We love December, don't we?? It just seems like there is so much to do (xmas cards, xmas gifts, school winding down, etc) and my to-do list is never-ending! Stay focused and remember moderation. Enjoy yourself at the holiday parties, but keep up with your workouts and your healthy eating. You all are looking fabulous, toning up and reaching your goals- don't lose sight of that over the holidays. You've worked too hard to let it all go!
CLEANSE-- Ok... We are getting closer to January. The plan will be to start the elimination diet the week of Jan 2nd and will start the full cleanse on 8 January. It will last 21 days (or as long as you can- even 1 week is better than nothing!) I highly recommend that you put your all into it for as long as you can. I'd rather you do 7 fully focused days (i.e. no big cheating!) versus 2 weeks of cheating once per day. If you want to get the full benefits of the cleanse, you really have to follow the program. Just think of the happier, healthier version of yourself that you might find at the end of it! And remember- it's temporary. You might change your lifestyle completely after the cleanse, or you might just change a few things. Either way, it's one month out of your life that will be so beneficial for your body!
Did you know that 99% of the chemicals that are in circulation today did not exist prior to 1950? Did you know that 57% of foods (grains, meats, produce, water) contained pesticide residue in a 2009 study? Our world is highly toxic! But you can do something about it...by detoxing your body and helping your systems (digestive and immune, primarily) start working efficiently. They were designed to eliminate toxins and keep you healthy, but our environment and food is so overloaded, our bodies cannot keep up. If you want to buy the book ahead of time, before we all cleanse together in January, it's called CLEAN by Dr Alexandro Junger. It is not required reading, by any means, but you might want to do your own research before we begin.
Weekly workouts: Remember 2 HBHL instructor supervised workouts per week and 3 on your own. To get the full benefits of the program, I'd like you to get 5 workouts per week- but AT LEAST make time for 4 workouts. Do not feel guilty about taking time for you!! You are worth it!!
Did you know that sitting all day can actually be damaging to your health? Our bodies are designed for movement- we are meant to get up and go! Sitting, and especially sitting in one stagnant position, strains your muscles, increases your risk of heart disease, and slows your metabolism. The average woman sits for 8-9 hours each day! Although, I'm sure any woman with energetic kiddos doesn't find herself sitting for too long... I know I sit a lot reading for my classes, but I have found that I can read while stretching or standing. I can also ensure that I take "study" breaks every 45 minutes where I get up and MOVE my body by venturing outside my kennel on a drink or bathroom break. We all may have jobs or commitments that have us sitting- but you can't blame back problems or a slow metabolism on being "forced" to sit all day. There are options and ways to get up and get moving! Exercise is one of them, but not the only way to prevent excessive "buttitis" from harming your health.
Sitting is so hazardous because it brings your metabolism to a screeching halt. When I'm forced to sit (like in class) I try to move my position every few minutes (or seconds- and it is not fidgeting!) which is important because your bodies metabolism engine is fueled by constant little movements. An enzyme known as lipoprotein lipase captures fat and eliminates it. The more lipoprotein lipase, the more fat you are burning. When you stand, you are activating muscles to support your weight, these muscles release the enzymes which seek out and burn up fat. But if you sit still, and don't shift your weight every minute or two (which is a natural motion of your body) you burn less fat and slow down your metabolism.
How can you keep your metabolism up? Some ideas include pacing while you are on the phone, taking walks after meals, performing some of your work while standing, instead of emailing or calling- WALK over to talk to the person, don't bring a chair to sporting events or the park- if you don't have a chair, you'll sit less, and opt for bar seats at restaurants because they distribute your weight more evenly and keep a natural S shape in your spine when in the proper "perching" position... reminds me of my USAFA days- sitting on the first 1/3 of my chair... little did I know, it wasn't torture it was actually promoting spinal alignment!
Check out this NY Times article on the subject if you want to learn more (and I hope you do!):
Nutrition Lesson: Flavoring... where does it come from?
Last week on 60 Minutes, they did a report on The Flavorists- the companies that actually chemically replicate natural flavors so that they can be overly exaggerated in our food (thank you Julie Holland for sharing!) By doing this, they are actually tweaking our tastes and creating artificial cravings. I'm not joking- Morley Safer mentions that strawberry and vanilla flavoring can come from the gland of a beaver's backside. Ewww. Below is the link to the 60 minute segment (it's about 14 mins- but well worth watching).
The following article describes the various studies that have demonstrated the link between chemical flavorings and potential addiction. If you'd like to research more, check it out:
SuperFood of the week: ARUGULA
What can I do with arugula? In a previous post, I added arugula to a healthy baked white fish recipe, and some of you may not have been familiar with using or cooking with arugula. Arugula is one of those foods (it's actually a cruciferous vegetable in the same family as broccoli) that is healthy for you AND spices up boring old salads. It's often a hard sell for the kiddos, but it is great for the mature palate. It's packed with antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. It has a peppery flavor and if you can find the right recipes, it adds a lot of flavor to your dishes.
Arugula is low in fat, salt, and calories. It is high in fiber and helps to create a full feeling after you eat it. Fresh arugula is available all year round- look for crispy leaves and a rich green color. Store arugula similar to spinach or kale. A salad is the most common use for arugula, but you can also use it on burgers, sandwiches or in soups and stews. This week I'm including two salad recipes that call for arugula. I hope you'll try them out- I'm sure you'll find them a welcome alternative from the same old head of lettuce!
Recipe:
This week I'm sharing two salad recipes- using our new food of the day...arugula! One uses figs (discussed in last week's blog) and the second is a twist on the Greek Salad using the arugula. Enjoy!
Have a wonderful week! As always, feel free to email me with any questions :)
Be Educated. Be Balanced. Be Fit. Be Healthy.
Namaste,
Jannell
Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology
Certified yoga and fitness instructor
HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.
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