Get Fit Gloucester

Healthy Eating During the Holidays

2009-12-09T12:36:00.006-05:00

Have you ever been on a diet, over-indulged at a dinner or party, and thought, "Well, I blew that - I'll start again Monday" - then loaded up on cookies, breads or sweets until Monday rolled around? (I'm writing what I know about!) If you're not on a diet, you won't be programmed to think like that. If you're working on lifestyle changes - a special dinner or once-in-a-great-while party food is

Getting Fit - with Wii Fit?

2009-12-01T07:37:00.001-05:00

Last Christmas my daughters, then 19 and 25 and both living at home at the time, asked for a Wii console and the Wii Fit game. I groaned. They have never been into the video game thing. We have a few old Nintendo consoles in the basement that were given to them as gifts when they were young. Never mind the zombie-like appearance I've seen on kids engrossed in those things, but when I found

Abs Diet Power - Eggs

2009-11-23T09:27:00.003-05:00

Here we go again! Don't eat eggs, they'll kill you. Eat eggs, they're good for you. I eat them. I actually eat more eggs these days than I used to. When I started exercising more and paid closer attention to how I should be eating in terms of fueling my body for energy and strength, I found that the inexpensive egg is a power source for good protein. Eggs supply all essential amino acids

"Natural" Food Labels

2009-11-17T00:04:00.018-05:00

The results of a survey by The Shelton Group, a market research firm that monitors sustainable and organic industry: "Our Eco Pulse study revealed that most Americans prefer the term Natural to the term Organic — and they would be more likely to reach for a product with a label that says “100% Natural” over one that says “100% Organic” because consumers believe — erroneously — that Natural is

Do You Buy Organic?

2009-11-14T07:27:00.013-05:00

In the produce aisle, I hover over vegetables labeled "organic" and those not. Back and forth, I inevitably choose the non-organic because they are cheaper and like most folks these days, I'm watching pennies. I'm also the oldest of six children from a middle class family and the penny-pinching gene is alive and thriving.I'm not fanatical about food choices. I just try to make the healthiest

Fitness Stretching

2009-11-12T10:35:00.007-05:00

A year or so into my new lifestyle of eating healthier and covering the City of Gloucester on foot, I started thinking about working out to tone my now smaller body. On a morning walk, I stopped into Curves of Gloucester, which was then located on Parker Street - a place I often passed on my walks. I took a tour and signed up. There are endless discussions on the internet about the pros and

Abs Diet Power - Instant Oatmeal

2009-11-11T07:03:00.013-05:00

Instant Oatmeal Just eat it! Fiber, especially soluble fiber found in oatmeal, can lower your cholesterol. Dietary fiber can also help regulate blood sugar levels, facilitate digestion, keep you regular and make you feel full. Instant Oatmeal? I think it's recommended here for the convenience factor. Oatmeal is one of those things that a lot of people may not eat at all, if they didn't eat

Food Rules

2009-11-07T06:50:00.007-05:00

Last Spring, Michael Pollan, author and New York Times Contributing Editor, wrote a column asking readers to submit their "Rules to Eat By" for inclusion in an up-coming book, "Food Rules." Boy, do people have a lot to say about food and eating! There were thousands of responses. My own responses might have been: Know what you are eating and make the healthiest choices whenever you can. I

Abs Diet Power - Dairy Products

2009-11-04T06:27:00.018-05:00

Dairy Products Milk. It does a body good. Or not. Dairy products appear on the ever-increasing list of good news/bad news food products. Eat this. No wait, don't eat it. Dairy products provide vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium, protein and the big gun - calcium. Calcium does a body good - no conflicting reports there. You know about bones. The idea that calcium

Food Portions and Serving Size

2009-11-03T07:25:00.009-05:00

When did restaurant appetizers become meal-size in type, quantity and price? At many restaurants here in town, appetizers can cost $7 - $9 or even $10. A quesadilla as an appetizer? Crab cakes are a popular item on local menus - as an appetizer? Do people eat an entire appetizer and then an entree? Even in my grandest eating days, I couldn't. Appetizers used to be a cup of soup or a salad

Abs Diet Power - Spinach and Green Vegetables

2009-10-30T07:55:00.004-04:00

Spinach and other green vegetables ...Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and

It's Not All About Calories

2009-10-29T08:36:00.004-04:00

Nutrition Labels 101.Warning: Steer clear of me in the supermarket if you're in a hurry. If I'm looking to try some new food, I'll be the one taking every brand and variety off the shelf to read the label.I'm not rigid about calorie content, preservatives and sugars. If I'm choosing between products, what I try to do is choose the one with the fewer ingredients, or maybe the better

Abs Diet Power - Beans and Other Legumes

2009-10-28T08:52:00.002-04:00

Beans and other legumes ... Legumes. I'm pretty sure that 40 years ago I would have asked what the heck is a legume. Growing up in a large, partly-Irish family, the only beans we ate were baked with hot dogs on Saturday nights. My first experience with lentils back then was at a sketchy B'hai gathering on an Indian Reservation in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Ever since then I've associated lentils

Abs Diet Power - Almonds and Other Nuts

2009-10-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

Abs Diet Power is the name of a diet and fitness program. The program seems healthy and sensible enough. But if you've read my earlier posts, you know I'm not a fan of "diets" or rigid eating plans - especially ones that guarantee to give you a flat stomach and great physique in just 6 weeks or promise that you'll discover how to melt away fat and create muscle (even if you don’t exercise!)—and

So You Hate to Exercise

2009-10-26T07:09:00.004-04:00

You've read it all before: the benefits of regular physical activity. Maybe hearing a first person report confirming the benefits will motivate someone to get moving. These are just some of the ways that I feel better. A healthy diet and weight loss have also bolstered the effect of many of these life improvements.Jump-starts the immune system, thus helping to reduce the number of colds, flu,

Healthy Eating Does Not Run in the Family

2009-10-24T08:08:00.003-04:00

Funny kids.Rummaging through cabinets and the refrigerator, one or the other of my two daughters (now 20 and 26) would often complain, "There's nothing to eat in this house." Mom's reply: "I just went to the supermarket. There is plenty of food." Response: "Yeah, but it's all that healthy crap."A review of my blog elicited this suggestion from one daughter and was seconded by the other: It

Taste Buds Are Adjustable

2009-10-23T07:33:00.000-04:00

You really can change your taste for things. I now enjoy eating things that I had convinced myself I'd never get used to. Like ...Cottage Cheese. I don't know how many times I've tried cottage cheese over the years. Just couldn't do it. Looking for healthy calcium and protein sources, once again I tried a few brands of cottage cheese. Cabot's No Fat Cottage Cheese! I like the taste and

Walk for Mental and Physical Fitness

2009-10-22T11:20:00.003-04:00

Go for a walk! Step out the door and do it. It's that easy.I live in West Gloucester and I'm not fond of walking along Essex Avenue, so most times I do drive and park somewhere - the Boulevard, downtown, Niles Beach. But if you live in a neighborhood with sidewalks, just step out and go. Got chores? Put the laundry in the washer, then take a walk. If you're anything like me, you'll keep

Find Out What You Are Eating

2009-10-21T09:48:00.005-04:00

About.com is one of my favorite websites. They have a great health and fitness section. My favorite tool there is the Food Browser. You can find detailed nutritional data for thousands of food and beverage items - brand names, supermarket brands, fast food, restaurants and much more. Not just calories - get the scoop on sodium, carbs, protein and fat content.I work near a Dunkin Donuts and I

Where to Start - Diet and Nutrition

2009-10-20T11:52:00.010-04:00

For me, diet is a four-letter word when used regarding weight loss. I've never stuck to any regimented diet plan, and there are plenty - Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach Diet, Jenny Craig, Hollywood 48 Hour Diet, Grapefruit Diet, LA Weight Loss, Slimfast. Some people may need that, need to be told what to eat and when to eat it. I don't know about the long-term success of any of those

Where to Start - Move It!

2009-10-19T10:05:00.008-04:00

The track at the High School was a great place to start my walking routine, to measure my progress. Once I was feeling stronger and could walk longer, it did get boring. I started walking the Boulevard. Then I added the loop up to Tally's, up Washington Street, down Middle Street and back to the Boulevard. Every couple of days I'd go a block or two farther. I would add a hill or run up the

Where to Start - Motivation

2009-10-18T06:57:00.008-04:00

In 2004, I made a decision to get healthy. I had an epiphany. I can even tell you the exact moment: I was at Tally's Service Station to watch the Horribles Parade. I was standing with my arms folded across my chest - or rather, resting them on my stomach. I looked across the street at the dozens of overweight people. I did not see 'fat' people, I saw unhealthy people like myself.I was 52