Be Fit NH

Get Ready for a “New Year”

Donna — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:17:10 +0000

Many of my clients are moms who think of September as the beginning of their new year…time to think about themselves again. Planning a little ahead of time is always a good thing, so let me give you some ideas.

Here it is almost the middle of August, back to school shopping is the most thought about and talked about item on the agenda. But, as soon as that is finished, it’s time for moms to plan for their ‘me’ time that will be here very soon.

"Me" time consists of the usual pampering: new hairstyle, manicure, pedicure, facial…but don’t forget about your health! Begin to plan on eating healthier at every meal, cut back on those summer time snacking habits and start to think about how to add regular exercise to your daily routine.

Stop buying food for the family gatherings and start buying for the family meals that are meant to be nutritious. Chicken instead of burgers and dogs…apples instead of watermelon…fresh vegetables instead of salads with dressings high in fat…low fat angel food cake instead of ice cream. Add in some almonds and veggies with low fat ranch dressing for between meal snacks.

As the weather turns a little cooler, get out and walk. Park further from the store entrance and spend a few extra minutes walking through the parking lot. Take the stairs, not the elevator or escalator. Plan family walks through the park for weekends and evenings before it begins to get dark early again.

When you’re ready for a specialized workout routine made just for you, give me a call and I’ll be happy to help!

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SPRING IS IN THE AIR IN NEW ENGLAND

Donna — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:45:40 +0000

After another long winter, it’s time to get outside! The best way to get exercise is, by far, outside in the open air. Whether it be running, jogging, bicycling, kayaking or just walking. The sights, sounds and smells take your mind off what you’re doing, so exercise is actually easier and time just flyes by. If you’re away from the city and the air is clean, you’ll be doing a great favor to your lungs. Breathe deeply to blow out that wood burning or oil burning residue from your heating system and that stale air from your office building.

Don’t limit it to cardio either, add in some resistance training by dropping down on a soft spot and doing some push ups or sit ups. Use a rock or park bench for some tricep dips or step ups. Get in your calf raises and squats too. Bring a band with you and wrap it around a tree for some rows and chest presses. Don’t forget to stretch, too. Be imaginative and have fun, Spring is short in New England.

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How is YOUR stress level these days?

Donna — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:19:31 +0000

There’s no denying it, stress is high these days. All around us people are having financial problems. Some people we know have lost their jobs, others have even lost their homes. How could we NOT be stressed out about it?

In December, the American Psychological Association reported that 80% of Americans feel stressed by the economy. When those people head to their doctor, what will happen? You know the answer to today’s health problems - prescription drugs. When the prescription drugs are started, who knows when they can or will be stopped. Will it be lifetime of taking daily pills? Who knows! On top of that, there is the cost of those drugs and the doctor visits to follow up and continue the renewal of those prescriptions. How much does your medical coverage pay and how much will you pay out of your own pocket? The financial worry that put you in that position will become a vicious cycle in itself of doctor bills and pharmacy costs.

Well there is another option! One that you may already be paying for, that monthly automatic payment to your gym. Start using it - especially on those cardio machines. Burn up calories and burn up stress at the same time. Studies have shown that exercise reduces stress. It actually helps our bodies, physically and mentally to deal with stress. So before turning to your doctor because you feel stressed out, take a trip to your gym everyday for a week. After five to seven days of exercise, you’ll feel better about yourself and you’ll be able to clearly make a decision as to whether you really need to see your doctor, or if you can deal with this economy without those drugs.

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It’s New Years Resolution Time Again…

Donna — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:05:39 +0000

Well it’s here - 2009 - What will we resolve to do this year? Will it be the same as last year? Will we be able to actually follow through on our resolutions?

If it’s to exercise, eat healthy, live healthy - then you should follow through. How else will you feel better, have more energy and live a longer, better quality of life?

I say: "Just do It ". You know you can. You can do anything you put your mind to…seriously. If you need help doing it call a personal trainer. Even for just three sessions to get you started, or to show you how to get started. Anything to make it happen. Otherwise, it’ll be like every other year. Resolutions come and go with no result unless YOU MAKE THEM HAPPEN.

Here’s to a healthy and Happy New Year!

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Ahh, The Holidays are here…

Donna — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:22:22 +0000

Yes, it’s that time, no matter what you celebrate, you’re in the midst of it now. Gathering with family and friends, we can’t help but indulge in the food and drink that is most harmful to us. Go ahead, indulge…but remember to keep it to a day or two and not to skip your workout.

It’s okay to let yourself go a few days a year. If its not your every day norm, it’s makes the celebration even more special when you have that decadent dessert and more than one glass of wine. Keep it in moderation and don’t drink and drive!

On New Years day, organize your schedule to workout at least three times per week, clean out your kitchen cupboards and fridge of those leftover ‘bad’ foods and go on with your life. Don’t look back and don’t feel guilty about it because now you’re on your way to a healthy lifestyle.

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The Healthy Effects of Red Wine

Donna — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:48:29 +0000

Over the past ten years there have been numerous studies on the healthy effects of red wine, which we’ve heard snipets about on the news or read about in the paper. My clients sometimes ask me about it, so I’ve looked into it. My own research has determined that there are three particular types of wine that produce those positive benefits. They are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir, in that order. The benefits include: reducing ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and reducing harmful blood clots. All are obviously good for your cardiovascular system.

The studies identified specific amounts too. For women it’s one 4 ounce glass per day, and for men it’s one or two 4 ounce glasses per day. The studies also point out that this applies to ‘otherwise healthy individuals’. Which means that if you already have cardiovascular disease, or any other disease including alcoholism, you should not assume that you will reap the same benefits and should speak with your treating physician about it.

Researchers have also found that the antioxidant in red wine inhibits tumor development in some cancers and aided in nerve cell formation, which can be helpful in treating diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Most recent studies, identified one more area: liver disease.

Researchers determined that one glass of red wine a day may reduce the the odds of a liver disease known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by 50%. This is a relatively new development, so we may be hearing much more about it in the future.

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My Zari sings the blues to us

adol77dai51 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:24:50 +0000

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OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Donna — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:19:23 +0000

Every year I add one or two women to my list of ‘friends’ who have had breast cancer. By friends I mean actual friends, clients, acquaintances, family and friends of friends and so on down the line. It’s very frightening to think about, but knowledge is power and gaining knowledge about breast cancer is the best way to take care of yourself.

So I did a little research and put together bullet points of facts that we should know:

First thought is that breast cancer is NOT the leading cause of death among women - heart disease is
An easy way to take action against breast cancer is to exercise 4 hours per week
Two more ways to take action against breast cancer are to quit smoking and to avoid HRT
Because early detection can save your life - be proactive - get mammograms every one to two years if you’re over the age of 40. More often and begin younger if you have had an immediate family member diagnosed with it
Two more proactive approaches are to do monthly self exams (learn how to do them correctly) and to limit alcohol intake to up to 1 drink per day
While 80% of lumps are not cancer, 20% are and you need a doctor to give you the results, don’t assume

Those are the highlights, easy enough to remember and to make some right choices in your life.

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What about setting fitness goals?

Donna — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:14:14 +0000

When you really think about it, getting ready to start an exercise program should be like starting up any serious change in your life. If you were starting a new business, you would set goals and if you were starting a project around the house, you would set goals. Sometimes they would be formal and written down, other times they would just be a thought process you went through in your mind. Either way, it should be done when beginning an exercise regimen.

Goal setting 101 teaches us to think in terms of short term goals and long term goals, and they are both important to keeping an exercise regimen going.

First, in the short term, you could say in 30 days, I’m going to be down five pounds or my waistband will be much loser than it is today. You need to set either a date or state the number of days, weeks or months specifically. This way you have your ‘check in’ points along the way. Also, you want to be more specific than saying ‘lose weight’. You want to state the number of pounds, or a marker such as your waistband tightness. You don’t need to think in terms of weight loss only. You could say, since I can use the five pound dumb bells today, in 30 days I want to be strong enough to use eight pound dumb bells.

Now, once your time frame and specific goal is set, it’s time to put a plan in place on achieving that goal. So if your plan is to lose five pounds, it’s time to set parameters on your eating habits, as well institute an aerobic routine with some resistance training for toning too. If your goal is to increase to eight pounds dumb bells, it’s time to institute a plan for getting stronger through resistance training.

Now, at the first check point, whether it be 30 days, or some other time frame, you take a look to see if you’ve achieved your short term goal. If yes, it’s time to set the next goal, if no, then go back to your plan and find out why it failed. Was it the plan or was it you not following the plan?

Second, you need to add in a long term goal. Now thinking in terms of months and years - what do you want to be doing, or what do you want to be wearing? This could be a wedding date, a vacation date or just that you want to be in shape to keep up with your grandchildren.

With having that long term goal in mind, you are able to continue to set short term goals to reach it.

Can you do this on your own? Do you need help? Remember I’m here to help you.

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Do you know what to do?

Donna — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:16:50 +0000

Do you know what to do when you reach a plateau? Let’s say you’ve been eating healthy and working out for 3 months. During those 3 months you saw continuous weight loss and you’re now down 12 pounds, but have not seen any additional weight loss for two weeks. What’s going on and what do you do about it?

I get this question quite often, the simple answer is: ’step it up a notch’. Your body becomes accustomed to exercise in anywhere from 1 to three months of doing it. Once that occurs, your body sees no need to make anymore changes as it’s meeting your regular needs.

So nows the time to step it up a notch. If you’re using 5 pound dumb bells, increase them to 7. If you’re running on the treadmill or the elliptical for 30 minutes, increase it to 40 or raise the level of the program.

Once you do this, you should begin to see changes once again, as your body will adapt to the increased stresses you’re putting on it.

Just a word of caution, not too much too quickly. That’s how we get hurt and lose our interest in exercise, and that’s the last thing you want to see occur.

So have at it and have fun doing it!

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Aerobic Training, another major component of exercise…

Donna — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:40:56 +0000

Aerobic training or cardio training is one of the three major elements of a good quality fitness routine. It can be the most important for certain groups of people. It’s the one way to reduce cholesterol, and the major way to drive down blood sugar on a regular basis for diabetics. It’s important for those with any type of heart disease (with your doctors blessing of course) to increase cardiovascular fitness and strengthen the heart muscle. It’s important for everyone to do in order to burn calories and to strengthen and maintain a strong heart muscle. It also helps to reduce stress, you can actually feel your frustrations melt away with the sweat coming out of your pores!

To make the best of your aerobic workout you need a heart rate monitor. To calculate your aerobic range, which is 60% to 85% of your maximum heart rate, you deduct your age from 220, then take that number which is your maximum heart rate and multiply it by .60 and .85 arriving at your aerobic range. Using the heart rate monitor, exercise with your heart rate between those two numbers for a minimum of 30 minutes three times per week. As your heart becomes stronger, you should work up to four times per week, or go to 45 minutes three times per week to get the best results.

You can use a road bike or a stationary bike, the streets or the treadmill or any of those machines lining the walls of the gym, just choose your favorites and get going! Just for fun try every one of the machines for 10 minutes each the next time you’re at the gym.

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Couples Training…

Donna — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:13:39 +0000

When you think of personal training, it’s usually one-on-one with client and trainer, as opposed to group training which is a group of people with one trainer in the front of the room. But what about a couple? You and your significant other working out together with a personal trainer. I’ve always had at least one couple to work with. I find it both fun and challenging. It would be impossible to do if each needed an individual workout routine, but when their conditioning is similar, I can manage to provide an excellent workout in our one hour session. Lately I’ve been getting more and more inquiries about it. Most ask if there is a discount, which there is, and others want to do it to spend more time with their spouse, or to be sure their spouse is doing some exercise. The only drawback I’ve found is the space. Sometimes we’ll need to move some furniture to have enough room for both to be exercising at the same time without bumping into one another. I see that it’s enjoyable for married couples who rarely spend time together. They get some needed discussions in about the kids, or the upcoming vacation. I feel like I develop a closer relationship with my long term couples since I’m involved in some of these discussions. But in the end, I’m there to see them attain their fitness goals, so while their talking, I’m pushing them on to the next exercise in the sequence, or making sure the level on the elliptical is high enough.

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Yet another reason to exercise…

Donna — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:49:09 +0000

I just finished reading an article in Time magazine that described a study that proved exercise improves memory. The article began by explaining that the memory loss we all experience beginning in middle age is normal (I’m happy to hear). Initially it was a research completed on rats that showed exercise produced new neurons in the brain. The research was then tried on humans, one hour on the treadmill four times per week proved to increase blood volume in the brain. Those same people went through memory tests before and after, and there you have it - better memory! It was aerobic exercise specifically, so get your heart rate up often.

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Organic, or not?

Donna — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:54:09 +0000

I had a test done last year through my Naturopathic doctor. she found that my toxic load was rather high. I’ve inhaled, absorbed and ingested too many toxins, which include the pesticides on my produce. My goal is to eat 100% organic, but it’s been impossible. First of all, I live in the Northeast. Our winters are long and our summers are hot and humid, the first making for a short growing season, the second making for a healthy bug environment, the organic growers nightmare. So the majority of my organic food has to be shipped to me, now I have to think about our planet. How much emissions went into the atmosphere to get me that apple? The simple answer is “a lot”.

I have to make some difficult choices when shopping as it is, now I found out about something else I should be considering. I took the RealAge Test a few months ago (www.realage.com). I was happy to find out that they put me 7 years younger than my chronological age, but I find them too main stream for most of their recommendations. I remain on their emal list to see if there is anything interesting, and found yesterdays to be “interesting”. See the post at http://www.realage.com//ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/5776 entitled 12 Foods Where Organic Makes Sense. It turns out that some fruits and produce require more than average pesticide use. By avoiding these 12, the article claims it cuts our intake of pesticides by 90%. Pretty high number to toss on the table, but even if it’s exaggerated by 50%, the number is still good. To recap, here are the 12: peaches, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, apples, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, celery and green bell peppers.

So for these 12 items, I’ll be choosing my own health over that of the environment, I apologize in advance to those who would choose the opposite.

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WALKING AS EXERCISE - USE A PEDOMETER

Donna — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:00:32 +0000

Walking is great exercise, it’s gets you out doors to (hopefully) fresh air, it strengthens your legs and calves, it keeps your hip, knee and ankle joints well lubricated, it improves circulation, it builds stamina, improves your mood by reducing stress, you can meet new people, and it BURNS CALORIES - that’s the important part. Since you’re burning calories, you’re losing weight, you’re increasing the strength of your heart muscle and you’re getting healthier and healthier.

Using a pedometer can really be a benefit to getting exercise through walking. Studies have shown that we walk an average of 5000 to 5500 steps per day, and that 10,000 steps per day is where you see the most benefit. 10,000 steps is equal to about 5 miles for the average stride. Just having the pedometer hooked to your belt loop will be the reminder to keep moving, or to take the stairs, or to go out and walk during your lunch break at work.

I advise my clients to keep a log of the information their pedometer gives them at the end of each day. It includes the date, number of steps, miles, calories burned and a space for any notes for that day. The notes area can be helpful to track why there was a significant difference, either fewer or more steps on a given day.

Here are some ways to add steps to your day - remember your goal is 10,000:

Park in the far back of the parking lot at work, or at store lots
If you take a bus, get off the bus a few stops before your usual stop and walk the rest of the way
Take the stairs
Pace while waiting for meetings to start or while making phone calls
Get up and walk around during commercial breaks
Do not use drive throughs, park and walk in - better yet stay away from places that have drive throughs the food is no good for you
Dedicate a few minutes to walking each hour
Walk during your lunch break
Form a workplace, neighborhood or friends walking group
Make a family habit of walking in the morning or after dinner (or both)
Take advantage of 5k charity walks so you have company while walking
Take an extra trip up and down your stairs, just for fun
Bring your groceries into the house one bag at a time
Take the dog for a walk, they’ll love you for it. Take your neighbors dog for a walk if you don’t have one!
Pace while waiting for a meal to heat in the microwave
Use the lavatory at work that is furthest from your desk

Go ahead, add more bullet points, there are plenty of ways to add walking to your daily life!

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THANK YOU TO ALL WHO VOTED FOR ME…

Donna — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:39:46 +0000

Well I’m finally touching base once again, I have to, I need to THANK everyone who made it possible for me to be named the BEST FITNESS INSTRUCTOR in the Hippo Press “Best of 2008″ survey. This is a thrilling experience for me, and all my current and past clients made it happen. The writers made a couple of mistakes, though. One on the spelling of my last name, which is common, but they also didn’t include my telephone number. I’ve been promised that it’ll be corrected for the “Best of” magazine being published next week, and hopefully corrected on the Hippo’s website. I may even have some pictures of me in the magazine, even more exciting! Thank you all, once again, for voting for me.

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What should I buy at the grocery store?

Donna — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 20:50:14 +0000

This is a question I get a lot, so here is the grocery list I put together. You can copy and paste it to your hard drive and print it to take with you when you shop. There are some basic rules, which I bulleted at the end of the second page. For the most part, you need to avoid certain isles in the store. It’s best to just shop the perimeter isles, except for the health food isles. Also, when you need canned, dry or bottled items, check the ingredients for sugar and partially hydrogenated oils and do not buy them if it’s listed.

GROCERY LIST

APPLES
ORANGES
PEACHES
CHERRIES
CRANBERRIES
PLUMS/NECTARINES
MANGOS
PINEAPPLE
BANANAS
FIGS
LEMONS/LIMES
BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES (FROZEN OKAY TOO)
FRUIT SORBET (NO SUGAR ADDED)
NON FAT/LOW FAT FROZEN YOGURT

PLAIN COLE SLAW (PRE-MADE IN BAG)
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CELERY
CARROTS
SWEET POTATOES
SQUASH
MUSHROOMS
GREEN PEPPERS/RED PEPPERS/YELLOW PEPPERS
EGGPLANT
TOMATOES
FRESH OR FROZEN GREEN VEGETABLES: BROCCOLI, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, GREEN BEANS, SPINACH, ETC
GARLIC
ONIONS

OLIVES
ARTICHOKE HEARTS
BLACK BEANS
SUN DRIED TOMATOES (NO OIL)
TOMATO SAUCE (NO SUGAR IN INGREDIENTS)
LENTILS
WHITE BEANS

GREEN TEA BAGS
BOTTLED WATER

TUNA FISH PACKED IN SPRING WATER

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
NEWMAN’S OWN OIL & VINEGAR DRESSING
BALSAMIC VINEGAR
HONEY
MUSTARD
COCKTAIL SAUCE
PICKLES

NEWMAN’S OWN LOW FAT FIG NEWMANS
RAW ALMONDS
WALNUTS
HAZELNUTS
RAISINS

EGGS OR JUST EGG WHITES IF YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT CHOLESTEROL
LOWFAT COTTAGE CHEESE
LOWFAT/NON FAT YOGURT
PART SKIM RICOTTA CHEESE
FETA CHEESE (LOW FAT)
HARD WHITE CHEESE
SKIM MILK
ORANGE OR GRAPEFRUIT JUICE (100% JUICE MUST BE ON THE LABEL)
LOW FAT SOUR CREAM

TOMATO & VEGGIE ONLY SALSA (CHECK LABEL FOR SUGAR AND OTHER JUNK)
TORTILLA CHIPS (PLAIN FROM THE HEALTH FOOD ISLE)
RELISH OF ANY SORT IF NO SUGAR LISTED ON LABEL

WHOLE GRAIN PITA BREAD
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

CHICKEN BREASTS
BUFFALO FOR RED MEAT
SHRIMP (FRESH OR FROZEN)
SCALLOPS
ANY FISH FRESH OR FROZEN

BROWN RICE
STEEL CUT OATMEAL
WHOLE GRAIN CEREALS (KASHI IS A GOOD BRAND)

ANY SEASONING/CONDIMENT/SPICE THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE SUGAR OR PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL ON THE LABEL

OTHER NOTES:
• CHECK LABELS CAREFULLY FOR HIDDEN SATURATED FAT, ESPECIALLY PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL OR ANY KIND AND SUGAR.
• THE FEWER THE INGREDIENTS LISTED ON THE LABEL, THE BETTER
• SHOP AT THE HEALTH FOOD STORES WHEN YOU CAN
• SHOP IN THE HEALTH FOOD ISLES OF YOUR GROCER FOR AS MANY ITEMS AS AVAILABLE
• STAY AWAY FROM THE JUNK FOOD, SODA AND COOKIE ISLES COMPLETELY
• SHOP THE PERIMETER OF THE STORE EXCEPT FOR THE NATURAL FOOD ISLES AND CANNED AND BOTTLED ITEMS

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