Personal Training Tip- Heel pain or plantar fasciitis can be the result of a bone spur or inflammation of the plantar fascia, the firm tendonlike band of tissue that attaches the muscles of the arch to the heel.  Overuse and lack of shock absorption is the culprit, often made worse by a flat foot or a foot with a high arch.  I reccomend calf  and arch stretching, try to hold for 20 seconds 2-3 times a day.  Do arch strengthening (put soup cans on a towel on the floor, pull toward you with your toes).  Try heel gel pads and over-the-counter inexpensive inserts before taking the plunge to an expensive custom orthotic.  When your at home try arch massage with a golf or tennis ball, this helps stretch and massage the tendon.  Good Luck! 

Blueberries and strawberries are two of the foods highest in antioxidants, rinse them off and they're ready to eat.  Put them on cereal or simply pop them in your mouth.  One of my favorite snacks is low fat cottage cheese with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.  It's great in morning or as a late afternoon snack.    

If you are going to have pizza, try to stick to the thin crusts and go easy on the cheese. The cooked tomatoes are actually a great source of lycopene. If you pick your toppings carefully - red, green, and yellow peppers, olives and mushrooms - you can get a variety of vitamins too!

A common misconception with exercise is- "If I can't workout at least 2  times per week then what's the point working out at all?"  There's a huge benefit to working out once a week compared to nothing at all.  First you have to understand the hardest part is getting started!  Making the effort to change your normal daily routine to include 30 minutes of exercise is a challenge for many people, even if it's only once a week.  So by including one exercise session a week,  your  building the foundation of a major lifestyle change.  The idea is to make it a part of your life not a chore that you dread and hate doing.   Getting into a consistent routine is much more important in the long run than working out heavily for a couple of weeks and than burning out . 
So start small, a simple walk in the morning or a jog at night and learn to appreciate what a little exercise can do for both mind and body. 

Squats is one of the best lower body exercises you can do and you don't have to go to the gym to do them.  This exercise is a compound movement meaning your using multiple muscles to perform the exercise.  The idea is to incorporate as many compound exercises as possible this helps maximize your workout. 

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.