Katie’s Health

My article that will appear in the voice this week: =)

Getting Fit For Summer

With the summer months finally in sight and the bitter cold days behind us, we are all starting to realize that a little exercise might be necessary.  It is now that time to break out the bikinis and board shorts, drop the extra layers of clothing and maybe even a couple of pounds.   

   It is no secret that everyone tips the scale a little bit throughout the winter months, especially as college students.  With winter comes many holidays that focus on plenty of special dinners and party after party.  Along with the shorter days come cold miserable weather, increased sleep and lack of exercise.  Campus dining also offers a variety of delicious burgers, cheese-steaks, French fries, bagels, and many more carb filled treats.  These are all essential ingredients for weight gain.

   So now that its time to expose some skin, you’re probably thinking ‘What should I do to look good for the summer’?

   There are a lot of ways to work on your figure, especially as a member of a community like Bloomsburg.  The student recreation center is open everyday until 11pm Monday through Thursday at 10pm on weekends, making it easy to find time during the day to make a trip.  The rec is full of cardio machines and weights and offers many aerobics classes to fit anyone’s needs.  The rec also offers a free personal training session to show you how to tackle your problem areas.  It could be a big help if you grab a friend and take them with you or join a class to help build up some motivation.

The pool in Nelson Field House is also available to all students for certain hours throughout each day.  Everyone loves to jump in a pool, and a refreshing swim also offers you a great amount of exercise without even realizing it.  The pool is open until April 25^th and its hours can be found on the bloom website. 

   An even better way to get some exercise without really knowing it is to get outside.  Now that the weather is warming up you can go for a walk through town or down to the park with a friend.  At the park you can play tennis, pick up a game of soccer, hang out at the skate park, or walk down to the river.  Take a Frisbee or a baseball up to the quad and throw it around with your buddies; as long as you are outside moving around, you’re making progress and getting exercise!

   Personally, I think the best motivation to shape up is planning a summer vacation.  Plan a trip with friends to the beach or to a lake; this will not only give you a deadline but also some incentive to drop the pounds and firm up.  Spring is the prime time for bathing suit shopping and when we look in the mirror we want to love what we see, not be afraid of what we are looking at. 

   To top it off, one of the best things you can do for yourself is keep track of what you eat.  Keep a journal or a notebook and write down everything you eat in a day and every type of exercise you do.  When it is written on paper you can see how much you have consumed and how much exercise you have gotten. Also, when the food is headed toward your mouth, you think ‘Do I really want to write that down and look at it again later?’ and you may change your mind. 

   Now that it’s nice out, barbeques are taking place again and we all know how hard it is to stay away from the mouth-watering burgers and greasy chips.  It is also hard to avoid the grill at the Commons; but instead of heading straight for the pile of French fries, think about the other choices you have available to you on campus.  Stick to healthy sandwiches that you can make yourself at the Commons, or have one made for you at the Husky Lounge.  You could also try out the new “make your own salad” at the Union.  And don’t forget, skip the sugar-filled soda and drink a lot of water!  Water keeps your energy up and helps you maintain a healthy weight.

   When it comes down to it, losing a little bit of weight only takes a few easy changes in your daily routine.  If you follow some of these easy tips you will be fit for summer in no time. So get outside and get moving!

2% or less
Milk contains:
Calcium, Protein, Potassium, Vitamin A & B12 & D 
Riboflavin, Niacin, Phosphorus
 

  Orange Juice

Just one glass of orange juice contains:
A full day’s supply of vitamin C
As much potassium as a banana
A good source of folate 

        Fruit Smoothies 

Easy Smoothie Recipes
Smoothies contain tons of fruit which means lots of nutrients.

Recent research has shown that artificial sweeteners in soda may interfere with your body’s ability to estimate how many calories you’ve ingested, so you eat more than you need.

In a new rat study, animals that ate fake sugar consumed more calories overall and gained weight, compared to those that didn’t eat artificially sweetened treats.

This is just one study, but it’s enough to make me want to kick the can habit. Need more convincing? For every diet soda you sip daily, your risk of becoming overweight can rise by 37 percent, according to researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. 

We also know that regular soda is a total sugar bomb — most people I know gave it up long ago. At roughly 225 calories a pop, a 20-ounce bottle of regular soda packs nearly as many calories as a chocolate bar (but is much less satisfying).

Typically, soda also contains zero nutrients — so who needs it? Still have some soda around? Fine, stow it for guests who haven’t decided to quit. Next time you want a fizz hit, try seltzer with lime (or for a caffeine fix, green tea). 

Eat what you love. Outlawing a food makes you more likely to want it. Don’t declare all foods off-limits—just keep portions reasonable. Eat just one cookie (or if they’re tiny—two, max.) Or one scoop is fine—but not three! Just tell yourself, “it’s OK” and not “I’ve blown it, might as well keep eating.” One scoop is easy to walk off—three is a major sweat session!

Redirect your appetite. Replacing one mental image with another will help curb the munchies, says Lisa Dorfman, R.D., of Miami. One fast way to distract your brain is with scent. Catching a whiff of peppermint or eucalyptus stimulates thoughts of being light and healthy, so pop a sugar-free mint, smooth on a scented lotion or light a fragrant candle.

Engage your brain. Read a great book, write in a journal or even play a game such as solitaire or Minesweeper on your cell phone or computer to increase activity in the same areas of your brain that light up when you think about eating, so you can take your mind off food.

Make a deal with yourself. I try to keep my treats portion controlled and have them just once a day. If I have a cookie after lunch, I skip dessert after dinner. It makes it easier to give up my evening bowl of ice cream when I know I can have it tomorrow!

Drink as much lemon water as you can…

Lemon water….
-aids the digestive system
-makes eliminating waste products from the body easier
-prevents constipation & diarrhea
-rejuvenates skin from within & brings a glow to your face
-helps pave way for losing weight faster
-flushes out body toxins
-promotes immune system
      -protects from most infections
-works as a blood purifier

• Energy - 30 kcal
• Water - 89 g
• Carbohydrates - 9g
• Fat - 0.3 g
• Sugar - 2.5 g
• Dietary fiber - 2.8 g  
• Protein - 1.1 g
• Vitamin C - 53 mg
• Citric Acid - 5g
• Trace amounts of selenium, zinc, manganese and copper 

(According to exercise.about.com)…

Here’s why cardio is so important:

• It’s one way to burn calories and help you lose weight
• It makes your heart strong so that it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood
• It increases your lung capacity
• It helps reduce risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
• It makes you feel good
• It helps you sleep better
• It helps reduce stress

Lately high-protein diets have been the most popular topic buzzing the health scene. Body builders rave on about protein shakes, and drink as many as they can, while dieters ingest protein bars to help synch their waste sizes.
Protein is one of the main ingredients to build a human being. Hair and nails are mostly protein, tissues are built and repaired by protein, and enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals are created by protein. Convinced yet? Well proteins are the building blocks of bone, muscles, skin and blood as well.
Protein is a macronutrient, so your body needs it in large amounts; and since your body does not store protein, you must constantly be re-supplying it.
So are you eating enough of it?

According to webmd.com, teenage boys and active men need to have three daily servings for a total of seven ounces. Children ages 2 to 6, women and older people need to have two daily servings for a total of five ounces. For older children, teen girls, active women and most men two servings are needed for a total of six ounces.

So what are some good and easy ways to fill up on a healthy amount of protein?

Seafood is one of the best sources or protein because it is low in fat. (The fish that have higher fat contents, salmon, are the heart-healthy kind, FULL of Omegas.)
Chicken is full of lean protein and easy to get a hold of.
Milk, Cheese & Yogurt contains protein and calcium. This helps keep your body strong along with your teeth and bones.
Eggs are an easy, cheap protein.
Lean Beef is chock full of zinc, iron and vitamin b.
Soy has the ability to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
And if you are on the run…
Protein bars or drinks are great for a quick hold-me-over or energy boost.