10,000 Steps

10,000 steps is the recommended amount of steps you should walk EACH day. For the average person this accumulates to about 5 miles total; which means depending on length of stride, 1 mile takes about 2,000 strides to complete. 5 miles may seem like a lot, but spread out over an entire day is doable for almost anyone.

Keep track:
A super easy way to keep track of steps per day is with a pedometer. These little gadgets click right on your pants and count the number of steps you take. A regular one can be purchased for as little as $3.00; a more for a complex one that keeps a record and counts calories is about $30.00. 

Challenge:
Keep track of the number of steps you take each day. If you aren't at 10,000 yet, work your way up there. Some sedentary people only get 1,000-2,000 steps in, so if this is you make small goals and work on increasing steps by at least 1,000 a day until you reach your goal.

Already at 10,000? Then you need a bigger goal!

A stepping challenge is a great worksite wellness activity where you can challenge your co-workers to see who takes the most steps. It is one of the affordable and effective ways to get the office moving. Prizes can be incorporated for winners to make it more competitive.

Steps aren't just from walks:
All movement throughout the day count; the more you move around, the more steps add up. Dancing or aerobic exercise classes have a lot of sideways movement that each count as a step. Some of these classes can add up to almost 10,000 steps per class! Incorporating more physical activity such as parking further away from entrances will also drastically increase the amount of steps you take.

It’s 5K Time!

A 5K (5 kilometers/ 3.1 miles) is a popular distance for organized walks and runs. Signing up for 5K races is a great way to get involved and stay active.

Keep it local-

Have about an hour and ½ free to spare? That is about how long it will take you to travel to AND complete a 5K race in your local area. Help out local organizations by giving back to the community you live in. 

Destination Race-

Plan a trip around a 5K; there are 5Ks almost everywhere you can imagine with all different themes and benefit various causes. 

Challenge yourself-

Try to beat your time at future 5K races or sign up for a longer race. Races are of all different distances, but some of the most popular longer runs are: 5 miles, 10Ks(6.2 miles), 15Ks(9.3 miles), 10 miles, half marathon(13.1 miles), 15 miles, and marathon(26.2 miles).

Not Quite Ready-

Many 5K races do not have a cut-off time and allow walking. If you feel you still aren’t ready for the 3.1 mile journey, try a 1 miler. Many 5K races are associated with a 1 mile walk/ run and some 1 milers are standalone races.

Get Everyone Involved-
Ask a friend, family member, or co-worker to join you. Most races are open to all ages and even allow strollers; some even welcome pets!

Looking for more information-

• Read the newspaper and town/ city bulletins.
• Check with local schools.
• Ask fitness centers and professionals
• Find a local running organization, if living in Tallahassee check out Gulf Winds for local races.

Remember:

~You do not need to be a runner to run a race.~

Nutritional Yeast

I often use nutritional yeast in recipes and you may have seen it in one of these previous blogs: smashed cauliflower, chickpea salad, popcorn, or dairy free lasagna. Lately a few people have been asking about it, so I wanted to brag about this awesome ingredient that I think everyone should have in their pantry.

Nutritional yeast is inactivated yeast fortified with several vitamins. It has only 1 gram of fat with a whopping 4 grams of fiber and 8 grams of complete protein for a 1 1/2 Tbsp serving. It has a cheesy flavor and can be used in many recipes instead of cheese or for topping on salads, pastas, sandwiches, and such. It is in the form of flakes and can be sprinkled like parmesan cheese. Keep in mind, it tastes different than cheese and very different than parmesan cheese; it has it's own unique taste when eaten plain, but when mixed in dishes it is hard to tell it isn't REAL cheese. So if you are looking for: a way to cut back on high fat cheese and increase protein, avoid stomach discomfort after eating dairy, or just a new flavor in some of your favorite dishes, nutritional yeast is it!

Nutritional yeast is about $3 per container and can be purchased at most health food stores in the cooking section or in the bulk section(for cheaper). I urge you to give it a try, what do you have to lose?

Cereal at it's Finest

A common question I hear is, "what is the best cereal?" There are so many cereals on the market that choosing the best one down the cereal isle can be very overwhelming.  Many cereals make ridiculous health claims, and it seems everyday there is a "new and improved" cereal to choose from. Disappointingly, many of these new cereals contain: too much sugar, not enough fiber, or many artificial ingredients such as sweeteners and imitation fiber. However, there IS a cereal with real fiber and without any added sugar or artificial ingredients.

Regular Ol' Shredded Wheat, in my opinion, is the best cold cereal on the market! This cereal can be of brand name or store/generic name and has only 1 ingredient(whole wheat). A 1 cup serving packs 6-7 grams of both protein and fiber.

Shredded Wheat is a great tasting breakfast cereal with a little bit of milk. However, if you crave more flavor, create your own favorite cereal with one or a combination of the following:

• Cinnamon and sugar
• Agave nectar
• Local honey
• Raisins
• Chopped dates
• Freeze dried fruit
• Fresh strawberries and blueberries
• Sliced bananas

Shredded Wheat is not only great as a breakfast cereal, but it can also be used as:

• Croutons on salad
• Crackers in soup
• Crunchiness in yogurt
• Crackers for peanut butter
• Part of a trail mix
• Snack on the go

So next time you find yourself frazzled in the cereal isle, DON'T BE, just grab for the Shredded Wheat, and you and your tummy will be pleased.

Smashed Cauliflower

Here is a super easy smashed cauliflower recipe, you will love this healthy side dish...

Ingredients:
16 oz Cauliflower (1 frozen bag or 1 head fresh)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk or skim cow's milk
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt

Recipe:
Microwave, boil, or steam cauliflower.
Mash cauliflower along with all other ingredients with masher or in food processor.
Serve and enjoy!

Sweat away stomach fat with a band?

Lately I have been seeing more and more people wearing sweatbands around their stomach at the gym. These fitness belly-bands claim to help you sweat away the pounds on your mid-section. Ohhhh, don't we all just wish it was that easy? The truth is these belly-bands will not help you lose stomach fat and will hinder your workout.

The purpose of sweat is to cool the body down. The process of sweat does burn calories, but this is extremely minimal and itself will not help with weight loss. When the body sweats, water and chemicals are released NOT fat. The weight which is lost through sweat is put back on when water is consumed. Therefore if you sweat away 2 lbs. from a workout, this is just water weight and will be returned when 32 oz. of fluid is drank or eaten.

The real downside to these bands is they cause you to burn LESS calories when working out. Since they make you sweat more, you become dehydrated and may not be able to exercise as long or at as high of an intensity. Also these bands, when strapped tightly around your stomach, act as support for your abdominal muscles. Well that doesn't seem so bad right? The truth is the band will work as your stomach muscles allowing them to relax, letting the band do their "job". If your abs are not contracted form will start to lack and you will not receive and ab workout by tightening these muscles. So leave those silly bands at the store and get your fantastic body to the gym!

On a side note, the same rules apply with saunas and sauna suits. These ways of dehydration are sometimes used for sports performance to qualify for a lower weight class or to look leaner for competition, FOR THE SHORT TERM. These athletes will "gain" the weight back immediately when they REHYDRATE.

Serving Size on Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts on packages are filled with detailed information about the specific nutritional content of the food item. After looking at the ingredient list it is good to browse over the nutrition facts to get a better sense of what you are really eating. Have you ever looked quick at a label and thought, "Wow only 100 calories and 0g trans fat" or maybe "Oh great this has 12 grams a fiber?" The truth is, these numbers may be off, very off from what you are really eating.  These numbers are based on the serving size and will reflect the amount of servings per container.

Serving Size: the SUGGESTED serving and the amount that the label is based upon. Many people don't eat the recommended amount, and most times eat more than suggested. For example, if a package has the serving size is a 1/2 cup, but 2 cups are eaten, the numbers need to be all multiplied by 4. Always make sure to read this FIRST before reading further on the nutrition facts.

Servings Per Container: This is a good way to gauge how much you are eating. For example, if you have a package of food with 4 servings per container, this ideally should take 4 different meal times or people to finish, not just one.

Zero on the Nutrition Fact Label: Several food items list on their label they don't contain any calories, however, this is not always true. In fact, this is based on the serving size. If there is less than 5 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, or 1 gram of carbohydrates, it does not need to be listed. The problem arises when a lot more than the SUGGESTED serving size is consumed, especially for food items such as spray butters or oils. An average bottle of spray butter contains about 900 CALORIES and an average can of spray oil contains about 2,500 CALORIES!

Take Home Message: Make sure to read ingredients and serving size to get the truth about the nutrition facts.