Fantastic Offer!

For the month of May, I am offering a fantastic deal!

Sign up with me for 5 or more sessions of Personal Training in May, or a

Personalized Program and get a free 1 Year subscription to

Oxygen Magazine + 1 Free Session!

Contact Ruthann Sanders @ dsanders@xmission.com

Don't let this opportunity to jump start your summer, pass you by! Call today.

Best Health, Ruthann

Shopping Clean

Now that you have decided to make the necessary changes in your diet, and you are super excited about it, you need to go shopping.

First get rid of all that junk hiding in your cupboards, and closets, fridge and drawers....ugh!

Toss it! Doritos, Cookies, sugary cereals, doughnuts, cake mixes, pastries, and any other hidden goodies.

Here is how you shop.

1. Make the list of the ingredients you need for only the Clean Eating menu items you need.
2. Eat Before You Go! (It is a proven fact you will overbuy and purchase foods you wouldn't normally buy if you are hungry)

3. Hit the produce first, and the meats.

4. Shop alone. No kids bugging you for those impulse treats at the checkout counter.

5. Stick to your list. Dont be tempted to get things that look interesting or on sale.

6. Look for hidden sugar. This includes corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, honey, molasses, maple syrup, maltose, sucrose and artificial sweeteners.

7. If you don't, start reading labels.

8. Avoid Trans Fats.

9. Always look for the highest fiber content products.

Try these switchouts!

Ground beef for Ground Turkey
Pastry, Cakes, Cookies for Fresh Fruits, and Unsweetened Yogurt
Egg Yolks for Egg Whites
Chicken Wings, ribs, hot dogs for Turkey or Chicken Breast
Whole Milk, cream Half & Half for Skim Milk, low fat Soy Milk
Cheese, cheese products for Low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, goat cheese
Cream soups for Clear soups
Chips, cheesies, Crackers for Unsalted Nuts, Air popped popcorn
Processed Deli Meats for Sliced chicken or turkey
Bread for Flatbread, pita or Ezekiel bread
Sugar cereal for whole grains, oatmeal, shredded wheat
Cooking Oils, lard, butter for Non-fat cooking spray, unsaturated oils
Salad Dressings for Lemon Juice and Balsamic Vinegar
White rice for Brown, Black Rice

Best Health! Ruthann

Late Night Munchies

Munchies! CRAP! This is the worst thing for me...the munchies. I struggle with this more than anything else, late night hungries...especially on the weekends. What is up with weekend munching?
Here are some late night snacks that won't kill your progress.

• 1 medium apple; a handful of unsalted almonds, a glass of water or herbal tea.
• 1/2 cup of plain low-fat yogurt with half a banana, or 1/2 cup mixed berries, water and herbal tea.
• 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce and a scoop of protein powder, water or herbal tea
• 1/2 cup of mixed berries, and a handful of unsalted almonds, water or herbal tea
• 3 cups unbuttered, plain popcorn & a handful of plain unsalted nuts
• 1 cup raw veggies with 2 tbsp low fat hummus, water or herbal tea

I know that most people find money a pinch these days. However, investing in a bag of raw, unsalted almonds, is a great way to spend it. The protein you get from this power packed nut. Here are some of the health benefits of almonds:

*Almonds lower bad(LDL) cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease partly due to the anti-oxidant action of Vitamin E found in them.
*Including almonds in main meals lower the rise in blood sugar and insulin seen after eating. Tips:Add chopped roasted almonds to salads, vegetables, gravies, rice etc..
*Whole almonds (with skin) provide hearth healthy benefits. 20 Anti-oxidant flavonoids are found in almond skin.
*Nuts reduce your risk of gaining weight when consumed in moderation.
*Almonds are rich in protein. 1/4 cup of nuts have about 7 grams of protein.
*Almonds are good source of manganese, copper and riboflavin which help with energy production.
*Almonds are high in monounsaturated fat which is a health promoting fat associated with reduced risk of heart disease

Best Health! Ruthann

What are you doing for the next 3 hours???

How many times a day do you eat? Do you stick to the breakfast, lunch dinner? Or, do you skip breakfast and just grab a donut, then eat out for lunch and grab a fast dinner? Do you munch all day long? Take a minute and assess this.

Probably the best way to approach your daily food intake is to ask yourself this simple question, 'What am I going to be doing for the next 3 hours?'

Try and eat 5-6 small meals each day, incorporating this question.

Evaluate your day, and determine the calories you will need for each 3 hour block. For instance, if your daily intake is 3000 calories, and you divide that by 5, you will need 600 calories per meal. However, you do not always need that amount of calories for some blocks of time, where it could be utilized better somewhere else. The calories you consume at breakfast should be light, if all you are doing is driving to work, reading and sitting at your desk for that 3 hour block. However, following that block you may have some moderately intense activity and your calories should be bumped up for the next block of time, down for the next and so on. When you hit the block of time before heading for the gym, you should greatly increase your calorie intake to have adequate energy for your training. Choose low-glycemic foods, such as beans and fruits, which will stabilize your blood sugar levels for a longer period of time. Your 5th meal might be the block before bedtime, and it should be low in calories.

Thus, your total number of calories, should equal your daily intake, but would be scheduled in a way that you would consume a greater number of calories prior to the physical and mental demands of your day.

Also when planning your meals, use the 1,2,3 method. 1 part Fat, 2 parts Protein, 3 parts Carbs.

good luck....and best health, Ruthann

Energy-Boosting Veggie Wrap

A great snack to refuel your muscles after your workout.

1 lg whole wheat tortilla
2 tbsp hummus
1/2 c. sliced avocado
1/2 c. chopped bell pepper
1/8 c. chopped red onion
1/4 c. mesclun mix
1/8 c. shredded carrots
Microwave tortilla for 30 seconds. Spread hummus onto tortilla
and place remaining ingredients in center.
Fold down the top & bottom, and roll the sides. Cut in
half and serve.
360 cal
14 g fat
39 g carbs
12 g protein
200 mg sodium
11 g fiber

Stick to it.

You have been pretty good all week, watching your calories, getting your workouts in, drinking your water...and then it happens.....Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night,...the weekend.

Never fear! You can do this! With a little planning you can get through your weekends, without letting it all go and having to start again Monday morning. Remember to keep eating every few hours, and so get some good snacks on hand, plain yogurt, fresh fruits..if you will be out and about, then get some good quality protein bars or shakes for when you are on the go.

If you go to the movies on Friday nights, make sure you eat before you go, this should keep you from being hungry there. If being hungry isn't the problem, and you must have a snack there, opt for plain popcorn, no butter and a bottle of water.

Love sunday morning breakfast, me too! Make a big pot of clean eating porridge and egg white omelets for the whole family!

Be excited about your dinner times, plan out some great clean eating recipes, and if you have to have a dessert, try this, sooo yummers!

Fat free chocolate pudding, (I like the ones in the cooler section of the grocery store, the dark chocolate raspberry is the best...then add one or two Chocolate or plain Pizzelle's (Italian waffle cookies 6/150 calories!) and a squirt of whipped cream.

Try these great meals for dinner this weekend too!

White Bean Chicken or Turkey Chili
1 lb dry great northern beans or white kidney beans,
rinsed and picked over.
4 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 c yellow onions, chopped
3 lg garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken, or turkey breast, grilled, cubed
1 tsp sea salt

Place beans in soup kettle or dutch oven. Add enough water to cover beans by 2 in. and bring to a boil. Boil 5 min. Remove from heat and let stand covered, for 1 hr. Drain and rinse. Discard liquid.
Place beans in a slow cooker. Add the chicken broth, onions, garlic, seasonings. Cover and cook on low heat for seven hours or until beans are cooked to not quite tender. Add the chilies, chicken, or turkey, and sea salt. Cook another hour until beans are tender. Serves 6-8.
442 cal/ serving
50 g protein
4 g fat
51 g carbs

Come on, say it out loud....Cellulite.

Ok, let's be brutally honest here. There is no magic cream, gel or for the Harry Potter fans in my life, spell, =) that will get rid of the dimpled fat deposits under the skin that we lovingly refer to as cellulite. I pray that my readers have not spent their hard earned money on these gimicks. These products do not work. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about why.

The commercially created name, 'cellulite' is just another word for fat. There, that's it. Cellulite isn't a special kind of fat just for women, or found just in certain areas of the body, it is just fat. It is, lumpy fat deposits straining against irregular bands of connective tissue.

Picture if you will a handful of marbles. Now drop those marbles into a nylon stocking....that is how the fat behaves. The 'fat' marbles press against the tissue making a dimpled affect in it.

Cellulite behaves no differently than other fat. It is burned off just like other fat and will disappear with a clean eating diet and regular exercise.

So! toss out the jars and bottles of magic cream, and jump on your treadmill with a big bottle of water, instead. Best health always, Ruthann