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Tag Archives: The Healthy Latina
Fitness Glo: Redefining the modern workout
A workout can be done at any place, at any time and at any level of comfort. It’s easy to forget this with our busy, hectic lives but it is true. Workouts can be done alone, with a partner or with la familia. The most important thing is to keep moving and keep making progress. Finding ways to make life more simple in the fitness aspect while still challenging your body is possible. In this digital age, there is a website for everything; even a virtual gym.
FitnessGlo
The online fitness website FitnessGlo is simplistic; attend virtual fitness classes wherever you are, at any level, using the fitness equipment you already have. Facil, no? You can workout with a favorite trainer, choose the duration, schedule a class to attend and create a workout “playlist” to organize your videos. Although a membership to the website isn’t free, the cost is only $12 a month, much less than a typical monthly gym membership with the convenience to workout anywhere.
Login and get started
As a runner, I don’t particularly enjoy group classes. I like to do things on my own, but I love the aspect of having a coach. With FitnessGlo, I was able to customize workouts to fit areas I wanted to focus on during my own time. With Spring just around the corner, I created an Abs playlist to isolate my core and gain strength.
My Glorious Abs playlist just in time for Spring trips
With all exercise programs, a good coach is essential to success. I need someone to hold me accountable and keep me motivated. Each coach has a variety of classes so you can choose your favorites and take classes that meet your needs, or you can mix and match and try them all. Picking workouts I wanted to do and creating playlists to incorporate multiple, quick classes let me be in charge of the workout and do exactly what I felt like doing.
Not quite a fitness model, but having a good time helps!
Giveaway!
For the first ever giveaway on The Healthy Latina blog, you can win a free 30 day membership to FitnessGlo and get your fitness on track when it’s most convenient for you! Comment below with one fitness goal you’re working toward this year and changes you’re making to reach it. One lucky entry will be randomly selected to win!
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign. All opinions are my own.
Top 6 Latina health bloggers of 2012
Voxxi News just released their list of Top 6 Latina health bloggers of 2012! And guess who’s on the list??? The Healthy Latina! So honored to be mentioned with these other amazing bloggers and inspirational Latina women. 2012 has been a great year! Take a look and support these other great Latina health bloggers!
- Helen Troncoso blog by Helen Troncoso
- Food For Thought NYC by Maribel Marmol
- Autism Wonderland by Lisa Quiñones-Fontanez
- Holdin’ Out for a Hero by Laura Tellado
- Latina Wellness by Cynthia Santiago
Have you had your flu shot?
With Holiday shopping in full swing, the first snowfall coming down and shorter days with giant to-do lists; gripe (influenza) season is back early and here to stay! Although Abuelita’s famous flu tricks have worked in the past, don’t let the flu slow you down. A flu vaccine is the best defense against all flu viruses. Make sure you and your family get vaccinated this year to stay healthy and avoid getting or spreading the flu.
Who needs a flu shot?
Anyone over six months of age should receive a flu shot unless otherwise specified by their physician. The flu can make anyone sick, but some people have a higher risk of contracting the virus and are at a greater risk for complications like hospitalization to more serious conditions and even death. These groups include:
- Adults 50 years of age and older
- Children younger than five years of age, but especially younger than two
- People with chronic lung disease (such as asthma and COPD), diabetes (types 1 and 2), heart disease, neurologic conditions, and certain other chronic conditions
- Those who are morbidly obese (body-mass index of 40 or greater)
- Pregnant women and women within the first two weeks after delivery
Did you know?
- There is more than one type of Flu virus. The flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common this season.
- You should get vaccinated every year. You need to get vaccinated with this season’s vaccine; last’s season’s flu shot will no longer protect you.
- Some flu seasons are worse than others. Between 1976 and 2006, yearly flu-related deaths in the United States ranged from 3,000 to 49,000 people.
- An estimated 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population is infected with the flu, and more than 200,000 people may be hospitalized during a flu season.
Where to get vaccinated
Many locations offer flu shots at a reasonable price, or even free. Visit your local physician, clinic, health department, pharmacy, college health center and workplace or school to get vaccinated.
Keep you and your family health and safe this flu season. Get your flu vaccination today.
This post was sponsored by the National Influenza Vaccination Disparities Partnership.
Latina Teen Suicide Rates On the Rise – What You Need to Know
Here’s my latest article for Latina magazine on Latina suicide and depression rates. I was blindly unaware of what’s happening within the Latina community and I hope we can begin the discussion on how we can all make a difference. We need to focus on our relationships with our teens: sisters, daughters and neighbors, and let them know we are there for support and love. Please share this with anyone you know who is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide.
The Lazy Chica’s Guide to Fitness via Latina Magazine
Check out my latest article for Latina Magazine on low-impact exercises that will help you ease into a workout routine at home.
There are days when heading to the gym con mucho entusiasmo seems impossible. For those days, the Lazy Chica’s Guide to Fitness is the answer! Try these fun workout programs at home that focus on low-impact and toning movements perfect for any budget. Forget the regular workout routine and have some fun!
For the full article, head over to Latina.com
Abuelita’s Avocados: The Healthy Recipe I Treasure
When you’re looking for a lighter meal that incorporates all of your Abuelita’s favorite flavors, skip the barbacoa tacos and endless toppings. Try this Chicken and Lime Soup with Avocado recipe instead. This low-fat soup with delicious chicken, rice and creamy avocados has a kick that will remind you of your Abuelita’s homemade salsa and is the perfect post-workout meal. With healthy fats and omega-3, avocados can benefit healthy skin and trim your waistline.
Chicken and Lime Soup with Avocado
Ingredients:
1 lime
2 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced (possibly seeded depending on your taste)
3 cups of water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 cup of white or brown rice
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Avocado from Mexico
Directions:
In a deep pan, over medium/high heat, drizzle the EVOO and add the two chicken breasts. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper to bring out the flavor and brown the chicken for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add your garlic, onion and jalapeño to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the 3 cups of water to the pan and the chicken bouillon cube. Stir in the Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper and squeeze half of the lime juice into the mixture. When the liquid begins to boil, add the rice and your chicken back into the pan. Allow to boil for a minute or two and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover lightly with a lid.
Set your kitchen timer for about 30 minutes and allow the chicken to cook thoroughly. During that time, halve your avocado and slice it. Slice the rest of your lime as well. When the timer goes off, remove your chicken from the pan and check to make sure it is cooked all the way through. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss back into the soup and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve the soup immediately with a lime wedge and a happy portion of avocado.
My cooking skills are far superior to my food photography skills… trust me
Disclosure: This is a sponsored blog post as an Avocados from Mexico blogger. As always, all opinions, ideas and stories are clearly my own.
Fitness and Pinterest
If you’ve joined the Pinterest revolution, you understand how important those Saturday morning pinning sessions can be for your wardrobe, DIY projects and your dream wedding planning (that you will forever hide from your novio). If you haven’t discovered the wondrous collection of organized pinning, I highly recommend that you do! Pinterest is a great place to organize and manage your health and exercise plan. Where else could you collect all your favorite fitness articles, healthy recipes and inspirational motivation?
Pinterest- The basics
Pinterest is a unique “invite only” social media site that acts as a virtual cork board for anything you find on the internet. Any article, website or item can be made into a pin as long as there is a photo accompanying it. This site is ideal for online organization and perfect for visual learners.
Health Inspiration
Get motivated by pinning what it is that inspires you. Is it a picture of the new bikini you ordered a size smaller? Your favorite athlete? The wedding dress you’re trying to squeeze into? Being able to visualize your goals can help keep you on track and motivated through your next workout.
Products
Organize your wishlist of workout gear you’d love to own by pinning them to a products board. Set small fitness goals and when you reach them, reward yourself! It’s perfectly justified because you’re investing in your health. You deserve it, Chica!
Physical Activity
Nothing is better than revamping that old workout routine with some new moves that work different muscles. There are thousands of pins that offer unique physical activity plans and programs for free. Try something new! When you’ve hit a plateau in your workout, you need to change it up in order to see results.
Healthy Recipes
Remember that old dusty health cookbook you bought in 2007? Times have changed and the new cookbook collective has emerged online in the most convenient form. Pin recipes and meal plans from any website into your board and start slimming! Eventually, you’ll be organized enough to plan out your week and following your meal plan will be a cinch.
When you request an invite from Pinterest, it can take around 2 weeks to a month to receive an invite, but I have a few left! Comment with your e-mail and I’ll send one over to you! And if you need a little Latina health inspiration for your boards, check out The Healthy Latina pins.
Happy pinning Healthy Latinas!
Modifiable health risk behaviors: Tobacco Use
Tobacco use never starts out with someone smoking an entire pack of cigarettes in one sitting. It’s the sneaky result of what began as the occasional cigarette among friends or the old “it was just one of those days” and spiraled into daily cravings. Tobacco use is part three in the four part series on modifiable health risk behaviors.
Tobacco
When we think of tobacco, we’re not just talking cigarettes, but all forms of tobacco including cigars, dip, chew, snuff, snus, herbal cigarettes, pipe, hookah, electronic cigarettes and rolling tobacco.
What’s at risk?
On every tobacco product, there is a surgeon general warning stating the health risks associated with each product. Take a look at yours. What’s it telling you? What isn’t it telling you? Smokers are at an increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer, COPD, and premature death. If this list isn’t enough to change your mind about smoking, make your own list to help you quit. Keep it in a place where you can always see it; your wallet, at your desk, or as your phone background.
The Non-Smokers/ Users
If you’ve already made the decision not to smoke or use tobacco, you’re ahead of the game! Non-smokers have a significantly lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer and other conditions than smokers and tobacco users.
Secondhand smoke
Whether it’s from a family member, a friend or co-worker, secondhand smoke causes about 46,000 heart disease deaths and 3,400 lung cancer deaths among U.S. nonsmoking adults every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Preventing secondhand smoke
While it may seem like a good option, opening up a car window is not protecting anyone in the vehicle from secondhand smoke. Maintaining your home and car as a smoke-free environment will help eliminate the chances for secondhand smoke, especially among your children.
Although many restaurants, cities and states have eliminated indoor smoking, many still allow smoking in public. Even if there is a designated non-smoking area, this does not limit your exposure to secondhand smoke.
Don’t allow people to smoke around you or your children and be sure their schools are a tobacco-free environment.
Quitting
The decision to quit smoking is a big one. It has to be entirely yours and you have to be committed to making a change in your behaviors. It won’t be easy, but no one’s telling you to go pavo frio. Many companies and organizations support your decision to become tobacco free and offer resources for you and your family members.
Check out the CDC.gov resources on tobacco free support and their educational campaign.
You can also call 1.800.QUIT.NOW (784.8669) to get connected to a helpline in your state and receive a free quit plan.
For more quitting materials, check out this list from Tobacco Free Kids in Spanish and English featuring the National Cancer Institute, National Women’s Health Information Center, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and more.
-The Healthy Latina
Modifiable health risk behaviors: Poor Nutrition
Continuing the four part series on modifiable health risk behaviors, in Part 2 we examine poor nutrition!
What are modifiable health risk behaviors?
Modifiable health risk behaviors are the behaviors we engage in and we have the power to change.
Poor Nutrition
Diet is the major aspect of our life where we have control. We each have personal preferences from the types of food we like to our specific eating habits. Somehow it seems like todos nuestro ninos, novios y esposos no le gustan verduras como brócoli. What happens if you can’t get those picky eaters to get their veggies despite all your effort?
We’re all different and we don’t all enjoy the same things. One thing to remember is that our differences don’t give us an excuse to ignore the nutritional value of our diets.
Nutrition isn’t just about eating healthy in order to lose weight or to maintain your dress size, it’s important to your body functions down to a cellular level. When your cells are nourished properly, your body performs at a high level. When you cells aren’t nourished properly, your body suffers and you can feel it; it’s that dragging feeling you get after you ate too many chorizo con huevos breakfast burritos and just want to lie down for a nap.
Nutritional Needs
Water- If you feel thirsty, your body is already low on water. Have you heard that before? H2O is your best friend and an essential component to your overall nutrition. Every cell in your body needs agua and without it, you may feel dizzy, nauseous or even pass out. The recommended amount of water is usually 6-8 glasses a day to avoid dehydration. Dehydration can become a serious condition very quickly, so drink up! You’ll notice clearer and more radiant skin when you do!
Vitamins & Minerals- I’m not necessarily talking about daily multi-vitamins and dietary supplements, but about vitamins and minerals from the foods you consume. Here is a great list of what you need and how to get it from natural sources. Also, be wary of any dietary supplements and vitamins you are taking. Unfortunately, those expensive vitamins tu hermana recommended may not be effective and could be harmful to your health. Did you know that “Manufacturers and distributors do not need FDA approval to sell their dietary supplements”? Be very careful and read all labeling before deciding on a product.
Food Groups- Remember that time we talked about nutrition? To recap, the foods you need are divided into grains, oils, fats, proteins, fruits, vegetables and dairy. The USDA recommends varying your vegetables, eating more fresh fruits, making half of your grains whole, lean proteins, and consuming calcium rich and low in fat dairy. You want to limit your oils and fats, but make sure you don’t eliminate them completely from your diet.
Dietary Fat- Do you know the difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat? Knowing which types of dietary fats are superior to others can help you from gaining weight and feeling sluggish. Fat is actually important to your diet and you need to consume small portion in order to keep your skin, hair and cholesterol levels healthy. Fats also play a major role as a source of energy and helps your body absorb vitamins.
Caloric Content- Have you ever tried counting calories to lose weight? If you have, you know how frustrating it is when you’ve hit your daily limit and you’re still hungry! Caloric content can be a great resource for maintaining and losing weight if it’s managed in the right way. The key is eating foods that will give you energy and keep you feeling full longer. Foods that are high in fiber and low in fat will easily become your best friend! The type of foods are really what matter when it comes down to caloric content.
Change your behavior and modify your health risks.
-The Healthy Latina
The Healthy Latina 