GROCERY SHOPPING!

Heart Healthy Foods: Shopping list

Take this list with you the next time you go food shopping. Keep in mind these tips for a healthy heart:

• Eat less saturated and trans fat. Stay away from fatty meats, fried foods, cakes, and cookies.
• Cut down on sodium (salt). Look for the low-sodium or “no salt added” brands of canned soups, vegetables, snack foods, and lunch meats.
• Get more fiber. Fiber is in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Vegetables and Fruits

FRESH!

Choose vegetables and fruits in different colors. Buy them in season to save money.

• Fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, and spinach
• Leafy greens for salads
• Canned vegetables low in sodium (salt)
• Frozen vegetables without added butter or sauces
• Fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, pears, and peaches
• Canned fruit in 100% juice, not syrup
• Dried fruit
• Frozen berries without added sugar

STAY ACTIVE AS YOU GET OLDER!

A Yoga Class

Stay Active as You Get Older: Quick tips 

Physical activity is good for people of all ages. Staying active can help:

• Prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer
• Improve your strength and balance so you can stay independent
• Keep you from getting depressed

Before you begin…

If you have a health problem like heart disease, diabetes, or obesity, talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program.

Aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activities.

Healthy Snacks for Parents!

Eat fit with cLEANfit!

Healthy Snacks: Quick tips for parents

Snacks give kids important nutrients and help control hunger between meals.  At cLEANfit, putting your entire family through a healthy lifestyle will give them tremendous health benefits over time AND it will become the “norm” because everyone under the same roof will be on the same page!

Healthy snack ideas

• “Ants on a log” (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
• Fresh or canned fruit (in 100% juice, not syrup) with fat-free or low-fat vanilla yogurt
• Whole-grain crackers with fat-free or low-fat cheese
• Frozen grapes (rinse and freeze grapes overnight)
• Whole-wheat bread or apple slices with peanut butter
• Quesadillas (fat-free or low-fat cheese on a whole-wheat tortilla)

The GOLDEN 4 to remember when buying equipment.

"Spread toe wall squat"

Remember: Safety first!

When looking to buy weight training equipment, there are a few things to keep in mind…Take a little time to do research on the types of weight training equipment available and the different brands out there.  You might just want to go for basic equipment, such as dumbbells and a bench, or you need something more advanced such as a home gym set to build muscle.Look for something that suits your needs, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a bulky contraption.  It could be portable equipment that is easily adjustable, such as a “set-for-you” dumbbell set, or a bench which can be adjusted into an incline position.  Both are compact but can give you great results without taking up too much space.Know how much space is available where you’re actually going to keep the equipment.  There is a lot of equipment out there that can be folded up, which makes it tempting to just put away and never use again.  

Types of Weight Training Equipment

THE RUNDOWN

  Weight training is at the core of fitness programs and allows people to get rid of excess body fat and develop robust muscle mass through the use of weight training equipment.  It is aimed at burning more calories and building strength through a series of intensive exercises focused on specific muscles or covering larger muscle groups.

Weight training equipment is the back bone of the exercise sessions involved and can be divided into two main types:

1) Free weights

2) Weight machines

  It is important to get a better understanding of the types of equipment used during exercise sessions and how they help you build a better physique.

Free weights usually make part of the basic weight training equipment for anyone…from beginning trainers to experienced body builders.  They come in a large variety of different shapes, sizes and weights and are a relatively low cost solution to start weight training at

Weight Training 101

If you want to burn fat or change your body, one of the most important things you can do is lift weights.  Diet and cardio are equally important, but when it comes to changing how your body looks, weight training wins hands down.  If you’ve hesitated to start a strength training program, it may motivate you to know that lifting weights can:

• Help raise your metabolism.  Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn all day long.
• Strengthen bones, especially important for women.
• Make you stronger and increase muscular endurance.
• Help you avoid injuries.
• Increase your confidence and self-esteem.
• Improve coordination and balance.

Now you have to figure out how to fit each of those components into your life.

Now you have to figure out how to fit each of those components into your life.

1. Cardio. The general rule is to get at least 20 minutes of cardio exercise three times a week.  This can be any activity that elevates your heart rate into your training zone.  First, figure out your target heart rate and then choose activities that will get you in that zone.  This can include anything from walking the dog to weeding the garden.  If you’re interested in calorie expenditure.

2. Resistance Training. Lifting weights increases your muscle mass which, in turn, helps to raise your metabolism so you burn more calories every day.  It also helps build bone density.  You don’t need a bodybuilding routine; just a simple total body workout twice a week will do.  For detailed information about resistance training.

“I’d like to start exercising, but where do I begin?”

Making the personal decision to begin exercise is the first step. Committing to make it a priority in your life is the next.

Often, the biggest challenge you will face is changing your lifestyle. Many of us have created bad habits over a the years and changing these requires a committed effort to consciously recognize and alter some of these patterns. Ultimately you need to change both your internal beliefs and your external environment to step you up for success.

It takes time to develop new habits, so a positive, forgiving attitude is essential. You will not become an athlete overnight, but by slowly changing your internal dialog and external situation, you will find a new lifestyle that encourages fitness.

We carefully watch you @ cLEANfit!

The 8 Most Annoying Gym Personalities

In this second post in the series we take a look at the top 10 worst gym personalities, as a means to help you clearly identify and classify inappropriate gym behavior, and to help you steer clear from inadvertently falling into one of these categories as you embark on your fitness journey.

In no particular order, here is a list of the most annoying gym goers that I have personally come across over the years. Many workouts have been ruined on their account, so please allow me to vent my pent up frustrations in the cathartic swell below.

1. The American Idol: It is increasingly popular that gym goers do their workouts while listening to their iPods. While I personally prefer not to, I have absolutely no problem with it. Many people swear that their music helps them get in the zone and increase the intensity of their workouts while reducing the perception of effort. All this is copacetic. The problem arises when people confuse the gym with a Karaoke bar. The American Idol has somehow arrived at the completely delusional conclusion that their tone-deaf interpretation of Thin Lizzy’s “Boys are Back in Town” should be applauded by their fellow exercisers.

The cLEANfit Lifestyle Video is Up!

This footage is brought to you by the members of the cLEANfit lifestyle. It was produced in Windows Movie Maker and it demonstrates the validity of health and fitness through maintaining a fun and fitness infused lifestyle.