Oats--horses love them and so should you!

Here is a recommendation by Dr. Janet Brill - Fitness Together's very own nutritionist!

As you know, there are several different types of oat products out there on the market. The two kinds that you will most likely find on your supermarket shelf are “steel-cut” oats and different varieties of “rolled” oats.

Steel-cut oats (my personal favorite) are the least processed of the two varieties and so retain the greatest amount of nutrients—especially the cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber found in oats, namely beta-glucan. Because steel-cut oats are pretty much “right off the farm,” they do take much longer to cook than the rolled type, but it is well worth the extra time and effort for their superior flavor, texture and nutrient composition.

Rolled oats are what most Americans know as oatmeal and are often sold in familiar round cardboard containers. These oats have been steamed, dried, sliced and then flattened, producing the flat oatmeal shape that we have become accustomed to. There are actually three types of rolled oats: (1) old-fashioned, (2) quick-cooking, and (3) instant. The instant variety is the most processed of the three and has already been precooked—making it convenient to cook but unfortunately mushy in texture. In addition, the instant variety frequently has added sweeteners, salt and other flavorings. Your best bet is to choose the least processed type of oats such as the steel-cut or the old-fashioned varieties. If you need the time-saving convenience of instant, go for the plain instant packets and add your own sweetener—and also be sure to add a couple tablespoons of oat bran (the concentrated form of beta-glucan, much of which has been lost in the instant varieties).

Bottom line: eat oatmeal for breakfast, it's the best breakfast out there for your heart and your waistline!

Recipe: Oatmeal, Walnut, and Flaxseed Pancakes!

Yield: 12 pancakes (serving size: 2 pancakes)

Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh berries, a touch of warm Vermont maple syrup and whipped topping for a real Sunday morning treat.

Ingredients1 cup 100% whole wheat flour
½ cup old-fashioned oat flakes, ground
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¼ cups milk
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
Powdered sugar, optional
Pancake syrup, optional

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl to blend.
Separately combine milk maple syrup, and egg in another medium bowl.
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk just until incorporated.

Coat a large fry pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat pan over medium heat. Spoon in four circular pancakes about ¼ cup each. Cook until batter bubbles then flip with a spatula. Use more cooking spray when necessary. Remove from pan when golden brown in color. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar; add whipped topping and syrup to taste, garnish with fresh berries.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (2 pancakes):
Food weight: 2.5, Calories: 234, Fat: 16 g, Saturated fat: 0 g, Omega-3 ALA: 1.4 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 440 mg, Carbohydrate: 35 g, Dietary Fiber: 7 g, Sugars: 11 g, Protein: 9 g

Go Outside Your Comfort Zone

Open House Saturday 10/02/2010!

Join Fitness Together Cottonwood Heights as we celebrate our 3 year anniversary with food, fun, and prizes! The event is open to everyone, so go outside your comfort zone and come on by.

Convinced you “can’t” run a marathon, or sprint at level 10 on that treadmill? … Are you sure about that?

Even if you have a physical challenge or condition that limits you in some way, most of us also create false boundaries for ourselves — “no-can-do’s” that are only in our heads. And more and more studies are showing that the thing you think you can’t do just might be the one thing you MUST do to light a fire under your workout results.

Breaking through these false limits can also lead you to be more consistent about your workout regimen.

“Intensity is by far the most important factor affecting increases in, and maintenance of, cardio fitness,” notes Jeffrey M. Janot, PhD, technical editor of the IDEA Fitness Journal. “Although we do not know the exact level of intensity that provides optimal health and fitness benefits, we know the optimal range and that it is directly related to exercise program adherence. You may not enjoy an exercise program if you get sore or injured because the intensity is too high. On the other hand, you can grow bored with a program if intensity is below the optimal range and you aren’t improving.”

Why push your limits in your workout regimen?

The body is wired to adapt to routine. Once your body gets used to a routine of walking 2 miles a day, for example, you’ll likely see less or slower weight loss than when you first began that routine. Extensive research has shown that to keep seeing results from an exercise routine, it’s essential to continually include intervals of higher stress and demand on the muscles and cardiovascular system.

Many people work out only hard enough to maintain their existing weight and physique. Going outside your comfort zone includes adding some intense workout challenges to build muscle and get stronger, faster, leaner. That doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon or work out 6 hours a day to lose weight or reach your goals. The point is to keep adding new challenges and different ways of pushing past your limits for speed, distance, weight you can heft, etc.

Why don't more people go "outside the lines" with their workouts?

Challenging yourself is uncomfortable by nature. It’s normal to feel a sense of fear or angst when you think about pushing beyond the places where you usually stop, ease up, or take a break. Common fears include whether you can handle an intense “burn” in your muscles and not get injured; or feeling embarrassed about getting out of breath, or even sweating more than you’re used to.

Can a trainer help you break through that fear — without yelling at you?

Yes! A great personal fitness trainer should confidently instill in you the belief that you can do this.

“We know they can, even though you might not know it yet,” says Russ Yeager, owner of three Fitness Together studios north of Atlanta. “The empowerment our clients gain once they actually do it is awesome. We recently helped a client who at first could barely get through a workout and was very self-conscious. She’s now lost 50 pounds and did a 3.5 mile hike with a straight-up climb at the end!” You or your personal trainer can determine your optimal cardio exercise intensity range via a number of methods including percent of maximum heart rate, the “talk test,” or rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Whether you’re training for a triathlon, hitting a weight loss plateau or ready to give up on ever having toned upper arms, one-on-one training can help you go where your mind has never let you go before.

Article provided by Fitness Together Personal Training Franchise.

It's a Beautiful Day for a Strength Workout

As warmer temps invite you outside more for summer activities, you may think it’s a given that you’ll get more active and stay slimmer. But as you add cardio activities like biking, hiking, running or tennis, do you tend to slack off on strength training and figure it all evens out because you’re burning more calories?


Not so fast. Cardio alone isn’t enough for weight management or staying fit and healthy overall. Yet it’s so easy to let it slip, especially in the summer when you just want to get outside.

Stay on track this summer with the helpful tips in this Q&A with certified personal trainer and Owner Operator of 3 Oregon Fitness Together locations, Shelly Duncan. Q. Why is it so important to include strength training (not just cardio) in a workout routine?

We actually like to refer to strength training as resistance training because it brings many benefits beyond just building strength. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, improve your mobility for sports, or simply move better throughout the day, incorporating resistance training into your exercise routine will give you added benefit than just doing “cardio”.

Understand that I’m not talking about “bulking up”; resistance training is about keeping the muscles strong and toned, while adding lean muscle. And, as you may already know lean muscle burns more calories throughout the day than fat, another benefit of adding resistance training to your routine.

Regarding strength building, research has shown that resistance training, more so than just cardio, is one of the best ways to build lean muscle. Cardio can build some muscle, but resistance training is the most effective method. Resistance training also helps to support your joints – especially the shoulders, knees, and spine — by strengthening the muscles around those areas.

Q. Why is it so easy to neglect resistance training?

It’s the perception that it takes too much time. Many people think that this type of training needs to be done separately. The fact is you can get an incredibly great workout by incorporating strength training INTO your cardio routine.

Q. What are the best ways to integrate resistance training into a cardio regimen without adding a lot of time to my workout routine?

There are three ways to do cardio and resistance training in the same amount of time as a typical cardio workout. Some of these are just as easy to do outside as inside.

Full-body exercises/Compound Movements

Instead of doing just a squat or just a shoulder press incorporate the two into one efficient energy burning set. Take a set of dumbbells that you can shoulder press about 12-15 times. Stand straight with your feet about shoulder width apart. Bring the dumbbells to the shoulder press position (dumbbells level with your ears or higher) Begin to perform a squat keeping the weight on your heels. As you squat down extend your arms overhead. Your arms should be extended at the bottom of the squat. As you squat up the arms begin to bend back to the starting position. If you haven’t done this exercise before it might feel a bit awkward so try it with no weight.

Increase the number of repetitions/Decrease Rest time.

A couple ways to get the heart rate up during your resistance training is to do two or three times the number of repetitions you’d normally do in a single set — and/or perform multiple sets with shorter rest times between sets. This will cause your heart rate to be higher during that same period. One note is that if you are increasing your reps and/or decreasing your rest you may need to decrease the weight you use as well.

Intervals

Alternate 30 second to two minutes sets of high, low, and moderate intensity cardio with resistance exercises. For example, start with a brisk walk, then do some lunges, then sprint, then do pushups, then jog or do jumping jacks, then do crunches…in this type of workout routine it’s less important the exact reps or rest. Rather, the key is to keep moving!

Q. What are the benefits a hiring a trainer?

People get personal trainers because they’re not sure what to do. If you try an exercise you saw on TV, injure your back and can’t work out for two weeks, that’s not gaining you anything. A trainer can observe and evaluate whether you’re at an appropriate level of conditioning for higher intensity, higher impact activities, and design a program specifically for you.

And if you’re getting bored with your routine you’re probably not working out as hard or as often as you would like, a trainer is a great way to add newness that gets you excited about working out again.

Not seeing the results you want? Not sure if you have good form? Just need new inspiration? Ask Fitness Together about a personal training consultation including an assessment of your health and fitness condition today. We’ll match you with the best trainer for you based on your goals, priorities and preferences, and we’ll even map out a Nutrition Together nutrition plan customized for you to help you maximize the benefit of your workout program. Just find a Fitness Together near you today and set an appointment.

Consult a doctor before beginning any new fitness program.

3 Ways to Kick the Habit of Skipping Workouts

Trying to get into an exercise habit, but finding you’re more in the habit of making excuses? You can break out of that pattern with these tips from fitness experts on staying motivated and sticking to your fitness routine.

Our Fitness Together trainers and studio owners recommend these three strategies to help you stay inspired to work out regularly.

Keep your eye on the prize.
You must have a very strong “why” you are doing it. Always connect to that “why,” especially when things get tough or you get busy. If your goal is to get back into your favorite jeans, hang them on the outside of your closet where you’ll see them every morning when you wake up. For an extra nudge, pin up an old photo of yourself wearing them.
Or, if you’re working toward a health goal such as lowering your blood pressure or relieving chronic back pain, mark your improvements on a chart posted on the fridge. Or tape a photo on your bathroom mirror of someone who’s achieved a goal you’re striving toward. Think fit, healthy-looking people your age playing tennis, climbing a mountain, training for a triathlon, running a 5K, or skiing with their kids!

Schedule a consistent workout time.
Set a regular time that fits into your daily and weekly schedule, and prioritize it just like you would a meeting with your boss or a top client.
Think of it this way: Skipping out on your commitment to take good care of yourself means sooner or later you’ll start feeling depleted and run-down, with nothing left to give to those who count on you. Sticking to your fitness regimen not only helps keep you healthy, but also refills your well of physical and mental energy. So you’re more likely to be there and be “on” in your job, relationships, family and others who matter to you.

Use the power of a pro to keep you on track.
You’re much less likely to be a no-show for your workout when someone’s waiting for you at the gym, track, pool, court …. Agree on a time and place to work out with a trainer. When someone’s there, waiting, and holding you accountable to your exercise commitment, it’s a mighty motivator.
Scheduling sessions with a personal fitness trainer creates an especially powerful incentive to work out: You’ll feel a natural desire to make your trainer proud, and to respect the time commitment he or she blocked out to work with you. That’s powerful inspiration when you’re mulling whether to pull the sheets back over your head or pull on those gym shoes!

Article provided by Fitness Together Personal Training Franchise. At Fitness Together our approach to success is one client, one trainer, one goal.

Tips: Nutrition for Strength Training

Planning ahead is essential when eating for strength training. There are many nutritional components that help optimize your body to increase strength. The following sample menu from www.building-muscle101.com, is specifically designed to enhance your strength training.

Sample 2,500 calorie per day

Breakfast:
½ cup bran flakes
1 cup 1% milk
1 medium peach
1 whole wheat toast
1 tbsp peanut butter

Mid-Morning Meal:
½ cup strawberries
½ cup low fat yogurt
1 scoop (2oz) vanilla protein powder
1 cup 1% milk
½ cup orange juice

Lunch: Peach Chicken and Rice
2 oz skinless chicken breast
½ can sliced peaches
½ tsp of cornstarch
½ tsp peeled and grated ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water chestnuts
½ cup rice (uncooked)
½ cup snow peas
½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

Mid-Afternoon Meal:
3/4 cup 1% cottage cheese
½ can (4oz) can peaches- sliced
1 English muffin
1 tbsp peanut butter

Post-Workout Meal: Power Drink
1 scoop protein powder (2oz)
1 cup orange juice
1 medium banana
1 cup 1% milk
½ tbsp honey

Dinner: Chicken Teriyaki
4 oz skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1/3 tsp ginger
½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cup small broccoli florets
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup rice (cooked)

Vitality Through Fitness Plus Nutrition Tip of the Week

Fitness is an essential component to wellness, and it requires action on your part. No amount of vitamins will replace the nutritious benefits of eating whole, healthy foods and no amount of walking on a treadmill will replace the invigorating health benefits of being active in the great outdoors. If you want to be well, then you must act well. That means getting out and enjoying your life.

When many people think about fitness, they think about workout gear, going to the gym, and eating salads. However, that is a very limited approach. Fitness should be a part of your daily routine, not something you have to schedule in. Think about your daily routine for a moment. How many opportunities do you have to do something good for yourself in any given day, and how many times do you choose to do otherwise?

It is important, when making changes in your life, that you not berate yourself for your old behaviors, rather, praise yourself for your new habits. Let each awareness be an opportunity for you to create the desired shift in your life. Invite your friend to take a scenic walk with you instead of meeting at a coffee shop. Do an extra lap around the mall and park further away from the doors to turn your shopping trip into something more. Plan your vacations around hiking, biking, or other activities that get you outside. Even just doing yard work on the weekends is a great way to stay in shape- remember to stretch those muscles before you do anything strenuous!


Nutrition Tip of the Week from Dr. Janet Bond Brill:
Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Basil Parsley: You may not be able to find them at Scarborough Fair but you surely can get them at your local grocery store. Herbs and spices are absolute antioxidant powerhouses. I suggest you learn to love the spectacular taste that herbs and spices can bring to your dishes. Rosemary in particular is a culinary delight that research has shown contains more than two dozen antioxidants, and has also been implicated as a powerful disease-prevention agent. Perhaps whole-grain focaccia bread fresh out of the oven seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and roasted rosemary and complemented with a dark rich cabernet? Doesn’t get any better than that! 

Walk It Off

Looking for a way to stay in shape that's not so hard on your joints? Try walking. Walking improves aerobic fitness, increases the body's cardiovascular capacity, and your lung power. Walking is one of the safest workouts for your body, and is still effective enough to help you shed any unwanted pounds, or get started on your journey towards a healthy lifestyle.

Walking is more versatile than ever with the help of a treadmill. By using a treadmill in the secure environment of the gym, you can control and vary the pace, resistance, or incline - which allows you to gradually increase endurance as well as strength in your thighs, calves and glutes.

To get started, walk at a comfortable pace for 5-10 minutes. Start increasing your pace so that you are walking at a pace that brings your heart rate up to 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. This pace will feel fast, and you will start to breathe harder. At this point, you should not be able to carry on a regular conversation, but you should still be able to speak in short sentences. Walk at this pace for 30-50 minutes. If you are new to exercise, then start with 15 minutes, working your way up to 30 minutes within a few weeks.

You should follow this quick pace with a cool-down walk - at least 5 minutes, slowing back down to the easy pace. Gradually step down your cool off period. You can continue to walk at your easy pace for another 5 minutes.

Walking is a simple and easy way for many people to get the recommended level of exercise. Be sure to talk to your doctor before beginning any new fitness routine.

Recipe: Tropical Salad

Food weight: 3.5

IngredientsDressing:

•2 cloves of garlic
•1 tablespoon mayonnaise
•1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
•2 tablespoons water
•¼ teaspoon white pepper
•¼ cup balsamic vinegar
•1 teaspoon honey
•¾ cup olive oil

For the dressing: Mix all ingredients except canola oil in a food processor, slowly drizzle in oil, blending until smooth.

Yield: 4 servings

Salad:
•1 ripe avocado, sliced
•1 mango, cut into small chunks
•1 cup sliced strawberries
•1 cup baby spinach
•2 cups mixed greens
•½ cup toasted walnuts
•2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Directions
For the salad: Place greens in salad bowl; add avocado, mango, and strawberries. Place walnuts on aluminum foil sheet and toast for 3 minutes or until slightly browned. Add walnuts and cheese to salad. Add desired amount of salad dressing and toss. Would be excellent with some grilled chicken or grilled salmon!

Nutritional Information (¼ of salad recipe with ~ one tablespoon of dressing):
Food weight: 3.5, Calories: 339, Fat: 28 g, Cholesterol: 6 mg, Sodium: 74 mg,
Carbohydrate: 20 g, Dietary Fiber: 7 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 6 g

Recipe: Grilled Halibut with Mediterranean Salsa

Food Weight: 4.0
Ingredients Yield: 4 servings

Salsa:
1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped arugula
1 large shallot, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 medium lemon
1 can (15 ounces) Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 small jar capers (approximately 3 ounces), drained
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Fish:
4 (6-ounce) halibut steaks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lemon slices, for garnish

Directions
Combine all the salsa ingredients together in a bowl and mix. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Brush fish with olive oil (both sides); sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium high heat for 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Serve topped with salsa and garnished with fresh lemon slices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 halibut steak plus approximately ¾ cup salsa):
Food Weight: 4.0, Calories: 412, Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 54 mg, Sodium: 692 mg,
Carbohydrate: 16 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 40 g

Q & A: Avoiding Weight Gain Around The Holidays

Q: How do I avoid the 5-8lbs the average person gains during the holiday season?

With the holiday season right around the corner, it is time to get a handle on your weight and your body fat level before the feasting starts! If you are having trouble with your weight then you are not alone. Let’s start getting our weight under control now so we can enjoy the holidays and start teaching important lessons to our children so we can ensure that they will have a long and healthy life.

Follow these Four Rules of Fat Loss:

1. Increase your activity level.

Studies show that those participants whose activity levels remained high did not gain weight and some even lost weight during the holidays. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, take the kids to the park instead of watching TV, put down the Wii and go play the actual sport. Exercising with your kids is a great way to spend quality time and to teach them healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to skimp on your workout routine. If anything, step it up a notch as the holiday parties are much more fun when you are feeling good about the way you look!

2. Control your portions.

Of course you will want to enjoy the Halloween treats and Thanksgiving classics and you should. Just keep an eye on your portions. It’s not the plate of turkey and stuffing that is the problem, it is the second and third helpings that will end up on your waistline. If there is a particular Halloween candy that you just can’t resist, don’t buy a huge bag and keep it in the house. Buy treats that are not your favorites to give out and treat yourself to one or two of the ones that you like. On Thanksgiving if it’s the pumpkin pie you love, don’t stuff yourself with the crackers and cheese that you could eat anytime. Save your calories for the ones you really want.

3. Don’t starve yourself.

A big mistake though is to “save” your all of your daily calories for that one big meal later in the day. Never do that. Eat breakfast every day and some small snacks so you are not starving by the time dinner comes. If you starve all day you are setting yourself up for failure. Studies show over and over that those who skip breakfast and don’t snack end up overeating at dinner and are more likely to gain weight. It is important to keep your metabolism running high all day and you accomplish that with small meals eaten frequently throughout the day, even during holidays!

4. Start strength training tomorrow.

Strength training is the number one way to increase your metabolism. By adding lean muscle tissue your body will burn more calories every day, even at rest! The reason your metabolism slows as you get older is that you lose 1-2lbs of lean muscle per year. For every pound of muscle that you lose you will most likely add a pound of fat and lose a percentage of your metabolism. The good news is you can reverse this process with as little as 30 minutes of strength training performed 3x/week. Even better it will improve everything from your tennis game to your mood to the way you look in your bathing suit! It’s not about big muscles and bulk as strength training has come a long way in the past few years. Think more Michael Phelps and Dara Torres and less Arnold Schwarzenegger.

By following the Four Rules of Fat Loss you can minimize or eliminate holiday weight gain and get started on the track of long term weight control and fat loss and that means Happy Holidays for everyone!

Recipe: Walnut Crusted Salmon

Food Weight: 4.5

 

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 salmon filet)

 

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon filets (about 6 ounces each), preferably wild salmon
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ¾ cup walnuts
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Fresh lemon slices, for garnish

 

DirectionsPreheat oven to 450°F. Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add in the walnuts and process until walnuts are a fine consistency. Add in cilantro until mixture is thick and pasty. Drizzle in olive oil and process until blended. Place salmon on a foil-lined baking tray. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Spread the walnut mixture evenly over the fish. Bake salmon for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.

 

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 salmon filet):
Food Weight: 4.5, Calories: 456, Fat: 32 g, Cholesterol: 94 mg, Sodium: 658 mg,

Carbohydrate: 4 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 0 g, Protein: 37 g