3 Components of a Complete Exercise Program

There are three main components to a well- balanced program of physical activity: aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility training.

• Aerobic training should be performed three to five days per week with a minimum of 20 minutes per day.

• Strength training should be done two to three times per week, and is performed with free weights or weight machines. For the purposes of general training, two to three upper body and lower body exercises should be done. Abdominal exercises are an important part of strength training as well.

• Flexibility training is most safely done with sustained gradual movements lasting a minimum of 15 seconds per stretch. At a minimum, strive to stretch every day.

Commitment to a regular physical activity program is more important than the intensity of your workouts. Choose

exercises you are likely to enjoy and switch up your routine often.

A Healthier Mind Equals a Healthier Heart

Mental health can have a dramatic effect on heart health and vice versa. Even though the brain and the heart are located far from one another in the body, they are intrinsically connected and have a significant impact on how the other functions.In honor of American Heart Month, here are some simple meditation tips that, if used properly, can help reduce stress levels and, in turn, improve heart health.

• Go to a quiet environment and sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Then, focus your attention on one thing such as a word, phrase or sound. Repeat that one thing over and over again for 20 minutes.

• Focus your attention on the muscle groups in your feet and slowly move through each group until you reach your head. As you go through each muscle group, try to imagine that you are actually breathing through those organs. As you “exhale,” release the tension from the group.

• A third meditation exercise is to imagine that you are clearing your body of the toxins that you want to get rid of. Concentrate on releasing that energy, which will ultimately reduce the tension in your mind.

Preventing Emotional Eating

Food is commonly used as a coping mechanism for

sadness, depression and anger. However, eating to suppress feelings not only sabotages efforts to lose weight, it eventually leads to weight gain and moredepressed feelings. Since some foods trigger the release 3of mood-elevating hormones (such as chocolate), thebody craves these foods when the mind feels down in the dumps. To prevent or curb emotional eating, consider the following suggestions: Learn how to identify real hunger. Remove all unhealthy foods from the home. 4 Find comfort outside of food, like by

picking up a hobby or listening to music.

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Diet and exercise are equally important. To get the best results, it is imperative that you eat well and exercise consistently.

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Reduce the amount of processed and packaged foods you consume. Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients, the better the food.

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Move your body every day of the week and remember to think of movement as exercise. This could include standing for 10 minutes at

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Get enough sleep. How much you sleep and quite possibly the quality of your sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of

28 hormonal activity tied to yourappetite. Bottom line—a lack of sleep can make you hungry.

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RECIPES OF THE MONTH

Ingredients

Coffee Cooler

Crunchy Hawaiian Chicken Wrap

Ingredients ½ cup milk (1 percent)* ½ cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt ½ cup coffee, cooled to room

temperature 1 tsp. sugar 3 ice cubes

Directions1. In a blender, combine all ingredients

and puree until smooth.2. Pour into a chilled glass and

sprinkle with cinnamon, cocoa or nutmeg, if you like.

Serving Size—1 drink. Each serving provides 181 calories, 2 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 9 g protein, 119 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrates, 0 g dietary fiber and 31 g total sugars.

*Note—You can use any type of milk for this recipe, but be mindful that your choice of milk will change the nutritional information.

¼ cup light mayonnaise ⅛ cup white vinegar ¼ cup sugar 1 tsp. poppy seeds 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder 1 ½ tsp. onion powder 1 ½ tsp. chili powder 2 cups fresh broccoli (shredded) 1 ½ cups fresh carrots (shredded) ¼ cup canned crushed pineapple

(drained) 1 cup fresh baby spinach (chopped) 3 cups cooked chicken (diced) 6 10-inch whole wheat tortillas

Directions1. In a small mixing bowl, combine

mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder for the dressing. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

2. Combine broccoli, carrots, pineapple and spinach in a large bowl. Stir in dressing and add chicken. Mix well.

3. For each wrap, place ⅔ cup filling on the bottom half of the tortilla and roll in the form of a burrito. Place seam side down. Cut diagonally. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Serving Size—1 wrap. Each serving provides 308 calories, 6 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 24 g protein, 408 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrates and 5 g dietary fiber.

Source: USDA