March 2014
Spring into Action
Inside this Issue:
Spring into Action
1
Top 10 Reasons to
Drop 10 Pounds
2
Shop Smart:
Get Facts on Foods
2
Monthly Recipe
3
Move of the Month
3
Putting the Spring
into Your Step
4
Spring is here with longer days and rising temperatures. In addition to all the
wonderful fruits and vegetables spring provides, warmer weather gives us the
chance to get out of the house and enjoy the benefits of physical activity.
With a balanced eating plan, exercise is important both for losing weight and
maintaining your overall health. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans recommend adults engage in a minimum of 2 ½ hours each week
of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity
activity a week.
With planning, you can easily fit 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity into your
routine most days of the week.
Examples of moderate-intensity
aerobic activities
Walking (3 mph)
Water aerobics
Bicycling (less than 10 mph)
Tennis (doubles)
Ballroom dancing
Examples of vigorous-intensity
activities
Race-walking, jogging, running
Swimming laps
Bicycling (faster than 10 mph)
Tennis (singles)
Aerobic dancing
To increase your levels of aerobic activity, first decide which activities you
enjoy and look at your daily schedule to see where you can fit in these
activities. If you're starting from little or no daily physical activity, begin with
five to 10 minutes per day. Increase your duration every week by 10-minute
increments until you’re up to 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week. For
maximum cardiovascular health, try to engage in all your aerobic activity at
one time. But if your schedule doesn't permit it, you can break up the
physical activity throughout the day.
Top Ten Reasons to Drop Ten Pounds
If you are overweight or obese, there are some powerful reasons to drop 10 percent of your body weight this
year. Losing this amount of weight can significantly improve your health and well-being. It may not sound like a
lot. In fact, most people trying to lose weight set much loftier goals for themselves, but unrealistic goals can
often end in disaster.
1. More energy
6. A better night’s sleep for those with obstructive sleep apnea
2. A healthier gallbladder
7. Enhanced sex life
3. Decreased risk for colon and breast cancer
8. Decreased risk for diabetes
4. Better breathing
9. Improved heart health and lower cholesterol levels
5. Less pain associated with arthritis, joint disease,
and lower back pain.
10. Better blood pressure
Nutrition Tip:
Smart Shopper Get the Facts on Foods
Become a smart shopper by reading food labels to find out more about the foods you eat.
The Nutrition Facts panel found on most food labels will help you:
• Find out which foods are good sources of fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin C.
• Compare similar foods to find out which one is lower in fat and calories.
• Search for low-sodium foods.
• Look for foods that are low in saturated fat and trans fats.
FDA has strict guidelines on how certain food label terms can be used. Some of the most common claims seen
on food packages:
• Low calorie=
=Less than 40 calories per serving.
• Low cholesterol =Less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 gm or less of saturated fat per serving.
• Reduced =25% less of the specified nutrient or calories than the usual product.
• Good source of =Provides at least 10% of the DV of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving.
• Calorie free =Less than 5 calories per serving.
• Fat free / sugar free =Less than 1⁄2 gram of fat or sugar per serving.
• Low sodium =Less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.
• High in =Provides 20% or more of the Daily Value of a specified nutrient per serving.
• High fiber =five or more grams of fiber per serving.
Monthly Recipe: Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale
A simple recipe, easy to follow, that is full of flavor!
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered (about 14 mushrooms)
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and slice into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan1/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped cashews,
toasted
1. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the
onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, green beans,
salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking until the
green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the
kale and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the
lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 138 calories, 8g total fat, 4g dietary fiber, 5g protein, 15g
carbohydrate, 830mg sodium
Move of the Month: Challenge your Shoulders and Quads
Mountain Climber
This exercise challenges your shoulders and quads, and elevates your heart rate.
Targets: Shoulders, butt, hips, and quads!
Place hands on floor, slightly wider than shoulder width.
On forefeet, position one leg forward bent under body and extend one leg back.
While holding upper body in place, alternate leg positions while pushing hips up
while immediately extending forward leg back and pulling rear leg forward under
body, landing on both forefeet simultaneously.
Go! The Rundown on Putting the Spring Back in Your Step
After a long winter slumber, these five simple steps will get you on your feet again the safe and healthy way.
Go Eat
Fuel up with whole-wheat breads, pastas and brown rice two hours before your workout. "Whole grains … are
going to give you a longer lasting energy to get through your runs," says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Spokesperson Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD, LMT. "Even half a whole-grain bagel a half hour
before you run could help with that." Foods to avoid include anything high in sugar like jams and jellies, cookies,
cakes, pies and doughnuts, says Jamieson-Petonic. "They tend to give you a quick burst of energy, but then
your blood sugar bottoms out," she says. Healthy substitutes include energy and granola bars, low-fat or fatfree yogurt and fruit smoothies, peanut butter on a bagel thin, and chocolate milk.
Go Drink
"Everyone should really be going into a workout hydrated," says USA Triathlon Coach and professional triathlete
Kim Schwabenbauer, RD, LDN. "It prevents muscle tears and it helps you feel better during the workout."
Schwabenbauer recommends drinking fluids throughout the day and definitely within the hour before you
workout. Both Schwabenbauer and Jamieson-Petonic agree that water is great if the workout is under 60
minutes, but recommend a sports or energy drink for runs more than an hour.
Go Stretch
"The warm up and cool down are definitely important components of the workout and they should never be
skipped," says Schwabenbauer, who advises ditching static exercises such as grabbing ankles and stretching
quads. "Static stretching is really a way of the past," she says. Instead, try squats, forward lunges and the soldier
walk. This is a stretch in which you stand in place with your arms out in front and try and kick your hands, all
while keeping your legs elongated.
Go Slowly
Slow ly
Consider easing back into your routine if it's been a while since you've run hardcore. "Don't go out for the first
run and think, 'Today, I’m going to run three miles,'" says Schwabenbauer. "[People] run really hard and then
they're off the next four days because they're so sore and tired." Instead, Schwabenbauer advises picking a
distance and then increasing gradually by 30-second intervals over time.
Go Rest
When you exercise you're causing tiny microscopic tears in muscle fiber. Those muscles need time to build
themselves back up. "It's important that we allow our muscles a chance to recover and heal," says JamiesonPetonic, who advises either a day of rest or cross training for diehard workout junkies. "Get on a bicycle, get in a
pool, do some strength training or core work such as yoga or other types of exercise, so you can give those
muscles a chance to heal."