June 28, 2006 by erin.

Have you ever found yourself starving, out of groceries, no time to shop, and not wanting to go out to eat? My guess is that you have at some point. I found myself in that situation earlier this evening. I am committed to having healthy habits, and settling for greasy, salty fast food or take-out doesn’t fit into that plan. What do you do in this situation? My suggestion… sift through the frig and cupboards for things to throw together. Use your imagination and get creative. I’ll give you an example. This is what my husband and I had for dinner tonight; and, it was out-of-this-world. INGREDIENTS

• Left-over grilled chicken breast (12oz total weight)
• 1/2 box whole wheat penne pasta (6oz uncooked)
• 1 1/4 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 2tbsp capers
• 30g sun dried tomatoes (not in oil)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 3/4tbsp cornstarch
• 1tbsp sodium free chicken bullion powder
• A bunch of different sodium free spices: garlic powder, onion powder, crushed rosemary, dried basil (experiment with your favorite)
• I can’t believe it’s not butter, zero calorie buttery spray (1tbsp)
• 2 1/4 cups of water
• thin sliced green onion and 1/2 tsp grated parmesan (as a garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Heat a non-stick pan, spray with fat free cooking spray and add the bell pepper. Saute for about 2 minutes. Combine water, spices, wine, chicken bullion, buttery spray and cornstarch. Add mixture to pan. Add the pasta, capers and sun dried tomatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and add to pasta dish in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Divide into 2 portions, garnish with green onion and cheese and serve.

NUTRITION

If divided into two portions, this dish is 560 calories, 73 carbs, 6g fat per serving.

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June 20, 2006 by erin.

Being a runner myself, I can’t help but notice other runners’ form. Honestly, sometimes it’s so bad, I have to stop myself from offering advice. But, not wanting to be rude or seem like a know-it-all, I usually keep my thoughts to myself. For anyone seeking to improve their running form, I have a few tips. You may ask, “What do you mean by ‘form’ and why is it important?” Well… Just like your car’s tires have to be balanced and aligned for it to drive smoothly, efficiently, and without causing undue wear to your vehicle, your body has to be properly positioned to run without using too much energy or causing injury to self. I’ll describe to you the proper form in order to achieve maximum speed and distance with minimal effort.

1. Your body should be upright with your shoulders back and chest tall… Like your mom used to tell you…
2. This is very important… The way you hold and swing your arms… OK, pretend like you are holding a lipstick tube. You don’t want to clinch your fists or have your hands flopping around. Don’t carry your hands too high. If they are by your chest… they are too high! Ideally, your thumbs should brush by your hip bone. If you try this and it feels funny, just trust me, give it a week and you will see that it conserves energy and you will get comfortable with how it feels. When you swing your arms, don’t cross your body and drive your elbows straight back.
3. I frequently see runners gazing up at the sky. This is wrong. When you look up you compromise your airway making it more difficult to breathe. Your chin should actually be down a little; this will open the airway and allow you to take in full, deep breaths. You should also breathe every three strides. In…two…three…out…two…three. The rhythm of your breathing will greatly effect your stamina. Breathe too fast and you will hyperventilate… to slow and you will fatigue and gasp for oxygen.
4. Your feet should strike the ground mid-foot and roll up on your toes. If you run on your toes, you run the risk of shin splints; on the other hand, if you run on your heels you will never have a fast turn-over and therefore will not be able to run fast. Middle of the road (no pun intended) is the way to go. It will enable you to absorb shock effectively while allowing a reasonably fast turn-over.
5. You should have short, quick strides. Trying to bound 1/10 a mile with every stride takes too much energy and is just not effective. Short strides allow you to conserve energy and are friendly to the joints.

There you have it… Just a few tips to help you improve the quality of your run and reduce the risk of injury. Oh yea, one more thing… don’t forget to stretch. Stretching is critical, but that’s another story.

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June 14, 2006 by erin.

The mind is a powerful machine. What ever you focus on becomes your reality. Think about it, if you focus on how bad your head hurts then you will have a bad headache. In the same breath, if your pattern is interrupted and you end up focusing on something else… where did the headache go? The same principle applies in all areas of your life, fitness included. Let’s use exercise as an example. Lets say your goal is to gain an inch in your biceps so you are doing bicep curls. That’s the right exercise for your goal, but where is your mind? Are you thinking about where you have to be right after your workout? Are you jamming out to your Ipod and just going through the motions? Are you replaying your day in your head? If you’re not focused on the exercise, do you think you are getting the full benefit? How is your form? Are you contracting the muscles you want to work? How is your tempo? Are you using other muscles that don’t need to be involved in a bicep curl… ie. straining your neck, raising your elbows to work your shoulders, using your whole body to fling the weight up? Something to think about, huh? If you find that your mind drifts while you workout, I challenge you to really focus on what you are doing the next time you work out. Mind on the muscle you might say. I believe you will notice a big increase in your results. Remember, whatever you focus on, becomes your reality. So focus of the hot body you will have and how great it will make you feel to achieve your goals. Go for it!

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June 13, 2006 by erin.

Hello All! I am a personal fitness trainer on a mission! I want to spread knowledge of fitness and nutrition to the world. It is my desire to take massive action to make the world a fitter, happier place. Keep an eye on this spot for fitness and nutrition tips and recipes.

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