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 Welcome to the FT eNewsletter! Written for the health and wellness driven, people of all ages striving to be physically fit in a society where obesity is becoming an epidemic.
Our hope is to encourage you, send monthly health tips you can use, remind you that exercise is important, and to invite you to train with our nationally certified personal trainers in the privacy of your own cutting edge, luxurious, one-on-one personal training suites! |
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Which Organic Foods Should I Buy?  Head to the grocery store these days, and almost everything on your shopping list has an organic equivalent. Since 2002, when farmers and manufacturers were expected to fully comply with standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the availability of organic products has skyrocketed.
Organic foods, including produce, meats, grains, and ingredients used to make various products, must be grown without the use of potentially harmful pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or growth hormones.
Still, do you get sucked into buying everything organic?
"There are clear differences among fruits and vegetables in their loads of pesticides," says David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Some make sense to buy organic; others don't matter as much." After analyzing more than 100,000 pesticide tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Working Group, a watchdog organization based in Washington, D.C., released the "Dirty Dozen," a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticides.
The Dirty DozenThese 12 fruits and vegetables contain the highest levels of pesticides. Apples, Bell peppers, Celery, Cherries, Imported grapes , Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries
Also organic meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy limit your exposure to antibiotics and growth hormones.The Clean DozenThe pesticide levels of these 12 fruits and vegetables are low to undetectable. Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kiwi, Mangoes, Onions, Papaya, Pineapples, Sweet corn, Sweet peas
Choose organic breads, pastas, cereals, and other processed foods when cost and availability allow it.
Information By Kelly Bastone |
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Potassium! How Do I Get More of It?  Millions of Americans are affected by high blood pressure (HBP), and it is a major risk for stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and heart failure. Non-drug approaches to lowering blood pressure include exercise, weight loss, and healthier eating choices.
Making small changes in your eating habits is a great first step towards a healthy heart. For example, moving toward a diet low in sodium and high in potassium may help to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. High blood pressure is one of the significant risk factors for heart disease. Approximately 50 million individuals in the US, and 1 billion worldwide, have high blood pressure, and a third of them don't even know it! So, have your blood pressure checked and increase the amount of potassium in your diet for a heart healthy start.
Fresh fruits: bananas, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges
Fresh vegetables: beets, greens, spinach, peas, tomatoes, mushrooms
Dried vegetables: beans, peas
Fresh meats: turkey, fish, beef
Fresh juices: orange
Canned juices: grapefruit, prune, apricot
Dried fruits: raisins, prunes, apricots, dates
Every situation is different, so ask your healthcare team what's needed. 1. Chobanian AV, et al. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: The JNC 7 Report. JAMA, 2003; 289: 2560-2572.
2. Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board, 2004. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. National Academy Press. Washington, D.C. |
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ONE CLIENT-ONE TRAINER-ONE GOAL
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Top 10 Glycemic Impact Snacks
Scheduled snacking is a smart strategy for maintaining stable blood glucose levels and achieving your weight goal. When snacks are included in a healthy menu, you stay motivated by avoiding hunger, which is what often leads to people abandoning their program.
1. Yogurt: Buy low-fat or nonfat, no-sugar added yogurt. Organic with "live cultures" are healthiest.
2. Nuts: An ideal combination of unsaturated fat, protein and carbs, nuts are portable and nutritious. Buy dry-roasted (no oil added) unsalted nuts or peanuts in the shell -- average size is a "handful," about 200 calories, depending on the variety.
3. Dip & Dippers: Avocado dip (guacamole), chickpea dip (hummus) or tomato salsa, all made without mayonnaise (use a little olive oil instead) with cut-up crunchy veggies.
4. Cheese: Low-fat varieties: read the label, the first ingredient should be skim milk. Nonfat or 1-percent cottage cheese is a great snack; mix with salad herbs or black pepper for added flavor.
5. Cereal: 100-percent whole-grain cereal with a cup of nonfat milk.
6. Fruit: Whole fruit including berries, melon, apples, oranges and grapefruit have the most fiber and fewest grams of carbohydrate per serving. Eat along with some nonfat yogurt or low-fat cheese, or a handful of nuts.
7. Popcorn: Air-popped popcorn sprayed with olive oil and tossed with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. 8.
Smoothies: Blend 1 cup of nonfat milk, ½ cup of nonfat sugar-free yogurt, 2 drops of vanilla extract and 1 cup of ice. Optional: add a ½ cup of berries.
9. Wrap-ups: Spread a small whole-grain tortilla with a teaspoon of mustard and wrap-up one ounce of any lean meat, including turkey or chicken breast, roast beef, lean ham or shrimp.
10. Mini-pita pizza: Top a ½ whole-wheat mini-pita with tomato sauce and a little low-fat mozzarella and oregano to taste: broil till cheese melts. |
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