In this video from Time, The Biggest Loser Trainer, Jillian Michaels, explains how to navigate the corporate lunchroom. Education is key and this video is full of great information.
How to Lose Weight Like a Real Loser
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Tag Archives: health
MomActive Welcomes Chalene Johnson!!!!
I can barely contain my excitement! I’m about to hop up and bust a move because we have Chalene Johnson on MomActive this Friday!
Chalene Johnson is the extraordinarily energetic founder of Turbo Jam. She’s also one amazing motivational speaker. Just check out some of her speeches HERE on YouTube. She has accomplished so many amazing things that I can barely begin to list them all here. These excerpts from her bio on Turbokick.com will give you some idea of who Chalene Johnson is. (Read the full bio HERE)
Chalene Johnson is an entrepreneur, TV fitness personality, clothing designer, author, motivational speaker, choreographer, wife, mother of 2 and relatable girl next door.
Now a world-renowned fitness expert with over 18 years of experience, Chalene is the CEO of Powder Blue Productions, a fitness company she started in a spare bedroom. Chalene has created some of the Nation’s most popular exercise formats includingTurbo Kick®, Turbo Jam™ and PiYo™, to name a few. Chalene is the star of the number one selling infomercial in 2006, Turbo Jam™. Turbo Kick® is one of the highest attended workouts at popular health clubs across the globe, and offered as the “exclusive” kickboxing workout in such global giants as 24 Hour Fitness™. To date, in excess of 35,000 fitness instructors have trained through Chalene’s programs resulting in millions of American’s participating in Turbo Kick® workouts at health clubs across the globe weekly. Chalene has been voted one of the top three Fitness Instructors in the World by IDEA Fitness 2005, 2006 and 2007.
In addition to being a leading force in fitness and business, Chalene champions the cause of helping others to live a fuller life. Through her motivational workshops and camps, personal writings, live internet chats, blogs and weekly video taped messages, Chalene has been able to help thousands change their life from the ground up.
On Friday we’ll be talking to Chalene about everything from her health and exercise philosophies to what it takes to start a business and grow it to be as GI-NORMOUS as she has… all while being a MOM!
Tune in at 2pm EST/12pm PST on Blog Talk Radio ~ HERE!!!!
Smart Choices ~ Dumb Food
When Leah and I first decided that we’d like to do a radio program geared towards moms, our main goal was to educate mothers on health, fitness, and nutrition in order to affect the lives of their children. With childhood obesity on the rise and hitting epidemic proportions, the quality of life for millions of Americans is headed into the crapper. We wanted to bring sound nutritional advice to Moms and teach them that they DO have control over what foods they offer their children and that they DO have influence over the eating habits their children will develop. By educating children at an early age we give them the tools they need to navigate the crap infested world they will experience as they grow older and head out into the world.
I’m a little fired up this morning so you’ll have to excuse me just a bit. I have been a bit “head down” with work lately so when I saw this article in the New York Times Business section last night I just about spit my water across the screen. Apparently we are going to be seeing a green check mark indicating that such foods as Froot Loops are a “better for you food”.
I’ve got about four posts going on in my head right now so I’ll just break it down to this: a food that is 44% sugar is NOT a “better for you food”. Encouraging people to buy processed foods because they have been fortified is like telling me to eat horse shit because you added enough vitamins and minerals to reach 50% of the recommended daily amount (RDA).
What really ticks me off is that the knowledgeable folks behind this effort are defending it. This is an excerpt from the NY Times article I referenced previously.
Eileen T. Kennedy, president of the Smart Choices board and the dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University (note to self do NOT send my child to Tufts University), said the program’s criteria were based on government dietary guidelines and widely accepted nutritional standards. (hmm I wasn’t aware that those guidelines promoted consumption of processed foods)
She said the program was also influenced by research into consumer behavior. That research showed that, while shoppers wanted more information, they did not want to hear negative messages or feel their choices were being dictated to them. (So, what? Tell them what they want to hear? Well that makes sense. “That bowl of Froot Loops is 44% sugar but no worries, you are getting plenty of vitamins and minerals so just keep spooning that crap into your trap and put it out of your mind.” As long as we feel good. I get it!)
“The checkmark means the food item is a ‘better for you’ product, as opposed to having an x on it saying ‘Don’t eat this,’ ” Dr. Kennedy said. “Consumers are smart enough (then why do we need a system at all?) to deduce that if it doesn’t have the checkmark, by implication it’s not a ‘better for you’ product. They want to have a choice. They don’t want to be told ‘You must do this.’ ”
This may not be an industry led initiative however, it is an industry backed program, paid for by industry. I don’t begrudge these companies manufacturing their foods, I’m a capitalist at heart. I don’t even care if people choose to eat their food. I do care that they are misleading people who are otherwise uneducated about nutrition. Let’s take a look at the board of directors representing industry (these are the companies participating in the smart choices program – which I believe means that they have paid for the program and that you won’t see these checks on any other brand foods):
Dr. Celeste Clark
Kellogg’s
Battle Creek, MI
Dr. Susan Crockett
General Mills
Minneapolis, MN
Mr. Chris Doherty
Kraft Foods North America
Northfield, IL
Ms. Nancy Schnell
Unilever U.S.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ
This whole program is a joke and the fact that not one of the companies involved saw it is frightening. What concerns me more is that the board of directors representing non-industry, seemingly well educated members of highly reputable institutions, are comfortable putting their names on this program.
Dr. Dennis Bier
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Dr. Mary Hager
American Dietetic Association
Washington, DC
Dr. Richard Kahn
American Diabetes Association
Alexandria, VA
Dr. Eileen Kennedy
Tufts University
Boston, MA
I love food, I’m not a freak about every little thing I put in my body. In fact, I eat light mayo which is also a “smart choice” (along with the full fat kind) and I’d probably eat full fat mayo if it didn’t always end up as a big bubble on my ass. What you put in your mouth is up to you and I fully support your right to choose.
MomActive’s goal is to EDUCATE so that when your kids drink milk they know that the calcium will help them grow strong bones and teeth, and guess what else has calcium? Broccoli! We’d like our listeners to teach their children to make a connection between the food they eat and the resulting benefit (or detriment!) to their bodies. Our hope is that with this knowledge they will then CHOOSE to consume foods that benefit their health…. and while the new Froot Loops may contain a bit more fiber and are fortified, those facts do not erase the fact that they are 44% sugar and contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil which all of my readers have been educated to know is a trans fat.
*Don’t forget to enter our giveaway to win a free PUR Flavor Choice water filtration pitcher!
PUR Flavor Options Pitcher Review and Giveaway
Most of you have heard me on air encouraging everyone to drink more water. Drinking water is important to your health and weight goals no matter whether you are losing or maintaing. Water has no calories and can often stave off feelings of hunger. Those of us that exercise know that we need to replenish fluids lost during those workouts and that without water we can easily slip into a state dehydration.
We were recently given the opportunity to review the new PUR Flavor Options water filtration pitcher. We’ve been using the pitcher for just over a week now and it has actually been quite a hit! The great part about the pitcher is that it gives you the option of having plain or flavored water, so I have even started filling up my water bottles from the pitcher. My kids LOVE it most because they can have flavored water and it switches things up for them. They like the lemon flavor best. They also get a kick out of the light that flashes green to tell them that the filter is still working each time they pour water!
I am particularly happy that I don’t have to buy bottled water anymore. Did you know that PUR filtered water is about one-tenth the cost of bottled water, and can lead to a savings of up to $600 a year? And that each PUR pitcher can replace up to 2,000 16 oz. plastic bottles of water in one year? I didn’t know that, but I do now and I’m all over it!
To Enter: Visit PUR Flavor Options and take the “What’s Your Flavor?” Quiz – come back and post your answer in a comment.
For Extra Entries:
2. Subscribe to MomActive RSS feeed.
3. Become a follower of MomActive
4. Tweet about this giveaway as often as you want!
sample tweet:
Win a PUR Flavor Options water filtration pitcher! http://tiny.cc/hkpLI
5. Blog about this giveaway
6. Become a follower of BanteringBlonde blog
* Please leave a separate comment for each “entry”
* The deadline for entries is September 19, 2009, Midnight CMT.
* The winner will be notified via email on September 20, 2009 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment).
* The deadline for entries is September 19, 2009, Midnight CMT.
* The winner will be notified via email on September 20, 2009 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment).
Friday’s Show ~ The Healthy Lunch Box
On Friday we will be talking to Jen from SavorTheThyme about yummy healthy foods for Back-to-School lunch boxes. My hubby and I have recently launched a campaign against incessant snacking in our home. We emptied our pantry of all the pre-packaged snacks and my children are irate! They’ve tried every guilt tactic there is. We are horrible horrible parents. Their friends tell them that their house is a horrible place to live and that it is no longer fun. Their friends will never come over because not only do we not allow them to watch TV or play Wii during playdates, we only eat fruits and vegetables and healthy snacks. THE HORROR!
Yes my friends, I have staged my own Crappy Snack Boycott. My kids would eat one 100 calorie bag of cookies after the other all afternoon if I let them. Their friends’ lunch box may look sweeter, but I’m making an effort to keep the crap out. Now, I should note that my son has informed me that his BFF is incredibly generous and always shares a few of his cookies because he can’t eat ALL SIX of them. Nice. Not much I can do, but I’m sending a message and setting an example and guess what? When they come home STARVING and the only thing available is a healthy wholesome snack… well, you’d never guess it but, they actually eat it! Go Figure!
So what do I put in their lunch boxes? Ok, it takes a bit more effort than just heading to the pantry and throwing an individually wrapped bag of crap in, but this morning I smiled to myself because I really truly feel good about this boycott! I cut up veggies ahead of time and put them into individual snack bags. I did the same with popcorn, nuts, and fruits, dried cereal, and whole wheat crackers (which they love) – I could use a few ideas so I’m glad that Jen will be on the show Friday to help us out there!
Be sure to join us HERE on MomActive with Leah and Fiona Friday at 2pm EST and call in and let us know what your ideas for healthy lunch box are!
Get Up and Get Moving ~ Our Friday Guest Jill Knapp
Jill Knapp’s life changed when she was diagnosed three years ago with Type II diabetes, also familiarly known as adult onset diabetes. She has not only lost over 100 pounds, she has gone on to become an advocate for the American Diabetes Association and is a passionate public speaker sharing her story with and inspiring others. On Friday we will talk to Jill, who blogs at Get Up & Get Moving all about how she was able to lose 100 pounds and control her diabetes without any artificial medical means. If you or someone you know struggles with weight and/or diabetes you will not want to miss our motivating show with Jill!
Recipe Make-Over ~ Emeril Lagasse North African Lamb Kebabs
I’m starting a new Saturday Recipe Make-Over series. You can submit your favorite recipes (send to Bryan dot Fiona at gmail dot com) and I will make them over so that they are tasty yet healthy and lower in fat. If you have favorite made-over recipes that you would like to share please send them in and we will post them for all to see. Since I’m not a laboratory scientist I wont be providing caloric details but it is quite amazing how a recipe can change for the better with just a little tweeking here and there.
Today, I’ll be making over one of my favorite recipes from Emeril Legasse. You can find this online at FoodNetwork.com. This is a dish my family loves and is perfect for the summer grilling season. I’ll highlight the changes I made in red.
North African Lamb Kebabs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups
finely chopped onion - 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes with some of the fat attached
- (2 cups whole cherry tomatoes)
- 6 warm pita breads, for serving (I substitute Lettuce tossed with a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice here)
- Yogurt Dipping Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, mint, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and olive oil. Add the lamb to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Soak 8 to 10 bamboo skewers in warm water for about 1 hour before assembling the kabobs.
Preheat the grill to high, and lightly oil the grill grates to prevent sticking. Thread the lamb (and cherry tomatoes) onto the soaked skewers and place on the grill, turning to evenly cook, about 12 to 14 minutes.
(DELETE THIS PART – Drizzle the pitas with sauce, then wrap the pita around the meat on the skewer, fold over and twist the skewer off the meat.) (Twist the skewer off the meat onto the salad and drizzle with yogurt sauce. Keep in mind that lamb is higher in fat than many other meats so you may want to be conservative with your serving sizes.) Serve.
Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain (non-fat) yogurt
- 1/2 cup (non-fat or low fat) sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Snack Yourself Silly to Boost Your Metabolism
I’m an all or nothing kind of gal and this really isn’t a great trait when it comes to trying to eat healthy. I often find myself having eaten breakfast around 8am, Lunch around 1 or 2 and then Dinner around 7. There are times that I don’t snack much and this is a big NO-NO for several reasons. First, your metabolism is like an engine and if you don’t oil it regularly it gets sorta ticked off and slows down. For best results, you should be eating something every 2-3 hours during the day to keep your metabolism happy. The second reason is that, by only eating three times a day, I tend to eat more and make different choices than I might if I were not absolutely famished by the time I slowed down enough to eat.
This is a dilemma for lots of moms, whether you stay at home or work in or out of the home, there is no denying that we mammas are a busy bunch. Taking time to feed our bodies small nutritious snacks helps fuel us both physically and emotionally. Chances are that at the very time of day when your toddler is throwing herself down in the middle of Whole Foods telling you she hates you, is most likely the same time of day that your own body and emotions are struggling stay stable. This state of being is partially due to the fact that your child has turned into a demon and partially because your body is running low on enough energy and strength to handle the situation!
I think there are periods of time in our lives when things go a little crazy and we lose our way. We take shortcuts or consciously go against what we know because it is easier. When this is the case we just need to reel ourselves in and make changes going forward. So, if
you are not fueling yourself appropriately STOP and make a conscious decision to change this. Here are a list of five of my favorite healthy snacks that have a wee bit of protein for extra mileage.1. Celery with peanut butter
2. Apple slices and a string cheese stick
3. Low fat yogurt (1/2 carton) with 1/4 cup of cottage cheese
4. Handful mixed nuts (I like the South Beach mix from Planters) and a piece of fruit
5. Turkey/Cheese roll (I just roll up slice of turkey and a slice of cheese … so gourmet!)
What are some of your favorite healthy snacks?
Friday’s Guest: Sadie Nardini ~ Yoga
I am really excited about this week at MomActive! Our guest this Friday is Sadie Nardini a master yogi from New York City. She is the co-owner of The Fierce Club in New York City, the author of the Road Trip Guide to Your Soul, and creator of the bestselling DVDs The Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga: Power Hour and Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga:Total Body Transformation and Weight Loss. If you take a look at her website and her YouTube site you’ll instantly feel like Sadie is just like all of your best friends! What I’m loving about all of her YouTube videos is that they are all short in length and TOTALLY accessible to anyone. Take a peak at the different videos and spend 10 minutes with Sadie, you won’t regret it. You can also see the MomActive featured video this week on the right side bar of this blog.
I’m so excited to bring Yoga to MomActive this week because it is YOGA that has transformed my body the most! My experience with yoga as a physical exercise has been varied over the years but overall it is the one activity that I credit with my strength. When “HOT” yoga or “Bikram” yoga became the trend several years ago, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else sweating their asses off. I enjoyed it but it became a bit routine and I lost interest in yoga until about three years ago when I injured my back.
I’m a runner by nature and a few summers ago while training for a half marathon (my favorite distance to race by the way), I did something really unpleasant to my back. It took me by surprise because I’d never had an injury before. I ran through the pain for a bit but ultimately had to face the fact that something wasn’t right and rest was in order.
If you know me at all, you know that without exercise I go nuts and become unbearably grumpy! I went with a friend to a Core Power Yoga class and quickly realized that this was something I could totally get into. I’ve since been practicing with several yogis at my current club and it is now a part of my weekly routine. On days that I can’t get to a class I pull out my mat and spend a few minutes with my favorite poses. Nothing more invigorating!
My body loves me for the time I spend practicing Yoga. All of my running and the fact that I’ve born three big babies has my hips in a crazy state. The combination of hip openers and working to keep my hamstrings loose protects my back from re-injury, this I am sure of. Need to strength train but hate weights? There is no better weight to train with than your own body weight! Even my trainer is in awe of the results I get from yoga three times a week.
So, my goal for Friday’s show? To introduce you to Sadie, to have a conversation in which we dispel the myths about Yoga and talk about ways you can incorporate Yoga into your life!
Namaste Chickies!
Friday’s Guest: Jennifer Leal on Nutrition and Smart Eating
MomActive is excited to introduce Jennifer Leal of Savor The Thyme blog as our guest on this Friday’s radio program. We will discuss smart nutrition and the challenges we all face when trying to incorporate healthy foods into our childrens’ diets.
Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom with two children ages 3 and 5. She obtained a Master’s of Science in Immunology and worked for a large pharmaceutical company prior to becoming the creator of Savor The Thyme blog, which focuses on family-friendly healthy food and lifestyle. By coincidence, she happens to be my roommate for Blogher this year and I’m hoping she’ll turn a blind eye to the high calorie margarita that I plan to imbibe the first day we are there! There has to be some goodness in a margarita… I shall find it and expose it!
From the time she was a young girl, Jennifer witnessed the deaths of family members due to cancer, heart attacks, strokes and obesity related illness. Although, she cannot prove or say that many of the diseases/deaths in her family were caused by what they ate, it made her determined to raise herself and her children to respect their bodies through exercise and food.
You can find Jennifer on Twitter @savorthethyme. We are excited to welcome this active mom who enjoys Pilates and lifting weights, to help us figure out the real deal with our kiddos and nutrition!
Jennifer has been kind enough to share several links to family recipes that will help us all get started in the right direction.
Sweet Potato ‘Fries’
Strawberry Muffins
Sweet Potato Muffins
Turkey Meatballs
Alphabet Soup
Even Oatmeal cookies can be enjoyed but I sneak in a nutritional boost!