Count the Minutes

Saw a great Suave haircare ad in a magazine over the weekend. The visual is an attractive woman wearing a large hat made out of assorted clothing items. The copy reads, “The average mom spends 116 minutes a day on laundry and only 7 on her hair.”

As I tossed my hair back in a ponytail this morning, I wondered, “What could they be talking about? Who has time to spend 7 minutes on their hair?” :)

This is an awesome ad because it spotlights how little time moms spend on themselves. Add more minutes for clutter control, packing lunches, volunteering at school, carpooling, etc. There is ALWAYS something that needs done, so no one has more excuses than a mom when it comes to proper nutrition and exercise.

The world won’t end if you push back laundry until tomorrow. But instead, grab that time for a cardiovascular workout that improves your health and burns calories – now that really matters in the big picture.

Guilt-Free Pancakes

Girls I’m not lying here! On a cold winter morning, there is just nothing better than hot pancakes right off the griddle with hot maple syrup. YUMMMM! But while that’s a wonderful image, it’s really easy to over-indulge with way too many calories and bad carbs that leave you bloated, heavy and needing a nap to recover. Not exactly an energizing, healthy way to start the day. Last week at my nutrition class, I met a like-minded mom and personal trainer from Wichita Falls, Texas that shared with the class my new favorite recipe. Here we go:

½ rolled oats
1/8 tsp cinnamon
½ cup low fat or fat free cottage cheese
3 egg whites
½ tsp vanilla

First, blend/grind up oats and cinnamon. Second, add your wet ingredients and blend into nice pancake batter consistency. So easy! I use my hand blender, but any blender or food processor would certainly work. This size batch makes four medium pancakes. On the griddle, I throw in some blueberries to get a little extra fruit. I love Cary’s sugar free syrup. I buy it at WalMart so it’s readily available. It has great flavor and my family can’t tell the difference.

If we conduct a little analysis here, you’ll notice there is no flour in the recipe. Just a wonderful, heart-healthy serving of rolled oats. Roughly, the entire batch is about 280 calories and 33 grams of protein. And, the syrup is only 30 calories for ¼ cup. Glorious!

Check-Up Season

What percentile does your little one fall into for height and weight? Can you flip through your calendar and see notes or reminders for your kids' next medical or dental appointment? I know you can rattle off the answers to these questions! We moms are all over taking outstanding care of kids' health, but not so good about turning the focus on us.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind us (thank goodness!), this is a "quiet" time of the year. For me, January is my personal checkup season. (I've also been on a clutter control and home organization tangent, but that's a whole other story. I'm even threatening to buy a label maker.) Anyway, it's the perfect opportunity for you to take care of wellness checkups or health concerns. Don't even try to tell me you're up-to-date on everything because I won't believe it.

For me, this morning I had the always exciting annual exam at the ob/gyn. Admittedly, I was four months past due, because I was using "the busy excuse." Nothing makes a girl's day like paper gowns and a pap smear.

I also recently had my cholesterol taken - I'll check back soon with my results and more on the topic. So now is the perfect time to kick off 2008 with a healthy focus! As you read this, what pops into your head – are you due for a dental checkup? Maybe an annual skin screen at the dermatologist? Or like me have you been putting off that trip to the ob/gyn? Make a commitment to yourself to call and schedule that appointment now before that “busy excuse” takes over!

Feed your brain

Check out this fascinating fact (especially if you restrict your carbohydrate intake!). Carbohydrates are the primary source of dietary energy for the body. Sure we think about energy to exercise, chase the kids around, do household chores, etc. But what about energy to fuel our brain? Consider this: 130 grams of carbohydrates are needed each day to support normal brain function. Wow! Since one gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories, that means that our brain needs approximately 520 calories from carbohydrates each and every day just to support brain function. If you're experiencing sleepiness, fatigue or confusion, it may be more than just your kids driving you crazy. Take a look at how you're fueling your body - and your brain.

Look for Nutrition Tips

Just a quick post, because I'm attending a continuing education class this week at the Cooper Institute on the subject of nutrition and providing dietary guidance. It's been a week of crazy early mornings to squeeze in a workout, all day lectures, and managing and juggling the girls' schedules. You know how nuts it is when mom is out of the loop for a few days!

I'm passionate about the subject of nutrition, and look forward to sharing lots of cool info in the coming weeks. It's amazing what a huge impact nutrition has on our long term health and wellness - and our ability to be an incredible mom today and for years to come.

OW that hurts!

As I got out of bed this morning, my quads still ache! I went to a killer "core fusion" class on Friday. It fuses the disciplines of Pilates, yoga, core-conditioning and orthopedic stretching to produce long, lean muscles and a strong, flexible, youthful body. I had not been since before the holidays, and wow, I felt it! I love the feeling of an intense, thorough, time-efficient workout.

To keep progressing, it's essential to find new, challenging way to take your workout to the next level. Whether you are a beginner or the star of your gym, if your current workout feels routine or if you find yourself doing the same program over and over (i.e. OK I'll jump on my favorite elliptical for 30 minutes, then I'll go do my favorite weight sequence), it's time to shake things up. Make it fun! The core fusion class is a specialty class only offered at a spa across town. Is it convenient? No. But, it's cool to occasioanlly check out new places, meet new people, and progress your workout. It's all part of the journey to achieve our personal best. Treat yourself to new workout experiences - it's an incredible mind/body lift.

Happy New Year

Back to reality moms! Rough morning at my house getting the kids up and out the door. When I woke up my 1st grader, all she kept saying was "but it's dark outside?" Oh the joy of sleeping in over the holidays. Now that we're back in the normal routine of school and work, it's also time to resume our normal wellness routine. That's right - no more holiday cookies, indulging in the mid-week cocktails, or grazing on hors d'œuvres. No more blowing off your workout since the kids are home, the relatives are in town, you've got gifts to return, holiday decorations need put away, or just go ahead and insert your favorite holiday workout excuse here.

I'll be heading to the gym (without complaining kids, yeah!) later this morning for a cardio mix of rowing, stair climbing, and elliptical with a little indulgent View watching tossed in. I'm sure it will be packed with the "New Year's Resolutions Crowd." I'm not a big fan of resultions. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and it's easy to lose interest or let yourself down. Forget about resolutions - it's simple - just take care of yourself! Each day when you wake up, think "what can I do today to improve my wellness?"

It could be taking the plunge to try a spin class at the gym, trying a new healthy recipe, registering for a challenging race, or as simple as calling the doctor to schedule that checkup you've been putting off. This is a strategy you can employ whether you're just getting back at it or you're a fit mama looking to take your life to the next level. It's a positive, empowering mindset that enables you to consistently improve your wellness, build momentum and create a wellness-focused lifestyle. So what small, simple thing can you do today to improve your wellness?