5 Things Parents Can Do to Foster Healthy Body Image in Children

 

1.   Focus on positive body image.  Girls are developing eating disorders as young as 5 and 6 years of age.  They learn from your example.  Enlist a “no-diet talk” rule in your household.  This includes things like talking about how fat you feel and changing your clothes to many times when getting ready for a night out.  Keep all negative self-talk to yourself and teach your child to love and care for the body they have been given.

 

2.   Keep an open line of communication with your child.  They will undoubtedly have times of poor body image and low self-esteem.  Remind them they can always talk to you and that what they see on TV and even at school may not be a realistic portrayal of body image.  Focus your praise on her thoughts and accomplishments and not body image.

 

3.  Encourage your child to be active.  If they have an interest in a sport help them get involved.  Research shows kids in sports have improved self-confidence and self-esteem.  If sports are not their thing introduce them to other athletic activities such as kick-boxing, strength training, etc.

 

4.   Lead by example.   If you want your child to be active you need to be active yourself.  Start early by implementing family activities such as a weekend bike ride or nature hike.  Play games like tag or just dance and move together.  The key is to teach them that exercise can be fun.  If they complain about being active remind them that exercise gives you more energy, stamina and makes you strong.  It is not something you do because you have to but because it feels  good to move everyday!

 

5.   Teach your child the importance of good nutrition by preparing healthy meals and including them in food preparation.  Be sure not to label foods as “bad” or “good”.  Whatever you do please do not tell them that certain foods will make them “fat”.    Use words such as healthy and unhealthy and explain why when appropriate.  Example: carrots have lots of vitamins and minerals that help us see better or cookies have a lot of sugar and too much sugar makes our organs work harder then they need too.  Remember everything is okay in moderation.

 

Remember, if you act as a positive role model for your child it is likely that they will develop into happy healthy adults.   So, take time for your personal health and well-being!!!  Eat well and exercise.

Lunch can be a bit tricky and often times we choose quick, high-fat, unhealthy fast food because we are in a rush.  Or, just as bad, we skip lunch all together and then totally pig out at dinnertime. It doesn't have to be this way.  With a few staples and a little planning you should have no troubles coming up with a quick and easy lunch plan.  Here are some of my favorites.  

1.  Salmon, Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Avacodo on an 100% Whole Grain English Muffin.  Add some carrots, cucumbers, or sliced red pepper on the side. 

2.  Natural Nut or Sun Butter and Whole Wheat Bread or Rice Cake.   Add some bannana slices if you wish.  Throw in some raw veggies on the side and your done. 

3.  Eggs.  Yes you can eat eggs for lunch.  Saute some spinach, onion, and garlic and throw in some eggs.  Lunch is served.   

4.  Use your left over rice or quinoa and toss in a can of black beans, a can of  diced tomotoes, some cilantro, and some frozen corn.  Delicious and will keep for a few days. 

5.  Mediteran more your style.  Take your leftover  quinoa here and add some sauteed spinach, grape tomatos,  a little olive oil, some feta cheese and some fresh basil.  YUMMY. 

6.  Cottage Cheese, raw veggie slices w/hummus, and an apple. 

Experiment.  Think what can I do with my leftovers like, rice, quinoa, veggies?  If I have veggies in my fridge that are getting a little old I often cook up some pasta, quinoa, or rice use a little olive oil and a little bit of cheese and toss in as many veggies as I can and TA-DA lunch or dinner is served.  The trick is making sure you always have some fresh veggies on hand and a few staples like, olive oil, brown rice, quinoa, black beans and diced tomatoes. 

So summer is almost here and I don't know about you but I HATE covering my arms when it is hot out.  I can't stand that sweaty pit feeling and the sweat circles that show up on your shirt.  I would much rather wear a tank top and layer with a sweatshirt or light sweater if I am cold.    Maybe this is just one of those weird pet-peeves of mine but regardless, I am sure you too, want nice looking arms. 

So, here are my favorite arm defining moves and you can do these outside without equipment. 

1.  Tricep Pushup-Instead of having your arms wide lower as in the traditional pushup keep your elbows in close as you lower towards the ground.  At the bottom of the move your chest should fit nicely between your hands and your elbows will be in nice and tight to your sides. 

2.  Pull-up or Body Weight Row-Ok for this one you need a bar or something you can pull yourself up on if a pull-up is to hard.  Try the body weight row.  You just need something stationary that you can get underneath and with an underhand grip pull your chest to the bar.  The lower to the ground the harder the exercise will be.   

3.  Plank-Ok this exercise will make just about any list but there are so many ways to modify it and it works your shoulders and your core.  Try a side plank, lifting one arm out in front, up/down from elbow to forearms, walking etc..  Key is to keep your hips from rocking by engaging your core and oh yeah, no rounded spines or turtle necks. 

BONUS, these exercises work not only the arms and shoulders but the core, back, and chest as well.  Do 2-3 sets of each exercise for 10-15 reps 2 to 3 times each week and you will have some smoking hot arms! 

Swimsuit season is almost upon us.  Here are some things you can do to shape, tone, and trim your waistline in time for bikini season. 

1.  Ditch the sugar.   It causes your blood sugar to spike and not only leaves you feeling tired and "blah" it makes you want more.  It is a vicous cycle.  The excess glucose floating around the body leads to a build up of acetyl-COA, which is used in the body to form new fat.    Especially around the middle.  THIS IS NO GOOD FOR BIKINIS..  If you need ideas on how and where to cut sugar let me know. 

2.  Increase your fiber intake.  You should aim to eat between 25-35 grams of fiber each day.  This will help with bloating and constipation.  A great place to get fiber is from fruits and vegetables.  Examples:  a medium apple has 4 grams, a cup of raspberries has 8 grams and, a cup of cooked peas has 8 grams.  A typical slice of whole wheat bread only has 2 grams of fiber per slice. 

3.  Make sure you drinking an adequate amount of water.  Water is necessary to allow nutrients into your blood stream but also to excrete waste.   This is especially important if you are doing step #2 and eating a high fiber diet.  Things to remember: fruits and vegetables have a lot of water in them and things like coffee and pop are dehydrating.  If you work in extreme heat or exercise excessively you need to ingest even more water then the standard 1/2 your body weight in ounces guideline. 

4.  Include multi-joint strength training exercises 2 to 3 times per week. These type of exercises will not only  shape and tone your muscles it will also burn calories.  Calories during the workout and depending on intensity your metabolism will be raised slightly for up to 48 hours after you finish exercising.    Examples of this include squats with a dumbbell curl and press, lunges with a row and pushups.  Try a circuit of these three exercises 2 to three times for 15 repetitions. 

5.  SLEEP.  If you are tired your body will crave sugar, you will be to tired to exercise and you will make bad choices.  GET YOUR REST.  You should try for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each and every night. 

6.  Get your stress level in check.  Too much stress rather good or bad leads to a build up of cortisol in the body which in turn makes it want to hang onto fat (just in case it needs it).   So,  if your stress levels are too high doing all of the above things might not be giving you the results you long for.   If you need some tips on how to better manage stress I might be able to help or refer you to someone that can. 

Ok, so with all that said.  Eat well, drink lots of water, exercise, and go enjoy the weather just be sure to get to bed early!

A new trend in the fitness arena is obstacle course races.  I new challenge for those loving outdoor endeavors such as triathlons and marathons, and even 5K and 10K events.  But, you might be wondering what does this entail and is it for me.  I experienced my first of these events last year and loved it but here is what you need to know. 

1.  You most likely will be running/walking on uneven and very hilly terrian.   Most of these events in the midwest  
     are held at ski slopes!  So, you must train hills and/or be prepared to do some walking. 

2.  You will get dirty.  Most events have you running through and/or crawling through mud at some point
     throughout the course.  So, whatever you wear for this event will probably be ruined. 

3.  You will be climbing, pulling, and jumping on and over things.  So, you should be able to push/push pull your own
     bodyweight.  I strongly recommend doing pushups and bodyweight rowing during your training. 

4.  You will probably get to jump over fire and this is pretty cool. 

So, if you like variety and challenge and are not afraid to get dirty, try new things, and test your limits then this is for you.  You do not need to be an elite athlete or insanely strong but you need to be willing to have fun and do things that you otherwise, would never do.  Here are some links to events being held in the Twin Cities this summer.  If you need training advice please let me know.  Otherwise, have fun getting dirty!

http://www.herorush.com/events/minnesota/
http://www.theoriginalmudrun.com/
http://www.ruggedmaniac.com/events-details/items/rugged-maniac-5k-minneapolis-2011.html
http://www.warriordash.com/register2012_minnesota.php

Spring is upon us and many of you will take it outside for some spring running.  So, often people wind up with injuries because they do nothing but run.  You must remember to stretch after you are done and here are some basic strength exercises that if done 2-3 times a week will improve your endurance and help prevent injuries. 

Running Guidelines

1. Run upright or with a very slight lean forward.

1. Focus on landing with mid-foot.

1. Run with relaxed arms and shoulders.  Arms should not cross body and should be bent at 90 degree angle from elbow with hands moving near hips.

1. Do not let ankle pronate (roll in)or knees knock. 

Key Stretches

1. Hip Flexor

1. Quadriceps

1. Hamstrings

1. IT Band

1. Glutes

1. Calves

Great Strength Exercise to Help with Running Endurance

1.  Plank, Walking Plank, Side Planks

1. Walking Lunge

1. Squat

1. Pushups

1. Standing Abs-Elbow to Knee

1. Twist with Band

It makes about 24 meatballs so I freeze half.  These can be left in the refrigerator for two days before cooking.  They also reheat nicely.  I serve them with whole wheat spaghetti and a marinara sauce. 

1 lb groud turkey
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup fresh parsley
4 tbsp of goat cheese
2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper. 

Mix everything together.  Coat your hands with olive oil and form into balls (about 2 tbsp each).  Cook meatballs at 400 degrees until lightly browned about 10 minutes. 

You can also add sage or italian seasoning as desired to add flavor.  I often use italian seasoned ground turkey or you can substitute the turkey for lean ground beef or do 1/2 beef and 1/2 turkey. 

I don't know about you but sometimes an apple and string cheese just doesn't cut it in the snack department.  I like myself a little bit of dessert every now and then (okay daily) and so do my kids.  So, I am constantly trying to find recipes for classic favorites like chocolate chip cookies that are just a little less "bad for us" but taste just as good.  Here is what I found.   I am reposting this recipe from www.EatingWell.com/recipes/bevs_chocolate_chip_cookies.html. 

I compared this recipe to the traditional recipe found on the back of the chocolate chip bag and although this recipe makes only 1/2 the cookies as the traditional recipe there are some serious improvements.  Here is what I discovered in my comparison.  Assuming you doubled this recipe you would use 2/3 less butter,  almost 25% less sugar, 1/4 cup less flour.  You are also using whole wheat flour instead of white flour and adding a small amount of fiber with the addition of the oatmeal.  I also use unsweetened apple sauce in place of the oil. 

Enjoy these in moderation!!

Bev's Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil  -   I substitute unsweetened applesauce for the oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 2 baking sheets w/cooking spray (or use stoneware and no cooking spray).
2. Grind oats in food processor or blender.  Transfer to medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.
Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy.  Add oil, sugars, egg, and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy.  With the mixer running, add dry ingredients, mixing on low until just combined.  Stir in the chips.
3.  Drop the dough in heaping teaspoonfuls at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake 1 sheet at a time for approximately 15 minutes, until firm around the edges and golden on top.  Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. 

Nutrition: 

Per cookie:  99 calories; 5 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 11 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 64 mg of sodium; 55 mg of potassium.

Exchanges: 1/3 starch; 1/3 other carb; 1 fat

The October Health Challenge started yesterday.  Now is your chance to look and feel better while earning discounts on personal training!  Take a peek. 

Contact me with your questions or to tell me how great you are doing with this. 

Amy
612-968-0564
amy@abettermefitness.com

A Better Me Fitness Health Challenge

This is your opportunity to improve your health by adding or eliminating things and/or habits that are either negatively impacting your health or might positively impact it.  By doing so you will feel better and you can earn credits towards your next personal training package.  This is intended to be fun, motivating, and rewarding. 

 

Here is how the challenge works.

 

1.  You must complete each challenge for 7 consecutive days.  The dates are as follows: 

Monday 10/4 – Sunday 10/10

Monday 10/11 – Sunday 10/17

Monday 10/18 – Sunday 10/24

Monday  10/25 – Sunday 10/31

 

1. You will earn $5 credit for each challenge you complete but must complete a minimum of 4 challenges during the 4 week time frame.  You can complete the same challenge for four consecutive weeks or various challenges for a minimum of one week to reach your four challenge total. 

 

1. Minimum credit will be $20 and maximum credit value will be capped at $100 regardless of how many challenges you complete.   All credit will be applied to your next personal training package and has no cash value.

 

The Challenges are as follows:   (Each challenge is based on the 7 day increments above).

1.  Eliminate added sugar from your diet.   Naturally occurring sugar found in fruit does not count but any other sugar added does.   You will need to read labels!!
2. Complete a minimum of 3 cardio workouts.
3. Complete 2 strength workouts.
4. Limit TV and computer time to no more than 5 hours for the entire week.
5. No pop or caffeine.
6. No processed food, including fast food, boxed and pre-packaged food.
7. Eat a minimum of three servings of vegetables each day.
8. Get 8 hours of sleep each night.
9. Try one new recipe or vegetable.
10. No alcohol.
11. 30 minutes of relaxation or “you” time each day.   This can include meditation, yoga, recreational reading.  Basically anything you do for yourself to reduce or relieve stress.
12. Eliminate white stuff…no white flour, bread, or pasta.
13. Eat breakfast each day.
14. Include a lean protein, healthy carb, and healthy fat at each meal.
15. Keep a food, exercise, and water journal.

I am always surprised when a potential client comes to me and doesn't ask anything about my background, trainer style, or experience.  Unfortunately, there are many trainers today that are not educated or truly qualified to be considered "experts" in the industry.  Many took a weekend certification and/or do not even have a current certification.  So, I have taken the time to put together a list of some things to look for and ask a potential trainer.  Rather that person is me or someone else you want a trainer with experience and a personality that will motivate and encourage you. 

IDEA Fitness has created a new website that is trying to regulate the industry and make it easier for you to get most of these questions answered even before you meet with a potential trainer.  The site is called Fitness Connect and trainers can include bios, education, and certifications and these certifications can be verified by the site so you know that what they say is true.  This site will help maintain authenicity in the industry.  Check for yourself at www.fitnessconnect.com. 

1.  Do they have a current certification and if so with whom?  There are alot of companies out there offering certifications but a quality certification will be accredited by a third party association called NCCA (National Commission of Certifying Agencies.)  A few of the most well known, and most well respected certifiying bodies are ACE (American Council on Exercise),  NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine).  All of which are NCCA accredited.  If you are confused ask about their certification.  How long did it take to obtain, what is the renewal process, how long have they had it etc?

2.  Do they have a degree in exercise science, physical education, kinesiology or other movement related program?  Although, this is not a MUST for all trainers it does show that they are committed to fitness and have a higher level of education then some?

3.  What is the trainers experience?  Have they worked in fitness facilities, taught group exercise, ran weight loss programs, were they an athlete?

4.  What are the trainer's specialties?  Do they work with mostly athletes, women, pre/post natal, children, elderly, etc?  A good trainer will be able to tell you who their typical client is and rather or not they are a good fit for you. 

5.  Can they offer references, testimonials, success stories? 

6.  Are they reasonably and competitively priced?  Although, beware if the trainer's prices are much lower then others in the area. 

7.  How will the trainer motivate and hold you accountable?  Do you want a drill sergeant type of trainer or someone more gentle?   Remember you will be spending alot of time with this person and sharing some of your biggest fears and goals so you need to feel comfortable with this person. 

8.  Lastly, are they conveniently located and will there schedule work with yours?

I am sure that I have forgotten something here but the main thing is to take the time to research your choice and feel comfortable with the trainer that you choose.  This is a big decision and committment. 

Good luck.

Amy