For Healthier Eating Habits, Have a Seat!

Research shows that sitting down to eat is significantly associated with eating healthier foods, including more fruits and vegetables and less saturated fat. In contrast, eating on the go is linked to higher intake of soft drinks, fast food, saturated fat and total fat!

MAKE TIME FOR SIT-DOWN MEALS!
According to the studies, more than 35 percent of people lack the time to sit down and eat a meal. As a result, they eat while driving, shopping or working. And that means a lot of extra calories and fat, which translates into health problems such as obesity and increased risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

For better health, make more time for sit-down meals, and if possible, share them with others.

Try these simple tips:
Cook a family dinner at home. To save time, plan ahead and make enough so that you have leftovers for other meals.
Invite a friend out to lunch and try a new healthy restaurant.
Make meals a priority. Set aside time for meals as you would any other appointment.

AVOID ON-THE-GO EATING PITFALLS BY MAKING GOOD CHOICES. If you're pressed for time and forced to eat on the go, try these tips for healthier fare:

• Anticipate your hunger. Pack healthy snacks to avoid making impulse and unhealthy fast food choices. Good take-along foods include unsalted nuts, fresh fruit, string cheese and cut veggies.



• When grabbing a quick bite, choose grilled foods instead of fried. And load veggies onto sandwiches, pizza and other grab-and-go foods.



• Reduce portion sizes while eating out. Order a small or junior-sized portion. I always order a to go box with my meal and put half away to save for later before I begin eating.



• Opt for water or unsweetened tea rather than high-calorie and sugary soft drink.



• When possible, check out the nutritional value of foods before ordering. Look for foods low in fat, sodium and sugar.

The Back Rub Company offers a variety of Healthy Cooking Classes and Nutrition Seminars. Keep your employees healthy and productive all year! Contact us at 480-330-2066.

The No-Excuse 30-Minute Workout

Happy New Year! Time for Resolutions...Right?

Start 2012 off right with the No-Excuse 30-Minute Workout! Yes, you can even do it at work.

Warm up (5-minutes) - Take a brisk walk, jump rope or slow jog.

Aerobic Exercise (10-minutes) - Choose an activity you enjoy - anything that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe harder, like walking briskly, jogging or climbing stairs. Do it at least as hard as enough that you can talk but not sing.

Strengthening (10-minutes) - Try to do each exercise eight to 12 times, then rest 30-seconds to 1-minute and do another set. Do only as many as you can while maintaining good form.

1. Squats: Stand with your back to a sturdy chair, feet shoulder-width apart. Reach forward in front of your shoulders. Bend forward slightly at the hips with your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your bottom toward the chair to a count of four until you are almost sitting. Keep your knees in line with your ankles and behind your toes. Pause. Rise to a count of two.


2. Wall push-ups: Stand facing a wall. Reach forward in front of your shoulders. The wall should be just out of reach. Lean forward slightly from your ankles with your back straight and place your palms against the wall. Bend your elbows and lower yourself to the wall to a count of four. Pause. Push up to a count of two.

3. Abdominal curls: Lie down on your back. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the floor, hand behind your head. Point your elbows out to the sides. Lift your chin toward the ceiling and crunch to where your shoulders and upper back come off the floor to a count of two. Pause. Lower yourself to a count of two.

Cool Down (5-minutes) - Walk slowly and then stretch gently.

Did you know that The Back Rub Company offers on-site fitness classes?

Contact us at info@thebackrubcompany.com for more information about scheduling classes for your organization.

Vegetable dip mix makes a great hostess gift!

Get Spicy!

Ideal for Holiday parties, this dip is sure to be a crowd pleaser. These ingredients are in the right proportions for one batch of dip mix. For a thoughtful gift idea, try a pretty gift jar...keep adding a round of all five dry ingredients, in the amounts shown, until you have enough to fill the jar. Add a gift tag and instructions for a personal touch.

1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1 Tbsp dried green onions
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp sun-dried tomato bits

Instructions:
Blend 4 Tbsp dip mix with 1 pint (16 oz) fat-free sour cream. Serve with cut vegetables.

Holiday Massages

Looking for a special gift this season? Think GIFT CERTIFICATES! They're for everyone on your list. Here are some ideas:

Attach a 60-minute in-home massage gift certificate to a candle and some local hand-made bath salts!
Get the employees together at the office for chair massage and a catered lunch!
Schedule a spa day and tea tasting for the ladies on your list with manis/pedis, reflexology, body wraps and more!

Contact us for more gift ideas. We can put together the ideal custom gift that's sure to please!

A Holiday Gift You Don't Need: A few extra pounds!

Take this quiz to see how much you know about Holiday weight gain:

1 - Many Americans gain five pounds or more during the Holiday season. T F
False - most gain about one pound but it lingers through Spring and Summer


2 - Having a light protein snack before a Holiday meal can help you eat less. T F
True - going to a party hungry can cause overeating


3 - To avoid gaining weight, you have to avoid all Holiday desserts. T F
False - enjoy them, but eat small portions of high-sugar, high-fat foods


4 - Not maintaining your exercise routine during the Holidays can contribute to weight gain. T F
True - stay active to keep off the extra pounds


5 - Substituting lower-fat, lower-calorie ingredients in Holidays recipes can help prevent weight gain. T F
True - eating healthy can still be delicious


6 - Limiting alcohol intake can cut calories and help you maintain your weight. T F
True - avoiding high-calorie eggnogg is a good place to start


7 - Not standing near the buffet table at Holiday parties can help you eat less. T F
True - if it's out of reach you're less likely to graze


8 - Skipping meals helps to lose weight during the Holidays. T F
False - it's best to eat five to six small meals daily


9 - Eating slowly can help you eat less. T F
True - your tummy needs time to realize how full it is


10 - The Holiday season is a good time to try to lose weight. T F
False - doing so may not be realistic and is discouraging

The Toxic Side of Beauty!

Many of us have made changes to our diets by including more fruits and vegetables, choosing organically grown produce and reading food labels. Yet while we are holding the food industry to higher standards, refusing to buy products with harmful ingredients; the cosmetic industry is still flying under the radar of government agencies and the public eye.

Beauty, however, is more than skin deep and reading labels can open your eyes to the dangers lurking in today's beauty products. From lead in lipsticks to the phthalates and parabens in your baby's lotion, the list of toxic and health-damaging ingredients is long and expands daily.

Did you know that on any given day, the average woman uses a dozen personal care products, containing 168 chemicals, 89% of which have never been tested for the safety of their ingredients?

The top five harmful chemicals most commonly found in popular beauty products are lead, formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates and nitrosamines.

Keep reading...

Kerstin Wingert is the Owner of SouviaTea and "chai-wallah" of Moon Valley.

Conquer Cold Season

Tips that are nothing to sneeze at!

Another cold season...ugh! If you're like most adults, you'll probably battle one to three of these bad boys this year. If you do end up with the bug, take Grandma's advice: slurp chicken soup and drink plenty of fluids.

Here are some tips to help ward off seasonal illness:

ZINC - This mighty mineral makes your cold shorter. For best results, suck on a Zinc lozenge at the first sign of a cold. Beware, Zinc supplements can reduce the effectiveness of some antibiotics and arthritis medications. Doses of more than 34 to 40mg per day for teens and adults may cause tummy aches.

VITAMIN C - Reach for an orange to keep the doctor away. Taking about 1g of Vitamin C daily can reduce cold symptoms by a day or two. Real foods are the best sources of this powerful potion. Choose citrus, broccoli, potatoes and tomatoes. Careful with Vitamin C supplements if you have kidney disease or if you are being treated for cancer.

SLEEP - People who get less than seven hours of shut-eye are almost three times as likely to catch a cold as those who get eight hours or more.

EXERCISE - People who get moving five or more days a week are about half as likely to catch colds. And if they do, their illnesses are shorter and less severe. Aerobic exercise boosts the production of virus-targeting cells in the immune system. If you're already sick, postpone intense workouts until you feel better.

Despite its popularity, there is little evidence to support that echinacea prevents colds.

Keep your employees healthy this season! The Back Rub Company hosts a variety of on-site workshops for employee health and wellness.

Contact us for more information about scheduling for your organization.