What Are We Doing Wrong?

The most frustrating thing about going to the gym or working out is not seeing the results you have hoped for. This article from The Toronto Star's Heath Zone has detailed the top 5 mistakes people make which hinders their progress. I found it really interesting, as well as I have learned a thing or two (or more!).
Enjoy!

Healthy Food Myths

Don't be fooled by healthy-looking packages or claims! Most companies will spent many dollars to make their products look healthy, as well as bank on popular health trends. Be careful of buying products that seem healthy and be sure to do your homework, or let someone else to do the homework for you!
Check out this slide show which debunks popular healthy food myths.

Tips on Lifting Weights Safely

The following is an article I found that I thought was interesting, especially for women (and men!) who are looking to strength-train...this is very relevant to yesterday's post. So if I motivated and sparked an interest in you and you feel like you are ready to lift weight be sure to read this!

Ouch! Weight room blunders that can really hurt*

Women are hitting the weight room in record numbers, and a new study found that weight-training injuries among women have jumped a whopping 63 percent. Here are the most common slipups and how to fix them, so you leave the gym strutting — not limping.

The mistake: skipping your warm-up 
You wouldn't launch into an all-out sprint the second you stepped onto a treadmill, so you shouldn't jump right into deadlifts the instant you hit the weight room. "Working cold, stiff muscles can lead to sprains and tears," says Morey Kolber, Ph.D., a professor of physical therapy at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. "Warming up increases circulation and improves range of motion, which preps your muscles and joints for action."

The fix: "While opinions about static stretching may differ, a dynamic warm-up can decrease your risk for injury," says exercise physiologist Marco Borges, author of Power Moves. After five to 10 minutes of walking or jogging, do 10 to 12 lunges and pushups (the bent-knee version is fine) before starting your routine.

The mistake: using sloppy form 
Experts agree that proper form is the single most important factor in injury prevention, yet many women don't give it a lot of thought —especially when they're in a rush. And women, thanks to their naturally wider hips, are more at risk for form-related injuries than men are: One study found that women had nearly twice as many leg and foot injuries as guys did.

The fix: Before you begin any exercise, think S.E.A.K., says trainer Robbi Shveyd, owner of Advanced Wellness in San Francisco: Stand straight (head over shoulders; shoulders over hips; hips over feet), eyes on the horizon (looking down encourages your shoulders to round and your chest to lean forward), abs tight (as if you were about to be punched in the gut, but without holding your breath; this helps stabilize your pelvis), and knees over your second toe (women's knees have a tendency to turn in because of the angle created by wider hips, says Joan Pagano, author of Strength Training for Women).

The mistake: stressing our your shoulders

As crazy as it sounds, women who lift weights tend to have less-stable shoulder joints than women who don't lift at all, found a recent study. The reason: Doing too many exercises in which your elbows are pulled behind your body (think chest flies and rows) can overstretch the connective tissue in the front of the joints. If the backs of your shoulders are tight, you're even more likely to overstretch the front, increasing the imbalance at the joint, says Kolber.

The fix: Modify your moves. First, don't allow your elbows to extend more than two inches behind your body. In the lowering phase of a bench press, for example, stop when your elbows are just behind you. Second, avoid positioning a bar behind your head. Bring the lat-pulldown bar in front of your shoulders, and when you're doing an overhead press, use dumbbells instead of a bar and keep the weights in your line of vision (meaning just slightly in front of your head).

The mistake: neglecting opposing muscle groups 

"Many women have strength imbalances, which can make them more prone to injury," says Shveyd. Sometimes they're the result of your lifestyle (hovering over a desk all day, for example, tightens and weakens your hip flexors while your glutes become overstretched and inactive). Other times they're caused by not working both sides of the body equally (say, focusing on moves that rely on your quads but not your hamstrings).

The fix: For every exercise that works the front of the body (chest, biceps, quads), be sure to do an exercise that targets the rear (back, triceps, hamstrings). For instance, pair stability-ball chest presses with dumbbell rows, or step-ups with dead-lifts.

The mistake: doing too much too soon

A lot of people think that more is better — more reps, more sets, more weight. But if you increase any of these things too quickly, your body may not be able to handle the extra workload.

"Gradual conditioning prevents injuries such as torn ligaments and tendinitis, because your muscles and connective tissues have time to adapt," says Pagano.

The fix: Practice a three-step progression. First, learn to do a move using only your body weight. "When you can do 15 reps with proper form, add weight," says Pagano. Second, stick to one set with light weights for two weeks or until you feel comfortable with the move. And finally, when you can complete nearly all of your reps with proper form, add another set or more weight (increase weight by roughly 10 percent each time).

*written by Michelle Hamilton from Women'sHealth (source)

Lift Those Weights!

I was always fascinated with strength training and weight lifting (for the sole purpose of exercise and toning, not bulking!), especially when I started going to the gym, but I very rarely saw women lifting weight, so I thought it was a "guy's thing". I wanted to try but I was scared to approach the weights, especially with the loud grunts and the yelling (is that some kind of tactic to scare away novices?). Recently, I started going to a weight lifting class (where you choose the amount of weight to lift), which, surprisingly, has very few men. I'm not sure why men shy away from lifting in a room full of women, but it is such a fun class!

I used to think that lifting weights was only beneficial for men, and that women should stick to aerobics. However, this is not the case. There are many reason why women should lift weights, for example:

• it increases strength: finally you will be able to open that jar of pickles on you own and won't have to ask a man to do it for you!
• you will lose body fat: as you increase your lean muscle weight, your resting metabolism also increases and you will burn more calories throughout the day! For each pound of muscle you gain, you will burn 30-50 more calories each day.
• You WILL NOT look like this (Men won't look like this either, unless they are on steroids or pump something into their muscles): 

• Women who weight lift will not gain much size because they don't have the necessary hormones  like men do. You'll most likely develop muscle tone and definition (perfect!). 
• By lifting weights, you can increase your bone density which can lead to a decreased risk of osteoporosis.
• Since your bones get stronger, you decrease your risk of injury from daily strains, as well as improve your balance and joint stability.

It is never too late to start! If you do, make sure you start with light weights and work your weight up!  
(source)

Mighty Mushroom

Picking my next favorite food was not an easy choice, but in the end, I just had to choose mushrooms. Due to their versatility, I use them with almost every recipe and every meal that I make. To be honest, I feel a little lost if I’m out of mushrooms as they add so much flavour, and the aroma it creates in the house is mouth watering!

Did you know that there are over 14,000 mushrooms, only about 3,000 are edible, about 700 have known medicinal properties, and fewer than one percent are recognized as poisonous? Well, just to be safe, get your mushrooms in the store, instead of, you know, a forest...

Beside their flavour, I love mushrooms because they are very low in calories as they have very high water content. They are low in fat and have lots of fiber. Mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower elevated blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

As I mentioned, I use mushrooms in almost everything, like lasagna, chicken sauce, sautéed vegetables and stir fry, omelettes, as well as pizzas. The following recipe is really tasty and easy to make!

Portobello Pizza:

Ingredients:

•1 large Portobello mushroom, stem removed (1 mushroom per individual pizza, so use
as many mushrooms as you want to make pizzas)

•1 tablespoon spaghetti/pizza/ tomato sauce

•mozzarella cheese to cover the mushroom

•1/2 tablespoon sliced black olives

•Sprinkle basil and oregano for extra flavour

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Place the mushroom on a baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove from the oven, and spread spaghetti sauce in the cup of the cap. Top with
cheese, olives, and spices

3. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.

Enjoy!

The Case for Cauliflower

Today, I am revealing my next favourite food, which is cauliflower!
Even though it is kind of an assault on your olfactory senses when cooked, that smell is attributed to the sulfur compounds present in cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. If you have ever had to cut onions, and had the pleasure of talking to someone who just consumed onions and garlic, you would see how these foods also contain the same sulfur compounds.

If it stinks so badly, why eat these vegetables? Much research has been done on the benefits of the cabbage family and it was found that the sulfur compounds present may help prevent cancer by increasing the body's antioxidant defense mechanism, improving the body's ability to detoxify and eliminate harmful chemicals and hormones. They especially increase the activity of enzymes that disable and eliminate carcinogens. many studies have shown that an increased consumption of cruciferous vegetables decreases the risk of cancer (specifically colon, prostate, lung, and breast cancer).

So what are you waiting for? put on a gas mask (just kidding!) and start cooking!

Bite the Blueberry!

I love food. I love the taste, the smell, the vibrant colours, and the flexibility of being able to make almost anything out of any type of food. But most of all, I love how healthy food can be!
But of course I'm only talking about the food that naturally grows, not chemically synthesized. I feel like many foods don't get the love and attention that they so deserve so I have decided to highlight these awesome foods every chance I get. To start, this week I'm planning to showcase my favourite foods, and hope to make them your favourite as well! (or at least get you to try them :-) )
First up are blueberries! The reason why I love blueberries (besides their awesome taste) is because they are so versatile! You can eat them fresh or frozen (you don't know what you are missing if you have never tried frozen blueberries); you can put them in cakes, pies, muffins, granola bars, hot or cold cereal, smoothies, apple crisp, pudding, sauce, yogurt, pancakes, cookies, scones, cobbler, jam, and much more! Your imagination (and your ability to search for recipes online) is the limit!
I also love these tiny fruits because they are super healthy. They contain lots of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, riboflavin, and manganese. They are also a rich source of flavonoids, mainly anthocyanidins, which are responsible for the dark colour. This compound has an exceptional antioxidant activity, possibly having the highest antioxidant capability among many fruits and vegetables.

What does this mean for our health? studies done of blueberries and their health benefits found that they can help protect the brain from oxidative stress and reduce the effect of age-related conditions, like Alzheimer's disease. As well, blueberries were found to improve vision and help in protecting against macular degeneration, and much more.
With all these benefits, you can't afford not to eat these!

Comment below if you have any great blueberry recipes!
Check back tomorrow to see what my next favourite food is!

Diet Pill-fering

As anyone who has ever had a spam folder in their email, or read a magazine, knows that dieting pills are, surprisingly, still a thing. A researcher from Oregon State University recently found evidence showing that weight-loss supplements do not work (shocking!). This might be a blow to many people who think that there is one magic pill that will help them lose weight. The researcher, who is also a dietitian, had some great tips on how to naturally and effectively lose weight. Go ahead and read the full article here.

Even though there is no magic pill, there are lots of things we can do to maintain our health. Mainly, we should all be exercising and eating whole grains and lots of plant- based foods (no surprises there!)

I love the recommendations made in the article so I'll summarize them here:

1. Spontaneity might lead you to make poor food choices, so plan your dinner in advance!
2. When you do eat out, order a big salad which will fill you up faster, and order a small appetizer or split an entree.
3. Find ways to keep moving! Even if you are sitting at an office most of the day, take your lunch break outside and take a nice walk (it's possible to do even in the winter! just bundle up, unless of course you live in the north pole); or walk around the office if you are on a conference call (exercise stimulates your brain neurons as well as learning so you might even sound smarter!).
4. Stick vegetables into every meal you are having, even dessert! I've made some delicious cupcakes and cakes with zucchini and carrots.
5. Eat more fiber (remember to increase your water intake as well).
6. Eating foods that take up more space make you feel fuller, so 100 calories of grapes will make you feel fuller than 100 calories of raisins.
7. And of course, eliminate processed foods! These are usually made with simple carbohydrates and have very little nutrients. Foods which are complex take more energy to digest, which can boost your metabolism!

What other tricks do you use to help you make better choices on a daily basis?

It's That Time of Year!

Happy Purim!
Purim used to be one of my favourite holidays when I was a kid. Why? because I could wear anything I wanted to without looking ridicoulous (well, most anything) and eat as much candy as my heart desired! How can I not love this time of year?

 Do you ever get this for a 
     Mishloach Manot? 
     I kind of wish I did! :)

Even though I don't looking forward eating all the candy anymore (it's very tempting!) nor coming up with a costume I haven't worn before (it gets harder and harder as the years go by :) ), I still love Purim almost as much as I did when I was a kid, specifically because it's a chance for friends to get together and have a great time! (and drink to the point where we can't recognize each other)
If I were to suggest anything about what to do with all those candies you are going to be receiving, is to give them away! Out of sight out of mind! However, If you love your chocolate too much and can't imagine parting with it, divide your stash into small bags and have a little bit at a time :)







How do you celebrate Purim? Do you have any family traditions?

Should Candy Also Be Organic??!?

There is so much talk about whether buying organic is really much more beneficial than buying regular food. Personally, I believe organic is the way to go and will post a detailed post soon as to why. For now, check out this slideshow, which has really nice pictures and great blurbs about which foods you should buy organic, and which food you can skip out and buy regular.


Do you buy organic food? if so which foods are important for you to be organic?

Not-So-Happy Meal

I was surfing the web in search for an interesting topic to blog about and saw the following at http://frugaldad.com/, and wanted to share with you. I love the infographic and hope you do too! Comment below if you've got anything to say :)

I think most people in the world have probably spent money on a Happy Meal at one time or another. It’s a bastion of marketing success and stands as one of McDonald’s most recognizable and successful products.

With iconic products, especially food products that are marketed primarily to children, I think it’s beneficial to take a moment to investigate how products this recognizable and loved have become so iconic. 37% of children say McDonald’s is their fast food chain of choice, and no other company gets more than 10% of their vote.

This infographic lays out some of the details of the recent San Francisco Healthy Food Ordinance, and it also explores some of the facts behind how McDonald’s has become such a popular chain with children. I didn’t know before reading this, for example, that Happy Meal toys have made McDonalds is the world’s largest toy distributor. This infographic also lays how some of the backlash has inspired response from McDonald’s. I think it will be interesting to see how what they change and adapt to please both the customers that want more nutritious options, as well as the ones that want to be able to order one that may be less healthy.

How Do You Like Your Peanuts?

Last night I was in the mood for baking, but didn't feel like taking out the food processor,
bowels, measurement cups, or trying to locate 20 ingredients around my kitchen. I think I
was more in the mood for eating baked goods, not actually making them, but since I don't
usually buy those, I reluctantly opened up all my recipe books, on a quest to find a cookie
recipe with 5 ingredients or less. I was about to lose hope until I found a peanut butter
cookie recipe in Norene Gilletz's "Healthy Kitchen". I love this book because it has so
many delicious healhy recipes that happen to be simple to make, as well as kosher.
On to the peanut butter cookies-there are only 3 ingredients in the recipe! As I mentioned
before, I was quite lazy last night so number of ingrediens was my only requirement. To
my surprise (and delight), they turned out really good!

What's left of the 26 cookies I made last night :)

Here is the recipe:
Yield: approx 26 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup smooth or crunchy natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I only used 1/4 cup and they were sweet enough)
1 egg


1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowel, combine all ingredients together and mix well. Drop by rounded
teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie
3. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are golden. Remove from oven and let cool on the
baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. The cookies will firm up as they cool
4. Enjoy!


A few facts about peanuts:
-the peanut is the most popular nut in the United States
-it is actually more a pea than a nut! It is considered a legume and is a cousin of the pea
-peanuts are composed of half fat (healthy monounsaturated fats), a quarter protein,
and the rest carbohydrate. It also contains folic acid, Vitamin B1 and B3, magnesium,
phosphorus, manganese, and other nutrients.
-the peanut is known to be protective of the heart and blood vessels. Many studies show
that eating more peanuts can help reduce the risk of heart disease.


Although peanuts are very good for you, if you are trying to lose weight limit
consumption of peanuts as they are high in fat (the good kind!)


How do you eat your peanuts?

Lying Lables

Made with only the finest sugars and waters...(tea sold separately!)

Have you ever bought a product in a supermarket thinking it was healthy for you, because it said so on the packaging? If so, you are not alone! Food companies have realized that many of us now care about our health and what kind of food we are feeding ourselves and our families, so instead of actually improving the food, they have gone the more cost-effective route by simply improving the packaging. How, you ask?  By adding cute healthy-sounding words that will make us think the box of cookies we  have just picked up is chock full of nutrients needed to "maintain a healthy lifestyle". In addition, these products will tout themselves as being low in Fat/Carbs/Cholesterol/Road Tar etc... Don't believe it? Just look at the following products:

Lying Label #1: Fig Newtons: 
Kraft foods has a new program called 'Sensible Solution', which they claim it's "our way of letting you find our better-for-you food products". What they are essentially doing is they are "making our lives easier" by putting on the Sensible Solution logo on foods that they consider healthy, so that we could easily buy these products without actually looking closely at what they contain. Of course that's what Kraft wants-people buying more of their products because they have the healthy logo! This can be VERY misleading, as in the case of the above mentioned Fig Newtons. The list of ingredients contain enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, partially hydrogenated cotton seed oil, artificial flavour, and many other ingredients. It is filled with sugar, fat, and preservatives. Not very sensible at all!






Lying Label #2: Cool Whip:

Another product with the Sensible Solution logo. Not sure how this product can be considered healthy, especially when it contains corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut and palm kernel oils), natural and artificial flavors, beta carotene (color), and more. Its only redeeming qualities is that it is low in fat and sugar (but it contains lot of artificial sweeteners, so I can't even include that in the redeeming qualities list with a clear conscience).






Lying Label #3: Carnation® Breakfast Essentials: While browsing the Nestle website, I noticed that they have a tab under products called "healthcare nutrition". This aroused my attention so I clicked on it. I was redirected to the Carnation® Breakfast Essentials! Good nutrition from the startTM. Sounds promising, right? Wrong! In one bottle (325 mL, just over a cup) of the breakfast essential, it contains 31g of sugar! Since it doesn't have any real ingredients (just added vitamins and minerals, and protein), you are essentially drinking a multivitamin in a form of a milkshake with lots of sugar! If you are in a hurry and have no time for a real breakfast (the product prides itself as a breakfast replacement for busy people), pick up a banana and a whole wheat toast with peanut butter. It only takes 3 minutes to make and is far better for you and will give you the energy to start your busy day.


And the list goes on and on!


Although some products can be considered somewhat healthy, it is very difficult for the average consumer to discern between the good products and the bad ones. Most packaging are made so cleverly as to confuse us and to make sure we look at the different health claims on the front of the package, as opposed to the ingredients list (which is usually really long and contains unidentifiable ingredients) or the nutrition label. 
To help with your shopping next time, here is a list of tips adapted from the CBC Marketplace TV series website (for more information, click here)


1. Ignore the front of the box: skip to the Nutrition Facts Panel to really evaluate how healthy your food is.
2. Beware of buzzwords: terms like "antioxidant," "super fruit," and "prebiotic" may be more about marketing than science.
3. Read the ingredient list. It's in order by weight, so you can compare good ingredients — like whole grains — with less healthy ones, like refined flour.
4. Be careful of ingredient list tricks. Glucose/fructose, rice syrup, cane syrup and concentrated pear or grape juice are all, basically, sugar.
5. Disregard healthy logos invented by the company, they do not need to meet any specific, objective criteria.
6. Be skeptical of vague language that doesn't specifically tell you the benefits of eating a food: these claims don't need approval.
7. If you find a misleading label, file a complaint with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: it's responsible for enforcing labelling laws.


Lastly, if at all possible, try to buy foods that are as natural as possible and have very few ingredients in them, like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains (quinoa, rice, wheat, barley, couscous, etc) lean protein, fish, beans, seeds, etc.


What bizarre health claims have you seen recently? Comment below!

Let's Celebrate Nutrition Month!

Today marks the first day of Nutrition month! March is about understanding the importance of having dietitians as part of the health system by focusing on preventative medicine.
I was looking at the dietitians of Canada website and found a list of popular nutrition myths, check them out!
To celebrate this month, visit a dietitian or a nutritionist to see what they can do for you, or at least thank one for the work they are doing! Their work and dedication is super important!

Shake (off) the Salt!

I just read this post from www.fooducate.com and wanted to share it with you. I love their blog because they always post relevant and interesting articles regarding health issues and concerns.
This post is about reducing salt intake and how to actually do it. To summarize, the effects of salt consumption on our health has been studies for a few years, and many studies found  a link between high salt consumption and various diseases. The recommended daily intake of sodium is currently 2300 mg, but the average American consumes 3800 mg!
So to help you reduce sodium intake, the following techniques are recommended :

• reduce (or cut out) fast food from your diet
• ask for less salt to be put in your food at restaurants
• choose reduced salt products
• instead of using salt when cooking, use other spices and herbs
• avoid canned foods
• reduce salt intake slowly day by day until you are used to the new flavours. Soon enough you won't even realize that it has less salt!

For the full article check out the link above.