Marilu Henner's Blog, page 147

RE-THINK YOUR WEEKEND MENU

 From Dr. Barnard's blog:

"Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans eat 7 billion hot dogs. That's more than 800 hot dogs a second. It's as if the entire nation has signed up for…."

Before you light your grill you'll want to read the rest of the article….while there's still time to get to the store for better choices.

http://pcrm.org/media/blog/august2011/grilling-hot-dogs-for-labor-day-think-again

NEW CLASS BEGINS TUESDAY

Before you begin the long goodbye to summer be sure to mark your calendars for Tuesday September 6th.  Our new class begins in the member's area on that day.

BOOTY SCHOOL; EUROPEAN SEMESTER WITH EVI

September 6th-23rd

It's a GREAT way to get back in the routine for fall, and registering now might keep you mindful during the weekend celebrations. 

All classes are automatically included in your Marilu.com membership.

20 YEARS OF SUPER SIZING

In the past 20  years the average portion size in America has increased, along with our waist lines.  (As an example; from 1980 to 2008 obesity rates doubled for adults and triple for children)

Here's a brief overview of how some portions have grown  just since 1991:

 

Bagels

Then: 3-inch diameter, 140 calories        Now: 6-inch diameter, 350 calories

Fast Food Cheeseburgers

Then: 333 calories                       Now: 590 Calories

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Then: 1 cup of spaghetti and sauce with 3 meatballs, 500 calories    Now: 2 cups of pasta and sauce with 3 meatballs, 1,025 calories

Soda

Then: 6.5 ounces, 85 calories                Now: 20 ounces, 250 calories

Blueberry Muffin

Then: 1.5 ounces, 210 calories          Now: 5 ounces, 500 calories

French Fries

Then: 2.4 ounces, 210 calories             Now: 6.9 ounces, 610 calories

What are you running from?

One of the things we've noticed in our own life is that we haven't been facing life head-on. We've been avoiding some things. Like the ten pounds that have crept on over the last year. Or the fact that we'd rather read a good book than go to the gym. Or that dessert is showing up more frequently after dinner.

That these things are happening simultaneously is not coincidental.

It's time to stop running from the truth about our health habits. It's time to make some changes, starting with our perspective – and that will direct the other changes that need to happen.

One of the things we're looking forward to in making these changes is the September class here at Marilu.com. Twenty-one days of accountability will help us focus, but it won't be all drudgery – Coach Evi has some fun things planned for our (virtual) European semester! If you're looking for some assistance with your own new perspective, become a member and take the class. There will be plenty of recipes and lots of encouragement as we all help each other stay focused, and stop running.

Now, get moving. Because running (or walking) for exercise is something we aren't going to stop.

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/03 - When I Stop Running.mp3

When I Stop Running from TFDI

available on iTunes and Amazon.com

 

So you want to tone your muscles…

Many women don't want to build up their muscles (what the guys like to call bulking up), they want long, lean muscles, like ballet dancers have.

The thing is, to get those "toned" muscles, you have to do the same strength and resistance training that's required for bulking up. Don't panic, ladies – you don't have enough testosterone to get the "bulk" effect. But you do need to do the same work.

Overall strength and resistance training will increase your basal metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories at rest), thereby reducing your body fat content. And you need to reduce the overall body fat in order to see the muscle you're building with specific exercises for specific muscle groups.

Here's an example – you want toned arms. So you'll do exercises to build and strengthen your biceps and triceps, but you'll also work on reducing your overall body fat percentage with other exercises, so the fat on top of those muscles starts to melt away, showing off the muscles underneath.

Get moving! Now that school is starting, lots of gyms and community ed programs are starting their fall classes.

 

Members chat with Marilu on Thursday!

CHAT WITH MARILU

Thursday, September 1

1 PM Eastern / 10 AM Pacific

Due to the lasting effects of Hurricane Irene, some are still without power or recovering from flooding. Tuesday's chat has been rescheduled to this Thursday, September 1. The members chat room is accessible via the Community menu after you've entered the members area.

Join now and chat with Marilu this Thursday!

 

September's class is coming soon!

Do you love the adventure of travel?

Have you lived or traveled in another country?

Are you ready to bring that excitement to your Total Health Makeover?

Each September, we offer a class called BOOTY SCHOOL – it's the basics of Marilu's Total Health Makeover in a fun and energizing environment, at the perfect time of year to focus on YOU. The kids are back in school, the community routines are in place, and the holidays are on the horizon. This month is all about YOU.

We're excited to offer this year's BOOTY SCHOOL class as a EUROPEAN SEMESTER!

That's right – we're going (virtually) to Europe, where Coach Evi will lead us in forming and strengthening healthy habits. Evi lives and works in Germany, and she's adapted THM® to fit the slight differences in culture and availability that she encounters. While you may not have the same experiences at home, you may be able to use Evi's tips when you travel – or you may be able to incorporate some healthier practices at home.

Class starts Tuesday, September 6 and runs for 21 consecutive days.

Coach Evi is bringing us new recipes and a new way to look at life. Get your camera and your passport for this virtual trip! It's time to hit the road!

Members will receive an email on September 6 with links to the class.

Not a member? Register now, and you'll be automatically enrolled in Booty School!

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Herbed polenta with fresh corn

We love polenta, but that stuff in the tubes? Not so much. The texture just feels a little off, and, well, we don't care for prepared foods that sit on a shelf. (Here at Marilu.com, we often call it 'bomb shelter food' – the stuff you'd keep in your basement in the event you'd need to live there for awhile. Yuk.)

So here's a simple recipe for homemade polenta that's a little fancied up with the addition of fresh corn. If you don't have the corn, just leave it out. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of vegan cheese (like shredded Daiya or Follow Your Heart's Vegan Gourmet), or vegan parmesan or even nutritional yeast.

This is a good recipe for using up a leftover ear of corn on the cob.

Serve the polenta with a simple tomato marinara sauce, or a veggie-tomato sauce like ratatouille. With a side salad, it's a delicious meal.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Herbed Polenta with Fresh Corn

from The Yoga Cookbook: Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind by The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers

Blue * Serves 4-6

1 ear of corn (remove husk and silk)

scant 1-1/2 cups cornmeal (look for polenta-style, or use regular cornmeal or grits)

3-1/3 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tablespoons olive oil

your favorite tomato sauce

Cook the corn on the cob in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, until tender. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels; set aside.

Stir the cornmeal into 1 cup of the water to make a batter. In a large, heavy pot, bring the remaining water and salt to a boil. Add the cornmeal batter all at once and stir continuously until the batter is well-blended. Add the chopped rosemary.

Reduce the heat so the batter simmers, and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot. Stir in the cooked corn kernels.

Pour the polenta into a 10-inch pie plate, smooth the top with a metal spatula, and leave it to cool. Once set, cut the polenta into wedges, and fry it in a little olive oil, until slightly crisp. (Or brush it with oil and grill it, broil it, or bake it.) Serve with your favorite tomato marinara sauce or ratatouille.

 

Spirit Sunday * Walk in balance

 

Wakan Tanka, Great Mystery,

teach me how to trust

my heart,

my mind,

my intuition,

my inner knowing,

the senses of my body,

the blessings of my spirit.

Teach me to trust these things

so that I may enter my Sacred Space

and love beyond my fear,

and thus Walk in Balance

with the passing of each glorious Sun.

~ Lakota prayer

 

Fitness Friday * Compound vs isolation exercises

You may have heard about compound exercises or functional exercises, and how they're supposed to be more beneficial than isolated exercises. But what does it all mean?

Compound exercises (or functional exercises) refers to exercise that simulates real-life activities and uses a wide variety of movements through a wide range of motion. They use multi-joint movements that work several muscles or muscle groups at one time, for example, squats engage the quadriceps (front of thigh), the hamstrings (back of thigh), the calves, the glutes (butt), the lower back and the core.

Isolation exercises work only one muscle or muscle group and only one joint at a time, for example, a bicep curl or the quadricep extension. These exercises are often done with weight machines, which can isolate one muscle group easily. Isolation exercises are frequently used in physical therapy to correct a specific muscle weakness or imbalance that often occurs after injury, illness, surgery or disease.

There are times when isolation exercise is exactly the right thing to do to regain fitness. Most of the time, however, you'll benefit from compound exercises more. Fill your workout with squats, lunges, pushups, dips, pullups, and jumping rope. (And, you know, dance. Because it's fun, and it uses a lot of muscle groups.)