TOTD

Nutrition Tip of the Day
Dip It...Dip it Good!
Okay, I wrote Dip It and then couldn't help but finish it with dip it good :) You're probably wondering what I am talking about! Well, I am referring to dipping your fork in to your salad dressing instead of pouring your dressing on top of your salad. This will help save a lot of calories! For instance, in a serving of Ranch Salad dressing (a serving of salad dressing is usually only 2 tablespoons!) there are 140 calories, and 90 of those calories are from fat! But, if you dip your fork in your dressing instead of pouring on the dressing you will be surprised at how little dressing you actually use!

Now, the healthiest choices for salad dressings are dressings that are olive oil based (i.e. oil & vinegar, balsamic vinaigrette, etc.). And even these you can dip your fork into! Plus, at most restaurants they already serve the dressing on the side and you can always ask for the dressing on the side!

Exercise Tip of the Day
Incorporate Both Cardiovascular and Strength Training
Whenever you start doing your workouts/physical activity, you may start with a walking routine a few times a week. Once you start your routines, it is important to eventually get to a point where you are doing both strength training and cardiovascular (aka cardio) exercise. Cardio is needed to lose fat and keep your heart healthy, but it is also important to build up muscle strength by doing strength exercises.

For busy moms, I know it's hard to even get out there and get those walks in! But, once you get into the routine, try bringing a bottle of water or canned good with you and doing bicep curls with one hand while pushing the stroller in the other. Then switch hands. You can also do triceps kickbacks, shoulder presses, front raises, and lateral raises. You can do quite a few exercises in a 20 minute time frame!

If you can find the time, it is always good to incorporate strength training exercises at home. Try push-ups, squats, lunges, etc. Or, if you have a gym membership, ask a professional to help set up a program for you (usually there is a machine circuit set up for beginners).