Twisted Yogurt - A Guilt Free Treat!!!

I had never heard of Twisted Yogurt until this summer when it opened in my neighbourhood. The idea is you get to create your own master piece first by choosing one of eight non-fat frozen yogurt treats and then adding as many as 50 toppings to your bowl. This place has quickly become our family favourite! It's delicious and the kids love creating their own delicious desserts.

I really got excited when I found out it is also better for you than the ice cream from Dairy Queen across the street. Or it can be if you stick to the healthier fresh fruit toppings. Below I've done a comparison for a half cup serving with no toppings or cone.

Twisted Yogurt

100 calories

0 grams of fat

13 grams of sugar

5 grams of protein

Dairy Queen

140 calories

4.5 grams of fat

19 grams of sugar

3 grams of protein

If you haven't checked it out you should! Click here for locations near you. My favourite flavour is Purple Cow. What's yours?

Wrists & Forearms - Don't Let Them be Your Weakest Link!

I was surprised when I asked my boot camp ladies this week what area of their body they'd like to focus on strengthening this session and more than one said their wrists. Building up your forearm and wrist strength is really important for many day to day activities and sports including weight training, golf, tennis, baseball and climbing. You of course strengthen your wrists when you do your other upper body exercises, but for some of us this isn't enough.

Don't let your forearm or wrist strength be your weakest link. When dealing with wrists and forearms you may want to start with no weight or very light weight and gradually build up. You also want to do these exercises at the end of your exercise program, as your grip strength will be temporarily weakened. Also avoid these exercises on the same day or the day before you are playing a sport that requires a lot of wrist action. Remember if you are having wrist pain, cut back and consult your physician.

Here are some exercises to try:

1) Tennis Ball Squeeze - Simply squeeze a tennis ball as hard as you can for up to 90 seconds. This exercise mainly targets your grip strength and forearms.

2) Skipping Rope - This is a great cardio workout that also helps to build strong wrists and forearms.

3) Wrist Curls - Use light dumbbells or even cans of soup. Sit down resting your forearms on your knees. Hold your weight palms facing up, move only your wrists. Drop your wrists slowly towards the floor as far as possible then raise the weight back up slowly towards your body using your wrists only. Keep the rest of your arms still during the exercise. Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions to start.

4) Reverse Wrist Curls - This is the same as a wrist curl with your palms facing down.

5) Wrist Rolls - For this one you will need a stick, a piece of rope and a weight. Attach the end of the rope firmly to the middle of the stick and then firmly attach the end of the rope to the weight. The rope should be long enough to reach the ground when you are holding the stick out a shoulder height. Grip the stick with both hands in an overhand grip at shoulder width apart. Extend your arms straight out in front of your body. The weight should be on the floor. Using your wrists and forearms only, slowing roll the rope up until it reaches the stick. Keep your arms straight out in front of your body at all times. Then reverse, slowly unroll the rope until the weight reaches the floor. Repeat 3-4 times to start.

Why Weight Train?

Many women fear hitting the weights because they don't want to bulk up. The truth is most women don't have high enough testosterone for this to be possible. In fact, since muscles take less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. There are also many physical benefits as well including an increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis and increased strength. As we age, we actually lose muscle, which increases our likelihood for injury and has an adverse impact on our metabolism which can lead to weight gain.

Eat Breakfast to Lose Weight!

Most nutritionists agree that eating early in the day improves your metabolic rate, controls hunger later in the day and provides you with sustained energy. Research suggests that people who eat a healthy breakfast everyday are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off for the long-term. An ideal breakfast includes a mix of protein and complex carbohydrates.

If you're like me, mornings are insanely busy. I don't have the time to make myself some eggs and whole grain toast everyday. My breakfast regularly consists of an Isagenix whey protein shake that I can mix up in my Magic Bullet in about 30 seconds. When I have time to treat myself, my first choice is for a half portion of the "Ultimate Power Breakfast" (see the recipe below, reposted from January, 2011).

The Ultimate Power Breakfast

(Men's Fitness - Abs Training Guide)

What you need:

1 egg

1 cup of 1 percent milk

3/4 cup of plain instant oatmeal

1/2 cup mixed berries

1 tbsp chopped pecans or almonds

1 tsp vanilla whey-protein powder

1 tsp ground flaxseed

1/2 banana sliced

1 tbsp plain yogurt

How to Make it:

Whisk everything together but the banana and yogurt in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes or until set. Let cool for a minute or two. Top with banana and yogurt. Makes 1 serving...share it with a friend or make a half recipe for a lighter meal.

PER SERVING: 570 calories, 29 g protein, 80 g carbohydrates (11 g fiber), 18 g fat, 200 mg sodium