Illinois...What's in Season? Your Guide to Fruits & Vegetables

Every fruit and vegetable has its own season, that time of year when you can enjoy it at its very best. By purchasing local foods in season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles, your dollars go directly to the farmers and your family is able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.  Check out when your favorite fruits and vegetables are at their prime in Illinois!

What Your Cravings Really Mean...

If you crave:                  What you should eat instead:

Sweets                               FreshFruits- pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, kiwi, apples, etc.

Fruits are naturallysweet and provide fiber along with a wide range of vitamins and minerals thatwill keep you full and help protect you from disease.

Cheese                              RawWalnuts, Wild Salmon & Flax Oil

Are you crazy aboutcheese or milk? It is because you might be addicted to the amino acids that arefound in dairy products that works like opiates.

Red Meat                           Iron-RichBeans & Legumes, Figs & Dried Fruit

                                           Citrus,Red Peppers, Tomatoes & Berries

Cravings for red mealusually indicate an iron deficiency. Choose lean, red meal like beef or bisonas a source of iron.

Chocolate                          Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Seeds &Fish

Look for 70% orhigher cocoa content in dark chocolate. More cocoa means less sugar and is richin antioxidants and flavonoids.

Carbohydrates                  Fish,Nuts, Meat & Beans

(Breads)                             Lowcarbohydrate levels can lead to mood swings. Carbs raise feel –good hormonescalled serotonin, so we crave for carbs to boost our moods!

Carbonated Drinks           Cheese,Sesame & Broccoli

Craving a soda? You’reprobably actually craving calcium and carbonated drinks suck the calcium out ofyour bones

Salty Foods                       Fish

The Centers forDisease Control and Prevention recommends adults consume between 1,500 and2,400 mg of sodium daily. People who regularly consume more than therecommended amount increase their risk for developing hypertension and cardiovasculardisease.

What Are Those?!

Ever ask yourself the question- “what’s the deal withthose big, bouncy balls that are taking place in the Ab Room?” Stability ballsare a great way to improve you strength, cardio endurance and balance.Performing basic moves, such as push-ups, squats and planks, on an unstable surfaceallows your muscles to work harder by trying to balancing yourself.

Did you also notice the different sizes of stabilityballs we offer? Choosing your correct size stability ball will provide you withbest workout possible. Most stability balls come in three sizes based on the user’sheight: 55 cm for people between 4’11” and 5’4”. 65 cm for people between 5’$’and 5’7” and 75 cm for people between 5’11” and 6’7.” When working out with theball, reps and sets will be different for all fitness levels

 

Here are a few exercises to help you get started (thanksto Greatist.com)!

Lower Body

Wall Squat: Standabout three feet from a wall with feet shoulder-width apart and the back to thewall. Place the ball between the lower back and the wall and squat down slowlyuntil the legs form 90-degree angles at the knees. Use the ball to support theback as it rolls from the lower back to the shoulder blades. Slowly stand upagain, and repeat for 10-15 reps.

Hamstring Curl:Lie on the floor with arms extended perpendicular to the torso and lower calvesand heels resting on the ball. Engaging the glutes and abs, lift the hips upfrom the floor. Use the outstretched arms for stability, as this is definitelya wobbly position! Exhale and slowly bring the knees in towards the hips, sothe feet are resting flat on top of the ball. Pause for a few seconds in thisposition and then inhale, straightening legs out again. Keep those hips up thewhole time to get maximum gluteus maximus benefits. Aim for 10-12 reps of thistotal-body move.

Reverse Extension: Startwith your chest on the ball, with fingertips and toes resting on the floor.Roll forward so hands are under shoulders and hips are directly touching theball. With the feet together and the core engaged, lift the legs straight fromthe floor until they are in line with the torso. Hold for a beat and thenrepeat. Try for 12-15 reps before heading back to solid ground.

Upper Body

Standing Plank: Usinga wobbly stability ball gives the shoulders and arms an extra-tough workout.With one leg extended behind, rest the elbows and forearms on the ball (for areally tough challenge, try this with straight arms). Step the other leg backso the feet are together. Hold the position as long as possible, working up to30 seconds per set.

Back Extension: Startwith the stomach and hips on the ball, legs extended straight behind (toesresting on the ground). Hold onto the ball with the hands for balance. If thisposition is difficult to maintain due to slippery shoes, try placing the feetagainst a wall. Raise the chest high (like a yoga “cobra”), bringing the hands to the back ofthe head. Hold for a beat or two, and return to a relaxed position. Repeat for12-15 reps.

Balance Push-Up: Lieface down on the ball with hands and feet touching the ground and the stomachon the top of the ball. Walk the hands out until the shins are resting on theball and the torso is in a flat push-up position. Lower the torso towards theground until the upper arms are parallel to the ground. Return to the “up”push-up position and continue for 8-10 reps (or more, if you can hang).

Core

Knee Tucks:This adaptation is easier on the upper body but still brings a seriousabdominal workout. Start in push-up position with toes resting on the ball andstraight arms, with hands on the ground under the shoulders. Bring the kneestowards the chest until the knees are directly under the hips. Extend kneesback to push-up position and repeat for 10-15 kick-butt reps.

Ski Step: Trythis alpine-influenced move to work the sides of the abs. Sit tall on thestability ball with feet together. In one smooth motion, swing the feet to theright and the arms to the left. Don’t be afraid to get into this move — thehigher the enthusiasm the better the workout! Bring arms and legs back tocenter and repeat for 12-15 reps, alternating sides.

Side Squat: Standwith legs shoulder width apart, grasping the ball overhead with both hands.Keeping the back straight and the abs engaged, bend down bring the ball to theoutside of the left foot. Lift the ball again and repeat on the right side.Stay strong (and limber!) for 10-15 reps.

The Endless Rope

The Endless Rope combines upper-body strength training with aerobic exercise and can be found in the Ab/Stretching Room!

Endless Rope Features:

· A Standing workout
· Select components provide quiet operation
· Adjustable resistance settings
· Adjustable electronic display
· Heavy-duty casters for ease of mobility
· Powder-coated all-steel construction

Endless Rope Reviews & Testimonial 
“Endless Rope has taken my upper body workout to new levels. It’s a great rope climbing machine not only for developing dynamic strength, but also for conditioning the upper body aerobically. It allows me to train my grip strength like no other piece of equipment out there. Anyone who’s looking to improve their back and arm muscle endurance will want to incorporate Endless Rope into their workout program.”- Cpl. Kid Chan/Alaska State Troopers/DPS Training Academy Staff Instructor/Cooper Institute Certified Personal Trainer

Healthy Substitutions

It's a fact...I have a MAJOR sweet tooth which means lots of cookies and cakes that are loaded with butter, sugar and lots of chocolate chips! Obviously none of these ingredients are on the "OK" to eat list which lead me wonder what type of healthy baking substitutions are out there. That's when I came across this awesome blog post at Picklee!

The Future of Fitness

Welcome to the future! Intel is working with industries leaders in fitness, health and gym management to transform health club experiences through technology. Watch the video and tell us what you think!

Top 4 reasons you should drink lemon water in the morning!

This is an amazing list found from the New Nostalgia blog. I knew the benefits but never knew how good they were in the morning and on an empty stomach, sounds like a great kick-off to a healthy day!

Reason #1: It balances pH. Lemons are an acidic food, but once metabolized, it becomes alkaline. What is an alkaline? An alkaline helps keep the oxygen in your blood at a safe pH level. This helps your body heal itself, assimilate nutrients and fight off unwanted sickness.

Reason #2: It keeps skin clear and glowing! Hydration from drinking lemon water is great for moisturizing our skin from the inside out.  Lemon also contains lots of Vitamin C, which helps with wrinkles and blemishes.

Reason #3: It kick starts the digestive system. A big glass of lemon water is a great way to start the day.  It encourages the liver to produce bile which in turn aids in digestion.  It increases urination which helps purify it.  It also helps with heartburn and constipation.

Reason #4: It helps with weight loss! Keeping the body in an alkaline state helps people lose weight faster.  Lemons are high in fiber pectin, which helps keep one full, longer.  They also have a diuretic effect, which helps with water weight gain.