Black Bean Salad

Black Bean Salad:

2 cans organic black beans, drained

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1-2 tsp. ground cumin seeds

Mix ingredients together in a bowl and chill for several hours

Benefits of Exercise

The Many Benefits of Exercise:

* Increases your metabolic rate-that means you burn more calories.

* Increases your bodies lean muscle mass

* Improves your insulin sensitivity of blood sugar handling

* Lowers your cholesterol levels

* Lowers your risk of chronic diseases

* Increases your energy level

* Improves quality of sleep

* Reduces stress and tension

* Elevates your mood and increases your mental performances

Aspartame: Why Not

If it says "Sugar Free" on the label don't even think about it. Aspartame, also known as Nutrasweet, Equal, and Spoonful, is the cause of many issues to the human body.

For better understanding, when the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol is Aspartame converts to Formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which causes metabolic acidosis. (this acid is the poison found in the sting of the fire ants)

Possible effects of Aspartame include, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss.

Aspartame is especially dangerous for those with diabetes.

Healthy alternatives include, Stevia (a sweet herb), honey, cane sugar and agave.

"Heart" Rate

Good Evening Everyone,

After this past week I have taken time to reflect on our topic of heart rate. I have not done a good job of explaining way we need to know our max heart rate. We need to understand it and know what it is for ourselves so that we do not stay there. Let me explain:

I calculated my max heart rate, it is 177. While I was skate skiing this weekend I discovered that climbing hills put me up to my max and beyond. No problem for short periods and even better was the fact that once I topped the hills my heart rate dropped down to 114 within 45 seconds. On that flats I made it a point to work hard enough to keep my rate at about 135.

So my point, the reason we do cardio is improve our ability to work hard without the heart being over tasked (fighting a fire or stressful medical call) and then the hearts ability to recover.

I cant emphasis enough, it this seems foreign to you please ask questions, do not hesitate to call.

Finally, more from John "The Penguin" Bingham:

The side effect of focusing on what I was feeling was that words like "winning" and "losing" were replaced by words like "doing" and "becoming" in my vocabulary. All my old notions of failure were replaced by an evolving definition of success.

The Courage to Start

After reading a great book, "The Courage to Start, The Guide to Running for Your Life" by John "The Penguin" Bingham, I thought everyone should read it. The truth is I have already asked you to start changing your eating habits and add exercise to your already busy lives. So instead I will just throw out a few of his great comments every once in awhile.

This chapter is titled Finding the Time, and it is so appropriate. Here is a paragraph I can't image not including.

'Getting off on the right foot means understanding enough about yourself, your life, and your willingness to commit to this new activity to begin to think about your life as a runner. IT'S ABOUT GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO FIND THE TIME TO BE A RUNNER.'

I realize this book is about running, but I have to tell you, he talks about any activity not just running. John was a middle age husband who decided to make change to running for exercise and improved health. If you have time to read this book, it is a short easy read that is so funny and motivating.

Have a great week.

Max Heart Rate

Calculate Max Heart Rate

220 - age x %

Example : 220 - 30 = 190

190 x 75%= 142

So working at 75% Max, is 142 beats per minute

You don't have to work at 100%, 130 to 150 is usually adequate. Be sure to get a doctors approval if you have any per existing conditions. Begin at only 50% if you have not had your heart rate up before.

When completing your exercise, be sure to come down to normal heart rate with a slow walk, don't just stop. RECOVERY is the key, the ability to recovery is what makes the difference at a fire or emergency scene.

Time To Move

Good Evening Everyone,

So we have talked about getting in 3 to 4 days of exercise per week. Then we talked about eating and avoiding anything white (other then cauliflower), but still eating enough to maintain energy for exercise.

Now is the time to step up the pace. Start increasing your heart rate (go to "how to" section for Max HR) and see if you can keep it at max for 30 minutes. Remember exercise can be fun, run down the road with your kids, play tennis, snowshoe up hill. Life doesn't have to be confined to a treadmill and gym.

Nutritional type for the week, see if you can decrease the amount of pop you are drinking. If you drink 3 per day, try to cut it to 1 or 2 and replace that cola with water.

Have another great week.

Week 2, Exercise with lack of nutrition

Here we are again, I hope everyone has had a successful week of exercise. I spent most of this week trying to decide which topic I should address next. While I was doing this a friend mine discovered that while sitting at her desk, she became light headed, increasing headache and slightly blurred vision. After putting her head down and a discussion of what she has eaten for the day we had a great discover and breakthrough for her.

She had decided to begin exercising 3 days per week and go on a "diet", some diet DECREASED food intake with INCREASED activity level. Fortunately her fatigue and headache was relieved with a proper lunch and bottle of water.

So what is my point, you can not increase your activity level and excessively decrease your food intake. What you need to do is increase your food, but make the right choices.

Simple nutrition tip to start with, if its WHITE (other that cauliflower) don't eat it. No white bread, no processed white sugar, and so on. Please let me know if you have any questions. In the meantime, 3 meals per day with 3 snacks per day. This will actually keep your metabolism active and burning calories.

Have a great week

Day One, Biggest Looser Contest

Congratulations on your decision to make life style changes that will help you prevent injury, illness and disease. Not to mention help you increase your energy level and sharp mind. I realize that we are all very busy with children that have needs, classes to take and jobs to work. Which makes it even more important that we take care of ourselves to that we make take care of others and business.

Week One: Let our main focus be a exercise routine that is not time consuming. Try for 20 minutes per day for 4 days out of the week.

If you are already doing that, then look for increased time and increased heart rate.

Max Heart Rate is calculated the following way: 220- your age x % you want to be at. ****NOTE if you are new to this, do not work past 75% Max Heart Heart, if that seems like to much then decrease to 60%

Example: 220 - 39 = 181 x .75 = 135 Max Heart Rate.