Well, to know more you then have to look up the word fit. Not counting the definitions for medical problems, states of anger, conditions of clothing or british slang, we are left with the understanding that to be ‘fit’ is to be “in good form or condition” and also to be “prepared” or “ready.” Do you find it strange that this word “fitness” and the concept that it entails, upon which an entire industry is based, doesn’t have a clearly stated definition?

I do. So, what do you say? Let’s construct a new definition of fitness…

One of the main functions of beta-blockers is to control heart rate, are you starting to see the problem here? That’s right, if your blood pressure is being controlled by keeping your heart rate slow and regular, then the idea of exercising at a percentage of your maximum heart rate doesn’t make sense! In this situation, you need another way to measure the effectiveness of your workout…

So, let me introduce you to the Borg for Rating Perceived Exertion (RPE). 

The Borg Scale is very simple, numbers range from 6 (no exertion at all) to 20 (maximal exertion). At any given point during exercise simply ask yourself (or your client):

What is my (your) perceived rate of exertion?

In most cases, the answer should be somewhere between 11 (light) and 16 (hard). The coolest part of this scale is whatever number you choose, adding a zero to the end of it gives a rough estimate (approximation) of a corresponding heart rate. Even when the heart rate is being controlled by medications, the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion, allows for customization of exercise programs.

References:

(1) Borg G. Borg’s Perceived Exertion and Pain Scales. Human Kinetics. 1998.

(2) The Medical Algorithms Project

Anyway, sorry I didn’t take pictures but I just made this dish and it is easy and DELICIOUS!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 cup Water

1/2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Put those 3 ingredients into a small small saucepan, to the heat to medium-low and let it cook for about 20 minutes. No stirring necessary.

Once you have some cooked Quinoa, prepare the “Stir-in” ingredients. Here’s what you need:

1 Tablespoon of EVOO

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 cups Sliced Portabello Mushrooms (I use baby portabellos) 

1-2 Tablespoons of finely minced Basil

2-3 ounces of water (or white wine)

- Heat a skillet

- Add the Oil and let it get hot.

NOTE: In my house, Sautee means “stir constantly on med-high to high heat”

- Sautee the garlic for about a minute (just to release the essence)

- Add the mushrooms and sautee until the color starts to turn, adding water (wine) as needed

- Add the basil and sautee for another minute or so (basically, this is based on how “well” you like your mushrooms.)

Finally, stir in some of that Quinoa you cooked earlier and this dish is READY TO EAT!!

I was sad for about a minute, until I discovered the WordPress app for iPhone Oh but wait, I’m supposed to be writing a draft research proposal!

Before I get into it, let me just say make a couple of acknowledgments and concessions. First, I realize it can be difficult to plan meals in advance, especially if you’ve never done it before! Second, if you have a partner or maybe even a family, I  can empathize with the challenges you face and I’m not sure if this recipe will work. Finally, I’m not a Chef or even a great Cook but, this PeppaSteak is palatable and, as you’ll see, you can eat it several different ways.

Prepare your ingredients. This is what I’m using:

0.75 pounds top sirloin
1/2 yellow onions
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
3 cloves of garlic
dash of salt
dash of cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

• Make sure the meat is sliced thin
• Slice the onions however you want them sliced
• I already had these peppers cut into chunks for easy snaking, but it would have been better to have them sliced, lengthwise.

…it also would have been better to have MORE of them, but I kept some aside
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m using a wok, but that’s because it’s the only pan I have. A large skillet would probably be best but you have to use what you’ve got, even if all you have is a hot-plate!

Turn the burner on medium-high and let the pan get hot, then add the oil and let it get hot before you start adding ingredients.

I think the idea is that you are supposed to put the things in that take the longest to cook first. Of course the meat is going to take the longest but for whatever reason I always put all the veggies in first and then I put the meat in. I guess I think the meat will take on more flavor that way.

So, I add peppers and cook them for a few minutes until they get nice and bright;
then I add the onions and cook them til they don’t look so white
next the garlic…stir that all up for a couple of minutes.

Now it’s time to add the meat. Don’t dump it in there all at once or your pan will get cold. Just put it in a few pieces at a time and keep stirring often.

Once you get all of the meat in the pan, you’ll probably see a lot more liquid in the pan, that’s a good thing. But, since we don’t our pepper steak all liquidy, were just gonna let it cook off.

That means you don’t need to stir it so frequently. Just make sure all the meat is browned and then just let it cook for a couple minute, stir. Let it cook for a few more, stir. So on and so forth until the liquid evaporates.

Now the meat will start to get much more brown and the peppers should be pretty soft.  You might have to stir it a little more often. KEEP YOUR EYES ON IT!

Once it looks like the liquid is gone and the meat has a nice pan-seared look to it, take it off the heat and plate it up or put it right into storage containers. From this one dish you can get three meals that are a perfect lunch!

Pepper Steak Sandwich with Beans and Slaw

Meal Option #1:

English Muffin with 1/3 of the PeppaSteak,

3oz of Broccoli Slaw,

1/2 Cup Black Bean

Calories = 402

Fat = 24g 

Carbs = 31g

Protein = 41g

PeppaSteak Bowl with Brown Rice, Black Beans & Slaw

Meal Option #2:

1/3 of the PeppaSteak,

1/2 Cup Brown Rice,

3oz Broccoli Slaw,

1/2 Cup Black Beans

Cals = 437

Fat = 24g

Carbs = 35g

Protein = 37g

PeppaSteak with Black Beans, Slaw and Sweet potato

Meal Option #3:

1/3 of the PeppaSteak,

1/2 Sweet Potato,

3oz Broccoli Slaw,

1/2 Cup Black Beans

Calories = 505

Fat = 24g

Carbs = 47g

Protein = 42g

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, how much did this dish cost anyway, let’s just figure out all three meals at once.

Steak            $2.21
Pepper        $1.99
English Muffin    $0.33
1/2 Cup Rice        $0.50
1/2 Sweet Potato    $0.38
Broccoli Slaw    $1.50
Black Beans        $0.89

Total Cost = $7.80 which comes out to be $2.60 per meal.

So, there you have it; it’s just one of the meals that you can prepare in about 20 minutes, package a few different ways, and have at least half of your lunches ready for the week ahead!

Until next time; take care,

David

At first, I couldn’t believe how slowly that 5 minutes was passing! I started thinking “I can’t just march or jog in place for 5 minutes!” and then I just decided to start doing some different exercises. This is what I did in 4 minutes and 30 seconds:

• 10 Free Squats
• 12 Push-ups
• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 10 Pea Pickers
• 10 Windmills
• 12 Push-ups
• 15 Bicycle Crunches

All that in just 5-minutes! So today, I was sitting down at my computer to work on this blog and I decided to limit my time. I set a timer (on my iPhone) for 50-minutes. When the timer went off, I got right up and did the routine (today I had time to add 5 pull-ups).

If for some reason I don’t get any other planned exercise in today, at least I know I did something!

If you are not sure how to do some of the exercise, put in a comment. I’ll work on a post with details soon.

Until then; take care,

David

The first 2 things, you don’t have much control over; you certainly don’t want your bones to weigh any less than they should and unless you have surgery there’s really no way to reduce the weight of your organs and tissue.

That leaves you with Water, Fat, and Muscle. But, since water is the most basic component in every structure of your body, you shouldn’t be thinking about trying to lose “water weight” – that can be very dangerous.

Now you are left with Fat & Muscle and here’s the most important thing to know:

If you want to lose weight and you want to lose weight for good you have to make sure, no matter what, that you DO NOT lose muscle!

True weight loss that is sustainable requires that you focus on your muscles, why? Check this out:

Q: How many calories does one pound of fat burn per day?
A: ZERO. None. It’s just fat, it doesn’t require energy.

Q. How many calories does one pound of muscle burn per day?
A: Somewhere between 40 and 50.

There is a lot of complicated physiology that goes on in the body and it uses different types of calories preferentially based on the intensity and type of exercise you are doing. But, no matter what the energy source, the body has to have OXYGEN. So,

#1 make sure you drink your water and that you are taking as many deep, full breaths as you can while you are exercising.

#2 make sure that you are eating plenty of protein and training with weights.

If you’d like some personalized help, please leave a comment on this post. I will contact you and together we will get your metabolism fired-up, tune-up your muscles, and turn your fat loss goals into reality!

Not only are more nurses needed in traditional settings, but the role of nurses continues to expand. Today’s nurses can be found working in a wide variety of settings from Fitness to Telephone triage.

Nursing is a smart career choice; it is a stable profession with a rich history and solid scientific foundation. To learn more about becoming a nurse, send me a message. I’m happy to talk about my experience so far.

Nursing on an upswing as population ages | newarkadvocate.com | The Newark Advocate

Straight from the hip, Keith Duggan sheds some light on the questions that men around the world will have to face under the exuberant Obama, and the BIG ONE, that some ladies might eventually ask.

Obama’s fitness challenges modern man – The Irish Times – Sat, Jan 24, 2009

As, I stood in the kitchen getting ready to fix some lunch, I realized that I had to fix my meals for next week today since I have other things to do tomorrow.

I’m not happy about the idea. But, I know that if I want to stay on budget and on task with my fitness goals, I have to do it. I started going through the process in my head, when I thought “No, don’t do that, blog it!” So, I hope that someone finds this useful.

Step 1

Open your calendar and look at your week ahead and count the number of days you need to plan for. I know there might be days when you have a luncheon or client dinner; next week I have a two-day conference; so what! Knowing that I will have no control over the food being served, I’m bringing my own.

Step 2

Just plan to eat at least 6 times per day, especially if you are working to control your blood sugars.

Plus, if you are working out – trying to lose fat & build muscle – there’s no way you can get the nutrition you need, when you need it, on fewer meals than 6. So, at the very least you have to plan for these:

1. 1. 1. Breakfast
      2. Morning Snack
      3. Lunch
      4. Mid-day Snack
      5. Dinner
      6. Bed-time Snack

Step 3

Survey your food inventory and figure out what you already have on hand & what you can package up into little storage containers/bags.

If you are just getting used to making & packaging meals in advance, DON’T COMPLICATE IT by insisting on variety.

Ask anyone who has lived or worked in fitness (body builders, fitness models, trainers, etc.) and they’ll all tell you that when you have a goal, when you are training, your mind-set has to be one of eat-to-live, not live-to-eat!

Step 4

Document it! It doesn’t have to be perfect; just scrawl out a grid on a sheet of 8×10 paper  that has “DAYS” across the top and “MEALS” along the side.

Before I show you what my meal grid looks like, be warned that most of my meals are repetitious, especially the snacks. Also, I don’t plan meals for Saturdays and Sundays. Based on the previous 3 steps, this is what my food intake is going to look like this week:

• Meal 1 – Breakfast, same every day – 2 cups of High-Fiber cereal    (FiberOne or Kashi) and 4 ounces of Skim Milk (I actually use Rice Milk but Skim has more protein). Sometimes I put 1/4 cup of frozen berries on it, when I remember.

• Meal 2 – Snack – Also the same. 1 serving tree nuts (Brazil, Cashew, Almonds, or Walnuts). Carrot/Celery/Pepper Sticks & 3 Hard Pretzels.

• Meal 3 – Lunch; this is a big meal so I have 2 lunches planned for this week.
  • “Pepper Steak” on English Muffin, 1 cup Black Beans, 2 Cups Broccoli Slaw with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
  • Indian ‘Creamed’ Spinach with Beef & Broccoli on Brown Rice, 1 cup Navy Beans.

• Meal 4 – Snack – 1 piece of fruit & 1/4 cup of sunflower or pumpkin seeds. (I avoid dairy & soy but a serving of that would be good here).

• Meal 5 – Dinner – Some Lean Cuisine meal with Fish (I’m partial to the Basil Salmon)

• Meal 6 – Bed-time Snack – Again it’s always the same for me, CEREAL! But this time, I only have 1 cup instead of two.

Step 5

Cook what needs to be cooked & package it all up in containers that you can just put into your lunch box the night before!

Caveat emptor!

This is MY week, based on my budget and on my needs. It is not a diet that I am recommending. If you want to follow it, fine but you should first figure out if it matches your caloric needs. Also, on the days when I work out, I have a post-workout protein drink (maybe I’ll post the details on that later).

If you need ideas about what to buy/eat I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the “Mediterranean Diet” so far, it has the most reliable scientific justification. You may also want to consult with a Registered Dietitian, many insurance companies provide some coverage for those services.

Sometimes,  I do get tired of eating the same thing! Again I have to say, “so what.” I mean honestly, it’s only for a week; I can make changes next week. For now, I have to make some Pepper Steak!

Take Care,

David