I am going to regularly post recipes again. This one is a favorite that is lower calorie and tasty as heck. With the cooler weather it seemed the time to share this one.
White Chili with Ground Turkey
Yours in Health,
Kate
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Laryngitis - I don't think it's fatal
Yesterday I told you I was hoarse from yelling at the Race for the Cure. Today I woke up and my voice was barely audible. With the help of much coffee I was able to do my shift on LITE 104.1, but then I had to go home.
Radio is not a business you can be quiet in and everyone was at my desk. So, I am finishing out the day at home. I did not go workout because I am also not feeling that hot.
There are people who think I might stop breathing if I do not talk - you know who you are. But don't worry, it's not fatal. I'll be back at work and gym tomorrow, even if I don't have a voice.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Radio is not a business you can be quiet in and everyone was at my desk. So, I am finishing out the day at home. I did not go workout because I am also not feeling that hot.
There are people who think I might stop breathing if I do not talk - you know who you are. But don't worry, it's not fatal. I'll be back at work and gym tomorrow, even if I don't have a voice.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Race for the Cure - Des Moines 2010
My voice is gone. I stood at the finish line of the Race for the Cure yesterday with the ladies from the Mercy Cancer Center. We were cheering on the 25,000 heroes who were helping raise money and spirits in the fight again breast cancer. I cheered loudly, used my clapper, gave high fives and was inspired.
Thousands of people streamed past me - women, men, children, dogs - all with one purpose, the eradication of a deadly disease. A disease that will infect 1 in 8 women and 1 in 100 men and affect hundreds more who love those people. With early detection it doesn't have to be a killer, but it still has to be battled - a team makes that easier.
And that's what you saw yesterday, team after team - Testes for Breasties, Amanda's Army, Team Fight Like a Girl and many other creative efforts put forth for a little fun in a sea of serious. People walked and ran for victims who had lost their fight. Women came in wheel chairs because they were too sick from chemo. It wasn't a place to extol traditional physical beauty - many were bald from radiation, no make-up, one breast - instead it was beauty of spirit that caused cheers and claps.
I was moved, not only by the vast swath of pink that was moving in unison through downtown Des Moines, but by the power of love. I was honored to be on the side of the street where survivors walked by in a special chute, just for them. They smiled, they cried, they cheered, they hugged, they danced in pride - they made us all believe.
Thank you to Mercy Cancer Center for inviting us to be a part of the cheer section that welcomed everyone back to the capitol, it was wonderful, even if I have no voice to say it out loud. ;)
Yours in Health,
Kate
Thousands of people streamed past me - women, men, children, dogs - all with one purpose, the eradication of a deadly disease. A disease that will infect 1 in 8 women and 1 in 100 men and affect hundreds more who love those people. With early detection it doesn't have to be a killer, but it still has to be battled - a team makes that easier.
And that's what you saw yesterday, team after team - Testes for Breasties, Amanda's Army, Team Fight Like a Girl and many other creative efforts put forth for a little fun in a sea of serious. People walked and ran for victims who had lost their fight. Women came in wheel chairs because they were too sick from chemo. It wasn't a place to extol traditional physical beauty - many were bald from radiation, no make-up, one breast - instead it was beauty of spirit that caused cheers and claps.
I was moved, not only by the vast swath of pink that was moving in unison through downtown Des Moines, but by the power of love. I was honored to be on the side of the street where survivors walked by in a special chute, just for them. They smiled, they cried, they cheered, they hugged, they danced in pride - they made us all believe.
Thank you to Mercy Cancer Center for inviting us to be a part of the cheer section that welcomed everyone back to the capitol, it was wonderful, even if I have no voice to say it out loud. ;)
Yours in Health,
Kate
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Inspiring Stories of Weight Loss
I wanted to start sharing stories about other people on the path to health again. Today I was on the Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center website and found Dave's story.
I have been to the site many times and seen his face, but never clicked. It's a great story! He set realistic goals, sought help to make it happen and is nearly at his goal. He looks great and feels even better.
Some days are harder than others. Some days you look at your car keys and the gym seems too far away. Sometimes the burger wins. But if you look around, someone has been through it too. Hearing their story can help.
I figured I would start in our own backyard. So, here is the link to the video of Dave.
I figured I would start in our own backyard. So, here is the link to the video of Dave.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Staring at a Blank Page
Staring. Nothing. In fact, I have come back several times over the last couple of hours and nada.
So, I will just quickly note that I had a great workout today with Gwyn at the YMCA Healthy Living Center. She made me whine. That means she pushed my limits and that's a very good thing.
With that I think I will go home for the night.
Yours in Health,
Kate
So, I will just quickly note that I had a great workout today with Gwyn at the YMCA Healthy Living Center. She made me whine. That means she pushed my limits and that's a very good thing.
With that I think I will go home for the night.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Do you pay her to do that?
When I train in the pools at the YMCA Healthy Living Center with my personal trainer Gwyn, we are quite the draw for those with a natural curiosity - today was no exception.
I had put in 25 minutes doing laps and then Gwyn came to join me in the lap pool. We took over the lane as she had me run up and down the length of the pool. I did tons of jumping jacks, ab work and swam with water weights as my arms made their windmill through the water. Between my laps and her workout, I am sore and tired, but invigorated. I have come so far and it feels great. The little ladies at the pool have a different view....
Most of the ladies are older, especially since I workout during the day, and they aren't rockin' the killer attitude I am. They are there to stay fit or if they are trying to get fit, throwing a punch under water never passed through their mind.
I fully admit, we draw attention to ourselves, we splash around like a herd of horses drowning. But I love their reactions, it really makes my day. They sometimes stare, sometimes laugh and often comment. The most popular question is "Do you pay her to do that to you?" I always smile and says, "Yes, I want to work this hard." That's met with head shakes, further quizzing or people wanting to ask Gwyn about training.
I actually love it. I love telling people about how hard work pays off. About how great Gwyn is. And when I hear the words that make me go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week, not "you are looking good", instead - "you are inspiring." If I can help one person feel the urge to go to the gym or eat healthier and therefore they live longer, I have done my job and yes, I would pay for that.
Yours in Health,
Kate
I had put in 25 minutes doing laps and then Gwyn came to join me in the lap pool. We took over the lane as she had me run up and down the length of the pool. I did tons of jumping jacks, ab work and swam with water weights as my arms made their windmill through the water. Between my laps and her workout, I am sore and tired, but invigorated. I have come so far and it feels great. The little ladies at the pool have a different view....
Most of the ladies are older, especially since I workout during the day, and they aren't rockin' the killer attitude I am. They are there to stay fit or if they are trying to get fit, throwing a punch under water never passed through their mind.
I fully admit, we draw attention to ourselves, we splash around like a herd of horses drowning. But I love their reactions, it really makes my day. They sometimes stare, sometimes laugh and often comment. The most popular question is "Do you pay her to do that to you?" I always smile and says, "Yes, I want to work this hard." That's met with head shakes, further quizzing or people wanting to ask Gwyn about training.
I actually love it. I love telling people about how hard work pays off. About how great Gwyn is. And when I hear the words that make me go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week, not "you are looking good", instead - "you are inspiring." If I can help one person feel the urge to go to the gym or eat healthier and therefore they live longer, I have done my job and yes, I would pay for that.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Monday, October 18, 2010
What Did You Say? Some Exercise Terms - Part 2
Sorry I didn't post over the weekend. I worked 13 hours on Saturday and just rested and did laundry yesterday (never happens), so I didn't get a chance to blog. That said, here is part two of our glossary of terms heard around the gym.
Fiber - From Dictionary.com: the structural part of plants and plant products that consists of carbohydrates, as cellulose and pectin, that are wholly or partially indigestible and when eaten stimulate peristalsis (moving along the waste) in the intestine. Basically it helps fill you up AND helps keep you regular. It can also help control blood sugar.
Free weights - Any weight not attached to a machine. Dumbells are the most used, but barbells and heavier weights are available as well. Do not use the latter without someone to 'spot' you. Spotting means standing there to catch the weight if you lose your grip or footing, so the weight doesn't crush you.
Glutes - The shortened name for the muscles in your buttocks. Real name - gluteus maximus.
Lats - latissimus dorsi muscles. Working this muscle helps whittle down your sides and back.
Ligament/Tendon - I have combined these because they have similar purposes. Both are bands of tissue that holds things in place - ligaments connect bone to bone, tendons connect muscle to bone. Years ago I had a guy run over me playing softball and he tore up those and every other part of my knee - proving the two thick fibrous strands are good neighbors. Famous tendon - Achilles (up the back of your leg). Famous ligament - anterior cruciate (in your knee).
Lunges - A move to strengthen lower body muscles, especially helpful with quads (see below for meaning) and glutes. You start in a standing position and then lunge forward with one leg to end up in this position.
Machines - You hear "I'm going to hit the machines". That's any machine that involves a weight bearing exercise. On a rare occasion someone will say that when they are going to a cardio machine like a treadmill or stair-stepper, but most of the time they mean weights. And remember, even if the weight is controlled by a machine, you can still injure yourself, so have someone walk you through them the first time.
Protein - Again, from Dictionary.com - They consist of long chains of amino acids connected by peptide bonds and have distinct and varied three-dimensional structures, usually containing alpha helices and beta sheets as well as looping and folded chains. In layman's terms - this is the building block of muscle. It's can be found in meat, beans, seeds, nuts, grain, fish, dairy and a number of other sources. DO NOT lifts weights without eating protein, your body will revolt.
Quads - Quadriceps femoris. A large group of muscles in the legs. Most commonly referring to the muscles on the upper front of your legs - aka- your thighs.
Rep - Any complete motion in a set of exercises. Each complete motion is one rep, these are often done in sets of 12 to 20 depending on what you are trying to accomplish. This is not just s reference to weights, it can be non-weight exercises like sit-ups too.
Shin splints - Pain at the front of your lower leg or just to the inside front of your lower leg. This can be caused by a number of strains, the most noted are overuse and sudden change in workout. Examples - Overuse happens when you run everyday and a sudden change would be going from walking to running out of nowhere. I have had bad shin splints before. Only three things fix them - rest, anti-inflammatories and ice.
Squats - Imagine sitting, without a chair. That's the basic idea behind a squat and encourages the idea of not bending your knees more than 90-degrees, which is better for your knees. In fact, I was kind of scared scrolling the Internet looking for a picture of a proper example for you. There are a lot of people that are doing them wrong! You can do them with or without weights, against a wall, with a ball and one legged, but you should consider not going lower than 90-degrees, unless you have really awesome knees.
So there you go. Between this entry and this one, you have the basics of 'gym speak'. If there are other things you overhear and wonder about, let me know.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Fiber - From Dictionary.com: the structural part of plants and plant products that consists of carbohydrates, as cellulose and pectin, that are wholly or partially indigestible and when eaten stimulate peristalsis (moving along the waste) in the intestine. Basically it helps fill you up AND helps keep you regular. It can also help control blood sugar.
Free weights - Any weight not attached to a machine. Dumbells are the most used, but barbells and heavier weights are available as well. Do not use the latter without someone to 'spot' you. Spotting means standing there to catch the weight if you lose your grip or footing, so the weight doesn't crush you.
Glutes - The shortened name for the muscles in your buttocks. Real name - gluteus maximus.
Lats - latissimus dorsi muscles. Working this muscle helps whittle down your sides and back.
 |
| Lats |
 |
| Brad Pitt as Achilles - okay, couldn't help it. |
 |
| Lunge position |
Protein - Again, from Dictionary.com - They consist of long chains of amino acids connected by peptide bonds and have distinct and varied three-dimensional structures, usually containing alpha helices and beta sheets as well as looping and folded chains. In layman's terms - this is the building block of muscle. It's can be found in meat, beans, seeds, nuts, grain, fish, dairy and a number of other sources. DO NOT lifts weights without eating protein, your body will revolt.
Quads - Quadriceps femoris. A large group of muscles in the legs. Most commonly referring to the muscles on the upper front of your legs - aka- your thighs.
Rep - Any complete motion in a set of exercises. Each complete motion is one rep, these are often done in sets of 12 to 20 depending on what you are trying to accomplish. This is not just s reference to weights, it can be non-weight exercises like sit-ups too.
Shin splints - Pain at the front of your lower leg or just to the inside front of your lower leg. This can be caused by a number of strains, the most noted are overuse and sudden change in workout. Examples - Overuse happens when you run everyday and a sudden change would be going from walking to running out of nowhere. I have had bad shin splints before. Only three things fix them - rest, anti-inflammatories and ice.
Squats - Imagine sitting, without a chair. That's the basic idea behind a squat and encourages the idea of not bending your knees more than 90-degrees, which is better for your knees. In fact, I was kind of scared scrolling the Internet looking for a picture of a proper example for you. There are a lot of people that are doing them wrong! You can do them with or without weights, against a wall, with a ball and one legged, but you should consider not going lower than 90-degrees, unless you have really awesome knees.
 |
| Beginner squat - the chair is a great safety net. |
Yours in Health,
Kate
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