Japanese Most Healthiest People... WHY?

Recently I've had the urge to see which country is the healthiest in the world.  Not surprisingly, Japan was number one.  I wanted to know what it is that they were doing differently than the rest of the world.  These are a few things I decided they do differently than most nations.

1.  They eat smaller meals
2.  They eat approximately 30-40 different foods a day (try it it's not easy!)
3.  They walk or bike most everywhere.
4.  They do everything they can to have a low stress life.
5.  They are content with what they have.

I was astounded at the variety of foods they must eat if they can manage to eat 30-40 different foods a day.  At first I didn't think that was very much, but then I tried it for two days.  I ate smaller meals and made the variety of my meals greater (eating whole foods of course) and the greatest variety I could get in was 25!  So close!  But you know, I felt completely satisfied at the end of each meal, the Japanese may be on to something about variety in ones diet.  The more varied your foods are the more varied your nutrients will be.  You have to eat smaller portions, in order to reach your goal, but it is truly amazing how you feel.  I dare you to try it!  No I triple dog dare you!  Cravings may diminish as a result and work productivity may increase.

For some exercise try the 10 minute challenge.  Go for a walk after each meal for 10 minutes.  The more meals you eat the more walking you will do.  :)  See if those 10 minute strolls don't increase your energy levels.

Lemon Water

32 oz of Ice Water
Juice of 1 fresh squeezed lemon

Sip all day long.
*Lemon water has been known to cleanse you and help reduce cravings.

Got Some Question's For You

I have no words of wisdom for this blog entry, but rather a couple of questions I would like my readers to respond to.

What does Good Health look like to you?

What nutrition and fitness information do you want to know more about?

Moving All Day Long Better Than Working Out Once A Day

Research is coming out everywhere saying that you can't get away with just working out in the morning and being idol the rest of the day.  No matter how many calories you burn in that morning workout, people who are active all day long, but don't necessarily workout, are healthier than those who just workout once a day and are sedentary the rest of the day.

Research is also showing that those who workout hard several days a week are not better off than those who just walk. Those that walk seem to have more energy throughout the day to be more active, whereas those who train hard don't have as much energy to expend during the day and ultimately don't burn as many calories.  I personally believe that if you know this information you will be more aware of how much you move around during the day and try to make more of an effort to move that body around during the day.  Gaining all kinds of health benefits by doing so.

For some exercise try swimming keep those strokes going for a good 20 minutes and enjoy staying cool in the heat.

Strawberry/Banana Yogurt Smoothie

1 C Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Ripe Banana
2-4 C Frozen Strawberries
1 tsp. Vanilla

Blender ingredients in order in a high powered blender.  Serves about 3-4 people.  YUM!

150 Minutes Is The Key According To Research

For all you procrastinators out there, I've got good news for you.  If you put off exercising until "tomorrow" that's okay heck you can even put it off until the day after tomorrow.  According to new research coming out of Queens University it doesn't matter how often you workout, but rather the amount of time you work out.  Apparently 150 minutes is the amount of time you need to exercise each week in order to maintain good health.  It doesn't matter if you do it over several days or all in one, the research shows that you would be just as fit and healthy as a person who exercises several times a day for shorter amounts of time as you would with someone who exercise for 150 minutes in one day.  BUT, I personal recommend you get some exercise on a daily basis as there are lots of health benefits to daily exercise.

For some exercise try this 100, 100, 100 challenge: 100 Lunges, 100 skips, 100 standing strait leg ab crunches.  Break it up anyway you need to finish the challenge and be sure to warm up for 5 minutes before beginning.  A few stretches at the end will prevent soreness tomorrow.  :)

A Snack Idea:

Ants On A Log
 2 stalks of celery, washed
 1 TB Adam's Peanut Butter
 1/4 C raisins
* Put PB in Celery stalk, top with raisins, and ENJOY!

Calories In Terms of $$$$$

The other day a profound thought came to me.  Perhaps for some people keeping track of calories can be compared to a household budget.  For example, if you have a calorie budget of say 2000 calories a day you can spend those calories on cheap or poor nutrient foods, like prepackaged foods and then they "break down" on you real quick.  OR you can invest your calories wisely into more "expensive" foods or nutrient dense foods like a good piece of fish, some in-season berries, Wild Rice, etc.  But if you think of your calories as money it may help you decide on what you're going to put in your body.  Just as you wouldn't want to buy a cheap pair of jeans that will wear out on you after you wash them once, you wouldn't want to spend your calories on cheap (poor nutrient) foods.  And if you eat more than you should in a day, then you're in debt to your body.  And your body has to carry all those extra calories you ate until you "pay it off" or work it off.  Make sense?

So invest in some good calorie choices today and perhaps you can get a little exercise and put some savings in the calorie bank by burning a few extra calories today.

For some exercise today get outside, enjoy the nice weather, take a hike, walk around a park, ride a bike, go roller bladeing, jump on your trampoline, just do some active movement for as much time as you have.  Remember to warm up for five minutes before and after you exercise.

Garlic Lime Chicken

6 Chicken breast
3 T Olive Oil
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
2 T dried onion
3 T lime juice
1/2 bunch of cilantro dice fine

Combine marinade ingredients and beat well.  Marinate chicken overnight of for 4 hours.  Cook on Grill at medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Baste with more marinade if you want to.  Grill until no longer pink in the center.  Serve with a green salad, Brown rice, and some watermelon.  :)

Just Say No To...

Excusercising!  That's right, just say NO to excusercising.  I can't exercise because I don't have time, money, energy, etc.  Stop thinking and saying that! Where there's a will there's a way.  We all lead very busy lives so you have to decide what's being in good health worth to you?  Is it worth 30 less minutes with your loved ones?  Is it worth 30 less minutes in front of the TV or computer?  I really truly hope that as you have read my blog posts you can see how valuable exercising is to your health, your family life, your married life, your employment, etc.  Exercise can make so many things in your life better.  Make it a habit every day to get moving whether that's a 10 minute walk before and after each meal (which would add up to 60 minutes), or a bike ride to and from work, a walk during your lunch hour at work, etc.  Just make moving a part of who you are.  It's beautiful outside today in my neck of the woods so we'll be spending ample time outside playing, I hope you will grab your loved ones and do the same thing.

So for some exercise try my walk challenge... Brisk walk 10 minutes before and after each meal every day this week!

Sorry no recipe today, short on time, my kids are calling me to go out and play.  :)  As always thanks for reading and feel free to share any of my blog posts with your friends.

Without This You Could Die Within 72 Hours!

I'm sure you've heard this a hundred times, but water is a key nutrient to keeping your body in good condition.  Water has a lot of great health benefits, I've listed a few below.

1. Weight loss - Helps curb your appetite and also flushes the by-products of fat breakdown.
2. Healthy skin - Research is still out on this one, but water can't hurt.
3. Reduces Headaches - Not always, but it can help in some cases.
4. Relieves Fatigue - If you're one to not drink much water and you feel tired all the time, drink more H2O.
5. Aids in Digestion - Who doesn't need a little bit of help moving food along the way?
6. Improves Immune System - Research is still out on this one too, but the findings are looking good.
7. Boost Metabolism - The theory here is if you drink cold water, your body burns calories trying to get your body back to 98 degrees.
8. Detoxifies Body - Water can help dilute some toxins and then you flush them out when you use the little mens/womens room.
9. Can Improve Your Mood - Especially if you add a little Lemon to make things Zippy!
10. Could get rid of bad breath - Key word is "could" some people just have bad breath, but if you think your problem may be a lack of water, get yourself a tall glass of H2O to help relieve the problem.

If you're not a fan of drinking water try eating some of these high water content foods which are also high in fiber and minerals and vitamins:

1. Leafy Greens - Spinach, Kale, Romaine Lettuce, Collards, Beet Greens, etc
2. Melons - Watermelon, cantaloupe, Honey Dew, etc
3. Tomatoes
4. Cucumbers - Eat them with the skins if you can stand it.  :)
5. Apples

For some exercise: 100 Lunges, 100 Windmills (with your arms), 100 High Knee's, Marching in Place.

Tomato Strawberry Freeze (Vitamix Cook Book)
2 Roma tomatoes, halved
1/4 C milk
1/3 C sugar or sweetener
1 lb frozen strawberries

Place all ingredients in order in a blender, blend until smooth.  DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE TOMATOES YOU CAN'T TASTE THEM.  :)