Beat the Heat and Still Stay Skinni

Warmer, sunny days are finally here, but after exercising in cooler spring temps, hot and humid 100-degree days can feel overwhelming. Running, biking, hiking, even walking feels harder in the heat, so here are some tips to help you get through your summer workouts. 

• Be flexible about when you workout: Become obsessed with checking the weather, and find out when temps are going to be the coolest that day. Sometimes it's early in the morning, and sometimes late in the evening, so you'll need to rearrange your schedule to fit in exercise during the coolest time of day. A plus about morning workouts is many of your neighbors might be watering their lawns, so you can run through their sprinklers to stay even cooler.
• Invest in some wicking clothes: Lightweight, breathable, wicking clothes are a must. They'll pull moisture away from your skin, so you really do feel cooler.
• Slow down your pace: If you're set on getting in a 30-minute workout, move with less intensity or do intervals to avoid overheating. Remember it's OK to take breaks too.
• Head indoors: Now is a good time to take advantage of a monthly membership at an air-conditioned gym. Can't afford it? Burn calories by following along with fitness DVDs, jumping rope, running up and down your stairs, or doing strength training routines at home. If you need to get out, speed walk with the moms and grammas in the mall.
• Drink water all day, not just before or after your workout: Staying hydrated will help prevent some of the symptoms you may experience from exercising in heat such as dizziness, stomach cramps, and headaches. During your run, sip 2 to 4 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes.

YourSkinniMini:-)

How to Have a SkinniMini Vacation

Summer time is here and you know what that means all inclusive resorts, cruises, and lots food and fruity alcoholic beverages. Just because you are on vacation does not mean your fitness and nutrition stays at home. I don't know how many times I have heard, "I went on vacation and gained 8 lbs." We'll hell yeah, because your ass went on vacation without a plan and you forgot to pack fitness and nutrition. Duh!! For my birthday I set off for a self vacation to Punta Cana Dominican Republic. I stayed at the Punta Cana Princes, an all-inclusive resort. This was my first time at an all-inclusive resort. I must say it is the way to travel. Prior to leaving, everyone kept asking me the same questions over and over, “Are you going to workout, are you going to drink, are you going to indulge and eat food?" My answer to all three questions, a big fat YES! Here are a few Skinni rules that I always follow while on vacation.

Rule 1- Take your own snacks for the ride. This will keep you from stopping at convenience stores or vending machines for packaged foods, or having only plane-selected snacks. Trail mix, homemade granola, popcorn, pretzels, chopped raw vegetables, hummus and apples, plums and pears make great travel snacks. I packed an apple and raw mixed nuts.

Rule 2- Find a supermarket or farmer’s market as soon as you reach your destination. Pick up some fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pretzels and popcorn that can serve as snacks or a breakfast alternative during your stay. There was one in walking distance from my resort. It was my back-up plan if the resort food sucked, but it was yummy.

Rule 3- Fill up on healthy foods at the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet, especially if you are staying at a resort. Focus on getting plenty of fresh fruits, salads and greens, and whole grains such as oatmeal. At breakfast I added a few apples and bananas to my beach bag for mid-morning snack on the beach. I’ve already paid for it…why not.

Rule 4- Limit the alcoholic beverages, especially if you are staying at an all-inclusive resort. Just because it is all-inclusive does not mean you have to go ham. Remember alcohol has a lot of empty calories that can add weight to your belly area. My limit was 2 drinks per day, one early afternoon and one with dinner OR one with breakfast and one with dinner.

Rule 5- If you want to venture from the resort, seek out local restaurants that use local products. The less distance your food has traveled, the more nutrients it typically retains. Restaurants that pride themselves on local products often provide healthy options, such as meals focused on the use of local fruits and vegetables. These foods are usually prepared in a way that maintains their natural flavor, not covered in high-calorie, fatty sauces and toppings. My resort food was delicious and well prepared, so kept it “Casabe.”

Rule 6- Select fatty fish such as salmon, grilled meats, fresh salads, broth-based soups and wraps or sandwiches without sauces as your entrees, instead of deep-fried foods and entrees with heavy cream sauces. Enjoy the food the area is known for, such as grilled fishes from the sea or fruit desserts in a tropical destination. My favorite at Punta Cana Princess was the sautéed pumpkin with peppers and onions. Yum!

Rule 7- To splurge or not to splurge. What ever you do, choose your splurges wisely.  Consider your favorite things and enjoy them, but pass on the things you can easily get at home that add extra calories. For example, you can have a roll with any meal at home, but that gourmet tiramisu or the local rum can be harder to come by. For dinner, I chose chocolate moose cake, made with fresh chocolate from the island, instead of a dinner roll.

The best Skinni Rule of them all...sit back and enjoy your SkinniMini vacation!

5 Munchies For Men

Men are different from women in all kinds of ways, including their nutritional needs. Just as women need particular nutrients during pregnancy or for protection from breast cancer, men need nutrients that can help them maintain muscle mass, prevent prostate cancer, and more. Many foods that tend to be favorites among men are not the best choices for good health. But, a healthy diet and regular physical activity can help prevent heart disease and cancer. Here is a list of 5 foods men can add to their diet:

Oyster: A few oysters each day will deliver a full day’s supply of the antioxidant mineral zinc. Zinc is involved in hundreds of body processes, such as repairing cells.

Bananas: They are a great portable source of quick energy and are rich in potassium, which is needed to regulate nerves, heartbeat and, especially, blood pressure. Guys, devour one on the way to the gym.

Fatty Fish: These polyunsaturated fats are the preferred form of fats in your diet for many reasons. They can benefit the heart, circulation, and immune system and reduce the risk for prostate cancer.

Whole Grains: Most men get enough carbs in their diets, but they tend to be the wrong kind of carbs. A diet rich in whole grains provides fiber, vitamins, minerals, building muscles, and keeping waistlines small.

Red and Orange Vegetables: Men whose diets are high in nutrients found in vegetables like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium are less likely to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate.

Benefits of Vegetarianism

Americans are dying from diseases that are directly tied to their eating habits. A diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and soy is your best bet for living a longer, healthier and more enjoyable life. At the same time, you're doing the planet a huge favor by helping to preserve natural resources and cutting down on pollution generated by animal agriculture. Plus, you may appreciate your wonderful meals even more knowing that no animals suffered along the way. Here are 8 great benefits of being a vegetarian

•  Live a lot longer- Vegetarians live about seven years longer, and vegans (who eat no animal products) about 15 years longer than meat eaters.
• Save your heart- Heart disease is still the number one killer in the United States, and the Standard American diet (SAD) is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol from meat and dairy products. Heart disease is the number one killer in African American women. Today, the average American male eating a meat-based diet has a 50 percent chance of dying from heart disease. Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidant nutrients that protect the heart and its arteries.
• Reduce your risk of cancer- The National Cancer Institute says that women who eat meat every day are nearly 4 times more likely to get breast cancer than those who don't. A plant-based diet helps protect against prostate, colon and skin cancers.
• Be more regular- Eating a lot of vegetables necessarily means consuming fiber, which pushes waste out of the body. Meat contains no fiber. Vegetarians tend to have fewer incidences of diverticulitis, constipation, hemorrhoids and spastic colon.
• Keep your weight down. A diet high in saturated fats and processed foods and low in plant-based foods and complex carbohydrates is making us fat and killing us slowly. Vegetarians have an average of 45-60% less body fat than meat eaters.
• Save money. Meat accounts for 20% of Americans’ food spending. Eating vegetables, grains and fruits in place of the 200 pounds of beef, chicken and fish each non-vegetarian eats annually would cut individual food bills by an average of $4,000 a year.
• Your dinner plate will be full of color. Phytochemicals give fruits and vegetables their rich colors. Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables... carrots, oranges, sweet potatoes, mangoes, and pumpkins get their color from carotenoids. Leafy green vegetables get their green color from chlorophyll. Plums, cherries, and red bell peppers contain anthocyanins, which gives them a red blue and purple color. Cooking by color is a good way to ensure you are eating a variety of naturally occurring substances that boost immunity and prevent a range of illnesses.
• You’ll spare animals. Many vegetarians give up meat because of their concern for animals. Ten billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption each year. And, unlike the farms of the pass where animals roamed freely, today most animals are factory farmed. This means they are crammed into cages where they can barely move and fed a diet tainted with pesticides and antibiotics. These animals spend their entire lives in crates or stalls so small that they can’t turn around. Farmed animals are not protected from cruelty under the law. The majority of state anticruelty laws specifically exempt farm animals from basic humane protection.

It is almost effortless these days to find great-tasting vegetarian foods. Whether you are strolling the aisles of your local supermarket or walking down the street at lunchtime, vegetarian options are always available.  If you need inspiration in the kitchen, look no further than www.yourskinnimini.blogspot.com, your favorite bookstore or your local vegetarian community’s newsletter for great recipes. Most fast food and fast casual restaurants now include healthful and inventive salads, sandwiches and tofu on their menus. So rather than asking yourself why go vegetarian, the real question is: Why haven’t you gone vegetarian? I did it and so can you.

YourSkinniMini J

Eating Healthy on a Budget

When you’re on a tight budget, the thought of preparing tasty, healthy meals on a regular basis can seem stressful. Not only is it easy to get sucked in by colorful marketing labels; it’s also normal for most of us to fall into a mealtime rut, eating the same foods over and over. But you are in control of your kitchen. If you cook smart, you can enjoy first-class meals and savings. Here are a few tips that will leave more green in your pockets:

• Set aside regular blocks of time for planning meals, making your grocery list, and shopping.    

• Think about the time of day and the day of week you shop. Generally, the grocery     store is the least busy early in the morning and in the middle of the week.·     

• Become a coupon junkie.

•  Stock your fridge and cupboards with items that are quick and easy to cook… especially when they are on sale.

Beans and lentils

Brown rice

Brown pasta

Fresh fruits and veggies

Meats and fish

•   When cooking a big meal, make extra to freeze, or use later in the week for lunches or  quick dinners. Double recipes, then freeze half.

•  Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper; you can freeze perishable items (such as meat, milk, and even bread) in smaller portions to use as needed. It’s always a good idea to buy non-perishable items in bulk (canned foods, dried beans and grains).

• Add extra vegetables and beans to make the meal go further.

•  Limit your dining out, especially when it comes to fast food, since you’ll find yourself spending unnecessarily on items that are high in fat, salt, and calories, which short-change you in the nutrition department.

• Toss snacks in your bag before heading out (nuts, fruit, protein bar, low fat string cheese).

•   Eat before leaving home.

There’s no magic formula to eating healthy on a budget. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, and work. But if you think of the rewards… better health and more money, you’ll find it’s worth the effort.

Live Clean

YourSkinniMini

Stretching...Why is it Important?

Many people skip stretching their muscles before exercise, not understanding the importance. Some figure their muscles will be heated up soon enough as they work out, so why do they need to bother with warming up with muscle stretches first? Many of those who do not warm up before exercising would not even think about there being a need to stretch muscles after exercising, which is often called cooling down. They went "balls to the walls" during their workout and now they just want to drag themselves out of the gym before the pain of such a strenuous workout of the muscles takes over.

Is there really good reasoning for all of the endorsements of pre and post exercise muscle stretching?  Stretching your muscles before and after an exercise session, will actually result in your body feeling less tortured as it is moved and pushed in ways it is not used to because of some peoples previously sedentary habits. Whether you are just starting out or you are a fitness buff, stretching your muscles is important.

Taking a few minutes to stretch and warm up your muscles before beginning exercise releases a lubricating substance from the cartilage within the joints, which aids the fluid motion of muscles and also keeps bones from scraping against one another at connection points in the body. Lubricated and fluid moving muscles have more flexibility which reduces your chances of injuring them. Helping your muscles to become more flexible by stretching is not only beneficial for preventing injury during exercising, flexible muscles are able to distribute strength which helps you in doing a variety of physical activities with more balance, using less energy, especially while lifting and bending.

During an exercise routine you tense and stretch muscles. Tensing and stretching muscles strengthens them and increases the mass of muscles. The circulation of blood throughout the body is also increased by stretching your muscles. One part of the brain relays a message to another part of the brain which is responsible for allowing us to experience physical responses. 

 After a good workout muscles and joints are tight, stiff and become sore a few hours later if you do not take a few minutes to cool them down with some post exercise stretching. This is opposite from warming up muscles and joints before exercising by slowly increasing the intensity and number of stretches. Instead you want to slow things down and gently stretch to relieve the tightness in muscles and joints that have built up during your workout. One note you should keep in mind about post exercise stretching is that you should not do this if you strained or sprained a muscle while exercising, as this can exasperate the injury. 

 Stretching muscle groups such as the neck, shoulders, back, hips, thighs and calves for at least thirty seconds each pre and post exercising, usually gets the job done. You can stretch them for longer if they still feel extra tight. So consider the benefits of stretching before skipping it in the future.

Is Your Protein Bar Measuring Up

You walk into your local grocery or convenience store and inevitably stumble upon a plethora of protien bars. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the cluster of health claims, you quickly buy an eye-catching bar with an appealing flavor. But did you really get the best bar to suit your needs?

Before making a purchase, think about why you are eating that bar... additional protein, a handy snack, a post-workout meal? Do you feel that because you are dieting, exercising, or focusing on your health that energy bars are a must? Whatever your reasoning, remember that energy bars are not a necessary part of a healthy, balanced diet. Before you buy, remember these pros and cons:

Pros
There are a lot of reasons why energy bars are so popular. In general, energy bars:

• Can help meet your energy (calorie) needs
• Can help meet your nutritional needs, especially if you need help getting calcium, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, folic acid, protein or fiber
• Are portable, convenient and pre-packaged
• Have a long shelf life and don't require refrigeration

Cons
Consider these downsides:

• Excessive nutrients. Energy bars can contribute to an excessive intake of nutrients, especially if you are eating more than one bar daily, take a multivitamin supplement, and eat other fortified (enriched) foods and beverages. The dangers of over-supplementation includes: intestinal discomforts (diarrhea and constipation) to liver disease, nerve damage or even death.
• Excessive calories. Energy bars may contribute to a high caloric intake, which can lead to weight gain.
• Cost. At $1.00 to $2.00 a bar, this convenience food can quickly become a major expense on your grocery bill.
• Lack of data. There is very little research to support the actual need for energy bars. They are not a magical food and should not be used as a constant replacement for whole foods in your diet.
• Processing. Energy bars are a highly processed food, whereas whole, unprocessed foods should be the staples of a healthy diet.
• Additives. Some energy bars contain additional herbal ingredients. There is no data to show that any of these herbs are effective. Herbs have no standards regarding potency or safety, and many result dangerous allergic and drug interactions.

To make sure the next bar you eat isn't just a glorified candy bar, use the following checklist, based on your needs... meal replacement, afternoon snack, or workout fuel. And above all, enjoy your energy bar! Find a flavor and consistency that you like. Make sure that your body tolerates the energy bar with no intestinal discomforts, especially if you plan to use the bar prior to an athletic event.

Meal Replacement Bars

When lunch is out of reach, an energy bar can be used on occasion. Adding a piece of fruit, some raw veggies, and a serving of yogurt or milk can help round out this quick, on-the-go meal. Meal replacement bars should range from 200-300 calories, 2-5 grams of fiber, less than 20 grams of sugar, 20-30 grams of CHO and 15-20 grams of protein. Examples: Balance Trail Bars, Clif Builder's Bar's

Afternoon Snack Bars

For your afternoon snack, be aware that many energy bars have the same calories as a candy bars. If you are watching your calories or trying to lose weight, it can be difficult to find a low-calorie bar. Eating half of an energy bar or choosing another type of snack might be a better idea for waist-watchers. For individuals who aren't looking to lose weight, energy bars are still better choices than candy bars because they contain added nutritional benefits. An afternoon snack bar should range from 150-200 calories, 1-1.5 grams of fiber, less than 15 grams of sugar, 15-30 gram of CHO and 7-15 grams of protein. Examples: Power Bars, Luna Bars, and Zoe's Bar.

Workout Fuel 

Before hitting the gym or starting a long run, your body needs carbohydrates. It is best to avoid protein, fat, fiber and sugar alcohols, all of which can delay the emptying time of the stomach and slow digestion, causing cramps and sluggish energy levels. Energy bars are usually too high in protein, fat, fiber, and possibly sugar alcohols to be used for pre-exercise nourishment. Instead, try another carbohydrate-rich food.

During your workout, energy bars are not an appropriate refueling choice because aerobic and high-intensity exercises require blood flow to the muscles, not to the stomach for the digestion of foods. After exercising for more than 60-90 minutes, drink a lot of water to rehydrate.

After your exercise session, your body needs mostly carbohydrates (to replenish glycogen stores in the muscles), some protein (to help repair damaged muscle tissue), and a little fat (for cellular repair). Eating a "real" and complete meal is your best bet. But if you cannot eat a meal within two hours of working out, then an energy bar paired with a glass of water and a piece of fruit is a good option. Look for a meal replacement bar (see examples above) with at least 30 grams of carbohydrate, 10 grams (or more) of protein, and 5-10 gram of fat. 

Taking the facts given, does your bar measure up?

Natasha Jones, BSN RN NC

YourSkinnMini:-)