Monday, October 26, 2009

Nutrition Facts

My son came home from school with a little card that he got at lunch. It had a few nutrition facts that I thought were interesting.

Each person has about 10 THOUSAND taste buds.

What food group provides the MOST energy to run & play? Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta

What fruit tree grows on every continent except Antarctica? The PLUM! They are a good source of vitamin C!

To help heal cuts & keep skin healthy you need to eat foods with what? Vitamin C! A few good sources are oranges, lemons and grapefruits... yummy!

Our bones are made mostly of calcium. That food group has a lot of this? Milk Yogurt & Cheese!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

just another day in paradise

We just rolled in... well, awhile ago. I am so glad to be back!!! What an awesome week it turned out to be!! 4 days of driving {the sprouts were AWESOME and well behaved; what a lucky Mom I am}!!and 4 days of playing! It couldn't have been better. We had a fun dinner way out on a fishing pier in San Diego {it was yummy}. I snacked on pretty healthy stuff and had at least one salad for a meal per day; what else could I crave when it's so blasted HOT?!! We drank A LOT of water; bottled, that stuff they call H2O down there is horrible {I am biased though, where I come from the water was snow not long before it hits the tap and it's filtered au natural}. But I digress..

We first hit Sea World in San Diego. WOW!!! What an awesome place!! We walked over 15,000 steps {10,000 is considered "active"} which was nearly 8 miles that day. I LOVED Sea World. The weather was beautiful. The animals are amazing. It was FABULOUS!! It was after Sea World that we ate on the pier and it was so cool to be way out there in this little cafe. So fun {minus the migraine that my MIL had}!The next day we went to the San Diego Zoo. Double WOW!! This place was HUGE!! I could EASILY spend days here and never be bored! We walked well over 8 miles this day, up and down hills and stairs. I seriously couldn't get enough of this place! We headed to the beach after the zoo where we had a picnic and played in the water. Coronado Beach was beautiful and picture perfect! We had SO much fun there!The next day was exclusively spent at Disneyland! I couldn't believe this place!! We walked nearly every inch of that park, easily another 8 miles. We rode on rides and met a lot of characters. My kids had an amazingly magical time here.Final day of play: Disneyland and California Adventure. FUN!! Yet another 8 miles too! it got nice and toasty {91 degrees} this day. What a way to end a great vacation! So now I'm back to 37 degree weather!! I'm ready to get back to the grindstone and have a million memories {and well over 800 pictures} to look back on. And an added bonus is that I managed to LOSE weight too; all that walking and being conscientious about what I was eating paid off!!!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

vacation vacation vacation!!!

We are OFF {tomorrow} for our California Adventure!! Wow. I am such a country girl, I am surprised that I am excited as I am for this Urban madness!! We are cramming our family of 6 and my in-laws into our car and driving like 18 hours!!!!! MADNESS I tell you, absolutely CRAZINESS!! But honestly, we are thrilled!! We've worked so hard to get out of debt and we're celebrating BIG by going to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland!

Don't you worry your pretty little heads about me though!! We've got nice healthy snacks for the car {a few junk food items but it's all about portions remember}! I'll be avoiding my traveling nemesis... SODA, as much as possible. I'm bringing my RUNNING shoes and we're going to get in AT LEAST one run on the beach, hopefully two... three if my in-laws are up to watching the kids that often!!! Besides all the walking we'll be doing every day! I'm bringing my little pedometer {even if it isn't the nicest and doesn't count EVERY step} for curiosity sake.

I am so looking forward to seeing the ocean. It's my therapy. I am GIDDY with excitement to see the zoo and sea world!! I wanted to be a marine biologist; how flippin cool would it be to work at one of these place?!!! Disneyland is going to be MAGIC. My kids are jumping out of their skins; and I can't wait to see every second of it!!

So off we go. You can STILL make healthy choices, even while on vacation!! I'll PROVE it!

Monday, October 12, 2009

MY kind of workout

Now I don't know about YOU but I can GUARANTEE that I would get one HECK of a workout on these stairs!!! I can totally see me pulling a "Josh Baskin" {Big...played by Tom Hanks} every morning on these babies!!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Protein Buff

For Fabulous Food Friday I am doing something a little different. Maybe I'll even stick with this for awhile. My kids are obsessed with knowing what things do for their bodies {maybe since we have always bribed them to eat things by telling them what they do for us}. Lately they have been asking me a lot about PROTEIN. So HERE are some things you may {or may not} know about Protein!*Protein is a part of almost every cell in the body! Hair & nails are almost all protein.
*Protein builds & repairs tissues
*Your body uses protein to make things like enzymes, hormones & other chemicals
*Protein is a huge part of things like bones, blood, skin, muscles and cartilage
*Protein is a MACRONUTRIENT... we need a good amount of it. The body does not STORE protein, so there is no "reservoir" to take from when needed.
*The type of protein you consume can play a role in successful weight loss and overall health {this does NOT mean protein diets are the way to go, I don't think they are}

GOOD PROTEIN SOURCES {taken from HERE} are:

  • Fish: Fish offers heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and, in general, less fat than meat.

  • Poultry: You can eliminate most of the saturated fat by removing the skin.

  • Beans: Beans contain more protein than any other vegetable protein. Plus, they're loaded with fiber that helps you feel full for hours.

  • Nuts: One ounce of almonds gives you 6 grams of protein, nearly as much protein as one ounce of broiled ribeye steak.

  • Whole grains: A slice of whole wheat bread gives you 3 grams of protein, plus valuable fiber.

I would like to add EGGS to that list. They are amazing {Click HERE to see our previous FFF post on eggs}

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Recovery Time

This week was initially supposed to be P90X Bring It Week!! It has turned into RECOVERY WEEK! Wow. I haven't taken a whole week off from working out for 10 months!! Double WOW! I listen to my body though and it's telling me that it needs a break!

See. My sweet little family had some AWESOME pictures taken on Tuesday {I will post a pic when we get them back; suffice it to say that they are totally FABULOUS}. My hot hubby and I decided to do some water shots. It was cold outside; 42 degrees cold, not freezing but cold! That water was snow not too long before!! We waded out waist deep and got some really REALLY sweet pictures!! We had towels and a change of clothes, didn't think anything of it.

We did dinner. Put the four sprouts to bed and whipped out PLYOMETRICS {a tough leg cardio workout}. I'm thinkin that was a bad idea! Both of us were really struggling. We didn't complete the workout and we have been SO SORE!!!

So I think the cold water combined with the intense leg workout was a bad combo. LIVE & LEARN right? My point though is A} LISTEN to your body and B} let your muscles RECOVER!! Know how hard you can push your body and when to back off! And what MOST people forget is that RECOVERY is JUST as important and working those muscles!!! You should NOT do the same thing {sit-ups, push-ups... whatever} every day! You NEED to recover in between!! And sometimes that recovery process takes LONGER than 48 hours {hence my week long-ish recovery period}! Listen to your body. Let it Recover!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Body Fat Percentage

It's been ages since I calculated my body fat percentage. I started P90X this week so as part of the BEFORE stage I figured out what mine was. I also found some great information on the subject from HERE.

Your body fat percentage is simply what portion of your body is made up of fat. A certain amount of fat is NECESSARY!! It helps with body function, insulates & cushions organs and tissues. And it's the body's main storage of energy. It's IMPORTANT to know what your body fat percentage is so you know a REALISTIC weight loss/gain.

AGE (Years) HEALTHY RANGE OF BODY FAT FOR FEMALES HEALTHY RANGE OF BODY FAT FOR MALES
18 - 39 21 - 33% 8 - 20%
40 - 59 23 - 34% 11 - 22%
60 - 79 24 - 36% 13 - 25%

Have you taken the time to determine your body fat percentage? I found a cool little website that makes it easy cheesy!! All you need to do is measure your waist, figure your height & weight. Click on Male or Female & enter you age & you're set! Go HERE and check yours today!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Winter Running

Winter is coming fast in my neck of the woods; it likes to come early and stay for a LONG time!! I don't mind; I ♥ LOVE ♥ winter. But I DON'T love running in the cold!!! I have a treadmill, a fairly nice one too. But I must admit that I HATE running on it {I'm an outdoor kind of girl}!! I'm going to have to cave and run on it anyway during the next 7 months or so.

ANY-WAY... I thought I'd check on some tips for running in the cold weather!! ABOUT dot com says:
* Watch for FROSTBITE. YIKES!! Your nose, ears, fingers and toes should warm up a few minutes into your run.
* Pay attention to TEMPERATURE & WIND CHILL. When the wind is strong it penetrates through those warm layers and eliminates that warm air around your body.
* Protect HANDS & FEET. Up to 30% of your body's heat will escape through your hands and feet. Use gloves that wick moisture away {mittens are great because your fingers get to SHARE heat}. Try those lovely disposable heat packs.
* Use LAYERS! Use synthetic material, it wicks sweat away from your body. Cotton will hold the moisture and keep you wet. Nylon or Gore-Tex will protect you from precip & wind but it still allows heat and moisture out to prevent over heating & chilling. You can use a middle layer of fleece on those colder days for an added layer of insulation.
* DON'T OVERDRESS! A good rule of thumb: dress as if it's 20 degrees warmer than it is.
* HATS. 40% of your body's heat escapes from your head! If you're really hard core you can wear a face mask on those bitter cold days!
* Be VISIBLE!! Reflective gear is a must for these shorter days. Be CAREFUL!
* Check with your Dr. The cold air can trigger chest pain or asthma attacks in some people.
* Protect your EYES. Wear sunglasses to prevent snow blindness {my husband has had it before and it is SO not fun}.
* Get DRY. If you are rained or snowed on be sure to get dry quickly. Know the signs of hypothermia {intense shivering, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and fatigue} and get help asap if need be.
* Stay HYDRATED!! {this should be a DUH by now} Cold air has a drying effect though so be sure to drink lots of water!
* SUNSCREEN. Snow reflects the sun's rays. Don't forget your lips too!
* WARM UP! You're at a greater risk for pulling a muscle on cold days. Make sure to warm up slowly and take it easy on really cold days! Save those tough workouts for a warmer day or run indoors.

Active also had these to add:
* Run during DAYLIGHT hours. That way you'll be warmer AND get some of those rays that we are missing out on!
* Stay LOW. Shorten your stride & keep your feet low to the ground; this will lessen your chances of slipping and falling, OUCH! Run on fresh snow when possible vs. ice or packed snow.
* Wear trail running shoes for added TRACTION.
* Briskly WALK for 5 minutes BEFORE you start running!!
* Start your run INTO the wind to avoid getting chilled at the end of your run.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Got Milk?

I love milk! I drink a lot of milk! So for our Fabulous Food Friday I thought it would be great to spotlight one of my favorite drinks!! I got all the following informations from www.gotmilk.comMilk is GREAT for our external beauty. The proteins, lipids, calcium, vitamin A, B6, biotin and potassium help hair to be soft and shiny!

Milk contains WHEY! So for those out there wanting to beef up their muscles, drink milk following a weight training session to help those muscles recover!!

PMS? Drink Milk!! A diet full of calcium can cut the physical and emotional symptoms in HALF!

Need better sleep? One of the proteins found naturally in milk can improve quality of sleep and even alertness the next day!

Good for strong bones. Milk is still the best way to get your daily calcium to decrease your chances of osteoporosis!

Teeth are bones too right?! Milk helps our teeth be strong and therefore reduces cavities {we all like that idea}!
Nutrition Data dot com also had this information:
This food is a good source of Protein, Vitamin B12 and Selenium, and a very good source of Vitamin D, Riboflavin, Calcium and Phosphorus.

The bad: A large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars.

One cup of 1% milk:
Calories - 102 - 5%
Sugar - 12.7g
Fat - 2.4 g - 4%
Protein - 8.2g - 16%
Cholesterol - 12.2mg - 4%
Vitamin A - 478UI - 10%
Vitamin D - 127UI - 32%
Vitamin B12 - 1.1mcg - 18%
Calcium - 290mg - 29%
Phosphorus - 232mg - 23%
Selenium - 8.1mcg - 12%

Go pour yourself a nice tall glass of milk! Your body will thank you!

Nike Trainer

Related Posts with Thumbnails