Category Archives: Nutrition
Recharged & Ready for Reality!
Soaking Up the Sea & Sun in Montauk, NY
I don’t think I realized how badly I needed a vacation until it actually started.
Yes, I’m a pretty upbeat and positive human being, but we all have our moments. Between stress at work and in my personal life, I had more than my usual share of those moments over the past several months.
As I start this new work week fueled with more energy than I’ve had in what feels like forever, I believe a lot of that stress got lost at sea in Montauk.
I made a very important decision before escaping the concrete jungle I love to call my home. I left everything behind. My production job, this blog and even the new project I hope to make a serious dent in this fall. (Stay tuned.) Being a creature of habit, I did check my office email a couple of times while I was on the beach. In response to my responses, my boss kindly told me to get back to vacation. So I did. (Thanks, Larry!)
So what did I focus on while I was away? Taking care of myself. That included:
- Working out
- Trying a new Zumba class at the fitness center
- Taking long walks on the beach
- Catching up on back issues of People
- Indulging in a 90-minute massage
- Cutting back on the social media scene
Finally and perhaps most importantly, I also made a point of writing in my journal everyday. Like exercise, writing has always been a cathartic experience. I may be too afraid to say things out loud, but sharing those thoughts on the blank pages of my journal helps me see things more clearly, especially with a little help from an exercise-induced endorphin rush and some sea air.
It was during one of those moments that I wrote my first poem in at least 15 years. I realize I’ve never shared a poem here on my blog, so I hope you’ll indulge me in this shift from the ordinary. Before you dive in, let me say I realize taking week off from work or life may not be possible in your life right now, but make sure you find some time to focus on taking care of yourself amidst the madness we call life. Sometimes an extended workout or escape to the backyard to catch up on some reading is what the body and soul need to recharge so you can have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
“Wash Over Anew”
Staring out into the black night,
White foam stretches across the sand, only moments after the crash of a wave.
Another crash, another ripple of white foam,
All the while, the bright stars hidden in the city somehow shine down upon me from this night sky.
Each crash, each ripple of white foam, each sparkling star – a reminder –
Good times, bad times
They come and go,
Enter and retreat from this life,
Yet the rhythm of the ocean stays constant , just like the penetrating stare of the stars,
As does the fire burning within us –
The fire we cannot allow to die.
Use your inner strength to keep it aglow –
And just like the sea, the power to retreat and the power to wash over anew,
Lies within.
Friendly Friday
TGIF!
I end this work week with a heartfelt thank you to all of you who make the journey here at LauraLovesFitness so much fun. I still can’t believe it’s been a little more than a year since this blog was “born!” Remember, it’s your comments and questions that motivate me to keep going!
Today, I must give a special shout-out to JoAnn, the woman behind RoundtoRavishing. JoAnn nominated me for a One Lovely Blog Award along with The Very Inspiring Blogger award. Be sure to check out her inspiring site that describes her journey to living a healthy life!
I’m grateful to accept these awards and happy to fulfill the obligations that come with them. Here’s how it works:
1. Display award logo: Done.
2. Link who nominated me: Here’s another link to RoundtoRavishing
3. Seven things about myself:
1. I exercise to stay sane.
2. I also exercise because I love red wine, Prosecco, pasta and chocolate.
3. My first job in television was working as the morning live reporter at WLFI-TV in Lafayette, Indiana.
4. My most embarrassing moment at that job: being spit on by an angry mama llama at the zoo on live TV while introducing her new baby to our morning viewers.
5. I am an only child.
6. I am a bona fide beach bunny, but am far more careful about my sun exposure today than when I was in my teens and 20s.
7. I am a die-hard Yankees fan.
4. Nominate 15 other blogs: Toughest part of this process as there are many wonderful bloggers to choose from:
- IEatThereforeITrain
- Physical Funness for the Motion Starved
- TheExerciseSpace
- CrazedInTheKitchen
- OntheRoadtoAll50
- The Foodery
- RedFoxFitness
- TheListProducer
- Mamaquest
- FitnessInTheCity
- LivePassionatelyTonight
- OnlyHereOnlyNow
- TheCustomerServiceRevolution
- ModNutrition
- I’dRatherWalk
5. Notify my nominees: I will work on that now…and wish everyone a weekend filled with plenty of opportunities to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
LauraLovesFitness Turns One!
Yes, I ate the cupcake! (As part of my “Everything-in-Moderation” lifestyle)
Wow! I have NO idea where the year went, but here we are 365 days after my very first post at LauraLovesFitness.com. It’s been a wonderful ride so far and I’m excited to see where the blogging adventure leads to in the days ahead.
Since July 11th, 2011, I’ve published 149 posts on topics ranging from key concepts in core training to the power of positive thinking and the importance of taking care of our mental health while focusing on our physical fitness. There have been express workout routines, music lists, interviews with icons in fitness and show biz, lo-cal cocktail recipes and reassurances for why it’s okay to take a day off from the gym AND indulge in a cupcake once in awhile.
Whether I was sharing my reasons for loving everything from small group training to Tabatas or offering a personal account of why you shouldn’t ignore warning signs like pain and severe fatigue, I wrote each and every post with the same purpose: to motivate people to take better care of themselves. Not everyone likes to exercise. Not everyone wants to choose celery sticks over cheesecake. Yet, if I’ve inspired just one person to go out and find some sort of physical activity that makes him or her feel good or pack frozen grapes instead of chocolate covered ones for that trip to the beach, that’s all I need to truly celebrate my blog’s first birthday!
Here are a few links to some of my personal favorites from the past year. (If you have others that you particularly enjoyed, please let me know!)
- An interview with fitness guru Chris Freytag about the importance of sleep
- Why I love the foam roller
- Why I can’t believe it took me until this year to discover Zumba!
- Motivation for your Workout Wednesday – or any day of the week
- My instant connection with a sledgehammer
Of course, I can’t let this special occasion go by without saying thank you for the support from my family, friends and all my readers. Whether you signed up for a subscription on day one or stop by occasionally to leave a “like,” post a comment or question, I appreciate anyone who takes some time out of a busy day to check in. Moving forward, I’d love to know which topics you’d like to read more about as well as the ones you’d prefer to see less frequently.
I’m also using this as an opportunity to invite fellow bloggers to appear as guests on this site. (If you’re interested, here’s a link to my contact information.) Sharing knowledge in different areas of expertise in the world of fitness, nutrition and overall health and well-being can only help more people on their journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Friday Flashback
Extending the holiday into chill time at one of my favorite places on Earth – Jones Beach
As I decided to turn the holiday falling in the middle of the week extended time off from the daily grind, I’m keeping vacation mode going on the blog front, too!
I’ll be back in full force next week, but for now, I wanted to leave you with some links to a few past posts that I hope you’ll find helpful if you’re taking your 4th of July fun right through the weekend. Here are some timely reminders on how a little moderation can go a long way when it comes to keeping on track with your health and fitness goals.
Laura’s Lo-Cal Cocktail Options
Happy Friday, happy weekend and happy trails as you head out to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Smart Summer Sizzle
Happy Birthday, USA!
Nothing screams summer holiday celebration quite like a BBQ. Whether you’re firing up your own grill or the guest at a backyard, beach or poolside party, the good news is there are ways to enjoy the food and fun and not hate yourself tomorrow.
Here’s my list of simple tips to help you sail through this year’s 4th of July bash, and any other party that pops up this summer:
- Get Moving! A 7:30 am holiday workout has become part of my prep for one of my best friend’s annual 4th of July pool party. Riding the endorphin rush all the way to the party keeps me from negating my hard work by heading straight for the heavy foods. If I do go a little overboard (and I admit, I usually do), it helps knowing I burned some serious pre-splurge calories. However, if you’re the type who’ll use a pre-party workout as a license to go hog wild, adding some time to tomorrow’s workout may be a safer bet.
- Do NOT arrive hungry! This rule applies to any party at any time of the year, along with happy hour or a late dinner out. Eat as you normally would before heading to the party. Make an effort to have several servings of fruits and veggies in case there aren’t many to choose from among the burgers,hot dogs and mayo-rich salads. If you find your stomach is rumbling as you’re headed out the door, grab a piece of fruit or serving of almonds for the trip.
- Bring Some Healthy Grub! Be the health-conscious guest who shows up carrying veggie crudite with hummus or a fruit salad with non-fat Greek yogurt as a dip. If you’re great in the kitchen (unlike me!) you can even do something creative like scoop out the inside of a watermelon and then use the shell as a bowl for the fruit salad. For a dessert, why not bring a tray of individual servings of red and blue jello as non-alcoholic shots? Speaking of booze, don’t be shy about bringing lo-cal margarita mix or bottles of seltzer and diet sodas, including tonic water, to mix with vodka, gin or rum.
- Follow the Every-Other-Drink Rule! This is one of my favorite tricks for any social event. Have a beer, glass of wine or cocktail and then for your second beverage, switch to water or another non-alcoholic non-sugary option. Then if you go on to beverage number three, you can go back to your libation of choice and continue from there. Having a plastic cup filled with something in your hand also helps shrug off the peer pressure when friends say, “oh come on, have another one!”
At the end of the day, if you end up having that second hot dog or realize you’re the one who ate half the plate of seven-layer dip, don’t sweat it. Sometimes you have to be a little bad to get back to being good.
So for today, have fun celebrating our nation’s independence and whatever you do, please remember to designate a driver. That’s the best way to ensure you and yours will get home safely and face tomorrow with a renewed spirit to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Summertime, Baseball & Bad Food Choices
One of my favorite “treats” of the season!
Last Friday, my friend Rob and I were chatting about our weekend plans during an edit session. That’s when he asked a question that left me stumped: what could he eat that night at CitiField while watching the Mets take on the Reds that wouldn’t leave him feeling totally sluggish for the 10 mile run he had planned for the next day?
Listen, when I get to cheer on my beloved Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium, I know it’s going to be hard to eat anything super healthy during the game. Know what? That’s okay! Part of my stadium experience is indulging in some of the higher-calorie items that you’ll probably never find in my kitchen like hot dogs, steak sandwiches, beer and brownie sundaes.
Rob and I ended up in a “deep” discussion to weigh his options. (Don’t worry, we still met our deadline!) I’ve never been to CitiField, but I was pretty sure he’d be hard pressed to find fresh grilled chicken or fish or a veggie-loaded salad. So, my simple suggestion was to watch his portions.
Instead of having two hot dogs or one hot dog and a sausage with peppers, I recommended he choose one or the other and have a bag of pretzels on the side rather than French fries or nachos. As for the libations, I told him to stick with light beer and drink a bottle of water in between each beer to cut down on the total number of suds consumed during the game.
Making small changes like cutting back portion sizes (if you really want those fries, share them with a friend!) and eating sensibly throughout the day before you head to a venue with less-than-optimal food choices are a couple of ways to enjoy yourself without going overboard. Also, the every-other-drink rule is one I follow whether I’m at a ballpark or a BBQ. It’s a great way to keep your alcohol consumption -and all the sugar and calories that go with it – in check. Since one of my mantras is “everything in moderation,” I find no reason to skimp on summertime fun!
In the end, Rob ate a small cheeseburger, drank only a couple of beers and loaded up on the water. On Saturday, he woke up and conquered his 10 mile run. Success!
This scenario illustrates what I consider to be the wonderful domino effect that fitness can have on your life. You get into a regular workout routine, look forward to your run, swim, kickboxing or Zumba classes and enjoy the endorphin rush you get from breaking a sweat. Before you know it, the last thing you’ll want to do is negate all your hard work by putting bad fuel into your body.
In a world filled with unhealthy relationships, diet and exercise are two things that happen to work in perfect harmony to keep you on the path to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Laura Loves Lean Protein!
With Mark Bucher, Founder & Executive Chef of The Burger Joint
I thought we’d kick off the new work week by talking turkey: literally!
Thanks to another fun collision between my two professional worlds, I learned how to add some lean and lower-calorie options to this summer’s grilling season. While I’m not a licensed nutritionist or registered dietitian, I still get lots of questions on how to cut calories and make better food choices. So, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to share a tip or two for the summer ahead!
At the end of last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Bucher, founder and executive chef of The Burger Joint, to film a segment for the upcoming July edition of “Health & Home Report.” (Hosting the show is part of my production job at West Glen Communications, Inc.) Our interview was one of many TV, radio and blog spots Mark participated in as part of a satellite media tour for the National Turkey Federation.
Here’s what happened when Mark, the burger guru, showed this non-culinary-expert (anyone who knows me will tell you I am NOT a cook!) how to use ground turkey to create the “Ultimate Turkey Burger.”
As Mark mentioned, you can get more ideas at eatturkey.com
Here’s to a great grilling season filled with light and lean meals that compliment your active lifestyle and all your efforts to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Get Some Sleep!
With Chris Freytag, Chairman of the Board, American Council on Exercise (ACE)
I know it’s Workout Wednesday, but I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss something too many of us are slacking on when it comes to trying to follow a healthy lifestyle: catching those much-needed zzzzzz’s.
If you woke up today after a less-than-restful night, you’re not alone. Here are a couple of eye-opening facts from the Better Sleep Council:
- 73% of Americans are only getting seven hours of sleep or less per night during the work week
- 70 million Americans are affected by sleep problems
Today, my two professional worlds collided and I was able to learn about the effects of not getting enough shut-eye from one of the country’s most respected health and fitness experts. I was thrilled to work with Chris Freytag as the producer on her satellite media tour where she discussed the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. She also revealed some interesting results from research conducted by Beautyrest to find out just how much sleep we’re missing out on across the country. Check out the video below to see my one-on-one interview with Chris.
(The interview will also be featured in the upcoming July edition of “Health & Home Report” – another element in my production life for West Glen Communications, Inc.)
Surprisingly in the Beautyrest survey, New York didn’t live up to its name as the “city that never sleeps.” It came in at number 22 on the “Top 30 US Cities Most In Need of Recharging” hit list. (Not so surprising? Las Vegas came in at number one.) Click here to find if you live in one of the country’s sleepiest cities!
Remember, if you’re striving to enjoy a healthier lifestyle, make sure to add getting more zzzz’s to your overall plan to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Sweet Summer Snacks
As we inch even closer to the official start of the easy, breezy days of summer, I wanted to end the work week on a light note.
So, I thought I’d offer a list of some of my favorite seasonal healthy snack options:
- Carrots: I always have a package of baby carrots in my fridge. On Sunday’s, you’ll find me making grab-and-go serving sizes of carrots for each day of the work week. I usually add a serving of either cherry tomatoes, red, orange or yellow pepper strips and/or celery. Munching on carrots gives you that “crunch” sensation similar to eating pretzels or chips, but with benefits like beta carotene and other nutrients, they pack a much healthier punch!
- Watermelon: This is probably my favorite summertime treat! Low in calories, but loaded with sweet flavor, it’s a great way to keep my sweet tooth cravings in check. (Pineapple comes in as a close second.)
- Frozen grapes: There are three calories in a grape, so a bunch of frozen ones is a low-cal and healthy alternative to heavier desserts. Freezing them just adds some coolness on even the hottest days of the season!
- Frozen blueberries. Mix them into a plain non-fat plain Greek yogurt for a protein-packed low-guilt serving of “frozen yogurt.”
- Iced green tea: Next to cardio, iced green tea may be my biggest summertime addiction. Aside from giving me a needed energy boost in the afternoon, iced green tea also offers Vitamin C, antioxidants and bioflavonoids. Some studies suggest bioflavonoids help keep the arteries healthy and even prevent the development of cataracts.
- Finally, for all you picnic lovers, check out this link for some great portable recipes that don’t pack tons of guilt!
Would love to know what YOU love to snack on in the summertime!
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead filled with all your seasonal fitness and healthy food faves and plenty of opportunities to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Friday’s Food For Thought: The Liquid Edition
Welcome to June!
We’ve had some warm and sticky weather here in New York City since the Memorial Day weekend, so I thought it was the perfect time to remind everyone about the importance of staying hydrated.
I often talk about the fact that the human body is an amazing machine, but it’s important to remember that machine is made up of two-thirds water. Like anything else, if you want the body to keep running properly, you need to give it what it needs.
Here are some of the benefits of staying hydrated:
- Regulation of body temperature
- Alleviating fluid retention
- Distribution of nutrients and oxygen to cells and organs
- Improvement of metabolic function
- Decreasing appetite
I’m still waiting to feel the effects of that last bullet point. I do my best to drink the recommended 5-7 glasses of water each day, but I don’t know how much effect it’s had on my overall appetite. (I love to eat!) However, I admit if I’m hungry and nowhere near a healthy snack, drinking a glass of water can stave off my hunger just long enough to avoid eating something I’ll regret later. (Chewing gum works in a pinch, too.)
Now let’s look at some of the physiologic effects of what happens when you don’t consume enough water and become dehydrated:
- Decreased blood volume
- Increased heart rate
- Increased core temperature
- Sodium retention
- Decreased sweat rate
Think of it this way: the body can go for a long period of time without food, but can only survive for a few days without water.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) offers the following guidelines for drinking water when exercising:
- Drink 16 oz of water two hours before exercise. In warmer weather, you can add an additional 8 – 16 oz.
- During exercise, drink 20 to 40 oz for every hour of exercise.
- If you exercise for more than 60 minutes, you can re-hydrate with a sports drink containing up to 8% carbohydrate to replace both fluid and dwindling muscle glycogen stores.
- When exercising for 60 minutes or less, water is best. (My personal choice).
Here’s how I rationalize that last point: If I’m pressed for time and can only squeeze in a 30-minute elliptical session, I’ll burn up to 340 calories. During that time, if I guzzle a sports drink like Gatorade or Vitamin Water, I’ll consume 125 calories. So I walk away from a shorter than normal workout, and I’ve only burned 215 calories. That is not the post-cardio high I was looking for!
I realize some people simply can’t stand the blandness of water and need a little flavor. Luckily, there are lots of zero-calorie flavored water options available. Remember, having a flavored drink with zero calories (or 5 calories if you add one of those flavor-crystal packets to your water bottle) is better than NOT drinking anything at all.
In the end, raising a water bottle to your health is an easy way to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
lauralovesfitness 