HBHL - 15 May 2012 (Fitness - Powerbodyz)

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,


I hope everyone has already marked their calendars for this weekend's inaugural HBHL Community Wellness Day and Expo!  Come out to Metro Fitness in East Montgomery - Sat 19 May from 4-7 PM.  We've got a kids fun run planned, free powerbodyz and yoga classes (for all ages and levels!) as well as live music, food, and various local vendors.  Hope to see you there!  CLICK HERE for details on the Wellness Day & Expo


We are half way to our goal - if you haven't had the chance to donate your time for this Saturday's event, or make a donation via the website...please do so!  Our goal is to reach $3K by the end of May!  Help us reach that goal so that we can continue to expand HBHL and help more families get healthier!

    This week's Fitness Lesson:  PBZ Calorie Burn

Quite a few of you have asked me - how many calories are burned during a PBZ workout?    Unfortunately, there isn't a single answer to that question.  Calorie burn depends on the individual; factors such as body weight and level of effort have a huge influence on the amount of energy expended.  A 120 lb female could put 100% into a 10 min routine and not burn as many calories as a man who weighs 80 pounds more and only gives 70% effort.   

A calorie burn estimate between 500 to near 1000 is probably fairly accurate.  However, to best determine your calorie burn, use a good quality heart rate monitor, such as Polar.  It allows you to plug in your personal info then uses that info based on your average heart rate during the workout to give you your ESTIMATED calories burned.  

Just remember: the higher the heart rate, the more calories burned. Since PBZ is designed to take your heart rate to 100% of its max, during a PBZ workout an individual can expect to burn some serious calories!  

Remember the PBZ workouts are always available on the workouts tab of www.healthybodyhealthylife.org so there is no excuse to not get a workout in!  You can fit them in at night, early in the morning, or even in the middle of the day when the baby is sleeping :)


**PBZ has partnered exclusively with HBHL.  PBZ classes are only offered through HBHL and select gyms right now.  You are on the cutting edge of this new fitness revolution :)


If you'd like to read more about calorie burn, especially as it relates to burning fat - revisit my 17 Jan 2012 blog here.

Reminder about this week's Challenge:  Follow the Healthy Body Maintenance Week recipes or try to incorporate more whole foods into your diet (aim for 50% of your daily food intake to come from whole foods)!

Don't forget to answer this week's Facebook Question:  What is your favorite type of exercise? 

Have a wonderful week!!

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.  

Namaste,

Jannell 

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified yoga and fitness instructor

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

www.healthybodyhealthylife.org

HBHL - 13 May 2012 (Whole Foods)

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,


Thanks to everyone who came out to Chick-fil-a last Wed night.  We made $155 and are halfway to our goal of raising $3K.  If you can donate your time to support next weekend's event, cook/bake something for the event, or can donate to the cause (using the donate button on the website) it is much appreciated!!

REMINDER:  This Saturday (19 May) head to Metro Fitness in East Montgomery from 4-7PM and support HBHL at our inaugural Community Wellness Day!  Invite your friends, bring your families and join the fun!  We've got a kids fun run planned, free powerbodyz and yoga classes (for all ages and levels!) as well as live music, food, and various local vendors.  Hope to see you there!  CLICK HERE for details on the Wellness Day & Expo

New information and changes to some classes in the Montgomery area.  CLICK HERE for local HBHL - AL info

Healthy Body Maintenance Week:  For any of you interested in a healthy eating week - I've included a tab on the website with all of this week's recipes.  Recharge your body and refocus your eating habits! CLICK HERE for the Healthy Body Maintenance Week Recipe List
 
Powerbodyz: New workout is posted - CLICK HERE for PBZ Workout

This week's Wellness Topic: Whole Foods

What is a whole food?  It's a food that is eaten as close as possible to its natural, nutrient-rich state.  Think of fruits and vegetables consumed directly from your garden, or unrefined grains.  Basically, whole foods are unprocessed, and don't contain added synthetic or artificial ingredients.  


Whole foods are full of natural nutrients, vitamins, phytochemicals, and minerals.  When eating food in its natural state, you get the benefit of direct absorption of all the natural ingredients.  When food is processed, many of the beneficial nutrients are stripped.  Not only that, but a lot of preservatives and chemicals are added to the food to replace the healthy stuff!  In addition, excess fat, sugar, and salt can add unexpected calories.  You can actually maintain or lose weight by consuming more whole foods.  The natural fiber in many fruits, veggies, and grains can fill you up without adding calories.


Diets that are high in whole foods are associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease.  You can reduce your chances of developing cardiovascular disease, various cancers, and type 2 diabetes, just by incorporating more whole foods into your diet.  It would be nearly impossible to cut ALL processed foods out of your diet.  Just stick with a goal of decreasing the amount of processed foods and increase the amounts of whole foods.  

So, think of an apple rather than the apple juice.  Grab some nuts instead of a candy bar.  Think of a potato rather than a potato chip.  Remember the moderation rule and just think before you eat :)   

This week's Challenge:  Follow the Healthy Body Maintenance Week recipes or try to incorporate more whole foods into your diet (aim for 50% of your daily food intake to come from whole foods)!


This week's Facebook Question:  What is your favorite type of exercise? 


Have a wonderful week!!

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.  

Namaste,

Jannell 

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified yoga and fitness instructor

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

www.healthybodyhealthylife.org

HBHL - 8 May 2012 (Superfood - Kale)

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,

WED NIGHT is the night!!! Bring everyone you know to Chick-fil-A in E. Montgomery and support HBHL!!!  9 May 5-9PM hope to see you there!!!

       This week's Superfood:  KALE

Review the Nov 27th, 2011 blog for more info on the benefits of KALE

Hopefully kale has become a staple in your diet, as it has in mine.  It's super nutritious and easy to incorporate into various recipes including smoothies, soups, and as a healthy snack (ref our kale chip recipe below!) 

I know I've blogged about Kale before (ref link above) but there is just so much to say about it, one blog isn't enough!  Many of you have written to tell me all of the creative ways you've used kale.  From adding them to meatballs, spaghetti sauce, various soups, muffins, and even mac and cheese, some of you have been able to work them into your regular recipes without your kids even knowing the difference.  However, the vitamins and nutrients they get from the kale is making a huge difference in their health.  If you haven't answered this week's Facebook question, and you have a creative way of incorporating kale into your meal, please share it with the rest of us! 

According to webMD:  One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.  The great thing about kale is that its vitamins and minerals are directly absorbed by the body - this is especially important in regard to calcium.  

Here's an excerpt from my Nov 13th blog about calcium absorption:

"One important reason for increasing your plant based proteins is CALCIUM.  Most healthy calcium sources are actually beans and leafy green vegetables- like broccoli, kale, collards, and brussel sprouts.  These veggies pack a lot of highly absorbable calcium!  But what about milk?  Isn't milk a good source of calcium? That's what all of the ads say!  Actually, milk does provide calcium, BUT in combination with the animal proteins in the milk, it actually promotes calcium loss.  Animal proteins actually escort calcium out of your bloodstream and out your body via urination.   If you are an AVID meat eater who gets a majority of calcium through milk, you can lose up to 50 percent of the calcium you ingest. Studies are now showing that the answer to osteoporosis is actually a nutritious diet centered on fruit, vegetables (especially broccoli!), grains and legumes, as well as exercising three or more times per week, rather than the ingestion of more milk.  Check out the following article that goes into more detail on the relationship b/w protein and calcium, and the importance of natural, rather than synthetic Vitamin D, to the calcium absorption process:  

Protein, Calcium, and Vitamin D

Slowly but surely, I hope the nutrition information I pass along is making you THINK about what you're eating and CONSIDER diet changes to become a healthier version of yourself.  My goal is to educate you so that you can make the right choices for your family.  Knowledge is power and we are all on a journey together... a journey toward building healthier bodies and ultimately, healthier lives!"

Lastly, I recently found this blog which is all about kale.  You will find TONS of great recipes for experimenting with kale.  I encourage you to check it out and get creative with this awesome superfood!!  Check it out here:  365 Days of Kale

This week's Recipe:  KALE CHIPS

1.  Preheat oven to 275. Take about 5 large stems of kale leaves, wash, thoroughly dry, remove tough stems and tear them into pieces. 

2. Drizzle with about 2 T of grape seed oil (be sure to rub the oil on every piece between your thumb and forefinger; really get in all the little ripples of leaves) and season with sea salt. *You can substitute olive oil for the grape seed oil and also add some paprika for added spice!

3. Place in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking. They're done when they're all light, flaky and crispy. 

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.  

Namaste,

Jannell 

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified yoga and fitness instructor

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

www.healthybodyhealthylife.org

HBHL - 6 May 2012 (Yoga Pose- Warrior II)

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,

REMINDER:  This Wed (9 May) head to Chick-fil-a in East Chase, Montgomery from 5-7PM and support HBHL.  20% of the night's profits will go straight back to our organization!! Don't miss this great opportunity to support us!

Also - a reminder about HBHL's Community Wellness Day on May 19th from 4-7PM at Metro Fitness in E. Montgomery.  Hope you all can make it!  CLICK HERE for local HBHL - AL info


CLEANSE:  For any of you interested in a healthy eating week - we will be putting together a week's worth of recipes for meals/snacks along with a shopping list for the week of 14-20 May.  More details to follow!


Powerbodyz- This week's PBz workout is posted.   Check it out:  Powerbodyz Workout

Wellness Lesson:  Continuing our yoga pose series...

Thanks again to Jessica Turner for her inputs this week!

Warrior II Pose

Virabhadrasana II

Sources:

www.yogajournal.com

Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar

Continuing our series of standing yoga poses, this week we will look closer at Warrior II.  We take Warrior II often during our strength and endurance sequences of class not only because this pose strengthens the legs, but also because it increases stamina.  Along with several other standing poses, it is also therapeutic for sciatica pain.  Remember to breathe deeply!

To find your Warrior II Pose, start with your feet 3 ½ to 4 feet apart, turning one foot out to a 90 degree angle (left shown), just like Utthita Trikonasana (see 8 April 2012 blog).  The heel of this front foot should line up with the arch of the back foot (note that beginners can line the front heel with the back heel instead of the arch).  Lift your arms parallel to the floor, palms down.  Keeping your hips and shoulders stacked; bend your front knee until you have a 90 degree angle between your thigh and calf.  Always ensure that your knee never crosses your ankle when lunging.  Keep your arms strong and turn to look over your front arm.

Never allow your bent knee to cave inward, work on opening it out toward your pinky toe.  You should be able to see your big toe on your front foot.  If you have neck issues and it bothers you to look over your front hand, turn your head to look straight ahead instead. 

One of the most common errors in this pose is incorrect alignment of the upper body.  Check yourself in the mirror and stack your shoulder directly over your hips, so it does not appear that you are reaching forward in front of your body.  Similar to Utthita Trikonasana and Ardha Chandrasana (see 22 April 2012 blog), you can check your form in this pose against a wall.  You may find that you need to curl your tailbone under to help lift your upper body.

Additional benefits of this pose:

• Strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles
• Stretches the groins, chest, lungs, and shoulders
• Stimulates abdominal organs
• Increases stamina
• Relieves backaches, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
• Therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, infertility, osteoporosis, and sciatica 

Counter-Indications:

• Diarrhea
• High blood pressure
• Neck problems: Don't turn your head to look over the front hand; continue to look straight ahead with both sides of the neck lengthened evenly

Hope you enjoyed this review of Warrior II!  Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.  If you need any assistance or would like an adjustment in this pose, I am always available after class, hope to see you there!

This week's Facebook question:  

How do you sneak extra fruits/veggies into your daily meals?

To stay updated on everything HBHL, make sure you sign up for this blog as a subscriber (at the top right of the home page) and follow us on Facebook!

Have a wonderful week!

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.  

Namaste,

Jannell 

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified Yoga, Powerbodyz, Piyo and Fitness Instructor

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

HBHL - 1 May 2012 (Superfood - Turmeric!)

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,

Hey everyone!  Sorry the blog is one day late this week, I'm actually on vacation and was having some technical difficulties!  I do have some fabulous news to share:

Bring the kids and join us at Chick-fil-A at Eastchase on 9 May from 5-9PM!  Chick-fil-A is partnering with HBHL to raise money for our website by offering a Spirit Night!!   Come and dine between 5 and 9PM on the 9^th of May and Chick-fil-A will give HBHL 20% of your sale!  So spread the word – tell your friends to join us and tell the cashier that you’re eating to help HBHL!  They’ll put your sales total on a sheet and at the end of the night 20% of all of those sales will go to HBHL!!! 

How you can help:  Come and eat with us!! Tell ALL of your friends who live in the area to come out! Put the above entry on your FB page as an event and invite your friends!  Put it out on any local FB site that you may belong to.  Tell other ACSC, SAASS, OTS, Instructors and/or military members to spread the word for us AND join us!! 

Also - a reminder about HBHL's Community Wellness Day on May 19th from 4-7PM at Metro Fitness in E. Montgomery.  Hope you all can make it!  CLICK HERE for local HBHL - AL info

Feeling sluggish? Maybe Valentine's Day, Easter and your busy lifestyle have prevented you from staying on the healthy eating track?  Anyone feel the need to recharge?  Well, it's time for a cleanse maintenance week!  We will start the Monday after Mother's Day weekend and go for one week (May 14-21).  Just one week of healthy, clean eating to get you back on track!  Anyone can join me (and note - it is by no means mandatory!)  We've got some great new recipes from Chef Meredith coming out, so stayed posted.

Clear your schedule for that week (except for the HBHL Community Day which will have plenty of healthy and approved foods available!)  We should also have our clean coach available on Facebook to answer any of your questions.  Get ready to clean your body and get  re-focused on healthy eating for the summer!

Powerbodyz:  New Workout is posted this week!
Check it out here

This week's SUPERFOOD:  Turmeric!!
(Thanks to Chef Meredith for her contribution to this post!)

This week's super food is actually a super spice...turmeric. You may think you've never had turmeric before, but if you've ever eaten a food with curry powder, you have indeed! Turmeric, an ingredient that has been used for over 5,000 years, is what gives curry powder it's yellow color. It has been used throughout history as a condiment, healing remedy and textile dye. That said, use caution when cooking with it as it WILL stain!In a nutshell, turmeric is a concentrated source of the phytonutrient curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties, and has been found to promote optimal liver function. The therapeutic advantages are almost endless, but to name a few, include diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic illnesses and malignant diseases. 
There are a few easy ways to add turmeric to your diet; add a teaspoon or two to soups, stews and curry dishes. Sprinkle a bit onto foods that compliment it's taste, such as cauliflower, lentils and chickpeas. Or try adding turmeric to salad dressings or egg salad to give it a bolder yellow color and nutritional boost. 

Bottom line: adding a daily sprinkle of this super spice to your cooking routine can be a very valuable addition to your healthy lifestyle. 


This week's RECIPE:  Curried Chickpeas 

Ingredients:
2 T coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 can chickpeas
1 c diced carrots
Kale leaves from 4 large stems, chopped
1 can lite coconut milk
1 (heaping) T flax
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 c chopped almonds
Black pepper to taste


Directions:
1. Heat oil in large saute pan over med-low heat.  Add onions and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except black pepper) and turn heat up to med-high until the coconut milk begins to boil.  Turn heat back down to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add black pepper to taste.  Top with chopped almonds. Serve hot. ** You can put this over a bed of brown rice or quinoa.

This week's Facebook question:  What is your go-to healthy late night snack?

To stay updated on everything HBHL, make sure you sign up for this blog as a subscriber (at the top right of the home page) and follow us on Facebook!

Have a wonderful week!

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.  

Namaste,

Jannell 

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified Yoga, Powerbodyz, Piyo and Fitness Instructor

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

www.healthybodyhealthylife.org

HBHL - 24 April 2012 (Superfood - Cauliflower)

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,

This week's Superfood:  Cauliflower!                                    (Thanks to Meredith Hill for her assistance with this week's post!)

Cauliflower is certainly one of those superfoods that should be included in everyone's diet--it's versatile, packed with nutrients, and low in calories!


Besides just being a good source of vitamin C, folate and fiber, it's packed with cancer-fighting phytochemicals.  Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale contain the largest concentrations of health-promoting sulfur compounds, which increases the liver's ability to produce enzymes that neutralize potentially toxic substances. 

Want to maximize the enzymatic health benefits of cauliflower?  Cut it into small pieces (quarters) and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes after cutting, before eating or cooking.  Also, sprinkling a little lemon juice onto the cut cauliflower pieces will further enhance its beneficial phytonutrient concentration.

With under 30 calories and 3.3 grams of dietary fiber per one cup serving, cauliflower is an ideal food for healthy weight control. There are numerous ways to prepare and enjoy cauliflower, but the healthiest and tastiest ways are to eat it raw or to lightly sautee it for about 5 minutes. 

This week, try something new with cauliflower like...

This week's Recipe: Cauliflower Poppers!

(recipe adapted from: http://www.delightedmomma.com/2012/01/baked-cauliflower-poppers.html)

1 head of cauliflower

2 T. olive oil or grapeseed oil

sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the cauliflower. Cut off and discard the stem. Cut pieces into quarters and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower pieces with oil and salt, making sure to lightly coat each piece. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for one hour, turning every 20 minutes, until each piece has a nice brown color (the browner, the better). Remove from oven and enjoy immediately!

To stay updated on everything HBHL, make sure you sign up for this blog as a subscriber (at the top right of the home page) and follow us on Facebook!

Have a wonderful week!

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.  

Namaste,

Jannell 

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified Yoga, Powerbodyz, Piyo and Fitness Instructor

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

www.healthybodyhealthylife.org

HBHL - 22 April 2012 (Yoga - Half Moon Pose)

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,

Please remember as we head into another busy spring and PCS move season, this simple phrase:  "Be nice to your body."  HBHL helps you respect your body in order to build the foundations for a healthy life.  So, if you are tempted to skip multiple workouts or to push aside the moderation rule in favor of multiple splurges, try to find that voice in your head that reminds you to be nice to your body... it's the only one you have!

HBHL - AL folks we've got a new yoga class added to the schedule this week.  Mondays at 930 - CLICK HERE for HBHL - AL Information

Things are set in motion for our inaugural HBHL Community Wellness Event on May 19th from 4-7pm.  Mark your calendars!!  Event details are below.

Powerbodyz- This week's PBz workout is posted.   Check it out:  Powerbodyz Workout

Wellness Lesson:  Continuing our yoga pose series...

Thanks again to Jessica Turner for her inputs this week!

Half Moon Pose

Ardha Chandrasana

By Jessica Turner

Sources:

www.yogajournal.com

Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar

            Revisiting two themes from our previous yoga pose, Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), stress relief and using a block, this week we focus on Half Moon Pose.  Not only is this pose beneficial for relieving stress, but Half Moon is an awesome pose to use a block.  The block keeps your chest lifted and allows you to open your hips and shoulders, plus it helps keep you balanced!  Personally, this pose feels best to me when my upper body is lined up straight with my raised leg, shown below.  Remember that blocks are tools to help you achieve perfect alignment, not a crutch!  Perhaps it’s just me, but my arms are not as long as my legs, so in order to stack my hips and shoulders in Half Moon (achieving that perfect alignment), I need a block!  Play with the height of your block to see what feels best for you.

       To find your Half Moon pose, start in Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle Pose - see previous yoga blog), take your raised hand to your hip, bend into your front knee reaching your bottom hand forward (right shown).  Your hand should be place about 12 inches in front of your standing foot, and to the outside of your pinky toe.  If your hand is too close to your body, you will have trouble keeping your balance.  If your hand is not to the outside of your pinky toe, you will not be able to fully open your hips and shoulders.  Lift your back leg aiming to make it parallel to your mat.  Your hips are open, so your toes should be aiming to the side.  Flex your foot to help with your balance.  If you are sturdy, you can raise your top arm (shown).

            Once you become comfortable in your Half Moon, you can always turn your head to look up toward your lifted hand (avoid trying this if you have any neck problems, look straight ahead keeping both sides of your neck evenly long).  Another challenge in this pose is lifting your bottom hand and placing it on your heart.  This requires core strength to keep your upper body in the same position.

            Just like Utthita Trikonasana, you can check your alignment by trying this pose against a wall.  Both glutes, both shoulders, and your entire back should be against the wall.  Adjust your block until you can feel the wall in all these places.

Benefits of this pose:

·       *Strengthens the abdomen, ankles, thighs, buttocks, and spine

·       *Stretches the groins, hamstrings and calves, shoulders, chest, and spine

·       *Improves coordination and sense of balance

·      * Helps relieve stress

·       *Improves digestion

·       *Helps relieve menstrual pain

·       *Therapeutic for anxiety, backache, indigestion, osteoporosis, sciatica, fatigue, and constipation

     Counter-Indications:

·       *Headache or migraine

·       *Low blood pressure

·       *Diarrhea

·       *Insomnia

    

I hope you enjoyed this review of half moon pose!   Please feel free to ask any questions or let myself or Jessica know if you would like to feel an adjustment in this pose.  We are always available after class, hope to see you there.

Here is this week's Facebook Question, go to Facebook and share your answer:  What motivates you to work out?

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.

Namaste,
Jannell

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified Yoga, Powerbodyz, Piyo and Fitness Instructor

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

www.healthybodyhealthylife.org