Center Plate

Resolutions Can Start Now

 

Just like a rose that isn't completely open yet, you can enjoy it's beauty and scent right away. The changes you see as it opens up or is cut and placed in a vase along the way are pleasures you will have later.

You have goals inside, issues to resolve, dreams and ideas. Why wait until January 1 to commit to them and put effort into them? Start now! Set up your steps toward the target so that you can begin your successful journey and use the 1st of January to celebrate the new year and the new you already in progress!

Midwestern Fitness wants to help you with those steps that have to do with your fitness and nutrition. Give us a call and let us get you started.

Stacie Hunt, certified personal trainer, sports nutritionist, manager of Midwestern Fitness

480-292-3479

10 Urban Food Myths

10 Urban Food Myths

By Joe Wilkes

There have always been rumors spread about food. Remember the one about the Kentucky Fried rat or Mikey, the kid from the Life cereal commercials, who allegedly expired after washing down his Pop Rocks with a Coca-Cola? These, like so many, turned out to be apocryphal; but now, in the age of the Internet, it seems like there's always some story making the rounds about a grocery item that will poison you or a food that will miraculously cure what ails you. Here are some myths we were able to dismiss.

The Magnificent 7

The Magnificent 7

1. Blueberries. These nutrient-packed berries can help bruises disappear. They are a rich source of flavonoids and a good source of vitamin C, which together improve blood circulation (thus reducing swelling) and help form collagen, the tissue that holds skin together.
2. Lemons. Squeeze two whole lemons into your tea, seltzer, and other beverages or on salads and other food to get your daily requirement of vitamin C. This major antioxidant not only fights heart disease and boosts immunity but it also helps form the collagen we need to heal tendons, ligaments, bones, and blood vessels.
   
3. Garlic. Two garlic cloves a day may keep what Grandpa called "hardening of the arteries" away. We now call it arteriosclerosis, but the garlic works just the same. In a German study recently presented at an American Heart Association conference in Washington, D.C., it was stated that taking two cloves of garlic a day reduces the formation of arterial plaque by up to 40 percent. And 42 other clinical trials have shown that garlic can improve cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure.
   
4. Lettuce. If getting to sleep is a problem, a sedative you may not have known about is lettuce, which contains a sleep-inducing substance called lectucarium. Its effects have been compared to the sedative effects of opium, but without the accompanying excitement.
   
5. Chocolate. Dark chocolate is packed with healthy nutrients, including flavonoids, that are part of a group of antioxidants known as polyphenols that decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol oxidation, reduces the risk of blood clots, increases blood flow in arteries, and may lower high blood pressure. In addition, most of us can agree that chocolate improves mood and pleasure. It does that by boosting serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. Plus, chocolate contains a number of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
   
6. Apples. Give in to temptation when it comes to one of the earth's healthiest foods. They are a great source of fiber. They're also a source of the phytochemical quercetin—a compound widely recognized for its ability to fight heart disease and cancer. "Apples are one of the best sources of flavonoids—as long as you leave on the peel," Kristine Napier, RD, writes in Eat to Heal. "Their complement of phytochemicals helps them fight heart disease, stroke, cancer, infections, inflammation and colitis." Because of the combination of fiber and fructose, apples help maintain blood sugar levels, which is key in fighting that afternoon blood sugar low. In fact, a successful dieting tip is to crunch into an apple for your afternoon snack—you'll end up eating a lot less during dinner.
   
7. Avocados. This tropical fruit wasn't grown in the United States until the 1830s. It is rich in potassium, beta-carotene, and "good" fat—the same monounsaturated fat that's found in olive oil and has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Avocados are also a rich source of the essential fatty acid (EFA) omega-9 that helps promote hormone regulation, the transportation of fat through the body, and the breakup of cholesterol. Because avocados are higher in calories than other fruits—two-thirds of an avocado has about 150 calories—you might not want to eat the "alligator pear" at every meal, but you can increase the delicious quotient of your favorite sandwich by adding some slices or making it a fiesta by digging into some guacamole.

Nutrition Tuesday

With football season underway here are some ideas for game days. Get a large bowl and mix together fat free popcorn with some baked chips, roasted almonds and pretzel sticks together. Less fattening and more fiber! If you are going to reach for the snack bags that are lining all the store aisles right now, look for Sun Chips, Baked Tostitos, flavored rice cake chips. A football favorite in my home is jerky! (The best jerky around is at the butcher shop in Midwestern Market on Main Street and Greenfield in Mesa. No kidding!)

Cold beer is a favorite for many, but toss in cold bottles of water too. If the water is there, it has a better chance of getting picked up rather than another beer.

When salty and high carb snacks are going down by the handfuls, offer a meal that focuses on a lean and low sodium meat as the main course with fresh vegetables to fill the rest of the plate.

Go Cardinals!!

ABC's and 123's

One of the great benefits of exercise is the stress-reducing effect we get from all the oxygen and increased blood flow. Many of us tend to carry a lot of that stress in our neck from being at a computer screen or behind a wheel for hours during the day. Here's a great exercise for the neck that you can do anywhere.

Burn it or Store it

Right around this time in Minnesota, the idea of Fall is setting in. School starting up, soon the leaves will turn shades of reds, yellows and browns. Eventually, the ground will be covered in leaves and the raking begins. Raking leaves, bagging them or burning them to clear the ground for the upcoming snowfalls. I know I am getting ahead of myself and the seasons a bit, but I just bought these cute little scarecrows cause I love Fall.

The Fight for Fitness

If you are reading this, I would like for you to do me a favor and think for a few minutes about what your personal challenges are with fitness. Whatever they may be, big or small, I want to hear from you. Email me at stacie@midwesternfitness.com and I will address your fitness challenges in upcoming posts.

On a Diet

How many times have you been "on a diet" or heard someone else say "I'm on a diet"?

Onto the Showroom Floor

You've heard it and probably experienced it...some of those techno gadgets or high powered toys you bought just yesterday, have already been replaced with a newer version or model.

So, when your toes touch the bedroom floor tomorrow morning...

Tuesday's Tips for Better Nutrition

 

Most of us are either rushed to get good food into our bodies or we are bored doing the same thing over and over again.

Here’s a great food you can prepare at home this next weekend for breakfast, double the recipe and have leftovers for healthy food to pack in your lunch.