5 Ways Your Cell Phone Can Help You Get Fit

The cell phone is an amazing little gadget – one that has become an integral part of our lives. There is nearly no obstacle that we encounter in our day-to-day living that can’t be solved by a quick Google search or a few clicks of an app. It is our cure for boredom, our link to our social circles, and our random photo op accomplice. Yes, the evolution of cell phones in the last ten years has done many things for us – among making us a lazy, technology-dependent society.
 
It’s not that all this convenience at our fingertips is a bad thing, but it definitely doesn’t enforce an active lifestyle. So for those of us who enjoy challenging not only our bodies but also our minds, here are a few ways to use that cell phone to defy those apathetic tendencies and really promote health and fitness.

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Families Come in All Shapes and Sizes: Help Your Children Embrace Theirs

How do you define family? 
This is the seemingly simple question that I ask college students in my adulthood and aging course when we begin to talk about family.  As they offer definitions, I jot down phrases on the board in the front of the room.  As we move along, students’ definitions become broader and more inclusive. 

In 2013, the reality is that there is not one model of "family."  In fact, there are not even two or three models of family to which we can turn in order to neatly and easily complete our list.  Children may be biological or adopted or fostered; raised by parents or grandparents; have no siblings or half siblings or step-siblings; have heterosexual or homosexual parents; have two parents who have remained married or up to four parents who represent blended families.

In fact, approximately 40% of children have divorced parents.  Two and a half million children experience the death of a parent before the age of 18.  About 1.8 million children in the U.S. are adopted.  The past four decades brought changing divorce and marriage rates, more women in the workforce, a longer life expectancy, more reproductive technologies, delayed marriage and childrearing, more alternative family patterns.  Frankly, there is no norm!

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A Dozen Quick Ways to Use Rotisserie Chicken

That lovely, roasty aroma hits you when you walk into the grocery on your way home from work and you spy a display case of rotisserie chickens near the checkout aisle. Of all the convenience foods on the store shelves, this one’s a good choice—a simple roast chicken, a good tossed salad and a loaf of whole-grain bread can make a satisfying, healthful and easy dinner.
 
A store-bought roast chicken can easily feed a family of four—and there’s more you can do with it than simply slicing and serving. Shredded or diced roast chicken can star in all kinds of easy meals. 
 
For these meal ideas, start with a store-bought chicken, or try this slow cooker version.

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How to Prevent Weight Gain When You're Injured

Exercising regularly can be a challenge for many people even when they are healthy and injury-free. To maintain your fitness level, you have to be committed—and consistent—in your exercise routine. In my new book, The Art of Fitness: A Journey to Self-Enhancement, I dedicate two chapters to these principles alone because I know firsthand just how many people struggle to keep exercise a habit.
 
But what about those of us who suffer from an injury? As if there weren't enough barriers getting in the way of your desire to work out, an injury can really set you back—if you let it. Here are seven easy-to-do tips to assist you in maintaining your fitness level when you are dealing with an injury.

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7 Quick Mood Boosters

Brighten your spirits in no time flat with these easy tricks.

Reach for the sky
 
Get on your feet, look to the ceiling and stretch your arms straight up, spreading your fingers. "The simple act of standing prompts a boost in circulation, delivering oxygen- and energy-rich blood to your cells," explains psychotherapist Kimberly Willis, PhD, author of The Little Book of Diet Help: Expert Tips and Tapping Techniques to Stay Slim for Life. And smile as you hold the stretch: It will trigger the release of feel-good brain chemicals. 

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Reconnect with Your Inner Optimist

Editor's Note: SparkPeople is thrilled to share with you this blog post from the team at meQuilibrium.com, a site whose mission very closely aligns with our own. meQuilibrium helps you dial down  the negative effects of stress by coaching you to take control of your thoughts, emotions and lifestyle habits with a unique online program.
 
Together SparkPeople and meQuilibrium are committed to making you healthier and happier, one step at a time. At the end of this post, you'll learn how to get a FREE 6-week unlimited access to meQuilibrium, including a special 30-day introductory stress-relief program, as a gift exclusively for SparkPeople members! Don't miss this limited-time offer!
 
Stress can derail our best intentions to adopt and maintain healthy habits.  It’s easy to make poor decisions when stress levels rise. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, highly stressed people are 30% less likely to eat a healthier diet and 25% less likely to exercise. People try to alleviate stress in unhealthy ways like overeating and sedentary activities like watching TV.
 
Just like managing your weight, managing your stress is about becoming aware of your choices—and making better ones. meQuilibriumcan help you dial down the effects of stress by coaching you to better manage your thoughts and emotions.  Our philosophy is this:  You can’t annihilate stress itself, or completely change your circumstances.  But you can change your response to stress.  The concepts you’ll learn, paired with a little practice, will help you do just that. And when you start to shift your stress response, you’ll find that can do lots of things you never thought you could.

 

In Search of Your Inner Optimist

Optimists sometimes get a bad rap. If you tend to be a sunny-sider, chances are you’ve been criticized for being unrealistic, impractical, a dreamer, maybe even dumb. There’s this tough-guy—and we think, defensive—response to life and its unpredictability, and that response is: Life sucks and then it’s over.

We’ve gotten the (wrong) idea that cynicism and realism go hand-in-hand, and that there’s just no room for optimism, unless we want to embarrass ourselves. Well, we disagree.

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5 Things No One Ever Tells You About Working Out

Exercising isn’t always pretty—the sweat, the matted down hair, the locker rooms—but it’s definitely worthwhile! Whether you are just starting out or returning after a long break, there are a few things no one ever really tells you about exercise. Even you regular gym bunnies might learn a thing or two from this list—oh how I wish someone had told me these when I started working out!
 
When you can expect them, and know what to do about them, you'll have fewer barriers and hiccups along your exercise journey.

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Rise and Stride: You Could Walk Off Up to 10 Pounds in 28 Days

When's the best time of day to exercise? First thing in the morning of course! Morning exercisers tend to stick with their workouts because nothing else (besides sleep) has a chance to get in the way. So I designed this progressive four-week walking program specifically for morning walkers who might meet up with friends to keep their workouts social and motivating.
 
You can, of course, do these workouts solo, on a treadmill or outdoors, or any time of day. Each one burns about 300 calories. Coupled with a reduced-calorie diet (try SparkPeople's free calorie tracker to find out how much you should eat to lose weight), this plan can help jump-start your weight loss in just one month! 

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10 Ways to Eat Right for Less

You don't need to shop at pricey, upscale supermarkets or health food stores to eat right. Your regular grocery store has nutritious foods you love that won’t break your budget. You may want to tweak what you buy, though. "Many of the healthiest foods, such as beans, are inexpensive compared to animal sources, such as meat," says Marisa Moore, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Here’s how to follow a diet that’s as good for you as it is for your wallet. 

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Boost Your Immune System

No More Sick Days

Don't let colds and flu spoil your season. Stop sniffles before they start by strengthening your immunity. Click through to discover the newest germ-fighting tips straight from the experts.

The doctor says... Take a deep breath

People who have high stress levels are more likely to get sick because stress hormones can weaken the immune system. But new research shows that meditation or exercise (or both!) can counter stress and strengthen immunity, lowering your odds of catching a cold or the flu. A recently published eight-week study found that people who practiced meditation for 45 minutes a day had a 33% to 60% reduction in respiratory infections, and another group who exercised 45 minutes a day had similar success in staying healthy. If you can't find that much time, aim for a 30-minute walk five days a week, and try to set aside at least 5 to 10 minutes daily to do something calming—even if it's just closing your eyes and slowly breathing in and out for a slow count to five. 

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6 Budget-Friendly Fitness Items for Your Home

Whether you're just getting started with this new healthy lifestyle or you've been at it for a while, it’s easy to convince yourself that you need to buy the latest and greatest in exercise gadgets or gizmos in order to achieve your fitness goals.
 
Truth is, though, there is no need to spend a ton of money on fancy equipment or even a gym membership to get in an effective workout. In fact, many great workout routines don’t need any equipment at all. If you are looking to distance yourself from the gym, investing in a few essential pieces can help you get fit at home. Versatile and inexpensive, these six items are a great place to start.  

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Spice of the Month: Nutmeg

It just wouldn't be the holidays without this warm and nutty spice. Impress friends and family at the dinner table with some trivia. Did you know nutmeg is actually the seed of a type of tree?

Nutmeg Basics

Cut open the fruit of a tropical variety of evergreen tree and you’ll find this inch-sized brown seed. It doesn’t look like much but this little baby packs in warm and earthy flavor when it’s freshly grated. Ground nutmeg is also widely available, but isn’t as potent.
Native to Indonesia, the Caribbean and part of India, the outer covering of nutmeg is cultivated as an entirely different spice known as mace.

Nutrition Info

One tablespoon of nutmeg has just shy of 40 calories, 1 gram of fiber and B-vitamins like thiamin, B6 and folate. You’ll also find minerals like copper, iron and potassium.

What to do with Nutmeg

Use nutmeg to add a spicy, sweet kick to baked goods. Banana, pumpkin, apple and carrot get along famously with this sassy spice. Sweet foods love nutmeg but so do creamy dishes like fettuccine Alfredo, mac and cheese and creamed spinach. You’ll find it in lots of holiday recipes; everything from pumpkin pie to green bean casserole.

Shopping and Storage Tips

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How to Help Children Deal When Tragedy Strikes

Our nation faced an unthinkable tragedy on the morning of December 14.  The school shooting in Newtown, CT, instantly became something that we could not wrap our brains around.  We try, but the answers that we seek do not come.  We struggle to comprehend it as adults and as parents, to choose the right words when speaking with our children, and to figure out how we can protect those around us who are more precious than anything on earth.

On the one hand, it seems an impossible task to try to write anything that can even remotely address people’s needs in response to the horrific  news that has been plastered on our television and computer screens, our mobile devices, and the black and white print around us.  On the other hand, it feels inappropriate to write about anything else at this time. (I began writing this less than 24 hours after the event.)
In the aftermath of a tragedy that is beyond our comprehension, people’s initial shocked reactions include the questions: "How could this happen?"  "Why?"  "Who would do something like this?" Even those in the news media, visibly shaken by the event as they reported on it, asked those questions.

With time, we can come up with intellectual answers to these questions that focus on the identification of the perpetrator, realization of the individual’s background and history, and a piecing together of the events that led up to the incomprehensible.  And with time, an increasing amount of the factual details will come together to tell a (perhaps fateful, and definitely tragic) tale. 

The emotional dealings with the aftermath are a much different matter. 

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How to Prevent a Cold

Sniffles Begone!

There are at least 62 million cases of the common cold every year, but you can avoid it. Barbara Doty, MD, a doctor in Wasilla, AK, and board member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, gives her three surefire ways to stay healthy.
 
1. Don't Share
It's a no-brainer to keep your lip balm and toothbrush to yourself, but don't feel bad about also saying "no thanks!" to sharing plates of food, drinks, eating utensils and even office equipment (pens, staplers, scissors) to avoid germs this time of year. 

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High-Vitamin C Recipes

To help increase your immunity this cold and flu season, give yourself an extra boost of vitamin C (no supplements required!). This antioxidant is found in a wide range of foods from potatoes to bell peppers. Check out these 5 delicious, vitamin-C rich recipes.

The Guidelines

The recommended daily amount of vitamin C is 60 milligrams. Each of the recipes below contains at least 20% (or 12 milligrams) of your daily recommended dose.
Vitamin C has many other roles besides helping stave off the common cold. It also helps form collagen, a building block of connective tissue that gives strength to skin, hair, and nails.  Vitamin C also helps increase the body's absorption of iron. 

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