Lets give it all we got! Go Team !!!!

I've been a bit sick this week, but still hoping to end up the session with a bang! Excited and nervous to see the end results!

Fun times!

It has been a great 8 weeks! Wonderful new friends & fun workouts. Thank you Kristen for all your encouragement & knowledge!

Five foods good for losing weight

http://www.livestrong.com/article/507696-5-foods-you-should-eat-every-day-to-lose-weight/

Great Friday Workout

Thanks for the great workout today, Kristen!  Love the treadmill run/sprints with the kettle bells in between.  Happy weekend to all!

Some smart breakfast choices : )

http://shine.yahoo.com/love-your-body/breakfast-foods-faster-metabolism-194100230.html

7 Snacks to Give You All-day Energy

Kids aren’t the only ones who need an afternoon snack. If you have a busy day ahead of you, you need some extra fuel, too! While you could propel yourself with caffeine throughout the day, there are plenty of snacks out there that will give you some extra nutrition as well.

NutsMany women avoid nuts due to the fat, but there are good fats and bad fats — walnuts, for example, contain large amounts of the polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-3, and almonds contain healthy monounsaturated fat. Brazil nuts are a great source of selenium, and almonds, cashews, pistachios and hazel nuts are rich in iron.

Dried Fruit and SeedsTake a look at the nutritional facts of your favorite granola bar. Many of them contain lots of added sugar. Instead, go for sunflower seeds (which are rich in omega-6), dried apricots (without sulfite), raisins or various nut and berry mixes (natural trail mix), which contain iron and calcium for slow-release energy.

Dark Chocolate or LicoriceA few squares of dark chocolate (with high cocoa content) and licorice are good if you need to get extra iron. Dark chocolate also contains antioxidants.

BananasIn ripe bananas, a large proportion of the starch has been converted to sugar, which makes them easier to digest. Eat a banana together with a handful of nuts for lasting energy.

OatsOats have a cholesterol-lowering effect and are high in fiber, Vitamins B and E, iron, and zinc. Dry biscuits and hardtack (a simple cracker or biscuit) give long-lasting energy. Instead of regular peanut butter, try almond butter, which contains good fat and Vitamin E.

CucumberCucumber gives moisture and is good for muscles, bones and other body tissues.

AppleApples are a good source of energy and additionally aid in digestion. They also say eating a crisp apple helps you wake up in the mornings better than coffee can.

From pgeveryday.com website

How Blood Sugar Relates to Brain Size and Function

In a recent edition of the journal Neurology, German researchers evaluated the size of the brain’s memory center, the hippocampus, using a specialized type of MRI scanner. In addition, they measured the blood glucose levels in the same individuals. When the data was analyzed, a direct relationship was found between the degree of atrophy or shrinkage of the hippocampus and blood sugar measurements. Even subtle elevations of blood sugar, far below the level where one would be labeled as being diabetic, were already associated with brain shrinkage.
What’s more, the researchers also performed cognitive testing on these individuals and showed a direct relationship between failing memory and blood sugar elevation.
The take home message here is straightforward. Even mild elevations of blood sugar correlate perfectly with both brain degeneration as well as compromised function. And because your blood sugar directly reflects your sugar and carbohydrate consumption, you can choose to directly influence the size, and more importantly the preservation of function of your brain. As the authors of this report stated:

Moreover, our results indicate that lifestyle strategies aimed at long-term improvement of glucose control may be a promising strategy to prevent cognitive decline in aging.

10 most filling foods - eat more weigh less

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20752903,00.html

If the article did not copy here are the 10 foods:
1. baked potato
2. bean soup
3. eggs
4. greek yogurt
5. apples
6. popcorn
7. figs
8. oatmeal
9. wheat berries
10. smoothies
 The article goes more in depth on each food.  You can find the article on health.com.

health,fitness, and foods. I use choosemyplate.gov for info

I'm a notorious snacker...

So, I appreciated these tips:

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2011/11/rules-to-snacking-slideshow#slide=1

Interesting.....Vitamin D is a key to staying healthy.  Tough to get this winter!!!!

http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/0608/new-guidelines-put-focus-on-vitamin-d-deficiency.aspx

Exercise Can Ease Fatigue of Chemotherapy

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2697

Best Blogs 2014

I found this article about 60 best blogs for fitness 2014.  I am going to check a few of them out!

http://greatist.com/health/must-read-health-fitness-blogs

Here is an interesting article re: whole milk and that it may not be bad for you in terms of weight loss. Gives me something to think about! http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/02/12/275376259/the-full-fat-paradox-whole-milk-may-keep-us-lean.
I'm not sure I'll be drinking whole milk just yet, but it makes me think!

Little Article about the My Fitness Pal App

I love this app.  It is what helped me get in the best shape I've been in, in my adult life.  Here is a small article about it from the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/my-fitness-pal-app-helps-you-take-control-of-calories/2013/11/01/03fc4176-3e93-11e3-b6a9-da62c264f40e_story.html

burn 20 calories a MINUTE!

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Burn 20 Calories a Minute!

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A kettlebell is one of the most efficient, effective tools for sculpting a slim, strong physique. Why? Instead of isolating muscle groups like you do when lifting dumbbells, you work all your major muscle groups at once with a kettlebell. That's because the weight isn't evenly distributed, so you have to work continuously to control the bell's shifting center of gravity. The result: major calorie burn—a recent study by the American Council on Exercise found that a kettlebell workout can burn up to 20 calories a minute—while you add definition to your shoulders, back, butt, core, and arms.

How it works: Three days a week, perform 1 set of each exercise back to back. Do the entire circuit 3 times. For best results, schedule your workouts on non-consecutive days so your body has time to recover.

http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/kettlebell-workout-burn-20-calories-minute

Half Way and feeling great!

The first half of team training has been a positive experience and I'm looking forward to the remainding sessions.  My biggest struggle with living with MS is having little to no energy.   The past month with the workouts and classes I've noticed increase energy.  Working out has also put me in the mindset to be cautious and make wiser choices when preparing meals and snacks.   I'm excited to continue working out with my fun group!

The number on my scale hasn't budged, but I've definitely noticed that my legs have gotten more toned.  Diet is my biggest challenge.  If I plan ahead, it is much easier for me to stick to eating healthy.  My challenge is that when I haven't had the time to plan ahead, I will eat whatever...Chinese food, Chipotle, you name it.  My plan going forward is to always have a frozen dinner or two in the freezer to eat in a pinch.

Interesting article written when my favorite "health" book was initially published.  A friend had recommended this book to me when I was in my mid-40s, and I subsequently also read the companion publication "Younger Next Year for Women"...I highly recommend these books for the understandable explanations of the physiology of exercise and nutrition and why none of us should think that we can outsmart nature!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64434-2005Jan10.html