Archive for May, 2011
Posted by terrepruitt on May 31, 2011
There are a lot of 10 minute workouts. Ten minutes is really not a long time, it probably won’t get you to any lofty fitness goals, but that is where specificity comes in. If your goal is to run a marathon or bench press 200 pounds then 10 minutes of working out won’t get you there. You need to train specifically for specific goals. Ten minute workouts are good for other things. If you are really pressed for time and just need a quick fix. If you are new to exercising. If you are doing another form of working out and just want to add a little something more. If you are recovering from an injury. If you are just learning a new exercise. If you have ADD. 🙂 There are a lot of good reasons and ways to incorporate a ten minute workout into your day.
There are also different ways you can do a workout for ten minutes. Again, how you do it depends on why you are doing it. If you are pressed for time sometimes just getting through it is what you need to do. That ten minutes will just help you feel like you did something good for yourself even if the rest of the day is jammed packed with a lot of other stuff. If you are just starting an exercise program it could be that getting through ten minutes is all you can do . . . it depends on the workout. If you have a great program that you do, say cardio, like Nia, but you want to add in a little training with weights or additional stretching a 10 minute workout could be perfect. And if you are recovering from an injury it could be that 10 minutes is all that you can do safely. When learning a new exercise it could be that 10 minutes is all that your brain can take at a time. Again, it all depends on why you are doing it AND what you are doing.
Before I hurt my foot, I had come up with a little 10 minute workout I felt was a good way to get a quick workout all over. I designed it to be done with the workout tools and toys I have. I only did it a few times before I hurt my foot. Since I really was having to concentrate on teaching my classes, I pretty much stopped doing everything else. So now I am feeling that a ten minute workout would be great for me because of a few of the reasons I stated above.
The list/workout is what you see pictured here. It is nothing revolutionary it is just 10 exercises that you do 10 times each in 10 minutes. In my next regularly scheduled post (Thursday) I will explain the list. In subsequent regularly scheduled posts (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) I will give more detailed explanations of the exercises, modifications, and various things that come up related to this 10 minute workout. And everyday, I will post when I have done it. I will actually be doing some of the exercises in a modified fashion because of my foot. I have to modify my activity based on my teaching schedule and daily activity.
Anytime you want you to can do this list. Post in the comment that you did it too. Ask questions and I will either answer them in the comments or in a separate post. I think this is a great way for me to share some exercises with you. I hope you will join me in this 10 minute workout. Really 10 minutes isn’t that long. Ten exercises done 10 times each in 10 minutes. Ten Ten in Ten. You can do it. And you can let me know when you’ve done it. Ok? What do you say? Are you in?
Posted in Exercise and Working Out, Ten Minute Workout (Posts) | Tagged: 10 minute workout, bands, bent over lateral raises, biceps curls, BOSU, exercise, exercise program, fitness goals, hamstring curls, long lunges, lunges, modified activity, modified exercise, Nia, Nia exercise, Nia workout, push up, recovering from an injury, run a marathon, sit ups, specificity, squats, stability ball pass, stability ball sit up, ten minute workout, triceps, triceps extension, Triceps kick backs, workout | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 28, 2011
This evening I went to a funeral of a man I did not know. He was a former boss of my husband. He was a huge influence in my husband’s life, in his career. According to my husband he was more of a mentor and a teacher than a person that dictates tasks for you to carry out. He was one of those bosses that you are lucky to have when you get one. A boss who actually inspires you to be a better employee, a better person. This is what I thought my husband was saying when he talked about this man. Even so a funeral is not something you look forward to. They are sad and uncomfortable. I am one of those people who believe that grieving is a very personal thing and we all do it differently. If you are one that sits in the pew and weeps loudly, that is fine, but that is not to say that the person next to you with a dry eye cares any less. Everyone grieves in their own way. No one can say what is right and what is wrong. Not having known the man nor his wife, I was a little curious when we walked up to the door and the smiling tiny figure introduced herself as his wife. Her smile was so big and genuine. She lit up more when she heard my husband’s name. We stood right inside the doorway so I heard her greet everyone as they arrived. She was happy to see and meet everyone that came up. She was allowing herself to feel joy as the friends who loved her husband came to celebrate his life.
When she got up to speak that is what she said, she said we were there to celebrate his life. She admitted that it was sad and that we will miss him, but he was so happy and positive the gathering was to be a celebration. She said she was looking forward to hearing stories about her husband. She said she was looking forward to the laughter. She said that while there might be tears, while there will probably be tears, they will be tears of love. Wow! It was amazing. “Tears of love.” (I love that!)
I am not sure, but it sounded like he might have been sick for a while and maybe even suffering so maybe not having him suffer was a relief. I know I would hate to see my loved ones suffer. I cannot speak to the actual background, I can only tell you what I saw and this woman was truly celebrating the LIFE (not the death) of her husband.
All the people who spoke confirmed what my husband said and more. They all said that this man was positive and he always smiled. A large group of his employees and co-workers were there and they all said he was a great boss. It was awesome. I really don’t think I have EVER heard so much laughter at a funeral. It was amazing. When someone dies, it is beyond sad, there are sooooo many reasons to be sad; they will be missed, they will miss things to come that are happening here and sharing that sadness is a way people begin the healing process and begin to move on. There is also great healing to be had from a celebration. Laughter is a great thing. Tears are always going to come, but there will not always be a chance to sit and hear stories and tell stories and laugh about the stories. It was nice that this gathering was held to allow for people in his life to speak of the great times they had with him. The widow said she enjoyed the stories and the laughter. Even if this celebration only gave her a few hours of relief from tears it really was a celebration of life.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: celebration of life, death, former boss, funerals, great boss, grieve differently, mentor, teacher | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 26, 2011
When my friend posted a celery soup recipe in my comments of my celery post she mentioned she puts parsnips in soups as thickening agents because potatoes were bland so she uses the parsnips for a little additional flavor. I didn’t know what a parsnip was. I had heard of them, and I knew it was a root vegetable but I had never used one. As we were “talking” on my blog back and forth, I was thinking, “I’m going to stick to using a potato.” But as I was shopping I decided to try making my celery soup with parsnips. So I bought two parsnips.
I realized I didn’t know if I should peel it or not. So I just decided to use my produce brush on it, which has really stiff bristles so it somewhat peels it. When I started to cut it up, I realized it was very firm, not as soft as a potato. As I was chopping it occured to me that it smelled like a carrot. While I was chopping it I realized I needed to look it up and learn about what parsnips are.
I laughed when I read what Wiki had to say because it is obvious parsnips are related to the carrot. They even slightly resemble carrots except they are lighter and larger. Although cited information states:
“The parsnip originated in the Mediterranean region and originally was the size of a baby carrot when fully grown. When the Roman Empire expanded north through Europe, the Romans brought the parsnip with them. They found that the parsnip grew bigger the farther north they went.”
In a serving (about a cup sliced) there is about:
100 calories
24 grams of carbohydrates with 6.5 grams of dietary fiber.
Parsnips are a great source of vitamin C and seven different vitamin Bs. They also contain the essential mineral manganese and also Potassium, which is crucial to heart function. This really is a nutritional power punch, because they also contain magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper. WOW!
I am seeing information that says you can roast them as you would potatoes, but I wonder how good that would be. Have you tried that? I am sure you will read about it when I do. I really love roasted sweet potatoes now that I have finally found them. Parsnips might be my new love.
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: celery soup, parsnips, potatoes, rich in minerals, rich in vitamins, roasted, root vegetable | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 24, 2011
My friend made a comment on my celery post. She offered the recipe for celery soup (it’s in comment #5). Awesome, you know I am on a soup kick. There are a lot of recipes out there for celery soup, of course, but it is nice to have a recipe from a friend. A nice tried and true recipe. I made it tonight, but I made some adjustments.
Since I don’t like pepper, I only put a sprinkle in, but I think this might have kept it from having much flavor so I added the marjoram which — to me — tied the flavors together nicely.
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram
a sprinkle of black pepper
a sprinkle of salt
48 ozs chicken stock
Sautee onion in olive oil, then add the parsnips. Cook the parsnips for a few minutes. When the parsnips start to get tender, add the celery and spices, cook it for a few minutes. Then add the stock. Let it simmer for awhile, then let it come to a boil. I let it cool for a bit then blend in blender or with a stick blender.
This is becoming my standard method of cooking soup. I have just been changing the ingredients.
I will probably try the celery soup with an apple -as my friend mentions- one of these days. What about you? I would love to hear what you’ve come up with.
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: celery, celery soup, chicken stock, immersion blender, marjoram, parsnips, stick blender | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 21, 2011
May 21st is Armed Forces Day.
“President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.”
This day replaced “separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department — the Department of Defense.”
I believe that we sometimes forget the sacrifices that are made. Regardless of our beliefs or political inclinations, regardless of how we feel about war there are people who volunteer to protect us and this country. With their service they and their families make HUGE sacrifices. This day was created so that we could thank them all.
Other things might distract us from stopping and taking a moment to recognize the reality of the situation. If you have a chance thank someone in the military for all they have done.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Air Force, Armed Forces, Army, Marines, Mary 21 2011, May 21, military service, Navy, patriotic, thank military personnel | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 19, 2011
Today I taught Nia. It was not a Nia class, but a one-on-one session. No matter what I am teaching, a class, a playshop, a move, a song, an individual, I always learn things myself. It is amazing. Sometimes I am reminded of something. Today I was reminded of how fun it is to teach someone something new. To explain something in a way that allows them to understand. In some instances it might be the information is received and then there is still learning or “mastering” to be done, but they have the tool you gave them. In some instances they just have it. It just depends on what it is. But it is amazing.
When I am learning a new routine I would love to be able to take a perfect “product” into my class. But there is often a point where I know it is not perfect, but I can’t learn anymore by myself. So I take it into class and usually that first time in that one hour I learn more than (or just as much as) I had learned in the time it I spent getting to the point I where I took it into the class. Amazing. I might have actually said this very thing before in a previous post, so it might sound familiar to you. Or it could sound familiar because you have experienced something similar. Learning as you are teaching. I love that!
Well, it is May and for the past week, maybe two it has been cold and raining here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I don’t mind it so much. Especially since, as you may know, I have a new found love . . . making soups with my immersion blender! The last one I made I made it too spicy and I couldn’t eat it. I was very sad. But my husband loved it which was great because he was stuck eating the whole pot. I was thinking it would be the last batch before the warm weather comes in and I might have been right. The past two days have been pretty warm and very beautiful.
It seems like spring might actually finally be here.
During the cold one of my friends posted a picture of some of her flowers. She had cut them and brought them in the house and posted “At least it’s springtime inside the house.” She inspired me. It took me a few days, but I cut these from a tiny rose bush we have in our yard. These are VERY small roses. The bush is probably not even two feet high.
I just wanted to share. I wanted to share the beautiful flowers, the beauty in a sign of spring, the excitement of learning as you teach, the wonder and beauty of the world. I wanted to share and I wanted to say I am looking forward to living in the beauty that is, and learning as I go.
Posted in Flowers, Misc | Tagged: Bay Area Nia, beautiful flowers, beauty, emulsion blender use, Flowers, immersion blender, learning as you teach, May 2011, Nia, Nia Bay Area, Nia class, Nia Playshop, Nia routine, Nia Song, rain in May, rose bush, Roses, San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco Bay Area Nia, soups, spring, teaching Nia | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 17, 2011
I love tortillas. I love that they come in so many different flavors and ways. Depending upon your nutritional needs and health goals you can pretty much get almost any kind of tortilla you want. There are corn tortillas. They can be white corn, yellow corn, or corn with flavors. There are flour tortillas, wheat, whole wheat, multi grain, or white. There are low carb tortillas, low fat tortillas, spinach tortillas, tomato tortillas, fortified tortillas, high fiber tortillas, gluten-free tortillas, low-sodium tortillas, and the list goes on I am sure.
There are probably as many tortillas as there are ways you can cook with them. I think I have proclaimed my love for them before. Here is one of my favorite ways (why yes, yes I do have MANY favorite ways to eat a tortilla. And this is ONE! 🙂 ) This is a tortilla that I had warmed in the oven, then I put cheese, onions, and grape tomatoes on it. Then I heated up until the cheese was melted. Then I put the spinach on it. Then I put the mushrooms on it that I had cooked.
This is actually what my husband ate. Mine was not as colorful as I did not have the tomatoes or onions. And I cooked my spinach a little so it was wilted and wilted spinach does not make as pretty of a picture was the non-wilted kind.
Love this. Just looking at it I want to go have one. To me this is an easy meal. Put a bit of cheese and load a tortilla with veggies. Have more veggies on the side. Yay. Perfect!
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: Cheese, corn tortillas, easy meal, flour tortilas, grape tomatoes on it, health goals, low carb tortillas, low fat tortillas, multi grain, nutritional needs, onions, tortillas, Veggie Topped Tortilla, whole wheat | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 14, 2011
After my Los Gatos Nia Class yesterday I went to the store. I wanted to get some food to take to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life today. I grabbed a bunch of celery for a snack. I think people like celery. I don’t. But I didn’t realize how much I didn’t like it until I started cutting it and washing it. I do not like celery. As I was dealing with it I kept thinking, “What a useless vegetable.” Well, I don’t really think that is true. I mean it has to be good for something besides as a filler in casseroles, salads, and soups. So . . . . to the cloud. Ok not really because I don’t even know what that is, but I definitely decided to look it up. Since I am going to be gone all day today at the walk, I thought I would jot down my celery education as my Saturday blog post. Yay!
As I think back on so many things (soups, salads, and casseroles) that I didn’t like as a child I realize it is because they had celery in them. I realize when I cook these things myself, I love them because I don’t put celery in them. But, as I truly believed, celery is not useless. The stalk, root, leaves, and seeds can all be used.
Celery (the stalk) is a great source of vitamin K and vitamin C. A cup can provide you with 2.04 grams fiber. Do people normally eat a cup of celery when they eat celery?
Celery contains nutrients that have been linked with lowering blood pressure, reducing high cholesterol, and helpful in preventing cancer. The phthalides are the compounds that help with lowering blood pressure. The vitamin C helps with the immune system. I’ve posted before about how chronic inflammation is associated with many diseases, vitamin C help reduce inflammation by helping contain free radicals, so does the coumarins also found in celery.
According to Wiki celery is like peanuts in that people who are allergic to it can have a very bad reaction as people with peanuts do. As with peanuts people who are allergic to celery can get a reaction from something that has been used to process it. Stalks, seeds, and roots all have varying degrees of potency.
As I was cutting the celery, just the smell was bothering me. And it is like an onion, not as strong, but once it gets your hands you can’t wash it off. I probably washed my hands at least 10 times in the course of my preparation of snacks for the walk and it never came off. As I was cutting it I kept thinking, “Peppery.” Not sure why. Since I was getting so disgusted while dealing with it, I thought, “Is it REALLY that bad?” So I cut a small piece off to taste it. I put it in my mouth and bit down. Yup, it IS that bad. I spit it out. I just do not like celery.
I did have celery soup a couple of times and I did like that so I don’t know what that means. Except that I WILL be trying my hand at making the soup but I will not be adding celery to anything I make. Any fans out there? Do you eat it raw? Do you disguise the taste by filling it with cream cheese? Or peanut butter? Do you cook with it?
Thanks, as always, for letting me share. And thanks, in advance, for sharing back. 🙂
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: American Canser Society, casseroles with celery, celery salad, celery seed, celery soup, celery stalk, chronic inflammation, cream cheese, free radicals, Los Gatos Nia, lowering blood pressure, Nia, Nia class, Nia Los Gatos, peanut allergy, preventing cancer, Relay For Life, vitamin C, walk snacks | 18 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 12, 2011
I learned through Nia that feeling is different from sensing. Feeling is how I feel. It is an emotion. I feel happy. I feel sad. I feel emotion. Sensing is touch or a sensation in the body. I can feel happy, yet still sense discomfort. I can feel sad, yet still sense or experience a sense of Joy with my body. I try to remember to make the correct distinction between feeling with emotion and sensing with the body. I do continue to say “I feel” when I am talking about a sensation, but when I am paying attention I correct myself if I am able.
Recognizing this difference can help with really giving the body and/or the spirit/emotional self what it needs. If my body’s sensation is soreness do I need to rest it? Well I might feel like I need to rest because “I worked hard so I deserve to rest.” But I know, that for me and my body I need to move otherwise the soreness will just continue to get worse. If I feel I need to rest, actually in my spirit/emotional self then I might examine what it is I really need. If it is a feeling of requiring rest then maybe just not being physical is not enough, maybe I need a mental break. So just sitting at my computer working while not being physical won’t give me the same satisfaction.
While spirit and body ARE connected sometimes they need different things. Sometimes we don’t separate the two when they need different things. Sometimes we might assign emotion to a physical sensation. Sometimes our emotions might get in the way of giving our body what it really needs or vice versa. We might have a sense of discomfort, but we call it pain due to an emotion. There could also be the opposite, we feel happy and joyful so we push our physical body further than we should and with that comes the risk of injury.
Fascinating this journey we are on. I actually started typing this with a vague idea of feeling vs. sensing leading somewhere else. But this is where I ended up. Makes me think I will be re-visiting this feeling vs. sensing. For now, this is what I am sharing. Any thoughts you care to share on this?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: emotional self, emotions, feelings, Nia, physcial body, sensations, sensing, spirit, spirit body, spirit self | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 10, 2011
I heard about Nia about three years ago. I have been a Nia Teacher for almost two and a half years. Nia has been around since the early 80s, so about 28 years. Jazzercise has been around even longer than that, since 1969—if you can believe that. And Zumba, it has only been around 10 years. All of these dance workouts could have, at one point been considered exercise fads. But they have proven to be here to stay. This is a good thing. They will adjust and change over the years and probably be around for another 28, 42, and 10 years or more. But what about some of the fads?
A lot of exercise fads have been equipment. Do you remember the Thighmaster? The Gazelle sold by that huge guy with long hair (Tony Little)? The Ab -blaster, -rocker, -roller, you name it there was/is an “AB”-something or rather? What about the shake weight? What is up with that?
What about Tae Bo? Still around? Rollerblading? Yes, a lot of these things, these “fads” are still around. But at one point they were HUGELY popular—-seemed like EVERYONE was doing them (whatever the “IN” thing is at the time)–well that is what a fad is. But you know what is kinda cool? Some people continue to do them. So while not everyone you know is out rollerblading there are people who still do it. It is something they enjoy doing. It is how they get their exercise or just relax. There are people who still do Tae Bo. And if not Tae Bo one of the hundreds of other classes like it. Tae Bo might have started it. It was a fad, but it is still going on. Someone somewhere is still doing it.
What I am getting at is unless the fad is actually dangerous or unhealthy they are good. They get people moving. Most of the “machines” or equipment won’t actually do what they promise, but some of it can get people moving. If they are really worth anything they will be proven to be worth it. If they stay around for any length of time they will also adjust because in order to last they need to change as things change. We learn new things about exercise and the body all the time so a long-lasting workout or exercise machine/equipment will have to adapt. But in the mean time a lot of the fads just get people up and moving and that really is a good thing.
Have you bought anything you are brave enough to admit? Is there a fad that you joined in on, but then really love it so you still do it?
Posted in Exercise and Working Out | Tagged: Abblaster, abrocker, abroller, aerobic classes, aerobic workouts, Cardio classes, cardio workouts, dance workouts, exercise equiment, exercise fads, exercise machines, Gazelle, Jazzercise, Jazzercise class, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, Roller blading, rollerblading, shake weight, Tae Bo, Thighmaster, Zumba, Zumba class | 6 Comments »
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