Snack smarter - Mark's Granola Bars

Every Sunday I spend a couple hours in the kitchen cooking food for the week and testing new recipes. I like the challenge of making delicious food with healthy ingredients. Lately, I've been working on a granola bar that is crunchy, sweet and satisfying. The one I developed keeps me energized through an entire tennis match, plus it is loaded with healthy fruit, almonds and oats. One batch should feed the household for a week or more.

Check out the recipe on my website.  While you are there, read up on the latest things going on at Better Living. We've developed a great cardiovascular training program done in small groups, called CVT, and have a new web-based weight loss program called 10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter. 

As always, please let us know if we can help you with your fitness goals.

Happy snacking!
Mark Thiesmeyer, MS, MPH, RD
Better Living, Dietitian/Certified Personal Trainer

Last Chance to Sign Up!

Today is the deadline to sign up for 10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter - our coached-approach to eating better, exercising more and weight less.  The program starts this Saturday and runs (obviously!) for the next 10 weeks.

As Joey mentioned in the last blog, it is a lot easier to manage your weight with the help of trained professionals and a team of enthusiastic participants.

Email me at mark@betterliving.biz if you would like more information or to sign up.
Program cost: $195
Program details: http://www.betterliving.biz/10weekprogram.pdf

- Mark Thiesmeyer, MS, MPH, RD

ps. I'm putting pedometers in the mail tomorrow; please sign up now!

Lose Weight in the New Year

As we head into 2013 a lot of people are making New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, or to simply be more healthy.  I myself have lost 80lbs since my top weight playing football. I believe the new year is a great time to think about your fitness, yet so many resolutions fail.  Research shows the following are effective strategies for making your New Year’s resolution stick:

    

•  Make sure you are ready – Changing lifestyle can be very difficult. Can you make time to succeed? Are you willing to make the necessary changes? 
•  Do you have a good plan? – If you’re reading this blog you probably have some sort of plan or are looking for ways to make a plan.  Plan out the details and think through how you will accomplish them.  Getting help from a trainer is a great way to implement an exercise and diet plan.  
•  Can you enjoy the process? – Yes, it is important to enjoy something you set your mind to doing, otherwise, it is too easy to give up and go back to doing the things you used to enjoy.  Think of ways to have fun doing your resolution and add them to your plan. 
• Focus on short-term goals while keeping the long-term resolution in mind- Losing 50 pounds means taking 1lb off fifty times.  Set weekly goals, then monthly, etc. It took me about 2 years to lose my 80lbs. You have to celebrate your success along the way. 
•  Include others. Build a strong support team of your family, friends, co-workers and trainer. Sharing your resolution can help you stick to your new lifestyle and reach your fitness goals. 

There are still a few openings in our 10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter Weight Loss Program. To enroll or find out more details, simply respond to this message.

Happy New Year!

Joey Smith

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REFERENCE:

Problems with goal-setting research in sports—and their solution.

Locke, Edwin A.

Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Vol 13(3), Sep 1991, 311-316.

Ever Heard of Ethylene Gas?

A good teacher once told me to give the "take aways" upfront. I've got two for you today:

• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Learn some simple chemistry to save yourself some money.

Most fruit and vegetables give off a gas called ethylene. It's what softens peaches or turns tomatoes red when you store them in paper bags. The gas brings about the natural degradation process in fruits and vegetables. The trick is getting the raspberries to your mouth before they soften and mold, a process that can happen on the drive home from the grocery store. Here are two strategies for maximizing your produce enjoyment.

Know your culprits
Peaches, apples, bananas and watermelon all give off a fair amount of ethylene sending everything else in your crisper drawer into a downward tailspin. Separate these fruits from other produce.

Use an ExtraLife Produce Saver
Those who read this blog know I don't often endorse products, but I think this one is nifty. These little green disks transform the ethylene gas in your crisper drawer into water vapor. This means you can actually have a chance to eat the spinach you bought this weekend and didn't have time to cook. One of my clients gave me a disk last week. I put it in a drawer with some apples, pears and green peppers. All produces seems to be in a state of suspended time. So far so good.  Each disk says it lasts 3 months. If it can save me one carton of blackberries it will have paid for itself.

I've included a link below where you can buy 3 disks for $11.

Mark Thiesmeyer, MS, MPH, RD
734-747-0123

http://www.amazon.com/ExtraLife-Produce-Preserver-Disks-Set/dp/B000MQ8SS8