TIP OF THE DAY - SATURDAY

SHOP SMART...Go shopping for some healthy foods.
By Liza Barnes & Nicole Nichols, Health Educators

So, you’re going to start eating healthy. Congratulations are in order—and so is a trip to the grocery store. Stocking up on some new items is a must. If your pantry is full of healthy fare, you’ll stress less about meals, and you’ll be less likely to snack on nutritionally-empty junk. But should you buy 12-grain or whole wheat bread? Low-fat milk or soy milk? Butter or margarine? Grocery shopping isn’t rocket science, but it can be confusing, even for those with the best of intentions. So to help, here's SparkPeople's list of shopping cart essentials—an aisle-by-aisle guide to supplies you’ll need to stock your kitchen for your healthy eating resolution.
Produce; start here: Fresh fruits and veggies are the foundation of a healthy diet.
Apples and bananas are great quick snack foods and with summer just
around the corner, bananas are great in smoothies.
Romaine Lettuce is better then iceberg lettuce, more nutrients.
Carrots and celery is another great snack item.
Dark green, leafy vegetables, such as, broccoli, kale, chard, and spinach are popular examples. Other seasonal foods. Whatever is in-season in your region is usually most nutritious and flavorful.
Bread and Cereal Aisles:
Whole wheat bread. To make sure you're buying whole grain bread (which is superior in nutrition and arguably, flavor) make sure "whole" is the first word on the ingredient list. The same goes for buns, bagels, English muffins, pitas, and other bread products.
Whole wheat pasta, brown rice, healthy whole grain cereal with no sugar added are also the best and of course don't forget oatmeal.
What to avoid in the bread and cereal aisles:
Snack cakes, doughnuts, muffins, Danishes and other pastries don't make healthy breakfast choices.
Sugary cereals, especially those marketed to kids
The Dairy Case;Most grocery stores place dairy in the very back so that you'll have to walk through the whole store (and past its enticing food items) to get to it.
Skim milk has just as much calcium as other varieties, but far less saturated fat. If you’re intolerant of milk (or prefer not to drink it), try dairy alternatives like soy or rice milk.
Low-fat yogurt is getting more praise everyday for supplying our bodies with probiotics, the healthy bacteria that keep our intestines happy. Choose low-fat and natural varieties, but watch the sugar content.
· Cheese. Admittedly, some low-fat cheeses don't taste as good as the "real" thing, but this is improving. Cheese is high in calcium, so even if you splurge on the full-fat varieties, it’s still healthy to eat it in moderation and when you keep your portions in check.
· Butter is a food to be enjoyed in moderation. It has about the same amount of fat and calories as margarine, but is often a better choice since margarine can be loaded with trans fats.
· Eggs and egg whites are great sources of protein. Many experts and consumers agree that the best tasting (and possibly most nutritious) eggs come from organically-fed and pasture-raised birds.
Meat and other proteins:
· Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are an ultra-simple and healthy source of protein. Go for hormone-free chicken when possible.
· Canned chunk-light tuna in water is healthy and convenient when making sandwiches and topping salads. Avoid tuna packed in oil, and watch for added sodium. Try canned salmon for variety.
· Fish is a heart-healthy protein source thanks its omega-3 fatty acids. Choose fresh if it fits your budget and lifestyle, or frozen. Cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout, wild salmon and tuna are the best choices.
· Beans are good sources of protein, fiber and other nutrients. You can buy them canned, but for superior flavor (and price), buy dried beans. Some staple varieties include black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and kidney beans. Add them to soups or salads, or over some brown rice, with grated cheese and salsa for a simple and satisfying supper.
· Lean beef isn't that hard to find. Look for USDA Select or Choice grades of beef that are trimmed of fat or marked as "lean," such as round, sirloin, flank steak and 95% lean ground beef.
Just use common sense and, "DON'T FORGET TO READ THE LABELS"

TIP OF THE DAY - FRIDAY

TAKE A HIKE! Take a walk. Don’t worry about how long or far you go—just get out there!
Maybe not a hike. We are headed for the weekend so this is the perfect time to get outside. We in Klamath Falls are suppose to have snow off and on for another week but if there are periods of nice warm (and I mean above freezing) then this is the perfect time to go walk around the block and enjoy the beautiful spring flowers. You don't have to take time to stop and smell the roses, just walk by them and enjoy their beauty. Enjoy the weekend...OUTSIDE!

TIP OF THE DAY - THURSDAY

EXERCISE 10 MINUTES A DAY. (By Liz Noelcke, SparkPeople Contributor)
Jump rope, march in place, or do some crunches. Small amounts do add up to something big!
Just 10?Forget the "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to exercise. Fitness does not live or die by 60-minute workouts; there is middle ground. Short spurts of exercise, when they accumulate, have been shown to share similar benefits of longer workouts.Your body will reap numerous benefits just by becoming more active. This approach is perfect for times when you don’t have time for a regular workout, or when you want to start off slowly and build up a routine. Easier Than You Think. Treat these 10 minutes like you would a regular workout. Take 1-2 minutes to warm up and get the muscles ready, including stretching. Follow with at least 7 minutes of exercise at a medium or high intensity. Then make sure to include a 60-second cool down.
Since it’s brief, it’s important to work at a fairly high intensity to obtain all of the benefits. Work at raising your heart and respiration rates. Just like regular workouts, try to include cardio, strength training and flexibility work in your shortened routine. Either knock out all three during the 10 minutes, or plan a 10-minute segment for each area.Example: Push out 10 cardio minutes on the stationary bike. For strength, do push-ups, wall sits, or lift dumbbells. For flexibility, it’s helpful to just stretch every day. Work different muscle groups and keep it simple. After 10 minutes, you will feel healthier and be on your way to developing solid fitness habits.

Joleane's 5K Challenge

One of my goals is to run a 5K (3.1 miles). I did one in January and walked most of it. I did one in March and ran the first full mile and finished 2 mins. faster than the one in Jan. It's an improvement anyway.
So the next one I'm doing is on May 30th. It's called the Born to Run Challenge. The "challenge" part means I NEED YOUR HELP, your pledge that is. My goal is to raise $50 in pledges. If I get just 5 of you to pledge $10 then I'm there pretty quickly. My sister-in-law Sarah is doing this too, and will need pledges as well. I believe she has the same $50 goal. (Truth be told, if we each raise $50 than we don't have to pay the entry fee).
This is for a good cause though. The run is a fundraiser for the Lane Pregnancy Support Center. They help & support women in need during their pregnancies.
For anyone within the sound... of my voice... Well anyway, if you'd like to pledge some money to the cause you can let me know privately at jemsharp@comcast.net as I will need your name, address and phone number as well. If you pledge less than $10 you just send the money to me. If you pledge more than $10 the Lane Pregnancy Support Center will contact you.
For more information you can go to the event website.
Thanks in advance for all your support, even if it's just reading this post.

TIP OF THE DAY - WEDNESDAY

SHARE YOUR GOALS AND REWARDS. Whether you post them on the blog or share them with a friend, you’ll be more accountable. REMEMBER to be flexible. I am learning this the hard way. According to the experts I should be losing 10 pounds each month and I am only losing 2. I either redo my goals or I get very depressed and just give up. Giving up is so much easier, but that can't happen because the BIG REWARD OF GOOD HEALTH is just to important. So, make sure you make goals and have rewards but don't quit if you don't reach them as fast as you think you should. This is another reason to share them.

TIP OF THE DAY - TUESDAY

MEAL PLANNING!!!UGH! It doesn't matter if you live alone, with a spouse, or have a house full of children, the biggest question of the day is ALWAYS, "What's for dinner?" When you are dieting this question seems to get harder and harder to answer. What tastes good, is good for me and does not contain too many calories. Remember dinner is just one meal of the day. The other day I fixed Calvin a big breakfast and thought about having the same thing as I was fixing him which was fried spuds, fried bread, fried egg, sausage, and orange juice. I went to spark people and listed all the foods I was serving him and quickly learned that had I eaten that 1 meal I would have been way over my calories, sodium, carb, fats, and fibers for the day and half of the next day. I decided smartly that I would stick to my oatmeal for breakfast. Wise choice. But what if I am tired of oatmeal for breakfast? Well here are five sites that you can checkout that offers menu planning helps. I still will stick with my sparkpeople because I can either enter the foods that I choose or it has a place for them to plan the menus with just a click of the button.
I have not tried any of these sites but did look at them. Maybe one or more will give you some ideas:

http://www.changingshape.com/dietandnutrition/mealplans/plans/2202.asp

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3031819

http://www.mydietbuddy.com/diet-menu-planner.htm

http://dietbites.com/Free-Diet-Menus/simple-menus.html

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

WEIGH INS FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL

NO SURPRISE HERE!!! Liisa is the big loser with 4.8 pounds last week.
Sarah, Eileen and Elizabeth all stayed the same.
Becky lost 1/2 pound.
Yvonne lost 1 pound.
We need to get more information from Liisa on her dieting secrets. They sure seem
to be working. Way to go, Liisa.