Hot Pants

this recently caught my attention in the ongoing search for  weight loss helpers. started in 2011 by dessi bell, a former banker who was trying to quickly lose weight for her upcoming wedding, zaggora hot wear claims that you will increase your calorie burn by around 11% by wearing their clothing. the clothing has neoprene ( think wet suits) and other special layers that besides holding you in also keeps your heat in. they are priced from  $70.00-$150.00. OK, maybe. but it reminds me of the old days when some people would just wrap themselves in cellophane then put on  their sweat pants before working out. it was supposed to help get rid of that dreaded cellulite. really.
    dessi was and is a very smart marketer with a big presence on social media. savvy too that she realized how quickly high end fitness clothing is becoming big business-lululemon anyone. but let's face it -for zaggora clothing to work you still need to get out there and move!

p.s. re added sugar: you might want to google "the sugar film" a documentary recently released by damon gameau. in it he starts eating 40 teaspoons of sugar a day after having avoided sugar for many years and we learn what happens to his health.

Eat Your Veggies

if you are a gardener then, like me, you might have more zucchini than you know what to do with. since i haven't done any recipes for a while i thought that this might be a good time to do so. of course zucchini can be used in many different recipes-sauteed with onions, in many baked goods, raw and as pasta.
    pasta? yes and very quickly too. it does help to have a spiral cutter (you can cut by hand but it does take longer) and the trick is just to put your favorite sauce that is hot right on top of the zucchini pasta. this way, after a few minutes, the zucchini will be al dente and not turn into mush.
    listed below is  another favorite summer recipe. it can be served as is or with a side of sour cream or plain yogurt. fairly simple, you can create your own flavor combinations by using different herbs and adding grated cheese and/or bread crumbs.

zucchini fritters-makes about 2 dozen depending on size

3 TB fresh parsley
salt/pepper
1 small chopped onion or scallions
2-3 TB flour. can use coconut flour if gluten free. amount will vary depending on how wet your mixture becomes and the type of flour used
2-3 eggs lightly beaten
2-3 cups grated zucchini. squeeze out the extra liquid with clean dish or paper towel
vegetable or coconut oil for frying

mix everything in a large bowl (except for the oil)
heat small amount of oil in sauté/ fry pan. add more oil as needed with each batch
drop mixture by tablespoon (or you can make small pancake sized ones) into the hot oil and fry on    each side until golden brown.
as you take each batch out drain on paper towels
enjoy

Sugar, Sugar

i hope you read food labels but many people don't take the time. the FDA has been trying to improve food labels in order to make this information easier to understand. currently they propose to include the percentages of the amounts of added sugars on labels-manufacturers have already rallied against this proposal. it seems they feel that percentages will confuse us consumers more than we already are.
    it is thought on average that most of us consume approximately 30 teaspoons (120 grams)  of sugar a day-this is added sugar, not an apple. the  government suggests that no more than 10% of daily calories should come from added sugar although many health professionals feel that 6-7% is a much healthier target number.
    so how much is that? if you are eating 1500 calories a day the suggested percentage would equal 6 teaspoons (24 grams) of added sugar a day. a 16 ounce can of soda usually contains about 12 teaspoons (50 grams) of added sugars! at least most people have gotten the message about soda and the consumption numbers are finally falling.
    here are some of the other  products  that often contain high amounts of added sugars- try to limit or avoid completely your consumption of them:

• many instant oatmeals that are flavored, cereals
• granola and granola bars
• bottled salad dressings, ketchup, tomato sauce, bbq sauce
• frozen meals
• fruit juices that are not 100% fruit juice
• energy drinks
• canned fruit in syrup

    this is obviously just the tip of the iceberg. try and take the time to  read labels and you will be making healthier food choices for you and your family.

Sweat (ing)

we all do it and especially in the summer as we walk or exercise outdoors. there are many benefits in sweating that you might not be aware of so think of it as a good thing. look how many people are doing bikram yoga these days. and the availability of dry fit clothing to avoid that dripping,
clinging feeling also helps when temps are high.
    but first of all what is sweat? sweat is just  water, sodium, chloride and potassium. the average person sweats about 4 cups worth a day although we are all different and it depends on how hydrated one is. of course the reason we sweat is to cool down our body's core temperature. usually the more fit we are the less we sweat but how much or little we sweat does not indicate how many calories we are burning.
    some of the added benefits include: pain is eased as endorphins are increased, toxins such as alcohol are removed from our bodies, blood circulation is increased and the risk of kidney stones may be lowered.
    all good things and that is just the start. but remember to drink enough water throughout out the day whether or not you are sweating. although i hope you are-by choice!

More Core

after posting about balance and how important the core is to balance here are a few more exercise ideas that target the core. remember the core does not refer only to the ab muscles but to the back, glute and upper leg muscles. besides balance a strong core will help to stabilize your spine, hips and help with your posture. these exercises need no additional equipment and work the entire core. if you are not familiar with how to do any of them there are many how to videos on "you tube".

• glute bridge-make sure your glutes are working and not just your quads and hip flexors
• basic plank-on elbows and toes. correct form is important
• plank with drawing one knee at a time up and down. 
• side plank
• side plank with rotation

other great exercises that require some equipment:

• doing the plank on a bosu while bringing one leg at a time up, then down
• medicine ball wood chop-on one foot if you can otherwise start on both feet

not very many of us  want to do these types of exercises but they are so important for improving many aspects of daily life. most of us need more core.

Balancing Act

 here are some movements/exercises to try if you would like to improve your balance. they go from quite simple to slightly more difficult. if you feel you need some support do them near a chair, wall or have someone with you. and don't forget-a strong core is very important for balance and posture control so work on that, too.

1. walk sideways-10-15 times each way. mind your posture, tighten your core
2. heel to toe walk-just like the name says. place one foot directly in front of the other, heel to toe and walk forwards and backwards. head up looking straight ahead
3. step ups-please use something stable to step up on and as you improve you can increase the height. right leg up then bring left leg up-stand tall then right leg down first followed by left leg. 10-15 each side
4. side leg raise-raise one leg off the floor to about 6-12 inches, hold and slowly lower. 10-15 per side and don't bend at the waist. keep that core tight

you can also add more balance work to just about any exercise. one way is to narrow your base of support-bring your feet closer together-making you work harder to stay upright. or do those bicep curls on one leg. want even more of a challenge- close your eyes. by doing some  balance work you will be surprised at how quickly it can improve.

Balance

as we age it is critical that we pay attention to our balance. just like many other body related issues our ability to balance begins decreasing in our 20's. there are many issues affecting our ability to balance but most of us could also use more time spent on balance during our workouts.
    so how good is your balance? here are 2 simple tests to let you know. if possible do them with a friend so one of you can watch the time (a stopwatch is handy but a clock with a second hand will do) and be there as support-if needed.

1. with bare feet and your eyes open stand with one foot directly in front of the other foot. fold your arms across your chest placing your hands on your shoulders. practice this position a few times and then with timing ready close your eyes. keep timing until your eyes open or you move out of position. do twice on each side. if you are unable to do this for 30 seconds you need to work on your balance and posture control.
2. if you can do the above for 60 seconds try this second test that is more challenging. again bare feet. place your hands on your hips and raise up one foot and lightly place it just below the knee on the inside of the straight leg. raise up onto the ball of your foot, eyes open. again practice a few times before timing and take the best time out of several tries on each leg. timing stops when any movement happens. these numbers will give  you a guide to where you stand. for men-excellent 50 or more seconds, average 31-40 and poor 20 or less. for women 30 or more is excellent, average is 16-24 and poor is less than 10.

next week i will give some examples of simple exercises you can do to improve balance.