Welcome friends!

This is a forum to share tips, advice and ideas about nutrition, fitness and well-being. I also invite you to join me in my yoga practice at 24 Hour Fitness. It is an 1 hour vinyasa yoga class, also called "flow" yoga. The poses move fluidly, the breath linking each pose to the next. This practice will create strength, flexibilty, endurance and balance leading to a sense of wellness and mental awareness. I hope to see you there! The class schedule will be updated on the blog as it changes.

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Go Fish

A recent trip to the aquarium with my niece left me with fish on the brain. There is so much confusion surrounding fish consumption these days as consumers receive messages to limit their fish consumption due to mercury contamination from some sources and then to increase their fish consumption due to its heart benefits from others. Let’s sort through the facts –

The fear about fish comes from the risk of mercury toxicity. Mercury is a substance that is toxic to nerve cells and can cause vision problems, poor coordination and learning impairment. However, the emphasis here is on large amounts of mercury. The only reported cases of real mercury poisoning from eating fish occurred after massive industrial pollution in Japan. The real danger lies in not eating enough fish.

Fish is the primary source of omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease triglycerides and slow the rate of atherosclerotic plaque which in turn prevents heart disease and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. For these reasons, the American Heart Association recommends consuming fish twice a week. In addition to being beneficial for cardiovascular health, omega-3’s also play an important role in the brain development of infants, children and adolescents. Besides having the heart healthy, brain boosting omega-3’s, fish also is a good source of protein and minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

The bottom line is you should include more fish in your diet, but limit your exposure to fish with a high level of mercury. In general, the fish with higher mercury content are older, larger, predatory fish such as mackerel king, shark, swordfish and tile fish. Common fish with the lowest levels of mercury are anchovies, haddock, salmon, tilapia, and canned, light tuna. Try to work these ones into your diet twice a week.

Here is a table from the Washington State Department of Health comparing the amount of Omega-3 fatty acid with the amount of mercury in the 10 most popular fish – The salmon looks like a great choice to me!
Top 10 Fish and Shellfish in the United States Based on Consumption – Omega-3 and Mercury Levels:

Omega-3 fatty acids
(grams per 3-oz. serving)
Mean mercury level in parts per million (ppm)
Canned tuna (light)
0.17–0.24
0.12
Shrimp
0.29
ND*
Pollock
0.45
0.06
Salmon (fresh, frozen)
1.1–1.9
0.01
Cod
0.15–0.24
0.11
Catfish
0.22–0.3
0.05
Clams
0.25
ND*
Flounder or sole   
0.48
0.05
Crabs
0.27–0.40
0.06
Scallops
0.18–0.34
0.05

* ND – mercury concentration below the Level of Detection (LOD=0.01ppm)
Here is a table listing the 4 fish with the highest levels of mercury – limit your consumption of these guys!
Fish with the Highest Levels of Mercury (about 1 ppm):

Omega-3 fatty acids
(grams per 3-oz. serving)
Mean mercury level in parts per million (ppm)
Tilefish (golden bass or golden snapper)
0.90
1.45
Shark
0.83
0.99
Swordfish
0.97
0.97
King mackerel
0.36
0.73



Now that you have the facts, you may be inspired to work some fish into your diet this week. Here are some healthy tips and ideas:
-Make a quick salad of canned fish with pasta, frozen vegetables and light Italian dressing
-Enjoy your fish baked or grilled instead of fried
-Keep your fish low sodium by using herbs and lemon juice for flavor

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

March Playlist

Download these tunes and spend the next hour just blissed out or flowing through your yoga poses while you listen and enjoy!

1. Sea of Love
Cat Power
2. Part 1 -Sunlight
Kevin Kendle
3. Dearest
Buddy Holly
4. Crayon
Caribou
5. Pure Glass
Hosseger
6. Violin
Amos Lee
7. Adi Shakti
Mantra Girl
8. Squelch
T Spigot
9. Carry You
Dispatch
10. Tribuahan
Purple Penguin
11. Rose Parade
Elliot Smith
12. The Greatest
Cat Power
13. Apres Du Midi
Emotive Blue
14. Opening the Gates
Drala

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Thinking of hiring a personal trainer? Consider trying this –

If your dedication to staying active seems to always fizzle out after a few weeks, you may want to consider getting a new workout partner. One who with four legs who will demand you get outside no matter what the weather!

It makes sense that people with dogs might be more active than their pet-less counter parts. Dogs need exercise or they wind up driving you crazy. You still have to take them out even when it’s cold and rainy. That being said, we probably didn’t need a study to prove that dogs help their owners be more physically active. But study it we did – multiple times. Here’s an article from the New York Times that sums it all up:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/forget-the-treadmill-get-a-dog/?ref=health
Dog owners on average walk at least 30 minutes more per week and are 60% more likely to meet the federal guidelines for moderate to vigorous activity at least 5 days a week than those who are sans canine. However those with very small dogs or very old dogs didn’t seem to get any additional exercise.

Owning a dog has certainly increased my physical activity. Rain or shine Charlie and I are up at the crack of dawn to start the day with a 30 minute walk. Then after work, we walk to the park and Charlie burns off her pent up energy chasing after the ball. That being said, owning a dog is very time consuming. I have to manage my time well to continue to fit in yoga, cycling and other activities where unruly dogs are not allowed!
Maybe not her healthiest habit!


The top 5 reasons Charlie keeps me fit:
1. She hates to sleep in
2. She has to same mantra about going to the park that the post man has about delivering your mail – rain, sleet or snow!
3. Her 2 favorite snacks are carrots and frozen mango - which inspires me to pick snacks that are low cal and full of vitamins too!
4. She can run a lot faster than me!
5. Post work she always stretches in Downward Facing Dog and Up Dog. The length she can create is inspiring!

So, if you were considering the pros and cons of dog ownership or if you already own a dog you can add increased exercise to the pros column. You will be guaranteed a loyal companion for hikes, walks, and park visits for years to come.  If you end up with, or have a dog, who loves to play fetch as much as my dog Charlie, try these moves from Self magazine to sculpt a “Best in Show Body” while fido plays fetch: http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/08/get-fit-moves-with-your-pet-slideshow#slide=1. And next time, instead of cursing your dog for making you go on a walk during a down pour, thank them  for making you stick to a heart healthy habit!
Smile! Your getting healtheir!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Yoga Safety

I frequently hear of people tearing a muscle or throwing out their back in other yoga classes. Unfortuneately people often forget that yoga is about listening to your body, chosing instead to force themselves into poses unsafely. This is not what yoga is about! You can't have an ego in yoga. Breathe and work within your limits. the following 7 principles should be applied in every yoga class to keep your joints and muslces safe.

1. Establish a firm base in the feet and hands.
- Plant evenly through the feet, spread the fingers wide and distribute weight through the entire hand. Stack the joints and contract the joints to find stability in a pose.
2. Use the muscles of the trunk to create core stability.
- Remember this both prior to moving into a pose and while holding a pose.
3. Align the spine.
- The head follows the spine. When moving into twists, flexion or extension we start in a neutral spine.
4. Soften the align the knees.
- Keep knees in line with the ankles and pointing directly over the toes. Prevent hyper extension by always keeping a soft bend in the knees at all times.
5. Relax shoulders back and down.
- This will help reduce tension in the neck and shoulders.
6. Hinging at the hips.
- When moving in and out of forward bends hinge at the hips keeping a slight bend at the knees
7. Shortening the lever
- When we hinge, flex or extend the spine keep the arms out to the side or alongside the body to reduce strain on the muslces of the low back.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Can Muffins Be Healthy???

My good friend, and fellow dietitian, Laura Hunter MS, RD, turned my on to the F-Factor diet a few months ago. Now dietitians aren't usually fans of "diets," but this is really more a healthy way to eat emphasizing portion control and adding high fiber foods in to help you feel full and promote GI health (i.e. regular BMs!).

Fiber 101:
Basically, fiber is the part of the carbohydrate that isn't digestible. This is important because it means that it fills up your stomach without providing extra calories. There are two types of fiber - soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber absorbs water and swells in your stomach. It also absorbs cholesterol and pulls it out of your body. Insoluble fiber (aka roughage) acts as a scrub brush for the intestines. It helps speed up the passage of material through the digestive tract and helps reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Fiber Facts (From Tanya Zuckerbot MS, RD creator of the F-Factor diet):
- North Americans ate 10 times more fiber 100 years ago than they do today
-Fiber has zero calories
-Fiber is only found in Carbohydrates. Yet not all carbohydrates contain fiber
-High fiber foods provide long-term energy to your body because they are digested and processed more slowly than refined carbohydrates
-Only 1 in 5 American have an idea how much fiber they consume on a daily basis, and only about 1 in 4 know how many grams of fiber are recommended each day.

Now...finally, back to the title of this post - the muffins! On Sunday mornings I like to make the Blueberry Bran Muffin recipe from the back of the F-Factor book. We usually eat one muffin with some plain Greek yogurt and a cup of tea of coffee that morning, and then use them as a great, easy, portable and high fiber mid-morning snack the rest of the week. Here is the recipe:


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups All-Bran extra fiber cereal (I use Nature's Path Smart Bran Buds as an organic alternative)
1 1/4 cups 1% organic milk
1/2 cup honey
2 egg whites
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup blueberries (OK to use frozen ones)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Stir together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, mix cereal and milk. Let mixture stand for 2 minutes to allow cereal to soften.
4. beat egg whites and add to cereal mixture. Add honey, oil and lemon peel and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and then the dry ingredients and stir only until mixed.
5. Lightly spray muffin tin with cooking spray (use use paper liners). Pour batter into muffin pan and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins
149 calories, 26 g carbohydrate, 6 grams of fiber, 4 g protein, 5 grams fat, 205 mg sodium

Post yoga smoothie

After Julia's flow style class at YogaLife this morning I enjoyed a fruit smoothie full of antioxidants with just the right amount of protein and fiber to fill me up but still be easy to digest. Here's what was in it -

Post yoga smoothie:
-makes 2 servings
2 cups vanilla soy milk or vanilla almond milk
2 scoops brown rice protein powder
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
(I like to use the organic, frozen fruit from trader joe's. It's inexpensive and good quality)
Blend and enjoy!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Music

We flowed while listening to some great tunes tonight. Here is the play list from tonight's class:
1. My Only Swerving - El Ten Eleven
2. Such Great Heights - The Section Quartet
3. All I need - Radiohead
4. The Funeral - Band of Horses
5. Just Breathe - Pearl Jam
6. In the Waiting Line - Zero 7
7. Green Arrow - Yo La Tengo
8. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
9. Freedon Hangs Like Heaven - Iron & Wine
10. Across the Universe - Fiona Apple
11. Your Hand in Mine - Explosions in the Sky
12. Carry you - Dispatch

Down load and enjoy during your home practice!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Easy Tofu Dish

As I have been inspired to eat less meat lately (following a traumatic episode of Anthony Bourdain No Reservations!) tofu has again become a regular in my fridge. Here's a tasty and easy way to prepare it that I came up with the other night:

1. Start with a block of firm (or extra firm) tofu and pre-heat your oven to about 375
2.  Slice the tofu, drizzle with olive oil, cover with pepper and arrange on a baking sheet
3. Bake the tofu for at least 30 minutes, flipping the slices about half way through
4. Next, top the tofu slices with tomato sauce and some grated cheese, then pop it back in the oven for about another 15 minutes
5. Enjoy with some vegetables and a glass of wine!
I was inspired by my post the other day to make tofu last night



I added some spinach and basil for good measure!

romantic dinner for one! hehe