PILATES

So tomorrow is the start of my pilates class at the church (Honeycutt building in Maricopa), and I am very excited! If you can come join us it should be great! I will be teaching a free class every Monday and Thursday at 7:45-8:45 am. If you cannot make it, I am going to give you my notes for two pilates workouts:

Pilates Mat 1:

1. 100
2. Assisted roll-up
3. Single leg circle
4. Rolling like a ball
5. Single leg stretch
6. Double leg stretch
7. Spine stretch
8. Swan
9. Bridge
10. Side leg kick (both sides)
11. Seal

Pilates Mat 2

1. 100
2. Roll up
3. Roll over
4. Rolling like a ball
5. Scissors
6. Leg lowers
7. Bicycle twist
8. Rocking
9. Cork Screw
10. Saw
11. Single leg kick
12. Double leg kick
13. Side leg kick (both legs)

If you need detailed instruction, you can do a google search for videos that will help. I like expertvillage.com or the originator of pilates, J.H. Pilates wrote a book called "A Pilates Primer: Return to Life Through Contrology."

Remember that there are 500+ variations of pilates, including various machines that have been developed since Joseph Pilates came out with this exercise. Knowing this will help you to recognize that there is not one way to preform Pilates, so it might be confusing at first, but you will find a routine that will work for you! Also, it is always good to try something new!

BURNING CALORIES

Spring is almost here, which is evident by the wonderful weather (at least here in Arizona). So, my challenge this week is to have fun outdoors while burning a few calories. Standard activities include morning or evening walk, pulling weeds, play tennis, basketball, baseball, etc. Here are some breakdowns of how many calories you can burn in these various activities in a 45 minute period, as reported by the America College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):

Basketball: 374
Bicycling: 468
Golf: 257 (carrying clubs)
Hiking: 281
Raquet Ball: 328
Tennis: 328
Walk: 187

* Based on a person weighing 130 lbs.

Write your activity in your exercise journal. Remember that what comes in (diet) must be used (exercise) or stored (fat). So, keeping track of how you exercise is just as important as keeping track of what you eat. If you would like to see more caloric-burning breakdowns based on activities, check out the following links:

http://http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calories_burned.htm
http://http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/tools.html

LOVE is in the air

Chocolate

I have never met anyone who doesn't like chocolate. However, dark chocolate is more healthy than milk chocolate. Also, making your own cakes can be a healthier option as well. I suggest using apple sauce in place for oil, and honey in place of sugar. Wheat flour is also an option instead of enriched white flour. Remember, healthy choices especially around holidays.

Loving YOUR body

Let's face it. We all come in different shapes and sizes. Give your body what it needs to be healthy, but don't focus on the scale. Focus on how you feel, and how your clothes feel on you. So, I suggest taking measurements with a seamstress measuring tape (if you have one). Jot down the measurements in your binder. When you measure, make sure the tape does not compress the skin at all, this could lead to a inch off the actual measurement. A firm fit, where the tape is flush with your skin and not draping is what you are looking for. Here is what you should measure:

Chest: Across nipple line, and between shoulder blades. Tip: you can keep your bra on and measure around the top of the band in back around to the front.

Waist: About an inch above the navel, this is the slender-most part of our torso.

Hips: This area is about 4" down from your hip bone, and includes the most pronounced region of your behind.

Thighs: Just under the curve of your derrier, behind, bottom, whatever you want to call the junk in the trunk :)

Arms: 4" up from the elbow, in the bicep region. Do not flex :) when taking measurement.

Take measurments once a week, and record in binder. You can be creative: make a spreadsheet that you can track your progress. Or a simple chart that you fill in each week.

Eating Healthy

CONFESSION

So, I have a confession. This week I went to BUNKO and did great controling what I ate for the first hour or so. I had a salad, and veggies with a few grapes. However, at every table there are two dishes of candy. I confess, that if it is in front of me, I will eat it. So, by the time I left BUNKO, I was determining how much exercise I would have to do to burn all those calories.

SOLUTION

I firmly believe that if you don't buy the junk food, sweets, desserts, etc. that you will be far more successful at eating healthy and achieving your overall health goals. So, this week I would like to focus on healthy meal planning, and some healthy recipes to help get you started. Tip: one of my favorite web-sites is allrecipes.com. They have a healthy eating section that you can utilize for recipes as well.

Felafel

1 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzos), drained

2 cloves minced garlic

1.2 tsp salt

pinch pepper

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp oil

Diced cucumber

Diced tomatoe

Diced purple or green onion

Pita Bread

Hummus

In a large bowl, mash chickpeas well; add next five ingredients and stir until mixture forms a thick ball and blends well. Form into 1" balls and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Combine vegetables in a bowl. Spoon into pita halves along with 3-4 balls; top with hummus. Enjoy!

Hummus

2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (garbanzos) with liquid

3 Tbsp sesame seeds

3-4 Tbsp lemmon juice

2 cloves garlic

3/4 tsp salt

dash cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients in a blender until very smooth, adding liquid or additional water if needed to blend freely. Makes 2 cups.

Pitas

1 cup lukewarm water

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp liquid lectin or 1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups hard wheat flour

2 Tbsp instant yeast

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Knead 4-5 minutes. Divide into 8 balls, and on a flowered surface roll eash into a 6" circle. Place on baking sheet and let rest 30 minutes in a warm place. Bake about 12 minutes at 350. Cut in half and open center. Makes 16 pockets.

EXERCISE

This week I am going to climb south mountain. To get there, take Ray Rd to Desert Ridge and turn right. You will come to a trail head on the right side of the road about 2 miles up in a residential community. There is a one mile hike to the lookout, and it is a moderate hike.

I am also doing pilates twice this week, along with water aerobics and dance. If you would like to join me, let me know!

Planning IS everything

To be successful, to see a goal attained, you must first have a plan. So, this week write down what it is your wish to attain in your health. Don't just think about it. Write it down. Commit yourself to it. Then, take steps to keeping you focused on the goal. For this first week, this entails putting together a "healthier me" binder and a weekly calendar.

THE BINDER
This will be your central resource where you will keep your weekly calendars, articles of interest, charts and graphs and other pieces of information to track your progress. Keep it where you will have constant access and a reminder to utilize it. I keep mine in my night stand, where I can access it nightly or when I wake up each day.

WEEKLY CALENDAR
Create a calendar with your typical day-to-day activities, appointments, etc. Then, in red, circle areas where you can take time for yourself. Maybe you can get up at 5:30 and go for a walk/jog. Maybe you can't :). After the spouse gets home, you might have time for a 30-min salsa dancing video. ooo-la-la. Once you identify these areas, commit to two areas in your schedule this week where you will exercise.

Also on the calendar, identify times that you will eat, in blue. Write on your calendar exactly what you will eat, and don't stray from it. Do not revert back to unhealthy snacking habits. I recommend small, healthy meals 5 times per day. This is about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If you would like the mid-morning and mid-afternoon times to be more of a snack that is fine as well. Studies do show that eating more at breakfast and lunch with a smaller dinner is better for your health.

That's it for this week! Let me know if you would like me to assist you in your quest. I am more than willing to be a mentor, and someone that you can be accountable to. Just leave a comment on this post, or email me at jeanettemasters@hotmail.com.

WELCOME

Thank you for joining this blog. Every Sunday, I will post a weekly tip for you to follow in your quest to better health. The process will include, changing your environment, changing your thought patterns, and changing habits. I hope you enjoy the ride!