Stop and Taste the Food

I recently read an article on why it's beneficial to chew your food slower and longer (read here). The benefits are quite amazing. It's interesting to see how the things we end up bypassing as a culture, seem to be the things that breathe life into us. Creating on-the-go meal replacements or the drive-thru, accommodates our busy schedules but has a bigger impact than imagined, I suspect. From the statistics of how well kids do in school when families gather around a table at night, to the types of food consumed, and down to how long we chew, the table is quite important.

We gather as an extended family often :)

Chewing slower actually starts a whole digestive process that begins with your saliva. It releases chemicals in your gut to prepare digesting the food, it triggers hormone indicators, and insuline response. Saliva even protects your teeth from decay. 

Family night out at the mall. 

Your body's response time is 20 minutes to realizing that you're eating. How many of us are done in under 10 on a regular basis? We are conditioned to eat quickly do we can move on to the next "important task." Studies show that people who chew their food longer and slow down, are able to maintain a healthy waistline. Also, when eating with others, we tend to put a little less on our plates or not get up to grab seconds. Maybe God is trying to speak to us. The evidence even shows us how He intended us to spend meal times. Slowing down. Talking. Building relationships. Chewing. Not scarfing. But savoring. 

"When we stop everything else to gather around the table and eat a meal made by someone's hands, we honor our bodies and the God who created them. We honor the world He made and the beauty of creation. And in that moment we acknowledge that even though life is fast and frantic, we're not machines and we do require nourishment, physically and otherwise." Bittersweet by Shauna Niequest.

It's no coincidence that the physcial and spiritual intersect. It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat. I think God wants to bring wholeness into our lives through the foods we consume and the manner in which we consume them. The dinner table has the power to be spiritually formative in our lives. We develop practices that can set the tone and pace of our lives. From recalling about your day, to sharing your dreams, to feeling safe enough to share a struggle, to praying, to listening to your kids' hearts, and all the way to mending broken fences of relationships. 

Some of the most enriching times of my life where at a table. I dare to say that they continue to be around a table. I have shared my struggles and celebrated exciting new things to come. I share communion at church every Sunday around a table with hundreds of Christ followers. I've built close friendships and had girl outings that bring bonds you don't get anywhere else, at a table. From MOPS to discipleship group, lunch with a friend, to dinner with my husband and girls. God invites us to the table. Why don't we start practicing it more? Let's invite the Spirit, enrich relationships, foster good conversation, and chew slower to create unity and wholeness in all aspects of our lives.  

Embracing the Imperfections

I've been feeling God call out my tendency for perfection. The problem is...I'm not perfect...and I never will be. We're always striving, right? But should we? If my goal is to glorify God with my life by loving Him and loving others, why strive for something I know I cannot attain? 

Stay with me here. I'm not saying, "throw in the towel on becoming better in life" by any means. But it's about Jesus, not doing the right things, right? It's so hard to remember that after I look in the mirror, get snappy with my girls, eat too much of the "wrong" food, feel jealous, hold onto hurt, obsess over something minor, and feel insecure. My instinct is to improve. I feel guilty or I say to myself that I am going to "do better" like somehow I need to strive for that perfection. 

Grace. It's what Jesus taught and it's what most Christians teach (Lord willing). There's age old songs that say, "come as you are" and we reach out to people who aren't following Jesus. But in a lot of circles, once you start becoming a follower of Jesus, there's a pressure to live up to perfection or being blameless. Saved by grace and then feeling like works keep you there. We end up focusing on rules to keep us in line. I struggle with trying to live up to this. I have for years. My struggle has gone from feeling like I was almost perfect in many areas (and extreme anxiety in areas I fell short in) to now feeling so imperfect. One caused pride and the other causes fear. Both focus on myself and steer me away from loving God and others. But thankfully God has led people into my life over the last 7 years, to start revealing to me that my quest for perfection is not what God calls me to. The quest is to know Jesus and to love others. Period. 

My abs are far from a six pack. I'd like to have a little more definition. I don't eat perfectly. I struggle with vanity. My house is a mess most of the time these days. Sometimes I feel inadequate that I don't plan to homeschool my girls anymore while most moms around me do. I obsessed over something stupid (that I thought wasn't done perfectly) and nagged my husband in the car yesterday till he showed annoyance. I can be judgmental of others' decisions that don't affect me at all because I have a set of rules in my head that should be followed. I am clearly a mess. 

Thankfully, I am learning to feel the nudges of the Holy Spirit to recognize these things. That maybe it's not the issue I obsessed over that's the real problem. Maybe the problem is striving for perfection that we can't live up to, like my attitude that was not loving my husband, but trying to live up to a standard while almost pounding it into my husband (thankfully my husband displays Jesus' love to me a lot and always forgives/forgets my sins).  My attitude with God and with others is what matters; learning how to truly love. God is telling me that my standard for perfection interferes with my love for others, and Him.  

Am I the only one who struggles with this ideal of perfection? I am working on listening to what God is saying in my life. How to not snap or not be negative without making it about following a new rule. Finding practices or spiritual formations that let the Holy Spirit transform me and bring me closer to Christ. Like physically opening my hands up during prayer, or starting the day with the Lord's prayer, memorizing scripture, seeking close relationships with others who are disciples of Jesus, pausing before I speak, and speaking blessings over my daughters and others. But also, learning to embrace my imperfections and let God transform me through them. A guest pastor spoke at our church today and he said that at his church something they say is "no perfect people allowed." How awesome. Well I am here to say that I am far from perfect and I am learning to be ok with that because it's not about me. Thank you Jesus for whispering to me how much you love me and letting me know that I am still lovable, including my imperfections. 

Toss Your Weight Loss Goal

2015 is here, along with New Year's resolutions. How many of us make goals and put the same, year after year, goal of being a certain weight or losing a certain number of pounds? What's the next step? I am daring to say that the problem with a weight loss goal is taking the focus off of being healthy, not recognizing the journey you are on, and not making it an attainable goal. There is no goal of "how" you'll get there. Maybe this is why most people have fizzled out by summer on their goal. Is a number on the scale proof that you are a healthy individual? Let's redefine your weight loss goal with some simple ideas I have.

We are all on a journey. We are making healthier bodies or unhealthier bodies by the choices we make each day. Weight loss and money seem to relate very well to each other. If you ask most wealthy people how they got wealthy they aren't going to say it happened overnight or by a get-rich-quick scheme. It happened through small steps and staying consistent. It happened because they sacrificed when necessary, for the sake of the future. Being the weight you want to be is the same. You have 3 to 6 meals a day to work with. We all get 24 hours a day to fit in a 30 minute workout. Each choice has a good or bad consequence. So where are you on your journey? Let's look at some areas of your life that might steer your goals away from "weight loss" to lifestyle changes.

#1 Energy

Why not make your goal oriented around the type of day you'd like to have? Want to be lethargic by 2 o'clock and too tired to get off the couch at 7:00 PM? Focus your goal around improving your energy level and do some research on how to attain that. Maybe that means changing what you eat for lunch, or doing 20 minutes of yoga before you let yourself sit on the couch at night. How about starting your day with fresh, hot tea instead of a coke at 10 AM? 

#2 Body Aches

Stiff most mornings? Maybe you sit in a chair all day for work. Making a goal to decrease body aches and pains is completely do-able! Your body is communicating to you that it needs something you aren't giving it. That may be drinking more water, needing to warm-up your muscles, get a massage, stretching before and after your workouts more thoroughly, and just plain moving more. 

#3 Reverse Back and Knee Pain

A large amount of people I have worked with struggle with back and knee pain. But guess what? You have the power to make it better! What a goal that would be on your list of resolutions, huh? Again, do the research, make sure your doctor has no restrictions, and get to work. The simple fact is that your muscles can be strengthened enough to take pressure off your spine and knee caps. There are so many safe exercises to prevent pain and injuries, form is key and having guidance to do proper exercises can change your world. If you take OTC meds for these pains, that wreaks havoc on your body, and many people take pills everyday when all that's needed is some dedicated work to reduce pain and inflammation. Diet of course will play a role in this because the body's inflammation response has to do with nutrition. Your daily dose of fruits and vegetables will help that.

#4 Improving Strength

Maybe you need to tailor your goal towards achieving a regular activity that is too hard for you to do. Instead of leaving the heavy bag of salt for your softener in the car for your husband to pick up for you, focus on lifting heavier weights during your exercise so you lift the bag yourself. Maybe it's as simple as being able to open up the salsa jar with your bare hands. What about picking up kids or grandkids? You can increase your strength at any age! 

#5 Vegetables

When your focus is only a number on the scale, people will do crazy diets. Diets that don't help you be healthier, but just focus on that number. Crazy to the point of barely eating, or injecting hormones not meant for their body, or eating only packages of food delivered to their house that is in powder form. Why don't you make a goal to increase the number of vegetables you eat each day? We KNOW without a shadow of a doubt, without a doubt, that eating large amounts of vegetables reduces every single negative health concern by vast amounts. E-V-E-R-Y one. Obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart problems, acne, skin disorders, auto-immune disorders, you name it, vegetables fight it. So start with adding one more serving a day and increase from there. If you're eating 5 servings of vegetables a day, guess what will be thrown out? Probably less empty calorie foods that cause those problems. Woah, removing a culprit but adding in something that fights problems, now we're cooking! I am certainly not perfect with my eating and this is a call to challenge myself and keep adding more. So let's do this. 

#6 Challenging Exercises

Maybe you enjoy working out or you have a routine but still can't make that scale budge. First, read #5 again, and then hone in on improving areas you are weak in. Maybe push-ups, burpees, your balance, core strength, planks, improving your running time, or lifting a certain weight.  The harder you work at achieving these things, the more you'll improve your body. Want to know how to get better at push-ups? By doing push-ups. How to stay in a plank longer? By practicing the plank. It means you'll be pushing your body to limits you haven't gone yet, which in turn benefits your body. 

#7 Managing Ailments

How great of a goal would it be if you got off your high blood pressure medication in 2015? What about no longer being type 2 diabetic or pre-diabetic? It's possible and I am your #1 fan and cheering you on! Since a lot of Americans are in one of those camps, I have trained quite a few taking medications for these things. I have also seen my clients come off these medicines completely. One man in particular was on 12 medications a day. 3 were for blood pressure. After working with him for a few months, he lost weight and was able to go off all 3 blood pressures meds. All 3! If you shift your weight loss goal to doing things that get you off medications, the weight loss will follow, but you'll have a healthier body and feel the results.

#8 Cutting the Sugar

I just read the other day that a hundred years ago we each ate about 10-20 pounds of sugar a year. Now we eat over 100 pounds of sugar a year. Hold the phone. That's insane. Just like vegetables, we also KNOW the effects of sugar on the body and nothing good comes from it, really. It's just pure pleasure when consuming with sugar...until afterwards. We also know that our bodies get addicted to sugar just like drugs. So limiting your sugar intake is an excellent goal that can easily be put on paper. Even completely cutting it out for a period of time is acceptable to kick the addiction. 

#9 Creating an Exercise Habit

Hate exercising? Guess what? I used to hate it. I'm serious.  I love it now but it took time. The first step was creating the habit. That takes time. There it is again. Not a quick fix. Nothing 6 weeks will cure. What if you set your goal to exercise 2 days a week without missing a week in 2015? That's it. Start slow and just stick with 2 days. You might say, "But Steph, what good will that do me?" There's a myth that says we have to exercise 6 days a week to get anywhere. We are going for distance with this one. When you start off sprinting, you'll slow down and stop. That gets the diet cycle going by trying to exercise too much and starting at zero. 

Let's say you maintain 6 days a week of exercise for 6 weeks and fizzle out to once every 2 months (this is not unrealistic). Going at such a hard pace can just discourage your mind every time you workout after that 6 week point. I will average the time at 30 minutes a day. That's 56 workouts in the year. Pretty good, sure. You're looking at burning probably around 8,400 calories in the year. That's about 2 ½ pounds of fat (pound of fat burned is 3,500 calories). But typically when restricting yourself and trying to maintain too high of exercise expectations, binging and consuming more calories happens after the fizzle.

Let's turn this around and shoot for an attainable goal. If you commit to 20-45 minutes of intentional exercise 2 days a week, you'll average around the 30 minute mark. That would add up to exercising 104 days this year! If you burned an average of 150 calories a workout you'd burn 15,600 calories this year. That equals losing 4 ½ pounds of fat, without changing your diet. This doesn't include afterburn and adding muscle, that you would maintain from the regular exercise (which makes you burn more calories all the time). Next year you could shoot for 3 days a week and would be able to maintain because of the habit you formed this year. The cycle would be broken! 

#10 Taking Protein Seriously

Eating enough protein is an essential element to building the body you want, but many forget that. We eat a lot of carbs and bad fat these days. When dieting, calories are restricted and people turn to low calorie foods, some good, some not. Eating cabbage and carrots all day isn't healthy either. Those are healthy choices, but our bodies need protein. It's the foundation of building muscle, keeping blood sugar steady, feeling full, balancing hormones and keeping the body functioning properly. A lack of protein can cause a variety of problems in the body. From thinning hair, to lack of sleep, losing muscle, and even to anxiety and depression. So eat that steak and make bacon. Just choose quality meat sources free of hormones, antibiotics, and are fed at least partly grass. Protein creates a lean body, so aim for protein with every meal and snack you eat. It'll satisfy you, help you burn fat, and keep your blood sugar levels stable (hint for pre-diabetics and diabetics).   

That was a lot of information but hopefully you can sort through it with goals you've made. Let's start focusing more on quality of life, rather than shoot for a goal that doesn't take your journey into account. So start where you are, with what you eat, what habits you need to form, what your doctor is telling you, what your blood work shows, and how you'd like to feel. Maybe if you approach it from that angle, 2015 will not be about conquering a number but a journey of healthy steps you take. 

5 Things to Consider When Feeding Your Kids

Cancer, obesity, diabetes, injuries, hormone imbalances. These are things we as adults are facing but worse yet, our kids are seeing...in their young years. It's a serious problem and I don't think it's possible to hide from every ailment that is out there, but there's a lot we can be doing to prevent these life-altering things as much as we can, especially for the sake of our kids.

#1 Starts with US.

If we want to instill healthy habits in our children, then take a look at yourself. Do you hope for your child/children to have the same habits as you someday? Most likely they will carry them as well, it's just reality. We all know the phrase "do as I say and not as I do" and how that doesn't work. We are imitators and watching people changes what you do. You want your kids to hang out with other kids you approve of, right? Well, are you being the adult your kid may turn into and you want to imitate? The way you look at yourself, dress, food you eat, habits of exercise will shape the little ones around you for the rest of their lives too. It's a really big reality check and not necessarily fun, but you are your children's greatest influence and that's the role you stepped into when becoming a parent, we all have. As you take steps on your journey of fitness, your child will see that and God will use it in their lives and other people's lives. This isn't about being perfect, but it's an area to examine. 

#2 Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies. Keep repeating it. That's the main source of health! We know the findings, we see the benefits in studies and it's written, EVERYWHERE. From the time your little one takes the first bite, until walking out of the house for college, put fresh fruits and vegetables in front of them and their friends every chance you get. Talk about preventing obesity, diabetes, cutting cravings, regulating hormones, reducing mood swings, keeping a healthy digestive system, etc.....these are the ticket! It's the best medicine you can provide your kids and it's never too late to incorporate them more. We know that tasting something 7 times starts to change your pallette towards liking the food. The best thing you can do is put it in front of them, prepare containers in the fridge, leave a bowl of fruit on the counter, take them as snacks when you're out, grow vegetables in the back yard, sneak them into the food (hehe), just take every meal as an opportunity to increase their love for fruits and veggies...it's their best chance at conquering health. 

#3 Protein

Now that we've had our chat on fruits and veggies, don't forget the protein. Protein is a building block for muscle. It also provides satiety (being full), keeps blood sugar stable, and many other things that benefit the body. This is also a key factor in staying healthy. Our body needs it to be healthy. Most important protein we need does come from animals, but don't be afraid of this. Just go for the grassfed, no hormone/antibiotic, and wild caught stuff. It contains healthy fat that we need, keeps blood sugar stable, has important vitamins that keep our hearts healthy, and satisfies, and cuts cravings. Kids need it!

#4 No Processed

Whatever you do, focus on keeping real food in and the boxed stuff out. Just like knowing the facts on fruits and vegetables, we really do know the facts on processed stuff. 2 big problems though. The first is that EVERY single study done on boxed proves the opposite of health benefits. We in no way, shape or form benefit from a lab ingredient, we just can't create a food/ingredient that's healthy for us. Whetther it's HFCS, dyes, aspartame, hydrogenated oils, all of it continually proves how bad it is for our bodies. The second problem is that we still don't even know all the problems these foods really affect us! What's worse is how it impacts our kids. This is the real problem of obesity. Boxed foods are filled with preservatives, empty calories, sugar and/or sodium which makes our bodies crave and go out of control. Behavior problems, hormone imbalances, uncontrollable appetite, vitamin deficiencies...it's all linked and their growing bodies don't know what to do with it. So get the boxes and packages out of the house! 

#5 Food Examples and ideas. 

Honestly, this has been pretty straight forward. It's almost hard to think of things at first, yet it's so simple because it really isn't complicated. Just shop the perimeter of your store, mainly, and you've saved time by not going through all the junk aisles. Plus you do really save money by not buying expensive boxed things. Try all kinds of fruits and vegetables you haven't given a chance. Have fun with marinades, seasonings, and different cooking techniques. Meat, fruit, veggies....pretty simple. Keep processed grains to a minimum (doesn't mean you can't ever have them). But here are things I am doing with my girls. We aren't perfect and I don't claim to be, so don't think I am!! 

Lunch yesterday for them was string cheese, boiled egg, strawberries, raspberries and a few organic bunny crackers. 

Dinner tonight was a lemon chicken, roasted fingerling potatoes, green beans, nitrate/nitrite free bacon, peppers and onion, plus corn and pomegranate. 

Hannah eating pomegranate by the handful :)

Lunch box...water in water bottle, homemade applesauce (RECIPE), homemade granola bar (RECIPE), boiled egg.

Cheddar cheese, strawberries, pretzel rods, homemade applesacue.

I make grilled cheese now and again but I use real cheddar cheese, butter the bread, typically have salad and quality tomato basil soup that doesn't have HFCS or other preservatives.

Another lunch box meal...applesauce that has no preservatives or added sugar. Then cheese, pretzels, mandarin oranges, and pineapple. 

Here are just a few things I am sending to school, and feed my girls. They also eat raw peppers, cucumbers, apples, and salad quite often, I am just lacking pictures on those. I know culture is go, go, go and whatever is convenient, but let's not sacrifice our health and the health of our kids. Grabbing an apple out the fridge is quite easy and convenient as well, it's just training ourselves. That apple has so many more benefits than a packaged "apple filling" Nutrigrain bar (sugar, empty calories, sugar). But the good news is that it's never too late to start, and building that habit for your kids will be a normal routine for them the rest of their lives. 

10 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

A majority of women that I have come in contact with since becoming a trainer, 6 years ago, rely on aerobic/cardio for their weightloss endeavers. I used to as well, until I started really lifting. Dropping a pant size or 2 when in already great shape was crazy for me. But it was the strength, better posture, flatter tummy, and character built that was so great about changing the actual size of my body. It was my "secret weapon" to getting my body back in excellent shape after each child and it is for every other athlete.

 

I actually have had several friends mention that they are just having trouble losing the rest of their baby weight, in the last couple weeks. I get so jazzed and burst with excitement to share the "secret" to re-shaping your body, losing weight, and not starving yourself  or increasing your cardio to 2 hours a day to get there. Getting back into pre-pregnancy clothes? One word. LIFT. Want to shed 20 years of weight? Go HEAVY. The secret is the muscle you are building, there's so many advantages, more than just losing weight, let's break it down. 

#1 Faster Metabolism

Those precious babes we bore. Totally worth it, but boy it takes your body on an unexpected ride. One part of the ride is adding 8-10 pounds of body fat in ONE pregnancy. Plus, your ligaments loosening and stretching to accomodate a child growing inside of you at a fast rate. Which then causes muscle imbalances and not to mention stretching those abs far apart (bowling ball sticking out your middle?!). So adding fat and losing muscle means a slower metabolism. Plus, every year after you turn 20, a percentage of muscle mass is lost if you don't lift. Oh man, spiral here. This accounts for the typical 5-10 pounds women gain each year after they reach 20. So add that and multiple babies, you feel screwed. 

Not so! Lifting weights literally reverses that because a pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day versus the 5 calorie a day a pound of fat burns. That's a HUGE difference. Faster metabolism here you come! So let's say you started at 140 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25, which means your body burns around 1400 calories a day while resting (BMR, not factoring any activity). Let's then then add 20 pounds from age and pregnancies. So your weight increases to 160 and body fat is at 29%. That means your body is burning around 1500 calories a day. Not much increase for the amount of weight you put on. Also, you have a larger belly, your back hurts often, you don't like to wear tanktops or shorts in nice weather, and you're low on energy. Not fun. Each year after this that you don't lift weights, and even if you don't add on any weight your fat can still increase so your metabolism will slow back down towards 1400. Then add extreme calorie cutting/yoyo dieting and you hurt your metabolism so it slows at a faster rate. Sound familiar?

That's a lot of numbers and I know I am spending a lot of time here, but this is important. Cardio or Aerobics cannot put muscle in your body. I will say it again, cardio CANNOT add muscle to your body and increase the speed of your metabolism. It burns fat, but it will not do what weights can do. Go back to the numbers and let's find the solution. Say you lose the 20 pounds and your body fat goes down to 22% because you're lifting. Your BMR (resting calorie burn) goes to 1,480, and since it's resting calorie burn, it doesn't factor your workouts in. We also know that you have a longer calorie burn when lifting weights than cardio, so you will continue burning for up to 48 hours AFTER your workout. Now we are rolling! But back to BMR, you are able maintain the higher level of calorie burn at a lower weight with less body fat. Let's say you're 10 years older at this point, that's an increase from where you started, plus you'll be smaller, leaner and you'll be able to maintain a faster metabolism! Change is possible. Take a look at this chart. Starting at the 30% and then going to the right (for women), there may be little difference in weight but much smaller and a more defined body. It is literally re-shaped. 

#2 Less Injury

When you lift heavy weights, the muscles that surround important areas, like your spine, your bones, and organs actually are more protected. Fat is squishy and weakens your support system. So bending down and picking something up is not a problem when you have muscle there to carry part of the load (versus just your bones). You know how we see random videos of an 80 year old woman or man doing things 20 year olds do? How is that possible? It's because they have kept their bodies strong enough to avoid injury. There's a principle or syndrome in fitness called the Disuse Syndrome. You can use it or lose it, in literal sense. If you don't use a body part, or your whole body, you will eventually lose it because it won't withstand even regular tasks. There were studies done on female high school cross-country athletes and when you added in a 12 week weight training program, there was significantly less injury, not only that but better performance and after incorporating weight training practices each season the school was #1 each year with their competing schools.  We know building muscle avoids injury, so let's put it to practice!

#3 Builds Character

Lifting does not only benefit the physical body. When you lift your body weight, bands, free weights or use machines, you are working on your personality. It takes discipline, focus, determination, dying to oneself, perseverance, and control to make this a regular practice. I'm not saying cardio doesn't do this as well, but at the end of the day, you feel stronger on the inside and out. Another aspect is the confidence it gives when you see actual results. You're not just running on a hamster wheel with seeing no change, which would be discouraging. There's just a difference in your mannerisms when you look and feel strong/lean. 

#4 Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Studies show that lfiting strengthens your heart and increases the blood going to and from your heart, which lowers blood pressure. If you do 30-45 minutes of strength training there can be up to a 20 percent decrease in blood pressure afterwards. Bye bye medications. I have personally had multiple clients go off blood pressure medications after they began training with me. One man was on 12 medications, 3 of which were for BP and within 3 months he dropped 20 pounds and went off all 3 because his BP lowered so much. 

#5 Fight Osteoporosis 

So as I mentioned above, muscle protects bones and ligaments from injury. But adding muscle actually strengthens your bones well. Studies show that when you put tension on your muscles (when lifitng) you put that tension on your bones which makes your body build your bones up. Lifiting weights has so many benefits it's crazy!

#6 Helps Blood Sugar Levels

Did you know that you have different colored muscles? Yes, you have white and red colored muscles. White actually aids in lowering blood glucose/sugar levels because it gets used for burning sugar. Lifting weights grows more of the white muscle and is more prevalent in strength sports or body builders. Red muscles are typically found in more aerobic athletes such as a marathon runner and is used for fat oxidation, which means it burns fat. This shows why alternating between lifting heavy and doing cardio is beneficial for the body as a whole and that balancing both create a nice body :)

#7 Better Brain

Studies show that for middle-aged people, lifting moderately heavy on a regular basis actually improves cognitive thinking and memory. 

#8 Balances Hormones

When you lift, there's a hormone effect that happens. Endorphins kick in, cortisol lowers, blood pumps throughout your body, blood sugar regulates, blood pressure drops, and all of that works together to make you whole and healthier. We know that hormones regulate your entire body, so it only makes sense that lifting on a regular basis would help balance those out if it's so beneficial for the rest of your body. 

#9 Reshapes Your Body

You see pictures of them posted everywhere; pins of women with flat stomachs, beautiful legs, and sculpted shoulders. The secret? Lifting. The only way you can actually shape your body to look like the fit people you want to look like is to weight lift. Muslces are tight, smaller, and lift everything, so building it gives curve to a woman's body and definition for a man. 

#10 Relieves Stress

Researchers have found that people lift generally produce less stress hormones (makes sense with all the things mentioned in #7) and keep calm under more tension. Plus, lifting helps literally relieve stress during the workout. It gives you a place to "work-it-out" and let those endorphins kick in, which is better for your anger and decision making. I know that I personally go and lift weights when I am feeling more stressed and it does help. 

There are so many other benefits and these are just the tips of the iceburg. Here are more links to other resources if you're interested and some are associated with studies I have mentioned above. 

Fitocracy
Women's Magazine (health) 

Body Building 

Put it to Pracitce

Now, I have talked a lot about lifting and maybe you want to know what that looks like. Welll, each person starts at a different place, has varying flexibility, different skills, balance, etc. This is not one size fits all. Lifting heavy is basically keeping a muscle under tension to the point of tearing it for it to rebuild stronger. So maybe it looks like doing lunges repeatedly without standing fully, or wall squats, push-ups, tricep dips on a chair, etc.

Less Reps or More Reps?

Being able to build muscle is to continually increase weight you are lifting to build that muscle. So once lunges no longer give results, holding weights in your hands while lunging is the next step. Keeping your reps low is the key to building muscle quickly. The more reps you do to keep up means the workout is turning into cardio and that's not your goal. You want your last rep to be the last one you can possibly do, physically. The max amount of reps for building muscle? I cap at 15 but typically 12 is going to produce better results. So once you add those weights to your lunges, if you start with 5 pounds, increase to 10 pounds, then continue up and up. If you can't buy weights for a while or you have a max amount then use bands, challenge your balance, anything to challenge the muscle will help. 

Whew, that was a lot of information but hopefully helpful to your exercise endeavors. Stay strong fitness peeps!

Homemade Applesauce

I never liked applesauce, that is until I tried homemade applesauce a few years ago that my sis-in-law had made. And like my in-laws, once one jumps on a wagon, the rest usually follow (which is pretty fun:)). So making applesauce is something we do now. I feel like I have a love affair with food! But it's because the real stuff is just so good. Local, fresh, and made in your own kitchen just doesn't beat the pre-made stuff. I will warn you that the recipe I use is different than maybe traditional because I don't peel the skin off, only because of using a Victorio food strainer. I borrowed this one so find someone you can borrow or take the skin off first and you'll have to put through a food processer (which I don't do).

Now, I will tell you that there is a trick to making the kind I am used to...and It's this food strainer. It's like magic. Makes it very easy... 

 

The skin and seeds come out this end and when you crank it, applesauce comes out the other side. 

Ingredients:

Bushel of apples (I used golden delicious which are sweeter and require little to no sugar)

apple corer/slicer or just a pairing knife

Victorio food strainer 

1 or 2 large pots

large cutting board

bowls

cinnnamon

brown sugar and white (if desired or you can make unsweetened)

Directions:

1. Set up your Victorio. It clamps onto something solid. I used the end of my countertop. 

2. Wash apples in sink then use your apple corer/slicer and start slicing away. I threw them into a bowl then transferred to a stock pot. 

3. Once your pot is full add a 1/4 cup water, keep lid off, and turn heat on to medium high. If you are using a large stock pot (I used a regular size that comes in a set of pans and then a stock pot) add 1/2-1 cup of water to your pan.

4. Stir often so all the apples cook evenly and don't burn. 

5. Once all the apples are soft, turn off and put into strainer. Turn the crank and out comes applesauce! It's fun for kids to help here.

6. 2 pots of apples made me a large bowl of applesauce. 

7. With the large bowl of applesauce add your cinnamon and sugar if desired. I used 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp brown sugar. I also did a batch of just cinnamon, both are good.

8. I used a funnel to easily put in jars, put the lids on and stuck in the freezer. 

9. Just repeat until you are out of apples!  

Apple Crisp in an Apple

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and had to make it. Boy I was not disappointed! It's fast, easy to make and pretty inside those apples! Oh, plus they are good portion sizes, just enough. Seriously, make this if you're wanting dessert. I've made this 2 times now and took pictures both times so I had plenty to choose from. haha

The recipe is not mine so I am posting off the BLOG I got it from. Her pictures are also better than mine. Ha. But it's just too yummy not to post. I did sub einkorn flour for the regular flour and it was awesome. 

APPLE CRISP STUFFED BAKED APPLES

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

All of the sweet and caramely goodness of a traditional apple crisp, stuffed and baked inside fresh Autumn apples with the best crumble topping. Top it off with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for an incredible fall treat everyone will go crazy for!

Author: Tiffany

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 apples (I used fugi and golden delicious..either is great)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

crumble topping

• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup oats
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. First, prepare the crumble topping. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or two forks, or with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
3. Peel and chop 4 of the apples. Add chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pan and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat.
4. Chop the tops off of the remaining 4 apples and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Discard the flesh. You don't need to get every little bit out, just enough to make a "bowl" for the filling.
5. Fill scooped-out apples with apple filling from the sauce pan. Top with a generous amount of crumble topping.
6. Place stuffed apples on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crumble topping is crispy. Serve warm and top with ice cream and caramel sauce if desired. Enjoy!