Wealth for my Health Challenge - Lincoln

Facebook Membership Giveaway Contest

2011-10-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hello!

It's that time again... another sessionis coming to a close and we are gearing up for another session to launch. Wehave decided to put together another Facebook Membership Giveaway Contest,seeing as how the first one was a success! (to read more about the recipient ofthe first giveaway, click here.) If you have a compelling story about whyyou NEED a lifestyle intervention please share your story with us today! Beforeyou do so, read more about the giveaway.

The Giveaway.

1. Membership in the WFMH Challenge(which includes a WHOLE LOT OF REALLY COOL STUFF - check it out here)

2. One-month unlimited Kisado/Kickboxing &Yoga at Tiger Rock Academy
3. A 30-minute consultation with Registered Dietitian Karen Kuzma and a kitchen overhaul!

The Details.

Interested applicants must:
1. Find Wealth for my Health on Facebook and "Like" us(facebook.com/wealthformyhealth)
2. Agree to the terms and conditions of the giveaway below.
3. Complete and submit the following application by 5pm on November 7. The Final 3 will be notified by November 9.

4. The Final 3 will participate in a short 1-2 minute interview on November 11,and their individual videotaped interview will be posted on Facebook byNovember 14. Voting will commence once videos are uploaded to Facebook.
5. Generate "likes" on your personal video on the Facebook page of Wealth for my Health.

The person with the most "likes" on their video on the FacebookPage of WFMH by 5pm on November 21 will be the recipient of the WFMH MembershipGiveaway

The Terms & Conditions.

Giveaway only open tonew members of Wealth for my Health, and must not have been a member at anytime in any past or current sessions.
Wealth for my Health reserves the right to disqualify a person of the Final 3at any time for any reason.
Wealth for my Health reserves the right to suspend or cancel the giveaway atany time for any reason.
The giveaway includes a membership in the 12-week WFMH Program. For moredetails on what this includes please visit: http://wealthformyhealthlincoln.com/programs.htm
Giveaway has no cash value.
Persons selected for the Final 3 agree to have their answers to a few questionsregarding their purpose for participating in the program videotaped and postedon the WFMH Facebook Page.
Persons selected for the Final 3 will encourage their friends and familymembers to "like" their video interview on Facebook. The most"likes", wins!
Voting will be valid from November 14 through 5pm on November 21.
The person selected for the giveaway agrees to have their journey in this12-week program documented, either in written or video form and releases allrights to any video, photo or written material of themselves and theirjourney.

So, if you are inneed of a lifestyle intervention... you have found the right place! Wealth formy Health is a city-wide health program equipping it's members with the tools,resources and motivation/accountability to live a healthier lifestyle. If youare ready to improve your quality of life and achieve health goals (loseweight, run a marathon, etc.) then apply today! Submit your application forconsideration in the giveaway by following this link. If you have any questions please contactProgram Organizer Amy McCurdy at amy@wealthformyhealth.com.

Shelly: Week Eight

2011-10-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

TotalWeight Lost: 20 pounds through 10/10/11.
Week 1 Miles: 56
Week 2 Miles: 80

Week3 Miles: 62

Week4 Miles: 63

Week5 Miles: 47

Week6 Miles: 71

Week7 Miles: 16

TotalMiles Ridden: 395

Timeis flying so fast; there are only five weeks left in this session ofWFMH. In some ways it seems like it just started. Yet in other waysI feel like I’ve changed so much, which is the point, so that’s a good thing!

Hereis a brief rundown of how things are going:

Exercise: I’ve actually hit a groove whereexercise feels like the new normal. I think it’s awesome that it doesn’tfeel like a chore, and really notice if I haven’t gotten enough. I likethe way it makes me feel, and I like the weight loss, so it’s all good:-) My only exercise issue at this time is a wicked upper respiratoryinfection that has kept me out of breath and not doing much bike riding. The combination of chest cold and asthma has kept my mileage pretty low thispast week, but I’m not too worried. I’ll keep on peddling next week.

Nutrition: Honestly, I feel like a broken recordhere, but I feel like eating well has become a part of me. I rarely haveany food around the house that isn’t reasonably healthy, and I rarely cravereally bad things. Part of this can be attributed to my Bodybugg; it’shard to crave cake when you can see exactly how long it’s going to take to burnthose calories!

Extras: Outside of being sick, I feel great. I’m so glad I did this challenge, andSara, Mike and Karen have been ridiculously helpful and encouraging. I’mso glad that I’m going to be participating in the next challenge also, as Idon’t think I’m entirely ready to ‘fly solo’, but I do feel healthy andstrong and ready to keep up the challenge.

Shelly: Week 4 & 5

2011-09-26T10:06:00.001-07:00

Total Weight Lost: 10.8 poundsthrough 9/12/11.
Week 1 Miles: 56
Week 2 Miles: 80

Week 3 Miles: 62

Week 4 Miles: 63

Week 5 Miles: 47

Total Miles Ridden: 308

I truly can’t believe that nextweek will mark the half way point for this session of WFMH. It seems likeit just started. So much has happened in the last five weeks, and timehas flown. Since my last journal, I have been out of town in Washington,DC speaking at the US House of Representatives in support of HR2746, which is adrug parity bill that would benefit cancer patients. Being away fromhome, staying in a hotel and eating in restaurants makes this more difficultduring the challenge, but is definitely something that is part of life so it’sgood to learn some strategies for staying healthy away from home. Ihaven’t actually been to a weigh in since I got back, so it remains to be seenhow well my strategies worked, but I’ll let you know next time. It’s beentwo weeks since I’ve been to a weigh in, so I’m definitely interested in seeingwhat the scale says tonight.

Here is a brief rundown of howthings went:

Exercise: The absolute firstthing I saw after getting off the metro from the airport in DC was a bank ofrental bikes. I was so excited! There were places EVERYWHERE thatyou could rent and return rental bikes. I spent some time riding, althoughit was a little intimidating to ride in DC traffic since I’m not used to thatsort of thing. I did ride about 21 miles while I was out there, and itwas a super fun experience. I had my son with me, and he didn’t ride, buthe spent one afternoon in Manassas, VA visiting his grandmother so I tookadvantage of some of that time to bike around with my camera taking pictures ofsome of the monuments. For the most part, my time there was very busy, soI didn’t have a ton of time for organized workouts. DC involves A LOT ofwalking in general though, so I just tried to make a thoughtful effort to usethe stairs, avoid taxis, walk wherever possible and use the metro stations whenI couldn’t walk the whole way. The metro is actually a bit of a workout,since there are a lot of stairs involved and you spend some amount of timewalking between stations.

Nutrition: This was moredifficult away from home. I didn’t have a lot of control over where Iwould be eating, so I just did my best to make good choices. I ate a lotof fruit and vegetables whenever possible, and I also ate a few things thatprobably weren’t that good for me. Honestly, I just tried to keep theleast healthy options to a minimum, and fill up as much as possible when therewere fruits and vegetables available. I completely eliminated foodlogging while I was gone. I’m not sure if this was the best choice, butit was too stressful and time consuming to try and figure out how to log what Iate and try to remember it all day. The trip was pretty emotional overall,and speaking in Congress is pretty intimidating, so I tried to eliminateadditional anxiety where I could. As much as possible, I just looked ateach meal as a separate entity, and made the best choices I could out of whatwas available.

Extras: This week wasincredibly emotional. The trip to Washington was very important to me,and I needed to focus my energy there. I did the best I could to makehealthy choices and I feel good about how it went. Overall, I feel likemaking good decisions about exercise and food is becoming a more natural partof my everyday life. It doesn’t feel so much like a competition any more,and I think that’s the point. I hope that by the time this is over itjust becomes a part of who I am, and I feel like I’m starting to get there.

Shelly: Week 3

2011-09-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Total Weight Lost: 10.8 pounds
Week 1 Miles: 56
Week 2 Miles: 80

Week 3Miles: 62
Total Miles Ridden: 198

We’re a little more than threeweeks into the WFMH challenge, and it feels like time is flying! I know Itold you that you would be getting a video regarding my bike riding goal thisweek, but it turns out that won’t be until next week. I know you’re sad,but think of how much better it will be after all that build up J

Here is a brief rundown of howthings have been going since my last journal:

Exercise: I feel like I’mexercising A LOT. There’s boot camp on Tuesday evening, and also onMonday, Wednesday & Friday mornings. I ride bicycle either outside oron a spin bike at least four times a week. I’ve been incorporatingmorning running because I want to be prepared for the WFMH 5K. It feelslike I’m spending a lot of time on physical activity. I lost 1.8 poundsthis week, and I’m really glad for that, but honestly it feels like I’m workinga lot harder than that. I think for me this is the week where everything isstarting to seem a little harder. It isn’t ‘new’ any more, and it’ssinking in that this is a lifestyle change. I feel pretty tired overall,and honestly a little overwhelmed. On a more positive note, I did visitthe Lincoln Running Company for new shoes, and I can honestly say that havingthe right shoes makes running so much easier and more enjoyable. Now thatshin splints are a thing of the past, running in the mornings after boot campdoesn’t seem like torture.

Nutrition: This is the firstweek that nutrition has been easier than exercise. Woo hoo! I feellike I’m really developing some skills and knowledge here. I’m makingactual recipes, using my crock pot, eating different foods every day… Itfeels completely different than week one, and it feels GOOD!

Extras: This week has beentiring and stressful. I’m struggling to keep up with everything andprepare for an important trip. I’m worried about keeping up with theexercise and eating while in Washington DC next week, and I’m worried aboutdoing well in the competition aspect if I have a bad week. I think Imight be worrying too much, and I figured that there would be a period of timein this challenge that things felt more difficult, so I guess the best thing todo is ‘keep on keeping on’...

Shelly: Week Two

2011-09-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Total Weight Lost: 9 pounds
Week 1 Miles: 56
Week 2 Miles: 80
Total Miles Ridden: 136

I’m on day 18 of the WFMH challenge, and honestly…this is alot more fun than I expected! It’s been more than a week since my lastentry was written, but we decided to change it up a bit. I’ll be doing awrite-up each week AFTER the weigh in, so you can see my progress eachweek. This should be fun for everyone, and extra motivational for mesince my “numbers” will be included J In addition to pounds lost, I will be including another number: milesridden. This is part of a goal that holds really special meaning forme. Stay tuned next week for a video check in that explains that in moredetail.

Here is a brief rundown of how things have been going sincemy last journal:

Exercise: Mike Bevard at Capital City Boot Camps didnot disappoint with the first boot camp after the Labor Day holiday. I’vebeen going to boot camp for some time before the WFMH challenge started, andI’ve got to say – I think last Tuesday’s class was the hardest yet. Inboot camp speak, we definitely “got after it”… Seriously, if you want toget in shape, and you live in the Lincoln area, give Mike a call. He willwork you harder than you thought you were capable of, and it feels amazing whenyou’re done. Outside of our weekly boot camp, I’ve been working ondifferent and/or fun ways to incorporate calorie burning in my dailylife. As much as I like riding my bike, walking, etc. sometimes it canget boring or repetitive. Also, I’ve been wearing a Bodybugg during thischallenge, and it’s super fun to see how many calories different thingsburn. To that end, I’ve spent some time at the park with a (borrowed)small child, swimming in the pool at my apartment complex, and parking REALLYfar away when I have to go somewhere. I feel really good about the amountof exercise I’m getting, but wearing a Bodybugg is really eye opening. IfI were ‘guessing’ on this and couldn’t see the actual number of caloriesburned, I know that I would be overestimating. For me, metrics are a keypiece of being successful at this.

Nutrition: I said last week that Nutrition had beenharder than exercise, and I stand by that statement! I feel like I had abreakthrough this week though. First of all, on Sunday at the grocerystore, three things happened: 1) didn’t take very long, 2) wasn’t anymore expensive than pre-challenge, and 3) nothing in my cart contained whiteflour or added sugar. This felt like a huge victory! Also, anothersign of a breakthrough: I have a menu for the week that does not have meeating the same thing for lunch every day. Yay! Karen Kuzma, theregistered dietiyian at midtown Hy-Vee, is totally the reason for all thisprogress. In addition to cleaning out my kitchen, she also took all of theWFMH participants on a tour of the grocery store and gave us TONS of usefulinformation. I expected the tour to be “eat this, not that” style, but itreally wasn’t. It was more comprehensive, and extremelyinformative. I would definitely recommend something like this if you’reserious about changing your life permanently.

Bonus: This really has been a lot more fun than Iexpected. I feel like I’m making new friends, which is sometimes hard todo in a city when you’re an adult. This part is awesome! Also, andI can’t stress this enough, cutting white flour and added sugar from my diethas made a huge impact on how alert I feel at any given time. I justdon’t have that mid-afternoon feeling of needing a nap anymore, and I LOVEthat. It did take a few days to get past wanting to eat highlyrefined/processed white bread products, since I had been eating like that forso long, but after the first week it really wasn’t an issue any more.

Overall, I’m superexcited to see where this is going. I’m having a lot of fun, and I feellike I’m really making progress. Follow along next week to find out moreabout my bike riding goal, and why it means so much to me.

Shelly: Week One

2011-09-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 29th

I can’t believe it’s only been seven days since the Wealthfor my Health challenge started! It’s been great meeting all of the otherparticipants and finding out a little bit about them. Overall, the firstweek was not bad. It was much less intimidating than I thought it wouldbe. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but what I found was agroup of people that have been nothing short of inviting, informative, and bestof all – non-judgmental.

Here is a brief rundown of how the week went for me:

Exercise: I expected that the boot campworkouts would be challenging, and they were. I have been to Capitol CityBoot Camps many times prior to this challenge, and I already knew that MikeBevard would have a great plan for helping us all get into the best physicalshape possible. In addition to boot camp, I’ve been riding my bike everyday. I do feel like I have a hard time knowing how much exercise is‘enough’ each day or each week, in part because this is not only a lifestyleoverhaul but also a competition. I don’t want to create a routine for thepurposes of this challenge that is ultimately unsustainable as a lifestyle, butat the same time I really want to do well in the competition aspect. It’sall about balance, and I guess it’s safe to say that I’m still working on thatpart.

Nutrition: Nutrition has actually been harderfor me than exercise. As you can see from the kitchen overhaulinformation posted, quite a bit of the staples in my cupboards were nothealthy. I feel like it is a struggle at times to figure out how much toeat, what to eat and still have variety in my diet, and also to figure out thebalance between eating as healthy as possible and maintaining a budget I canlive with. I expect this part will get easier with time, so I’m not tooworried yet. One thing I did learn quickly though – for me, the biggestobstacle to eating well is a lack of planning. I have definitely becomemuch more organized in my grocery shopping and meal planning.

Bonus: This challenge has forced me to planahead in some areas that I previously did not, and as an added bonus my lifefeels more organized and less chaotic, which I love. Also, going to bootcamp early in the morning and riding my bike at night has pretty mucheliminated any insomnia I was experiencing. I am still not getting enoughsleep at night, and I’m working on that, but insomnia rarely kept me awake atnight this week which was awesome.

Overall, it’s beena great start. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming weeks, so staytuned to see how it goes.

-Shelly

Total Weight Lost: 5.6 pounds

Meet Shelly!

2011-08-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Meet Shelly Jackson, the recipient of the WFMH Membership Giveaway Contest that was running on Facebook over the last week. Shelly won the giveaway with nearly 300 "likes" on her video submission! With this giveaway, Shelly receives:

- Membership in the WFMH Challenge (which includes a WHOLE LOT OF REALLY COOL STUFF - check it out here)
- 3 additional boot camp workouts each week with Certified Personal Trainer Mike Bevard with Capital City Boot Camps
- a private nutrition consultation and kitchen overhaul with Registered Dietitian Karen Kuzma
- 5 coaching sessions with life coach Kris Thaller with Coaching Dimensions

Shelly is a mother of two, a 17 year old daughter and an (almost) 22 year old son. Her son has Leukemia and has been battling it over the past 4 years (but is currently in remission - woohoo!). The battle has consumed much of Shelly's resources and maintaining her own health has often been pushed aside to take care of her family's health. However, Shelly is ready to take charge of her health and is ready for this journey to healthy living! Join her each week as she checks in about her progress, her struggles... but most of all her victories.

Thanks Shelly for opening up to the world and sharing your journey - if you inspire just one person to get off the couch, clean up their eating and regain a more positive outlook on life, you're a hero in our eyes!

Daily Food Log

2011-06-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Click on the image below to see an example of a day of healthy eating.

I don't claim to be a perfectly healthy eater, but I strive to make the healthiest decision I can for most meals. Here is what I had to eat today and the macro-nutritional breakdown. If you ever have questions about specific products/recipes email sara@wealthformyhealth.com

Being prepared.

2011-06-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Growing up I was a girl scout (and a teacher and a banker and a architect - I liked to play make-believe). However, during my time spent as a girl scout I acquired some leadership qualities and learned the importance of planning ahead. This complimented the type-A personality I had already by age 8. I spent the next decade and a half planning my days, my weeks, my months, my years. I knew what was going to happen - and when. If I could plan it, control it and manipulate it to my liking, I was happy.

Then I got married. Then I had kids. Then I started my own business. That's when control flew out the window. I realized that if I wanted to be happy, I had to give up some control. However, I didn't lose ALL control, I just got choosy about what I was going to control, because I couldn't control it all anymore.

So, at this point you're wondering where I am going with all of this...

The point I am trying to make is, is that we can't control everything in life. As we get older life gets fuller and more complicated. Spouses, children, pets, jobs, bills, etc. gets in the way of our best laid plans.

So, you have to carefully choose what you're going to control. NUTRITION needs to be at the top of this short list. Because, if you don't control what goes in your mouth... the unhealthy "convenience" foods will quickly begin to control you.

Here are a couple tips:

Eat the same breakfast every day. It's vital to eat your breakfast, so don't skip it. Make it easy on yourself and eat virtually the same thing every day. I personally eat eggs and toast. 1 whole egg, an egg yolk scrambled. I mix it up every now and then by adding spinach, salsa, onions/peppers, etc - whatever is in the fridge. However, I ALWAYS have eggs and a carton of egg yolks on hand. Same with toast - I always have bread (my favorite is Orowheat Double Fiber) and lightly toast one slice and put a tablespoon of peanut butter (Trader Joe's Creamy Peanut Butter (only peanuts and salt)) and then a teaspoon of some local honey on it. It's satisfying and full of nutrition. And it's just breakfast... it doesn't need to be fancy.

Plan your dinners ahead of time - a week ahead of time - and make sure the groceries are in the house to prepare those dishes. Compile 10 or 15 easy to make recipes that either you or your spouse can make. Rotate between those favorites each week. Maybe on Wednesdays both you and your spouse are at home to help prepare dinner - so Wednesday can be the designated "New Dish Night" and you can throw in new recipes you have wanted to try each week.

Quick point: make sure those recipes are healthy. Just because you're eating food you prepared, doesn't make the cream any less fattening or add fiber to those enriched noodles. There are millions of healthy cooking substitutions out there... let Google be your friend on this one.

Have HOMEMADE healthy dinners in the freezer - to reheat in a pinch. There are lots of dishes that can be frozen (casseroles, soups, pastas, etc.) and reheated and still maintain quality and taste. Next time you're going to cook up a batch of chili, make twice as much and freeze the leftovers in single serving quantities. That way, when you got home late and you're tempted to run through the drive through, run to your freezer instead. Save gas, calories... and most importantly, your health!

When leaving town, whether on vacation or otherwise, eat the same as you do at home. Bring your breakfast foods with you or hit up the grocery store. Prepare and eat as many meals as you can yourself. You can still try that new restaurant or enjoy the family reunion BBQ but just keep portions under control and continue to get your daily exercise.

Ultimately it comes down to goals, motivation and priorities. At this point in my life I have two young children and it's more important to me that they grow up eating healthy and nutritious meals and understanding the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle... more so than maintaining a clean floor.

Health and happiness -

Sara

Ten To-Do's

2011-06-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

I was thinking how there are quite a few things I want to accomplish this summer and unless I write them down and have them stare me in my face... I won't get it done. So, here are the top 10 things I want to accomplish this summer (and in no particular order)

Complete a Women's TRYathlon
Go wall climbing (at the campus rec?)
Read 3 business books
Sumbit 3 business proposals
Plan a trip to CO for early fall
Go tubing down the Niobrara
Take the girls to Henry Doorly Zoo
Lose 20 more pounds by August 31
Spend 5-10 minutes before bedtime in prayer/affirmation (at least 3X/week)
Go on a day road trip to hike in a state park

What does your to-do list look like this summer? Don't let the summer slip away from you - plan for it!

In health and happiness -
Sara

Upcoming Events...

2011-06-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

There are some upcoming events I wanted to let everyone know about.

The Cornhusker State Games is taking place from July 15th through July 24th. There are over 60 sports/activities you can compete in such as The Haymarket Dog Chase 5K , The Volkswalk and The Adventure Race. Seriously, there is something for everyone! It's for amateurs so don't feel intimidated, the important part is that you just get out there, move and MAKE IT FUN! I am happy to put together a WFMH Team for any of these activities... let me know if you want to sign up and we can spread the word! The best part of doing these types of activities is participating in them with your friends and teammates.

For the ladies... there is the 2nd Annual Women's TRYathlon taking place at Holmes Lake on Sunday, August 14th. This is a mini triathlon for women of all ages, physical abilities, etc! This even consists of a 150 yard swim, a 3 or 6 mile bike ride (you choose that day how far you want to go) and a 1 or 2 mile walk/run. Early bird registration is $40 but it must be received by July 18th - after that date, registration is $55. The best part? All net proceeds go to benefit The American Heart Association - one of my favorite non-profit organizations! If you would like a handout with more information shoot sara@wealthformyhealth.com an email and I will get it sent over.

There are quite a few more events coming up... but I wanted to let everyone know about these right away.
Get signed up for something.. make living a healthy lifestyle FUN! Don't be afraid to try something new - step outside your comfort zone on a regular basis... that's how we as humans grow and flourish. :)

Good Reads - Emotional Eating

2011-02-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

Here are some good book recommendations that deal with Emotional Eating. Check out Amazon.com to buy used books really cheap or check out your local library to possibly check one of these out. Lastly, you could do a book swap with a fellow contestant. Enjoy!

Eating Mindfully by Dr. Susan Albers (http://www.eatingmindfully.com/)
Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink (http://mindlesseating.org/about.php)
The Zen of Eating by R. Kabatznick (http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Eating-R-Kabatznick/dp/0399523820)
The Tao of Eating by Linda R. Harper (http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Eating-Feeding-Everyday-Experiences/dp/188091333X)
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh (http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Mindfulness-Thich-Nhat-Hanh/dp/0807012394)
When Food is Love by Geneen Roth (http://www.geneenroth.com/books.php)
Women Food and God by Geneen Roth (http://www.geneenroth.com/books.php)
Appetities - On the Search of True Nourishment by Geneen Roth (http://www.amazon.com/Appetites-Search-Nourishment-Geneen-Roth/dp/0452276799)
Wherever You Go, There You Are Jon Kabat-Zinn (http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-There-Are-ROUGH/dp/1401307787)

Make Ahead Mondays

2011-02-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

Here are two Make Ahead Monday ideas for you – one is for breakfast and one is for lunch or dinner. From start to finish, making both of these dishes simultaneously took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to prepare. Not too bad considering it will only take 3 minutes during the week to heat up and be ready to eat!

Southwest Breakfast Burritos - makes 6 burritos

(6) La Tortilla Factory (Low Carb High Fiber) Large Size Tortillas
(6) Wedges Laughing Cow Cheese – I used Sun Dried Tomato
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese (or whatever cheese you like or have on hand)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

I can chopped green chilies

½ cup chopped red onion

1 ½ cups chopped fresh tomato (canned would work, too)

18 tbs Egg Beaters

6 whole eggs
Salt and pepper

Directions: heat skillet and sauté red onion (I used non stick spray to sauté with). While red onion is sautéing beat together Egg Beaters and whole eggs – add a little salt and pepper. When onion is translucent add egg mixture to the skillet. Scramble and cook eggs through. Set eggs aside.
Spread a wedge of cheese on each tortilla. Make an assembly line of the rest of the ingredients, and evenly place on each tortilla. Beans – then tomatoes, then chilies, then egg, then sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Now it’s time to fold the burritos! To properly fold the burrito – check out these step by step directions on this website: http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/techniques/ss/burritofold.htm Don’t worry, the burritos will be packed full of breakfast delight and may be difficult to fold perfectly. Just do the best you can.

I placed these in quart size freezer bags and stacked in the freezer for those mornings I am in a pinch and need a great breakfast. You could split these burritos in half and get two servings out of them or serve two of your kiddos. If you have time to sit down and eat these – you could have a side of salsa with the burrito and get even more veggies in for the day.

Approximatel nutritional breakdown (per burrito)

375 calories

18.75g fat

570mg sodium

34.5g carbohydrates

15g fiber

31.5g protein
2.5g sugar

Fettuccine with broccoli and tomato sauce

1 package Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Whole Grain Fettuccine
1 can NO Sugar Added Hunts Pasta Sauce
1.5 pounds lean ground beef, browned
1 head of broccoli, chopped and rinsed
Directions: While the ground beef is browning, heat a pot of water to boil the fettuccine. Once ground beef is browned, drain and rinse fat off. Place back in skillet and add pasta sauce and broccoli. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, boil the pasta according to the package directions. Once pasta is finished, drain and allow cooling. Take the meat sauce off the heat and allow cooling as well.
Once everything has cooled, portion out 1/6 of the pasta (ended up being 5oz worth of noodles on my food scale – may be different for yours) and place in a quart size freezer bag. Portion out the pasta sauce into 1/6 portions, and place one portion on top of each bag of noodles. Once everything is cool you can place the bags in freezer. If you flatten the bags of pasta down before placing them in the freezer you can stack the bags on top of each other saving some room in the freezer.

Approximate Nutritional Breakdown:

425 calories

9.7g fat

665mg sodium

54g carbohydrates

11.4g fiber

4g sugar

29.3g protein

6 breakfasts and 6 lunches/dinners prepared in until 90 minutes.

Lunch or Dinner Idea - Pepperoni Pizza Wraps

2011-02-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a great (and easy) idea for lunch or dinner. You could even prepare it ahead of time and reheat it.

Ingredients:

(1) Flatout Wrap (http://www.flatoutbread.com/)
(9) Turkey Pepperoni Slices
1/3c Pizza Sauce
1/2 cup Cheese (Pizza Blend)

Assemble ingredients on Flatout Wrap: sauce, cheese, pepperoni. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and ingredients are heated through. Roll up and serve immediately or place in refridgerator to reheat later.

Makes one. 380 calories per serving.

Serve with a side of raw pepper sticks or broccoli and cauliflower with a side of "ranch" (greek yogurt with ranch seasoning).

5 weeks later

2011-02-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

and here is the progress with my neck.

Before Progress

You can tell a notable difference just in the photos, but I can tell just walking around too! I have gotten taller because I can now see all the dust and crumbs on top of the refridgerator - something I was oblivious to prior. So, with Dr. Jamey making my neck healthy... looks like my house is going to become cleaner. Yay.

This progress is just after 5 weeks. I have been going 3x a week - sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the evening as his hours are very flexible.

I take my two little girls with me and they run straight to the playroom and always are excited to recieve their sticker from Jennifer before we leave. As a parent of two young children it's so nice to go to a doctor's office that the kids are exicted to visit. Dr. Jamey and his wife Jennifer are always happy to see the girls, and the girls are always happy to go to the office. In fact, they have started getting adjusted now, too. As well as my husband! This healthy living venture is a family wide effort, because really, no one is immune to benefitting from taking care of their body.

Each time I go into the office I do a few exercises before I get adjusted. These exercises are kind of hard to describe, but they are just movements and stretches that increase the health of my spine. After getting adjusted I then wear a "crown" of weight and stand on a machine that vibrates. The purpose of the weights on your head is to pull your head back instead of slouching forward and there are many benefits to the vibration of the machine; increased balance, calorie burn, etc.

I asked Dr. Jamey to tell me in detail everything that was wrong with me, so I could understand why exactly I was doing what I was doing each time I came in to see him. Rather than trying to put it into my own words, here are Jamey's:

"The two lines up top that need to be parallel, looking at how your skull sits on top of your first vertebra. Yours is locked in extension, or tipped backwards (that's why they're coming together in the back). This is called the initiating event - it's what starts people to lose the curve in their spines and all other bad things in motion. First, one's skull gets locked in extension. Next, you get anterior head carriage (the vertical line). This needs to be over the front part of the 4th vertebra. For every cm forward that it goes, it adds additional pounds of pressure to the spine. Yours was around 4 cm = 16 extra pounds of pressure, so we definitely want to fix that asap.

On your front to back film, you had a head tilt. That's known as posture number one and happens after you lose the curve in your neck. Next, your body will fixes the head tilt by lowering a shoulder. Finally, to fix the low shoulder, you compensate and put a sideways curve (scoliosis) in the spine. All these things are caused by improper motion of the individual vertebra in the spine. Actually, proper motion of the spine is responsible for 90% of the nutrition that goes to your brain (proper food, nutrients, and Oxygen).

The curve in your spine is called the arc of life. This is neat to me (I like numbers). Your curve should be 43 degrees (4+3=7, which is a very biblical number). When you lose the curve in your spine, it actually takes 20 years off of your life, if it reverses, it takes even more. Reason why, when your spine straightens, it actually elongates, or stretches the spine, creating a greater distance that a nerve impulse must travel. The stretching, too, will slow down a nerve impluse, causing improper communication between the brain the rest of the body. In addition, the stretch can cause part of the brain stem to protrude slightly through the skull, and the top vertebra can push on it, affecting every autonomic function in the body.

Losing this curve causes: decreased intestinal motility (digestion problems), 30% decrease in vital lung capacity (amount of air you can fill your lungs with, essentially, you can't oxygenate your blood as well by 1/3, high blood pressure, as well as other problems I can discuss later).

The main premise behind chiropractic is that your body is a self healing and self regulating organism, or basically, that you have the capability to heal yourself. As long as nerve flow is optimal, you heal at 100%. This doesn't mean that you don't get sick, it means you fight things off quicker...

So, essentially, I have two goals for you in mind. First, I want to fix the structure of your spine. I want to put the arc of life back into your neck. This will take some time. This will in turn fix the function of your nerves. It will create less of the static between the brain and the rest of your body, allowing better communication between your brain and tissue cells.

Essentially, what I do boils down to a few things. Your body heals itself. Stress (physical, chemical, or emotional) causes structural changes in your spine, that in turn affects the brain's ability to coordinate and control every function of your body. This is called the vertebral subluxation complex, or just subluxation. Chiropractic adjustments remove this nerve interference, allowing the body to function optimally.

The scans gave you a number of how your nerves are flowing. Optimal is between 89-100. You were at 71.33. I'd like to see that get up to 80 in a few months, and eventually between 89-100."

I have learned so much about spinal health and overall health in the month I have known Dr. Jamey. I look forward to having Dr. Jamey share some great information with all of the WFMH contestants next week.

-Sara

Spotlight On: BRUSSELS SPROUTS

2011-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

Brussels sprouts.

I grew up eating the frozen kind while I plugged my nose and hope they went down quickly. I have a feeling this might be a better experience than most people have had with them. I could probably bet that most of you may have never even eaten them.

They are definitely an intriguing looking vegetable.

With some experimentation over the last year with preparing brussels sprouts I have found that I need to stay away from frozen and always buy fresh. They don't take much preparation at all: just pull off the tough outer leaves and cut the ends.

Even you have some picky eaters in your family (or if you are a picky eater yourself) I am asking a favor of you.... try this recipe! If you don't like brussels sprouts after trying this recipe I will never ask you to eat them again. However, I have a feeling that you might change your opinion on brussels sprouts after preparing them this way. Here is the recipe....try it as a side dish to your next meal. Enjoy!

Pancetta and Balsamic Vinegar Brussels Sprouts

2 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
1 to 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz. Brussels sprouts (about 18 medium sprouts), trimmed and halved through the core
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
________________________________________

In a heavy sauté pan set over medium- low heat, slowly cook the pancetta in 1 Tbs. of the oil until golden and crisp all over, 10 to 15 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the fat behind. You should have about 2 Tbs. of fat in the pan; if not, add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Have ready 1/2 cup water.

Put the pan over medium-high heat and arrange the sprouts cut side down in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. When the sprouts are browned, add the water to the pan, cover immediately, and simmer until the sprouts are tender when poked with a fork or skewer, about 3 minutes. (If the water evaporates before the sprouts get tender, add more water, 1/4 cup at a time.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the sprouts to a plate.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and if any water remains, let it boil off. Add the balsamic vinegar and a few grinds of pepper. Boil the vinegar until it’s reduced to about 2 Tbs. and looks lightly syrupy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Return the sprouts and pancetta to the pan and swirl and shake the pan to evenly coat the sprouts with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and more pepper and serve.

Makes about 4 servings.
Calories per serving: 135
Adapted from www.finecooking.com

Nutrition Information of Brussels Sprouts taken from Oceanmist.com:
Only about 10 calories each, Brussels Sprouts are low in fat and sodium, high in dietary fiber and are cholesterol-free. They also contain high levels of naturally occurring vitamin C and specific health-promoting compounds called glucosinolates with antioxidant properties, and proven health benefits in the area of cancer prevention. Brussels Sprouts have three times the level of vitamin C of an orange. Unlike most vegetables, Brussels Sprouts are rather high in protein, accounting for more than a quarter of their calories. Four-to-six sprouts contain the adult daily requirements for vitamin C. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin D and folic acid during pregnancy.

On-line information and tools

2011-01-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

Wanted to pass along some information and tools that may be useful to you.

Check out this website http://www.fromfat2fit.com/ for articles and information about living a healthier lifestyle.

For more support, you can join the AARP Fat 2 Fit Community (www.aarp.org/fat2fit). This online community is free and open to everyone, regardless of age. Membership in AARP is not required. Participants will find wonderful tools, tips and inspirational stories.

Busting through that plateau...

2011-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Many people are complaining of hitting that dreaded plateau. Here is some advice from the experts!

Courtesy of Karen Kuzma, RD:

WHAT’S STOPPING YOU FROM LOSING WEIGHT?

You may not be entirely to blame for the number on the scale, you're not off the hook. Nobody is the innocent victim of a drive-thru feeding. But there are sneaky factors—your friends, your family, your mindset—that can sabotage the best weight-loss plan. Your strategy: Identify the saboteurs, then adjust.
Your Spouse

We do not suggest blaming him or her for your extra weight. But know this: Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that men and women usually gain 6 to 8 pounds in the first 2 years of marriage. Once you're married, that need to impress is gone. You may go to the gym less often, go out for meals or to parties more frequently, and develop new rituals, such as sitting on the couch with your spouse and snacking.
Fix your head: Regain that need to impress. Imagine what that person working out next to you at the gym thinks of your gut—or what he or she would think if you had abs. As for that bowl of popcorn with your spouse, ask yourself, Why am I eating? Boredom? Habit? Better yet, ask him or her to stop bringing those binge foods into the house.
Fix your routine: Establish healthful rituals. Instead of Access Hollywood after dinner, take regular walks, or play H-O-R-S-E in the driveway. Exercise suppresses appetite. Cool down with Italian ice (~120 calories per cup) instead of ice cream (~290 calories per cup).

Your Kids

The presence of children in a household sharply increases the likelihood of tempting junk food in the cupboard. Some of it ends up in adult mouths. The same goes for stray nuggets and fries left over by finicky kids. If you're prone to clean up after your kids, the easiest thing to do is to avoid the Happy Meal altogether.

Fix your head: Grow up. Think: The sugary snack that a child will burn off with an hour of fidgeting will haunt you as a fat deposit. Read the nutrition label on any snack before unwrapping it. Realize the importance of setting a good food and exercise example.

Fix your routine: Make junk food a once-a-week thing. Designate Friday as Twinkie day, for example. And instead of standing on the sidelines to watch your son's game, volunteer to coach, ump, or ref. Make fitness a family thing.

Late night TV

Not getting enough deep, non-REM sleep inhibits production of growth hormone, which might lead to premature middle-age symptoms—abdominal obesity, reduced muscle mass and strength, and diminished exercise capacity.

Fix your head: Mentally disengage yourself before you hit the sack. Don't plot your next career move right before bed.

Fix your routine: Exercise in the morning or afternoon, if at all possible. Evening workouts may leave you too stimulated to sleep. Establish a ritual that signals your body that the day is over 30 minutes before bedtime—turn off the computer, read, stretch, or set the TV volume low (or better yet, OFF).

Your Shift

Workers gain 7 pounds on average when they switch from a day to a night shift, according to the New York Obesity Research Center. People working the graveyard shift tend to eat a big evening meal and go to work; then they come home to another 'supper' in the morning.
Fix your head: Adjust your concept of mealtime.

Fix your routine: Eat your biggest meal when you get home from your shift, then relax or exercise in the morning. Get 8 hours of sleep in the afternoon, then wake up and have breakfast. Kicking off your workday (even if it starts in the evening) with a light meal that's high in protein or fiber is very helpful for weight loss.

Your Stress

Stress will spike levels of the hormone cortisol, which tells your body to store fat. Unfortunately, some people appease their anxiety by reaching for fatty foods. Eating boosts insulin levels; combining that with cortisol leads to greater fat deposits. More stress = bigger belly.
Fix your head: First, identify the type of stress you're under. Is it temporary, like a big exam, or more permanent, like your job? Short-term stress will pass. Long-term stress may require a permanent solution, like a new job.
Fix your routine: Make healthy eating effortless! Buy snacks that won't send insulin levels soaring: Greek yogurt, beef jerky or single-serving bags of almonds or cashews. Fifteen minutes of explosive activity—hitting a speed bag or jumping rope—can alleviate anxieties after work.

Your Friends

The people you socialize with can make or break a diet or workout plan, whether it's unconscious grazing on candy at the movies or the lure of pumping beers instead of iron. Worse, some “friends” may deliberately try to sabotage your diet, just for fun. Want a cookie?
Fix your head: Admit you need support. Let people know how to help you, and many will!
Fix your routine: Eat an apple before meeting friends, so you’ll feel fuller. Drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume. A time-tested strategy: Recruit a friend to diet or work out with you. Having someone to answer to is the best enforcement plan.

From Heather Hall - ACE Certified Person Trainer and owner of Body OverHALL

1. Be consistent with exercise. Get 5-6 workouts in EVERY week!

2. Challenge yourself with the harder variations when you workout. DON'T pick the path of least resistance!

3. Eat meals every 3-4 hours, no more than 4 hours between meals!!! No exceptions!! Include protein/veggies with every meal.

Thanks to Heather and Karen for chiming in on this subject! If you're doing all the above - then be PATIENT. In the beginning of any weight loss program, the changes you make are drastic and you will quickly see results. As time goes on, it's important to keep challenging yourself (because you really are getting stronger and your abilities increase accordingly) and sticking with it. Wealth for my Health is about healthy living and living a healthy lifestyle... as long as you're making healthy food choices and getting regular exercise... you're doing AWESOME and you need to be proud of yourself. You're living a life of healthy living for more reasons than seeing the number go down on the scale. After all, someday you will continue this lifestyle because you WANT to, not becase you NEED to lose weight, lose inches, etc. Keep after it, and good things will happen!

Originally posted 11/17/10.

What's Really in Your Coffee Creamer?

2011-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

If you only drink one cup of coffee a day, it probably doesn't matter what type of creamer you use, or what's on the ingredient list. But if you drink several cups a day, and add more than the standard serving size of creamer per cup, you may be getting more fat and sugar than you bargained for.

Powdered and liquid "creamers" were developed in the early 1960s to provide coffee drinkers and coffee suppliers with an alternative to dairy products. None of these products contain lactose, so they are suitable for people who are sensitive to milk and cream, and many varieties are shelf-stable, so they last indefinitely without refrigeration. The main ingredients in non-dairy creamers are vegetable fats, corn syrup, milk protein, and assorted additives such as anti-caking chemicals, flavorings, and coloring.

Watch the Fat

The fats used in powdered or granulated creamers include hydrogenated coconut, soy, and palm kernel oils, which contain "trans" fats. You know... the ones all but outlawed by the American Heart Association because they contribute to high cholesterol and clogged arteries that lead to heart attack and stroke?

When you look at the Nutrition Facts label on some creamers, you may see 0 grams fat and 0 grams saturated or trans fats. When a food contains less than 0.5 (1/2) gram of fat, saturated fat, or any other nutrient, manufacturers can round that figure down to zero on the package's Nutrition Facts label. Fair enough, but it is important to keep in mind that if zero really means 0.4, two servings equals 0.8, and that rounds up to 1 g.

Check the Serving Size

It is also important to look at the serving size on which nutrition information is based. If one teaspoon of creamer is considered a serving, but you need 4 to 6 teaspoons to get your coffee as light as you like it, then the nutrition information on the label is irrelevant unless you actually use a measured amount and do the math. How much coffee and creamer you drink also depends on the size of your coffee cup or mug. A small teacup holds about 6 ounces of fluids while a good size mug might hold twice that amount.

Healthful Alternatives

If you avoid dairy products for dietary or religious reasons, try milky almond, rice, or soy beverages in your coffee. Most of these products are fortified with vitamins so they are the nutritional equivalent of milk. If dairy is included in your diet, however, once you compare ingredients and nutrients, and weigh the long-term health risks and benefits, you are likely to get a healthier cup of coffee by adding real milk than by using most commercial brands of non-dairy creamer to lighten your brew.

Article courtesy of Karen Kuzma, Registered Dietitian. From http://www.qualityhealth.com/

Suggestion: Modify "how you take your coffee" by making slow changes. If you have to drink it with sugar and cream - replace the sugar with a sugar substitute. After a week or so, replace the cream with milk. After another week or so reduce the amount of sugar you're putting in. After another week or so, put more milk in, and no sugar. By making these gradual changes your taste buds won't go into shock and repulsion. Going from drinking coffee with cream and sugar (really, more of a dessert) to straight black is QUITE the change. Take it slow, and eventually you may find yourself liking coffee black and happy you can EAT your calories instead of DRINK them.

Trader Joe's - a review

2011-01-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

I went to Trader Joes (http://www.traderjoes.com/) when they first opened in Lincoln back in December. The place was PACKED but I still managed to find quite a few great products. However, I wanted to go back again when the newness had worn off so I could peruse the aisles without holding up 20 people. I went the other night about an hour before close and I almost had the place to myself. The store isn’t huge, but they carry TONS of products. Trader Joe’s is known for carrying “unconventional and interesting products” for low, low prices. You can find lots of organic and healthy food there, not a lot of junk food. Oh yes, and don’t forget about the 2 buck chuck – cheap (but good) bottles of wine!

Here is a photo of some of the products I bought (there a few products from Hy-Vee too, I stopped at Hy-Vee on my way home)

First, let me talk about their cheese selection – holy cow! They have hundreds (maybe not hundreds, but it surely seems like it) of cheeses to select from, and we aren’t talking about American and Cheddar cheese. As you can see in the photo I bought a block of apricot stilton. Portion control is important here, because you could eat the whole block in one sitting. I like to put that cheese on salads – adds just a bit of sweetness to the salad. I also bought Lacey Marbled Swiss. It’s a blend of Swiss and Colby cheese. My favorite afternoon snack is half a slice of that cheese, 3 Triscuits (as pictured) and an apple. You will also find peach mange salsa and black bean salsa – I am definitely a lover of salsas. Instead of fried corn chips, I use Triscuits.

The coolest thing I found at Trader Joe’s is a Guacamole “kit”. It comes with 2 fresh whole avocados, two Roma tomatoes, one clove of garlic, one lime and a small yellow onion. The cutest thing ever… for only $3.59. Again, instead of corn chips I use a healthier cracker.

Some cheap and healthy breakfast foods – frozen whole grain waffles ($1.99 for 8 waffles) and peanut butter ($1.79) with just peanuts and salt! By the way, I love putting peanut butter on my waffles, with a little applesauce on top.

Frozen, already cooked brown rice ($2.99). This is SOOO convenient when I am in a pinch during lunch time - the rice only takes 3 minutes to prepare in the microwave and I just add that to some already prepared homemade stir fry (diced chicken and veggies of your choice). I cook up a big batch of diced chicken breasts, veggies and seasonings, and package them and freeze them in 2 cup portions. That’s enough to feed myself and my two little girls. However, you can package it in single servings, or whatever is necessary to feed your family. Throw it in the microwave while the rice cools a bit, and you have a healthy, quick lunch!

Frozen Lime Chili Chicken Burgers ($3.49 for 4 patties). I can pronounce all the words on this food label, they are incredibly healthy and make a quick dinner. I spread Mustard Garlic Aioli ($2.49) on an Earthgrain round bun, put the chicken burger on the bun and topped with a piece of cheese. Delish! I had a cup of vegetables as my side (Grilled Eggplant and Vegetable Medley (red and yellow pepper and tomatoes)) for a complete dinner!

I also bought some Pink Himalayan Salt and Crushed Red Pepper - $1.99/piece.

I found Butternut Squash Soup (to make this recipe here) and Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup – would be a perfect match with a whole wheat grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day. ($2.49/$2.79)

Not pictured, is Trader Joe’s Reduced Guilt Fat Free Brownies.My little girls and I had a playdate with another little girl and they wanted to make brownies. So, all 3 little girls helped make these and they tasted awesome! A box of this brownie mix coupled with 2/3 cup Vanilla Non Fat Yogurt – and you’re good to go! They even have directions on the box if you want to make just one brownie – in the microwave. What a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without ingesting a lot of calories and fat. The mix cost $2.49 and the yogurt cost $2.99, and there was some yogurt left over – great to top the brownie with.

I couldn’t get all my weekly shopping done at Trader Joe’s – but it’s a cool place to shop every once in a while to stock up on some different products. Check them out – 3120 Pine Lake Road.

Butternut Squash Chili

2011-01-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

Butternut Squash Chili (courtesy of Dr. Jamey with Chiropractic First)

Ingredients:

1 lb grassfed ground beef (can be found through Robinette Farms, Open Harvest, etc.)
1 medium red onion, diced
1 T Red Palm Oil (Palm Oil is a reddish coconut oil. Higher in saturated fats, but loaded with anti-oxidants and protects the immune system - there can be a bit of controversy over Palm Oil, so do your research and do what makes sense TO YOU) If you don't have Palm Oil - go for Olive Oil.
2 Green Bell Peppers, Diced
2.5 C Butternut Squash Puree (soup works well, too) (soup can be found in the Health Market at Hy-Vee)
1 14.5 Oz Can Organic Tomato Puree or Diced Tomatoes
1 C Frozen Organic Corn
1 C Organic Black Beans
1 C Organic Kidney Beans
2 T Pumpkin Pie Spice (Blend of Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, All Spice, Nutmeg)
2 T Chili Powder (I use 1 T Ancho and 1 T Chipotle)
1 T Sweet Paprika
1 T Garlic
1 t corriander
1 t Smoked Paprika
1/2 t black pepper
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt or Celtic Salt to taste (fun note about sea salt: it sould not be white! Look for a sea salt that is dirty (like the pink himalayan) because that means it has minerals alongside the salt. So, not only do you get some sodium, but you're getting minerals that are good for your body as well!)

Directions:
1. Saute onion in red palm oil on medium heat for five minutes, add beef and brown.
2. Add all the spices except the pumpkin pie spice to onion/beef mixture and cook for two more minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and butternut squash. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice. Simmer two hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the corn and beans. Salt to taste. Simmer half hour more.
5. Enjoy.

Grocery Store Tours - Hy-Vee (enter to win a free MedGem Test!)

2011-01-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Registered Dietitian, Karen Kuzma will be offering tours of the grocery store to new contestants. These tours will take place immediately following the 6:45 meeting, and should last approximately 30-45 minutes.

Jan 24: Produce, Deli, Meat & Seafood
Jan 31: Canned and Dry Goods
Feb 7: HealthMarket and Snack Aisles
Feb 21: Dairy and Frozen

You may bring one person with you (spouse, friend, etc.) on these tours. You may attend one tour or all 4. For each tour you attend your name will be entered into a drawing for a free MedGem test with Karen Kuzma.

2011-01-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine passed this along, really puts the journey into perspective.

If I Lost 1 Lb. Each Week of 2011

By Valentine’s Day

I’d be 7 lbs. lighter. I’m loving it!
By St. Patrick’s Day

I’d be 11 lbs. lighter. With the luck-o-the-Irish I’ll make my goal.
By Easter

I’d be 16 lbs. lighter. I’d be a cuter bunny.
By Memorial Day

I’d be 23 lbs. lighter. I won’t let it rain on my parade.
By Flag Day

I’d be 25 lbs. lighter. Boy, could I wave my flag then.
By Independence Day

I’d be 27 lbs. lighter. That’s a neat Declaration of Independence from overeating!
By Labor Day

I’d be 36 lbs. lighter. What a wonderful reward for all my hard work.
By Columbus Day

I’d be 41 lbs. lighter. What a joy to discover what I can do.
By Halloween

I’d be 44 lbs. lighter. I didn’t think I had a ghost of a chance.
By Thanksgiving

I’d be 47 lbs. lighter. I’d have so much to be thankful for.

By Christmas Eve

I’d be 51 lbs. lighter. Talk about being merry!

By New Year’s Eve

I’d be 52 lbs. lighter. It’s not just a new year, it’s a new ME!

A Neck Without A Curve

2011-01-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

I was put in touch with Dr. Jamey Krueger through WFMH trainer, Branden Bonk. So, I met with Dr. Jamey (Chiropractic First) to tell him about the WFMH Challenge and to see what his practice was all about. Originally hailing from Wisconsin, he moved back to the Lincoln area to be closer to his wife’s family. He had a successful practice in Wisconsin and had the opportunity to make some life changing improvements in many of his clients and his mission is the same for his clients in Lincoln.
Walking through the doors of his office with its modern décor and music playing, it doesn’t feel like a typical doctor’s office. In fact, Dr. Jamey just likes to go by Jamey. It’s his philosophy to get to know his clients on more of a personal level and less of a patient level.

I was asking Jamey all sorts of questions about chiropractic care and the equipment that was in the office. Instead of just hearing about it, he asked if I wanted to get scanned… so I agreed. I am glad I did (we will get to the “why” later…)! He performed 4 scans on me to measure how well my nerves are working. You won’t have any symptoms of nerve blockage until it’s blocked 60%... so oftentimes there can be something out of whack without even knowing it.

The first scan he did was Heart Rate Variability. This can determine if you are stuck in the Fight or Flight mode, which can impair your immune system. The second scan he did was Dual Thermography. There should be equal blood flow on both sides of your spine and if there isn’t that can indicate a nerve imbalance. The third scan he did was Surface Electromyography. This measures how hard your body is working to hold yourself upright. If muscles are constantly contracted it can lead to fatigue since tensed muscles use more energy than relaxed muscles. The fourth and final scan he did was Range of Motion. This measures the motion between two vertebras. If vertebras start moving as “pairs” instead of individually, this can lead to degeneration (which is NOT good).

Together, these scans took about 15 minutes. The computer calculates the results and gives you a score. Ideally, one would like a score between 89-100. I nearly failed.

Below is a scan of my neck:

I thought great, looks like a neck. I took Anatomy back in high school and I am coming up on my 10 year reunion. I don't remember what a neck SHOULD look like!

Apparently, your neck should have a curve in it. Mine has NO curve, and in fact, it's starting to curve THE OTHER WAY. Not good. Here is what a neck SHOULD look like.

The most starking difference is the fact that the vertical line should be touching the neck (as pictured above - it's a little bit in front of the neck, but almost touching...). Whereas in my situation, the vertical line is miles away from where it should be. The two horizontal lines should be parallel to one another, and in my situtation that just isn't the case.

Many things can cause your neck to have no curve. Accidents and poor posture (looking at a computer screen all day) are two main causes. I have not been in an accident, so looks like I have really poor posture.

With my neck not having the proper curve, my nerves don't have a clear path to send all their messages so this can cause problems within the body... hence the reason it's very important to get that curve BACK!

I have spent the last couple weeks working on getting that curve back, both in the office with Jamey, and soon at home as well. Stay tuned to my progress!

Week One Healthy Sample

2011-01-05T12:09:00.001-08:00

This week we tried the Morningstar Farms Tomato and Basil Veggie Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries.

http://morningstarfarms.com/products_tomato-and-basil-pizza-burgers.aspx

Veggie burgers are a great substitute for a hamburger if you’re looking for something different. (Nothing is wrong with a hamburger if you choose the lean variety). Veggie burgers have less calories than a typical hamburger patty, significantly less fat, and have fiber (hamburger does not have fiber). You can find these in the frozen section of Hy-Vee.

Sweet Potatoes are a great source of Vitamin C and fiber, and won’t spike your blood sugars like their white counterparts. I ONLY buy sweet potatoes now… they just have quite a few more health benefits than white potatoes. You can bake sweet potatoes just like you do a regular potato, or you can slice them and bake them on a cookie sheet in the oven for sweet potato “chips”. Frozen sweet potato fries are awfully convenient, you don’t have to peel and slice the sweet potatoes, the prep work has been done for you. Just put them in the oven and 15 minutes later you have a healthy side dish to any meal!

http://www.alexiafoods.com/products/sweet-potatoes/sweet-potato-julienne-fries

You can find sweet potato fries in the frozen section (regular and health market) of Hy-Vee.

Today, the kiddos in the youth program will be sampling edamame in the shell.

http://www.seapointfarms.com/

Super convenient to prepare as a snack, edamame is a great source of protein. These little soy beans are steamed while still in the pods, and you eat them by squeezing the beans out of the pods – you then toss the pods away.

Week One Day Three

2011-01-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Karen Kuzma, Registered Dietitian:

“Oatstanding” Breakfast Cereal

There’s a super grain that most households already have stocked in their cupboards. And because people eat more of this grain during January than any other month, we celebrate Oatmeal Month. But what should be celebrated about oatmeal is the health benefits for your heart.

There’s 25 years of evidence supporting the health benefits from oatmeal, mostly from its fiber. Oats contain soluble fiber, which has been shown to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, help control blood sugar levels and control appetite.

Because oats are a plant food, they naturally provide phytochemicals, similar to fruits and vegetables. New research has found that oats have unique antioxidants that may play a role in maintaining artery health. Flavonoids found in oats may protect LDL from oxidation. LDL that is oxidized is thought to possibly lead to hardening of the arteries. In addition, other studies have found flavonoids in oats have anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce plaque build-up in the walls of arteries.

Steel-cut oats have gained popularity recently. The difference between steel-cut and old-fashioned oats is mostly texture. Steel-cut oats are cut into two to three pieces, and when cooked have a chewy texture. Old-fashioned oats are steamed and rolled, which reduce the cook time. Nutrition for both is similar.

An oatmeal bar is a great way to provide a breakfast to suit everyone’s taste. Offer a variety of toppings to customize a bowl of oatmeal to personal preferences and tastes.

Because cook time for steel-cut oats is longer, cooking in a slow cooker is ideal with the Overnight Oatmeal recipe below.

Overnight Oatmeal
Serves 16 (1/2 cup each).

All you need

Non-stick cooking spray
2 cups uncooked steel-cut oats
8 cups water or skim milk
1/2 tsp salt, optional
Assorted toppings such as brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, raisins, fresh fruit or berries, optional*

All you do:
1. Coat 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Stir together oats, water and salt, if desired, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or overnight or until nearly all water or milk is absorbed.
3. Stir well before serving. Serve with assorted toppings, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition facts per serving: 40 calories, 0.5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 0g sugar, 1g protein.

*Toppings for oatmeal bar:
Chia seed
Milled flax seed
Chopped walnuts or almonds
Dried cranberries or blueberries
Raisins
Fresh or frozen berries
Chopped apple or banana
Mini chocolate chips
Peanut butter
Marshmallows
Ground cinnamon

Week One Day Two - Importance of Breakfast

2011-01-04T13:17:00.001-08:00

Congratulations on making it to day TWO of your healthy lifestyle journey.

Today I want to hit on the importance of breakfast. If you begin to view your body and metabolism like a slow burning fire you will understand why you need breakfast. When you let that fire slowly burn overnight (6-9 hours) it’s going to be starving for fuel come morning. If you don’t fuel it (with food) it won’t operate at peak performance. So, rev up your metabolism in the morning and start your day off right by eating a nutritious breakfast. If you workout in the morning and can stomach it, go ahead and eat before your workout. It’s best to have SOME food in the body to fuel your workout, even if it’s half of a banana or a quick piece of whole grain toast.

Below I have given you some breakfast ideas. If you’re anything like me, your brain doesn’t really wake up until mid morning, so I try to make breakfast as simple as possible.

Eggs (one or two egg yolks aren’t bad for you… especially if you get the eggs fortified with omega-3, because that’s where the omega 3 is found!). I usually scramble two whole eggs (Land-O-Lakes fortified with Omega 3) and mix in some egg beaters for added protein. I scramble them up (if I am in a real time pinch, I microwave them). Top with some salsa or ¼ cup cheddar cheese, and you have a great breakfast! Approx. 275 calories and 17g of protein, with 0 g sugar, and 0 g fiber.

Whole Grain Toast with Peanut Butter and Honey (Oro Wheat Double Fiber, one slice, 1Tbs. Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter, and ½ Tbs honey) Approximately 200 calories, 11g protein, 8g fiber, and 11g sugar.

Bowl Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal. When looking for a breakfast cereal aim for one with less than 10g of sugar per serving. This particular cereal has 9g of sugar per serving, 5g of Fiber, 6g Protein, and 180 calories. Pair this cereal with a cup of skim milk and the total nutritional breakdown is: 260 calories, 14g protein, 5g fiber, and 20g sugar.

Our Registered Dietitian, Karen Kuzma has written a wonderful blog post about incorporating steel-cut oats as a breakfast option. Look for that post tomorrow!

-Sara

Welcome!

2011-01-03T08:56:00.001-08:00

Welcome!

Congratulations on making the commitment to your life and well being to become a healthier person. I know I speak on behalf of everyone (your trainer, your program organizer, etc.) when I say we are so glad you made the decision to become PROACTIVE about your health, instead of REACTIVE. When people wait until they are bedridden in a hospital bed… or their health conditions are so bad they cannot participate in activities such as this, it makes the journey to a healthy lifestyle even harder. So thank you for choosing to be healthy, before it’s an insurmountable possibility.

Change

This challenge is not easy. We will be asking you to change more habits then you knew you had. We will be asking you to change the way you think about things and the way you react to things. We will be asking you to make your health top priority.

Time

I can speak from a mother and wife’s standpoint when I say, in the beginning, it’s hard to be leaving your husband and kids 5+ times a week to go workout. Seems awfully selfish when our lives and schedules are so busy and we don’t have much time to spend together the way it is. I spent awhile struggling with that dreaded “mommy guilt”. However, after a couple weeks of this… I noticed something. Instead of being so tired at night and spacing off in front of the TV, I actually interact with my kids and husband… spending more QUALITY time with them. I don’t have much to offer anyone when I’m tired, unhealthy and weak. Sure, my husband and girls might have seen me more often, but it wasn’t quality time spent together. So when you head out the door leaving your family behind, just know that you are going to come back home refreshed and recharged, ready to spend quality time with them.

Family

This challenge is a great catalyst for getting your whole family involved in healthy living. NO ONE is immune from needing to live a healthy life. It doesn’t matter if your husband can eat 5,000 unhealthy calories a day and not gain a pound (and he doesn’t even have to work out). That doesn’t mean he is HEALTHY. Our bodies were designed to move on a regular basis and be fed clean nutrition, starting from the day we were born until they day we die. Find an activity the whole family can participate in, even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood. Race your kiddo to the end of the block. Better yet, race your husband or wife to the end of the block. Whoever comes in second has to do the dishes. 

Investment

Just as you invested in a life of UNhealthy living, you will need to make the decision to invest in a life of healthy living. I cannot listen to one more person tell me they can’t afford healthy food, when they make regular trips through the fast food lane. That $5 you spent getting a cheeseburger and French fries could have easily bought a loaf of the “expensive” bread (aka, whole wheat bread) that would have fed you for the WHOLE WEEK. Yes, healthy food can be more expensive, and justifiably so… it’s actually loaded with nutrients our bodies need, not filled with chemicals and fillers. However, there are ways around this. When “expensive” bread goes on sale, buy 2 or 3 loaves. Bread freezes wonderfully. Buy chicken breasts in bulk. Make more frequent stops to the grocery store, to reduce spoilage and waste. Take your family with you… have them help pick out healthy foods they want to eat. That way, the food will actually be eaten at home, and fewer trips through the drive through or to restaurants will take place… and we all know how expensive going out to eat can be.

Many people are shocked at how expensive boot camps, gym memberships, etc. can be. However, look at how much CABLE costs! Again, if you are paying for cable… and feeling bad because you can’t afford to workout with everybody else, then CANCEL YOUR CABLE. Unless you are doing those “on demand” workouts, your cable subscription isn’t adding any years to your life or improving the quality of it.

Workout for free! You can get a great workout in free of charge. Go outside and walk or run. You don’t need a membership to use the streets and sidewalks, all you need is a pair of shoes. But then again, that’s debatable. Barefoot running is becoming increasingly more popular. Save up and buy a bike. Save up some more and buy a bike trailer to tote your kids along in. Go to Play It Again Sports and buy some used weights, resistance bands, etc. and make up your own workouts. If you are dedicated to be motivated on your own, YOU CAN DO THIS!

The first day… the first week can be hard. But it’s hard being unhealthy too. As Marty Wolff would say, “Pick your hard”.

See you tonight at the meeting!

Sara

Survivor - Lincoln = Point Breakdown

2010-11-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Team Body OverHALL (tribal name: Figure Chasers) for taking the win! Here is the point break down and the answers to the Fad Diets of the Decades.

Physical Challenge
Punch Gym 22 points
Body OverHALL 16 points
Body Innovations 13 points
Capital City 6 points

Food Challenge
Body OverHALL 40 points
Body Innovations 40 points
Capital City 38 points
Punch Gym 37 points

Fad Diets of the Decades
Body OverHALL 20 points
Body Innovations 16 points
Capital City Boot Camp 15 points
Punch Gym 9 points

Fad Diets of the Decades...

1920's: Cigarette Diet
1930's: Grapefruit Diet
1940's: Cabbage Diet
1950's: Vibrating Belts
1960's: Drinking Man's Diet
1970's: Scarsdale Diet
1980's: Master Cleanse
1990's: Hollywood Diet
2000's: Atkins
2010: Shake Weight

Halloween Tricks for Treats

2010-10-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

The following is courtesy of Karen Kuzma, Registered Dietitian. Listed below are some tips to keep in mind while surviving the Halloween Holiday without eating 5 pounds worth of sugary treats! (the following was written with kids in mind... but the same goes for adults!)

Halloween Tricks for Treats

Halloween means bags filled with sugary, sticky, chocolaty candy.

This can be frightening for many parents who worry about their kids’ eating habits. Here are some tips from the Registered Dietitian Karen Kuzma to help fit those Halloween treats into your child’s healthy diet:

• Halloween is a fun night for kids, so enjoy small portions of candy.

• Eat before you trick-or-treat. Serve your child a nutritious meal or snack before going trick-or-treating so he/she won’t dig into the bag of candy before he/she gets home.

• Teach your kids that “treats” are at the top of the Food Guide Pyramid and can fit into a healthful meal after all the other food groups have been consumed. Eat candy as part of a well-balanced meal instead of as snack in-between meals.

• Divide candy into weekly and daily portions - when it’s all gone, they need to wait until the next day or week. Let your kids pick out a few of their favorite candy pieces to have each day. Remember, parents are in charge of what kids eat.

• Large amounts of candy can be frozen to help with portion control.

• Remind your kids to brush and floss after eating candy.

Healthy Halloween Treats

Cheese and cracker packages
Chewing gum
Boxes of animal crackers
Cheese sticks
Juice boxes (100% fruit juice)
Granola or cereal bars
Small packages of pretzels and popcorn
Small packages of sunflower seeds or nuts
Packages of instant cocoa mix
Peanuts in the shell
Dried fruit
Individual cereal boxes
Fortune cookies
Balloons
Stickers
Crayons
Comic or coloring books
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Pencils
Colored chalk
Erasers
Silly Putty or bubbles
Whistles
Trading cards
Rubber spiders or worms

Karen Kuzma, Registered Dietitian

The Amazing Chase

2010-10-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

The Amazing Chase took place last week in downtown Lincoln. Contestants broke themselves into two groups: The Physical Group and The Knowledge Group. Both teams were given clue to find their next destination, and they all ended the chase at The Running Company. Unfortunately due to a misunderstanding, a winner was not determined... however everyone kicked BUTT! Here are some photos of the teams before the chase started:

Team Punch Gym

Team Body OverHALL

Team Capital City Boot Camps

Team Body Innovations

Answers to the Challenge Questions:

1. Nuts are a good source of nutrition, have no cholesterol and are low in saturated fat. A serving size of nuts on a 1600 calorie day diet is:

1/3 cup 3 times a week

2. Which ground meat gives you the most protein with the least amount of fat?

Grass fed bison

3. A 12oz can of Coke has more carbs from sugar than a 12oz glass of unsweetened Concord grape juice.

False. Coke has 10g - Concord has 15g.

4. Which of the following is idead Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides?

<200, <100, >40, <150

5. When looking for a cereal in the grocery store, ideally you should choose one with (AND BE ABLE TO FIND):

10 grams of sugar or less

6. Heroine, morphine and sugar all stimulate the same receptors in the brain. Surveys have found the average American consumes around 22.2 teaspoons of added sugar every day. The recommended sugar intake for adult women is:

5 teaspoons (20 grams)

We had THREE Running Company $50 gift cards to give away, and we randomly drew the following names:

Charla R.

Denise E.

Monte S.

Congrats to these three contestants... pick up your gift certificate at tonight's meeting!

Special thanks to the following sponsors:

Chellie Egan with High Profile Nail and Hair Salon

Kris Thaller, Coaching Dimensions

Marcia Ksionzek, Naturally Yours Salon and Spa

Chery Hansen, Beauti-Control

Ann Ringlein, The Running Company

and thanks to all the trainers that were able to cheer their team on!

Sponsor Spotlight Recap: Branden Bonk with Punch Gym Lincoln

2010-09-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you don't follow Wealth for my Health on Facebook you:
a. should
and
b. can read up about Branden Bonk of Punch Gym Lincoln here.

FIVE FUN FACTS about Branden Bonk with Punch Gym Lincoln.

1. The word "Punch" has nothing to do with what is done at the gym, but the name of the bulldog (Puncherella) that is used as the logo for the franchise.
2. I assistant coach at Parkview Christian High School (Go Patriots!).
3. I don't own a TV
4. I am a vet of Operation Iraqi Freedom '04-'06, where I met Steve my business partner.
5. I helped raise pet ducks after college - definitely the best pets ever!

Drum roll please....

2010-08-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

...and the Wealthiest Winner is....

ERIN CARTER!

Winner of $1500!

Erin lost a total of FORTY SEVEN POUNDS and reduced her body fat by 9.4 percent, and lost 8 1/2 inches off her waist. Most importantly though she has found her "healthy happiness". We are SOOO proud of Erin and what she has accomplished, and can't wait to see her take her health to the next level. She is already signed up for the next challenge and is excited to be a challenge coach for the new contestants. Way to go, Erin!

drum roll please....

.... the Eliminated Player prize goes to....

Ivy Johnson

Winner of $500

Ivy lost 17.43% (weight, body fat and abdomen inches) total percent. and 31 1/2 inches overall! Even with taking a spill during "Survivor - Lincoln" she worked her butt off and it paid off - literally. Way to go Ivy, and best of luck in the future!

I can't not mention the two runner up contestants of the Final Three. I got to know both of these individuals very well over the course of the challenge and am just so stinkin' proud of them.

2nd Runner Up:

Before

After

Second runner up Vince Foster lost SEVENTY POUNDS! Vince was a biking maniac (he biked everywhere... the money he saved in gas for the car could pay off my college tuition) and one of the most humble people I know. He and his wife showed up to races that other WFMH contestants were a part of to cheer them on, and he participated in races himself. He is unstoppable! His next goal: to drop 45 more pounds and run a half marathon. Vince - you can do anything you put your mind to, we are so proud of you!

3rd Runner Up:

Before

After

THIRTY FIVE POUNDS DOWN!

Third runner up was Deb Peterson. I got to know Deb pretty well when we participated in the Cornhusker State Games Adventure Race together in June. The Adventure Race consisted of running, biking, a sand challenge and a little time in the lake. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to team up for another "adventure" again soon! Deb also participated in the Havelock Run (and finished with a GREAT time) and then just recently participated in the Buffalo Run. Deb has offerred her help on more than one occasion with the WFMH challenge, and she is now helping keep the website updated (which is a NEVER ending job). I can not thank Deb enough for everything she has done, and am so thankful for her friendship. Deb is already signed up for the next session, and I can't wait to see what happens!

Monday Meeting: Mike Bevard, Capital City Boot Camps

2010-07-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, contestants of the Wealth for my Health challenge met at Capital City Boot Camps for the weekly meeting. Mike Bevard is a person trainer in Lincoln, and has owned Capital City Boot Camps for a couple years now. He is a wealth of knowledge and is always willingly sharing it. Listen to what he had to say to all the contesants last Monday:

Wealth For My Health Trainer Mike Bevard Talks About Maintaining Results- Lincoln, NE from Mike Bevard on Vimeo.

Mike will be part of the upcoming Wealth for my Health challenge, scheduled to kick off on August 29th, 2010.

Check out first place contestant, Vince!

2010-07-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Overhaul - a video

2010-07-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

As I was putting the plans together for the first Wealth for my Health challenge, I knew it would be important to encourage all the contestants to rid their kitchen of all those unhealthy foods. Unhealthy eating is similar to "Crimes of Opportunity". If the unhealthy food is there... it's going to get eaten. We had to get rid of temptation... after all; taste buds take a while to retrain! So, I asked all the contestants to go through their cupboards, pantries, and refrigerators (and that secret stash in the closet) and purge all items that were deemed “unhealthy”. (Contestants were given a list of guidelines)

For one lucky contestant, this was going to be done for them – by Registered Dietitian Karen Kuzma, from Hy-Vee. Christina was the lucky contestant, so one afternoon we raided her kitchen and filled up quite a few garbage sacks of food to take to the Food Bank. Karen was very detailed about which foods could stay, and which ones should go. We all learned a LOT that day. See for yourself!

http://www.vimeo.com/13333611

If you want your kitchen overhauled by the incredible Karen Kuzma, email sara@eventsrefined.com and put Kitchen OverHaul in the subject line.

I want to give a special thanks to Cali from A Sound Impression for filming the overhaul and putting this video together!

Sara

Vacation Planning 101

2010-07-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Summer time is synonymous with vacation time. Vacation time is oftentimes synonymous with sugary alcohol laden drinks, family celebrations with Aunt Matilda’s famous macaroni salad and s’mores by the campfire. All this can lead to calorie overload and easily losing focus of the health goals one has set for their self.

Here are some tips you can keep in mind while planning for some summertime fun.

1. Scout out physical activities to keep you exploring at your vacation destination. Websites like TripAdvisor.com allow people to post questions and get feedback regarding specific destinations. So, if you are planning a trip to Arizona and want to explore the Grand Canyon log onto Trip Advisor.com and read up on the various activities to do in the area. It may be too hot during this time of year to hike all day in the Grand Canyon, but you will certainly find lots of other activities to partake in. With a little planning ahead, you will avoid finding yourself bored in the hotel room ready to call room service or even worse – open that mini bar.

2. Pack along breakfast, and if possible, lunch too. You will more than likely find yourself eating dinner out (and you should - exploring the different cuisine that is served wherever you may find yourself is half the fun of vacation!). If you are able to start the day off on a healthy foot, the rest of the day will more than likely follow suit. Plus, breakfast foods are easy to pack and transport. If you usually eat peanut butter toast with honey for breakfast, you may have to do without the “toasting” part, but otherwise you can still enjoy your regular, nutrient dense breakfast.

3. Since you will be eating out for most of your dinners plan on splitting dinners with your travel companion(s). Most restaurants do not charge any extra to split a dinner, and you will also be saving a substantial amount of money over the course of the vacation. If you can’t agree on what dish to split with someone, take half of it back to the hotel with you. (Keep this in mind when booking your hotel room – make sure it has a mini fridge!) If you don’t have any way to keep the leftover food cold… then leave half your dinner at the restaurant. There is no shame in not cleaning your plate, especially when that plate houses 3,000 calories.

4. If you are going to be consuming alcohol, limit yourself to just a few over the course of the vacation – and avoid blended drinks at all costs! Vodka and soda with a wedge of lime is a refreshing summer drink and has less than 100 calories. If you need a little more flavor – ask the bartender to throw in a splash (and I mean jus t a splash) of cranberry juice, or add a squeeze of lemon. ALWAYS have a glass of water nearby and be sure to hydrate properly.

5. Get back to your regular routine as soon as you return from vacation. If you found yourself overindulging one too many times during your vacation – don’t let that behavior follow you home. Get back to making healthy living your main focus, and get back into your regular (healthy) routine as soon as you step in your door.

6. Start planning for your next vacation right now. Do your research and find somewhere to visit and explore that promotes living a healthy lifestyle. If you like to walk/run and think races are really fun, plan your next vacation around a really cool out-of-state race, like the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half/Marathon in San Diego.

Happy Vacation Planning!

Emma and I hiking in the Rocky Mountains. She was 9 months old at the time and quite the trooper.

Survivor - Lincoln Edition Summer 2010

2010-06-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last night marked the FIRST semi-annual Survivor - Lincoln Edition! 27 contestants were in attendance spread out over their four teams.

First Challenge: Tribal Branding

Team members were instructed to "brand" their tribes. They had to design a tribe flag, create a chant, and decorate themselves with colored paints and bandanas. The most creative/original team would win that challenge. Team Star City Adventure Boot Camps won! Check out the flags below:

Team Star City Adventure Boot Camp!

Team Body OverHALL

Team Body Innovations

Team Capital City Boot Camps

Second Challenge: Sand Bag Relay Race Sponsored by Lincoln Running Company (Thanks Ann!)

There were FIVE legs of this relay race. Tribal members were instructed to carry and a 25 pound sand bag weight and their flag and run it to the next leg of the race - and pass it off to the next tribal member. It was a CLOSE race... with Jeff and Ivy neck to neck! Ivy took a spill (ouch!) and Jeff took first, giving Team Capital City Boot Camps the win for this challenge.

Here they are at the start of the race:

(Sandi, Vincent, Barbara, and Tara)

Since Team Capital City Boot Camp won this challenge, they all received a nice glass from Lincoln Running Company, and Jeff won a $50 gift certificate!

Third Challenge: Artic Plunge (Sponsored by High Profile Nail and Hair Salon)

Tribal members were presented with large tubs of ice water with clear marbles at the bottom. Each tribal member had thirty seconds to get AS MANY marbles out of the tub WITH THEIR TOES and drop them in a bucket. The use of hands was prohibited. The tribe that got the most marbles out of the bucket won. Tribe Body OverHALL won with 78 marbles!

Here are all the teams lined up and ready to go!

Sara B. won a gift certificate for a wonderfully relaxing pedicure with the talented Chellie. Thanks Chellie!

Fourth Challenge: Memory Mania

Tribal members were presented with 68 blocks. There were 17 color coded blocks that corresponded with the tribal's unique colors. Those 17 blocks each had a letter, that together spelled, "Wealth for my Health". The first tribal member had to find the "W" that was their color. Once they found it, the next tribal member searched for "E" in their tribal's color. This continued until the tribe found all the color coded blocks, spelling out Wealth for my Health. It was a close call, but Team Capital City Boot Camps won this challenge!

Searching for the right letter...

Final Challenge: "Give a Tribe a Bone"

Tribal members were presented with 6 dog bones. Tribal members had to take a dog bone from Point A to Point B - but could not use their hands. They had to pick up, carry, and drop the dog bone with their mouth. The tribe to move all 6 bones to Point B won the challenge. Team Capital City Boot Camps was the quickest - giving them the win for this challenge, and the overall challenge!

Survivor-Lincoln Edition Summer 2010

The "prize" for the winning tribe was immunity for one tribal member. Each Capital City Boot Camp tribal member was instructed to vote for a tribal member to receive immunity at the next elimination (July 12th) therefore securing that member a spot in the Final 3. The overwhelming majority chose:

Congratulations to Erin for your spot in the Final 3, and your chance to win $1500!

Salmon with Maple Glazed Pecans - a video!

2010-06-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.1011now.com/video

Check it out! It's our own Karen Kuzma, RD from Hy-Vee talking about grilling salmon on a cedar plank!

You can find the vide clip under Noon Interviews, on the right hand side of the webpage.

Nice job Karen! I can't wait to use cedar planks next time I want to grill out.

Here is a link to the recipe;

http://www.momseveryday.com/recipes/recipes/95961774.html

Veggie Meal Maker

2010-06-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody!

Our friends over at Veggie Meal Maker want to give all the Wealth for my Health contestants a FREE 3 month subscription to either the Vegan or Vegetarian meal plans. So if you're a vegan or vegetarian, or just looking for ways to incorporate all those fresh veggies into your daily dishes - check 'em out!

Email me (sara@eventsrefined.com) for the code to your free 3 month subscription.

http://www.veggiemealmaker.com/

4th of July Freedom Run/Walk - Seward, NE

2010-06-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

What a way to start the 4th of July off - with a 2 mile or 10K walk or run!

$25 (10K) or $15 (2 mile) if registered by JUNE 25TH!

If any Wealth for my Health contestants want to participate email Sara at Sara@EventsRefined.com and we can make carpooling arrangements!

http://www.sewardoptimistclub.org/freedomrun.htm - more information about the run and to register

Lucky 7 Run/Walk - to benefit the American Cancer Society

2010-06-06T21:00:00.001-07:00

Check it out -

http://www.active.com/running/lincoln-ne/lucky-7-runwalk-2010

If any Wealth for my Health contestants are interested in participating, email sara@eventsrefined.com and we will get a team set up.

Thanks!

Why I Run...

2010-06-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

I run because victory is sweet

Because road hills are tough, but I am tougher

I run because oxygen debt is only a small glimpse at heaven.

And while some say they jog, I call myself a runner.

I run because pushing yourself to the limits has never been so better defined.

And because I have found that deeper strength inside my heart

That pushes me to go on when my mind and body say stop.

I run because I have felt the pain that comes with giving up and I have experienced the joy of crossing the finish line.

I run because when one said strength comes in numbers, he was right.

Because the weaker I feel, the stronger I am getting.

Progress only comes with pain

I run for happy trails and happy tears

Because I have learned how to face my fears

And destroy them with the strength I have gained through running

I run for cold lake Erie baths after a hard race

And because I do not know the depth of my inner strength

Until I have reached down deep, found that strength and pushed harder.

I run because any other time cold, rainy days and lots of mud are no fun.

And because all goals and accomplishments that are possible and reachable were,

At one point, seemingly impossible and unattainable.

I run because I get to wipe away tears of joy

I run because we are in it together and no one else understands.

And not only do I gain self-confidence, strength and support,

But I get to give it away to those I love.

With running, I have confronted the very worst of myself

To bring out the very best

And I know how to set a goal, and do everything it takes to get to that goal.

I run because you win some and lose some, but it’s all a part of the game.

Because I am strong.

I run because every time I run, I discover a new reason.

Because even failure brings me closer to my goal.

I run because my mind is in control of my body

And because pain brings healing and healing brings hope.

And hope is a beautiful thing.

I run not for victims, but for survivors, for fighters and for the empowering stories that they live to tell.

I run because it’s my purpose.

Because I was born with an obligation to myself and my family

To maintain a healthy body

I run for the exhilarating freedom felt running down the middle of the road in the dark, early morning while the rest of the world sleeps.

I run because in a world of war and hate, I have found peace.

-Author Unknown

Body Fat Analyzer

2010-05-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some tips to get the most accurate measurement from the Body Fat Analzer we use for eliminations.

o Select a consistent time of day, and stick to it. (Monday nights, 7:00pm)

o Test with an empty bladder.

o Test when normally hydrated.

o Avoid measurement immediately after eating and bathing.

o Before a meal or at least two hours after a meal is best.

Hope that helps!

S.M.A.R.T - keep this in mind when setting goals

2010-05-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

I just love registered dietitian, Karen Kuzma. Not only is she chock full of awesome information, but she is always so willing to share it. In fact, did you realize that dietitian is spelled - TIAN instead of -CIAN? I would have never known if Karen did not correct me! Every time we get done with our conversations (which usually last quite a while - we always have so much to talk about!) I walk away with so much more knowledge. So thank you Karen, for being such a teacher! I love it. :)

So, when Karen found out my goal was to drink more water she challenged me. She challenged me to get more specific. She wanted to know HOW MUCH more water I was going to drink. (S - specific) She wanted to know HOW I am going to KNOW I am drinking more water. (M-measureable) She wanted to make sure it was a realistic goal. (A-achievable, R-realistic) Then she wanted to know the specific time frame of my goal. (T - time based)

So, I am going to drink 8oz of water (S, M) before each meal (A, R, T) every day for the next week (T, A, R).

Thanks Karen!

**Keep S.M.A.R.T. in mind when setting your own goals. I may just ask you to get real specific!

Steak Kabobs

2010-05-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

I found some stew meat in the deep freeze and thought it would be perfect for grilling steak kabobs on the grill. I asked the hubby to fire up the grill while I trimmed the beef (cut of all visible fat) and cut the veggies. I used green pepper, white onion and cherry tomatoes - but use your favorites. Or better yet - use what's growing in that garden you planted! I also added some pineapple chunks to sweeten things up a bit.

The hubby came in from firing up the grill and told me we would be George Foreman'ing it tonight - meaning the grill was out of gas. Nothing like improvising!

We served these on a bed of of wild rice (Uncle Ben's) and canned green beans sauteed with olive oil, garlic and red onion. Delish and healthy! (and pretty easy, too)

Fat vs. Muscle

2010-05-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Mike from Capital City Boot Camps was nice enough to share his 5 pounds of fat and muscle for a demonstration this weekend in Omaha. (Okay, not really HIS fat and muscle... the guy doesn't even have 5 pounds of fat on him!) However, before these blobs left the city - I wanted to share them with all of you first!

You decide which you would rather have more of, based on what fat and muscle looks like. If it wasn't for skin - I don't think anyone would be fat! That stuff looks gross!

The Amazing Chase

2010-05-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last night the Wealth for my Health contestants participating in the first semi annual, The Amazing Chase. The Amaing Chase emulates CBS's popular hit tv show, The Amazing Race. Contestants work together as teams as they complete physical and mental challenges, to receive their next clue to get to the next leg of the chase.

All the contestants began the chase at Geist Therapeutic Massage located at 1701 K Street. (Thanks Stephanie for the water!) All the contestants on each team were instructed to do 30 jumping jacks - BUT - only one contestant at a time. A contestant could not begin until their teammate in front of them was finished. You have never seen people do jumping jacks SO FAST!

As teams finished, they received their next clue: We don't have the transportation kind here in Lincoln, but we do have the sandwich. Grab one of these for lunch or dinner - but be sure to opt for the whole wheat version!

Contestants then arrived at the downtown Subway location for their next challenge. This challenge consisted of answering up to 10 nutrition related questions. If they got 3 questions correct in a row, they received their next clue. For every wrong question answered, a teammate had to do 10 squats.

The next clue read: They are only good for 300 miles. Isn't it time you traded yours in for a new pair?

The Running Company

1213 Q Street

The next leg of the chase took place at The Running Company. (Thanks Ann for the water, gatorade and SOCKS!) Teams had to run around the block - and boy was it a BIG block! As soon as all the teammates were back, teams received their next clue.

Their next clue read: Save some electricity and add some years to your life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. What’s missing? ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTUVWXYZ __________Street Parking Garage. __________ Floor. Fill in the blank: __________ times the charm. That’s the floor you need to find.

Que Place Parking Garage

Once teams arrived here (3rd floor, Que Place Parking Garage) they were given a worksheet with 10 multiple choice questions to answer. As soon as they answered all of them correctly, they were given their next clue.

Their next clue read: Rain, snow or shine these service people get their workout daily while they walk hundreds of mile a year just to deliver to your doorstep. The local headquarters is located in the Haymarket.

United States Postal Service (Haymarket location)

As soon as teams arrived in front of this large post office, they were instructed to count parking meters. Odd request, right? It was a bit of a strategy game... there were parking meters lined up the middle of 7th street, totaling 78 in all. Most of the teams broke up and assigned certain sections of meters to certain contestants. As soon as teams checked in with Lindsay with the correct number of meters, they were given their final clue. The clue read: Well, you’re a couple days late… but this is where the People’s City Mission “Run for the Homeless” took place! (that kind of rhymed...)

Haymarket Park

The chase ended at Haymarket Park at the end of the pedestrian bridge. Team Body OverHALL won the chase, followed by Team Capital City Boot Camps, Team Star City Boot Camps, and Team Body Innovations.

A special thanks to Cheryl (Beauti-Control) and her husband Ralph for chasing along with Team Star City Boot Camps - Ralph was quite the team leader!

All in all, the chase was about 2 miles long. All the contestants did AWESOME and had a lot of fun!

A special thanks to Cheryl Hansen with Beauti-Control, Ann Ringlein with The Running Company, Complete Nutrition, Body Basics, and A Used Bike Shop for donating the prizes to the winners.

A BIG special thanks to Roy, Pam, Lindsay, Beth and Brianne for all your help at each leg of the race. We couldn't have done this without you!

CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

"FUN TIMES!!! Great idea Sara!!!" - Katie

"Great Job Sara! What a fun challenge! It was good and we got to know our team mates better and I think that helps with accountability! Thanks for all you do!" -Becky J.

"Good morning Sara,

I just wanted to thank you for putting the time and effort into creating the challenge last night ( along with all those that helped you) Our team had a blast and thought it was a great challenge! So, thanks again! It was a lot of fun and; of course, great exercise!
Have a great day!"
Tara and the rest of the Capital City Boot Camp Team

You're welcome everyone - AND THANK YOU!

(and we can't wait to tell you about the Survivor challenge coming soon)

Healthy Meal Ideas

2010-05-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here are 20 meal ideas:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/the-you-can-do-it-diet-dinner-choices/?page=1

Check them out!

Metabolic Measurement

2010-05-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Over the last month, I feel as if I have hit a plateau. I have been training with Heather Hall and she always keeps me working hard… so I knew it wasn’t the working out that was lacking. I had a sneaking suspicion that it may have something to do with my nutrition (doesn’t it always?!). So, I made an appointment with Karen Kuzma, RD. She suggested she administer the test during one of the Wealth for my Health weekly meetings so the contestants knew what to expect. How fun!

The process is painless. I had to fast for four hours… and no exercise either. During the actual process I had my nose plugged (so no air can enter or escape) and I breathed in and out of a device. Pretty simple. Magically (well, I am sure there is some scientific process behind it…) it spit out a number. That number is how many calories I burn in a day, just living. I burn 2050 calories a day just by existing. Karen then took into account how active I am on a weekly basis. She asked me what my goals are (lose one pound a week, two pounds a week… etc.) and puts everything together. In the end, she was able to tell how many calories I should be eating each day to achieve my goals.

My goal was to lose 2 pounds a week. So, I should be consuming approximately 1870 calories a day. I am monitoring my calories (I am not usually a calorie counter) for a couple weeks just to make sure that consuming that amount produces a loss of two pounds. Karen said that there could be some slight variation… but overall, it’s fairly accurate.

So, if you have hit a plateau or are a “numbers” person – I would highly suggest getting this measurement done by the wonderful Karen Kuzma! Thanks Karen!

Recipe - Mexican Chicken Stew

2010-04-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here is another favorite of mine... so easy to make - no recipe to follow!

Whenever Hy-Vee has whole roasted chickens on sale in the deli, I am always quick to pick up a couple. I make my husband pick all the skin off the chicken, and give me the good lean pieces of meat. While he is doing that, I sautee a chopped onion (red, white, yellow.... whatever you have!) and a couple cloves of minced garlic. (Throw in some jarred minced garlic if you don't have any fresh) I let the onions and garlic cook until I can smell them. Oh yes, and I also put in some Chipotles in Adobe sauce. They are smoked jalepenos... a couple of these babies go a long way. I chop up a couple of those and throw them in the pot while the onion and garlic are cooking. Then I throw in the pieces of chicken, and let them mix with the chipotles, onion and garlic for a couple minutes. While the chicken is picking up some flavor from the chipotles, I pop open a can of black beans (be sure to rinse), and garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and a can of crushed, diced, chopped, kicked, punched... tomatoes. My husband's aunt dropped off some canned tomatoes fresh from her garden from last summer, so I used those instead of canned. Throw the beans and tomatoes in. I also threw in a can of diced green chilis, some spinach, and about a cup of frozen corn. I also dumped in a box of reduced sodium chicken stock to thin it out a bit. I brought it to a boil, but the lid on, turned it down to simmer, and I am currently letting it simmer and it's filling the house up with a wonderously delicous smell. I will let it simmer for a couple hours, and then dispense the stew in two cup increments in plastic freezer bags, and have lunch for me and the girls FOR DAYS.

One thing I have learned in cooking is that you don't have to strictly adhere to recipes. Now, in baking you have to. If you don't put in the flour or put in too much oil... you're going to have a mess! There is so much more freedom in cooking. After a while you figure out what foods you love and what foods you like to cook with, and just focus on playing around with those! After the soup was simmering, I found a red pepper in the fridge that I would have loved to have put in the stew. But, I like to sautee my red peppers first and it was too late for that... so I will save it for breakfast and put them in my scrambled eggs.

Anyways, here is a run down of the ingredients, but like I said - put your favorite ingredients in!

Roasted chicken, skin removed (light and dark pieces)
Onion
Garlic
Spinach
Chipotles
Frozen Corn
Garbanzo Beans
Black Beans
Canned tomatoes
Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth

Another tip: If you are going to take the time to cook, take the time to make a double batch and freeze the leftovers. Whenever I am in a pinch to feed the myself or the kids, I always look in the freezer first to see if some of my homemade yummy and healthy dinners can be popped in the microwave before I ever think about going to McDonalds. Saves money and my life.

Kitchen OverHaul

2010-04-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody!

Last night a house call was made to fellow contestant, Christina and her family.

We have asked all of you to clean out your cupboards, pantries, refridgerators and freezers. It's time to purge your house of all the processed sugary garbage that is slowly killing us.

Christina was lucky enough to have Registered Dietitian Karen Kuzma personally go through each and every food product in the house. Karen read through the labels, and advised on what got to stay, and what had to go. For basic guidelines, she used Dr. Oz's rule of 5. If, within the first 5 ingredients listed were any of the following: Simple Sugars, Syrups, White Flour, Saturated Fats, Trans Fats it had TO GO! The word "enriched" is still ringing in my ears... everything seems to be "enriched", which really means stripped of all nutrients. What's the purpose of eating it... if it's not doing anything beneficial for our bodies?!

Thank you, Christina, and thank you to your family for allowing us to come into your home and dig through your cupboards! We hope you learned a lot - and don't forget to schedule that personal shopping appointment with Karen so she can help you re-stock your kitchen!

Here are a few photos:

If you would like Karen to come to your kitchen and advise you on cleaning our your cupboards, contact Sara Brown at Sara@EventsRefined.com for more information. After cleaning out your cupboards, you can make an appointment with her to schedule a personal shopping trip, as she helps you find healthy replacements for all your favorite foods.

A little preparation can save LOTS of calories...chicken recipe

2010-04-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

At the end of the day when I am tired and don't have any interest in cooking dinner, I have found that a little preparation ahead of time can save the day.

I first purchase a large bag of frozen chicken breasts (I purchase them from Sam's Club, but I am sure you can find something similar at Hy-Vee or whereever you do your grocery shopping) and a large container of salsa. I put as many chicken breasts that can fit in the crockpot, throw the jar of salsa over them, and let the chicken cook on low all day. At the end of day, the chicken is fully cooked and tastes delicious! I shred the chicken, and let it cool in the fridge. The next day, I portion the chicken into freezer baggies, and throw them in the freezer. Then, when I am too tired to cook, but want to eat something nutritious, I can pull out a bag of frozen cooked chicken, throw it in the microwave or skillet and heat it up. Often times, I will make two soft corn tacos with the chicken with a little avacado on top, or toss the chicken with some whole wheat pasta and veggies. Lots of options, tastes awesome, and sooo easy if you do a little planning ahead!

Healthy and Simple Recipes!

2010-04-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Check out this link:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ARHlbuvB5GQHZGRwd2ZtczlfM2ZnOTYzaGNn&hl=en

Keep checking back to the blog for more updates.

Things we LOVE. Polar Heart Rate Monitor

2010-03-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor
Click here for product details.
Back in January when I began my health and fitness journey, I decided to purchase a heart rate monitor. My father had purchased one after his heart attack as a way of measuring his heart rate when exercising and it intrigued me. (It’s important for people who have had heart attacks to stay within certain limits)

I read up a bit on heart rate monitors and thought it would be interesting to use as a tool for my runs. I have run in the past, but I always tend to push too hard too soon. I am a long distance runner, not a sprinter. I understand that I need to pace myself if I want to run the distance. I knew this watch would tell me if I honestly was pushing myself too hard, or if I was just a weenie.

Turns out, I really was pushing too hard. The first day I stepped on the treadmill with it and jogged, it didn’t take much before my heart rate was in the high 190’s. If you read up a bit on heart rate training, you will learn that you should exercise anywhere between 60-80% of your Maximum Heart Rate. (To learn more about your Max Heart Rate, click here.) For me that would be keeping my heart rate around the 150’s-160’s. There is no way I can run for 30 minutes with my heart rate that high. I needed to slow down a bit. So, instead of feeling defeated and weak, I slowed down and worked my way up to running at higher speeds.

It was amazing to see how my heart rate steadily lowered itself in the following weeks. I was able to run at higher speeds on the treadmill while keeping my heart rate within the 80% zone. It was another way to measure my success – I knew my heart and body was getting stronger… I was able to run harder and longer without getting wiped out as quickly.

I didn’t want a watch with too many overwhelming bells and whistles. This watch measures your heart rate (it comes with a chest strap – once you put the chest strap on you can hardly tell it’s there), it measures calories burned (my favorite measure!) time spent exercising, time spent in the Target Heart Rate Zone (you can decide what that is for you based upon your goals) and a few other things. It’s very user friendly and moderately priced.

I feel naked without it when exercising. I have been known to drive back home after leaving the house without it.

I picked mine up at Target because a) Target is in close proximity to my home b) I always look for an excuse to go to Target c) It was one of the cheaper places to purchase it without having to pay for shipping

If you have any particular questions about the heart rate monitor – ask away! I would be more than happy to show you the watch and it’s features at one of our weekly meetings.

Kick Off Date Change

2010-03-15T11:43:00.002-07:00

The Kick Off has been moved to Sunday April 18th, 2010 at the Antelope Park Band Shell. Time to be announced - stay tuned!

Marty and Amy Wolff - Season 3 contestants on The Biggest Loser

2010-03-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

We are excited to announce that Marty and Amy Wolff are going to be hosting the Kick Off and Grand Finale of the Wealth for my Health challenge. They were both 2006 contestants on NBC's hit TV show, The Biggest Loser. They have lots of advice, motivation and inspiration to provide and we can't wait for everyone to meet them.

Keep checking back to the website (Meet the Staff) to check out their photos and bio information.

Welcome!

2010-03-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Wealth for my Health weight loss challenge! Stay tuned to this blog for important updates , community events, challenge events, and health and fitness related information.

We will be following some contestants as they make their way through this challenge. Even if you are not a contestant in this challenge, we encourage you to follow along as these individuals change their lives - it will be nothing short of inspirational.

Stay tuned, the challenge kicks off in less than 4 weeks!