Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 8/10/14

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CrossFit Flirting: Talk Burpee to Me– I have shared articles in the past on cross fit and although I have not done it myself I admire the comradery that is built from those who do participate in it. I love the idea of everyone stretching the limits of their own body with the goal of just helping and supporting one another. This article is more of a nice read then it is informative.  “Perhaps more than disciples of any other type of exercise, people who participate in CrossFit can’t help being drawn to people who do the same. This is partly because the exercise regimen inspires near-religious devotion.”

Men Say ‘Uh’ and Women Say ‘Um’– Interesting the differences between men and women and how it also correlated to age. “Back in 2005, he found that usage of “uh” increases with age, but at every age, men say it more than women do. Meanwhile, usage of “um” decreases with age, but female speakers said it more than male ones at each stage in life.”

Women Pace Marathons Better Then Men Do– Maybe it is because I am a female runner, but I found this article fascinating. “As it turned out, men slowed significantly more than women racers did. In aggregate, men covered the second half of the marathon almost 16 percent slower than they ran the first half. Women as a group were about 12 percent slower in the second half.”

How To Reset Your Metabolism With Diet Breaks- I think this article highlights something really important, taking a break. I wish I had done this more when I was in dieting mode. I would be so strict with myself and never let myself indulge or take a break. This lead to binge eating when I would finally allow myself something I craved. Letting yourself have what you want occasionally will make a big difference to your body and your mental well being. I in fact still have to learn to take breaks from my hardcore eating ways otherwise I find I will still binge.

10 Things All Beginning Lifters Should Know– If any of you know my boyfriend you will hear him emphasize the importance of strength training. This article is great at answering some common myths and giving good information.  “At any rate, in a caloric surplus, strength training will cause the weight that you gain to consist of a higher proportion of muscle and a lower proportion of fat. At a caloric maintenance, strength training will cause your body to recompose so that you gain more muscle, lose fat, and improve your bodyfat percentage. At a caloric deficit, strength training will cause the weight that you lose to consist of a higher proportion of fat and a lower proportion of muscle.”

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Photo from Huff Post

A Week In Photos In New York City

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A couple of weeks ago I went out to the East Coast for my typical work trip to Providence, Rhode Island. I usually make this trip a couple of times a year, but often it is coupled with other work trips so I never get to take extra time and make my way to New York City. This time the trip happened to coincide with my birthday so I decided I needed to tack on a few days at the end to go see two of my best ladies and celebrate in style.

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Now how is one to get from Providence to New York City? The first option that came to mind for me was flying. However after seeing a one way plane ticket would be over $200 I had to quickly re-consider. After some research I found I could take a train ride to the Big Apple for only $80, I was sold. So after spending a Monday-Wednesday in Providence I embarked on my journey Thursday morning.

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I started my morning with a nice 7 mile run before getting ready and heading over to the train station. The train ride was 3 hours and I loved the whole experience. Looking out the windows upon every little East Coast sea town was quite delightful. I fantasized about wearing a striped dress, drinking champagne, and eating lobster at some quaint little bed and breakfast. I also used the time to just enjoy some magazines and get caught up on life. Once arriving at Grand Central station I made my way to my girlfriends office to unload my luggage before walking a mile to the Chelsea Market.

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I love the Chelsea Market. It reminds me a lot of the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The market is all about food, drinks, and people. There are also various shops for local artists, which I appreciate. I wondered from shop to shop just exploring everything the building had to offer. I decided this would be a perfect place to stop and have a late lunch. Of course I could not make up my mind on what to order so I got a soba noodle salad and a couscous salad. Both were delicious!

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The evening consisted of drinking wine back at my girlfriend Lauren’s beautiful apartment in Bed-Stuy where we caught up on life. We then walked to a small neighborhood Italian restaurant for dinner. I don’t let myself indulge in pasta very often, but every time I come to New York it is a must. Nothing beats their Italian Food. We have nothing in San Francisco that even compares in my opinion. I ordered an eggplant bolognese and ate every last bite! After a long day of walking and a run I felt I deserved all the wine and pasta my body wanted. Although I did skip on the bread and olive oil, some regulation still needed to happen.

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Day two started with a journey over to my favorite workout place in NYC, Flywheel. The 45 minute intense spinning class was just what I needed after a night of good food and drinks. After the class  I found my obsession Whole Foods and got some yogurt and fruit before finding a quaint little coffee shop to sit and read at while enjoying my morning treat. Next I spent the day roaming around the city popping into little shops that caught my eye and of course I had to venture over to Soho for some shopping.

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Later that evening I met up with my girlfriend Katie at her new apartment in the East Village where we packed a picnic of cheese, bread, fruit, and veggies for a night dinner on her roof. The warm weather was perfect and sitting overlooking the city lights glistening with champagne in hand made for a fantastic start to the night.  Next was a night cap at a neighboring bar which was soon followed by bed.

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Day Three started with a 5 mile run along the water. Nothing beats an early, warm east coast morning. After getting ready and grabbing some amazing coffee I met back up with my girlfriend Lauren again for a day at the spa.  I was able to find us an amazing deal that included a 2 1/2 hour manicure, massage, and facial all for $130. I checked in on Yelp and was able to get 30% off bringing my grand total to $90! Did I mention they gave us free champagne?

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Next on the agenda was an afternoon at a wine bar in the East Village where Lauren and I enjoyed some Vino, salad, and cheese. All of my favorite things! The portions were huge so Lauren and I no matter how hard we tried were not able to polish off the plate. After our late and leisurely lunch we made our way back to Brooklyn and relaxed before getting ready for dinner. For my last night  Lauren and I went out to eat at an amazing Venezuelan restaurant in Brooklyn.

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The next morning I went on a 5 mile run around Lauren’s neighborhood before heading to the airport. All in all it was a great few days and I can’t say how nice it was to spend time with my girlfriends! New York City is always such a special place for me, but I have to say I am always glad when I get back to the city by the bay!

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 8/03/14

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The Link Between Birth Control Pills and Breast Cancer– “A new study out today suggests that having recently taken birth control pills increases breast cancer risk by about 50 percent. Women who were on a formulation of the pill with an especially elevated level of estrogen nearly tripled their risk of getting breast cancer, and a pill with even a moderate amount of the hormone increased the risk by about 60 percent.”

Why High-Impact Exercise Is Good for Your Bones– Being a runner myself and having had a back injury I completely understand the importance of making sure I am keeping my bones healthy. I have always wondered how high impact exercises affect my body, so this article is interesting to see that there are a lot of benefits from doing high impact exercises.

What Makes a Superfood?– Superfood is a new buzz word out there. Are there foods that can give us everything we need? This article is short and sweet but try’s to add a simple perspective to the topic. “And while marketers are at liberty to label anything a superfood, Dr. Hagen doesn’t believe any one food can be super.”

What to Look For in a Fitness App– Although this article does not give you any specific apps to download it does give some good rules of thumb to look at when downloading a Health and Fitness App. I can say I would not have been able to do my weight loss without My Fitness Pal. This has been by far the best App I have personally used for tracking food. In terms of fitness I really like Map My Run for running. It has various versions for biking, walking, etc. They are all the same so all you need is one and you get the same use from it.  However I would love to hear thoughts on what has worked for others.

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Photo from Huff Post

Apartment Decorating- New York City Love

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In my recent quest for a new home I have become obsessed with looking at small apartments and seeing how people utilize their space and decorate. The website Apartment Therapy has become a nightly indulgence. I look at beautiful pictures of homes in sprawling urban cities and I am just amazed by the  creativity and imagination out there. People can transform 500 square feet apartments into homes big enough to fit a family of 3.

 

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Two weeks ago I was in New York City visiting 2 of my closest girlfriends for a late birthday celebration. Over the years my girlfriends have lived in various apartments within Manhattan.  With each visit not only have I been lucky enough to explore new neighborhoods, but I have also been able to see the unique way that only New Yorker’s can live. Whether it was the East Village, Kips Bay, or Brooklyn each neighborhood and apartment offered something truly endearing and unique.

 

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After spending 8 years in Manhattan by girlfriend Lauren recently decided it was finally time for more space and made the big move over to the trendy side of New York, aka Brooklyn. She has found an amazing apartment in an up and coming neighborhood called Bedford Stuyvesant, aka Bed Stuy to the locals. The neighborhood still has a little ways to go, but new amazing restaurants are starting to slowly pop up and with the old brick stone houses lining the streets you can see why this area will become the next big thing.

 

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Lauren has truly amazing taste and I have always been in love with every one of her apartment’s. I guess when you are a designer decorating is something that just comes naturally to you. However I have to say her new apartment took my breath away the first time I saw it. Walking in and seeing the hard wood floors, white walls with crown molding, the updated kitchen, and all of the natural light it not only made her place feel cozy and inviting, but also stylish and intimate.

 

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I have to say out of everyone I have ever known, Lauren is by far and away my style soul mate. The pictures were all taken in her amazing place and I only hope that when I go to decorate my new home it will feel half as beautiful and trendy as hers. Hopefully I can bring a piece of New York style to San Francisco.

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 7/27/14

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Finding Balance Between Your Life and Your Diet– This article is definitely an opinion piece, however I really like a lot of what he says. He has 3 basic ideas for living a balanced life where you are not tied to a diet. First is to try intermittent fasting, second is to make smart food choices, and lastly train and be very active. These are 3 things I personally practice.

What Happens to Your Brain When You Eat Junk Food (And Why We Crave It) – I for one have read a few books on this subject. It is interesting to know why our body craves certain foods and how companies work hard to make you want them.

How Our Arms Help Us Run– “The results showed, as the scientists had expected, that the volunteers used the least energy and were most efficient when they ran normally, their arms swinging at their sides. With each change in arm position, their efficiency dropped.”

Could a probiotic prevent obesity?– “Since it worked in mice eating a high-fat diet, it does suggest that it will be beneficial, even if people don’t change their diet to something including more vegetables and less junk food. But we expect that it would likely provide the most benefit to those who do change their diet and try to get sufficient exercise.There are lots of people who are doing their best to change their lifestyle and it still isn’t enough for them to get to and keep a healthy weight, we think this strategy will really help them.”

The HPV Vaccination Rate Is Still Too Low, CDC Says-“Though the CDC recommends the HPV vaccine for all 11-year-old and 12-year-old boys and girls, the 2013 study found that doctors had not recommended it to one third of girls and more than half of boys.”

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Photo from Huff Post

 

Burn Extra Calories During The Day, Here Are 10 Tips on How

Posted in Health, Working Out by

Let’s face it, we all just sit more now then we used to. We sit on our commute to and from work, we sit at the office all day, then we come home and sit in front of the TV. In an era where it so so easy to sit all day you have to work harder in order to move your body more. I have found some easy ways to move my body throughout the day which ultimately helps me to burn extra calories all day long. None of these tips seem like life changing events, but if you do them daily they will make a change to your body over an extended period of time. Of course nothing will replace exercise completely, but every change you make can make an impact to your overall health.

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10 Tips on How

1. Always take the stairs. No matter how tired you are or how much longer you think the stairs will take you, just walk up them.  I find at work when I take the stairs and someone else takes the elevator 9 times out of 10 the stairs end up always being faster.

2. Park  in the farthest parking spot you can find and walk. It might add a little extra time, but those extra steps every time you park far away can quickly add up. I also park at least one street over from my morning coffee spot in order to just get some extra steps in the morning before work.

3. Find opportunities for quick cardio bursts. I lift my legs and do high knees while brushing my teeth, I run in place while I blow dry my hair, and I hop around and dance while I vacuum, fold my laundry, or any other household chores.

4. Find time to cook more. Not only does cooking more help with eating better, but chopping, stirring, and mixing all help to burn extra calories. Plus you are also standing while you cook, which also helps burn additional calories.

5. Walk more. I have a problem with snacking when I get home from work so I try to use this time to take the dog on a longer walk. I also like to go on walks when I am talking on the phone. It is a good way to move your body while you do not even realize you are moving.  A walk to catch up with friends or co-workers is another great thing to incorporate in your day to day routine.

6. Stand up more. Stand while you are on the phone at work or at home. Stand at your dining table while you read through mail or browse online. Stand while waiting for an appointment, stand on the subway or bus, just anytime you have the ability to stand instead of sit do it.

7. Keep things farther away so you have to get up and in order to get them. For instance don’t use your remote control for the TV, make yourself get up and change the channel. When serving dinner leave everything in the kitchen. If you want more you will need to get back up and walk over in order to get more.

8. Fidget more. Tap your toes, dance around, pace back and forth. People who fidget a lot can burn up to an extra 300-350 calories a day just by doing small movements all day long.

9. Dance more. I for one love dancing as a way to get me out of a bad mood or as a way to relieve stress. 20 minutes of dancing can burn up to an extra 100 calories. The beauty of dancing is you can dance solo around your house or go out with girlfriends for a night on the town. This is a fun way to exercise.

10. Shop more. I like to grocery shop most nights as it helps me just walk more. I will walk the store a few times back and forth just to get extra steps in. Also this way I am hopefully not over buying groceries and instead I am just getting what I need for the night or next day.

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 7/20/14

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Technology addiction- how should it be treated?– A topic that is near and dear to most of us. I for one have a hard time going extended periods of time without checking my phone. We have become so intertwined with technology in our day to day lives. “The symptoms and nature of this perceived addiction vary from case to case but hinge around a perceived excessive engagement with a user’s smartphone, the Internet or social networking sites that comes at the expense of their mental well-being. Persistent checking of instant messaging apps and frequent changing of status updates – as well as the notorious uploading of “selfies” – are linked in addiction cases to insomnia, depression and social withdrawal.”  

Break 3 Rules, Build More Muscle– This article has a lot of great content on how to build muscle and where to focus. It is a little long but the top three things are; “Partial or incomplete reps can be very effective,” “Learning to feel a muscle makes it easier to stimulate and grow,” and lastly “Use a large arsenal.”  

Let’s Cool it in the Bedroom– I for one sleep so much better in a cold room, but this is really interesting and another reason to keep it cool in the bedroom. “Cooler bedrooms could subtly transform a person’s stores of brown fat — what has lately come to be thought of as “good fat” — and consequently alter energy expenditure and metabolic health, even into daylight hours”

Xylitol 101- Everything You Need to Know– There was a time in my weight loss journey where I drank a ton of diet soda and used artificial sweeteners in order to save calories. Xylitol is a more natural added sugar with lower calories, but is it healthy for you? Here is a good article that breaks it down for you. “Bottom Line: Xylitol is a type of sweetener called a sugar alcohol and is found in some plants. It looks and tastes like sugar, but has 40% fewer calories.”

It’s Time to Finally Convince Your Clients That the Scale Doesn’t Matter– For me the number on the scale is always fluctuating, which can really make or break my day. I really let it affect my mood and because of that I thought it would be good to this share article on how our weight is really determined. Every time the scale is not where I want it to be I think through a lot of these points. This is one of the best articles I have seen on the subject, hope you enjoy! 

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Photo from Huff Post

 

Things I Love This Week

Posted in San Francisco, Things I Love by

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What can I say about coffee. I love it. I drink it every morning. Not because I need the caffeine, but I just love the taste and the sipping on something warm. One of my favorite coffee places in the city is Philz. Their slogan is “One cup at a time” and boy can you taste the difference. I typically order the same thing every time I go. However the other day it was a warm afternoon in the city and I decided to try something new. I got their iced mint mojito coffee. Now I am addicted and starting my morning off in a whole new way.

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One of my biggest weakness is baked goods. Now I am not one to eat sweets really, but savory baked treats is where I indulge.  I could never imagine my life without bread, although I do have to eat it in moderation. It is rare for me to indulge in something like this without an occasion, but the other morning while out to eat for brunch the biscuit looked too amazing to pass up. And it was! I ate the whole thing, no regrets.

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The other night after dinner with some of my favorite girlfriends we wandered into a bar in Bernal Heights called Holy Water for a night cap. I immediately became obsessed with their light fixture’s. I might need to re-create this in my new place.

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Another morning brunch, this time I went for a little healthier option. Chia seed porridge with peaches and nuts. This was at one of the best brunch places in the city Plow. It also happens to be in my lovely neighborhood too.  Get there early though, there is always a long wait.

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While walking through the SOMA district I stumbled into this little coffee shop. It felt very New York to me and was a great place to get a little work done while sipping on something warm.

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A beautiful bouquet of flowers from my team at work in celebration of my birthday. They are so me and very summer. Love.

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 7/13/14

Posted in Books and Articles by

10 Mistakes Women Make in the Gym– I am still surprised by how many women I know that work out all of the time, but still feel like cardio is the only way to lose weight and stay fit. They completely neglect weight training, which I believe to be key in staying in shape. “Too often women end up blending elements of all those practices and as often happens when you combine too many recipes, that dish won’t cook. Women make little progress and often end up looking worse than when they began, sometimes developing a body that’s “skinny fat,” a cruel, paradoxical condition where they appear thin in clothes, but actually have a higher body fat percentage than they did before they started to exercise because they lost muscle instead of body fat.”

 Training Footwear 101– One of the most important things when working out is making sure you have the right gear to do it in. Shoes are key. For someone like me who is an avid runner I have to replace my shoes very frequently. If not my body can feel it.This article does a nice job of laying out how footwear geared to what you are doing is key.

Study of Organic Crops Finds Fewer Pesticides and More Antioxidants– “A comprehensive review of earlier studies found substantially higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides in organic fruits, vegetables and grains compared with conventionally grown produce.”

Workout Nutrition Illustrated– In a great fitness book I read it broke out bodies into 3 types and talks in depth how you have to cater how you work out and eat based off of your body type. This illustration captures it quite nicely and is a good first step in my opinion.

Do Carbohydrate Sources Matter?– The writer of this article definitely has a strong opinion, but the topic is one that I feel a lot of people are curious about and so I wanted to include it. “Some studies show that a lower GI diet may help with cholesterol and in lowering inflammation levels in the body [4][5]. I do believe that the majority of your diet should be made from those types of foods.”

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Photo from Huff Post

Small Town 4th Of July Fun

Posted in San Francisco by

 

As I mentioned in my previous post this last weekend we went up to Trinity National forest to go camping for the 4th of July weekend.  First let me say I love camping. Something about being outside, no technology, and living simply for a weekend has always been really appealing to me. I love cooking over an open fire, hiking and exploring the surroundings, and sleeping under the stars.

The camp trip started on Thursday with a long drive up north. We arrived later than expected and were only able to grab a quick bite to eat before having  to setup camp. There is nothing like putting up a tent in the pitch black with a headlamp to guide your way. The next morning Dustin and I were up early at 5:30am and headed into town to meet our friends Erica and Alex for a 4th of July Fun Run.

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The race was a lot of fun! There was an option for a 2.5 mile race or a 5 mile race. Erica did the 2.5 mile run and got first place, so she totally kicked butt!  I did the 5-mile run and ended up being a little disappointed with my performance and time.  I started the race with a goal to just to have a nice time and to not get competitive.  I began leisurely and did not run at my full potential.  So when I deiced to actually race I was already a little behind. Of course trail running is not my usual kind of run. Over 2 miles of the run was all up a steep hill and on a narrow trail. Which let me just say that 2 miles was HARD! Once I made it to the top I started my downward decent. With the narrow trail I would get trapped behind people and it would take me a little while to pass them. Then I ended up getting lost twice and had to back track.  So coming into the finish line I was disappointed with my time. Oh well though. I ended up coming in 9th total and 2nd in the girls division.  On a less competitive note I was really proud of myself for doing a very different run then I usually do and it was just fun to be doing something active with friends!

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So what does one do after a run? Well we decided it was time to attend the pie and ice cream social. Let me say I have never had pie for breakfast and it was by far the most glorious thing! Dustin and I split a piece of apple and berry pie. Everything was amazing! I now have a new goal to make a pie from scratch within the next few months. Next on the agenda was the 4th of July Parade where the whole town of Weaverville was out, dressed from head to toe in red, white, and blue, and ready to cheer on their fellow neighbors. It was just so fun to feel like part of this small community.

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After the full day of activities we went back to camp and just relaxed for the rest of the day. We stayed that night in Erica and Alex’s cabin, which was nice after our late night the night before. The next morning after feeling fully rested Erica and I went on a 4 mile hike before we had to check out of the cabin. I forget how nice catching up with friends can be when you are just moving your body. Something about walking through nature is just very relaxing. I find some of my best conversations with people happen while hiking. It is just a great way to bond.

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That day we made our way back to Weaverville and on the agenda was a picnic in the park while watching the local arm wrestling contest. A park date is not complete without playing catch and throwing a Nerf ball around. After sitting in the sun all day it was time for the demolition derby for our main evening event. That is right, we watched old beat up cars hit into one another in a big ring of mud. This is just one of the many reasons I love small towns! The derby was a great time and afterwards we were beat from too much beer and sun. We grabbed a burrito and headed back to camp for the night.

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The next morning I got up and went on a 4 mile run before we packed up and headed back to San Francisco. I always like to move my body before any long period of sitting. The drive was a lot quicker this time and I was able to get home in time to still do laundry, go grocery shopping, and prep for the week ahead. All in all it was a great time celebrating America in probably the most American way I ever have before. Can’t wait for next year!