Fitness tip

Perk Up Your Pecs

We could all use a little pick-me-up in the pectoral region, right? As we age, certain areas may begin to droop a little — you know what I'm talking about, ladies. There's no reason to give gravity all the control, though, especially when you can defy gravity with chest-pumping exercises like the classic push-up (modified here for beginners), the dumbbell chest press, and the chest fly.

Modified Push-up

1. Find a stable elevated bench on which to perform this exercise (if you're at home, the back of your couch or your coffee table will suffice; if you're at the gym, use a weight bench). Stand with the bench in front of you and place your palms on it. Your hands should be just wider than shoulder-width apart. Step your feet back behind you so that you're balancing in a prone position over the bench. You should be supporting your weight on the underside of your toes and the palms of your hands.

2. Bend your elbows and lower your entire body into push-up position. Your chest should line up with your hands, and your elbows should be bent in 90-degree angles at the midpoint of this exercise. Your neck should be straight and your eyes should be focused on the floor in front of you. Keep your abs tight. Exhale as you push back up to the starting position; repeat.

Dumbbell Chest Press

1. Lie on your back on a workout bench with your feet up on the bench. (You can also perform this exercise lying on a body ball with your feet firmly on the floor.) Hold the dumbbells over your chest with your arms extended toward the ceiling, palms facing forward. Inhale as you bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells to just above chest level. At the midpoint of this exercise, your upper arms should be parallel to the floor and your forearms perpendicular to the floor.

2. Inhale, opening your chest, and slowly lower the weights out in an arc to the sides of your chest. Exhale and raise the weights, again in an arc, back to the starting position; repeat.

Recipes

Enjoy This Flavorful Fall Dessert

With Labor Day came the unofficial end of summer, but don't despair — there's a lot to love about fall. For one thing, it's when apples are in season and at their best. The perfect pick-me-up fruit, apples are juicy, flavorful, and full of fiber and vitamin C. They're delicious raw, of course, but they're also great baked. Try this recipe for a guilt-free dessert that won't won't throw off your calorie count for the day. Remember, apples are on my "always buy organic" list — conventional versions are sprayed with pesticides that you want to avoid. Check your local farmers' market for a nice selection of fresh and affordable apples and pears, and ask the farmers if their produce is organic. Also, be sure to look for all-natural cream cheese with minimal added ingredients

Baked Apple With Pear and Almond Filling

Ingredients

1 large apple, halved and cored
2 teaspoons reduced-fat cream cheese, divided
1 small pear, cored and diced very small
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, divided
3 tablespoons water or apple juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice apple in half. Use a spoon or small ice cream scoop to scoop out some apple flesh from each half, making room for the filling. (You can eat the apple flesh if you like — no need to reserve.) Dab 1 teaspoon cream cheese in the cavity of each half.

Toss the diced pear with brown sugar and cinnamon. Spoon pear filling into each apple half. Sprinkle pear filling with almonds, pressing down to make them adhere. Place apple halves in a baking dish and add water or apple juice to the dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then baste with juices. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes, or until almonds are roasted.

Makes 2 servings.

FYI

How to Break Bad Habits

Old habits die hard, but the good news is that they do die. Don't lose hope or beat yourself up over it if you're having trouble breaking bad habits. It's not that easy to change your ways. Just keep plugging away.
Start by replacing old habits with new ones. The key is to learn how to take care of yourself and pamper yourself in ways that are life affirming rather than self-destructive. Learn how to deal with sabotaging emotions by establishing some healthy patterns of behavior and investing in your physical and emotional well-being.

If you judge yourself every time you're in front of a mirror, try focusing on the things you love about yourself. When was the last time you looked in the mirror and told yourself how great your features are and how beautiful you look?

If you're constantly looking to the media for stories about celebrity diets and weight loss, try finding more realistic role models — everyday people who've lost weight or achieved other goals similar to yours. They will be the most inspiring. Start paying attention to people you know.

If you tend to blow off your workouts until your vacation rolls around — or there's some other event, like a wedding, lighting a fire under you — ease yourself back into your daily workouts. Without commitment, you won't be able to achieve the goals you truly desire. Put your life in perspective. Everything is a choice — from how you feel when you wake up in the morning to whether or not you floss your teeth at night. To make the right choices, you need to ask the right questions: What is my true goal, and how are the choices I'm making going to help me achieve that goal?

FYI

How to Beat Binge Eating

If you're inclined to binge, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to examine the emotional reasons for it. I know that processing such emotions is hard and takes time, but there are some good techniques that can help you modify your behavior and combat binge eating while you work on the underlying issues. Here are a few:

Banish binge foods from your environment. Don't buy or let into your house whatever you're prone to bingeing on — whether it's cookies, chips, or ice cream. After all, you can't eat what's not there.

Decorate your fridge with images that motivate you. I have two pictures on mine: One is a photo of my cellulite, and the other is of Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. Let me tell ya, there is nothing that will turn you off to eating too much like pictures of cottage cheese on your butt.

Call a friend. The next time you want to stuff your face, reach out for support and try talking through your feelings instead of anesthetizing them by bingeing.

Try taking up a hobby. Keep yourself occupied so that rather than medicating yourself with food, you'll distract yourself with something productive.

Do something to screw up your binge. In other words, pamper yourself with something that's positive rather than self-destructive. Get a mani-pedi. Take a relaxing bath. Go to the gym. There are many places to go and activities to take part in that'll also lead you away from the temptation of food.

It takes time to break a bad habit, so it's good to have some techniques to fall back on when life gets the better of you! Remember to take it one day at a time. If you do end up bingeing, work out a little harder the next day. Every day is a new one — got it?

Fitness tip

Do You Have the Right Shoes?

Sometimes people complain about numbness in their toes during workouts. If you're experiencing this, it's most likely because you need bigger shoes. The shoes you wear when you work out should be a half size larger than your normal size, because the feet tend to swell during exercise. The extra space in the shoe will create a comfort zone without screwing up your foot mechanics.

Fitness

It's Time to Kick Your Butt Into Gear -- Step It Up!

If you're looking to squeeze that butt into skinny jeans this fall, I have just the exercise for you. These step-ups target your glutes, hamstrings, and quads and will help you build a rockin' lower body.

This exercise requires a bench or another type of sturdy platform that is ideally at about knee level. While you're stepping up onto the bench, pay attention to a couple of things. Make sure you maintain good posture — keep your abs drawn in and don't arch or round your back. Also, control your descent rather than letting momentum drop your body as you're stepping down. If you don't think you can step up very high, find a lower bench to work with — a step stool will do the trick!

Step-ups

1. Stand facing a bench or platform with your feet hip-width apart. Place your left foot up on the bench, making sure your whole foot (including the heel) is firmly on the bench.

2. Exhale as you press down into your left foot and step your right foot up onto the bench. Both feet should be firmly planted on the bench at the midpoint of this exercise. Slowly lower your left leg back to the ground, then lower your right leg. Repeat, completing 12 to 15 reps on your left side before switching to the right side for another 12 to 15 reps.

Beauty Info

A Not-So-Sweet Smell

If you've ever read the ingredients list of a cosmetic product, you've probably seen the term "fragrance" on it. Seems kind of vague, doesn't it? Well, that's deliberate— companies aren't required to say what constitutes "fragrance" because that information is considered a trade secret. For this reason, some scary stuff can be hiding behind that term, including phthalates, a group of chemicals that can interfere with reproductive hormones and cause birth defects. If a product contains fragrance, put it back on the shelf.

Beauty Info

Are There Toxins in Your Cosmetics?

Did you know that cosmetics and personal-care products are a huge source of endocrine-disrupting chemicals? "But wait," you're thinking. "If it's on the drugstore shelf, it must be proven to be 100 percent safe — right?"

Not necessarily. While the Food and Drug Administration regulates the safety of cosmetics, manufacturers don't have to seek approval before they bring a new product to market. Beyond an established list of prohibited or restricted substances, the FDA doesn't have the authority to regulate individual ingredients. As a result, all kinds of questionable chemicals are contained in the products that many of us rub into our skin every day. Here are some of the potentially harmful ones I want you to avoid:

Formaldehyde: This preservative may be found in moisturizers, facial cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, eye shadows, mascaras, and many other products. It's harmful to the immune system and is a known human carcinogen.

Parabens: Found in shampoos, conditioners, body washes, tooth whiteners, toothpastes, facial cleansers, sunscreens, moisturizers, and astringents, these preservatives have estrogenic effects on the body and have been linked to breast and prostate cancer.

Placenta: Used in some hair relaxers, moisturizers, and toners, placenta is also estrogenic and may increase the risk for breast cancer.

Triclosan: This antibacterial agent is found in a variety of products, including moisturizers, hand creams, shampoos, conditioners, antiperspirants, and toothpastes. It may interfere with the metabolism of thyroid hormone and contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Play it safe when you buy personal care products — first look them up in the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database, and buy from companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics

FYI

Fast Forward

If food commercials on television make you feel hungry and drive you to snack uncontrollably, record your shows so you can skip the commercials. Or keep a few magazines close by so you have something to zone out with until the commercials are over. Or, you can always drop to the floor and do a few stretches or sit-ups to regain control and remind yourself why you're doing my program — I'm not joking!

FYI

Tips for Controlling Your Appetite

If you suffer from constant food cravings, there are some steps you can take to remedy the situation. The first step is to make sure you're eating correctly for your metabolic type. (You can find out how by taking the "What to Eat" quiz on my site!) This will help a lot. If you're certain that you are eating as you should for your metabolic type and you still feel hungry all the time, consider these tips to curb your appetite:

Don't skip meals. You should be eating three square meals a day, plus one snack, and spacing your meals throughout the day so that you don't go longer than four hours without eating. This will keep your blood sugar levels and hunger hormones stable.

Drink tons of water. When you feel as if you're starving, pour yourself a huge glass of water or grab a bottle of seltzer — it will help quell the urge to snack.

Sleep! Two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, regulate our appetite, and both are directly affected by how much sleep we get. These hormones work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Getting eight hours of shut-eye each night helps the hormones work properly, which in turn will help curb your appetite.

Examine your hunger. The next time you feel hungry between meals, consider the last time you ate. If it was less than three to four hours earlier, your stomach isn't growling, and you're not weak or tired, you're probably emotionally unsatisfied in some way rather than genuinely physically hungry.

Think about what, besides eating, soothes you. Steer yourself toward positive feelings of self-worth and you'll choose activities and behaviors that inherently contradict self-loathing and self-destructiveness.

Don't panic. You can and will lose weight. Even if you're eating a little more than the meal plan calorie allowance, you can still lose — it just might take a little longer. Exercise is also crucial. Working out harder and more often will help burn the extra calories you might take in if you have a bad day.

Do not beat yourself up! Sometimes we slip up, and that's okay — healthy living is not an all-or-nothing proposition. I'm here for you, and I know you can do this. Believe in yourself and try to incorporate my suggestions into your life, and let's see how you do.

Health tip

Empower Yourself

If you suffer from depression or a related condition, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests a few options, in addition to therapy, that can help you improve your mental health:

* Join a support group.
* Spend time with others.
* Participate in activities that make you feel good.

NIMH also reminds us that depressive illnesses can make you feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless, so it's important to realize that these negative feelings are part of the depression and will fade away (not unlike your fat!) as you do the work and the work begins to take effect. Bottom line: Do what you can to stay healthy and you'll raise the bar on your quality of life.

Health news

Always Hungry? Maybe This Hormone Is Out of Whack

I've worked with many people who have told me that no matter how much they eat, they're still hungry. They can scarf down half a pizza plus dessert and still feel ravenous afterward. Does this sound familiar? If so, it's possible that a condition called leptin resistance is at least partly to blame.

To understand leptin resistance, you first have to understand the role the hormone leptin plays in your metabolism. When you've eaten a meal, the fat cells throughout your body release leptin, which travels to the hypothalamus, the part of your brain that helps regulate appetite. There, it switches off neuropeptide Y — a protein that tells your brain you're hungry — and switches on appetite-suppressing signals. In other words, it gives your brain the message to stop being hungry and start burning calories.

You'd think, then, that low levels of leptin would be the cause of an unstoppable appetite, but that's not necessarily the case. Some research indicates that many people who are overweight actually have very high levels of leptin. How could this be? Well, the more fat you have, the more leptin you produce. And when the body continually cranks out excess levels of leptin in response to overeating, the receptors for leptin in the hypothalamus can start to get worn out and no longer recognize it. People with leptin resistance have high circulating levels of leptin, but the receptors are "deaf" to it, so it can't shut off appetite or stimulate your metabolism.

This vicious circle is similar to what happens when a person develops resistance to insulin, the hormone that allows your cells to use the glucose in your blood. (Insulin resistance can cause high blood glucose levels and eventually lead to diabetes.) In fact, the two conditions often go hand in hand, and research suggests that leptin resistance may be reversed in the same way that insulin resistance can be reversed — by exercising, eating right, and losing weight.

Fitness tip

Squat Right

Don't let good form slip when you're busting your squats. Be mindful of the following:

* Keep your eyes focused forward.
* Don't lean forward or let your heels come off the ground.
* Don't let your knees travel forward over your toes or turn inward as you lower or rise.
* Keep your belly button sucked in toward your spine as you stand back up, being careful not to arch your back.

Fitness tip

The Secret to a Better Butt

The gluteals — your butt muscles — are the largest and strongest muscles in the body. Their function is hip extension, or driving the upper legs backward. I cannot overstate how important it is to make sure these muscles are getting their workout. Activities that engage this muscle group include walking, running, jumping, and climbing. Lunges, leg lifts, and squats are all great for exercising the glutes. Here's the lowdown on some of my favorite squats.

Traditional squat (good if you're a newbie): Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your weight on your heels. Keep your abs tight and your shoulders squarely over your hips. Sit back and down as if you were going to sit on a bench. Keep your back straight. Then stand up, straightening your legs, and repeat.

Sumo squat (good if you're a little more advanced): Place your feet as wide apart as you can and point your toes outward. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for a beat, then exhale and press back up to the starting position. Repeat. This squat modification places a greater emphasis on the inner and outer thigh muscles.

One-legged squat (good if you're a hard-core exerciser): Stand with your weight balanced on your right leg. Lift your left foot an inch or so off the ground. Keep your head up, and don't lean forward; abs stay tight, and the right heel stays on the ground. Don't let the knee extend over the toe. Slowly lower yourself as far as you can comfortably go. Exhale and stand up straight, still balancing on the right leg. Continue for a full set on the right leg, then switch to the left leg and repeat. This modification requires tremendous balance and allows you to strengthen each leg.

Recipe of the Day (Good for a Healthy lunch)

Satisfy Your Family With Sizzling Steak Tacos Tonight!

Craving Mexican food? There's no need to go out for a heavy, calorie-loaded Mexican dinner. Forgo the extra fat and calories, and instead create this delicious steak taco meal for your family. It combines savory and sweet flavors and can be prepared in less than 25 minutes!

Chipotle Flank Steak Tacos With Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

12 soft corn tortillas
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder plus 1 pinch, divided
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
1 pound flank steak beef, trimmed of fat
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to high. Stack tortillas and wrap in heavy-duty foil. Combine oil, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small dish. Rub mixture into both sides of steak. Place the tortilla stack on the coolest part of the grill or upper warming rack, if possible, and heat, flipping once, until warmed through and very pliable.

2. Meanwhile, grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness. Grill pineapple rings until moderately charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortillas, steak, and pineapple from the grill. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing very thinly crosswise into strips.

3. Meanwhile, dice the pineapple and transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, cilantro, vinegar, the remaining pinch of chipotle powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Serve the sliced steak in the warm tortillas with the pineapple salsa.

Makes 6 servings.

Fitness & Health tip

Know the Warning Signs

What can happen if you get too dehydrated or exert yourself in the heat too long? Here are some possibilities, from the least to the most severe:

* Heat cramps — muscle pain or spasms
* Heat exhaustion — a state of elevated body temperature that's a precursor to heatstroke
* Heatstroke — a life-threatening condition in which your body temperature rises above 106°F

If you experience muscle cramping, dizziness, fast and shallow breathing, cold and clammy skin, or nausea or vomiting, get out of the heat immediately and get some water. Heat-related illnesses are no joke, so don't take any chances!

Fitness & Health tip

5 Tips for Beating the Heat

Summer is in full swing and the mercury is rising. When you're exercising or playing outdoors, it's important that you take care to keep yourself cool. My fitness plan is tough enough — you don't need to add heatstroke to the equation! Follow these tips to make sure you stay safe in hot or humid weather.

Time it right. The hottest part of the day usually falls between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Do your workout early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun isn't directly overhead and the temperature is a little cooler.

Dress for the weather. Your body cools itself in part by perspiring. You'll help the process if you wear lightweight, somewhat loose-fitting clothing that allows the sweat to evaporate from your skin. Choose lighter colors because they won't absorb as much heat from the sun, and consider a hat or a visor to keep the sun out of your eyes.

Wear sunscreen. The last thing you want is a sunburn — it'll keep your skin from cooling off and sap precious fluids. Choose a sunscreen free of oxybenzone, a chemical that has been linked to hormone disruption. Use Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group's cosmetics database, to see if your sunscreen is safe, and apply it at least 30 minutes before you head outside.

Drink lots of water. Sweating can dehydrate you very quickly, so it's important to keep drinking water. Drink 4 to 8 ounces every 15 minutes while you work out. If you exercise for more than an hour, you may need a sports drink or a snack to replace the salt and other electrolytes you lose as you sweat.

Watch your heart rate. In reaction to heat, your body increases blood flow to your skin in an effort to cool you off. The result is less blood for your muscles and an elevated heart rate. If you're not used to working out in the heat, you might find that you'll reach your target heart rate with less intense exercise than usual. Take it slow at first, and gradually increase your intensity.

Healthy recipes

Two Easy Side Dishes for Busy Nights

This week you get a twofer — a pair of incredibly easy and tasty vegetable side dishes. Pair one of these with some organic rotisserie chicken from the deli counter or a nice piece of grilled fish and you've got a sensationally healthy meal.


Roasted Broccoli With Lemon

Ingredients

4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 dash freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss broccoli with oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet (not air-insulated) and roast until the broccoli is tender and blackened on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings.


Orange-Infused Roasted Green Beans and Red Peppers

Ingredients

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4–1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss green beans, bell pepper, and oil in a large bowl. Add orange zest, salt, and crushed red pepper to taste; toss to combine. Spread on a large baking sheet. Roast the vegetables, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and slightly wilted, about 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

FYI

A Natural Antidepressant

Not convinced that those dead lifts can lift your mood? Check this out: A growing body of research suggests that exercise can relieve symptoms of depression, including sadness, irritability, stress, fatigue, anger, self-doubt, and hopelessness. It's unclear exactly why, but researchers think that exercise's effect on endorphins and other mood-lifting neurotransmitters may be at play. Exercise also lowers your levels of the stress hormone cortisol and helps you to sleep better. Okay, I think that's enough reasons to work out — now get to the gym and start feeling better!

Fitness tip

How Much to Exercise Each Day

You may have heard the U.S. Surgeon General's recommendation of 30 minutes of physical activity a day. This is intended for people who want to maintain the most basic level of fitness — but not for people who want to lose weight. In a week, 30 minutes a day works out to an expenditure of about 1,000 calories, which is fine if you are looking to maintain your current weight. But if you want to lose, you're going to have to be prepared for a bit more work.

I much prefer the World Health Organization's recommendation of 60 minutes at a time as a starting point for my clients — an hour is ideal to get the most out of your workout and see significant results. Your 60-minute workout sessions should always include a 5-minute warm-up, followed by 50 minutes of your primary cardio or strength-training exercises, followed by at least 5 minutes of cooling down and stretching.

Of course, putting in more time will get you more results — but there's a limit. Excessive intense physical activity releases stress hormones, such as cortisol, into the body. This can actually inhibit weight loss, causing your body to react by storing fat and retaining water out of self-protection. So, to reach your goal, I recommend limiting intense exercise to no more than two hours a session.