This summer, Chris Gomez is taking his students to Six Flags and the first thing he’s going to do is ride a roller coaster. In fact, the kids may have a hard time getting him to do anything else. For Chris, a special education teacher from New York, being able to fit in to a coaster car again means another triumph on his weight loss journey.
At age 34, Chris admits to being slightly overweight most of his life with a few periods of weight loss in between, but due to emotional eating, late-night snacking and lack of portion control (eating multiple desserts), he could never keep the extra pounds off for very long. As a die-hard Mets fan and sports enthusiast, Chris knew as his weight continued to climb, his energy plummeted and his ability to participate in the activities he once enjoyed like softball, were beginning to decline.
Chris describes his a-ha weight loss moment, saying, “I was sitting at a friends’ house and ordered 20 chicken wings for lunch and half way through I realized that I couldn’t continue to do this to myself. One day a doctor would tell me that I was running myself into the ground and I would have nothing to do about it. So I decided enough was enough.”
It’s that time of year when people start getting extra friendly with a neighbor or pal with a swimming pool. Memorial Day is here, and the only way to spend a sunny day-off in May is outside, by the water, with a ton of good food and drink. But remember, these aren’t the cookouts of your youth; don’t allow your buddies to grill packaged weenies and frozen burger patties. And tell your in-laws to leave the boxed wine and light beer at home; as a matter of fact, just tell them you’re out of town that day.
This is a new era; your golden age of Memorial Day cookouts. We’ve compiled nine healthy, simple, and delicious summer recipes to make the first holiday of the season an unforgettable one.
Are you tired of bland, store-bought salsa, but intimidated about making your own homemade chip-dip? This roasted tomatillo and pineapple salsa is sweet and refreshing, with a perfect amount of spicy bite. It’s full of complex flavor notes and a breeze to make. The tomatillo is tangy, the pineapple saccharine, and salsa staples like cilantro, lime juice, garlic, onion, and salt strike a harmonious balance. Throw this salsa down with some blue corn tortilla chips and watch your guests lick the bowl clean.
With great entertaining comes great responsibility, so make sure your Memorial Day guests have a tasty bev to wash down your delicious food. The only thing better than a cool summer cocktail is a frozen summer cocktail. The Talenti Sorbetto in this recipe is brilliant in color and light in calories. All you need is your favorite bottle of cheap cab sauv, a little lime juice, mixed berries, and a blender. With only 222 calories per 8 oz serving, it’s the perfect summer cocktail. Read Full Post >
This week on Live Big With Ali Vincent I am checking in with Matt McCloskey. Matt started his Live Big journey one year ago by running. Right as Matt was getting into his groove, he started feeling pain in his knee. At first he powered through the pain, then he took it easy by doing pool workouts. Nothing seemed to help. See what happens when I bring in the big guns to solve Matt’s knee problem.
Matt’s knee problem brings me to what I want to talk about this week: when to take it easy and when to see a doctor. Read Full Post >
Grills across the country will fire up this weekend for the unofficial start of summer. Memorial Day is the the most popular day for beef consumption in the U.S., followed by Fourth of July and Labor Day (according to Purdue). No real surprise there, but did you know it’s also one of the highest-calorie meats we grill?
We’re not telling anyone how they should eat this weekend. After all, Memorial Day is a celebration. We are making a few suggestions, though, for enjoying this food-focused weekend without having to beat the bloat come Tuesday morning. Read Full Post >
I am often asked by women in need of a little stress relief if I can recommend a book that will help them incorporate yoga into their crazy and hectic lives. I realize how manyyoga books on the market are not speaking to the modern woman (one who is pulled in so many different directions without a chance to catch her breath), but instead seem to be appealing to a population that is seeking to completely abandon the to-do list in favor of adopting a pure and perfect lifestyle.
Just recently, I discovered two fun, light-hearted books that explain how to enjoy the benefits of yoga without having to give up everything in hopes of someday being flawless.
Amy Luwis of RescueGirl and the author of these wonderful books explains how you can make yoga fit perfectly into your perhaps not-so-perfect lifestyle.
Clever illustrations don each page, including tips from adorable dogs, birds, cats, and other “little helpers” making this book such a wonderful joy to read. Health advice ranges from dieting to detoxing and is presented in a clear manner by Luwis, who is not only passionate about yoga, but also well informed about the proper way to do a pose and why yoga is of great benefit. Read Full Post >
