Go nuts for nuts, hiking trails for fitness fun, cutting phase progress tracking…
GO NUTS FOR NUTS!!!
For a long time nuts got a bad rap due to their high calorie and fat content. Thank goodness nuts are no longer a feared food! The healthy fats in nuts are very essential to overall health. With out these healthy fats the body can not function properly. These fats are used in the production of cell membranes, and are vital in regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel construction, blood clotting and your nervous system!
These fats also carry fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K from your food into your body. We need these for healthy hair and skin and to protect our organs within the body.
Nuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3’s. These are the good fats…saturated fat is what we are trying to avoid here, which is typically found in high fat dairy, meats and fried foods and many junk food items.
In adding nuts to your nutrition program, it is very important to stay within a serving size! You do not just sit there and eat almonds and walnuts by the bowl full!
A serving size of nuts is roughly a small handful. 10 almonds contain 69 calories and 6.1 grams of fat, so you can see why you need to watch how many you eat at a time.
Researches have recently discovered that eating walnuts with a high fat meal protects blood vessels from the harmful effects of concentrated fats. Walnuts help the arteries relax, and make them less prone to heart attack-promoting plaque! Yet another study found that walnuts improved the blood lipid (fats) profile. Eating 20 grams of walnuts per day for 8 weeks reduced blood triglycerides (blood fats) by 17% and increased high-density lipoproteins (HDL, good cholesterol) by 9%
Walnuts also contain phytosterols that prevent cancer. These fabulous nuts also help prevent heart disease and cancer and are a definite plus when adding them to a healthy nutrition program!
I enjoy eating nuts and seeds on a regular basis, but I always make sure to watch how many I eat! I add a few walnuts, almonds and pecans to my oatmeal in the morning. The addition of the nuts adds a fantastic taste and satisfying crunch. I then add some stevia, honey or a little maple butter (60 calories in a tbsp with no fat) and cinnamon! Try this yummy breakfast treat on a cold morning with a side of egg whites. It is a great way to start a busy day!
HIKING TRAILS FOR FITNESS FUN!
Just about every community in the United States has walking or hiking trails within its city limits. People who use these trails are more likely to exercise regularly than those who don’t.
Nearly 60% of Americans DON’T meet minimum physical activity recommendations, which is at LEAST 30 minutes, (which is not that much) of moderate activity 5 days a week! Perhaps those 60% would be meeting those physical activity requirements, if they understood how pleasurable hiking trails can be.
When you are out on a beautiful trail, the stress of daily life just melts away. It is a time to just enjoy being human! It feels fantastic to take in fresh air, and see the various wildlife and plant life all around you.
It is proven that people who exercise outdoors actually work harder and burn more calories! Another added bonus to the scenery!
It doesn’t matter if you run, walk, or bike…just get out there and explore! You can find out about the trails in your area by doing a search on one of the various search engines, or check with your local parks and recreation or city hall.
Try out trails with lots of hills for an amazing interval workout. Run up the hills and walk the flat ground. Add a pair of Nordic walking poles and you have a cardio workout that is superior in every way! It will work not only your lower body, but your upper body as well! Check out our archive for the article I wrote on Nordic walking for more information.
Always make sure you have the proper shoes when out on trails. I wear trail running shoes always. The bottoms are designed to really grip the uneven surfaces and give you just the right amount of stability when charging up hills or descending back down. Wearing the proper shoes can save you a lot of trouble later, as they can prevent injury. Never wear a flat bottomed shoe like a court shoe.
Hitting the trails is a free (some areas have parking fee’s but most don’t!) and fantastic way to get in your daily cardiovascular exercise…a wonderful way to unwind after a long day at work. When the weekend rolls around why not hit a more challenging longer trail! Pack a lunch, a map and your camera and hit the trail!
What trails do you like to hike?? I would love to hear about it! Please send me your trail stories and suggestions to Amy@risingstarfitness.com. Let us hear about it!
TRACKING PROGRESS DURING A CUTTING PHASE
First of all, I know some of you out there are wondering just what a cutting phase is. A cutting phase is a time during your training program when the main focus of training and nutrition shifts to shedding fat.
Many go into a cutting phase when getting ready for a special event such as a fitness competition, a wedding, or bikini clad vacation.
How does one know that they are on the right track during a cutting phase?? The answer is a simple one. MEASUREMENTS AND PHOTOS! A cutting phase usually last for about 12 weeks, but can be as short as 6 weeks. If you wanted to begin “getting cut” for a special event, you would then count back 12 weeks from the date of the event, and begin your cutting program on that day.
On the first day of your cutting program, take your “before shots” and take your first set of measurements. You will take your second set of photos, or “after shots” on the last day of the cutting program. If you would like to observe your body in progress then by all means take photos every week! Why not? You can actually determine which body parts you would like to “bring out more”
Every week on the same day during the cutting program, you will take your measurements with a measuring tape. I usually just measure across the belly button, one inch above the belly button, and one inch below it. I also measure the upper thighs, as women tend to carry extra fat here (as well as the abdomen) Record this in your workout/food journal.
As a rule, losing a half-inch around the waist every two weeks is a good target. Beware of fluctuations in water weight gain. During certain times of the month, ladies tend to get “puffy” so to speak. Do not let this detour you from your progress, instead make note of this in your journal. If you are consistent in keeping track of these fluctuations, you will notice how water weight gain can come and go. Just stick to your healthy clean eating, and training program and you will see progress.
To learn more about cutting programs, or to start one of your own, please contact me at Amy@risingstarfitness.com
