Ultimate Fitness. Mill Valley

Tips for managing stress

Healthy Recipe, Curried Squash, Lentil & Coconut Soup Flavor up butternut squash with Indian spices for this warming and healthy vegetarian soup. From BBCGoodFood.com and recommended as an immune-boosting recipe. Ingredients... 1 tbsp olive oil 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced 200g carrot, diced 1 tbsp curry powder containing turmeric 100g red lentil 700ml low-sodium vegetable stock 1 can reduced-fat coconut milk coriander and naan bread, to serve Method Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the squash and carrots, sizzle for 1 min, then stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the lentils, the vegetable stock and coconut milk and give everything a good stir. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 15-18 mins until everything is tender. Using a hand blender or in a food processor, blitz until as smooth as you like. Season and serve scattered with roughly chopped coriander and some naan bread alongside. Nutritional Info 178 calories, 7g fat, 5g saturated fat, 22g carbs, 9g sugars, 4g fiber, 6g protein, 0.4g salt See more

STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNITY These times are stressful, no doubt. There is a lot of information, media, and fear around the world right now and stress levels are high. How are you managing your stress and taking good care of yourself? Exercise and meditation, along with enough sleep, proper nutrition, and plenty of water will help lower stress and thus strengthen your immunity. Here are some suggestions: KEEP IT SIMPLE.... The most potent medicine may be to do less and slow down. Take some time each day to be still. Sit down, notice how you are feeling, and breathe. Observe the natural rhythm of your breath and feel your lungs expand and contract. Invite your whole body to breathe and feel into your aliveness. Common areas of tension include the facial muscles, jaw, and shoulders. Start at your head and scan down, inviting a softness and ease throughout your body. Practice being present with yourself for 5-10 minutes. SPINAL TWISTS CAN HELP SUPPORT PROPER DIGESTION. In yoga, and in the Ayurvedic tradition, your health is only as strong as your digestive system. Keeping things moving will help clear toxins that may result in infection and inflammation. Twists will help stimulate the digestive system and keep things flowing. RESET YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH LEGS UP THE WALL (OR TREE). This gentle inversion will help ground and relax your body, while supporting lymph drainage and blood circulation. This simple practice will help restore your nervous system. DRINK WATER AND TEA. Stay hydrated and drink lots of water and tea. Add some lemon, lime, or other citrus to flavor, further detox, and cleanse. Make hydration a ritual and a mindful practice. FOR AN EXTRA BOOST: SMILE, LAUGH, AND PLAY! Happy people often result in healthy bodies. If possible and safe, connect with the people and places you love. Stay open to the little and big moments of wonder and awe.

Ultimate Fitness will be closed until April 7th due to shelter in place order from the county.

Why She Digs Functional Fitness Deidra Champagne spends all day making beautiful floral arrangements at her business. And in her off-time, you can find her sweating it out at the gym, staying strong, limber and fit for the demands of running her shop and enjoying her vegetable garden at home.... Deidra, 57, has been working out with resistance and cardio training for about a decade. Her main motivations including preventing an injury from all the squatting, lifting, twisting and carrying she must do at her job. I wasn’t moving properly before, she says. When you’re young, you just pick things up. But when she couldn’t lift anything above her head to place it on a high shelf, she knew she needed help. She uses a trainer three times a week who helps her with mobility, balance, strength and fluid motion. She’s able to enjoy long days now, with better posture, fewer headaches, and less back pain. She likes gardening because, You can move at your own pace, so aging shouldn’t be an issue. You can slow down, and I see it as a meditation. It’s good to be outside. And gym-time helps her do all of that. It’s non-negotiable, she says about her workout schedule. There’s a lot of stress involved in running your own business, plus physical challenges like carrying floral displays weighed down by water, and standing on her feet. I look forward to going because I see the benefit, Deidra says. It gives me energy all day. It’s investing in myself. Like tending a garden, you might say.

Forget the Guinness and McDonald’s. Here’s a green shake that’s easy to make and plenty healthy, around St. Patrick’s Day or at any time of year. Plus, the kids will love it, too. INGREDIENTS 2 large bananas cut up and frozen 1 cup firmly packed spinach... 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 1/2 medium avocado 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract Sweetener of choice: 1 packet stevia or Truvia INSTRUCTION Mix it all up in the blender and enjoy right away. NUTRITION 480 calories, 18g fat, 60g carbohydrates, 11g protein, 15g fiber

5 Healthy Reasons to Stay Strong for Gardening You don’t have to look any farther than the back yard to find a reason to be fit after 50. Gardening is a great hobby for people at any stage of life and there’s no reason to give it up or avoid it just because of age. ...Continue reading

Here’s a Scary Name for a Common Desire Here’s an interesting phrase you don’t hear every day: compression of morbidity. Sounds dreadful, doesn’t it?... But it’s actually something everyone wants: to have all our age-related illnesses come in as short a time as possible at the end of life. In other words, to live really well right up until the end. The ultimate example: being healthy and active until passing away peacefully while asleep. It’s a universal goal, and a main driver of over-50 fitness. A healthy lifestyle can help us reach it. That means regular exercise; proper diet and rest; living at the right weight. You already know it will keep us alive longer. But more to the point here, these habits keep us healthier longer into our advanced years. This is a primary motivator for many active agers. When you ask why they’re committed to fitness, you often hear them say: So, I can enjoy life for as long as possible So, I don’t become a burden Because I don’t want to be feeble and frail over a period of slow decline. Sound familiar? Research shows that people with healthier lifestyles suffer less decline than people who are sedentary, smoke, and have other unhealthy habits. Talk to your doctor about applying the concepts of compression of morbidity to increase your quality of life from hip replacements to hearing aids. We’re all on-board with the idea of compression of morbidity. But the marketers of medical jargon need to come up with a happier way to put it! Sources: National Institutes of Health; Journal of Gerontology

Healthy Recipe, Roasted Shaved Brussels Sprouts Here's a healthy side dish that's quick and easy to prepare. From Kroger. Ingredients... 1 1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and ‘shaved’ or sliced thin (about 7 cups) 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 lemon, zested and cut into 8 wedges Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 450F. When oven is hot, drizzle a large sheet tray with olive oil and place in the oven to heat it. Heat pan 5 minutes. Toss the shaved Brussels sprouts onto the hot pan; scatter garlic, pepper flakes and salt evenly over the sprouts and return the pan to the oven. Step 2 Roast the Brussels sprouts until just beginning to brown, about 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking time. Step 3 Toss the Brussels sprouts with lemon zest and juice squeezed from 4 of the lemon wedges. Serve the Brussels sprouts with remaining lemon wedges on the side. Refrigerate leftovers. Nutrition Facts Makes six servings. Per Serving: 190 calories; 7g total fat; 1g saturated fat; 0mg cholesterol; 280mg sodium. 9g carbohydrates; 3g fiber; 2g sugar; 3g protein

Gaining Plank-spiration from the 62-year-old World Record Holder George Hood, a 62-year-old former Marine, made headlines recently when he broke the Guinness World Record for holding a plank position at a mindboggling time of 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. Even people who are very fit will struggle to hold a plank for more than a few minutes. Hood worked hard to take back his title, which he had lost in 2016. He trained almost seven hours a day for 18 months, including 2...,100 hours in the plank position. Most of us won’t want to try anywhere near that much. And good news: We don’t have to! The plank is great for core training, posture, gait, balance and more, can be done anywhere, and has many variations. Anybody can do what I do, Hood, above, told the media after reclaiming his title. Everybody has to start somewhere. The Plank 101 It’s safe for people over 50 as Hood’s example proves. Even for those who are not fanatically fit like he is. This is probably the best exercise you’ll ever do, AARP blogger Barbara Hannah Grufferman wrote. It helps your midsection without the strain of crunches. And it works more than just the abs, targeting the entire core, which wraps around us and stabilizes our bodies while doing everyday tasks. Stability and balance are essential for functional fitness. When you’re in the plank position, you’re working just about every muscle in your body. The focus is on the core and abs. But you’re also using your legs, arms and back to stay in place. We’re happy to show you in person, but here’s the basic idea. Start by lying face down on an exercise mat. Keep the elbows close to your sides, the palms facing down, and the fingers facing forward. Lift up, keep your body straight, and put your weight on your elbows and feet. Engage those core muscles and hold on. Aim for 30 seconds at first. Rest a minute. Try for three rounds of that to start, a few times a week. You’ll be amazed how fast you advance. One of the most common variations is the side plank. It’s good for lateral hip movement, as well. Others include using a Bosu ball or bench, or starting on your knees. There are so many variations that we can find one for you no matter what your needs. Party Like a Rock Star Extreme examples like Hood’s can motivate the rest of us who want to stay strong and fit enough to enjoy life on a daily basis whether it involves a lot of sports or just carrying in the groceries. He told CNN he plays Van Halen when he’s trying to power through a workout or set a new world record. "When it gets tough, you know what I do? I turn that music up so loud, you'd think you're at a rock concert. I always had a fantasy of being a rock star back in the '80s," Hood said. "And at least for those 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds, I was a rock star." Come let us show you how to build the plank into your routine, too.

Stay Fit to Enjoy Your Grandkids And Let Them Enjoy You Why be fit after 50? For millions of people around the world, their No. 1 reason is their grandchildren. Being an active grandparent requires physical ability strength, endurance and flexibility that you can build in a gym or fitness studio. ... When the grandchild is an infant, you want to get down on the floor and then back up again. As the kids grow and get heavier, you’ll be picking them up and carrying them around. By the time they can run, they’re going to want Grandma and Grandpa to go outside and play. Get them away from screens and engaging in creative play that neither of you will think about as exercise. Gain confidence with strong legs, back, core, glutes and more. We’re here to help, so come tell us about your special little ones and we’ll get you in shape for fun, healthy activities like Visiting a playground to swing, climb and help them explore. Hiking in a neighborhood or out of town on a trail. Play I Spy with My Little Eye or scavenger hunt games. Look for certain wildlife or birds. More info: The American Hiking Society. Bicycling As they keep growing, think of the special times you’ll have riding together. Snowshoeing, skiing, snowmobiling Don’t let winter keep you inside. Bundle up, stay safe, and have fun. Skating Roller-skating at a rink or on your sidewalk, plus ice skating in the winter. Working out If you’ve walked them to, say, gymnastics practice, sneak in your own workout if possible.

Healthy Recipe, Cornmeal-Yogurt-Lemon Cake Topped with fresh raspberries and lemon zest, this cake is a beautiful dessert you'll be proud to serve at special meals. From Diabetic Living Magazine. Ingredients... Nonstick cooking spray 1 cups all-purpose flour cup finely ground cornmeal 1 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon salt cup unsalted butter, softened Sugar substitute equivalent to 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (see Tip) 2 eggs 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk cup plain fat-free yogurt 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel cup lemon juice 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon unsweetened plain almond milk 1 cup fresh raspberries Shredded lemon peel (optional) Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray, if desired. Set aside. Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Step 3 In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar substitute; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the 1 cup almond milk, the yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon peel, and the 1/4 cup lemon juice all at once. Beat on medium speed until combined. Step 4 Add flour mixture all at once to beaten mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined. Step 5 Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Step 6 For glaze, in a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon peel, the 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and the 1 tablespoon almond milk. Stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake, allowing it to run over the edges. Top cake with berries. If desired, garnish with additional lemon peel. Tips Tip: If using a sugar substitute, choose from Splenda(R) Granular or Sweet'N Low(R) bulk or packets, following package directions to use product amount equivalent to 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar. Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 190 calories; 5.3 g total fat; 2.7 g saturated fat; 46 mg cholesterol; 144 mg sodium. 96 mg potassium; 32 g carbohydrates; 1.8 g fiber; 14 g sugar; 4 g protein