Healthy Recipes: Patatas Bravas

At Hilton Head Health, the Healthy Kitchen aims to create healthy recipes that are not only delicious and healthy meals but easy to prepare and able to fit into almost anyone's healthy diet plan. Whether your goal is aimed towards weight loss or wellness, the healthy recipes from the Healthy Kitchen are sure to help get your health and healthy diet plan on the right track! Seeing as our weight loss program and wellness program are geared towards being as personalized as possible, we  make sure that we offer many healthy recipes that are also allergen friendly recipes. We have a myriad of gluten-free recipes, soy-free recipes, and dairy-free recipes. Such as this Patatas Bravas recipe which is scrumptious, gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free! For a complete healthy meal, pair the Patatas Bravas with our Chateaubriand and roasted vegetables recipes. Enjoy!



Ingredients:

16 Potatoes, Red Bliss, quartered

1 T Olive oil

2 T Flaxseed mayonnaise

1 T White wine vinegar

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Chili powder

1 tsp Cumin

¼ tsp Salt

Method:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


• Bring large pan of salted water to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until tender, but not falling apart.


• Drain and let cool, transfer to plate or tray.


• Toss potatoes in olive oil. Spread potatoes onto a sheet tray.


• Roast potatoes until crispy. (About 30-40 minutes)


• Mix together vinegar, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and flax mayonnaise sauce in bowl.


• Pour the mixture over the potatoes and serve hot.

Nutrition:

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 160

Fat: 5.5 grams

Fitness Friday: The H3 Wave Plank

At Hilton Head Health weight loss camp and health spa, we help our guests achieve their weight loss and wellness goals by creating a personalized weight loss program and wellness program for a healthier, better lifestyle through fitness, cooking classes, nutrition education and stress management. While all these factors are important in helping our Guests with their individualized weight loss goals and new wellness paths, we also want our Guests to have fun while they reach their goals and carve out their new paths. Adding an extra element of fun not only helps vary workouts to make them more challenging, but it helps make the entire experience that much more enjoyable. After all, your trip to our weight loss camp and health spa is a fun getaway!

Following an interval training workout earlier this week, our Guests participated in what we like to call the "Wave Plank". It's just like "the wave" you see or do at a sporting event but there's a little twist. Our Guests did the wave while posed in plank position! Not only is this a fun way to mix up a sometimes monotonous exercise, but adding the extra movement of lifting ones arms can help strengthen the core and make the workout that much more effective.

 

H3 16-Mile Biking Adventure

Our top priority here at Hilton Head Health weight loss camp and wellness retreat is providing the tools to create a path to help our Guests reach their personalized weight loss and wellness goals through our weight loss program and healthy lifestyle, wellness program. Alongside that interest, we want to make sure our Guests have an amazing time and take home life-enhancing experiences. We offer a variety of excursions, adventures and amenities such as cooking classes, spa treatments, zip-lining, and more. Most recently our Guests participated in a 16-mile bike ride, navigating nearly the entire span of the beautiful Hilton Head Island with H3 Guide Alex Santa and H3 LOSE Well Coach Jeremy Crawford. Our Guests enjoyed breathtaking scenery and completed a task that called for endurance and showcased their improved fitness levels.



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

We certainly had an amazing time biking around the beautiful Hilton Head Island with some of our Guests!

What was your favorite fitness adventure that you partook in during your weight loss program or wellness program at Hilton Head Health weight loss camp and health spa? If you haven't booked your trip to Hilton Head Health yet to improve your fitness, nutrition and wellness and jump start your weight loss, what fitness adventure are you looking forward to?

Nutrition: The Dangers of Caffeine Powder

Here at Hilton Head Health weight loss camp and health spa, we know there are dozens of  fad dietary products out there being advertised to the general public daily. With the promise of quick weight loss, it's easy to be persuaded to use these ineffective or even unsafe products. However, we advocate food and nutritional education for all our Guests while they are reaching their personalized weight loss and wellness goals at our weight loss camp and health spa. With the proper education and gained confidence, our Guests can make the best decisions to maintain their newly founded or improved fitness level, healthy lifestyle and maintained weight loss.

Though we focus heavily on weight loss and wellness achieved through healthy habits rather than quick fixes, not all weight loss advocates can say that they do the same. Legend has it that tea was discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong  in 3000 B.C. when tea leaves accidentally fell into some boiling water, and so began our love affair with caffeine. According to Wikipedia, 90% of North Americans consume caffeine daily. In small amounts caffeine is not toxic and can even be beneficial. At the very least, for many, caffeine can increase alertness and provide an energy boost. Mounting evidence suggests that small amounts of caffeine (not more than 400 mg, the amount in 4-8 oz cups of regular coffee or 8 cups of tea) might even lower the risk of some chronic diseases.  Unfortunately, we were recently reminded that if a little of something is good,  more is not necessarily better.

Until the recent overdose death of an Ohio teenager, I had never heard of powdered caffeine. Legally and easily available, powdered caffeine is so potent that as little as a teaspoon can be fatal. Logan Stiner, a healthy 18-year-old athlete and prom king died on May 27, 2014. The official cause of death was listed as seizures and cardiac arrhythmia brought on by caffeine overdose. The medical examiner determined that Logan had taken more than a teaspoon of the powder. The recommended dose is 1/16 of a teaspoon. A 23-year-old British man also died of caffeine overdose in 2010 after ingesting 2 spoonfuls of the  powder.

Caffeine powder has caught to attention of the FDA and it released this statement on July 18, 2014 regarding the matter.

The FDA advises consumers to avoid pure, powdered caffeine.  Powdered caffeine is a powerful stimulant and very small amounts may cause accidental overdose – just one teaspoon of pure caffeine is roughly equivalent to the amount in 25 cups of coffee. Because it is very difficult to accurately measure powdered pure caffeine with common kitchen  measuring tools one be easily consume a lethal amount. Symptoms of caffeine toxicity or overdose can include rapid or dangerously erratic heartbeat, vomiting, diarrhea, stupor and disorientation, seizures and death.

It is marketed as a performance enhancer for weight loss and muscle development. The FDA recommends that parents of teenagers be on the lookout as they are most likely to be drawn to these products because of their perceived benefits.

If you are wondering why the FDA would allow such a potentially dangerous substance to be available, the fact is that they have no control over what dietary supplements are brought to the market. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) states that the manufacturer of a dietary supplement or dietary ingredient is responsible for evaluating the safety of the product before it is marketed. (sounds like the fox guarding the hen house) The FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. According to  Daniel Fabricant  of the FDA, “with dietary supplements, there is no pre-market approval, once a product is on the market, the burden is on the FDA to prove the a product is unsafe”. That proof comes a little late for the family of Logan Stiner.

The video below, provided by ABC News, gives more information about caffeine powder, the FDA and safety measures.


ABC News | More ABC News Videos

We hope that you continue to avoid quick, unhealthy fixes like caffeine powder, and continue to lose weight and achieve wellness the healthy way as taught at our weight loss camp and health spa. Why do you think it's important to avoid quick fixes?

Healthy Recipe: Chocolate Kahlúa Mousse

In the H3 Healthy Kitchen at Hilton Head Health weight loss camp and health spa, we believe you can treat yourself without cheating yourself. With the right health recipe and a balanced diet, you can satisfy your sweet tooth and savor healthy dessert recipes. This rich, cool mousse is a healthy dessert that's delightful with fresh fruit. Enjoy all the chocolate goodness you crave with less fat and calories.



Ingredients:

¼ cup Unsalted butter

1 shot Kahlúa

1 tsp Vanilla

¼ cup Cocoa powder

1 cup Sugar

1 each Egg yolk

4 each Egg whites

1/8 tsp Cream of tartar

1 cup Fat-whipped topping

Method:

• Remove egg whites from your refrigerator.


• Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.


• Add in the Kahlúa, vanilla, cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of sugar; whisk until the mixture is smooth.                           


• Add in the egg yolks, whisking constantly.


• Bring to a slow boil and then remove from the heat and cool.


• Whip the egg whites, the other 1/2 cup sugar and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.


• Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites; gently fold in whipped topping.


• Scoop 2 oz of the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until firm.

Nutrition:

Servings: 6

Serving Size: 2 oz

Calories: 160 kcal

Fat: 6 grams

Whether you're working towards a wellness or weight loss goal, we hope that you enjoy this healthy dessert recipe!

What was your favorite recipe that you learned in the H3 healthy kitchen?

And if you haven't yet attended our weight loss camp and health spa, what's one dessert that you would love to learn how to make into a healthy dessert recipe?

H3 SUMMER WELLNESS WEEKENDS SALE

Here at Hilton Head Health, we're committed to helping individuals create a personalized experience to reach weight loss and wellness goals both here at the facililty and back at home. Summer is in full effect and we understand your schedule is as busy as ever. Meetings, pick up the kids, dinner and a hundred other items on your to-do list. Before the summer passes you by, take advantage of an H3 Summer Wellness Weekend Sale, between now and July 31st and save 20%!  Our Wellness Program includes a stay in a private villa, unlimited access to fitness classes, healthy meals, health education and so much more! A Wellness Weekend is just what you need to kick start a healthy lifestyle and reboot your body.

Come and learn why Hilton Head Health has been chosen as the nation's premiere weight loss resort, and wellness retreat.



Learn more about the pricing and details of our wellness program that will help you kick start your weight loss and/or healthy lifestyle here!

BOOK BY JULY 31, 2014 TO SAVE 20% and BRING A FRIEND TO SAVE MORE!

Fitness Friday: H3 TRX Workout

Here at Hilton Head Health, we strive to provide the  most challenging and exciting workout routines to help our Guests reach their personal weight loss and wellness goals with our weight loss program and wellness program. When you try new fitness equipment and throw in different variations to your normal routine,  it can help you stay motivated to keep up your new, healthy lifestyle. Today, we have a full body TRX workout to help you get one step closer to your fitness, weight loss and wellness goals.

For the best results, perform 3 sets of 15 reps of each exercise.

1. Squat - Lower Body

2. Row - Upper Body

3. Lunge  - Lower Body

4. Push up - Upper Body

5. Sit ups / Planks - Core

Here's a video to show you the best techniques for each exercise using the TRX straps.



We hope that you enjoy your TRX workout! What was your favorite new workout that you tried at Hilton Head Health during your stay participating in our weight loss program or wellness program?

Coaching Corner: How to Stop Making Excuses

At Hilton Head Health weight loss resort and wellness retreat, we focus on helping you lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle through a personalized process tailored to your needs. This process includes fitness classes, nutrition classes and education and forming a mind body connection with one's self, and varies from person to person.. However, one common denominator that many people share and need to overcome is making excuses. We aim to teach you how to stop making excuses and live your healthiest life today. So how do you get started?

Let's break the process down and look at the Appreciative Inquiry...

Appreciative Inquiry Definition: A technique that puts focus on the positive aspects of our lives in order to give leverage over or to correct the negative ones. It’s the opposite of ‘problem-solving; which starts with the negative.

Appreciative Inquiry Purpose: When approaching a problem with a positive mindset, you become more open-minded and willing to try new ideas and suggestions. When approaching a problem with a negative mindset, you become more-narrow minded and more likely to shut out new ideas and suggestions (making excuses).

Too often we invest our time and energy into analyzing the things we can’t do and making excuses. We spend our time looking back at what went wrong and overanalyze our failures. This process is the fertile breeding ground where excuses are born; these excuses hinder our ability to reach our weight loss and wellness goals.

How do you feel about yourself when the theme of your vocabulary is CAN’T? How has that word helped you on your journey to success thus far?

Maybe there are things right now that you simply cannot do but wish you could. Perhaps you have dreams of being the healthiest, best, happiest, most successful version of you that you can possibly be, but you believe that you are being held back due to:

• Your time


• Your genetics


• Your job


• Your finances


• Your family


• Your social network


• Your physical limitations


• Your injuries


• Your illness


• Etc…

The reality is, yes, these are indeed real variables, and some of them will never change. However, the root of the problem never lies in what these variables are, but rather, how you approach them. The above variables only become excuses when you decide in your mind that they are. It’s not what you say that counts, it’s how you say it. Words are vehicles that drive your beliefs. Why not chose the most effective vehicle that leads to victory?

The above list could be a list of excuses… OR… it could simply be a list of variables. Just by its very nature, an excuse will never be a vehicle to success. When embarking on a journey where success is important to you, do yourself a favor. Stop making excuses! Simply make yourself aware of the variables.

However, before you even approach these variables, practice the technique of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI can be broken down into 5 parts: Define, Discover, Dream, Design and Deliver.

[caption id="attachment_11927" align="alignleft" width="400"] Image via: http://sustainingcommunity.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/appreciative-inquiry-5-d-cycle.jpg[/caption]

Define: Define the topic that’s important to you. (Ex: Healthy Lifestyle, Weight Loss, Wellness)

Discover: Discuss what the best of the best would look like, sound like and feel like. (Ex: Good balance between social life, work life, fitness, healthy meals, family time, alone time, hobbies). Remember to be as specific as possible! (Ex: Fitness: Walking at least 10,000 steps every day and having 6 meals/day. Breakfast lunch and dinner with a metabo-meal between each one. I have hobbies that I enjoy and I get to spend quality time with my family. A life that looks like Bob Wright’s life.)  

 Dream: Imagine the possibilities of the ideal. Ask yourself questions like:

• What does my ideal-self look like?


• What lifestyle is my ideal-self living?


• What does my ideal-self feel like?

Design: Imagine the possibilities of the realistic. Think about a time when you really felt like, “I CAN”. Ask yourself questions like:

• How have I been successful in the past?


• What am I doing well now?


• What qualities do I have that can help me be successful?


• What lifestyle would or could I ideally and realistically live in the future?


• What small goals can I set right now to lead me in the right direction?


• What variables do I need to take into consideration?


• How can I overcome these variables?

Deliver: Follow through with the actions from the small goals you created. (Ex: I see my ideal-self walking 10,000 steps/day, 7 days/week. Right now I realistically see myself walking 10,000 steps/day, 3 days/week and that is what I am doing.)

By following these steps, we hope it puts you one step closer to stop making excuses and living your healthiest life today!

Wellness Wednesday: Four Steps to Finding Motivation

Here at Hilton Head Health weight loss resort and wellness retreat, it's our passion to help you achieve your long term weight loss and wellness goals through nutrition and fitness education and training which are taught in our weight loss program and wellness program. However, we also believe that achieving your dreams and goals ultimately comes from within yourself and your own motivation. That's why we take a strong focus on helping you grow your self-awareness and understanding your mind body connection.  What we've come to find in our nearly 40 years of experience, is that you cannot start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. Take the initiative today. Get intrinsic with yourself and ask, how will changing your fitness and nutrition habits benefit your life? Are you ready? Why now? What are the advantages and disadvantages these choices? Are you willing to make sacrifices for this decision?

Now, are you still in?

If not, revisit those questions above and create your vision. Going through with a plan that has purpose and personal meaning to you establishes the initial motivation.



If you are still in, check out these tips to keep yourself motivated and help you achieve your weight loss and wellness goals.

1. Leave yourself quotes around your house. Sometimes we need to be reminded that good habits don’t happen after just one day of practicing. Place little post-it notes wherever you need a quick pep talk: in the bathroom, on your ceiling above your bed, on your kitchen counter, refrigerator, microwave or night stand. Wherever you need the most motivation. Try some of these H3 favorites: “Don’t give up.” “Think about why you started.” “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.” “Eat well, move daily, hydrate often, sleep lots and love your body.” “Stay strong, you're worth it.” or “Don’t give up what you want most for what you want at the moment.” 

2. Keep a picture of yourself on your fridge or the mirror in your room or bathroom. This can work in two different ways:

• Find a picture in which you desire to look like again. When looking at it, do you sometimes think "Wow, I don't know how that happened? If only I actually looked like that again!" Take that photo and post it somewhere you will see it often. Having that visual can be motivating and keep you on track towards your goal.


• Or find a picture which you do not desire to look like again.  Sometimes individuals are more motivated by seeing pictures. “I never want to look like that again,” or “I never want to take another picture looking like this.” Take this photo and put it up, reminding you of the image you want to change and the direction you are moving away from.

3. Keep track of your progress. Accountability is one of the best ways to find motivation and stay motivated. Stay on track by recording the workouts you are doing, writing down or inputting what you're eating and even adding pictures to recall your emotions and progress. One way I find helpful is by creating a blog to record what I did, what I ate, how I felt. then sharing the blog with others. You are 50% more likely to adhere to exercising when you have a buddy (doing it alongside you or meeting you to workout). When you are held accountable, you become more aware and responsible for what you do, eat, and feel like. This keeps you on target.

4. Tell your family/roommates/friends about your plans.  When they know, they can help. Sharing your goals, progress, the reasons behind your motivation (whether they be wellness or weight loss related) or even your blog to keep your friends and families, engaged in your work. By understanding your goals, your friends and family can become better supporters and motivators.

Try one of these tips or even a combination. Find what keeps you motivated and stick with it. Ultimately it is your goal, your body, your decision to get healthy, achieve weight loss, wellness, and live a healthy lifestyle.

What keeps you motivated?

Healthy Recipes: Roasted Beet Salad with Candied Pecans

Nothing is better than a fresh salad in the summertime. This H3 Healthy Kitchen Roasted Beet Salad with Candied Pecan is light, delicious and easy to make. Enjoy it with a tall glass of cool water to make this a healthy meal that will help you reach your weight loss and wellness goals.



Roasted Beet Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups Roasted Beets, golden and purple (2 each)

1 small Onion, sliced, caramelized

1 T Extra virgin olive oil

1 cup Arugula, fresh

2 T Candied pecans, chopped

2 T Citrus vinaigrette

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.


• Peel beets then dice into 1-inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl. While beets are roasting, make salad dressing and set aside in refrigerator.


• While beets are roasting, caramelize onion by adding 1 T. of olive oil to a heated non-stick pan.  Cook onions down for at least 20 minutes until golden brown.


• To compose each salad, add 1/4 cup of each golden and purple beet onto a small salad plate.  The fresh arugula can be underneath or mixed within the beets.  Add 1 T caramelized onions, 2 chopped candied pecans (see recipe below) and 2 tsp of the Citrus vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Candied Pecans

Ingredients: 

1 cup pecans

3 T Sugar

Method:

• To make candied pecans, heat oven to 300° F.


• Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.


• In small mixing bowl, add 1 cup pecans with 3 T of sugar.


• Lay sugared pecans on baking sheet and bake until pecans are golden brown and sugar has caramelized (20-30 minutes).  Can be made 4 days in advance.

Nutrition:

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1 composed salad

Calories: 110 kcal

Fat: 6 grams

I hope that you enjoy this delicious salad, and continue to incorporate more healthy meals, healthy recipes and healthy habits into your life to live an all around healthy lifestyle.

What's your all-time favorite summertime salad?

Fitness Friday: The 5 Best Old School Exercises

At Hilton Head Health, we understand that it can be difficult to choose the best fitness options for you with such a great variety of workouts these days. That's why we've created a personalized weight loss program, wellness program and variety of fitness regimens and classes for all our guests to help them reach their individual weight loss and wellness goals and achieve lasting results.

Today, we've decided to pull out 5 simple, classic and old school exercises that have been proven to work over the years. These workouts (in one sequence) form a full-body, fat burning workout routine that is fun to do!

First, start by walking.

1.  Walking: 30 minutes

One of the easiest forms of exercise for most people, walking has been proven time and again to have many health benefits.  Research has shown that walking just 30 minutes or more a day can help:

• reduce the risk of heart disease


• improve blood pressure, blood sugar levels and blood lipid profile


• manage body weight and reduce the risk of obesity


• enhance mental well being


• reduce the risk of osteoporosis


• reduce the risk of certain cancers


• lower the risk of type 2 diabetes

After the walk complete 1 set of each exercise, then repeat the cycle until you have done each exercise 3 times.

2. Squats: 15-20 Squats per set

Squatting is one of the most functional exercises we can do.  We use a squatting motion all the time in daily life, from getting out of a chair to bending down to pick up something off the floor, being able to properly squat is crucial to staying mobile.  Squats are more than a leg exercise.  Squats are a whole body movement which when done properly:

• works the core,


• improves balance and mobility,


• help burn fat,


• improve bone health


• and possibly reduce the likelihood of injury.

3. Push-ups:  As many push ups as you can do

This is one of the best exercises to work the upper body, push-ups can be done anywhere and require no equipment whatsoever.  Push-ups deliver a lot of bang for your buck, as they work the:

• chest,


• shoulders,


• triceps


• and core muscles all at once.

4. Plank: 30 seconds (Try to work your way up to 1 minute.)

Planks are one of the best exercises to work the entire core: abdominals, lower back, and postural muscles, glutes, and hip muscles.  Planks can help:

• to prevent back injuries


• and increase your stability during all other exercises.

5. Fire-Hydrants: 10-15 on each leg per set

Fire-Hydrants activate and strengthen the glutes and hip muscles which are often weak and imbalanced on people, especially runners. Focus on keeping good form with your hips level the whole time.

For more direction and modifications of the workout routine, check out this video-



We hope that enjoy this fat burning, full-body workout routine! Which of these old-school, classic exercises are your favorite?

H3 Meditation Giveaway Contest Winner!

We thank everyone who entered the Meditation Giveaway Contest and we enjoyed reading all of your answers! We hope that you all try to practice meditation. The winner of the H3 Meditation CD, yoga mat and bag is Sarah Sullivan! Enjoy your prize!



 

 

Nutrition: Top 10 Reasons To Follow the Mediterranean Diet

A healthy, balanced diet is vital to achieving longterm weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle. Though there are a lot of moving parts and factors to finding the perfect healthy diet for you, following the basics of the Mediterranean diet is a great place to start. The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy diet plan that focuses on eating fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes. It also advocates replacing fats such as butter with olive oil, using herbs and spices to flavor food in lieu of salt, limiting red meat, and enjoying wine in moderation. This diet is enjoyed by those in the Mediterranean region such as Italy, and Greece and is often associated with a longer life, and a healthier heart. Here are the top 10 reasons to follow the Mediterranean diet:

10.  You have fun during your meals.  The Mediterranean diet is not a diet—it is a lifestyle.  Eat your meals at a table, spend time finishing your meal, and eat among others.  I promise you end up having a more enjoyable dining experience.

9.  Your cardiovascular risk decreases.  This diet is the perfect formula for helping your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers improve significantly.

8.  You wake up feeling 10 years younger.  A diet rich in plant foods (vegetables, fruit, herbs, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds) can decrease inflammation as well providing constant energy.

7.   Your loved ones are impressed by your cooking skills.  Following the Mediterranean diet results in spending more time in the kitchen preparing composed meals.  You'll have the ability to create some awesome dishes—including intimidating recipes you’ve always kept off your meal plan.  Use www.h3daily.com and skills that you may have learned as a guest in the H3 Healthy Kitchen as a valuable resource.

6.  You suddenly feel like an athlete every time you work out or train.  A diet focused on plants, lean proteins, fatty fish, healthy oils (olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, nut oils), low fat dairy, beans, legumes, wine in moderation, herbs, spices and a lot of water will fuel your muscles and body necessary for prime performance.

5.  Fad diets are no longer an option.  No major food group is discounted.  You are focused on getting a variety of foods, going local, choosing seasonal produce and the diet monkey chatter can slowly dissipate.

4.  Healthy food tastes awesome!  Using herbs, spices, vinegars, oils, nuts, seeds and more adds amazing texture as well as giving you a huge flavor boost without excessive sodium or added sugars.

3.  Your friends come to you for nutrition advice.  Your lifestyle is now admirable among your peers and they are asking what you’ve been doing with your diet and exercise.  Here is the great thing—it is easy to encourage those around you because you truly believe in the lifestyle you are living.

2.  You get to buy a new wardrobe.  Due to a significant improvement in your food choices, your weight loss goals will be easy to achieve.  Hello, shopping mall!

1.  You are finally living in diet freedom.  You can finally let go of every fad diet you’ve followed and hold onto something that is realistic, healthy and enjoyable.  Key word—enjoyable.

We certainly hope that you try out the Mediterranean diet and it helps you get closer to reaching your weight loss and wellness goals.

Healthy Recipes: Citrus Vinaigrette

In the H3 Healthy Kitchen, we find little tricks to bring out the best flavors in all our dishes to help you better enjoy your healthy meals while trying to reach your weight loss and wellness goals, and live a healthy lifestyle. Using orange juice concentrate instead of freshly squeezed orange juice provides a stronger citrus note.  Find orange juice concentrate in your freezer section, to make this delicious healthy citrus vinaigrette.

Citrus Vinaigrette 

¼ cup Orange juice concentrate

¼ cup White wine vinegar

2 T Extra virgin olive oil

1 T Thyme, fresh, chopped fine

1 T Dijon mustard

¼ tsp Salt

Method:

• In food processor, add all ingredients except the olive oil and fresh thyme and blend until smooth.


• Once combined, gradually add the olive oil until well combined.


• Pour dressing into small bowl and add the finely chopped thyme. Bon appetite!

Fitness Friday: H3 4th of July Ab Routine

Happy, healthy 4th of July from Hilton Head Health! We've structured our weight loss program and wellness program to include an element of fun with recreational and adventure offerings. Since we're all about having a good time, we don't want you to miss a second of the fireworks! So here's a quick 3 move ab and oblique routine to get in your work out for the day and get one step closer to your weight loss and wellness goals.

1. Plank with a twist


2. Bicycle


3. Ball toss with a twist

Have a happy, safe, and healthy 4th of July!

Wellness Wednesday: Tips on Making Time to Meditate

Time is our most precious commodity, yet we frequently spend it frivolously. If you were allotted $24 at the beginning of everyday and told you had to use the money to buy time throughout your day at a rate of one dollar per hour, how would you spend it? Eight dollars for eight good hours of sleep seems like a bargain.  Because of the necessity, another $8 for eight hours of work would begrudgingly be forked over. As the money dwindled, however, it would get harder to cough-up a few bucks for things like surfing the net, getting lost in YouTube videos and posting on Facebook.  Yet, that is where our precious extra-time often goes.

What if you knew that just ten cents a day, or $3 a month, could buy you amazing health and wellness related benefits like:

• Lower blood pressure


• Enhanced memory


• Enhanced immunity system


• Stress resilience


• Decreases in muscle tension


• Strengthened impulse control


• Anti-inflammatory effects

The aforementioned are just a few of the positive side-effects that result from a practice of merely ten minutes of meditation a day. From a cost-benefit analysis, meditation is a no-brainer. Since it distracts us from the never-ending monkey chatter in our heads, the source of all our stress, it gives the term no-brainer a whole new meaning.



At Hilton Head Health, we believe that self-awareness and a mind/body connection is an essential weight loss and wellness tool that will help you live a healthier lifestyle. So, how can you fit an extra ten minutes reserved for meditation into your already packed day? The answer to that question is…don’t. The ten minutes is already there. You just have to find it and use it more wisely to help you reach your weight loss and wellness goals. Here are a few tips for finding time to meditate:

• When you pull into your driveway after a long day at work, remain in your car, pop in a meditation CD and meditate in your car before going into the house. This little trick is a great way to delineate your work life from your home life…creating a nice buffer between the two.

• On your lunch break, close your office door and crank up your iPod with a downloaded guided imagery. Nothing resets the work-stress button like a walk on the beach in the middle of the day, (from the comfort of your desk chair).

• Because we rarely feel rushed on weekend mornings, there is no better time to meditate. Before your feet even hit the floor Saturday morning, start your day with a short meditation from bed. What a way to start your day!

Looking for some great meditations, try Hilton Head Health’s short 15-minute meditations from the following downloadable sources:

• iTunes - http://bit.ly/H3iTunes


• CD Baby - http://bit.ly/H3Meditations

 

H3 Meditation Giveaway

At Hilton Head Health, we help our guests make a mind-body connection in order to help them achieve long term wellness and weight loss, and live a healthier lifestyle. Achieving this self awareness not only helps reduce stress, but it helps one further understand any obstacles standing in the way of their goals and how to overcome them. One of the best ways to achieve this mind-body connection is through the practice of meditation. Regular meditation can also produce various health benefits such as decreasing muscle tension and enhancing your immune system.

Finish this sentence, "I want to practice meditation because ____.", for the chance to win an MP3 download of the new H3 "Meditations" CD, H3 yoga mat and bag! Post your response in the discussion box to the right. We will accept entries until Monday, July 7. The winner will be announced here on the blog on Tuesday, July 8th. Good luck!