Onion Blossoms- Watch your hips blossom and expand while you eat this appetizer.  Anything that is fried is taking on the calories and fat content of whatever type of oil it is fried in.  Typically this appetizer contains over 1500 calories, 80 grams of fat and over 5000 mg of sodium!  Onion blossoms are one of the worst appetizers if you are watching your diet.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Just because this appetizer has the word ‘spinach’ in it doesn’t mean it counts as a vegetable serving.  This appetizer could count as a full meal or more since it contains 1200 calories and 75 grams of fat.  Skip the ‘dip’ part of this appetizer and opt for a spinach salad instead.    A salad made with spinach or other leafy greens can be quite filling and research shows that you will eat 10% less during a meal when you start with a salad.  Top it off with a tablespoon of vinaigrette dressing for a total of about 150 calories.

Vegetable Kabobs If they are not on the menu, you can ask for them!  Yummy grilled onions, red and green peppers, zucchini and mushrooms make great kabobs and they are super easy to make which means most restaurants can whip them right up.  One kabob has only about 50 calories.

Cheese Fries Eat these only if this will be the only thing you plan to eat that day.  Cheese fries have more calories than the main entrée, packing in up to 2100 calories!  Some restaurants even offer them up with bacon bits sprinkled on top, adding even more calories to this ‘appetizer’.  Suggestion: Skip them altogether or share them with a friend.

Shrimp Cocktail is very low in saturated fat and calories. To keep the calorie count low, stick to tomato-based sauce.   A 1-cup serving of shrimp cocktail contains around 183 calories. Within that serving, 100 calories come from protein, while 65 calories are provided by carbohydrates. Fats make up just 18 calories. While shrimp cocktail is a good source of calories from protein, it is very high in cholesterol, with 285 mg per serving or approximately 95 percent of the daily recommended intake. The American Heart Association suggests keeping your daily amount of dietary cholesterol under 300 mg to help reduce the risk of heart disease.  Balance this with a meal low in cholesterol to stay under the recommended daily allowance of cholesterol.

Make wise choices when ordering your next appetizer based on these tips.  If the menu doesn’t have something that you want, ask for it anyway!  They may be able to whip it up for you if it is simple enough to make.  Of course appetizers made with veggies are the most nutritious choice but if you want to splurge, split it with someone or get a half order.

Thanks for reading!  Have a healthy week

Contributors: Kim Farmer and Andrea Williams of Mile High Fitness.  Visit w ww.milehighfitness.com where you can sign up for bi-weekly health and fitness newsletters. Mile High Fitness offers in-home personal training and corporate fitness solutions.  Email inquires@milehighfitness.com

The good news about this is that CVD risk and cholesterol levels can be moderated through diet and exercise! There are inherited genetic factors that can predispose some individuals to CVD, but for most of the population, preventative steps can be taken.

The average American diet these days consists of 35-40% of total daily calories being consumed as fat. If a person eats 2000 calories a day, they are consuming about 800 of them in the form of fat.  And of those 800 fat calories, 15-20% of those are saturated fat, which is a main contributor to raising cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature – think of butter, cheese, and meat fat. This manner of eating is why the average American is struggling with weight, cholesterol, and other health issues.

So what can you do to mitigate your risk of high cholesterol, or to lower it if you’ve already been diagnosed?

1. Work at reducing your body weight. Fat stored in the body, particularly in the abdominal region, can increase cholesterol levels. Reducing your caloric intake and exercising to reduce your body fat is a step in the right direction.

2. Modify your diet. Track what you eat, and read the nutrition labels. Aim to eat no more than 30% of your daily calories in the form of fat. Choose foods higher in mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats. These are typically liquid at room temperature and are plant-based (olive oil, nuts, avocados).

Of your fat calories, keep your saturated fats between 7-10% of your total fat calories.  Some ways to do this include choosing a lower-fat ground beef (93/7 instead of 80/20); choosing cheese made from 2% milk; switching to fat-free milk; limiting yourself to one egg a day; and saving full-fat butter for a special splurge and switching to a butter/canola or olive oil blend for daily use. Portion sizes matter  as well! Moderation is important.

3. Make sure your exercise is weight-bearing.  What this means is that you need to support your body weight – walking, running, tennis, hiking, and weight lifting are all good examples.  Weight-bearing exercise has been proven to lower total cholesterol levels by increasing the levels of the “good” cholesterol in the body; aim for 30 minutes a day.  A brisk walk is a great way to start!

Thanks for reading!  Have a healthy week!

Your trip to the supermarket can make or break your healthy eating plan so listen up.  Making unhealthy foods and drinks harder to reach in your fridge and cabinets is just one strategy you can use to stick to your new lifestyle and not deprive yourself in the process.  Tame the Ben and Jerry’s cravings  and take control of your taste buds with these tips:

1.       Make it hard on yourself.  If you like ice cream (who doesn’t, right?) it’s ok to eat it but control your intake (or inhale) of it by placing it strategically in the very back of your freezer or in a freezer that is located some distance away (like in the garage).  This will make it inconvenient for you to eat it which might make you grab something closer to the front of the fridge.  From now on, you will place all fruits and vegetables very conveniently located in the front of the refrigerator to grab easily.

2.       The same thing goes for your cabinets—don’t put the chips and cookies right in the  front of the cabinet where you see them every time you reach for a snack.  Place healthier snacks in front like granola bars, almonds, dried fruit, canned fruit or light popcorn so you will be tempted to reach for these first.

3.       Replace carbonated drinks with a healthier drink like green tea.  Its antioxidants have been shown to boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories when combined with consistent exercise throughout the week.  Ditch the soda since it causes bloating which works against your fitness goals.

4.       Chop your veggies in advance.  Do this at the beginning of the week and you will save yourself the trouble of doing it later.  Plus you will be more likely to snack on veggies that have been prewashed and chopped than if you have to chop them later.

5.       Do you have a stool in your kitchen to sit on while you cook?  Get rid of it!  Instead of sitting, march in place, do a few squats while the rice or noodles are cooking or do some standing abdominal twists.  Use your kitchen and your cooking time to your advantage and burn some calories while you work.  Use your counter for pushups, or your step stool for step ups.

There are many ways to give your kitchen a makeover, and keep yourself slim in the process.  Start with these strategies and add your own variations based on your specific tastes and the possibilities of your kitchen space.  The same sound principles of eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies apply so make it easy on yourself by reducing temptations!  Plan and prepare for a time-crunched week ahead of time and reward yourself for sticking with the plan.

Have a healthy week!

But there are some ways to keep it going.  Many people have committed to their own high level of fitness by exercising everyday and eating the right foods.  Regardless of schedules, energy levels or desire, these gym regulars are on a first name basis with club owners.  How do they do it?  What is their secret?  Based on my research and observation, here are the things they do consistently to make exercise a habit:

1. The location of the gym (or other resource) is extremely convenient.  With a gym on just about every other corner these days, this is easy to do.  For most people that use a gym, it is located no further than about 5 miles from home or work, or it is located on their employer’s premise itself so that lunch work outs are easily scheduled.  It also makes it easier when the gym is located between home and work so that you don’t need to pass your house to get to the gym—the temptation of stopping in to grab something ‘real quick’ could easily turn into skipping your workout that day.

If you don’t have a gym membership, it is important to have something in your home to work with like exercise videos or equipment (e.g. treadmill or elliptical machine), or near your home like a walking or biking trail.  The more time it takes to start exercising will lead to finding an excuse not to do it at all.

2.  Exercise first thing in the morning.  A lot of people prefer this since you usually feel refreshed and energized and it is hard to allow other activities to invade on this early timeframe.  For people with children, this time is considered valuable ‘me time’ before the kids wake up and grab your time and attention.  Even if you don’t have kids, you will feel good about the rest of your day knowing that you have already squeezed your workout in.

3.  Do it no matter what.  No matter what! Easier said than done, but necessary.  Without this kind of attitude, you will let any and everything interrupt your schedule and it should be non-negotiable.  Being disciplined is definitely part of the equation since there will be days that you simply don’t feel like doing it but this is no excuse.  If something comes up that is unavoidable (i.e. you get sick or injured), get right back on track as soon as you can.  Ease into it a little slowly if you’ve been down for a while, but make it a priority to get right back into the routine that you set before you stopped.

4.  Tell somebody about your commitment.  Sounds simple, right?  Well it is simple to tell them, but it becomes more challenging to actually do what you said you would do.  By telling someone that you are going to start working out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week and then asking them to hold you accountable, you are more apt to actually do it.   For some people, this could be as simple as telling your partner or spouse, a friend or relative.  But for others that have a much harder time sticking with it, a personal trainer could be a viable solution since a trainer needs you to do what you said you would do to comply with your exercise program and get results.

5.  Vary your workouts.  For most people that have been able to make exercise part of their daily activities, variety is important to helping them stick with it.  If you keep walking on the treadmill or jogging on the same path, you may eventually get bored and stop.  So try a new step class or that salsa class.  You are still exercising and having fun in the process.  Keep your workouts fresh and fun and you will find that sticking with it is a lot easier.  Not to mention you should continually challenge your muscles in new ways with different modalities.

6.  Reward yourself.  Whenever you reach a certain milestone, it is important to recognize your progress and congratulate yourself.  These milestones could be as simple as getting through 2 weeks without missing a workout or as big as losing 15 pounds.  Obviously the reward should fit the milestone like buying yourself a massage for small triumphs or a piece of furniture or electronic device for larger ones.  You should be proud of your accomplishments no matter how small they are!

You know yourself better than anyone, so use what strategy you know will work for you.  Perhaps morning is not the best time of day for you to exercise, so choose a different time of day and stick with it.  Or maybe you just love your new elliptical machine and don’t want to change just yet.  That’s ok too, as long as you recognize the first signs of boredom and act promptly.  Doing something is better than doing nothing so stay on that elliptical (or whatever it is that you like) if its working for you.

Just remember that exercise falls into the same category as everything else when it comes to taking 21 days to develop a habit.  And with a healthy activity like exercise, you definitely want it to be a pattern that you can stick with for the rest of your life.   So mark it in your calendar and don’t negotiate that timeframe for something else if you can help it.  Make it a priority and it will become a habit over time if you make it part of your everyday routine.

Happy exercising!

Kim Farmer is a Certified Personal Trainer and Clinical Exercise Specialist working in the Denver metro area.  Visit her website at www.milehighfitness.com or email her at kfarmer@milehighfitness.com

If you are a woman over 18 years old, then you have likely experienced some form of cellulite. Contrary to popular belief, being overweight is NOT requirement for developing cellulite. In fact, over 90% of women get cellulite at some point after the adolescent years and just like many other unwanted imperfections, its removal has sparked a multi-million dollar industry. Lotions, creams, massages and costly treatments promise to get rid of it, but are the promises accurate? Read on to learn more:

1. Research show that cellulite is a unique and distinctive layer of subcutaneous body fat (layered on top of muscle) that is common to females. This means that if the muscles in the hips, thighs and buttocks are weak and flaccid, the surface of the skin will resemble a jelly-like appearance. Heredity, skin thickness, gender, the amount and distribution of body fat, and age can all influence the extent to which cellulite is present or visible.

2. Endermologie is one type of suction massage technique performed using an electrically powered device with two roller components. Patients wear nylon stockings to reduce the amount of friction as the skin is kneaded by two revolving rollers for anywhere between 30-45 minutes. Treatments are expensive and typically 10-12 treatments are required before results are noticeable. Endermologie has been approved by the U.S. FDA for temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite. This technique seems to redistribute fat rather than eliminate cellulite and regular treatments are required in order to keep the effect of the treatment fresh.

3. Mesotherapy is a controversial treatment for cellulite that involves injecting drugs or other substances directly into affected tissue. Herbs and vitamins are often used in the injection cocktails. Usually multiple injections over multiple sessions are required to maintain the results. Even though this type of treatment is administered, most experts feel that this treatment is unproven and risky.

4. The proven way: A calorie controlled diet with a consistent exercise plan is an excellent way to start improving cellulite appearance. Research shows that weight loss contributes to reduced fat cells near the skin leading to reduced cellulite appearance with consistent healthy lifestyle choices. Cardiovascular exercise will help reduce unwanted fat stores and resistance training will strengthen and tone weak muscles. Combine this with a healthy, balanced, low-calorie diet, and you should see reduced cellulite around the areas mentioned above.

You should be very cautious before trying out surgical procedures or other surgical or elaborate techniques of unproven value. While the FDA has approved massage and combined laser therapies, it is important to remember that these costly and time-consuming treatments are approved only for the temporary decrease in the appearance of cellulite. Most require ongoing treatments to maintain any positive effects.

Have a healthy week!

1.     Before starting an exercise session, you must train your muscles and joints for the activity.  Your hip, knee and ankle joints are bearing a lot of your weight, so you need to warm your muscles and joints (especially the ones that you will be using most) for at least 5 minutes before exercising.  Nothing special, walking around or marching in place will do just fine.  This helps prepare the muscles and joints, in the same way you warm up your car in the morning before you start driving.  Be sure to warm up the muscles you will be using the most during your session.  If you are planning to ride your bike for example, make sure you warm up and stretch your quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscles, perhaps by simply riding slowly and with little or no resistance for about 5 minutes.

2.     An estimated 95% of people that lose weight on quick weight loss diets gain back the weight within a year.  In order to see sustained, permanent weight loss, you must make sustained, permanent efforts through exercise and proper nutrition.  Of course when your schedule is busy, there are challenges to overcome.  Just don’t succumb to the challenges that most of us face everyday—your job, your kids, your business, your meetings – - these are things that you won’t be able to do as well anyway if you get arthritis or pain in your knee or hip joints.  So start moving!

3.     One of the keys of weight loss is water intake.  The rule of thumb for water intake is to drink 8-8oz glasses everyday.  But the exact amount is really dependent on your weight, activity level and any pre-existing health conditions.  You may need to drink a little more if you exercise or have an illness that is causing you to vomit or use the bathroom more frequently.  Drinking water will help you control your appetite before and in between meals which leads to your making better food choices and making smaller portions.

Follow these tips for healthy eating ideas to help you with your weight loss efforts:

*If you can’t give up red meat completely, eat it only in small quantities, or choose poultry and fish as an alternative.
*Always cook by steaming, grilling, baking, or microwaving; avoid frying.
*Before you cook chicken or turkey, trim away the fat and skin.
*Instead of eating ice cream that is loaded with calories, eat frozen yogurt instead.
*Replace chips, cookies, cakes and pies with gelatin, fruit salad or fruit with yogurt.

Take charge and Remember that you (and you alone) are responsible for your health! Get in control now.  Get rid of the excuses and get motivated!  Start slow with your exercise schedule and build up as you gain momentum.  Ask for help from a friend if you find yourself slipping back into your old habits.  Make 2011 your year to reach and surpass your health and fitness goals.

Have a Happy Holiday!!!

1.  We all deserve down time, even if only for 5 minutes during the day.  If you expect to always be ‘on’ then you will fail miserably.  The routine and frantic pace of your life needs to be followed by relaxing and stress free time everyday. You may find yourself binge eating as a way to find time for yourself that is uninterrupted.  Be sure to find a way to incorporate daily downtime (a necessity, not a luxury!) that works with your lifestyle that is free of stressful people and environments.

2.      If you find yourself surrounded by candy bar wrappers and popcorn bags, become aware of the part of you that is separate from the activity, the part that is witnessing what you are doing.  Pay attention to your own voice that is in your head that knows that three snicker bars and two ice cream bars is a sign of binge eating and slow down.  Actually tasting and enjoying the food that you are eating will help you eat less of it the next time you want to stuff your mouth.

3.  A binge has the power to stop time and everything that could be disturbing you:  Worries about money, the nit-picking about your kids or arguments with a loved one. It is a way to enter a world where nothing exists except you and what is going into your mouth.  Plan for this time in your life!  Have scheduled plunges into oblivion and give yourself permission to check out from the overwhelming pace of life. Schedule massages, meditation, reading or just doing…well, nothing!  You deserve the time for yourself.  Its good for your waistline!

Create a food-free version of downtime for yourself.  If it seems strange for you to rest or do something you love to do, then it is time to take a second look at how you have scheduled your time.  After all, you’re not a machine, you are a human being and you don’t come with a power cord to keep going even when your batteries run out. Re-design your life to make time for yourself and you will find that binge eating doesn’t have a place in your life anymore.  Give yourself permission to eat chocolate, ice cream, and cookies—eat them in moderation, eat slowly and enjoy. Every.  Single.  Bite.