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A CHECKUP WITH THE DOCTOR……
A recent survey conducted by RBC Insurance found that only 39% of Canadian men said they see their doctor every year whereas only 59% of women attend their yearly checkups. The survey found that most people would rather partake in some ungodly household chore than to schedule an appointment with their physician. The mentality still stands that if I’m not sick I don’t need to go…. This is not the attitude that should be present. Checkups with your doctor are just that – checkups – they may provide information leading to onset of diabetes, high cholesterol, ladies those yearly tests – all of these things that if CHECKED and CAUGHT and PREVENTED can lead to a healthier, happier, and longer lifespan. I am an advocate for healthy lives – which includes fitness, supportive eating, and taking care of yourself. So do yourself a favor and if you haven’t seen your good friend Dr.Soandso in the last year, take the proactive step and make an appointment.

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How many of us are guilty of finishing our workout, heading to the showers, and then heading home?? What step are we forgetting?? You got it – the cool down. I think that some of us fail to realize how important the cool down is to our body. By continuing to move about at a low intensity it allows our blood flow to redistribute itself from pooling in our extremities as well as bring down our heart rate. By decreasing our heart rate your blood pressure is going to decrease and systems such as digestion will begin to function yet again. If you fail to cool down your heart rate will remain elevated for longer periods of time (which is not beneficial) and you may obtain greater muscle soreness and stiffness than if you had taken 1 0minutes to do a nice easy cool down.

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¼ C olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 tsp powder)
1 1/3 C onion, coarsely chopped
1 ½ C celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 C carrots, sliced, fresh or frozen
4 ¾ C cabbage, shredded
1 C canned red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 1/2C frozen peas
1 1/2C fresh green beans
dash hot sauce
11 C water
2 C spaghetti, uncooked, broken

Directions:
1. Head oil in a 4 quart saucepan. Add garlic, onion, and celery, and sauté for 5 min
2. Add all remaining ingredients except spaghetti. Stir until ingredients are well mixed.
3. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender
4. Add uncooked spaghetti and simmer for only 2-3 minutes

Yields 16 servings. Each serving- calories: 112 total fat: 4g Saturated fat: 0g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium: 202mg, total fiber: 4g, Protein: 4g, Carbs: 17g

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Calgary has officially become the first Canadian city to regulate the use of trans fats in restaurants. As of January 1st all eateries were banned from cooking with fats and oils that contain more than two percent trans fats. Why do restaurants prefer this ingredient? Quite simple – it provides a rich texture to the food as well as has a much longer shelf life. However for the consumer trans fat is a key player linked to increases in coronary heart disease and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Studies have estimated that Canadians eat out approx 40% of the time and in their home the remaining 60%. So although the restaurants are now being monitored on the amount of trans fat that they are allowed to use inside the home there is no regulation. The next step is education. People need to be educated on what products house this fat (examples being margarine, peanut butter, crackers, cookies) and alternatives they can use in their place (ie. Canola oil and olive oil). For those that do eat out most of the time their heart will be better looked after now than before. Let us see if Vancouver decides to support and follow Calgary’s example.

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It’s a common New Years goal – you know the one I’m talking about – lose that 15lbs of Christmas comfort food. Here are a few simple tips to help you stay on that path of dedication:
1. Write your goals down
2. Focus on positive self talk instead of barraging yourself with negative thoughts when you deviate from your path
3. If you take a step in the wrong direction brush it off, get back on the path and start over
4. Avoid temptation –i.e. Don’t go into Purdy’s chocolates
5. Keep sticky notes in places you see daily such as your bathroom mirror, the fridge, by the door – reminding yourself of your goals

Click on the Ted Loo Fitness Newsletter Archive to get more tips

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Sticking to an exercise program can always be a little bit challenging when life gets hectic. Motivating yourself and staying motivated is the key to ensuring your success in your program.

1. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals for yourself
Specific– Specific goals have a much greater chance of being accomplished than a
general goal. In order to make a goal specific you must answer the 6 W’s
WHO: who is involved
WHAT: what do I want to accomplish
WHERE: identify a location
WHEN: establish a time frame
WHICH: identify requirements and constraints
WHY: specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing goal

EX: a general goal may sound like: “ I want to lose 10lbs”
a specific goal may sound like “ I want to lose 10lbs in two months in time
for my birthday”

Measureable- Establish a way of measuring progress towards your goal. In our
Goal example you may take measurements before you start working out, half way
through, and again when your two months are complete.

Attainable- By being specific in your goal setting you develop an understanding
of why that goal is important to you. The goal must be attainable – if it is
you can begin to formulate a plan to ensure you reach it! You can also get
excited about the entire process.

Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both able and willing to work towards. This is not to say you can set a high/challenging goal; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. This being said you do not want to set a goal that is easily within your grasp. Your goal is realistic if you feel and believe you can accomplish it. It is commonly seen that with the higher the goal you set for yourself the more motivation you generate to reach it.

Timely- A goal should be set to be accomplished within a certain time frame. If you fail to specify a time contraint there is no sense of urgency and your motivation is not as powerful.

2. Visualize your success
• On days when it’s pouring down rain and you feel a lack of energy visualize how
great you’ll feel after you workout and how that will contribute to your end goal
• You may also want to consider placing a pictures on your fridge (somewhere you
will see) of your desire goal weight

3. Monitor your Progress
Keep a journal of the activity you do

4. Work out with a partner or trainer
There is nothing better then having a friend push you simply by being present.
Working out with someone, whether it be a trainer or a friend, fills you with a
sense of accountability that you would not otherwise have.

5. Play your favorite music

6. Dress comfortable

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Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind if you’ve decided to give running a try:
• Do not allow your foot to get ahead of your knee. Keep your legs under your body
• Be sure to choose shoes that are appropriate for running – skate shoes will not due
• When running in cooler weather be sure to wear a hat to prevent heat from escaping via your head
• When you reach the 400-500mile mark on your shoes it’s time to invest in a new pair
• Use proper breathing techniques – in through the nose and out through the mouth

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, chopped
1.5 cups fresh cilantro leaves, stems and roots
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tsp hot chili paste
2lb sea bass, in one piece (skin removed)

Directions:

1. In a food processor or blender, chop garlic and cilantro. Add hoisin sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar and chili paste. Process to form a paste
2. Place sea bass in a shallow dish and smear marinade over fish, turning to coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place fish on baking sheet lined with waxed/parchment paper. Roast in preheated 425 °F oven for 30-35minutes or until fish is cooked through

Asian Sesame Salad

Ingredients:
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp Russian-style mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp hot chili paste
8 cups mixed salad greens

Directions:

1. Combine vinegar, mustard, olive oil, sesame oil and hot chili paste
2. Toss greens with dressing. Serve fish on a bed of greens.

Note: it may be nice to combine with steamed rice

Nutritional Information:

Calories 194, Protein 29.4 g, Fat 6.1g, Carbs 4.6g

New studies have found that people who are more flexible are less likely to suffer from DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) than those of less flexibility. Those with higher flexibility experienced less muscle tenderness and pain throughout their body. It is thought that because of this these people are able to exercise at a higher intensity for longer periods of time. How does this apply to you? In your cool down after your workout take the extra five minutes to do a little more stretching – be sure to hold the stretch for a minimum of 15 seconds. Perhaps consider working a yoga class into your weekly exercise routine. By increasing your own flexibility you’ll be able to push yourself harder in your workouts without feeling as stiff and sore the following couple of days.

Ingredients:

The Salsa
1/3 cup pineapple, finely diced
1/3 cup red plum, finely diced
1/3 cup orange, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp fresh ginger, minced
Juice of ½ a lime
Pinch of chili flakes
Pepper to taste

4 6oz portions of fresh salmon
4 tea bags of herbal citrus tea (ie. Lemon ginger )

Directions:

1. In a small bowl mix together all ingredients for the salsa. This can be made one day ahead and kept in the fridge if you choose
2. In a deep frying pan or pot add enough water to measure 1 inch in depth. Simmer the 4 tea bags until a very strong tea has brewed about 5-10min. Remove tea bags.
3. Place salmon, skin side up, in the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat. Turn the fish over and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Place fish on a plate and top with fruit salsa

Nutritional Information:

Calories 311, Protein 31g, Fat 17g, Carb 7g

If you so choose you could pair the fish and salsa with Oven Roasted Asparagus:

Ingredients:

24 asparagus stalks, trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp grated lemon rind
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat over to broil at the highest temperature. Set the oven rack to the second highest setting. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place asparagus in a row on the sheet.
2. In a small bowl mix the rest of the ingredients together. Brush the mixture over the asparagus.
3. Cook 10 minutes, or until desired tenderness is reached.

Nutritional Information:

Calories 53, Protein 2g, Fat 4g, Carbs 4g