H3 Quick HIIT Workout Routine

When making the choice to exercise, always choose quality over quantity! This is an important concept we convey to our Guests here at Hilton Head Health. We offer 50 different fitness classes and fitness activities that are designed to give our Guests the most out their workout and help them form a successful workout routine at home. HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a great way to get the most out of your workout, as it burns more calories and more fat faster!

For today's HIIT Workout Routine here on our blog, do each of the 4 exercise shown in the video for 20 seconds with a 10 second rest in between each exercise. Complete 8 rounds of each exercise for the full HIIT workout routine.

1. Jump Rope

2. High Knees

3. Skiers

4. Jumping Jacks

10 Tips to Step-Up Your Walking Workout

It’s no secret that walking is one of the very best forms of aerobic exercise that we can do. At Hilton Head Health, we often incorporate all kinds of walking into our Guests fitness routines. Whether it be walking on the beach, walking in between fitness classes or just walking around the beautiful grounds, we love to walk with our Guests! The health benefits are numerous, including reducing cholesterol, as well as the risk of heart attack and high blood pressure, and it can significantly improve cardiovascular fitness and blood circulation. Simply put, it is what we are designed to do! It is one exercise you never have to worry about overdoing and the risk of injury is quite low.



However, when using walking as part of your aerobic fitness plan, it is important to remember that the quality of your walk is what determines the results you can achieve.

Here are 10 tips to maximize your walking workout:

1. Set Goals. You can use goals such as time or distance to inspire you. Try adding one minute of high intensity effort for every three minutes of moderate intensity. Or look for an object in the distance, such as a sign, a bench or a street corner and speed up your pace until you reach it. Also, make a plan for how many times a week you want to get out and complete your walk. Whether it be every morning, 3 mornings a week, after lunch every day, etc. and be sure you stick to it!

2. Maintain good posture. Keep your back straight, your chin up and your shoulders aligned over your hips. When your body is in proper alignment it allows your back and butt muscles to engage more powerfully, which can increase your speed and calorie burn. Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in to help protect your back, and to keep you from rounding forward.

3. Use Your Arms. Vigorously pumping your arms can help you walk faster and burn more calories. Be mindful to keep your arms close to your body, strike slightly above your heart, and maintain a controlled movement to avoid excess strain on your back and shoulders. And contrary to popular belief, we encourage you to avoid hand weights. This is particularly important if you have a bad back or joint problems. Using hand weights can cause stress injuries to your arm muscles and joints. Just making light fists with your hands will contract the arm muscles for an added toning effect and a little extra calorie burn. And under no circumstances should you walk with weights around your ankles, as this significantly increases the potential for knee injury.

4. Motivate yourself with music or a workout buddy. Playing upbeat music can make exercise feel more like fun than work.  People who listen to music tend to walk longer than those who don’t.  Just remember to be cautious of how loud your music is.  You want to be able to stay aware of your surroundings and avoid dangerous situations.

During both our weight loss program and wellness program, we encourage having someone in your life to motivate you and keep you accountable. Walking with a partner can be a great motivational tool. You can keep each other on track and inspired! But walking with a buddy has its drawbacks as well. Statistically, walking with a partner decreases your walking pace, sometimes significantly. Typically, this is due to the conversation that is taking place! Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind while walking with a partner:

A. Walk with someone who keeps a similar pace with you.
B. Try to keep conversation to a minimum! You can try to walk in one direction with no conversation and talk on the way back or vice versa! Or do your walk without talking and take turns meeting at each other’s house afterward for a quick cup of coffee to catch up.
C. Be prepared to walk on your own when your buddy is not available. Solo walking is a great way to clear your mind and relax!

5. Avoid eating or drinking too much before your walk. It can slow you down and/or give you cramps. If you have just had a large meal it can interfere with the digestive process and double the workload on the heart. You may need to wait up to 2 hours before you can walk comfortably.

6. Get Outside. People who walk outside are more likely to stick to their exercise regiment. Being outdoors can be a meditative experience, allowing you to clear your mind and lower stress levels. A change of scenery is a great boredom buster as well. Additionally, people who walk outside tend to walk longer than those on treadmills. Try using an app, such as “mapmywalk,” to create new routes and track accurate distance.

7. Use a pedometer and track your progress. Journal your activity each day (type, time and distance) and then challenge yourself to improve in the next workout. Heading out the door with the goal to improve can help you increase your number of strides and the length of time you spend exercising.

8. Check your intensity. A heart-rate monitor is an excellent way to determine how hard you’re working. It can ‘coach’ you to pick up the pace if you are slowing down or reduce the pace if you are working too hard. If you do not have a heart rate monitor, refer to your pedometer. Keep in mind that 2,000 steps is equal to about 1 mile and you should aim to cover that in about 15 minutes time on average. Walk with a sense of purpose and determination!

9. Stride matters. Proper use of your feet makes all the difference. Try rolling through from the heel of the foot to the toes and pushing off just as you get to the ball of your foot and big toe, allowing your ankle to work through a complete range of motion. This will help to recruit the calves, hamstrings and gluteals effectively. The more muscles you use, the more calories you burn!

10. Add some fitness moves. To beat boredom and increase metabolism, try adding a variety of movements into your walking workout. Consider push-ups on a bench, walking lunges, short bursts of jogging, jumping jacks, walking sideways, triceps dips on a bench, knee raises – the list goes on! Be creative - have a list of activities in mind and perform one of them every 5 minutes. This helps to involve a variety of muscles, expend more calories and make the time go by very quickly!

10 Back-to-School Grab & Go Healthy Breakfast Tips

You know the summer is over when your alarm shrieks two hours earlier than it did last week and you’re standing by the coffee-maker nodding off while it brews, seemingly at a snail’s pace. Once the coffee is eagerly ingested, you start the perilous process of waking your kids for their first day back at school. The relaxed summer mornings are replaced with waking the dead, followed by chaotic bursts of panic, bickering, wishing you could get everyone fed and a final rush out the front door in order to avoid hearing the school bell ring. Leisurely fixing a healthy breakfast is unceremoniously canned.

When back to school sneaks up on you, breakfast is the first healthy habit to go. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it's crucial for those little minds focusing on both good behavior and learning throughout the day. Kids who skip breakfast have trouble concentrating, under-perform in memory tests and have low energy. In contrast, kids who eat breakfast tend to keep their weight under control, have lower blood cholesterol levels and fewer absences from school, as well as make fewer trips to the school nurse with stomach complaints related to hunger.

At Hilton Head Health,we capitalize on nutrition as an essential component for wellness and weight loss for our adult Guests. However, health and wellness are just as important for our kids! Here are 10 tips for fitting in a healthy breakfast among the back-to-school bedlam:

1. Trail Blazers: Make your own healthy breakfast trail mix and portion in baggies. Slip the baggies in your kid’s backpack, keep a few in your car’s glove box and throw one in your purse. Voila! Hidden trail mix, ready to eat, everywhere! Let your kids help pick out the nuts, raisins and dried fruits so they’re invested in the choice. (P.S. You can also do this with granola.)
2. Nice Catch Kid!: Cut up mixed fruit and portion in baggies then sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to keep it from browning. Keep the bag in the fridge overnight for a great kids breakfast when you're in a rush.
3. Smooth Move: Remember the fruit from tip #2? Use one of these bags for a smoothie. Throw the fruit from one baggie in the blender with some ice and Greek yogurt or a bit of peanut butter for some added flavor and protein. No child is going to refuse a smoothie! Nope, not gonna' happen. Keep some disposable cups on hand so that you don’t have to buy a new set of glasses every month. If you want to take this one step further, you can actually put all the ingredients for your smoothie in the blender pitcher the night before and keep it in the fridge. Pull it out in the morning and blend it while you hover over the coffee-maker as it’s brewing.
4. Sandwiched for Time?: Purchase a loaf of zucchini or banana bread from your local healthy grocery store. Slice it thinly and make sandwiches using cream cheese or peanut butter. Portion into baggies and keep in the fridge. A yummy grab and go kid's breakfast that they'll love!
5. Unleash the Quiche!: Make muffin-tin frittatas or quiches early in the week and store in the fridge or freezer. Wrap one in a paper towel, warm it in the microwave, and stick it in your kid’s hands -- as you’re signing that last minute permission slip. Garnish with a kiss on the cheek. (P.S. Leftovers are great for making frittatas). Here’s a video from Mom.me to get you started:



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Speaking of leftovers: There’s nothing wrong with a non-traditional breakfast. Don’t be shy about microwaving some leftovers, especially if it’s a family favorite.
7. The Incredible, Edible Egg: The boiled egg is the original fast food. Always keep a few in the fridge for a shot of morning protein.
8. A Good-Day Parfait. Assemble a few yogurt, fruit and granola parfaits in disposable cups and store in the fridge. It looks, tastes and feels like a decadent morning treat that will send any kid off to school with a smile.
9. Stowaway Fruit. Stick an extra piece of fruit in your child’s lunchbox so they can eat it on the way to school. In the unlikely event that they actually ate breakfast before leaving the house, the fruit will make a great snack for later in the day.
10. Mamma Mia, Breakfast Pizza: Using a pre-made crust, scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese (you are welcome to add marinara sauce as well as veggies), make a breakfast pizza and portion slices into baggies. Heat a slice in the microwave, give it to junior and then ask for a tip.

Wishing you all a wonderful school year with healthy and happy kids! What's your favorite healthy breakfast recipe?

H3 Vegetable Stir Fry

In the H3 Healthy Kitchen, we turn healthy ingredients into delicious meals for our Guests during their wellness program and weight loss program stays. We also stress the importance of learning how to make these healthy recipes at home, which is why we also make them quick and easy.  This H3 Vegetable Stir Fry is the perfect marriage of healthy, delicious and easy! Though stir fry's found in many restaurants can often be laden with unnecessary fats and sodiums, this healthy vegetable stir fry recipe is perfect for anyone trying to reach their weight loss goals and live a healthy lifestyle while still being flavorful and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Brown Rice, long grain, uncooked

3 cups Stock, chicken or vegetable

Stir Fry

1 cups Carrots, halved, cut on bias

2 cups Broccoli florets

1 cup Bean sprouts

1 cup Celery

1 cup Straw mushrooms

1 cup Bell peppers, (red and yellow) julienne

1 cup Yellow onions, julienne

1cup Water chestnuts

½  cup Soy Beans

1 cup Egg Beaters

½  cup Cashews, unsalted or lightly salted, pieces or chopped

¼  cup Low sodium soy sauce

2 T. Garlic, fresh, minced

2 T. Ginger, fresh, minced

1 T. Sesame oil

Pinch Sea Salt

3 each Wontons, halved (triangle) baked- garnish

1 head Red cabbage leaves, garnish for base of stir fry

2 each Green Onion frills – for garnish or chopped green onions

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.


• Cook brown rice with chicken or vegetable stock in a large sauce pot.


• Bake wonton triangles until golden brown- then cool and set aside for serving.


• Preheat a large sauté pan.


• Add Sesame oil to the sauté pan.


• Sauté garlic, ginger, onions, celery and peppers, first.


• Once tender, add broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts and bean sprouts.


• Add low sodium soy sauce to the vegetables, as they cook.


• Cook until al dente- slight crunch. Then set aside and keep hot.


• On the side, scramble egg beaters in separate sauté pan.  Make sure to scramble egg beaters well, so that there are small pieces of egg.


• When all components of stir fry are finished, combine all ingredients together in large warmed bowl and then add the sea salt.


• Taste stir fry for overall flavor.


• Drizzle sweet soy sauce glaze over each dish for extra stir fry flavor.

Nutrition:

Number of Servings: 6

Serving Size: 2 ¼ cups = ¾ c rice & 1 ½ c veg

Calories: 360

Fat: 9

We hope that you enjoy this healthy vegetable stir fry recipe! What's your favorite meatless dish?

3 Moves for Killer Legs & Glute

At Hilton Head Health, we offer over 50 different fitness classes to help our Guests achieve their weight loss and wellness goals, and live a healthier lifestyle. One thing that we like to remind our Guests of is that you don't need expensive equipment to get a good workout. Today we're going featuring 3 simple moves that make a great leg and glute workout!

1. Squat and Lift

2. Curtsy - Side Lunge

3. Fingertap



We hope that you enjoy this leg and glute workout! What's your favorite move?

Prediabetes Affects 1 out of every 3 Americans

At Hilton Head Health, we want our Guests to stay educated with the most up-to-date information regarding nutrition, health and wellness. The proper knowledge is a key tool to help Guests with not only weight loss management but healthy living and disease prevention.

With 29 million Americans with diabetes, according to Edward Gregg, chief of the Epidemiology and Statistics Branch of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC, “We already have a diabetes epidemic on our hands.”  Unfortunately things will likely get worse before they get better. Eighty-six million (1 out of every 3) people in the U.S. have pre-diabetes and 90% of them are unaware of that fact. Pre-diabetes means that blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Within 5 years, 15 – 30% of those with pre-diabetes will develop diabetes. Leigh Perreault, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado predicts that up to 70% will develop diabetes in their lifetime. The good news is that a study called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)  proved that with moderate lifestyle changes, those with pre-diabetes can dramatically lower their risk of progressing to full-fledged diabetes.



Though the numbers may seem daunting, and changes can often be difficult, pre-diabetes doesn't have to lead to full-fledged diabetes. Healthy lifestyle changes can include something as simple as switching from drinking soda's to water, cutting out sugar in your morning coffee, or walking an extra 30 minutes a day. What healthy lifestyle changes do you practice to help keep your health in check?

H3 Berry Tart

We love to create quick, easy, healthy recipes that call for simple ingredients for our Guests to take from their stay during their weight loss program or wellness program at  Hilton Head Health and recreate these same recipes at home. Providing our Guests with healthy recipes and knowledge about nutrition helps to motivate them to continue their journey to sustainable weight loss and gets them closer to maintaining a more health conscious lifestyle. Seeing as desserts can be a sticky situation, we love to focus on healthy dessert recipes.

For today's healthy dessert recipe, try this H3 Berry Tart:

Ingredients:

1 cup Berries, raspberries or blueberries

1 cup Whipped cream

Crust:

2 1/2 ounces Cream cheese, fat-free, cold

2 ½ tablespoons Sugar

¼ teaspoonSalt

1/8 teaspoon Baking powder

½ tablespoon Apple cider vinegar

2 ½ tablespoons Ice cold water

1 cup Flour

2 ½ tablespoons Flour, for rolling out pie crusts

2 ½ ounces Butter, unsalted, cold

Method

• Preheat oven to 375˚F.


• In a mixing bowl, with paddle attachment, mix all ingredients.


• Sprinkle a clean counter with a small amount of flour.  Roll the dough out on counter and make sure the dough is not too thick.


• Once you have rolled out the dough use a round cookie cutter to press out 6 individual pie crusts.


• Place the pie crusts on a greased sheet tray. Leave about 1 inch between each pie crust.


• Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.


• Remove the crusts from the refrigerator and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Move the crusts from the oven and allow to cool.


• Once the crust has cooled, top with whipped cream and fresh fruit!

Nutrition:

Serves: 6

Serving Size: 1 tart

Calories: 120

Fat: 8 grams

We hope you enjoy this healthy dessert recipe for the H3 Berry Tart! What's your favorite healthy dessert?

H3 Stability Ball Routine

We want to create new and exciting fitness classes that are fun and challenging for our Guests during their weight loss program and wellness program here at Hilton Head Health. We've found that one source of discouragement and a major deterrence from achieving weight loss goals and wellness endeavors is boredom. By keeping a fresh and varied fitness and exercise regiment, you can keep mind focused and stay motivated toward reaching and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Try to infuse new types of equipment and different variations to your everyday exercises. The more you change up your workout routine and challenge yourself, the more rewarding each workout will become. Here's a  5 move, full body stability ball routine.

1. Squat

2. Split Squat

3. Push up

4. Crunch

5. Plank



Tell us what you do to keep yourself enthused about working out? Do you ever use a stability ball yourself?

H3 Guest Testimonials

We love getting feedback from our Guests about how they enjoyed their experience here at Hilton Head Health. Knowing what type of impact our staff, facility and cuisine has on our Guests' stay is important to what types of improvements and decisions we make regarding our weight loss programs, wellness programs, facility expansions, dining experience and more.

When asked to describe their experience during their wellness program or weight loss program at Hilton Head Health in 25 words or less this is what a few of our Guests had to say:

"Amazing place. Terrific food. Knowledgeable, helpful and caring staff. The perfect place to begin my journey to more healthy living."  -Betsy C.

"Great help and experience. Just lost my mother from cancer last month and everyone was supportive to get me back on track, especially Lisette. She is a keeper." -Karen W.

"I came here to jumpstart my way to a better thought process for health and exercise. I will take what I've learned and use it to find a healthier me! The instructors are awesome!" -Suzanne K.

Want to hear more from our past Guests? Read more reviews on our TripAdvisor and watch our Guest testimonial videos.

So now we ask you H3 alum, can you describe your experience at Hilton Head Health during your weight loss program or wellness program in 25 words or less?

H3 Tiramisu

In the H3 Healthy Kitchen, we love to take classic recipes and give them a healthy twist to cut down calories and unhealthy fat content so our Guests here at Hilton Head Health can still enjoy their favorite foods while forging their way on their health and wellness paths and weight loss journeys. Take this Tiramisu, healthy dessert recipe, for example, it's less than half the fat of most recipes and still just as delicious.



Ingredients:

¼ cup + 1 Tbsp Sifted Powdered Sugar

4 ounces Fat-free Cream Cheese

¾ cup Fat-free Cool Whip

2 each Egg Whites

½ cup Hot Water

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Instant Coffee Crystals

1 Tbsp Kahlua

20 each Lady Fingers

½ tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Method: 

• Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese in a bowl, and beat at high speed until well blended.


• Gently fold in ½ of the cool whip, then let set in refrigerator.


• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites (at room temp) at high speed until peaks form.


• Gradually add the sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time.  Beat until very stiff peaks form and mixture is glossy.


• Very gently fold part of egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture, then very gently fold in remaining egg mixture.  Set aside in the refrigerator.


• In a small bowl, combine hot water, coffee crystals and Kahlua – stir well.


• In a small loaf pan or baking pan, layer ½ of the lady fingers across the bottom.  Drizzle with ½ of the Kahlua mixture.  Next layer ½ of the cream cheese mixture over lady fingers. Repeat: lady fingers, Kahlua mixture and cream cheese mixture.


• Top with remaining cool whip and sprinkle with cocoa powder


• Place in freezer for 1 – 2 hours.  Remove 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition:

Number of servings: 8

Serving Size: 1 slice

Calories: 184

Fat: 3.8 grams

We hope that you enjoy this healthy dessert recipe!

Exercise is great, but can you over do it?

Exercise: Planned and purposeful physical activity that challenges the physiology of the human body.

Like eating vegetables, everyone knows that having a helping of exercise daily is good for us. Unlike vegetables, however, too much exercise may not necessarily be a good thing. Here at Hilton Head Health, when it comes to implementing exercise into a healthy lifestyle, we believe that quality is always more important than quantity. During our weight loss program and wellness program we offer our Guests over 50 different fitness classes as well as fitness adventures to help improve fitness, as well as help with weight loss and wellness. However, we also understand that moderation is key.

Maybe you're thinking to yourself, "No I need quantity. I need to burn as many calories as I can as quickly as I can to shed all of this weight off". If you're thinking like that, listen carefully. If you're not thinking like that, good for you and continue reading to find out why you should be proud of yourself. Regardless of what you're thinking right now, the point is that quality is more important than quantity.

When we exercise, we are essentially damaging our bodies. Luckily the human body does an amazing thing and it heals itself! Not only that, but when we challenge our physiology the way we typically do when we exercise, the human body does more than just heal itself. It makes itself even better! It does this so that the next time it is challenged in the same way, it will be able to accomplish that task more efficiently. Like mankind inventing the wheel, your body has the ability re-invent itself in new ways in order to make your life easier.

In order for these physiological adaptations to happen, your body needs proper nutrition and time to recover. It is not uncommon for people (especially those on a weight-loss journey) to not only overexercise, but also to skip meals. However, remember exercise is technically damage. Imagine that your cells and hormones are like little engineers and construction workers in your body. When you exercise, you are bulldozing old structures to make way for newer better structures. When we fuel ourselves with proper nutrition we are supplying our engineers and construction workers with tools to re-design and re-construct. So combine constant bulldozing with minimal new supplies. All that gets you is a giant junkyard. What does that mean for the human body? Injury! Overexercise (A.K.A. too much quantity = injury). When we reach this point, we not only have to re-design and re-construct; we also have a lot of cleaning up to do before we can even start. This clean up that results from injury will slow you down with your health and wellness goals. So while quantity may sound appealing at first, it may be counter productive in your healthy lifestyle endeavors.

Well now exercise seems like a bad thing. I don't want to injure myself. What should I do?

The American College of Sports Medicine (The Golden Standard) recommends that we aspire to reach 5 or more days/week of 30-60 minutes/day of quality exercise. This 30-60 minutes is your time to challenge yourself. This is your time to bulldoze the parts of yourself that you don't want anymore. Make these workouts count! During the times you are not exercising, be sure to get in a quality breakfast, lunch and dinner sprinkled with a few healthy snacks in between. Be sure to get 7-8 hours of sleep. And be sure to include stretching, rolling out and massage as a priority in your healthy lifestyle. These times of eating right, sleeping well and relaxing are the times that your body's construction workers and engineers need in order to  re-design and recreate a better you.

Keep in mind that rebuilding a city does not happen over night. Neither does changing your body. Work interdependently as a team with your body in order to make the most amazing city you've ever lived in! Make your city a quality city, not a junkyard!

Remember, moderation is always key!

H3 Kayaking Excursion

Here at Hilton Head Health weight loss resort and health spa, we strive to create a nurturing environment for our Guests featuring one-of-a-kind experiences as we help them navigate their personalized weight loss journeys or health and wellness paths. Earlier this week, our Guests ventured over to Shelter Cove Marina here on Hilton Head Island, for a day of kayaking. While kayaking, they got to see some exciting sites including a water powered jet pack and our H3 Guide Alex doing some impromptu shrimping! It was quite the eventful and beautiful excursion while also being a great workout for our Guests during their weight loss program and wellness program.






Check out our special events calendar to find out what adventures we have planned for you to enjoy during your visit to Hilton Head Health.

5 Steps to Wellness

Here at Hilton Head Health, we understand the difficulty of adjusting into a healthier, fitness oriented lifestyle. That's why we encourage our Guests to use incremental changes to help them reach their fitness and weight loss goals and wellness objectives during our weight loss program and wellness program. These  small changes may not seem drastic, but they can feel like an adjustment from your normal, everyday routine. However, as those steps are continually taken, over time those small changes can lead to making bigger steps towards a healthy lifestyle. Here are 5 small steps that you can take to begin to achieve wellness, and live an overall healthy lifestyle:



1. Substitute water for carbonated and sugary beverages

• Put fruit in your water to spice things up!


• Compared to what you were drinking and what you add into the water, you could save 100-200 calories.

2. Meditate for 20-30 minutes a day

• You should meditate in quiet place while lying down in a comfortable position. Clear your head of any thoughts and listen to your body inhale and exhale.


• This will ease stress and anxiety, allow you to release the stress from your day and boost cognitive function.

3. Have fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks instead of chips, candy, etc.

• Some great options are blueberries, bananas, peaches, apples, carrots, broccoli, peppers, and celery.


• Fruits and veggies are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, which help your body fight off disease.

4. Maintain a regular sleep schedule.

• Try to wake up at the same time each morning and go to bed at the same time each night.


• Adequate sleep enriches your healthy lifestyle because this helps your mind, heart health, weight loss, weight management and more.

5. Set fitness goals for yourself.

• Encourage yourself to make SMART goals - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. For example, I will work out 3 times a week this month then increase to 4 times a week next month.


• Making SMART goals will help you slowly transition into new workout routines. This will help you sustain your improved, healthy lifestyle and help you continue to reach all your wellness goals.

What are some steps that you take every day to help you achieve wellness?

Diet Drinks: Yes or No?

Here at Hilton Head Health, we love to educate our Guests on the best options for their dietary needs to help them navigate their own weight loss paths and wellness journeys and form a healthy diet plan.



This video may be a little on the crazy/goofy side. That is just my personality coming through.  On a different note, I would like to share some information in regards to diet drinks including diet sodas, non-caloric sweetened beverages and those carbonated drinks that always sound “oh-so refreshing.” Are diet drinks and diet soda healthy?  I think most people have a few concerns or questions regarding diet drinks and if they are indeed a healthy choice or not:

1.  Will diet drinks cause me to gain weight?


2.  Will diet drinks assist me in my weight loss journey?


3.  If I drink non-caloric sweetened beverages, will I start to crave certain foods?


4.  How much is too much?

Various studies have researched the influence diet sodas have among those who regularly consume them.  Instead of giving you lengthy descriptions of these particular studies, I will do my best to sum things up:

• Those that regularly consume sugar sweetened soda and/or diet sodas on a regular basis are at greater risk for weight gain.  There is not a direct cause and effect.


• Diet drinks typically provide 10 calories or less per serving.  If you consume 2-3 regular sodas per day then it may be beneficial to switch to diet if you know it could help you shed a few pounds.  However, the long term effects on food choices is something to consider—are diet sodas the best option?  Not for some.


• Look at the big picture.  If you rarely consume regular or diet sodas/beverages then maybe there are other things in your diet that could use some tweaking.


• Treat diet sodas like a nicotine patch (especially if you are used to regular sodas or sugar-rich foods). Non-caloric sweeteners are hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar. Your taste buds love this. Based on professional experience, those that limit and/or eliminate artificial sweeteners or diet beverages don’t regret the commitment.  In fact, most say they feel cravings for sweets have decreased and they are making better food decisions throughout the day.

At the end of the day, avoid being the food police.  It can be very easy to view certain foods or items as “good” or “bad”—if we continue to have this mentality then what happens when we choose something “bad”?  Have you blown the rest of the day?  NO! Are diet drinks the best, healthy choice?  Probably not and for multiple reasons.  However, evaluate your meal plan as a whole and decide where you can make the most realistic and sustainable modifications.

What do you like to drink instead of diet soda? Water? Tea?

Healthy Recipe: H3 Skinny Margarita

In the Healthy Kitchen here at Hilton Head Health, we believe you can enjoy wine and spirits and without hindering your weight loss goals and wellness aspirations. During our weight loss program and wellness program we show our Guests that the secret is to indulge healthfully and in moderation, of course. For starters, create this Skinny Margarita for any upcoming party or event. Just throw away those processed sugary sweet and sour mixes, grab some simple and fresh ingredients and make the best skinny margarita you have ever tasted!



Ingredients:

1 ounce Tequila, silver

2 tablespoons Lime juice, fresh

½ teaspoon Salt (optional)

½ tablespoon Agave nectar

Method:

• Combine tequila, lime juice and agave in a glass shaker filled with ice.


• Rim one quarter of a margarita glass with salt by using a fresh lime wedge and dip the glass in salt.


• Shake the skinny margarita mix vigorously!


• Strain and serve over fresh ice into your salted glass, serve with a wedge of lime.


• Enjoy!

Nutrition:

Serves: 1

Serving Size: 1 glass

Calories: 100

Fat: 0 grams

We hope that you enjoy this skinny margarita cocktail recipe! What's your favorite cocktail?

How To Stretch Your Back to Strengthen Your Wellness

At Hilton Head Health, we offer a weight loss program and wellness program that educates our Guests on the importance of listening to their bodies as we help them create their health and wellness path and reach their weight loss goals. When our Guests pay attention to what their bodies are telling them, a new or improved workout regiment can be much more effective in bringing postive fitness and health results rather than worsening pre-existing conditions or issues. Today, we'll talk specifically about the importance of maintaining a  properly stretched back in order to help strengthen overall physical wellness, which will in turn help contribute to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

A strong, flexible back is a crucial component to good posture, increased metabolism, improvement in bending and prevention of aches, pains and serious injury. Your back muscles help to stabilize your torso and to hold your body upright and forward, making it easier to walk and run in proper form.  The back is one of the most injury-prone parts of the body.  Stretching your back regularly helps to keep your muscles flexible and supple.  The types of stretches you choose, however, can make the difference between improving back health and exacerbating back pain.

One of the most classic and common stretches, the toe-touch, may actually be one stretch you should be avoiding.  In this particular movement the lower back is forcibly stretched, stressing the vertebrae and discs, and you can actually strain the back and the hamstrings.  It may compress the discs in your spinal column and actually push them toward the nerve canal.

To improve this stretch, you can try to focus on rolling the spine forward and back up instead of staying completely rounded throughout the movement, to ensure the vertebrae articulate in a graceful, flowing manner.  Avoid flattening the back or forcing the fingertips towards the floor, to a point that exceeds a reasonable and pain-free range of motion.

Consider an alternate stretch altogether, such as a back rotation stretch.  This is a gentle, but effective movement where lower back muscles are gently and gradually elongated.  The abdominal muscles support the back throughout the movement, the oblique muscles are activated and strengthened and the hamstrings are disengaged.

To perform this stretch:

1. Sit on the floor or a table with your back straight, knees bent, and feet resting on your heels.  Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pulled back gently.


2. Contract your abdominals and rotate left as far as you can go.  Do this 4 or 5 times until you feel loosened up.  When you’re ready, rotate again and then flex your body forward, leaning your elbow towards the surface you’re sitting on.  Avoid pulling on your head with your hands.


3. Hold for 1-2 seconds, and then return to an upright position.  Work one side at a time, doing 10 repetitions on the left, then 10 on the right.

 

Preform this stretch frequently to experience the positive weight loss and wellness related benefits.

What's your favorite stretch that you learned during your experience with weight loss program and wellness program? If you haven't made it to Hilton Head Health just yet, what are some of your favorite stretches to do on your own?