Healthful Bites

Fairly often, I share tips about lightening up recipes and making lighter choices at restaurants. But I think it’s about time to lighten up the mood! This isn’t totally off topic, because studies have shown that laughter has been linked to reduced heart disease risk and lower stress levels. Plus, the things that are making me chuckle are all about health and fitness!

Yes, as I explained on Tuesday, it’s always a competition. :)

Who else is pumped for the movie (which comes out in less than a month)?!

Ha, glad this is no longer true!

OK, so I’m slightly obsessed with humorous someecards! For a change of pace, here are three of my current favorite funny videos.

• Michelle Obama schools Jimmy Fallon at an exercise showdown. Talk about a fit First Lady!
• In other presidential news, the mock Obamas on SNL talk healthy eating and spoof The Cosby Show…with hilarious results.
• It turns out humans aren’t the only ones who need a good workout! Check out this walrus with some serious skills.

What’s making you laugh this week? Would you like to see this as a regular feaure (perhaps monthly?) on Healthful Bites?

I was recently tagged by my pal Sam to participate in the Lucky Number 11 Survey going around the blogosphere! I shared the basics about myself last spring, but this is the perfect excuse to open up about a few more lesser-known fun facts about yours truly.

The rules of play:

• Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
• Answer the questions the tagger set for you (Sam had some awesome ones!).
• Create 11 new questions for others and tag 11 more people.

As you’ll see at the end, I’m going to bend the rules a bit…But it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to! ;) Away we go…

1. At any given time, I probably have about five games of Scrabble on Facebook going. It’s a bit of a problem, but I’m OK with it. There are worse addictions out there and I chalk it up as good for my mental health!
2. In other game news, I find that there is little in life more fun than crowding around a board game with family and friends. A new favorite: Ticket to Ride.
3. My only broken bone came when I was one year old, about as big as I was in the picture above. (What can I say? I was multitasking from a young age.) I was trying to help my mom pick fruit from our cherry tree and fell off the mini-step ladder and crack! A cast isn’t going to slow me down though. I motored around so much that I wore a hole in the bottom of it before my doctor took it off.
4. Whenever I could use some cheering up, I visit Aaron Rodgers Photobombs. I dare you not to laugh!
   
5. While I am nowhere near getting married and find most wedding-related TV shows boring, I cannot get enough of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. A guilty pleasure!
6. I received a teddy bear for Easter when I was one or two which Mom had so aptly named Jelly Bear (get it: jelly bean/Jelly Bear)? I would like to believe that was when my lifelong love of puns began.
   
7. If I had to diagnose myself, I’d say that I’m practically blind. My Mom always says that she married the only person she ever met who had worse eyesight than she did…so that means I have two sets of awesome vision genes! I recently went for a new prescription and, without any contacts or glasses, struggled to read one letter—really, just one—that was about 14 inches tall on a wall 10 feet away. See? Blind. Thank goodness for contacts!
8. To make my commutes and errands feel quicker, I mow through several podcasts on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis. Some top picks include Fresh Air, Freakonomics, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me.
9. After catching the first episode of Smash on iTunes (free sneak peeks are the best!), I’m more than a little excited for the rest of the season. Anyone else get chills with Katherine McPhee puts her own twist on Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful?”
10. I’m often told how much I look like my Mom. We have similar smiles—and similar personalities. Even though we live hundreds of miles apart, we still find each other saying just what the other person was thinking while chatting on the phone. Crazy!
11. I’m having a ton of fun with the #FebPhotoADay project that my friend Jenn introduced my too. Here are a couple of my favorite snapshots so far:

And now for the 11 questions from Sam:

What’s your lucky number?

I guess I’ve never given this much thought, but I’ll go with seven.   

How many siblings do you have?

Two awesome older (and they might say wiser) sisters: Amy, an E.R. doctor, and Sarah, an occupational therapist. Their life-saving work inspires me! 

What was your favorite school subject and why?

It was math in my early years, since I rocked those times tables and Around the World (anyone else remember that game?). But somewhere around junior high, my number-related skills didn’t seem to be quite as strong as my verbal/written skills. So English took over! 

What’s your biggest gym pet peeve?

Please, please don’t chat on your cell phone while using the equipment. I know that a strong social life is good for your health, but it’s really distracting. Plus, you’re probably not focused much on the intensity of your workout if your lost in conversation, so leave it in your locker if you don’t mind. :) 

What’s a healthy food that you really can’t stand?

I may be inviting a bunch of gasps from food bloggers out there (and I really wish I could say that I love this!) but I have yet to convince myself to like plain oatmeal. I know, I know! It’s SO wholesome and good for you, but something about the texture is just not my favorite.

A close runner-up: seafood, but I’m not 100 percent sure if I want to love it because of the smell.

What’s your favorite cereal?

Cascadian Farms Honey Nut O’s are pretty delish. 

Where’s the farthest you’ve traveled from home?

I visited Tanzania with my Mom and uncle when I was in college while my sister was in the country doing medical volunteer work. It was a life-changing experience to see how different the world is without refrigeration, endless clean water and many paved roads.

*NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?

*NSYNC hands-down. Anyone who knew me in junior high could vouch for the fact that I had a touch of Justin Timberlake fever. But really, who doesn’t? ;) 

What’s one career you find fascinating?

I know I could never do it—I think I would take other people’s problems home with me—but helping people with the inner workings of their brains, like a psychologist, would be so, so interesting.

How do you feel about Pinterest?

Love! The Type A in me adores how easy it is to organize awesome ideas and to-dos in one place. By the way, you can check out or follow my boards here!

What’s the biggest fear you’ve conquered?

I’m pretty proud of the fact that I gave up control and jumped off a cliff with a stranger to enjoy an amazing paragliding experience in Colorado!

Phew! Well after that novel, I don’t think there’s room for much else. I’m going to skip the tagging, as nearly every blogger I know has either participated or has been tagged already. Plus, it’s a holiday weekend, so everyone deserves a break! I’m going to take a little hiatus, but will see you back here next week. Happy President’s Day, everyone!

One last thing: I’d be fascinated to hear any of your responses to Sam’s questions. Spill in the comments!

When you finish a week’s-worth of hard workouts or make it through a particularly busy day successfully, you deserve a reward, right? All too often, however, we think of that reward as spoon + pint of ice cream or burger + fries (or your food splurge of choice which may cancel out all of your efforts in the gym). Since you do deserve to give yourself props for a job well done—and show some love with Valentine’s Day approaching!—here are five ways to treat yourself without food.

1. Manicure/Pedicure. I feel so spoiled when someone else pampers my hands and feet, but a DIY one does the trick too! The positive feelings continue for days since the pretty nails will brighten your mood and remind you of the awesomeness you accomplished to deserve the mani/pedi.
2. Massage.  This is perfect for a post-workout indulgence since your muscles will get plenty of TLC. Your insides will love it too: research has shown that massages can decrease blood pressure and stress, and may even help to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
3. Movie. In our era of constant connectivity, it’s nice to turn off your technology for a couple hours and lose yourself in a good flick. Bonus points if Ryan Gosling is involved!
4. New music, book, etc. Step 1: Load your iPod with a new playlist or buy an item off of your Amazon wishlist. (I recommend the new David Guetta album or An Invisible Thread by Alex Tresniowski and Laura Schroff.) Step 2: Relax and enjoy.
5. “Me Time.” This one is awesome because, as J. Lo says, it “don’t cost a thing.” Sometimes what you really crave is an unscheduled evening or weekend to kick your feet up and do whatever makes you happy. Read that new book? Great! Watch a reality TV show marathon guilt-free? Go for it. Take a long nap? You got it! When you’re constantly go-go-go, nothing feels better than clearing out your schedule and doing what recharges your batteries.

What are your favorite rewards for a job well done?

Besides a doable training plan, a solid pair of sneakers and a motivating playlist, I’ve found that gathering inspiration and tips from those who have run before me has been helpful. One of the most abundant sources for “runspiration?” Fellow bloggers!

There are plenty of half-marathoners among the amazing individuals I previously featured in my blogroll posts (shout-out to Jenn, Madison, Caitlin, Tina, Ashley and Carla!) but I thought I’d highlight a few more motivational athletes whose blogs I turn to on a regular basis for helpful hints. These long-distance ladies also provide a kick in the pants—if they can make 26.2 look like a blast, I can surely knock out 13.1 in a couple months!

Fit Chick In The City

• Synopsis: Jess, who went to school for exercise science and is a personal trainer, reviews workout classes, shares playlists and provides exercise tips.
• Why I love it: Beyond being a general fitness all-star, Jess is an avid racer who is back in training after taking time for injury recovery. Her weekly “Say It, Do It” posts, which encourage reader interaction, are fantastic for accountability.
• Sample post: The Moment You Felt Like a Real Runner

Ali On The Run

• Synopsis: Ali shares her training plans, tips from her awesome running coach and her favorite foods that fuel all of her workouts (she ran more than 160 miles in January alone)!
• Why I love it: This marathoner is very candid about her runs—including both the good and the bad—and serves it all up with a hefty dose of humor. Plus, her “I Heart Sweat” motto is just plain awesome. I dare you to read more than one of Ali’s posts and not be inspired to lace up your shoes!
• Sample post: The Things I’m Doing To Become a Better, Stronger, Faster Runner

Meals and Miles

• Synopsis: Meghann “can’t imagine a life without running” since she lost 25 pounds a few years ago. A finisher of mud runs, triathlons and everything up to ultramarathons, she is one tough cookie. The habit is all in the family too—Meghann has a super-fit siblings who often make appearances during training and events.
• Why I love it: Any running blog round-up would not be complete without Meghann, who just got engaged during the Ragnar Relay (an overnight 200-mile team race). So now we get to tag along during her workouts and her wedding planning!
• Sample post: A New Race Book

Losing Weight In The City

• Synopsis: After losing 50 pounds,  Theodora fell in love with running and now shares awesome race recaps along with her general reflections about staying fit and keeping the weight off.
• Why I love it: It’s a blast to follow along as Theodora breaks PR after PR and rocks her long training runs (which often wrap up at a bagel shop. A carb fan—my kind of girl!).
• Sample post: 7 Tips To Stay Healthy Even When You’re Busy

I know I’m missing plenty of fantastic running blogs, so please share your favorites in the comments—especially if it’s yours!

Quote to consider this week:

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for 20 years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” —John Bingham

As you know, I’m very new to the endurance event training world—beginning this week in fact!—so I can use any advantage I can get. :) So I recently picked out several songs that not only pack motivating beats, but also inspiring lyrics (which complement my weekly “quotes to consider” well!). This 38-minute playlist, which should be about ideal to power me through a four-miler plus a quick warm-up and cooldown, will definitely be playing on repeat!

Find my complete Confidence-Boosting Half-Marathon Playlist on iTunes, or click on each song below to download them individually.

• “Talk That Talk,” Rihanna, featuring Jay-Z
• “Sweat,” Snoop Dogg vs. David Guetta
• “Good Feeling,” Flo Rida
• “Invading My Mind,” Jennifer Lopez
• “Lights (Bassnectar Remix),” Ellie Goulding
• “Countdown,” Beyonce
• “Give Me Everything,” Pitbull, featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
• “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger),” Kelly Clarkson
• “I Like It Like That,” Hot Chelle Rae, featuring New Boyz
• “Shake It Out,” Florence + The Machine

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Lululemon Athletica

Quote to consider this week:

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” —John Bingham

The holidays are upon us and another year is drawing to a close. It’s a time for celebration and reflection! I sifted through the tunes on my iPod and several “best of” lists to compile my 11 favorite workout songs from 2011. Included are some awesome options for your warm-up, cardio and cooldown—all full of motivating beats and lyrics (“This time I’ve got nothing to waste/ Let’s go a little harder/ I’m on fire” — Breathe Carolina in “Blackout”.)

Click on each song to download individually, or download, “like” or share the whole 40-minute playlist here on iTunes!

• “Rumour Has It,” Adele
• “Domino,” Jessie J
• “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” Coldplay
• “Turn Me On,” David Guetta, featuring Nicki Minaj
• “Otis,” Kanye West and Jay-Z, featuring Otis Redding
• “Blackout,” Breathe Carolina
• “Get Myself Together,” Robyn
• “You Can’t Win,” Kelly Clarkson
• “Super Bass,” Nicki Minaj
• “The Edge of Glory,” Lady Gaga
• “Dog Days are Over,” Florence + the Machine

Click here and here for a couple more Healthful Bites playlists from 2011.

What was your top song of the past year?

Photo courtesy of Flickr user ming1967

I’ll be taking some time off for the holidays, so I will see you back here in 2012. Happy Holidays!

The chillier temps (including some snow!) inspired me to spend a bit more time indoors early this November scouring my favorite magazines for the newsiest bits. So here are five wellness-related facts that caught my eye that will hopefully inspire you to stay healthy all November and beyond!

• You might see signs for “yam” and “sweet potato” used interchangeably while grocery shopping pre-Thanksgiving. But  FITNESS explains that most of us have never even laid eyes on a true yam—they’re most common in Africa and South America. Dark orange sweet potatoes are the ones most commonly confused with yams. Toss out this fun fact to impress your fellow dinner guests when you’re all enjoying roasted veggies, a slice of pie or a scoop of casserole made with the beta carotene-packed vegetable!
• SHAPE says that it doesn’t have to be difficult to make your diet and kitchen more eco-friendly. The magazine offers 30 tips on how to do this in their new issue, and here are three that shocked me the most:

• Don’t think of yourself as being lazy by loading the dishwasher rather than scrubbing by hand…you’re actually just being green! If you leave the water running while you wash in the sink, you’ll be using about 37 percent more water compared to your dishwasher.
• Stop peeking at your oven-baking items—doing so can lower the temp by as much as 25 degrees and forces the heating mechanism to click back on more often. Use the light and peer through the window to check progress instead.
• Save up to $115 per year by toting your meals and snacks in reusable containers rather than baggies, wraps and foil.

• Brown rice is the smartest starch, right? Not so fast. It sure is a step up from white, but wild rice is slightly lower in calories, fat and carbohydrates. Plus, wild offers about five times more protein and folate than brown, according to Women’s Health.
• Earlier this year when the USDA introduced MyPlate, there was a lot of talk about whether it was better and more useful than its predecessor. Food Network Magazine dug through the U.S. National Archives to uncover the government’s dietary recommendations since they first began in 1919, and what they came up with was quite fascinating! A few highlights:

• 1919: A USDA poster recommended “simple suppers” like bread, milk and plain cookies.
• 1939: Butter as well as potatoes, cereal or bread should be eaten at every meal, while only one or two servings of fruit per day is suggested. Butter was actually one of the seven food groups when a new classification system was introduced in 1943.
• 2000: Diners are instructed to eat “more” fruits and “vegetables” including French fries and “plenty” of carbohydrates like pasta and graham crackers, but just “enough” dairy and protein like low-fat yogurt and lentils.

• “Give me a break” should be a motto for dealing with yourself, not just a tagline for a popular candy bar, Health reports. People who take it easy on themselves (for example, forgiving yourself for making a mistake) have more confidence and are more likely to try, try again because they didn’t let the flub define them. Pushing yourself in a positive, healthy direction is most motivating when you frame it in a positive way (“signing up for the Turkey Trot with my family will be such a fun and invigorating way to kick off the holiday”) rather that a punitive one (“I must do this Turkey Trot to burn off some of the extra calories I’m going to eat today”).

Photo courtesy of Flickr user MimimalistPhotography101.com

What is one way you are giving yourself a break today or plan to do so in the near future?

Back in college when I was taking classes for my kinesiology degree, workplace health promotion was one of my favorites. Why? It just seemed to make so much practical sense. Studies have found that for every one dollar invested by the company in health promotion, they get back three to six dollars, attributable to factors such as lower health care costs and increased productivity. Talk about a return on investment (so maybe I should have said it makes so much “cents!”).

This topic is fresh in my mind because of a recent report I heard on NPR, which shared anecdotes from Dow Chemical and how the corporation is striving to save money by helping workers lead healthier lifestyles. The company subsidizes gym memberships, dietitians and personal trainers, as well as on-site fitness facilities and more nutritious cafeteria options. Since instituting these measures, Dow has cut overall company health care costs by almost 10 percent!

The best programs, according to a report by Emory University experts, begin with personal health risk assessments (questionnaires that highlight an employee’s strengths and areas in need of improvement), which can later be used to provide “tailored messages” related to those weaknesses pinpointed in the assessment. Another important factor in the best workplace wellness programs is giving participants an opportunity to pick how they engage, whether in a large group, small group or solo.

Businesses that follow these steps are well on their way to making a difference in their workers’ well-being, including, but not limited to, the following ways:

• Decrease tobacco use
• Lower average staff blood pressure and cholesterol
• Reduce dietary fat consumption
• Decrease sick days due to illness and injury

It may take extra effort and a bit of additional staff-power to make worksite health programs a reality, but doesn’t it seem well worth it?

Photo courtesy of Flickr user familymwr.

While we’re on the topic, here are a few simple ways to “reboot your work health” from Women’s Health! (Sneak peek: Step out for lunch, stash some peppermint lotion and take 60-second breather breaks.)

So tell me, does your workplace offer wellness programs? And if so, do you take advantage of them?

Just in time for National School Lunch Week last week, Mrs. Q (aka Chicago elementary school speech pathologist Sarah Wu) released a book spinoff of her popular blog Fed Up With Lunch. School lunch is a captivating topic, in my opinion, since it’s something that nearly everyone can relate to and the issues at play have so much more going on than meets the eye.

Soon after Fed Up With Lunch was available I downloaded the book on my Kindle and devoured almost as quickly as the kids at the author’s school could finish the almost daily side of six tater tots! On her blog, Wu used photos and brief descriptions to chronicle her experience eating school “hot lunches” for one full calendar year. Soon after its launch, nutrition advocates caught wind of her project and an extensive dialogue about public school lunch offerings began. This book explains the behind-the-scenes work that went into the blog (Wu had to scurry back to her room each day to snap a picture of her meal. She was afraid school officials wouldn’t be so keen on the concept—hence the pseudonym.) As a result of several meals that looked like this and this, Wu became more interested in nutrition and public policy, and shares what she learned, along with many of her lunch photos, in her book.

While I didn’t learn anything particularly new from a policy level since I had already read up on the topic for a few college projects, Fed Up With Lunch provides a pretty thorough overview for those who may have forgotten all about that time when regular milk was called “white milk.” For any reader, whether well-versed in the topic or not, it’s pretty fascinating to try to brainstorm ways to improve the current system while considering all of the cooks in the proverbial school lunch kitchen (government organizations and subsidies, large-scale food distributors set in their ways and don’t think about trying to implement neat programs like those suggested by the folks behind Edible Schoolyard or Alliance for a Healthier Generation…). It seems to all boil down to a money issue, but there has to be some way to put out food that’s better than rib-shaped mystery meat on a bun, French fries and a sugary juice box. Because how healthy is it if you eat that 180 times each year? And what does it teach kids about how they should be eating for the rest of their lives?

Photo courtesy of Flickr user USDAgov

I’m no saint through—my bagged lunchduring grade school might have included a turkey bagel sandwich, apple, bag of chips or pretzels and a Nutty Bar (remember those?) or cookie. What did you eat during your school lunches and how does that compare to what you enjoy for lunch now?

And do you have any suggestions for how our country can makeover the current school lunch program?

October traditionally kicks off the holiday season—Halloween rolls around at the end of the month, holiday decorations roll out in stores (if you can believe it!) and Thanksgiving isn’t too far behind. But the healthy habits you’ve been working so hard on since last January don’t have to be put on the back burner.

That’s why I corralled these fantastic tips from October magazines that will help you keep portions under control, make exercise seem for fun and more!

• Nutrition experts have been telling us for years to reach for smaller plates and bowls to subconsciously serve ourselves less and still feel satisfied. But the same rule apparently doesn’t hold true for your utensils: Mini forks influenced study participants to eat 10 to 12 percent more, FITNESS reports. Big forks mean big bites, which helps give you a visual hint that you’re chowing down and may want to consider slowing down. So mix your 9-inch plates with the larger batch of utensils if you want to try to trick yourself into eating a bit less.
• Another simple ways to cut calories? Whip up your meals at home rather than dining out or ordering takeout! Ladies Home Journal suggests bringing your lunch to school or work to save money and fat. Here are a couple of my favorite swaps (so you’ll barely notice the difference!):

• Skip: Chipotle chicken burrito (with rice, beans, sour cream, salsa and veggies): 915 calories, 31 g fat
• Pick: One large whole-wheat tortilla (like La Tortilla Factory) with 3 ounces grilled chicken, 1/4 cup black beans, 1 tablespoon plain 0% Green yogurt, salsa and veggies: 390 calories, 5 g fat

• Skip: Arby’s Roast Turkey and Swiss Market Fresh sandwich: 710 calories, 28 g fat
• Pick: Two slices whole-wheat bread, one wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese, 2 ounces deli turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion: 270 calories, 5 g fat

Psst…Make-your-own each of these meals just once each week rather than heading out for fast food and you’ll drop a pound in less than a month!

• Find some fitness motivation by simply choosing an activity that you enjoy. That’s right, it may be wiser to opt for exercise that you find fun rather than one that promises the biggest strength or endurance return (or calorie burn), SELF says, because you’ll stick with it 25 percent longer than someone who felt like they “had to.” Make it a “want” not a “must” by trying new activities (for example, try dance lessons, golf or tennis if you’re not a fan of running or spinning) until you find one that you look forward to! 
• Stepping outside is another simple way to make fitness more fun. Study participants who ran on an outdoor track instead of a treadmill said the workout was more pleasant and maintained a steadier speed, a study noted in Women’s Health found. Luckily, since we’re transitioning into fall and the weather may not cooperate for fresh air workouts, similar effects can be found by distracting yourself in the gym (perhaps with good music, a football game on TV or a goofy neighbor who’s auditioning for American Idol during their run. I’m not the only one who’s run next to the karaoke fans, am I? :) )
• If you know me, you know I love my core work. But did you know that the bicycle move is the most effective stomach exercise around? Your abs and obliques are both challenged—possibly two to three times more than during a basic crunch, according to research mentioned in Redbook. See how to do it here!

Photo via Flickr user hajj2006

Do you have a favorite core exercise?