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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
November 3, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Why You Should Be Drinking Lemon Water

 

By now you have probably heard, read or been told to drink warm lemon water as part of your weight loss plan and for a healthy life in general, but do you really know why? Just 12 oz of hot or warm water with lemon each day can offer you a long list of benefits that will keep you body healthy inside and out.

 

When you think lemon, the first thing that may come to mind is Vitamin C. Lemons are an excellent and rich source of this vitamin that is essential to the body in so many ways. Firstly, Vitamin C is vital to the function of a strong immune system. This nutrient helps protect from deficiencies that can get you sick, and it can help fight off colds, flues and even recurrent ear infections. Vitamin C also neutralizes free radicals as it travels throughout your body. Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons, and in their mission to find another electron they can cause damage to the surrounding molecules in your body. Free radicals can interact with healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes, and can also cause inflammation, or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the reasons that Vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for reducing the symptoms of some types of arthritis by reducing pain and inflammation in joints and knees. Vitamin C helps with maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue and cartilage. Free radicals can damage blood vessels and can change cholesterol to make it more likely to build up artery walls, which is why Vitamin C can be helpful in preventing the development and progression of diabetic heart disease and atherosclerosis (a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries).

 

Lemons offer not only a high level of vitamin C, but is also a great source of nutrients like citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Citric acid is an antioxidant that plays a role in fighting free radicals. It also helps prevent the build up of mineral compounds that can cause kidney stones. Potassium helps nourish brain and nerve cells, and also helps control blood pressure.

 

You will also get digestive benefits from lemons. They stimulate and purify the liver, and aid in the production of digestive juices. They are also great at cleansing the body of toxins and can help reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in your body.

 

They also offer some external benefits: lemons can keep your skin healthy and clear by preventing the formation of wrinkles and acne.

 

So what are you waiting for? Next time you are at the grocery store, look for lemons that are heavy for their size. This means they have a thinner skin and more meat to them. They should be fully yellow in color with no green, soft or hard patches. They will stay fresh at room temperature for about a week.

 

This season when you are looking for something warm to drink, treat your body to a simple, healthy cup of lemon water.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
October 20, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Fall Themed Recipes

Just because you’re eating healthy that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this season’s popular dishes. There are so many recipes that can work just the way they are or can be tweaked slightly to become healthier versions. Butternut Squash Soup is a classic that just needs a few adjustments. You can use olive oil and soymilk instead of butter, and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Be sure to include onion, celery, carrot and even a green apple for their added benefits and more flavor.

 

 Butternut squash soup

 

Apples are an easy go-to snack this season, and you can mix it up by making Homemade Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips. Simply cut any flavor of apple into thin slices and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon. Bake them in the oven until crisp and enjoy!

 

 

bakedapplechips

 

Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals, and baking them to make Sweet Potato Fries is a fun, seasonal treat. Just peel and cut them into strips, toss them with a little bit of oil and seasoning, then put them on a sheet with parchment to bake.

 

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Keep it simple with Pear-Ginger Applesauce. All it takes is fresh ginger, lemon juice, apples and pears. It’s a sweet and tangy dish packed with immune boosting power from the ginger, fiber from the pears, antioxidants from the apples, vitamin C from the lemon juice and much, much more.

 

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Another fall vegetable brimming with health benefits is the Brussels sprout. They support cardiovascular health, detox and digestion, and even have anti-cancer benefits. Be careful not to overcook them, otherwise they will give off an unpleasant sulfur smell. Cut each sprout into quarters and let them sit out for at least 5 minutes, then steam them for 5 minutes.

 

Basic Brussels Sprouts; Alton Brown

 

Last but not least, get in on the pumpkin spice craze with a Pumpkin Spice Smoothie. Just blend pumpkin, banana, almond milk, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and ground ginger until smooth – it’s that simple!

 

 Pumpkin+Smoothie9-2

 

 ~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY

469 7th Ave New York City, NY

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
October 13, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Healthy Halloween Treats

When you’re faced with the constant push of Halloween candy, what can you do to still make the season fun but also healthy? There are so many fall treats and activities that you can enjoy with your family that can also help you stay on track for your weight loss goals. Everyone knows that pumpkin picking is an essential fall outing, but apple picking is also a great seasonal activity for families and groups where the reward is a healthy snack. Kids will love picking them, and it will make eating them a special occasion every time you’re looking for a snack afterwards. When it comes time to carve pumpkins, don’t just throw away the insides. Save the seeds and bake them in the oven for a tasty snack that is also full of antioxidants and minerals, like zinc. And getting them fresh from the pumpkin means no added salt.

 

Another fun snack to make with your kids is Halloween Trail mix. The basic ingredients are Cheerios, nuts, pretzels, raisins and a little bit of Candy Corn, but you can mix it up with whatever flavor Cheerios you like and any kind of nut, or nuts. You can also add some reduced fat popcorn to the mix. Another candy corn themed treat is a Candy Corn Fruit Cocktail. Just cut pineapples and oranges (or Clementine wedges) into bit-sized chucks, and then layer pineapple then orange in a see through cup with a little whipped cream on top.

 

Screen Shot 2014-10-13 at 1.24.54 PM

 

Don’t let the orange peels go to waste – you can use them to make Jack-O-Lantern Fruit Cups. Just cut off the top of the orange and hallow it out, then carve a face onto the orange like a Jack-O-Lantern and fill with the fresh fruit of your choosing, like strawberries, grapes and blueberries.

 

Screen Shot 2014-10-13 at 1.23.13 PM

 

Clementines also make perfect mini pumpkins if you peel them and keep them whole then add a piece of celery to the top as a stem. You can keep going with the fresh fruit with banana ghosts – just cut some bananas in half and add two chocolate chips for eyes and one for a mouth on each half near the end of the banana.

 

banana-ghosts-and-clementine-pumpkins

 

A fun savory dish that could be a great dinner option is Halloween Stuffed Peppers. Simply carve a Jack-O-Lantern face onto the peppers and replaced the top after you carve out the seeds and then cook them as usual.

 

 Screen Shot 2014-10-13 at 1.25.26 PM

 

These recipes are all about putting a healthy spin on Halloween snacks, but also about something more than food. Your kids may try something new, and be proud of something that they picked or made from scratch. It’s more than just unwrapping a piece of candy, you’re preparing something together and eating something you won’t feel guilty about. While it is important to remember to eat healthy, it is also important to enjoy this time with your family. And with these ideas you can do both.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
September 22, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Healthy Snacks For The Whole Family

In the midst of everyone’s busy schedules packed with work, school, after school activities, social events and errands, planning a healthy snack time can fall through the cracks. This can be true for not only you but for your kids as well. Unhealthy snacking can quickly erase a day of clean eating and exercise, not to mention fill your kids with sugar.

 

When you know it’s going to be a hectic day, throw some almonds or carrots sticks in a baggie for your passengers to munch on in the back seat and stick some in the cup holder for yourself. Snack boxes of raisins or apple slices with to-go peanut butter packets are great for school or work. Easy grab and go bars like Special K Protein bars or Fiber One provide a little bit of sweetness as well as protein and fiber.  For sports, dance or any active extracurriculars, try orange slices or peanut butter and banana sandwiches on whole wheat bread to give them a boost, and always hydrate with water.

 

On days when there’s a little more time to prepare something at home, something as simple as celery with peanut butter and raisins or veggies with hummus can satisfy everyone. Sliced fruit or a bowl of grapes is a great snack to share, maybe with a string cheese on the side. If they’re looking for something salty, try whole wheat pretzels or light popcorn snacks like Skinny Pop.

 

When they inevitably ask for candy or cookies, try something else sweet but smart like sugar free chocolate pudding. Trail mix is also a great alternative, as long as you make sure they aren’t just picking and choosing the sweet stuff! A cup of Cheerios can taste like candy with flavors like chocolate, apple cinnamon and dulce de leche, but they also pack whole grains, vitamins and minerals.

 

Snacking healthy will not only help you with your immediate fitness and weight loss goals, but it will also provide the foundation for a healthy lifestyle for you and your family.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
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