No Gym Work Out

Archives for February 2013

Heathy Lifestyle Exper, Danette May, says you can get a full body workout at home, in just ten minutes!

Most of us want to maximize our time when it comes to getting lean and fit. Part of the battle is finding time and money to get the body of our dreams. Either we run out of time to go to the gym or we don't have the resources to pay for the gym membership.

What if I told you there were four exercises that engaged every muscle group that you could do that required no equipment and would save you time and money!

These four exercises are called the ‘No Gym Workout.' These exercises encompass the use of your own body weight. Essentially your body becomes your machine which ultimately burns more calories and shapes all your major muscle groups creating a long lean sculpted body.

1. Plank w/ knee twist: Place your body in a plank form and then pull your knee to the opposite elbow, rotating on each side. 16 repetitions total.
Muscles engaged: core, transverse abdominals, deep pelvic floor muscles, shoulders, back, triceps, and obliques

2. One Leg squat w/ upper body extension: Standing on one foot, squat back through your glutes, and then power up through the heal of your foot. Once leg is straight extend forward. 10 on each leg
Muscles engaged: core, quadriceps, glutes, stability muscles, and increases cardiovascular output

3. Squat jumps reaching for the sky: Start squatting very low, then power up through your legs as your arms extend reaching for the sky. 15 total
Muscles engaged: Max calories burned, all leg muscles, core, arms

4. Plank w/ push-up/alternating arm extension: Push up, then reach arm straight for the sky, alternating on each side: 12 total
Muscles engaged: core, abdominal muscles, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and rotator cuff.

Yours in Health,

Danette May

Healthy Lifestyle Expert Danette May reveals the pros and cons of butter, margarine, and everything in-between!

The butter vs. margarine controversy has been raging since the 1930's. We all wonder which one is better for you. Or should you avoid it all together?

Through research there have been varying viewpoints. So to begin, I should tell you what Margarine is and what butter is.

Margarine:

The word margarine came from the Greek for “pearl,” because the original version was hard, white, and glossy. It also must have been less than appetizing, since it was made from beef fat, milk, and chopped sheep's stomachs and cows' udders, all treated with heat, lye, and pressure.

In its early years, margarine was a meat product which was dependent on the beef and dairy industries and whose main appeal was its low cost relative to butter. In this period, it was exclusively a food of the poor. In the early 1900s, food chemists discovered how to harden liquid oils by reacting them with hydrogen in the presence of metal catalysts and heat.

Vegetable and fish oils then became raw materials for margarine, weakening its ties to the meat industry. Manufacturers bought up the cheapest oils they could find throughout the world, reduced them all to bland neutrality through chemical processing, and hardened them into margarine, which remained a food of the poor.

By the 1920s only vegetable oils went into the product, and over the next 30 years, busy food chemists using a host of chemical additives greatly improved the spreadability, appearance, and especially the flavor of margarine, always working toward the goal of greater resemblance to butter.

Butter:

Butter is made from the cream that rises to the top if milk is allowed to sit for a time. Butter is made by churning cream. This causes a chemical reaction that causes the cream to harden slightly, giving it the buttery consistency.

Butter is all fat but contains some vitamin A, D, E and K.

I have taken 4 different kinds of butters to weigh out the health benefits, negative effects and which one is the best option.

Listed below, least to favorite.

Solid Margarine: Contains high amounts of hydrogenated oils & saturated fats. Hydrogenated oils and saturated fats can cause cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Imitation butter spray (I can't believe it's not butter): Contains low amounts of calories, but contains high amounts of man made chemicals.

Soft margarine or Smart Balance: It was designed as a healthier alternative to solid margarine. Lower in saturated fats and cholesterol, it was believed to be healthier than solid margarine & butter and it grew in popularity.

Solid Butter: It is made from the cream that rises to the top if milk is allowed to sit for a time. Butter is made by churning cream. It contains saturated fats, but also vitamins A, D, E and K.

Bottom line…I would avoid anything with hydrogenated oils or man-made chemicals. Both create long term health impairments.

But I would not use butter regularly either. Butter contains high amounts of fat. If you must use butter, use in moderation.

Instead use olive oil and coconut oil in your cooking. Oh, and forget about spreading your toast with butter. Opt for the healthier choice of almond butter or other natural nut butters.

Yours in Health,

Danette May

Healthy Lifestyle Expert Danette May gives us a taste of the “Pilates potion.”

Pilates is one of the most popular exercise systems in the country. It is an innovative system of mind-body exercise evolved from the principles of Joseph Pilates.

Pilates dramatically transforms the way your body looks, feels and performs. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a sleek, toned body with slender thighs and a flat abdomen.

It teaches body awareness, good posture and easy, graceful movement. Pilates improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion. It can even help alleviate back pain.

Professional dancers have known the benefits of Pilates for decades. Top athletes use it for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Hollywood celebrities and supermodels use it to maintain beautiful physiques.

Core strength is the foundation of Pilates exercise. The core muscles are the deep, internal muscles of the abdomen and back. When the core muscles are strong and doing their job, as they are trained to do in Pilates, they work in tandem with the more superficial muscles of the trunk to support the spine and movement.

As you develop your core strength you develop stability throughout your entire torso. This is one of the ways Pilates helps people overcome back pain. As the trunk is properly stabilized, pressure on the back is relieved and the body is able to move freely and efficiently.

A miracle? Not really. Pilates is a safe, sensible exercise system using a floor mat or equipment, that will help you look and feel your very best. No matter what your age or condition, it will work for you. Here are 5 effective moves that will help you slim down in your midsection and help with lower back pain.

1. Half roll back:feet placed on floor, pull in your midsection, create a C curve with your spine and roll back until your feet want to leave the floor, gently roll back up)

2. Half roll back w/ oblique twist: roll back and then maintain position as you extend your hand back, repeat on other side.

3. Roll up: body flat, gently roll up, sucking in midsection and reach over toes. Gently roll down, laying your spine down vertebra by vertebra.

4. Roll over: Reach your legs over your head, then gently place them down using your abdominal muscles.

5. Plank w/ knee extension: elbows down, body in plank position, hold abdominals in towards spine. Pull your knee in towards your elbow. Repeat on other side.

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