Think These are Good Diet Snacks? Think Again!

Whenever someone embarks on a diet, inevitably they go to the store and stock up on what they consider to be low-fat, healthy foods and snacks. Here is a brief list of some of the more common "mistake" foods we buy and consume:

1. Yogurt. Yes it is good for you and tastes great, maybe even fat-free. But check out the sugar content. Not good at all. As an alternative try plain non-fat yogurt with some fresh fruit added. You will still be getting some sugar, but sugars from fruit are much better than processed sugars.

2. Granola. Again, the grains and nuts are good. Excellent in fact. But they are sweetened with loads of honey and other "natural" sweeteners and can contain five or more grams of fat. Instead, buy plain, unsweetened granola and drizzle some honey on it. You'll be surprised at how good it tastes.

3.  Frozen "Lean" Entrees. The fat content is good. But they are usually chock full of sodium and preservatives with little in the way of nutrition. Anything that is frozen and conveniently ready to cook probably is not a good choice.

4. Rice Cakes. Perfect snackage, right? Nope. Made of puffed rice, they are considered a high glycemic index carbohydrate, meaning they will cause a rise in your insulin. This in turn can cause your body to store the carb as fat rather than use it as energy. Stay away from rice cakes unless you are craving one after an intense work out. Instead, pop plain popcorn, spray lightly with a margarine spray such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.

This isn't the whole list of bad diet snackage, but hopefully it will get you thinking the next time you head to the grocery store with the purchase of healthy foods in mind. Remember: fresh, whole food is always the best choice. Veggies, fruits and raw nuts and seeds are the most nutritious and low-fat snacks you can get, all courtesy of Mother Nature!

Water, and lots of it!

How much water do you drink every day? I bet it's not enough. You should be consuming AT LEAST a gallon of fresh water daily.

I am always asking people, "How much water do you drink during the day?" Inevitably they say, "Oh, lots. I drink water all day long."

Well, my idea of lots and theirs are two different things.

I challenge people to take a one gallon juice jug, rinse it thoroughly and fill with fresh water. Take this with you to work or keep it in your frig at home if it's the weekend.

Then, drink the entire bottle during the day. Now you have a gauge of how much you should be drinking. And, more than that is even better. I have a 16 oz. glass on my desk that I fill 8 to 10 times a day. Yes, I have to go to the restroom a lot, but it is worth it. I stay hydrated, my system gets flushed and my kidneys function extremely well.

Try it!

Working Through an Injury

Hurting yourself really sucks!  A couple weeks ago I was doing bicep curls with the ez curl bar. I had just added a 2 1/2 pounds of weight for a total of 39 1/2 lbs. This in itself was not too heavy for the three sets of eight reps I did. But, with my wrists at the odd angle that an ez curl bar puts them at, the weight proved too much and I strained my left wrist.

Then I added insult to injury by typing too much. I was working on my book and typing away at the computer when it REALLY started to throb. Note to self: when you hurt yourself, even a little, you need to take it easy. Now that's not easy for me, not at all.

So, I was forced to lay off doing any upper body lifting that used my wrists (I know, they ALL do), and I wrapped it up in an ACE bandage and--probably most importantly--I tried to limit my typing.

Long story short-- by this morning it felt much better. Of course here I am typing and guess what --- I can feel it twinging.  But I still plan on doing biceps tonight (sans ez curl bar) and see what happens. I've worked too hard for these little guys to let them go now!!

What's for Lunch? Whole Wheat Tortilla Roll Ups!

Although we might not like having to watch our pennies a bit more in these challenging economic times, there are some good things we can derive from it.

Many people eat lunch out during the workweek; often it consists of fatty, salty, greasy and just plain unhealthy fast food.

As a result of the economy, many folks are being forced to brown bag it. Smile -- it's a good thing! You can have complete control over your portion, fat and calorie content and you have the ability to pack something--get ready--nutritious!

One of my all time favorite brown bag lunch items is tortilla roll ups. There are a million variations, but here is one to get you started:

Turkey Tortilla Roll Ups

8" Whole wheat tortillas
Lowfat or fat-free ranch salad dressing
Your favorite jarred salsa
Thin sliced deli turkey breast
Baby spinich leaves
Shredded reduced fat monterey jack cheese

To assemble, spread the tortilla with ranch dressing. If you prefer, you can use Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream. Spread a teaspoon of salsa over the ranch dressing. Place a thin layer of turkey, followed by the spinach leaves and then sprinkle on a tablespoon of the cheese.  Roll up tightly, then roll up again in foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until lunch.

For variety, try using fresh avocado, sliced sweet red onion, crumbled feta cheese, sliced black olives, fresh basil and oregano, leftover chicken breast or sprouts.

Get the picture? Experiment and come up with a taste that suits you. Just be sure to use low-fat, healthy ingredients and use a light hand when applying the condiments, meat and cheese.

Nutritional Values

Calories:267 (24% from fat)
Fat:7g (sat 3.6g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:20.8g
Carbohydrate:28.6g
Fiber:1.4g
Cholesterol:51mg
Iron:0.8mg
Sodium:512mg
Calcium:56mg
 
These roll ups also make a great quick and light dinner when combined with a bowl of steaming fresh vegetable soup. Gosh, that sounds like dinner tonight!!

Don't Forget the Abs!

I forgot to mention abs in my previous post about training. I admit that I do go for periods of time and not work my abs (laziness is all), but I absolutely love having a flat, hard stomach and try to remind myself of that when I feel lazy.

Of course, I get the meno-pooch each month which sabotages all my hard work. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am actually looking forward to menopause so this bloat will be gone once and for all.

Back to abs. I do abs three days a week as follows:

Day one: 3 sets of 25 crunches
Day two: 3 sets of 25 reverse crunches
Day three: 2 sets of each of the above

I used to do hanging leg lifts which totally rocked, but one day something went "pop" in my groin and hurt like @#$%!@!! so I don't do them anymore.

Be sure to rest a couple days between your ab workouts. If you feel sore and it hurts to laugh--you are doing a great job!

I also am a BIG fan of an old video called Cher Fitness: A new attitude. The ab workout is phenomenal. When I'm really in ab mode (read summer), I do the routine twice in a row three times a week. I guarantee that if you do that and eat clean, you will have rock hard abs that you will want to show off year-round!

I Think It's Finally Fall

Here in Southern California, we have had a long, hot and often humid summer. It has been hard to stay motivated to work out regularly due to the heat. I like to work out in the evenings after work, but lately when I get home I just don't have the oomph to do it.

Alas, today it is about 80 with a tinge of crispness in the air. While I LOVE summer, this kind of weather energizes me. I am looking forward to getting back into regular work outs again during the week, rather than trying to do all body parts on Saturday and Sunday!

Here is my fall training split:
Monday: triceps/biceps
Wednesday: shoulders, legs
Friday: biceps/chest
Saturday: shoulders/triceps
Sunday: legs/back

I have it set up so that even if I miss a day, every body part can still be worked during a 7-day period. I notice that doing one body part only once a week is fine for maintenance, but not enough to really see the gains.

Now I just have to take advantage of this beautiful weather...when winter comes a knockin' things will certainly change again!