Wind Beneath My Wings

My mother returned back to Florida today. Her job was done. This time around. She always told me, “A mother’s job is never really done…” And once again, she’s right. My mother, the woman who taught me about being independent was independent far before it was cool or kosher to be so as a woman. Do you think she cared? Nah. Not one bit. Because she marched to her own beat, according to her values and let the world know what she thought along the way. You’ve got to admire that. Especially since she is now 76 so that means she was waaaaaaaaaay ahead of her time! My mother always wanted to finish school, so she went back to school in her 40’s and obtained a degree in nursing. She had stopped college years earlier when my father was sent to war in order to stay home and raise my brother. But once all of the kids were older, she went back to college, got her degree and worked at a local hospital for about 15 years. Of course, I am sure she never thought that she would end up using her nursing background to take care of my father during his tough battle with pancreatic cancer later in life. Nor did she expect to use it again to care for her youngest daughter during her leukemia battle (8 years remission this past May) or this past week when I needed to have surgery. I am so thankful to have her as my mother. I am so thankful for her love and guidance and advice (most of the time) over the years. And, while Mother’s Day has passed, I want to pay tribute to my mother, today. Mom, I love you. THANK you. You are the wind beneath my wings. The saying goes, “God gave me wings so that I could soar, but mom, you taught me how to fly.”

I mentioned earlier that I was going to start writing about some of my favorite things. Sometimes it will be a product, sometimes it might be a place, or sometimes it could be a product or thing–like a movie. Today, however, it is about a recipe. A HEALTHY recipe from a friend of mine Allison Reyna whose life mission is about helping people use food as medicine. As a single, working mom with kids on the go, the following recipe is easy, healthy, and full of protein, good fats and complex carbs. Plus, it stores well in the fridge or freezer. Just pop them out when you need them. So, here it is. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

No Bake Almond-Oat Energy Bites

(Makes 24 1-inch balls and takes < 30 minutes to make!)

2 ½ cups rolled oats (regular)

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

2 Tbs. cocoa powder

½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

1 Tbs. raw sunflower seeds

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup almond butter

1/3 cup + 1 Tbs. honey

2 Tbs. barley malt syrup or brown rice syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Optional: ¾ cup cacao nibs

(I also throw in some dried blueberries, and mini dark chocolate morsels!)

Directions:

1. Grind ½ cup oats, ¼ pumpkin seeds and 2 tbs. cocoa powder in food processor until powdery. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside.

2. Combine remaining 2 cups oats, remaining ¼ cup pumpkins sees, raisins, etc. and cinnamon in large bowl. Stir in almond butter, honey, barley malt or brown rice syrup, and vanilla until soft dough forms.
3. Moisten hands and roll dough into 1 inch balls. Coat balls in oat-pumpkin-cocoa powder. Place on cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in freezer to set, then serve or store in fridge.
4. And– oh yeah, enjoy!

P.S. If you have allergies, food issues, weight loss goals, energy problems, or are battling an illness, I encourage you to seek guidance from a nutritional counselor. There is power in the right foods.

Are you ready for summer… and SWIM season?!! It’s just about here….with Memorial Day typically being the “official” kick-off for the summer season. The topic du jour at the gym and around the office is getting swimsuit ready! Losing weight is simple math, really. You’ve got to burn/take in 500 calories less a day in order to lose one pound a week. I think it’s easiest to do it by adding an extra 100-200 calories of activity coupled with a reduction of 250-300 calories a day. You can get there with a focus on food and fitness–two of my favorite things! (This btw, reminds me that in future blogs I am going to share a few of my favorite things! I hope you do, too.)

If the 500 calorie a day deficit seems too aggressive, losing half a pound a week is much easier–and definitely doable–especially for the ladies since our daily calorie needs are less than the guys. A 250 calorie a day decrease and/or exercise burn is easier to reach consistently.

For the fitness angle, get moving! No way around that one. For at least three workouts that include 20 minutes of resistance (minimum), 20 minutes of cardio and 5-10 minutes of stretching. (For why, look at past blogs on the importance of muscle and its calorie burning effect.) If you need some ideas for exercises, two sites I really like are Fitness Magazine where you can tailor your workout to your time, location, and equipment (if any). You do need to join the site, but it’s free and from there you can design a workout just for you, change it as often as you like, and see how to do the exercises. Another good site with exercise ideas is Runner’s World which also contains videos of the movement execution with verbal descriptions. Gotta love technology! On the food front, keep your focus on UNprocessed foods (oatmeal, eggs, lean meats, veggies and fruits and nuts—oh my!). When dieting, fiber and protein and good fats keep you feeling full longer. (DO watch your fat intake when trying to lose weight, however, since fat is calorie dense!) A great way to ensure your calories are not out of line is to keep a log. (And trust me, it keeps you honest!) If you are unsure about calorie counts, go to www.nutritiondata.com . Also, you can log your fitness and workouts on multiple free sites. My faves are www.runnersworld.com and www.fitday.com . To see ideas on the right foods for flat abs, check out Fitness Magazine Food For Flat Abs. Good luck on that bikini bod—I know you can do it!

Supposedly, if no one were fat, we’d save…. the earth? That might be a stretch, but it is a great idea, don’t you think? The guys over at Men’s Health have shared that we’d save “$5 billion in fueling our lighter cars and planes, spend $10 billion less on clothes, and be so productive at work that the nation would see a $257 billion boost!” Apparently, some guy actually put a pencil to this and found that an America without obesity would save $487 billion dollars each year—enough to give every one of us $4,270 in gas money. Certainly the kind of thing that makes you go, “Hmmmmm!”

The moral to this story? Start exercising and get everyone you know to join you. I normally ask, “What have you got to GAIN?” However according to this article, it’s a bunch o’ money, plus health benefits galore….so get GOING! And be FIT!

Invest in your workouts; it will do you and America some good. Gotta love it!

What’s that, you say? Sarcopenia, is age-related muscle loss. And for you youngsters who think it’s an “old age” thing, think again. It can start in your 30s. If you don’t take action now, you could begin to lose as much as 1 to 2 percent of your muscle mass a year by the time you hit 50. And the big picture? Less muscle, less movement = less activity. If that’s not enough, less muscle means you burn fewer calories and store more of them as fat. Now THAT’S a pretty picture, eh? No body wants to get there. And great news, you can add muscle at any age and reap benefits (but be sure to check with you doctor before starting an exercise plan AND don’t forget the importance of a well-rounded plan that incorporates resistance (for muscles and bone strength), cardio for your heart and blood pressure, and flexibility.)

What can you do? The key to stopping muscle loss is to strengthen your back, shoulders, arms, and thighs. “When you increase lean muscle mass, you burn more calories, even when you’re vegging!” Gotta love that. There are lots of places to find strength workouts, if you don’t work with a trainer. I’ve been lifting for 25 years, but I am constantly changing up my workouts and trying new things. Some good places to start are: Womens Health Magazine or, Fitness Magazine And if you are trying to lose weight, be sure to keep lifting! Our US government (http://www.healthierus.gov/exercise.html ) and American Heart Association recommend 30-60 minutes of activity most days of the week. For an idea of how to get started, look here., Studies show that if you don’t keep it up the pounds can sneak back up on you!

So, keep moving and keep choosing….HEALTH

Several friends of mine have asked me to share my personal snack options….Oh my…how much time do you have? ! Being a food fan, I love to eat–so I was thrilled when years ago, I learned how A.) more muscle = more calories burned (muscle is metabolically active) and B.) eating through the day helps keep your metabolism running. I’ve been on the snack attack for over 15 years now and truly it IS enjoyable! Now, I DID have to make some adjustments to my 3 primary meals so I didn’t add calories to my day, but most days I eat 5-6X a day. What I eat for snacks is where I get the most variety in my diet.  And for me, variety is truly a spice of life. Sort of reminds me of my weekly workout plans….but, I digress!

So, here are examples of my mid meal snacks or mini meals:

PB or Almond Butter and half a banana or granny smith apple (sooooooooo satisfying!).

Apple or gluten free (I’m one of those sensitive to gluten gals) waffle with honey or agave nectar drizzled on it.

My own crunch mix: Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins (gluten free, good fiber, natural ingredients), almonds and/or 1/8 cup pumkin seeds, + some dried cranberries or cherries for a little tart.

1/4c nut mixture of almonds and pumpkin seeds and cranberries. (Ok,  I AM a chocolate lover so if I want a little treat, I take a bit of sugar free dark Godiva chocolate, melt it, and mix in dried cranberries and then freeze it to harden–then I leave it in the freezer so when I eat some, it takes longer to melt in my mouth….!)

Air popped or microwave popcorn (but not from a bag but Presto Microwave Popcorn Maker about $10 from Wal-mart) and a spray of olive oil, light salt or a Ms. Dash flavor like chipotle for SPICE, or a little parmesan. You can even throw in cranberries again for a little salt and sweet blend. I buy my dried fruits organic with no sugar added or sulfites.

Hummus with raw veggies or wheat free crackers/pretzels.

I also get the low sugar oatmeal and a scoop of protein powder (Biochem is my current fave in ….yeah, chocolate), plus a few dried…yeah, cranberries again. I throw them and some protein powder in a baggie and take it to work, then add hot water and mix it all together.

Ideally for me, I am looking for a mix with carbs and protein and if I can squeeze in some good fat or fruit for antioxidants, even better.

And then of course, there are protein bars….but that’s a whole other blog or two!  They make it really easy for a mid morning snack if you are on the go or at the office.

I DO find, that if I am rushed and I miss my morning snack and have had a lighter primary meal, I start to run low since my calories are down, so I do try to think ahead and be prepared. When I can keep food intake at regular intervals, I find my energy levels are constant throughout the day.

Hope you had a great Monday.  Set your goals for this week, plan your meals, your workouts, and count your blessings.  Live FIT, be STRONG, and LAUGH often.

-Lisa