blog #76 Workout gloves and calluses

During training sessions, I mix up pulling, pushing, and squatting exercises, in addition to abdominal work. When the time comes for pulling, clients SOMETIMES complain that their fingers hurt, or they can't grip the bar, machine, dumbell, etc. Exercises that cause particular complains are pull-ups, heavy lat pulldowns, deadlifts, shoulder shrugs, and farmer’s walks. 

Solution: workout gloves

Pulling exercises (especially pull-ups) are hard, but eventually you will get use to pulling and your hands will adapt. If you DON'T use gloves, you will get calluses. 

Wearing gloves preserves your pretty hands.

Not wearing gloves allows your grip to strengthen naturally so that you can lift heavier.

What will you choose? 

If you want to know more about grip and calluses, check out this article from World Fitness Network. 

blog #75 Nutrient-dense vs. energy-dense foods

Nutrient-dense foods have lots of nutrients, generally with fewer calories. Superfoods, like broccoli, are particularly nutrient-dense

Energy-dense foods have more calories in proportion to the volume of food and generally fewer nutrients. Examples are cakes, cookies, and doughnuts

I really like this article from Mayo Clinic, “Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories” 

So, something from McDonald’s? Energy-dense.

 Spinach salad? Nutrient-dense.

CAUTION: NOT ALL SALADS ARE CREATED EQUAL. A Caesar salad with croutons, cheese, and creamy dressing is not nutrient-dense simply because there is a hint of green. This salad, with its high-calorie, low-nutrition ingredients, is energy-dense.

What do you put in your salad? I bought this at Fairway market and it was so delicious. It was a pretty large salad so I ate half, filled the container up with mushrooms and spinach, and saved the other half for later. 

Do any of my readers have salad tips and tricks?

blog #74 Healthy picks at a street fair

This Sunday as I was traveling to work, I passed by a huge street fair that closed off 86th street from broadway to the far Upper West Side.

I peeked over at the carts and saw people who were laughing, eating, and enjoying their doses of vitamin D from the sun (we need about 15 minutes a day of unprotected sun exposure). The smells and colors were so intense that I was drawn to check out the stands. I managed to find healthy options for lunch, and I wish to share how you, too, can eat healthy at a street fair.  

In my medical nutrition class last week, we were discussing cancer and how nutrition plays a role in the development of cancer and various illnesses. In addition to touting the virtues of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, my professor also brought up how it is really important to avoid charred or burnt meats because of the nitrites (which can be a cause of cancer.)

 •Do not eat charred food

•Consume only occasionally meat and fish grilled in direct flame; as well as cured or smoked meats

On the other hand, raw or undercooked meats can harbor foodborne illnesses like e. coli and salmonella. Charring is at least a sign that food is probably well-cooked...

So, if you remove the grilled foods options (and all the fun!) from a street fair, what is there to eat?

I found these delicious crab summer rolls, which included lettuce, carrots, mint, celery, and basil. There was a side sauce offered with the roll, so I could choose how much or how little I wanted on my roll. 

Per serving (including the sauce), the roll averaged:

161 calories; 3g fat; 7g protein; 22g carbohydrate; 1g dietary fiber; 18mg cholesterol; 321mg sodium. 

Not bad!

I am well aware that not everyone eats shellfish, so I want to mention another healthy option: I also enjoyed one of these stuffed grape leaves which has 77 calories per serving (2 grape leaves equal one serving)

So what are some of your favorite food finds at a street fair?