Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Archives for November 2010

Cheesy Baked Grouper

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This wonderful dish makes 4 nice healthy servings. I like to serve it with rice and broccoli or asparagus. Potatoes are a great complement too. Toast some whole grain bread and serve.

4 – 4oz.fresh grouper fillets
1/4 cup light mayo
2 to3 Tbs. of grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. fresh chives
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or white wine

Directions:

Coat baking pan with Pam cooking spray carefully lay each grouper fillet in pan without breaking.
In small bowl stir together mayo, cheese, chives, and Worcestershire sauce.
Spread mayo mixture over grouper fillets.
Bake on 450 degrees for 4 to 6 minutes.
Test with fork for flakiness when done.
Serve with steamed rice and broccoli.

Health Benefits:
An excellent source of protein, low in fat and sodium, grouper is a nutrient rich fish. A cold water fish that is recommended because of its high levels of omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it provides a whole day’s worth of vitamin D!

Yeast Infection – Causes And Cures

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Candidiasis, commonly known as yeast infection is caused by a group of microscopic fungi or yeast. Present on all surfaces of the body, the problem with candida occurs when they multiply in numbers and cause an infection. This is particularly problematic in warm, moist areas such as the vagina, mouth, underarms, and nail bed and in small children, the diaper area.

Yeast infections can and regularly do occur after taking an antibiotic. In women, vaginal yeast infections result in burning, itching, and heavy discharge. Yeasts are commonly found in women’s vaginas and it is only after the overgrowth of the yeasts that the problem occurs. Along with antibiotics, steroids are a main cause of the overgrowth of yeasts in the vagina.

When candida causes problems under breasts or other areas where skin folds create a warm moist environment for yeast to grow, the area can be treated with a topical cream and usually clear up in a short time.

In rare cases, the yeast infection may spread throughout the body. Even common mouth and vaginal yeast infections can cause critical illnesses in people with weakened immune systems. Always consult a physician regarding yeast infections that don’t respond to treatment.

Nearly every time my friend takes an antibiotic, she ends up with a yeast infection. But that’s no surprise since that is one of the leading causes of vaginal yeast infections. That is because while antibiotics are taken to kill bad bacteria that are making us ill, it also kills good bacteria that help to keep yeast infections at bay. The warm, moist cocoon known as the vagina is the ideal host for candida to grow and with a reduction in bacteria to fight it off, it wreaks havoc until treatment is rendered.

Devices such as catheters also open the body to yeast infections. People with weakened immune systems, those undergoing cancer treatments or surgery patients are susceptible to yeast infections.

Eating foods that contain probiotics can help to slow the growth of yeast and promote good bacteria in the digestive track. Plain yogurt with probiotics is an excellent choice and will help to balance your system.

If you have a weakened immune system, contact your doctor at the first sign of yeast infection. Don’t try to treat it with over the counter medicines if the yeast infection is oral or vaginal. Other places such as under arms or breasts or stomach can be treated with anti fungal cream. If you find that the infection is not responding to the treatment, contact your doctor.

If vaginal discharge lasts for more than a week and has a foul odor that continues, seek medical care. There are other medical conditions that could be causing the discharge and any infection lasting more than a week needs to be evaluated by a physician.

Maintain a healthy diet at all times and exercise regularly to keep your body at its healthiest and your immune system working at peak condition. My Fitness4Her Diet and 30 Minutes To A New You Exercise Program were developed specifically for women’s fitness. While yeast infections can occur easily under certain circumstances, keeping the body healthy will help to protect you against problems should a yeast infection strike.

Make Snacking Healthy With Delicious Hummus Spread

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If you are having a party or just sitting around watching television and want a quick snack, prepare your own hummus for a healthy treat that’s low in calories. Great as a dip or a spread, you can serve it with a variety of different vegetables, breads or crackers.

Low in fat, hummus is made from chickpeas or garbanzo beans and contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. An excellent source of protein, hummus is perfect for a vegetarian alternative to red meat. Partygoers will appreciate having a healthy snack that’s light and easily digestible. Especially if the rest of the buffet consists of food that is high in fat.

If you serve it in its natural brown color, choose a colorful dish or accent it with vegetables. Hummus has sort of a drab appearance that turns many people away, even though they’ve never tried it. That’s why it’s best to dress it up a little, at least for those who are not in the “know.”

I like to dip pita chips in hummus but I also use it as a spread on pita bread and then stuffed with cooked veggies. Of course, raw carrots, bell pepper and cauliflower are all fantastic when served with hummus, especially if you add a little pepper or hot sauce to the hummus to spice it up.

A versatile snack, you can do just about anything you want with it. The great thing about it is that it is healthy and when you make it yourself you can control the amount of sodium and olive oil that is added to it. I like to add garlic and occasionally red peppers, not only for a change in taste but the peppers give it a nice red hue for a taste tempting presentation.

For easy to follow recipes that are healthy and delicious, visit the Healthy Cooking section of the Fitness4Her website. You must be a member to get access, but it’s easy to join and it’s free. You’ll find over 100 recipes that your whole family will enjoy, exercises that will help you to get in shape, an exercise journal to track your results, and a fitness blog that covers everything from losing weight to whether or not you should exercise when you are menstruating.

Donnas Cottage Cheese Salad

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This recipe serves one and makes a great snack or lunch. My friend, Donna has made this salad a number of times and I always enjoy it. I asked her if I could add this dish to my recipes, and she was quite honored.

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 small apple, chopped
2 Tbs. mixed dried fruit or raisins
Pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg
1 lettuce leaf

In a small bowl stir together cottage cheese, apples, dried fruit bits, raisins, cinnamon
and nutmeg.
Serve immediately, or cover and chill in frig only up to 24 hours
To serve line a plate with lettuce, spoon cottage cheese mixture on lettuce leaf with some whole grain crackers

Health Benefits:
Donna serves this with celery sticks for that extra crunch that’s low in calories. Cottage cheese is an excellent food, high in protein and calcium and low in fat and cholesterol. It’s easily digestible and can be eaten with just about any fruit. It’s a great choice after a strenuous workout to restore your protein levels and give you that extra boost.

Stretching Exercises Are Fundamental To Your Overall Flexibility

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We all know that exercise is important to our overall health. Many times in an effort to get the most exercise in a short period of time, we overlook the importance of stretching before a workout. This includes resistance training and aerobics. Instead of warming up the muscles and giving them the opportunity to stretch before exercising, we compromise our overall fitness program by neglecting the importance of overall flexibility.

Flexibility is a vital element in a healthy fitness program. Keeping the muscles flexible protects against injury and increases your strength and ability. That’s why stretching exercises should be a regular part of your workout routine. Aim for 10 minutes of stretching before and after your activity.

Remember to stretch both your upper body and lower body muscles. Some upper body stretches include raising the arms above the head and slowly lowering them back to the sides of the body. Repeat for eight times.

Bend at the waist and stretch your upper body forward, straighten to a standing position and repeat eight times. Stand and stretch one arm above your head while resting the other hand on your shoulder. Reverse your arms and repeat eight times.

Sit on an exercise mat and stretch out your legs. Bend forward and try to touch your toes. Now spread your legs and stretch forward bringing both arms slowly down one leg to touch your toes. Reverse to the other leg.

Stand and lunge forward slightly, reverse sides and stretch the opposite leg. Slowly lower your body to a squatting position and slowly straighten to stand. Your muscles should begin to feel warm without too much exertion. This is really beneficial as you begin exercising.

Good flexibility is important to our health and fitness. Not only does it help with any exercise or activity it’s especially important for our overall health as we age. When joints become stiff from age and deterioration our muscles play a major role in helping to protect them from injury.

Before walking, you can stretch your foot and calf muscles by bending your foot at the toe and pressing it against a wall, or use a towel to raise your toes up as if standing on tip toes. Sit on the floor and stretch your legs out in front and flex your toes up towards your body and then pointed away from your body to stretch your calf muscles and avoid shin injuries.

If you will take the extra ten minutes before exercise and ten minutes afterwards for stretching you will get better results in both weight loss and fitness. You will even notice the benefits in every day tasks like picking up a child, reaching for a top shelf, pulling or pushing carts, vacuums, or chairs. Even if you steer clear of manual tasks, you’ll love the way a flexible body improves your overall appearance.

With all these attributes, you’ll definitely want to set aside a little time for this important part of a healthy lifestyle.