Author: Chris Brown (Page 16 of 41)

Winter Lunch of Cabbage with Ground Beef and Onions

February 19, 2022 / Chris Brown / 3 Comments

Maybe because it is winter time, but I’m finding I really love a winter lunch of cabbage with ground beef and onions. Does anyone else like this type of thing? The cabbages in the store have been looking really great this time of year so I find them in my cart after many of my trips to the grocery store.

I may have written about cabbage with ground beef and onions in the past because it is one of my favorite winter lunches.

Making cabbage for lunch easy, full of delicious fiber and pretty healthy. If I was participating in a veggie challenge, this definitely would help me meet the days veggie goal!

First I slice the cabbage up, usually about a third of a nice sized head of cabbage. I cut it into the size of narrow cabbage steaks. sliced-like-cabbage-steaks

Then I turn the cutting board to run the knife thru the cabbage steaks in the other direction to make bite sized chunks.

run-the-knife-thru-the-cabbage-steaks

I cut an onion the same sort of way and put some olive oil in the bottom of my cast iron skillet. When the oil is a little bit heated up, I put the cabbage and onion in and let it brown on medium low heat. cabbage-in-the-skillet-with-onions-and-olive-oil Sometimes I add some water so it doesn’t get too dry.

Before combining it with the ground beef, sometimes I remove the cabbage and onion mixture from the pan and brown the ground beef on it’s own.
Cabbage-with-browned-ground-beef-and-onion Other times, I just move the cabbage off to the side and brown the beef.

A little salt and pepper and my winter lunch of cabbage is ready to enjoy.

How about you? Are you one of those people who loves eating cabbage in the winter? Let me know how you prepare it! You can leave a comment below or send me an email at Chris@becomingelli.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

#cabbagerecipe #cabbagelunch #cabbageandonion #groundbeefandcabbage

Lifting for Fit Strong Women Over 50

February 8, 2022 / Chris Brown / 4 Comments

Episode 100 – Lifting for Fit Strong Women Over 50

In episode 100, Jill and Chris review what they have learned during the past 100 episodes. Many topics have been covered, but what really stands out is the importance of strength training.

Over the past episodes there have been many experts who have talked about lifting for fit strong women over 50, including how to get started, progressive overloading, good form, avoiding injury, tracking progress and more.

In this episode, Jill and Chris discuss the “whys” and “hows” of lifting and include clips from past episodes featuring interviews with:

Maria Stahdelman Personal Trainer Maria Stadelman Episode #1
Brian Kennell – Healthy, Fit and Active Episode #5
Pam Semanik and Angie Ridgel – Performance for Women Master Athletes Episode #44
Gail Lind – Aging Strong Episode #85
Nia Shanks – Lift Like a Girl Episode #79
Holly Perkins – Lift to Get Lean Episode #97
Marcia Kadens – Building Strength After Menopause Episode #64
Tammy White – Lifting My Spirits Episode #76
Brenda O’Hara – Personal Trainer and Gym Owner Episode #4
Pam Sherman – The Perfect Balance Episode #59

Ditch the Diet Culture with Cindy Dallow

January 25, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 99 – Ditch the Diet Culture with Cindy Dallow

In episode 99, Jill and Chris talk with Cindy Dallow, PhD, RD, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.

She has worked in the field of nutrition and fitness for 30 years and enjoys training and competing in marathons and triathlons. A USAT Certified Triathlon Coach, she is a 5-time Ironman finisher and has completed 12 marathons.

Cindy helps women over 45 learn about nutrition, fitness, intuitive eating and how we can live our best lives during and after menopause.

She works with woman in mid-life to gain more energy, strength, and fitness (without dieting), to enjoy good food and an active lifestyle and offers support and accountability for lifestyle change. She focuses on helping women ditch the diet culture and become active and fit.

We discussed:

Listening to your body for cues for hunger and fullness
Intuitive eating vs chronic dieting
Protein from plants vs meat vs powders
Her thoughts on intermittent fasting, keto and other restrictive eating
How she works with endurance athletes to fuel
Honoring hunger and learning to recognize and trust hunger instead of ignore or control it
Rejecting the diet mentality
Intentional eating, balance and satisfaction
Slowing down, paying attention to texture, taste, flavor and enjoying the meal
Becoming mindful about the eating experience

Be sure to get her healthy meal checklist available free from her website!

Links:
Cindy Dallow’s private Facebook group: My Body My Life Food & Fitness
Her Website: https://mybodymylife.co My Body My Life Food & Fitness

My 3 Focus Words for 2022

January 15, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Each year when I pick 3 focus words to focus my efforts, I look for words that I believe with inspire me and improve my life. Jill and I discussed our three words recently in podcast episode 98. You can click here to listen to the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast episode.

This year my 3 focus words are:

1) Cue – As in the beginning step of a habit. When I read “The Power of Habit” I learned that everything starts with the cue.

The book explains the 3 parts of the habit. Each habit has a cue, a routine and a reward. The key is understanding the pattern before trying to adjust the outcomes. It starts with the cue. The cue might be the time of day or a situation. The phone rings. Stuck in a traffic jam. An argument with a family member. The 3 pm slump.

2) Prep – Prep is short for preparation. As in figure out a menu, and do the “ugh” part of the tasks first. I don’t mind chopping veggies – in fact I enjoy it – and I have learned about myself it is best for me to do the prep tasks when I am full. Not hungry! Prep tasks like grocery shopping. Preparing quinoa for the week. Cooking several batches of chicken breast for salad or popping into other recipes. Making a lengthy recipe for a full meal and then freezing most of it into single serving portions for the freezer. (I love easy, healthy defrost-in-the-microwave meals!) Save a aisle-by-aisle grocery list of the par-stock for my pantry that I can use to make sure I always have what I need.

3) Track – Tracking food, exercise and mindfulness is a way to keep the focus on the very things that help keep me fit and strong. I use My Fitness Pal to track meals and my weight; FitBit to track exercise; and the Insight Timer for mindfulness and meditation. I guess that track could me the track near the High School, but that wasn’t the track that I had in mind when I picked this word.

These 3 focus words are what I’ll concentrate on for 2022, as opposed to creating a new years resolution.

Do you use three words? Let me know in the comments below:

2022 Three words with Chris and Jill - be

2022 Three Words Podcast

January 11, 2022 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

Episode 98 – 2022 Three Words

In episode 98 of the Fit Strong Women Over 50 Podcast, Chris and Jill talk about the three focus words that each have selected for inspiration during 2022.

We both agree that new year’s resolutions can be easily discarded. Instead, we chose to focus on a keyword that helps us to remember our intentions for the year.

While making new year’s resolutions isn’t a bad idea, sometimes outside forces can derail the best intentions. For example changes in social setting with the recent pandemic has required changes to regular, normal lifestyles. By having three words, Chris and Jill will have an overarching focus that doesn’t rely as much on circumstances outside individual control. (At least in theory!) Our intention with this podcast is to share our thoughts about staying healthy, fit, and strong during the coming year!

Links to Related Posts:

2021 Jill
2021 Chris

2020 Jill
2020 Chris

2019 Resolutions
2019 Setting Goals

Perhaps you also use three words? Or set goals and make resolutions? We would love to hear from you!

Leave a message on the website at below at the Becoming Elli website or Facebook Group to share with other fit strong women over 50. If you’d rather leave a voice mail, just call 330-970-6662.

Lift to Get Lean with Holly Perkins

December 28, 2021 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode 97 Lift to Get Lean

In episode 97, Jill and Chris interview Holly Perkins, a women’s strength expert, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and the author of Lift to Get Lean.

Holly helps women create the body they need to keep up with the life they love, through her proven system of strength training and intentional nutrition. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from The Pennsylvania State University. Holly has worked with many famous people and celebrities… and even a presidential candidate.

Her advice is frequently featured in Women’s Health, Shape, SELF, Prevention, BuzzFeed, and LIVESTRONG.com. With 30 years of experience in the field, Shape magazine named Holly a “Top Trainers to Follow”.

We discussed:

Why women over 50 need to do more than cardio exercise
The five types of considerations to fitness (cardio vascular fitness, muscular strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, and body composition.)
How to begin or return to the gym after a break
What to do at the gym to see progressive results
Holly explains when you build lean muscle mass, the magic starts to happen.
She describes the important Muscle Tipping Point: This is the point on your strength training fitness journey where it really starts to impact you and your body in profound ways. Your metabolism is faster, you burn more fat, you are burning more calories at rest and reducing your osteoporosis scores.
Lean muscle helps you age gracefully, keeps you young, and keeps your body fat down. The only way to get there is through progressive muscle strength training.
Five muscle groups to work out with 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
The challenge of the last 2 reps and why it is so important
What she thinks about fasting workout and intermittent fasting.
Foods she takes with her while traveling in a car or airplane

Sound bites:
“We are not men in their 20s.” “Do something harder to get better.” “Creating the body that you need, to live the life that you love.”

Important Links:

You can download a free 6 Week Strength and Cardio Plan at https://hollyperkins.com/offer.
Learn her approach to nutrition with the 14-page premium guide and signature proven approach to learn how to balance macro nutrients so you can feel better, have more energy, and release body fat at https://hollyperkins.com/macros
Holly Perkin’s website: https://hollyperkins.com/
Amazon Paperback: Lift to Get Lean: A Beginner’s Guide to Fitness & Strength Training in 3 Simple Steps
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyperkins/
YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/HollyPerkinsFitness/videos

Mind Games for Working Out

December 19, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

I realized this morning I spend a lot of time doing mind games for working out.

Just getting to the gym can be a mind game for me. If I make it easy to find my workout clothes, I have less internal resistance for going. I set an alarm about 45 minutes before I plan to be at the gym. One that says, start to get ready with your water bottle full and near the door. Fifteen minutes later, there’s a buzzing to remind me that I’m going to leave in 15 minutes, so I should start getting my clothes on and finish up whatever I’m doing. Of course, I have a little alarm that says “Leave Now!”

Setting my clothes out well ahead of time, with shoes right by the door, is another trick of mine. Pack the bag the night before!

It’s minor nagging but keeps me remembering that I made a commitment to myself to get back to the workouts. Once I get to the gym, I have a whole other set of mind games!

If it is circuit training, I find my favorite exercises and promise myself that I can be rewarded with those after I do the ones I’m not so crazy about. I make sure I have modifications for exercises that hurt my toes and fingers. (Burpees for instance.) Instead of slamming down my feet into the back burpee position, I will modify to walking mountain climbers where I can more slowly send my feet back and not aggravate my toe knuckle joints. This way I don’t give up because the exercise in the circuit training isn’t one I should be doing.

Anytime the circuit training involves kettlebell, I look forward to the majority of those exercises. The KB exercises I love help me to get thru the tough ones. I might even do an extra one of the reps because I love the KB so much. I see great improvements in myself with the single leg kettlebell deadlifts. Better balance. Better form. Heavier weight. That feels great!

Counting Down Mind Games
If the reps are set to 15, I like to count up to 8 and then down to 1. (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & 7 & 6 & 5 & 4 & 3 & 2 & 1 &) For some reason, if the highest number is 8, it doesn’t feel like I’m really doing 15.

When I’m able to move up in weights for an exercise, I find I like the exercise even more! Doing Chest Flys with a heavier weight or Lateral Raises with a heavier weight feels like a real accomplishment and I spend the majority of that exercise congratulating myself. It’s easier to stare in the mirror and be smiling because I increased weight.

Positive Reinforcement Mind Games
The super tough exercise – like bear crawls or pushing weights on the carpet – I talk out loud to myself. I try to whisper but mostly because I’m out of breath. “You can do it.” “You got this.” “Come on now, just a little farther.” I really feel I accomplished something when I finish those!

I am still working on my mind games for the TRX machine. Today I did some, but the pikes and hamstring curls psyched me out. I found I didn’t even finish the rows – exercises I know I can do. Why? I think the TRX got into my head and I started the negative talk.

Does anyone else talk in their head with mind games to themselves during a circuit workout? Any ideas on what I can say to really convince myself to start and finish those super tough TRX ones? Leave a comment below. I would really appreciate it!

Living Energized and Nourished with Amanda Nighbert

Living Energized & Nourished with Amanda Nighbert

December 14, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 96 – Living Energized & Nourished

In episode 96, Jill and Chris interview Amanda Nighbert, a registered dietitian who specializes in weight loss nutrition. She is also an avid fitness enthusiast.

Amanda is passionate about empowering people to break the all or nothing mindset. She wants us to find how to make changes that are sustainable and let us find long term weight loss success.

She has worked in the weight loss field for over 19 years to help thousands of people reach their wellness goals, but is a strong believer that dieting is temporary and it is more important to focus on lifestyle changes to see long term weight loss success. Amanda offers a custom LEAN program (LEAN stands for Living Energized And Nourished), coaching services, and a variety of other offerings to give us the tools and resources to find our best selves. She also gave a Ted talk in March 2021 on this topic.

Discussed in this podcast:

Factors need to be overcome to lose weight and keep it off for women going through peri-menopause or already in menopause.
Sleep matters. You can help set your circadian clock by getting get light into your eyes in the morning.
Reduce inflammation to help reduce abdominal fat, heart burn, and joint pain.
Strength building for increasing muscle mass and improving your body composition.
Habit tracking is a key. Share your email with Amanda and receive a free habit tracker: https://amandanighbert.lpages.co/habit-tracker/
As we age, we lose muscle mass and we need to be eating enough protein. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass. Our body’s ability to utilize protein lessens.
The most important macro nutrition for weight loss.

She stresses the importance of strength training. Women often replace strength training is often replaced with cardio. You want to build muscle mass because your strength work out benefits you up to 36 hours after lifting.

Amanda recommends:

* We should focus on progress, not perfection.
* Focus on eating healthy 80% of the time, not 100%.
* Start somewhere, because something is better than nothing.
* Snacking has ruined us, we should do 12 hours of fasting everyone from a 1 year old to a 101 year old.
* Intermittent Fasting Facts and Myths: Myth: you are starving yourself and it slows down your metabolism. Fact: we are very efficient and productive in a fasted state.

Some of her food favorites:

* having breakfast for dinner example, like an egg omelette
* tacos
* salad
* spaghetti squash
* zoodles (zucchini noodles)

Links mentioned during this episode:

https://amandanighbert.com/resources/ The resources from Amanda include Intermittent Fasting Guide, Meal Planning guide, Habit Tracker, Low Calorie Drink Guide, weekly health and nutrition tips.
Website: www.amandanighbert.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandanighbert
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandanighbertrd/ #leanwithamanda
Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvoikSqNT7E

Live Your Dreams with Ultra Kayaker Traci Lynn Martin

November 23, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 95 – Ultra Kayaker

In episode 95, Chris and Jill talk with Ultra Kayaker Traci Lynn Martin. who is a Guinness world record holder as the fastest solo female to kayak the entire Mississippi River at 55 days, 8 hours, and 17 minutes. The previous fastest time for a solo female was 61 days.

Besides conquering the Mississippi River, Traci Lynn has circumnavigated Lake Huron, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, the 3 largest lakes in North America – over 3000 miles paddled.

Traci Lynn, a 54-year-old nurse from Kansas City Missouri, has a medical diagnosis of Rheumatoid Autoimmune disease. She wants to inspire other people with chronic health conditions, to know that their life is precious and valuable, and they can still find the strength to get up and do the things that they love.

During this episode we discuss:
* Her training to strengthen her core and upper body.
* How she handles her Rheumatoid Arthritis
* Mental strength needed for Ultra kayaking
* Why she has taken on such hug challenges like circumventing the Great Lakes and traveling the entire Mississippi
* How she fuels and eats as an ultra kayaker

Links:

Website: https://www.justaroundthepointe.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JustAroundThePointe/
Facebook public group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/453369874831383
Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracilynn.martin

Focus on Family and Food

November 22, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

This week I have a lot of focus on family and food. It is Thanksgiving week and I’m texting lists of food with my sisters. We are trying to figure out who is bringing what part of the meal! We’re planning to have a family get together and my Mom wants all the traditional fixings.

Because we skipped Thanksgiving last year, I think this year has a whole lot more to be thankful for. I’m very thankful for the vaccine. Without it, I don’t think we would be gathering again this year. Even so, it will be a smaller group than in years past.

I went shopping several times this past week in preparation for Thanksgiving. Most recently, When I looked into my cart, I hardly recognized it. A huge bag of potatoes. Five loaves of bread. Several huge yams. A pumpkin pie. Mushroom soup and French fried onion rings. Not my usual cart, that’s for sure!

I know I could probably revise each recipe a little (or a lot) to make them more healthy. I’ve done that many times on other years. I’m still going to bring a spring mix leafy green salad and roasted vegetables. Most of the dishes I am making will have lots of leftovers that will go home with other people.

Afterwards, I always love making a turkey vegetable soup and I think I love eating that during the next few days more than the actual turkey dinner.

I also know most of the discussion that afternoon will be about recipes and food and meals we’ve had in the past. I’m going to go with the one plate plan on Thanksgiving.

This year will be the year of photos I think. Before, during and after dinner! I want to count my blessings even more this year.

Exercise
Besides family and food, one tradition that I’ve kept to the last ten years, (except during the 2020 pandemic,) is the special Thanksgiving classes at the gym. I’m looking forward to their special Thursday morning classes for turkey day because I usually get some things going in the crock pot before I head to the gym and everything is well under control when I get back from the gym.

One tradition that I’m really missing is the annual turkey trot. Jill and I did it several years in Twinsburg (see photo on the left from when Jill won an age group award!) and although it was a five mile race with hills, the weather usually cooperated.

My first turkey trot was in 2009 in Aurora and I didn’t realize that it was four miles. I had only trained for a three mile race, so I felt very accomplished when I crossed the finish line!

Due to ongoing issues with my Achilles tendon, I haven’t run much at all during the past several years. I have done bike riding, group exercise classes and some weight training, but I gotta admit I do miss the fun we had at the running races!

Do you keep family and food as your tradition during thanksgiving… and what about exercise? Any fun traditions that you would share?