It has been drawn to my attention recently that a large number of British Columbians are still unaware of the Act Now BC program. “Act Now BC is a cross-government health promotion initiative that seeks to improve the health of British Columbians by taking steps to address common risk factors and reduce chronic disease. Research has shown that inactivity, poor nutrition, overweight and obesity, tobacco use and unhealthy choices in pregnancy are the key risk factors contributing to the main chronic disease categories in B.C.”

The organization works with schools, communities, employers and local governments to promote and make healthy choices the easy choices for British Columbians to make. A very recent move made to demonstrate this is the withdrawal of “junk food” items from vending machines in schools. Fruit juices are now replacing pop.

Act Now BC has 5 goals they would like to reach by 2010:
1. Increase the percentage of the B.C. population that is physically active by 20 per cent
2.increase the percentage of B.C. adults who eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily by 20 per cent
3.reduce the percentage of B.C. adults who are overweight or obese by 20 per cent
4. Reduce tobacco use by 10 per cent; and
5.increase the number of women who receive counseling about the dangers of alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy by 50 per cent.

Some of Act Now BC’s programs include:
Action Schools! BC
A physical activity and nutrition model to help teachers and administrators work
Healthy eating and physical activity into the school curriculum

Active Communities http://www.activecommunities.bc.ca
The goal is to make all members of a community more physically active. Active
Communities are in partnership with 2010 Legacies Now and BC Parks and Rec.

For more information on ACT Now please visit their website: http://www.actnowbc.ca

Although not part of ActNow BC – Participaction is back in action joining the movement to make our youth active again!!! View their new commercial at http://www.participaction.com

http://www.tedloofitness.com

Incorporating a Healthy Lifestyle for Busy Professionals

The 10 Common Pitfalls of Working Professionals and their Fitness
1. Don’t have any goals
2. Don’t have a plan
3. Don’t have accountability
4. Don’t make the time
5. Don’t have healthy habits
6. Don’t have the knowledge
7. Family responsibilities too great
8. Job responsibilities get in the way
9. Low energy levels when time is available
10. It isn’t a priority
11. Don’t have a routine that supports fitness
12. Procrastination gets in the way
13. Excuses

Identifying the Misconceptions regarding Fitness
1. Fitness isn’t a priority when you are young
2. If you eat well, you don’t need to exercise as much
3. You have to choose one activity (gym, or tennis)
4. You have to follow a fitness routine that is set in stone – (alter depending on factors)
5. Small things don’t matter-(stairs, walking)
6. It has to be all or nothing – (3×15 min better than nothing)
7. You need to know how to exercise
8. Cardio is enough to satisfy fitness needs
9. It isn’t traditionally fun –
10. Have to feel like you are being punished
11. Genetics plays the strongest role in your health
12. If you lift weights you’ll get bulky – (women)

Things you can do tomorrow to begin integrating fitness into your life:
1. Sit down and set some ‘realistic’ goals for yourself – S.M.A.R.T. goals
2. Write a strategic plan
3. Schedule in exercise time
4. Accountability – training partner, trainer. Tell others goals
5. Look at ways to integrate your fitness with other activities (Family, business)
6. Small cycles-daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly with rewards
7. Once you start to move your energy will go up – stairs, lunch walk
8. Start looking at your actions as healthy or unhealthy. Start there.
9. Schedule activities for the family that involve movement
10. Look at how to share child minding if that is a consideration
11. Incorporate healthy eating habits – What, Quantity, Frequency, Timing
12. Rid home of food that is not conducive to your goals
13. Know that there will be ups and downs and be accepting of both
14. Look for consistency with flexibility
15. And of course…consider hiring a trainer to get your started.

Bonus tip: Visualize – not only what you want to feel & look like but also the actions to get you there. eg visualize workout & meals

http://www.tedloofitness.com

Ingredients:

8 bonesless skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each salt an pepper
1 sweet green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions:

Cut each chicken thigh in half (or each breast into quarters).

In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours.

Onto skewers, alternately thread chicken and green pepper. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until juices run clear for thighs, about 12 minutes, or until no longer pink inside for breasts, about 18 minutes. (Or broil kabobs, 6 inches/15 cm from heat, turning once, until golden brown and juices run clear for thighs, about 8 minutes, or until no longer pink inside for breasts, about 12 minutes.)

Note: pair these kabobs with a carb such as rich or noodles or a veggie dish

Nutritional info:
239 cal, 33 g pro, 10 g total fat, 3 g carb

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Do we all remember the 2004 documentary “Supersize me”? Do you remember your reaction to the film? I didn’t eat McDonalds for months after that. Following that documentary McDonalds locations began to phase our their Supersize menu and stick to the basic small, medium, large. Today however McDonalds has decided to introduce a new softdrink and hamburger.

The Drink: The HUGO softdrink as its being called contains 400 calories on its own
The Burger: The new ANGUS burger (which is being tested in LA) is made up of a 1/3 beef patty, bacon and cheese totaling 820cal and 43g of fat. If you decide to make this burger into a combo and add large fries and a softdrink your ONE meal will total 1700cal.

In a society that is struggling with an obscene obesity rate skyrocketing diabetes numbers I personally feel that these “new and tasty items” from McDonalds are a disgrace. I should clarify that I am not targeting McDonalds directly; they have simply given me a fantastic example, as all fast food restaurants are guilty of promoting unhealthy, fat filled meals at a cheap price. It is human nature to want to order a meal that gets you more for your money. What people don’t realize, or rather chose to ignore, is that the amount that they are ordering is above and beyond the amount of food they actually need to consume. Yes fast food restaurants now have a “healthy” menu consisting of salads and sandwiches but do you see discounts and large amounts of promotion on these items? I simply do not understand the purpose of introducing items such as the above to our society of today!!!

If you would like to read the article please do so at:

http://features.us.reuters.com/wellbeing/news/91FDB3E0-4C2A-11DC-894F-E138467B.html

http://www.tedloofitness.com

If you see that a given aerobic exercise burns a certain amount of calories, e.g., running a mile burns 100 calories, be aware that the number is usually based on a 70 kg (154 lb) man. If you weigh more than that you will burn more calories for the same aerobic activity, and if you are lighter you will burn fewer calories.

http://www.tedloofitness.com

Ingredients

1 piece (4in/10cm) cucumber
1 sweet red pepper
1 carrot
2 green onions
8 leaves Boston or leaf lettuce
Lime wedges
1lb lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp minced ginger root
1tsp chinese five spiced powder
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Asian chili sauce or hot pepper sauce

Directions
Cut cucumber in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Seed, core and slice red pepper thinly. Grate carrot. Thinly slice green onions. Arrange vegetables, lettuce and lime wedges on serving platter. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.)

In large nonstick skillet, sauté beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any fat.

Add garlic, ginger and five-spice powder; cook over medium heat, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add hoisin sauce, soy sauce and chili sauce; cook, stirring, until hot, about 4 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours; reheat to serve.)

Transfer to bowl. Let each person spoon 1/2 cup (125 mL) beef mixture into each lettuce leaf. Top with some cucumber, red pepper, carrot and green onions. Wrap lettuce around filling.

Nutritional info:

309 cal, 25g protein,16 g total fat, 16 g carb

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A recent Canadian study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that different ethnic groups have the tendency to gain fat where it can do more damage. It was found that people of Chinese and South Asian decent tend to have more inner abdominal fat, otherwise known as visceral fat, than those of European heritage. This larger amount of visceral fat will contribute to the Asian population having increased risks for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

It is a worry by those conducting the study that our current methods of measuring BMI may not be sufficient to the Asian population in our communities. The most commonly used technique in the health and fitness world today is to “pinch” the fat from the exterior and take a measurement. This works for those of us that are Caucasian. Visceral fat; however, can not be measured in the same method. This form of fat hugs your internal organs and thus can not be measured by being “pinched”. “If we wait until Asians reach the same size of Europeans,” Lear Continued “they are going toe at a higher risk than the Europeans and may already present with diabetes or high cholesterol”.

There is already speculation amongst us in the health field that our methods of measuring BMI are not sufficient for everyone in our population. This study shows that we need to develop other ways to ensure we are getting accurate readings for EVERYONE.

Read full article

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Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

In shallow dish, arrange chicken in single layer.
Combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, and cayenne; mix well in small dish, . Pour over chicken and turn to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours or let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

On greased grill, cook chicken over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink inside.

Nutritional information per serving

Calories 177
Fat 4 g
Carbohydrate 1 g
Protein 32 g

http://www.tedloofitness.com/

I’m sitting here on my laptop watching thousands of people go by on the 23rd Annual Vancouver Sun Run. It is an annual event where over 50,000 people walk or run a 2.5km or 10km course. The past few weeks I’ve heard several people say I’m not ready for the Sun Run yet so I’m not going to do it. I’m watching the majority of participants go by and they are walking rather than running and it hits me. Yes, you could have done it whether you ran or walked but you would have completed the event.

Many of us put limits on what we can achieve!

Start off with a goal, if you think that the goal is not currently achievable then modify it into baby steps that are within your reach. You may not run right away but at least you’ll be moving towards your ultimate goal. Remember the old saying, “Walk first, then Run!”

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I’m often recommending to clients that they find little ways to keep themselves involved or interested in their fitness programs. That they know themselves best and to integrate little hooks to keep them going towards their goals.

I realized last week that one of my clients, Tracy, has done just that. The past few months she has been completing her warm-up for her sessions listening to her ipod. Won’t talk to her trainer until she finishes warming up and has taken the ipod off. She has also started running on her own as well and always listens to that ipod from start to finish… it’s her way of getting through something that once wasn’t enjoyable for her. Congrats Tracy!!!

My tip this month is to find tools or triggers to help you get through your fitness training. Here are some ideas that I see working for clients that might help trigger an idea that works for you.

1. Listen to music
2. Wear new workout gear – runners seem to get people excited the most
3. Read a fitness book
4. A portable cooler to hold your daily meals
5. Keep an extra bag of workout gear in the trunk of your car
6. A water bottle that you carry with you
7. Food and/or exercise journal
8. Watch to monitor heart rate or distance traveled
9. Train with a friend
10. Buy a new outfit… that is in your target size (eg. You are now a size 12 and your target is size 8 )

You know yourself best. Find that tool or hook that works for you!

To your health & fitness!
Ted