![]() So, since I moved back to the beautiful Hudson Valley with my husband, daughter and two dogs I have been trying to get back into my hometown community. I started out by going for "nap runs" around the neighborhood, going to the park and rail trail with my family and I signed up to compete in a handful of races this spring... Which also helped me to hold myself to my own fitness goals. The one thing I never could seem to get around to was volunteering. Well, this weekend I did it! I finally made it out to an event (with my husband) to volunteer. It was a fantastic experience. We went to the HIITs Triathlon up at Hunter. It was a beautiful scenic drive and race course. We even got a little hike in our selves! We were happily stationed at the finish line where we clapped and cheered until our voices were nearly gone and our hands/wrists wanted nothing more than epsom salt. I also had the distinguished job of giving out participation metals and stripping timing chips. That may sound easy but you try to get a finisher to hold still long enough to do both without jogging past you, collapsing or threatening to hurl... Then we'll talk ;-) Overall it was a fantastic experience and I can't wait to get out there again!
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So I read an interesting article this week. It was more like a poll of health and fitness professionals. The question posed to these professionals was, "Fresh Food Prep Vs. Exercise: Is One More Important?" You might be interested to hear that some trainers would rather see their clients spending more time preparing their food. Why? you may ask: 1.) If you're cooking you're standing and moving around, not sitting while the microwave does the work. 2.) If you're preparing your food fresh you're probably making better food choices for you and your family. Better food choices = better functioning bodies = happy healthy people. 3.) Cooking can be a pretty good workout itself. I made some delicious Thai Mung Bean Pancakes this week and it calls for grated vegetables. I used a hand grater and got one heck of an arm workout! And have you ever hand whipped your whipped cream or homemade egg nog? Christmas is coming... I dare you to try it ;-) ![]() The start to Thai pancakes! Grated kohlrabi, carrot, and chopped scallions. Let me know if you'd like the recipe! ![]() When we are thirsty we tend to grab a tasty beverage and generally think we are doing well by our bodies. But what you may not realize is that what you drink can have profoundly different affects, some of which may be the complete opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Hydration is what our bodies want when the sense or feeling of thirst is triggered. But how we respond to that feeling can be quite counterproductive. For example you reach for a can of cola or cup of coffee; which contain caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic and will actually take fluid from your body, and cause you to make a large deposit it into a nonrefundable receptacle of your urgent choosing. Not quite what you wanted it for... Sweet and/or sugary beverages can also prove to be problematic. Along with the fact that many of them are caffeinated, sugar beverages can also spike your blood sugar levels and sweet beverages (real sugar or not) may cause you to drink more than you intended due to their sweetness; thus injecting your with real or fake sugars/sweeteners and a host of other artificial products. Drinking sugary juices or sodas also introduce extremely large quantities of liquid calories, (which will turn into fat if your activity level isn't high enough to use them up). Not to mention that pesky blood sugar spike of craziness coupled with the disaster crash of all sugar induced motivation. It's kind of like sending your body on a roller coaster ride and I hazard a guess that if you partake in enough roller coaster rides you will feel ill. So, be conscientious of what you drink to cure your thirst. Try to stick to water- with juices and other drinks in strict moderation. As always I encourage you to read the labels and see what is in your food/beverages and be ever mindful of the calorie and sugar content in your favorite drinks. |
AuthorI am an Exercise Physiologist and mother of two lovely ladies. I love teaching my community about health and wellness and I love helping likeminded people implement natural solutions into their everyday lives. Archives
December 2023
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