Community Blog
by April Laughlin and the TLS Team
It is almost that time of year when we break out the bathing suits. Mortified by the thought of yourself in your suit? I think a good amount of us are. Don’t fret; we are going to share the best foods you can munch on while you laze around on vacation this season. Lighten up your summer diet and look your best by eating the best.
Low/no cal beverages
We all love those crisp sodas, smoothies and frozen margaritas during the warm months, but they do not help out our waist lines. Drinks as much water as you can—it will keep you hydrated, refreshed, and not add any unnecessary sugar into your diet. If you want a drink to relax yourself, go for a drink on the rocks with some seltzer water; that way, you won’t guzzle your drink as you would a sugary, fruity cocktail. If you still want the fresh taste of a summer drink, try cutting up some fresh cucumbers or herbs of your choice to add a little flavor. Mint, lavander and cardamom make for some pretty delicious flavor infusors!
Salads
Salads are light, quick, healthy meals that you can’t go wrong with. No recipe is required; just toss in your favorite fruits, veggies, a few nuts and a light vinaigrette dressing. If you like to add some meat in your salad, think of it as a garnish to the greens—don’t overdo it.
Courtesy of http://www.culinary.net
Chilled, broth-based soups
The coolness of the soup will keep you refreshed during the hot months. Load up your soup with chunky veggies and eat as a meal or a starter. If you have as an appetizer of sorts, you won’t eat as much of your meal as you normally would have.
Grilled/Raw Veggies
Grilled veggies are a must have in the summer time. They go great with just about any dish and are healthy fillers for your meals or snacks. You can use them for a salad of throw them on pita for a yummy lunch. Raw veggies are great to munch on if you need something to tide you over.
Courtesy of http://chefmom.sheknows.com
Watermelon
I don’t know about you guys, but I always think of watermelon in the summertime—and usually don’t eat much of it unless it is summer! Light, juicy, crisp, fresh—mmm this is a perfect sweet treat to keep you cool.
Courtesy of http://www.visualphotos.com
Fruit-based Desserts
Since our craving for sweets don’t take a summer vacation, go for the fruity desserts this season instead of the chocolate cake. Opt for the naturally sweet desserts!
What’s your favorite summertime food?
We all know that we NEED to work out, but who has the time to go to the gym regularly? Yeah yeah, if we really wanted to work out, we would MAKE time to do so, but what if we don’t want to pay for a gym membership or equipment for the house? Well, let me tell you, there are certainly things you can do at home without any equipment.
Courtesy of http://blog.fitnesstown.ca
Taking time to work out at home
If you have the time to dedicate about 30 minutes to an hour a day to working out at home, there are multiple exercises that will help you burn calories! Also, blasting your favorite music or watching TV while doing these will help exercising become more enjoyable for you. Here are some common ideas:
- Walking—the weather is very nice this time of year. Grab a friend or your partner and take a walk around the neighborhood or park and enjoy the scenery J
- Pushups—while they are hard to do for some people, you can always do them on your knees or do them against the wall to work on arm strength
- Jumping Jacks—not only do they remind you of your childhood, but they are also a great cardio exercise
- Crunches—crunches are good for working on those abdominal muscles. If you can’t get your head all the way up, no worries, try lifting your head and legs at the same time until they come together
- Stair stepping—if you have stairs, tread up and down them a few times
- Squats—these are great for the legs and glutes. If you want to take it a step further, lift up one leg and rest it on a chair or couch and continue to do squats, that will focus more on one leg at a time
Courtesy of webmd.com
Exercise as you do household activities
Now for those of us who don’t have time to set aside specified time for working out, work out as you do housework! Yes, it’s very possible and will help the housework fly by as you are working on your body.
- This first one is for the ladies, sorry fellas. As you are drying your hair, stand with your toes and knees pointed outward (like a ballet stance) then squat straight down and squeeze your thighs and buttocks as you come back up
- As you do any cleaning, again play some music and dance around as you clean—I think that is about as fun as cleaning can get
- Work your calves as you do the dishes. As you put dishes away, rise up on your toes and hold for a few seconds. Do this with as many dishes as your calves can take, eventually you can do it until you put up all the dishes
- Work on your arms/triceps as you with your shampoo bottle in the shower. Raise hands with shampoo in grip and lower it behind your head until your elbows are pointing toward the ceiling. This can do done with canned good as well while putting up groceries.
I cannot think of many who are fans of doing housework, but by multi-tasking and/or making it fun, you will enjoy it much more!
How do you exercise around the house without workout machines? Comment
Restaurant dining is one of the finest pleasures available. Even for those who do like to cook, enjoying the culinary mastery of somebody else is often refreshing. Here are some tips to help you eat Low-GI when you are eating out:
1) Stay away from buns or sandwiches. Just taking the bread off of a grilled chicken sandwich can save your blood sugar from spiking. Instead, treat yourself to lots of healthy toppings and protein-rich foods like lean meat or fish. Vegetable dishes are also a good way to go!
2) Avoid potatoes. Yes, potatoes and french fries are America's favorite side, but white potatoes are incredibly starchy and typically loaded with added oils or fats when cooked.
3) Stay away from chips or bread as appetizers. Lots of restaurants do it. They bring out bread and biscuts with butter, or chips with salsa or ranch dressing so you can graze before your meal gets there. Don't do it. Instead, check for vegetable options, like carrots or celery. Even appetizers like fresh spring rolls make excellent substitutes to "filler" foods.
4) Fill up with a brothy soup before your meal. Instead of letting yourself get too ravenous, ordering a broth-based soup can help you fill your stomach while you wait.
5) Order a salad or side salad before your meal. Eating a bowl of salad, however small, can help you ward off High-GI alternatives as you wait for your meal.
Only last month, McDonald's removed "granulated beef" (better known as "pink slime") from its own menu because it was recieving bad press. When the leading fast food franchise in the world decides something is too unhealthy for people to consume, you know it's pretty awful.Today, the FDA announced a series of voluntary measures urging farmers to limit the use of antibiotics in healthy livestock and farm animals. This decision had everything to do with the concerns of growing drug resistance in humans.
"Under this new voluntary initiative, certain antibiotics would not be used for so-called 'production' purposes, such as to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency in an animal," the Food and Drug Administration announced.
For many, this comes as a huge relief, as the chemicals and hormones being put in our food are hardly going unnoticed. For strains of bacteria that affect humans and livestock, namely ecoli and salmonella poisoning, we often rely on antibiotics to cure us when our immune systems cannot protect us. As scientists release new waves of medications and vaccines to treat humans, many are finding these new formulations just aren't working. Antibiotics leave behind resistant microbes in meat and milk that we as consumers ingest. When we get sick, the bacteria have already adapted to our latest antibiotics used to protect and treat livestock. The PEW Charitable Trust campaign reports that 70% of US antibiotics are going to livestock who aren't even sick.
However, this places the responsibility back on us as consumers. Part of being healthy is to be aware of what we are putting in our bodies. Until the FDA learns more about the long-term effects of antibiotics in livestock, the practice will still be legal and exceptionally lucrative for many meat and dairy farmers. Choosing organic meat may be more expensive, but in the long run, it just might make a life-saving difference.
Are you concerned about the risks of antibiotic-treated livestock? Tell us what you think:
Stress often gets a bad rep, but it's the force that drives us and motivates us to get things done. Even your body gets stronger when stress is applied in moderation; resistance helps you build muscle and get in shape. However, when the stress in your life is unbalanced, it can have some nasty consequences on your mind and body. When your body experiences stress, your adrenal system secretes adrenaline and other chemicals that prepare your body for "flight or fight", which can be incredibly taxing.
Here are a few tips to help you keep your stress levels in check:
Breathing Meditation
No matter where you are, you can try to breathing meditation, whether you're at work or sitting in traffic. The key is to breathe in slowly from your abdomen and fill your lungs with as much oxygen as possible. Breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. The more oxygen your body gets, the less tense, anxious, or out of breath you'll feel. It's quite literally the opposite of hyperventilating- give it a try!
Vigorous Exercise
As counterintuitive as it may seem, exercise is a great outlet for stress, mentally and physically. Exercise releases endorphins, which promote a sense of wellbeing and happiness. It also helps distract the mind from stressful situations as your body requires more attention to the tasks you are preforming. Exercise also helps promote self esteem and helps you feel more proactive!
Yoga
Yoga is a fantastic outlet for stress- In Sanskrit, it means "to yoke" the spirit, the body, and the mind. Not only does it incorporate breathing meditation and low-impact exercise, but also stretching. This can help you increase your range of motion, agility, and reduce stiffness.
How do you handle stress?
