Does your head spin trying to figure out food labels?

• What is maltose and enriched flour?

• Canned or Frozen?

• What do low fat, light, less, and other food labels really mean?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!
You will be enlightened on the reading of food labels as you gain more insight on choosing the most healthy and nutritious foods available. You’ll also gain a better understanding about how manufacturers of many food products intentionally try to fool us into buying their product, even if it isn’t the most nutritious choice.

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Monday, March 8, 2010 from 7-8 pm at the Lynnfield High School, Lynnfield, MA - Cost $20
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This lively low-saturated fat pasta dish contains lots of tomatoes and herbs and very little oil.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 tablespoon olive oil

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 1/4 cup freshly minced parsley

* 4 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped

* 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil

* 1 tablespoon oregano leaves, crushed or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* ground red pepper or cayenne pepper to taste

* 8 oz. uncooked fusilli pasta (4 cups cooked)

* 1/2 lb. cooked chicken breasts, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (3/4 lb. raw) (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté garlic and parsley until golden.

2. Add tomatoes and spices. Cook uncovered over low heat 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add chicken and continue cooking for 15 minutes until chicken is heated through and sauce is thick.

3. Cook pasta in unsalted water. Drain.

4. To serve, spoon sauce over pasta and sprinkle with coarsely chopped parsley. Serve hot as a main dish and cold for the next day’s lunch.

Yield: 4 servings–Serving Size: 1 cup
from SparkPeople

Body weight alone is not a clear indicator of health or fitness because it does not distinguish how many pounds are fat and how many are muscle. But body composition helps describe the amount (and distribution) of fat and lean muscle tissue in the body. The popularity of body composition (as a measure of progress) is growing as people realize its value in determining health risks and showing progress, even when the scale doesn’t.

There are several methods of measuring body composition, one being the Skinfold Tests (Calipers)

What they are: Skinfold tests require the use of specially-designed “calipers” to measure the thickness of several sites on the body. Calipers are devices that pinch your skin, pulling fat away from muscles and bones.

What they measure: Skin fold measurements are used to calculate a person’s body fat percentage.

How they work: Typically, the tester uses the calipers to “pinch” at least three different sites on your body, such as the abdomen, arm, and back, but many more sites can be used as well (including the chest and thigh). This test is based on the assumption that the amount of fat stored at these various sites is proportional to a person’s overall body fat. By measuring several sites, total body fat may be calculated.

The thickness of each pinch is plugged into a formula to determine a person’s body fat percentage. Currently, over 100 different equations are available to estimate body fat when using skinfold calipers.

Where to find them: Individuals can buy various types of calipers at specialty stores and online. However, to ensure accuracy, it’s recommended that only trained professionals (who have been trained in skinfold measurement and have had many opportunities to practice) conduct skinfold tests. Because calipers are readily available and fairly inexpensive, this body fat test is pretty common. It can be done quickly, and the interpretation is simple. Many local gyms, YMCA’s, and community centers offer this as a free service free or charge a minimal fee.

Accuracy: The American College of Sports Medicine states that skinfold measurements, when performed by a trained, skilled tester, are up to 98% accurate. Because of the consistency in results, the high success rate, and the low margin of error, this is generally accepted as the best field test, outside of clinical testing, such as hydrostatic weighing.

from spark people

Here are a some suggestions on what to eat after a workout:

* Bread, a bagel, or an English muffin with cheese or peanut butter
* Dried fruit and nuts
* Cottage cheese with fruit
* Fruit juice with cheese
* Yogurt with fruit
* Veggie omelet with toast or roll
* Chocolate milk
* Cereal with milk
* Eggs and toast
* Turkey, ham, chicken, or roast beef sandwich
* Vegetable stir-fry with chicken, shrimp, edamame or tofu
* Crackers with low fat cheese
* Rice or popcorn cakes with nut butter
* Smoothie (with milk, yogurt, or added protein powder)
* A protein or energy bar
* A protein or energy shake
* Any regular meal that contains lean protein, starch, and vegetables

from Spark People

• Water is a dieter’s best friend. Drink Plenty of Water: Water helps control your appetite by making you feel fuller faster.

• Eat Slowly: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full. So, savor your food, drink lots of water and slow down. Give your mind a chance to catch up with your body. According to experts, eating slowly, putting your fork down between bites, and tasting each mouthful is one of the easiest ways to enjoy your meal and feel satisfied with one plate full of food.

• Eat Before the Party Starts: Don’t go to dinner starving. Eat a healthy breakfast and a low calorie snack before hitting the holiday buffet. Start your day with a small but satisfying breakfast — such as an egg with a slice of whole-wheat toast, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk — so you won’t be starving when you arrive at the gathering. Eating a nutritious meal with protein and fiber before you arrive takes the edge off your appetite and allows you to be more discriminating in your food and beverage choices. You’re less likely to overeat if you’ve got your appetite under control.

• Eat the Special Stuff: Don’t blow your precious calories on large portions of food you can eat everyday. Fill your plate with small portions of holiday favorites that only come around once a year so you can enjoy desirable, traditional foods. While each of us has our own favorites, keep in mind that some holiday foods are better choices than others. White turkey meat, plain vegetables, roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, defatted gravy, and pumpkin pie tend to be the best bets because they are lower in fat and calories.

•No Seconds: If you eat slowly and drink plenty of water with your meal, you shouldn’t feel the need to go for seconds. If you’re being pressured by your host to take seconds, politely say, “No.”

from womensfitness

To strengthen bones, we’ve always heard that weight-bearing and high-impact exercises (like running and lifting weights) are best. This leaves many people assuming that their low-impact workouts aren’t doing much to improve bone strength. Swimming has long been touted as a low-impact exercise, one that’s easier on the body and good for individuals with joint pain.

However, a recent study from Israel’s Wingate Institute in Netanya indicates that women who frequently swim laps have greater leg bone mass than women who don’t swim at all.

Action Sparked: While weight-bearing exercises are the best way to strengthen your bones, swimming is another option, especially for obese exercisers who experience pain and difficulty moving. Try adding a few laps to your regular routine to relieve boredom, and to surprise your muscles…and bones!

Time Involved: At least 20 minutes

Body Benefit: Stronger heart, lungs, muscles and bones

from Spark People

It doesn’t matter what weight you lift or for how many reps as long as you are completely EXHAUSTING your muscles. That’s where the progress comes from. Some people lift very light weights - so light that they could do 20+ reps without feeling exhausted - but stop at 12-15 because those are “the rules” of lifting.

Achieving total exhaustion is key to developing more lean muscle. It will increase your metabolism as you build strength and tone your muscles, and give your metabolism a boost for several hours post-workout.

To find your ideal lifting weight, first decide how many reps you want to do, which depends on your lifting goals. To build strength, do higher weights for 6-8 reps. For overall toning, try moderate weights for 8-12 reps. And to build endurance, do lighter weights for 12-15 reps.

Once you decide your lifting and rep goals, it’s a matter of guessing and checking. Pick a weight. Within your chosen rep range, you should feel EXHAUSTED - meaning you could not possibly do another rep in good form - on the last rep.

For example, if want to do 10-12 bicep curls for overall toning, you might try 10-15 pounds. If you can do more than 12 reps, the weight is not enough. If you can’t do 10 without breaking proper form, you should lighten up a little. After a few workouts, you’ll get the idea.

Remember, the amount of weight you lift depends first on your strength training goals.

from Spark People

This hummus and feta wrap is so quick and easy if you store pre-cut vegetables in your fridge. It is a great, lowfat, heart healthy lunch!

INGREDIENTS
1 Bestlife Flatout Bread Multi-Grain W/ Flax
1/4 cup Athenos Reduced Fat Feta Cheese w Basil/Tomato
1/4 cup onions, raw, sliced
1/4 cup red peppers, raw, sliced
1/4 cup diced cucumbers
2 leaves of romaine lettuce
4 T Atheno’s Roasted Garlic Hummus

DIRECTIONS
Makes 1 Greek hummus wrap

Spread 4 T of hummus on the bread. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of feta on top of the hummus. Add all of the veggies. Roll the bread in a burrito style and enjoy!

The dressing makes the fruit an extra-sweet treat.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt

* 2 tablespoons honey

* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 2 large seedless oranges, peeled, sliced, and halved

* 1/2 large pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced, and cut into wedges

* 1 apple, cored and chopped

* 1 ripe pear, cored and sliced into wedges

* 1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey and cinnamon. Stir well to blend ingredients.

2. Arrange fruit on plates and drizzle the honey-yogurt dressing on top.

Serves 6.

from SparkPeople

If you are doing both cardio & weights on the same day, how do you know which to do first?

Think about which aspect is most important to your workout: aerobic activity or strength training. Is your primary focus to burn as many calories as possible (aerobic activity) or build muscle (strength training)? If aerobic activity is most important, do it first because the intensity and duration could be diminished otherwise. If strength training is most important, do it first because the amount you can lift and how many reps/sets you complete can be affected if you are more tired. This will ensure optimal performance on the most important activity. (For example, someone training for a race would probably do aerobic activity first.)

Another thing to think about is occasionally alternating the order of activity. When you do the same exercises in the same order over and over again, your muscles get smart. They become efficient and aren’t challenged as much, leading to plateaus in strength gain and weight loss. Every once in a while, change it up for a week or so and you should continue to see results.

from sparkpeople