WEIGHTY ISSUES!

If you are like me, female, in your thirties, and have recently gained weight in areas of your body that you did not expect and cannot get rid of, here is why!

One thing assured with aging, whether you are male or female is extra weight. Men will gain weight just as women do but they retain muscle mass longer, therefore, the added weight is not quite as apparent as with females.

As women our bodies expand with age and with child birth. Consequently, this expansion changes your body’s frame size and the way weight is distributed. We begin to lose muscle mass and with the loss of muscle we gain fat!

Where we gain weight has a lot to do with our body’s shape. By now most of you have heard about the apple, pear, hourglass or the triangular shape. These are descriptions that can help you visually determine where you will gain most of your weight. However, they are not customary; it is possible for individuals to have a combination of these shapes.

For women gaining an extra 10-20 pounds does not necessarily mean you are fat. Take into consideration we gain weight in our arms, stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks and the heaviest of all our busts. For many of us an A cup weighing between 7-10 pounds become a C or D cup adding an extra 12-15 pounds. The same thing happens with our hips and buttocks. Moral of the story is some of that extra weight could be added benefit. I mean, who doesn’t want more curves and bigger bust? However, it is important that you remember; the extra weight gained with age has a lot to do with the change in your body’s shape but it is also affected by your diet and lifestyle practices.

Avoiding the body nature provides is next to impossible controlling body fat content is not! Eating healthy and exercising regularly can help you avoid the extra fat build-up under your arm, around your waist, hips and thighs. Being physically active; combining strength training and cardio will help you build muscle. Although building muscles does not necessarily mean less weight, it could however mean smaller inches. Remember muscle mass weighs more than fat. If you are exercising regularly and the scale is holding steady at 150 or going higher do not panic. Arm yourself with a tape measure and document inches loss instead of focusing on weight.

Tips

1. For those just starting exercise, begin slow, 15 to 30 minutes a day is satisfactory. You can also divide your activities throughout the day. A 15 minute walk in the morning and a slow 15 minute jog in the evening.

2. If you are currently active, adjust your routine and work out slightly harder or longer. Our bodies become easily conditioned to an activity we repeat for long periods. Participate in activities that work different muscle groups. If you run start swimming, playing tennis, or boxing.

3. Eat consistently, 3 meals within a 4 hour period or 6 small meals throughout the day if you enjoy snacking.

4. Eat a combination of foods; include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy or dairy substitute like soy or almond milk in your diet.

5. Drink plenty of water 6-8 cups everyday.

6. Snack on healthy fats like nuts and seeds.

7. Eat leaner cuts of meat and add fish like salmon and tuna to your diet 3 days a week.

Happy New Year

Whole Body Nutrition wants you to know that:

No man or woman is perfect

Change takes time

Setting small goals is a great route to achieving bigger goals

Eating should be enjoyable not burdensome

Weight loss happens differently depending on your age, gender and genes

Stress will not only cause you to gain weight it can lead to high blood pressure and make you physically ill! DON’T STRESS!!

Drinking 6-8 glasses of water daily will keep you hydrated, energized and beautiful

Some cooks are born others are made, be adventurous in the kitchen

This New Year is an opportunity to change unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle practices

You can create a WHOLE new you

You should begin now!

New You Recipes to start the year off right!

Morning Sunshine Smoothie

1 cup orange juice

1 banana

¼ cup frozen strawberries

1 teaspoon honey for taste (optional)

Include all ingredients in a blender can add ice for thickness. Blend and serve with mint garnish

Egg White and Potato Frittata

3-4 fresh egg whites, cage free or organic

2 small potatoes

1 cup fresh broccoli florets (head)

2 table spoon chopped onions

Red pepper flakes or black pepper 

A dash of salt or a salt alternative

1 tablespoon olive oil

Boil potatoes for about 10 minutes or less. Sauté onions, broccoli and potatoes in olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper or red pepper flakes.

Blend egg whites together in a separate bowl.

Add sautéed mix of potatoes, onions, and broccoli to a oven safe bowl. Pour egg whites over mixture, sprinkle with a dash of pepper and bake for at least 10 minutes.

Optional: shaved or shredded cheese can be added to frittata.

Guilt Free Holiday Eating

It is a myth that the holidays will cause you to gain an extra ten pounds, at the most a pound or two unless you are binging callously and using the holiday as a reason to not be mindful and active. Whole Body Nutrition is providing you with a few tips to make this holiday season more festive and less stressful:

Enjoy a guilt free holiday by:

1.  Not overeating, eat what you want but eat small portions of it. Smaller portions leave room for some of the higher calorie treats we like to have during the holidays.

2.  Exercising as usual, and if that is not possible spend time ice skating, shopping, cooking, dancing or site seeing with your family.

3.  Plan ahead, if you know an office party or a dinner is coming up have a game plan to prepare for that day. Eating light for breakfast and lunch will leave room for a few extra calories. Just as important is, not skipping meals. Skipping meals will lead to overeating due to hunger.

4.  Control the things you know you can when cooking. For example use low fat milk, and cream, where necessary use only egg whites, use fruit and vegetable alternates to add sweetness to baked goods; bananas, applesauce, pumpkin and carrots are ways to sweeten naturally.

5.  Don’t panic, be positive and enjoy the season. It only comes once every year! Stressing and worrying too much can lead to emotional eating. People who eat because of their emotions tend to eat more and often choose foods higher fat, sugar, and salt.

Eating and enjoying food during this short holiday season will not make you fat or fatter. Weight gain is relative to the individual based on how much they eat each day, and how active they are during these days. We all know, doing nothing and eating a lot leads to weight gain, so do as much as you eat and enjoy t

he time with family and friends! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Whole Body Nutrition's Rasta Pasta!!!

Rasta Pasta (WholeBodyNutrition’s Fall Version):

Whole Wheat Pasta (cooked and drained), Butternut Squash, Brussel Sprouts, Tofu, garlic, olive oil, shaved parmesan and sage.

Recipe:

1 small to medium butternut squash

2 cups Brussel Sprouts

1 tablespoon olive oil

                                          5 cloves fresh garlic

                                          Salt to taste

Wash and dry butternut squash and brussel sprouts. Slice squash into medium squared chunks, can halve brussel sprouts as well or leave them whole. Once squash and sprouts are sliced, place them in baking container and drizzle with olive oil. Mash and chop garlic, add to the vegetables and mix making sure olive oil coats the vegetables (can add more or less olive oil depending on the amount of vegetables being roasted). Sprinkle with a dash of salt and set baking container aside.

Sage Roasted Tofu

2 packs (any brand) extra firm Tofu

Dried crushed sage about 2 tablespoons

3 plum tomatos

1 tablespoon olive oil

(Olive oil and sage seasoning can be adjusted based on the amount of tofu being prepared)

Cut extra firm tofu into small chunks, slice tomotoes into quarters, toss with olive oil and sage. Place on a baking sheet.

Set oven to 350-400 degrees

 Place baking container with vegetables and baking sheet with tofu and tomatos in pre-heated oven and roast for about 30 minutes or longer if more cooking time is needed for squash and brussel sprouts. Remove once vegetables and tofu are a golden brown color.

Toss with cooked whole wheat pasta and serve with shaved parmesan cheese.

*Gluten Free pasta, flat rice or soba noodles can be used in place of wheat pasta.

Ten Ways to Reduce Belly Fat

 1. Limit Sugar Intake

a. Sugar from refined foods such as white breads, and other flour products. Sugar from artificially flavored drinks, sodas and alcohol. Sugar from sweets, cakes, cookies, pies, Danishes, pastries, muffins and added sugar to teas, coffees and other beverages.

2. Reduce Stress

a. Stress has a direct effect on weight gained, especially in our mid-section. Stress can lead to unhealthy eating and unhelathy lifestyle practices.

3. Practice eating less

a. Choose MYPLATE, it is a perfect example of how your plate should look at meal time. If you load your plate with more vegetables, less starch and meats, you are cutting sugar and fat from your diet. (myplate can be accessed at www.myplate.org)

4. Exercise

a. Are you doing a hundred crunches daily and still not seeing the results? Crunches don’t necessarily burn stomach fat, they do however tighten stomach muscles. If stomach fat is the issue, crunches should be paired with cardio exercises. Walking, jogging, swimming, Pilates, and Zumba are just some of the activities that will help you fight the bulge.

5. Snack on Healthy Low Calorie Foods

a. While there are those of us who can eat 3 meals a day and be satisfied, there are those who need snacks. If you are eating smaller meals and not feeling satisfied, snacking is a way to keep from over eating.

6. Eat More Fruits, and Vegetables

a. This cannot be stressed enough. Fresh fruits and vegetables without added sugar and fats are a nutritious, delicious way to enjoy foods. They are naturally low in calories and loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will help your body fight the effects of stress and other illnesses.

7. Stay Hydrated

a. Dehydration causes our bodies to hold on to water. Retaining water can give the appearance of a puffy or bloated look especially in the stomach area. Dehydration can also increase cravings and lead to excessive intake of sugary beverages.

8. Get Some Sleep

 a. Sleeping is an important part of our metabolic function. It allows our body to restore itself, and sleeping will ensure that your body is producing enough of the hormone leptin. Leptin is a hormone that helps your body regulates appetite and metabolism. Lack of sleep can lead to stress, and again stress can lead to weigh gain. 6-8 hours is recommended.

9. Take Time To Eat

a. Rushed eating can lead to choosing foods that are not healthy and eating more than you should. Take time to savor and enjoy your meals.

10. Avoid Fast and Salty Food

a. Fast foods are usually higher in calories, fats, sugar and sodium. All of which will add fat to your mid section. A high sodium diet leads to water retention and water retention causes bloating and puffiness.