Fiber! Boring? Well maybe, but from what I know most Americans have very unhealthy colons mostly caused by poor diets. The problem with most people’s diet is that it doesn’t include enough fiber. There are two kinds of fiber one is soluble,  which can be digested, but takes longer than simple foods to break down. The second type of fiber is insoluble. It doesn’t digest but just passes through the digestive tract.

It is the second kind – insoluble – most people do not get enough of.

Why?

Most processed foods do not contain any insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber includes the bran and germ from grains, and is found in many fruits and veggies. (celery and apple peels are a good example).

Think about how much of these types your family takes in as a whole. If they’re like mine it is not as much as you think.

Some benefits of fiber? According to the ADA,

Fiber normalizes bowel function in its effect on transit time & nutrient absorption.

Insoluble fiber exerts a laxative effect, accelerate intestinal transit, increased fecal bulk, & reduced gastrointestinal pressure.

Dietary fiber plays both a therapeutic & a preventive role in management of gastrointestinal diseases & is used extensively in clinical practice to treat constipation.

The effect of dietary fiber may also be beneficial in the treatmen t of diverticular diseases & related disorders including hemorrhoids.

Epidemiologic evidence supports the role of dietary fiber in reducing risk of colon cancer. (However, evidence from clinical trials is still divided about the relationship between dietary fiber & colon cancer in human beings.)

Dietary fiber is known to be beneficial in the management of certain diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, & obesity, via its effect on nutrient metabolism.

Soluble fiber have been shown to improve glucose tolerance & serum lipid profiles.

Clinical evidence suggests that dietary may play a role in improving glycemic control in individuals with diabetes, & it provides a high satiety benefit in weight-reduction & caloric-controlled diets.

Epidemiologic observations suggests that high-fiber diets contain less calories & and are less likely to contribute to the development of obesity.

Research has reported that dietary fiber in whole foods or soluble fiber supplements function to increase satiety, delay gastric emptying, speed intestinal transit & reduce nutrient utilization.

Think about it.

If the colon and the digestive track in general are healthy and clean and can do their job well the next part of the body effected would be the liver and kidneys. The liver takes out toxins from our body. If the colon does it job well this makes the livers job manageable. If the colon is already doing double duty and is clogged up with gunk it can’t expel the toxins and therefore the liver has to do more work and it can get clogged up too (in a different sort of way).

Then we hit the skin. The skin also works to expel toxins from our body after they have reached the blood stream. So now the skin is working extra hard to keep up. Make sense?

Processed foods and white sugar will make your body go into glucose shock and mess up lots of things. Good nutrition is key for healthy looking skin. Cleaning out the colon and digestive track will be the starting point. The next step is keeping it clean with healthy foods and lots of fiber. There are many products you can find online for a colon cleansing. That is a quick way to clean out the colon but it sometimes takes two or three cleansings to see the results the site says you will. (Too gross to describe.) You are better off discussing a cleanse with your doctor, and considering a doctor supervised cleanse from a qualified practitioner as our strategic health partner Dr. Laura Jones.

Cleansing your body as a whole is not a quick thing. It will take more than a day, more than a week, more than a month. The cleansing kits just speed up the initial process. Most people’s colons look like a kitchen sink drain with a grease clog in it. Draino might work the first time but it might take two or three bottles too. (nasty analogy, sorry) To keep it clean you’ld need to add lots of fiber and water to your diet.

I don’t think there will be an overnight cure to the skin issue. I do believe in the process. Clean colon, healthy diet, beautiful skin.

To your health,

Coach Nancy

Mealtime can be one of the most strenuous times of the day around our household. The kids are hungry and complaining a half hour before I even start dinner. After reading several articles on child hood eating habits and experimenting with my own kids I have found kids are natural mealtime grazers. Let me explain.

As each tiny newborn entered our house, they were put on a three hour feeding schedule until they could sleep through the night.  Some parents choose to feed newborns on demand. The point is babies eat often.

When I ran a childcare center for infants to age twelve, the USDA regulated how often we offered food to the kids. Their rule was every three hours no matter what the age. We had to offer them food.  They didn’t have to eat but the option was there.

Did you catch the similarity in eating every three hours?

Suppose I ate every three hours.  How many meals would I be eating? Depending on sleep patterns, that would require five to six meals per day.  But the typical American diet contains only three meals a day, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. When and why do we transition them to this pattern? Is it the best for them? Is it the best for us?

Now lets take that tip from our tiny ones. Remember the fussiness that accompanies a hungry tummy?  “A child’s demeanor often parallels her eating patterns. Parents often notice that a toddler’s behavior deteriorates toward the end of the morning or mid-afternoon. Notice the connection? Behavior is at its worst the longer they go without food. Grazing minimizes blood-sugar swings and lessens the resulting undesirable behavior.” www.askdrsears.com

And Dr. Tim Reynolds says “Eating more often with less food makes sense no matter how old you are. It raises insulin levels less, which allows you to keep hormonal changes in better balance.  If you eat six small meals a day, you will also be less hungry when you do eat. This means you will have a much better chance of eating nutritious foods instead of reaching for something high in sugar.”

From personal experience letting my kids have small meals more often in the day has made for a much happier home. My kids are much more content, less whiny, and that makes for a happier mom!

To your health,

Coach Nancy

1.  Get quality sleep

You’ve heard us say it many times but sleep is important. Getting 6-8 solid hours of sleep is essential for your body to rejuvinate, replenish, and repair itself. Your body is doing a lot while you sleep. Beyond the health benefits, think how much happier, smoother, and relaxed your day goes when you wake up ready to tackle the activities of your day.

2. Surround yourself with people that encourage you.

Most people are hard on themselves to begin with. We blast ourselves for not being perfect. Perfection in our diet, looks, actions, talk, relationships, and work will not happen. We need to be our best but don’t beat yourself up for a failure; learn from it and move on. The last thing we need to do is spend time with people that are critical toward us or people that are always bleak and downhearted. Spend time with people who see you and value you for who you are. They are the ones who make you feel like you can accomplish anything.

3. Exercise regularly

Exercise raises your serotonin levels. You know those happy ones. The physical challenges you overcome in your training will boost your confidence outside of the gym as well. Exercise sends you a message that you are worth the time and effort you make for yourself.

4. Eat a clean healthy diet

Eating clean healthy food is another way of sending a message to yourself that you are worth it. You are worth the best foods, the time to plan your meals and prepare them. Avoid processed foods. Focus on foods fresh fruits and vegetables and a variety of protein.  Remember to healthy diet keeps your hormones in balance, which helps activate the cycle of a happier, healthier you.

5. Finish what you Started

Something motivated you to start each and every action you do each day. An angry boss might motivate you to be on time each day to work, while a small paycheck might motivate you to show up to work. There are also motivations to do laundry, plan meals, make bootcamp each time you are scheduled. Once you start something you will soon find there are often obstacles that get in our way. Laundry might be put on hold while dealing with a sibling dispute, dinner might be late on the table because an unexpected phone call interrupted your prep time. Each time you overcome an obstacle and succeed by finishing your task it adds to your sense of accomplishment. Taking the obstacles seriously will enable you to focus on it and then get back to your plan. It is a great feeling to start something and cross it off your daily list. It is even a bigger boost to cross things off your weekly or monthly to do list.

6. Eliminate “Can’t” and “But” from your vocabulary

Those obstacles that get in your way when working toward a goal will come. How we handle those obstacles define our success. When we start allowing those obstacles and life to get in our way we often start making excuses. You’ll start off by saying “ I can’t get the laundry done today because the kid were acting up.” “I didn’t get my workout but I did walk a lot while doing errands.” Those words are self-defeating. Turn those two little words into possibilities. You can do anything you truly set your mind to.

7. Focus on yourself

All of us were created differently with special talents and abilities. They define us, they give us character and personality. We all have something we are really good at. Focus on those things. I’m not saying we shouldn’t stretch our selves in our weaker areas but comparing ourselves to others is unfair. You are unique. Enjoy that part of you that makes you special.

To your health,

Coach Nancy

Women like to look and feel beautiful. For most of us that means standing in front of a mirror primping, grooming, plucking, preening, polishing, drying, and that is just for our face! Not to talk about holding our breath while the jeans get zipped, walking in heels that leave blisters, doing our nails, using self tanning lotions, and other concoctions.

This is a drug store fix. It’s the mask we wear to cover up what we really look like. I’m not against making fashion fun, but our skin gives us clues as to what is going on inside our bodies.

Skin is the largest organ of the body. It’s also the only one visible. Skin is the mirror to our other organs. Skin has the ability to rid your body of toxins. If you don’t believe me think about what happens when a small speck of dirt gets trapped under our skin; Pimples. What about a sliver that is left too long under the top layer of skin? Your body does its best to expel the sliver on its own.  Skin also expels many toxin via sweat and perspiration. These toxins are brought into our bodies from the food we eat and the environment we live in.

Skin should look and feel beautiful. When it looses it elasticity, becomes thin and pale, or becomes dry it is a sign of something wrong inside of us. A clear pathway from the inside of our bodies to the skin we see, is essential. It is the only way to ensure true long lasting health and beauty.

It’s a vicious cycle. The modern women stamps out her own beauty with the wrong foods, always on the go lifestyle, little exercise and then requires her to buy products to help her look younger and beautiful and appear healthy!

The solution? Throw out everything in the makeup bag, slip on frumpy clothes, and never use anything that uses electricity again? No, but balance has to be there. As women we need to focus on the inner care of our bodies like we focus on the mask that hides what we truly look like.

To the beautiful women we all are,

Coach Nancy

A woman’s strength is not always measured by how much weight they can lift in the gym or how many crunches they can crank out.

As a wife and a mom I often measure my strength by how well I got through the day. You know how many items on my To-Do list was crossed off. I hate to admit it but I sacrifice my family at times in order to get the list done. Even worse my hubby suffers from lack of attention from the one person who claims to love him the most, me.

Sometimes as busy women in today’s society we are so focused on the kids and our career that we take our spouse for granted. Have you ever stressed about not getting a household chore done that we take it out on our spouse?  Here are three little tips to avoid arguments and remind us to keep the spark going:

• Resist the urge to ‘win’ every argument.

• Be vocal about your adoration.

• Hold hands when you’re sleeping.

Measure your strength not only in the gym but use your family and your hubby as your grading scale. How much energy are you using to love them?

From the heart,

Coach Nancy

1 Chicken cut up or 8 chicken thighs

Marinade:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
½ cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper
2 Tablespoon lime juice

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl or a Ziploc bag. Reserve 2 Tablespoon for later. Cover the chicken with the marinade overnight in the refrigerator. Grill over medium heat until done. 15 minutes each side depending on the size of the pieces. Once the chicken is done drizzle reserve sauce over it.

You’ll notice that curry is not a listed ingredient. Curry is a mixture of different spices. Many dishes from India will be flavored with curry. If you don’t like curry don’t give up on it after one experience. Each area of the region might have a different curry mixture. Try it again.

This recipe is from Bootcamp Star Barbara at our 9AM ladies class in Epsom. Thanks Barbara for watching out for healthy recipes to share with other star bootcampers!

A cool treat on a hot summer day is something cool and refreshing, but that doesn’t mean you have to go for the banana split. Thanks to Helen Dutton for passing along this refreshing recipe for a hot summer day.

1 pound strawberries
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
(The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sugar, but I bet you won’t notice if you leave it out

In a food processor pulse 1 cup strawberries until finely chopped. Transfer berries to a bowl. Put the yogurt, sweetener and vanilla extract into the blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the yogurt mixture to the bowl with the berries and mix well. Cover and freeze for about an hour. You want the mixture to be firm but not hard. Garnish with more berries.

I used blueberries in this recipe and it was delicious. You can also substitute regular plain yogurt for the greek yogurt.

Jumping Jacks, butt kickers, jogging, high knees, and just about any bouncing motion has me in pain. I feel others pain a bit more than my own. The motion that is meant to be good for our bodies has left some of us grabbing for our chest to keep the pain at a minimum. Yes, I am talking about our breasts.

Lovely as they are meant to be, our chest takes quite the abuse from bouncing, running, and jumping. The breasts are composed of mainly fatty tissue with the mammary glands and muscle. The muscle is deep so that it cannot help much in supporting the breast.

Ligaments help hold the breasts up. They are thin bands interwoven into the breast and are not very strong. If the breasts are not supported properly with a good sports bra then repetitive bouncing from running can stretch the ligaments permanently.

Continuous running causes the breasts to move up and down and side to side. This not only causes pain resulting from the trauma of excessive movement but will result in permanent stretching of the ligaments resulting in drooping breasts. It is not just the larger breasted woman who suffers breast pain when running but also smaller breasted women can suffer from injury like joggers nipple just as much.

It is also possible that breasts that are not properly supported can lead to tension and strain in the upper back and neck, particularly in the larger breasted woman. The excess weight at the front can mean the back muscles have to work harder to keep the shoulders in the correct position. These muscles will eventually become weak and stretched leading to back and neck pain.

What can the you do about it?

Wear the correct sports bra. This should give support and prevent vertical movement as well as side to side movement

‘Breast droop’ is irreversible so prevention is better than cure

For back and neck pain, remember those YWTL’s which will help  maintain correct posture with your shoulders back. Also a regular sports massage is a great way of reducing the tension in the muscles

Sports Bras

There are many types of sports bra available and the most suitable for one person is not necessarily the best for another person. When choosing a sports bra you should take into account:

• Support Level – this will depend on your size (larger breasts need more support) and your sport (high impact?)
• Compression or Encapsulation – Compression bras basically compress the breasts against the chest and are usually crop-top styles. Encapsulation bras keep the breast separate in defined cups, more similar to a standard bra. Women with larger breasts should pick an encapsulation bra. Smaller breasted women may feel a compression bra is sufficient. A few styles both compress and encapsulate.
• Strap Width – Make sure the straps are wider than an standard bra. This will help support and breasts and prevent the straps digging in.
• Material – Make sure the material is breathable and comfortable to wear. Also ensure that there are no seams on the cups which could cause nipple chafing!

I visited Zoe & Co on Main Street in Concord the other day. The ladies are wonderful and extremely helpful. They will fit you for the correct cup and band size. Anne told me, “Most of us walk around wearing a band size that is too loose and a cup size that is too small.” Imagine that? too small? How much of our self esteem is based on the breast size? (I know I’m the only one who is that shallow as a lady:)

Pamper your self, protect your body,  visit  Anne at Zoe & Co. You may be pleasantly surprised by the silhouette you see in the mirror.

For the girls,

Coach Nancy

]]> http://getfitnhwomen.com/497/ow-that-hurts/feed/ 0 http://getfitnhwomen.com/443/i-deserve-this/ http://getfitnhwomen.com/443/i-deserve-this/#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 19:52:26 +0000 Dean http://getfitnhwomen.com/?p=443

Guest Blog by Helen Dutton

Okay, so perhaps going to the grocery store right after boot camp today, the final S3 weigh-in day, was not the best idea. During the contest, I didn’t follow the suggested meal plan perfectly but I did make different choices during the eight weeks than I would have previously. And in the course of the 35 minutes inside the grocery store, I came face to face with each of those choices again.

My grocery store journey started like any of those from the past eight weeks: green peppers, spring mix, zucchini, and green beans. I got grapefruit and oranges for my kids. When I saw the bananas, though, it was like I’d just seen an old boyfriend – “OH! Doesn’t that look good! I’ll just get a couple. Maybe I’ll have one for a snack on the way home.” That euphoric feeling escalated when I saw sweet potatoes but the encounter was still fairly innocent. I remembered your words about these earthy delicacies from before the contest and I vowed to just have half of one for lunch. Okay, maybe today, to celebrate, I’d have a whole one.

Things really seemed to break down when I got to the deli counter. All natural turkey – no change there. But then I ordered enough sharp cheddar not just for the kids, but for me, too. That reminded me of Butter’s  (on Main Street) and their aged gouda; I’d stop on the way home. That got me thinking about all kinds of delicious treats I could have and I felt myself getting excited. Maybe we’d have pasta along with grilled chicken instead of a salad…. Brownies sure sounded good, too…. What else could I find at Butter’s – some great wine, perhaps?

Then I realized that I was getting excited about food. Isn’t excitement meant for watching the kids try or achieve something new? For roller coasters and special family moments? Whoa. And I thought about stepping on the scale again after the weekend and how I’d feel if the number went up. Now I didn’t lose a ton of weight during the contest (4 pounds) but I have made continuous, steady progress since I joined boot camp in September (16 pounds – yeah, me!) and, standing at the deli counter, I realized that I wasn’t willing to put ANY of it back on. Not an ounce.

My kids and I will still go to Arnie’s today (I’ve already committed to that) but rather than the chocolate brownie peanut butter flurry I had been thinking about, perhaps I’ll just share something with one the kids. Or, if I do splurge, I’ll get one scoop in a cup. After all, Arnie’s ice cream is more than just a pleasure to me; it’s one of my treasures. And giving this new body a treasure once in a while is okay by me.

As I watched my grocery purchases roll down the check-out lane, I counted only three items in a box; I realized that I hadn’t gone down the cracker/cookie aisle (and didn’t miss it – no treasures can be found there, I’ve discovered); and I watched proudly as I unloaded primarily vegetables from my cart.

I didn’t have a banana for a snack; I had a piece of string cheese – straight out of the S3 Eternal Eating plan. Interesting that at the beginning of this contest, I’d think “Yeah, it’s called ‘Eternal’ because these eight weeks are going to feel like an eternity”; now, I see that I truly can, and deserve to, eat like this and feel this great forever.

Thanks, Dean and Nancy, for training me, educating me, and coaching me.

Ingredients:

3 lbs skinless chicken

1 cup chopped onion

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon peanut oil

1 can chopped tomatoes (about 14 oz)

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning mixture, or 1 teaspoon each oregano, basil, and thyme

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 inch of Parmesan cheese rind (optional)

Preparation:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken in a pan.

2. Saute’ the onion and green pepper in a large skillet in the teaspoon of oil on medium-high heat. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the mushrooms. Two minutes later, add the garlic. Cook for another minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, herbs, and more salt and pepper. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until liquid is almost completely boiled away. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

4. Add the tomato paste and Parmesan cheese rind, and stir to combine. Spoon ingredients onto the top of the chicken, and cook for 1-1/2 hours at 350.