Solid as a Rock!

The plank is one of my all time favorite exercises.  It is simple, challenging, requires no equipment, and therefore, can be done pretty much anywhere and anytime.  What makes the plank even more amazing is that it works the whole entire body in just one move!  Below are step-by-step instructions on how to successfully execute this exercise.

• ·      Begin lying face down on the floor or on an exercise mat
• ·      Lift yourself upward, coming on to your toes and forearms
• ·      Pull your navel inward, tightening you whole abdominal and lower back area
• ·      Squeeze your glutes, quads, and lower body as tight as you can
• ·      Relax your shoulders and pull them away from your ears, focusing on contracting your shoulder blades down to you mid-back area
• ·      Pull your abdominals in even farther
• ·      Now that your whole body is in a straight line and as tight as it can be, remember to breath and focus your mind into the pose (if your muscles start to shake, this is okay, it just means they are working!)
• ·      Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat 3-5 times

If you are looking to add additional challenge to this move try the following;

• ·      Lift your hips to the ceiling, hold for a few seconds, then come back down to the original plank position
• ·      Raise one leg off the floor, hold for a few seconds, and then switch to the other leg.  Repeat 10 times each leg.
• ·      Bring your left knee into your chest contracting your abdominals, extend your leg back out and switch to the right.  Repeat 10 times each leg.

 Things to keep in mind;

• ·      While in plank, make sure your low back does not start to sag towards the floor, if this happens, lift your hips higher and contract your abs in as tight as you can.  You can also drop down to your knees for additional support, remember to keep your core straight and contracted.
• ·      Avoid strain in your neck and shoulders by making a conscious effort to pull your shoulders down away from your ears.
• ·      Always, always remember to breath, even when the pose becomes more challenging, continuing to breath will help you through.

Get rid of the Guilt!

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a ‘Go Red for Women’ luncheon in Billings, MT.  I have always heard about the event, but never attended, so I was actually pretty excited to have the opportunity and see what it was all about.  It ended up being a fun little event and a great way to network with other women in the community.  During our lunch, Dayle Hayes, a local registered dietician, writer and motivational speaker gave the keynote speech.  Her message instantly caught my attention, enough so, I actually put my fork down and just listened.  Now, obviously the purpose of this event was to promote heart heath among women, so naturally the presentation was on health.  But, Dayle addressed another component of health we often overlook or fail to even recognize and acknowledge with in ourselves.  The component she spoke of was the guilt we put on ourselves regarding the choices we make, specifically when it comes to food and exercise.  And if you don’t already know this, guilt leads to stress and too much stress can be very unhealthy.

I will honestly admit myself; I have put masses of guilt on my conscious when it comes down to the food or exercise choices I have made day in and day out.  This is actually something I have personally been focusing on improving in my life the past few years.  As women, we seem to put more guilt on ourselves revolving around food and exercise compared to men.  Why is that?  Why do we care so damn much about this unadorned part of life?  And the worst part of all this is, as we increasingly place guilt on ourselves we naturally make even poorer food and exercise choices.  So the solution seems pretty simple right?  Get rid of the guilt!

Ha!  If it were that easy I would not be writing on this topic.  However, reality is, it is not that simple.  Therefore, those of you who choose to read on are making the choice to put forth effort to change, or at minimum think about change. 

So now you are probably thinking, “Okay, Bridget, where do I start”?  And my answer is, start today, start now and start this second.  At your next meal, wherever and whenever that may be, make the healthiest choice you can, eat slowly and stop when you are comfortably full.  Now, when I say ‘healthy’ I don’t mean choosing foods that don’t appeal or taste good to you, instead I mean eat a reasonable portion of food you are hungry for.  If that happens to be pizza, a burger or pasta (foods we sometimes think are not healthy) so be it.  Eat a realistic portion, don’t over think it, second guess your choice or start the mind game that you should have eaten a salad or just protein, or blah, blah, blah.  Allow yourself to enjoy rich tasting foods that you love without guilt or regrets.  Your life will be so much easier and you can free your mind to think of the positive things in life rather than wasting time and energy thinking what you should have eaten.  Make sense? 

With that said I am not telling you to go out each day and night and indulge in high fat foods like pizza and burgers.  This is not realistic.  Instead, I am encouraging you to listen to your body.  When you crave these foods, allow yourself to eat them in small portions. And the rest of the time, try to eat as many fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein you can to give your body the essential nutrients it needs to be healthy and function.  Think of it this way, your skin and hair will not be youthful and shinny if you over indulge at every meal, every day.  However, you will look youthful as ever if you indulge occasionally and satisfying your body with nutrients the rest of the time.  Your body will probably even feel more youthful!

This same principle can be applied to daily activity and exercise.  There will be days when you will not have the time, equipment or energy to be active.  That is okay.  Instead of dwelling what you cannot or did not do, think about how you will be active the next day, or even the rest of the week or weekend.

When your mind starts to wander into the guilt zone, remember, move forward, get over it and focus on the future. You can’t change the past, but you sure have a choice in the present and future.  So move forward and find happiness, celebrate your heart and your health.  Most importantly, get rid of the guilt!

b.

Take Good Care of Yourself

It’s funny how those seemingly simplistic Dove Dark Chocolate messages stick with you isn’t’ it?  I will admit, I do have a soft spot for dark chocolate. And am not going to turn down any opportunity to open the delicate foil wrapper; not only to indulge in delicious chocolate, but to read the inspirational message that is inside.  Tonight’s message just happened to be catchy and significant enough to make me stop and think.  ‘Take good care of yourself’.  That leads me to ask you, how did you take care of yourself today?  Did you exercise?  Choose healthy options at meal and snack times?  Take a few moments of silence and reflection, and/or give your body the rest it needs?

 I want to share with you how I took care of myself today.  I did exercise today; 50 minutes of cardio split between an elliptical machine and a run walk on the treadmill at the gym.  After sweating up a storm, I took 15 minutes to stretch and cool down, (very important both physically and mentally).  I also ate very healthy today and was proud of myself.  My breakfast was plain Greek yogurt with almonds, flax, cinnamon, honey and dried plums.  Morning snack was an apple.  Lunch was leftover piece of tilapia with peas and carrots, sprinkled with pesto vinaigrette.  Afternoon snack was 1 serving of multi grain Wheat Thins.  Dinner was roasted vegetables, couscous and beans (black and garbanzo), and a glass of red wine.  And dessert was (obviously) 3 pieces of Dove Dark Chocolate.

So, there you have it, how I, Bridget, took care of myself today!   The neat thing about my philosophy is that I do not expect ANYONE to have an identical day to mine.  Maybe you exercised more than me, maybe you did not exercise because your body needed to rest.  Maybe you had a breakfast or lunch meeting and you could not control what your food options were, but you made the best choices given your situation.  And, at the end of the day, that is what counts.  You do not have to be perfect, I am not perfect myself, and would never expect that of anyone, especially those who are trying to adopt and formulate their own healthy changes.

I hope this post leaves you with motivation and insight on how you CAN take good care of yourself.  Below I will share my dinner recipe with you.  I do want to note, there is no animal protein included in this meal, however, I want to state that I do incorporate animal protein into a majority of my meals, tonight just happen to be a night where animal protein was not convenient for me.

Take Care of Yourself Dinner

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Couscous and Beans

Broccoli, Mushrooms, Peppers, Garlic and Onions (or any other vegetables of your choice.  You also choose the quantity, as leftover veggies make great quick meal options)

Couscous (prepared by bulk recipe or by box purchased from the grocery store)

*Whole grain couscous is a better option

Beans (I chose a combination of garbanzo and black beans.  You may also choose to use bulk or canned beans)

Cut vegetables as desired, place on baking pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, place in oven for 20ish minutes at 300 F (temperature and time may vary depending on your oven)

Cook couscous as directed

Using a dinner plate or bowl, scoop ½ to 1 cup couscous and same serving of beans.  Top with vegetables.  Optional parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, Enjoy!

Another option is to omit beans and serve vegetables and couscous as a side to a lean protein (i.e chicken, fish or lean beef)

Enjoy and take good care of yourself!

b.