Thursday, November 21, 2013

Toxic Thursday


Today is the Great American Smokeout Day!!

Please... stop smoking... for yourself, for those you love.  It's killing you, and you're killing them with your second-hand smoke.  

No one EVER asked the driver of their hearse to pull over so they could get a last pack of cigarettes for the road.  Here is a link to give you help and support:

http://www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/greatamericansmokeout/index?&gclid=CLuy2o2-87oCFQbl7AodUUoArQ

Choose to stop today - get whatever help you need - but please STOP SMOKING NOW!!!

Blessings,

Coach Linda Bush (a former smoker)

Monday, November 11, 2013

Menu Monday

Mmmmm.... mmmmm.... G-O-O-D!!!!!
A popular commercial features the tag line question, “What’s in your wallet?”  Well, this week let’s ask yourself the question, “What on your menu?”

Like every other wild woman I know, I struggle with the juggle… career, education, family, exercise, social life, church, cooking/eating healthfully, etc.  Some days it all falls apart.  But I find that when I plan ahead, like making a menu to prepare my meals (and tracking carbs, fats, proteins, calories, water, etc.), pack my lunch the night before, I do eat better and I feel better, both physically and emotionally because I feel more organized.  Yes, it takes a little more time on the front end, but the rewards are well worth the effort.  

Plus, I save money because I buy what I need at the market (because I'm known to grab a little of everything), and I don’t find myself eating out – a huge savings.  If you spend $5 a day for lunch 5 days a week for four weeks a month, that’s $100 a month, or $1,200 a year!!!  Imagine what you could do with an additional $100 in your pocket at the end of the month!

Additionally, I am trying to crack down on my mindless/unintentional/emotional eating, which has begun to rear its ugly head in the last several months.  It’s amazing how easily it creeps up on you, and behind you if you get my meaning!  I was at a First Place 4health meeting this weekend, and a phrase I heard which I love is that we suffer from “food amnesia”!!!!  Don’t you love that?  And ain’t it the truth!!  So by planning my meals I have the wonderful side benefit of easier tracking of what I’m eating , I am accountable to me, and that means I am more aware of every bite that I eat. 

Today I’d like to encourage you to plan your meals for the rest of the week.  And to start you off, here is a picture and corresponding recipe/nutritional info on what I had for lunch today.  It was honestly delish, and very filling and satisfying.  So exercise your planning/shopping/prepping muscles and make yourself and those you love some uber-delish meals… and with the time saved scrambling treat yourself to a soak in a bubble bath!!! 

Blessings,

Linda

Linda’s Leftover Roasted Chicken Salad
(serves 1)

2 cups Arugula (you could also use spinach or any dark leaf greens)
1 small tomato
¼ cup sliced radishes
2 oz chicken (meat only, no skin) - I used leftovers from a rotisserie
½ canned pineapple (drain off syrup and rinse)
Salad dressing – 2 tablespoons fig and pear balsamic vinegar with 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil

Calories:  294
Fats:  15.1
Fiber:  2.9
Carbs: 31.8
Sodium: 386.3
Protein: 15.4

Friday, November 8, 2013

Foam Rolling Friday

Releasing the glutes on a foam roller
What is foam rolling?  As one writer in the Perform Better link below said, “It’s the poor man’s massage therapy.”  A foam roller is generally a 36-inch long cylindrical piece of foam tubing that is used with your body weight to apply pressure to soft tissues/muscles, not unlike accupressure.  It’s called self-myofascial release “self-massage”.  I tell my clients it’s ironing out your muscles!

I was introduced to foam roller by my own personal trainer about five years ago, and having been using it ever since.  I am a self-taught student of trigger point therapy, massage and myofacial release, which is essentially the soft tissue therapy for the treatment of skeletal muscle immobility and pain.  I have found it to be very beneficial to myself and clients in easing muscle tightness, ridding knots and helping my flexibility. 

As always, I am NOT a physician and you need to ALWAYS check with your doctor before starting any kind of physical/exercise routine!!

Below are some wonderful articles that explain foam rolling and provide methods of usage, including videos.  Exercise (and release) your rolling muscles today, and have a great weekend!

Blessings,


Read these articles!!!







Thursday, November 7, 2013

Thrifty Tricks for Tired Tootsies Thursday

Ahhhhh......
Boy, that’s a mouthful title today, isn’t it???  

Everyone knows we wild women spend a LOT of time on our feet running here and there and everywhere (all in heels, no less)!  And while I love me my fancy-schmancy spa pedicure at my favorite salon (Radiance Spa/Salon located within the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness in Hamilton, NJ), I also try to regularly treat my feet at home.

In addition to soaking your feet for comfort and beauty, there are recipes which naturally aid in detoxing your body’s effort to cleanse.  While you can purchase pre-packaged detox ingredients at your local health food store or buy very expensive pads, I like to make my own – a BIG $aving$!!  Salt is a primary ingredient, because the ions in the salt work as magnets to draw toxins through the skin of your foot’s sole into the soaking water.

Detox Recipe
  • 1 cup Epson salt
  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 2 cups baking soda

Mix, then add ¼ cup to a basin of hot water (hot, but careful not to scald yourself!), and soak for about 30 minutes.  As a finishing touch at the end of your soak, scrub the bottoms of your feet with a natural fiber foot brush, or mix a little of the sea salt with some olive or sweet almond oil and massage/scrub into your feet for a few minutes, rinse off, then pat dry.  Or, just get some essential peppermint oil, add it to several tablespoons of olive oil or sweet almond oil (best for sensitive skin) and rub on.  If you do this right before bed, use essential oil of lavender instead, slather all over your feet/ankles, and cover with a pair of white cotton socks.  Your feet will be so soft and feel great in the morning!  Or use 100% aloe vera since lotions with additives will leech impurities back into your system.

And here’s a bonus – you can easily make this up as a gift for a friend!  Find a pretty jar (or my favorite, mason jars).  Add your Detox Foot Bath to a jar, type up a tag with the instructions, add some decorations (go to www.pinterest.com or Google “gifts in a jar” for decorating ideas, and you have a lovely gift for a friend… just in time for the holidays.  I do NOT recommend adding any coloring to the salts as they are for detoxing purposes and you don’t want add anything except the pure and natural ingredients.  However, you could make up a combo by adding a few drops of essential oil of lavender to one jar, and a few drops of peppermint (and/or lemon) to the other, as both a bedtime/morning relaxing/refreshing gift!

Exercise your “treat your feet” love your tootsies muscle today!

Blessings,


Helpful articles/recommended reading/sources:


Wild Woman Wednesday

Wild women tackle delicate subjects.

So today we’re going to talk about fiber and elimination.  Not the most glam of subjects, and I will refrain from the plethora of jokes that could go along with it.  As I tell my clients, “It’s okay, I’m a health professional.  We can discuss this topic… don’t be embarrassed or afraid.”  Imagine how difficult it was to select an appropriate photo image for today’s topic!!!!  The joys of blogging…

Several of my friends suffer from diverticulitis, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), colitis, crone’s disease and celiac disease.  All these diseases affect your tummy and bowels.  We all have the occasional bout of constipation and/or diarrhea.  These days it seems like every fifth commercial deal with some type of intestinal ailment (and seemingly every third deals with erectile dysfunction… unless you’re watching sports – then it’s every other!  But I digress…). 

I am not a doctor, and what is listed here is simply for informational purposes only!!!!  But the main thing is… you need to be eliminating/voiding your bowels regularly.  There are many reasons why you may be constipated, including inadequate fluid intake/dehydration or amounts of fiber in your diet.  And while it usually isn’t serious, it can be very uncomfortable, and lead to problems if it is a prolonged problem.

Today I simply want to address two ways to have regular bowel movements – drink lots of water, and eat a healthy amount of fiber in your diet.  Again, I am not a doctor, and ALWAYS ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE CHANGING ANY DIETS OR STARTING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAMS!  But if you are finding that you aren’t voiding regularly, perhaps it could be something as simple as hydration and a higher fiber intake.  Below I have listed several website links that offer listings of high fiber foods, and additional information on today’s topic.  I highly recommend you read these articles just for your general information on health.  Wild women stay aware of health topics and their bodies!  The first link is to a Huffington Post article listing 16 great high-fiber foods, including some that might not immediate come to mind such as legumes, artichokes, avocados and chia seeds (of course, those suffering from diverticulitis have to stay far away from berries and seeds). 

Again, while it’s not something we talk about regularly (hi, how are you, how’s your bowels???), regular elimination is crucial to optimal health.  So exercise your right to be informed – it’s your duty… doody…whatever!  (Okay, I couldn’t resist.)

Blessings,









Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Tasty Tuesday

photo courtesty of www.thedailyhiit.com
OATMEAL STUFFED APPLE DELIGHTS

Here's an easy breezy sweetheart of a quick and easy recipe for baked apples.  It's that time of year!!! The recipe can be found at THE DAILY HIIT (click HERE for link). It was posted originally by Cristina De Francesco.

I can only imagine how good they must smell when baking - like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled up into one!  I can't wait to try them.

Nothing like a quick and easy little recipe to add to your mid-week meal!  Enjoy!

Blessings,
Coach Linda

*  *  *  *  *

Before we get baking I wanted to list the top 5 Health Benefits for Apples:


  • Apples aid in weightloss because they satisfy hunger thus maintaining your calorie intake low.
  • Apples are an immune boosting fruit, packed with Vitamins + full of soluble fiber aiding to healthy body & gut.
  • Apple eaters have a lower risk in death from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
  • Apples deliver an antioxidant called quercetin, which aids endurance when exercising by making oxygen more available to the lungs.
  • Healthy Bones thanks to the flavanoid called phloridzin found only in apples, this protects post-menopausal women and increases bone density.

Here’s the Recipe:

Ingredients for 2 Apples:

2 medium Apples
1/2 cup rolled Oats
1/4 cup chopped Walnuts (or any nut you like)
1 tsp. Coconut Oil (optional)
1-2 tbsp. Honey (depending on your sweet tooth)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ginger (ground)

Preheat the oven @ 350°F.

Core your apples using a knife and then finishing off with a spoon, don’t go all the way to the bottom because needs to hold your oats.

Mix all the ingredients together and stuff your apples. In a baking dish add 1/4 cup water, place your apples inside and cover with glass lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake for 10 minutes.   Enjoy!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Marvy MiniTip Monday


Oh you are gonna L-O-V-E this simply and easy tip how to burn over 600 EXTRA calories THIS WEEK!  

Ready?  Stand up!  No, no… you don’t have to do anything else, I’m not prepping you to do jumping jacks for an hour or run in place or anything.  That’s it!  Stand up!  Woman’s Health Magazine showed recent study results from a new study at the University of Chester in the U.K., and the study found that standing up while working burned an extra 0.7 calories per minute, or 42 calories per day based on standing for a minimum of three hours each day for a week. 630 calories just like that – BAZINGA!

They give ideas on ways to add standing minutes to your day:

  • Stand up while watching your favorite fall show.
  • Give up your seat on the bus or train.
  • Browse your iPad while standing up.
  • Grab a high-top table at a restaurant.
  • Eat breakfast standing at the kitchen counter.
  • Take phone calls standing up. And at home, walk around while talking.
  • Chop produce at home (while standing) instead of buying pre-cut veggies.
  • Stand up to do mundane chores (like paying bills/answering emails/etc.)

Recently I’ve been doing some research on sitting, and it ain’t good.  I’m not just talking about the reshaping of the booty, either, but it’s downright dangerous to your health to sit for extended periods of time and can actually cut years off your life.  I’m sooooo not kidding - check out these articles:





Seriously, wild ones, it’s time to shake that thang and get up off your booty and stand!!!  Here’s to burning 630 this week… on your feet!!!!

Blessings,