by Cheney

September 11

4:37 pm

Take the PLUNGE!

Pool with Instructor September 8^th has been marked as Demolition Day here at Hilton Head Health – the official groundbreaking to Phase 1 of our renovation project, which includes the renovation of the front main entrance, north entrance and construction of a new pool and spa [ahhh].

We are VERY (more than I can express!) excited to begin construction on our new and improved [environmentally friendly] pool. Not only will this add to the beauty of the facility – but will also be a great enhancement to our program.

Here at H3, our guests race to the pool classes! With many different options, including Nautical Noodle, Aqua Resistance and Water Walk/Jog, you learn that our pool is not just for loungin’.

If you are looking for non-impact exercise, water provides an excellent workout in an environment that is safe and effective for those with existing joint problems. It is also a great cross – training exercise for those that enjoy pounding the pavement. Don’t worry – water aerobics are great for all fitness levels!

There are many different types of equipment you can use including –

- A buoyancy belt (to help suspend you in deep water)

- A Noodle

- Aqua Bells (water dumbbells)

- Kickboard

Now that you’re ready to ‘dive in’, try this H3 Hyrdo Circuit workout routine.

*This routine is designed to be done in shallow water.

Min 0-2: Warm up; walk from one side of the pool to the other.

Min 2-5: Jog in place while arms move as if you are jumping rope.

Min 5-7: High knees; bring alternate knees up toward chests, while moving arms at the side.

Min 7-9: Push-ups; place hands on the side of the pool while keeping body at a 45 degree angle. Perform pushups.

Min 9-11: Cross country ski; start with right leg and left arm in front of body, left leg and right arm back. Perform skiing motion by alternating legs and arms.

Min 11-13: Hamstring curls; kick heels up towards buttocks. Alternate legs.

Min 13-18: Free style swim

Min 18-20: Squat jumps; squat down until reaches chest then jump up forcefully. Repeat motion.

Min 20-22: Bicep curls; sitting on a step so that water is at shoulder level perform bicep curls without resting between repetitions.

Min 22-24: Back pedaling; walk backwards from one side of the pool to the other.

Min 24-26: Side jumps; start with feet together and arms extended out at shoulder level. Push legs apart in a jumping motion then bring back together. Repeat this motion keeping arms extended.

Min 26-30: Cool down; walk from one side of the pool to the other.

This entry is filed under Fitness.

by Cheney

September 10

4:17 pm

No Comments

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Health is a hot topic these days…check out what’s in the news today!

A Great Debate: ‘Fat Acceptance’ What’s your take?

Finally revealed – the secret to Michele Obama’s arms

Back to School? Avoid the Freshman 15!

Celebrate Yoga Month – and nurture your lower back

This entry is filed under Uncategorized.

by Cheney

September 8

3:16 pm

1 Comment

10 Simple Ways to Control Your Portions (and waistline…)

Last week, I challenged you to join the Small Plate Movement – to decrease your portions and learn to enjoy smaller meals (while still feeling satisfied!)

Here are 10 other ways to control your portions…

- Oldies but Goodies. Instead of putting your leftovers into one large container – break them up into individual meals. This way you are reaching for one meal, not the entire serving.

- Start with a Salad. Eating a salad before lunch or dinner is a good way to keep from overeating. By including lots of fiber-full veggies, it will help curb your appetite.

- Single serve your Trigger Foods. Buy snack foods in single serving sizes or separate into smaller individual baggies. It may be more difficult to stop eating [insert favorite snack food here] straight from the bag, but you are less likely to eat 5 zipper bags full.

- Eat Mini Meals. You can make sure your blood sugar stays stable and keep your stomach from rumbling by eating small healthful meals throughout the day. Here at H3, we encourage 100 calorie ‘Metabo Meals’ of fresh fruits and veggies in between meals.

- Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Keep pots and dishes away from the table during meals, where it’s easy to go for seconds. You may rethink your 2nd helping on the way from the table to the counter.

- Meat on the Side, Please. Treat meat entrees as a side dish rather than the main part of your meal. Load up on veggies and healthy grains as the bulk of your meal and you’ll feel full sooner. Your plate should be 2/3 veggies and 1/3 lean protein.

- Double Up. Eat 1/2 of a meal at lunch – and then save the rest for dinner. Or have a grilled chicken breast and veggies for lunch, and turn the left over into a chicken salad for dinner.

- You look 12 (and under). When eating out — order a kid portion. Not only do you save money, but you are also saving calories!

- Serving Smarts. Learn how to ‘eyeball’ the standard portion sizes and make sure to stick to them when dining out or eating at home. For example: 3 oz. of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

- Live a little. Don’t forbid yourself of certain foods – this will only lead you to feel deprived – which will most likely lead to bingeing. Treat yourself once in a while to avoid this cycle!

This entry is filed under Nutrition.

by Cheney

September 7

3:54 pm

No Comments

Move it Monday

Take the H3 Challenge with Fitness Director, Adam Martin!

Post your results in the blog comment section — and you will have the chance to win a H3 Water Bottle! (Winner chosen at random – must post results by Tuesday 9/8 at noon.)

Happy Labor Day!

This entry is filed under Fitness.

by Cheney

September 3

11:31 am

No Comments

Writing your pounds off one meal (and snack) at a time…the power of a food journal

Guest Blog, Kelly, H3 Marketing Specialist

If you were to add up your calories from yesterday, would you be able to recall everything you ate? And if you could, would you count it all? (Even the few remaining crumbs of coffee cake left behind in the break room – okay maybe it was a baby piece.) You may not think OR may not want to think that it all adds up- but it does.

When I first went off to college, I didn’t gain your typical “freshman fifteen.” Oh no, for me it was more like the freshman thirty (thirty-two to be exact). I didn’t even realize it until the summer after my first year, when I saw a picture of myself and thought- WHO IS THAT? Anyways, I hadn’t realized I’d gained that much weight because I THOUGHT I was eating quite similar to what I had been at home. On top of that, I’ve always been an active person.

My mom was just as baffled (or so I thought) by my weight gain as I was, so she suggested that I log what I ate to see if that’s what had changed (moms always know best AND they’re always right). So that summer, after eating each meal and snack, I would make note of it and record it in my diary at the end of the day. I’ve never been a diary person so this took some major getting used to.

I did this through the WHOLE summer and continued to do so when I returned to college my sophomore year. I soon found that my food diary was the eye-opener I had needed- it was clear that I was a HUGE snacker and not only that, but I would eat HUGE meals (my portions were at least double that of my meals at home).

Needless to say, once I noticed this trend- I cut it out! It wasn’t even that I had much to change, as I continued to eat the same meals- I just watched my portions, and I still had snacks but they were much healthier and much less frequent(!!!).

After my sophomore year (when I had pretty much returned to my normal weight), I stopped my food diary. It’s not something that I think is necessary, but whenever I start to feel like my healthy meal plan is slipping…I’ll start back up again.

Last year, a weight loss study conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that participants who kept a food journal lost about twice as much weight compared to those that did not keep one- and not only that, but they sustained the weight loss.

For more information and tips on food journaling, visit WebMD.

This entry is filed under Nutrition.

by Cheney

September 2

11:52 am

No Comments

Get Over the Hump

You might find that I often talk a lot about adding variety to your fitness, trying something new and most importantly finding something you enjoy doing. Three HUGE factors to keep you on track with your fitness routine.

Not only does your body benefit from pulling a switcheroo with your workout routine - but it also helps mentally. After a while, doing lunge after lunge, bicep curl after bicep curl, gets a little b-o-r-i-n-g.

And unfortunately in most cases, boredom leads to you finding something ‘better’ to do with your time. (Settled on the couch with a bag of chips…) Before you know it, you don’t even remember what a lunge is much less have the energy (or WANT) to do 50.

This is where my ‘hump-day’ motivational video comes in! Here at H3, our Outdoor Boot Camp class is a big hit. But prepared to get your rear in gear!

This simple workout – using only your body weight – can be done anywhere. (Lucky for us – we get sweaty down at the beach!)

100 Push-ups, 150 Crunches, 200 Squats, 250 Jumping Jacks and 500 Meters later…

H3 BOOT CAMP

5 Rounds of:

20 Push-Ups

30 Crunches

40 Squats

50 Jumping Jacks

100 M Run/Walk

If boot camp really isn’t your thing…check out our Sample Schedule to see all the variety you will experience here at H3.

This entry is filed under Fitness.

by Cheney

September 1

4:22 pm

2 Comments

It’s an Optical Illusion!

The Beatles Let’s take it back to the 1960s. Not only would we be running around in hot pants and miniskirts, singing “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon – but we would be [smaller] eating off of a groovy 10 inch plate.

Now fast forward to the year 2009- where after we spend hours watching reality TV, drive thru Hardees for a hearty dinner - a Monster Thickburger (all 2/3 pounds of meat, cheese and bacon), and later come home to Twitter about it all…And we wonder why we have an ever growing obesity epidemic?

Monster Thickburger

Over the years, many different health initiatives have been put in place to encourage America to take steps to get active, eat healthy and lose weight. One of my favorites is the Small Plate Movement.

The Small Plate Movement encourages American families to lose weight and feel healthier by simply reducing the size of their dinnerware, without having an effect on their perceived fullness or satisfaction. Since 1960, the surface area of the average dinner plate has increased 36%.

Research shows that people perceive serving size not by the label on the box, but rather in relation to the size of their dish. Let me put this into perspective- a 3 ounce portion on a 10 inch plate will look like a huge helping so you’ll most likely stop there, whereas a 3 ounce portion on a 12 inch plate will much smaller (like you’re not getting enough food). As a result, we tend to over-serve, over-consume (the Clean Plate Club) and over-eat on larger plates.

A two inch difference in plate diameter or will result in 22% less calories at each meal. To put this in perspective – if the average dinner is 800 calories, a smaller plate would lead to a weight loss of around 18 lbs per year for the average sized adult.

Starting today – September 1^st – I challenge you to join the Small Plate Movement and eat off a 10 inch plate for your largest meal of the day for the whole month.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised…

small plate movement

Are you interested in learning more? Click here to read more about the 5 W’s of Portion Control.

Source: Smallplatemovement.org

This entry is filed under Nutrition.

by Cheney

August 31

5:02 pm

No Comments

Time: Obstacle or Opportunity?

For our first Move It Monday (the newest addition to H3 Daily), here is an article from Jessica Lynn, Director of Guest Programs, about making exercise a priority. I love the title!

One of the greatest obstacles to maintaining a consistent exercise program is having enough time. It’s extremely important for our physical and mental health to achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle. As society speeds into the fast lane, we need to be the defensive drivers of our own life. It’s up to us to find the balance that will make us happy and healthy.

Time Management from the Inside Out, by Julie Morgenstern, can help you create a “Time Map – a budget of your day, week, or month that balances your time between the various departments of your life.” This can be especially helpful for those of us who try to take on every task thrown our way. According to the author, “saying ‘yes’ to the person in the moment could mean you are saying ‘no’ to someone whom you’ve already promised that time to.” Keep in mind – that person may be you.

Some examples of Morgenstern’s “Life Departments” include: Self, Work, Family, Health, Friends, and Community. When developing your own Time Map, you are encouraged to create an oasis of time for the one thing you find lacking (for example, Exercise). It can be quite empowering to develop a schedule around something that is extremely important to you. View your time as an opportunity to achieve your goals rather than an obstacle.

Scheduling your exercise time first will allow you to see adjustments that can be made in order to fill the void that has been missing without an exercise regimen. There are so many benefits to exercise: increased energy, stamina, strength, and flexibility … as well as a decreased risk for disease, reduced stress, and a positive body image. So many benefits that it’s hard to find a reason it should NOT be a part of your life. So, if time is an issue for you, map your way to success by creating a personalized Time Map.

“You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.” — Henry Ford

This entry is filed under Fitness, SELF.

by Cheney

August 28

9:35 am

No Comments

T.G.I.(H).F.

H3 Friends

Thank Goodness I (Have) Friends! Exercise friends, that is!

Looking back at our wonderful H3 Intern, Allie’s post about the ‘Attitude of Gratitude’, I realized how thankful I am for my exercise buds.

Working in an environment where everyone’s main goal is living a healthy lifestyle, it may seem as though it’s never a struggle to keep up. However, we are ALL human, and have the occasional bad day. Well, I recently lost motivation of ALL things healthy due to an injury.

Fortunately, I had a motivated exercise bud to push me back into the routine. Without the accountability from others, I would have a hard time pulling myself out of the warmth of my bed at 6:00 a.m. for a 4 mile run.

Whether you are going to the gym, taking a class or going for an afternoon walk, knowing you have someone counting on you – makes it a lot more likely that you will commit to exercise and follow through.

So, this weekend, call a friend and set a date — an exercise date!

Find your H3 Friends on our Fan Page!

This entry is filed under Fitness.

by Cheney

August 27

4:29 pm

1 Comment

TAV: Portabello Mushroom Pizza with Balsamic Pesto Sauce

portabello mushroom pizza Make every night a PIZZA night with our delicious Portabella Mushroom Pizza. Covered in a mixture of cheeses and fresh veggies—this pizza is sure to satisfy your pizza cravings without all of the fat and calories!

Not only are they yummy – but offer many health benefits!

Portabello Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients

- 8 Portabello Mushroom Caps

- 8 Tbsp. Balsamic Pesto (see below)

- 1 Cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, grated

- 1/2 Cup Provolone Cheese, grated

- 1 Cup Canned Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped

- 8 Black Olives, pitted and chopped

- 1 tsp. Fresh oregano, chopped

- 1/4 Cup Sundried tomatoes, chopped

- 8 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush underside of cleaned mushroom cap with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Place pesto brushed caps on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes. Mix mozzarella, provolone, oregano and tomoatoes together. Remove mushrooms from the oven and fill each cap with a portion of the cheese mixture. Top each with 1 Tbsp. of parmesan. Return to hot oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese has browned. Garnish with a sprig of fresh oregano if desired.

Serving Size: 1 mushroom
Number of Servings: 8
Calories: 160
Fat: 9.75 grams

Balsamic Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 Cups Fresh basil leaves (lemon basil is delicious if you can find it)

- 2 cloves Garlic

- 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- 1/4 Cup Dark Balsamic Vinegar

- 1/4 Cup Vegetable Stock

- Pinch Salt and Black Pepper

Preparation

- Place basil, garlic and pine nuts in a small food processor and chop until very fine. While processor is running, slowly pour olive oil, vinegar, and stock through the opening and continue blending for 1 minute. Pesto will be soupy, not thick like the traditional style. Remove to a plastic or glass container and add salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Serving Size: 1 Tbsp.
Number of Servings: 16
Calories: 30
Fat: 2.75 grams

This entry is filed under Nutrition.

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