Salmon (or Steelhead) Hash with Herb Vinaigrette Recipe

balanceguru — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:13:24 +0000

Recipe: Poached Salmon Hash with Herb Vinaigrette

Ingredients

3/4 pound salmon or steelhead trout filet
1 red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced dill or thyme & rosemary combo
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked potatoes (like Simply Potatoes)
4 eggs and 4 whites, cooked over easy (or to preference) for serving

Cut the salmon crosswise into 2-inch strips. In a medium saucepan of boiling water, poach the salmon until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and break into large flakes.

Roast the red bell pepper directly over a low gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until lightly charred all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes. Peel, core and seed the pepper. Cut into 1/4-inch dice. (or take the short cut of buying roasted red peppers in a jar)

In a mini food processor or using a stick blender, puree 1 tablespoon of the dill (or other herbs) with the lemon juice and vinegar. In a slow, steady stream, add 2 tablespoons and process until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Brown the potatoes and season with salt & pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the roasted bell pepper, flaked salmon, and the remaining tablespoon of herbs. Season with pepper.

In the cast-iron skillet, add the hash mixture in an even layer and fry over moderately high heat until golden and crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the hash and turn; continue frying until golden and crisp all over, about 8 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to plates. Top the hash with the cooked to order eggs (1 egg + 1 white per adult), drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve at once. Serves 4.

Breeding Hunchbacks with Mobile Technology

balanceguru — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:12:12 +0000

What are we doing to our posture?

In this day and age of such wonderful hand-held technology we are de-volving our upright postures.

In a past post I have described why Sitting is the New Smoking and how sitting for long periods greatly affects body function and chronic pain. This postural problem is now reinventing itself with our youth and their use of smart phones, ipads, and other hand-held devices. Next time you are in a crowd of people, let alone teens & kids, take a look around at those using their smart phones. Are their heads on their shoulders? I doubt it, I’ve been guilty myself.

It is known that the weight of the human adult head is apporximately 12 pounds and it isn’t much less for kids. The postural kicker is that the strain on the neck and upper back muscles exponentially increases with each inch the head moves forward off the shoulders where is was designed to be. (See Figure A). With this forward head posture it begins to lengthen and “lock long” the muscles on the back of the neck and upper back and the muscles on the front of the neck and shoulders as well as the chest.

This posture is not new to any student out there sitting in classrooms and studying for most hours of the day, however with the addition of hand-held phones and tablets there is no longer a break for the body to work on bringing the spine back upright. Eventually, symptoms that begin with a stiff neck end up evolving into a variety of complex problems like numbness in the arms and hands, migraine

Figure A.

headaches, and even breathing problems.

The best solution for this is to avoid a head forward posture as much as possible. However, other solutions include:

Laying flat on the floor without a pillow to change the pull of gravity on the spine

Cable Rows in the gym to strengthen the upper back muscles that are over-stretched

Stretching and/or massage therapy on the chest and front of the neck to help unlock and lengthen those muscles

Do your best to be preventive and be more aware of your posture. Are you slouching right now? Hunching over a smart phone?

STRAIGHTEN UP!

A Trainer’s Review of Barre Workouts- The Ballet Physique

balanceguru — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:43:28 +0000

My first experience with a barre workout was a positive one with a side note of critisism as explained in my review after only ONE PureBarre class. (read more) I then pushed through the rest of my 10-session PureBarre package and had a slight change of heart. (Check it out)

I haven’t done a barre workout since last May and now I have another Cancun beach vacation staring me in the face in 7 weeks. We have moved from SoCal and I don’t have a PureBarre close to me but I did find The Ballet Physique in downtown Littleton.

Now downtown Littleton, CO is super cute on it’s own, but The Ballet Physique is a great addition. Once you get used to the difficult parking availability, this studio has a great boutique feel with friendly smiles to greet you. The studio has a bit of a loft-like feel with the look of exposed brick and high ceilings, it’s quite welcoming. The classroom itself is carpeted which is different from what I was used to at La Costa PureBarre. There are the familiar tools of small hand weights, foam mats, cushions and small rubber balls which I equate to 4-square balls.

The Ballet Physique has an advantage of not being a franchise and therefore has more freedom to change up class content. The main content of course is mostly about the booty, which is why everyone gets in the door in the first place…including myself. However, they have a range of classes that branch into pilates, cardio and muscle pump classes that ensure you have a variety to choose from and don’t plateau or burn out.

My first class, from Kristin S. was a fairly classic barre class. There was a warm up with upper body work using small hand weights and some push ups and after that was a bit of burning the glutes with what I call curtsey lunges. We then we moved to the barre and sufficiently exhausted the legs and butt with the oh so effective pulse and burn technique. Finally, the jello legs got relief and passed the pain onto the abdominals as we crunched our way to the finish line with the help of the barre and balls. A bit of stretching and I was left to gingerly make my way to my car…perfect.

For me, I have realized that I push harder when I am around others. Eventough I have all the tools for home workouts, I just don’t seem to get as sore when I work out by myself. Plus misery loves company right? As I stated my current motivation is a beach vacation so I will be trying out all the class styles and instructors while keeping my readers up-to-date on all the exhausting and rewarding details.

So if this type of workout interests you, I would highly recommend you go and check our The Ballet Physique in dowtown Littleton, CO. Tell them I sent ya!

The Most Enlightening Article for Your Body

balanceguru — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:50:37 +0000

Here is an article written by Andrew Heffernan CSCS that draws from the knowledge of those I respect most in my practice, Anthony Carey from Function First in San Diego and Thomas Meyers who writes “Anatomy Trains”.

Pay close attention, this will change your world…or at least how you view your body.

http://www.functionfirst.com/images/The_Web_of_Life_Experience_Life_Magazine.pdf

The Egg Nutriton – Deconstructed

balanceguru — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:44:00 +0000

I found this article from LIVESTRONG.com. It helped clear up some confusion about the nutritional value of egg yolks versus egg whites.

Eggs are often referred to as super-foods, and with good reason. They provide an inexpensive source of protein and other nutrients. Separately, the yolk and white of an egg each have their own benefits.

White & Yolk Combined

Though some recipes call for eggs that have had their yolks and whites separated, most dishes contain the entire egg. Nutritionally, a whole, raw, fresh egg has more nutrients than either of its individual components. However, you also get the “bad” with the “good” when using both yolk and whites.

The yellow yolks of eggs are the real powerhouse of nutrition. The yolk contains all of the nutrients listed by the American Egg Board using the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and by the Egg Nutrition Center. Those nutrients range from vitamins A, D, E, several B vitamins and choline to minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc and selenium. Additionally, egg yolks are high in protein and carbohydrates, making them an ideal food for energy needs. Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help maintain eye health, are found only in the egg yolk.

Yolk Disadvantages

The yolk of an egg contains more than half of the entire egg’s calories and all of the fats, including the beneficial — monounsaturated and polyunsaturated — and harmful types — saturated and trans fats, according to the Mayo Clinic. Also, all of the cholesterol in an egg is in the yolk.

Egg Whites

When word spread about cholesterol in egg yolks, a flurry of recipes using only egg whites were promoted, in addition to egg-substitute products. Egg whites do contain most of an egg’s protein, as well as fewer calories and none of the fat of egg yolk. Whites are also higher in potassium and magnesium than yolks.

Egg White Disadvantages

Of all of the vitamins in an egg, only B12, folate and riboflavin are in the egg white. They are also considerably higher in sodium, according to USDA charts available online. Egg whites contain no lutein or zeaxanthin.

Nutritionally Enhanced Eggs

Eggs from chickens that are fed special diets have additional nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and increased amounts of some nutrients like vitamin E and lutein, according to the Egg Nutrition Center.

Crunching the Numbers

The white of a large egg, or about 1-1/4 ounces, has 16 calories, 3 g of protein, 2 mg of calcium, 4 mg of phosphorus, 55 mg of sodium, 45 mg of potassium, the weensiest little bit of riboflavin, and no fat, cholesterol, or carbohydrates.

The yolk of that egg weighs about 2/3 of an ounce, and has 59 calories, 3 g of protein, 5 g of fat (2 of which are saturated), 212 mg of cholesterol, 23 mg of calcium, 81 mg of phosphorus, 7 mg of sodium, 16 mg of potassium, very small amounts of iron, thiamin, and riboflavin, and no carbohydrates

Learn Proper Warm Up from your Dog

balanceguru — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:40:00 +0000

Have youever seen a dog jump right up from a nap without stretching? With the exception of the doorbell or a not-so-sneaky bunny or squirrel all 3 of my dogs go through their stretches after being lazy for any period of time.

What can we as two-legged, sit-in-front-of-the-computer-too-much humans learn from this? That if you have been stationary for a length of time it goes a long way towards proper posture and movement to stretch a bit before transitioning to walking, bending or exercising.

Stretching promotes circulation which begins to warm up the muscles. Active stretching, where you are flexing some muscles as you stretch others (as demonstrated so perfectly in these dog photos), is best before activity or exercise. Active stretching not only increases circulation but it unifomrly fires the motor neurons that control your muscles and is similar to starting up an airplane where so many switches need to be flipped.

A simple standing stretch reaching to the ceiling helps counter act stagnant desk posture just as a lunge stretch with your foot on your car’s bumper helps to counter act tight hips after a long drive. When awaking in the morning before I even leave the bed I do a long full body stretch along with a few ankle rolls and then sit up to reach up and stretch my sides and chest.

Take a few moments to enjoy how good this feels and know that you are doing good for your body!

Shoulder Range of Motion and Flexibility

balanceguru — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Check your shoulder range of motion and flexibility with these tips.

Got questions? Feel free to ask!

How to Get Stronger Legs (Home Workout)

balanceguru — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Leg workout you can do at home to get rockin’ legs. Single leg dead lift, hamstring ball curl, rolling lunges, rolling side lunges and side skaters.

You will need:
5-15 lb wieght (med ball, dumbell or small pet or infant LOL)
Physio-ball
roll cart/plastic plate

enjoy this workout 2-3 times per week.
Comments are always appreciated and I am happy to answer questions as well!

Iliotibial Band or IT Band

balanceguru — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:15:00 +0000

MUSCLE OF THE MONDAY: Iliotibial Band or IT Band*

*Yes, I realize the IT Band is NOT a muscle. It does not contract like a muscle, it is made up of a connective tissue called fascia. But it is a booger of a problem child (very technical term) with it’s surrounding muscles.

PRIMARY ACTIONS: There are not any actions per se since the ITB is not a muscle however it is good to know the surroundin…g muscles to assess which one might be creating the pain. The lateral quadriceps, lateral hamstrings, the gluteus maximus, and the tensor fascia lata (TFL) all have a facial connection to the IT Band.

CHRONIC PAIN CONNECTIONS: Unfortunately there are many. Outer knee pain is the primary complaint but hip pain is also a symptom of adhesion problems with the IT Band. By “adhesion problems” I mean that this band of fascia acts like FLY PAPER adhering to the muscles alongside it when there are strength imbalances or flexibility problems with said muscles. These adhesions affect the muscle function.
Majority opinion states that this causes tightening of the IT Band which creates friction at the lateral femoral epicondyle (outer boney part of the thigh bone) however it is now debated if that is the SOURCE of the problem.

PAIN RELIEF: While the current popular philosophy involves “steamrolling” the ITB with a foam roller, in my opinion, pain relief may be more quickly found in creating more separation between the ITB and surrounding muscles as well as increasing the strength and stability of the hip and/or lower leg muscles.

Because there are so many possibilities of where the SOURCE of the pain might be, it is important to get an educated physical assessment to ensure you don’t waste your time and money continuing to re-treat a SYMPTOM.

To book an appointment with me in the Denver area please visit www.thebalanceguru.com and click on Contact for my phone number.

Revisiting My Pure Barre Review

balanceguru — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:01:00 +0000

After my initial review of my Pure Barre experience, I realized I needed to revisit it and add a follow up after finishing out my 10 sessions done over 12 weeks.

Again I will re-emphasize that these new classes of the ballet/pilates/yoga mix are a GREAT tool to have in your fitness tool box. I liked the workout. I looked forward to the insane punishment of burning up my gluteal muscles until I nearly fell down knowing the next day I would feel that special soreness that tells me I was building muscle. And since I was finally getting in some consistent resistance exercise after falling off that wagon, my husband can attest that my butt lifted. woot! (see proud photo below)

Now from a personal point of view I was thrilled, and from a professional point of view I knew that Pure Barre isn’t a magical bum lifting pill. I would have gotten the same results from 12 weeks of consistent lunging and hamstring curl exercises. Pure Barre was my vehicle to get me back on the resistance training wagon, and the few good PB instructors I “stalked” made it fun to be tortured. Yes, the instructor made a HUGE difference in my opinion. The good ones have a way of pushing everyone in the class to their own personal limits and make it fun and entertaining to boot. The sign of a great instructor/trainer in any fitness field if you ask me.

Therefore, I humbly revoke my baulking at the Pure Barre claim that, “students see results in just 10 classes” because I saw, or rather my husband saw, results after my 10 classes. And as a commenter to my first review pointed out, I should have done my review AFTER my 10 classes and not just the single class. So I am grateful for the comments not only because I like them (keep ‘em coming) but because they keep me honest. And questioning everything is the best way to do that in my opinion.

I still stand firm to my opinion that this should not be your only workout. I am happy that many are seeing amazing results from these barre classes and feeling more fit, but as a specialist in chronic pain and movement solutions I see many clients suffering from damage they did long ago. For the LONG TERM HEALTH of your joints it is important to train them in three dimensions, full range of motion and a variety of resistances along with whatever new workout technique that gets you moving and more fit.

In any way I can, I help to ensure your BODY keeps up with your MIND & SPIRIT. Got questions? Find me on my facebook page and I’d be happy to help you out.