Ellen Fitness

Snack Attack

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:14:00 +0000

There's no denying that everyone, at one time or another, has had a snack attack. Views on snacking differ. Some of us feel that snacking is bad and that eating between meals leads to weight gain. Others believe that eating many small meals and snacks throughout the day is healthy for maintaining energy levels and optimal weight. If there were one way of snacking that was right for everyone, we would all be doing it!

To alleviate snack attack guilt, try to understand why you are snacking and what snacks work best for your body. Perhaps you snack because your daily diet is missing nutrition, or because you are eating too little at meals. You might be snacking to soothe jangled nerves when you are emotional, or to entertain yourself when you are bored. Whatever your reason, acknowledge it and start thinking about how to create a life that is nourishing and truly satisfying.

Although snacks are no substitute for loving your life, they can be great energy boosters and mood lifters and a healthy and fun way to keep your body fully nourished as long as you use a little common sense. So many convenient snack foods are highly processed and full of chemicals, additives, damaging fats and refined sugars. When a snack attack hits you, try foods that are filling and satisfying, but also nutritious. Snack on things that don't come in a plastic wrapper or a box, like fresh fruit, leftover vegetables or apples with almond butter. Make your own signature trail mix, organic hot chocolate made with almond milk sweetened with agave nectar, or celery and carrots dipped in hummus.

You can also try "upgrading." If you are craving something crunchy, upgrade from potato chips to raw carrots, green apples or snap peas; if you are craving a candy bar, upgrade to a handful of nuts and dried fruit; instead of a cup of coffee, upgrade to green tea; instead of ice cream, upgrade to applesauce with cinnamon. Upgraded snacks are high in nutrition and give you a greater sense of satiety and satisfaction; you won't feel physically or psychologically deprived, and you'll have plenty of energy to sustain your activities for hours.

Snacking is enjoyable and there are a wide variety of healthful goodies forwhatever you're craving, be it sweet, crunchy, salty, creamy or spicy. Dive in, be creative and enjoy your snack attack.

Ellen’s Pilates and Fitness Studio

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:12:05 +0000

You’re worth the change you seek.

If your clothing is becoming tighter and tighter with each passing year …
If age is sneaking up on you and you know you have to change your habits …
If you’re feeling increasingly unhappy with the way you look and feel …
If stress is wearing you down and you would love to get away from it all …

If you’re dying to do SOMETHING for yourself for a change ….

… then you’ve come to the right place.

Hi, I’m Ellen Nalaboff, founder of Ellen’s Fitness Studio in Plainview, New York.

My approach to feeling and being your best is unlike any you’ve seen before.

I believe in the importance of covering all dimensions of healthful living from nutrition to physical training to emotional support.

And that’s what you get at my studio.

Read more about our studio here. LINK TO JOIN PAGE

Learn about our Complete Feel Good System here. LINK TO APPROACH PAGE

Not sure yet? Sign up for our free weekly 1-minute Health Tips. You’ll get to know us, while learning valuable fitness and nutrition tips that create big results

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:07:52 +0000

This past weekend was beautiful and I realized how much I enjoy taking a long walk. Everything was in bloom around me and the fragrances that were coming at me from the variety of bushes was intoxicating. I wondered how many of us actually take the time to slow down and take notice to see the color of the sky and to appreciate the sound of birds. We all need to take some time to be slow and to breathe deeply from Nature’s Garden.

Get fit with our Body Bars

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:17:03 +0000

Use our weights to keep fit and trim

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:07:00 +0000

MELT

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:38:54 +0000

Do you know what if feels like to M.E.L.T.? Well allow me to tell you first hand, it feels AWESOME!! MELT is a new program that we have introduced in the Studio. It is the balance, the yin to the yang, the calm to the storm. I love it! Come and see for yourself!

Spin Cycle Challenge Mount Everest

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:36:16 +0000

I just rode up Mount Everest on a Spin Bike!! What an enlightening experience! On Saturday April 25th, Josh Taylor, a master spin instructor, came to my Studio to take us on an incredible two hour journey. Obviously, we did not actually ride up Mount Everest, but the experience was still a major physical and mental challenge. Our limits were tested and the questions that kept coming up were "how willing are we to push ourselves out of our comfort zones" and "how do we react once there"? Do we back down or do we find our inner strength?

Organic foods bursting with flavour

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:23:58 +0000

I just came back from Paradise. I was on the island of Anguilla, staying at a resort that has their own hydrofarm which produces the most incredible tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, all organic. I could not get enough of the tomatoes or the basil. It made me realize, again, the incredible difference between conventionally grown vegetables and organic. The flavor burst in your mouth, and for me it was what the color green should take like. A little bit of Heaven!!!

Food Focus: Sprouts

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:08:22 +0000

In the spring season, seeds flaunt their vitality and energy by sprouting. Sprouts of all varieties contain the building blocks of life in the form of vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and simple sugars. In their early growth state, sprouts are very easy to digest, allowing our bodies to access many wonderful nutrients. Recent research by the American Cancer Society has backed what holistic nutrition has known for years: that sprouts contain anti-cancer properties, high levels of active antioxidants, concentrated amounts of phytochemicals and significant amounts of vitamins A, C and D.

In their raw form, sprouts have a cooling effect on the body, and therefore are best consumed in warm weather or by robust, warm body types. Those who tend to feel cool can try steaming spouts or adding them to warm dishes such as stir-fries and soups, to reduce the cooling effect. There is a wide variety of edible and delicious sprouts, each with a different texture and flavor: alfalfa, mung bean, lentil, radish, clover, sunflower, broccoli, garbanzo and adzuki.

Here are some great ways to serve up sprouts:

Add to salads.
Combine with other vegetables in wraps,
roll-ups or stir-fries.
Use as garnish on top of soups, stews,
omelets or scrambled eggs.
Add to rice or whole-grain dishes.
Use in sandwiches instead of lettuce.

Spring has arrived! Eat sprouts and feel alive!

Why Weight? Diets Don’t Work

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:01:54 +0000

You can't turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party without being confronted with America's hottest obsession: weight. Diets are a billion-dollar industry; companies spend millions and millions luring you to try the latest diet (low carb, high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this will (finally!) be the solution-your shortcut to a thinner body. Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop distorted body images and are often on diets as early as nine or 10 years of age.

Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick-fix solutions have backfired. America's populace has reached its highest weight in history. About half of Americans are overweight; one-third are obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results.

Diets don't work because each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone? Diets don't work because they are extreme solutions. As in physics, if a pendulum swings to one extreme, it has to swing equally to the other. A diet might work for a short amount of time, but research shows that almost all diets result in a 10-pound gain once off the diet. Diets don't work because they are too restrictive. People who fail on diet plans are not flawed and weak. Diets by nature require discipline and restriction at levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body.

Most people are disconnected from why they gain weight and see diet as the only culprit. For example, ignoring or discounting emotions is often the first thing to cause weight imbalances. In our fast-paced world, we have lost sight of many aspects=2 0of life that truly nourish and balance our bodies, such as slowing down, eating a home-cooked meal and spending quality time with loving people. Eating consciously and making simple lifestyle changes will create positive results and release you from the endless cycle of dieting.

Balance and a sustainable weight are your birthright. Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to what you truly need. Imagine taking all of the outward energy you expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom. There is no such thing as a quick fix; you already have everything you need within you. With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself wisely and purposefully and be completely nourished. Working with your body rather than against it will bring about increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.