Fight Childhood Obesity and Reduce Your 2008 Tax Liability

Are you willing to join the crusade against Childhood Obesity?

I have a huge personal mission to eradicate this unnecessary epidemic. In case you don't know, I was once the "fat kid". Fortunately, I was introduced to exercise and healthy eating when I was 12 yrs old and it has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I have spent the last 14 yrs living in complete freedom when it comes to my weight, my health, & my relationship to food and exercise; even more, I get to enjoy that freedom for the rest of my life. I wish the same blessing for all children who struggle with their weight.

If you've struggled with your weight at any age, you know how it can have a negative impact on other areas of your life. Currently over one third of our children 6-18 years of age are suffering from obesity. Not only does this dramatically affect the quality of life during their important formative years, it seriously impacts their health & well-being for the rest of their life.

How you can you help me & the children of Arizona!

I've recently taken on a volunteer position as nutrition coach for TEAM Chances for Children AZ. Chances for Children is an organization whose mission it is to fight childhood obesity by providing nutrition education & fitness programs to children in Arizona, so that they can begin a healthy lifestyle now. Team Chances is a fundraising team training to walk or run the PF Changs Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon & marathon on January 18, 2009.

Along with the athletes who I am coaching, I am training to run the full marathon and fundraising to assist the less fortunate children of Arizona. I invite you to assist me and consider making a generous donation to the cause and give these kids a chance to succeed in life. To make an online donation – go to www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/teamchances/melissaguthrie. Click the orange link at the bottom, enter your donation amount and be sure to type Melissa Guthrie in the blank box. If you prefer to make a donation via check, please make your check payable to Chances For Children and contact me for the mailing address.

NOTE: Donations made by Dec 31, 2008 are tax deductible for your 2008 taxes. And if you are in Arizona you can receive a tax credit for your donation! See Tax Credit info below.

To learn more about Team Chances and how they are making a difference inthe lives of 1000s of children in Arizona and how you can get involved inthe crusade (see http://www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/ calendar for more details):

Thank you for your support,


Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast



Tax Credit for the Working Poor – Dollar for Dollar Credit on your Return
The state of Arizona provides an excellent incentive for you to help the working poor. If you donate money to a “Qualified Charitable Organization, Helping the Working Poor”, you can receive a dollar for dollar credit on your Arizona state return. You can use the credit to reduce your tax liability (dollar for dollar). If you are already due a tax refund, the credit simply increases your refund!

This credit is the Working Poor Tax Credit and you can receive a credit of up to $400 (married filing jointly) or $200 (single taxpayer.) The Working Poor Tax Credit can be taken in addition to the credits for public school contributions and/or school tuition organization contributions.
To be eligible for this credit, you must have itemized deductions and deducted charitable contributions on a prior year’s Arizona tax return (1996 or later). This prior year is your baseline year. You must exceed the baseline year contribution by the amount you donate to the qualified organization. The amount you donate to the qualified organization becomes your tax credit. The working poor donation can also be included as an itemized deduction on your Federal tax return if you are itemizing deductions.

Please refer to Arizona Form 321 and instructions for the annual reporting requirements of the credit on your Arizona individual income tax return. For information on the tax credits, visit the Arizona Department of Revenue Web site here http://www.enewsbuilder.net/eletra/gow.cfm?z=ascpa,308455,bbMlQj3h,2730778,bdyqNHV.

A Moment on the Lips, Forever on the Hips

It is commonly reported that the average person gains 7 to 12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years (and for most people this weight gain not easily reduces and is often maintained throughout the coming year). This is phenomenal to me. Typically it would not be well for an adult to gain that much weight over an entire year, let alone in 5 to 6 weeks. Some of the contributing factors to this astronomical weight gain include: overeating more than usual, consuming an excess of high calorie, high fat foods, and high sugar foods, dining out more often, higher stress levels, cutting back on exercise and overall physical activity, staying up later and getting less sleep.

Do you have any idea how many calories must be consumed in order to gain that much fat? Trust me holiday weight gain is 99.9% fat gain. There are 3500 calories (kcals) in 1 pound of fat. So if someone gains 1 pound of fat in a week, it means that they consumed an excess of 3500 kcals above and beyond what their body expended in energy that week. Another way to look at it is 500 extra calories were consumed every day for a week. Calories can add up quickly, so it is a good idea to keep a food journal to keep you in check. Use the rule: Bite it and Write it! If it goes in your mouth, it must be recorded in the journal. Following this rule is often enough to make a person think twice about picking up the cookie or going for a second helping of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. Another key to journaling success it to have an accountability partner who you will show your journal to on a regular basis – this could be a friend or family member who is supporting your fitness efforts, a personal trainer, or a nutrition coach.


High calorie holiday foods to beware of:
Egg Nog - An 8 ounces serving contains 350 kcals, 19gm fat (11gm saturated fat) – this is not good for your waistline or your arteries.
Pie – a generous serving of Pecan Pie can be as high as 800 kcals.
Candies – 3.5 ounces of Peanut Brittle will add up to about 485 kcals
High fat meats – Prime Rib. The healthy serving of meat is 4 oz; the typical person consumes double that. For 8oz of Prime Rib you’ll take on about 850 kcals.
Potatoes – Candied Yams will add about 400 kcals for ¾ cup serving. Mashed potatoes (often loaded with butter & cream) will tack on close to 470 kcals per cup.
Gravies & Sauces – gravy made from fat drippings 375 kcals for ¾ cup.
Stuffing
Alcohol
Hot Chocolate
Cookies
Chocolate


Dining Out: Most people have no idea how many calories they are consuming when they eat out, even when they are attempting to order healthier. It is not uncommon for a restaurant meal to have 1200kcal, 70 grams of fat, 2000 mg sodium. This is as much fat, salt and calories and some people require in an entire day (and they are consuming it in one meal). YIKES!!

Holiday Spirits: Consuming alcohol promotes fat storage, especially when alcohol is consumed with a high fat, high calorie meal. The body does not process the carbohydrate in alcohol the same way it does the carbohydrate in fruit and whole grains and in the process of metabolizing the alcohol sugars, fat metabolism is hinder and fat storage is enhanced.

Stocking of Sweets: High sugar foods are not only high in calories; they also cause a spike in blood sugar levels followed by a surge of insulin into the bloodstream which promotes fat storage, especially when sweets are consumed later in the evening.

Season of Stress: High stress levels increase the body’s production of cortisol (the stress hormone) which promotes fat storage.

No Time to Sleep: Sleep deprivation can lead to overeating, making poor food choices, and can temporarily alter hormone balance which means increase likelihood of weight gain.

Exercise your options: Exercise is what I call damage control for the holidays. Every extra calorie expended means one more calorie that doesn’t end up in a fat cell on your thighs. Ten minutes of exercise is better than no minutes. Simple ways to burn extra calories: Take two laps of power walking around the mall before you start your actual shopping. Park at the farthest parking spot from the door of the store and you'll burn a few extra calories walking and you are less likely to feel the stress of fighting for a close parking spot. . Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Schedule your workout for early morning, so you get it done first before anything else has the chance to thwart your plan. Find a workout partner so you can keep each other accountable to your exercise plan throughout the month of December. Spending time with friends or family – opt to go for a walk and talk rather than sitting on your behind. There are plenty of ways to keep exercise and physical activity a priority during the holidays. Extra benefits are exercise reduces stress levels and improves mood.

Happy Healthy Holidays!

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

MG's Favorite Bread Recipes

[imagine me singing] When the dog barks, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad... Hopefully, you've seen the "Sound of Music" so you are familiar with the tune in which I was singing to.

One of my absolute favorite things is homemade bread. In fact, I love homemade bread so much that I stopped buying bread at the grocery store when I was in college. I've been making my own bread ever since. I remember the day...It was a Saturday and I had been studying for an upcoming exam. I took a break to run to Wal-Mart and pick up some household items. While I was there I strolled through the kitchen appliance department and found that there was a bread machine on sale for $40.00. One my meager college income $40 was still quite a bit of money. I figured I could sacrifice some other things in order to justify the purchase, not to mention I figured I'd be saving money by making my own bread. Well, I believe that was one of the best $40 I've ever spent. That was back in 1999 and I still have the same bread machine. I still use it every week, it works like a charm and has never required any service or maintance work. An interesting side note is that my Mom received as a gift, a very expensive ($200) bread machine manufactured out of Japan. No matter what we did that thing could never make a decent loaf of bread. I think she either sold it in a garage sale or it is boxed up and sitting in her garage.

I know that not everyone has a bread machine or the patience to make yeast bread from scratch. I thought I'd share my favorite whole grain breads that are made without yeast. These breads get rave reviews. I love using these breads for a hearty sandwich or as a companion to soup, stew or salad. The Rye variation makes the most amazing Reuben on the planet. These are also great breads to take to a party or pot-luck. Enjoy!

Melissa Guthrie’s Quick & Hearty Multi-Grain Bread

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cup Spelt flour
½ cup rolled oats, quick cooking
¼ cup wheat bran
¼ oatbran
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1 ½ cup organic skim milk (soy milk, almond milk, rice milk or any other non-dairy milk can be substituted)
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce or nonfat plain yogurt.
¼ cup honey
Optional: 1/3 cup chopped nuts or seeds ( 1 or a combination of the following: walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc)

Heat oven to 350F. Spray the bottom of an 8-inch round casserole dish or a bread-loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all flours, oats, brans, baking powder & salt. Mix well.

In small bowl, beat the egg. Add milk, applesauce & honey; blend well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once; stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Gently fold in nuts/seeds if desired. Spread dough in to spray coated pan. Bake at 350F for 42 – 47 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Yield: 1 (16-slice) loaf



Melissa Guthrie’s Quick & Hearty Rye Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup rye flour
½ cup rolled oats, quick cooking
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
¾ tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp fresh orange zest
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1 ½ cup organic skim milk (soy milk, almond milk, rice milk or any other non-dairy milk can be substituted)
3 Tbsp nonfat plain yogurt.
¼ cup honey

Heat oven to 350F. Spray the bottom of an 8-inch round casserole dish or a bread-loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all flours, oats, brans, baking powder & salt. Mix well. Stir in caraway seeds & orange zest

In small bowl, beat the egg. Add milk, yogurt & honey; blend well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once; stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Spread dough in to spray coated pan. Bake at 350F for 42 – 47 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Yield: 1 (16-slice) loaf



To Your Best Health,
Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Making Your Workouts Work With a Fitness Buddy

It seems that for me the theme of this week has been accountability in business, in fitness, and in life. It is amazing the difference it can make in ones desire and motivation to take action, to be consistent, to stay true to one’s word when there is someone to report to. I have had the great fortune of having a weight training partner for the past 6-months and it has been a great benefit to us both as we’ve been committed and consistent to our weight training regime. Whereas, before we started working out together we always did our cardio, but were inconsistent with our weight training. Last night I had an impromptu coaching session with my business mentor. She challenged me and told me she wanted a detailed report on my activities today. I was not about to let her or myself down, so I took massive action today and accomplished much. Earlier today, I was speaking with a friend who invited me to a party tonight. I told him I wasn’t going to be able to attend because I am running 20 miles at 6am tomorrow. He responded like I had three eyes and hair on my teeth. “Why in the world are you running 20 miles and why are you doing it at 6am?” That’s simple – I’m training for a marathon, I’m training with a team and the team is counting on me to be there. Most people would think to themselves, "well there will be at least 40 other people there to run in the morning so if I don't show up it won't be a big deal and no one will even notice." Perish the thought! It is amazing the support each team member contributes to the successful training of each other team member. When you know the team is going to be there at 6am to train, you don’t want to have to run all those miles by yourself, then you don't even consider hitting the snooze button. A coach, a mentor, a training partner, a personal trainer, or a team can be one of the most valuable assets in reaching your goals.

Earlier this week, I was not able to make it to the gym to meet my workout partner, Kim on our appointed weight lifting day and I felt badly about letting her down, because we both really look forward to our training sessions. Did she just go home? NO! She stayed and did the workout. Today Kim was sick and didn’t make it to the gym. I was already there doing my cardio workout. I rolled off the stair mill and hit the weights. Going home or skipping weight training never crossed my mind. What I’ve found is the few times that Kim is unable to make it to the gym, I’m just as motivated to complete my weight workout as when she is there. In speaking with Kim, I know she feels the same, she knows I’m going to ask her how her workout was and she doesn’t want to tell me that she bailed out of weight training just because I wasn’t there. I think she actually takes pride in being able to say “Melissa, I kicked my own butt today. You would’ve been proud.”

Having a fitness buddy, workout partner, or personal trainer is a great asset any time of year, but especially now during the holiday season. We get busy with holiday parties, shopping, and working extra hours to make up for the time we’ll be taking off from work. With the cooler weather, the sun rising later and setting earlier, our motivation to workout can wane. Having someone to report to and or someone depending on you to show up can be that little extra nudge we require to be consistent with our workouts during the holidays and throughout the winter months.

Suggestions in choosing a fitness buddy and making your workouts work:

• Choose someone you actually like to spend time with, a person who is motivated and who will hold you accountable. You don't want to work out with a waffler.
• Make sure that your workout schedule can be consistent – same days, same time each week. Also be willing to be flexible as occasional adjustments are required. Choose someone who is punctual.
• Choose someone who has a similar level of fitness to you. You don’t have to be able to lift the same amount, but it is important that you can both do the same exercises. If you are doing cardio together, make sure if you are running, walking or cycling outside that you are both at a very similar level otherwise both of your workouts will be sub-par. If for some reason you are at different fitness levels, be sure that you can each do the workout at your own pace, while still doing it together. i.e. You are walking on the treadmill at 3.5 mph, 4% incline and your buddy is walking on the treadmill next to you at 2.8 mph, 2% incline.
• Make sure your workouts are planned ahead of time. Don’t show up to workout and say “what should we do today.” Know before you go. Have a plan and work your plan. As Jim Rohn says, those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
  
  

Success to you!

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner