Valeo Training

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

WE'VE MOVED!

Our Valeo blog is now imported right into our website!

You can view our highlighted posts or latest news right on the homepage, or read all our entries by pushing the "Blog" tab up top.

Come visit us! www.valeotraining.com

Thursday, December 17, 2009

GREEN VEGETABLES

Vegetables are the most missing food in the typical diet, and leafy green vegetables are lacking most of all. When many people think of vegetables, they have bad memories of their parents making them eat all of their Brussels sprouts or peas before leaving the dinner table. Can you relate?

Truth is, veggies are not scary and are seriously good for you. They are crammed with vitamins A, C, E and K, fiber, folic acid, and many other micronutrients that help with blood purification, cancer prevention and improved circulation. They're like a miracle food!

When thinking about vegetables, be adventurous and go beyond traditional greens like, broccoli or lettuce. Kale is a great, green leafy vegetable that has more nutritional value with fewer calories than almost any other food around. Better yet, it is in season from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring and can be enjoyed in many ways. Some people prefer to eat it raw, while others like it steamed. See what works for your taste buds.

Here is a simple recipe to get you started:
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cooking Time:
10 minutes
Yields:
10 servings or more
Ingredients:
1 to 2 bunches kale
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove kale from stalk, leaving the greens in large pieces.
Place a little olive oil in a bowl, dip your fingers and rub a very light coat of oil over the kale.
Place kale on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until it starts to turn a bit brown. Keep an eye on it as it can burn quickly.
Turn the kale over and bake with the other side up. Remove and serve.

Notes:
Try different kinds of kale or collard greens.
For added flavor sprinkle with a little salt or spice, such as curry or cumin after rubbing on olive oil.
*Article from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition


In addition to great recipes like this, consider adding the cancer-fighting nutrition of kale to your diet everyday with Juice Plus. It's whole-food nutrition - 17 colorful vine-ripened fruits and vegetables (including Kale) in a capsule for just $1.39/day. http://www.valeotraining4juiceplus.com

Ask Mike or me for more info today! We'd love to share with you why we support this!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

WHY?

As I was sharing and listening to a client the other day, I was reminded of a statement made by our pastor at Engedi Church. It struck me as so powerful to many facets of life, including physical fitness improvement and weight loss. Let me know if it resignates with you, too...

Change only happens when the reason TO change is greater than the reason NOT to change.

So...what's your "WHY"? What's your reason to change your habits, your daily routine, your weight, your mentality, your endurance, your drive, your choices, your food, your sleep, your heart?

Forget the surfacy stuff...dig deep. It's not just to "look good" or "lose weight" or "feel better". Identify what that means exactly to you, what that looks like, feels like, tastes like for you, your family, your coworkers, your friends...Write it down and put it somewhere you can see it, to remind you what you're striving for, why every little choice points you one step closer to your "Why". If your WHY - your reason to change - doesn't mean MORE to you than your reason not to change - trying to change will feel like torture.

It's a choice you make every time you face a challenge, a temptation, apathy or unmotivation. Your WHY will change occasionally; expect it to. But know that if it is spoken, written and known deep inside you, it will drive you forward, propelling you one small step at a time closer to your goal.

How do you see yourself in 6 months if you keep holding on to the same negative behaviors? How do you see yourself in 6 months if you did make those positive changes in your life?

Keep pressin' on!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

(WE'RE BACK!)

We are back in action...all married and stuff. :) Life has been a bit crazy lately and the blog has taken a backseat, but we are determined to keep working at it!

I'm in the process of updating our personal bloggy blog, too, with wedding, honeymoon, home, and other event pics....so check out www.mikeandjessluepke.blogspot.com and stay tuned for more updates!

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON!!

THE SENSIBLE EATER

Valeo/Personal Training and Nephew Physical Therapy have teamed up in an effort to provide good, solid health, fitness, nutrition and therapy information to anyone interested. These FREE events will be held the 1st Tuesday of every month from 6:45 - 7:30pm at Ultimate Fitness and Health. Keep an eye out for us each month!

Mike and I gave a presentation last night called "The Sensible Eater: How to Prepare Yourself for the Holiday Season". We had a great turnout! Let me know if you weren't able to make it and would like to sit down and chat about what we discussed.

I love this definition of "Sensible Eater"....this is the kind of eater I want to be; how 'bout you?!
THE SENSIBLE EATER
• Someone who lets the Food Guide Pyramid guide his/her choices. Emphasis is placed on foods with highest nutrient quality (like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean poultry, fish, low fat milk products, nuts and unsaturated oils). But, sweets and high fat foods are also enjoyed in moderation, and without guilt! These people sometimes eat too much and sometimes too little as a result of environmental influences. But most of the time, they listen to their body’s internal cues for hunger and fullness and maintain a proper energy balance.
Sheri Barke, MPH, RD
UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center

Here are some Take-Home Points, as discussed last night:
*Eat breakfast (ex. 1 whole grain, 1 lean protein, 1 sm. fruit)! And small meals every 3-5 hours after that.

*PLAN PLAN PLAN! Create a new habit of packing a cooler with your lunch and snacks for the day. Keep one in your car for long errand runs or road trips. Stock it with nutritious fruit and vegetable munchies, lean proteins, lean dairies and healthy fats. See notes for examples.
*Drink lots of water; often what you interpret as hunger is really thirst.
*Add nutrients and bulk to your diet with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables (Volumize that meal!) Check out http://www.valeotraining4juiceplus.com/ if you aren't reaching the recommended 9-13 servings a day, according to the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.
*Be a MINDFUL holiday eater. Fill up on the good, nutritious foods and don't feel guilty for indulging on goodies occasionally!
Check out the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid. The food pyramid has changed over the years; are you up-to-date? I love the emphasis on fruits and vegetables. With the amount of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes in our nation, we need to be getting whole-food nutrition in our bodies like never before! Food is fuel and medicine!