Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

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Fitting Workouts in Between the Holidays

We all know that the upcoming holidays can be quite a hectic and stressful time—dinner parties, family gatherings, cooking, and shopping.  With everything that’s going on, it’s easy to lose focus on your health and fitness goals- what was once a main priority takes a back seat to the holiday season.  Moreover, if you’ve been working towards shaving off a few pounds, these times can be especially difficult in terms of your nutritional intake.  Therefore, we at Peak Performance Fitness decided to provide you all with some helpful tips on how to squeeze some exercise and physical activity in among the chaos that this holiday season might bring, whether you’ve recently begun an exercise program or are maintaining your progress.

  • Set reminders. Whether you use your phone, tablet, computer, or even a pen and paper, setting reminders to exercise may be beneficial while your mind is preoccupied with other events.
  • Write down you goals and how you plan on achieving them. I’m positive that the majority of you already have your fitness goals in mind, but by writing them down and visibly seeing them every day, the goals/ideas become solidified and you are constantly reminded of what you plan on achieving; whether it’s to build strength, lose weight, or become overall healthier and fitter.
  • Prioritize. If you find yourself failing to make it to the fitness center or perform regular activity on a daily basis, it is most likely because you are putting other things ahead of your goals. What will probably help is to sit down alone, and readjust what’s most important to you—making your health and fitness one of your top priorities (which it should be) will help influence you to maintain a regular workout regimen.
  • Make a schedule. Whatever modality you use to organize your life (calendar, phone, planner, etc.), plan out the next few weeks of exercise.  Set a consistent time of the day in which you know you will be available on a weekly basis and designate it for exercise.  Many people are more likely to do something if it becomes a normal part of a daily routine at a regular time.
  • Home Workouts. If time is limited, speak to your exercise physiologist about developing a home-based workout regimen.  For example, modified push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, shoulder presses, curls, lunges, and squats are examples of exercises you can do using minimal or no equipment without even stepping outside of your house.  If your goals are weight-loss or to build up cardiovascular fitness, walking up and down the stairs, using a jump rope, or walking/jogging/bicycling around the neighborhood for a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day will certainly do the trick!

Although it’s easier said than done, do yourself a favor and do whatever it takes to fit regular exercise into your schedule.  Whether you have to wake up an extra hour early before work, or get a workout in before bed, I guarantee you will be thanking yourself after for continuing your exercise program during the busy holiday season.  Just ask yourself this question: “Would I rather not exercise because I am a little extra busy and yield no results, or would I rather give a little extra effort, make time for exercise, and reach my health and fitness goals?”

 

By Anthony Locast

Tips for a Healthy Halloween!

 

Halloween is fast approaching! This weekend there will be parties followed by buckets of candy. Don’t let this sweet holiday throw you off your goals.

Try these simple tricks to have a Healthy Halloween!

  1. Eat before trick-or-treating! Be sure to have a healthy meal or snack to hold you over. Don’t get caught munching on candy in between houses.
  2. Go trick-or-treating with your children or grandchildren. This is the perfect opportunity to get your physical activity in! Set a goal for yourself while walking door to door.
  3. Get moving. Get some exercise by making this Halloween a fun family physical activity event. Set a goal of how many houses or streets you’ll visit, or compete among each other to do as many as you can. Bring a bottle of water and wear comfortable shoes for walking!
  4. Be the house that hands out something different! Opt for the snack-sized packages of pretzels, popcorn, dried fruit, or trail mix.
  5. For our party animals, steer clear of sugary punch drinks and treats at parties. Look to make better choices, avoid mindless eating, and exercise portion control at your Halloween get-together.
  6. Wait to buy your candy until Halloween or the day before. This way you avoid temptation to pick at it beforehand. Another trick- don’t buy your favorite candy!
  7. Donate your leftover candy! Did you know Peak is holding a candy drive? We are accepting donations and sending them to our troops deployed overseas.

Holiday Baking Swaps

‘Tis the season for baking homemade holiday cookies and treats! This is a wonderful family tradition with recipes that have often been passed down for generations. But is grandma’s cookie recipe steering you off track? Simple ingredient substitutions can help you create your own healthy holiday treats to start new traditions!

  • Oil and Butter- Swap for applesauce, grated zucchini, olive oil, or avocado
  • All Purpose (white) flour- Swap for almond meal, whole wheat flour, oat flour, or quinoa flour. It is important to note that flour swaps are not even and in many cases you must increase the liquid as well. Use other recipes as guidelines or begin with a partial swap.
  • Milk- Swap for almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or hemp milk
  • Eggs- Swap for bananas or 1 tbsp. chia seeds with 3 tbsp. of water
  • Sour Cream- Swap for plain Greek yogurt
  • Peanut Butter (with additives)- Swap for all natural peanut butter

Holiday Party Survival Guide

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, everyone has a party to attend. Friends are getting together for drinks, the office holiday party is on Saturday night, and everyone gathers for dinner with the out of town relatives. You can stay on top of your goals straight through the New Year, as long as you have a plan. Follow these simple tips to survive all your holiday parties this season.

 

1. Eat Before You Go

Have a healthy snack or meal before you go to the party. This will help you avoid binging. If you’re full, you’ll be less likely to pick at snacks or overindulge at dinner.

2. Plate Your Food

When choosing appetizers, have a plate in hand and set a limit. If you can see what is on your plate, you know how much you’ve had. By sticking to one plate, you can exercise portion control. This helps prevent mindless munching.

3. Stay an Arm’s Length Away

If you’re mingling with friends and relatives, have your conversation away from the snacks. Mindless eating happens when you’re lost in conversation, but the chip bowl is right in front of you.

4. Don’t Drink Your Calories

For some people, holiday parties are accompanied by festive drinks. Drinks mixed with soda add empty calories and are high in sugar. Many beers have 100 or more calories per 12 oz.  Be aware of how much wine you pour, it’s easy to double your portion in a wine glass. Stay hydrated and save some calories by having a glass of water in between drinks.

5. Keep Your Routine

Just because you have a party to attend Saturday night, doesn’t mean you should skip the gym in the morning (we’re open 8am-2pm). If you’re anticipating a big, holiday dinner, make sure you still have a healthy breakfast and lunch- you don’t want to be fasting all afternoon and starving by dinner time.

6. Dinner > Dessert

When there is a lot to choose from, start by filling half of your plate with vegetables or fruit. Next, pick your protein: chicken, fish, turkey, etc. When dessert rolls around, choose just one delectable treat for yourself; it is the holiday season after all!

 

By Louise Mills-Strasser

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Potato Pancakes

Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (20 minutes)

Makes 16 pancakes, or 4 servings

“In my family, latkes are one of the best parts of celebrating Hanukkah. These modern potato pancakes have a terrific blend of flavors and a nice crunchy texture without all the oil,” Aviva Goldfarb, recipe author.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 large white potato
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (optional for serving)
  • 1 cup naturally sweetened applesauce (optional for serving)

Directions:

    1. Using a hand grater, coarsely grate the potatoes and finely dice or grate the onion. Drain the vegetables then wrap them in a clean dish towel for a minute or two to get the excess water out.
    2. Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs. Thoroughly mix in the flour, salt and cayenne pepper (optional).
    3. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, scoop in spoonfuls of the potato pancake mixture and flatten them with the spoon or a spatula. Cook the pancakes for several minutes per side until they are browned.
    4. After each batch, add 1 – 2 Tbsp. oil to the pan and let it heat for a minute or two, to keep the pancakes browning nicely. If they start to get too browned on the outside before the middle is cooked, reduce the heat. Transfer the cooked pancakes to the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while the rest cook.
    5. Serve them topped with the Greek yogurt or applesauce. 

Nutrition: Calories 300, Total Fat 16g, Sodium 620mg, Total Carbohydrate 32g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Protein 6g, Sugar 8g

 

Recipe adapted from Aviva Goldfarb, original recipe can be found here.

7 Tips for Staying in Shape this Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us! From Thanksgiving through the New Year is when people often put on a few pounds. The holidays pop up, you lose track of your routine between the shopping and parties. Then January rolls around and it’s time to start exercising- but this doesn’t have to be you! By staying on track with your exercise routine and watching your portion of pumpkin pie, you can keep up with your goals! We put together some tips to help you stay in shape this holiday season.

1. Act Like a Kid – Step out of your comfort zone! If there’s snow on the ground, get some cardio in with a little snowball fight with your family. If you’re feeling adventurous, find a local ice skating rink and take your loved ones out for a skate.

2. HIIT Workouts– If you are strapped for time during this holiday season, try a High Intensity Interval Workout. This circuit uses a 2:1 work to recovery ratio, which means you’ll be pushing yourself hard for a full 2 minutes before taking a 1-minute active recovery break. It only takes 10-20 minutes of your day!

3. Set a Goal– Set a specific, tangible goal that you can achieve during the holidays. There’s a huge chunk of time from now until New Years Day. That’s plenty of time to learn correct squat form or do a pushup/ abdominal challenge!

4. Mall Rat– As it gets colder don’t, give up your daily walking routine because of the weather! Local malls are a perfect place to get your steps in and stay on top of your goals.

5. Holiday Runs– Start a new tradition and participate in a Holiday Fun Run/Walk with your family. Get everyone in a healthy groove for the New Year!

6. Plan– Plan Ahead. If you are invited to a holiday party, offer to make or bring a healthy side dish. If you are hosting the party, you have more control over the menu so make wise, choices when planning.

7. Portion Control– Thanksgiving is once a year. With that said, it is okay to have turkey, potatoes, and a slice of pie, as long as you’re watching the portions; moderation is the key this holiday season!

 

 

By Sally Leahy