NIFS Healthy Living Blog

There are a lot of different days throughout the year devoted to certain foods, and October 2 is no exception. This day is reserved for all things kale!

So, if you have been hearing about this wonderful green, leafy vegetable and have been wanting to try it, or if you are already a lover of the vitamin-K-packed wonder, then definitely take this day to enjoy some recipes that incorporate kale.

Since kale thrives in cooler weather, this time of year is the perfect opportunity to sample it when other vegetables are out of season. To find the freshest kale, search for deeply colored leaves with hardy stems.

If you want to increase your intake of folate, calcium, iron, fiber, and phytonutrients, here are three ways to incorporate kale into your diet for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack time.

Orange-Blueberry Kale Smoothie

If the thought of drinking a green smoothie doesn’t appeal to you, try this delicious option that keeps the color a gorgeous purple!

1 whole orange

1 cup blueberries

½ cup vanilla almond or soy milk or ½ cup skim milk

2 cups chopped and loosely packed kale

1 cup ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Makes three 8-ounce servings or two 12-ounce servings.

Kale Salad

1 big bunch kale; chopped fine

1 cup cooked wild rice or brown rice, cooled (or try cooked quinoa)

1 red or orange bell pepper; chopped

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion or green onion

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins or both

½ cup feta cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan

Dressing:

2 to 3 TB. olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 TB. Dijon mustard

1 to 2 TB. honey

Juice of 1 lemon (add zest if you want)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Toss salad. Put all dressing ingredients in a shaker and combine. Pour over salad and enjoy.

Kale Chips

Slice kale into bite-sized pieces. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

For more information and recipes, check out the National Kale Day website.  

Schedule a personal nutrition consultation to plan how you can incorporate more veggies like kale into your diet.

This blog was written by Registered Dietitian at NIFS, Angie Scheetz, RD. To meet the NIFS Bloggers click here.

It takes great commitment to set your mind on a goal and work toward it with gusto and perseverance! I love a particular quote that goes, “Everyone has the will to be a warrior, but only a warrior has the will to prepare.” The commitment it takes to train and not simply exercise is a virtue that we should all be striving for.

Your pursuit of fitness goals should be a part of your daily life and not simply once you step into the gym. That commitment and discipline it takes to make your fitness and training a priority is what will lead to the results you seek. Don't confuse motion with progress. Blindly going through the steps of a workout and not committing oneself fully to the philosophy and training method as well as “staying in the fight” with your team is motion, and not progress. You must work to train this commitment level every day!

Following are my “Prime Priorities” that I hope will help you be successful in your individual life journeys. I feel these are the top three aspects of “you” that will not only help guide your path, but help you traverse it successfully.

Prime Priority #1: Get and Keep Your Head Right

Mental toughness is a key aspect of training. This toughness should not be exclusive to fitness, but also in daily life. If this Prime is not met, you will find yourself in a defeating cycle that will eventually lead you back down the dark and unhealthy path.

• Awake each morning with a purpose and the notion that this day will be better than the last and work to make it as such.
• List the things that are most important to you and make them your top priorities.
• Surround yourself with likeminded people and remove those who are “toxic.” Create an inner circle of success, and not self-defeating individuals who only want to bring you back down to their level of unhappiness.
• Make time for you: at least 10 minutes a day with no distractions.
• Identify your “stressors” and fill your toolbox to help you be aware and combat them.
• Spend time, the most time, with those you love.
• Laugh out loud as much as possible!

Prime Priority #2: Nutrition

This aspect of your daily life is easily tied with the #1 Prime Priority. But if you don’t nail #1, the other two Primes will eventually let you down.

• Eat often, not a lot, mainly plants and animals (with thanks to author Michael Pollan).
• Protein feeds growth, and good fats are not the enemy.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Follow the 90/10 rule: 90 percent of the time you are adhering to the above; 10 percent of the time you are not. This 10 percent should be guilt free and part of a healthy, balanced life.

Prime Priority #3: Exercise

With perfect harmony between the top two Prime Priorities, this aspect of your life should be a breeze to balance, and the most fun!

• Keep it simple.
• Keep it intense.
• Lift heavy things.
• Have FUN.

Trust me, implement these Prime Priorities and you will immediately see a difference in how your day goes, and most importantly in how you view the world around you. If you concentrate on #1, the other two will follow!

Ready to make your health and fitness a priority? Start today by scheduling a fitness assessment with Tony!

This blog was written by Tony Maloney, NIFS Fitness Center Manager.

I had a great conversation with one of you Warriors
about the fact that challenges of “change” are not found only in the kitchen and in the gym. A huge challenge can come from your social circle, friends and family. It’s a common issue with recovering alcoholics, when their so-called friends liked them better when they were a drunk. The same dynamic can happen to someone who is trying to lose weight and be strong, fit, healthy and happy. Unfortunately, some people in your inner circle can be big players in sabotaging your success (cue the Beastie Boys).

Why Your Friends Might Not Want You to Be Healthy

There are many reasons why someone might take this stance and aid in your backslide into unhealthy behaviors. I think the biggest one is that they are not happy with themselves, and it hurts them to see someone improve, so they react negatively to your improvement. Maybe it’s a quick insult, or they minimize what you have accomplished simply to bring you back down to where they are and how they feel.  

My recommendations here are limited because there is just one: Build a better inner circle! Be involved with likeminded people and ditch those who are not. This may sound harsh, but consider it happy or unhappy, healthy or diseased, life or death.

The Drawbacks of Being Seen as a Fitness Expert

Another challenge of success is that now everybody considers you to be the expert, and all they wish to talk about is nutrition and exercise. Some people relish this. If that is you, fantastic. Inspire millions. For some, it is a battle everyday to stay focused and on track, and discussing it all the time could bring some pretty emotional stuff to the forefront that could result in some negative behavior.

I feel that, like everything else, this has to be in balance. It’s great that family and friends see you as someone who can help, but if your improvement plan is still in progress, you may not be in the place to offer advice and solutions over and over again without some backlash. If you are that person who has reached the point of feeling comfortable talking to others about your progress and the steps that got you there, you have to keep your focus on others in balance with the focus on yourself.

How to Deal with People Who Want Fitness Advice

My wife, a professional massage therapist, had a very good way to deter people from constantly talking about aches and pains. When someone would mention what the ailment was (after finding out that she was a therapist), she would simply say “I would see someone about that.” That was her way of balancing the conversation. Here are a few ways to help you balance your conversations:

• Say “Thank you for noticing all of my hard work. What have you done today to better yourself?”
• Change the subject.
• Remove yourself from a conversation that makes you uncomfortable.
• Be choosy about the events you attend.
• Have a support system in place.
• Journal.
• Give them my card (just kidding, but I do have extras).

Be safe out there and keep a lookout for the sabotage. It could be closer than you think.

This blog was written by Tony Maloney, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and Health Fitness Instructor. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

School is in session and the six weeks of training for the NIFS Summer Showdown are complete! Participants completed a workout of “partner 100s” at the beginning of the program for time. Each pair trained with a NIFS Health and Fitness Specialist to get better at the exercises required to complete the partner 100 Summer Showdown workout. After six weeks of intense training, plenty of sweat, and just plain hard work, the teams completed the Summer Showdown workout a second time to see how their times decreased. There are no winners or losers in the Summer Showdown. Each pair competed to beat their own time…and succeeded!

Alicia Peters is in the spotlight as she shares her experience of what it was really like to train for the Summer Showdown as she prepared for her upcoming wedding!

NAME: Alicia Peters

SHARE YOUR “STORY” OR A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF IN A FEW SENTENCES:

I am 26, live and work in the Indianapolis area, and like to stay fit! I particularly enjoy participating in group classes at NIFS.

NIFS PROGRAM YOU PARTICIPATED IN:

Summer Showdown

WHY DID YOU JOIN THIS PROGRAM?

I was encouraged to join the program by Stephanie, who is one of my favorite staff members! I always get a good workout when I participate on her program teams. The timing was perfect because I am getting married in September and the extra motivation to get to the gym for class was helpful during these months leading up to the wedding.

SOMETHING YOU HAVE ENJOYED:

My fiancé was my partner for the Summer Showdown program, so this was something fun for
us to do together!

SOMETHING YOU HAVE LEARNED OR SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED YOU:

I was surprised by how challenging some of the exercises were—especially the ropes/cones and the inverted TRX rows!

FAVORITE EXERCISE FROM ONE OF THE WORKOUTS?

I like the TRX suspended push-up.

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE YOU ACHIEVED DURING YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE SUMMER SHOWDOWN?

I’ve noticed that my arms are a little more toned*!

WHAT STRUGGLES HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED? TIPS YOU HAVE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY?

Getting up at 5am for the gym is NEVER easy, but where there’s a will there’s a way!

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?

I feel better physically and also feel more confident when I exercise.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU WISH TO SHARE:

Thank you for offering these great programs!

*Weight loss claims and/or individual results vary and are not guaranteed.

Click here to learn more about upcoming NIFS programs including our most popular holiday program Maintain Not Gain! Coming in November.

Emily has been an intern for a corporate client of NIFS. She has contributed to the success of the center, and we wish her luck as she moves on to the working world after college. Thank you for being such a great asset to the NIFS team, and for sharing your experience on our blog!

Some come to the area for a taste of Indianapolis; I came for a taste of the professional world. When I originally applied to NIFS I thought that the internship would be a great opportunity to broaden my horizons; a chance to get out of my comfort zone and to work in a different environment with different populations. NIFS accomplished that and so much more.

I did my share of weighing pros and cons when finding a challenging internship that would further my development as an exercise science major. Maybe it was the hands-on experience, maybe it was the professional development, or maybe it was simply the professionals I was able to interact with that have helped to reaffirm my choice of career path.

My internship was located at corporate client of NIFS. Working with the team was a breath of fresh air. I was not just an intern, but an employee with duties that depended on contributing to a successful team strategy. Having a strong team dynamic is crucial when hosting team-building events to promote cooperative work atmospheres. Tasks also included fitness assessments, teaching group fitness classes, and leading facility orientations.

My greatest task, however, was that of managing a Women’s Half Marathon Training Program. Throughout this program, I have been able to shed the skin of the structured classroom environment and reemerge with a more profound meaning of what being a professional entails: leadership, planning, communication, and organization. Through the training program, I came into contact with women who I coached, but who were in turn a source of motivation to me. To see and be a part of individuals’ success in achieving goals is why I am so drawn to this field.

NIFS offers so much to each intern. Through shadowing, volunteering, and specializing at one’s site, the student has a chance to explore, find their niche, and leave with a new set of goals in mind.

Although there are still classes to take and lessons to learn, working as an intern at NIFS is an experience that I will always remember and cherish.

To find out more about applying for NIFS internships click here.

If it is the most important meal of the day, why do about 31 million people (or 10 percent of the population) still skip breakfast? Here are the top three reasons people skip breakfast and how you can overcome those excuses to make eating breakfast a part of your daily routine.

I’m just not hungry in the morning.

You should wake up in the morning and be hungry. Your body has gone at least eight hours without food, so it should be ready for some fuel. If not, take a look at your before-bedtime habits and check to see whether you are constantly snacking on chips and ice cream late into the evening. If so, this can affect your hunger levels in the morning. Don’t go to bed hungry, but instead choose a reasonable snack around 100 to 150 calories like Greek yogurt or an apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

I don’t have time for breakfast.

If you would rather hit the snooze button a few more times than prepare breakfast for yourself, you might find yourself without enough time to eat in the morning. The key is to aim for three food groups at a meal, so even if you grab a turkey sandwich and a banana as you run out the door, you are still starting your day right. The key is to combine some protein and whole grains to help give you energy and keep you full. Breakfast is also a great time to get in a dairy or fruit serving, too!

If time is an issue, use this recipe to prepare breakfast for the whole week. Add the egg to an English muffin and grab a glass of milk or piece of fruit to go with it and you are set!

I want to save my calories for later in the day.

Some people think that if they skip breakfast, it will help with their weight-loss efforts or give them more calories to consume at lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, this is not the case. A recent study compared two groups: one ate more for breakfast and the other ate more at dinner, with both consuming the same amount of calories. The breakfast group lost more weight and inches than the dinner group. Typically people who skip breakfast overcompensate the rest of the day by eating more calories than if they had started their day with a balanced meal.

Whatever your reason for skipping breakfast, try to break that habit and start eating something every day. Start small with a glass of 100 percent juice or a piece of fruit and then work up to a balanced meal between 400 and 500 calories and at least three food groups!

Angie Scheetz, RD, is the wellness coordinator at NIFS and organizes the Mini Marathon Training Program, Dealing with Diabetes, and Lite ‘N Up. Enrollment for Lite ‘N Up is open though September 17, 2013.

Each semester, including the summer, NIFS welcomes a new class of fantastic interns to come learn what it takes to work in a fitness center. With each group that we welcome with open arms, there is a point when we must say goodbye. Our most recent group of interns is wrapping up their final presentations and parting ways with the friends, coworkers, and clients they have met along the way.

Rachel Potter interned with NIFS for three months during the summer of 2013, and although we know she has to move back to her home state of Oklahoma to begin her career, we sure will miss her! Here is her perspective about what it’s like to be an intern at NIFS.

If you had told me five years ago that I would move to Indianapolis for a three-month internship, I would have said, “NO WAY!” Having moved to Oklahoma from the San Francisco Bay area, my perspective began to change and I began to realize how open I was to exploring the rest of the country.

Coming to NIFS was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. Sure, it was tough being away from my nice, comfy bed; three months on an air mattress seemed like a great idea in the beginning. The reward is everything I learned from the experience and the confidence I have gained in the process.

I came into the internship with a strong fitness background, so I chose to work with the actively aging community, a setting way out of my comfort zone. It was tough at first knowing that I wasn’t familiar with the population and sometimes feeling like a chicken with its head cut off. I remember the first class I taught. I did about fifty things you aren’t supposed to do! Luckily, I had great instruction from my supervisor and eventually began to settle in to the site.

What was so unique about the internship at NIFS was the option to explore the different departments offered. Because NIFS encompasses multiple facets of their industry—including corporate wellness, active aging, and athletic training—I was able to shadow different areas, which allowed me to see the differences between each place. I also learned how diverse the sites were. Seeing what each position entailed helped me realize the avenues I liked and may want to pursue further and the things I would never want to do in a million years.

Having learned so much more about myself and being able to apply my education to so many different areas, I could not have asked for a better intern experience.

This blog was written by Rachel Potter, NIFS Intern and Les Mills BODYCOMBAT and BODYPUMP certified instructor.

Foam rolling is the layman’s term for self-myofascial release. What you are doing is giving your muscles and fascia (the connective tissue that runs head to toe in the body) a good massage. If you have had a deep-tissue massage, however, you know it can be painful. This is the only time in the gym that I recommend no pain, no gain. Now, that may seem masochistic, but a little discomfort on the roller can make a world of difference in how you feel as you move after a session.

How Foam Rolling Works

The rollers come in different densities, with softer being gentler. But if you want to break down tight muscles and fascia, you need to need to suck it up and take the pain. Let me explain it this way: When your muscles get stressed, they will tighten up in spots to hold on so they don’t strain or tear. Those spots limit mobility, thus decreasing your ability to move with your max range of motion. When the muscles have been stressed too much, the force will go up or down the chain into the joints (knees, hips, shoulders, etc.). Many times pain is not a result of the joint being damaged; it is from the muscles not being able to do their job.

When you roll on the roller, all those tight spots are the muscles with a little ball, so to speak, of tight fibers. When you roll over those spots, they will release. Over time, with commitment to your rolling, you will feel those spots be less tender and pain will decrease. With a muscle at full strength, you can do more with it in terms of flexibility and strength.

The Basic Foam Roller Exercise

So how is this done? Ideally the body should be warm (although you will break a sweat hitting your sore spots, I can tell you from personal experience).

1. Grab a roller to lie on. You do want to try and hit the entire body. Surprisingly, you will find other spots you did not realize were sore.
2. Move your body over the roller, avoiding bones and joints (those don’t respond to rolling).
3. Make 5 to 10 passes over a muscle (or fascia) and then move to another part of the body.

You can do this after a workout as well to enhance recovery. You may notice you are less sore than when you started—aahh, the body’s way of working things out!

This is great for the day-after muscle soreness you get from a great (or new) workout.

This blog was written by Kris Simpson, BS, ACSM-PT, HFS, and a NIFS Certified Personal Trainer. To find out more about Kris and our other NIFS bloggers click here.

Whenever people find out I’m a dietitian, I get asked a lot of questions about what I eat. My typical response is “I eat normal.” However, I guess everyone has a different version of normal! For me that means following the recommendations in the USDA guidelines at ChooseMyPlate.gov. Half of my plate is filled with fruits and vegetables, a quarter of my plate grains, and a quarter of the plate protein. Then you can sprinkle in a little dairy with that. There is also room for some good, healthy fats and even the occasional dessert!

My rule of thumb is 80/20. 80 percent of my diet is filled with fresh, unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and nonfat dairy; and 20 percent includes foods such as cheese, chocolate, and alcohol. On most days I try to make sure I get the 80 percent met first before even thinking about the 20 percent!

What Angie Eats for Lunch

So, what do I eat for lunch? Well, I tend to switch up the main part of my meal each week, but the rest stays pretty constant. I always have a Greek yogurt, some baby carrots, and a Clementine. Every Monday I bring to work four yogurts, four Cuties, and a bag of baby carrots. That way I don’t have to worry about it the rest of the week. Then, I make a homemade chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad mixed with nonfat Greek yogurt instead of mayo and put it on whole-wheat bread or whole-wheat crackers. Other weeks I choose an old standby: peanut butter and jelly on whole-wheat bread. Sometimes it is turkey sandwiches or even leftovers from dinner the night before. There are even a few days here and there that I grab a frozen meal because they are quick and convenient.

If I want a sweet ending to my lunch, I typically stop by my co-worker’s office for a few of the M&Ms she keeps on her desk. This is much better than buying the whole package from the vending machine!

One day a week I go out to lunch with some friends, and it can be challenging to choose the healthiest options. However, the main thing I always try to do is to balance my plate! So, if I really want a slice of pizza one day, then I opt for a side salad instead of a breadstick to go with it. Or if it is a sandwich place, I will bring my own sides such as the Clementine and carrots to go with the sandwich instead of the chips. The key is to picture the plate and then fill in the holes!

Need Advice on Healthy Lunches? Ask the Dietitian!

Packing your lunch can sometimes be a pain, but it is definitely worth it in the end! Figure out what works for you so that you can make it part of your weekly routine. If you need assistance planning your meals, please contact Lindsey Recker for a personal nutrition consultation at lrecker@nifs.org or 317.274.3432, ext. 239.

BOSU Conditioning has been around for a decade now at NIFS. During this time, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to lead thousands of classes. With sizes ranging from 3 to 18, from 18 to 80 years of age —including athletes, non-athletes, former athletes, and new athletes—BOSU has the ability to make every exercise harder or easier so that it complements all fitness levels and everyone can enjoy it.

I have also embraced many of the BOSU philosophies that make BOSU a total body and cerebral mind challenge in my own workouts as well as with my training clients to enhance their overall fitness experience. These philosophies include balance, symmetry, and flow.

In the book The Art of War, Sun Tzu states that without struggle there is no progress. This statement can be used today with our training methods. Being within your comfort zone constantly allows the body to plateau. While it may seem challenging, being outside of your comfort zone will allow your body and mind to learn and eventually master new movement patterns. With your body constantly learning new movements, plateaus become less relevant and we see overall fitness growth.

BOSU is a tool that we use to create a fitness atmosphere where the body and mind are constantly challenged. You have the ability to reach new potential; give BOSU a try and  experience a new challenge today! Find a class on the group fitness schedule and attend this week for a new fitness challenge!

This blog was written by Health and Fitness Specialist and BOSU Conditioning instructor Thomas Livengood. Meet the NIFS bloggers.