Shout Out To "The Cute Little Taco!"

 

I just have to share my most favorite recipe. It's my favorite because it is absolutely delicious and yet every ingredient is a power packed nutrient or "functional" food. If you're wondering what constitutes a functional food, check out my blog for June 22. Added bonuses for this recipe are ease of preparation and it makes a great presentation. I found the recipe on preparedbypaige blog which is full of healthy recipes along with pure indulgence recipes. I'll start with list of ingredients!


Package of wontons (with 0 saturated fat, 0 trans fat and 6 grams of protein)

1 avocado (super food!)

1 mango

1 ear of fresh corn

1 lime (citrus is a super food)

Cilantro to taste (I use a lot because it happens to be my favorite herb)

Black beans -major super food (I cook dried but you can use canned, drained and rinsed)

Arugula or romaine (super food)


You'll need a miniature muffin tin. Preheat oven to 400 and place a wonton wrapper in each of the pan's muffin molds. Bake for 5 minutes and there you have your "cute little tacos!"


While oven is preheating, remove corn from cob, chop your avocado, mango, and tear the arugula into bite size pieces. Add the black beans and cilantro pinched from the stems, and mix altogether with the juice of one lime.


Spoon black bean mix into your cute little tacos and prepare for a tasty treat that comes with no guilt!

How to get started and stay motivated with your exercise program!

The easiest and most sure fire way of getting started and continuing with your program is to work with a personal trainer. You don't won't to miss an appointment so you, first of all, show up! Secondly, you have someone to write your plan, monitor your form, mix up the exercises to prevent boredom, and keep you progressing so you don't get "stuck". I welcome new customers and encourage you to contact me at nbestes@gmail.com for an appointment.

The second best thing to do is make a contract with a buddy saying that the two of you will work out together. This is another case of built in incentive to show up as you don't want to let your friend down! You need a plan for how and when you exercise. Consider mixing up aerobic exercise with anaerobic exercises. In other words, do a day of weight lifting and then the next day do the treadmill, bike or just run. On days of weight lifting alternate doing upper body one day and lower body the next.

When I first started working out I did 3 days of strength training (with a trainer), and cardio on most days that I didn't lift weights. I now take 1 day off a week and my program includes cardio almost everyday and weight training 4 days a week plus I throw in some classes like yoga, body combat and a sculpting class. I'm a firm believer in starting small by doing something that YOU WILL DO! A year will go by whether you exercise or not so why not start tomorrow with that first step and let tomorrow be the first day of the year you get into the shape you want. You really can do it. And remember. . . . . we do not grow too old to exercise but rather grow old from lack of exercise.

Any Soy Lovers Out There?

I'm convinced the soy industry has done the most amazing job of marketing soy to be something it's not. Namely, a health food that offers products like tofu as a protein to replace animal meat, soy milk for an alternative to cow's milk and if you haven't noticed it's hard to find a processed food item that doesn't have soy in it (my favorite protein bar- ugh!) Soy is cheap and is typically grown on farms that use toxic pesticides and herbicides, and many are from genetically modified organisms or GMO's. Monsanto provides roughly 90% of GMO seeds in the world. These seeds have been genetically modified to produce their own pesticide or engineered to withstand repeated spraying of toxic herbicides. What was Monsanto thinking when they came up with these toxic seeds designed for mass consumption?

For every article or study I read that supports the health benefits of soy there are just as many that contribute these findings to bad science and superlative marketing by a powerful industry. Whichever is correct there is one thing for certain and that is genetically engineered soy is to be avoided. At the very least buy soy products that are non GMO.

Another apparent myth is the Japanese eat huge quantities of soy and as a result have low rates of breast, uterus, colon and prostate cancers. A 1998 study showed the typical Japanese male ate only 2 teaspoons a day. Their good health could be due to the fact that the Japanese diet has far less fatty meats and processed foods than our Western diet. Fermented soy such as miso and tempeh however offer enhanced bioavailable nutrients and have been a staple in Japan for 1000 of years. The fermenting process is long and removes the toxins that are present in non fermented soy.

I personally am going to err on the side of caution and write off soy products unless they are fermented. If soy is a staple in your home you might want to start reading some of the voluminous material that is published on its health risks or even also ask your doctor.

P.S. The ads/links you may see to the right of the screen are automated based on the topic. Notice from whence any soy or GMO links come from and you'll understand why they are in conflict with my post. Thanks, Beth

Functional Training, Functional Food - What's That All About?

Functional training is purposeful movement to develop strength, speed, balance and coordination. It usually involves a movement that works more than one muscle group and the use of a medicine ball or stability ball or kettle bells. A good work out is varied and incorporates a variety of movements that would include "functional training" exercises. Therefore I've never really been on board with the idea of functional training being the new and improved form of training. To me functional training is "part of" not "in place of" a good and varied program. But that's just me. Examples of functional training are holding a ball overhead, next lunge forward with your right leg and bring the ball down while twisting to the leg that lunges forward (right leg in this example) or doing a push up with legs elevated on a stability ball. All good moves!

Functional food, now that's a different story. I get that. The definition of functional foods is "any food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients." Fast food (if it really is food) provides nutrients for sure but don't count on any health promoting or disease preventing antioxidants and phytochemicals to be included in the fast and happy little meal. The term functional food was first used in Japan in the 1980's where there is a government approval process for functional foods called Foods for Specified Health Use or FOSHU. I like that.

Go here for a comprehensive list of functional foods that you can further link onto the specific food's health benefits. We also know them as "super foods" like blueberries, salmon, walnuts, avocado, chocolate, red wine. The list is long and what most of these foods have in common is they are bright and colorful! Like orange, blue, yellow, green, and red. It's a beautiful thing.

Can Optimism Improve Your Health?

Researchers say yes. The definition of optimism is "a belief that the future will be mostly good." It doesn't mean that we can't feel depressed or dissatisfied with our work, relationships or a situation life throws our way (a flat tire can ruin your day for example) but rather we recognize these moments as a passing cloud. Here are 5 steps to increase your optimism.

First, set and pursue goals. Better mental and physical health are consistently tied to things you can only get by trying. An optimist is more likely to eat right and exercise due to their belief that their actions shape their destinies. So if its better health and fitness, a new career, better relationships you want - make it a goal.

Second, be persistent in achieving your goals. Optimists believe they will eventually succeed, so they keep plugging away at their goals long after their pessimistic peers have quit. Positive expectations fuel motivation and hard work while negative expectations have the exact opposite effect.

Third, tackle your problems head-on. The optimist launches into active problem solving, while the pessimist avoids, ignores, or disengages from challenges. The problem with the latter is it has been associated time and again with distress, anxiety and depression all of which take a toll on your health in addition to not getting you what you want. When adversity strikes resist distracting yourself with vices that only anesthetize your feelings but brainstorm solutions either by yourself of with someone else.

Fourth, change your perspective. Tricky. So you tackled your problem head-on but even with your best efforts it did not work out. Well, you win some, you lose some. The optimist can start to realize the benefits from having gone through the process of problem solving. They will keep their perspective by recognizing the pros and cons (yes, the negative feelings - we can't ignore them) and realize this has happened and I can't fix it but I don't have to let it sink me into the abyss. Finding the silver lining so to speak will keep you moving forward.

Fifth, imagine the worst. Seems opposite of optimism, but not really. Imagining roadblocks and how you will respond sets you up for success by making you feel prepared to cope with whatever comes along. Isolate exactly what it is you're worried about, and is it something you can overcome? If the answer is yes, set the plan in motion. If no, then it makes sense to hold off, not because you've worried and procrastinated yourself into inaction but because you've done the research.

If you want to test your Optimism IQ go here and click where it asks you to take a personality test. I did it and was surprised at my score!

Need an abbreviated work-out for home?

Even though I have a fitness studio in my home, I usually always go to the gym to work out. I need the atmosphere, the commitment that comes from driving there. But I've become very aware that some people find it hard to find time to get to the gym or just plain and simply don't like the atmosphere. So here are a few power moves that you can do at home without the need of any equipment.

Core strength is vital! The core is your abdominals, back and glutes. A strong core keeps you in alignment and helps prevent muscle fatigue. Two great moves for the core are planks and push ups:

Plank
Get in push up position with your hands shoulder width apart and arms straight. Your body should form a straight line from your head to ankles and you should be on your toes. No slumping your mid section or lifting your rear out of alignment. Easy, right? Here's the test, try and hold this position for 2 minutes without breaking perfect form. Let 2 minutes be your goal but push yourself to hold it for at least 90 seconds, ok 60 seconds for sure.

Push up for core and upper body
Remember these from high school? There's a reason they've stood the test of time.
Start by getting back into the plank position but for a push up your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders. Now lower yourself by bending at your elbows. Let your arms do the work and don't let your body sag. Do as many as possible! Push ups work your core, your chest, back and some biceps/triceps.

Squat for lower body
Stand with feet slightly wider than hips. Think of a wire attached to your rear pulling it back as you squat as low as you can. Keep an eye on your knees and make sure they are not extending beyond your toes (for the sake of your knees). Return to standing and add a jump.
Go for twenty!

Sit ups
Not crunches but sit ups - starting flat on your back with hands overhead and reaching your hands to your feet. Let your goal be 50.

Repeat these 4 moves 3 times and call it a day!

Go Braless When You Can!

Flashback to the 70's (for those of you who can remember the 70's)! If you weren't born or not old enough to remember - women went braless! Can you believe it? Undetectable maybe for those less endowed but what a site for those who were! Just imagine.

In researching trampolines (talk about a flashback), the latest piece of equipment in my gym, I discovered some interesting information about the benefits of jumping on a trampoline and breast health. In short, it benefits the lymphatic system among other things. More on that but back to going braless!

Restrictive clothing prevents the flow of both blood and lymph fluids. The free movement (no bra!) of the breasts during walking and exercise helps in pumping the lymph fluids through the breast tissue. Just like cardio releases toxins from your blood your lymph fluids need the same cleansing that comes from daily exercise. healingdaily.com reports the following stats as it relates to restricting the area around your breasts (which negatively impacts healthy lymphatic fluid and blood flow):

24 hours per day wearing bra increases chance of breast cancer a whopping 75%
12 to 23 hours - 14%
12 and under - .66%

Your cardiovascular system is pumped by the heart. The lymphatic fluids however are altogether separate and need natural movement (as opposed to having something like the heart pumping it through). Cardio helps but not quite as good as the "rebounding" linear effect you get from jumping on a trampoline. Your lymph fluid moves vertically through vessels filled with valves that run up the legs, arms and torso and moves in the same direction. The up and down rhythmic bouncing on a mini trampoline causes all of the one way valves to open and close simultaneously, increasing lymph flow that carries the waste and toxins out of your body. If we don't move enough and cause our the lymph fluids to move, toxins build up and poison our cells.

Top 10 Reasons Mini-Trampolines are Good Exercise:

Pumps the Lymph
68% more oxygen efficient than other forms of exercise
Virtually no impact on the joints
Increases capacity for breathing
Helps normalize your blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Improved coordination
Increases activity of red bone marrow in the production of red blood cells
Stimulates metabolism
Tones up glandular system

It is recommended that you do rebounding with bare feet so you do not slip. You can also wear tennis shoes but to be safe you might want to start out bare foot till you get the hang of it.

Bounce on.

More information about sun, Vitamin D and sunscreen

Remember, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good?" I reference that again because after researching the many vitamins I wasn't happy with the information regarding D3, sun, sunscreen, etc.. A lot of information pointed to the fact that we need natural sunlight for vitamin D3, yet we need to protect our skin from the UVA and UVB rays, and worse, sunscreens may be a contributor to skin cancer. Well, that's just too confusing, especially for us fair skinned folks who understand the damage the sun can perpetrate on our skin.

I attended a luncheon this week and the guest speaker was Dr. Jodi Ganz with Olansky Dermatology. Her presentation was on skin cancer(s), tanning beds, sunscreen, vitamin D - all those topics. Her presentation was great and answered most of my questions and those that she didn't cover I stayed behind to ask! The word serendipitous comes to mind!

Here's what I learned and I'm sticking with it!

First of all, understand sun rays are radiation. Even those die hard sun bathers would probably agree that they limit or avoid if at all possible medical radiation. So let's be smart about our exposure to the sun. Yes, we need a little sun. But the amount of sun you need to get adequate D3 is 10 minutes over the span of space equivalent to the back of your hands. In other words, a small amount of space for only 10 minutes. And it's true the typical diet does not give us adequate D so supplementation and LIMITED sun is in order.

Protect your skin with a sunscreen that has protection from both UVA and UVB rays and understand that it's only good for 2 hours. So reapply, wear hats and clothing that have UPF ratings. No problem finding T's, hats and other clothing with UPF ratings at LL Bean, REI, Costco.

Even though we keep hearing about sunscreens contributing to skin cancers, according to Dr. Ganz there is NO scientific evidence to support this claim.

Learn to love your "natural glow" or if your natural glow is blindingly white, use self tanners. She also likes the "mystic" spray-on tans but while having your mystic tan sprayed on don't be tempted to jump in a TANNING BED as the science is in on those bad boys. Their UVA rays are the culprits in aging and skin cancers and are considered to be a class I carcinogen.

Lastly, products to reverse damage and keep that moist and youthful glow:

Retin A - if you don't have a prescription use products with high retinol (at night)
Moisterizers with Vitamin C, Green Tea, and Coffee Bean.



I'm back from an awesome trip to California. The ocean, mountains, wine country - what's not to love. The nights that we didn't eat out we popped into whole foods with iphone in hand and my favorite blog preparedbypaige It was a snap to scroll through her recipes, choose an item and shop right then and there. Life is good.

Gone Fishin'

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I'm celebrating late with a trip to San Jose to visit my most favored son!

Hope to pick up some health tips while in CA - after all it makes the top 20 list for healthiest states in the US. Unfortunately GA is not on the list. . .

Let's do something about that!