Soak it all away...

BY: MADAM DLBG

CALGON...TAKE ME AWAY...AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

I believe baths are an essential component to health. I don't know of any fitness or health professional that has acknowledge this, but I know many people that would disregard my previous statement. Before you dismiss my claim, please allow me to make my case.

Whether you know it or not, your mentality plays a huge role in your fitness and health states. Where your mind is at is as important as how your form is during and exercise or a yearly physical. The saying "mind over matter" is a very true one. The translation of this idiom is that the power of your mind is stronger than the body. That to me says that if you're thinking it and focused on it, it can be.

With the right ingredients, a bath can not only help your to body to relax, but it can also allow you to open your mind and think or not think about things that are happening around you. Speaking for myself, most of my Einstein moments were while bubbles were wrapped around my body. But hey, you don't have to take my word for it. All I ask is that you try.

You see, even Rev. Run of "Run DMC"and "Run's House" fame receives his wonderful thoughts of the day during bath time.

Try some of these additions to help make bath time your zen time:

1) Scented Bubble Bath... Preferably an aroma therapy type
2) Candles... Once again, aroma therapy smells help
3) Your favorite relaxation drink
4) Something to do... Read your favorite book, write in a journal, have a specific thought you want to mull over or even decide to let your thoughts run wild
5) Try not to rush through it
6) Epsom salt... For those that has tightness in muscles and joints or just had a workout
7) Breathing and/or thought exercises
8) Low lights... This is where the candles can come in
9) No interruptions... Tell the boo, spouse, and/or kids to leave you be!

FITT SUGGESTION: CONTESSA SWEET&SOUR SHRIMP

CONTESSA: SWEET&SOUR SHRIMP

Being that I work hard and play harder, I don't always have the time necessary to cook a meal from scratch... well, not only do I rarely have the time, I also rarely know how to cook from scratch, lol!

Fortunately for me, there are a lot of great easy to cook meals on the shelves and in the freezer of local grocers. One of these easy to cook meals is Contessa's Sweet&Sour Shrimp. I must admit, once I found out this was a pre-made "healthy" meal, I was a little hesitant. We all know that these types of meals aren't always the best tasting. Regardless, I'm a health and fitness guru, right? It's my obligation to at least give this meal a try.

Let's just say that I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that not only this meal was a cinch to prepare (all the items necessary came in the bag) but it was GOOD! I'm talking about order-off-the-menu-at-your-favorite-restaurant-that-serves-stir-fry-and-rice GOOD!!

So, if you're looking for a great meal to add to your rotation that is quick and tasty, here it is! I'm going to try out a few others on their long list of combination's. Please feel free to do the same. And check out this bonus: these meals were packaged in a factory that supports the Green Initiative, meaning that not only is the meal healthy, it was also produced in factory that works to reduce it's foot print in the environment.

Until next time, Bon Appétit!

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FITT MADAM DEFINITELY GOT SKILLS! I MAKE THIS MEAL LOOK GREAT ;^)

FITT around the web...

To this day I still eat carrots like crazy. As a kid, I thought if I ate enough I'd get my 20/20 vision back, lol.. Of course that never happened, but I still love em', especially raw!

>> Keep your body Fully Charged, for immunity purposes, of course... {MSN Health}

>> It's that sick time of year. Here's a ranking of the best Cold Medicine's from over the counter... {Men's Health}

>> It's cold outside, so make sure you have strategies for your Winter Workout... {Mayo Clinic}

>> You're doing everything you can to lose that extra weight... or are you? There are 4 Reason's you may not be... {Men's Fitness}

>> The 2008 Cancer Handbook For Women... {Self Magazine}

Let's Make Every Lid Matter...

BY: MADAM DLBG

I will continue to fight for them...will you?

As National Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, I would like to remind you that this is not the case for the millions of women, family and friends that are dealing with Breast Cancer in some form or fashion. So, even though the awareness month is soon over, the fight NEVER is.

YOPLAIT has always been a huge supporter of the fight for Breast Cancer. For 10 years, Yoplait has played an active role in supplying their products for usage of a means to donate to the cause. For every Yoplait Yogurt lid you send to the company in the mail, Yoplait donates 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

What makes Yoplait such a special player in this fight is not only have they made a true commitment to finding a cure for this awful disease, they were one of the first companies to commit themselves to the cause and have also made a guaranteed donation commitment of $500,000 to be donated to SGK foundation regardless if they receive the necessary amount of lids for that donation. So, if you are a yogurt eater or know of anyone is, please support the Yoplait brand!

For yourself, for your mother, for your sister, for your wife, for your daughter, for your friend, let's all help Yoplait give women a "So Good" life!

FITT Tip #5... Choosing a Multi Vitamin

Multivitamins do have their place in a well-balanced eating plan, but remember they will not compensate for an unhealthy, unbalanced diet.

• Choose a multivitamin with the vitamins and minerals ranging from 100-200% of the Daily Value (DV). Don’t expect to find 100% of the DV for calcium and magnesium listed on a label in most cases, because these minerals are too bulky to include into one pill.
• Don’t purchase multivitamins that contain excessive doses of vitamins and minerals, especially minerals. High doses of one mineral can offset the benefits of another. For example, too much zinc can interfere with the absorption of copper.
• Choose a multivitamin with beta-carotene, not vitamin A. Beta-carotene is the precursor to vitamin A and acts as an antioxidant.
• Buy a supplement before its expiration date and store it in a cool, dry place.
• Ignore claims about “natural” vitamins. These usually tend to be a mixture of natural and synthetic vitamins and offer no additional benefits. The one exception is vitamin E, which is more potent in its natural form.
• Chelated supplements offer no advantages, nor do those made without sugar or starch.
• Just because the price tag is high does not mean the multivitamin is better. A well-known brand name costs more than generic but often times has the same amounts of vitamins and minerals in it. Buyer beware!
• Take a vitamin with a label that states it has passed the 45-minute dissolution test. A supplement is of little value unless it can be absorbed by the body.
• To optimize absorption, take a multivitamin with or after a meal

Vitamins and Minerals to look for in a Multi Vitamin:
- Vitamins A, B, B6, B12, C, D, E, K
- Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Iodine, Chromium
- Iron, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Selenium
- Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Biotin, Panthothenic acid, Folic acid


Source: From the Earth or Bottle? A Guide to Vitamin Supplementation

FITT TIP #4... F.I.T.T.Start® Your Morning

HAD GARFIELD EXERCISED TO JUMP START HIS DAY, HE'D THINK AND FEEL DIFFERENTLY ;-)

It's important to get your blood pumping at the start of your day. Wake, drink 8oz of water and then get in a round of exercise. Following these simple rules can help you decide how to best plan your F.I.T.T.Start®:

1) Do both cardio and body strength exercises
2) 3-5 exercises, 2 sets, as many reps as your comfortable with
3) Stay within your exercise limits (types of exercise you can do, how many)
4) Continue to challenge yourself daily and change up order and types of exercises for variety
5) Keep your workout between 15-30 minutes

The benefits of morning exercise are numerous. The two most important benefits are that you a) feel more energetic throughout your day and b) you're calmer and more productive.

Example F.I.T.T.Start® routine:
> Jump n jacks
> Lunges
> Mountain Climbers
> Sit-ups
> Bridges

FITT Motivation #2

"If is was as simple as exercise, all women would have flat tummies, and all men would have six packs!"
- Paul Chek

Multivitamins...the best thing since sliced bread

BY: MADAM DLBG


Sing along with me now:

"We're the Flintstones Kids
Ten million strong, and growing.
We're the Flintstones Kids
Ten million stronggggggggggg......and growing."

Now, I know my fellow 80's babies (and their parents) remember this commercial. In fact, Flintstones Vitamins have been on the shelf since 1968 (and just for the nerds out there like me, The Bayer company, yes the aspirin and One-a-Day people, are the creators).

As far as vitamins are concerned, Flintstones are the most recognizable brand and they are for children. These vitamins were early advertised using the fact that kids eat very little or can be very picky eaters. Because of these and other reasons, children often miss out on eating the important foods that aid them in growth and provide them with the necessary minerals their body needs to function. So in this perspective, vitamins for kids makes perfect sense, correct? I thought you'd agree with me :-).

Now that I know you agree with me, I would like for you to think about this; If it is necessary for children to have a vitamin intake, what makes adults any different? My answer to that is absolutely nothing. Picky children grow into picky adults. Compound that fact with that they also do not eat enough of the right foods and go without eating for long periods of times and you have an overwhelming case for the need of vitamins being a necessity in an adults daily diet.

What Flintstones Vitamins have done is set a precedent at a young age. By teaching us that it is important as children for us to have vitamins, it also teaches us this as a fundamental factor throughout our lives. So what's the problem? Why do so many people not take vitamins?

My theory is that Flintstones Vitamins made it easy for us. As kids, our needs were pretty cut and dry. We absorbed nutrients more easily so the vitamins and minerals provided were sufficient. We also only had Flintstones Vitamins, so our choice, or better yet, the choice for parents was very simple. If you don't believe me, name another children's multivitamin you heard about or took yourself growing up? I didn't think you could. I had the benefit of a grandmother who believed in stuffing Cod Liver Oil down my throat with a spoon... even though they made the caplets :^|*straight face* .

The bottom line is that these days, we are constantly having vitamins, minerals and supplement creations thrown at us left and right, confusing us and even deterring us from having a necessary element of our diet. Even though this happens, adding multivitamins to one's diet should be a goal. Choose your multivitamin wisely, but do not let the stress or the many different types of multivitamin packs out there confuse and deter you. Below, I have included an excerpt from an article I found extremely helpful when I chose my multivitamin. Happy Hunting!

_________

Excerpt: From the Earth or Bottle? A Guide to Vitamin Supplementation
By Bob Seebohar

Here is an overview of the different vitamins, their functions and food sources (the foods listed are not the only ones where the vitamin is present, rather the more popular ones. If I listed all of the foods, the lists would be never ending!):

• Vitamin A (retinol) - Necessary for healthy eyes, skin and linings of the digestive and urinary tracts and the nose. Food sources include milk, dried apricots, squash, carrots, spinach and fortified products.
• Vitamin B₁ (thiamin) - Helps transform carbohydrates into energy. Food sources include potatoes, fish, bananas, ham, chicken, bread, cereal and enriched rice.
• Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin) - Necessary for energy release and for healthy skin, mucous membranes and nervous system. Food sources include spinach, steak, cottage cheese, milk, oranges, apples, enriched bread and enriched cereal.
• Vitamin B₃ (niacin) - Helps transform food into energy (metabolism), necessary for growth and for production of hormones. Food sources include tuna, potatoes, halibut, peas, cereal, corn, mushrooms, peanut butter, ground beef and enriched bread.
• Vitamin B₆ - Necessary for synthesis and breakdown of amino acids and aids in metabolism of carbohydrates. Food sources include peanut butter, chick peas, chicken, spinach, cereal, potatoes, bananas and lima beans.
• Folic Acid - Necessary for production of blood cells and a healthy nervous system. Food sources include spinach, broccoli, green beans, peas, lentils, asparagus, mushrooms, lima beans and oranges.
• Biotin - Needed for metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Food sources include nuts, split peas, eggs, cauliflower and mushrooms.
• Pantothenic Acid - Needed for metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Food sources include eggs, peanuts, mixed vegetables, steak, fish, wheat germ and broccoli.
• Vitamin B_{12 -} Needed for synthesis of red and white blood cells and for the metabolism of food. Food sources include chicken, meat, eggs, milk and yogurt.
• Vitamin C - Necessary for healthy connective tissue, bones, teeth and cartilage, enhances immune system. Food sources include bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes and kiwi.
• Vitamin D - Needed for calcium and phosphorus metabolism and for healthy bones and teeth. Food sources include milk and fortified milk, fortified cereal and sunlight.
• Vitamin E - Necessary for nourishing and strengthening cells, antioxidant. Food sources include sunflower oil, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds and whole wheat grain.
• Vitamin K - Necessary for blood clotting. Food sources include cabbage, spinach, broccoli and kale.

Choosing a Multivitamin

Multivitamins do have their place in a well-balanced eating plan, but remember they will not compensate for an unhealthy, unbalanced diet.

• Choose a multivitamin with the vitamins and minerals ranging from 100-200% of the Daily Value (DV). Don’t expect to find 100% of the DV for calcium and magnesium listed on a label in most cases, because these minerals are too bulky to include into one pill.
• Don’t purchase multivitamins that contain excessive doses of vitamins and minerals, especially minerals. High doses of one mineral can offset the benefits of another. For example, too much zinc can interfere with the absorption of copper.
• Choose a multivitamin with beta-carotene, not vitamin A. Beta-carotene is the precursor to vitamin A and acts as an antioxidant.
• Buy a supplement before its expiration date and store it in a cool, dry place.
• Ignore claims about “natural” vitamins. These usually tend to be a mixture of natural and synthetic vitamins and offer no additional benefits. The one exception is vitamin E, which is more potent in its natural form.
• Chelated supplements offer no advantages, nor do those made without sugar or starch.
• Just because the price tag is high does not mean the multivitamin is better. A well-known brand name costs more than generic but often times has the same amounts of vitamins and minerals in it. Buyer beware!
• Take a vitamin with a label that states it has passed the 45-minute dissolution test. A supplement is of little value unless it can be absorbed by the body.
• To optimize absorption, take a multivitamin with or after a meal.

Breast Cancer Awareness...

REMINDER: OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!!

For those that already contribute to the cause...THANK YOU!!!!! While I have not personally had someone in my immediate family touch by this awful disease, I have many friends who have been. This Sunday, I will be participating the American Cancer Society's walk for breast Cancer in Washington, DC.

If you'd like to donate to my team, please shoot me an email at fittchronicles@gmail.com. Another way you can help is by buying PINK products at all types of stores nationwide. Here's a word of caution, though. Please make sure to read the labels on the items before purchasing so that you are sure of how much money you are spending on the item is going to Breast Cancer Research. Many companies are finding that they sell more products if they slap a Pink ribbon on the package, and they don't give much, if any, money to the cause.

FITT SUGGESTION: MARINE WORKOUT

"THE FEW...THE PROUD...THE MARINES... 'WHOORAH'!"

If you didn't know, Marines have one of the most extreme and complete fitness programs within the Armed Forces. The being said, a Marine workout could definately be a beneficial routine for any guy (and girl) looking to add variety or take their workout to the next level.

Invest in the Marine Corps Workout-to-go over at Men's Health if you're serious about challenging yourself!