Fitness Friday: Yoga Flow

Check out this Fitness Friday- Yoga Style with Karen sharing and Danielle demonstrating a Yoga Flow series.

Nutrition: LINDSAY, WHAT DO YOU EAT?

I get this question a lot:  Lindsay, what do YOU eat?  I actually love the question, but I stick to two words:  WHOLE FOODS—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, fatty fish, lean meats/poultry, eggs, healthy oils, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and minimal processed foods.  Of course it isn’t perfect and I do love my chocolate from time to time, but I can confidently say I stick to an H3 way of eating with some extra calories here and there—1200 calories per day would leave me passed out in my office if I tried to keep that up on a consistent basis.  No one wants that.  Anyways, the following foods and meals are constantly in my meal plan:

1. Pan Seared Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts.  I am constantly making this dinner.  I have finally nailed down the cooking technique of pan searing fish then finishing the cooking in the oven.  As the Brussels sprouts are roasting in the oven, I’m doing my preparation for the salmon.  In regards to meal planning, I’ll make extra salmon and Brussels to incorporate later on in the week.


2. Chicken Salads.  I would bet 3 out of my 7 lunches per week consist of a salad.  I bake 3-4 chicken breasts on a Sunday; meanwhile, I spend time chopping vegetables and adding mixed greens into my salad containers as the chicken is cooking away.  This is when I have to get creative or my salads would get boring after week 2.  Common mix-ins:  cucumber, cherry tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, sunflower seeds, cashews, toasted coconut, leftover roasted vegetables, raisins, cranberries, feta cheese (use a light brand), and various leafy greens.  See picture. 


3. Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Sautéed Spinach.  I love using the grill so I’ll put grill marks onto the pork tenderloin then finish in the oven.  As the pork is cooking through, I add my sweet potatoes to the oven and make sure they are seasoned with a touch of salt, white pepper and garlic powder.  My very last step is sautéing the spinach because it cooks up so fast—makes my life easier since I’ve spent more time on the pork and sweet potatoes.


4. Hashes.  Talk about an easy re-heatable meal.  As seen in the picture, I roasted off extra sweet potatoes and while that was roasting I decided to sauté onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers (seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme).  Once the sweet potatoes were complete I added them to the vegetable mix and let it cool down.  I evenly distribute my “hash” to my containers and add leftover pork tenderloin for a nice lunch or dinner later in the week.  This would also be very vegetarian friendly by incorporating black beans instead of the pork tenderloin.


5. Nuts.  Everyone in the kitchen knows that this is my daily metabomeal.  As long as I portion them out, they are great mid-afternoon and holds me over until dinner.  Added bonus—they add texture to a lot of dishes.  I love making salads or rice pilafs with sliced almonds or chopped pecans to get the crunch.


6. Omelets and Scrambles—the perfect “back-up meal.”  Every now and then I get home later than expected and the thought of waiting an hour for dinner isn’t realistic.  I’ll pull out mushrooms, onions and spinach and let that cook down.  Once cooked, I add some eggs and make a nice scramble.   A touch of parmesan at the end gives me that little bit of saltiness needed.  On the side, I may have a toasted whole wheat English muffin or some fruit.  I love this because I always have these ingredients in the refrigerator.

At the end of the day, I am a home cook—I am not fancy and I am still learning a lot from Chef Karla and Chef Hicham.  They inspire me to try new things, but I know I have to make it realistic at home.  I’ll have a slice of pizza every now and then and there is nothing I love more than an awesome burger, but I know I have the ability to cook so why not DO IT, have some fun and know that it is only benefiting my health as well as creating my own specialties.

Healthy Recipe: ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD

ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade:

1/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup Brown sugar

1/3 cup Water

2 ½ teaspoons Green Onion, chopped

2 ½ teaspoons Fresh ginger minced

Dressing:

1 ½ tablespoons Sesame oil

1 ½ tablespoons Olive oil

½ tablespoon Fresh ginger

2 ½ tablespoons Sugar

3 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar

3 ½ teaspoons Oyster sauce

½ tablespoon Cilantro

¼ teaspoons Salt

4 teaspoons Water

¼ teaspoon Garlic

1 Roasted poblano, peeled and chopped

Salad:

12 cups Cabbage, shredded

2 cups Red bell peppers, julienned

½ cup Ramen noodles, raw, chopped

2 Chicken breast (4 ounces each)

Method

• Combine all marinade ingredients into a large bowl or Ziploc bag.


• Add the chicken to the marinade, allow to marinade at least 2 hours or overnight.


• Combine all dressing ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.


• Bake chicken breast until cooked through, about 14-16 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Allow the chicken to carry over cook to 165 degrees.


• Once the chicken is perfectly cooked, shred it.


• Combine cooked chicken, cabbage and peppers tossed in dressing and top with raw ramen noodles.

Serves: 4

Serving Size: 1 Salad= 3 cups cabbage/1/2 cup bell peppers/2 tablespoons ramen/ 2 ounces chicken/2 ounces dressing

Calories: 371

Fat: 10.5 grams

Protein: 15 grams

Friday Fitness: Grab Your Bike & Go!

We at H3  truly enjoy the sport of biking – especially time of year.  With more than 80 miles of trails and 12 miles of flat beaches, Hilton Head Island is the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors—and go for a bike ride.

As the spring weather is finally upon us, we challenge you to pull your bike out of the garage (if you haven’t already), lace up your sneakers and go for a bike ride! If biking is already a part of your fitness routine, spice it up by trying one of these ideas:

• Create your own SPIN session by using one of our H3Daily interval workouts on your bike


• Grab some friends and go on a nature bike tour—it’s a great opportunity to learn even more about where you live


• If possible, bike to work—it’s not only a great built-in workout at the beginning and end of your day, but it’s good for the environment

Announing New Executive Chef Hicham Elmadi

 



Chef Hicham has previously led fine-dining restaurants in Spain, Italy, France and most recently Atlanta, Georgia.  His arrival at Hilton Head Health marks an expanded commitment to healthy, natural food from locally sourced, sustainable ingredients.  H3 is thrilled to have Chef Hicham with us.  The following link is an in-depth description of his culinary background.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/02/prweb11600345.htm

Is Sleep Deprivation Weighing You Down?

One of my earlier blog posts was recently referenced. It was entitled The Weight of Sleep Deprivation and provided some insight into the relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain. It also provided some excellent resources for those you want to take some steps to improve the quality of your sleep. The resources are still current, and after seeing how the evidence continues to accumulate strengthening that association, you may want check out that post again.

As mentioned in the previous post, two hormones that influence appetite, leptin and ghrelin, are very much influenced by sleep deprivation. The quick review is that we want our leptin level appropriately high because leptin suppresses appetite, and we want our ghrelin low because it stimulates appetite. A University of Chicago study found that participants who slept only 4 hours for 2 nights had an 18% decrease in leptin and a 28% increase in ghrelin—resulting in a 45% increase in appetite, in particular for high refined and calorie dense foods.

Two studies presented at Sleep 2012: Associated Professional Sleep Societies 36^th Annual Meeting, suggest sleep deprivation selectively and significantly impairs brain activity in the frontal lobe, a region critical for controlling behavior and making complex decisions such as what and how much to eat.

Not only would you gain weight as a result of the extra caloric intake, a study at Wake Forest University suggests that sleep deprived people gain more of the risky belly fat.

Common sense says this but Obesity Source at the Harvard School of Public Health reports that people who are sleep deprived are more tired during the day and less likely to participate in physically active activities. They also spend more time watching TV and pursuing other sedentary activities. As one of my favorite quotes from James Loehr says...

Let’s stop for a moment and review. Studies now show that people who are sleep deprived have significantly increased cravings for high calorie foods, have impaired activity in very part of the brain that might help them resist those craving, if they over eat, more fat is stored as dangerous belly (visceral) fat; and as a result being tired or exhausted, the last thing you feel like doing is exercising or preparing a healthy meal for that matter.

It should, therefore, that a study presented at the American Heart Association’s 2012 Scientific Session found that sleep deprivation had a tremendous impact on caloric intake. Researchers studied 17 healthy, young men and women for eight nights, with half of the participants sleeping normally and half sleeping only two thirds their normal time. Participants ate as much as they wanted. The sleep deprived group consumed an average of 550 additional calories a day. That’s right, 550 calories a day! Another study published in the journal Obesity Reviews, found that compared to those who got 7-9 hours of sleep nightly, those getting 6 hours were 27% more likely to become obese—and those getting 5 hours or less were 78% more likely to become obese.

It is time to acknowledge that sleep is not a luxury, but an essential component of a healthy, weight maintaining lifestyle.

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Healthy Recipe: Moroccan Couscous

[caption id="attachment_11065" align="alignright" width="400"] Moroccan Couscous[/caption]

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 Tablespoon  Vegetable Oil
½ each Onion, diced

1 each Roma tomato, seeds in, diced

Pinch  Saffron

½ Teaspoon Tumeric

½ Teaspoon Ginger, ground

½ Teaspoon Black pepper, ground

To Taste Salt

4 Cups Water or Stock

¼ Cup Carrot, diced

¼ Cup Turnip, diced

¼ Cup Butternut Squash, diced

¼ Cup Zucchini, diced

¼ Cup  Yellow Squash, diced

¼ Cup Garbanzo beans

¼ Cup Peas

½ Cup Couscous

PREPARATION:

• Collect all ingredients. On medium, heat oil.


• Sauté vegetable oil, onion, roma tomatoes, saffron, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and salt on low for 10 minutes.


• Add water for stock, boil for 20 minutes.


• Add carrots and turnips, cook for 5 minutes.


• Add butternut squash, cook for 5 more minutes.


• Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until all are tender.


• Drain, reserve broth and vegetables, and keep warm.


• Mix the couscous with the broth, covering ¼ inch above. Cover with plastic and let set for 15 minutes.


• Fluff cous cous with fork. Plate and place the vegetables on top. Add extra broth if needed.

 

Servings:   2

Serving size:  1/2 cup

Calories:   180

Fitness Friday: Partner Workout

Give your Valentine the gift of good health. Try a fun partner workout

Want to be living an active, healthy lifestyle and spend time with your partner at the same time? Try this great partner workout that gets you both moving together.

There are many benefits to working out with a partner. Working out together is a great way to keep each other accountable. It will also make the workout more enjoyable. Research has shown that people that work out with a partner are more likely to work out longer than they would have on their own. A partner is also a great source of support and motivation.

Partner workout:

Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions of each of the following exercises:

• Medicine ball twist

• Plank high fives

• Resistance band rows

• Lunge with medicine ball chest pass

• Squats

• Push up with shoulder tap

• Chest press with resistance bands

Make sure to stretch your

• Hamstring


• Quadriceps


• Chest


• Back

Wellness Wednesday: The Healthy Touch

Touch is the first of all our senses to develop. In fact, humans begin using their sense of touch in the womb. It is essential for our ability to know the world we live in and to connect with others on both basic and deep levels. Touch is essential to our overall health.

From lowering blood pressure and heart rate to increasing immune function and relieving pain, getting touched makes you healthier -- not to mention happier and less anxious. Since you can't touch without being touched, the physiological benefits of touching occur for both the toucher and the touchee. Research has revealed that a person giving a massage experiences as great a reduction in stress hormones as the person on the receiving end. Likewise, studies have shown that a person giving a hug benefits just as much from the gesture as a person being hugged.

So, how can you add a healthy touch to your life? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Give or Get a Massage:

Whether it’s your significant other rubbing your shoulders, a quickie-back massage at the mall, or a foot-rub during a pedicure, even a short massage helps you to unwind. Your muscles relax, the heart rate slows, blood pressure falls and levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop. When cortisol drops, the immune system strengthens.

Hug it out

Hugging is not limited to your children or spouse. If you ask permission, just about everyone appreciates a hug. When hugging, both the hugger and hugee simultaneously experience a flood of the hormone oxytocin and a reduction in the stress hormone cortisol. So, hugging can reduce stress and boost the immune system all at once. Now that’s a powerful embrace.

Hold Hands

Holding hands can be enormously calming. In fact, research shows that holding hands with a special someone can reduce stress, lower cortisol and lower blood pressure, especially when done during a tense situation.

Let’s Talk About Sex

Sex is the contact sport of touching – it involves the total body. It’s no wonder it feels so good. All that skin-to-skin stroking (not to mention orgasm!) floods us with oxytocin and feel-good endorphins that do wondrous things for our emotional well-being. If done regularly, which I highly recommend, sex helps to strengthen the immune system.

Healthy Recipe: Mixed Berry Cobbler

Chef's Note:  You could use this same recipe for peaches, pears,apples or even plums.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¼ cup Flour

½ cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp. Baking Soda

½ tsp. Cinnamon

Pinch Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Salt

¼ cup Butter, unsalted, softened

½ cup Non-fat Buttermilk

FILLING:

¾ cup Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 cup Water

6 cups Mixed Berries, fresh

DIRECTIONS: 

• Preheat oven to 350˚ F.


• In a small bowl mix brown sugar, flour, butter, buttermilk, spices, baking soda and salt.


• Mix until butter is evenly distributed.


• In a medium sauce pot, mix sugar and cornstarch.


• Add water and cook until you have made a sugar syrup, about 5 minutes.

• In a medium size Pyrex dish, place berries in dish then pour sugar syrup over berries.  Top with cobbler mixture.

• Bake in oven for about 30 – 45 minutes.

Serve warm with your favorite low-calorie ice cream!

NUTRITION:

Number of servings: 20

Serving Size: 1/20^th of the pan

Calories: 135

Fat: 4.5 grams

Nutrition: SURVIVING A RESTAURANT MENU

Realistically, most of you will be going out to eat at least once per week.  Whether it is for lunch or dinner, here is a tip that has helped me choose a healthier meal as well as feeling satisfied before I walk out the door.

• Look at the ENTIRE menu and utilize various components (e.g., sauces, dressings, vegetable medleys, starches, proteins, etc.) to complete YOUR dish.
  
  
  
  • ITALIAN RESTUARANTS: side salad or minestrone soup to start.  Half order of gnocchi that is typically made with cream sauce, BUT substitute it for the marinara sauce that has been paired with the spaghetti and meatballs.  You could mix and match almost any sauce with any protein or pasta dish.
  
  
  • SANDWICH & SALAD CAFES:  when ordering a salad, check out if there are particular vegetables from the sandwich section that could added to your greens.  For example, I ordered a Greek chicken salad the other day and asked for the roasted eggplant, squash and zucchini medley to be added to my salad—this medley was originally spotted on the Vegetarian Panini.  Cross-utilization.
  
  
  • AMERICAN/STEAKHOUS:  If you want the salmon or steak, but aren’t thrilled about the butter loaded mashed potatoes on the side, then substitute it for double vegetables or look at other starches on the menu that could easier pair well with the protein.  Brown rice pilafs, half of a baked sweet potato, or the dinner roll that comes in that ever-so-tempting bread basket.
  
  
  • BURGERS/BARBEQUE:  A lot of burger or barbeque restaurants can make delicious vinegar-based coleslaws.  To get extra vegetables out of a grilled barbeque chicken sandwich, leave the top half of the bread on the side, ask for your chicken “dry”(meaning bbq on the side) and a slaw to top as your “vegetable” condiment. Pair with a side salad or steamed vegetable.
  
  
  
  

Healthy Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Although red velvet cake has a mild chocolate flavor, it is not, by definition, a chocolate cake. Rather, it's a devil's food cake that's made with cocoa, white vinegar, baking soda, and buttermilk.

INGREDIENTS:

All-purpose flour  2 cups

Wheat flour  ½ cup

Sugar  1 cup

Cocoa powder 1 T.

Baking soda  1 tsp.

Salt  1 tsp.

Buttermilk, nonfat  1 cup

Vegetable oil  ½ cup

Plain yogurt, nonfat  ½ cup

Eggs, large  2 each

Vanilla extract 1 ½ tsp.

White distilled vinegar  1 tsp.

Red food coloring   2 T.

STEPS:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.


• In medium size bowl, sift all dry ingredients.

• In stand mixer bowl or other mixing bowl; add buttermilk, vegetable oil and non-fat plain yogurt.


• Alternate between adding the dry mix and the two eggs.


• Then add the vanilla extract, red food coloring, and vinegar.

• Mix until batter is well mixed; scrap the sides of the bowl to make sure all dry ingredients are incorporated.


• Spray two muffin pans with non-stick pan spray or a cup cake pan.

• Pour batter as evenly as you can into each cake pan (batter will be slightly runny).

• Bake in oven for about 14 to 17 minutes.

NUTRITION:

SERVINGS 16; SERVING SIZE 1 cupcake; CALORIES 195 kcal; FAT 6gm

Fitness Friday: TRX Circuit

ENJOY this Quick TRX upper body circuit!

5 exercises -30 sec each Complete 3 rounds

Coaching Corner: What Gets Measured Gets Done

Think about bowling for a second. The main target is to hit pins at the end of the lane right? Setting a target or end goal is significantly important. Knowing where you aim helps to better direct your effort. Lining yourself up strategically will give you the best result. However, there are many things that affect that ultimate goal as well; the way you turn your body, angle your wrist, power the release, how waxed the lane is, etc. that could cause for a good or not so good result. Outside distractions, a not fully focused throw, and fatigued technique could also affect the end result. Now use this and think about your health. Losing weight, feeling better, gaining strength, becoming healthy is your “end goal”, your destination, or your finish line. Now I say “end goal” because with health every ending is a new beginning. Furthermore, having a target provides us with direction. Take the time in the beginning to plan. Lay your goal out… follow the acronym SMART by making your goal specific, measurable (There's a management saying that 'what gets measured gets done’), attainable, realistic, and timely... what will it take to reach that goal? Be as detailed as possible! I will walk you through eight different tactics to think about when creating fitness goals.

1.      Define exactly what will be achieved in a given time period, what the overall outcome of the plan is (The usual time period for an exercise plan is 4-6 weeks).

2.      Define weekly targets (process goals) that will ensure the overall outcome can be achieved (These might be as simple as 'attend all defined classes/trainings' or 'add 5 minutes to cardio exercises')

3.      Schedule the workouts on days and times that suit your schedule, what does that look like on a weekly format.

4.      Define the FITT (frequency, intensity, time, and type) of each workout (i.e. weights or cardio, 30mins or 45mins, high intensity or low etc)

5.      Define the most likely barriers to completing the exercise plan (What are the excuses that will come) and how can we override these barriers.

6.      Define what you would do if the plan is not working (i.e. call a friend and discuss the problem, adapt the plan/programs to suit)

7.      Define the tasks your trainer/spouse/accountable counterpart will undertake to train, monitor and support you

8.      Agree to a start date

Remember, however, that bumps in the road will come (slight turns of our wrist happen) therefore it is key to plan all the way to the end goal. This means taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of life that might try to reverse your hard work. By planning to the end, you will be less overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know how to move around, move past, or get through the obstacles that you face. Gently guide and give yourself a way around misfortunes by determining the future and thinking far ahead.

Having a plan (whether that is a nutrition plan, exercise plan, moving more plan, 5K plan, etc) is essentially a 'roadmap' that clearly identifies for you the steps you will need to take to reach your desired destination. Research has shown that goal setting greatly increases the chances of adherence and the achievement of outcomes.  There is also evidence to support the use of ‘intervention strategies’ which essentially are a form of relapse prevention training.  Plans clearly establish what the goals (smart goals) were at the beginning of a period of work and then allow you to accurately monitor your progress, see roadblocks ahead, and effectively execute a new or modified route to your goal. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail (Thanks Bob Wright!).

Wellness Wednesday: Drinking Alcohol, The Health Pros and Cons

 



H3′s very own, Bob Wright, was featured in an article on grandparents.com.  This is a GREAT read outlining the health effects of drinking alcohol.  “Resolve dissolves in alcohol.” Grandpa Bob Wright gives advice to his fellow baby boomers!  Awesome article, Bob!!   Click the link below and share with your family and friends

http://www.grandparents.com/health-and-wellbeing/health/drinking-alcohol

 

Step-by-Step: How to Sear Fish Properly

Searing fish can be one of the most delectable parts of the meal, but if not done patiently and correctly, it can quickly make a meal frustrating or disappointing. Let me first put out there that patience is key, then technique.

1. Preheat sauté pan to medium high heat, if you have a non-stick pan that works best. Measure ½ teaspoon of olive oil into pan, spread olive oil in pan to the size of the fish.


2. Season one side of fish and place seasoned side down in pan.


3. Let fish sear for at least 2-3 minutes before flipping over. If you try to pick up the fish right away it may stick and tear the fish. That’s where the patients come into play.

4. You'll know when the fish is ready to be turned over when the fish starts to turn colors coming up the side of the fillet. Another indicator is if you can easily pick up one corner of  the fillet and it's the golden brown color you're looking for. Season the uncooked side of your fillet and flip it when ready.


5. Cooking time on the opposite side depends on the type of fish being used. For example,  tuna can be seared on both sides quickly, while white fish should be cooked all the way through before serving.


Chef’s Note: Any item can be seared in the pan and reserved for later. Simply, finish it in the oven when ready. Cooking ahead helps with your meal planning. If you already have the pan out tonight and are going to use the same cooking techniques, you might as well prep now to save you time later!

Healthy Recipe: Balsamic Vinegar Glazed Acorn Squash

The Acorn squash is great for both sweet and savory preparations.  It may be easily substituted for the sweet
potato.

INGREDIENTS:

Balsamic vinegar  1 cup

Honey  2 tsp.

Bay leaf  1 leaf

Rosemary sprig  1 sprig

Acorn squash  3 lbs.

Olive oil 1 T.

Salt  ½ tsp.

STEPS:

• Glaze:  In a small saucepan combine balsamic vinegar, honey, bay leaf and rosemary sprig.  Bring to boil; reduce heat.  Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup.  Remove and discard the rosemary sprig and bay leaf.


• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F.  Spray a 15X10X1-inch baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; set aside.


• Using a sharp knife, half the squash, cutting from blossom to stem ends.  Remove seeds and discard.  Cut squash crosswise into 1-inch slices, discarding stem ends.  Place squash in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Turn each squash slice to coat with oil.


• Roast uncovered for about 45 minutes or until squash is tender and browned, turning slices once or twice.  Transfer squash slices to a serving platter.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar glaze over squash.

NUTRITION:

SERVINGS 8; SERVING SIZE ½ (1 inch) slice.; CALORIES 78kcal; FAT 2gm