Joint by Joint

I LOVE this article by Michael Boyle...he explains this:

Joint Primary Training Needs

Ankle mobility (particularly sagittal)

Knee stability

Hip mobility (multi-planar)

Lumbar Spine stability

T-Spine mobility

Gleno-humeral stability

Notice that every other joint requires mobility vs. stability...

Here is another way to look at the above chart:

Lose ankle mobility, get knee pain.

Lose hip mobility, get low back pain.

Lose thoracic mobility, get neck and shoulder pain (or low back pain).

 



Healthy Lifestyle Scale

How are you doing today?

Click HERE for a Healthy Lifestyle Scale from SparkPeople.com

Fitness tests you can do at home...

HERE are some great Fitness Tests you can do at home, via SparkPeople.com...

12 Days of Fitness

December 8th marks 12 business days until Christmas!! Here is a fitness challenge for you to do each day to help you stay healthy during the holidays!!

Merry Fitness and Healthy New Year!

1. Brisk walking in the Winter Wonderland: Enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas as you walk side by side with your family. 30 minute walk.
2. "Baby its cold outside" Home obstacle Circuit: Pick 5-7 activities to do in your home i.e. Living room hopscotch, back door to front door shuttle run, kitchen counter incline pushups and couch/ chair squats, jump rope, etc. Stay moving for 30 minutes.
3. "Run Run Rudolf" Dash: Run the distance of one mail box then walk the next to recover. Repeat. (Try to do 30 minutes with a walking warm up and cool down for at least 5 minutes)
4. Jingle Bells and Jungle Gym Circuit: 10 Incline pushups on stairs/chair, plank for 30 seconds, 10 bench/chair single leg squats, 25 jumping jacks, 25 crunches. Repeat 5 times.
5. "The Weather outside is frightful" Indoor jog. Push the furniture aside and get ready for fun! Jog in place (like you’re running through a forest), and “duck” when you come upon a branch, “jump” when you come upon a rock, “dodge side to side” to dodge trees, and “run faster” when a bear chases you! (use your imagination)! 30 minutes.
6. “Old” Chris Cringle. 100 pushups. 200 sit ups. 300 squats. Space it out throughout the day… “centuries” take time
7. Cut “Loose.” Stretch today for 30 minutes! (foam rolling, static stretching, etc).
8. “Holly Jolly” Cycling: Cycle for 45 minutes!
9. Santa’s got a brand new bag. Pack your gym bag and work out for 60 minutes at the gym.
10. Family Choice Night: Cook a healthy meal together in the kitchen. (sparkrecipes.com).
11 "O Christmas Tree Pose" Yoga! Google your favorite poses and practice 5 poses.
12. "Rockin’ around the Christmas tree". Dance for 30 minutes to your favorite holiday tunes!

Your Spice Rack Medicine Cabinet

Top 10 examples of spices that help improve your health:

CAYENNE:

Lowers blood pressure

A couple teaspoons helps stop a heart attack

Improves Digestion

Releaves Gas, Nausea and indigestion

Thins phlem

GARLIC:

Natural Anticeptic

Fights Cancer

Lowers Cholesterol

Reduces Plaque

Lowers Blood Pressure

Lowers risk of the hardening of arteries

Effective against digestive ailements

Helps with Diarrhea

 

TURMERIC:

Anti-cancer properties (especially for past smokers)

Anti-inflammatory

Relieves Rheumatoid Arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

High in Anti-oxidants and Vitamins A, C and E

Helps prevents cataracts

CINNAMON:

Kills bacteria caused illness - E. coli, Salmonella, Staph

Stops growth of Asian flu virus

Lowers blood pressure

Regulates menstral cycles

Reduces anxiety and stress

OREGANO:

Powerful Anticeptic

19 chemical compounds with antibacterial actions

4 compounds that soothe coughs

Soothes stomach  muscles which helps in digestion

Lowers blood pressure

GINGER:

Digestive aid that stimulates saliva flow

Settles stomach (relieves vommiting, eases pain from gas & diarrhea)

Anti-nausea remedy

Effective against motion sickness

Pain reliever

Helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL)

FENUGREEK:

Helps treat diabetes
Lowers blood sugars
Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL)
Helps maintain good metabolism
Prevents constipation
Purifies blood/flushes out toxins
Good for increasing breast milk for lactating women


BASIL:

Relieves Gas
Soothes upset stomachs
Helps prevent aging








CLOVE:

60-90 percent eugenol which is a pain deadening antimicrobial
Helps with tooth pain
Helps lower blood sugar by helping the body use insulin more effectively
Speeds heaing of cold sores



BLACK PEPPER:

Stimulates the digestive organs
Increases flow of saliva and digestive juices
Helps relieve indigestion and flatulence





Find more information on healing herbs HERE and HERE

Slim down your Holidays...

One Thanksgiving meal can boast more calories than we should have in one day and more fat than we should have in three days! Here are some tips from http://www.sparkpeople.com/  that will slim down your Holiday meal...Happy Thanksgiving!

"Roasted turkey may be the star of the show, but it doesn't have to be a heavyweight. Turkey tends to be a lean meat—moderate in calories and low in fat. One 3-oz serving of light or white meat typically contains 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. Dark meat is more caloric (160 calories and 7 grams of fat) but it also contains twice as much iron—about 15% of your daily recommended intake. Get Healthy Turkey Recipes HERE, or use these tips to slim it down even more:

• Remove the skin before serving. Save 15-20 calories and 2-3 grams of fat per serving.

• Baste your bird with low-sodium chicken broth or white wine instead of butter to cut calories and fat.

• Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before you carve it. If you immediately carve the turkey, the juices will run out, drying out the meat. A moister bird means less need for fatter, greasy gravy.

Stuffing is as much a Thanksgiving tradition as the turkey itself. One 1/2-cup serving typically contains 180 calories and 9 grams of fat. You'll find plenty of Healthy Stuffing Ideas HERE.. Boost the nutrition and cut calories with these ideas:

• Swap low-sodium chicken broth for most of the butter in your stuffing. Save at least 50 calories per serving and cut the fat in half.

• Add more vegetables to your stuffing. Onions, water chestnuts, carrots and celery are all tasty (and low-calorie) additions to the bread in your stuffing. So are mushrooms!

• Bake stuffing in muffin tins for instant portion control.

• Use whole-wheat or multigrain bread instead of the traditional white bread. These high-fiber whole grains will help fill you up faster.

Green bean casserole is a high-fat side dish that's often loaded with sodium, too. One 1/2-cup serving typically contains 120 calories, 8 grams of fat and 550 milligrams of sodium. These greenbean casserole RECIPES cut fat and calories in half!! Here are more ways to make it healthier:

• Use low-sodium or reduced-fat varieties of cream of mushroom (or cream of celery) soup. Per can of condensed soup, you'll save 120 calories and 16 grams of fat by going with reduced-fat version. Choose low-sodium, and you'll cut nearly 1,000 milligrams of sodium (per can) from your recipe.

• Use water, skim milk or low-sodium chicken broth instead milk to dilute the soup.

• Use reduced-sodium canned green beans, or thoroughly drain and rinse green beans to wash off extra salt.

Mashed potatoes boast about 220 calories and 8 grams of fat per 1-cup serving. But they often contain butter, cream, whole milk and lots of salt. These spud RECIPES weigh in at fewer than 100 calories per serving!! Try these lower-calorie flavor additions as well:

• Heat skim milk (not whole milk or cream) with some herbs and add just enough to thin the potatoes.

• Use low-fat or fat-free varieties of sour cream, cream cheese or yogurt for added creaminess. (My mom adds roasted garlic and low-fat cream cheese. It's delicious!)

Gravy is, well, the gravy of the Thanksgiving meal! It blankets mashed potatoes with its silky deliciousness, and helps hide overcooked or dried-out turkey. Unfortunately, gravy is often little more than grease and fat, at 100 calories and 4 grams of fat for a 1/4-cup serving. It needn't do as much damage if you use these tips:

• Significantly cut calories by skimming the fat from your pan juices. (An inexpensive kitchen tool known as a "fat separator" or "gravy separator" can make that job easier.) Skimming the fat can reduce your gravy to a low 25 calories (and less than 1 gram of fat) per serving.

• Short on time? Carefully lay a paper towel on the top of the juices to blot the fat, or add some ice cubes to the pan juices, which will help the fat congeal faster. If you have plenty of time, put the juices in the refrigerator, then scoop off the coagulated fat when it has cooled.

• The key to tasty gravy is using all the drippings from the roasting pan (with the fat skimmed off). This gives the gravy plenty of flavor without added fat or calories. Forgo added butter, which really bumps up the calories and fat.

Cranberry sauce, often from a can, is full of sugar, corn syrup and other sweeteners. A 1/4-cup serving contains about 110 calories. Homemade cranberry sauce (Click HERE for RECIPES that have fewer than 50 calories per serving!) usually has more nutritional value, less sugar, and just 20 calories per quarter cup.

Pie makes a nice finish to a Thanksgiving meal. When cut into 8 slices, one slice of traditional apple pie (with a lattice crust on top) contains 400 calories and 21 grams of fat. Pumpkin pie has 13 fat grams per slice, but fewer calories: 240 to be exact. Desserts are extras and portion control is essential. Try THESE Pumpkin Pies with fewer than 100 calories per serving!. Follow these tips to indulge in a decadent slice of pie without regretting it later:

• Ditch the top crust. Besides saving time, you'll also shave 112 calories and 7.5 grams of fat off each slice of apple pie.

• Ditch the bottom crust. You'll save 112 calories and 7.5 calories per slice. Check out THESE crust-free pie recipes.

• Use egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs in your pies. Most recipes will be unaffected. You'll save 30-40 calories and 4 grams of fat per egg.

• Slightly reduce the sugar (keep at least half the sugar that the recipe calls for) in your fruit pies. Save 440 calories for every 1/2 cup of sugar you eliminate.

• Cut the pie into smaller slices for automatic portion control and fewer calories per slice.

Remember that Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, be grateful, and enjoy the company of loved ones. You don't have to go overboard to celebrate this special holiday. By using just a few of these many tips and recipes, you'll be able to take part in the tradition without feeling guilty. "

This article came from SparkPeople.com

Healthy Cooking Substitutions

The average holiday meal has over 2500 calories in it! If one pound of fat equals 3500 calories, packing on the LBS becomes very easy during this time of year.

Here are some healthy cooking substitutions that you can use to eliminate extra calories, and still enjoy delicious, healthy food with friends and family!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• 1 whole egg = 2 egg whites
• Butter = canola oil or olive oil or unsaturated margarine, such as Smart Balance®
• 1 cup shortening = 2/3 cup canola or Enova® oil
• ½ cup vegetable oil = ¼ cup applesauce + ¼ cup canola oil or grapeseed oil
• Sweetened condensed milk = nonfat sweetened condensed milk
• Whole milk = skim milk or soy milk (for baking, try vanilla soy milk)
• Light or heavy cream = evaporated skim milk
• Sour cream or mayonnaise = plain yogurt or puréed nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 oz baking chocolate = 2 TB cocoa powder + 1 TB Enova® oil
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup nonfat buttermilk or heat 1 cup skim milk to room temperature and add 1 TB lemon juice; let stand for five minutes
• White flour = whole wheat flour
• Dry bread crumbs = whole wheat bread crumbs or crushed bran flakes
Substitutions for Processed Sugars
• Substitute Stevia for sugar in coffee, tea or oatmeal; this natural, calorie-free sweetener is 10 times sweeter than real sugar, though, so use sparingly
• Substitute equal parts Sucanat, Xylitol or turbinado (raw sugar) for processed sugar
• Heat syrup and thin it out with a spoonful or two of water
• Almond, vanilla and orange extracts add both extra sweetness and flavor; also add cinnamon, clove, allspice and cardamom
• 1 cup chocolate chips = ½ cup chocolate chips + ½ cup chopped dried fruit and nuts
• Instead of creamy frosting, dust with powdered sugar and add sliced fresh fruit

Thanksgiving Cookbook

Don't let Thanksgiving put you into a coma anymore.

Click HERE for an amazing cookbook with healthy recipes that will fill your plate with delicious food with about 500 calories for the whole meal!

Thanks Chef Meg!

Need help with your portions?

FIT Body Training Commercial!

What do you guys think?!!

Pop Quiz: Your Fitness IQ

What's your Fitness IQ? Take the test HERE!

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

Pumpkins!!

The flavor is showing up in latte's, on people's porches, in cookies (even I gave in to pumpkin cookies from the Boise Co-Op...yum)! But what's the difference between canned and fresh? Find out HERE (a great article from SparkPeople.com).

You can also find pumpkin cooking recipes HERE!

Find out how to make your own tasty pumpkin treat for your coffee HERE and HERE!



7 minute veggie soup

Check out the recipe HERE!!

America is #1

As the fattest country in the world, it's no wonder we are number one...we tip the scales in our weight, in our disease costs, in our food production, in our lack of activity...

We eat too much (meal sizes in America would feed an entire family in other countries).
We move too little (95% of American's get little to no activity).
The food we eat is highly processed with little to no nutritional value (that's what we are told to eat by our television sets, so it must be good for us).

I LOVE this article by http://www.naturalnews.com/ that talks about the Obesity in America and how by 2020, 75% of American's will be obese or overweight. That is 3 out of every 4 people, folks...

Good thing we are going to be paying for EVERYONE's health care...yeah, that's just what I can afford...everyone else's disease maintenance costs because they wont change their eating habits and get up off the couch.

Did you know that one .99 cent hamburger causes at least $5 in future health care costs? Don't worry...supersize it...I'll pick up the tab...

And it's no wonder we are raising a generation who is overweight and diabetic...the government covers costs for products such as infant formula, that has over 50% sugar... (Read that article HERE). And then check out the first ingredient from this "Balanced Infant Nutritional Formula..."

What a great way to get infants addicted to sugar, which will affect them the rest of their lives...

And so the cycle continues...

What can Fit Body Training do for you?

SparkPeople Trick or Treat Candy Quiz

Take the Candy Quiz!!!

How did you do?

Get in my belly

Halibut with Lime-Cilantro Yogurt Topping

by DotFit Registered Dietitian

Ingredients

4 5-ounce center-cut halibut fillets

1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt, drained

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

Preparation

Preheat broiler and coat broiler rack with nonstick cooking spray. If you choose to grill the halibut, spray the grill before preheating it to medium-high.

Rinse halibut fillets and pat dry. Place halibut on broiler rack or grill.

Combine yogurt, cilantro and lime juice. Mix well.
Spread half the mixture on top of halibut fillets. Broil or grill for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, turning once half way through and spreading rest of yogurt on top of second side.

Serve with green beans and rice or couscous.
Serves 4

         Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Personality Insights Profile

Ever wonder why you get along with some people and other's just aren't your cup-of-tea? Well, here is a Personality Insights Profile DISC Test that can explain a little about the differences in our individual personalities.

Why is this being included on a health and fitness blog? Well, it's always important to understand a little bit more about yourself, the people you surround yourself with vs. the people you should be surrounding yourself with and how effective of a communicator you are (which this test explains all of it).

Take a few minutes, check out the DISC Test and let me know what you think!

From a size 24 to a 10 and still shrinking...

See the transformation HERE!!!!!!

Tail Gating Recipes from Fox 12 Fitness

Click here for recipes and to Tail Gate FIT Body Training style...

The Numbers Game...

How good are you with your calorie knowledge?

Take THIS QUIZ from SparkPeople.com

How did you do?

kitchen necessities...

find out what you should have in your kitchen here...

The Choice is Yours...

"When things get tough, you can either choose to find a reason to give up, or choose to find a reason to keep going. Both are easy choices, but only one will change your life..."

Processed Foods - 1. Taste Buds - 0.

The effect processed foods are having on our taste buds is shocking! All the added surgar, sodium and fat is ruining our little taste buddies...

Thanks PlanetGreen.com for THIS GREAT ARTICLE on how Processed Foods affect our taste buds.

  vs. 

Vitamins

I found this great Vitamin Wheel for those of you who want a fun, interactive way to learn about vitamins, how they help us, and where we can find them! Click your heart out...

Organic Love

You have to check out THIS article from Pure Mod Life...one of my favorite blogs all about the organic! As summer ends and fall begins, tomatoes are turning their shades from green to glorious red...I can't wait to chow down on the huge tomatoes that are in my family's gardens!

Brain Power and Exercise...

I have been intrigued lately by the connection between the Brain and Exercise. Studies are showing that after someone exercises, their brain functions at an extremely high level...new connections are made, memory is increased, etc etc...

There is a book called, "Spark" that I started to read that tells of a school on the east coast that rates among the top in the world in numerous studies...how you might ask? The kids have a highly active PE class in the morning then go to their hardest subjects...I'll let you know how the book ends when I finish it.

Until then, check out this article by SparkPeople.com that talks all about your Brain and Exercise!

Boost Brain Power with Exercise

Why is weight loss so difficult?

Find out HERE at the DotFit Blog for more info...

Fun with Friends

Get out and Play with your friends!

Partner training is a great way to have fun while you exercise!

Square, Circle, Triangle, Squiggle and everything in between...

If you have ever wondered why you are the way you are, the following personality test may help put words to some of the things you are feeling!

It's a fun little questionaire that will give you a description of your personality type based on psychogeometrics...or shapes...

Click HERE to take the test and then comment and let me know what shape you are!

Fox 12 Fitness

We recorded more shows yesterday for Fox 12 Fitness which airs September 13th! The show will run Monday thru Friday from 5:30-6:00am...for those of you who aren't morning people, record it! You wont want to miss all the information and ideas that come from this great show!