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Thank You!
Hugs&Health
Bernadette
Thursday, August 7, 2014
THE GLUTE BRIDGE EXERCISE
THE GLUTE BRIDGE IS AN EXCELLENT EXERCISE!
Some may know it as a hip thrust.
You must pay close attention to where the exercise is felt. Form can be summarized as maintaining a neutral pelvis and performing maximal voluntary Glute contractrion through the full available range of hip extension.
Watch out for Biceps Femoris Dominance! [ when you feel it in your hamstrings instead of your butt].
When performing this exercise, push up with your butt. Do not rock back and forth. When I cue my clients, I tell them to imagine a little guy standing underneath their butt with each of his hands on a butt cheek and pushing straight up like a bench press. Im not joking when I say that after a weird look and a little laugh that this actually works,lol.
If you are doing this and you feel it in your lower back. Proceed this with a simple childs pose stretch and hold it for 30 seconds and when you go for it again, use abdominal bracing. Draw your belly-button to your spine contracting it and holding the contraction during movement.
If you arent able to get any higher with your hips, you will want to release and stretch your hip flexors prior.
If you feel a lot in your inner thighs, this may be caused by the posterior pelvic tilt and abduction of the knees. An adductor stretch followed by a glute medius activation exercise should proceed the glute bridge.
This exercise can start on the floor and progress using an exercise ball.
I personally skip the floor with my clients and go right for the ball. I find that most can actually handle this with my cueing.
Thanks for your time
Hugs&Health
Bernadette
You Tube link on this exercise right here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92R8tfxptmc&list=UUk_vMdbetlPtMOuZtbOcfUQ&index=4
Some may know it as a hip thrust.
You must pay close attention to where the exercise is felt. Form can be summarized as maintaining a neutral pelvis and performing maximal voluntary Glute contractrion through the full available range of hip extension.
Watch out for Biceps Femoris Dominance! [ when you feel it in your hamstrings instead of your butt].
When performing this exercise, push up with your butt. Do not rock back and forth. When I cue my clients, I tell them to imagine a little guy standing underneath their butt with each of his hands on a butt cheek and pushing straight up like a bench press. Im not joking when I say that after a weird look and a little laugh that this actually works,lol.
If you are doing this and you feel it in your lower back. Proceed this with a simple childs pose stretch and hold it for 30 seconds and when you go for it again, use abdominal bracing. Draw your belly-button to your spine contracting it and holding the contraction during movement.
If you arent able to get any higher with your hips, you will want to release and stretch your hip flexors prior.
If you feel a lot in your inner thighs, this may be caused by the posterior pelvic tilt and abduction of the knees. An adductor stretch followed by a glute medius activation exercise should proceed the glute bridge.
This exercise can start on the floor and progress using an exercise ball.
I personally skip the floor with my clients and go right for the ball. I find that most can actually handle this with my cueing.
Thanks for your time
Hugs&Health
Bernadette
You Tube link on this exercise right here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92R8tfxptmc&list=UUk_vMdbetlPtMOuZtbOcfUQ&index=4
STRESSED OUT?
STRESSED OUT?
Yes, stress can cause weight gain. Stress may cause you to eat more. The type of food people crave when stressed are usually high fat/sugary foods. Stress also causes the body to produce more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol promotes body fat, especially around the stomach. Stress can also affect your sleep. Sleep loss causes the hormone ghrelin to rise. Ghrelin is the primary hunger hormone.
Stress may also contribute to high blood pressure, heart- racing, headaches, muscles tensing up, & stomach problems. Getting a good nights sleep along with daily exercise can help lower your stress. You maly also want to eliminate [within your power] some of your stressful situations - and reduce or change behaviors that cause stress in your life. Practice deep breathing exercises. Sit in a quite place & just breath. Your health is greatly affected by stress. You really don’t want to be stressed, so really try to get a handle on it so you can have better quality of life.
Hugs, Health, & Happiness
Bernadette xoxo
Yes, stress can cause weight gain. Stress may cause you to eat more. The type of food people crave when stressed are usually high fat/sugary foods. Stress also causes the body to produce more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol promotes body fat, especially around the stomach. Stress can also affect your sleep. Sleep loss causes the hormone ghrelin to rise. Ghrelin is the primary hunger hormone.
Stress may also contribute to high blood pressure, heart- racing, headaches, muscles tensing up, & stomach problems. Getting a good nights sleep along with daily exercise can help lower your stress. You maly also want to eliminate [within your power] some of your stressful situations - and reduce or change behaviors that cause stress in your life. Practice deep breathing exercises. Sit in a quite place & just breath. Your health is greatly affected by stress. You really don’t want to be stressed, so really try to get a handle on it so you can have better quality of life.
Hugs, Health, & Happiness
Bernadette xoxo
Wearing High Heels
Wearing high heels shortens the calf muscles by approximately 13%.
Women who wear high heels should release & stretch regularly so they feel less pain when switching to shorter heels.
Hugs&Health
Bernadette xoxo
Women who wear high heels should release & stretch regularly so they feel less pain when switching to shorter heels.
Hugs&Health
Bernadette xoxo
TODAY
TODAY
This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it...or use it for good.
But what I do is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes,
This day will be gone forever.
Leaving in its place
Something that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain and not loss,
Good and not evil,
Success and not failure,
In order that I shall not regret
The price that I have paid for it.
This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it...or use it for good.
But what I do is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes,
This day will be gone forever.
Leaving in its place
Something that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain and not loss,
Good and not evil,
Success and not failure,
In order that I shall not regret
The price that I have paid for it.
BERNADETTE'S HOMEMADE LOW SODIUM CHICKEN SOUP
This is just something I made up and put together while completely winging it.
I will do my best to give some sort of measurements, but I kinda just go with the flow.
If you're a wiz in the kitchen already, you can probably put this together and even add your own special touches. The idea of this recipe is that it's easy and made for the busy person [ like myself]. You can make this very yummy soup in no time at all. The other thing is that its full of flavor without any added salt. Does'nt need it at all!
Here it is:
You will need- Frozen veggies [ whatever you like] - I always use a bag of string beans,corn, and carrot mix, and either broccoli & coliflower mix, or just brocolli, or brussel sprouts. Always frozen in the bag.
- 1 big onion [ spanish, vidalia, yellow]
- 4 big hearts of celery
-1 can of plum tomatoes
- either 4 small or 2 large chicken breasts
- oil- I use canolla. If you want, use what you like. I find the canolla is perfect
- Frozen in the bag, either- brown rice or brown rice with black beans. Or your favorite pasta [ I only use whole grain and I like the bow tie for this recipe]
- Ms Dash for chicken
- any herbs or your favorite spices. I use a blend of herbs for poultry.
- onion powder
- black pepper
- Collage Inn Low fat and Low Sodium chicken broth. Big box
What to do:
Preheat oven at 350
In baking dish with olive oil , put in chicken breasts covered in Ms Dash for chicken. Cook until mostly done. You dont want to over cook. You want the chicken to be nice and juicy.
Meanwhile, cut up the onions and celery [ any other veggies that you want is up to you]
I use about 6-8 of the plum tomatos and I cut them length wise and thick. In fact, everything is cut thick.
In pot put canolla oil, heat up on low heat, add the onions and celery and some Ms Dash, onion powder, and pepper. Toss around and saute until soft.
Next, add the sliced tomatoes and some of the juice from the can [ gives soup a rich color]
Oh, I almost forgot, lol- while you are doing all of the above, you are cooking your frozen veggies in the microwave.
Ok now, so next - add the mixed veggies and toss, the other veggies of your choice and toss. You may want to adjust your seasonings at this time. Maybe add more Ms Dash. I dont use alot of onion power, but I do go a little nuts on the Ms Dash,lol.
Next, add your cut up chicken. How much is up to you. I also like nice big chunks. Toss.
Next, add appoximately 3 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Toss, turn heat all the way up and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, taste test. Adjust seasonings if need be, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 15min up to a half and hour.
Next, take your pre-cooked pasta [ you will want to under cook the pasta just a bit so it will continue to cook in the soup and not get all starchy and nasty] Or your frozen, but cooked rice and add it to the soup. If using pasta, use as much as you like. Also, sometimes I add in chick peas or kidney beans from the can. Again, this is added right at the end of the simmering.
Simmer for about a minute and serve.
Serve with a few croutons on top or your favoite bread.
This usually lasts us [ two of us] about 4-5 days. This is because we end up eating it for lunch and dinner. If you have a bigger pot and you want to double or tripple the recipe to feed more mouths, go for it!
I posted some pictures and some videos of the proccess. I hope you enjoy ;)
Hugs&Health
Bernadette xoxo
I will do my best to give some sort of measurements, but I kinda just go with the flow.
If you're a wiz in the kitchen already, you can probably put this together and even add your own special touches. The idea of this recipe is that it's easy and made for the busy person [ like myself]. You can make this very yummy soup in no time at all. The other thing is that its full of flavor without any added salt. Does'nt need it at all!
Here it is:
You will need- Frozen veggies [ whatever you like] - I always use a bag of string beans,corn, and carrot mix, and either broccoli & coliflower mix, or just brocolli, or brussel sprouts. Always frozen in the bag.
- 1 big onion [ spanish, vidalia, yellow]
- 4 big hearts of celery
-1 can of plum tomatoes
- either 4 small or 2 large chicken breasts
- oil- I use canolla. If you want, use what you like. I find the canolla is perfect
- Frozen in the bag, either- brown rice or brown rice with black beans. Or your favorite pasta [ I only use whole grain and I like the bow tie for this recipe]
- Ms Dash for chicken
- any herbs or your favorite spices. I use a blend of herbs for poultry.
- onion powder
- black pepper
- Collage Inn Low fat and Low Sodium chicken broth. Big box
What to do:
Preheat oven at 350
In baking dish with olive oil , put in chicken breasts covered in Ms Dash for chicken. Cook until mostly done. You dont want to over cook. You want the chicken to be nice and juicy.
Meanwhile, cut up the onions and celery [ any other veggies that you want is up to you]
I use about 6-8 of the plum tomatos and I cut them length wise and thick. In fact, everything is cut thick.
In pot put canolla oil, heat up on low heat, add the onions and celery and some Ms Dash, onion powder, and pepper. Toss around and saute until soft.
Next, add the sliced tomatoes and some of the juice from the can [ gives soup a rich color]
Oh, I almost forgot, lol- while you are doing all of the above, you are cooking your frozen veggies in the microwave.
Ok now, so next - add the mixed veggies and toss, the other veggies of your choice and toss. You may want to adjust your seasonings at this time. Maybe add more Ms Dash. I dont use alot of onion power, but I do go a little nuts on the Ms Dash,lol.
Next, add your cut up chicken. How much is up to you. I also like nice big chunks. Toss.
Next, add appoximately 3 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Toss, turn heat all the way up and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, taste test. Adjust seasonings if need be, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 15min up to a half and hour.
Next, take your pre-cooked pasta [ you will want to under cook the pasta just a bit so it will continue to cook in the soup and not get all starchy and nasty] Or your frozen, but cooked rice and add it to the soup. If using pasta, use as much as you like. Also, sometimes I add in chick peas or kidney beans from the can. Again, this is added right at the end of the simmering.
Simmer for about a minute and serve.
Serve with a few croutons on top or your favoite bread.
This usually lasts us [ two of us] about 4-5 days. This is because we end up eating it for lunch and dinner. If you have a bigger pot and you want to double or tripple the recipe to feed more mouths, go for it!
I posted some pictures and some videos of the proccess. I hope you enjoy ;)
Hugs&Health
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
GET RID OF " I CAN'T!!!"
I can't do this, I can't do that. I want to do it, but I can't. I wish I could do that, but I just can't.
Ask yourself, " why can't I?" This can refer to anything in life, but this will be about health, fitness, & a healthy mental attitude. Alot of the reasons why some believe they can't is because they are only looking at the finish line, the last chapter, & the final result. If you started to read a book and you are on chapter 1, do you think you will get the full story if you decided that you didn't want to read everything and jumped straight to chapter 10? Sure, you will know the outcome, but you wont have the experience or the appreciation of the story itself. There would have been no dedication and you would not have gotten much out of it. Ironically, there are more obese, overweight, & unhealthy individuals out there that would take more time and apply more dedication to sitting and finishing a novel than would take the time to get moving for better health. Why is that? Could it be because reading a good book is easier and more entertaining, not to mention more relaxing than exercising? Perhaps... Now don't get me wrong- I am all for unwinding your mind and relaxing. I am a big fan of reading and wish I could do more of it. If you are overweight and unhealthy and claim to not have time for exercise, but you can pound down 2 books a week- well, I dont have to tell you what I am thinking. Meanwhile, you have low self esteem, poor body image, depression over how you look and feel. You dont want to look or feel this way anymore and you have given up because you think it's hopeless.
You read about success stories all of the time. You may find that a family member, freind, neighbor, or co-worker just lost weight and is living a healthy lifestyle. Why not you? Why are you different? There can be several answers to this question, but there is one answer that is worth entertaining. GET RID OF " I CAN'T!!!" Clear your mind of this very Negative and disruptive way of thinking! It's all in how you think! What you tell yourself is what you will believe! If you tell yourself that the reason why Ms Jones lost her weight is because she has a better metabolism than you, or that her body is different, than you are just tricking your mind into accepting that losing weight is something she can do, but you can't. Now, your back to reading that romance novel curled up with a cup of tea and a danish. Do you ever get jealous of other women because they are thinner than you? Do you make jokes about your weight? "Big is beautiful" , "Beauty comes in all shapes & sizes", " There's more to love". Being overweight doesnt mean that you arent beautiful or that your not worth loving. If you are joking around this way, that means you are accepting it and believe that you "Cant" change it. Beauty is only skin deep- How about your heart, lungs, organs? How about the fact that you can be the best, most loving mother, freind, wife, sister,brother, and have the biggest heart? How about all of those who do love you for you- whatever your size? Have you thought about how crushed your family and freinds would be if you were no longer here? Being overweight doesnt make you a bad person, it just make you sick. Very, very sick. Now because you are such a great person, you would never, ever want to put them through that! How can you prevent this? GET RID OF I CAN'T! Adopt a New Attidude! Once you've told yourself, "I can't", you already lost. Repeat after me >>>> I CAN....I CAN...I CAN DO IT...I CAN DO IT...I CAN & I WILL!!! Not only will just saying these words make you feel better, but you will do something right away! You would normally go sit in your favorite chair with that book, or TV, or computer- But not after saying these words! What will you do? That's up to you. Go for a walk, join a gym [ big leap,lol], ask someone to do it with you, just get moving! Spend 30+ minutes being Active. You will fee great! Remember that feeling! Take the word "I Can't" out of your mental dictionary. You may wake up one morning and feel groggy and say ," I ***'* go for a walk today, I just dont have the energy" That's ok- old , bad habits die hard. Just shake yourself and say," What are you talking about? I CAN...I CAN...I CAN DO IT...I CAN DO IT...I CAN & I WILL!!!" Live out each and every chapter of your life. Experience every step to better health, better quality of life, & be your own novel. This is the story of your life- everyday may be different and you will have hurdles and challenges. You are strong, because your mind is strong. You are beautiful inside and out. You arent looking at the finish line anymore. You are looking at each day individually- enjoying and appreciating everything. I already know that you can sort of feel what Im saying. If not, read this again- except this time really pay attention :)
YOU CAN & YOU WILL!
Hugs&Health
Bernadette xoxo
Ask yourself, " why can't I?" This can refer to anything in life, but this will be about health, fitness, & a healthy mental attitude. Alot of the reasons why some believe they can't is because they are only looking at the finish line, the last chapter, & the final result. If you started to read a book and you are on chapter 1, do you think you will get the full story if you decided that you didn't want to read everything and jumped straight to chapter 10? Sure, you will know the outcome, but you wont have the experience or the appreciation of the story itself. There would have been no dedication and you would not have gotten much out of it. Ironically, there are more obese, overweight, & unhealthy individuals out there that would take more time and apply more dedication to sitting and finishing a novel than would take the time to get moving for better health. Why is that? Could it be because reading a good book is easier and more entertaining, not to mention more relaxing than exercising? Perhaps... Now don't get me wrong- I am all for unwinding your mind and relaxing. I am a big fan of reading and wish I could do more of it. If you are overweight and unhealthy and claim to not have time for exercise, but you can pound down 2 books a week- well, I dont have to tell you what I am thinking. Meanwhile, you have low self esteem, poor body image, depression over how you look and feel. You dont want to look or feel this way anymore and you have given up because you think it's hopeless.
You read about success stories all of the time. You may find that a family member, freind, neighbor, or co-worker just lost weight and is living a healthy lifestyle. Why not you? Why are you different? There can be several answers to this question, but there is one answer that is worth entertaining. GET RID OF " I CAN'T!!!" Clear your mind of this very Negative and disruptive way of thinking! It's all in how you think! What you tell yourself is what you will believe! If you tell yourself that the reason why Ms Jones lost her weight is because she has a better metabolism than you, or that her body is different, than you are just tricking your mind into accepting that losing weight is something she can do, but you can't. Now, your back to reading that romance novel curled up with a cup of tea and a danish. Do you ever get jealous of other women because they are thinner than you? Do you make jokes about your weight? "Big is beautiful" , "Beauty comes in all shapes & sizes", " There's more to love". Being overweight doesnt mean that you arent beautiful or that your not worth loving. If you are joking around this way, that means you are accepting it and believe that you "Cant" change it. Beauty is only skin deep- How about your heart, lungs, organs? How about the fact that you can be the best, most loving mother, freind, wife, sister,brother, and have the biggest heart? How about all of those who do love you for you- whatever your size? Have you thought about how crushed your family and freinds would be if you were no longer here? Being overweight doesnt make you a bad person, it just make you sick. Very, very sick. Now because you are such a great person, you would never, ever want to put them through that! How can you prevent this? GET RID OF I CAN'T! Adopt a New Attidude! Once you've told yourself, "I can't", you already lost. Repeat after me >>>> I CAN....I CAN...I CAN DO IT...I CAN DO IT...I CAN & I WILL!!! Not only will just saying these words make you feel better, but you will do something right away! You would normally go sit in your favorite chair with that book, or TV, or computer- But not after saying these words! What will you do? That's up to you. Go for a walk, join a gym [ big leap,lol], ask someone to do it with you, just get moving! Spend 30+ minutes being Active. You will fee great! Remember that feeling! Take the word "I Can't" out of your mental dictionary. You may wake up one morning and feel groggy and say ," I ***'* go for a walk today, I just dont have the energy" That's ok- old , bad habits die hard. Just shake yourself and say," What are you talking about? I CAN...I CAN...I CAN DO IT...I CAN DO IT...I CAN & I WILL!!!" Live out each and every chapter of your life. Experience every step to better health, better quality of life, & be your own novel. This is the story of your life- everyday may be different and you will have hurdles and challenges. You are strong, because your mind is strong. You are beautiful inside and out. You arent looking at the finish line anymore. You are looking at each day individually- enjoying and appreciating everything. I already know that you can sort of feel what Im saying. If not, read this again- except this time really pay attention :)
YOU CAN & YOU WILL!
Hugs&Health
Bernadette xoxo
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