Family In Shape

It’s time to get back to the garden

Photo: Corn in its infancy by Spin Diva

Not long ago I told everyone about my plans to grow something in my garden, something we could enjoy eating.  Once I put it into writing for the world to see I realized that I am accountable to you, my readers and my family.  I have a feeling they're faith in my gardening skills has begun to fade and I can't say that I blame them.  I hope to change that this season. 

Today could not have been a better day for me to get back to the garden.  I strapped my little man (now 18 months, wow time goes by so fast **sigh**) into his car seat in the truck and off we went to pick up everything we need to get started.  Two hours into our shopping spree we emerged from the store where a 70 (ish) year old garden attendant told me not to worry and to bring my truck around, "Ah be rah back git that 'ole mulch 'n dirt in that ole truck-a-yars." Huh? Um, OK?  As I walked away I whispered to my little man "Did you understand what he said?" To which he replied "ook, more, acker, peeese, no, no, no." OK, that's what I though. 

I backed up to the mulch 'n dirt and there he was waiting to load up my truck.  I gave him the receipt and waited patiently by the driver side door.  He went to work load'n that ol' truck-o-mine.  The first bag went well, the second proved to be a bit of a challenge and I began to feel very guilty.  We moved on to some other, much bigger dirt bags..um, Garden Soil that is.  Needless to say, he was really having a hard time with this one.  So I offered to help.  He insisted he just needed to get a better grip and I said, "You're probably right, but if we work together we could get done much faster, this way you can get out of the sun and I can get my baby home for his nap **smile..big smile**"  You know, the way you talk to the kids when you want them to share with other kids whose parents are just standing there watching..it's like an extra nice way to say "play nice" while giving the hint of "you're kid needs an attitude adjustment!" Anyway, he agreed—thankfully!  After the last bag was loaded he said, "I am neva…eva..doin' this ageein; I'm supposed to be a greeter not dog gone loader…" he walked away grumbling "I wanna know who's bright idear it was to put me in gardnin'..you have a nice day mam!" I'm just glad I won't be on the receiving end of his argument, he was not a happy camper but he was very helpful.

Anyway, I digressed, now back to my garden.  This is when the fun begins for me.  The weeds are still pretty much gone since the last time I cleaned up and there were quite a few Tiger Lilies and other pretty flowers growing.  Hey don't expect me to know the names too, I just plant what looks nice then I watch them grow.  Hopefully they grow AND multiply. 

So the garden workout for today went something like this:

1. Carried the dirt bags garden soil from the truck to the back of the house.  Chased the little man back into the yard between loads (what is so attractive about the street…I just don't get it).  Upper body, biceps, triceps, chest and back; and of course, legs.
2. Used a hand garden aerator or garden claw.  This thing has 5 prongs at one end and a nice long handle shaped like a T at the other.  It works great to aerate and loosen up the soil as well as loosen up unwanted weeds.  (Yes, it is not mechanical, you must use your own power to work this tool.) The twisting motion gave my obliques a nice workout, my abs were contracted the entire time I was tilling (I made a conscious effort to do this).  My medial and anterior shoulders were parallel to the floor and there was quite a bit of pulling, twisting, and digging going on.  Overall a great upper body and abdominal workout.
3. Shoveled garden soil into the prepped areas and mixed it in with the garden claw.  Shoulders, back, legs, and arms.
4. Squatted down to dirt level to begin planting the seeds, (Corn, watermelon, beans, carrots, spinach, squash, and tomato plants—I'm not good with seedlings).  It's all in your lower body now: Glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
5. Watered my newly planted seeds, tomato plants, corn, grapes and the pretty flowers too!—Satisfaction, sense of accomplishment!
6. Watered the baby. He needed a bath!—Laughter and fun!

During our time outdoors, my little man played in the dirt or should I say he bathed in it!  He also sat in the swing and sang Itsy Bitsy Spider.  He climbed his Little Tykes fort and slide toy where I couldn't resist but mist him with the hose.  We had a blast; we got a good workout, drank lots of water and used sun protection.  He took a nap and I enjoyed some much needed quiet time alone before the older kids got home from school. 

Now I will have to remember to water my garden, watch out for critters, pick out the weeds and hopefully in the next 50-68 days I will be enjoying the fruits (and veggies) of my labor.

Live Life! Stay Well!

Spin Diva

Start over Monday

  (photo by Kim Aubrey)

It has been the rule since the beginning of ...well, who knows since when, but many of us choose to start almost everything on Monday.  Diets, exercise routines, getting organized, reading a book, the list goes on.  I remember overeating over the weekend just because I was going to start my diet on Monday--always a bad idea.

Anyway, since it is Monday already and we all want to get or stay in shape I suggest starting something new to change our routine:

1. Revisit the eating habits by keeping a daily journal of everything we eat (from that cough drop to the sinful cookie, even the babies sandwich crust, you know you all do it too). **Drink your water and/or
tea. This can be an online journal, a calorie counting journal or a piece of paper and pencil--that works too.

2. Move more while doing chores. Turn the music up and get busy - that all counts as exercise. If you're busy you are less likely to visit the pantry or fridge in search of snacks you really don't want or need.

3. Read the menu for the week and make sure you have all that you need to avoid a big diet sabotage.

4. Find time to regroup, read the schedule for the week, take control of stress by finding a few minutes to just sit and relax.

Share your ideas of things we can change today that will affect the rest of our week.

Stay Well,

Spin Diva

Six weeks to get in shape…Really?!

Photo by Saveena

 

(Cross-posted at BlogHer)

This is about the time when many realize that their new year's resolution to get in shape has fallen off their to-do list.  It seems other "more important" tasks have taken the place of that very special "me" time they worked so hard to carve out.  Why now? Because they just looked at the calendar and counted the weekends left until Memorial Day Weekend, the big beach, pool, vacation weekend.  This means getting into a nice bathing suit without wearing a coverall or getting into new summer clothes that are a little smaller.

I noticed the change in gym participants when I tried to park and realized that the place was packed.  Did I miss the memo? Was there a party planned? It must have been something I did! No, but seriously, I was not surprised to see the masses come together in search of their super-toned body and many hope to find it at the gym fairly quickly.  It is an interesting phenomenon.  For the few that stay in a fitness program year-round, I commend your efforts, keep up the good work!  To the seasonal fitness athletes--Congrats, again, and welcome back!

This week personal trainers were in high demand and the #1 question was "can I see significant differences in six weeks?"  Well, how significant of a change are you looking for?  How hard are you willing to work? How often can you come to the gym and work hard, without the trainer? 

Some things to consider:
First, of course, is exercise- This is where the real fun begins.  The best way to burn fat is by doing cardiovascular exercises starting with at least 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise, three to five days a week.  This time should increase as the body is trained by about 5-10 minutes each week.  Aerobic exercises include: swimming, running, speed walking, treadmill, spinning, or elliptical trainer.  Other fun activities are step aerobics, floor aerobics, and kick-boxing.  Joining classes whether at a gym or community center is a great way to stay motivated because people get to know you and you feel accountable to someone other than yourself.  Plus you make friends who are working on the same goals - getting fit for summer, maybe even for life!

Adding weight training is important if you want to see changes in your body.  Muscle burns more calories than fat, therefore, the more lean muscle mass you have the more calories you burn.  Your metabolism will soar to new heights and you will look smokin' hot too!  Weight lifting also strengthens bones, increases muscular endurance, enhances overall body balance and helps to avoid injury.  When lifting, you want to alternate your workout days, for example, if you do full body workout then do them every other day.  If you decide to really concentrate on muscle groups you want to wait 24-48 hours between each muscle group (Mon/Thus upper body, Tues/Fri lower body, Abs everyday). Beginners should seek the assistance of a fitness trainer or at least an experienced friend to help out and keep you motivated.  All weight training should be started after a 10 minute warm up and light stretching exercises. 

Second, you don't want to forget your nutrition. I can't stress this enough.  Feed your body what it needs and not what you think you want.  That means eating more raw foods, more whole grain, low fat dairy, limit fats and sugars...you know the drill. 

Third on the list are hydration and rest. Drink water and rest your body.  Most important time to drink is before during and after exercise. Always be prepared with a healthy snack for your post-workout snack because you will be hungry and likely to begin gnawing at your steering wheel.  Nutritious snacks include protein bars, fruits, trail mix, fruit smoothie or protein shakes.  Take some time to relax your mind and body before going to bed and go bed at a reasonable time.

A friend at the Wellness Junction wrote an article called ReMotivation: when the first time went wrong that I recommend you read.  In this article you will find good tips to help you get your game back.  Sometimes we use the time after the holidays, special events, or the approaching season as motivational tools.  Other times the motivation just comes to us in then night or after the shower when we look in the mirror and realize we don't like what we see.  Having a plan, logging our progress, seeking assistance or just the company of others with the same goal in mind are tools that can keep you motivated.  Get involved in different activities and really take notice of how you feel when you do exercise on a regular basis as opposed to when you don't--you are likely to find that you like your new you enough to keep on doing it. 

Seeing changes in six weeks takes great determination, hard work, and motivation.  However, you can see significant improvement in energy, mental clarity, eating habits and even better sleep if you follow a good nutrition and exercise program indefinitely.  You many not lose 30 lbs in six weeks but you will feel better about yourself and you will be well on your way to making a lifestyle change for life not just for the season.

Work hard, stay well!
Spin Diva

Product Review: It’s crunchy, sweet, and good to eat!

Recently I was asked to try Kashi's new Cocoa Beach and Summer Berry granola.  This came to me at a good time because I have been reading more about whole grain foods and the importance of eating whole grain instead of refined foods. 

Here's my take on these two Kashi items:

The Cocoa Beach has a sweet, nutty, cocoa flavor with subtle hints of coconut and almonds.  In the Caribbean coconut is a staple fruit; however, I know many who are squeamish about coconut.  Rest assured, the coconut flavor really is subtle. I loved this as a topping on vanilla yogurt for a crunchy and very nutritious snack; I tried it on my Kashi GoLean hot cereal and on the Kashi GoLean Crunch! as well.  I can honestly say that I really enjoyed the crunchy textures and the change in flavors (especially when I'm craving a little chocolate). It was a nice addition to my yogurt because I'm not a big yogurt eater.  This was also a great snack out of the box, but be careful, you might get carried away like me and eat half a box in one sitting (I think next time I'll pour myself a portion). 

The Summer Berry is sweet and fruity with a hint of vanilla flavor.  The Kiwi fruit is more sweet-tart and the berries are very sweet,  but all are very true to their natural taste. Again, I added this one to my yogurt (vanilla and berry yogurt), my hot and cold cereal.  All tasted fantastic.  I took this one step ahead and added a handful to a Spinach and Strawberry salad with walnut raspberry vinaigrette dressing and it was very delicious.  Again, I love the idea of having something crunchy in my food so this was an excellent addition to my midday meal. 

A ½ cup serving has a nice balance of Kashi's Seven Whole Grains™, 6 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein. Both contain Omega-3, (350mg in the Summer Berry, 400mg in the Cocoa Beach).

My personal tips for the granola:

• Add to your hot or cold cereal for a little twist in flavor
• Mix in with your yogurt for a crunchy mid afternoon snack
• Use it as topping over your favorite dessert
• Mix up with other favorite cereal and dried fruit for a tasty trail mix to keep in your car, purse, or gym bag
• Use it as a salad topping
• Eat it out of the box, one portion at a time, of course ;-)

I have been a Kashi fan since I found my favorite breakfast foods, GoLean Crunch! and GoLean Hot Cereal.  I like Kashi products because they use whole grain, natural products that are aimed at improving our dietary needs.  What attracted me most, the first time around, was the fact that my cereal had more fiber, protein and Omega-3 than most other cereals on the market.  When you are looking to balance your diet with the proper nutrients, you shouldn't have to look so hard at what's hidden in the nutrition label.

I truly enjoyed this and, so far, every Kashi product I've tried. I hope will too!

Stay well,

Spin Diva!

Manage your stress, don’t let stress manage you

This has been a trying week for me. I'll start by saying that if there was ever a week that would make the Spin Diva break all the fitness and nutrition rules, this would have been the one. I could probably count many others that fall into this category, but let's stick to the year 2008 for now.

I'll spare you the details. In brief, I wrote an eight page report for my Linguistic Anthropology class (not something that comes naturally to me) and was proud to have completed this task only one day after it was due. I got up early to do one more edit before submitting this master piece. I was still in my PJ's, kids were either on their way to school or asleep, I had a hot latte in one hand and the mouse in the other. I settled into my little corner desk to 'edit' this report when I discovered it had vanished and all my hard work was gone along with it. My heart sank, I wanted to scream, cry, and yes, I wanted to say a few choice words when in through the front door comes the Conductor. You have to understand, seeing him come through the front door at 6:35 A.M. meant that he missed the bus and now I would have to drive him to school. Is someone playing a trick on me? I was in the middle of a crisis. Was I being tested?

He knew right away that things were not good and he probably wished he had just walked the five miles to school rather than hear me complain about my lost file. Thankfully, he's pretty level headed and patient and just watched me pace my kitchen as I tried to diffuse my anger by blaming Vista, the PC and Microsoft. I probably burned a few hundred calories just controlling my emotions and pacing.

My pride is to blame for my complete oversight. I did not properly save the report. It was gone, not in the hard drive, external drive, email, online…nowhere to be found. I'm not a computer techy, I just use the thing. Mr. Toolman also searched for over an hour and found nothing.

I decided within a few minutes that I needed to make things right and getting angry at the world, well, my computer (same thing), wasn't going to get my report done or get my kid to school. So I took a deep breath, made myself another latte, (hey I deserved all the coffee and doughnuts the world had to offer), drove my kid to school and came home to face my dilemma.

I find that when I'm stressed and tired I am able to focus better if I get a good workout. Fortunately for me, I was teaching on this particular day so I really didn't have a choice. I worked my muscles harder than usual (still feeling the pain today). In the middle of all this I had my clingy toddler pulling the paper out of the printer (hmm, maybe I should move it to a higher place); still had to drive kids to their activities, and somehow continue to control my emotions or I was going to eat everything in my pantry. That's what we call emotional eating.

Stress, mental exhaustion, and physical exhaustion can really do a number on the body. First comes the emotional eating (I deserve a brownie today), then the neglect (I can't go to the gym, I have work to do), and lack of sleep (…again, I have work to do). Here is how I made it through this stressful week:

1. Exercise:
   1. Day 1: I worked in the garden, played with the kids, and ran around the house being chased by my toddler and my little girl.
   2. Day 2: I went to the gym and did a weight training class. I increased the weight and kept the number of reps the same.
   3. Day 3: I went to another class —my favorite of course—Spinning. Again, increased resistance, worked harder than ever.
2. Nutrition (this was not easy):
   1. Placed a bowl of fruit on my desk, between me and the computer.
   2. Kept a 33 ounce bottle of water by my desk.
   3. My dinners were carefully planned to avoid a huge sabotage—big salads with whatever meat we were having that day.
   4. Snacked on protein smoothies made with bananas, pineapple, berries, mangos, papaya, etc… they were never the same but they were always delicious and very filling.
3. Sleep:
   1. Gave myself a break. After everyone went to bed, I relaxed with whatever show I had recorded earlier.
   2. Took a bath, drank hot tea and slept better than the baby.

My point, we could choose to let the stressors in our daily lives keep us from being physically active. We could choose to let our emotions dictate what we eat. We could also choose to use this new energy in a positive way. If you're not already moving for your health, use your most stressful day to start because you are more likely to feel better after the workout then before. The problem will not go away, but you will be better prepared, mentally and physically, to tackle whatever comes your way. Manage your stress, don't let stress manage you.

By the way, my original report took three weeks to complete, one second to loose in cyberspace, and three days to rewrite. I think I did a better job the second time around. All this stress was actually good for me!

Stay well,

Spin Diva