keene36fitness…fitness 4 all
Lance W. Keene, NASM-CPT, BodyBugg-Practitioner, Apex Fitness-Fitness ProfessionalArchive for June, 2008
Dragon Fruit Sorbet
Ingredients:
2 Dragon fruits
3/4 Cup of cold water
1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar
Directions:
Cut the Dragon fruit in half. Scoop out the insides. Reserve the halves for serving, if desired.
Place the halves in the freezer until ready for serving, to help them maintain thier shape.
Place the pulp, agave nectar, lime, and water in a blender. Pulse until smooth.
Pour into an ice cream maker until frozen.
Spoon into halves to serve. if you are not ready to serve, wrap plastic wrap around them and place them in the freezer until ready to serve.
Must do:
Enjoy 
Eating and Pregnancy…What to do.
It’s okay to give in to the occasional craving for Twinkies or ice cream, as long as you make smart choices about the nutrients you consume overall. Follow our eat-right guidelines to stay healthy yourself, and to help your unborn baby grow.
Concentrate on carbohydrates.
Bread, rice, pasta, cereals, fruits, and vegetables are your body’s primary sources of fuel and should provide more than half of your daily calories. Try to have at least nine servings of whole-grain foods, four servings of vegetables, and three servings of fruits to give you not only energy but also fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, satisfy your sweet tooth with fruits that are rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, berries, and melon. Also, vary your vegetable choices to include those that are dark-green and leafy (spinach, broccoli), deep-yellow or orange (carrots, sweet potatoes), and starchy (potatoes, corn).
Eat meat — and other protein sources.
Protein maintains muscles, and manufactures cells, enzymes, and hormones. It also helps produce the extra blood you need for your baby to develop normally. Poultry, fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, and some combinations of grains and legumes, such as rice and chickpeas or black beans, are packed with protein. Eggs and nuts are good sources, too. Aim to include at least three servings of poultry, fish, meat, or legumes, and three or four servings of low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, or cheese in your diet every day.
Go for the fats in fish.
Fish is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which are instrumental to your baby’s vision and brain growth. They also work to improve a woman’s blood pressure, blood clotting, and immune response. All seafood provides omega-3 fatty acids, but salmon, bluefish, and trout have the highest concentrations. Restrict your consumption of swordfish and tuna to twice a week, however, because of their potentially high mercury content.
Take your vitamins.
Prenatal supplements offer vitamins and minerals that you can’t always absorb from food. These nutrients serve many functions, from releasing the energy in food to building bones and normalizing heartbeat. Plus, supplements help you meet your increased folic-acid and iron needs during pregnancy. Get your doctor’s approval of a supplement before taking it, and never take more than the recommended amount of any nutrient. Too much vitamin A, for instance, can cause birth defects. In addition, avoid all herbal supplements while you’re pregnant. Be careful when picking a supplement, if you do not know what to do go to www.apexfitness.com They have the utmost integrity when it comes to supplements.
Fuel up on folic acid.
Although folic acid, the man made form of the B vitamin folate, is important throughout pregnancy for producing red blood cells and staving off anemia and premature delivery, it’s most critical during the first month, to prevent spina bifida and other neural-tube birth defects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in fact, estimates that up to 70 percent of neural-tube defects could be prevented with adequate folic-acid intake.
Because many women aren’t aware they’re expecting until weeks into their pregnancy, it’s crucial for all women of childbearing age to get 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily. During pregnancy, the need jumps to 600 mcg. Synthetic folic acid, which also helps ward off heart disease, is absorbed at nearly twice the rate as the natural form, so get the bulk of your daily requirement in a supplement, says Ward. Breads and cereals fortified with folic acid are excellent sources, too. Lentils, spinach, asparagus, and orange juice are also high-folate foods.
Double up on iron.
Iron helps produce hemoglobin (the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues), which is vital to your baby’s growth. In your last trimester, the baby builds up iron reserves to last for four to six months after birth, until she starts eating iron-rich solid foods. Fetuses are efficient parasites, If there’s not enough iron, the one who ends up deficient is the mother.
A pregnant woman needs 30 milligrams (mg) of iron daily; many prenatal supplements meet this amount. Still, aim to eat iron-rich foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, spinach, and potatoes with the skin. Increase your body’s iron absorption by eating vitamin C-rich foods (such as broccoli, peppers, or tomatoes) at the same time. Avoid coffee and tea with meals; they inhibit iron absorption. One downside: Iron may lead to constipation. For relief, eat high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
Bone up on calcium.
It builds your baby’s bones and teeth. If there’s not enough in your diet, the fetus will draw calcium from your bones, putting you at risk for osteoporosis later in life. You need a minimum of 1,000 mg a day.
Low-fat or nonfat milk, processed cheeses, and yogurt are great sources (about 300 mg per serving), but there are many calcium-rich nondairy alternatives: calcium-fortified orange juice or tofu; sardines and canned salmon (with the bones); and dark-green, leafy vegetables. If your doctor recommends taking a calcium supplement, steer clear of those made from bonemeal or oyster shells, since they can contain dangerous levels of lead or other pollutants, and those with added vitamin D, an excess of which can harm the fetus. If you take both calcium and iron supplements, do so at different times of day, because they can interfere with each other’s absorption.
Water is your Friend.
Your fluid needs increase during pregnancy, partly to keep pace with your burgeoning blood supply, most of which is water. Plain old H2O is your best bet for keeping up with the demand. Water also cools your body, moves nutrients and waste, prevents constipation, and provides a cushion for your baby. Drink at least eight 8-ounce cups of fluid a day; low-fat milk and juice count. A cup a day of coffee or other caffeinated beverages won’t hurt the baby, but it may dehydrate you. To find out whether you’re getting adequate fluids, check your urine: If it’s light yellow or clear, you’re drinking enough; if it’s dark yellow, drink more.
Also, because the kidneys excrete salt actively during pregnancy, be sure to include a moderate amount of iodized salt in your diet. Not consuming enough salt during pregnancy may actually predispose you to high blood pressure, and a lack of iodine can cause a form of mental retardation called cretinism in your child.
Beware the bacteria bearers.
During pregnancy, avoid soft cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert, blue, and feta. They may harbor Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which can lead to dangerous form of food poisoning called listeriosis. (Hard, processed, cream, and cottage cheeses are okay.) Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other adults to get listeriosis, which can cause miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, and newborn infections. Also taboo: raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, as well as unpasteurized milk and juice. All can pass along food-borne illness.
Finally, be sure to store, handle and prepare foods properly; wash utensils, cutting boards and your hands thoroughly with soap and water; and replace your sponges and dishcloths frequently.
Vary your diet if you’re a vegetarian.
Vegetarians who follow a diet that includes milk and egg products should have no trouble obtaining the necessary nutrients in pregnancy. Just be sure to eat an assortment of grains, fortified cereals, legumes, vegetables, and seeds throughout the day.
Vegans, who eat no animal products, may need vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and calcium supplements prescribed by their doctors. Also, the iron found in plant foods may not be absorbed as well as the iron in meats, warranting a supplement.
If you’re a religious Muslim who doesn’t eat pork or a religious Jew who doesn’t eat pork or shellfish or combine meat and dairy products at the same meal, don’t worry. As long as a diet has a variety of foods from different food groups, you should get the nutrients you and your baby need. One caution: Some religions have fasting days, but pregnant women should never fast.
If you are lactose intolerant, opt for calcium-rich nondairy foods such as collard greens, figs, and sardines with bones; your doctor may also recommend calcium supplements. Nonprescription drops and tablets containing lactase, the intestinal enzyme that’s responsible for lactose digestion, are safe to take with dairy foods during pregnancy.
Don’t lose sleep over food.
If you can’t stand broccoli or you can’t stomach dairy products, simply find alternatives. Avoiding alcohol is absolutely paramount. But avoiding a brownie — or any other foods you enjoy — is not.
*As usual please discuss all topics with your Dr.
The Five Factors of Fitness…revisited
Just reviewing the Five factors it takes to effect body composition change,
Component One: Proper Food Intake
Energy in Vs. Energy out, your body requires a certain amount of energy, if you are wanting to lose body fat you must at least give your body what it needs in calories in, if not it will not let go of your body’s savings account…FAT.
Factor Two: Proper Cardio
Maximize your time and get the most for the least. Really you do not need to be on a piece of cardio for hours, unless your going to be running a marathon. Learn about Heart Rate monitors from your local trainer…or me:-)
Factor Three: Proper Supplementation
This is a dirty industry filled with marketing and not enough science. Please ensure you are taking a good multi-vitamin. You can not get the nutrients needed through food and need them when your exercising. Make sure the supplement you are taking is made with GMP’s (good manufacturing practices). If you want go to www.myapex.com and you can get purity, potency with the same guarantee pharmaceuticals have.
Factor Four: Proper Resistance Training
When approaching a resistance training program, it should address your muscle imbalances and postural deviations caused from what you do for work and prior injuries. When you are set in one position for over an extended period of time you need to address this in your workout plan. Your approach should be lengthening the tight muscles and strengthening the weak, if not, you risk making a better looking more messed up version of what you already exist to be.
Factor Five: Proper Professional Assistance
I always recommend meeting with a qualified professional who understands the basics of human movement. when choosing a trainer, I recommend one who carries a license with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) www.nasm.org . As always, please check to make sure any trainer you choose has a current license, NOT an expired one.
If Your Child Doesn’t Like Sports
Team sports can help a child gain self esteem, coordination, spatial awareness, confidence, and general fitness, and help them learn how to work with other kids and adults. But some kids aren’t natural athletes and they may tell you – directly or indirectly – that they just don’t like sports. What then?
Why Some Kids Don’t Like Teams
Every child doesn’t have to join a team, and with enough other activities, kids can be fit without them. But it’s a good idea to find out why your child isn’t interested. You might be able to help solve any deeper concerns your child might be having, or steer your child toward something else. Talk with your child and let him or her know that you’d like to work on a solution together. That solution might mean making changes and sticking with the team sport or finding a new activity to try.
Here are some reasons why your child might not like sports:
Developing Basic Skills
Though many sports programs are available for preschoolers, it’s not until about age 6 or 7 that most kids have the physical skills, the attention span, and the ability to grasp the rules needed to play organized sports. If your child hasn’t had much practice in a specific sport, it may take a while for him or her to be expected to reliably perform necessary skills such as kicking a soccer ball on the run or hitting a baseball thrown from the pitcher’s mound. Trying and failing, especially in a game situation, might frustrate your child and make him or her nervous.
What You Can Do. Practice with your child at home. Whether you’re shooting baskets, playing catch, or going for a jog together, you’re giving your child an opportunity to build his or her skills and fitness in a safe environment. Your child can freely try – and risk failing – new things without the self-consciousness of being around his or her peers. And you’re also getting a good dose of quality together time.
Coach or League Is Too Competitive
A kid who’s already a reluctant athlete might feel extra-nervous when the coach barks out orders or the league focuses heavily on winning.
What You Can Do. Investigate sports programs before signing your child up for one. Talk with coaches and other parents about the philosophy. Some athletic associations, like the YMCA, have noncompetitive leagues. In some programs, they don’t even keep score. If you live near a LIFETIME FITNESS ( www.LIFETIMEFITNESS.com ) our Member Activities Department has great kids programs!!!!
Keep in mind that as kids get older, they can handle more competitive aspects such as keeping score and keeping track of wins and losses for the season. Some kids may be motivated by competitive play, but the average child may not be ready for the increased pressure until he or she is 11 or 12 years old. Remember that even in more competitive leagues, the atmosphere should remain positive and supportive for all the participants.
Stage Fright
If your child isn’t a natural athlete, or is a little shy, he or she might be uncomfortable with the pressure of being on a team. More self-conscious kids also might worry about letting their parents, coaches, or teammates down. This is especially true if the child is still working on basic skills and if the league is very competitive.
What You Can Do. Keep your expectations realistic – most kids don’t become Olympic medalists or get sports scholarships. Let your child know the goal is to be fit and have fun. If the coach or league doesn’t agree, it’s probably time to look for something new.
Still Shopping for a Sport
Some kids haven’t found the right sport. Maybe your child didn’t have the hand-eye coordination for baseball, but he or she has the drive and the build to be a swimmer, a runner, or a cyclist. The idea of an individual sport also can be more appealing to some kids who like to go it alone.
What You Can Do. Be open to your child’s interests in other sports or activities. That can be tough if, for instance, you just loved basketball and wanted to continue the legacy. But by exploring other options, you give your child a chance to get invested in something he or she truly enjoys.
Other Barriers
Different kids mature at different rates, so it’s common for there to be a wide range of heights, weights, and athletic abilities among kids of the same age group. So if your child is much bigger or smaller than other kids of the same age – or less coordinated or not as strong – he or she may feel self-conscious and uncomfortable competing with them. Your child also may be afraid of getting injured, or worried that he or she can’t keep up. A child who is overweight might be reluctant to participate in a sport, for example, while a child who has asthma might feel more comfortable with sports that require short outputs of energy, like baseball, football, gymnastics, golf, and shorter track and field events.
What You Can Do. Give some honest thought to your child’s strengths, abilities, and temperament, and find an activity that might be a good match. Some kids are afraid of the ball, so they don’t like softball or volleyball, but may enjoy an activity like running. If your child is overweight, he or she might lack the endurance to run, but might enjoy a sport like swimming. Your child may be too small for the basketball team, but may enjoy gymnastics or wrestling.
Keep in mind that some kids just prefer sports that focus on individual performance rather than teamwork. Remember that the goal is to prevent your child from feeling frustrated, wanting to quit, and being turned off from sports and physical activity altogether.
With good communication, you may be able to address your child’s concerns. Other issues may naturally fade as your child grows. If you can understand what your child is going through and provide a supportive environment, you can help your child succeed in whatever activity he or she chooses.
Ways to Stay Fit Outside of Team Sports
Even kids who once said they hated sports might learn to like team sports as their skills improve, or if they find the right sport or a league with the right level of intensity. But even if team sports never thrill your child, there’s plenty a kid can do to get the recommended 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.
Free play can be very important for a child who doesn’t play a team sport. What’s free play? It’s the activity kids get when they’re left to their own devices, like shooting hoops, riding bikes, playing whiffleball, playing tag, jumping rope, or dancing.
Outside of the most common team sports, your child might want to try individual sports or other organized activities that can boost his or her fitness. Here are some ideas:
- swimming
- horseback riding
- dance classes
- inline skating
- cycling
- cheerleading
- skateboarding
- hiking
- golf
- tennis
- fencing
- gymnastics
- martial arts
- yoga and other fitness classes
- Ultimate Frisbee
- running
Supporting Your Kid’s Choices
Even if the going’s tough, work with your child to find something active that he or she likes. Try to remain open-minded. Maybe your child is interested in an activity that is not offered at his or her school. If your daughter wants to try flag football or ice hockey, for example, help her find a local league or talk to school officials about starting up a new team.
You’ll need to be patient if your child has difficulty choosing and sticking to an activity. It often takes several tries before a child finds one that feels like the right fit. But when something clicks, you’ll be glad you invested the time and effort. For your child, it’s one big step toward developing active habits that can last a lifetime.
Note: Please remember before starting your child on any sport or fitness program you should have a physical examination done for them. Kids with undiagnosed medical conditions such as vision, hearing could have a hard time playing sports and could discourage them from trying to play or staying involved. More importantly for thier safety though.
