Quick bite: Workouts don’t have to be long to be worthwhile

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

By Donna Boltz
York Township personal trainer

Donna Boltz

I’m off to the gym again this morning for a workout that will last 60 to 90 minutes. My current fitness-training plan tends toward long workouts to prepare me for a 24-day, 216-mile, high-altitude trek this fall. One of my clients, Lorie, also is logging some pretty long exercise sessions these days as she gets ready to run her first marathon.

 

Ours fitness-training plans are developed to get us to a desired level of conditioning to achieve specific goals.

For anyone shaking his head at the idea of long hours spent in the gym, on the bike or out running, there’s good news. You don’t have to make your workout long to make it worthwhile.
Continue reading →

Posted in Exercise, Quick bites | Leave a comment

Soda drinking statistics need a reduction

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

There’s nothing sweet about a sugar overload.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that half of the U.S. population drinks a sugary drink a day, and one in 20 people consumes more than four cans of soda a day.

That’s a lot of sugar. Imagine eating 10 teaspoons of sugar per can.

Many people make the mistake of drinking their calories. When I was a kid, I drank iced teas and soda all the time. Not so much at home, but my parents own a restaurant and I remember drinking a few sodas there every night I worked.

By the time I was 18, I switched to diet beverages and artificial sweeteners. Some people question the safety of artificial sweeteners, but no research has proved that they could be hazardous to one’s health.
Continue reading →

Posted in Leigh Zaleski, Nutrition, Study | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Bid goodbye to beloved chicken patties

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

School lunchrooms are taking a bite out of breaded chicken patty infamy.

Cafeteria manager Lynn Buraczynski, right, directs food associate Autumn Harkins as she restocks the grilled chicken during lunch at Kennard-Dale High School Wednesday, August 24, 2011. The school is now offering grilled chicken sandwiches and veggie burgers as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids act. DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - KATE PENN

York Daily Record/Sunday News education reporter Angie Mason wrote a story last week about the many healthy changes kids will see in cafeterias — more whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies, and skim milk.

Some local foodie officials were unsure how students would react to the banning of the beloved patty, replaced by grilled chicken sandwiches.

I remember the goodness of that crispy amalgamation of chicken parts.

It’s been about a decade since I ate one, but I know that if you smother it in high-fructose corn syrup with a smidge of tomato, it tastes great.
Continue reading →

Posted in Leigh Zaleski, School lunches | Leave a comment

Quick bite: Scoop nutrition from avocados

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

By Cindy Shank
Registered dietitian

Avocados are rising in popularity. Now that Subway offers avocados as a topping, it’s time to freshen up our knowledge about this unusual fruit.

Cindy Shank


Yes, avocados are considered a fruit botanically speaking; nutritionally speaking, avocados are a source of monounsaturated fat. The fruit provides 20 essential nutrients and health promoting antioxidants.

Avocados have no sodium and provide some fiber, which is great. One of the main health benefits — along with being nutrient dense — is the source of monounsaturated fat. Poly and monounsaturated fats when consumed in moderation and in place of saturated fats (animal fat) or trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) can help to lower cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease. This fruit is a source of fat. So remember, fat is dense in calories, and avocados can provide a hefty source of calories if not eaten in moderation.
Continue reading →

Posted in Nutrition, Quick bites, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Time to let go of garden

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

I gave up on gardening.

Some weeds and dead plants from Leigh Zaleski's community garden plot in York. After a few months and several failures, she threw in the towel.

I wouldn’t call myself a quitter, but I don’t force things if they’re not working out. I’m OK with my first-attempt failure.

However, I’ve learned a lot from my experience as a community gardener, which I’ll take with me on future green-thumb endeavors.

I enjoyed going to my plot, which is five blocks from my York apartment, but despite the short distance, it took some effort. I lost gusto after my cucumber plants got sick and died. I became more discouraged when bugs went to town on my green beans. I felt like someone stabbed me in the heart when they stole my only thriving watermelon. After that, I didn’t return to the garden for weeks. There wasn’t much of a need to because all I really had left was some herbs.
Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Leigh Zaleski, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Awesome finds at Fitz’s Windsor Road Farm Market

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

As I headed back from an assignment today in Windsor, I spotted a small farmers market, Fitz’s Windsor Road Farm Market. I love farmers markets, especially if they’re off the beaten path. I have to force myself from stopping when I see makeshift produce stands on the side of the road during trips. I had never heard of Fitz’s before and wondered how its prices compare to larger, more conspicuous markets.

I figured I’d buy a few pieces of fruit, but once I saw the discounts, I couldn’t resist. I bought a small seedless watermelon, a cantaloupe, a pint of grape tomatoes, a pound and a half of potatoes, a yellow squash and two peppers for $8.28. I couldn’t believe how little I spent on all that locally grown produce.
Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Leigh Zaleski | 6 Comments

Jillian Michaels ‘Ripped in 30′ will make you sweat

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

I’ve long been a fan of Jillian Michaels. I’ve only watched “The Biggest Loser” a handful of times, but regardless, her spirit and drive to motivate others made me tear up every time.

I first tried one of her workout videos, “30 Day Shred,” a few years ago at a time when I exercised at home because I didn’t have a gym membership. When I first started, my fitness level was much lower, and the video helped me develop arm and core strength while introducing me to metabolic training. I loved it and still occasionally do level 3.

Last week, I decided to try one of her latest, “Ripped in 30,” which includes a fourth level. I started at level 4, an intense combination of challenging strength, cardio and ab movements.

Continue reading →

Posted in Exercise, Leigh Zaleski | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Quick bite: Don’t skimp on stretching

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

By Donna Boltz
York Township personal trainer

Donna Boltz

My husband is more than your average athlete. He is a cyclist, trekker, weight lifter, recreational runner and up for a game of just about anything. He grew up in sports and thanks to a military career, he has been active throughout his life.

And this summer, he pulled a muscle in his back cleaning gutters around our house.

It’s not that he’s not strong, conditioned or skillful. It’s that he forgot one of the most important components of good physical fitness – flexibility.

Continue reading →

Posted in Quick bites | Leave a comment

Quick bite: Eat more purple

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

By Cindy Shank
Registered dietician

Summer is one of the easiest times of the year to get the color purple into your diet. From eggplant to plums, concord grapes, purple peppers and one of my favorites — purple cabbage. You should always aim to get a variety of colorful foods in your daily diet, but let’s focus on purple.
Purple fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of health promoting phytochemicals known as flavonoids and anthocyanins. The type of phytochemical found in fruits and vegetables varies depending on the color of the fruit or vegetable. Anthocyanin is the color pigment that produces the shades of blue, purples and red in fruits and vegetables.

Continue reading →

Posted in Nutrition, Quick bites | 2 Comments

McDonald’s makes Happy Meal a little healthier, but is it enough?

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Leigh Zaleski

I wish I never tasted a french fry from McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s or any other fast-food restaurant.

A McDonald's Cheeseburger Happy Meal with the new apple slices option is shown on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 in Pittsburgh. McDonald's Corp. says it is adding apple slices to every Happy Meal, part of the chain's larger push to paint itself as a healthy place to eat. -- AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

As a child in the late ’80s and ’90s, my mom took me and my five siblings to McDonald’s or Burger King as a “reward” for being good. If we went to the drive through, we fought over who got to hold the bag so we could munch on fries on the ride home. There was some sort of addictive quality and a positive association to the food. The smell, the taste, the feeling of wanting to eat more even though I was full.

 

It took years for me to acknowledge and realize that such food has a negative effect on my body. Having not eaten fast food in years, I don’t crave it and refuse to eat it.

McDonald’s recently announced that it’s cutting down the calories, fat and portions of Happy Meals as an effort to reduce childhood obesity.

Continue reading →

Posted in Leigh Zaleski, Nutrition | 2 Comments