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• holiday exercise regimen
• keep fit over the holidays

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

This month we celebrate “Fitmas” to the tune of the popular holiday song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” A quick Google search can help you if you are not familiar with a particular exercise.

We wish you a Merry Fitmas and a Happy New Year! 

On the 1^st  Day of Fitmas my trainer gave to me a push up on a Bosu ball. 

On the 2^nd Day of Fitmas my trainer gave to me 2 jumping jacks and a push up on a Bosu ball.

On the 3^rd  Day of Fitmas my trainer gave to me 3 bicep curls, 2 jumping jacks and a push up on a Bosu ball. 

On the 4^th Day of Fitmas my trainer gave to me 4 mountain climbers, 3 bicep curls, 2 jumping jacks and a push up on a Bosu ball. 

On the 5^th Day of Fitmas my trainer gave to me 5 kettle ball swings, 4 mountain climbers, 3 bicep curls, 2 jumping jacks and a push up on a Bosu ball.

On the 6^th Day of Fitmas my trainer gave to me 6 single arm rows, 5 kettle ball swings, 4 mountain climbers, 3 bicep curls, 2 jumping jacks and a push up on a Bosu ball.

Continued in Part II…

• Mental health care tips
• Mental health during winter

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

The winter months can be very challenging for many people. Besides the stress of the holidays, money, and just feeling like you don’t have enough time to do what needs to be done, we lose the luxury of getting outdoors to de-stress. And losing precious hours of daylight doesn’t help either.  But there are a few ways that you can still take care of yourself and your mental health during the winter months. Here are a few of those tips.

• Watch your news intake. If you feel negatively impacted by the news, limit your exposure. Some people spend hours in front of the television watching cable news and getting fired up by the political drama. Try limiting your news exposure to 15 minutes, then shifting your attention to something more uplifting. The same applies to scrolling through social media apps. Limit your time and move on to a more rewarding activity.
• Bundle up and go outside. Regular exercise is not only healthy for your body, but also for your mind. As little as 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day can boost your energy, help you sleep better and improve your mood thanks to chemicals that are released in your brain. Being in nature has also been shown to relax your mind.
• Meditation is a good practice, even if only for five to ten minutes a day.
• Start a gratitude journal. Keeping a gratitude journal can significantly elevate your mood and mental outlook. At the end of each day, write down at least one thing that you are grateful for that day. It can be as minor as, “I enjoyed the sandwich I ate for lunch.” What tends to happen is the nature of your thoughts will change. You’ll start paying more attention to the happier moments, shifting your narrative from negative to positive.

• health news 2022
• Medical discoveries 2022
• Latest health news 2022

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Over the past twelve months, there have been many top health and fitness discoveries made in thousands of labs across the country.  Here we will look at some of the top discoveries that will lead us to a happier and healthier 2023.

• Chrono nutrition. “There has always been a two-sided debate over whether the time of day makes a difference in maintaining a healthy body weight. Classic scientific discourse has been the calories in vs calories out as the main factor, rather than timing, and often things like eating less in the evening or eating a large breakfast were dismissed as myths. However, a new study was published to show both are correct. While energy intake vs energy expenditure is crucial in weight management, when eating smaller or larger meals affects your appetite and blood sugar regulation, it is more about regulating how hungry you are throughout the day. You are less likely to overeat later in the day if you eat a larger (balanced) breakfast in the morning.”
• Social media dietary advice.” A survey showed that 47% of people take health and nutrition advice from social media. However, worryingly especially on TikTok aimed at younger users, much of this information was incorrect and misleading, promoted by unqualified individuals and the platforms' algorithms promoting a toxic diet culture, contributing to disordered eating and body dissatisfaction.”
• Sweeteners are terrible for your health. “Once promoted as a healthy alternative for those with a sweet tooth, artificial sweeteners have garnered significant controversy as synthetic food sources. Previous studies have shown that they can promote appetite and sugar cravings and contribute to higher body weight. However, this year saw a large-scale study, of more than 100,000 participants that linked their artificial sweetener intake (notable additives like aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose) to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.”

• Cranberry benefits
• cranberry recipe
• cranberry
• cranberry recipes

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

• Cranberries contain high amounts of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. They also include only 45 calories per cup.
• Cranberry’s juice can be used for the prevention of urinary tract infections and bacterial adhesion in the stomach.
• The same bacteria preventing ability of the cranberry juice can avert the formation of plaque, which leads to fewer cavities.

Recipe: Easy Cranberry Bread

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon, rind of
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 3/4 cups cranberries, chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add egg, finely grated orange peel, lemon peel, and orange juice all at once; carefully stir until the mixture is evenly moist. Fold in cranberries. Spoon and spread evenly into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Recipe: Cranberry Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups (1 12-oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries

Optional: Pecans, orange zest, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.

 Place the cranberries in a colander and rinse them. Pick out and discard any damaged or bruised cranberries. Put the water and sugar in a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add the cranberries to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst.  Once the cranberries have burst you can leave the cranberry sauce as is or dress it up with other ingredients. We like to mix in a half a cup of chopped pecans with a few strips of orange zest. Some people like adding raisins or currants, or even blueberries for added sweetness. You can also add holiday spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice. Remove the pot from heat. Let cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator.

• Weight Loss
• Weight loss diets
• healthy weight loss

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

‘Tis the season for eating… turkey, stuffing, pies, cookies, cakes, ham and all the sides! But how do you stay on your healthy eating track when it is so easy to get sidetracked with the holidays?

Experts weighed in (no pun intended) on this topic and have come up with these four healthy eating tips to help you keep those diet goals and still enjoy the delicious meals of the season!

• Try to keep your dinner time close to when you typically eat.
• Keep up with your exercise
• Get your rest.
• Outsmart the buffet – eat your favorites but eat smaller amounts or on a smaller plate.