Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Whole-Grain How-To

Ever wanted to eat a "good, healthy" snack, but have no clue where to start, or much less what that even means?  Well, Empower Nutrition to the rescue!  We know snacks are sometimes the hardest thing to figure out when trying to incorporate a healthy, nutritious lifestyle, so look below to answer all your whole grain snack needs!  Enjoy!

EMPower Nutrition’s
 Whole-Grain How-To
Whole grains are shining in the spot light of the health and nutrition world…however, most Americans are shorting whole grain intake by a long shot, and getting well below the fiber recommendations of 25-35 grams per day.
No doubt, it can be quite a challenge to get you’re your fiber and whole-grains in everyday, so we wanted to share some of our simple, fun, delicious ideas to help you prevent food boredom, and get creative in reaching your fiber and whole grain goals each and every day!

What’s the big deal, what’s a whole grain anyway?
Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel  (the bran, germ, and endosperm)


What to look for to ensure it’s a whole grain…
Marketing on the front of foods can be deceiving.  Make sure you go to the ingredients list to ensure your getting the grains you want.  Look for the first ingredient to be something like (not limited to):
whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, brown rice

Delicious ideas to pump up your whole-grains and fiber:

100-calorie Popcorn/Kettlecorn
 (We like Orville Redenbacher’s Smart-Pop)

100% whole-wheat toast with natural peanut butter
 (We like Sara Lee and Maranatha PB)

Rice Cakes
(We like Quaker)

Whole-wheat cracker with a cheese wedge
(We like Pepperidge Farm and Laughing Cow)

Whole-grain cereal and yogurt
(We like Kashi GoLean Crunch and Cascadian Farms)

Whole-wheat tortilla with black beans and salsa
(We like Mission whole wheat tortillas and On-the-Border salsa)

Smoothie with added ground flaxseed and oats
(We like Bob’s Red Mill and Quaker)

Whole-grain sandwich thin with turkey and sliced cheese
(We like Oroweat, Deli Selects, and Sargento)

Whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese
(We like Thomas and Philadelphia)

Brown rice with fat-free milk, honey, and fruit
(We like Uncle Ben’s)

Have other great snack ideas? 
Comment below and let us know some of your personal favorites!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Vigourous Intensity!



 
We had some fun with "intensity" today!  We wanted to get our workout in together today and decided to check out the class "Cardio Circuit"....How bad could it really be, we're bootcamp instructors and all right?  Wrong....after sprinting, frog hops, jump squats, and massive amounts of tricep dips and push-ups, let's just say we were done for the day!  So feel encouraged, vigorous intensity isn't easy for us either, but the reward will be great, so stick with it, you can do it!  Check out the article below for more info on increasing that intensity!


Are you having difficulty losing those last 10 pounds?  Is it
time to take your workout to the next level?  Well it's time to
start incorporating some vigourous intense workouts into your exercise
routine because research shows that vigourous intense workouts will
help Boost Your Metabolism! 

***Read more on how to Boost your Metabolism Now! 

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Down- Low on Detox

Down Low on Detox  


We live in a world where weight-loss supplements and new fad diets appear around every corner, so you have most likely heard of "detoxing". Most "detox" diets claim to rid the body of  toxins and make the weight disappear magically with little to no effort.  Let take a closer look at "detox" and find out if these diets are safe, effective, and which ones, if any, to try...
Take a look at the article below, featured in the March/April issue of "Eating Well", to answer your questions about "Detox" dieting.


"Can a Detox Diet Safely Help You Lose Weight?

By: By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but no. A detox diet, whether it's all-liquid or based on supplements or allows just a few foods, is a fancy name for a crash diet, which according to a December 2010 study in the Journal of Neuroscience can raise stress hormones and make you more likely to binge later. You may feel lighter and less bloated because the detox evacuates your gastrointestinal system. But this can lead to dehydration--and the weight lost is mostly water. When you return to your usual habits, you'll likely gain back those pounds.
Here's another myth busted: a detox regimen doesn't remove toxins from your body. This theory is not supported by science. Your liver and kidneys already naturally eliminate toxins from the blood.
However, detoxes can be good for your psyche. "It brings optimism to people," says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D., author of Doctor's Detox Diet (2011). "They deliver fast results and people want to be successful when they're sacrificing something." You can get the benefits of "detoxing" safely: "Eat three small meals--liquid or not--plus a couple pieces of fruit for snacks," says Gerbstadt. Essentially, limit calories and make sure they come from nutrient-rich foods. Pick a calorie level that gives you enough energy to be physically active--at least 1,200 or 1,500. You'll safely kick-start weight loss and gain confidence to stick to a healthy eating and exercise regimen.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Helpful Hints to Goal Setting

  Set goals, but never keep them?  Find yourself failing time and time again?  Use these 15 questions below to set goals, maintain motivation, and keep them!  Comment below on the goals you have set for yourself this year, or a new goal that starts today!

1.      What do I want to do?
2.       Why do I want to do it?
3.       How long (realistically) will it take?
4.       What do I need to do to get there?
5.       Who or what do I need to help me along the way?
6.       What will I do if I reach my goal?
7.       What will I do if I don’t reach my goal?
8.       What will I do today to start my journey towards my goal?
9.       What will I do this week to stay on my journey towards my goal?
10.   What will I do this month to continue my journey towards my goal?
11.   What will my rewards and celebrations be if I accomplish my short term goals?
12.   What will I do if I do not reach my short term goals?
13.   How will I get back on my plan if I fall short or mess up?
14.   Who will keep me accountable, and what support systems do I have to help me?
15.   What can I identify as obstacles and hindrances to my goal?

Wishing you freedom, health, & happiness!
Micah & Erin
EMPower Nutrition

Thursday, February 10, 2011

February - Heart Healthy Month

With Valentine's Day approaching,
you are most likely thinking of ways to
show that "someone" how special they are!
 
EMPower Nutrition wants to show you how to love
your heart and prevent heart disease.
 
Check out EMPower's
FREE Nutrition and Fitness Info 
Click the FREE tabs at the top!
 
You will find out more about cholesterol numbers and exercise!
Also, read an article about the dreaded aging, and how nutrition
can help you live longer....
Also, the danger in "FAD Diets"
(Spread the word to your friends and family!)
 
Want a FREE subscription to our newsletter?
Sign up today at....
(It's the yellow box on the top right)
 
EMPower MEMBERS... login now to access your MEMBER'S ONLY 
workouts, recipes, fitness, nutrition, and MORE!
 
FREEDOM....HEALTH.....HAPPINESS
Let EMPower Join You in Your Journey to Wellness!
 
Comment below, or on our FACEBOOK page
on how your "loving your heart" this month!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

You know....those kind of days

Have you ever had those days....you know the ones.....where you just feel like maybe you should go back to bed, rewind, and start over again?  Where nothing goes your way, and you have absolutely no motivation to do ANYTHING!  Well, believe me when I say, you are not alone, I think everyone, no matter what you do, has this experience.  Don't let this feeling bring you down or get you stuck in a rut...you are worth it to dust yourself off and keep on, keeping on!  Find some ideas below to get you through those tough days....

-  Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths
-  Call a good friend for encouragement
-  Look at some fun pictures and remember how blessed you are
-  Write an encouraging note to one of your friends or family (its amazing how encouragement to others    comes back to yourself)
-  Make yourself smile for at least 10 seconds
-  Giggle out loud
-  Take a walk outside
-  Get an enjoyable snack (Healthy of course!)
-  Stretch and enjoy some relaxing silence (no computer, phone, ipod, radio, etc..)
-  Take a mini get-away, power nap (about 15 minutes of rest)

More ideas?   Share them as comments below!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

About Us....

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE....www.theempowernutrition.com
It's a work in progress, so check back often, especially for our soon-to-launch bootcamp and membership

We wanted to share just a little bit about us (the "raw", from the heart version), since we have to be more "professional" (whatever that means) on the website...Enjoy!

"Ever had a dream?...We did and vwalah (ok, so we don’t really know how to spell that, but you get the point)…you’re looking at it!  Welcome, look around, and enjoy!
We can’t help but thank the good Lord for bringing two personalities as crazy, spontaneous, and impulsive as ours together (just ask our husbands, they have their hands full!) and now we get to work together every day! 
It all started in a coffee shop in Lubbock, Texas (FYI… we LOVE coffee, wherever, whenever, with whatever…and we apologize in advance if we talk about it too much, just one of those little passions in life to be thankful for…) we were supposed to be discussing the logistics of a corporate wellness program we were doing.  You may learn this about us well (and maybe you can relate), we tend to get off topic rather easily, not necessarily a bad thing, just causes some random hour phone conversations here and there. Anyway, the meeting about the wellness program turned into what we wanted to do in life and what some of our dreams were (somehow, not exactly sure how we got there…)
We both love all things nutrition and fitness and we love encouraging and motivating people and wanted to combine our enthusiasm for the two.
 Through the wellness program, talking to our clients, and other experiences, we realized two things 1) dietitians and good, evidenced-based nutrition and fitness are hard to come by; and 2) nutrition and fitness advice is often times impractical, rigid, strict, and unrealistic in the reality of busy everyday life. 
So what’s the solution, we asked ourselves?  
A web-based, come-to-you company to provide simple nutrition and fitness advice, and EMPOWER people (wherever they are in their journey) to get healthy and live life abundantly.  So here ya go, EMPower Nutrition, a name to encompass our goals and encompass a little of us too (E for Erin, M for Micah, clever we thought!)"