Healthy Recipes: Margarita Lime Cupcakes

Sweeten up your summer with this light and scrumptious Healthy Kitchen treat. These cupcakes are perfect for a special dessert for a 4th of July soiree.



Ingredients:

¾ cup Flour

½ tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp Sugar, granulated

¼ cup Canola Oil

1 Egg, large

1/8 cup Lime Juice, fresh

1 ½ tsp Lime Zest

½ tsp Vanilla

¼ cup Greek yogurt, plain, fat free

1 Tbsp Tequila, white

¼ cup Tequila for brushing

Method: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


• Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt; then set aside dry mixture.


• In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, combine the oil, egg, lime products, vanilla, yogurt and 1 Tbsp of tequila.


• With the machine on low, slowing add the dry mixture into the wet. Scrape the side with a plastic spatula to make sure everything has been well mixed .


• Using a 1 ounce scoop, place the batter in a greased mini muffin tin.


• Bake for 15 minutes. Cupcakes should be slightly springing to the touch.


• Once removed from pan, use a pastry brush to lightly put two layers of tequila on the warm cupcakes.


• Serve once tequila is absorbed.

Nutrition: 

Serves: 12

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

Calories: 110

Fat: 5 grams

We hope you enjoy the delicious Hilton Head Health approved, summer treat! What will you be doing this fourth of July?

Fitness Friday: Fat Burning and Muscle Building Fitness Challenge

Here at Hilton Head Health, we understand that the key to wellness and weight loss is as unique and different as all of our guests. That's why we offer personalized programs that help you achieve your goals on your own level and at your own pace.

​We also believe in helping you achieve your long term, long-lasting weight loss and wellness goals. So today on the blog, here is what I will offer you...

Complete this body weight routine, keeping written records of each workout and the time it takes you to complete each portion, until you can accomplish each portion at the desired intensity. Email your statistics to jcrawford@hhhealth.com and I will send you a 4-6 week routine that will build off this foundation you’ve created for yourself and have you in possibly the best physical shape of your life.

Here’s the workout:

• Run 0.5 miles

Complete the following 5 exercises 1 round at a time (round 1 = 1 reps of each exercise, round 2 = 2 reps of each exercise, up to 5 rounds or 5 reps of each exercise)

• The modified ‘Man Maker’

o 1 rep = walking lunge (1 lunge per leg) drop to push-up position and perform one push-up, while maintaining the push-up position, perform the T Plank (rotate your body so that one hand is pointing toward the sky, repeat on opposite side), jump both feet in toward your chest, then stand and reach over head as if you are performing an overhead press

*It is important to note that this move contains 4 moves in one to complete one rep; DO NOT perform consecutive reps of each portion of the exercise (ex: 3 consecutive push-ups in round three then 3 consecutive T Planks) this is the easy way out. Don’t take the easy way out.

• Crunchy Frog

• Cross-Knee Burpee

o 1 rep = from the standing position, drop to the push up position (don’t do a push-up) take you right knee to the left elbow, then the left knee to the right elbow, jump both feet in toward your chest, then jump 6-12” reaching for the sky

• Single Leg ‘V’-Up

o 1 rep each leg = 1 total rep

• Star Jump



Do this until you can complete the run in 5 minutes, and the exercises in 30 for a total of 35 minutes.  Once you have done that, increase the distance of the run to 1 mile until you can complete the run in 10 minute and the exercises in 25 minutes for a total of 35 minutes…notice a trend?  Last progression; increase the distance of the run to 1.5 miles.  Work to complete the run in 15 minutes or less and the exercises in 20 minutes or less completing the entire workout in 35 minutes or less.

Once you have done this and recorded your results for each day regardless of how long it takes you to do it (record run time, record exercise time, and record total time to account for total rest), then you will have not only built a functional foundation for an intense fat burning, muscle building workout, but you will have gotten yourself in considerable shape in regards to the general population (this is an opinion, not a statistic, and is based on the fact that in order to enlist in the United States Marine Corps and participate in recruit training, you must be capable of running 1.5 miles in 15 minutes or less for females, 13 and a half for males).  I will then send you your 4-6 week plan.

I encourage you to accept this challenge and start the new beginning of your healthier, happier, and more capable life.

H3 Adventures Album

At Hilton Head Heath, we believe that the journey to weight loss and wellness can be fun and exciting. We strive to provide our guests who visit our weight loss and wellness resort and spa with a memorable experience so they leave with a new outlook of their health and their life and continue to have long lasting results. To help make our guests' weight loss and wellness journey that much more fun and memorable, we offer various excursions including: kayaking, ziplining and even a Culinary & Fitness Adventure. Enjoy these photos from our most recent H3 kayaking and fitness adventures.

                     

If you're an H3 alum, what were some of your favorite activities and adventures you experienced during your stay? Or, if you haven't quite made it to H3 yet, which activity would you like to participate in?

Nutrition: Identifying Weight Loss Scams

Here at Hilton Head Health, we take a natural and personalized approach to weight loss and wellness. No short cuts, no diet pills, just hard work and results. However, we understand the that there have always been myths about nutrition and weight loss. The recent concerns about TV host and physician, Dr. Oz promoting “miracle” and “magic” weight loss products that had no scientific proof of actually working begs the question, how do we decipher the true from the false? We've created a list of 3 questions to ask yourself before you start a workout or weight loss program that will help you bust the myths and see right through the scams.

1. Does it seem too good to be true? If a pill or program is guaranteeing that you'll lose weight at an alarming rate without really exerting any effort what-so-ever, beware. This may just not bear any truth or produce any results.

2. Is it natural and healthy? Many diet pills are filled with unnatural chemicals, and unhealthy substances. When on the road to a healthier you, why be counterproductive by consuming an unnatural, unhealthy diet product?

3. Does it require me to eat well and exercise? We believe in taking a natural and healthy approach to weight loss and wellness by teaching our guests proper nutrition and exercising. At the end of the day, healthy eating and exercise is where real and long lasting results lie. Any other short term fix that doesn't require a healthy diet and moderate exercise is just that... short term.

We hope that you take these questions into consideration, and that they help you get one step closer to achieving your goals!

Healthy Recipe: Gremolata

Summer is finally upon us, and there's no better time to enjoy a light, healthy dish. This Healthy Kitchen Gremolata recipe is healthy, flavorful, bright and perfect for a warm summer evening. Serve it with any white fish such as mahi mahi, halibut or sea bass and pair it with fresh vegetables for a delicious, healthy meal.



Ingredients:

1 cup Parsley leaves, fresh, chopped

1 bunch Scallions, green parts chopped, (reserve 3 inches of white section to stuff the fish)

1 each Chili pepper (such as jalapeno), seeded, minced

¼ cup Capers, rinsed, chopped

2 each Garlic cloves, peeled, chopped

1 each Lemon

2 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil

¼ tsp Coarse black pepper

Method:

• Coarsely chop 1 cup of the parsley leaves with the garlic and place in a small bowl with the chopped green onions and capers.


• Seed one of the jalapenos and mince finely.  Add minced jalapenos parsley, green onion and parsley mixture.


• Zest the lemon, followed by adding the fresh lemon juice into the bowl.  Add 3 T. of the olive oil and black pepper into the sauce and mix well.  Allow the sauce to sit for flavors to enhance.


• Serve each 4 oz. filet with approximately 2 T. of the sauce.  Enjoy!

Nutrition:    

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 4 ounce filet and 2 T. salsa verde

Calories: 240 kcal

 

Fitness Friday: The H3 World Cup Workout

Here at Hilton Head Health, we love to make our workouts and activities fun, varied, and effective. So, this week we decided to pull some inspiration from the World Cup. We've created a fun, fat burning workout designed to help you reach your weight loss and wellness goals. Whether you play soccer or just love to watch, grab a soccer ball and enjoy this full body fitness workout.

Perform all 5 exercises for 30 seconds each, then take a 30 second break. After your break, repeat this process 5 times.

Lower Body and Core

• Toe Taps


• Mountain Climbers or Burpees


• Lunge with a twist

Upper Body and Core

• Push ups

Core

• Knee ups or Pass throughs

 



 

Wellness Wednesday: Everyday Wellness

Here at Hilton Head Health, our goal is to help you reach your weight loss and wellness goals and ensure that you achieve long lasting results through nutrition education and personalized programs. We believe that achieving your goals is not a process that happens over night. It involves squeezing small healthy habits into your everyday routine. Here are 5 healthy habits that will enable you to practice everyday wellness.

1. Start your day by eating a healthy breakfast.  This sets you up to be less hungry by lunch and dinner and stops your from potentially overeating at those times.

2. Plan on eating 2-3 healthy snacks a day. Healthy midmorning and midafternoon snacks keep your metabolism revved and this prevents you from feeling deprived.

3. Stay hydrated throughout the day.  Start off in the morning with a big glass of water when you wake up and repeat every 2 hours.  This will give you about eight glasses per day.  Dehydration can mask itself as hunger initially; instead of reaching for a snack, have a glass of water first.

4. Get extra steps in.  Park farther away from the building where you work, take the stairs instead of the elevator, plan a noontime walk after you have your lunch and when you get home at night, eat dinner and then go for a 10 to 15 minute walk or go outside and play with your children.  Instead of meeting friends for happy hour, meet for spin class or a run. Not only will you get more activity in your day but you will have a lot of fun doing it.

5. Get enough sleep. One of the most important factors in any wellness program is sleep.  Aim for seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.  Try to keep your sleep times the same throughout the week.  Turn off the TV, cell phone and computer and keep your sleeping area cool, dark and quiet.  Your body needs to go through all the sleep cycles to regenerate itself so the fewer distractions in the bedroom the better.

With proper hydration, nutrition, sleep and motivation, any time is a good time to stay fit, lose weight, and practice everyday wellness! Remember, that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”-Confucious.

 

Nutrition: HOW TO KICK START YOUR MEAL PLANNING ROUTINE

It’s no secret that eating healthy can be a challenge. We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve failed to plan our meals ahead of time and find ourselves consuming a not so healthy option. However, this doesn’t have to be our reality. We can avoid these situations by practicing meal planning. Meal planning gives you the ability to ensure that all of your breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks are healthy by planning and writing them all down ahead of time. I’ve composed eight tips to help you get started and form a routine:

1. Gain a firm grasp on what a suitable meal looks like. For inspiration, check out the Hilton Head Health Wellness and Weight loss Menu. We’ve included both recipes and sample menu’s that will help you lose weight, get more energy, maintain a health lifestyle and achieve your goals.


2. Use a template. This will help keep you organized. You can either find a template online, or create your own. I suggesting saving a blank copy so you can reuse this for multiple weeks.


3. Write down when you plan on eating your meals.  Too many people back-load their calories/energy intake.  This is eating most of our food late afternoon and throughout the evening.  Avoid going more than five hours without eating something—your food choices may not be as healthy if you are extremely hungry.


4. Prioritize breakfast.  Plan on eating breakfast as soon after you wake up.  We need energy to wake our bodies up versus waiting until 10:00 am to eat something. I suggest a source of protein (e.g., eggs, Greek yogurt, yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, nuts/seeds, etc.), fruit and/or vegetable and a healthy source of carbohydrates coming from either a whole grain (e.g., oats), fruit or starchy vegetable (e.g., breakfast sweet potatoes).


5. Devote a day to prep.  This step is crucial.  I find preparing a few things on a Sunday helps takes some pressure off for the rest of the week.  For example, I make a vegetable based soup, roasted vegetables, a quinoa pilaf, and grilled chicken. These four basic components can be used through out the week, and can either be kept in the fridge or frozen if necessary.


6. Cross-utilize ingredients. If salmon is the dinner protein of choice, prepare an extra filet for lunch the next day—throw it on top of a nice spinach strawberry salad.  Use spinach in another way. Make a spinach, onion and cheese scramble the next day for breakfast.


7. When going out to eat, write in your intended meal and stick to it.  Most people are going out to eat at least two or three times per week.  Check the restaurant menu before hand, and write the healthiest choice on your meal plan.  Commit to this, and don’t look back.


8. Trial and learn. Always keep an open mind and continue to make changes. Take the time to document any meals that didn’t satisfy you and make changes accordingly. Once you get more comfortable with meal planning, the more diversified your diet becomes and you will continue to enjoy new recipes, new foods and gain a new outlook on healthy eating.

By practicing these eight easy steps, you’ll be that much closer to achieving your goals! What are some of you favorite meal planning tips and tricks?

Healthy Recipes: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is gumbo because of the creole taste it provides. Add variety to this Healthy Kitchen recipe by adding different proteins, such as shrimp. Make a large batch ahead, and freeze it for up to 6 months.

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp Butter, divided

¼ cup Flour

16 ounces  Chicken breast, cubed

1 cup Chicken sausage, cut into half-rounds

2 cups White onion, diced

1 Tbsp Creole seasoning

6 each Garlic cloves, minced

1 cup  Celery, diced

½ cup Tomatoes, diced

1 cup Green bell pepper, diced

7 cups Low-Sodium chicken stock

2 each, Bay leaves

1 cup Okra, cut

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp Hot sauce (Tabasco)

½ tsp Black pepper

½ tsp Smoked paprika

2 cups Cooked brown rice

Method:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over low heat; add 4 tablespoons of butter. Cook for 2 minutes, swirling to coat pan. Gradually add flour to butter, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth, making a roux. Increase heat to medium; cook for 8 minutes or until the flour mixture is caramel-colored, stirring frequently. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is chestnut-colored, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; slowly add 3 cups of warm chicken stock, stirring until smooth.


• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pot. Add chicken and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion, garlic, celery, tomatoes, creole seasoning, smoked paprika, chicken, sausage and bell peppers. Sauté for 3 minutes.


• Add roux and broth mixture, additional broth and bay leaves.


• Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 45 minutes.


• Add okra, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and black pepper.


• Serve over brown rice.

Nutrition:

Serves: 8

Serving Size: ¼ cup rice with 1 cup gumbo

Calories: 370

Fat:  13 grams

Protein:  22 grams

 

Coaching Corner: The 3 Components of Functional Fitness

Gym memberships are at an all-time high. High intensity, maximum effort fitness trends (running, CrossFit, Interval Training, marathons, triathlons….) have us pushing ourselves to exhaustion. We see our bodies changing: losing weight, building muscles, and carving out those 6-pack abs. So, why do we find ourselves experiencing muscle strains or tears cleaning out the garage or backaches from washing the car or a stiff neck from spending too long surfing the Internet?



The reason may very well be that your exercise regiment is lacking in FUNCTIONAL fitness. This is the type of training that prepares our bodies for everyday life. It helps us keep our bodies strong enough to perform simple daily activities, i.e. house chores, carrying groceries, getting up from a chair, reaching up in a cupboard, bending over to tie our shoes or cooking a meal. The exercises mimic real-world activities that are performed in real-life positions.

Not everyone aspires to be an athlete. Some of the population simply desires to be strong and healthy and able to carry on their daily activities without fear of injury or falling. The exercises in a functional fitness program are basic, low-impact, easy to follow and best of all can typically be performed at home with no equipment. All you need is your own body. The benefits are huge, including improvement in endurance, range of motion, posture and core strength.

There are three main components to functional fitness:

1. AGILITY: Agility enables your body to move in multiple directions, stop and start movements suddenly and respond quickly to sudden changes (such as trying to catch a box dropping off of the counter). Without agility, you are more likely to strain/tear muscles or tendons when forced to react quickly to a situation.

2. STRENGTH: A strong body is a confident body. Strength training helps you build and tone muscles, increases metabolism which in turn helps to burn fat, improves bone density and boosts energy levels and mood. You want to be able to pick up a basket of laundry, lift a bag of dog food, push a table aside to clean or pull a child in a wagon.

3. BALANCE: In general, balance exercises help us stabilize our bodies, improve our alignment/posture and strengthen our core muscles. As we age, balance becomes an increasing concern, because balance in our bodies diminishes. Proper exercises help us to reduce the risk of falls or injury, as well as, prepare the body to react more instinctively and efficiently if such an event should occur.

Many of the best activities to enhance functional fitness are activities you probably already do. But, it’s never too late to add a few more from the list below to optimize your fitness level:

• Dancing


• Power Walking


• Bike Riding


• Pilates


• Yoga


• Gardening


• Tennis


• Golfing


• Swimming

4 Weight Loss Tips for Men

 

Let's face it. Weight loss can be difficult but using these 4 tips can help you take small steps towards weight loss success.

1. Make the Most of your Muscles: One of the greatest ways to speed up your metabolism is to increase your muscle mass. Consider this: 1 lb of fat burns about 2-3 calories/hour versus 1 lb of muscle burns about 7-10 calories/hour. Imagine if you gained 2 lbs of muscle... in a 24 hour time span, you could burn up to 480 MORE calories/day (simply by existing) than you did before. As a man, you have a huge advantage in using this strategy to your benefit. Due to your testosterone levels, it is much easier to put on muscle mass at a quicker rate than women.

BEST PRACTICES:

• To build muscle mass add 2-3 days of full body strength training to your week


• Give each muscle group 48 hours of rest before working that same group again. (If you work your upper body on Monday wait until Wednesday before you work it again. Work your lower body or core on Tuesday, instead.)

 

2. Lift your Legs: Typically, we men like to work our upper bodies. We like to do the bench press and the bicep curl, be proud of our strength and call it a day. There is nothing wrong with doing those exercises. The problem is when we neglect strength training in the rest of our body, specifically the LOWER body. BIG MISTAKE. Especially, if your goal is to increase your metabolism and lose weight. Your legs contain the LARGEST muscle groups in the entire body. Therefore, the quickest way to increase your metabolism is to increase the muscle mass in your legs. Make lower body strength training a priority in your strength training routine. Don't discontinue the other exercises that you enjoy more, but schedule in some time for the lower body.

BEST PRACTICES:

• Building lower body strength can be as simple as using your body weight.


• Try body squats (standing up from a chair) and alternating backward lunges.

 

3. Improve Your Posture: Poor posture typically leads to tight muscles and joint pain. Research from the Yale School of Medicine has correlated back pain with overeating. The correlation shows that those with chronic back pain are less likely to feel full from snacking than those without back pain. While it is still unclear why this is, the correlation is still there. The most well accepted theory right now is that the pleasure one gets from overeating helps the body to cope with the pain. If this is true for just back pain, imagine what might happen when other joint pain is added on top of that. Not only that, but research demonstrates that improved posture leads to improved mood and confidence. Those who feel better and more confident are more likely to take care of themselves, wouldn’t you agree?

BEST PRACTICES: 

• Improving your posture means strengthening your core (abdominals and glutes) and working on flexibility.


• Flexibility allows for greater range of motion at each joint as well as reduced joint pain.


• Core strength improves daily posture without having to even think about it.

 

4. Change up your Routine: It is not uncommon for men to reach a plateau in their weight loss journey before reaching their goal weight. Maybe this is happening to you right now and you are confused because you are working your butt off! Men tend to find something that they are good at and stick with it. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great quality to have. Please continue to build on your strengths to help you progress forward. Having said that, it may not be productive to do the same workouts all the time. The better you get at a workout, the more efficient your body gets at doing it. What do I mean by that? I mean that the workout that has been working so well up until now might not work as well, if you do it regularly. From a skill performance standpoint, this is great! But from a weight loss standpoint, this could slow you down.

BEST PRACTICES: 

• The change up does not have to be drastic.


• Example: If you are someone who goes for long enjoyable bike rides often, your change-up options might be:

1. Shorter more intense bike rides


2. Interval bike riding (Ex: 30 seconds fast/30 seconds slow for 10 minutes)


3. Going for a swim


4. Going for a fun


5. Going for a power walk

 

Nutrition: Men, Pay Attention to Live Longer

This week is National Men’s Health Week. The purpose of the week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men.

And boy do we need the help.

Women outlive men and have done so for many years. In 1920, women outlived guys by an average of 1 year; now it's 5 years. Why? According the Men’s Health Network – www.menshealthnetwork.org, men die younger from: heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many other chronic diseases. Probably because we are less likely to practice good health behaviors than women, more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors than women and are less likely to seek medical attention when we need to. In fact, men are 24% less likely to have visited a doctor in the last year; half as likely to make an appointment with a physician for preventative purposes and less likely to follow medical advice after a diagnosis.

The good news is that progress is being made, it wasn’t too long ago that women were outliving men by 7 years. But more can be done to narrow the gap even further. It starts, obviously, with practicing the fundamentals of good health - the things that have been the cornerstone of H3 since its inception:

• eating well,


• exercising regularly,


• sleeping well,


• managing stress,


• avoiding tobacco


• and drinking alcohol in moderation (for more specific guidelines, click HERE.)

But as men we have to do a better job of taking advantage of the health care system by following the recommended preventive and diagnostic screenings. Clearly, the sooner a condition can be identified, the greater the opportunity to manage it. For an updated list of screening tests and when men should have them, go to the Men's Health Network.

While this article is about men’s health, it affects women as well.  To quote Congressman Bill Richardson,

“Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters and sisters, men’s health is truly a family issue.”  

Because men are less likely to take care of their health on their own, we need the help of the women in our lives. Theresa Morrow, from the support group, Women Against Prostate Cancer, put it this way,

“The role of women in keeping the men in their life healthy is invaluable. While it may pain you to nag your husband (or other men you care about) about one more thing, do it anyway. If you recognize unusual symptoms in your loved one, do whatever it takes to get him the help he needs; it may save his life."

Desserts Under 100 Calories: H3 Fudgy Brownie

Get the guys in your life to eat healthier by giving them good & healthy food! Here's 1 of  H3's Guilty Healthy Pleasure Recipes in honor of Men's Health Week! 

H3 Fudgy Brownie

INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup Flour
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder,unsweetened
½ tsp. Baking Powder
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ cup Semi-sweet Mini Baking Morsels
2 Tbsp. Butter, unsalted
2 Tbsp. Cottage Cheese,1%, pureed
1 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp. Lite Chocolate Syrup (Hershey’s)
2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 each Egg

PREPERATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and cocoa powder.
3. In a sauce pan melt butter and then add chocolate syrup.
4. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients: egg, vanilla, pureed cottage cheese, and butter with chocolate syrup mix.
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.  Mix will be very stiff.
6. Pour mix in bottom of lightly greased pan.
7. Top brownie mix with chocolate chip morsels.
8. Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or just until the brownie slightly puffs up and a toothpick inserted comes out sticky.

NUTRITION:

Servings: 16

Calories: 90

Fat: 2.5 grams

Fitness Friday: H3 Summer Biking Guide

Biking is awesome exercise but you should be properly prepared before you start pedaling this summer. Use these tips and benefits so you can bike like a pro!



1. Pre-ride Checklist:

• Check your tire pressure.


• Seat Height - when standing on the ground, your seat should be at your hip height. When sitting on your bike, the leg which is extended should have a soft knee (not completely straight but not too bent either).


• Grab your helmet.


• Fill your water bottle to stay hydrated.


• Make sure you have a blinker/reflector if you’re riding at night.


• Wear bright/neon clothing on dark or rainy days.


• Plan your route before you start riding.


• Wearing headphones/earbuds is highly not recommended.

2. Sitting Properly:

• Practice good posture - sit up straight and remember to not slump over the handle bars.


• Knees should bend with your knee caps facing forward, not out to the sides.


• Knees should never hyperextend, always keep a slight bend at full extension.

3. Riding Etiquette:

• Ride in the same direction of traffic.


• If there is a bike lane, USE IT.


• Use signals to indicate turns and stops.


• Follow all traffic signals.


• Always pass on the left, and verbally communicate when passing: “coming up on your left” or “passing on your left”.


• Be predictable. Make drivers, other bikers and pedestrians aware of your actions.


• Give yourself space between other bikers, pedestrians, and cars.

4. Benefits of biking:

• Reduces CO2 emissions.


• Strengthens your quads, hamstrings, calves and abdominals.


• Low impact exercise with less wear and tear on your joints.


• Get great exercise and take some time for yourself while riding to and from work!


• Increase energy AND boost endorphins!


• Biking is a cardio workout, therefore, strengthening the heart and improving oxygen exchange to the whole body.

Get out and RIDE!! Enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful environment around you!

 

Coaching Corner: 5 Ways to Stay Happy During an Emotionally Difficult Time

For those of you who know me, you might think of me as a “happy go lucky” kind of guy. However on February 12, 2014, I certainly did not feel very “happy go lucky”. As some of you know, that was the day I suffered from a severe neck injury (failed backflip attempt at a gymnastics gym) resulting in 3 fractures in my C1-C2 vertebrae. These are the two vertebrae that allow you to shake your head yes and no. These are also the two vertebrae that brake when someone is hung from a noose. For that reason, this injury is better known as the “Hangman’s Fracture”. Normally this injury results in instant death because the location of the fracture surrounds the part of the spinal cord that controls breathing and heartbeat. Thankfully in my case, my spinal cord was left untouched, resulting only in bone damage… (Phew… I really dodged a bullet there!). For the next 3.5 months, I was to wear a neck brace and acquire a sedentary lifestyle. For the first two months I wore a Halo brace, which significantly limited my upper body range of motion. The final 6 weeks, I wore a C-Collar neck brace which allowed for a little more freedom.

A short 3.5 months after the injury (I say short but it was actually the longest 3.5 months of my life) and I am sitting here without a brace of any kind answering “Yes and No” questions like it’s my job. My recovery is by no means complete; however, the toughest part is certainly behind me.

As I sit here and reflect on the journey I’ve embarked on, I realize that I’ve been able to maintain a happy disposition throughout most of it. And I can’t help but ask myself… why?

What allowed for me to be happy during such a dark time? And when I really think about it, there are 5 things that stand out when I try to answer this question.

1)    Be a Caregiver to your Caregivers: When in the position of needing a caregiver, it's easy to feel a sense of weekness. Something you didn’t need or did on your own, someone else is now doing for you. You might not want them helping you. Maybe you feel guilty or that the caretaker is doing too much for you. But more often than not, when you are suffering, your caregiver is also suffering for you. That's why it's important to make caregiving a two way street. One of the greatest rewards a caregiver can receive is honest, positive, grateful feedback from you.

First, give yourself permission to accept their help. Then relax. Be grateful for the help and then show them your gratitude. Being grateful not only improves your mood but the caretaker’s mood, which ultimately leads to a happier situation for everyone.

My story: As you might imagine, my parents were not thrilled to get this call. Living in San Antonio, TX, my parents immediately started looking for flights to Hilton Head. There were no guaranteed flights for several days. As quickly as they could, they packed bags, jumped in the car and started driving. After 18 hours of non-stop driving, they finally arrived and I could not have felt happier to see them. My mom ended up moving in with me and staying with me for 3 months (which I was not thrilled about at first).

It was incredibly frustrating as a young bachelor to lose my independence and have my mom move into my apartment to live my life for me. But once I gave myself permission to be okay about her helping me and admitted it was okay to have help, I felt a sense of relief. I did not have to do this alone. And neither did she. =D

2)    Spend time with yourself: Whether it’s expressing a hobby, reading a book, meditating, or simply going for a walk, it is important to still make time for “me” during an emotionally difficult time. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the caregiving role, we forget to take time for ourselves. Getting away from everything else that’s distracting in the world makes having a clear and steady mind happen more easily.

My story: Usually my hobbies consist of anything involving physical activity. However, when I broke my neck I was forced to tap into other activities. I've always had a passion for music so I spent a lot of time watching music videos on YouTube. After a little inspiration, I decided I wanted to make a music video. I started learning how to use Garage Band (a recording program on most Mac computers) as well as I-movie (a movie making program on most Mac computers). I became obsessed with learning more about and creating my family tree. This hobby was extra special because it forced me to stay in touch with more family members than usual. With all the projects I got myself excited about, I was able to keep a positive attitude. AND not only that! When I was deep in a project, I forgot that I was even wearing the Halo. =D

3)    Keep a sense of Humor: Research continues to show that laughter truly is the best medicine. Laughter releases “feel good” hormones such as serotonin and dopamine which improves mood, decreases stress and improves immune system and body function. This is not to say that laughter is the “cure all”. But laughter is one of the body’s greatest forms of natural treatment to keep itself in a healthier place.

My story: During my injury, I decided to put this claim to the test. Luckily for me, I have a roommate with a great sense of humor who always knows how to keep the humor flowing (shout out to Alex Santa). That made it much easier. Along with that, I made it a point to watch comical movies and television shows that I thought would make me laugh. I must have watched over 50 episodes of Saturday Night Live in a 2-week period on Netflix. Needless to say, my frequent laughter was a major contributor to keeping my happiness elevated during my time in the Halo. =D

4)    Allow yourself to feel: As our very own Behavioral Therapist, Lisette Cifaldi, would say: Do not "unplug" yourself from your emotions. Acknowledge your emotions. Feel your emotions. When you’re angry, FEEL angry. When you want to cry, cry. Every time you ignore an emotion, it becomes part of a pile that gets stuffed down and roots itself deep inside. When your pile gets too big, it outweighs your ability to fight for happiness. 

My Story: About 4 weeks into wearing my Halo, I started to realize that no matter how hard I tried on the outside - I was not happy on the inside. For 4 weeks, I was ignoring my negative emotions. For 4 weeks, I was lying to myself and pretending everything was okay. But honestly, everything was not okay.

I felt sadness. I felt anger. I felt resentment towards myself. I felt regret towards the decision I made to backflip. Just when I thought I gained complete independence, my parents moved in to take care of me. I felt like I was moving backwards. I chose to ignore all of that for 4 weeks. I chose only to feel the things that I associated with happiness, which ironically, led me away from happiness. Once I finally gave attention to those emotions, expressed them and felt them; I found myself laughing more, smiling more, and enjoying the company of those around me more. All of a sudden, life became colorful again. =)

5)  Find meaning in your struggles: Let’s face it, sometimes things happen in life that simply suck. There always has been and always will be outside forces preventing you from making things exactly the way you want them to be. But being happy isn’t about getting WHAT you want. Being happy is about being WHO you want. Take what life throws at you and use it to build you up NOT drag you down. Take that lemon and create lemonade. If you believe that everything happens for a reason, search for that reason. Learn from it. If you don’t believe that then assign it a reason. Teach yourself something from it. The toughest time in life is the truest test of WHO we want to be.

When you’re in the middle of a struggle, ask yourself, “Where is the silver lining in all of this? What about this experience brings me one step closer to my ideal self? What would my ideal self do in this situation?”.

My story: When I look back at my struggles from my neck injury, of course, I remember the pain and suffering that affected both me and my loved ones. Of course, I remember losing my independence and having my parents move in with me. Of course, I remember NOT being able to be physically active for 3 months. Of course I remember not being able to fall asleep for hours. I could go on and on about the things that sucked. And you know what… I will never forget them. I will never forget them in a good way. I will always be proud that I had them. Because from each negative memory I was given, I was given an even greater positive memory. Positive memories that I could only get from those negative ones. Like:

- The quality time with my parents that not every young man gets to have.

- The vision to see just how many people love and remember me. (More than I would have ever imagined, some people I have not spoken to since Middle school!)

- The growth in my creative hobbies,  in my relationships with others, in the relationship with myself and growth with life in general.

- The spotlight while I was the center of attention for 3 months =D

- The work experience - since I wasn't able to be as active, I’ve had the opportunity to work on the sales side of business.

- The bragging rights to say that I survived the HANGMAN’S FRACTURE!!!

Lastly, it's not always easy to put these strategies into practice. Take it from me. It isn’t always easy for me, either. But I assure you when you do, it will make a world of a difference.

Please enjoy this video that kept me busy and happy during my tough time.

Wellness Wednesday: Can a Hangover KILL your Diet?

I recently made a dubious discovery. Dubious because inherent in the discovery is an admission of guilt, information I can no longer ignore and validation of a long-held belief. Rather salacious sounding, right? Salacious indeed because the discovery, backed by scientific research, is that

a hangover makes you crave greasy, fatty foods.

A night of boozy indulgence is often followed by a day of drive-through extravagance. The alcohol aftermath is an intense craving for high-fat foods. We know that our resolve dissolves in alcohol, but it turns out that our willpower is challenged long after the drinking is over. What’s responsible for this inconvenient side effect? A brain chemical called galanin.

According to William Gruchow, a professor and researcher at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, galanin increases our appetite for fats, and eating fat produces more galanin.

As it turns out, alcohol consumption also increases galanin production.

The vicious circle isn’t hard to decipher:

1. I go on a bender (or really just have one glass of wine too many) and crave a big, greasy burger the next day because the excess alcohol has pumped up my galanin.


2. I indulge in the burger, (let’s face it, a burger is super yummy). The fat in the burger generates even more galanin. Ugh!


3. Then I crave more greasy food so I opt for the fries, chips, pizza…all the traditional hangover fare.


4.  Before I know it, I’m slouching in the corner of the couch feeling sick and full while watching a marathon of Desperate Housewives.

Another factor in this disastrous dynamic is that a hangover makes us green around the gills. Because we think they’ll make us feel better, comfort foods are the solution to the discomfort. Of course this is flawed logic, but it happens all the same.

Alcohol consumption is fraught with danger for the well-meaning dieter. It comes with copious amounts of unwanted calories. It creates a euphoria that quietly shackles our willpower, thus leading to unwise food choices. AND, now we know it has us craving greasy, high-fat foods the next day.

I’m not suggesting you give up alcohol during your weight-loss journey, but it is important to really monitor your consumption. Success in any worthy endeavor hinges on removing obstacles. Take a look at your regular alcohol intake and ask yourself if it’s sabotaging your success in any way. Perhaps it’s time to put galanin on a leash.

NUTRITION: HEALTHY SNACKS FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP

I can’t imagine driving from Hilton Head Island to my hometown, Cincinnati, without stopping for gas.  If I attempted that, I bet I would be stuck on the side of the road somewhere in North Carolina.  That doesn’t sound like fun to me and neither does being in the car without some healthy snacks to keep hunger in check.  It is common sense to stop and fill up the tank when we reach empty, but are you stopping to eat on your road trip?  Are you waiting six hours without eating?  Do you rely on gas stations or fast food for meals and snacks?  Are you choosing the burgers and fries at a drive through? As great as some restaurants are trying to offer healthier options, I would suggest purchasing a cooler and stocking it with your own items.  I will reword that last statement—purchase a cooler and stock it with your own healthy alternatives.  Here are some great options:

1. Stuffed Dates.  Take roasted almonds or walnuts and stuff them in 5-6 unpitted dates.  This snack is crunchy on the inside and chewy on the outside while being loaded with fiber to help fill one up.


2. Freeze Dried Fruit.  You don’t have to be concerned about added sugars compared to some regular dried fruits.  This is a great way to incorporate fruit without getting juice everywhere. Freeze dried pineapple and tangerines are delicious.


3. Fruit Skewers.  Before leaving for your trip, chop your favorite fruits and link them on skewers to easily pack in a cooler or container.  Try strawberries, pineapple, blackberries, watermelon and kiwi for a nice summer option.


4. Nut, Seed and Coconut Flake Mix.  Prepare 1-1 ½ ounce containers or bags of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios and unsweetened coconut flakes for a nice dose of fiber, vitamin E, healthy fats and protein.


5. Sliced Vegetables with Hummus.  Homemade hummus, 1-2 oz. portions, packs very well with sliced bell peppers, celery, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.


6. Edamame.  I love having these around.  They have a slight crunch, touch of sweetness and provide enough protein and fiber to keep me satisfied.


7. Beet Crunch Rolls.  This is a fun one. Prepare rice paper as directed then add 1 T. pumpkin seeds, shredded carrots, 3-4 T. of grated beets and 3-4 tangerine or clementine slices to the center and roll until everything is compact. This is a little more filling, but great if you don’t want to stop for a longer period of time.


8. Pre-prepared items in your refrigerator.  There is nothing stopping one from packing a cooler with perishable items from the refrigerator. Berries, yogurt, cottage cheese, leftover vegetables and more.

Before you head out the door make sure you bring a water bottle.  Plan ahead, be confident and healthy driving!

Healthy Recipes: H3 Banana and Nut GO Bar

This granola bar is the perfect H3 snack! It's quick, easy and loaded with protein and fiber.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Oats

1 tsp Cinnamon, ground

½ tsp. Nutmeg, ground

½ tsp Almond extract

1 cup Flax, ground

2 each Bananas, mashed

¼ cup  Almonds, sliced

STEPS:

• Preheat oven to 350°F


• Combine all ingredients in a bowl


• Spread onto greased baking sheet


• Bake for 20 minutes or until the bars begin to crisp


• Let cool and then cut into 15 bars

NUTRITION: 

SERVINGS: 15

SERVING SIZE: 1 bar

CALORIES: 120 kcal