If You Like Pina Coladas.....

It's too bad that this yummy drink is extremely fattening (try 650 calories) and contains so much high caloried creams and sugary syrups. This is one of my favorite drinks and sometimes I love to splurge, but the calorie count in this drink is super high.
As I was flipping through various recipe books, I came across this miracle! It is SO great, your going to feel like your at a beach when drinking this!

The Yummy Tropical Treat: Pina Colada


Ingredients:
1 oz. light rum
1.5 oz. Torani Sugar Free Coconut Syrup
1/4 cup Breyer's Fat Free Ice Cream (Creamy Vanilla)
1 tbsp. crushed pineapple in its own juice
3/4 cup crushed ice
1 packet Splenda (or another no-calorie sweetener)

Okay, so you put all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds and then a pour it into a cute cocktail glass. This is the best part. One serving size is 126 calories. We just cut a HUGE amount of calories.

You want more Before and After recipe makeovers?

Here they are.

Chili Cheese Nachos
(260 calories...MmMm)

Okay, I love nachos and I know that these crunchy chips and the gooey cheese and sauses are no good for me, but they are SO hard to resist. Nachos are usually considered as being appetizers, however, if you go to Taco Bell for instance and have one of the classic nacho meals (430 calories) you may want to skip it. So how can this get any healthier?

Ingredients:
1 bag (7 oz.) Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips, Yellow Corn flavor
1 package Boca Chili
4 oz. 8th Continent Light Vanilla Soymilk
3 oz. fat-free block cheddar cheese
2 oz. Velveeta made with 2% Milk
2 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese
2tbsp. fat-free sour cream
3/4 cup Newman's Own All-Natural Bandito

Directions for the Salsa:
Melt all three cheeses in a saucepan with the soymilk; stir to combine. Then prepare chili according to the directions on the box. Microwave chips until warm, and place on a large platter. Pour your low-fat cheese sauce all over your chips. Cover your chips with chili. Spoon salsa on top, along with a few dabs of fat-free sour cream on top, and, voila! This yummy dish makes 5 servings.

(Note: Feel free to use other brands as desired. Nutritionals will vary).

Southwest Salad

How about a great lunch time meal? McDonald has now removed their 890 calorie salad, while Wendy's has still kept their salad on the menu.

Ingredients For Marinade:
1/2 tbsp. honey
1/2 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tbsp. yellow mustard
1/4 tsp. cilantro

For Salad
3 cups chopped lettuce
4 oz. cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast; sliced or chopped
1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped poblano pepper (or any mild green pepper)
1 1/2 tbsp. canned sweet corn kernels
1 1/2 tbsp. canned black beans
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
3 Baked! Doritos; crushed

For Dressing
2 tbsp. fat-free ranch dressing
1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. chili powder
dash onion powder
dash garlic powder

Directions:
Mix together marinade ingredients in a small bowl -- add chicken and coat it in the marinade. Set aside. In a pan spritzed with nonstick spray, cook tomatoes and corn over high heat until slightly charred. Place lettuce in a bowl, and top with marinated chicken, tomatoes & corn, chopped pepper, and black beans. Sprinkle with cheese and chips. In a small dish, combine all of the dressing ingredients with 1 tsp. water. Serve dressing alongside salad for easy dipping. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING (350 calories)

Also, check out Haley's blog, for more yummy recipe ideas you'll love!

Until next blog post,

-Christina

Childhood Obesity:

Big Kids Now, Big Problems Later.

On Fridays, I volunteer at a daycare where there is this one 4 year old boy. He one of my favorites because he is so smart for his age and the way he treats the other children, it's so great! The problem is, this little boy is extremely obese and is now forced to be put on a strict diet. It breaks my heart to see him during "outside" time where all the kids want to play tag or soccer. He just likes to walk around with the teachers and he thinks he will never be good at soccer like the other children.

At lunch time he is allowed to eat most of our planned lunch and snacks but only a particular amount of it. During the day, he has to consume a high amount of water, so in the middle of his work time or story time, we have to give him water. When I'm there on Fridays and he does not want to drink his water because the other children are not taking time to drink water, I will sit with him and drink two glasses and pretend that I'm so thirsty.

Children notice their surroundings and have been closely looking at the little boy and treating him differently due to the "special treatment" he has been getting. Sometimes they will pick on him and call him fat and I get really mad because of how kids (even teens and adults) can treat a person based on what they looked like. What if you were obese?

How would you feel if people treated you like crap just because you were bigger? Celebrities like Tyra Banks have done the undercover obesity thing on her show proving that being overweight changes the perceptions of individuals.

Childhood obesity is a major health issue. Children become over weight because of eating way to many calories and the need of physical activity to burn those excess calories. Excess fat is dangerous. The best way to fight this trend is to provide a healthy diet and to encourage increased physical activity.

In the young it can cause poor self esteem and be socially isolating. In adulthood it can often lead to serious illness and premature death. Obesity in a child can also lead to joint problems. Difficulty in breathing while asleep - sleep apnea.

Being "Screen-Lean".

Limiting children's time in front of the television is an important issue for parents. Enrolling a child in programs that will entertain them and provide them with regular physical activity, such as the material arts. Limiting "screen time" and making a home "screen-lean" is also recommended.

Eating Healthy at School.

Children are slowly getting the advantage to eat healthy at school. The usual burger and fries at school are being replaced with fresh, homemade food. Elementary and high schools are now using the Eat Smart program (check out this link, it's amazing!) which is all about healthy eating. The Eat Smart School Cafeteria Program offers a restaurant-like program to the school cafeteria.

We need to stop obesity. The long term effects are just horrible.

- Christina

Complusive Exercising

Even though I work at a fitness facility, I find it so hard to find the time to actually work out. I am very busy with school and the times I am not at school, I am busy doing school-related things.

Some people, however, do find the time to workout and that is just fabulous, however, some people can be over obsessed with working out and trying to get more in shape, or trying to keep that perfect figure.


Those who may have symptoms of compulsive exercising, usually have episodes of repeated exercising beyond the requirements of what is considered safe. They will find time at any cost to exercise (including cutting school, taking off from work, hiding in the bathroom and exercising, etc.).

According to an MSNBC.com article, too much exercising proves to be very unhealthy. In the article Dr. Oz offers guidelines to determine whether or not your exercise is reaching a dangerous level. 60 minutes a day is a great amount of physical activity for most people, he determines.

Here are some signs which indicate you have be exercising too much:

Injury: This may be a sign of over training. Nagging pains and aches are also warning signs.
Insomnia: Exercising too much may make it difficult for you to rest or sleep. You begin to feel unusually sleepy.
Irritability: Over-exercisers often begin to feel irritable. You may feel cranky for no reason at all.
Lacking energy: Over training may make you feel constantly fatigued. In general, you'll feel a lack of energy throughout the day, or because you are working out so much and feeling hungry, you will constantly eat because of the constant hunger.
Decreased performance: If you can't run as long or as hard as you could in the past, you may be exercising too much.

In all, I think exercising is a very serious matter. Sure, it makes you feel better about yourself, but it needs to be performed in a serious, non-crazy way.

Be safe, take it slow.

Christina

Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut!

Why I love Cardio Kickboxing!

This week, I had the pleasure of going into the most popular class hitting the gyms-- Cardio Kick-Boxing. I was always interested in trying this particular class because I heard that it was such a great workout. So, before school one day, I decided to lug myself out of the door at 8:30 a.m., and try the class! The next day, I swear I could not feel my lower body and arms! Right away, I felt the workout because the class is very motivating and filled with a high energy level.

When you think “kick-boxing” don’t get scared though! This class is strictly non-contact (smiles). It blends elements of boxing, martial arts and traditional aerobics into a 30 to 60 minute routine. This routine will ultimately tone and strengthen your body!

Not only do you benefit from the cardio exercise benefits, you also develop an increase in flexibility, coordination and strength from the numerous martial arts based moves. It is possible to burn from 500 to 800 calories in one good workout. This all depends on your body weight and ability to keep up the high intensity cardio for long enough.

If you are uncomfortable with participating in a class at your local gym, I would try purchasing a work out video so you can do it on your own. (My suggestions: Any Fairle Arrow's Aerobic Kickboxing videos as well as these listed here).

This class does have it’s risks though. Your first cardio kickboxing class will have you performing advanced moves. For example, the punches and jabs taught in these classes can cause problems for the elbows, neck and shoulders, so you have to be very careful not to over do anything.

But remember, have fun and good luck!

Getting Paid to Work Out

Would YOU do it?

Many overweight and obese individuals have tried to lose weight but had no success. Would getting paid to lose weight motivate people to actually do it?


The mayor of an Italian town, Gianluca Buonanno thinks so. He is paying his residents to lose weight. Yes you heard right!

Buonanno came up with a plan for people in his town to get involved in a great "group exercising" program. Males will get 50 euros (that's about 80 dollars) for losing 9 pounds a month and women will get the same amount of money for losing 7 pounds. If the weight stays off for 5 months, they will get 200 euros.


Seeing recent surveys showing that 35 percent of Italians are overweight or obese, was the primary factor for creating this type of "help". Source.


Why are Italians considered to be more overweight or obese? Can it be because they make the most delicious food? I think that might be one factor.


I think this is such a good (but sneaky idea) for someone to have. In my thinking, normally, mayors really don't think of the health issues of a community, they just consider if the community in general is okay. There really isn't something in it for him and it is great to see someone stepping up and helping other people's futures and health.


Do you want your mayor to do the same too?


Some argue that using money as motivation may not make sense because the city or the country does not owe obese people anything to lose weight. The motivation to lose weight should come from their own. I think a lot of people do NOT have the motivation and need that extra guidance for help, from someone.

Another option of giving cash, the government could give tax rebates for purchase of fitness equipments for a home or even a gym membership.
I think that when money is involved, anything will work and it's great that a nice Italian mayor is out to help his community!

Until next blog,

Christina

Drinking and your Health

Why Alcohol Calories are More Important than you think!

Being very Italian, I was always allowed to have one glass of red wine at dinner and this started at the age of nine or ten. I knew most of my friends were not allowed and many parent's felt the need to "lock up" liquor because of how they were raised. I remember a time when I had one of my friends over my grandparent's house for dinner. My Nonno (grandfather) gave me a small fancy glass of red wine and it was normal to have received it from him so I did not think too much from it. I remember my friend tapping me on my shoulder with a worried look on her face like I was going to get drunk or something. To this day, he still gives me red wine to drink -- don't worry, just one glass and I don't get wasted, I stay healthy.


Many studies are back and fourth debating if red wine is beneficial. For women, one glass per day is recommended as men may drink two glasses. Wine is proven to lower the risk for a heart attack, especially if you have already had one. Other studies say that red wine can raise the good cholesterol and prevent the bad cholesterol.


Not only does drinking reduce the number of fat calories you burn, it also lowers your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after you finish drinking. Focusing on the way your body consumes alcohol is good to notice because it is very similar how your body deals with excess carbohydrates.

I'm sure everyone has heard about the famous "beer belly" and how it's supposedly caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. The beer belly is not really because of "beer" or any drinks for that matter. It is due to the foods that you eat after the many beers.
This leads us into the ....
WARNINGS OF ALCOHOL!!
Many think that if they just start drinking wine or trying to lower their consumption of alcohol right NOW, they will become "healthier". That is not true. It all depends on the health background of a person. A glass of wine at dinner or even a beer at a bar with your friends is not going to kill you. BUT, alcohol should not be mixed with a fatty food meal because it increases an appetite. Ever wonder why when you and your friends go downtown, have a couple of drinks and end the night off eating tacos or cheeseburgers at 3 o'clock in the morning? This will give you unnecessary calories.

Here is a great website for seeing how many calories are in a wide range of alcohol products. I was just devastated when I found out my favourite (and the first one listed)-- Bailey's Irish Cream was 350 calories for one glass. That's as much as a plate of pasta!

Sometimes it's really hard being Italian!

Making Good Fast Food Choices

Are the "Lighter Menus'" lower in fat?

After watching the movie, SuperSize Me, I knew that I had to talk about fast food eating! For those of you unaware of the movie, over a 30 day period, documentary filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock, only ate breakfast, lunch and dinner from McDonalds. All outside foods were prohibited. His reasoning for the film was to show how fast food eating affects you physically as well as psychologically.

McDonalds obviously fought back, arguing that the results of his drastic weight gain and behaviour changes was the fact that he was not exercising and only eating McDonalds all day. I agree with McDonalds in saying that it was not realistic to for it to be eaten all day, but this experiment was well worth the watch because some people rely on fast food or even eat unhealthy at home and really do not exercise.

AND NOW...THE WORLD OF FAST FOOD....

is trying to slim down; offering healthier alternatives to the usual burger, fries and pop.

Sometimes fast food restaurants are really hard to avoid especially when you didn't have enough time to make a lunch. Isn't it better to eat something than skipping a meal? Even on a road trip, the rest stops are filled with one or more fast food restaurants, tempting travellers.

Happy meals now have the option of apple slices instead of the regular side of fries. Now what six year old is going to eat apple slices with their nuggets when they have been used to eating fries for so long. I know one four year old that eats a yummy side of apples--but her mother is a personal trainer at my gym and is used to eating healthy, so it's really no change for her. Plus, are the apples even healthy? I know a McDonalds worker and she gave me the "inside scoop" on the apples and said they were not AS healthy as they seemed to be. She says they always look so perfect--even fake looking and they can survive in the cold (even sliced) for a long amount of time. Now what store-bought apple is going to last a long time sliced in a refrigerator? I went on the official McDonalds website where I found the question,

"How to you keep the apples in your Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad and Apple Dippers so fresh?" - The answer: -- To help preserve freshness, either calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and Vitamin C) or ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and calcium chloride is added to the apples.

--- OKAY, so what makes these so different from apples from the grocery store? They have more Vitamin C and calcium? OH..OKAY!

Most individuals thinking a salad at a fast food place is going to be low in fat need to check the calories FOR SURE. The light Caesar salad at McDonalds for example, is equivalent to two cheeseburgers! That's the LIGHT Caesar salad! Burger King's "veggie-burger" with everything has more calories than a bacon cheeseburger. That's a "whopping" 461 calories.

Okay, I am not telling you to avoid fast food eating at all, because I am also guilty of drive-thru eating. I am just saying to be careful what you order and how much of it you eat.

Healthier food choices for eating at a fast food establishment include the following:

• NO ordering of the value sized meals
  
• Get something from the value meal (or a children's meal)


• Skip the pop and substitute for a water OR even an iced tea (you don't have to drink the regular size-- I know I can't drink all that so I get the smallest beverage possible


• Skip the mayo-- you will lose a LOT of calories that way

Here is a great website for you to get any fast food establishment's "nutritional" information. It is one of my favourite websites to refer to.

Ciao for now,

Christina

Look Who It Is!

RICHARD SIMMONS: FITNESS ICON

I bet many of you are looking at this picture with your eyes rolled and a little chuckle. For those of you that do not know who this man is, well I think you should! Not only is Richard Simmons hysterical and unique, but he has taken the world of fitness and transformed it with his trademark humor.

I know the first thing I think of when I hear the word exercising is Richard Simmons. I'm not kidding! I actually really like him! Sure, he may be a "bit" odd, okay, maybe very weird, but it's all in good fun and part of his "trademark". Come on, you can't tell me he doesn't look so cute with his big hair? I admire him for what he really does as he delivers a serious message with his form of fun exercising and upbeat attitude.

On Sunday, October 2nd, Richard finally started his 3 hour talk show airing exclusively on SIRIUS. Running from 3p.m. to 6p.m., he helps many with advice, nutrition and work out plans as well as real life changes that many have overcome due to his successful eating programs and exercise techniques. The times when he is not preparing for the show, he teaches at his fitness facility, SLIMMONS, located in Beverly Hills which has been around for 31 years. Looking at his various programs, it's great to see how he designs programs for beginners as well as individuals who have advanced experience.
One particular excercise program he has designed that caught my eye when I watched it is called, Sit Tight which is designed for people who are unable to stand. I think no matter what condition anyone has, Richard has a positive solution for.

Oh! On a final note, CHECK THIS OUT! After watching an episode of The David Letterman Show (which I vow never to watch again), one of Richard's newer products, the Steamer, was introduced to David. It was hilarious, not with what David was saying with his boring-trying to be funny tone, but the comments Richard makes.

He's not someone to poke fun at. He helps people AND makes GOOD money for it.
Who's laughing now?
Until next blog,

Christina