Going Gluten Free (Just for a little while)

Happy New Year!

Well there has been a lot of buzz this past year on gluten free diets so Zach and I have decided to give it a try. We are trying it 1. Because everyone is talking about it and its many health benefits and we want to see how it will affect our bodies and health and 2. Because we are going in to a low-carb (100-150 gr/day for me and 200-250gr/day for Zach) and this will make it slightly easier to try gluten free as we won't be eating pastas, bread, baked goods, etc. for the next 6 weeks. But what I didn't know until I read the article below is that wheat is in just about every processed food we eat, even ketchup (God help me I have no idea how I'm going to go 6 weeks without ketchup...).

So over the next 6 weeks I'm going to be posting all about my gluten free journey and all of the delicious gluten free recipes I can find starting with the walnut crusted salmon from yesterday's post.

The following article is from Trevor & Terra of Olympic Nutrition & Exercise that they posted on Terra's blog a few weeks ago and I wanted to share it with you so you will know what this gluten free phenomenon is all about.

The Gluten Free Diet

http://fitgirlontop.com/2012/12/10/the-gluten-free-diet/

 

Many of you having been wondering about the gluten free diet trend. We see items listed on menus for gluten free options, friends who swear by a gluten free diet, you hear about sensitivities to gluten or celiac disease… the list goes on. This trend has people wondering what it is about and if they should also be jumping on the gluten free bandwagon. After discovering that I am sensitive to gluten, I have become more aware of the prevalence within our foods and the effects it has on our body. I have compiled a list on information to help clear up any questions you may have about gluten.




What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein composite that is found in wheat and similar grain species like rye and barley. Most processed products have gluten in them. It gives baked goods that amazing chewy texture that we know and love. Pasta is made from wheat, pizza dough, cookies, bread, bagels, doughnuts, pastries, and alcohol such as whiskey and beer. Gluten is often used as a stabilizing agent in unexpected foods. Some of these items include hot dogs, sausages, soy sauce, pasta sauces, mayonnaise, ice cream, ketchup, gravies and soup. Remember, just because a food label says wheat free that does not mean it’s gluten-free. Spelt is another form of wheat which contains gluten.

Gluten sensitivities
Gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance can be described as various disorders such as celiac disease and wheat allergy in which gluten has an adverse effect on the body. Idiopathic gluten sensitivity can be described as a non-allergic and non-autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten can lead to symptoms similar to those observed in celiac disease or wheat allergy. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestines that is caused by the consumption of gluten protein that is found in wheat.
Symptoms of gluten sensitivity are similar in all gluten sensitivities. Symptoms may include gas, abdominal discomfort, bloating, heartburn and diarrhea. Other adverse symptoms include tiredness, headaches, muscular disturbances, bone and joint pain. It may also affect those with attention deficit disorder.

Do you suspect you may have sensitivity to gluten?
If you think you may have gluten sensitivity, speak to your health care provider. Your doctor will refer you for blood work to see if you may be celiac. It is important that you continue to eat gluten to complete the tests necessary to rule out celiac disease. If the tests come back negative then it is quite possible that you are gluten intolerant. The best way to tell if you are intolerant to gluten is to completely eliminate it from the diet for at least 6 weeks and see if there are any changes to your symptoms and how you feel. Chances are you will notices a difference even in a few days of starting the diet changes.

Should everyone be on a gluten free diet?
Not necessarily. Those who have sensitivities should be on gluten free diets. Research to date has not shown enough support for healthy individuals to follow a gluten free diet, most of this needs further evidence. Just as the debate on how much protein active individuals require or can absorb and utilize at one time, there are both sides to the argument for consuming gluten. There are increasing numbers of our population being diagnosed with celiac disease and gluten intolerances. Gluten sensitivities may not be a direct link to our food production, rather we continue to be more aware of and have better tools in identifying those experiencing issues. Best course of action for the general population is to know where your food is coming from and reduce the amount of gluten in your diet, as it is being used more and more in staple food products. If you choose to follow a gluten free diet as a healthy individual it will not affect your health in a negative way as nutrients found in gluten containing grains are available in other similar foods.

Gluten free diet for weight loss
There has been lots of talk regarding gluten free diets being essential to weight loss. Some people out there are telling the world that everyone needs to be on a gluten free diet. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone cut out foods that have been consumed for 100’s of years, it all has to do with the way it has been manipulated and added to more foods today. We are consuming more wheat products and gluten than ever before and neglecting fruits and vegetables.
The new issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2012) reveals that healthy adults will not benefit from following a gluten-free diet as a means for effective weight loss. Glenn Gaesser, PhD, professor and researcher from Arizona State University explains in “Gluten-Free Diet: Imprudent Dietary Advice for the General Population?” that there are many misconceptions around gluten-free diets. Gluten itself may provide some health benefits the article illustrates, and that healthy individuals looking to avoid gluten all together for weight loss purposes has little scientific support behind it.

Cutting out gluten in our diets usually means that we opt for more fruits and vegetables and less grain products as now you are removing breads, pasta, and many other foods that may have made up a large portion of daily calories. Reducing the amount of these baked goods will allow us to consume other nutrient dense foods which can aid in weight loss. Symptoms of bloating with water retention; gas etc. with consuming gluten can be attributed more to the portions we eat and frequency rather than the gluten itself. Experiment with what works for you, every individual responds differently.

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Walnut Crusted Salmon

Hello!

Well Christmas is over and if your anything like me your healthy eating plan has suffered greatly in the last week. So to help get you back on track here is a delicious recipe I got out of an old Oxygen magazine I found lying around that is delicious, nutritious and gluten free.

Walnut Crusted Salmon

Dip 4 salmon fillets in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Then dip them in ground walnuts

Put in a dish, cover with tin foil and bake for about 20 mins for 350*F. Make sure you cook your fish until it is 145*F to make sure its cooked thoroughly.

Then serve with a fresh cooked veggie. I of course chose fresh asparagus and grilled it on my indoor grill.

Enjoy!
Andrea :)

To make you laugh

TGIF!

Here is a little laugh to take you to the end of your week!

The Top 12 Silliest 911 Calls of 2012



12. A man attended the Wallaceburg police station inquiring if anyone had turned in his lost dentures. He still had his top teeth, but he was looking for his bottoms.

11. A man called police to report that his unlocked vehicle had been entered. Stolen was a winning donut and coffee tab from Tim Hortons. You know you're Canadian when…

10. A man called police to report that two girls damaged his car. However the evidence indicated that the white substance on the car had been left by birds and not girls.

9. A man called police claiming he had just been struck by a vehicle. The man even provided a full description of the suspect vehicle. Through investigation, the man finally admitted that due to his intoxication, he tripped over a trailer hitch in the driveway.

8. A man called 911 to report that there was a squirrel on his front porch acting in a suspicious manner.

7. A man called 911 to report that there was a large snapping turtle on the sidewalk that appeared to be getting ready to jump into traffic.

6. A woman called police to report that she has just been threatened by her downstairs neighbour. Apparently as the woman watered her plants, some water dripped down onto her neighbour's dog.

5. A 13-year-old youth called police to report that her mother would not allow her to do her own laundry.

4. A man called police in January to complain about the weather report he just heard on a local radio station. They reported "slight flurries" when in fact he was driving in a "snowstorm."

3. A woman called police to report that her drug dealer was lacing her crack with drugs that caused her to hallucinate and hear voices. She asked police to make him stop doing that.

2. A woman called police to report that she was just attacked by a duck who was now sitting in a puddle watching her. The woman was not injured and officers failed to locate the duck upon their arrival.

1. Police were called to a family dispute between a father and his adult son. The son called police because his father told him to brush his teeth and he didn't want to. Police were able to defuse the situation by talking the 20-year-old son into brushing his teeth right away, thus making his 63-year-old father happy.

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Hounds Tooth Creations

Good Morning!

 

I hope everyone is staying cozy and warm (and taking a snow day) on this wintery day! As promised I have a few more pictures of my sewing to add today!

 

First we have a hounds tooth 'cape' lined in chocolate brown silk and hemmed in bright green ribbon. I made this for my mom for her Christmas and gave it to her with elbow length chocolate brown gloves. You can wear this with just about anything; jeans, dress pants, a dark pencil skirt with tights... anything!  

 

 

 

 

And as usual I bought way more fabric than I needed... just in case I had to recut something (which I have had to o in the past). So with the extra fabric I made this adorable rectangular purse for my secret Santa. It has a one button closer and is lined in the same chocolate brown silk. And I think that I'm going to use up my scrap fabric to make these guys in slightly different shapes. So if you are interested drop me a line and I can make you your own custom one!

 

 

Happy Holidays and Stay Healthy!

Andrea :)

1950's Style Halter Dress

Happy Friday!

I've been getting a lot of requests to put more of my dress making on my blog for people to see and I am happy to oblige! I made this nautical inspired 1950's style pinup dress for Crystal for her Birthday and she looked great! It is made out of 100% silk and 3 small brass buttons Crystal picked out herself.

I'll be adding more pictures over the next few weeks. Especially after the holidays after gifts have been given and unwrapped... I wouldn't want to accidentally spoil any ones surprise!

Stay Healthy (and well dressed)!
Andrea :)

PS And I'm always available if your looking for your own one of a kind clothing item!

Healthy Christmas Snacking

Healthy Christmas Snacks

When it comes to snacks and treats, temptation is all around us at Christmas. Here are some healthier options.

If you're hosting...

If you’re hosting your own party, make the traditional favourites less calorie-heavy with these following tips: 

• Make open-top mince pies. Using less pastry cuts down on calories and fat. Alternatively, use filo pastry, which is thinner and lower in calories than traditional pastry. One sheet of puff pastry has 620 calories, and two sheets of filo have 80. Add finely chopped apple to the mincemeat to make it fluffier and slightly lower in calories. 
• Don’t wrap sausages in bacon or pastry. Grill, dry fry or bake them on a wire rack so that the fat drains off.
• Don't have dips made with cream or cream cheese. Choose tomato-based dips, such as salsa, or mix some chopped herbs into low-fat yogurt. 
• Serve rice cakes, oatcakes or plain popcorn with drinks, instead of crisps and salted nuts.
   
• Some seasonal favourites do make healthy festive snacks. Satsumas are high in vitamin C, and roast chestnuts are low in fat.

Snack Offenders & Healthy Swaps

If you're at a party at a friend's house, you sometimes can’t avoid picking on nibbles.
Below, the British Nutrition Foundation's snack swaps lists some unhealthy snacks and their healthier alternatives.

Pastry

• Stop: mini pastry tartlet (45kcal, 3.2g fat).
• Swap: mini filo tartlet (30kcal, 1.5g fat).

Chicken

• Stop: breaded & fried chicken bite (40kcal, 2g fat).
• Swap: marinated chicken bite (29kcal, 0.8g fat).

Salmon

• Stop: salmon and cream cheese bite (30kcal, 2.5g fat).
• Swap: salmon sushi bite (28kcal, trace fat).

Onion bhaji

• Stop: mini bhaji (64kcal, 2.8g fat). 
• Swap: mini satay stick (34kcal, 1.6g fat).

Prawns

• Stop: prawn toast (53kcal, 4.1g fat).
• Swap: prawn wonton or shrimp in cocktail sauce (35kcal, 2.3g fat).

Chips

• Stop: 30g handful of salted regular chips (155kcal, 9.7g fat).
• Swap: 30g handful of tortilla chips (147kcal, 7.3g fat).

Peanuts

• Stop: 30g handful of salted peanuts (184kcal, 15.7g fat).
• Swap: 30g handful of pretzels (114kcal, 0.8g fat).

Cheese straws

• Stop: two cheese straws (100kcal, 6.4g fat).
• Swap: one large breadstick (25kcal, 0.4g fat).

Buck's fizz

• Stop: 175ml glass of pre-mixed Buck's fizz (106kcal, 0g fat).
• Swap: 175ml glass of white wine spritzer, with 2:1 wine and soda water (75kcal, 0g fat).

Red wine

• Stop: 175ml glass of red wine (119kcal, 0g fat).
• Swap: 175ml glass of mulled wine, made with 50% orange juice (111kcal, 0g fat).

Macadamia nuts

• Stop: 30g handful of macadamia nuts (225kcal, 23.3g fat).
• Swap: 30g handful of almonds (184kcal, 15.3g fat).

Chocolate

• Stop: three pieces of chocolate orange (139kcal, 7.9g fat).
• Swap: three sticks of chocolate-covered orange segments (90kcal, 3.9g fat).

More chocolate

• Stop: four wrapped chocolates (160kcal, 8g fat).
• Swap: four dates (116kcal, 0g fat).

Dips

• Stop: 2tbsp sour cream and chive dip (110kcal, 11.3g fat).
• Swap: 2tbsp salsa (20kcal, trace fat).

And if all else fails always remember - portion control!!!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Sleep

Happy Monday!

Good evening! I hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready for Santa Claus next week. Today's topic is sleep and we have an article by Dr. Mercola about how sleep affects your life and health and what you can do to improve it.

Have a read through and hopefully you will sleep even more soundly tonight!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)



Common Sleep Mistakes Can Wreak Havoc on Your Health, and Increase Risk of Migraines and Dementia

By Dr. Mercola

Sleep is such an important part of your overall health that no amount of healthful food and exercise can counteract the ill effects of poor sleeping habits. Researchers have linked poor sleep to a number of health ailments, from short-term memory loss and behavioural problems, to weight gain and diabetes, for example.

There are many reasons for not getting a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, most people tend to reach for a sleeping pill instead of doing the work to figure out what's got them tossing and turning.

The following are 5 common sleep mistakes you can address without drugs:

1. Using the snooze button. While a few minutes more in bed may be tempting, using the snooze button could backfire as interrupted sleep can increase your fatigue. It's best to just get up on the first alarm

2. Irregular sleep schedule. A regular routine of going to bed and getting up around the same time each day will help promote better sleep, while constantly interrupting your schedule can easily lead to insomnia and fatigue

3. Taking long naps during the day

4. Eating sugar before bedtime. Sugar alters the chemical balance in your body, which can contribute to impaired sleep

5. Drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages too late in the day

Understanding Why and How Insomnia Occurs A new book called Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep, written by David Randall, was inspired by Randall's own troubles getting proper shut-eye. Since writing the book, he's been diagnosed with non-REM arousal parasomnia, a sleep disorder that can cause night terrors and sleepwalking. He discussed his book and his own bizarre sleeping habits in a recent NPR interview.

Fortunately, sleep disorders such as sleepwalking and night terrors are not the primary reasons for impaired sleep. The vast majority of people who have trouble sleeping suffer with insomnia; the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. And while many complain their insomnia appears "impossible" to cure, there is hope...

Two years ago, I interviewed Dr. Rubin Naiman, a clinical psychologist, author, teacher, and the leader in integrative medicine approaches to sleep and dreams. In that interview, we discussed several important factors that affect your sleep, for better or worse. While the list provided by Lifehack (above) offers some helpful tips to help you get a better night's sleep, it can be extremely helpful to first understand why and how insomnia occurs in the first place.
In order to understand why you can't sleep, you need to understand that sleep is an outcome of two types of variables:

1. Sleepiness – Under normal conditions, your sleepiness should increase throughout the day, peaking just before you go to bed at night. This is ideal, as you want your sleep to be high at the beginning of the night.
Making sure you're exposed to bright sunlight, and high-quality lighting during the day, followed by decreased light exposure once the sun sets, will help maximize your natural sleep cycle so that you're appropriately sleepy at the end of the evening.
2. "Noise" – "Noise" occurs in three zones: the mind level, body level, and the environmental level. If the noise is conceptually greater than your level of sleepiness, you will not fall asleep.
The most common type of mind noise is called "cognitive popcorn," or unstoppable thoughts running through your mind at night. Examples of body noise include pain, discomfort, indigestion, side effects from prescription drugs, or residual caffeine from drinking coffee too late in the day. Environmental noise is usually obvious, such as various sources of noise in your room or house, a snoring partner, music, lights, or being too hot.
In order to get a good night's sleep, you want:
 sleepiness level to be high, and
 the noise level to be low
More often than not, the reason why you can't fall asleep is NOT because you're not sleepy enough, but rather because you're subjected to excessive noise, which, again, can be either mind/body/environmental-type noise, or a combination thereof. Typically, people will find between three to six different factors that contribute to the noise burden keeping them awake. Therefore, don't give up if you've addressed the most obvious source of noise and still can't sleep. Keep looking! You need to really evaluate your environment and your inner and outer state to determine and address ALL the contributing factors.

For Optimal Health You Need Proper Sleep

You may have the healthiest lifestyle in the world, eat the best possible organic food, avoid all sugar and processed foods, eat loads of fermented veggies, have an ideal body fat and work out regularly with an ideal Peak Fitness regimen, but if you fail to sleep well regularly, for whatever reason, it is virtually impossible to be optimally healthy. Interrupted or impaired sleep can cause a ripple-effect capable of wreaking all sorts of havoc in your body and health. For example, poor sleep can: Dramatically weaken your immune system	Impair production of melatonin – a hormone AND a potent antioxidant, which also has cancer-fighting properties
Accelerate tumor growth – tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions	Raise your risk of heart disease
Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you've already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight	Raise your risk of stomach ulcers
Seriously impair your memory; even a single night of poor sleep – meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours – can impact your ability to think clearly the next day	Contribute to constipation
Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability	Contribute to mood disorders like depression

The Link Between Sleep and Migraines In recent news, the links between poor sleep and migraines have also been examined. As explained by Eric Metcalf, MPH in a WebMD feature, migraines and sleep appear to have a distinct, albeit complicated relationship. Both too little and too much sleep can trigger a migraine attack. On the downside, the mechanisms involved are still unknown. On the upside, there are ways to ease both problems, and addressing your sleep habits is key. He writes:
"Anne Calhoun, MD, is a headache specialist in Chapel Hill, N.C. She's particularly interested in sleep issues.In one of her studies, 43 women with chronic migraines were taught how to improve their sleep habits. In the group of women who addressed their bad sleep habits successfully, all but one saw their headache frequency decline until most days were headache-free." Calhoun offers eight different steps to help clean up your sleep hygiene, many of which are identical to those mentioned elsewhere in this article, however the following four recommendations apply more specifically to those with migraines:
 Change your thinking. Some people whose migraines strike at night become afraid to go to sleep, Sahota says. If worrying about your migraines is keeping you from resting, consider talking to a counsellor who works with people with chronic pain. An approach called cognitive behavioural therapy can help you learn how to adopt healthier thoughts and behaviours related to your migraines.
 Comfort yourself. When you have a migraine, some people find that placing cold packs on their head helps them sleep, while others prefer a warm pack, Sahota says. Try each to see which kind helps you more.
 Take a two-pronged approach. After trying medication to stop a migraine, lie down in a dark, cool, quiet room. As you're sleeping, the medicine may go to work so you wake up feeling better.
 Review your medications. Ask your doctor if any medicines you're taking – including migraine drugs – can wake you up or make your sleep less restful. If so, taking them in the morning may help limit their effect on your sleep, Calhoun says. Getting to sleep without relying on medicine is the best option, Calhoun and Sahota say. So work on your sleep habits first. If you still can't get better sleep, talk it over with your health care provider.

Sleepless Nights May Put the Aging Brain at Risk of Dementia

In another recent NPR radio program5, the links between sleep problems and dementia were reviewed. According to NPR:
"Psychiatrist Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco, runs a memory disorders clinic and studies people who are at risk of developing dementia and cognitive impairment. She says many of her older patients 'either have difficulty falling asleep, waking up on and off throughout the night, or feeling tired in the day' and have to nap a lot.
Yaffe recently conducted a series of studies evaluating more than 1,300 adults older than 75, initially assessing their sleep patterns and, five years later, their cognitive abilities. She found that those with sleep-disordered breathing or sleep apnea had more than twice the odds of developing dementia years later. Those who developed disruptions of their circadian rhythm were also at increased risk. So were those who awoke throughout the night, tossing and turning. " Yaffe's findings were presented at the annual conference of the Alzheimer's Association, but while her research suggests there may be an association between poor sleep and dementia, more research is needed to confirm these links. Another psychologist interviewed by NPR offers several techniques to her patients to help them improve their sleep by literally relearning how to go to sleep. Her recommendations include:
 Restrict the amount of time you sleep. Start at only five hours or so, and slowly add 15-minute increments until you reach a full eight hours per night
 Limit time spent in bed to sleep and sex only. Never watch TV, read, pay your bills, or surf the internet, for example, while in bed
 If you don't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing and/or boring until you start feeling sleepy. Then lay down again
 Get rid of your clock. If you need the alarm, cover the clock with a cloth so you cannot look at the time

How to Optimize Your Sleep Sanctuary Here are seven of the most important factors that can help you get a good night's rest.

 Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. This will help decrease your risk of cancer. Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio. Cover your windows – I recommend using blackout shades or drapes.  All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Little bits of light pass directly through your optic nerve to your hypothalamus, which controls your biological clock. Light signals your brain that it's time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.

 Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep. When you sleep, your body's internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body's natural temperature drop.

 Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.

 Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ...4:30 a.m.

 Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary. I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock, an alarm that combines the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc.) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, simulating sunrise.

 Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.

 Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.

Coconut Pancakes

Hello!

Its been awhile since I've posted a recipe... I tried overnight french toast in the crock pot last weekend... it was not successful lol. So today I bring you delicious, nutritious and gluten free Coconut Pancakes! I got this idea from a friend of mine and decided to give it a try and I may never go back to the old way.

Coconut Pancakes

Ingredients: (makes about 6 very filling pancakes)

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup milk or coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or coconut extract
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Coconut oil frying (optional if using non-stick pan or griddle)
• 1 handful of dark chocolate chips

In a small bowl, beat eggs vigorously until frothy, about 2 minutes. (There’s your exercise.) Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (coconut flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips).

Stir the wet mixture into the dry until the coconut flour is incorporated. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Batter will get really, really thick, like cake batter.

While batter is thickening, preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Add butter or coconut oil, if needed. Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle, spreading the batter out to 2-3-inches in diameter. Cook for a few minutes, until the top starts to dry out and the bottom is lightly brown, then flip the pancakes over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with butter and maple syrup, or with fruit.



These are deliciously cakey but not the same consistency of normal pancakes... I think they are way better!

Give them a try and see what you think.

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Fat Days

Happy Wednesday!

Have you ever woke up in the morning, gotten dressed, looked in the mirror and thought... my god I'm fat today? I think everyone has. Whether its bloating or just a bad self-esteem day its a not nice way to start the day.

Today on fitbe.com they have 10 tips on beating this feeling from wearing the right undergarments to lift and tighten to picking the right clothes to accessorising your clothes so you look and feel great!

http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/lose-weight/tips/10-tricks-turn-around-fat-day

Have a read through this article and say good bye to fat days!

Have a great day and stay healthy!
Andrea :)

Best Pieces of Weight Loss Advice

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend... and enjoyed the 'lovely' Kingston weather.

Fitbe.com today has a great article on the best pieces of weight loss and healthy eating that I thought I would share with you today. Have a read through the article and see if any of these tips will help you with your goals!

http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/best-piece-weight-loss-advice-ever?gt=14001

And always remember ...



Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Joke - You Are What You Eat!

Here's a joke to get you through the rest of the week!


Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

6 Reason's Christmas is Good For You!

Hello!

Yesterday we talked about why we gain weight over the holidays and that seems to be all we talk about this time of year when it comes to health and fitness. So today I want to talk about why Christmas time is good for you! Here is an article that I found online that I've added to!

6 Reasons Why Christmas is Good for You

http://www.virgin.com/lifestyle/news/five-reasons-why-christmas-is-good-for-your-health

• 

Christmas is renowned as a season of goodwill - but bad health habits. For many people, the good work done health-wise in the previous 12 months can disappear in a combination of rich food, loafing in the lounge and copious amounts of alcohol.

Nevertheless, there are many ways to turn the Christmas period into a time when your health can flourish, especially with the help of a personal trainer! With the party circuit in full swing, here is why December doesn’t have to be a season of stress and strain.

6. Time Spent With Family & Friends

Through out the year we are all very busy people with careers, family, obligations and hobbies that we rarely make time to spend with our family and friends. So Christmas time provides the perfect excuse to make the time! By spending time together with the people you care about you relax, unwind and reconnect which recharges your batteries for another year.

5. Christmas TV is so bad you'll want to get active

It may be tempting to plump yourself in front of the TV for days on end watching endless repeats of Mary Poppins, Top of the Pops and the Queen's Speech (this is obviously a British article). This year's line-up of TV trash is more desperate than ever, so get outdoors, enjoy the fresh winter air and get some exercise.

4. Lots of vegetables with Christmas dinner
Sprouts get neglected for the rest of the year, but at Christmas everyone can benefit from their nutritional goodness. That's not mentioning the mountains of carrots, potatoes, peas and the rest. Five a day? Try ten an hour at Christmas dinnertime. Just ease off on the gravy.

3. Time to relax
With long weekends away from work in the offing at Christmas and New Year, Christmas 2012 is sure to be a great chance to unwind. Getting all those little tasks at home out of the way and taking time out to do whatever you want, or just absolutely nothing, is a brilliant way to de-stress ready for the challenges of 2013.

2. Long walks in the snow
As the weather worsens, it is tempting to stay indoors appreciating central heating systems. But taking a walk - especially when snow is falling - can be invigorating as well as good exercise. Even the least scenic routes can be turned into winter wonderlands with snow and Christmas lights, while the most beautiful journeys are given an extra edge.

1. Motivation to join a gym
Despite the possible body and mind benefits December has to offer, the temptations to indulge in less than healthy activities often prevails. Never fear though, as January offers the opportunity to put it all behind you and join a gym, providing plenty of incentives for people eager to get back into shape after Xmas excess.

Stay Healthy!

Andrea :)

Why We Gain Weight Over the Holidays

Why We Gain During the Holidays

1. The year-end mindset

You must be so tired and stressed by now from your work and other obligations.  It’s common for people to have the year end mindset of rewarding oneself with too much rest, vacation, shopping and food for a good year. But your health and fitness goals might be at risk if you always have this  thinking year by year, since there’s a greater tendency to avoid physical activities and to treat oneself to high-calorie foods which can lead to weight gain over time and sabotage healthy and fitness goals.

Sign up for fitness events or  races for next year so you can still continue training and burning calories during the holidays.  It is even better to train outdoors in December because of the cool weather and the limited amount of time you  can devote to exercising. Also, try to stick to your healthy eating and exercise regime as much as possible through the holiday season so its easy to get right back on track in January.

2. Giving and receiving food as presents

Aside from money, the most practical and easiest gifts to give nowadays are food.  If you receive food items like  ham or pastries, even if you try to avoid to eating these items, if you keep everything at home,  you might still end up finishing everything.

As early as now, buy fitness gifts like workout clothes, fitness and nutrition books, fitness service gift cards, or fitness equipment for your family and friends.  And as a rule, don’t give any gifts related to food. You can give the gifts ahead of time so people will become motivated to start a healthier lifestyle and even give you wellness gifts  instead of their usual sweet food treats.

3. Becoming too dependent on programmed exercises

Most exercisers become very dependent on gym facilities like exercise cardio machines and their favourite classes so when vacation comes, they find it difficult to engage in physical activity because they are used to doing it inside a gym or under the supervision of a personal trainer our instructor.

Focus on the exercises that you can do at home or even while on vacation.  As early as now, start learning how to run, jog or do brisk walking properly outdoors so whenever you’re on a vacation, you can still work out.  Buy hand exercise equipment that you can use at home or wherever you may be, like an exercise band, a lightweight body weight trainer, skipping rope, and doable exercise videos that you can always follow.

4. No planning and preparation

You can always say to yourself that you will not gain this holiday season, but studies show that lack of planning and preparation can sabotage your weight management efforts. Strength of will is not enough to survive this challenging time of the year, even the healthiest and fittest people have a hard time during holidays.

Set your goals, make a plan, and write everything down. If you want to maintain your weight, then identify the events that you might be at risk for this month.  If you have a Christmas party to attend, list down your strategies: Eat a filling snack before the dinner party,  drink only one to two glasses of wine, avoid deep-fried foods, and have just have a small piece of dessert.

At home, you should always make sure you have food with quality calories like fruits, vegetables, lean meat, seafoods, low-fat milk, brown rice, whole-grain breads and pasta for when you get hungry.

Be avoiding these common health pitfalls of the holiday season you can stay on track this season and still enjoy every minute of it!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

20 Mindless Portion Control Tips

Hello and happy Thursday!

I found a great article on Fitbe.com today on 20 different ways to watch your portion sizes and how changing up little things, like the size of your plates or even the scent of your centrepiece can make huge differences in your diet.

Have a read through these great tips and see what you think!


http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/20-mindless-portion-control-tips

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

25 Ways to Cut 50 Calories

Happy Hump Day!

Today I found a good article on fitbe.com about 25 different ways you can cut down on calories at every meal. 50 calories may not sound like much but its the little things you do everyday that will get you to your goals... and its pain free!

Give these 25 things a try and see how little a difference there is in taste and how huge a difference it will make to you!

http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/25-easy-ways-cut-50-or-more-calories-every-meal

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Picture of the Day:

Fail. lol

Monday Motivation!

Happy Monday!

Here is my favourite motivational poster. I even have a print out of it in my cubby at work and it always helps me get through the day or workout or whatever I'm struggling through that day!



Stay Healthy!

Andrea :)

Homemade Healthy Pizza

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. I got a great recipe from Trevor (the nutritionist) and I wanted to share it with you. Its easy, nutritious and if your feeling adventurous I've got some new flavours for you to try... and if your not feeling adventurous the old favourites work great too!

Ingredients:
1 Focaccia loaf (Love the ones from Farm Boy!)
1 Jar of Pizza Sauce (Also love this from Farm Boy)
1 package of Goat Cheddar (Farm Boy... surprise, surprise lol)
1 Large cooking onion
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
Turkey pepperoni

How To:
Caramelize the onions and mushrooms and while your doing that slice the focaccia bread in half and lay both pieces cut side up on a baking sheet. Spread with pizza sauce.

Put pepperoni on the pizza followed be the caramelized veggies and then the goat cheese.

Bake in the oven at 350* until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted - about 20minutes.

Sprinkle with red pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste and enjoy!

The goat cheese adds great flavour and (luckily) the hard cheddar type is no where near as strong tasting as the soft type. But if your not ready to try it then regular mozarella works just as well. And you can make this recipe with all of your favourite toppings. For example I made pizza for Zach tonight as well but instead of the turkey pepperoni he had cooked natural bacon. I also cut the bread so his was much thicker... as you can see in the picture below :)

My Pizza is on the left.

 

 

Give it a try and see what you think!

 

Stay Healthy!

Andrea :)

PS I added a picture to the slideshow. Its the outfit I just made for our Christmas party,

No More Procrastinating!

Just a quick note today. Have a look at the picture below, it sums up the way a lot of people go about doing things... especially reaching their goals. Get motivated and do it now!



Andrea :)

Coconut Oil - My New Favourite Thing!

Good Evening!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a fantastic Monday. Today I want to talk about my new favourite thing - coconut oil! For a long time I thought coconut oil was a 'bad fat' but then I started talking to Trevor (dietician) and started learning just how awesome and versitile it is.

Coconut oil is used extensively in tropical countries especially India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Phillipines etc, which have a good production of coconut oil. The oil was also once popular in western countries such as United States and Canada; however, there was a strong propoganda in 1970s spread by the corn oil and soy oil industry against coconut oil. Coconut oil was considered harmful for the human body due to its high saturated fat content till the last decade (2000s) when people started questioning this propoganda. Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?

And back in the 1940s, American farmers discovered the beneficial effects accidentally when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock. It didn't work! Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. Coconut oil has actually been shown to help optimize body weight, which can dramatically reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Besides weight loss, boosting your metabolic rate will improve your energy, accelerate healing and improve your overall immune function.

So I say its time to give coconut oil a try! I've started using it in all of my cooking instead of butter and other oils. And you can also use it as a moisturizer. And the best part? The large jar pictured below is for sale at Costco right now for $16!



Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

References:

Benefits:
http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html

The Science:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html

Dr. Oz Says:
http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/charles-mattocks/benefits-coconut-oil

Take a cue from Adele

Happy Friday!

I found this little article this morning on msn.ca and I decided I had to share! I think we all get caught up in wanting to look a certain way and the pressure of having to get small and lose weight is put on women from the time we are small children. But we have to remember that it doesn't matter the size on the tag or the number on the scale its about your healthy! And its about loving and taking care of yourself no matter what your size. Take a moment to read what Adele has to say when people tell her she is 'a little too fat" :)

Earlier this year (2012), designer/photographer Karl Lagerfeld took aim at the Rolling In The Deep hitmaker, branding her "a little too fat" - but the singer dismissed his remark, declaring, "I've never wanted to look like models on the cover of magazines. I represent the majority of women and I'm very proud of that."

Adele, who became a first-time mom last month, is adamant she would only embark on a diet for the good of her relationship or health.
In new book Adele: The Biography, she explains, "I read a comment on YouTube that I thought would upset me - 'Test pilot for pies' - but I've always been fine with it. I would only lose weight if it affected my health or sex life, which it doesn't."

The star is currently dating charity boss Simon Konecki, the father of her newborn son.



http://entertainment.ca.msn.com/celebs/adele-would-diet-if-weight-affected-sex-life-1

Have a fantastic weekend and stay healthy!
Andrea :)

Squats

Hello!

Today we are going to talk about one of the best exercises for you, whether you’re trying to build muscle or lose weight (or both) - the squat. But it’s also one of the most difficult exercises to do properly unless you actually know what you’re doing and thats where I come in!

Squats work practically every single muscle from your belly button down and if you’re looking to burn fat, you want to do exercises that trigger as much of your body as possible so it’s all getting worked and exercised.  On the other side of the coin, if you’re looking to build muscle, your legs and back can put on the most muscle in the shortest amount of time.

No matter what your goals are if you are serious about getting in shape and losing weight, or if you’re a beanpole and looking to gain muscle, you absolutely need to include squats in your routine. Another thing to consider is that we squat all day everyday! Sitting down and standing up again is essential a squat! And I think we all have elder relatives who lost the ability to get in to and out of chairs and need either a person or a lift chair to help them... this doesn't have to be your fate! Start squating and building those muscles!



A few tips to remember:

• Squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. If you don’t go down that far, you’re cheating yourself and doing a fake squat.  Go way down, and you’ll feel it in every muscle in your leg.  This will give you a really strong core along with strong legs and a strong back.
   
• Try not to extend your knees past your toes. If you’re doing the squats right, you should be sitting back with your bum out and back straight.
• Don’t arch your back. The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to keep your head up when you squat, and KEEP YOUR ABS tight throughout the whole exercise (that’s right, squats will even work your abs).
• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, and point your toes very slightly outward.

Check this video to get the how to on this fantastic exercise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKKZ9AGYTi4

Good luck and stay healthy!
Andrea :)

Butternut Squash Soup

Happy Sunday!

I just made a butternut squash soup for the very first time and it is amazing. I got the recipe from a friend of mine and I will never be able to eat store bought butternut squash soup again! Its got a delicious earthy flavour and a lovely fall spicy-ness. Give it a try and I promise you will love it! You can serve it as an appetizer before dinner or as a meal or snack with while grain crackers or a crusty bun.



Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash (no idea how much it weighed but it was a decent size)
Split the squash and remove the seeds, put in a casserole pan with about an inch of water. Roast in the oven about 45 minutes at 350.

1 medium onion - diced
2 stalks celery - diced
3 medium carrots - diced
3 cloves of garlic - minced (or as many as you like)

Saute these for about 5-10 minutes until veggies are semi-soft, adding garlic only for the last couple minutes.

ADD
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or use boullion)
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of pepper flakes to taste (I maybe had 2 pinches in it)
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer the veggies and liquid for about 15 minutes while the squash is finishing up roasting.

Scoop out the cooked squash, add it to the soup and let it cook for another 10 minutes or so. Blend in a blender or with the emersion blender, and then I add half a brick of light cream cheese. The cream cheese will melt as you stir it in, you can cube it up to make it easier. That's it! Soup!

Mmmmmmmmmm... PS Make it organic with organic veggies and broth!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Sweet Thai Chili Salmon

Good Morning!

Last night was Thursday which means in our house we have basically no food left because grocery day is Saturday. And unfortunately with a trainer boyfriend who is bulking grilled cheese was not an option. So I dug through the fridge and freezer and came up with: salmon, frozen veggies and basmati rice I had cooked earlier in the week.

So, that's what we ate! But, for me anyway, plain salmon and plain rice are not an option. After a little more digging I found some sweet Thai chili sauce and flaked coconut and came up with this fantastic recipe for sweet Thai chili and coconut salmon. :)

Ingredients:

Salmon fillets
Sweet Thai chili sauce (coscto)
Flaked coconut

Directions:

Put salmon in baking dish, spoon sauce over top and sprinkle coconut. Baked at 350*F for about 25 minutes. Serve with rice or potatoes and veggies. Easy and delicious!




Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

8 Ways to Lighten Up Comfort Foods!

Good Afternoon!

I  hope everyone had an awesome Halloween! Now that November is upon us and the temperature is starting to dip its time for the cravings for comfort foods to begin. Mac n' Cheese, pot pies, lasagnas, chili's and stews are all calling my name. But at the same time I have no desire to gain any weight anytime soon. So what's a girl to do? Have a read through this blog because today we are going to go over 10 comfort foods that you can take from diet-disaster to waist-friendly.


1. Mac N Cheese



Maybe the mother of all comfort foods, this creamy dish can pack close to 900 calories a serving when it’s loaded with whole milk and five different cheeses. To shave calories and fat from the sauce, use low-fat milk, tub butter, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and Parmesan, which contains 2 g less fat and 3 g more protein than Cheddar per quarter-cup serving. Punch up flavour with garlic powder and spices. Also, use whole wheat noodles to deliver twice as much fibre, which slows your body’s absorption of sugar and keeps you feeling full.

2. Mashed Potatoes



Despite being chock-full of nutrients, potatoes get a bad rap. A medium-size potato serves up more than 25% of your recommended daily amount of vitamin C, about 18% of your daily potassium intake, as well as 2 g of fibre (if you leave on the skin). So why are mashed potatoes the enemy? Most are drowning in butter and whole milk. Keep your spuds lean by using low-fat milk, plain nonfat Greek yogurt, and chopped chives for flavor. If you can’t imagine eating your taters without butter, place a small pat of butter on top as a garnish.

3. Fried Chicken




Frying any food is a surefire way to make it a nutritional no-no, and it’s not the only way to give chicken a satisfying crunch. You can crisp most food in the oven by adding an oil spray or a light brush of oil. You can’t control how much oil meat absorbs when you deep fry, but when you bake it, you call the shots. Mix sliced almonds and whole wheat bread crumbs in the food processor and use that as breading.

4. Meat Loaf




To lighten it up, start with 95% lean ground beef, it’s still really lean and gives you a beefy taste. You can easily plump it up with more nutrients by adding oatmeal instead of bread crumbs and throwing in chopped mushrooms, beans, or other high-flavour vegetables and herbs. Adding vegetables keeps the meat loaf moist and forms a wonderful au jus without making it greasy.

5. Chili



When it’s loaded with beans and vegetables, chili is one of the healthiest comfort foods out there. Top it with heaps of cheese, sour cream, and nacho chips and you’re eating a bowl of deconstructed nachos. So lay off the fixings, and lighten up your recipe by replacing most of the meat with vegetables and additional beans.

6. Pot Roast




This hearty Sunday dinner staple is surprisingly low in fat and calories. A chuck shoulder roast has fewer calories and less fat than chicken thighs. A 4-ounce piece packs 210 calories and 13 g of fat, and a chicken thigh clocks in around 220 calories and 16 g of fat. To achieve melt-in-your-mouth flavour, the cut needs to be simmered for several hours—the longer you cook it the more tender it will get, she says. Surround your roast with tons of vegetables, and you’ll have a well-balanced and not terribly fattening meal.

7. Casseroles (in general)




With layers of starch, meat, and creamy sauce, some casseroles contain over 400 calories a serving. A smarter bet is to load your dish with vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat. Even if a recipe doesn’t call for beans or vegetables, you can still add them. Punch it up with a layer of zucchini, or double the amount of mushrooms the recipe calls for, or put in peas. Even better, include a serving of fish via canned tuna - It’s a convenient and budget savvy choice. It also delivers protein and omega-3 fatty acids with minimal calories. Just make sure you use a low-fat substitute for cream or butter to lighten the dish.

8. Pot Pies



The buttery crust is how this recipe racks up calories and fat. Try making your own using canola oil instead of butter and whole grain flour. If you’re uncomfortable making crust from scratch, a whole wheat biscuit mix can form your crust. Lighten up the filling by using more root vegetables and less chicken than the recipe calls for—carrots, sweet potatoes, and parsnips. Then for the chicken, use breasts instead of thighs, which will save you fat.”

So, as you can see, with a few minor adjustments to your favourite comfort foods you can save yourself fat, calories and weight gain while still enjoying your favourite foods. Just remember - even with low-calorie version of foods - portion control is the key!!!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Reference: http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/10-comfort-foods-won-t-pack-pounds

90% Food, 10% Exercise & 100% Mind

Good Morning!

I found this article online and it is a great illustration of why your need to have the right mindset if you truly want to reach your goals. Have a read through this article and decide what you want to do and how your going to get there.

I’ve seen it said time and time again that losing it is 90% about the food and 10% about the exercise. I agree with that. But before that, and all during that, it’s also 100% about your mind. You decide. If you think you can change and make better choices, then odds are you can. If you decide you can’t, then odds are you aren’t going to make it very far this go around. Maybe you do better the next time around.

And you know, in sharp detail, what hasn’t worked for you already. Now you just have to find out what will work for you and stick to it. I like to think of a quote I read somewhere years ago. It was some famous inventor and they asked him about why he didn’t just give up after 100 failed tries at inventing something or other. He said that he hadn’t failed 100 times, but that he had discovered 100 ways that it wouldn’t work. You’ve already put in the time figuring out ways it hasn’t worked for you… why not finish it up and find the way that it will? Try #101 might be the right way!

You decide. You decide what motivates you. You decide what goes in your mouth. You decide to walk more than you need to in order to get to class, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. You decide to continue as you are, or to make a change, and keep making changes until you get it right for you. And keep it right until you get to where you want to be. You decide that you will become someone who has willpower, who doesn’t bargain her way out of commitments, maybe who isn’t only motivated by fear but by love… the love you can let yourself have for yourself when you start changing into the person you REALLY want to be.

You get to decide every single day. So, who will you be when you wake up today?



Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Swap for faster results!

Good Evening!

I found this article on Fitbe.com and thought I'd share it. Its about swapping a few of your regular foods for something a little (or in some cases a lot) healthier and shows you how making small changes will keep you on track with your goals. This works because you don't feel deprived, your still enjoying food AND your seeing progress!




http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/1-secret-diet-success

Give it a read through and see how a few simple swaps can add up to a big difference.

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Sweet Coconut Curry Shrimp

Hello!

Today I want to share my absolute favourite curry recipe with you. Its got a mild and sweet taste and is full of shrimp, chicken and the veggies you love!



Ingredients:

1 Bag of frozen, peeled shrimp
2 Chicken breasts chopped
Veggies: Peppers, baby bok choy, mushrooms, onions, frozen asian stirfry veggies... whatever you  want!
1/2 jar Patak's mild curry paste
1/2 can Evaporated skim milk or coconut milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup of sweetened coconut (to taste)

Directions:

Saute shrimp, chicken and any veggies you are using (except bok choy - add it near the end) until shrimp are cooked and chicken is browned. Add curry paste and milk simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coconut.

Serve hot with basmati rice or rice noodles. This tastes great as leftovers too!

Enjoy and stay healthy!
Andrea :)

The Sports Bar Food Survival Guide

Good Morning!

 Its Thursday people and we are almost at the weekend! And to celebrate the coming weekend lets look at an article from fitbe.com about the best and worst choices at a sports bar or pub.

In Kingston there are tuns of great pubs and sports bars, the Merchant Tap House and Fanatics being two of my personal favourites. And they are great places to meet up with friends on the weekend to watch the game or just chat and hangout. But the usual Pub-fare is anything but waistline friendly, that's why when I found this article I had to share it! No one wants to say no to going out with friends for the sake of their diet (and nor should you) so next time your out try one of these healthier options instead!

 The Sports Bar Food Survival Guide 

http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/sports-bar-food-survival-guide



Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Time for Chili!

Good Afternoon!

Today I wanted to share with you my favourite chili recipe! Chili is one of my favourite cold weather foods and it can be a great (and very healthy) option! And it doesn't have to be as hot as this:




Andrea's Turkey Beef Chili

Ingredients:
1lb Ground turkey breast (brothers meats)
1lb Extra lean ground beef (brothers meats)
1 package sliced Button Mushrooms
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 large Onion
4 cloves Garlic (or more to taste)
1 can Black Beans
1 can red Kidney Beans
1 can Maple Baked Beans (adds great sweatness and fall flavour)
1 can diced Tomatoes
1 can Sweet Corn
1 package 'Chili' seasoning
1/2 Beer
Hot Sauce to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large pot (dutch oven) saute the onion and garlic until soft then add turkey and beef and mushrooms and cook until the meat is browned.

While meat is browning dump all beans (except maple beans) and the corn in to a colander and rinse. This gets rid of a lot of the added sodium and preservatives.

Once meat is browned add the rest of the ingredients stir and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour.

And that's all there is to it! This makes a great lunch-to-go!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

My Favorite Website!

Good Morning!

Boy was a slacker last week with posts or what?! Dont' worry I'll make it up to you this week!

First topic of the week - one of my favourite websites for tracking your nutrition:
ttps://www.fitday.com

This website has so many great features I barely know where to start! I guess lets start with the nutrition log first: Fitday.com allows you to input all of the foods you've eaten that day and gives you a detailed breakdown for calories, protein, fats, carbs and vitamins. This allows you to see how much and what foods you've been eating so you can make the necessary changes to make your fitness goals a reality that much sooner!


Fitday also allows you to enter your current weight and height and your weight goal. Then as you update your weight it graphs your progress for you. And it you enter your physical activity it will also calculate how many calories you've burned and give you a chart of how  much your eating vs. how much your burning.


I myself used this site when I was on my own weight loss journey and I loved it! It is a bit of a pain in the but and takes some patients to find all of the foods in their system but its totally worth it!

Give this site a try and I promise you'll love it and the results! As always any questions or comments drop me a line!

Stay healthy!
Andrea :)

Fit Foods (& Combos) To Try This Fall!

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend even though the weather was a little grey and dreary.

Over the weekend I found a great article from Oxygen magazine on some yummy foods and food combinations to try complete with some great recipe ideas. It can get really hard to think of new foods and dinner ideas so give these new foods and food combos a try! They are so delicious and nutritious... I can't wait to try the veggie quiche recipe!

http://oxygenmag.com/Fat-Loss/Articles/9-Fit-Foods-to-Buy-in-October.aspx

Give these a try and see what you think!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Top 10 Exercises You Need to Be Doing

Good Afternoon!

Today we are going to talk about the 10 best exercises you can do for your body. And guess what? They are the old classics, no gimmicks, no complicated contortions, just basics!

Why are these exercises so great you ask? Because most of them are called 'compound movements' meaning that they work more than one muscle at a time giving you the best bang for your time. They are also considered very effective for each of the body parts used and they take minimal equipment and space (if any)! So give these exercises a try and mix them in to your own routine to pump up your results!

Best Chest Exercise: The Push-Up

The push-up wins hands down. While the bench press is a great alternative, most of us don't lift as much weight in the bench press as we do in the push-up. In one study, researchers found that 66.4 per cent of total body weight is lifted in a full push-up. So if you weigh, say, 65kg, that means you’ll be lifting 43kg, which is probably more than you would normally attempt in a bench press. Also, you will get added challenge for the core stabilisers in the face-down position of a push-upBest alternative exercise: dumbbell chest press

Best Glute Exercise: The Squat

You have so many choices when it comes to exercises that work the glutes (i.e. your buttocks) – but according to research by the American Council on Exercise, the squat always wins. The research recorded that the most muscle activity in the gluteus maximus – the main muscle of the glutes – occurred during squats, but only when testers went to 90 degrees or lower. This is because the deeper a squat is, the more muscle fibers it fires in the gluteus maximus. However, when you’re doing squats you should only go as low as you can comfortably.

Best alternative exercise: The ACE study also found remarkably high muscle activation in the glutes in an aerobics class favourite, the quadruped. This is the exercise where you start on all fours and then raise one leg, keeping the knee bent, so that the lower leg points directly up at the ceiling.

Best Ab Exercise: The Bicycle

Those nice folk at ACE got together with San Diego State University to put ab exercises under the spotlight. Their combined study compared an array of popular tummy-trimming moves – including crunches, reverse crunches and the plank – and the results were surprising, given that many exercise classes devote the entire ab section to crunch-type moves. The results showed that the most muscle activity in the obliques and rectus abodminis – i.e. the six-pack and the muscles of the waist – occurred during the bicycle maneuver, in which a person extends each leg alternately and twists the opposite shoulder towards the knee as the leg comes back in.
Best alternative exercise: Plank

Best Exercise for the Back: The Lateral Pull-Down

Research in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that a ‘wide overhand grip’ lateral pull-down was the best exercise to do to get a stronger, shapelier back. And if you’re wondering about the ‘behind the head’ or ‘to the chest’ quandary, bear in mind that the fibers of the lats (muscles in the back) run obliquely – not straight down – so bringing the bar to the chest follows the line of pull more directly. While pulling behind the head puts you at a very high risk of shoulder and neck injury and the exercise become ineffective (so don't do it please).
Best alternative exercise: ‘Single arm bent over’ row with dumbbell.

Best Exercise for Hamstrings: Swiss Ball Hamstring Curl

To improve this set of muscles you should try a swiss ball curl – which will hone in on your hamstrings in addition to challenging your core stabilizers. To do this, put your feet on a Swiss ball, dig your heels in, lift your body off the floor, and form a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Then roll the ball towards your buttocks by bending your knees. Pause, then roll out again, and repeat this action until you reach fatigue.
Best alternative exercise: deadlift with straight legs

Best Exercise for Upper Arms: The Triceps Kickback

When it comes to upper arms, most people think immediately about the biceps (the ‘Popeye’ muscle!), which runs along the front of the arm. But actually, the triceps is a much bigger muscle, and working it will make the overall appearance of the arm firmer, tighter and bigger. To do this exercise, stand side-on to a support with the closest knee and hand on the support. Take a dumbbell in the other hand and bring your bent elbow up to your side. This is the start position. Now straighten the arm, taking the dumbbell up behind you, but keeping the upper arm ‘glued’ to your side. Use the heaviest weight you can, while maintaining good technique, as research found that the medial head of the triceps did most of the work – rather than the whole muscle – when only light weights were used.
Best alternative exercise: Tricep Dips from a bench. If you decide to do these, get some advice on good technique beforehand.

Best Thigh Exercise: The Lunge (or Squat as shown earlier)

The exercise that comes out best for thighs in most studies is the squat – and your thighs will be doing more work if you don’t squat very deep. However, to add some variety to your program, and to work each thigh independently (to prevent imbalances), lunges come a close second. Take your lunges to the front, rather than the rear, for maximum thigh involvement.
Best exercise alternative: The step-up.

Best for Waist: The Side Plank

You often see people in the gym doing side bends with a dumbbell to tone up the waist area. But this exercise will actually shorten the obliques – effectively contributing towards you losing your waist! To tighten the muscles and reduce your risk of back pain, try the side bridge instead. Lie on your side with knees and hips stacked – the top leg directly over the bottom one – and your weight resting on the lower elbow. Bend the bottom leg to a right angle at the knee while keeping the hips on top of one another. Then lift your body up so that your weight is supported by the lower part of the bottom leg and the elbow only. Consciously draw the side of your waist that is closest to the floor up towards the centre of your body. Don’t let your bottom stick out, and keep your abdominals contracted.
Best alternative exercise: Sideways sit-ups using a Swiss ball.

Best Exercise for Hips: The Clam Shell

The best strengthening exercise for your hip is the little know 'clam shell' and this is an especially important exercise with runners and people with knee pain. By strengthening the hips you provide more stability for the knee joint which will help improve your run and help with any knee pain you have been experiencing. To do this lie on your side like picture A rolling your hips froward slightly. Then slowly lift the top knee off of the bottom one and push it up as high as it will go without rotating your hips backwards. You should feel a burning right in the hip - this means your doing it right!

Best alternative exercise: Side-lying leg raises.

Best Shoulder Exercise: The Lateral Shoulder Raise

The shoulder muscle (the deltoids) consists of three heads: medial, anterior and posterior. But the area that you need to target specifically for appearance (shapely shoulders) is the medial head. To do this, try the lateral shoulder raise. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and lean forward from the hips slightly. Press your arms out to the side with your elbows slightly bent, leading with the little fingers, and stop at 90 degrees. Note that although you are directly engaging the medial head, the anterior and posterior heads will also contribute to this move.
Best alternative exercise: Military press.

Doing what’s best for your body

By doing the best exercises for each part of your body, as described here, you will be more likely to improve your major muscle groups. However, you should remember that variety is key when it comes to resistance training – so make sure you always do a variety of exercises for each part of your body, and exercise a number of different parts of your body rather than focus on one particular part all the time.

I hope this article (some of it is by realbuzz.com) has been helpful and informative. Try them out in your next workout and let me know what you think!

Stay healthy!
Andrea :)