REPLACING YOUR EVENING MUNCHIES - Herbal Tea?

So this is my new favorite wintertime pasttime to avoid eating total CRAP at night time.

Lets face it, when you have your favorite winter time TV shows on, or if its been a go -go day and you just want some unwinding time, the pitfall is THE MONSTER MUNCHIES!!

Its never the craving for celery, spinach, or broccoli...its generally the things that sit all night in our bellies and pack on the pounds like crazy in the wintertime - like brownies, chips, cookies, etc.

So I feel as I am on a neverending quest to prevent that and find fun exciting things I can eat that will not make me regret it 20 minutes later.

Last winter it was "orange peel herbal tea." or "tangerine peel herbal tea."  It is loaded with nutrients and VERY simple to make.  You can buy these in stores dried with other herbs...but why if its soooo darn simple?

You just take your orange or tangerine peel from your kids lunch or breakfast or snack (or yours) and just pour boiling water on the peel.  Let it set for 20 minutes and WHALAA!!  Its a very orangey herbal tea FANTASTIC for digestion.  Put 1 teeny tiny scoop of stevia to sweeten it if you want.

My other new favorite I got from a friend from her "YOGI" way of living book.  But I am HOOKED!!

1 tsp anise

1 tsp mint

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp fennel

1/2 tsp rosemary (opt)

Just pour boiling water on those ingredients.  Wait 20 minutes and strain it with a strainer.  Put 1 tsp of stevia if you want and YUM!  Its so good.  Its great to make you feel GROUNDED according to the Yogi book.  Also the mint is excellent for the complexion and the digestion.

Its great to curl up sipping something warm and nurturing in the wintertime when everything is so cold.  I LOVE IT!!!!

Do you have any great herbal tea recipes?  Do you have other tips for avoiding wintertimes munchies?

Why don't I just get a tummy tuck?

So this is a question I get periodically – and I got tonite while teaching one of my classes.
The woman in my class was mentioning her friend who just had twins opted to get a tummy tuck rather than just “take the class.”

So a discussion commenced on what the downside is in basically stitching two muscles (the recti) together that are weak. Technically this is one of the three parts that happens in many tummy tucks. The first is liposuctions, the second is raising the skin up to the ribs just below the breast before tightening the muscle, and the third is the diastasis operation, which is bringing the two muscles together without stitching the muscles themselves, but stitching the fasica that houses the muscles instead. In other words, tightening the diastasis.

So apart from all the normal risks of swelling, bruising, pain, numbness surgery , tummy tucks involve a MASSIVE scar from hip to hip, as well as a lengthy recovery.

But what I REALLY want to address, is what can be the danger later if the muscles are not strengthened and they get a tummy tuck. THERE IS NO GUARENTREE THAT YOUR DIASTSIS WON’T OPEN UP AGAIN AFTER A TUMMY TUCK IF YOU EXERCISE INCORRECTLY, or do a jackknife getting out of bed. So even if you’ve had a tummy tuck, you should do the Tupler Technique in order to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

The best bet LEARN TO DO ABDOMINALS CORRECTLY!! For most women, this will save you the cost and inconvenience of pricey, many times IMO not necessary surgery. If you learn to do them correctly, you can TOTALLY get your abdominals back.

I have seen woman after woman close their diastasis in a matter of weeks in my classes or sessions. AGAIN and AGAIN! People who have been told by doctors and surgeons that they needed to get SURGERY to repair them.

So women out there, education yourself. There is a BETTER WAY!!

Best bets to educate yourself: Lose Your Mummy Tummy Book and Lose Your Mummy Tummy DVD

And if your pregnant, Maternal Fitness by Julie Tupler, and Maternal Fitness DVD.














EMPOWER YOURSELF!!

INVEST IN YOURSELF: YOU'RE WORTH IT (guest post by fitmepink)

I am SO excited that one of my all-time favorite fitness blog gurus is posting for us.  This Stay at home mom of 2 1/2  and personal trainer with a love of nutrition (including sneaking those veggies into her kid's food),  has great insight on fitness and how to balance being a mom and balancing the fitness routine.  Here is FITMEPINK'S outlook on investing in yourself:

"There are few investments I've made in my life that have reaped greater benefits than joining a gym. I had just returned home after living abroad (in cold, dark Finland) for 18 months. I was 30 lbs. heavier than when I left.  One day soon after returning home, some guy friends invited me and a girlfriend to the beach. I was mortified as I watched my friend take off her clothes to reveal a cute, slender, tan, perfect beach body. I've never wanted to be the girl who refuses to wear a swimsuit, so I removed my clothes to reveal a chubby and white-from-literally-not-seeing-the-sun-for-a-year-and-a-half- body. I wanted to hide. I wanted to be ANYWHERE but at the beach, wearing ANYTHING but the full-coverage, black one piece swimsuit that didn't hide enough.

 

Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that a perfect body is the key to happiness. But I was depressed. I wasn't comfortable in my own skin.  I wasn't healthy, and I wasn't happy.  I wasn't sure what to do with my life at that point, and at that yucky beach moment, I was miserable...and feeling fat and ugly didn't help.

 

A few mornings later, I woke up and made a decision. I was joining a gym. I didn't care how much it cost, I was going to join. Yes, I was the perfect walk-in-potential-member. I walked into the gym (with my little brother who I coerced into joining with me), and started looking at my options. When the guy-hoping-for-the-sale told me about the "lifetime membership," (which included 5 sessions with a Personal Trainer), I was sold. I knew that fitness had to be a way of life. I wasn't going to be in this for the short haul. I wasn't going to lose the 30 lbs. and quit. I was going to start doing something that I would continue forever. So I paid a nice chunk of change (especially for a girl who'd spent a year-and-a-half giving service AKA making no money), signed some papers, and started chipping away at those lovely extra pounds.

 

I definitely don't think joining a gym is the only way to a fit body and life, but for me, it was an investment in myself that I wasn't going to waste!  By purchasing a "life-time membership," I knew that I was in this for life.  I wasn't going to work really hard to lose the weight only to fall back off the wagon.  I wanted to be healthy, and I was literally committing myself for...well...forever!

 

The Best Decisions I've Made On This Lifetime Fitness Journey

For me, joining a gym that day was the FIRST best decision I made in the beginning of my on-going fitness journey.

The second best decision was signing up for those 5 Personal Training sessions. Before working with a trainer, I really only did cardio. Working out meant running. Period. (OK, and Tae Bo with Billy Blanks). After my first few sessions with a trainer, I was sold on the benefits of resistance training. I was sore in places I didn't know existed on my body! I loved it! I loved knowing that I was making changes on my body that couldn't be made any other way. I fell so in love with resistance training, that I went on to become a certified personal trainer.

The third best decision I made on my fitness journey was stepping foot into a group fitness class. I used to watch from the outside and feel totally intimidated by the barbells, steps, and free weights. I vividly remember my first experience in a lifting type class (strength endurance training). I looked to see how much weight the other ladies had on their bars. Being the overly-competitive girl that I am, I foolishly matched the ones with the most. I barely made it through class, and couldn't walk normally for days. I'm sure the instructor cringed as she watched my form...I had no idea how hard the class would be. But now, the classes are honestly what keep me going to the gym. They're on my schedule, and I plan many of my days around these workouts. I work out longer, and harder than I probably would on my own. I've made friends in the classes. I heart group fitness!

The fourth best decision I ever made was signing up for a race. Mind you, signing up for a full 26.2 mile marathon as the first organized race probably wasn't the smartest thing. A 5- or even a 10-K would have been better. But regardless of how long the race, I had a goal to work towards. I couldn't NOT run knowing that I would probably keel over and die on the race course if I didn't train. Running soon became an addiction with which I have an ongoing love affair.

The fifth best decision I made was asking for a heart rate monitor for Christmas two years ago. I probably go a little overboard by wearing it for each and every workout, but it has truly helped me understand my body.  I know what it truly feels like when I go anaerobic.  I also know when my perceived rate of exertion is a lot higher than I'm actually working.  I occasionally feel like I'm working at a level 10, but my heart rate tells me I'm working at more like a level 6.  The heart doesn't lie!

The sixth best decision was starting a fitness blog. I love that health and fitness is always on my mind! I love that I get to learn as I research. And I love that I get to glean insights from other healthy-minded readers and writers.  Plus, it keeps me accountable.  Having even a friend to check up on you and your fitness goals can be life changing!

I hope to continue making new life-altering decisions as I crawl along in this on-going fitness journey. However, the most important thing for me is knowing that I'm doing something that I feel I can sustain for life. I don't work out for hours upon hours each day. That's not a pace I can maintain. But I can chug along, go to the gym, and not be completely mortified at the thought of wearing a swimsuit on the beach! Yes, I definitely have some post-baby-body issues, but I'm a happier, healthier, more confident me.

 

Investing in your health, your body, and your overall well being is ALWAYS worth it!"

  
THANKS SO MUCH, ROBYN!!  For more great insights, tips, recipes, and strategies, go to www.fitmepink.blogspot.com.

CRUNCHY LIME GUACAMOLE ON RICE CAKE - CRAVING REDUCER!!

So, I must say first - I am sorta swiping my sister's recipe to post this - but it is my NEW FAVORITE THING, HAS A TON OF VEGGIES, GREAT FOR YOUR WAISTLINE, and is SO great to elminate CRAVINGS!!!


1 Avacado - slightly soft to touch
1/4 cucumber, peeled and cubed
1/4 green and/or red pepper, cut into tiny pieces
1/4 cup green onions, sweet onions, or red onion, chopped finely
1/3 cup grape tomatoes cut into quarters
2 TBS cilantro, cut finely
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 TBS mayo - to meld together
1/3 cup LIME JUICE (THE MORE THE BETTER!!)
1 - 3 tsp sea salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder (opt)

Cut the avacado in half, and carve out how thinly you want to cut them with a knife against the hard peel.  I cut across, downward, and then diagonal.  Then take a spoon and lift the avacado out.  You are left with tiny pieces of guacamole already pre sliced for you. Add the LIME JUICE NEXT - and let the avacado absorb all the lime juice.  This part MAKES the recipe.  This is the Chilean component I LOVE (I lived there for 1 1/2 years). Then add everything else and stir it to combine and let the flavors meld.

You are left with the most flavorful and citrisy light guacamole with lots of crunch.  Instead of trying it on fried corn chips, put it on a RICE CAKE.

My personal favorite are (BIG SURPRISE!) Trader Joe's lightly salted Brown Rice cakes - $1.49 at the one by me.  We get like 8 bags every time we go.  I love that they are whole grain. My 2nd choice would be Quaker...by a long shot.  Other Health Food Stores will have similar ones, but usually more expensive.

GENEROUSLY spoon the guacamole on the rice cake and YUM!  Everything will be a little crumbly but SOOO good.  And after I eat it, I find the avacado has calmed my glucose metabolism and I am not craving sweet, and I am SERIOUSLY FULL TO THE BRIM after eating this.  I have it for dinner sometimes - its THAT good!

ENJOY!

Have you tried Spelt?

For health purposes and for WEIGHT LOSS purposes, it is great for your body to have some variety.  Do you always have Wheat Bread (preferably WHOLE wheat bread) on your sandwiches or toast?

Try something DIFFERENT.  Give your body variety that it needs.

The best approach is to have something one day, have something different the next TWO days, and then you can go back to having what you did on day 1.

This will help get you off plateaus for weight loss, and keep you from developing sensitivities to certain foods.

Which brings us to the subject of Spelt Bread.  YUM!  Have you tried this?

I find mine at Trader Joes for $2.99.  It it a different grain - a cousin to wheat - but different.
It has GREAT texture and taste.

So when I have a sweet tooth, I love to toast the spelt bread, put a THIN layer of mascarpone cheese, a TINY sprinkle of stevia, and then put some thawed out blueberries on the top of that.  Its a subtle sweetness of blueberry cheesecake, but so much healthier.

If you want to vary your breads with Oat Bread or Potato bread, or 7 Grain Bread or things like that - look on the FIRST ingredient on the back.  If it says "Enriched flour" or "wheat flour" or "whole wheat flour" then its really not giving you the variety.

Have you tried Spelt?  Or spelt bread?  How do you prefer to make yours?

Stevia vs. Purevia vs. Truvia

I am sure you have all seen the latest stevia knock - off sweeteners that are now flooding into stores.  Among them PureVia and Truvia.  The latter two launched by Pepsi and Coke respectively.

So whats the deal?  Are they just as good as Stevia?  Are they different in composition? Should I sweeten things with those or look into it further?

Well, I will tell you what I have found, and I know I am sticking to my TRADER JOES STEVIA EXTRACT.  There is not much money to be made by Stevia itself, as its a natural substance and can't be patented, etc.  That is fine by me - I don't want anything chemically altered or with additives added.  Whats the point - just buy the real stuff?  (Just don't get the PACKETS at Trader Joes - they have Maltodextrin - which is 150 on the Glycemic Index!  Get the STEVIA EXTRACT for $9.99)

"This  is worrying on many levels. Firstly, people seem to think that Truvia is made of Stevia + Erythritol, which is only true if you stretch the truth a bit! Because Stevia is an extract of half a dozen natural steviosides (glycosides), and Truvia is chemically pure Rebaudioside A, derived from genetically modified plants.

Not to mention the side effects of Erythritol, which is a "sugar alcohol" made by fermenting glucose with a yeast. I hope her alleged Truvia side effects are merely imaginary, because side effects that linger for four days are not good.." (from the article below)

Here is an collaboration article about the SIDE EFFECTS of Truvia

http://side-effects.owndoc.com/truvia-side-effects.html

I will post one of the worst submissions from this:

More side effects of Truvia..

I tried it for 3 months now. NO changes in my diet other than not using sugar and using truvia. Gained 15 pounds, loads of headaches and neck/shoulder pain. I called Truvia and they told me this was not a side effect, checked the internet and ooooo! I used stevia for years with no side effects, so there is something in this truvia that is no good! Gaining weight seems to be the opposite of what the point was!! Carol K

NO there are not any side effects for Stevia, but a TON of  benefits.  Here is another article with the shady behind the scenes of the Stevia knock-offs:

Stevia: Why the FDA isn’t So Sweet

by Vin Miller The makers of Pepsi and Coke recently received FDA approval for their new stevia based PureVia and Truvia sweeteners. While this may sound like good news, it only signifies the hipocrisy and corruption of the FDA.

Stevia is a genus of plant commonly found in South America. The extract of one particular species of this plant, rebaudiana, has been used as a natural sweetener in South America for over 1,000 years and in Japan since the 1970s. It has no calories, has no effect on blood sugar, and is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. For a long time, stevia has been highly regarded in natural health circles as an excellent and natural alternative to sugar.

The Ban

In 1991, based on controversial research, the FDA banned the use and import of stevia in America. Under pressure, the FDA later revised their policy in 1995 to allow the use of stevia, but only under the regulations of a dietary supplement.

However, as recently as 2007, the FDA has made claims that stevia is unsafe. Although it’s approved for use as a dietary supplement, it’s not approved for use as a food additive and the FDA has denied multiple requests for stevia to be used in food.

What About Aspartame?

Aspartame is the synthetic sweetener found in products like Nutrasweet and Equal and is the sweetener used in popular diet sodas such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. It’s considered by many to be the most dangerous food additive on the market and is associated with serious disorders including cancer and severe allergic reactions that can lead to seizure and death. As such, you shouldn’t take the dangers of aspartame lightly.

If the FDA is so concerned about safety, why have they had such issue with a natural plant based sweetener while overlooking the dangers of a toxic chemical? And despite the dangers of aspartame, it’s use is still alive and well. All you have to do to confirm this is look for Nutrasweet or Equal packets in a restaurant or read the list of ingredients on a can of Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi.

Money Talks

The two new stevia based sweeteners approved by the FDA, Truvia and PureVia, are associated with the makers of Coke and Pepsi respectively. Stevia itself is not patentable because it’s a natural substance, but when you apply a processing formula and add a few ingredients, it is. And having a patent brings the money making potential to justify the high cost of FDA approval. Of course this is just my opinion, but it certainly sounds like the FDA suddenly changed their mind about stevia once Coca-Cola and PepsiCo came knocking on their door with their checkbooks in hand.

If you don’t believe the FDA would do such a thing, you may want to read this article about what FDA scientists are admitting.

Who to Trust?

On the FDA’s website, right on their logo, it says “protecting and promoting your health” with the emphasis on “your” just as I typed it. But who’s health are they promoting, ours or the food industry’s?

If you can’t trust the FDA, then who can you trust? That’s a very important question for anyone hoping to achieve optimal health. Although it’s a question that requires finding your own answer, you shouldn’t trust an opinion based solely on the credentials of it’s source. It’s your responsibility to be well informed and able to think critically when assessing your needs because the only person truly accountable for your health is you!

Have you tried PureVia or Truevia?  What are your experiences?  

QUESTION: Once your close your diastasis...can it REOPEN????

Of course it can!  Have I had it happen to me?  Of course I have!

In fact, I became lacksidasical about  "GETTING UP AND DOWN CORRECTLY" and "LAYING DOWN CORRECTLY" the past months (ahem...holidays...still not much of an excuse for THAT...!)

Those may seem like VERY insignificant things, but let me tell you - they can be VERY influential for the good, or the bad - as can some of the other culprits - incorrect abdominals, and pregnancy.

To LAY DOWN CORRECTLY:  From a sitting position (and while keeping your transverse in) you walk your hands down to one side and let you hand slide down and let the head and body inch down as your stationary hand supports your body in this process.  You will then be lying on your side, with your head on your arm.  Then lay your head down on the ground first, and then let your body roll over onto your back.  If you DONT lay your head down on the ground before your body rolls over, you will get a BULGE OUT.

And that is how it happened...(getting up and down incorrectly) a few times at least. And SHAME on me, I measured my previously beautifully closed recti, and discovered I had a 1 on the top, 2 in the middle, and 1 fingerwidth gap on the bottom.  This was 2 1/2 days ago.

(On a side note - getting up and down correctly out of bed is a very common culprit for women who have small children who cry in the middle of the night. They bolt upright out of bed - jacknife - and it causes a very forceful forward movement and SPLITS the recti further.)

Well, I was very upset with myself for letting that happen.  And I was not keeping up to at LEAST 5 sets of seated Tuplers a day, so I am sure my transverse and recti muscles atrophied a little.

Well, Repentently I did some HEADLIFTS (another post for another day)  - which are essentially the CORRECT version of "crunches" but where you KEEP YOUR SHOULDERS ON THE GROUND at all times, slightly tilt your pelvis, and approximate your recti as you lift JUST your head, and  (OF COURSE) keep your transverse in.  I also put on my SPLINT the next day and wore it all day.  Today - 2 days later - TOTALLY CLOSED.


Is this the first time this has happened to me?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!
In my experience teaching and training, and observations with myself, I have noticed that once you gain the mind-body connection of bringing the recti together and closing the diastasis, its MUCH easier to bring it in during the occasional relaspe.   I think of it as TWEAKING!  I have to do it SEVERAL times on myself - Maybe once every 4 - 6 months or so...usually when I get lazy.

BUT HERE IS THE DIFFERENCE - (Instead of this initial 5 months it took me to close my diastasis measuring 3 on top, 3 in the middle, and 3 on the bottom) it only takes me a day or two now to get everything back together BECAUSE of the mind-body connection, and GREAT Transverse (innermost abdominal) strength (Referred to also as "CORE" )

So - its not an ALL or NOTHING thing.  Diastasis can be the DARNDEST things.  You just have to show them who is boss!  And don't GET DISCOURAGED!!  I have not met one yet that couldn't be tamed, trained, and fixed :)