Athletes Can Proactively Beat Back Pain

To eliminate general back pain, rest isn’t necessarily the most effective solution for the athlete. Many athletes experience back pain due to a lack of core strength or inflexibility. Abdominals that look “ripped” don’t necessarily translate into efficient movement which can cause the body to overuse other muscle groups.

For example, hockey requires strength, balance and stamina. Without properly engaging the core while skating, leg muscles will fatigue faster resulting in decreased speed. In addition to inhibiting performance, players can often experience pain in the hips, back and even the neck. Left untreated, lingering pain can cause a variety of injuries due to compensatory movements. Muscle strains and tears, stress fractures and damage to tendons and ligaments are some risks associated with a weak core.

A Pilates based core strengthening program can not only help prevent injuries and enhance performance, but can actually significantly decrease pain.

To schedule a consultation, please contact Kim Wallis at kimw@nutriformance.com or call 314.432.6103.

Kim Wallis is a certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer working with professional athletes for almost 10 years. She designs customized programs for pre/post season and promotes flexibility in season by creating effective warm ups and stretching routines. She has worked with a variety of athletes including NHL, NFL, MLB players.

Posted in News, Pilates, Sports Performance | Leave a comment

Crazy for Carbs!

Carbohydrate is part of a healthy diet. They provide lots of energy, vitamins and minerals, and the fiber can help keep you satisfied.

The Bottom Line

• Carbohydrates are VERY important for exercise

• With carb, you can go faster, harder, and longer

• Carbs give you the energy you need to do the work you want

• The brain and nervous systems need carb to function correctly

• After exercise, eating carbs allows your body to use protein to repair itself

• Eating before and within 30 minutes after work outs gives your body the best chance to succeed

• Complex carb can give you energy for a long time

• Simple carbs only give you short bursts and can leave you feeling hungry faster

• Carbs are found in many foods: fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and sweets.

Posted in Nutrition | Leave a comment

Spring Break Slim Down

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/370510/3/Nutrition-and-workout-tips-for-a-spring-break-slim-down

Posted in Group Fitness, News, Nutrition | Leave a comment

Tilapia and Sauteed Peppers in Soft Tacos

Tortillas are considered “the staff of life” in Mexico — and as a required ingredient in tacos they make the perfect package for nutrient-rich ingredients. Fish tacos, typically flavored with lime, cumin, garlic and peppers, are popular in coastal areas where seafood is plentiful — and they can be appealing ways to make seafood “kid-friendly” in your kitchen. Tip: To add more color and nutrition to your plate, serve avocado slices, salsa, beans and brown rice on the side.

Ingredients

6 5-ounce tilapia filets or other firm white fish* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 limes, divided 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 large red bell pepper, cut in ¼-in strips 1/2 large yellow bell pepper, cut in ¼-inch strips 1 jalapeno pepper, cut in thin strips 1 small onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 6 8-inch whole wheat tortillas 6 tablespoons coarsely-chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

Place tilapia in a medium bowl. Toss with cumin, salt and juice of 1 lime. Set aside while preparing other ingredients.
Heat olive oil to medium-high in a large nonstick skillet. Add red and yellow peppers, jalapeno, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir for about 1 minute, until peppers and onion are slightly softened.
Add tilapia and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until white and opaque. Fish will flake easily and may break apart.
Warm tortillas according to package instructions.
Divide tilapia-peppers mixture and cilantro evenly over tortillas. Roll to shape the taco. To serve, garnish each taco with a wedge of the remaining lime.

Cooking Note

* As another option, substitute shrimp for finfish.

Nutrition Information

Serves 6

Calories: 380 Calories from fat: 130; Total fat: 15g; Saturated fat: 2.5g; Trans fat: 0g Cholesterol: 70mg; Sodium 310mg Total carbohydrate: 28g; Dietary fiber: 4g; Sugars: 3g Protein 33g

Recipe by Roberta L. Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS

Posted in Nutrition, Recipe | Leave a comment

How to Build a Balanced Meal

Happy Registered Dietitians Day and to Celebrate National

Nutrition Month from the Academy of Nutrition and

Dietetics. www.eatright.org

They used to be called “square meals” and your grandparents probably ate three of them a day. With today’s busy lifestyles, many people graze throughout the day. Without a healthy eating plan, the result can be too many calories and an out of balance diet.

Getting balance back into meals and snacks will have immediate and long-term benefits for your kids. When they get the right balance of calories and nutrients for their growing bodies, they’ll feel better, have more energy and probably do better in school too.

The secret of balanced meals and snacks is to enjoy a variety of nutrient-rich foods and beverages. Here’s how:

Start with Fruits and Vegetables

Produce is the place to begin planning a balanced meal for two reasons:

Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and calories, and packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and other healthful nutrients.
Secondly, most American children (and many adults) do not eat the recommended amounts of produce each day. School-aged children should eat 2 to 2½ cups of vegetables and 1½ to 2 cups of fruit each day.

At lunch and dinner, divide your plate in half with an imaginary line and fill half with vegetables and fruits.

Add the Goodness of Whole Grains

Minimally processed whole grains, like whole-wheat bread, multi-grain cereal, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-grain pastas, are also rich in nutrients, fiber and flavor. MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines recommends that, for good health, you should make at least half of your grains whole.

On the other side of your plate’s imaginary line, add a serving of whole grains.

Include the Power of Protein Foods

There are plenty of delicious ways to serve the protein kids need to grow strong and tall: lean beef, pork, fish, seafood, chicken, turkey, legumes (dried beans and peas) and fat-free or low-fat dairy foods (cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and milk). They’ll get plenty of protein from 2 to 3 ounces of lean meat or the equivalent (½ cup beans) per meal.

Complete your place with a serving of protein.

Choose Beverages Wisely

It’s time to re-think your children’s drinks. Move away from sugary beverages with lots of calories and no nutrient value. Here’s a simple rule of thumb for the fluids all kids need: Drink milk with meals and drink water with snacks. That’s three 8-ounce glasses of fat-free or low-fat milk and two to three glasses of water. That’s plenty for most kids to stay well-hydrated and meet their calcium needs throughout the day.

No one food group provides all the nutrients growing bodies need for good health. A variety of delicious foods from all food groups is the best way to meet children’s daily nutrition needs.

Reviewed December 2012

Posted in Nutrition | Leave a comment

Tangy Shrimp and Peppers

INGREDIENTS:
Nonstick spray coating
1 small sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small green pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup canned sliced water chestnuts
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Dash bottled hot pepper sauce
DIRECTIONS:
Spray a medium skillet with nonstick spray coating. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add red and green
pepper, onion, and garlic; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or till tender.
Add shrimp and water chestnuts. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or till shrimp turn pink. Remove from
heat.
Stir in apricot preserves, soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Makes 2 servings.
Calories: 227/serving
TIME:
Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 6 min.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
20g protein
30g carbohydrate
3g fat
129mg cholesterol
653mg sodium
627mg potassium

Posted in Nutrition, Recipe | Leave a comment

Spicy Garlic Shrimp

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fresh or frozen shrimp
1 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons catsup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
I teaspoon grated gingerroot or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sliced green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil or peanut oil
Hot cooked rice (optional)
Fresh or frozen pea pods, cooked (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp; cut in half lengthwise. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl stir together water, catsup, soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper,
and ground ginger, if using. Set aside.
In a large skillet or wok stir-fry green onions, garlic, and fresh grated gingerroot, if using, in hot oil for 30 seconds.
Add shrimp. Stir-fi-y 2 to 3 minutes or till shrimp turn pink; push to sides of skillet or wok. Stir catsup mixture; stir into
center of skillet. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir sauce and shrimp together.
If desired, serve with hot cooked rice and pea pods.
Makes 4 servings.
Calories: 155/serving
TIME:
Preparation Time: 25 min.
Cooking Time: 5 min.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
8g protein
8g carbohydrate
5g fat
129mg cholesterol
473mg sodium
250mg potassium
Low Fat

Posted in Nutrition, Recipe | Leave a comment

Miami Shrimp and Scallops

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound fresh or frozen scallops
12 fresh or frozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1/2 pound total)
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
12 fresh or frozen pea pods
1 medium orange, cut into 8 wedges
DIRECTIONS:
Halve any large scallops. Place scallops and shrimp in a plastic bag set in a deep bowl. For marinade, combine orange
peel, orange juice, soy sauce, gingerroot, garlic, and red pepper. Pour over seafood. Seal bag. Marinate in the
refrigerator for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving marinade.
If using fresh pea pods, cook in boiling water about 2 minutes; drain. Or, thaw and drain frozen pea pods.
Wrap one pea pod around each shrimp. Thread pea pods and shrimp onto four 10- to 12-inch skewers alternately
with scallops and orange wedges.
Grill kabobs on an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals for 5 minutes. Turn and brush with marinade. Grill
5 to 7 minutes more or till shrimp turn pink and scallops are opaque. Brush occasionally with marinade.
Broiling directions: Place kabobs on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 4 minutes.
Turn and broil 4 to 6 minutes more or till shrimp turn pink and scallops are opaque. Brush occasionally with
marinade.
Serves 4.
Calories: 133/serving
TIME:
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Marinating Time: 30 min.
Cooking Time: 10min.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
22g protein
7g carbohydrate
1g fat
105mg cholesterol
305mg sodium
380mg potassium

Posted in Nutrition, Recipe | Leave a comment

Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:
8 6-inch flour tortillas
Nonstick spray coating
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet red or green pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 tablespoon cooking oil
8 ounces boned skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size strips
1/3 cup salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt or low-fat sour cream
1 green onion, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Wrap tortillas in foil. Place in a 300 degrees oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till heated through.
Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Add onion and garlic; stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add red pepper; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from
skillet. Add oil to skillet. Add chicken; stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes or till chicken is tender and no longer
pink. Return vegetables to skillet. Add salsa. Cook and stir till heated through.
To serve, divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce. Dollop with yogurt
and sprinkle with green onion. Roll up tortillas.
Makes 4 servings.
Calories: 297/serving
TIME:
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
24g protein
33g carbohydrate
7g fat
55mg cholesterol
197mg sodium
373mg potassium

Posted in Nutrition, Recipe | Leave a comment

Sweet Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry

INGREDIENTS:
1 8 ounces boned skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Nonstick spray coating
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2 medium green or sweet red peppers, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
DIRECTIONS:
Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a bowl; stir in soy sauce and sherry. Let stand for 30 minutes. Spray a
cold wok or large skillet with nonstick spray coating; preheat over medium-high heat. Add onion; stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add peppers; stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms; stir-fry about 1 minute more or till vegetables are crisptender.
Remove vegetables from wok or skillet; set aside.
Drain chicken, reserving the marinade. Add oil to wok. Add gingerroot; stir-fry 15 seconds. Add half the chicken; stirfry
3 to 4 minutes or till no longer pink. Remove. Stir-fry remaining chicken for 3 to 4 minutes or till no longer
pink. Return all chicken, vegetables, and bamboo shoots to wok; push from center of wok.
Stir broth, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper into reserved marinade; add to wok. Cook and stir till slightly thickened;
toss gently to coat chicken mixture. Serve mixture while hot.
Serves 4.
Calories: 204/serving
TIME:
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Marinating Time: 30 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
30g protein
8g carbohydrate
6g fat
73 mg cholesterol
613 mg sodium
621 mg potassium
-Low Fat -Low Cholesterol