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Ciambotta - Dr. Weil's Healthy Kitchen

Ciambotta - Dr. Weil's Healthy Kitchen

This is one of my favorite recipes from my childhood. My grandmother used to make Ciambotta and it was delicious!! If you want to add some protein you can add ground beef or chicken or if you want to stick with vegetarian you can add some tofu cubes.

5 Natural Ways to Treat Depression - Dr. Weil's Weekend Tip

5 Natural Ways to Treat Depression - Dr. Weil's Weekend Tip

Shoe Review: Walk/Running to Lake Anne to watch my husband & son participate in the Freezin' for a Reason Event!!/Day 4

On Saturday February 4th, my husband David and son Kyle participated in the Freezin' for a Reason event at Lake Anne in Reston. Freenzin' for a Reason is a polar plunge that raises money for Camp Sunshine which provides respite, support, joy and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families through various stages of a child’s illness. http://www.campsunshine.org/. This is the third year my husband has participated in the polar dip and the first year my son participated in the Chicken Dip. He didn't want to jump in the cold, cold water so he just dipped his feet! LOL!!

 

   

 

The day started out quite nicely with a temperature of 52 degrees so I decided to run/walk to the event instead of driving in the car with my family. Of course I had my little daughter with me in the stroller so I did more walking than running but it is always worth it! I traveled 3.75 miles round trip. The weather turned a bit wet on the way home but still wasn't bad enough to hinder my travels. One new thing I noticed on this run/walk was when the rain started coming down the street started getting slippery. My Karhu's continued to give me a safe ride by staying steady on the road even though the terrain started becoming slippery. Many other running shoes have a tendency to slip and slide on wet surfaces but my Karhu's kept me running along with no issues. There is just the right amount of tread on the bottoms of the shoe and the soles grip the road like they are supposed to. I believe these Karhu's are one of the best running shoes around. The Karhu's are also great when going from one type of terrain to another. You may not think there is a big difference between the road and the sidewalk but there is. Depending on the type of material the sidewalk is made of it is much better to run in the road because the asphalt is actually softer than a concrete sidewalk. When moving from the sidewalk to the road or the road to the sidewalk I can feel the difference but it wasn't too bad due to the comfort and cushioning of these Karhu's.

All in all it was a great walk/run and I am still happier than ever with these wonderful Karhu's!!

RUNNING SHOES: Stable Fulcrum_Ride
KARHU WEBSITE: www.Karhu.com
SHOE REVIEWER: Melissa Baldiwn
IF YOU WANT TO TEST KARHUS APPLY AT: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu

Heart Disease Prevention for Men - Dr. Weil's Daily Tip

Heart Disease Prevention for Men - Dr. Weil's Daily Tip

7 Fitness Tips

This article was published in 2011 but it is valid for 2012 as well!

7 Fitness Tips
By Jessica Matthews
The start of a new year typically consists of making resolutions to get in shape and stay healthy. But the truth is many people don’t know how to start a safe and effective workout regimen. Implementing a new fitness program doesn’t mean you simply hop on a treadmill and start running. There are questions to ask yourself, your trainer (if you choose to use one) and even your physician before you start planning your exercise routine. To help kick off 2012, here are a few tips for you to consider when determining a fitness plan that’s right for you:

• Set achievable goals. By setting goals, you’ll have a better idea of what your exercise program should look like and what you will want to get out of it. Understanding your fitness objectives, such as losing weight, toning up or becoming stronger, will define what kind of regimen will work best and offer the most success in the long run. Be sure to make your goals specific and accomplishable.
• Work with a certified personal trainer. A trainer is not always necessary, but it’s generally recommended to meet with a certified fitness professional when starting a new exercise program. He or she will be able to offer advice on the best ways to reach your goals, provide specific exercises and ensure that you’re performing them correctly. Be careful when picking your trainer―not just anyone will do! Here are some tips on how to pick a personal trainer, which includes making sure he or she is certified.
• Keep a fitness journal. Before you begin, write out all of the exercises—including the number of reps and type of cardio―you plan to accomplish daily or weekly to help you visualize your new fitness program and see how much time you will need to dedicate to it. By writing in this journal each time you work out, you’ll be able to keep track of your progress, as well as adjust the level of intensity of any of the exercises as needed.
• Consult your physician. Once you set your goals and desired fitness program, it’s important to meet with your physician before getting started. If you’ve ever had a heart condition, take blood pressure or heart medications, have joint or bone problems or are over age 45, then it’s especially important to visit or call your doctor before getting started. If you have a preexisting medical condition, there could be potential risks in adding physical activity to your daily routine.
• Start slow. Upon creating your exercise program and getting your doctor’s blessing, it’s time to begin! If you’re not used to exercising regularly, set a goal to exercise once or twice a week. As your body adjusts to this schedule, slowly increase the number of times you exercise until you find a comfortable weekly routine.
• Listen to your body. Like everything, fitness is different for everyone. It’s important to be in tune with and nurture your body. If you start feeling fatigued, lessen the intensity of your workouts or reduce the amount you exercise by one less day per week. When your body is ready for a little more physical activity, add another day onto your routine or find ways to safely challenge yourself during exercise.
• Don’t get discouraged. If you miss a day at the gym, or even a whole week, don’t get down on yourself—just get back on track when you’re ready and keep your goals in mind. Chances are, once your fitness program becomes part of your daily routine, your body will start craving that extra physical activity and you’ll want to go for a run or hit the gym more often.

Shoe Review: Starting my Half Marathon Training in Karhus!!/Day 3

YEEE HAAAA!! I am officially in training for my first Half Marathon of 2012. I will be running the Rock n Roll USA Half Marathon in Washington, DC on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th. I am very excited about running this half marathon. I will be running with Team Kylie Xiu. This will be my first major race of 2012. I am planning on running many more throughout the year and wearing my Karhu Stable Fulcrum Ride running shoes!

We have been having some very beautiful and perfect walking/running weather this week so I definitely had to take advantage of it. My first day of training consisted of a little over 3 mile run/walk in a pattern of 3 minutes running with 6 minutes of walking. I extended my walking time because I was pushing a baby stroller. The added weight and movement of the stroller helped to keep me focused on my form and pace. Going up hill was a little more difficult and definitely slowed me down but that is OK because training this way will make my race even easier, hopefully! LOL!!

 

I have to say my Karhus are still one of the most comfortable pair of running shoes I have had so far. I have said it before and will say it over and over again that the Karhus definitely help to keep you moving in the right direction. In both walking and running I felt like the shoe was helping me along to keep my pace and keep my foot in the correct forward motion. As I was moving I definitely felt the way my foot rolled forward from landing on my mid-foot, rolling to my forefoot and then toeing off to take the next step. I was more in-tune to my form and pace because of pushing the stroller which really made me more intent on focusing on how the shoes affected my running. I made myself run lighter and lift my feet a bit higher as I ran along to really feel how the shoe cushioned my foot strike. It is unbelievable how the Karhu Stable Fulcrum Ride is so cushioned yet I could totally feel the road as I ran and walked and it was a good feeling. Your feet are not numbed by the extra cushioning of this shoe. I have tried minimalist shoes to have more feel of the road when I run but they are definitely no where as comfortable and positively impacting on your feet than these Karhus! I do not know of any other running shoe that gives you the stability, cushioning and ability to feel the road under your feet in a comfortable way as these Karhu Stable Fulcrum Rides do.

These are a great pair of shoes and I look forward to continual training in them!

RUNNING SHOES: Stable Fulcrum_Ride
KARHU WEBSITE: www.Karhu.com
SHOE REVIEWER: Melissa Baldiwn
IF YOU WANT TO TEST KARHUS APPLY AT: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu