Hello again! I feel like nearly all of my posts so far have been about summer, but who can blame me? The warm weather, late sunsets, and extra-long days to spend with loved ones is just fantastic.
Now summer comes with many, many choices. Sure, you have to decide which new bathing suit to buy, which beach trip could save the most on gas, and what concerts you are just dying to go to. But there are a lot of important food choices to make too, to include more nutritionally sound snacks and meals in your diet while calorie-laden options are abundant. This past month, I spent a day a music festival as well as a weekend at the beach. The mini vacation trips had put a kink in my normal eating schedule, and, as usual with vacations, force you to purchase food from vendors. While perusing Pinterest the other day, I saw that Self magazine posted a link to an article of The Best & Worst Fair Food Out There. You can check out that article here: http://www.self.com/flash/nutrition/2014/07/guide-best-worst-fair-food-youll-surprised/
Now summer comes with many, many choices. Sure, you have to decide which new bathing suit to buy, which beach trip could save the most on gas, and what concerts you are just dying to go to. But there are a lot of important food choices to make too, to include more nutritionally sound snacks and meals in your diet while calorie-laden options are abundant. This past month, I spent a day a music festival as well as a weekend at the beach. The mini vacation trips had put a kink in my normal eating schedule, and, as usual with vacations, force you to purchase food from vendors. While perusing Pinterest the other day, I saw that Self magazine posted a link to an article of The Best & Worst Fair Food Out There. You can check out that article here: http://www.self.com/flash/nutrition/2014/07/guide-best-worst-fair-food-youll-surprised/
While a lot of these foods are typically found at fairs, I definitely came across them at the concert venue and boardwalk as well. So it begs the question…..what IS a better choice? From the photos above, which would you think is the lesser of two evils? According to the Self article, cotton candy! (makes me glad I strayed from the corn dog I was *this* close to getting while at Warped Tour J ). Similar to as mentioned in the Self article, I found lots of popcorn and several shops with caramel apples on the boardwalk. Next time you are at the beach, try to follow their tips and choose the “healthier” options of what can find. If you are having trouble locating something that would fit for a healthy snack, let yourself live a little – but follow my favorite motto, ‘everything in moderation!’ If you’re with a group, share a cup of boardwalk fries between all of you, or split that piece of pizza in two. There may still be fat and grease, but a long walk on the beach or down to the pier could help make up for one less than stellar choice. If you’re able to pack a cooler (unfortunately at the music festival you were not able to bring one in, but you were allowed to pack snacks in a backpack!), you could bring some fresh fruit with you on your trip. While walking the boardwalk, I passed a young couple who had a cup of French fries in one hand and a small Tupperware container with apples & grapes in the other – I thought it was a great idea!
Speaking of spectacular summer food choices, this week Kids Eat Right is promoting a summer staple – the watermelon! Other than slices or diced up in a fruit salad, it’s often hard to picture watermelon another way. It’s delicious in its simplicity, but have you ever thought to experiment with it in a new recipe? Mix it on a kabob with chicken or shrimp! Serve up a tasty salsa made with watermelon instead of traditional tomatoes. My favorite idea that they suggest is this delectable recipe – grill the watermelon, then top with a light drizzle of honey, lime, and salt. How great does that sound? Check out the site with a few other options here: http://www.eatright.org/kids/tip.aspx?id=6442464700
Have you been staying active so far this summer? There are so many great activities to do outdoors – I know I’ve been taking my dog Riley on extra-long walks each evening and we both enjoy it! While the weather has been overall beautiful this summer, there have unfortunately been many nights with dark clouds and roaring thunder. So what to do if your evening run has been cancelled due to a downpour? Aside from fitness videos, one of my favorite things to do to stay active indoors is….
Have you been staying active so far this summer? There are so many great activities to do outdoors – I know I’ve been taking my dog Riley on extra-long walks each evening and we both enjoy it! While the weather has been overall beautiful this summer, there have unfortunately been many nights with dark clouds and roaring thunder. So what to do if your evening run has been cancelled due to a downpour? Aside from fitness videos, one of my favorite things to do to stay active indoors is….
Yes, Zumba for the Wii! Zumba Fitness (this is the first version – there is a newer game out as well!) is really a great simple, fun workout. It is also available for PlayStation and Xbox! I had never taken an actual Zumba class when I bought this game, but was intrigued to learn about all the hype. Really, it is just dancing – but what could be more fun than dancing around in your living room AND burning calories while doing so?
The game comes with a belt which can be strapped around your waist to hold the Wii controller, allowing you to move your arms freely with the music. There are many different styles of dance to choose from, including hip-hop, flamenco, and salsa. You can choose to do different workouts where you will dance along to a warm-up song, several higher intensity songs (sometimes 3 or more, depending on the length of the workout chosen), and finally a cool-down song. The downfall to the cool-down is there is not really a stretching portion; however it does bring your heart rate down after some intense solo dance moves. Similar to the game Just Dance, you follow the instructor (glowing person-shaped orb) on the screen and mimic their dance moves. You’re scored on how well you match the dance moves. It is fun to try, but don’t get discouraged if you are missing the moves. You can change levels if you’re a beginner, or if you’re like me, dance around like crazy, run in place & do some lunges when you don’t understand….hey, you’re moving, and still toning! I highly recommend this game just for a fun activity and to switch up your workouts when you want a little something different.
Now…to try that honey glazed watermelon….
Until next time,
Karla
The game comes with a belt which can be strapped around your waist to hold the Wii controller, allowing you to move your arms freely with the music. There are many different styles of dance to choose from, including hip-hop, flamenco, and salsa. You can choose to do different workouts where you will dance along to a warm-up song, several higher intensity songs (sometimes 3 or more, depending on the length of the workout chosen), and finally a cool-down song. The downfall to the cool-down is there is not really a stretching portion; however it does bring your heart rate down after some intense solo dance moves. Similar to the game Just Dance, you follow the instructor (glowing person-shaped orb) on the screen and mimic their dance moves. You’re scored on how well you match the dance moves. It is fun to try, but don’t get discouraged if you are missing the moves. You can change levels if you’re a beginner, or if you’re like me, dance around like crazy, run in place & do some lunges when you don’t understand….hey, you’re moving, and still toning! I highly recommend this game just for a fun activity and to switch up your workouts when you want a little something different.
Now…to try that honey glazed watermelon….
Until next time,
Karla