is does not motivate you to wake up the next day and hit the pavement again.
You will need about 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of exercise. Experiment with different combinations of foods and sports products to reach this goal. During exercise mix-and-match these 30-gram carbohydrate options:
• 1 banana
• 6 pretzels
• 2 Fig Newton's
• ¼ peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• 1 package of Clif Shot Bloks or Gu Chomps
• 1 gel pack (Clif, Gu, or Powerbar)
• 16 oz. sports drink (Clif, Gu, Powerbar or Xood)
Salt May Be What the Doctor Ordered
If you finish your workout with white crust on your visor, your clothing or on your skin, you are likely a salty sweater. The longer you exercise, the more salt you will lose in your sweat, so you'll need to consume extra salt (sodium) during exercise.
If you are exercising long enough to need to replenish carbohydrates, you will also need to replenish sodium. Pretzels and sports products provide sodium; to ensure that you are getting adequate sodium during your workout, stay on the lookout for any of the following signs of hyponatremia (low blood sodium) during and after your long workouts.
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Muscle cramps
• Disorientation
If you experience these symptoms, increase your sodium intake during exercise by choosing higher sodium sports products or by adding an electrolyte replacement to your water or sports drink. The symptoms of hyponatremia are very similar to symptoms of dehydration, so consider your symptoms in relation to your consumption of fluids and urine color. If your urine is clear and you have a headache, it's likely that a salty snack will help and more water will make the headache worse.
Respect Your Body After Exercise
Your body just did something amazing. You just reached a new exercise peak! Honor your body following exercise by having a nourishing, balanced meal within an hour of finishing exercise and drink plenty of fluids.
After exercise and especially after a race, your body is working hard to rehydrate, to store carbohydrates for tomorrow's workout, to repair fatigued muscles and to reduce inflammation to promote optimal recovery from exercise. Focus on unprocessed and colorful foods to make a balanced recovery meal:
• 100 percent whole grain toast spread with ricotta cheese, sprinkled with ground ginger and cinnamon and topped with sliced pear or berries
• 100 percent whole wheat pita stuffed with chicken or salmon salad (mix curry powder, grapes, raisins and pecans into salad)
• Spaghetti squash or 100 percent whole grain pasta with marinara sauce and low fat chicken sausage and spinach salad
• Smoothie with yogurt, tart cherry juice, banana, blueberries and almond butter
• Baked yam or sweet potato stuffed with sautéed spinach and chicken
• Scrambled eggs with a tortilla, black beans, salsa and fruit salad
http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/5-Nutrition-Tips-for-New-Athletes.htm?page=2
These are some great recommendations for both beginners and those who need a little refresher on what to eat and when to eat it. Listen to your body carefully and it will tell you what it needs! Have a healthy day!
~AS
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Fitness Together at the Watertown Faire!
OK everyone get ready for some fitness fun! Molly and I will be working a table at the Watertown Faire on the Square this Saturday September 24 from 10:30am-4pm. We will be doing all sorts of fun stuff! Stop by and test your fitness and nutrition knowledge in our trivia game. Or maybe you will be up for a physical challenge with our Hula-Hoop Challenge!
Either way don't be a stranger! Stop by and say 'hi'. You guys know how I can get if I'm not kept busy! Hope to see everyone there.~Joe
Either way don't be a stranger! Stop by and say 'hi'. You guys know how I can get if I'm not kept busy! Hope to see everyone there.~Joe
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