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Author: Meredith Mitchell

Fat Loss Series

Fat Loss Series

 

Hi Everyone!

Losing fat can not only be tricky, it can be downright frustrating.  One of the reasons for this is a “One Size Fits All” weight loss plan simply doesn’t exist.  It’s easy to get caught up in the next popular weight loss diet plan thinking “It worked for them so it should work for me”.  Honestly, it might work for you because a lot of these weight loss plans work – as long as you can maintain the maintenance plan 🙂.  There are valuable pieces of information that you could take from these popular weight loss diet plans, however, your success with fat loss depends on you making a lifestyle change which means you need to take a balanced approach to whatever plan you choose.  So, you don’t need to restrict your diet to just protein, or just vegetables because you’re body NEEDS protein, fat and carbohydrates.  You also don’t need to run 50miles weekly or spend 8-10 hours in the gym weekly to be successful.  You need balance.

Naturally, the desire to look good and feel good in our clothes tends to be our motivation to lose weight and more specifically fat.  However, changing your eating habits and adding exercise to your routine does more than improve the way you look, it reduces a large number of health risks such as:

  • Reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels
  • Raise good cholesterol levels, lower the bad ones
  • Improve how your body uses insulin
  • Reduce the odds of having a stroke or developing heart disease
  • Promote a strong heart and strong bones
  • Provide more energy
  • Reduce stress levels

This is the first of a series of emails that will be titled “Fat Loss #1, #2…” and will be coming out over the next 6 weeks.  In the first three emails you will learn about 3 important hormones your body produces that directly effects your ability to lose fat…and gain it 🙂.  In the last three emails you will learn about 3 important habits that will not only increase you fat loss potential, they will improve your overall health!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

Should You Exercise When You Feel Sick?

Should You Exercise When You Feel Sick?

 

Hi Everyone!

Many of you have started new routines that have included an exercise regimen….WooHoo!!!  What happens if you start to feel sick?  You really don’t want to break your routine but you have to ask yourself, is it safe to exercise when you’re feeling sick? 

It depends.  Most Doctors will tell you, you can exercise if you’re sick from the neck up.  If you have a sore throat, stuffy nose, itchy/watery eyes…go ahead and exercise.  If you have a fever, muscle fatigue, body aches or respiratory problems…you should do nothing but rest.

How should you exercise while you’re sick?  Stick to low to moderate exercises:

  • ·         Brisk walk or slow jog outside for 30-60min

 

  • ·         Yoga or pilates

 

  • ·         Body-weight exercises at a slow pace (squats, lunges, push-ups, planks…)

According to MedlinePlus, exercise helps your immune system fight off simple bacterial infections, viral infections and decreases your chances of developing heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.

There are several theories as to why exercise boosts your immune system:

  • Physical activity may help by flushing bacteria out from the lungs (thus decreasing the chance of a cold, flu, or other airborne illness) and may flush out cancer-causing cells (carcinogens) by increasing output of wastes, such as urine and sweat.
  • Exercise sends antibodies and white blood cells (the body’s defense cells) through the body at a quicker rate. As these antibodies or white blood cells circulate more rapidly, they could detect illnesses earlier than they might normally. The increased rate of circulating blood may also trigger the release of hormones that “warn” immune cells of intruding bacteria or viruses.
  • The temporary rise in body temperature may prevent bacterial growth, allowing the body to fight the infection more effectively. (This is similar to what happens when the body has a fever.)
  • Exercise slows down the release of stress-related hormones. Stress increases the chance of illness.

There are also times when exercise can weaken your immune system.  Ben Greenfield, who has competed in several ironman triathlons and is the author of “Beyond Training” says,

                “…nearly every time I finish an Ironman triathlon, I get sick 5-7 days later – and research has shown that as few as 90 minutes of high-intensity endurance exercise can make you more susceptible to illness for up to 3 days after the session.

The reason for this is a release of certain hormones that can cause a temporary decrease in the proper function of the immune system. When you perform a hard exercise session, you significantly increase the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which are your body’s “fight and flight” stress hormones. This can raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and simultaneously suppress the immune system.

As you probably guessed, if you are already sick with a cold or respiratory infection, high intensity exercise such as heavy weight lifting or very long exercise such as marathon training can further weaken the immune system”.

When you’re feeling under-the-weather, remember the following:

  1. If you’re sick from the neck up, you exercise at a low to moderate intensity for 30-60min
  2. If you’re sick from the neck down, fever, fatigue, respiratory problems…REST!!
  3. To avoid getting sick and boost your immune system, exercise 3-5 days weekly with a healthy balance between low, moderate and high intensity workouts for no longer than 60min

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

An Apple A Day Does More Than Keep The Doctor Away :)

An Apple A Day Does More Than Keep The Doctor Away :)

Good Morning McKinley!

We’ve all heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the Doctor away”, right?   The benefits actually go beyond avoiding a visit to the Doctor.  Some of these benefits you may already be aware of.  For instance, the fiber in the apple can keep you feeling fuller longer and the sweetness of the apple can satiate a sugar craving that may have led you to indulge in a piece of cake or hand full of cookies :).

I’m sure the last time you ate an apple you weren’t thinking about the fat burning effects it was going to have on your body, were you?   Well, according to a study conducted by scientist at the University of Iowa, apples can actually help you burn fat and hold on to lean muscle mass because of a pentacyclic triterpeoid (a natural chemical) called ursolic acid which is found in apple peels.  Here are a few of the benefits:

  •   Helps burn fat.  How?  Increases brown fat cells.  You might be thinking “Yikes” but this is actually a good thing.  I’ll keep this simple…there are 2 types of body fat, white fat and brown fat.  The purpose of white fat is to store fat.  You could refer to this fat as inactive.  The purpose of brown fat is to burn calories and keep you warm.  You could refer to this fat as active.  To gain a better understanding of the these fats, click the link below:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-fat

  • Reduce muscle atrophy and stimulate muscle growth.  This will also lead to greater fat burning potential…the more lean muscle you have, the more fat you will burn throughout the day 🙂

   http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S155041311100177X

  •   Reduce blood sugar levels, cholesterol and triglycerides!!

How many apples do you really need to eat to experience the benefits?  Well, it really depends on the person.  In the article I’ve linked below, a woman went from eating no apples daily to eating one apple daily and gradually lost 20lbs.  She did not disclose the rest of her weight loss regimen, but did attribute some of her success to eating an apple a day.  Click the link below to read her story:

 http://voices.yahoo.com/apples-health-weight-control-12548795.html.  

There are some ursolic acid supplements on the market today, but I don’t know enough about them to say a supplement would be better than consuming it from a natural source.  For now, I would recommend getting your daily dose from foods that naturally contain it.  If you are going to try an ursolic acid supplement, PLEASE check in with your Doctor before you start taking a high potency supplement.

 

Other foods that contain ursolic acid are cranberries (with skin), prunes, basil, bilberries, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano (the pictures above are in the order of the foods just listed).  Ursolic acid is potent in apple peels, but according to www.ursolicare.com, sage holds the greatest concentration of extractable ursolic acid.  I personally don’t eat sage leaves daily so I will probably stick to an apple or 2 a day 🙂. 

If you’re interested in reading more about apples and the benefits of ursolic acid, click the links below:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304830704577497111487022018

http://yourbrainonbliss.com/Blog/?p=1456

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

 

Body Weight Exercises

Body Weight Exercises

 

Hi Everyone!

Several of you have asked for exercises you can do at home or while you’re traveling that do not require equipment.  Below are 2 body weight exercise videos! 

The first video shows correct form for 6 body weight exercises:

1.      Push-up

2.      Plank

3.      Plank to Push-up

4.      Superman

5.      Squats

6.      Lunges

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVETJmRiR34

The second video is a routine using 4 of the bodyweight exercises.

1.      10 Push-ups

2.      24 Jump lunges

3.      10 Plank to push-up

4.      12 jump squats

In the video, we complete 3 full sets.  I would recommend completing either 3-6 sets or set a timer for 20min and cycle through as many sets as you can in 20min.  Before you start your workout, warm your body up by walking or jogging in place for 5min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f3yxFRJjBk

There are lots of different routines you can create from these 6 exercises.  Create one that works for you.  If you can only do 5 push-ups and 10 lunges…GREAT…start there and challenge yourself to do 3 sets.  You will get stronger the more you try 🙂.  It really is possible to fit strength training into your day…especially when it’s a 20min workout!

Please email me if you have any questions at all about form or putting together a specific routine. 

Enjoy the rest of your day 🙂

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

 

Good Morning McKinley!

Believe it or not, spring is really here!  Let’s welcome spring by getting involved in a race or two.  Check out some of the events taking place in April and May.  If you are signed up for an event that is not listed, please email me with the event info so I can post it on the McKinley Grapevine.  I can help you put a team together!!

Upcoming Events:

Ann Arbor Marathon:

March 30th 2014 – Marathon, ½ Marathon and 5K – Main St. Ann Arbor Michigan

http://theannarbormarathon.com/

Big House 5K – Trail To The Victors:

April 6th, 2014 – Ann Arbor, Michigan

http://www.mgoblue.com/bighouse5k/

IOA Corporate 5K:

April 17th 2014 – Orlando Florida – Lake Eola

Join Team McKinley – https://register.trackshack.com/Register/groups/jointeam.aspx?event=23329

March of Dimes Walk, March for Babies:

April 26th 2014 – Orlando Florida – Lake Eola

April 27th 2014 – Ann Arbor/Dexter Michigan – Hudson Mills

Find a walk closest to you – http://www.marchforbabies.org/wd_regp01.asp

Heart Walk:

May 10th 2014 – Ann Arbor Michigan – EMU

Join Team McKinley: Sign Up For Heart Walk

Find a Heart Walk near you:  http://www.heartwalk.org/site/c.flKUIeOUIgJ8H/b.8939141/k.BD45/Home.htm#nearyou

Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation:

May 17th 2014 – Rochester Michigan

Join Team Cameron, Garrett and Debi Hain’s son: Team Cameron

Find a Great Strides Walk near you: Great Strides Walk

Mini Mushroom-&-Sausage Quiches

Mini Mushroom-&-Sausage Quiches

Mini Mushroom-&-Sausage Quiches

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mini_mushroom_sausage_quiches.html

From EatingWell:  April/May 2005

These crustless mini quiches are like portable omelets. Turkey sausage and sauteed mushrooms keep them light and savory. Small and satisfying, they’re also a good finger food for your next cocktail party.

1 dozen mini quiches | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 cup sliced scallions
  • 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup 1% milk

Preparation

  1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with cooking spray (see Tip).
  2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.
  3. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.
  4. Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Nutrition

Per quiche : 90 Calories; 5 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 105 mg Cholesterol; 3 g Carbohydrates; 9 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 217 mg Sodium; 108 mg Potassium

Exchanges: 1 medium-fat meat

Tips & Notes

  • Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.
  • A good-quality nonstick muffin tin works best for this recipe. If you don’t have one, line a regular muffin tin with foil baking cups.