Power to the Honey Bee!

Not too long ago I did a post on raw, organic honey as a super food.  In it's raw state it maintains its richness in antioxidants & antibacterial qualities plus enzymes that help with digestion.  I also mentioned that Australia's medical profession uses it for wound healing.   The wound healing was a plus but I really didn't elaborate or dig deeper. . . . . until last night.

I roasted some pecans in a large pan with a handle as opposed to the usual baking sheet which was housing my chicken.  I pulled the pecans out of a HOT oven and decided to sample one to make sure it was toasted just right and decided they needed another 5 or so minutes.  I guess it was the sight of the usual friendly handle that made me forget it had just been pulled out of a HOT oven and I grabbed the handle to put back in the oven. Needless to say the pan ended up on the floor with the pecans everywhere.

For hours I alternated putting my hand under running water, holding a baggie with ice (FYI - not supposed to use ice on a burn), putting my hand in water and vinegar (the ph in vinegar neutralizes the skin and draws out the heat), even tried lavender oil (forget why that helps but I was trying everything I had on hand) I'm sure all that helped but my hand was still on fire hours later.

Decided to google burn wound "healing" and up popped honey (raw honey of course as the processed kind loses its healing properties.)  I immediately lathered honey on my hand and I am not kidding when I say within minutes the pain subsided completely.  Ahhhhh such relief.  If you've never had a burn trust me when I say they are painful.  This morning my hand is sticky and maybe still a small sense of what happened but basically it's business as usual.

Not that I wish anyone will need honey for anything other than pure enjoyment but Trader Joe's carries their own brand of raw, organic honey.  It's great.  You can find it at Whole Foods and Kroger as well but you'll pay a few dollars more.  

Power to the Honey Bee!!

Spice up your workout with Kettle Bells

Keeping your work-outs fresh and challenging not only keeps you interested but keeps your body and muscles on their game.  Kettle Bells are iron balls with a handle, and if you're looking for something to jump start your exercise program, pick up a couple.

They originated in Russia and have spread throughout the world. They're great for increasing your functional strength which transfers to better daily life or athletic enhancements. AND in most kettle bell exercises the all important CORE is highly involved.

Let's start with one of the basic kettle bell exercises - the SWING.  It develops the lower back, hamstrings and shoulders.   Three muscle groups in one move. You gotta love that!

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width.  Hold a kettle bell in both hands; let it hang down in front of you. Using perfect "squat" form bend you knees so that the kettle bell hangs between your legs. Keep your back and arms straight, and swing the kettle bell up away from you until it finishes directly above your head. Control it back down to return it in between your legs. Complete 10 to 15 repetitions. A couple of tips - drive up with your legs and use the momentum of the upward swing of your arms to complete this move.  At no time should you use your lower back to initiate the swing and you want to keep your arms straight throughout the move - no bending the elbows.

To Eat or Not To Eat!

And the answer is - of course! One must eat and eat often.  Clients frequently ask me if they should eat before a work out and/or how long after they workout should they eat.  There was a school of thought (I believe back in the 90's) that you should work out on an empty stomach so that you burn more calories.  Turns out that's not true.  Your body needs glucose for fuel (in addition to those fat stores). If you don't have any blood sugar available, your body will eat the muscles' glycogen. Plus low blood sugar will make you tired and sluggish during your training session.

Best to have a light meal approximately 45 minutes before your workout.  You'll have more energy for your workout, more endurance to work harder which will burn more calories, and improve muscle tone. After your workout there is approximately 45 to 60 minutes that your muscles absorb the most nutrients, and glycogen is replaced the most efficiently.  So it's just as important to eat something immediately after a workout.  Something with both protein and carbs - like yogurt, protein shake or peanut butter and banana.

Think of your body like a car.  You wouldn't (couldn't) run a car on a empty tank and your body is no different. Fill it up with premium food AND just like you wouldn't keep putting fuel in your car's tank once it's full , learn to also keep your metabolism stoked by frequent small meals so that you do not overeat.  Your body will thank you and the reward will be a sleek, smooth running machine.