GroupX at Olmsted Medical Sports Facility

FIRST WEEK IS FREE and open to the public for all classes at the new OMC Sports Medicine Facility. They will be offering 6 week sessions starting this week (free this week) for one of many fabulous class options ranging from Zumba to Insanity and also includes strength training and relaxation.
This facility is open to the public so you don't need to be an OMC patient or employee to take these classes. I will be starting out with Tuesday 5:45 Insanity and Thursday 5:45 Zumba. Come get your sweat on!
CLICK THE REGISTRATION LINK FOR ALL CLASS INFO.

Here's a quick word from OMC themselves.

OMC Sports Medicine and Athletic Performance complimentary group fitness classes Monday, January 13 – 17, 2014

OMC Sports Medicine and Athletic Performance is offering complimentary group fitness classes all next week beginning Monday, January 13th.  Come to one or come to them all, no charge.  This is invitation is available to all OMC employees, family members, and friends 13 years of age or older.  Friends do not have to be an OMC employee.

·         Arrive at the facility 10 minutes before the scheduled class start time

·         Locker rooms with private shower stalls (2), towels, and lockers are available

o   Please bring your own day lock.  OMC cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items

·         Wear or change in the locker room comfortable work out clothing with court (tennis) shoes

·         No sign up is needed for the free classes, just show up! 

Kris Thomas, Beth Ebnet, and Lacey Jech are all experienced talented instructors.  They will assure a fun, safe, supportive, high energy experience.  New to group fitness?  No problem, all levels of ability are welcome.  Grab your spouse, friend, or child (13 or older) and come on out to the new Sports Medicine and Athletic Performance facility and give it a go.    

Out of the kitchen...out of the stomach

We've all heard "Out of sight. Out of mind." The same can be said for nutrition and making healthy choices. It all hinges on the principle of ACCESSIBILITY. If its there in front of you, or seems as the "easier" option, you are more likely always to opt for it. Think about the bag of chips, the microwave hot pockets or whatever your weakness may be. The same holds true for every day cooking and baking supplies like white flour, butter, vegetable oil. All of these things can be changed into healthier alternatives that still award as the "accessibility" we as a culture have come to enjoy. If its "out of the kitchen" it will be "out of the stomach".

Our "grab and go" mentality is exactly why advanced preparation can be key to making healthy choices more frequently. With a good knife and plastic containers, you can easily prepare for lunches, snacks or after school snacks kids can grab without preparation. By making these healthy options "accessible" 

you have a greater chance of keeping them on your "go-to" list more often. Need to keep better choices "in sight"? Have a fruit bowl right on the counter or table!

A good rule of them about most foods: If it doesn't go bad, it probably isn't good for you. 

Another key to the kitchen is eliminating the temptation or having better alternatives available. When you only have healthy options available, that's what you'll use. Simple things like wheat flour or using olive oil instead of vegetable are easy switches that can make a big difference and you typically never look back. They become habit. Reducing an overload of salt (or replace with smaller amounts of sea salt) and cutting back on sugar are other great ways to make small changes. 

2 of my favorite alternatives that I got hooked on (because I used to love that creamy stuff!) that are MUCH better for you, your digestive system and your overall calorie and fat consumption.

Hummus takes over veggie dip

Sabra is a GREAT producer of quality hummus dips with a wide range of flavors. You can always make your own fresh but its a great alternative and can be paired with veggies, crackers, pita bread and more. Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C and also has significant amounts of vitamin B6. The chickpeas are a good source or protein and dietary fiber as well. 

Alfredo Sauce is Out - Avocado is in

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
• 1-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 3 and it was super garlicky, but if you are not a big fan of garlic use 1 clove)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• ~1/4 cup Fresh Basil, (probably optional)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta (I used 3oz of spelt and 3 oz of Kamut spaghetti)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

REMEMBER: Small changes can make a big difference. And preparation can go a long way in making life easier for you to be healthy.