10 Ways To Stay Fit In The Office

by Shannon on June 26, 2010

If you work a regular office job, there’s no question about it, you’re likely fairly sedentary throughout the better part of the day.  High levels of inactivity is one of the largest contributing factors to the obesity issues that we’re facing in today’s world so it’s important that we approach this issue head on and figure out little ways we can work physical activity into our day.

The following ten tips will help you accomplish just that and will easily allow you to see the benefits of fitness all without leaving your office building.

Sit On An Exercise Ball
The single best way to strengthen the core muscles while at the office is to sit on an exercise ball.  Replace your standard chair with this and you’ll quickly find the entire abdominal area as well as the muscles that run along the spinal column will be tighter.

Take The Stairs
You’ve likely heard it before, but if you want to quickly firm the lower body muscles, nothing beats taking the stairs.  Even if you just walk two flights, five times a day, this can really add up over time.

Set An Alarm To Stretch
Most of us don’t take the opportunity to stretch often enough throughout the day so start setting an alarm to signal yourself to stretch once every two hours.  By doing so you’ll help to improve your overall focus and concentration as well.

Practice Deep Breathing
Along with stretching, another important thing to consider is deep breathing. This will automatically open up the chest better and ensure that you’re getting the oxygen you need.  As an added benefit, as it causes you to sit up your ab muscles will get called into action.

Perform Stomach Contractions Once Per Hour
To further enhance the stomach if sitting on an exercise ball is not possible, consider performing stomach contractions.  For this you simply tighten up the abs, hold, and then release for a set of ten once per hour. Do this eight times a day and you’ll quickly see a difference.

Utilize Heavy Grips
Heavy grips are an excellent tool for working on your grip strength and will be especially important if you happen to do a lot of typing throughout the day as well.  Make use of these at least once per day for best results.

Consider A Mini Exercise Bike
To get in a bit of cardio and burn off some calories, try a mini exercise bike. This one fits nicely under your desk and could be used right while you are working.  By using it daily you’ll boost your leg strength and help tone the quad muscles.

Invest In Some Tubing
Another great piece of equipment that you may want to consider is some rubber tubing.  You can perform a variety of exercises with these such as bicep curls, lateral raises, and tricep extensions. Taking a break from your busy day to do a few sets here and there will quickly provide strengthening benefits and give the body a break.

Sit Up Straight
Another vital thing that you are sure you are doing is sitting up straight throughout the day. This is going to help work all the muscles associated with proper posture and really help to make you instantly look slimmer. Often those who work office jobs do notice poor posture so spend some serious time fixing this bad habit.

Take Mini-Stepper Breaks
Finally, another way to get in some cardio if you aren’t a bike fan is a mini stepper.  This can easily be placed in the corner of your office and used when needed. So don’t let your office job get you down any longer.  With a few unique ideas, you can get in a quick workout without having to go to the gym.


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Veggies for Breakfast!

by Michelle on June 7, 2010

I am very sorry for my delay in posting! Luckily, I think the technical difficulties are finally over and I have added kombucha pictures and am ready to tell about my latest Sunday Chef recipe which is simply scrambled eggs and veggies. The catch is that they actually taste delicious together.  And I say veggies loosely because I just use whatever I happen have in the fridge that will cook up nicely.

This time I had used broccoli, asparagus, and mushrooms, then topped the dish with freshly diced tomatoes. YUM! To start, I usually mix 2-3 eggs in a small bowl with a splash of milk and dash of salt and pepper. I melt butter in two small pans and saute the veggies in one and cook the scrambled eggs in another. [click to continue…]

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Kombucha Part II

by Michelle on May 24, 2010

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So you can imagine what I’m sipping right now as I write this post! I am very thankful that my first attempt at kombucha was successful. After letting the kombucha brew/set for about 10 days (without moving it), I removed the large mother scoby (pictured left), with clean hands and no rings, and placed it in a small mason jar with enough kombucha to cover it.

I also removed my new “baby” scoby which grew from the mother and placed it in a separate jar of kombucha. My baby scoby looks like a cute little pancake (pictured right)! [click to continue…]

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Homemade Kombucha Part I

by Michelle on May 16, 2010

These week’s Sunday Chef post is a little different! I am trying my hand for the first time at homemade kombucha. I have purchased bottled kombucha from health stores in the past (and they come in a variety of wonderful flavors), but they are pretty pricey for a small amount. A member of Nourishing Ways West MI (a chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation) gave me a kombucha mushroom or SCOBY- Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast to start my first batch, although they can also be purchased online.

The recipe I used stated to bring 4 cups of distilled or filtered water to boil in a stainless steal pan. I then added 1 1/3  cups white sugar and let it boil for 5 minutes. I then turned off the heat and then added 3 bags of black tea and three of green tea. I covered the pot and let the tea steep for 40 minutes before removing the bags.

While the tea cooled slightly, I added 3 quarts of cold water to a gallon mason jar and then poured in the tea. Once it was about room temperature, I added the kombucha mushroom with clean hands and no rings (darker side down) and then covered it with a cloth and rubberband.

I will let it sit for about 10 days in a dim room while the tea ferments and becomes more sour than sweet. If I were to wait 14 days, all of the sugar would be gone. Also, another mushroom will grow on top of the one I began with. The New Homemaker (where you can find a great deal of information on making kombucha) stated that once the new mushroom is at least 1/8″ thick, the kombucha is done. I”ll report back next week on the final kombucha, the mushroom removal and storage, and of course, the health benefits!

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Get “Posture” Perfect

May 14, 2010

I came across an interesting article called “Posture in Women” by Andrew Schafer, DC in the May issue of Natural Awakenings magazine regarding womens posture and how important it is to health. This is something that I am personally working on since I have a nasty habit of slouching and hunching my shoulders (not pretty!). [...]

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Identification and Uses of Herbs

May 12, 2010

Tour Geri Young’s backyard while identifying common herbs and their uses. You will also learn how to make poultice and tincture and leave with garlic to start your own herb garden. The cost is $15 and you can RSVP to Geri at 616-896-7814. Location: Grand Rapids, MI

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How to Make Kombucha

May 12, 2010

Learn how to make kombucha (a wonderful fermented beverage with many health benefits) with Sue Myer in this afternoon workshop. The cost is $10 and everyone will leave with written instructions on how to make kombucha and a SCOBY to beging making your own. RSVP to Geri at 616-896-7814. Location: Grand Rapids, MI

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Simple Homemade Granola

May 9, 2010

Today’s recipe is for easy homemade granola and it’s the perfect healthy snack or topping for a yummy fruit and yogurt parfait. I found the recipe in the April magazine issue of Body + Soul, but also located it at their website. I actually cut the recipe into approximate thirds (that was a little hard [...]

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Easy Rasberry Dressing

May 2, 2010
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I learned this weekend’s recipe at the Wise Traditions 2009 conference and it is a super quick & easy salad dressing that is also pretty! I think it would be particularly good on a spinach salad with mozzarella cheese, dried fruit, and walnuts (but I’ll have to wait ’til tomorrow to try that!). It is [...]

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REAL Food = REAL Health

April 23, 2010

This past Wednesday, I attended a wonderfully informative lecture put on by Nourishing Ways West MI. The founders of NourishMD.com, Dr. Sue McCreadie, MD and Holistic Health Counselor Angelle Batten, spoke about a number of health issues that affect children and how REAL foods (not processed, fake foods) help make kids healthy. Being a medical [...]

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