How to Poach an Egg

Poaching eggs is a healthier option when preparing eggs because you do not have to use oil or butter. Poached eggs are "eggcellent" as they are great on a salad or eggs benedict. The perfect poached egg will have a smooth, unbroken yolk surrounded by a shiny egg white that sits perfectly around the yolk.  Don't be intimidated, these poached eggs are just as simple as they are perfection.



INGREDIENTS:

6 cups Water

2 teaspoons White vinegar

1-8 each Eggs, large

1. Gather your mise en place: Gather all of your ingredients before you begin to cook. Timing is everything.


2. Choose the right pot:  The saucepot should be wide enough to easily add the egg to the water or remove it from the water.


3. Simmer: When poaching eggs the trick is to take your water just to a simmer, not a rapid boil.  A simmer is when the water temperature reaches 160- 180 degrees. You will notice small movements in the water.


4. Vinegar: Add 1-2 teaspoons of white vinegar to the water. The vinegar will enhance the eggs appearance because it assists in coagulating the egg white (Keeping the egg white together).


5. Crack and go: Slowly add each egg. When you lower the egg into the saucepot, get as close to the water as possible. By easing the egg in, the yolk has a better chance of not breaking.


6. Easy: Start by adding 1-2 eggs at a time. If you overcrowd the saucepot it will reduce the water temperature and the eggs will not cook evenly.


7. Wait: Allow 3-5 minutes for the egg to reach its perfect temperature. You will know when the egg is ready, the yolks will begin to thicken and the egg white will be set.


8. Remove: Remove the poached eggs with a slotted spoon. Allow the poached egg to set on a cloth to allow excess water to run off.


9. Serve: Enjoy poached eggs on their own or with H3 Faux Hollandaise as Eggs Benedict.

Friday Fitness: CrossFit Q&A

FULL DISCLOSURE:  I’ve been participating in CrossFit for over three years and have been a member of a CrossFit Affiliate gym for the last two.

I recently received an e-mail from a guest of H3 that writes for a major Chinese newspaper.  He was interested in writing an article on a growing fitness phenomenon called CrossFit.  You may have recently seen the CrossFit Games featured on ESPN.  The CrossFit community has outgrown Bally’s, 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym combined.  And, within the last two years CrossFit has inked a multi-million dollar partnership with Reebok.  CrossFit’s mentality has often been described by the following 100 words that were originally coined by the founder, Greg Glassman:

“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.”

 

I was asked to answer the following questions about my experience with CrossFit and my thoughts on their style of training:

The Obesity-Cancer Connection

For most Americans, cancer continues to be our greatest health fear and—second to the common cold— the one we feel we have the least control over. What happens when you combine fear with a sense of little control? More fear and inaction. But surprisingly, there is a lot you can do to lower your cancer risk.

Avoiding tobacco has the biggest impact, but maintaining a healthy weight and getting sufficient exercise is a very close second. A new report published in the Cancer Journal strengthens the weight, fitness, cancer connection. Mary Plescia M.D., director of the division of cancer prevention for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, commented that while Americans know about the link between obesity, diabetes and heart disease, they don’t understand the connections between cancer and obesity. This new awareness may help those who are concerned about cancer to be more motivated to increase their physical activity and make healthier food choices.

Another study presented at the European Breast Cancer Conference suggests that overweight and obese breast cancer patients are at increased risk for the reoccurrence of the disease. Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and an associate professor at the Harvard Medical School, said that “obesity is a modifiable risk factor, and although there is not yet enough evidences to say with certainty that losing weight or exercising more regularly will reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence, there are consistent links between factors such as diet, weight and physical activity patterns and breast cancer prognosis. If future studies show that making changes in lifestyle behaviors for women with early breast cancer will improve survival rates, then lifestyle interventions may one day become a standard part of breast cancer care.” So whether it is preventing cancer or the reoccurrence of breast cancer, it appears lifestyle plays a powerful role.

For more on the relationship between diet, weight, exercise and cancer risk, visit the American Institute for Cancer Research website.

 

Zzz's to Success

Last year, I wrote a blog post on how sacrificing a few Zzz's was worth getting up early to walk along the beach. Recently, I had to remind myself of how true this statement really is.

I am hands down a night person. Many of you may be just like me—you feel tired all day but are wide awake at night. Needless to say, getting up before I absolutely have to is a struggle for me. I’m not exactly sure why I thought attending a 6 AM boot camp would be perfect for me but I purchased the pass for the class and am now finding myself dragging to get out of bed in the morning.

To overcome my sluggish attitude, I’ve tried a few things that have seemed to help me in the mornings. I call these tips my “Zzz’s to Success.”

·         The first thing I do when the alarm goes off in the morning is hit the snooze button and roll over. I now set my clock radio to help me wake up in the mornings. For some people a radio may help, others may need to turn on the news or set a clock in a different room. Whatever you do, try to switch up your normal routine.

·         The second thought that goes through my head is “oh, you don’t have to workout now. Just wait until after work.” This excuse always fools me because I never actually feel like working out after work. Plus, there will always be some reason to not workout later in the day. I’ve grown to overcome this “I’ll get around to it later” mentality, by really focusing on the task at hand. It’s only for one hour and I know I’ll feel better once it’s accomplished and out of the way.

·         What actually pushes me to get out of bed in the morning though is thinking about how much I really enjoy Boot camp. From some of my other posts, you probably already know that I enjoy group fitness but Boot camp really pushes me like none other. To me, boot camp is like having a personal training and a personal cheering squad all in one. Not only am I getting in a full body strength and aerobic workout, but I’m also meeting new people, in a better mood and have more energy throughout the day. I’ve also noticed that being up a little earlier than normal has prompted me to eat an even healthier, well-prepared breakfast and increase my water intake.

The last thing I’d like to leave you with is this quote, found on our Pinterest page. Remember this the next time you need a little motivation to start your workout:

Source: ncfit.tumblr.com via Hilton Head Health on Pinterest

Need a jumpstart?! Join us for our 3-day Next Level Fitness workshop coming up in May. Similar to boot camp, you'll enjoy team building exercises and excursions. For more information, check out the sample schedule.

Running on E?

From Samantha Newman, current Program Intern from Arkansas

With all the time and energy demanding “to do” lists require every day, how can we stay “fully charged” to face tomorrow? Since none of us are the energizer bunny here are the top 5 energizers to reboot and finish our days with ease and peace.

1. Drink water to energize- thirsting for energy? You may be more so than you think. Dehydration is the number one factor in fatigue. So fill and refill that water bottle!

2. Eat for energy- try eating strategically by focusing on timing, balance and variety. When it comes to meeting your energy needs, the right foods at the right times will give you the “fountain of youth” energy you need. Don’t forget to eat your MetaboMeal to help you get from meal to meal. Bananas, nuts and oats are great sources of energy that will keep you going throughout the day. You could also whip up a Super Smoothie for a sweet burst of energy.

3. Jump start your energy with exercise- just thirty minutes a day can boost your energy, moods and alertness which means happier days and less stress. For a quick boost-get moving!

4. Rest for energy- aside from food; sleep is one of your body’s main sources of fuel. Sleep deprivation can take a toll on your health and productivity. So “hit the hay” a little earlier so that snooze button is less appealing in the morning.

H3 Recipe: Seared Tuna in Santa Fe Marinade

INGREDIENTS:

Marinade

1 cup Lime juice, fresh or concentrate

4 cups Chicken stock or vegetable stock

1/2 cup Cilantro, fresh, chopped

1 Tablespoon Garlic, fresh, minced

1 Tablespoon Cracked black pepper

Tuna

2 – 4 ounce Tuna fillets Or any other type of fish

1 teaspoon Olive oil

Pinch Salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

•  Marinate tuna in Santa Fe Marinade for 1 hour.


• Preheat oven to 375˚F.


• Preheat saute pan to medium high heat.


• Add olive oil


• Season tuna filets


• Sear each tuna filet on hot saute pan for about 4 minutes, Do not touch the tuna for at least 2 minutes while it’s cooking!


• Then place the pan in the oven. If cooking ahead, simply sear each side and when ready, finish cooking in the oven and follow remaining directions.


• Bake for about 15 minutes.


• Serve with your favorite sauce or the Peanut ginger sesame sauce.

Number of servings: 2

Serving size: 1- 4 ounce fillet

Calories: 190

Fat grams: 7 grams

Coaching Corner: Don't Let Time Pass You By

Yesterday I walked into the grocery store at the south end of Hilton Head and the place was packed!! I had to stalk people leaving the store trying to find a place to park. Spring break has officially hit the island! As I was checking out I wished the clerk “good luck” with the rush of people. She replied “I actually do not mind being busy, it makes the day of faster.” That is a phrase that I have used before (not at H3 of course!) but this was the first time that I stopped and thought about what that meant. Why do we want the day to go by fast? Do we just want to get it over with? Is that how we want to live our lives…watching the clock and waiting for the time to pass?

There are some jobs or tasks that are not as exciting as we would like them to be. There are workouts that seem to last forever…but do we really want to wish our time away? I keep a sand hourglass on my desk at home to remind myself that time in not round as a clock face would suggest. Time is passing, just like those grains of sand, and we cannot get it back or get more of it.

There are times at the end of the week when I look back on the week and feel like a bull running through a china shop. When I am busy, I put my head down and push on. It is time that we start looking up and embrace each passing moment. Yes, we may not love the task at hand, but what can we do to bring life to this moment. How can I contribute and benefit the lives of others during my time? What can I notice that makes me smile and opens me up to the richness and depth of life? Whose day can I make? Giving away a thought, a smile, or a kind word can have a huge impact on another person’s day and make your time, no matter how monotonous it maybe, worthwhile.

Tiny Seed... Big Benefits

Flax seed contains many healthy components. Some call it one of the most healthy plant sources on the planet! There is evidence that flax seed can help lower cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation and work as a laxative. Flax seed is available ground or as a whole seed.
It packs so many great health benefits, now how do you incorporate flax into your daily diet?
1. Start Your Day Right! Sprinkle ground flax seed onto your normal breakfast cereal, or yogurt and berries—or try something different and add 1 teaspoon of ground flax seed to the H3 Eyeopener Oatmeal.

2. Dress it up! Add ground flax seed to your favorite salad dressing. Try the H3 Mirin Flax recipe. This salad dressing is amazing; it has a sweet taste with a zesty Asian flair.

3. Bake it! Enrich baked goodies with ground flax seed. Mix 1 teaspoon of ground flax seed into muffin or pancake batter. (Avoid the halo effect; the calories will still count despite the added fiber.) The H3 Banana Flax Muffin is a great recipe to try out for fun!

4. Shake it up! Your afternoon MetaboMeal is begging for a flax smoothie! In a blender, blend your favorite fruit, low-fat plain yogurt, skim milk and ground flax. Boom! You have a delicious, easy and healthy treat!

Friday Fitness: Connecting the Elements with Four Basic Yoga Asanas

As many of you may know, our (H3’s) annual spring Yoga Retreat is just around the corner. In efforts to engage and encourage more yoga into your daily routine, I have decided to make yoga this Fitness Friday’s theme. As the weather begins to shape up, and spring begins to bloom, let’s take our yoga outside and re-connect with the four classical elements.

There are four basic outdoor asanas (postures) that yoga practitioners can easily integrate into their outdoor practice. Each posture and the elements of nature they represent have a corresponding impact on the physical as well as the spiritual body.
For example, earth exercises help to provide a grounding effect on our physical and spiritual body. These postures/exercises help to add more stability. Meanwhile, wind postures/exercises represent the ability to achieve freedom and self expression. These will help to nourish your body. Fire exercises present strength, power and zest. These postures represent the continual effort to meet and achieve goals. And lastly, water postures/exercises are the closing postures in your outdoor asana practice. The element of water represents rejuvenation and calm. As you practice your water asana outdoors, feel the elements of nature like a tide washing through your body. Let the water flood your body with soothing energy. As the water asana helps to calm and sooth, it resulting exceeds past your physical body and into your spiritual body.


 

(Descriptions below)

Food Addiction Recovery Has Arrived to Hilton Head Health

 



Hilton Head Health is a very successful business by many standards. You can’t remain in business for 35 years without offering a superior product or service. They have withstood the test of time while changing countless lives for the positive. I am thrilled to be a part of this very functional family.

However, my arrival here did not come without some hesitation and some pretty substantial scrutiny by the H3 staff. Likewise, I had to do some soul-searching to make sure the job they ultimately offered me (after a month-long, very demanding interview process) was a good fit for me. You see, they don’t let just anyone work here. They have a clear vision for how to help others enhance their health and are not derailed or distracted by health-enhancing fads or waves of popular research. The employees at H3 walk-the-walk and don’t promote the profuse number of quick-fix solutions that inundate all of us on a daily basis.

When I shared my story of recovery from food addiction during my interview process, the H3 staff responded positively to my experience but was apprehensive about my use of the term, “food addict.” Their concern with me referring to my struggle with food as an addiction, and my ultimate desire to share this label with H3 guests, was that it would create a negative stigma, or defeatist tone that might be counterproductive to the healthy lifestyle strategies they promote. It took some convincing on my part, and a lot of trust on the part of H3, to allow me to stick to my principles. I would move forward with my position as the new Director of Behavioral Health with aspirations of expanding the concept of food addiction within the H3 curriculum.

Fast forward seven months, I’m still here and the concept of food addiction has seamlessly made its way into several of my lectures. In fact, it has been enthusiastically embraced by many of our guests and has provided them with a new perspective on their struggles with weight. The dialogue has begun, and although it may only apply to a specific few, it may very well be life-transforming for those individuals. No longer do they have to look at their inability to control food as a defect in character or a complete lack of willpower, both of which produce shame and pervasive feelings of failure. Food addiction can be regarded as a flaw in the brain reward system, just like any other addiction, and can be managed quite successfully just like diabetes or heart disease. Fifty pounds lighter, six years now, and I can say with certainty that food addiction is treatable.

Now that the door has been opened, if you are interested in learning more about food addiction and its treatment, join me for an intensive three-day Food Addiction Recovery (FAR) workshop in June. Please take a look at the flyer and sample schedule for more details.

Cleaning for Exercise

Today's post is from Ariel Wynne, a current Program Intern from Long Island.

The days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer, which means it’s time for spring cleaning! All that dust and mess has been building up all winter and it’s time to throw open the windows and scour the house getting ready for spring. Any sort of moderate activity is beneficial for your health—and if you combine 30 minutes of cleaning with your regular 30 minute aerobic exercise, you will have easily incorporated a whole hour of physical activity into your day helping you each your weight loss goals!

1. Be safe. Your safety is our main concern so make sure you’re lifting with your legs when you’re moving furniture or heavy boxes around and keep your core tight to prevent slouching.

2. Be strong. Strengthen your legs while cleaning. Do squats while you’re doing laundry, lunges while vacuuming, and calf raises when you reach up to clean those cobwebs out of the corner. To work your arms, scrub your shower with big circles and take small rugs outside and beat them with a clean broom rather than vacuuming them.

3. Be thorough. Leave no surface unclean. Make sure you get under the couches and beds, and dust those top shelves even if no one sees them. Also, make sure you move quickly; the more intensely you clean, the more intensely you workout—and of course the faster you’ll be finished.

4. Lastly, have fun! Turn on some music and boogey while you work. It will make the time go faster and you’ll burn extra calories dancing around.

Still think chores won’t give you a good workout? Thirty minutes of walking at a brisk pace will burn about 150 calories. Vacuuming for the same amount of time will burn 123, laundry will burn 133 and trimming shrubs will burn 155 calories! The moral of the story, you’ll burn comparable calories and have a clean house to boot.  Happy cleaning!

Could A Diabetic Amputee End Up On A Soda Bottle?

In 2009, Congress passed a law requiring the FDA to implement the printing of graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging and advertising.  In 2011, the FDA unveiled numerous color images required to cover the top fifty percent of the cigarette pack’s front and back panels.  The tobacco industry has filed two major appeals to the congressional law.  Yesterday, the Cincinnati U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the majority of the FDA’s new regulatory framework; however, the ruling opposes the court’s decision in the case filed within the Washington-based appeals court, setting up a fierce clash over constitutionality that will likely end up in the Supreme Court.  The federal regulation of ‘legal’, yet openly unhealthy, tobacco products seems to create major contention within the legal world.  But, how might this affect the regulation of other notably unhealthy products.  Could you imagine a 2-liter soda bottle with a vivid warning label depicting a diabetic amputee? 

Personally, I’m conflicted on the issue.  The representatives of the tobacco industry exclaim that this violates a central tenet of the U.S. constitution, Free Speech.  But, the cry for foul play is falling on many deaf ears since R.J. Reynolds and their cronies have practiced deception for many years.  Can these recent quarrels parallel attempts by the corn refiners association to falsely advertise high fructose corn syrup as ‘corn sugar’?  The FDA put the kibosh on that one.  Could sugar be as dangerous for your health as tobacco usage? Some prominent doctors and scientists believe it is just as “toxic”.  And, if that’s the case should it be regulated in the same manor?

Coaching Corner: Are You Thriving?

Yesterday, I was sent a copy of the book, “Organize your Mind, Organize your Life” co-authored by Margaret Moore (Coach Meg), the leader of ACSM’s WellCoaches Program and Certification. I am very excited to delve into the first Chapter this weekend because, to the simplest effect, Coach Meg knows how to provide perspective. I truly enjoy reading books that provide perspective on self-improvement and novels that provide insights on creating change within my life. I’m honestly not one of those readers that can go fiction because I believe we only have so many hours and years to become our best selves. Also, I believe that we all exhibit such potential in what we can get out of our lives and that when we start to lose sight of that and get complacent with our status, we aren’t truly living.

Along those lines, would you say that you’re currently thriving in your life? Do you know the difference between thriving and happiness? Like happiness, it’s different for each and every one of us, but I believe thriving is more distinct and powerful. As Coach Meg describes it in the video below, thriving is life with a deeper living. For me, thriving has richer meaning from the standpoint that I am getting the most out of my life, my strengths and my capabilities. It’s pushing the limits, doing things that I didn’t even think were possible and inspiring others to create change.


After watching Meg’s clip, post your top three values that allow you to thrive! What sets you on fire? What are your driving forces? What lights up your eyes?

Thriving Jeff…

#1: Making a difference in the lives of others.

#2: Inspiring thru strength, health, and fitness milestones.

#3: Connecting socially and mentally with who I truly am.

Check out my personal blog for more detail on these thrive attributes…

Eating While Traveling or Vacationing

Traveling for work or pleasure can be so much fun but can also be so taxing on the body, and probably the pocket book too.  We want to be able to set ourselves up for success in either situation.  If you are traveling for work purposes make sure that you are finding a room that may have a mini fridge and microwave.  To some of you, you might be shaking your head and wonder where in the world am I going with this.  Hold onJ  Becoming more practical in what we actually need in our suitcases might be the first start, but I won’t spend much time on that.  Let’s look at what are foods that I could bring that I can cook in my room or just have prepared and able to heat up.  Yes I am suggesting a mini cooler.  Ice packs can go through security and they can go in checked luggage, so your food can be kept cold.  Such things that I could bring would be perhaps tuna salad, chicken salad, grilled chicken breast, spaghetti and meat sauce, frozen bags of vegetables, H3 prepared salad dressings.  Now, again I am sure some of you are shaking your head and thinking I’m crazy…..but remember all of this is doable you just have to make it a priority and plan for it. 

10 Tips for Making the Most of Your Gym Time

Spring is right around the corner and for many people work is picking up, holidays are on the horizon and time to make it to the gym can be more challenging to find. Remember it is not all or nothing! Here are 10 tips for getting the most from your work out when we are pressed for time:

1. Pack your gym bag the night before. Have everything ready to go in morning or right from work. Keep it organized so that finding those head phones and socks don’t require turning the bag inside out!


2. Turn off your cell phone or leave it in your car. You gym time is YOUR time; don’t worry about responding to emails or calls.


3. Have your plan in place; know what your workout is going to look like. This can save time by going right to the machines you want to work with.


4. Don’t go to the gym during peak fitness hours. Find out the slower hours at your gym and try to make it during those times. This cuts back on the time you spend waiting for a machine or moving around other exercisers.


5. Go to a circuit class such as ULTRA circuit or a bootcamp at your gym. For a 1 hour investment, you can get a full body strength routine in and cardio all at once! Talk about making the most of your time!


6. Use that talk test. Invest in a more intense workout and cut back on workout time. Increase the intensity of your work out by increasing the speed/resistance/incline so that you are able to “chat” with the person next to you but talking is a challenge.


7. Combine exercises. Use this method when lifting weights, by combining more than one strength exercise you get 2 for 1 and are done in half the time! Check out a few ideas here.


8. Work out on your lunch break. The gym has a light crowd, it will give you more energy in afternoon and bonus you can sleep in and go right home after work. Awesome!!


9. Increase intensity and decrease workout time. Try using the principles from high-intensity interval training or the tabata method to get the most from your time. You can read more about it here. Here is a video of a great 15 min workout you can do and be done with your day!


10. Cut out the time commuting and work out at home! There are so many great exercises you can do without equipment. Check out a few options of simple body weight exercises here!

Try out a few of these and know that you can make the most of whatever time you have available. Every minute is bringing you closer to achieving your goals and is a true investment in your health and future. Let’s make it a priority!

 

Developing A Training Team

As H3 Housing Coordinator, many of you have probably spoken with Kelly Milgie during your stay at H3. Kelly has also made an appearance on H3Daily before in her post on becoming a vegetarian. Now, read about Kelly’s newest endeavor—tackling a 10K!

One of the many perks of working at H3 is that when you decide you want to do something completely out of your element, you have support from the entire team! Everyday I am surrounded by fitness specialists, culinary experts and all around wonderful people who are excited to help me with all of my fitness, nutrition and SELF goals! 

Before joining the H3 family, I wasn’t very big into running – in fact, I am not sure I was even able to run one mile without stopping. This past fall a lot of our guests were doing 5k run / walks on the weekends and it inspired me to run my first 5K.  In October, a group of the H3 employees signed up to do the Bluffton Oyster Run 5k and although I was extremely nervous, I joined them.  I had a ton of support from my family, friends and of course coworkers, which made me really excited about my first race.  I did not give myself a time goal; instead, my goal was to finish the race without stopping – which I did! This was such an exciting day for me and the second the race was over I knew I wanted to sign up for another one!

Get H3 Inspired: From Simple to Souffle in Three Days

From Ron Gerhart; Churcville, VA

A little over a year ago, I visited Hilton Head Health for two weeks. I spent more time on the health and fitness aspects of the program. While last year I attended some cooking classes, I felt my diet lacked variety and I lacked the skills to move up to the next level of cooking.  My second time around (in January of this year), I attended the H3 Cooking Healthy:Recipe for Success workshop. It was informative, fun and gave me the courage to elevate my cooking skills, as well as tackle some of the more challenging tasty recipes.

The new cooking school is brilliantly designed for both comfortably observing an instructor demonstrating cooking, and for cooking yourself at you own personal station. Your station has an individual Wolf gas stove-top and oven, refrigerator, sink and all the cooking utensils and small appliances you need. Believe me, there is a huge difference between watching someone make it and actually cooking it yourself.

Get SUP and Paddle!

H3 is excited to “re-announce” our adventure fitness spring and summer series activity: SUP and SUP Yoga!

As mentioned in a previous post, SUP is an acronym for “Stand Up Paddle”. Stand Up Paddle Boarding is a surface water sport, meaning it is a sport that is performed atop a body of water. Stand Up “paddling” differs from “surfing” because essentially you do not need a wave to propel you. Instead, you propel yourself by using a paddle.

Many of you ask about SUP. The most common question I answer is what is it like? If I could relate SUP to something familiar to you, H3 Alumni and or fitness advocates, it is similar to standing on the BOSU ball. It essentially requires basic balancing abilities. The good news is however, if you become unbalanced you simply fall in the water. This, I can acknowledge, feels really nice on a warm spring day in HHI! The idea of balance is sometimes daunting to individuals whom are fearful of injury due to falling. No need to worry about injured hips and wrists with SUP. Your efforts do not permit falling atop a hard surface; as the water simply acts as a pillow for your balanced/unbalanced efforts. Kudos!  

Therefore, note: By engaging in activities like SUP you are actively working to strengthen and tone muscles in your legs, buttocks and core. These are all important in FUNCTIONAL fitness. The “paddling” involved with SUP, facilitates the muscular gains in all the muscles of the back, shoulders, arms, as well as core too. Thus, it is a TOTAL body FUNCTIONAL workout!

My motto for SUP is “Strength Unites Pleasure”. It is for many a new, challenging, FUN form of cross training. It’s low impact and people of any age, and or any athletic ability level can partake.

So what are you waiting for? Come back to H3 and join me! We may even just incorporate SUP Yoga session in the upcoming Yoga Retreat (April 26^th, 27^th and 28^th).

Get’ yourself SUP!

H3 Recipe: Grasshopper Pie

INGREDIENTS:

4 each Egg whites, (not egg white beaters)

Pinch Cream of tartar

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 cups  Marshmallows, melted

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 cups Fat free cool whip

¼ cup Crème de menthe

2 Tablespoon Crème de Cacoa

Crust 

1 cup Chocolate graham crackers, crushed

1 teaspoon Canola oil

1 each Egg white (for crust)

¼ cup Mini chocolate chips for garnish

 

Sharing Success: Brooke Huntington

[caption id="attachment_7506" align="alignright" width="420" caption="Brooke before visiting H3"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_7507" align="alignright" width="420" caption="Brooke now"][/caption]

In her own words...

Many people who are successful at adding exercise into their lifestyles do it by teaming up with a friend. They enlist a friend to go to the gym, join a group class, or train for marathon. During my first visit to H3, I began thinking of who could support me in my wellness journey and how teamwork might work for me.

Returning home, I signed up everyone I encountered for my “team.” For the first time in trying to improve my health and lose weight, I shared my goals with everyone I knew, from close friends and family to business acquaintances. People watching to see if I would succeed fueled my competitive nature and ensured I would stay on track. It also set expectations for business lunch meetings and evenings with friends. With a few moments of conversation to express my intentions, I had a team working with me and cheering for me. It certainly kept me honest on more than one occasion.

This tactic also encouraged friends and colleagues to invite me to exercise with them. Prior to H3, I was uncomfortable with group exercise classes. I was concerned that everyone would see that I was out of shape and have two left feet, or that I would cause others to make mistakes. H3 gave me the confidence to say yes when a colleague invited me to join her in a Zumba class. I still have two left feet (it’s genetic!), but I have a great workout, and I laugh through most of the class. It is the workout I look forward to each week. Plus, it added more people to my team.

Suddenly, my team went from encouraging me to praising me. It felt like I had “won” when I returned to H3 six months after my first visit and I was 30 pounds lighter. I was feeling great. I had accomplished something that for years had seemed impossible.

Vegetables? No Thank You.

“Eat Your Vegetables!”

Growing up, this was my Mother's favorite quote! There were many nights that I sat at the dinner table, well after my family was done eating, being forced to eat the vegetables on my plate. As a kid, my guaranteed way to get rid of my vegetables was to pile on the ketchup! Yuck!

Fortunately, there are several other delicious ways to eat your vegetables and love it!

Include vegetables into a dish you already love.

Try the H3 Beef and Vegetable Lasagna. This recipe packs so many flavors that you will hardly notice their attendance in this dish. 

 

Try vegetables in soup.

Soup is a great way to sneak in extra vegetables. The H3 Carrot Soup is super tasty, sweet and spicy—and it will provide you with a healthy dose of onions and carrots.

 

Make vegetables fun!

It is easy to get in a vegetable rut. However, challenge yourself to try something different just in the way you serve your vegetables. Try a grilled vegetable Kabob or stuff a portabella mushroom or tomato.

 

Sneak those veggies onto a pizza.

This is by far my favorite way to eat my vegetables. Use the H3 Pita Pizza recipe and add all of your favorite vegetables. Between the tasty marinara sauce and feta cheese your vegetables will only compliment the dish. Broccoli is my personal favorite addition.

 

Take your vegetables skinny dipping.

An awesome way to add flavor to raw vegetables is a delicious dip. H3 Ranch, Green Goddess dressing, or Spinach and Artichoke Dip goes well with veggies.

Friday Fitness: Hollow Out Your Core

Obviously a solid core pays dividends within our exercise program, but it’s absolutely essential with every task of daily living and movement we make throughout our daily life. Sitting at your desk, squatting into a seat, picking up your kids, the list goes on and on. Today’s Fitness Friday teaches one of the most difficult and functional core movements out there. It’s time for you to get hollow!!


Significant cues to think about

• Hollow = Boat position


• Lower back always maintains contact with the ground


• Arms completely straight and close to ears while keeping shoulders elevated


• Legs straight as possible and tight together with toes pointed


• Start rocking back and forth without allowing spine to break at any point

Modifications

• Both knees bent towards chest


• One knee in opposing leg


• Raise the straight legs a little bit higher off the ground

Check out our Youtube page for more exercises.

Making Change Stick

When many of us have a desire to make change, it’s easy to go straight to the Nike mentality of “Just Do It”; however, when we look at models for successful and lasting change, there are many other components.  Behavioral steps are just one building block of fifteen, for example, in the model for Mount Lasting Change. 

As you think back to your efforts for making behavioral changes and it seems that you always fall short, or the change is short-lived, I would encourage you to take a look at some of the other building blocks for making successful change.  Looking at it 360 degrees can really help identify some areas for improvement, which is much more beneficial in the long run than the guilt and self-loathing we run ourselves through.  Here are a couple of those blocks to start with:

1. Responsibility & Self-discovery – You have to be ready, willing and able to make change.  Spend some time thinking about your level of motivation, your feelings about getting started and your confidence that you will succeed.  What can you do to help bolster your readiness, willingness and ability to make the change you are seeking?


2. Strengths – What are you really good at?  What about you has made you successful in other areas of your life?  How can you use these skills/talents to increase your ability to make the change you want?


3. Values & Meaning – What do you value most as you envision your life having made this change?  What are some ways you can kindle that motivation to help you in times where your mind/emotions begin to pull you off course?


4. Benefits & Information – What are the pros of making this change last?  What information would be helpful?


5. Challenges & Strategies – What are the cons of the change?  Whether these things are actual negatives, or they just seem negative for our selfish, defiant nature, they are still real feelings we experience due to the change.  If you can really decipher how you truly feel about making a change, it will lead you to coming up with realistic strategies for dealing with those challenges

Take your time with these steps.  Don’t rush through and move straight into action as we do over and over and over again.  What is going to be different this time?  It’s not the behavior goal that really changes… it’s the support you build around making that behavior more meaningful, more do-able and with more confidence. 

What have you discovered about yourself today?

Full Moon Fitness

It’s Hump Day and if you’re like me, you’re already looking forward to filling your weekend days with bike rides, a game of basketball and other outdoor activities. With the weather getting nicer and the nights starting to warm up a little, I say, why wait?! Tonight is a full moon. Grab a buddy and a flashlight and get a workout in under the full moon. If you’re in Hilton Head, enjoy a stroll on the beach; do a night-time WOD if you’re a CrossFitter; take your gym routine outside by simply grabbing some weights and a jump rope; or salute the moon with a Moon Salutation. There’s something very calming about the quiet of night so take advantage of these peaceful moments to clear your heaIf you're on the fence, here are even more reasons to workout outside.

Living Life Without Fear

"When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened."

- Winston Churchill

What if you lived your life without fear?  How different would your life be? Is it even possible?

Fear is an unfortunate contradiction. We need fear as an emotional response essential to our survival, yet it has taken on a maladaptive role in our everyday life. With regard to survival, fear is experienced in the present as a way to protect us from threatening situations. However, most of us experience fear at a much larger degree in response to thoughts related to either past or future events. That’s where the maladaptive stronghold lies.

The past two years of my life have been a personal experiment in letting go of as much fear as possible. What I have found, to my continued surprise, is that fear is self-indulgent and rarely necessary.  I have also found an incredible freedom and serenity in the present with my new-found active dismissal of fear. In retrospect, allowing my past fears to guide my decisions had me living below my potential. When making important decisions now I remember the words of General Colin Powell, “Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers."

H3 Recipe: Chipotle Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Avocado, mashed with lime juice and pinch of salt

1 Roma tomato, chopped or sliced

1/2 Red onions, julienned, or chopped

¼ cup Black beans, cooked, drained seasoned with ¼ tsp. of cumin

¼ cup Corn kernels, frozen, then thawed

2 Tablespoons 2% Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon Cilantro, fine chopped

5 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped

4 ounces (raw) Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, seasoned with H3 Pork Rub

¼ teaspoon Salt

Pinch Pepper

1 ounce H3 Ranch dressing, with Chipotle sauce (Adobo) (1/2 oz./per person)  Adobo chilies come in a small can with Adobo sauce.

 

Have Your Cake

Coaching clients often approach me with obstacles related to special occasions and their associated foods. There’s the whole issue of traditional holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, of course. But one that comes up on a year-round basis is birthday cake.

The trouble with birthday cake is that it already knows your name. There it is, elegantly scrolled across the top, most likely in your favorite flavor and color combination, and lit up like a theatre marquee. You are the star. How could you possibly make a wish and walk away? And why should you?

Since I’m not in the business of “should,” I encourage coachees to explore could instead. A recent client came up with the following options. I could:

a)       Refuse to go near the cake and feel deprived;

b)       Starve myself all day to allow for as much cake as I like and feel stuffed;

c)       Devour large chunks of cake as fast as possible (get it all over with) and resign myself to live with guilt and regret;

d)        Eat a slice of cake and risk feeling guilty anyway; or

e)       Grant myself permission to enjoy a slice of cake and feel satisfied.

Unlike those tricky multiple choice tests in school, in the coaching process, there is no right or wrong answer. It’s up to you to choose a path of action. My client ultimately chose “e,” adding that she would send the leftovers home with her guests to avoid temptation later.

I must admit that I am a huge fan of birthday cake, and particularly the icing roses—those glorious blobs of dressed up sugar and fat, so artfully disguised as love. You see it’s not really about the cake or the frosting. It’s about a feeling. While birthday cake doesn’t fall into the category of good nutrition, life is short, and my once-a-year frosting fest doesn’t affect my health or weight one way or another. I choose to enjoy it.

Should you have cake? It’s up to you. Let the choice be a source of freedom and empowerment.

Turning Healthy Shopping Into Healthy Meals

Here are some grocery store shopping tips and look outs that will assist in making your kitchen a safe and bountiful place to prepare healthy meals. 

First and foremost, skip the aisles that are danger zones such as that darn chip and cracker isle.  If these items never go in your cart, chances are they won’t go in your stomach or tempt you at home.  Sometimes you’ll hear people preach to only shop in the outskirts of the grocery store, but to me that doesn’t really make any sense since the bakery, deli, wine and ice cream sections are on the perimeters.  Anyway, what you want to do is go through your grocery store purchasing items off your grocery list.  Break your list down into categories such as: grains, vegetables, proteins, condiments, dairy and dry goods. 

Now, what to buy?

• If you buy oranges, when you get home peel all of them and put them into zip lock bags.  If you buy grapes, wash them then keep them out where you can see them, don’t put them in the bottom of the crisper drawer to mold.  Unless that’s only happened to me?


• When buying plain brown rice (not minute rice), cook off many portions and once cooked, portion serving sizes and freeze.


• Buy whole wheat pastas and portion each box into 14-16 servings if cooking for one.  Freezer bags work great for pastas like spaghetti.


• Buy your vegetables half fresh half frozen— this prevents some waste while allowing you to enjoy foods that taste best fresh such as tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, and so forth.  Frozen broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and brussel sprouts quality and texture are comparable to fresh.  This will prevent in trying to buy too many fresh produce and not having enough time to use them before they go bad.


• Buy precut melon, such as pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew.  This prevents the idea that you will cut it later this week, and then never get around to it and end up throwing it away.


• When buying meats always make sure your buying the leanest cut, such as ground turkey breast and ground chicken breast—very different than buying ground turkey or ground chicken!  If buying 1 pound and cooking for yourself, portion the pound into four sections and either freeze or prepare each portion in a different manner.  For example, you can use ground chicken breast to make taco meat, a chicken breast burger, chicken meatloaf or chicken breast meatballs with marinara. 


• When buying cheese from the deli counter, ask them to slice it into ½ ounce slices.  This keeps your calories lower per slice, but the size still covers the whole sandwich. 


• Even if you don’t enjoying drinking skim milk, at least cook with it. If you don’t taste in the final product, you can at least save those calories.  Buy pre-shredded cheese instead of shredding it yourself.  We all know what happens to that end piece when we shred it ourselves.

Bottom line is that you need to set yourself up for success while at the grocery store so when you’re at home you don’t have the temptations to make ‘unwise’ decisions.  Oh, and just because a company calls a product “smart”, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy—and just because something is natural or organic, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.  If you buy organic butter does that mean you get to eat more?  Nope!

Happy Shopping and remember Bob’s ‘Unwise Better Best,’ it’s up to YOU!

Friday Fitness: How to Correctly Get Up and Down From the Floor

A Moment Of Peace From Hawaii

Aloha, from Hilton Head. Yes, I am back to the grind (if you call living on Hilton Head and working at H3 the grind). As I mentioned in my last blog, the best thing about returning from vacation is the knowing that I am coming home to a beautiful place and a job I enjoy. I promise that this is the last time I will talk about my trip, but I had to share one more amazing experience that we had with you. On our last day in Maui, we wanted to keep it simple—nothing too strenuous because we were facing the long trip home that evening. So we consulted our excellent guide book, Maui Revealed, for some ideas.

 

We decided to take a drive along the scenic northwest coast of Maui. The road was described as narrow and windy and we were cautioned to drive slowly and keep our eyes on the road (difficult to do with the incredibly beautiful scenery). Well, we soon found out that narrow meant REALLY narrow, in fact one lane in many places, with one stretch of road being one lane for a whole 1.5 miles. Not only was it narrow, there were many sections without guardrails and sheer cliffs only a few feet away from our tires. The picture below gives you pretty good idea of what road was like.

[caption id="attachment_7465" align="alignright" width="420" caption="Kahekili Road"][/caption]

I can tell you that there were times my heart rate was as high as it gets during a vigorous cardio workout. Having said that, when we had the chance to pull off the road, and take in the views on solid ground, it provided one of the most relaxing and calming moments of our time on Hawaii.

Sometimes when things get hectic and the stressors of life begin to pile up, it’s good to take a mental break, stop, close your eyes, and think about something pleasant or calming. It doesn’t make the stress go away but it might help put it in perspective—or least create a temporary reprieve. Here is the picture I am going to see in my mind’s eye the next time I need to take that mental break.