By: Michelle Kruse

My training partner and I like to joke that we should be “certified” for running outdoors on the days we do. Neither rain nor wind nor snow nor ice, you get the picture. It’s not that we’re really that crazy, but more that we’ve both find the fresh air and open spaces exhilarating. And I credit my at least weekly winter outdoor workouts with keeping me upbeat all winter long. I have not experienced any of the cabin fever and depression that some of my friends are experiencing because I haven’t been cooped up indoors for months. Here are a few of my tips (and some from my much more experienced workout buddy):

1. Dress appropriately. When I first started working out in the bitter cold, I was dressed all wrong and I paid for it. Invest in some lined workout pants that are made to wick away sweat. I love the pair I bought from Road Runner Sports. Also well worth the money is a thermal half-zip. Buy one made for outdoor workouts. I’ve literally had sweat freeze into icicles on fleece, etc. The thin material on mine by CW-X keeps me dry and unbelievably warm. Plus it’s got thumb holes that prevent your shirt from riding up your arms and leaving a gap between shirt and gloves. In fact, sometimes I get almost too warm in this.

2. Get the right accessories. The right ear wrap or beanie can make all the difference in the world. So can the right gloves. Now is a great time to buy this stuff too – it’s all on sale! Wear sunglasses even if it’s not sunny. They shield your eyes from the wind.

3. Vaseline. We may look goofy, but we rarely meet anyone on the trails on the worst weather days anyway. Rub a layer of Vaseline all over your face when you work out in cold wind and snow. It will save you from any chapping, chaffing, or wind burn.

By: Michelle Kruse

If you haven’t checked out the recipes on the O’Keefe’s blog, make sure you do so. As the self-appointed head of the tasting committee, I must say the results were fabulous. Joan O’Keefe brainstormed some color and protein combinations and came up with some unique ideas. Disclosure – I am NOT a picky person. I like almost all foods, even the healthy ones. So, to make the tasting fair, we asked some of the world’s pickiest eaters (a couple of them are right here in our office) to give our recipes a try.

Remember the old Life Cereal commercials? Let’s see if Mikey likes it? Well, we’ve got a few Mikey’s on staff. But, even the pickiest eaters in our office enjoyed our recipes – especially those that included blueberries. The mandarin oranges were also a big hit. After some tweaks, the pumpkin recipe received a lot of favorite votes. It smells delicious, too. It’s comfort food that’s really, really healthy. It’s like pumpkin pie with huge health benefits, not huge guilt. I’m going to test that one on the kids tomorrow – I’ll let you know how it goes.

The goal of providing these recipes is to get people to enjoy whey protein. It’s one of the best things you can give your body. It’s one of the cleanest, purest proteins available and the benefits are astounding. In fact, I’m off to have my mid-day whey protein and some berries right now… I’ll be full until dinner time!

By: Michelle Kruse

Green Eggs and “Ham”

Here’s a fun recipe to try at home with young kids. My kids LOVE the book “Green Eggs and Ham” so this is a fun, easy way to get them to eat color and protein in the morning. Put a cup of spinach in a blender with 2 eggs and liquefy – all spinach texture should be gone. Scramble with cooking spray. Your “ham” can be almost anything. We sliced apples flat and called them “ham.” We’ve used whole grain toast for the ham before – anything goes. This is so easy and takes very little time out of our hurried mornings.

By: Michelle Kruse

Did anyone see Good Morning America yesterday? The segment’s focus was on new body type research. It seems that pear shapes have it good. I have always gained weight in my hips, thighs and rear. Fortunately for me, researchers say that fat stored in these areas is actually good for you. Researchers were not, however, talking about excess amounts of fat and were cognizant of the fine line between healthy and unhealthy amounts of weight.

Not all of us are quite that lucky. “Apple shapes,” or body types that store fat around the midsection of the body, have more to worry about. You’ve heard from us at Forever Young Diet about the dangers of abdominal or belly fat for a long time now. You know the rules about waist circumference (keep it less than half of your height). I’m about 5’8,” which is equivalent to 68” tall, so my waist circumference should be below 34.” The warnings about belly fat haven’t changed. It’s still dangerous. It still puts you at serious risk for a host of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Read these tips from Dr. James O’Keefe for losing belly fat. click here

By Michelle Kruse

I love outdoor exercise. The scenery is better, the hills, the freedom, the fresh air, everything. But, I require a temperature at least in the double digits before I head out for a run. The current temperatures and wind chills in Kansas City make outdoor exercise dangerous and I mean I’m stuck indoors. While walking and running outdoors are the perfect form of exercise, you can’t expect to start walking for exercise in January unless you have a back-up plan.

The key is having something to do that works for you. If you have convenient access to a gym, consider joining in January when rates are low. Just make sure it’s easy for you to get there and not out of your way (that way you can’t make excuses). Most gyms offer free consultations with trainers to show you how to use equipment and how to get started. Take advantage of all the free services you can and take notes on the exercises they show you.

Don’t limit your indoor exercise to the traditional “gym.” Community centers often offer great workout equipment at an affordable price. There are indoor pools to join, aerobics studios, dance classes and even mall-walking clubs (FREE!) to join. Simply find an activity you enjoy, check out the atmosphere (you’ll be more inclined to stick with it if you like the people there) and make a commitment.

As a working mom of two young kids, exercise is all about convenience. There is not a gym conveniently located to us, so we turned part of our basement into a workout area. We spent the money we would have paid for gym memberships on a treadmill, bike trainers (set your outdoor road bike up on one of these inexpensive pieces of equipment), free weights and some yoga/aerobics videos. Having different equipment helps annihilate boredom and cross training is key to getting in great shape.

Be creative. Some days I just don’t feel like yet another treadmill workout. When I feel the need for a change, I often borrow exercise DVD’s from the local library or trade with friends. I scour through fitness magazines for new weight lifting and circuit training routines to break the monotony. I also have an addiction to Redbox movies and books on CD (free at the public library) to get me through treadmill and stationary bike workouts.

Have a goal. Your exercise goal shouldn’t be about pounds lost. It should be an achievable fitness goal. A great goal is to train for a 5K – local charity walk/runs abound and are a great motivating force. Start small with your goals. Maybe you can only make it through five minutes of an exercise video now. Make your goal to make it a little further every time. Before you know it, you’ll be moving on to more advanced videos.

Be realistic. Some days it’s nearly impossible to squeeze it all in. On those days, I’ll spend about 15 minutes before I get in the shower jumping rope, doing jumping jacks or just stretching – anything to get my body moving.

By Michelle Kruse

I am so excited about our new product. While I’d like to be more green, I admit that I am not always the best. I am getting better, but I know there are a lot of things I could and should be doing to reduce my impact on the environment. That said, know that I think that the sustainability aspect of CardioTabs new Ocean Safe Omega-3 is terrific. But, it’s the little things that excite me the most. Little things like taste and purity. When the softgels first arrived in our offices for us to test, I was very hesitant to bite into the softgel. I’ve had fish oil softgels break before and the fishy smell is no picnic. Prepared for the worst, I hesitantly bit down on the softgel and lo and behold it tasted good. All I could taste was citrus berry. The oil didn’t even feel “oily” going down like liquid fish oil does. (I can’t stand to swallow liquid fish oil, either.) I’m going to have my kids try it tonight. I’m so eager to see how it goes. I have not been able to find a good high-DHA formula that my kids will take more than once. CardioTabs Ocean Safe Omega-3 is so clean tasting, I don’t think they’ll notice if I slip it in their milk or juice.

By Michelle Kruse

I made this with my five year-old daughter the other day. It is easy, healthy, and the kids loved it! Perfect for Thanksgiving and the whole holiday season.

EASY, Kid-Friendly Pumpkin Soup

One yellow onion
2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin (canned works well)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

Chop the onion and carmelize with olive oil in pan. In large crock pot or stock pot, add pumpkin, nutmeg and pepper. Slowly add chicken broth and heat thoroughly on medium heat.
Optional: Before serving, pour into blender or food processor and blend until smooth, will appear creamy. (Bonus, the kids don’t see the onions!)

By Michelle Kruse

We talk a lot about the cardiovascular benefits of omega-3, and for good reason! However, I thought I’d show everyone an article written by my eye doctor, Dr. Thomas Anderson, of Smithville Eye Center. Omega-3 has terrific benefits for your eye health. I discovered one of the benefits by accident. Several years ago, my contacts were bothering me so badly that I simply stopped wearing them. My eyes were so dry that my contacts were unbearable. Around the same time, I upped my omega-3 fish oil intake. All of a sudden, it didn’t hurt to wear my contacts. I really didn’t relate the two until shortly after that I read a study that linked low DHA intake to dry eyes. It was definitely an “AHA” moment.

Omega-3, and in particular DHA is a vital nutrient for your eyes. Did you know your retinas are made of DHA (so is a large portion of your brain)? (No wonder they put so much of it in infant formula – help those developing eyes – and brains). Download Dr. Anderson’s article below.

By Michelle Kruse

As I type this, I am sitting in the airport waiting to leave New Orleans. Happily, this is the first time I’ve ever left this town feeling well. In the city of excess everything, it’s hard to come away not feeling heavier, bloated, and worn out. What’s different? This time I made a conscious effort to eat well, avoid salty junk, and avoid smoky jazz joints and smoky restaurants. I traveled with my dietitian colleague, Sally Brown. That helped, too. My tips for traveling “light:”

1. BYOWP: Bring Your Own Whey Protein!!! CardioWhey comes in single serve packets – you can even take them on the airplane – in your carry-on. Mix it with some milk, juice or even water and have a healthy breakfast anytime. You can always find a fresh fruit cup, orange, or apple somewhere – have it with your CardioWhey and you’ve got a complete meal.

2. Request what you want at restaurants. Just because something is not on the menu, it doesn’t mean they don’t have it or can’t do it. Chances are your server can replace iceberg with darker greens or can add extra veggies to your salad. Order light dressing or even just vinegar and olive oil on the side so you can control your calories. Ask for a light protein source with your salad – small piece of grilled chicken, fish, etc.

3. SHARE! Sally and I split meals in the evenings. The portions are huge. You don’t have to eat it all! Splitting with a friend means your portion is more reasonable. Skip dessert or order fresh berries for dessert. Even when they’re not on the menu, many nice restaurants will still serve them.

4. Travel with healthy snacks. My husband always travels with raw nuts, apples, and other “easy” snacks. Then when the peanuts and pretzels come on the plane, we can skip them and eat our own healthy food.

4. Research your exercise before you leave. I always call to see if there is a lap pool at the hotel and bring a suit and goggles if so. I check out the workout room online and when I arrive, I ask at the front desk for a running map. Most hotels have safe routes mapped out for walkers and runners. They’ll always make one for you. Just ask! Never leave home without your running/walking shoes and workout clothes.

Boarding time – there’s no place like home!

By Michelle Kruse

Download Michelle Kruse’s delicious pumpkin pancakes recipe for fall. A nutritional and tasty recipe that is kid-tested and approved!