February is American Heart Month so on the last day of Feb ( where did the time go) I have to mention this and some heart related facts. My grandmother died of heart disease at the age of 70 and so I am very aware that it is the #1 killer among women.

Preventative steps:

*Know your blood pressure ( Blood pressure is considered high when greater than 140 over 90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). )

*Don't Smoke

*Get tested for diabetes

*Know your cholesterol (you want your HDL's up and your LDL's down) Less than 200 mg/dL is desirable

*Maintain a healthy weight

*Drink Moderately

*Cope with Stress

Yeah, yeah... we know all of that. But seriously, you don't have to be "old" to be at risk. So please pay attention.

Check out http://www.goredforwomen.org/ for ways to support research and for more information.

See you in March!

Ok, so we don't have a lot of trees or grass and there are tons of people and pollution and every day can produce new obstacles BUT.... the city provides lots and lots of  free exercise.

Every time you take the subway you climb up and down stairs. Since you don't have a car you must walk blocks and blocks every day to get to your destination. If you live in a walk up apartment you are getting free exercise each time you leave or return home. You are constantly carrying things all over town, building your strength. Every where you turn there is a street to walk, stairs to climb and a deli with a salad bar.

Sure, we tend to eat on the go here on a daily basis but you can still find healthy options. A law was just passed banning trans fats in NYC restaurants. If you live in NYC or a big city, use those free exercise options made available to you such as the stairs vs the elevator and make those healthy choices that are right in front of you!

 

My ideal Valentine's day would include chocolate, red wine and oh yeah...love.

I've aleady explained the benefits of dark chocolate so we will move straight on to Red Wine!

Research has shown that the flavonoids in red wine -- originally from grape skins -- have an antioxidant effect, may raise good cholesterol levels and may help prevent blood clotting in vessels. So moderate amounts of Red Wine can be good for you. Moderate.

Love. What the heck is that? No one can seem to agree on an exact definition or figure out what exactly it is. Some people lose their appetite. Some feel like they are floating on a cloud - just listen to the radio for the latest cheesy version of how people are expressing this mysterious feeling.

However it affects you, it seems to benefit your health.

Research has shown that that love feeling and what it does to your body can boost your antibodies, reduce stress chemicals. reduce risk for diseases and in general, prolong your life.

So, If you are in love - embrace it as it may prolong your health. For those of us who are not, lets all raise a glass of red wine and toast the fact that we are not spending lots of money on a Valentine this year. 

CHEERS!

With only a few days left until Valentines day, the weekly exercise focuses on the shoulders. If you plan to wear a strappy dress or something sleeveless, this move will tone your shoulders and your upper back.

Lateral Raises work the deltoids and the supraspinatus.

1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees
slightly bent.

2. Let your arms hang in front of your body with each hand holding
a dumbbell, ends facing front to back.

3. Inhale and lift your arms out and away from your body, using
your shoulders, untilyour hands are at shoulder height.

4. When you reach the top position the arms and body should resemble the letter "T".

5. Lower your arms, using the shoulders, back to the starting
position.

This is not breaking news but as the big day approaches it is important to discuss. There have been many expensive research studies to find out what we already know.

The number one reason women avoid having sex is because they "feel fat."

Here is something I want you to repeat to yourself over and over when you are feeling this way:

What he finds sexy is that a) you are naked and b) that you'd like to have sex with him.

Remember we see imaginative things flaws on our body that noone else sees. In study after study the majority of men prefer women with curves. And a moajority of men in these studies say that a friendly smile is the most attractive feature on a woman. Now, I don't know any of these men (who say the smile thing) but I am sure they are out there. And I am sure that to them, a friendly smile = someone who might be more likely to have sex with them.

And in talking to my male friend, confidence (not arrogence) is sexy. Boys like nakes bottoms and don't take the time to notice the little bits of cottage cheese in that area. So, be proud of your body and remember that he is damn lucky to have the chance to see it! I mean , seriously, is his body perfect? See how lucky he is??!

But just to help you get to that self acceptance at least on the big day...the day before drink lots of water, avoid the bloat foods (like we talked about) and get plenty of sleep the night before. This will help you feel your best...naked or not.

If you like dark chocolate, this is  the best medical news in ages. Studies in two prestigious scientific journals say dark chocolate -- but not white chocolate or milk chocolate -- is good for you.

Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant and lowers high blood pressure (Antioxidants gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments).

According to the study: "Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate ... and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate."

So, Don't even think of washing it down with milk. And if health is your excuse for eating chocolate, remember the word "moderate" as you nibble. I am not giving you a  license to go on a chocolate binge. Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure -- if you've reached a certain age and have mild high blood pressure, say the researchers. But you have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.

So you may want to get your sweetie some chocolate that is on the dark side. Or perhaps you should hint that you would like some yourself. Or hell, just pick up a bar for yourself if you've got that chocolate craving.

 

Me, I am not a fan of the dark chocolate.

 Unless this cutie counts!

So I will just have to continue to eat other antioxidents. More on that another day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok , so we are almost a week away from the big day and the pressure is on. First of all, I want you to understand that there is no way to magically have the "perfect" body you desire in that short amount of time. However, Here are some more things you can do to work with what you've got!

Drink lots of water. Not only will you reduce some calories by replacing water with calorie drinks, you will improve your skin, flush out your system and relieve bloating.

Avoid foods that make you bloated! This is especially helpful on the big day. Bloating (as we all know) can make us look and feel 10 times larger thank we are.

Remember:

Weight lifting burns fat while you work out, and continues to burn after you stop. And the more weight you can lift, the more calories you’ll burn each time. This means the stronger you get; the faster you’ll burn through your fat reserves. This is because strength training helps to increase your metabolism!

Remember that weight training should not replace a cardio workout. For best results you should alternate between aerobic exercise and weight training. 

 

The facts about FLAX:

My friend puts flax in everything and she looks great. She also runs a few days a week and does yoga and tries to be a sensible eater. But her skin looks fabulous and she says she is not starving in between meals like she used to. So I thought I would look into to it a little more.A certain amount of fat in the diet acts as the ignition for burning calories and maintenance of the metabolic processes. It also helps to give you that "satisfied" feeling when you have completed a meal. Flax seed provides those essential fats your body needs - the "good" fats. It comes in oil form but my friend prefers the seeds. She puts it in her cereal and uses it when she bakes. She is also a chef so I plan to ask her from some more ideas.

For now, lets say to be continued...

This week's move is the Side Plank for the abs.

The most important thing to keep in mind when doing ab work is quality beats quantity. If you can do more than 20 reps of any exercise you should increase the weight or intensity. To work those abs and obliques (this pesky love handles):

Side Plank

(A) Lie on your left side with your legs extended out straight and stacked directly on top of each other, feet flexed so your body is one straight line, abs contracted. Rest your right arm on top of your right thigh.

(B) Pull abs inward and engage them to lift your torso and hips up off the floor as one unit. Hold for 30 seconds at the top of the movement and slowly return hips to the floor without collapsing torso. Do an equal number of sets on both sides.

Tip: Want to make this exercise even more challenging? Dip your torso up and down 10 times at the end of each set.

Oh and on a side note. If you have truly fallen in love with exercise, you can say it on a t-shirt, mouse pade and even your underwear!  Visit the I heart shop at http://www.i-heart-shop.com/index.cfm?action=section&sectionID=675842&gclid=CLyG__-JmooCFRsrSgod2irYfQ

So we now have less than 2 weeks to get ourselves in shape for the big day. And again, if you are like me and have no exciting plans for Valentines Day - you can still use it as a goal. We can all use a push or something to work toward.

Interval training can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories. You can burn more and not have to spend more time at the gym! It is simply alternating bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity.

For example: Get on the treadmill and warm up for 5 mins at a brisk walk pace. Then alternate 4mins at a even-paced jog and 1min at a sprint. Once you have that down, bump it up to 3mins jog and 2min sprint. Do that for 30 minutes.

You can also do the same thing on the elliptical machine, bike or running off the treadmill or walking (go from walk to bursts of a jog).

Aside from burning calories, you will improve your aerobic capacity (eventually being able to workout longer and with more intensity), decrease bordom and actually result in more comfortable exercise.

See, during intense exercise, muscles produce lactic acid. Too much of it can make exercise painful and tiring. By alternating bursts of intense exercise with easier intervals, you will reduce the buildup of lactic acide in your muscles.

So, try it and let me know how it works for you during the next 13 days. You may see results faster than you think!

Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

This recipe serves:

8

6 large eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
salt to taste
1 pound lasagna noodles
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 cups basic tomato sauce, homemade, jarred or canned
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese



1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss the eggplant slices with a generous sprinkling of salt and let them drain in a collander for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat the slices dry with paper towels. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Roast the eggplant in the oven for 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling water and cook until they are just al dente. Drain and plunge the noodles into the ice water to cool them quickly. Drain again and lay the noodles out on paper towels.

4. Cover the bottom of a large baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep with a thin coat of tomato sauce. Line the dish with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of the sliced eggplant over the noodles and sprinkle the eggplant with a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce over the eggplant, season with pepper and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.

5. Repeat with 2 more layers of noodles, eggplant, breadcrumbs, sauce and mozzarella cheese.

6. Finish with a final layer of noodles and the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

7. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top of the lasagna is golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Serving Size: 1 piece

Number of Servings: 8

Per Serving
Calories	327	Carbohydrate	49 g
Fat	8 g	Fiber	12 g
Protein	21 g	Saturated Fat	5 g
Sodium	478 mg

Valentine's Day is 2 weeks away. Some of you may say  "so?" But there are people out there who are trying to get in the best shape they can before their little love fest on the big day. Let me assure you that there are no quick fixes but I can provide some tips that will definitly help you.

First of all IF YOU STARVE YOURSELF YOU WILL ONLY GAIN WEIGHT. Do I make myself clear? If you stop eating in hopes of losing weight fast you will ruin your metabolism and have weight problems the rest of your life. You should eat within 2 hours of waking up and carry healthy snacks with you when you are hungry throughout the day.And DO NOT TAKE DIET PILLS.  If you decide to go that route to lose weight you must consult your doctor. Diet pills can be unsafe and you will not see results in the time you are looking for.

For your cardio: running, swimming and spinning (not that crappy bike in the cardio room where you can leisurely read a book while you pedal) are all great for burning a lot of calories and work your whole body. If you already do them, add 10 more minutes of time during these 2 weeks.

Add another weight training session to your workout week during these next 2 weeks. Strength training burns a lot of calories, tones your muscle and stimulates your metabolism.

Do watch what you eat. For the next 2 weeks, try to avoid over indulging in fats and sugary treats. Notice I said over indulge. Do not completely cut out all sweets , just try to have a bite or 2 here and there. More importantly replace refined sugar carbs

with unrefuned sugar carbs (whole grains). Remember carbs are the most important food  group as they provide you with energy. Do not cut them out!

Spend the next 2 weeks hitting the gym one more day than you normally go. If you usually go 3 days a week and then suddenly step it up to 6 - that is too much for your body to handle and you may injure yourself due to muscle exhaustion. Just add one day per week and an extra 10 minutes to each cardio session. Please do not over do it, just use that looming date as a little push to step it up.

I will follow up this blog with a low fat recipe. More tips tomorrow!