Fitness Friday

What's one thing you can do lower your stress levels? Believe it or not, EAT BREAKFAST!!! A hormone, cortisol, is at it's highest in the morning. This hormone contributes to stress. When we eat first thing in the morning cortisol decreases and we feel less stressed out for the rest of the day. Not to mention eating breakfast will increase your metabolism because it immediately fires it up first thing in the morning and keeps it higher for the rest of the day. Plus breakfast foods are delicious! So do something good for yourself and grab a great breakfast in the morning.

Fitness Friday - Do Sugar Substitutes Make You Fat?

Quick Quiz: True or False

If you're trying to slim down, you should switch from sugar to an artificial sweetener.





Did you say false? You're right!

According to early studies, the fake stuff could actually lead to overeating. You may not be able to tell a difference but your body can. In a study, lab animals fed saccharin-sweetened yogurt consumed more calories (and packed on more pounds) than the animals that ate the treat with real sugar added. Like humans, animals are conditioned to expect lots of calories from sweet-tasting foods. But it seems that no-calorie substitutes may put the brain and the body at odds. The brain says, "Mmm, sweet and satisfying," but the body says, "I need more." And we know there are already human studies linking diet soda to excess weight. (Here's another reason diet soda may be bad for you.)

So when you want something sweet . . .try one of these ideas:
Pile on the berries. These naturally sweet treats are good on cereal, in yogurt, or by themselves in a bowl. And they're chock-full of fiber.
Think quality, not quantity. A few nibbles of the richest dark chocolate can be more satisfying than a pound of cheap milk chocolate.

A Super Safe and Natural Appetite Suppresant

Fitness Friday!!

It burns fat, fends off disease, strengthens our bones, and improves our mood -- and now studies suggest it may even suppress our appetites. What's this miracle of modern medicine? Actually, it's pretty old-school. It's exercise. Although the jury's still out, new research suggests it may inhibit people’s munching.

Overweight people in a study actually ate less and dropped some body fat after 3 months of regular workouts on either a treadmill or a bicycle.

Researchers suspect there may be something chemical about exercise that helps increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a blood protein known to curb appetite. The higher the BDNF, the fewer calories the study participants consumed, and the more weight they lost.

Just another excuse to workout!

Fitness Friday - 8 Slimming Foods (Part 2)

How are you doing adding the first four super foods to your meals? Here's four more that are just as delicious.

5. Blueberries: Host to more antioxidants than any other North American fruit, blueberries help prevent cancer, diabetes, and age-related memory changes. Studies show that blueberries, which are rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, also boost cardiovascular health. FIT IT IN: Mix fresh blueberries into plain yogurt; blend with ice, yogurt, banana, and OJ for a 60-second smoothie; toss with baby spinach, red onions, feta cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette for a summer salad.

6. Black Beans: All beans are good for your heart, but none can boost your brain power like black beans. That’s because they’re full of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that have been shown to improve brain function. A daily half-cup serving provides 8 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber, and is low in calories and free of saturated fat. FIT IT IN: Wrap black beans in a breakfast burrito; use both black beans and kidney beans in your chili; puree 1 cup black beans with 2 Tbsp olive oil and roasted garlic for a healthy dip.

7. Walnuts: Richer in heart-healthy omega-3s than salmon, loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken, the walnut just needs a cape and we could call it a superhero. Other nuts combine only one or two of these features, not all three. A serving of walnuts — about 1 ounce, or seven nuts — is good anytime, but especially as a postworkout recovery snack. FIT IT IN: Sprinkle on top of salads; chop and add to pancake batter; mix 1 cup walnuts with a half cup dried blueberries and a quarter cup of dark chocolate chunks.

8. Oats: They are packed with soluble fiber, which lowers the risk of heart disease. Because oats have 10 grams of protein per half-cup serving, they deliver steady muscle-friendly energy. FIT IT IN: Eat granolas and cereals that have a fiber content of at least 5 grams per serving; steel cut oats make a wonderful filling breakfast.

The truth is you are what you eat. So eat the best you can to be the best you can.

Fitness Friday - 8 Slimming Foods (Part I)

These foods are packed full of disease-fighting, life-extending nutrients plus they will also help keep your tummy full, because they’re loaded with fiber and protein, the sultans of satiety. Find a way to work these potent super foods into your life every day, and you’ll curb cravings before they hit. The result? Well, it could mean saving 600 calories or more a day. Couple that with 30 minutes of moderate exercise, and you can shed as many as 12 pounds in six weeks! Now if that isn't motivation, what is?


1. Spinach: It may be green and leafy, but spinach is no nutritional wallflower. Popeye's muscle-builder is a rich source of plant-based omega-3s and folate, which help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. FIT IT IN: Make your salads with baby spinach; add spinach to scrambled eggs; drape it over pizza; mix it with marinara sauce and then microwave for an instant dip.

2. Yogurt: This 2,000-year-old food’s health benefits are many. Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of reinforcements for the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body. That helps boost your immune system, provides protection against cancer, and even does duty as a cavity-fighter. Not all yogurts are created equal, though, so make sure the label says “live and active cultures.” And watch out for high-fructose corn syrup. I've found good yogurt without all the sugars at Sprouts. FIT IT IN: Yogurt topped with blueberries, walnuts, flaxseed, and honey is the ultimate breakfast — or dessert. Plain low-fat yogurt is also a perfect base for creamy salad dressings and dips.


3. Tomatoes: There are two things you need to know about tomatoes: Red are the best, because they’re packed with more of the antioxidant lycopene, and processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones, because it’s easier for the body to absorb the lycopene. Studies show that a diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, breast, skin, and stomach cancers, as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
FIT IT IN: Dress sliced tomatoes with torn basil and olive oil; roast cherry tomatoes and serve over grilled fish or chicken.

4. Carrots: Most red, yellow, or orange vegetables and fruits are spiked with carotenoids — fat-soluble compounds that are associated with a reduction in a wide range of cancers, as well as a reduced risk and severity of inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis — but none of them is as easy to prepare, or have as low a caloric density, as carrots do. Aim for a half cup a day. FIT IT IN: Snack on baby carrots; grate raw carrots into salad; toss a carrot into a breakfast smoothie with frozen mango and OJ; roast carrot chunks with olive oil, salt and cumin.


I try to keep the Fitness Friday posts relatively short so experiment and try to eat more of these four super foods and look for the other four next week.

Fitness Friday - Cilantro

I thought this article that I found here would be appropriate for today's Fitness Friday since we are in Mexico and aren't there samonella outbreaks all over at home?

Any fan of Mexican food is familiar with cilantro. But here’s something you may not know about it: The pungent green could fend off gut-cramping illness. Potent compounds in cilantro appear to be quite a match against a strain of salmonella common in food poisoning.

When salmonella invades your gastrointestinal tract . . . well, we won’t go into graphic detail. Suffice it to say that it can quickly spoil a summer outing! But chopping some cilantro into your pool-party salsa just might keep the dip safer, thanks to the strong antibacterial action of substances in the green. And add extra onions to your salsa for good measure. They help battle salmonella, too.

At Home Workout

Happy 4th of JULY!!! Hope you all had a great Independence Day. Wish I could be there to join in the celebrating of our wonderful country.

As you know, I'm here in Mexico where you would think things would be cheaper, right? WRONG!! The gym here is $150 per month plus $8/hr for child care. I would be paying $300+, and that's U.S. dollars not pesos, just to hit the gym. So I've had to get creative with my workouts. I thought I would at least have a big ball here to work with but AJ took a knife to the ball in the first hour that we were here. Ball died. So all I have is a band and maybe I'll get a ball later after I hide the knife. But for now I'm doing exercises you can do at home with no equipment. And I thought I would pass these exercises on to you too. I tried to incorporate a whole body workout by hitting all the major mucsle groups.

The Exercises

Push-Up (chest/shoulders)
Start by laying on the floor face down. Put you hands on the floor horizontal with you chest, keeping your body in a STRAIGHT line push your body into the air.

Variations: To make it easier drop to your knees. To target different aspects of the chest and shoulders vary your hand spacing, closer together or farther apart. To intensify add weight, maybe let one of you kids sit on your back. Mine love this kind of ride.

Hand Stand Push-Ups (deltoids - shoulders)
For this exercise stand on hands and place feet against a wall. Next perform a push-up motion. I'm not very good at this one yet. I use a corner putting one foot on each side of the wall helps to stable me. A couple of books, to place hands on, will increase the range of motion when you get really good.
Front Raises (delts - shoulders)
For this exercise you need a child (or something else with weight). Hold you baby straight out in front of you. Slowly lower and lift keeping your arms straight.





Dips (triceps - the flabby part on the back of your arm)
Using two chairs facing eachother about two - three feet apart. Sit on one chair facing the other chair. Put your feet on the chair you're facing. Now place your hands on the edge of the chair you're sitting on. Lift yourself off the chair and in front of the chair you were sitting on. Bending at the elbows lower yourself down until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Then push yourself back to starting postition.

Variations: To make it easier put your feet on the floor. To add intensity, use weight on your legs. A child works well for this one too.

Crunches (abdominal region; lower and upper)
This exercise can be done with the feet raised or tucked under a bed or up against a wall. The key is to keep the tension on the abbs throughout the entire range of motion. 100 reps is a good target.

Free Standing Squats (glutes/quadriceps/hamstrings - butt and legs)
Free standing squats can be done with the arms folded across the chest. Definitely go below parallel as the lack of weight will enable this, provided correct squatting form is used. Since squatting is probably the number one exercise of them all, it should always be included when is unable to train in the gym. Aim for a lot of repetitions (100+).

Variation: To add intensity stand upright and keep hands to the side. Raise heels off the ground during descent, and touch backside to calves. Then, explode up. Or use weight like one of your kids on your shoulders.

Plie Squat Calf Raises (Glutes/Legs/Calves)
Hold onto a chair for balance, and position your feet wide apart, knees tracking over turned out toes. Keeping your knees pressed back and open, with heels flat on the floor, lower into a wide squat as far down as possible, without allowing your torso to rock forward (keep chest lifted). Holding that low position, lift up onto your toes as high as possible, hold, then lower heels, and press back up to a standing position. That’s one rep.



Variations: Place a loaded backpack or child on your back to add resistance as you get stronger.

Lunges (glutes/quads/hamstrings - butt and legs)
Stand in a split stance, with feet about 3 feet apart. You want both knees to be at about 90-degree angles at the bottom of the movement, so adjust accordingly. Bend the knees and lower the back knee towards the floor, keeping the front heel down and the knee directly over the center of the foot. Keep the torso straight and abs in as you push through the front heel and back to starting position. Don't lock the knees at the top of the movement.

Variations: There are a lot of different ways to do lunges. You can do a simple lunge like this one or step into the lunge or do a walking lunge or kick up your back leg. The key is to find one that you like.

Step ups (glutes - butt)
One of my favorites! It's a very basic but very effective exercise. Use a small bench or a chair or even stairs if you have them. Starting with both feet on the ground step one foot on the step then push up so both feet are on the step. Return to starting position and repeat on the other side.

Try it out. Turn up the music. Let the kids join in and have fun!

Is Soda bad for your bones?

I've heard that carbonated drinks may harm your bones by taking calcium out and leaving them weak and brittle. So I looked around a little to see if it was true or not. And here's what I came up with.

3 reasons to think before you drink:

1. There’s research that links drinking certain types of soda with weaker bones—but carbonation doesn’t seem to be the problem.

2. Nutrition experts once believed caffeine could be the culprit. In a 2001 study out of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, people lost measurable amounts of calcium after drinking caffeinated sodas. Drinking decaffeinated sodas didn’t appear to have the same effect. As it turned out, though, people tended to make up for the losses by excreting less calcium later in the day.

3. But another study, reported in 2006 by researchers at Tufts University in Boston, suggests that colas, specifically, might be problematic. Among the 1,413 women whose dietary records and bone-density scans they reviewed, those who drank a diet or regular cola at least three times a week over five years had significantly lower bone densities than those who sipped cola once a month or less. No such effect occurred with other carbonated drinks, even after researchers factored in intake of calcium from foods. The likely cause? Phosphoric acid, which is unique to colas. When the body breaks down phosphoric acid, the acidity of the blood increases. To neutralize acidity, hydrogen ions bind with minerals, including calcium and magnesium. If they’re not available in the blood the body will take calcium from your bones.

My conclusion: Soda's not really for me. It looks like the carbonation is probably okay buy why chance it. Other than the occasional rootbeer float I think I'll stick to water.

Fitness Friday - Rosemary

Whether you steep it, saute it, or soak it, oh-so-savory rosemary can elevate both your culinary skills and your health. Why? Because the fragrant needle-leaved herb is showing early promise as a cancer killer. More studies are needed to confirm the effects, but in cell studies, rosemary extract has given both breast cancer and leukemia cells a real fight. That's good news about an herb we already know is chock-full of antioxidants, those free-radical killers that help protect you from cell-level damage.

Ways to Get More Rosemary into Your Life

1. Stick a fresh sprig in your lemonade.

2. Add chopped rosemary to your fresh salads.

3. Use fresh or dried rosemary in marinades for meats or vegetables (olive oil, fresh or dried rosemary, and soy sauce make a nice, simple one).

Thanks Janalyn, for the rosemary plants. We can't wait to get back home to use them.

Fitness Friday - How long do you want to live?

Is it really possible for anyone to live happily to 100? Quality of life is just as important as quantity. Here are five things you can do to increase your life span potential and quality of life.


Top 5 Daily Habits for Your Longevity


1. Eat five small meals a day or at least go easy on your three meals and make sure you include good snacks. When you eat smaller portions five times a day, you deliver a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day. Additionally, eating this way is less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems and also reduces your risk of heart disease.

2. Climb the stairs instead of using elevators. Regular exercise can help promote physiological well-being, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - and the list goes on. Look for opportunities all through your day to work in physical activity. Power-walk, run, or ride your bike instead of driving. There are so many things you can do it you just look for the opportunities.

3. Laugh it up! We know from research that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being, in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water every day. Water is essential for all healthy body functions. Centenarians (people who have lived to a 100 or more) from around the globe cite their native water as the source of their health and longevity - and the scientists agree with them. What they all have in common is pure water sources located far from any city, free from chemicals and toxins. So choose good purified water and enjoy.

5. Unwind with meditation or relaxation. Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. And the bad thing about stress is that it only gets worse unless you find some way to manage it. Meditation is the best way to release tension and revitalize your being. It teaches you to breath properly, which is critical for eliminating up to 70% of your body's toxins and wastes. It also quiets your mind, lowers your stress hormones, and teaches self-discipline. So find a good Yoga class or sit back and let your mind go.

And just for fun you can calculate your life expectancy here. It's kind of fun to watch the numbers go up and down.

Fitness Friday - High Reps v. Low Reps

Whitney this post is for you! If you spend anytime in the gym at all you'll hear that women should do lots of reps and low weights so they get nice and defined and not bulky while men should do lower reps and higher weights in order to gain mass. Unfortunately, this may not be entirely true. Because the two different methods use different muscle fibers you actually need to do both if you are to truly see gains in strength, tone and definition.

First of all lets define low reps, anywhere from 6-8 repitions per set. High reps would be 10-15 repititions per set. Doing more reps at a lower weight is going to work the slow twitch muscle fibers which help with endurance. These are the fibers that will be primarily used after the 12th rep or so.

Heavier weights and lower reps are going to work your fast twitch muscle fibers which give you power in quick bursts. Sprinters usually have an excess of high twitch muscle fibers. Usually, these muscle fibers are recruited during the first 6 reps.

The trick is to fatigue your muscles whether that takes 6 or 15 reps it doesn't much matter.

How do you know how much weight to use? Well, find out your "one rep max". That is the amount of weight you can lift correctly one time. Then use 70-85% of that weight and do 6-8 reps. So for example, your one rep max for bench press is 100lbs. You would use 70 - 85 lbs and do 6-8 repititions for at least 3 sets. It should be VERY difficult to lift the weight on your last set. Write your program and stick to it for a few weeks then change it up. Refigure your one rep max because you've probably increased your strength and use 60-75% of your one rep max and do 12-15 reps. Using this method will keep your muscles working efficiently. That's when you'll see the biggest benefit both in strength gain and tone of the muscle.

Or if that's too detailed and you just want to get in the gym, workout, and get done then just think like a guy. You know the ones that try to lift a lot of weight to impress everyone around them. Because the fact is that if you are using dinky weights to do any exercise and you're not fatiguing your muscles you are going to see very little results. And girls, don't worry about getting big. Our testosterone levels aren't high enough to bulk us up without really working at it. So pick up the heaviest set of weights that you can do maintaining correct form for that particular exercise and go for it. Don't be shy!

I love weight training. I don't have time to write myself a program or calculate it all out so I usually just pick a nice size weight and lift. That's just what works best for me. Most important, is to just have fun and do what works best for you.

Fitness Friday - Diet Soda

We've all seen it. Some of us maybe even do it. Someone orders a "Diet" soda but then orders the supersize french fry. Then they sit back and wonder why they're gaining weight. For awhile people have said it's not the diet soda making us gain weight it's the extra amount of calories that people consume because they think they're skimping on the diet soda. Well, finally, new studies have shown that the artifical sweetner in diet soda maybe actually causing people to gain weight by altering their brain's chemical make-up and putting them at risk for a variety of metabolic diseases. I don't like soda. I think it's a terrible mix of a variety of poisons for your body. But if you're still not convinced and if you want more information on the study you can watch this.

Fitness Friday - Warm Up!

Trying to lose weight faster? Warming up first can help you burn more calories during your workout. It will make your muscles more pliable and also increase the range of motion so you actually end up using more muscle fibers! Choose a warm-up that uses all of you muscles, not just your legs. Something like walking while pumping your arms back and forth would be great.

Fitness Friday - Need a reason?

Any guesses as to what can contribute to all of the following ailments?

aneurysm, angina, atherosclerosis, back pain, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, coronary heart disease, depression, diabetes, heat attack, heart blockage, heart disease, hemorrhoids, hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney stones, obesity, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis

If you guessed eating a high fat diet, you’re wrong!
If you guessed having high cholesterol, you’re wrong!
If you guessed physical inactivity, you’re RIGHT! Not moving enough can put you at risk for all of those problems. Not to mention by being physically inactive you increase your risk for cancers of the colon, prostate, uterine lining (endometrium) and breast. Did you know that 1 of every 5 deaths of people 35 and older are attributed to a lack of physical activity? By not moving you are putting your own body at risk for a painful future.

The human body is designed to move around. And by moving the muscles, ligaments and limbs, you actually massage the tissues and organs of the body, bringing them oxygen and enhancing their flexibility. You also move lymph fluid around the body, and lymph must be moved through physical activity alone since there is no "lymph heart" to circulate lymph fluid. (In other words, your heart pumps your blood even if you're sitting in a chair. But there's nothing to pump your lymph fluid other than sloshing your body around through regular movement.)

The good news is that studies show that it doesn't take an enormous amount of physical exercise to achieve health-enhancing results. A mere 30 minutes a day of walking, swimming, jogging, biking, dancing with your kids, rocking out while cleaning your house or other cardiovascular exercise can have astounding positive health effects.
There is no surgical procedure or pill that can create the health that your body would create on its own when you engage in regular physical exercise. So get out there and MOVE!

Fitness Friday - Flat Abs Part II

Okay so last week was the exercises for flat abs, this week it's a few extra tricks to help trim those inches.



1. Eat more! Yep, it's true. But it has to be the good high fiber, good fat foods. Women to consume 400 more calories per day and eat healthier foods are two and a half times less likely to develop abdominal obesity than women who take in fewer calories but consume more saturated fat and less fiber. So eat! Good stuff.



2. Lots of Vitamin C! Foods rich in vitamin C not only help your immune system but also help fight ab flab. Vitamin C is found in a lot of fruits and vegetables like, citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers to name a few. Or add a twist of lemon to your water.



3. Sleep! Not much is known about sleep yet but research is uncovering more and more about the benefits of sleep. One of those benefits is controlling hormone levels that add to increased waist size. So sleep in!

Fitness Friday - Flat Abs!!

Who doesn't want great abs? When I was at ASU I had an Exercise Science professor that told us that the most effective ab moves were upper and lower crunches and combined crunches. Apparently studies proved that crunches work more muscle fibers than any other ab exercise. But that was before the whole "core workout" movement. It seems that new studies are coming out that find that key Pilates and some Yoga moves challenge abdominal muscles to a substantially greater degree than crunches do. So, for a flatter stomach try the Dolphin Plank Pose. Here's how to do it!

1. Start on your knees, place your forearms on the ground in an upside down V. Push into the floor with your wrists.

2. Walk your feet back until your toes curl under. Make sure your shoulders are directly over your elbows. Bring your torso parallel to the floor.

3. Slide your shoulder blades down your back keeping your neck long. Press front of the thighs to the sky while drawing your tailbone down. Keeping one nice, elongated, lengthened posture. Relax your eyes and throat.

4. Hold for 30 seconds then release your knees to the floor on your exhale. Try three sets and work up to 2-3 minutes.

Fitness Friday - Whole Grain?

Wondering why grocery store shelves are jammed with products labeled as "whole" this or that? Because food manufacturers know that whole grains equal a whole lot of health and they will do anything to see their food. Whole grain foods not only contain more fiber and micronutrients that help protect against disease, but also they're good-for-your-waist foods. Whole grains are absorbed more slowly than foods made from enriched or bleached flour, so they raise glucose and insulin levels less that will keep you fuller longer and slow your digestion. A diet rich in whole grains may also help you avoid cardiovascular disease and a variety of metabolic disorders.

But not all foods that say whole grain or whole wheat provide it in the healthiest form. To provide the most health benefits, the whole grain should be left intact. That means the grain still has all three of its original elements: the bran (outer shell), which contains fiber and B vitamins; the germ, which contains phytochemicals and B vitamins; and the endosperm, which contains carbohydrates and protein. The key is that the grain is "whole" rather than "refined," which involves stripping away the bran and germ.

Be aware that words on a label don't always present an accurate picture of what's inside the food. Make sure the label reads "100 percent whole grain" or "100 percent whole wheat." Here are a few fake-out words and phrases to watch for:

Made with whole grains: It may have a pinch of whole grains, but unless it's made entirely with them, you won't reap all the potential benefits.

Multigrain: This tells you nothing about whether the grains are whole or refined. Even if you're getting 38 different grains, that isn't much good if they are all refined.

Whole grain: If the label doesn't say "100 percent whole grain," it may have many grain blends.

Bad words to see paired with "flour": enriched, bleached, unbleached, semolina, durum, and rice.

Look closely at the labels and you'll find the foods that are best for you. Some easy ways to get refined grains out of your diet are to use whole wheat pasta instead of white. I don't recommend the speghetti but the angel hair can be used in its place and it's good. I also use whole wheat pasta in soups. It's easy to find they even sell it in Walmart. You can also use corn tortillas instead of white flour. They're much better for you and it's actually more authentic. I'd love to know if you have any good ideas.

Fitness Friday

Build a Strong Foundation

Think of toned muscles as a raging fire. Toss on a log and it'll burn up pretty quickly. Similarly, put some calories in a toned body and they'll burn up, too. Muscle is a major energy consumer for your body. If you add more muscle, you'll use more energy (calories) and store less fat. By regularly doing strength training, you create more muscle mass that can help you burn fat. It doesn't take a lot just 30 minutes of strength training each week will help build muscle. You can do it in one 30-minute session, or split it up into two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions. Of course the more you do the more calories you'll burn. People tend to spend a lot of time working their peripheral muscles (like biceps or calves), but efficient strength training comes when you work the big muscles that make up the core of your body like your legs, butt, chest, back; and your abs. They're your foundation muscles -- the ones that tighten your stomach, improve your posture and make you fit into your clothes better. So go for the squats, lunges, push-ups and crunches. And for those of you who are in our ward or nearby, try coming to Yoga on Tuesdays. We do quite a few strengthing poses that count as weight bearing exercises.

Fitness Friday

Thank goodness for Fitness Friday. I wouldn't be blogging much without it. This month is always a busy one. On to the tip for Friday.

Generally, what’s harmful to your heart also is harmful to your brain. While fried potato skins are busting your buttons, there’s also a portion that gets shuttled up through your arteries to your brain. Saturated fats, for example, clog arteries that lead to your brain, putting you at risk of stroke, while omega-3 fatty acids -- the good fats found in fish -- are helpful for your brain because they help keep your arteries clear. They also alter your neurotransmitters and reduce depression. These are the best foods to keep your brain young and help you feel better: nuts, fish, soybeans, tomato juice and speghetti sauce, olive oil, flaxseed, avocado and real dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa). Some of these foods contain monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids to help keep your arteries clear and some of them contain important flavonoids to help keep you happy.

Fitness Friday

It may seem counterintuitive, but it's true. Salad dressing with fat is best if you're after the antioxidants in the salad. That's because some antioxidants, such as carotenoids found in carrots, tomatoes, spinach, and corn, need fat in order to be absorbed by your body. In one study, participants who added full-fat dressing to their salads absorbed more carotenoids than participants who used low-fat, fat-free, or no dressing. But that doesn't mean you should drench your veggies in high-fat, high-calorie dressings. Instead, make those calories count by pairing fresh salads with a bit of healthy fat. Choose salad dressings with exclusively heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Ones with a base of olive oil, canola oil, or even avocado are best. I learned a great way to flavor salads in the DominicanRepublic. They use just a little olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Yum!