Fitness is Fun!
December 2006

Which winter sports burn the most calories?

Winter sports are a fun way to keep in shape during the holiday season. Most winter sports require continuous effort without rest, so your heart rate stays up, increasing cardiovascular benefits. Prevention.com lists the top four winter workouts of 2006.

Snow-shoeingCalories 				Expended Per Hour-544
							Target Areas- Abdominals, Thighs and Calves

Cross-Country Skiing				Calories Expended Per Hour-510
							Target Areas- Shoulders, Arms and Thighs

Ice Skating						Calories Expended Per Hour-425
							Target Areas- Thighs and Calves
   
Downhill Skiing						Calories Expended Per Hour-374
							Target Areas- Abdominals, Thighs and Butt

Hard Work Earns Youth Presidential Champions Gold Medal
The Post-Cresent West newspaper in New London featured Presidential Champion gold medalist, 11 year old Jonathan Simpson. Simpson learned it is not just important to be active, but also was taught a lesson in determination. Simpson told Post-Cresent, “It’s a good feeling--like I finished something that I started. I guess that’s just the way I am. I like to finish things. I’m proud of it (receiving the medal), and feel lucky that I got it.” During the past year, Simpson completed 483 hours of physical activity, which included karate, swimming, walking, biking, basketball, rock climbing, snowboarding, golf, in-line skating and soccer. To land a gold medal in the advanced performance division, like Simpson completed, participants must earn at least 160,000 points. Visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ to start working for your own gold medal.

Tips on Eating Smart During the Holidays
Parties, dinners and get-togethers make it difficult to eat healthy during the holiday seasons. Madelyn Frenstrom, a board certified nutrition specialists from the American College of Nutrition gives tips on how to make smarter food choices this season.

Eat before the party:
Don’t go to a party hungry. Have some soup, a piece of fruit, a small piece of low-fat cheese, or a slice or two of lean ham or turkey before you go to the party. That will take the edge off your hunger and give you better control of your eating.

Make a bargain:
You’ve been good all week, so you tell yourself it’s OK to splurge at parties. This is a type of bartering. You can do this from meal to meal, day to day, or you can restrict your diet during the week, so you can indulge at weekend parties. This way you can be focused and disciplined during the week and give yourself a little more leeway on the weekend.

Scope out food options:
At buffet tables, scope out the options first. Make a mental note of what you’d like to eat, before you fill your plate. This way you can get a taste of everything you’d like to try and not feel deprived, but you won’t thoughtlessly pile all sorts of food on your plate.

Taste hors d’oeuvres:
When appetizers are being passed around, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re eating. One strategy is to take a bite of an appetizer you’d like to try, and then put it down. You’ll get a taste, but you won’t get all the calories. Another strategy is to eat small appetizers and then eat veggies (ones which aren’t drowned in dressing or sauces) and other low-calorie foods. The third strategy is to choose only lean protein and low-fat items. For example, you’ll limit yourself to shrimp with cocktail sauce, chicken satay, or meatballs.

For more information on foods to avoid during the holidays visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16146628.

Program Teaches Kids an Easy Way to “Red Light” Bad Foods
A weight-control program in Stanford, California is helping significantly overweight kids understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital’s weight-reduction program combines an easy to understand traffic light system to help kids and families understand that there are foods that should be consumed rarely. “Red light” items include cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, whole milk and frozen yogurt. Grains, fruits, beans, meat and fish get a “yellow light,” signaling they can be eaten frequently, but in moderation. Vegetables and water get the “green light.” For more information on the program visit http://www.npr.org/.

Healthy Recipes