Stocking Your Pantry for Success

I know, I know. It's been awhile. Yet, I realized that I have some valuable lessons I am learning in this new "full-time" job, which includes being able to juggle better than ever before. But, I also have been learning how to teach people some great tricks to being healthy, being a military health educator and all.

One of the easiest things you can do to set yourself up for healthy success is to stock your pantry with the right things that make eating healthy easier.

Here are a few things that I cannot live without.

Olive oil. I cook pretty much everything in olive oil. It serves as a "healthy" fat and tastes fabulous. Not sure how to use it? Check out this link to see a list of great suggestion. There is nothing better than a raw or slightly steamed veggie salad drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Eggs. Whether you believe the hype or not, eggs are a great food to keep in the fridge. An egg a day keeps the doctor away? Endorsed by Dr. Oz, perhaps this on again, off again "good" food is here to stay. I like them because they taste good, have enough protein and fat to satisfy hunger, and are super easy to cook. You can also cook them a variety of ways, so you can switch things up (hard boiled and added to tuna salad, scrambled, or fried). This one gets bonus points for boosting high levels of choline, which is good for your brain.

Oatmeal. Aside from the heart health aspects of this nutritional powerhouse, you can use it as a vehicle for either sweet or savory. Add some cheese, nuts, raisins, a dash of cinnamon, a squeeze of honey or a spoon of peanut butter to boost flavor and add nutrients.

Chocolate milk. The true "recovery" drink. My brother has long been a proponent of this perfect, after work-out treat. Boasting the perfect ration for muscle recovery (4:1 carbs:protein). The sugar from the milk and the chocolate does something special, too. It adds the important insulin spike that promotes faster muscle recovery and growth. So, go ahead. Be a kid again and gulp down a icy, cold glass of chocolate milk after your next workout.

Anna Marie

Grilled Portabella Sandwich

Way overdue on a post, but I guess this is what working full-time does to your unpaid, part-time, creative endeavors.

Anyhow, on this lazy (really not so lazy) Sunday afternoon....I fired up the grill to make us a delicious afternoon delight.

Here is what you need:
Crusty french bread (whole wheat works just as well as white)
Fresh buffalo mozzarella (go ahead and try saying it like Giada does...) - sliced in rounds
Fresh, whole portabella mushrooms
EVOO
sea salt
italian spices
mayo (olive oil based)
tomato slices
balsamic vinegar

1. Fire up the grill to medium heat.
2. Coat mushrooms in EVOO and cook on grill (5 minutes each side. They will be cooked, but still firm (and smell delicious).
3. Cut bread open. Spread lightly with mayo.
4. Add tomato slices and sprinkle with sea salt and italian seasoning.
5. Add mozzarella.
6. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
7. Add mushrooms to sandwich.

Enjoy!

Anna Marie

Finding Your Motivation (at the end of the workday)

This post comes as a special response to a special request. My baby sister, who is not so much a baby anymore, finally landed a position, in her field, doing what she loves: writing. I myself recently started a position in health education (part of my field), so I feel her on this one. How, after a 9 hour day of work, do you find the motivation to go to the gym.

I think of my friend Michelle, who somehow juggles a professional position, a family that includes a husband, and three children (two of which are fairly recent additions….meaning TWINS!!!) and still finds the motivation and manages to workout.

So with that said, if she can do it, I think anyone can. However, I will press on and provide some practical (and perhaps not so practical) tips for keeping your motivation high.

First, I suggest considering other alternatives. What do I mean? Well, I am lucky to have landed a position that has, as a job responsibility, “to be a model of health and wellness.” My job therefore has three hours built in a week for “PT” (military speak for physical training). Great – I love it, and it helps, but typically my workouts include five days/week for about an hour and a half. So…I am also trying to squeeze in my workouts in other places (besides 7-8am…which then if you subtract a super fast shower, get dressed and look half-way decent…it’s becomes more like 45 minutes). Yes, I show up at work with slightly damp, curly/frizzy hair, no makeup and still sweating.  But I am ready for my day.

Other alternatives:

Can you get your workout done in the a.m.? Get up earlier, knock it out, and be done for the day? I highly suggest this route, because it takes away the temptation of not doing it or making excuses. I wake up at 5am and roll out of our parking garage by 5:15am, coffee in hand. I do part of my work out prior to spin class on Tuesday and Thursday, and then hit the rest afterwards. On MWF, I lift first and then run. If something comes up….I squeeze the workout in at lunchtime and do my run early, to avoid the extreme heat at mid-day.

That leads me to my next suggestion….

Break it up? Perhaps you can’t fathom the idea of giving up part of the sacred lunch hour (I hate an hour lunch anyhow). What about doing your “metabolic training” (aka cardio) in the a.m. and then hitting just the workout in the afternoon? Pack so you can be prepared. Cltothes? Toiletries? Always keep what you need on hand.

Or mixing it up…lunchtime run? No shower? Baby wipes are fantastic alternatives (for the hardcore). I love working on a military base, because there are showers everywhere.

If this still isn’t working for you…saving it for the end of the day is the least preferred, but often only resort for most people.

Here are some tips to make it happen: 

• Pack you stuff: work out clothes, shoes, and whatever else you might need. Pack it the night before and load it into your car, so it is there.
• Pack your food. Working out at the end of the day is great for your muscles…your body is warm from moving all day, so your risk for injury is decreased. However, you have to eat carefully, so your stomach isn’t full at the end of the day and you have fueled your body appropriately. Small meals/snacks every two-three hours that include carbs and protein are a good idea. Trying to hold off on eating about 2-3 hours before you hit the gym, except for a light snack (apple? Granola bar?)
• Change your clothes at work, before you get in your car to leave. This increases the guilt factor if you start to head home instead.
• Sign up your accountability buddy…someone who will hold you to that afternoon/evening workout. Or at least remind you on the way out the door.
• Have an awesome, kick ass play-list preloaded on the ipod/mp3 ready to go. Listen to it on the way to the gym to get psyched up about working out.
• Know what your workout is, and stick to it. Don’t wonder around wondering what you should do next. Plan it out and hit it hard. All those little breaks throughout your work day offer a great time to jot down your workout plan for that night. Ahem…you know, when you check your email (Facebook) or check up on the latest world news (change your status, tweet, or read my blog). Keep a notepad handy and jot down your moves.

Remember to fuel up within 30-60 minutes post workout. Otherwise, you are cheating your workout and your muscles out of the best recovery possible. When in doubt, grab a glass of ice-cold fat-free chocolate milk.

 A few other things that make it easier…

• An awesome, organized gym bag. I love Lesportsac, so that is my choice (medium duffel).
• I always hang my towel up to dry in my truck. This cuts down on having to use new towels everyday. Yes, people. I reuse the same towel for a week. I dry off AFTER I shower (which means I am clean). I either hang it in my truck or in my office, so it is one less thing I have to remember to re-pack all week (and less laundry – bonus!).
• I have the best toiletries bag EVER!  See photo below…costs anywhere from $11-14 online. Keyword search “shower tote”

Now get your asses to the gym!

Anna Marie

Book Review: The New Rules of Lifting For Abs

They do no promise you will have this guys abs...but catchy, right?

If you are anything like me, you are constantly looking for some new way to invigorate, improve or change your workouts for the better.  I get tired of reading the same regurgitated fitness articles. There are only so many ways to write “how to do lunges?”

I just finished reading a book instead. Well, not just finished. I did finish it before the relocation to FL, so I am just now getting around to writing my review. This was not just any old book, but the latest by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove, “The New Rules of Lifting for Abs.”

If you’re thinking, “Book? I don’t want to read a whole book! I like quick reading, like a Yahoo blurb for my fitness updates.” Never mind those articles. The latest from Schuler and Cosgrove’s is a quick read, and flows like a conversation with a real, live personal trainer. As a writer, I appreciate such narrative writing style that feels like the author is talking in a natural voice to me, as opposed to being authoritatively academic.

The New Rules of Lifting for Abs is a breath of fresh air into the world of fitness, touting a functional fitness approach as the new cutting edge. The authors also separate themselves from the “weight loss” genre, more correctly calling it a text about “body composition” correcting several myths in one fell swoop. Don’t let the title fool you – this approach is not just about abs (but it certainly gets your attention). Schuler and Cosgrove make the argument, and rightly so, that your core is key to total body functionality. It is your center and perhaps one of the most important areas of your body.

My researcher side loves the categories the authors provide, allowing the reader to find herself floating in the midst of the fitness continuum (or what I would call a nicely segmented audience). However, as a person who already adheres to a functional fitness approach, I felt a little left out. However, this small, but important section helps the reader orient herself to where she currently stands and visualize the place where this new approach can take her.

This book provides a plan for training the core in coordination with everything else. Functionality is the emphasis – a workout that makes you better at everything you do, not just working out. The idea is that your workout will benefit your ability to complete your real life tasks better and more efficiently. Things like carrying toddlers sideways up flights of stairs, lugging large amounts of grocery bags to and from your vehicle (with more in one hand than the other), and to do more serious work, like running sprints after small children.  These are things both my husband and I have done on a weekly basis, made more difficult by living in a three-story townhome (and now a 4^th floor condo).

The authors redefine the average person’s definition of “abs” and jump right to the meat of what exactly you will get from the text; a four-part workout. No nonsense and seemingly simple with a dynamic warm-up, core training, strength training, and metabolic work (Yet another redefinition? Cardio? Nah. Start calling it “metabolic training”). There are sixteen rules (9 fitness focused and 7 nutrition focused…again, simple is good) and the benefits of these new rules are clear and easy to understand, which is vital to helping make a behavior change (in this case, a new approach to working out).

Simple tests, like the hip check, allow the reader to see, with little effort, the small weaknesses originating from the core, and understand how this program will make her stronger. It is with small, common sense approaches and explanations that Schuler and Cosgrove draw you into their ideas. The science is not too heavy, but convincing enough to keep you reading. As a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, I was convinced, as the elements that I know as fundamentally important to fitness are not only present in this approach, but a core component of it (perhaps a little pun intended): Stabilization, dynamic stabilization and integrated stabilization. Not entirely new concepts, but essential to the right approach to overall functional fitness.

The workout plan is ideal; four to six weeks and then there is a change. Perfect for keeping the body guessing (and adapting). The program is simple and you could get away with not using an actual gym, with a few small purchases.

The exercises in each phase are challenging, invigorating, and dare I say fun to try. Just as Schuler and Cosgrove state, they do draw some stares and unusual comments from other “out of the loop” gym goers. But keep watching…after a few weeks, you’ll see your peers trying to imitate these moves (ahem…I saw you ripping off my Turkish get ups…).

The plan is clearly written so you know which phase to start, how long to keep at it, and exactly what to do. I would’ve preferred a book with tabs and everything organized into a nice, neat workbook type appendix, but I am “that” person who goes over the deep end. This part of the book gets a little confusing and not as user friendly as I would prefer, but the important part is that all of the ingredients are in there.

Exercise descriptions are easy to follow and provide notes and guidance that keep you focused on good form (and how to recognize bad form when it happens). An easy rule keeps things in perspective…”If you can’t understand why anyone would need to rest more than 15 seconds, that a sign you didn’t do the exercise right” (p.97).  Tips on regression and progression of exercises are provided, as well as for the overall workout plan.

Lastly, I would fail you, my readers, in this book review, if I did not mention the last few chapters focused on nutrition. Again, straight to the point, non-nonsense, no gimmicks, rules for getting your diet on what I’d call a functional track. The authors give you the straight answers that will help you eat in a way that supports a healthy and active body. They squash the myriad of diet fads and fictions telling it like it is…eat clean, often and balanced.  Wrapping with a great Q&A section (I found some of my own questions here), these guys have done it again.

Now…back to those Turkish Get Ups...

Anna Marie

Go Folic!

To all my female and male readers....just your friendly folic reminder!

Ladies - make sure you get enough folic acid in your diet (either from food (ideal - think cereals for an easy source) or a vitamin (i.e., one a day). The important reason...it helps keep conditions ideal for a healthy baby. Oh, not planning, are you? Well, your body always is! (Remember that campaign?)

Gentleman...what a great way to show you are interested in the health and well-being of your partner. A nice reminder is a perfect way to show you care.

Here is my own take on it...thanks for letting me share my own views "Go Folic, Be Healthy!"

Anna Marie

Why Do I Feel So Wired? The Not So Good Feeling of Overtraining

I found myself lying in bed on Friday night, feeling wired, restless, and my arm and leg muscles felt like taut rubber bands. I couldn't fall asleep, despite being utterly exhausted. All in a two week time span, I experienced more changes that some people go through in two decades. An out of state move, several hotel stays, a road trip (with a toddler in my truck, my husband in his truck), a new town, a new house, a new preschool, a new job, a new gym, and a husband leaving for work.

However, despite all of this, I was able to get into the gym. It felt good. I took advantage of feeling good and hit it pretty hard. I even worked on getting my 3 mile run back. Pull-ups? Check. Chin-ups? Check. Dips? Oh yeah. To put the cherry on top, two out of my three days in my new position, I had the chance to participate in "PT" (physical training). This was also the shove I needed to feel the start of overtraining.

Anyone can overtrain. It is a balance between rest and recovery that sometimes we forget to strike. It is a feeling that is easily mistaken and confused with symptoms of other things (i.e., major life changes that cause stress). I always know it though because it results in the same feeling....like someone has pulled my muscles tight, loosened them and pulled them tight...repeatedly. Paired with the inability to sleep, restlessness, and a wired, electrified feeling. These are my triggers for overtraining. Motrin saved the remainder of the night for me, and the rest of my weekend involved a lack of physical activity.

Overtraining can sneak up on you and show up as signs of depression, fatigue, injury, and some of the others things I mentioned above. You might also find yourself losing interest in your sport/activity/workout or see a decline in your fitness gains. Or on the flip side, you might have an extreme compulsion to exercise. Overtraining is not always easy to spot, but perhaps the best thing you can do is be aware of its potential, its symptoms and most importantly, listen to your body.

First post from sunny Florida! Stay tuned for more!

Anna Marie

Coming soon....

More blog posts - I promise. I may have changed states, but I have not checked out completely. We are getting settled and into our new routine here in sunny Florida. I can't wait to share my latest fitness exploits, adventures, and recipes.

Best,

Anna Marie