Tour de Dufflet: eat more cake, ride more bike 2011!

Tour de Dufflet: eat more cake, ride more bike 2011!: "The 4th annual Tour de Dufflet Dates: May 24 - June 30, 2011 Daily except Mondays (rain or shine) Hours: Tuesdays - S..."

Fight the Temptation

Temptation is an evil, evil, evil emotion! It's like the Devil has manifested in your brain, and is forcing you to pick up that doughnut, or Big Mac! Fight it! Fight the fatty food possession!

OK, enough negative scary Sci-Fi talk. The reality is that it's really hard to fight temptation, and uncontrollable cravings. So I recommend not fighting it! I know, how stupid is that coming from a Personal Trainer right?
It's not that crazy actually. You just need to control the portion, and moderate your craving.

So say you have a huge craving for something sweet and sugary. Instead of ordering a dozen doughnuts, chocolate cake, or candy. Opt for one tiny Tim Horton's Tim-Bit, piece of dark organic chocolate,  or mini cupcake. These small snack size sweet treats will satisfy your craving, and also not completely derail your summer body sculpting efforts! A mini cup cake is only about 190-200 calories. And a Tim-bit is like 100-120. So affordable if the rest of your days diet has been super healthy.

What if you're craving something salty, or savory? I would recommend nuts. Salty nuts are a great healthy alternative to potato chips, and a whole lot more filling. Also, try brown rice chips. They taste almost like potato chips, but again are much healthier for you. They come in a wide variety of tasty flavours, and are very crunchy for those who like a fibrous snack.

And finally, what if you're craving a hamburger? I'm a huge sucker for McDonald's Big Mac's. What do I do if I'm craving a Big Mac? It's not often, maybe once or twice a month. Which is totally fine if you're exercising regularly BTW. But I usually go for a single McDonald's cheeseburger, which is about 220-250 calories. A lot better for me than the 550 calories in a Big Mac. Another option is to make your own healthy Veggie or Turkey burgers at home with a non-bun, or whole wheat bun. Try this recipe for a smart burger option.

Summer Body Sculpting

Well it seems that summer has finally arrived. Fashionably late non the less, but she's here and looking fine! I know it's been a touch and go spring this year. So hard to get and stay motivated with such terrible rain, and gloomy looking skies. Finding the effort to lace up your kicks, or dust off your bike has been a challenge the past few weeks. Believe me, it's the same frustrating feeling for me too. But now we have no excuses whatsoever! The sun is shining, the weather is warm, and we have all the clean dry pavement to beat down that we need!

So what are your plans to sculpt your summer body? Jogging? Cycling? Hiking? Power walking? Swimming? OK, maybe is still a bit cool to swim in our gorgeous Ontario lakes.

I want you to write down a plan of attack! Outline your goal(s) and jot it down on a piece of paper, post-it, white board, or on your phone. Right now! Do it!

What is your goal? Loose 10 pounds? 15 pounds? Train for a summer half or full marathon? Condition yourself for a long bike ride with family, friends, or for a group support system? Whatever it is, I want you to visualise it in your mind. If you can see yourself achieving the goal, and imagine what that feeling would be like. It will bring you one step close to that goal. AND make it easier to achieve.

The next step is to implement that goal. Draw up a weekly schedule. Are you exercising Monday's, Wednesday's, Friday's & one day on the weekend? You should be committing to at least three days of moderate to high physical activity per week.

Following step; How are you going to build your Activity Program? 30 minutes of cardio on your "work" days. Or a 5km jog in the park 3-4 times a week.

A 20 km bike ride 2-3x times a week with your partner (remember to wear your helmet, unlike our models above).

Or maybe planning a nature hike with your family to see the wonders of Mother Nature. Try to incorporate family or friends. It will be that much more fun and enjoyable if you do!

Your "activity program" will be your best friend, and co-pilot. It's going to help you to stay on the right track, and make sure you arrive at your destination happy and safely.

Questions? Email me.

Doubts? You should NEVER EVER doubt your abilities! You are the architect of your own life! Do this for yourself and no one else. True happiness comes from within...So if you feel good about yourself from the inside out... Everything else is just icing on the cake ;-)

Do the Work!

You know how the old saying goes..."No pain. No gain." Well that's almost 100% true. (Unless you're injured of course). But you should always being doing the work!

The harder you push, and the more you put into your workout, the more you will get back in return. Fat loss. Increased energy. Lean, strong muscle mass!

Do you do your cardio on the treadmill or the elliptical machine? How about trying a little of both? Does the thought scare you a bit? Most people like to stick to one machine for cardio, but I want you to change your mind-set. To reach your fitness goals, you have to let go of that all-or-nothing mentality. And let's face it — eventually, you'll need more than one cardio option. One day the weather may not be cooperative for your usual outdoor jog, or all the ellipticals will be in use, or the pool will be closed, or your bike will be in the repair shop. Be flexible

10 Easy Tips for Food Portion Control

Here are 10 simple ways to keep your portions a healthy size:

1. Measure accurately. For foods and beverages, use gadgets like a measuring cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, or food scale.

2. Learn how to estimate serving sizes. Ballpark food portion sizes by estimating serving sizes in comparison to known objects. For example, three ounces of cooked meat, fish, or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards. Other easy measurements to eyeball include:

• ½ cup is the size of an ice cream scoop
• 1 cup is the size of a tennis ball

• 1 ounce of cheese is the size of a domino

3. Use portion control dishware. Pick out smaller plates, bowls, cups, and glassware in your kitchen and measure what they hold. You might find that a bowl you thought held 8 ounces of soup actually holds 16, meaning you’ve been eating twice what you planned.

4. Dish out your servings separately. Serve food from the stove onto plates rather than family-style at the table, which encourages seconds.

5. Make your own single-serving packs. Re-portion bulk quantities of favorite foods such as rice, snacking fruit & veggies, and nuts into individual portions in zipper bags so that when you’re in the mood for some food you’ll instantly see the number of portions you’re preparing.

6. Add the milk before the coffee. When possible, put your (fat-free) milk into the cup before adding the hot beverage to better gauge the amount used.

7. Measure oil carefully. This is especially important because oil (even the healthy kinds like olive and safflower) have many calories; don’t pour it directly into your cooking pan or over food.

8. Control portions when eating out. Eat half or share the meal with a friend. If eating a salad, ask for dressing on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.

9. Add vegetables. Eat a cup of low-calorie vegetable soup prior to eating a meal, or add vegetables to casseroles and sandwiches to add volume without a lot of calories.

10. Listen to your gut. Eat when hungry and stop when satisfied or comfortably full.

Healthy Carb Recipe - Quinoa Salad

Quinoa may have an odd name (it's pronounced KEEN-wah, by the way), but it is an excellent whole grain to experiment with in your recipes. It packs a powerful nutritional punch because it has protein and fiber to keep you satisfied and improve your overall health. The grain has a fluffy texture and nutty taste that you will grow to love. Mix it with mushrooms, avocado, tomatoes, and green onion, and you've got a meal full of powerful nutrients.

Quinoa and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dry quinoa
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 4 ounces green chili peppers
• 8 1/2 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

Preparation:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in mushrooms and quinoa. Makes 2 servings.
   Prep Time: 15 mins
   Cook Time: 10 mins
   Total Time: 25 mins

 
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 284
Total Fat: 13.2 g
Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 744 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 34.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 9.3 g
Protein: 10.8 g

10 Best Greens for You!

I'm sure you already know the importance of eating greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. Research shows that consuming dark greens may help you maintain good health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease.

Dark greens are rich in beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C, E, and K, which help protect against free radicals. In addition to being dark leafy greens, arugula, beet greens, bok choy, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and turnip greens are cruciferous vegetables, which are packed with antioxidants that may help prevent cancer. Eating dark greens regularly may also protect against certain cancers, promote normal eyesight, and improve gastrointestinal function.

Include these 10 nutritional powerhouses in your diet:

1. Arugula
2. Beet greens
3. Bok choy
4. Collard greens
5. Kale
6. Mustard greens
7. Romaine and red-leaf lettuce
8. Spinach
9. Swiss chard
10. Turnip greens

How much should I be consuming?
At least 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week. Bottom line is that all vegetables contribute to a healthy eating plan. So eat a wide variety — green and all the other colors — throughout the week.