Home Cookin': good for your waistline and wallet!

Why is cooking at home becoming so important? It seems to be the highlight of every health magazine and trainers top tip on getting fit for the new year! Well, its not just a theory...it's the real deal. Research shows cooking at home has been proven to help people whittle their waistlines and save an abundant amount of money in comparison to eating out. There are so many reasons to this, but the one that sticks out most to me is CONTROL. When we cook, we control what goes in our food. Say you order steamed vegetables, fish, or chicken at a restaurant, the cooks will most likely add butter and/or oil to the water when steaming these items, not to mention a lot of salt to increase the flavor of the dish. They don't know you're on a diet or trying to be healthier-- they're just cooking it so it still has flavor! Being more specific when ordering out can help you stay on track. Let the waiter know you would like your item "steamed with no butter, oil, or salt added," or "dry," which will help eliminate extra sauces added to your meal. Another reason I think we love to eat out so much is because we all love the smell of good food! When you walk into an italian restaurant, you smell garlic, butter, shallots, cheese, etc...and your senses go crazy! Same goes with most authentic aromas: chinese, japanese, mexican, thai, etc. We are directed by our sense of smell. However, what most people don't know is you can create that same ambiance at home! Light candles, open up a bottle of your favorite wine or sparkly beverage, and saute some fresh garlic with 1 tablespoon of heart-healthy olive oil right away (even if you're not cooking with it). Your whole house just got a lot more food-friendly! Invite your friends over to your place for some extra company if you're craving social interaction! My last tip is to take easy approaches to substituting when cooking recipes. For example, use whole-wheat noodles instead of white flour, or plain non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream. Make brown rice instead of white, bake fish or chicken instead of frying it, and use cooking spray, 1-2 tbsp olive oil, and chicken broth for sauteing and sauce bases instead of butter or extra oil. Fresh herbs add a ton of flavor with no fat or calories, and pepper, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and cumin are great ingredients to spice up any dish! Try and go easy on the salt, you can always add more but can't fix a salty dish! Another one of my tricks is to add fresh fruit and berries to my salads and cereals for an extra crunch and natural sweetness, or have fruit as dessert with a tsp. of raw agave nectar (found at any food store) and cinnamon. For recipes and delicious meal ideas, I have attached links on the side bar that will direct you straight to cooking light and women's health (which are two of my favorites!). Everything from soups, salads, seafood, meat, vegetarian dishes and desserts are on these sites. Warning: your jeans might get a little baggy and your wallets a little fuller after adapting to this lifestyle change... :)

The Amazing Cucumber (no, not like that...get your mind out of the gutter!!)

This was sent to me from one of my best friends who knows a good post when she reads one! Enjoy the info and remember, when in doubt, fruits and vegetables are the two most IMPORTANT and CRUCIAL elements a healthy diet should consist of. Read on and educate yourself :) The Amazing Cucumber This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems. 1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. 2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. 3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance. 4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. (WOW) 5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!! (DOUBLE WOW) 6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!! 7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation. 8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water. 9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber sliced rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone! 10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams. 11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath. 12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean. 13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!! Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for natural alternatives to chemicals.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Nothing is more frustrating than planning a nice workout outside...and then the clouds roll in. Grrrrr. If you don't have a gym membership and a nice, equipped place to go workout - what's next?? My advice: DVDs and using your own home as your workout arena! DVDs are fantastic for people who hardly have any time to get ready, drive to the gym, workout, drive home, and take a shower all for a heart-pumping workout multiple days a week! DVDs are available everywhere, easy to download, and contain workouts from 10 to 90 minutes in whatever you're looking for - pilates, yoga, strength training, aerobics, etc. Another great tool available to us is Wii Fit! You can buy exercise routines for the Wii that are 3D and functional, so its as if you're training with a real live trainer in your room! Bob and Jillian kick butt on "The Biggest Loser" and now can in your own house too! Home for the day? Don't think that those chairs in your house are just there to sit on! Grab a chair and stand behind it. While holding onto the top of the chair with extended arms and elbows slightly bent, extend one leg behind you so its parallel to the floor and at the height of your hip. Rotate both hips to the floor and keep them in line with each other (in other words, don't "tilt" to one side). Hold your belly in tight to your back as if you're wearing a corset. From here, slowly lower and lift your leg down to the floor and back up to hip height, extending and reaching the leg as far behind you as you can. Squeeze the leg when it reaches the buttocks area and hold before lowering again. Don't let the leg rise above your hips when you lift it, otherwise your back will arch and you won't be using your core anymore and just create back pain. Repeat this for 15 reps on each leg for 3 sets times. (You can also do this by holding onto a table, kitchen counter, desk, or bed!) Another great exercise is bridging - which works your butt, legs, core, and back muscles. Lay on your back on a carpeted area, with a mat or towel underneath you. Bend your knees and walk your feet out in front of you a few steps forward from your butt. Slowly (starting from your pubic bone or "private area"), lift your hips up to the ceiling until you are diagonally in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold there for 30 seconds and squeeze every muscle in your body. Try not to arch your back by keeping your hips a little tucked under (aka: pulling your belly button into your back and shifting your public bone closer to your stomach). Starting from your chest, begin to peel down back onto the mat until your back to the starting position. Repeat and bridge 5 more times. You can add intensity by alternating leg lifts. When in the bridge, stay even and lifted with the hips and raise one leg into the air. Keep this raised leg straight above the adjacent hip and point the toes. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs. Repeat twice. Lastly, and my personal favorite: PLANKS. Planks are one of the best things you can do for your body. They strengthen every muscle, work every area, and are just all around fantastic for toning. If you have NO TIME WHATSOEVER then do these throughout the day to spark your heart rate and tighten up your body. To get into position - you can be on your hands or on your elbows, both work - place your arms underneath your shoulders (wrists or elbows line up directly under shoulders) and have your legs straight behind you so you're up on your toes. Pull your belly in tight. It should resemble a "push-up" position. Make sure you are not arching your lower back by tucking your hips further under towards your belly. Open your shoulders so they spread wide along your upper back. Keep your neck in line with your spine by looking towards the front of your mat or slightly down. Now, squeeze EVERY MUSCLE you can possibly think of. Hold for 30 seconds. Rest in childs pose (aka: resting your torso on top of your legs and reach arms forward) for 20 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times for 30-45 seconds each. Work up to holding 1 minute sets. These can also be done on each side for side planks (see profile pic). Whatever you do for your workout, don't give excuses!! That's just lame and honestly (even if people say they want to), NO ONE wants to hear it. You are your own person, if you don't workout and take care of yourself for you, then that's your issue and you need to realize that something has to change in YOU before your body will. No extra money or personal trainer needed if you can't afford it. This is all about using the things that are around you. Go ahead, lay on your couch and eat bon-bons, but don't complain that your butt is sagging and your arms jiggle when you dance.

Pilates, Pilates, Pilates!

Being a pilates instructor in LA has its perks--the weather is gorgeous and its right on the coast, so it reminds people of getting into their swim gear all year around! Pilates itself is a popular form of exercise with about everyone who lives here. If people haven't done pilates, they want to do it or know someone who does. Trust me, they're envious. Who wouldn't be? To take an hour out of the day to exercise gracefully and precisely as someone instructs you on the best way to move, all while using great machines that both assist and resist your muscles thus creating your most amazing body ever?! Sounds intense right? It is-- but its fun and exciting so you never get bored and always have a blast! You never overwork the muscles in pilates, you only lean them out along the bone (which creates that dancer look everyone desires). Man or woman, dog or cat, everyone and their mother is on the pilates train. Now pilates isn't cheap by any means, it can cost upwards of $150 per session depending on who you train with and where, but the benefits are beyond what anyone could imagine and hope for. It strengthens your core muscles (giving you that hot washboard stomach), helps your posture (kick that scoliosis to the curb!), leans and tones your body (anyone ever see the ballet?), gives you more energy (everyone needs extra of this), increases flexibility (hello legs!) and creates a better mind-body connection (breathe...horrible drivers, toilet seats being left up, and dirty dishes are out of our control so there's no use trying to change it). So my point being, if you don't do pilates or have never heard of it, you in the minor leagues of exercise regimes. Don't be afraid to hop into a pilates class at the gym, try out a session at a studio you feel comfortable with, or at least--get a DVD and start practicing the exercises at home. Not everyone is a pilates pro, but just trying it out will give you a peace of mind and different sense of appreciation towards your body. Plus, the next time you're at a dinner party and the hostess looks fantastic, you can say to her "Do you happen to do pilates?" I guarantee you, the answer will be yes.