Wednesday, May 22, 2013

THANK YOU GOD, I AM GRATEFUL



Since I started on my health and wellness journey, I have become closer to God.  Exercise for me is like meditation.  I pray during all of my workouts   During my workouts, my mind is at ease and everything seems clearer.  So, it is only appropriate for me to pray.  

When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do is my cardio session on my treadmill.  As I walk on the treadmill, I pray and plan my day and I end each session by thanking God for giving me the strength to make it though another day and another workout.  I thank Him for allowing me to have the physical ability to complete that task.  And I thank Him for all the many blessings he has bestowed.  When I hit the gym later in the day, I do the same.  I ask Him for strength to finish an exercise that I may be struggling to complete.  And when I complete it I thank Him for giving me the strength to do so.  

So, you see, the benefits of exercise are many.  It's not just about a smaller dress size.  

Monday, May 20, 2013

GYM ETIQUETTE: DON'T BE AN EXERCISE EQUIPMENT HOG



You have seen him (or her).  You might be him.  That guy or gal who hogs a certain piece of exercise equipment at the gym for longer than 20 minutes.  This irks me to no end.  I like to get in and get out of the gym as quickly as I can.  I will never stay on a piece of equipment (unless its my home treadmill) for longer than 20 minutes.  I get my sets done, then I move on to the next machine.  I am very much aware that I am not the only person at the gym who wants to use the a particular machine.  

But, some folks are not like me.  I waited 45 minutes today to use the Smith machine.  I waited and watched this guy chat and gossip in between his sets and use other equipment while he kept his towel and bag hung on the Smith machine.  After about 30 minutes I asked him politely, how long he was going to be and he replied that he need to complete 2 more sets.  Great. So, I went from wanting to finish my workout in an hour to finishing it in and hour and a half.  

Ok, I know that I have been rambling, but the point of this post is, folks, be courteous   Don't be an equipment hog.  Get in and get out.  If you are going to socialize, do so when you are not using a piece of equipment.  Let try to follow proper gym etiquette.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

HEALTHY TUNA SALAD RECIPE


I have never really been a fan of tuna salad, mainly because I don't care for mayo.  However, I recently stumbled across this recipe which substitutes avocado for the mayo in tuna salad.  If you have a favorite tuna salad recipe, do not fret.  You can use all of the main ingredients you normally use like relish, corn, or peas, but just substitute the mayo for avocado.  The recipe below will make about 3 servings and each serving is approximately 199 calories.  And best of all, it lakes less than 10 minuets to make.  

Ingredients
    1 avocado halved
    1/2 tsp lemon juice
    1 tablespoon of olive oil
    1/2 cup chopped tomato (corn, relish, peas, etc.)
    1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
    6 oz chunk light tuna 
    Seasoning of your choice (I recommend Mrs. Dash because it is sodium free)


Directions
In med. bowl mash half avocado
Then add lemon juice, onions, seasoning (and any other ingredients you choose)
Blend thoroughly

Serve on lettuce or bread of your choice.  

Monday, May 13, 2013

THE TRUTH ABOUT TILAPIA




Those who know me well, know that I LOVE salmon.  I eat it like some people eat chicken.  Well, I got a little tired of the salmon and decided to try tilapia.  It was tasty (after a little Old Bay).  But, I did a little research and this is what I learned:

Although it is a good source of protein (like most fish), tilapia contains very small amounts of omega 3 fatty acids.  These are the fish oils that protect against heart disease, stroke and abnormal heart rhythms.  Salmon has 10 times more omega 3s than tilapia. 

Most of the tilapia is farm raised and a lot of it is imported.  It is known as a "factory fish" because it breeds easily and tilapia fish eat pellets made largely of corn and soy and other grains.

Imports of frozen tilapia to the U.S. rose approximately 30% in 2010, due to the recession because it is generally cheaper than buying other types of fish.  A significant percentage of tilapia is imported from China.  Most of the Chinese farms are poorly regulated.  Most of the fish that China exports are "refreshed."  "Refreshed" means it is frozen and packed in carbon monoxide to preserve color so it can be thawed and sold in fish displays so that it appears to have been recently caught.

In addition, there has been concern over how these foreign fish farms dispose of fish waste.  Some of these farms basically allow the fish to feed off of their own waste and then they turn around and sell the fish to the consumer.  

I think I am going to throw away that bag of tilapia that I just purchased.  BARF!!!!!


Source:  "Another Side of Tilapia, the Perfect Factory Fish."  N.Y. Times, May 2, 2011.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

NO LIMITS




Why do I like to workout?  Besides the obvious reason (i.e. slimmer figure) and the mental and physical health benefits,  I love bodybuilding because of the challenge.  I am constantly trying to find out new ways that I can challenge my body.   Just when I think that I have mastered an exercise and I have gotten all the benefits from it, I realize that all I need to do is increase the weight a bit and that exercise becomes more challenging than before.  I love pushing myself in this way.  I love the sense of accomplishment.  In many ways, I have never pushed myself as hard as I do when I exercise.  And when I realized this, it occurred to me that I do so because I have a passion for exercise.  

I also have pondered, what else am I willing to push myself to the limits for in my life?  Through exercise, I have realized that I have so much untapped potential.  We tend to gravitate to those things that come easy to us and we tend park at a certain level to maintain the achievement we have made in that job, sport, or talent.  But, what if we pushed ourselves much more than we ever imagined we could? Can you imagine the results? So, my question to you is, what do you do that challenges you, yet you keep going back for more?  

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

POPCORN: THE SUPER HEALTHY SNACK



If I were left on a deserted island, one of the foods I'd have to have is popcorn.  I'm a popcorn fanatic.  So, I was more than pleased to learn that recent studies have shown that popcorn has more helpful antioxidant substances than fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants called "polyphenols" help protect against cancers, heart disease, and other diseases caused by free radicals.  Polyphenols are believed to be more concentrated in popcorn because popcorn contains lower percentage of water than most fruits and vegetables.  The higher percentage of water in fruits and vegetables dilutes these polyphenols.  And the hulls of the popcorn (the seedy part that often gets stuck in your teeth) has the highest concentration of the antioxidant and fiber.  Popcorn is the only snack food that is a 100% unprocessed whole grain.  

How you prepare popcorn is key.  Obviously, your typical movie popcorn or microwave popcorn is not the healthiest because of all of the additives. However, plain popcorn prepared by way of an air popper is the healthiest and has the lowest calories.  If you pop your popcorn in oil, this will double the calories (depending on the type of oil you use).  

Now, I know what you're thinking "plain popcorn, yuck."  You can always season your popcorn with herbs and healthy oils like olive oil or coconut oil.

Although I am super excited about this information, this surely will not replace all of the yummy fruits and vegetables in my diet. Remember, that fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and nutrients that are vital to good health that popcorn does not have.  



Source:  American Ccemical Society (ACS).  "Popcorn:   The snack with even higher antioxidants levels than fruits and vegetables."  ScienceDaily, 25 Mar. 2012.  Web 23 Apr. 2013.  

Monday, May 6, 2013

MY STORY: THE BIRTH OF KRIS ALISE FIT


I have always enjoyed being active.  As a child, I participated in competitive swimming, took tennis lessons and played softball.  I even ran track for a stint.  However, shortly after I graduated from law school, I noticed that I was beginning to gain weight.  Stressed out from the day to day demands of my career, I began to turn to food for comfort.  After a few years, I was tired and depressed.  I could not sleep at night and my days were plagued with anxiety.  I began therapy and was prescribed an antidepressant "to take off the edge" as my psychiatrist would say.  Initially, I felt great and lost weight.  I was at the top of my game, or so I thought.  But this new feeling didn't last.  A few months after I started taking the medication, I began to notice that I did not feel as good anymore and that I was no longer losing weight.  I had gained more weight than I had ever gained.  I started researching the side effects of the drug and I learned that weight gain was one of them.  The drug totally altered my body chemistry and it took months for me to even loose a pound.  

At that point, I was totally frustrated and I felt like giving up.  But, during a trip to Hawaii in the summer of 2008 for my brother's wedding I became inspired.  I saw one of my God sisters for the first time in many years while in Hawaii.  She looked as good as she had when she was a teenager.  However, she was 40 years old!  She leads a lifestyle of fitness.  No fad diets, no gimmicks, a lifestyle.  Seeing her gave me hope.  I returned home and started working on my diet and I lost about 17 pounds on my own.  But, I seemed to have hit a wall.  I hired a personal trainer and I became super focused on my goal.  Within 3 months I lost 30 pounds!  Shortly thereafter, I began prepping to participate in my first bikini competition.  All of this at the age of 37.  But, most importantly, I no longer needed any medication for anxiety or depression.

The picture on left was taken in July 2008 at my brother's wedding (165 lbs).
 The second picture was taken in June 2010 at my first bikini competition (118 lbs.)


Shortly after the competition, I got pregnant with my first child.  Having a child changes you in so many ways.  I decided that it was time really focus on what I love.  As a result, Kris Alise Fit was born.  Today marks my child's second birthday.  So, as I celebrate with her, I also celebrate with the release of this blog.

I enjoy inspiring others to reach their health and fitness goals.  The benefits of a healthy diet and exercise are numerous - everything becomes clearer.  And once you become committed to a healthy lifestyle it is a major change for the better.