Princeton Longevity News

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps of each exercise:

1. Bird Dogs: On all fours, keep your spine and neck in a neutral position. Slowly extend your left leg behind you while reaching your right arm forward. Keep your hips and shoulders square and make sure your lower back doesn’t arch. Hold for five seconds. Slowly return to the starting position and do the move on the opposite side.
2. Plank (hold 30 seconds or more if stronger): Start by getting into a push up position.  Bend your elbows and rest your weight onto your forearms.  Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles
3. Hip/Glute Bridges: Lying on your back, place both feet flat on the floor so that your knees are facing up towards the ceiling. Place both arms by your side.  Bracing your core and glutes, lift the hips off of the floor as high as you can and squeeze at the top for five seconds.  Return to the starting position by slowly lowering down.
4. Reverse Crunch: Lie on your back and bring arms by your sides.  Raise your knees and feet so they create a 90-degree angle.  Contract your abdominals and exhale as you lift your hips off the floor.

When we think of the word core, we usually think of having a six pack or abs.  But your rectus abdominis muscles are only one part of many that make up your core.  There’s also your pelvic floor muscles, transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, erecter spinae, the glutes and other lumbar muscles.

It may look nice to sport abs this summer, but having a strong core also improves sports performance, prevents injury, promotes mobility and keeps your spine healthy.  It’s all of these accessory and deeper muscles that really strengthen and promote a healthy core than the larger superficial muscles.

Having a strong core can help prevent injury.  When you have a weak core, other larger muscles take over to compensate and start to burn out and cause injuries.  It puts strain on muscles that should not be working in overtime to perform a certain task or exercise.

Having a strong core also helps with posture which in turn takes added stress off of your low back instead of being hunched over.  Even running becomes easier and more efficient.  The spine takes on a lot of stress throughout the day and is responsible for many aches and pains throughout our lives.  Improving your entire core will help improve your entire lifestyle!

Most of us have every intention to wake up early and go workout whether it is going for a run, taking a group class or walking the dog.  But some days when the alarm goes off, exercise is the furthest thing from the brain and you just want to roll back over to sleep.  On those days, it actually may be best to do just that. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that adults get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. So ask yourself, how many hours of sleep are you really getting each night? And would you be willing to get more sleep if you knew your “gains” depended on it?

When we sleep, our body is recovering and building muscle.  Without that time to recover, we will just continually break down the muscle by stressing it during a workout but not give it any time to repair.  This also interferes with hormones and can send mixed signals to the hunger hormones and cravings throughout the day.

Sleep also helps regulate your blood pressure, alertness and energy levels.  If those areas are lacking, you may be more prevalent to injury during your workout.

Exercise helps improve the quality of sleep, but if you’re sleep deprived or overly tired and struggling to wake up, prioritize sleep and aim for two to three workouts a week. Once you achieve a better sleep pattern and plan, you can increase the number of workouts to best fit your schedule.

Baking sheets are not just for cookies.  Grab your baking sheet-pan and try one of these quick and delicious dinners tonight.

Roast Salmon and Broccoli With Chile-Caper Vinaigrette

Ingredients (Servings: 4)

• 1bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 lb.), cut into florets
• 4tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt or Mrs. Dash Seasoning of your choice
• Freshly ground pepper
• 46-oz. skinless salmon fillets
• 1red Fresno chile or jalapeño, thinly sliced into rings, seeds removed if desired
• 2tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2tablespoons drained capers

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Toss broccoli and 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper or with a Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice. Roast, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp-tender, 12–15 minutes.
2. Remove baking sheet from oven and rub salmon with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper or with a Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice. Push broccoli to edges of baking sheet and place salmon in the center. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 10–15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine chile, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in small bowl and let sit until chiles are slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Mix in capers and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper or with the Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice.
4. Serve salmon and broccoli drizzled with chile vinaigrette.

Citrus-Marinated Tofu with Onions and Peppers

Ingredients: (servings: 4)

• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 3 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
• Kosher salt or Mrs. Dash Seasoning of your choice
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 1-pound block medium (not firm) tofu, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds t
• 3 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Combine 1/4 cup cilantro, lime juice, garlic, 3 teaspoons of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper or with a Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice. Pour 1/2 cup of marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add tofu. Seal bag; shake to coat. Let marinate at room temperature, turning occasionally, for 10–15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, transfer remaining marinade to a blender. Add 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and honey; purée until smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper or with a Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice.
3. Combine onion and peppers in a large bowl. Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika. Season with salt and pepper or with a Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice.
4. Drain tofu. Season both sides with salt and pepper or with a Mrs. Dash seasoning of your choice and place in a single layer on one side of prepared sheet. Spread vegetables in a single layer opposite tofu.
5. Roast, stirring vegetables occasionally, until vegetables are tender and tofu is lightly browned, 20–25 minutes.
6. Divide among plates. Drizzle with sauce. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

One Pan Roasted Potatoes & Turkey

Ingredients

• 12 mini golden potatoes, quartered
• 8 carrots, peeled and cut
• 24 Brussel sprouts, sliced in half
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds turkey breast
• Salt and pepper (or Mrs. Dash seasoning)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a large sheet pan place the carrots, Brussel sprouts and potatoes on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, mix well with your hands, and season with salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash seasoning.
2. On a cutting board, season turkey breast and put on pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the turkey breast is 165°F.
3. Let the turkey breast rest for 5 minutes, then slice in 1/2-inch pieces.
4. Divide the vegetables evenly and plate the turkey.

Resource:  www.bonappetit.com

by Staci O’Connor MS, RD, CDN

Have you ever noticed that when you get stressed out about work or family that you find yourself reaching for high-calorie, sweet and fatty foods?  While some people may lose their appetite or may even get sick to their stomach over stress, others might be conditioned to soothe themselves with food.  But you can take steps to regain control of your eating habits since stress eating is a learned response.

So you may ask…how do I break the habit?

Since stress eating is an emotional response that becomes automatic over time, to break the habit you are going to have to learn a new habit.  The next time that you feel stressed, try to feel the sensation, stop, sit down, try to engage in deep breathing, feel it, and see what happens.  It is important to stop and think, are you actually hungry or just craving food in response to stress.  What will usually happen is the feeling will dissipate and you won’t feel hungry any more.  By repeating this pattern over time it will become a new habit.  .

Other food alternatives include regular exercise which can help prevent stress or exercising when you feel stressed to help manage the stress.  Instead of running into the kitchen or to the nearest vending machine, go for a walk.  Or give yourself a break, stop what you are doing and step away from the situation for a while and distract yourself with a more pleasant topic.  Make a list of what is actually stressing you out and make a plan to control the situation.  Keep a journal and record your feelings.  This will help you make connections between what you are feeling and the choices that you make.  Try meditation and visualize a peaceful place or listen to some classical music to calm yourself down. Finally, try something fun, play a game, watch a movie, call and hang out with a friend, or even dance!

It may take some time, but you can retrain yourself to eat only when you are hungry and not stressed.  Learning to tell the difference between hunger and stress is the first step and then finding other outlets to satisfy your emotional hunger is the next step.  Keep with it and you can regain control of your eating habits.

Resources:  www.webmd.com, www.everydayhealth.com

Balancing your health with your job can be difficult and finding the time to work out may not always be easy. So what if you only have time to fit in a quick workout? Should you focus on resistance training or cardio?

If want to zero in on one component, check to see what your goals really are. Strength training will help build lean muscle mass and burn fat mass. It will help burn calories even when you are done with your workout and help provide strength and stability to your body. You may even see more weight loss with a focus on strength training since it helps to boost your metabolic rate!
Cardio exercise gets you sweating, increases your heart rate, improves lung capacity and can make you feel better from taking some time out of the day to unwind which can ultimately lower blood pressure and increase productivity.

The good news… You can still fit in both by combining the two into a circuit style workout. An example of this would be making a circuit out of squats, push ups, plank and jump rope. Working in a circuit format like this will keep the heart rate up as well as provide both the strength and the cardio aspects! As long as you get moving during a portion of your day you can improve your health!

What is your preference?

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway on the palm side of your wrist made up of bones and ligaments. The median nerve, which controls sensation and movement in the thumb and first three fingers, runs through this passageway along with tendons to the fingers and thumb. When it’s pinched or compressed, the result is numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in the hand, called carpal tunnel syndrome.

In general, anything that irritates or compresses the median nerve in the carpal tunnel space can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. For example, a wrist fracture can narrow the carpal tunnel and irritate the nerve, as can the swelling and inflammation resulting from rheumatoid arthritis. It is also believed to be caused by repeated movements or the overuse of the wrist and hands. In many cases, no single cause can be identified. It may be a combination of events that contribute to the development of the condition.

Try these exercises to prevent or help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Fist Clench

Clench together the fingers of one hand into a tight fist shape, then release your fingers and spread them wide. Repeat this five times and do the same to the other hand. Repeat as needed.

Wrist Circles

Extend out your fingers until they are straight, holding the second and third finger a little higher than all the rest. Draw 5-10 clockwise circles in the air with the two finger tips. Draw 5-10 more counterclockwise circles. Repeat with the other hand.

Myofascial Release

For this next exercise, grab your foam roller, tennis ball, or any other myofascial release tool of your choice. Use it to gently roll up and down the length of the forearm, applying pressure to any trigger points or sore spots that you may come across. Rolling back and forth on the fascia will reduce tension around the carpal tunnel, freeing the pinched median nerve and restoring full function of the hand. Be sure to roll the forearm from multiple angles (see image below) to ensure that you are releasing both the wrist flexors and wrist extensors. Roll each muscle group for approximately 15-30 seconds. Repeat as needed.  

Forearm Stretches

Wrist Flexor Stretch

• Hold one arm straight out in front.
• Use the other hand to bend the wrist and point the fingers towards the floor (palm facing away from body), applying gentle pressure
• Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Wrist Extensor Stretch

• Hold one arm straight out in front.
• Use the other hand to bend the wrist and point the fingers towards the floor (palm facing body), applying gentle pressure
• Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Those of us who travel for work, whatever the business, all have one thing in common: we have a hard time fitting a workout in.

Traveling can take a lot out of us, especially with the added pressure of a business trip. Most days consist of going from the hotel room, to the office, to some random restaurant, and then back to your room again. While this is one of the most difficult times to find the motivation to squeeze in a workout, it’s also one of the most important.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of aerobic activity a day. Luckily, it can be broken in to smaller sessions.  Simply taking the “long way around” when walking somewhere or taking the stairs can count as time towards your 30 minute total.

An added challenge is the mere thought of having to use the hotel fitness center. Luckily, you can avoid it all together by putting together a simple body weight workout in the comfort of your own room.  Pick 5-8 body weight exercises, with at least one of them being dynamic in nature, do them in a circuit format for 3-5 rounds, and be sure to rest for a minute or two between each round.

There are so many tasty ingredients that you can add to smoothies, but one of my favorite is avocado! It makes smoothies creamy and adds “healthy” fat, vitamins A, C, E and B6 as well as potassium.

Here is a quick recipe to try:

½ frozen banana

½ avocado

½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

A tiny bit of honey

Nutritional Information: 250 calories, 12g fat (2g sat fat), 28g carbohydrate, 8g fiber, 15g sugar, 13g protein, 135mg sodium, 15%DV Vitamin C, 6%DV Vitamin A, 20%DV Calcium.