Saturday, February 11, 2012

For Valentine's day...LOVE

....your heart

If we just start moving...even a little at a time and work up to
more at a time...we can have a healthier heart.  One of the simplest ways
to "get moving" and get our heart beating stronger is
... to walk.

If we do it just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, we can reap great
 benefits to our hearts and add years to our lives. According to a recent Harvard study,
walking at a moderate pace (3 mph) for up to 3 hours a week—or 30 minutes a day--
can cut the risk of heart disease in women by as much as 40%.
This is the same benefit you would get from aerobics, jogging, or other vigorous exercise.
The benefits to men are comparable.     


Along with its benefits to the heart, walking:
•improves circulation   •helps breathing  •combats depression   •bolsters the immune system
•helps prevent osteoporosis   •helps prevent and control diabetes 

Keeping in mind, we don't have to do 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week....
right at the beginning.  Something is better than nothing.  And...by doing a short
distances, short times....we can add as we feel stronger.  Maybe grab a
friend to walk with you...or talk with a friend on the phone while you walk.
 Below are some links with helps for getting started....walking for a
Healthy Heart. 





==========================
Instead of a recipe today
...I thought it might be a good idea to post about the top 25 foods
that are listed on the WEBMD site as heart-healthy.  According to Kathleen M Zelman,
"From asparagus to sweet potatoes to a robust cabernet -- every bite (or sip) of heart-healthy
foods delivers a powerful dose of phytonutrients that prevent and repair damage to cells.
That's the essence of preventing heart disease."



With the help of these nutrition experts from The Cleveland Clinic and the American Dietetic Association, WebMD put together a list of the "best of the best" heart-healthy foods.
(If you click on the "WebMD" link above you will find more info and recipes
with these foods)
Salmon  -  Flaxseed  -  Oatmeal  -  Black or Kidney Beans
Almonds  -  Walnuts  -  Red Wine  - Tuna  -  Tofu
Brown Rice  -  Soy Milk  -  Blueberries  -  Carrots  -  Spinach
Broccoli  -  Sweet Potatoes  -  Red Bell Peppers  -  Aspargus
Oranges  -  Tomatoes  -  Acorn Squash  -  Cantalope - 
Papaya  -  Dark Chocolate  -  (sun) Tea

 I see quite a few of these foods that I like...some I LUV! ...like,
dark chocolate, salmon, almonds, walnutes, tuna, ...to name  just a few.
How about YOU?? are there some foods here that YOU like?  Maybe
YOU have some great ideas/recipes for getting these foods into
our daily meals?

=========================================

 ~ ~ Ruby's Report ~ ~

Treadmill - I did another week of 6 days making it a total of 5 weeks.  I was
short one day of doing 2 miles each day. (my goal last week was to do 6 days/2mi). 
 I will try again next week to hit my goal.

Food - I was VERY bad this last week!  And, I'm mad at myself.  I ate WAY too
many high calorie and salty foods.  I don't know why I tend to feel like I have to
party with foods whenever I have guests in the house or family visiting =(  .
Do you ever have that problem?  I'm going to try to have no potato chips, no fries
and no deep fried food. 

Weight (loss?) - NOPE...I didn't lose anything!! I went up .4!  I am up
almost 3lbs since the beginning of January.  I need to be more disciplined
when I "party" with friends and/or family.  I hope I will have a better
story to tell next week. 

=====================================

K....this is just how I feel after last week's
"pigging" out!

How did YOU do with YOUR goals?  Have YOU
learned about any new good food recipes?  Did YOU
learn anything from setting goals that has helped YOU for
setting goals in the future?

We's LUV to hear your comments!  YOU motivate US

(note: I couldn't preview my blog post for some reason
so...please, forgive any type/line errors)








9 comments:

Sallie said...

Here's a recipe with Salmon and Sweet Potatoes that we like:
Ingredients: 2 med. sweet potatoes, 1 TBS sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili powder, olive oil, four 5 - 6 oz. salmon fillets.
In bowl, combine sugar, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Cut sweet potatoes into "steak fries". Lightly coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with half the spice mixture. Broil till tender, about 15 min. Turn midway through cooking. Meanwhile, rinse salmon; pat dry. Sprinkle with remaining spice. Place under broiler until fish flakes.

Christine M said...

Forget about last week Annie and concentrate on this week. I know you can do it.

Valspierssews said...

Don't you hate it when you put on weight! However, it is long term goals we can turn to. What have you lost since you started counting? Over the last 18 months I have lost weight instead of putting it on as I did for many years. This shows I have changed enough things in my life to turn things around. I used to have chips and muffins and biscuits and sometimes soft drinks or juice when people visited. Now I have dips like hommous or salsa with rice crackers and vegetable sticks (cucumber, celery, carrots). Maybe avocado if I have one and some soft cheese like brie. Drinks are tea, plain water or sparkling water. No one has complained.
One of my favurite low fat comfort foods is oven baked thick cut potato chips. Peel slice and boil first then place on a baking tray and spray with oil. Cook for about 35 mins at 180C (350F I think). Add a bit of salt and sauce for extra feel good. You can do the same with sweet potatoes for a bit better choice. My husband and I sometimes have this for dinner. Yes, just chips for dinner :D So what. It works.
Never beat yourself up. You haven't failed because you have put on weight. It is normal for our bodies to resist change. Congratulate yourself for recognising that maybe you need to change your party foods.
Great work Annie.
Cheers,
Val

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I echo what the others have been saying - especially don't beat yourself up. I don't like nor have in my house chips, fried foods, etc.. I keep a lot of fresh or dried fruit for snacking. I prefer rice over potatoes. I don't eat a lot of meat of late, but have started to enjoy fish into my menus. And I was getting more walking in, but the weather has turned cold and we did get some snow - so I will be using my pedal machine more this week. And I am trying to cut back on the coffee and drink a little more herbal tea instead.

Elly D said...

I need to visit you more often! I need motivation to get on my treadmill. I had every intention at the start of the new year but have only been on it once for a 15 minute walk!! I think you are doing great with your walking efforts. Maybe the extra weight is muscle?? It's supposed to be heavier than fat. Maybe you've built them up.

KatieQ said...

If you've been eating salty foods, you may not have gained weight, you may have retained some water. With all of the positive changes you have made in your life, I think the extra pounds are just a temporary blip. I only managed to exercise at Curves 2 times this week, but my scale claims I am down 3.5 pounds. I don't think that's accurate so I will weigh myself when I get to Curves on Monday and see what their scale says. I did drink 64 ounces of water everyday and remembered to take my multi vitamin and D3.
I read a few of the stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul, Thanks for this great book. The stories are inspiring without being sappy.

Sarah Craig said...

I started working out with a group of ladies from my church last week - went on Monday and Wednesday, but couldn't do Friday because my doctor is trying to kill me with saline! But I plan to go back again tomorrow and start again. Also I got some new walking shoes (I just loved that pug with the red shoes moonwalking across the finish line!) and they are so comfortable I see a lot more walking in my future, as soon as it warms up a little!

Miss Hillbilly said...

I enjoy walking so very much. Maybe this year I can get out and walk more! Foods--I do catch myself grabbing pretzels. We don't keep chips around, but those. I need to leave them be and drink drink drink water!!!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I finally started weighing myself again this year, but, even after trying to be good, my weight has gone up, bit by bit each time. Eeak! My mother is getting married this summer and I need to look good in a dress. Grrr!!!!