Gotta eat breakfast!

You hear it all the time... "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  And it is so correct!  After a nights sleep your body is in fasting mode, it hasn't eaten anything for 8 hours or so.  When you wake up, it needs fuel to start the day.  If it doesn't get this important fuel, your mind and body doesn't work as efficiently as it would with a tummy full of healthy food!  It may be hard to eat in the morning for you, it is for me.  I just have a hard time thinking about eating something.  It just doesn't sound good yet.  I pack a little bowl of oatmeal with me to work and by the time I get there I can finally think about eating something.  What about the kiddo's?  They HAVE to eat something in the morning!  It is way to far until lunchtime without any food!  Here is an article from a great blog I follow.  If you have a facebook account, you can "like" them and they will update you on great information and recipes.  If you don't you can also follow their blog.  Now, go grab a healthy snack!

Make Time for Breakfast

by Dayle Hayes, MS RD LD

As a mom, you may have often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After years of scientific research, it turns out that you may actually be right.

For kids, eating in the morning is essential for optimal school performance and overall health. Kids (and adults) who eat breakfast tend to do better at school (and work) and have healthier weights and cholesterol levels as well.
To refuel and rev-up your family for an energetic day, plan a power breakfast.

Plan Ahead

For most people, time is the biggest obstacle to eating in the morning. Here are three tried-and-true tips for beating the breakfast rush hour:

• Get ready the night before: Set the table with bowls and spoons for cereal. Get out a pan for pancakes or a blender for smoothies. Slice up some fruit and cheese.
• Keep it simple: Fancy breakfasts are wonderful when you have the time. On busy days, a sandwich, a slice of leftover veggie pizza, or low-fat yogurt with fruit work just fine.
• Pack to-go: If there’s no time to eat at home, take your nutrition to-go. Pack a brown bag breakfast for the road – or see if your school offers a breakfast program.

Include Protein/Carbs

• Carbohydrates: A high-octane carbohydrate energizes your body and brain for a busy day. Think cereal (hot or cold), bread, dinner rolls, tortillas, or even leftover rice or pasta. Choose whole grains for an extra nutrition punch (more fiber and nutrients).
• Protein: This is the missing link in most morning meals. Protein is what we need to go strong until lunch. Think a slice of Canadian bacon, an egg, a slice of lean deli meat or low-fat cheese, a container of low-fat yogurt, a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese, or a handful of nuts.
• Fruit: It’s quick and easy to add color and nutrition to your breakfast with your favorite fruits. Think fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit – like apples, berries, pears, bananas, grapefruit, kiwi, mangoes, oranges, or pineapple. Another great option is avocado's. They are high in unsaturated (or good") fat and contain vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin and beta carotene, which forms vitamin A.

Eat well in the a.m. and you and your family will be on the nutrition fast track for a high-energy day. Check out the Power Up with Breakfast tip sheet for more breakfast ideas.

http://www.eatright.org/kids/

Happy Valentine's Day!

 “The name of the game is taking care of yourself, because you're going to live long enough to wish you had.”
-Grace Mirabella

February is known for being the month to celebrate Valentine's day, but did you know it is also is Heart Health month?  How is your hearth health?  Do you know your blood pressure and/or your cholesterol levels?  These are two important numbers, along with others, to help you know your heart health.  Cholesterol plays a major role in a person's heart health. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke. So what are the proper levels for total blood cholesterol?  The American Heart Association suggests the following:

Total Cholesterol Level	Category
Less than 200 mg/dL	Desirable level that puts you at lower risk for coronary heart disease. A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher raises your risk.
200 to 239 mg/dL	Borderline high
240 mg/dL and above	High blood cholesterol. A person with this level has more than twice the risk of coronary heart disease as someone whose cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL.

HDL Cholesterol Level	Category ("Good" Cholesterol)
Less than 40 mg/dL (for men) Less than 50 mg/dL (for women)	Low HDL cholesterol. A major risk factor for heart disease.
60 mg/dL and above	High HDL cholesterol. An HDL of 60 mg/dL and above is considered protective against heart disease.

LDL Cholesterol Level ("bad")	Category
Less than 100 mg/dL	Optimal
100 to 129 mg/dL	Near or above optimal
130 to 159 mg/dL	Borderline high
160 to 189 mg/dL	High
190 mg/dL and above	Very high

How do you reduce your cholesterol?  You need to reduce the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and total fat in your diet! If you have high cholesterol, it's very important to monitor and control high blood pressure, avoid tobacco, eat healthy, exercise regularly, & maintain a healthy weight.

Taking these steps will help to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. This may not be enough, and you may have to visit with your doctor to see if medicine is right for you along with a healthy lifestyle.

Go to http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/  for more information. REMEMBER!  We need to start being PRO-active with our health and we need to be responsible for ourselves.

Welcome!

Hello to everyone!  I would first like to introduce myself and talk to you a little bit about what I am planning for the future.  My name is Aspen Incashola, many of you know me by that name or by my maiden name, Aspen Ruhkala.  I have lived here in St. Ignatius all of my life.  I moved to Missoula for four years in the late 1990's while attending the University of Montana but moved back to Mission after graduating to be closer to my husbands job.  After returning, I worked for the St. Ignatius school district, first, substituting in the class room, coaching high school girls volleyball, and eventually I took a full time position in the middle school as the Gear Up liaison.  About 10 years ago, I changed jobs and starting working with my father at the dental office in town and have been there ever since.  I also, in the last few years, became interested in the fitness field and am currently a certified ACE (American Council on Exercise) Personal Trainer.  This past year, I have been helping coordinate the Wellness Program for the St. Ignatius schools, and that is how I get to meet you! 

One of my missions this school year for the wellness program is to get more information out to the parents/guardians of the students of St. Ignatius.  Through this blog, I hope to reach many of you and I hope the information presented through out the year can help you help the future of our country!  The one thing I want you all to remember is that I am a great office manager and fitness instructor, but I am NOT a great writer, so please forgive me for my lack of writing skills!

If you ever would like to contact me for anything, please feel free to email me at: fsquaredfitness@gmail.com.  I check it everyday and I will get back to you!