Grill Your Way to a Flat Belly

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The following article from Yahoo Health was recommended by staff member Tiffani Arterberry.  Thanks to Tiffani for her recommendation.  Contact us if you see any articles you think would make a good addition to our blog or if you would like to see a certain topic covered.

"I used to look at a grill and see a hunk of steel with one function: burning the pink out of burgers. That’s it. Just backyard fast food. What I failed to realize is that before me was one of the greatest weight-loss tools on the planet.

The grill isn’t designed to cook meat; it's designed to cook food. To harness fire so you can sear, char, and caramelize any number of meats, vegetables, and fruits. A hot gridiron is a place where bland asparagus wilts into a backyard delicacy, homemade pizza crisps into an artesian flatbread, and ordinary fruit transforms into a gourmet dessert infused with the smoky signature of the grill. And what’s more, all of these foods are infinitely healthier than their pan-fried counterparts. Dry heat—the kind that radiates off the grill—is the world’s healthiest cooking method. Throw the lid over the grates and your grill becomes a smoker, keeping moisture locked in while the steel slats create space for excess fats to drip out. If there’s a more flavorful way to lose weight, it’s yet to be discovered." (Get grilling recipe ideas and read more of this article.)

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9 Foods That Reduce Stress Levels

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(Content Provided by Marie Claire)

Reach for these items next time you're feeling under pressure, under the weather, or just too close to that breaking point. Munching on these stress-free foods will help pull you back into the game.

Oranges
A German study in Psychopharmacology found that vitamin C helps reduce stress and return blood pressure and cortisol to normal levels after a stressful situation. Vitamin C is also well-known for boosting your immune system.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes can be particularly stress-reducing because they can satisfy the urge you get for carbohydrates and sweets when you are under a great deal of stress. They are packed full of beta-carotene and other vitamins, and the fiber helps your body to process the carbohydrates in a slow and steady manner.

Dried Apricots
Apricots are rich in magnesium, which is a stress-buster and a natural muscle relaxant as well.

Almonds, Pistachios & Walnuts
Almonds are packed with B and E vitamins, which help boost your immune system, and walnuts and pistachios help lower blood pressure.

Turkey
Turkey contains an amino acid called L-tryptophan. This amino acid triggers the release of serotonin, which is a feel-good brain chemical. This is the reason why many people who eat turkey feel relaxed, or even tired, after eating it. L-Tryptophan has a documented calming effect.

Spinach
A deficiency in magnesium can cause migraine headaches and a feeling of fatigue. One cup of spinach provides 40 percent of your daily needs for magnesium.

Salmon
Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease. A study from Diabetes & Metabolism found that omega-3s keep the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline from peaking.

Avocados
The monounsaturated fats and potassium in avocados help lower blood pressure. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says that one of the best ways to lower blood pressure is to consume enough potassium (avocados have more than bananas).

Green Vegetables
Broccoli, kale, and other dark green vegetables are powerhouses of vitamins that help replenish our bodies in times of stress.

More stress-busting tips:
- Exercise reguarly
- Drink an energy shake for breakfast
- Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).

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Deskercize - More ideas for exercises while at work

The Smithlin Corporation - Workplace Fitness

Check out this funny video related to workplace fitness!

Bowling Green Walking/Running Events for August 2010

Photo Credit

Below is the list of fitness events taking place in and around Bowling Green for the month of August 2010.  Click the links of the specific event for registration information.

8/7/10 - Mammoth Cave Run Through the Park - Mammoth Cave Park

8/7/10 - Jimmy Brigance 4-miler - Ben Hawes Park, Owensboro, KY

8/7/10 - Nolin Fest 5K Run/Walk - Leitchfield, KY

8/14/10 - Garden Spot Run 5K - Franklin, KY

8/21/10 - Olde Stone 5K - Olde Stone Subdivision, Bowling Green, KY

8/22/10 - Bowling Green Sprint Triathlon - Russell Sims Water Park / Preston Miller Park, Bowling Green, KY

Fitting in Fitness: Finding the Time for Regular Workouts

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The benefits of regular physical exercise are known by many but few manage to find the time to schedule a regular workout in their weekly schedule. It is true that juggling work, household chores, errands and socialising with friends and family leave scarcely any time to fit in a rigid fitness regime. However, finding the time to engage in regular physical exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week will reap several benefits from improving overall health, fitness and energy levels, to reducing the risks of cancer and improving cognitive ability amongst several other benefits.

The Benefits of Regular Exercise

Regular exercise does not only assist in weight loss, it also contributes to a more positive outlook on life, is a proved and tested stress reliever and reduces the risks of chronic illness. Here are five reasons why regular workouts improve one’s overall quality of life.

• Exercise relieves stress. After a hectic day at the office, or running after vigorous kids a 30 minute workout revitalizes the mind, induces a sense of relaxation and even alleviates signs of depression.
• Exercise reduces risks of chronic illness. Regular exercise reduces cholesterol levels and high blood pressure which are both malignant triggers of heart disease, chronic diseases and certain types of cancer.
• Exercise is a significant aid in weight loss. Substituting sedentary activities with a 30 minute workout assists in weight loss and in maintaining that unsightly flab in check.
• Exercise improves energy levels. Regular exercise promotes better blood circulation which in turn won’t leave you gasping for breath every time you take the stairs.
• Exercise promotes better sleep.Exercise not only promotes better sleep which results in a better mood to face the day but it also cures mild insomnia and induces a sounder sleep.

How to Get Motivated to Exercise

The most important premise when attempting to fit regular workouts in a busy schedule is to make it convenient and finding activities that are enjoyable. The secret to maintaining the practice of regular workouts is to incorporate physical activities in one's daily routine.

A 30 minute workout plan performed during most days of the week will still reap all the benefits inherent to physical activity. Here are a few ideas that can easily introduce regular physical activity in even the busiest of lifestyles.

Get active at home. The free time spent at home can be turned into more lucrative employment by incorporating some sort of physical activity. Watch your favourite television program while brisk walking on the treadmill. Adopt a brisk pace when doing housework.
Enjoy outdoor activities. Physical activity can be fun! Switch off that television and take your family for a walk. Go hiking with friends or take up an outdoor sport and make new friends while keeping in shape.
Work out at work. Spending most of the day at the office does not necessarily mean a lack of physical activity. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Take a walk during the midday break or better still join a health club and go for a workout during lunch break.

Stay Motivated and Adopt Healthy Lifestyle Habits

These are just a few suggestions that yield a number of ways on how physical activity can be incorporated into different lifestyles. The trick to increase fitness levels and make regular workouts a lifestyle habit is to include fitness activities that are convenient and fun!


Read more at Suite101: Fitting in Fitness: Finding the Time for Regular Workouts

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Ideas to Add More Exercise to the Working Day

(Article and photo courtesy Suite101)

Get a better body without leaving your desk. There are ways to fit in some exercise at your desk, even on the busiest days.

With work schedules getting busier and lunch times often being filled with necessary errands, it is sometimes hard to find even a small amount of time to get to the gym or go for a walk. Bob Anderson, in his book Stretching at Your Computer or Desk , explains how stretching is the simplest of all physical activities and the perfect antidote for long periods of physical inactivity. Regular stretching throughout the day will reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, diminish anxiety, stress and fatigue, improve mental alertness, decrease the risk of injury and generally make you feel better. If you are able to squeeze in even a small amount of exercise you will feel happier and be better able to handle the workload of the day.

Ideas to Add More Exercise to the Working Day

Make sure your chair is comfortable and supports your back.

Try to wear comfortable shoes to allow easy movement.

Start and end the journey to work with a walk, even if it means getting off the bus or train one stop earlier.

Use the stairs rather than an elevator.

Walk to talk to others in the office rather than sending an email or making a phone call.

If there is room, pace when making a phone call.

Try stretching regularly, make an effort to get up and move on a regular basis.

Try to have a healthy lunch and snacks and drink plenty of water.

Simple exercises for Office Fitness

With just a few minutes break from work, a few simple exercises can be fit into the work day, such as the following:

• Shoulder Shrugs: Sit straight in your chair with your hands by your side, breath in and raise your shoulder towards your ears, tense your shoulders and neck and then breathe out letting your shoulder sink back down. Repeat this 15 – 20 times a few times several times a day.
• Butt Flex: Remain sitting in your chair and tighten the gluteus muscles while doing your work – repeat 20 – 30 times.
• Knee Bends: Sit in your chair, bend your knees and lift them towards the ceiling, then lower them slowly back down again. This is a good exercise for the abdominal muscles. Repeat 15 – 20 times
• Wall Sit: Sit with your back firmly against a wall in your office with your knees at a 90 degree angle. Place your hands at your side and hold this position for as long as possible or until your legs begin to shake. This will work the gluteus, quads and hamstrings.

While this workout doesn’t take the place of a more traditional exercise plan, it does offer a way to keep moving without leaving the office. It will help to tone and stretch your body while you work and will also help increase productivity.

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