Fitness Newsletter                                              August 2009

In this issue:

• FREE Women's Fitness Conference!
• Positive Self-Talk and Exercise
• 5 Fats To Help You Get Lean
• NEW: Private Boot Camps
• All About Vitamin C
• Health Quiz
• Recipe: Citrus Cheesecake

Positive Self-Talk and Exercise          

When you exercise, what messages are running through your head? How you think about working out greatly influences how you feel about it — and how likely you are to stick with it. If your self-talk during exercise is all negative, your experience with exercise will be negative, too.

Do any of the following thoughts sound familiar?

• "I don't like exercise."
• "I'm not a natural athlete."
• "I'll never get better at this."
• "Everyone is looking at me."
• "I missed a workout, so I may as well give up."
• "I'm too tired for this."
• "I'm never going to reach my goal."
• "If I exercise, I'll feel exhausted afterward."

If any of these — or any other — negative messages come to mind during your workouts, try replacing them with the following:

• "I will keep trying until I find an activity I enjoy... like Austin Adventure Boot Camp!"
• "My body is made to move."
• "I will gain skill over time."
• "Others can think what they like — I won't let it stop me."
• "I may have missed a workout, but I can get back on track today."
• "I'm tired, but I'll aim for just 10 minutes of exercise and then see how I feel."
• "I can and will reach my goal."
• "After I exercise, I really feel good about myself."
• "I love and respect myself and want to be fit and healthy."
• "Everyone around me will benefit."

This week, pay attention to the thoughts you're having during exercise and focus on replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. Doing so will make your workouts more productive and enjoyable and get you to your fitness goals much faster!

To get lean, you need to eat the right kind of fat. Avoid saturated and trans fats (which are found in red meat, full-fat dairy products, and many packaged foods), and instead choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Here are some of the best sources of healthy fat to help you reach your weight goal.

1. Fish. Fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, and sardines contain beneficial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Most experts agree that eating two servings of fatty fish per week is safe for people who are worried about mercury or other toxins. (Pregnant women should consult with their doctors about consuming fish.) If you don't like fish, a quality fish oil supplement will give you the benefits without the taste.
2. Olive oil. Heart-healthy oils such as olive, canola, and peanut are excellent sources of fat for dieters. They have also been shown to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Use them sparingly when sautéing, or drizzle them over your favorite salad vegetables with a little vinegar and herbs to maximize the absorption of nutrients. Moderation is important: You really only need about a teaspoon of oil to get all its benefits. Using more will add significant calories.
3. Avocados. Eat a spinach and carrot salad with a little avocado, and you'll not only get a dose of good fat, but you'll also absorb more phytonutrients like lutein and beta-carotene. Scientists at Ohio State University in Columbus found that more antioxidants were absorbed when people ate a salad containing avocados than when they ate a salad without this tasty fruit. One-quarter of an avocado will add flavor with about 75 calories.
4. Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts are powerhouses of good nutrition—full of antioxidants, minerals, and monounsaturated fat. The Nurses Health Study, where more than 86,000 nurses were followed for 14 years, found that those who ate nuts regularly (about an ounce per day) tended to weigh less than those who didn't. The protein, fat, and fiber make nuts more filling, which helps dieters stay on track. There's an added psychological bonus to eating nuts: Because they're rich and satisfying, you probably won't feel like you're on a diet.
5. Flaxseeds. Packing a wallop of fat, protein, and fiber, flaxseeds are a delicious and healthful addition to any diet. You can grind them up and add them to oatmeal, yogurt, salads, or vegetables, or pretty much anywhere you want a nutty crunch. They're a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, making them a good choice for vegetarians or people who don't like fish. Ground flaxseeds also have 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon that will help slow digestion and keep your blood sugar stable.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Fat might be considered a health food, but that's not a cue to overindulge. At 9 calories per gram, fat is a more concentrated energy source than protein and carbohydrates (each has 4 calories per gram). You need to be mindful of your overall caloric intake if you want to eat more fat and lose weight. But you'll probably find it a bit easier to manage your calories when you feel full and satisfied after eating the right kinds of fat.

Function: Vitamin C helps to heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy gums and teeth, strengthen the immune system, and absorb iron. It also helps neutralize free-radicals in cells that promote aging, fight bacterial infections, and aid in the production of red blood cells.

Sources: Fresh fruit and berries (especially citrus fruits), green vegetables, onions, tomatoes, radishes, and rose hips are all excellent vitamin C sources.

Recommended daily intake: Men and women should each consume at least 60 mg of vitamin C daily. Many things can increase the need of vitamin C in the body, including stress and smoking. For smokers, recommended intake increases to 110 mg for women and 125 mg for men. While not getting enough vitamin C can lead to scurvy, consuming more than 2000 mg on a daily basis can lead to headaches, increased urination, mild diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take more than the recommended amounts of Vitamin C.

TRUE or FALSE: If you exercise, you can eat whatever you want.

- FALSE. While exercise does burn calories, what and how much you eat still matters. For example, a one-mile walk burns about 100 calories — so you'd have to walk for 12 miles to burn off the typical 1,200-calorie fast-food meal of a hamburger, fries, and a soft drink!

Ingredients:

• crust:
  • nonfat cooking spray
    
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
    
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup wheat flour
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 8 oz. packages nonfat cream cheese
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
  
• 1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
  
• 1 teaspoon lime peel, grated
  
• 1 teaspoon orange peel, grated
  
• 3 egg whites
  
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300º F.
• Prepare the crust: Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix crumbs, brown sugar and butter then firmly press mixture into bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
• Prepare the filling: In a large sized mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour then add vanilla, cream cheese, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Add milk, sour cream, citrus juices and peels and beat until smooth.
• In a separate mixing bowl, using clean and dry beaters, beat egg whites at room temperature at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg white mixture with cream cheese mixture.
• Pour into prepared crust and bake at 300º F for 1 hour or until set. Remove from oven and let completely cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.Sprinkle with grated lemon, lime and orange zest before serving (optional.)

Nutritional Info :

• Servings: 12
• Fat: 4.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 26.3 g
• Protein: 8.6 g
• Calories: 177.0