A Clean Home is a Healthy Home - Spring Cleaning Idea

It is that time again ... SPRING CLEANING ... I have been doing well keeping my personal system (my body) cleansed and healthy ... now its time to deep clean the house.  A friend sent this chart to me from The Fresh and Organized Web Site. If you go to the site, you can actually download and print out this chart.  I like it because you only have to do one thing a day and by the end of the month you have deep cleaned your whole house!

The 31 Day House Cleaning Routine

Feb 27, 2013

Cleaning can be such a chore! Excuse the pun, but it's true that keeping a clean house can be an overwhelming experience -- especially when you're used to living in a smaller place like an apartment.

My husband and I usually try to deep clean our house once a week, but after reading (and pinning) this article on Apartment Therapy called, 'How to Clean Your House in 20 Minutes a Day for 30 Days,' I was inspired to try this method. Basically how it works is that instead of doing everything in one day, you follow a schedule where in addition to your typical household chores like doing the dishes, you do a 20-minute (the use of a timer is encouraged) cleaning task per day. The schedule has a list of rotating cleaning tasks to do and by the end of 30 days, you start over on day 1 and by doing this, your house should be nice and clean.

Since I enjoy making printables, I decided to come up with my own version of the schedule and here's what it ended up looking like:

Click Here to Download This Free Printable!

• Instead of the 30 day schedule, I named it the, "31 Day House Cleaning Routine," so the list can be used for months that have up to 31 days.

• On the left of the page are the 31 days and next to that I can write the first letter of the corresponding day of the week. For example, since March 1st is on a Friday, I would just write in the letter F, right next to the number 1.

• For the cleaning tasks themselves, I pretty much followed what was on the schedule in the Apartment Therapy article, with just a few minor tweaks.

• Since my husband and I share some of the cleaning tasks, I added a 'Who' column so we could write the name of the person who would be doing each particular task.

• Finally, on the far right of the page are checkboxes for checking off all the tasks that have been completed.

Exercise for Fat Loss

Article by Dr. Michael Colgan of the Colgan Institute:

If you are exercising to lose body fat, you have to be concerned you have too much of it. For many folk that much has taken years to establish. Some have solidified the same, 20, 30, 40 lbs, year after year by yo-yo dieting. It’s not easy to change a body that has got into such a state, but if you follow the rules it works like a charm.

People who don’t like rules may want to just get their head down and bull it out. Boot camps love these folk, telling them “You just have to work your butt off at our level and you will lose the fat.” The science says, “No way”. Others read some social buzz that whole neighbourhoods lost masses of fat by getting together and running (biking, mud-wrestling, swimming in holes in the ice). Not going to work.

Anyone who has run a marathon, an extreme 3-4 hour effort for most of us, knows with disgust they lost negligible body fat doing it. Having measured runners in quite a few marathons, an average person well trained to run a marathon, is lucky to lose a quarter pound of fat. Some folk who stuff with carbs during a marathon, actually gain fat. They may feel like hell at the finish, and be 7 lbs lighter in water weight, because the carbs prevent water absorption from the gut, but their belly rebounds and then some within 24 hours.

One controlled study representative of the science, measured body fat losses accurately in groups of men and women over the whole 20-week training program for a half-marathon. In 20 weeks of fairly intense endurance exercise (80 workouts), the men lost an average of 5.3 lbs of fat. That’s just 4.25 ounces per week of exercise. The women lost an average of only 2.0 lbs. That’s a measly 1.6 ounces of fat loss per week of exercise.(1) 

This negligible loss of body fat with exercise is the usual result, and often gives folk the false belief they are different from everyone else, and just can’t get slim. Yes you can. All you need is the right nutrition and exercise. It’s not rocket science. Here are eight exercise rules to get you started on the right track. Stated briefly, with just a major reference or two, they are grounded in a lot of recent science that I will be covering in future articles. You need to follow them all to get sterling results.

Exercise for Fat Loss-Rule 1 

Get 8 hours sleep a night. The US National Center on Sleep Disorders reports that approximately 90 million Americans currently do not get sound sleep.(2) Children sleep better, so it’s a one in three bet that you have sleep disturbance. If you are overweight, it’s 50/50 that you have poor sleep. Sound sleep is an essential physiological restorative process that programs one-third of your life, and controls much of what happens in the other two-thirds.(3) To cut to the chase, without sound sleep, you cannot effectively exercise or effectively lose body fat. Visceral fat gain, food cravings, insulin disruption, fatigue, your whole hormone cascade, the metabolic syndrome, and many other bodily disorders are driven by disruption of your circadian rhythm.(4) Get your sleep fixed first or you will be unable to effectively exercise or lose fat.

Exercise for Fat Loss- Rule 2 

Exercise on waking to raise your metabolic rate for the whole day. When you wake in the morning, your metabolism is sluggish. Your metabolic rate for the day is then determined by what you do. If you have a lazy day off for example, your metabolic rate will remain low throughout, and you will be on maximum calorie retention from anything you eat. If, however, you exercise on waking, even if it is only a 30 minute walk, it raises your metabolic rate immediately. The rate then remains high for most of the day, and you lower your calorie retention from food. Get in the habit. Do that smidgeon of exercise every day.

Exercise for Fat Loss- Rule 3

Exercise on an empty stomach. Your body takes the easiest route to energy. If you eat before exercise, or start at the juice bar with a smoothie at the gym, your body will use the calories in your gut preferentially to using bodyfat for fuel. A single small “all fruit” smoothie will eliminate any weight loss effect of an hour of exercise after it. And, drinking “energy drinks” while working out is just plain dumb if you want to achieve fat loss. It’s just plain dumb for any exercise goal.(5)

Exercise for fat Loss- Rule 4

Do 20-30 minutes of light aerobic exercise before your workout. When you begin exercising, your body uses mainly sugar for fuel, the glycogen in your muscles, sugar made by gluconeogenesis in the liver, and sugar from food in your gut. (Remember, no eating before exercise) To achieve your goal of using body fat for fuel, you first have to induce hormonal changes to switch to greater fat oxidation. You can do this with light aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes, such as walking to the gym. You cannot achieve these complex changes by lumbering on the treadmill, as I see some folk do, because, as soon as you begin to pant, signaling a shortage of oxygen, you keep the body stuck in sugar burning mode. A whole workout done with great effort, treadmilling wildly, then rushing from station to station for an hour, uses near zero bodyfat, and exhausts you into the bargain, as it empties the muscles of glycogen. It’s tragic but somehow comical to see people doing this week after week, and losing no fat at all.

Exercise for Fat Loss- Rule 5

Do your workout in the “Fat Burning Zone”. There is much nonsense written about the fat burning zone, as if it’s some magical state that melts fat. It is just a range of exercise intensity where fat use (fat oxidation) settles into a high steady level. Studies have measured this range in all sorts of complex ways involving VO2max and weird and wonderful equations. It also varies somewhat with the individual, and how much exercise you do, and how often. But I can state it pretty simply. 

The fat burning zone is exercise done at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. If you run at maximum on the treadmill, and get your highest heart rate at 170 beats per minute, then your fat burning zone is 60-70% of that score, that is, about 100-120 beats per minute. At this level of exercise you can still carry on a normal conversation.

First, do your 20-30 minute warm up in the fat burning zone to make the hormonal changes to trigger a higher proportion of fat burning. Then, for a one-hour workout on an empty stomach, keep your heart rate within the same range. Your body will then pull approximately 50% of its energy from body fat. That’s about as good as you can get.

Above or below this range, your body’s use of sugar increases, and it pulls only 20 -30% of its energy from body fat. So, it makes sense to wear a heart rate monitor, and set your fat burning range so that it beeps you automatically if you move out of it.

Exercise for Fat Loss- Rule 6

Build muscle to lose fat. All the gym programs I have seen that concentrate on aerobic exercise have been a failure for fat loss. We measured one aerobics group for a year at Frogs Gym in San Diego. All of the women in the group wanted to lose weight. They actually gained an average of 2.9 lbs of fat while doing an average of three aerobics sessions a week for 12 months.The best form of exercise for fat loss is resistance training that adds muscle to your body. Muscle is moving tissue, fat is not. Over 100 muscles are constantly active just to keep you standing up, and about 200 are merrily using energy just to maintain their tone. Fat hangs limp like jello. Muscle is the engine that uses body fat for fuel. With more muscle, more fat is burned 24 hours a day, even just couch sitting with heavy breathing. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, followed a group of women who did a weight loss diet plus resistance training. They lost 44% more fat than those who followed the diet alone. So, put resistance training at the top of your list. 

Exercise for Fat Loss Rule 7

Do weight training that makes you taller and more flexible. We have seen it many times, especially with women. They embrace resistance training in order to lose fat, then do all the wrong stuff. Often they hire trainers who give them bodybuilding exercises, or worse, uni-planar exercises guided by machines with comfy seats, exercises that bear no relation to movements in life. They often turn the posture into a muscle-thickened crouch. Though they can achieve lower body fat because of muscle growth, the unfortunate girls look shorter and fatter. 

One example I saw recently. Under a trainer’s direction, a somewhat overweight girl was vigorously doing deadlifts with a bar and two 45lb weights, 135lbs, about her own weight. Each time she lifted the bar you could see her stomach stick out. She did not realize she was training hard to grow a stuck out gut. 

Also, the heavy weight was pulling her shoulders down and forward, shortening and thickening the muscle connections from the arms to the pectoralis major of the chest. It was growing round shoulders with dumpy arms, about the worst training you can think of for most women, who usually aim to be upright, slim, and elegant. 

Another thing this girl didn’t realise was, if you lift your own body weight from the floor, it immediately compresses your spine and makes you temporarily about an inch shorter. Over a long period, the erector spinae muscles that hold up the spine becomes shorter from that form of training. Bulging stomach, forward-sloping shoulders, dumpy arms, and a shortened spine. Not exactly what most folk want from a weight program to lose fat.

The best resistance training for fat loss (and muscle gain) is free-movement exercises, done standing, exercises that lengthen the spine while contracting the muscles. Overhead cables like we use in the Colgan Power Program are best as they can simulate virtually any free movement in life. The Program was first developed for Olympic athletes at Colorado Springs, so you can bet it’s first class for making people muscular and strong. But it also trains long, lean, flexible muscles. And more than 100 different exercises in it lengthen the spine while contracting the muscles. That should be your aim, a tall, elegant, flexible body that emphasizes the low body fat you have worked so hard in the kitchen to achieve.

Exercise for Fat Loss Rule 8

Get a mentor. You can go it alone, but a mentor adds immensely to any program for any skill. To achieve a great body you need someone who is an example, someone who has the skills, someone who can calm your wavering doubts and unerringly guide you in your quest. 

In my article The Making of Genius, 2005, which has been reprinted and copied innumerable times worldwide, I analysed the components that have produced genius in science, music, and arts. One vital component is the mentors that most geniuses had to develop them throughout their lives. These mentors were all experts in the different fields in which the individuals wanted to excel. They were all folk who had already been there, and had learned to excel at the skills.

Your goal of a great body for life is a difficult one. Most people who try fail repeatedly. You need a personal mentor. What Isagenix offers that no one else can, is hundreds of members who have done what you want to do, and who are on the same lifelong journey, walking the same good talk. 

1. Meijer GA, et al. Body composition and sleeping metabolic rate in response to a 5-month endurance-training programme in adults. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1991;62(1):18-21.2. US National Center on Sleep Disorders.http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/index.htm. Accessed 15 July 2012.3. Aldabal L, Bahammam AS. Metabolic, endocrine, and immune consequences of sleep deprivation. Open Respir Med J. 2011;5:31-43.4. Maury E, et al. Circadian rhythms and metabolic syndrome: from experimental genetics to human disease. Circ Res. 2010 February 19;106(3): 447–462.5. Van Proeyen K, et al. Beneficial metabolic adaptations due to endurance exercise training in the fasted state. J Appl Physiol. 2011 January; 110(1):236–245.

Kjersti Kote add a 9^th Rule:

Use Isagenix to fuel your body after your workouts! I recently interviewed Dr. Colgan and he said the best time to bring a shake into your body is exactly 30 minutes (not 1 hour or 2 hours) after your workouts. This will assist in leam muscle developement and recovery!

Going Organic the Easy (and Cheap) Way!!

When I talk about "going organic" I have people tell me all the time that "it is too expensive to buy organic food."  That is true, but I realized that it is sort of a "pay now or pay later" type decision.  You can pay for cheaper GMO or conventionally grown produce and meats and save in the pocket book today, or you can "go organic" and save the cost of medication and treatments for illnesses that these toxin laden foods cause in the future.

But you don't have to spend a lot of money on organic produce.  What if I told you that you could get $100 (or more) worth of  fresh, healthy, delicious tomatoes for $4???!!!  Now that is a great ROI don't you think?  How can you do this?  Buy a $2 pack of seeds and a $2 bag of planting soil and GROW YOUR OWN.  It simple ... fun ... healthy ... and the kids can even help!!

Tom and I have already planted our lettuce (Mesculin, which is made up of a variety of lettuces).  This spring mix of salad greens can cost around $2.50 in the "bag" at the grocery store, but we can go out every night and cut a fresh salad from our garden all summer long. What is our cost for a summer's worth of salads? -- $5.00!!  How can you beat that????

You can grow your favorite veggies anywhere, even in a pot on your back porch if that is all the room you have.  Start out easy ... maybe a batch of lettuce and a tomato plant to start.  Once you taste the fresh difference and feel the savings in your pocketbook ... you will be hooked on growing your own produce like me!!!

Five Great Phone Apps Suggested by “Hungry Girl”

If you are still working your new year diet and/or exercise program or you are restarting (like me), here are fun apps suggested by Hungry Girl for your phone.

Fitbit Ultra Wireless Tracker is a handy doodad that tracks your daily activity and calorie burn. It even monitors your sleep patterns. This is a good option for those willing to make a bit of an investment.

HealthRally is a website that allows your friends and family to invest in YOU. You set a goal (anything from weight loss to quitting smoking), and your support system can pledge money or other contributions as incentives -- but you only get the rewards if you meet your goal.

 GymPact lets you earn or lose money depending on whether you make it to the gym. If you don't check in and work out, you lose whatever amount you've wagered. At the end of each week, the accumulated cash gets divided among those who met their attendance goals.

Fit Freeway is another helpful app; it's an arcade-style race-car game... but you control the speed of your "car" by how fast you pedal your exercise bike or elliptical. Click here to try the free Lite version.

 Instant Heart Rate app will check your pulse using the camera feature on your phone.

Consequences of the National Obesity Epidemic

I’m surely not alone in feeling alarmed when I read that the obesity epidemic is worse now than ever. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently posted a website with a map of the United States showing the changes in obesity that have taken place over the last 25 years. I strongly suggest that you use this link and see for yourself.
Just to give you an idea of the gravity of the situation, I would like to share with you the following statistics:

• In 1985, the highest state obesity rate was equal to or less than 14 percent.  Six years later it increased.
• In 1991, the highest state obesity rate was equal to or less than 19 percent.  Six years later it increased.
• In 1997, the highest state obesity rate was equal to or greater than 20 percent.  Four years later it increased.
• In 2001, the highest state obesity rate was equal to or greater than 25 percent.  Four years later it increased.
• In 2005, the highest state obesity rate was equal to or greater than 30 percent.
• Currently there are 12 states that are in this category and one state is at 34 percent.
• In 1990, 10 states were equal to or less than 10 percent obesity range.
• In 2000, no states were in the equal to or less than 10 percent obesity range.
• In 2010, no states were in the equal to or less than 20 percent obesity range.
• Sixty-eight percent of the American population is considered to be either overweight or obese

To read the rest of the article, click this link.

Six Doctors

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.

~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

The Green Thing (cute story that makes you think!!)

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But he was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana . 

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have  electric machines to d everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But he's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then? 

Are You A Night Owl?

I have to confess I am writing this blog entry after midnight, so I am guilty of not getting enough sleep.  I found these two studies that show that not getting enough sleep not only slows your metabolism but it makes it harder for you to lose your excess fat.

Here are excerpts from the studies: 

Lack of Sleep Slows Metabolism

A small study published by Dr. Christian Benedict in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a lack of sleep slows metabolism.  In the study, healthy men were examined after a good night’s sleep compared to a night of continuous wakefulness.  The results showed a reduction in energy expenditure by 5 to 20% in participants as well as elevated levels of ghrelin, a hormone that promotes hunger, and blood sugar after sleep deprivation.  With the study only examining one night of sleep deprivation, it raises the question of how metabolism is affected over time by a lack of sleep. 

Sleep More and Lose More Fat

A study conducted by the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that, regardless of their diet and exercise regimen, dieters lost more fat when they got more sleep.  The study placed obese and overweight participants in two groups, one with 5.5 hours of sleep and one which got 8.5 hours of sleep over a 14-day span.  With the same exercise and diet during that time, those with more sleep lost more than 50% of their weight from fat, while the group with 5.5 hours of sleep saw only a 25% fat loss.  Despite consistent evidence, small studies do have not offered definitive or causative indicators as to why this is, so it’s incumbent on Americans to make sleep a priority. 

Pool Progress Update - August 1st

As many of you know, we have an indoor pool and gym.  Our old pool was 25 years old, so we decided that we should replace it,  which we did with a bigger and deeper pool!!!  Russell is now building the surrounding deck.  It will be a two level deck, with a seating bench around the right side.  He is doing a fantastic job as you can see.  Anyway ... it looks like we will be putting on the swim fins by Wednesday ... and taking the plunge!!!

Simple & Delicious ... and only 229.1 Calories!!!

I served this for dinner tonight ... and it was a major "hit" with everyone.  I didn't tell them how easy this was to make ... prep took me about 5 minutes, and it took the chicken about 20 minutes to cook up to the proper temp!!  This is a perfect recipe for a summer dinner.

Herbed Chicken with Raspberry Balsamic Sauce

1       teaspoon       olive oil
1/2    cup               red onions, chopped
1       Tablespoon  garlic, minced
1       pinch            red pepper flakes
1/2    teaspoon      dried thyme OR 1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2    teaspoon      salt, divided
4      (4-6oz)         boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3   cup               seedless raspberry preserves (I used low sugar raspberry preserves)
2      Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4   teaspoon      black pepper

1.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, add onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes.

2.  Sprinkle thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of salt over chicken.

3.  Add chicken to the skillet; saute 6 minutres on each side (or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees).

4.  Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

5.  Reduce heat to medium, add 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper to skillet, stirring until the preserves melt.

6.  To Serve:  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately Or return chicken to pan and coat chicken evenly, serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:  (1 serving = 1 chicken breast with sauce)
Calories:  229.1         
Total Fat: 4.1g (Sat. Fat 0.8g)         
Cholesterol:  72.5         
Sodium:  433.5mg
Total Carbohydrates:  21.7g (Dietary Fiber 0.7g, Sugars 14.9g)         
Protein: 24.4g

Notes: 
             1.  If you want a thicker sauce, let it cool slightly before pouring it over the chicken.            
             2.  I am going to try this with other no-sugar preserves to see how it works:  apricot, blackberry, peach.
             3.  There are only 4WW points for this recipe.
             4.  This recipe is also diabetic friendly.

The Health Ranger Avoid List

I have just discovered The Health Ranger's website. The site is filled with great information, and free health related downloadable eBooks. I recieve his news letter and it is always filled with great information about improving your health and your life!

When we are trying to change our eating preferences, we often hear what we SHOULD be eating. Not often enough do we hear what foods, etc. that we should AVOID and what effects they have on our bodies.

Here is The Health Ranger's Avoid List:

•Sodium nitrite (causes cancer)
•MSG / monosodium glutamate / yeast extract (causes obesity and nerve damage)
•Hydrogenated oils (causes heart disease)
•High-fructose corn syrup / sugar / sucrose (causes diabetes and obesity)
•Artificial colors (causes behavioral disorders)
•Aspartame (causes brain damage, optic nerve damage)
•Homogenized milk fats (cause heart disease and cardiovascular disorders)
•Red meat (absolutely no beef, pork, or other red meat)
•Cows' milk, cheese and dairy products
•Soft drinks, junk foods, snack foods or fast foods
•Processed foods such as cookies, crackers, frozen dinners, etc.
•Fried foods
•White flour and any foods containing white flour
•Refined carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, pastries, pizza dough, etc.
•Fruit juice drinks
•Brand-name laundry detergents (loaded with toxic fragrance chemicals)
•Popular deodorants (contain aluminum)
•Fluoride toothpaste (fluoride is a dangerous ingredient)
•Popular shampoos / soaps / conditioners (all contain harmful fragrance chemicals)
•Dryer sheets (contain fragrance chemicals)

More Boys and Their Toys: Tom's Dump Truck

Here's Tom with his "toy" truck!!!  I swear I am going to paint it yellow and black and paint "Tommy's Tonka Truck" on the side!!!

Being At Peace

PEACE

“When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”
                                                                                                                                         ~Peace Pilgrim.

I honestly don't think I have ever felt more at peace than I do right now. I have let go of people and things that have made me feel down ... now I only feel peace and freedom. This last year has been a total blessing for me. TYL

Farmer Tom Plows His Field

Farmer Tom is so excited.  He was able to use his very own tractor/rototiller for the very first time today in the garden.  Let me tell you, this has been a long time coming ... but very worth the wait.  He was happy as a clam as he rumbled through our hard packed clay!!

Five Steps for Running on Isagenix

Jennifer Pinner stretches before her run.

April 8, 2011 by Isagenix Nutritional Sciences

“One step at a time is all it takes.” This is the advice Jennifer Pinner shares on her running blog, MarathonForGood.WordPress.com, on how others can achieve as much as she does, which includes managing her weekly runs along with the responsibilities of marriage, motherhood, and churning out content as the senior communications specialist for Isagenix. Her blog is dedicated to her latest pursuit, which is fulfilling her dream of running the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2011.

She is running the marathon on behalf of Childhelp®, an organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect.

It’s well known to her family, friends and coworkers that when Pinner makes a plan, she sticks to it. The writer and running mom knows how to overcome mental barriers, heeding the training advice given to her by her high-school cross country coach: “90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.”

However, because of long runs and cross-training, the physical part of the job has been particularly taxing to her body, and with the Boston Marathon right around the corner, Pinner says that her main goal right now is simply to remain injury-free. Fortunately for Pinner, Isagenix offers products that can support her, as well as others, in attaining these ambitions.

Exercise builds the body up by first breaking it down. Endurance activities, such as running marathons, require months or even years of hard work in anticipation for a big event. What we eat not only plays a role in powering our bodies and fueling our workouts, but also in aiding recovery. Here are a few nutritional tips, with help from Isagenix products, for use in training.

1. Hydration, hydration, hydration.

With exercise, the body produces heat. The body actively works to reduce temperature and cool itself by pushing heat to the surface to be released as sweat. Endurance activities not only cause loss of body water through sweat, but also can reduce the thirst response. When dehydration occurs, the body’s cooling mechanism shuts down, which can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Also, neuromuscular activity decreases, which can affect the rate and strength of muscle contractions, leading to shortened endurance.

Drinking fluids should not be a response, but a routine. For pre-event hydration, drink between 18 to 24 ounces of water two hours before an event, and an additional 18 to 24 ounces 15 to 20 minutes prior to the start of the event. Make a point of avoiding alcohol, coffee, or carbonated drinks prior to a race, as these beverages may contribute to dehydration due to their diuretic properties. During the event, drink between 6 and 10 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes. Adequate fluid intake must be a priority, to both replace and replenish lost water and electrolytes. Caution: Be sure to not overhydrate. Hyponatremia is common in marathoners, especially women.

Drinking the right sports drink can enhance hydration and running performance.

Sports drinks such as Want More Energy?® will help replenish carbohydrate stores and also replace lost electrolytes. Additionally, it helps to speed up gastric emptying and increase absorption. For post-event hydration, allow the body time to cool down and heart rate to normalize before rehydrating. An athlete should be sure to check weight before and after a run to drink enough fluid to restore body weight; it’s suggested to drink 16 oz of fluid for every pound of body weight lost. Hydration is a priority for any serious athlete; hydrate before, hydrate during and hydrate after!

2. Don’t curb the carbs

A balanced diet is pivotal for adequate energy and nutrient availability. Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for the body. During periods of intense exercise, the body uses glucose and its stored form, glycogen, to fuel the muscles. The exhaustion or fatigue experienced following intense activity results from burning up these energy stores. Eating enough complex carbohydrates before an event helps enhance performance by maximizing muscle and liver glycogen stores, improving stamina and reducing exercise-induced fatigue.

Carbohydrates consumed during exercise will help maintain blood glucose and enhance carbohydrate oxidation. Drinking fluids with a few grams of simple sugars like Want More Energy? throughout the event can help preserve glycogen stores and help runners maintain energy levels.

Consuming carbohydrates post exercise is also important as it replenishes depleted glycogen stores. Simple carbohydrates, in particular, can help restore glycogen stores more effectively. Glycogen repletion occurs faster immediately after exercise, so it is recommended to consume 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight post-event every two hours for up to 6 hours.

3. Pre-game with principle.

It’s important to power your activity without weighing yourself down. Eating too close to the big event can cause uncomfortable bloating, lethargy or even pain. An appropriate pre-game meal should be high in complex carbohydrates and consumed three to four hours before the race begins, which will allow the body to completely digest and store the carbohydrates, eliminate any fats consumed and stabilize blood sugar. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of an athlete’s pre-game calories should be composed of complex carbohydrates to help improve performance and sustain energy levels. Fatty and fibrous foods should be avoided right before extensive periods of activity to avoid gastric distress.

Athletes training for prolonged endurance events should consume 9 to 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight to help support glycogen stores. Many endurance athletes practice a method known as “carb-loading,” which is a strategy used to maximize glycogen storage in the muscles by consuming large amounts of carbohydrates, along with extra water, a few days prior to the event. Isagenix SlimCakes provide a healthy dose of low-glycemic complex carbohydrates, promote satiety and supplement glycogen stores. In addition, foods such whole-grain pasta, whole-wheat breads, and whole oats provide low-glycemic carbohydrates that can not only increase glycogen storage capacity, but also improve performance by delaying the time at which carbohydrate reserves become depleted.

4. Whey to replenish.

Running a marathon puts incredible strain on the body and literally depletes nutrient stores. Protein is required to help rebuild muscle and repair tissues that are broken down from repetitive movements. Eating a complete meal containing protein, carbohydrates and fats is more beneficial for post exercise recovery compared to a meal containing carbohydrates alone. Evidence shows that combining protein with carbohydrates increases the rate of post-exercise glycogen synthesis. IsaLean Shakes or Bars are a great products marathon runners can take advantage of during training and after their event as they provide vital nutrients, such as whey protein (an excellent source of branched-chain amino acids that fuel muscle growth and maintenance), as well as carbohydrates. If providing the structural support for muscle repair and staving off fatigue are not enough, the IsaLean Shakes also deliver vitamins and minerals, including valuable electrolytes. (Jennifer is a big fan of the shakes and had a natural creamy chocolate one right after her last marathon in December.)

5. Manage muscle and joint discomfort naturally

A combination of ingredients can help runners keep joint discomfort to a minimum.

Intense physical activity of any kind is likely to result in suffering through muscle and joint stiffness and discomfort. Maintaining a normal weight, light stretching before an event, and proper training all go far in helping to avoid overtaxing muscles and joints. So can providing the body with scientifically-supported ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, boswellia and turmeric to help support production of healthy cartilage while inhibiting its loss over time.

Glucosamine is a major component of the proteoglycans, the natural “building blocks” of cartilage. The body’s production of proteoglycans declines with age, but glucosamine supplementation helps restore production and maintain healthy cartilage over time. Chondroitin is a natural compound that helps maintain joint lubrication, allowing for greater joint mobility and flexibility. Supplementation with chondroitin sulfate provides support to glucosamine in helping to slow joint deterioration. Comforting botanicals such as boswellia and turmeric act to soothe and calm discomfort.

Isagenix Ageless Joint Support provides all these ingredients along with several others providing combination to support healthy cartilage, promote production of new cartilage, and soothe joint flare-ups before or after they start. “It calls for three tablets daily, but its formulator Dr. Paul Anderson has recommended 6 daily if you’ve had issues. Amazing results!” When pain does take hold in muscles and joints, Ageless Pain Relief topical cream alleviates using no artificial ingredients or drugs—only natural menthol and methyl salicylate. The ingredients provide a cooling sensation when first applied followed by a deeper heat that can relax sore, tense muscles and relieve stiff, aching joints. “Right after a run, if I have even the slightest ache, I put a tiny dollop on the hot spot, do a little rub and compress it with a wash cloth to feel that cooling/warming sensation on my joint,” Pinner writes.

The Finish Line

Whether you’re a recreational runner or a seasoned athlete looking toward the next 26.2 miles, what’s important is maintaining energy and preventing injury. Consuming enough carbohydrates to fuel your run and enough protein to support the growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues, is a delicate balance that requires attention and quality ingredients to ensure a successful race.

As for Jennifer, we wish her good luck and good health!

Tip for Grilling your Salmon this Summer

Grilling season has started (at least for us!!).  Friday night I am going to be grilling some salmon for Tom and a friend.  I found these great tips.  Enjoy!!!

Grilling Salmon

There are various ways of Grilling Salmon - on the barbeque, under a grill , on top of the cooker in a Grill Pan or on a Chargrill. Grilling salmon has the added advantage of being very quick and therefore keeping much of the flavor.

In all these cooking methods follow these simple guidelines and you won’t go wrong.

1.  Make sure that the cut of fish is suitable, some nice salmon steaks or cutlets, thick salmon fillets or a whole salmon is ideal.

2.  If you’re using a whole salmon, make 2 or 3 slashes in each side of the fish to speed up the cooking process and place the fish further away from the source of heat to prevent it burning too much before it’s properly cooked.

3.  Never salt the salmon before you cook it, all this does is draw out the very juices that you want to keep in but by all means use pepper, herbs, rubs and marinades to vary the flavor.

4.  Take your fish out of the fridge beforehand so that it has a chance to reach room temperature.

5.  Turn your grill on at least 5 - 10 minutes before you intend to cook the salmon, if you’ve decided to have a barbecue it will need to be lit at least ½ hour before you intend to cook to allow the flames to die down and the charcoal to become grey.

6.  Oil your fish - not the grill! - This is extremely important, if you oil the grill your fish will stick.

7.  Try not to move the salmon around too much once it’s been put on the grill or Barbecue, leave it until there are bar marks on it and then give it a quarter turn, that way you’ll end up with a professional looking lattice mark. Once one side is done, flip it over and repeat on the other side.

Why Cleansing is Essential for Weight Loss





Phoenix Rising

 

I read this article on Suite101.com.  It explains why I have been able to lose 100 pounds with my cleansing program.  Those who know me know that I had all the odds stacked against me when it came to losing weight.  I think I finally tapped into the secret, and this article explains what that secret is!!

________________________________________________________

Storage of Toxins in the Liver and Fat Tissue May Hinder Weight Loss By Victoria Anisman-Reiner, Suite 101.com

Toxic build-up can be the cause of weight gain and may interfere with conventional weight loss efforts. Cleansing draws out these toxins for a slimmer and healthier body.

If you haven't heard of cleansing, the concept may seem to contradict conventional approaches to weight loss. Cleansing approaches the body from a fundamentally different perspective than calorie-restricted diets. Instead of counting calories and eating less, a cleanse helps you to eat the right foods and supplements so your body can purge toxins and wastes that accumulate in organs (such as the liver) and in adipose tissue, or fat.

A New Paradigm for Weight Gain and Loss

The conventional understanding of weight gain and loss tell us that the body stores fat when it is fed excess calories, and breaks fat down for energy when food is scarce. According to this model, body weight is based on a person’s unique metabolic rate and how much they consume.

Holistic weight loss experts present an alternate model in which it is the chemical toxins in our food (pesticides, preservatives, MSG, artificial colors and flavorings, and artificial sweeteners)

Where Does the Human Body Store Toxins?

Our bodies are equipped with complex systems to drain toxins and metabolic wastes through the skin, kidneys, lungs, liver and colon. But with exposure to food additives, synthetic personal care products, and chemicals in our water and air, the human body can be overloaded with chemicals to detox.

Most of the toxic load which cannot be detoxified is stored in the liver (right at your midsection) or isolated from the body’s systems in additional adipose tissue, or fat.

Why Some Diets Work and Others Don’t

If weight gain is the body’s way of segregating toxins where they can’t harm the rest of your system, then it logically follows that a weight-loss diet that does not help the body to purge these stored toxins will only succeed temporarily.

Weight loss can’t last without some form of cleanse because the toxins that were stored in fat tissue circulate in the bloodstream and other systems of the body - causing headaches, fatigue, achiness, pain, dizziness, moodiness, and other withdrawal-type symptoms - until the body locks them away in new fat tissue.

For optimal functioning, the body wants to segregate whatever toxins it can’t remove - which is why people regain weight after most diets.

Cleansing For Healthy, Sustained Weight Loss

If you’re interested in clearing out the toxins polluting your body and achieving real, permanent weight loss, the following tips will help you in your next cleanse:

Stop eating or drinking diet products! “Diet” sodas, "sugar-free" snacks and most energy bars are loaded with artificial sweeteners and flavorings. In the long run, these only sabotage better health and a slimmer body.

Don’t eat white. White bread, white flour, and white sugar are bleached and heavily processed.

Likewise, stop eating artificial sweeteners. They may say "lo-cal," but they’re even worse for your health and weight than white sugar.

Don’t starve yourself. Starvation dieting only slows down metabolism.

Go organic. Non-organic fruits and vegetables (especially these worst offenders) only put more pesticides into your body.

Try adding more fresh lemons, uncooked virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, goji or wolfberries to your diet, all of which promote healthy weight loss and cleansing.

Replace refined sugars with healthier sweeteners like agave and stevia, which balance blood sugar levels, support the pancreas, and do not promote weight gain.