Stick Together This Holiday Season

If you are one to celebrate the holidays, you know they are just around the corner. You also are aware, more treats then you know what to do with, are heading your way quickly. This holiday season get together with your friends and challenge one another to get fit. We all know how to eat right and exercise but doing it in a group can be motivating and fun! Exchange health tips, recipes, etc. Receive a BMI test, calculate your weight and inches from the start. Keep track through out the challenge to see if you've lost weight, inches, or your BMI changed.

      Challenge Sample:

• Exercise 4x a week/ 1 hr a day  
• 2 days/Cardio 2 days/Strength Training
• Eat a healthy breakfast within 60-90 minutes of waking up each day (ThinStick Shake)
• Eat small dessert only 2x/week (eat one small slice of pie on holiday)
• Consume serving amounts suggested on mypyramid.gov

The Pros to Cardio and Strength Training
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/cardio-vs-strength-training-workouts


Challenge your friends to be healthy! Add ThinStick to the challenge to help conrol your dessert cravings around the holidays!

Lower HFCS in your diet!!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that each American averages 142 lbs of sugar per year, and 59 lbs of this comes from High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). HFCS is found in ketchup, fruit yogurt, salad dressings, bread and many many processed foods. This sugar DID NOT exist in 1970 but it's convenient now because it is cheaper and sweeter than sugar. It blends easily into foods, prevents feezer burn, and extends shelf life.

Why HFCS not healthy: The body handles this sugar differently than regular sugar, preferring to funnel it into fat stores and tricking our brains into thinking we need more food. HFCS is on the hot seat for raising colorectal cancer risk.
To avoid HFCS: Buy 100% fruit juice without HFCS, choose fresh fruit over fruit juice, and eliminate soft drinks. It isn't realistic to completly eliminate HFCS but you definitly can lower your intake.

Have a healthy, happy week.

- Based off of Metabolic Maintenance's Nutrition Alert Article by: Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

Portion Size Plate Article

Webmd is a great site for estimating how your food portions should appear. They take 5 food groups(Milk & Diary, grains, meat & beans, fruits,fats & oils, plus sweets and treats and mixed dishes) and compare them to objects such as baseballs, lightbulbs, ect. They also have a calorie counter and food/fitness planner!

Click here to check it out.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate?ecd=wnl_hlc_062509