With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, who is not looking to don that green and get into the spirit? This year, instead of kegs and eggs, begin your day with a greens juice. Grab your favorite greens (and even your not-so-favorite ones as juicing can help disguise the taste) and toss them in a blender for an easy, nutritious “greensky”.  Begin with mild green veggies like celery and cucumber and add in romaine, spinach and kale.  Fresh lemon and ginger offer a nice kick and if you feel you need to mask the taste of greens add half a banana or apple to give your St. Patty’s drink a sweet punch!

NLT: You can do it! Make your own green juice today! Lean Green St. Patty’s Juice:  Try 1 cup spinach, 1 cup kale, ½ cup romaine, ½ medium cucumber, 1/2 Granny Smith apple, ½ squeezed lemon; blend and enjoy fresh!

 Many people can relate to food boredom. We eat what we know, because familiarity is comfortable, safe and reliable. Still, eating the same foods day in and day out can lack some excitement and compromise good nutrition. To prevent the hum drum of shopping and eating, a food challenge can break the monotony and spark new deliciousness onto your plate. Why not try a new vegetable every week? What about finding a recipe with an unknown ingredient and finding adventure in your kitchen? The possibilities are endless, so try one of these three and I am pretty sure, you’ll be glad you did!

Fiddleheads: You do not make music with them, you eat them! A fiddlehead is a baby fern that is cut before it matures. Just 10 calories per ounce, or 40 calories per half cup, fiddleheads are a pretty good source of protein, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin C. Choose ones that are tightly curled, small, firm and bright green. Add them to salads, use as garnish or sauté quickly with vegetables. They are so pretty, you’ll love having them on your plate!

Nutritional yeast: It is not a homeopathic remedy. Nutritional yeast looks like a ground coarse flour.  It is a pure yeast strain called Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is in the same family as mushrooms. It is yellow-brown in appearance and is generally purchased in the bulk food section of health food stores. It is a nutty, cheesy-like flavored food that can be added to foods such as popcorn, stir fries, breads or pastas and is an excellent plant source of B12. It is recommended that vegans incorporate nutritional yeast to best meet their B12 needs. Try it a few times, it will grow on you, well, like yeast.

Lemongrass: Even the name sounds too healthy to be yummy. So commonplace in Thai and many Asian cooking pantries, lemongrass is renowned for immunity boosting and disease fighting properties. When used fresh it is a gorgeous source of fiber and healing properties. In America, we eat chicken soup when we are ailing, in Thailand, they eat lemongrass laden Tom Yum soup – it is said to heal headaches, flus, fevers, arthritis, stomachaches and more. You can also use fresh lemongrass in stir fries, and as a spice in entrees and side dishes. Buy it fresh at Asian markets or dried in the spice isle, your body will thank you.

Come up with your own list of exotic fare and be adventurous in your eating! Remember to give new foods like fiddleheads, nutritional yeast and lemongrass a few tries before deciding if they should be added to your repertoire. Sometimes it takes exposure to remind your palates that new foods can be delicious, too!

What unique foods have you tried lately? 

Roll the red carpet up to your TV. It is time to honor yet another year of filmmaking magic. For those of you considering entertaining Oscar-style, honor your nutritious self in the planning. Celeb worthy celebrations should be replete with something sparkly to drink and delicious to nibble, but gala-ware can be quick to remind you that looking and feeling great really are the best accessory. I have come to help you with your menu . . . lights, camera, action!

Descendants cocktail – served in a stemmed martini glass with a wedge of pineapple, this drink has Oscar worthy elegance and honors Descendant-land-Hawaii. You can maintain the elegance, lessen the alcohol and zip out some calories by serving this in a champagne glass — fill half way and top with seltzer.

• 1 ½ ounces rye whiskey
• ¾ ounce dry vermouth
• ¾ ounce pineapple juice

Pour all of the ingredients into a well chilled cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Shake well and strain into chilled martini glass. Serve with a wedge of fresh pineapple.

Artist-ic appetizer – Prohibition spinach dip is perfect fare as you wait for your favorite flick to be announced. Prohibition changed the face of restaurant fare as technology was creeping into the food supply, making frozen foods more common and dairy more safe. Easy and delicious, make this one a day in advance.

• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 pint low fat or fat free sour cream
• ½ cup low fat Greek yogurt
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon Onion Crunch
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced

Mix the sour cream, yogurt and onion soup mix well to combine. Add the water chestnuts, spinach. Mix in Onion Crunch. Serve with endive, celery and carrots.

Help Yourself Chicken Salad– Mississippi in the 1960s is all about the best of southern cooking. Tomatoes stuffed with chicken salad were popular, elegant and kind to the figure. This recipe will transcend you to the south.

• 16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Water
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup plain, non fat Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
• Paprika for garnish

Arrange chicken in a pot in a single layer. Poach chicken by covering it by ½ inch in water and bring to a low boil. Low simmer the chicken for 15 minutes, then turn of the heat and leave the chicken in the pot for 10 more minutes. Set it aside to cool. Carefully slice off a small amount of the top of tomatoes (be careful not to remove too much) and scoop out seeds. Finely chop cooled chicken, season with salt and pepper and cinnamon, and stir in Greek yogurt, chives and chopped parsley, mixing well. Spoon chicken salad into tomatoes and garnish with paprika.

Iron Lady Eggs – It is rumored that Margaret Thatcher lost 20 lbs on a high egg diet. Why not honor her with a devilish version that will please all the adoring fans?

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/3 low fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Green onion for garnish

Hard boil the eggs by placing them in one layer in the bottom of a pot, covered with water by ½ inch. Bring the pot to boil, then turn off the flame. Let them sit in the water for 12 minutes, then drain. Crack the egg shells while the eggs are cooling, so they are easier to peel. Place in cool water until they are cool enough to handle and peel. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Gently remove the yolk halves and place in a small mixing bowl and mix with mustard, sour cream, shallot and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the egg white halves on a serving platter and fill with yolk mixture (it is easiest to use a pastry bag or freezer bag with the tip cut off to fill). Garnish with green onion.

Enjoy your delicious and healthful red carpet bash. I hope your favorites come away with an Oscar!

As a small kid I remember learning about what it would be like to be the president. At school, we discussed the presidential roles and responsibilities, as well as what life is like as the leader of the free world. I must admit, I’m still stuck on one tiny bit of lore. Rumor has it that the president can have what he wants to eat – anything, anytime, and any way he likes. My fantasies are wild about what I would do with this amazing gift, and the voyeur in me is ever peaked to find out what past and present presidents have done with this deliciously wonderful perk. As we look forward to honoring yet another president’s day, I bring you this investigatory bounty of what’s been going on in the White House kitchen.

• ICE CREAM LOVERS – No need to put the White House chefs to hard labor, these presidents were getting their calcium, fat and Vitamin D from our most popular favorite frozen novelty. Ice cream was favorite to: George Washington (1789-1797), Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), James Madison (1809-1817), Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921), Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969).

• PLAIN FARE – Nothing is more disappointing to me than a president who doesn’t love to eat. How uninspiring to find these leaders chose bland foods when they could have opted for fancy fare:  Millard Fillmore (1850-1853), Franklin Pierce (1853-1857), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945), Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) though appropriate for the times, all ate simply and unadorned.

• VEGGIE LOVERS – How heartwarming to find out that John Adams (1797 – 1797) loved kale and onions. James Buchanan (1857-1861) and Gerald Ford (1974-1977) loved cabbage, Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) fancied corn and Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) adored succotash. (Disappointing to learn that the first George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) hates broccoli!)

• REGIONAL FOOD FANCIERS – Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) and James Buchanan (1857-1861) had their staff working to prepare French food, while Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) preferred his fare Creole style. Rumor has it that John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) often forgot to eat (!) but when he remembered he was a New Englander at heart with a particular passion for New England clam chowder. More recent presidents also favor the foreign, with William Jefferson Clinton (1993-2001) and George W. Bush (2001 – 2009) requesting Mexican food.

• NEARLY OBSOLETE – As the times change, so does our food supply. Here are some unusual favorites that are worthy of some attention: William Henry Harrison (1841) loved squirrel stew. James A. Garfield (1881) favored squirrel soup, Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885) enjoyed mutton chops and Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897) had a special place in his heart for pickled herring. William Howard Taft (1909-1913) had a penchant for Turtle Soup while Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) preferred oxtail soup.

• RIGHT NOW – Barak Obama (2009 – present) is famous for his burger and chili eating ways. His predecessor George W. Bush (2001 – 2009) was a peanut butter and jelly kind of guy. Of course, if the White House kitchen were mine . . . absolutely anything with truffle, exotic cheese platters, dark chocolate chip cookies, artichokes prepared in numerous ways, guacamole and fresh corn tortillas. . . I love to ponder this presidential perk!

Sources:

“Favorite Foods of the U.S. Presidents.” Make and Takes, 2 Feb 2011. Web. http://www.makeandtakes.com/favorite-foods-of-the-u-s-presidents.

Olver, Lynne. “President’s Food Favorites.” The Food Timeline, 12 Feb 2012. Web. http://www.foodtimeline.org/presidents.html.

Rhodes, Jesse. “How to Eat Like the President of the United States.” Food & Think. Smithsonian, 28 Jul 2011. Web. http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/07/how-to-eat-like-the-president-of-the-united-states/ .

Here are five easy ways to get glamorous for a big day.  Okay, so you may not be walking the red carpet to accept an Oscar, but you may need to ramp yourself up for a big date of your own.  Whether it’s for a date with the man of your dreams, a special birthday, or for that tropical vacation you have planned with your gals, these five tips will help you achieve your ultimate glam.

One Week Countdown:

 1.      Eat Empowered

Order Nutritious Life Meals.  Stop worrying about what extreme diet you need to start and get NLM delivered right to your door.  No more counting calories and no more worrying about getting all the nutrients your body needs to be in top shape.  When time is limited and you can’t afford to waste any precious glam-time at the market and in the kitchen, let Keri work out the menu details for you so you can sit back and relax, and feel confident knowing you are eating empowered.

Fact: Nutritious Life Meals will make you feel better, give you more energy and help you lose weight.  You will eat fresh, portioned, nutrient dense foods to fuel you for your special event and every day after that to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 2.      Exercise Steady

Get 45 minutes of aerobic exercise and 15 minutes of weight training each day the week before your main event.  Alternate days between different muscle groups to allow muscle recovery and growth time, for example: shoulders, triceps, calves and hamstrings one day; back, biceps, quads and abdominals the next.  And don’t forget to stretch for at least 5 minutes before and after your workout.  The morning of your big day, do some good ol’ classic pushups and crunches to boost blood flow and invigorate you for the night.  Also, most people find more muscle definition in the hours immediately following their work out, which is a nice added bonus.

Fact: You will shed pounds by burning calories in your aerobic exercises and tone muscles with your weight training.  Exercising increases blood flow which helps with circulation giving your skin a healthy glow.  Exercise can also help reduce stress and it can help you sleep better, which are both needed to calm your nerves for your special occasion.

 3.      Sleep Deep

Aim for 8 hours a night, settle for no less than 7.  For some reason sleep has become one of those things that we give up to fit everything else into our busy schedules, but sleep should really be a top priority, especially when we want to be looking and feeling our best.

Fact:  They don’t call it “beauty sleep” for nothing.  While we sleep, our body’s natural antioxidant melatonin, a sleep hormone, fights off free radical invaders.  If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you’re reducing the amount of time that melatonin gets to fight off wrinkles and those bags under your eyes will only get worse.  By getting enough sleep at night, we will not only look and feel well-rested, but our immune system will be strengthened.  What a bummer it would be to feel sick and run down on the red carpet!

 4.      Drink Up

Drink 8 glasses of water and 2 cups of green tea a day.  The day before your special occasion, drink a cup of dandelion root tea as well.

Fact: Sounds counterintuitive, right?  But by drinking water throughout the day, you reduce bloating, flush out toxins, hydrate your skin to achieve a healthy glow, and keep your digestive organs in good working order.  Green tea has been shown to boost metabolism and dandelion tea will help flush you out, further reducing toxins and any bloating.

 5.      Pamper Thyself

Cleanse!  No time or money to book that expensive facial?  Have no fear, your cleanser is here.  Give this easy homemade cleanser and mask a try and you will almost be able to feel the antioxidants and nutrients seep into your skin making it soft, smooth, and younger looking.  Don’t forget to moisturize twice daily.

Pink Dairy Cleanser: Each day in your countdown, use this quick and easy cleanser by mixing 2 teaspoons milk, 2 teaspoons pink grapefruit juice with pulp, and 2 teaspoons Greek plain yogurt or sour cream until smooth.

Soothing Green and White Mask: 7 days and 4 days before the big day puree ¼ can white beans and 5 cucumber slices in a food processor until smooth.  Gently massage the mask onto your face and let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing off.

Fact: Pink Dairy Cleanser – the yogurt will gently exfoliate and stimulate collagen, to help firm your skin.  The pink grapefruit will protect your skin from sun damage and the formation of free radicals.  Soothing Green and White Mask – This refreshing mask will help sooth redness and inflammation and leave your skin feeling serene.

As part of a whole person and Nutritious LIFE approach to wellness and weight management, it is often important to look at what is happening between my clients’ sheets. Even though lots of clients raise their eyebrows when intimacy is inquired about, the dirty deets aren’t what I’m after. Scientists have linked feel good hormones with achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. We all have stressors and stress hormones that build up in our systems and act like toxins in our bodies. There are hormones that do exactly the opposite – they make us feel good. These hormones deserve just as much attention, which is why they are the focus of today.

Two hormones are worthy of special attention: oxytocin is well studied for its calming effects. It is released after orgasm and feel good moments; it floods the body with relaxation messages and lowers anxiety and the brain’s natural resistance responses. The other happy hormones worthy of focus are endorphins. Linked to feelings of well being, endorphins are naturally released during exercise and pleasurable moments and are responsible for lessening feelings of pain. Oxytocin and endorphins in the body stimulate a metabolic process to reduce the intake of calories, reduce hunger and slow the digestion of fat. To make it simple, the more one feels good, the greater the health, weight management and wellness benefit there is.

It is worth getting your feel good on. Try one of these:

 Oxytocin – is released from the pituitary during orgasm, hugging, touching, breast feeding and bonding. It is associated with increasing feelings of trust and generosity. Try some of these touch techniques to get your oxytocin release:

• Have sex
• Try acupuncture
• Get a massage
• Snuggle a baby
• Cuddle a puppy

Endorphins — are primarily released from the brain and spinal cord during exercise, physical activity, sex, positive thinking and emotional stimulus. Endorphins are associated with lessening feelings of pain and depression by triggering positive feelings and reducing feelings of stress. Try one of these techniques to stimulate your body’s endorphins:

• Eat capsaicin from chili powder or peppers
• Have a good cry
• Laugh
• Get in a good workout
• Use a steam room or sauna

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by turning on your oxytocin and endorphins. Best of all, these suggestions work best when applied with a partner; you can use any of the above suggestions as an excuse to care for someone you love as you care for yourself!

As a girl born and raised in Massachusetts, who has spent half her life in the big apple, this year’s super bowl has me really juiced. Torn between my two homelands, a native food showdown seemed in order as I prepare my world for Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! I’ve pitted New England against New York in a tailgating throw down. Here we go: Down, set, HIKE!

2 Raw oysters (114 calories, 4g fat) vs. 5 oz Filet broiled cod (149 calories, 2 g fat):

It’s fun to think back on times of old New York when the streets were paved with oyster shells and people actually feasted on them for pennies.  I also cannot think of my childhood without remembering broiled cod and fish and chips. You really cannot go wrong with either the oysters or the cod, and dare I say in this case, there is almost a nutritional tie. I do give a little edge to the oysters because they are ridiculously rich in B12, iron, zinc, copper, selenium and manganese, which make them a super-food in my book.  Touchdown NY!

1 cup Manhattan clam chowder (70 calories, 1 g fat) vs. 1 cup New England clam chowder (190 calories, 9 g fat):

While they can both go head to head with great ingredients, including vegetables, clams (high in B12, protein and iron) and delicious spices, the chowda from beantown goes down hard with significantly more fat and calories.  And, we’d have to throw call a penalty if the chowder had few clams and mostly potatoes, which is all too common. Touchdown NY!

1 NY dirty dog with the works (420 calories, 21 g fat) vs. 1 cup Beans and Franks (368 calories, 17 g fat):

Nothing screams ‘tailgate’ like a hot dog. New Yorkers get their fix at every stadium, street corner and Nathan’s in the land. Bostonians have combined the sweet and salty perfection of baked beans with morsels of hot dog gently tucked inside just like a plump football nestled in the arm of a receiver. In this case, beans and franks win hands down. While both are high in calories and sodium – thanks to the super processed dog – the baked beans offer fiber (a whopping 18 grams), which provide satiety and promote, ummm, motility. Touchdown New England!

1 slice NY pizza (212 – 486 calories, 8 – 18 g fat) vs. 1 Lobster roll (230 – 400 calories, 10 – 20g fat):

Is there comparing heaven? I mean, really, a lobster roll vs. NY pizza; there just are no losers in the delicious sport of eating foods that are indulgences, treats, not-your-everyday-fare. While calorie for calorie and fat gram for fat gram, I’d be running up and down the football field just to enjoy these in the lineup of my nutritious life, I have to give a little edge to the lobster roll. High in B12, zinc, protein, copper and selenium, it has earned the right to do a celebration dance in the end zone.  Touchdown New England!

Let the games begin. Huddle up with your buddies, jerseys and pig skin. We’ll let the game decide who wins the New York/New England food-off for best hometown fare.

The disconnect between the advances of the human mind and physical body are never more apparent than when we look at stress. Our bodies are equipped to manage the stressors of a life lived hundreds of years ago (see bear, flee). They have not adapted their reactions to modern day stresses – work deadlines elicit the same physiological responses as seeing a bear – but the stress reactions are chronic reactions, not fleeting, and they are wreaking havoc on our health and wellness.  Acknowledging that we are stressed is the most basic foundation to managing it. In effort to empower you, here are some thoughts to reconnect our mind and bodies over the subject of stress:

• Stress takes many forms. You may not experience all of the symptoms of stress, but more likely than not, you are familiar with a few of the following: headaches, muscle tension/pain, chest pain, fatigue, lowered libido, stomach issues, disrupted sleep, anxiety, lack of motivation, irritability, depression, overeating, under-eating, substance abuse, social isolation.
• Stress affects hormones. While the two major stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol – are phenomenal in situations when you meet a bear, they are less helpful when chronically circulating in the blood. Adrenaline makes your heart race, raises blood pressure and stresses the cardiovascular system. Cortisol increases blood sugar, and enhances the brain’s use of glucose, which is also not ideal in a chronic state.
• Long term consequences of stress. Stress is subjective and somewhat qualitative. While we cannot say that a certain amount of adrenaline is linked to heart disease, we do know that stress has a direct relationship with: cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, digestive problems, psychological issues such as depression and memory loss, weight management and skin disorders.
• Management of stress. We may visit our physician for something to manage any of the above conditions, but it is important to treat the illness as well as the symptoms. Taking control of being a less-stressed person is a proactive way to help manage your health. Try one of these 5 things daily to reduce your stress: meditation, yoga, exercise, taking a walk, journaling, socializing or taking a bath. Acknowledge that you are doing these activities to manage your stress and care for your wellness.

While it takes work to get the stress out, it is time well spent . . . a less stressed you is a happier, more productive and healthier you! What are your favorite ways to unwind? At what times of the day might you have time to reduce stress by taking a break on your terms?

Nothing beats the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Mmmmm…I’ve been known to even bring my a.m. Joe to the gym with me (it’s been shown that having a cup about 15 minutes before working out increases endurance and helps burn fat.Enough for me to justify it!).  I like to brew my own organic coffee (I even set the timer on the coffee maker the night before) and add a splash of organic skim milk. But, every once in a while I do like a flavored coffee. And, clients often ask, “Just how do they make vanilla coffee vanilla?”  Here’s the scoop on those little flavored beans.

First off, to get a coffee bean rich in flavor, the hull needs to be removed from the bean and then roasted. Roasting takes only a short time, 15-30 minutes at most, and then the beans are left to cool. Flavors are usually added gradually once the beans have cooled so the coffee flavor itself isn’t destroyed. Flavorings are added in the form of oils but don’t worry – the percentage of oil to beans is so miniscule it adds no calories or fat.  The oil is sprayed on the beans as they tumble around a vat to be coated evenly and left to dry. Flavor intensity is determined by roast temperatures (light, medium or dark) to give rich bold flavors without calories.

However, beware when you are stopping by your fave java joint. Even though beans have already been flavored, often, flavored coffees made by baristas, have added calorie laden syrups or artificially sweetened syrups. These syrups add calories — all from sugar. A single pump provides about 30 calories and who stops at just one? Opting for sugar free syrups is an even worse idea, since artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, neotame and sacharrin are added to emulate flavors and are hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar.Gross! Finally, for all you home specialty-coffee-makers, when choosing to buy instant flavored coffee be sure to read the label because those tend to have added sugar AND fat as well.

Here are some easy ways to make your own flavored coffees:

• If you have coffee beans and a grinder: In a stainless steel or glass bowl, pour beans in and drizzle with natural and pure flavored extract such as vanilla or hazelnut. An ounce (think shot glass) per pound of beans is all you need. Coat beans evenly and then grind when ready brew.

•  If you buy ground beans: First check the expiration date. Fresh is best! Go for original plain roasts. To get different flavors open up your spice cabinet, fridge or pantry and combine. You have complete freedom here to experiment. Grind up some almonds or hazelnuts and mix about half a teaspoon per cup to ground beans and brew. Shave in some fresh cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spices for a spicy treat. For a more exotic blend try orange zest or coconut shavings. When the hot water steams over the mixture the flavors are extracted and absorbed in the liquid.

• Watch what you put in your cup: Creamers, milks, and sugar all add calories. If you’re not mindful about how much you add and have 3 or 4 cups a day you could easily be adding 200-300 maybe even more calories a day. Many fancy concoctions contain enough calories to count as a meal! See if you can wean yourself from extras in your Joe and make do with less.

Be mindful of your Java. Flavor it responsibly and enjoy it deliberately. Cheers!

What’s your favorite flavored coffee? Have you ever made your home at home?

Exercising at a gym just isn’t for everyone. If you don’t enjoy going to a health club to get your fit on, but are looking to improve your fitness, consider some alternatives:

1. Walk a dog. Having a pet is a great excuse to get out and move. Pups that live indoors require at least a 30 minute stroll to get their energy out and stay healthy. Try to maximize your dog’s requirements and your own at the same time. Wear comfortable shoes and keep a good pace.
2. Maximize tube time. You may have heard that you can exercise while watching TV. Most commercial breaks last 60 seconds to 2 ½ minutes. Don’t fast forward your DVR or get up and go to the refrigerator. Use these breaks in your show to maximize your fitness. Some things you can try are: crunches or planks (try to get as many in or stay as long as you can in the pose until your show returns); lunges, push-ups, squat-jumps, frog-jumps, calf raises or jumping jacks (do as many as you can without stopping), and; yoga poses or stretches (hold each pose or stretch for 30 seconds). Every little bit counts, so challenge yourself to increase your repetitions or time as you progress.
3. Try a video. If you are not sure if you’d like zumba, boot camp, cardio boxing or another gym class you may have heard of, try it at home. Videos are available on Netflix, in hotel rooms and to borrow from the local library, so try one out before doing it en mass.
4. Make the playground your playground. When you bring your kids to the park, enjoy a more grown-up version of play. Climb. Chase. Swing. Throw and catch. Small children are often fit because they never stop moving, and they don’t need to do conventional movements to be their most healthful selves. Imitate them (including the laughing and silliness) – it feels great and you will look great! See those monkey bars? Go try a pull up!
5. Bring the gym to you. Consider purchasing a doorway gym system. There are several options out there, such as TRX, that are portable and easy to set up. They generally come with instructions and you can use them at your leisure. Other options are to purchase a cardio machine or hire a personal trainer who will come to you. Whatever you choose, make it part of your routine and schedule your exercise like a doctor’s appointment so that you’ll really commit!
6. Wii anyone? Not just for kids, Wii has several games that will really get your heart beating! There is tennis, golf, baseball, dancing, bowling and several fitness games to stave off boredom and fit into your preferences and lifestyle.
7. Hit the cold. Try an outside winter sport such as ice skating, skiing, snow shoeing or sledding. You’ll be having so much fun you won’t even know you are exercising. Get one activity into each weekend in the winter and your body will reap huge benefits.
8. Combine your interests with socializing. Social meet up places are all the rage. Want to try Frisbee golf? Find a great hiking trail in your urban hood? Go birding in January? Check out a meet-up site, such as www.meetup.com, and participate in a social outing that will get you off your glutes! Share your time and interests while recreating on your terms.
9. Stand up. You burn 33% more calories standing up than you do sitting down, so decide to stand whenever the phone rings during the day. Make an effort to fold laundry standing. Stand at the computer or when waiting for the bus. Remember your posture. Shoulders back, tummy in, stand straight.
10. Get cleaning. Join a community clean-up program, de-clutter your garage/attic/basement, wash the windows, scrub the tub, find the grass in your yard by removing leaves and debris, re-organize your closet and drawers . . . this work is endless yet rewarding.  It keeps you movin’ and groovin’.

Of course check with your physician before embarking on a new fitness routine. Think outside the fitness box and you will be successful. Cheers to your most healthful and fit self!