Last weekend I explored “Summer Streets” which is a government sponsored event that opens space from central park to the brooklyn bridge for patrons to walk, bike or run. There are multiple rest stops as listed on the map, and there are free bike rentals offered to the public.
Summer Streets was held the last two saturdays and this coming saturday from 7am to 1 in the afternoon.
Wake up early and explore the city while getting your cardio in!
While interning for Keri Gans this past week she asked me to help her find some good food swaps to save calories. My favorite swap is something that she often tweets (and I recently tried and love)!
When you eat an occasional bagel (whole wheat of course) ask for hummus opposed to cream cheese. To save on your carb count ask for a scooped bagel and/or only eat half.
hummus for cream cheese on bagel (one table spoon)
hummus-27 calories, 12 calories in fat
cream cheese-51 calories total and 46 in fat
When eating sushi keep your protein choices lean; therefore no spicy sauce or twice dipped rolled. Stick with salmon, tuna and yellow tail. Dragon rolls (made with eel) have more calories and a higher fat content. (salmon is the good fat omega 3s)
eel for salmon-(3 oz comparison)
ell has high fat where salmon has omega 3 fats
eel-156 calories, 89 calories in fat
salmon 99 calores, 26 from fat
Hungry after lunch and before dinner? Skip a muffin and eat some nuts
banana nut muffin vs. almonds (one oz vs one muffin)
almonds- 163 calories, 126 in fat (good fat source) 6 grams of carbs
banana nut muffin-220 calories, 40 from fat, but 38 grams of carbs
Eat fish a few times a week to keep your calorie count in check:
beef top serloin vs. white fish (one piece)
cod fish-189 calories, 14 from fat
beef-497 calories, 149 from fat
Last week DJ ChaChi posted “Fashion Indie Volume 2” as a free download on his website. I highly recommend listening to his mixtape while working out in order to finish your run/lift with an increased intensity.
I am also a huge fan of Girl Talk’s “All Day” album which is also a free download.
Keri Gans is a Registered Dietitian in private practice in Manhattan. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Ohio University. She is a Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and ADA Delegate for the New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA.)
While attending an American Dietetic Association sponsored forum at which she spoke, I sought out the guidance of Keri Gans, an NYU graduate, who has become my mentor. I was immediately impressed by both her physical and digital presence. Unlike many traditional dietitians, Keri has found a way to relate with the younger generation through her use of digital media. As her intern, I help manage her Twitter profile, aggregating her past tweets into categories so they may be repackaged and referenced. I also participate in her client sessions by providing nutritional research, fitness knowledge, and administrative support. I have found observing her therapeutic approach profoundly inspiring; she identifies with a diverse clientele and helps them to fine-tune their objectives in a way I have never seen before.
Keri’s book will be available March 15th, 2011. Get involved and join her fan page! Until the release check out her daily tweets. Keri is both knowledge and inspirational, so stay tuned!
Motivation is a HUGE component to fitness. Music really keeps me engaged in a workout, but others prefer no music or to watch tv on a treadmill.
I love Friday Mix tape which produces a weekly mix that is consistently upbeat.
My new favorite is “autumn 2010”
It’s a free download so check it out and keep your workout at a HIGH intensity.
The process to becoming a Registered Dietitian is lengthy. Here’s my status:
This past fall semester I completed my B.S. in Nutritional Science, so my next course of action is applying for the Dietetic Internship. Once I match, complete and pass my accredited internship I can become qualified as a licensed Registered Dietitian (R.D.) The Dietetic Internship is highly competitive.
What is a Dietetic Internship (DI)?
It is a CADE-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a foodservice corporation, or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies.
To apply to a DI, individuals must complete at least a bachelor’s degree and CADE-approved coursework requirements (Didactic Program in Dietetics). A DI must provide at least 1200 hours of supervised practice and is usually completed in 6-24 months depending on the availability of a part-time schedule or requirement of graduate credit. Individuals completing the program who are verified by the program director are eligible to write the CDR registration examination for dietitians.
Come check out my “Awesome Abs & Butt Blast” class Sundays from 10-1055am at Method Fitness located on 67th and 3rd. I have been teaching and training clients at this facility since October.
Group Fitness classes are a great way to keep the intensity levels high, meet new people and try something new.
Motivation is a HUGE component of health and wellness.
What keeps you motivated during a workout?
For me, music keeps me going. I like to listen to a strong beat during cardio and cross training, but I prefer no music during yoga. Some people like iPods or the radio during a workout session, where others prefer movies or TV in front of a treadmill.
This Labor Day weekend, I went on vacation and saw DJ Afrojack live. You can download his mixes for free and tune in while working out:
Here are just a few music podcasts that I subscribe to:
Tiesto’s Club Life
Spinning Records Release podcast
DJ Chachi house mixes
Interface
Indie Spotlight
Drew32
If you don’t want to pay for a subscription, but you want to download free music to your media device, check out Tiesto:
What is a podcast?
Podcasts (which are one of my favorite things in the whole world) are free to subscribe to.
So, how can you subscribe to FREE podcasts?
Watch this tutorial...
…or read this:
Oh, and check this tutorial:
Find anything worth sharing?
I was asked to be a guest speaker at John Jays “Topics in Health” course this evening. In addition to walking students through a couple workout routines I have composed a “tips sheet” for reference.
Tips for how to do exercise anywhere
Section I: How to get started with an exercise routine
1. Ease into it, small steps help you reach bigger goals.
2. Exercising for 10 minutes twice a day is equivalent to the recommended 20-30 minute exercise session. It is easy to work up to 30 or more minutes per session by splitting the sessions into three 10-minutes sessions per day.
3. Set goals and objectives for what you want to achieve.
4. Hold yourself accountable.
5. Map out a plan.
6. Make your nutrition and workout plan work together.
7. Find a workout partner.
8. You don’t need a gym to be fit; these quick workouts will show you how to do exercises anywhere at any time.
9. Balance your routine. A complete, safe and effective fitness program must include aerobic exercise, muscular strength and endurance conditioning, and flexibility exercise.
Section II: How to stay motivated once winter hits
1. Be prepared by checking the weather.
2. Wear weather appropriate clothes.
3. Stay hydrated.
4. Make a plan and update it.
Section III: 10 exercises that can be performed anywhere
1. Triceps dip on a chair or bed
2. Squat onto a chair
3. Stair climbing uphill (stairs at home or outside)
4. Cleaning/scrubbing
5. Carrying heavy groceries
6. Walking briskly around the city
7. Wall squats (holding for 30-60 seconds)
8. Wall push ups
9. Wall stretches
10. Downward dog
Minimal equipment like a jump rope, a yoga mat, or a medicine ball can make a big difference in your routine. Without equipment you can still get a great workout by incorporating more advanced exercises such as:
pushups, squats, lunges, triceps dips and pull ups
Summary of workouts taught in class:
With equipment:
Jumprope
Medicine ball raises
Squats holding the medicine ball
Yoga with a yoga mat
Without equipment
Pushups (on knees first or on toes)
Squats with hands on hips or reaching forward (check your form out in the mirror)
Lunges alternating legs
Jump rope without a jump rope
Walking
Yoga without a yoga mat
A note on stretching for flexibility…
· Stretching should be incorporated into any fitness routine
· As we work muscles, stretching is necessary for continued flexibility, growth and repair of those muscles.
· Proper stretching involves holding a mild stretch for 15 to 30 seconds while you breathe normally.
· Always warm up before you stretch. Like strength conditioning, flexibility exercises should include stretching for all of the major muscle groups.
• Stretching increases flexibility. Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring.
• Stretching improves range of motion of your joints. Good range of motion keeps you in better balance, which will help keep you mobile and less prone to falls — and the related injuries — especially as you age.
• Stretching improves circulation. Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Improved circulation can speed recovery after muscle injuries.
· Stretching can relieve stress. Stretching relaxes the tense muscles that often accompany stress.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass, keeping a diet log is an imperative step toward reaching your goal(s).
“Did you know that the average person recalls only half of what he or she eats? Though you may remember what you had for breakfast, what about the extra nibbles you had while watching TV, snacking on the phone, cooking, or picking off your kids’ plates?”
Read about dietlogs:
Keep a diet log:
Update the diet log daily, ideally right after meals (the more frequently you update, the better)
What type of tracking works for you? While a phone app may work for me (I prefer digital tracking), perhaps a small notebook works for you. Track your diet in a method that is conducive to your lifestyle.
Check out some phone app info from NPR:
At first, I don’t ask clients to change their diets. I only ask that they take notice. When we document our dietary patterns, we see habits forming and can draw conclusions. Once you keep accurate track of your consumption, then you can make adjustments accordingly.
Read the cell phone application post, in which I reviewed a couple of apps you could try.
According to Weight Watchers, here are nine solid reasons that food journaling helps. You can:
1. Control binge eating. You are less likely to go for that second helping if you know you have to write it down.
2. Track progress. A food diary can serve as evidence of how far you have come in your journey. It also feels great to look back and see you are eating better today than you did weeks or months ago.
3. Encourage conscious eating. Unconscious eating occurs when we eat without paying attention. You are more likely to avoid eating for unconscious reasons if you are writing it down.
4. Connect eating to emotions. Many people include a column for “observations” or “emotions” in their diaries. In this way, journals can be used to examine certain feelings that may trigger overeating. Only once you identify the causes can you start to do something about them.
5. Point out nutrition imbalances. As you jot down your meals and snacks, you may notice you lack fruits and vegetables on most days, or that you never eat a protein source until dinner. A food diary can give you clues, in black and white, as to what foods you have been neglecting and need to include in your diet.
6. Monitor eating patterns. Until you keep a food journal, you may not realize that you have a seven-hour gap between your 11:30 lunch and your 6:30 dinner. Perhaps this is why you’re at the vending machine every afternoon at 3 p.m., downing a bag or two of chips or cookies. Solution? Plan to bring or store a healthy snack for the mid-afternoon to ward off poor eating choices.
7. Monitor calories. Journaling usually requires you to track your calorie intake – which can be eye-opening. Perhaps you were not aware your afternoon soda had 150 calories, or your “innocent” morning latte had 250. By forcing yourself to track portions and calories, you can begin to make adjustments.
8. Create a tool for your nutritionist or doctor. A food diary is a clear source of information as to what, where and how much you eat. This ready-made tool can be viewed by a health professional, who can provide insight into what you can do to tweak and/or improve your habits.
9. Show commitment. The effort and time it takes to keep a food journal is proof that you are committed to your health, and have a desire to take a proactive role in your weight loss.
What patterns do you start to see emerging as you keep a food journal?
