Thursday, April 27, 2017

Photo via Cookinglight.com

So, did you ever really want to indulge, but thought I'd better stick to the script? Well with this spinach, cheese, and bacon bread pudding you can have your cake and eat it too. It's packed with 20g of protein and 34g of carbohydrates.  It's a little high in fat at16g but on the plus side, it's low in sugar at 8g netting 355 total calories.

My daughter, Kelly, and I tried it a few weeks ago and it's off the charts awesome. Everyone at the table loved it. At first, the preparation time appeared to be a little cumbersome, but it was actually very easy. If you want to go vegetarian, the recipe also provides suggested substitute ingredients as well. Don't let the serving size dish fool you.  It's actually very filling and will satisfy the largest of appetites.

Give it a shot.  Just click here or go to Cookinglight.com

Until next time, enjoy your workouts.






Thursday, April 20, 2017




Tracking your activities, workouts, and eating is the only way you can measure your progress towards your established fitness goals.  This information lets you determine what's working and what's not working. Importantly, it provides you with the information to make the neccessary adjustments to stay on track. It's almost like when you are using your GPS, take a wrong turn, and you hear the message "recalculating."

In today's fast paced world of technology, there are countless fitness apps that allow you to easily track your progress. There are some that track workouts, some that track running and walking, some that help you track your eating habits, and some that provide nutritional facts.  I don't know about you, but I find having to use that many apps very cumbersome and time consuming.

To keep it simple, I would like to tell you about the one app I personally use.  I think you will find it to be a real benefit to track your efforts. While this app is basically designed to help you eat healthier, it does that and more:

Health Tracker: This is where you track your workouts, meals/snacks, and water consumption and it compares your calorie intake to what is suggested for you.  It also provides a breakdown of percentage of carbohydrates, protein, and fat as well as the level of processed foods.

Food Finder: This allows you to scan products while you are shopping to determine the nutritional value of the product.  It actually gives it a grade based on nutritional value and level of processing.  It's easy to use, quick, and encourages feedback if you scan an item that is not in their data base.

Community:  This allows you to interact with others in the Fooducate community to exchange ideas, recipes, successes, etc. with the ability to upload and download photos.

Recipes: A wide range of healthy recipes that are updated daily.

Diet Tidbits: Great facts on everyday foods and separating fact from fiction in the diet/nutrition world.

This app also interacts with many of the fitness trackers on the market today.  I use the Apple watch
and it applies all my workout data to the health tracker.

I'm sure everyone has their favorite apps and preferences, I just think this app captures the information I need to stay on track, and keeps it simple.  Take a closer look by clicking here.

Until next time, enjoy your workouts.



Thursday, April 13, 2017


The rowing machine has been around for decades, but it's only now that people are beginning to realize the full benefit of this piece of equipment. The health and fitness benefits of rowing machines are not only impressive but inherently results driven. Here's why:

1. Improves Cardiovascular Fitness 
Whenever you perform sustained exercise that increases your heartrate and breath volume, you're working on your cardiovascular fitness.  Rowing is great for the heart and lungs because it engages every major muscle group of your body. That, in turn, requires your heart to pump more blood to your working muscle tissue to deliver energy and nutrients to your cells while buffering away waste byproducts, including carbon dioxide and lactic acid.

2. Increases Total-Body Muscular Strength and Endurance
When rowing, as with swimming, you can actually increase both your muscular strength and muscular endurance (although endurance is the primary benefit). This is because you're repeatedly pushing and pulling against resistance for the entirety of the workout, spurring physiologic adaptions that enable a muscle group to continue. What really makes rowing standout is that it works your entire body.  During the drive phase, you're engaging the major muscle groups of your legs, then your core, and finally your upper body and back.  This repeated exertion helps improve muscular endurance across muscle groups.

3. Low Impact
As long as you maintain good form, rowing is easy on the joints.  Your feet remain in contact with foot pads and your hands keep in contact with the handles, therefore, there's little to no impact being placed on joints that are prone to injury (i.e. ankles, knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders). This also makes it an appropriate form of exercise for those who are recovering from an injury or who feel physically uncomfortable during weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, or other aerobic activities.

4. Can Be Performed Individually or as a Group
Just like water-based rowing, workouts performed on rowing machines can be done individually or in a group setting. In fact, group rowing classes are popping up across the country as an alternative to group cycling classes. They're held much the same way with high-energy instructors, pumping music, and a loosely choreographed routine set to the beat of the playlist.  It's a fun option for those who want the benefits of rowing, but don't want to exercise alone.

5. Accessibility
Not everyone has a lake or river nearby,  not to mention a boat. Machine rowers are available at almost all gyms, they're available year-round, and they don't require users to wear a life jacket or know how to swim.  In other words, pretty much anyone can give them a try.

As you can see, there is nothing but positives to using the rowing machine and it compliments any workout plan.  The benefits/results are there whether you add a 10 minute ride to the end of a current workout or incorporate 20-30 minutes to a cardio day. If you have never used a rowing machine before, ask for tips from a trainer to ensure you're using it properly.  And, as with any form of exercise, start slow and work your way up.

Let me know what you think and enjoy your workout.

Sources:
Image Source
Rowing Stats: Health & Fitness








Thursday, April 6, 2017




Ever have those days where everything seems to get in your way? The days where everything seems to pile onto your already busy schedule and the time you've set aside for your workout gets buried.  If you're like most people, this probably happens more often than you'd like and finding that balance becomes a real challenge.  In fact, lack of time is the number one reason for not working out.

I would argue that, thanks to technology, we are also busier than ever before.  Finding a full hour to exercise is difficult for many.  However, it is important to recognize that there is nothing inherently "magical" about working out for an hour. It's the quality of the workout and the consistency of your program that matters, not the realitive duration.

The great news is that shorter workouts sprinkled throughout the day are extremely effective and will keep you in touch with your fitness goals. Just because a workout is short doesn't mean it is any less important to your overall health.  Here is one great example of a quick yet effective workout:

  • Squats - 30 Seconds (Lower Body)
  • Jumping Jacks or Jumping Rope - 30 Seconds (Cardio)
  • Push Ups - 30 Seconds (Upper Body)
  • Planks - 30 Seconds (Core)

This micro-workout keeps it simple. You can do one set or as many as your schedule permits. It requires absolutely no equipment, very little space, keeps you on track with your fitness goals, and helps you find that balance on the busiest of days.