Dear Valentine,

by Kris Pitcher

Dear Valentine,
You are amazing and I am so glad to be spending my life with you! I am so proud of your sense of self and of the way you feel so self-assured. Your strength of self shows in the way you walk.

It shows in the way you laugh and in the way you speak. It shows in the way you share your sense of humor. Your strength shows in the way you share yourself with the ones you love.

Your strength shows in the way you care for yourself. In the way you value your body and your soul. Your strength shows in the way you are unwilling to give yourself anything but the best.

It shows in the way you go after what you want in life. Your strength of character shows in the way you treat yourself and others. And it shows in the way you see yourself too.

Dear Valentine, on this day, love yourself the way I love you...with my entire being. Happy Valentine's Day!

Love,
ME!

The Sauce You Should Be HOT For!

by Kris Pitcher

If there was a magic sauce, this would be it! This is the sauce you should be HOT for! It's Sriracha sauce. Yes, it's on every Asian table...and my table too. Here's why.

It's on our table because we like hot sauce. But, there's a whole lot of good stuff in that bottle with the rooster on it. It's made from chilies and garlic. Both of these ingredients have great properties.

Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties. It's also a natural antibiotic which the body doesn't become resistant to (like it does to pharmaceuticals). Garlic helps us manage our blood pressure and cholesterol and has an antioxidant effect against free radicals. It also protects against vampires.

Just kidding about the vampires. Chilies have the wonderful capsaicin. This provides the heat to the chili. It actually increases the generation of heat in the body causing a thermogenic effect. It increases our metabolism. How's that for HOT!

The capsaicin also has an anti-inflammatory property. It also helps clear our sinuses. It does that by increasing the secretions and clearing nasal mucus. The anti-bacterial properties of capsaicin help to combat chronic sinus infections.

Magic sauce! So, if you're not HOT for Sriracha sauce you need to give it a try. It has a mild flavor, for being hot sauce. It's great on lots of different vegetables and meats. You can find it in most any grocery store.

Heat things up with the benefits of garlic and chili, spice things up to increase your metabolism, decrease inflammation and take away the sniffles. Cheers for hot sauce!

Hold On!

by Kris Pitcher

I see this a lot. I've seen it in every gym I have ever been at. It's in every city, in every state, and it stands the test of time. It's bad behavior, it's poor, poor posture. Now, hold on!

That's right! Holding on. What? Holding on to the hand rails of the cardio machines. Did you know that was bad behavior? I've seen such poor ergonomics that I have had graphic fantasies of ladies arms being riped from their shoulder sockets and blood spurting every direction and covering all of the other patrons. Cartoonish fantasies.

You know who I'm talking about. She's got the treadmill up to incline level 12, and she's walkaling about 4.2 mph, but she is holding on to the handrail for dear life and it is rocking her body side to side so violently I'm afraid her arms are going to pull off her body.

Here's why it's bad behavior. Not because of my graphic novel, Itchy & Scratchy style imagination, it decreases intensity and energy expenditure by approximately 30%. 30%!!! That's one third! The reason is we are no longer bearing our body weight.

So while the calorie count on the machine might boast that she's burned 350 calories during her exercise...she's really only burned 245. And she's going to need new shoulders.

Handrails are important and should be used for balance, any time you are new to a machine, or if you have balance issues. They are also the place where heart rate sensors are placed. But you should not be holding on during your cardio.

What we need to do is slow the machine down and walk at a pace that we can keep up with, at an incline that doesn't make us slide off the back. We need to be able to keep up with the machine. Make sense? Once we can with no problem, go up a level.

No leaning, no holding on...unless you want to give up 30% of your energy expenditure. No thanks! You won't see me leaning on the stairmaster, or holding on to the handles of the treadmill. I need every bit of expenditure I can get. Now, stand up and get your cardio in!

Mirror Mirror

by Kris Pitcher

Mirror, mirror, on the wall

I can't see myself at all.

I see kankles, fat & flab...

I see someone sick and sad.

Self reflection can be a cold, hard process. Part of the problem is your mirror is mean. I don't even have a full length mirror in the house. It's dangerous I know. Sometimes I worry about my fashion choices. But, no mirror? What are you gonna do?

None of us see our reflection accurately. If you do, good for you. You've come out of life unscathed, without damage. We need you. But the rest of us are damaged goods. We see ourselves through carnival mirrors that distort the reflection coming back to our eyes. 

Many of us just choose never to look at all. We just pretend if we don't look at our naked bodies...they don't exist. Hmm. Maybe not a good plan. Besides, I think if we looked with gentler eyes we might just be able to stand up to the mean mirror.

If you were to stand in the mirror, what would you see that you actually like? Can you identify something without picking yourself apart? We tend to do that...pick ourselves into pieces. My butt, my arms, my stomach, my thighs, my ankles, my feet, my this and my that. What about seeing yourself as a whole person?

If you were to ask someone you really trust to take a look at you (no, not naked) and tell you what they see. What would that person say? I'm willing to bet they wouldn't pick you apart. They might say something about your shape, about your stature, or your style.

We look at ourselves so often in some cases that we don't see changes. We might think nothing is changing when really things are changing. Maybe we're looking in just one place, but things are happening somewhere else. We lose objectivity. But if you were to ask the person who sees you in the shower, they'd say - yeah, things are changing!

If the mirror is a problem, take a break. Get an objective opinion from someone who you trust. Take a step back and see yourself as a whole person. Recognizing that we do lose objectivity in the mirror is important in knowing you're not crazy. You're just normal. Now, look again stand up to that mean mirror and see what you see.

On Grace & Age

by Kris Pitcher

It's a good time to reflect on grace and age. My philosophy about age is we get better with it. We can't defy it, we should embrace it. With it comes wisdom, and calm in knowing yourself.

Sure, a few grey hairs here or there. But I know much younger women who are much greyer. I keep waiting for more grey hair to fill in the dirty blond and lighten things up on their own. They're slow to cooperate.

A wrinkle here, a crow's foot there...however, sunscreen has been my daily friend for a good 27 years. Your best age defense is a broad spectrum sunscreen worn all year round on your face, neck and hands. Now I do sound a little wise.

I've spent as many years taking good care of myself as the years I didn't know better. For that I am smarter, wiser, more sage. So as the years pass I learn and I do indeed get better.

I know more about what I will tolerate, and what I will not. I know more about who I am, and about what makes me laugh. I'm comfortable with my self. These are the things that create grace with age. The things that give a sense of calm and celebration.

I know much older women who are filled with grace and sense of self. They are beautiful and strong, unapologetic, funny and powerful. Those are the women I look to as guides along the journey of aging.

As I welcome this 42nd year today, I have nothing but a calm sense of celebration. I look forward to what this year brings, and to getting better with it. Cheers to grace and age! And happy birthday to me!

Log It!

by Kris Pitcher

How are things going with those New Year's plans any way? We're into February...and this is make it or break it time. Many of us are making some great changes with our exercise. We're walking with the ladies, or we're hitting the gym still. But, we haven't quite mastered the food. Not exactly? Right?

With heart shaped Peeps on the shelves of the stores and giant boxes of chocolates awaiting as Valentine's Day approaches, we've got some room for improvement in our eating habits. One great place to go back to is our food log. That's right, log it!

This tool works. You know it works if you've used it before. And if you've strayed away...that's why your slacks are snug. Whether you use something online, or carry around a little notebook - logging your food is very powerful.

It's powerful because you are accountable to everything that goes in. And when that's the case, you think twice. Licorice? I'll have to write that down...maybe I'll skip it this time! And off you go back on track.

A hassle? How is accountability to what's important to you a hassle? Takes too much time? Aren't you going to sit down for that meal or snack anyway? Just pull out your smarty pants phone, or tiny notebook and write it down. Excel happy? Make a weekly sheet and check things off, just leave room for extras in case you make any decisions on the fly.

Use the tool that helps you feel in control, stay on track, and stick to your guns. Use your food log. It's your power tool! When you put this tool to use in conjunction with your exercise efforts...look out! Things are going to happen.

Everything that goes in, gets logged. It's that easy. It's the most amazing tool. And it's the tool that will take you to the next level! Go on now, log it!

Overloaded

by Kris Pitcher

What is our greatest advantage can also be our greatest curse. Information. It's everywhere, and at our finger tips in seconds flat. From magazine articles, to billboards, to TV shows boasting panels of doctors we have information overload.

The challenge can be sifting out what's useful, what's applicable, and what's unadulterated. Let's face it, being bombarded with useless information is tiresome. Feeling like we need to wade through it all is stressful and time consuming. And for what? To store a bunch of stuff we didn't need to know in our over taxed brain.

In terms of health and fitness information determining what's applicable can be confusing. Information derived for a 180 pound man is not going to be applicable to me as a 135 pound woman. I need to be able to sort through that. I can't just go about taking the same amount of protein powder or creatine just because an article tells me to.

Consider the source. You've heard that before. And it makes perfect sense when we're trying to sort out TMI ("too much information" for anyone who's been under a rock). If an "article" or "study" has been published or paid for by a company producing a product who stands to gain from the outcome...forget it. The information is useless.

A study needs to be conducted by scientists who know how to design a study and have nothing to gain but publication. It needs to be peer reviewed, and published in an actual journal respected by the industry. It can't be fluff. Every one's got an opinion. For every proponent, you'll find an equally passionate opponent.

Opinions are just that when it comes to information. Take it, or leave it. Determine reliable sources and choose where you get your information. You don't have to overload yourself with constant streams of it.

The basics work, they aren't going to change. As science progresses large organizations adopt new protocols. You won't miss them. It will be big news. In the mean time I hope you'll keep coming back to Fitness Bliss, where I always share the news...and always have an opinion.