YMCABlogs

Chef Jessica: Sauteed Grouper with Tropical Fruit Salsa

March 18, 2008 – 7:55 pm
By Chef Jessica I love fresh fish and this tasty dish is very “Floribbean” and an excellent summer supper. For grouper:1 lb grouper fillets 1tsp Jessica’s summer seasoning blend 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil  For Salsa:1 ripe mango, peeled and diced 2 cups ripe papaya, peeled and diced2 jalapenos, seeds and stem removed, finely diced (For a hotter salsa leave some seeds in) ¼ cup finely chopped red onion The juice of 1 lime 3 TBSP minced fresh cilantro 3 TBSP chopped fresh basil 1 TBSP rice wine vinegar 1 TBSP honey 1 tsp dark sesame oil Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste  

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Organic, Natural, Free Range: What Does it All Mean?

March 18, 2008 – 7:40 pm
By Kerri Napoleon YMCA Nutritionist Organic, Natural, Free Range: What does it all mean? Below is a listing of different terms and what they mean to you. Organic Fruits & Vegetables: these were grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or sewage sludge and haven’t been genetically engineered or irradiated. Organic Beef & Chicken: come from animals that were not the offspring of cloned animals. They were raised on 100% organic feed, were never given growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs, and their meat was never irradiated.

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Omega 3 Fatty Acids

March 10, 2008 – 4:58 pm
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that the human body cannot manufacture. A healthy diet should consist of roughly 2-4 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. The typical American diet tends to contain 14-25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids which may be a factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the U.S.(1).  Extensive research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. For this reason, the American Heart Association recommends consuming fatty fish (Salmon, Albacore Tuna, Mackerel, Sardines, and Herring) at least 2 times per week. If you are not consuming fatty fish on a regular basis then it is recommended that you take a fish based omega-3 fatty acid supplement. You should always discuss starting a new supplement with your doctor to ensure that it ...

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Williams Weight Lost!

February 25, 2008 – 9:42 pm
Mid-point Group Weight lost: 56.8 lbs Top 5 Individual Weight lost: Emily Ringgold    10.4 lbs Jill Pittman    7.5 lbs Monique O’Mara    6.25 lbs Joan Hes    6.0 lbs Linda Hendricks    5.5 lbs Everyone Keep up the Great Work!! A Few Reminders: --Chef Jessica’s Seafood Class is Thursday Feb. 28th from 7-8pm --Featured Group Exercise Class (Yoga) is Friday Feb. 29th from 7-8pm --5K Gate River Run entry fees/forms due by Wednesday Feb. 27th (entry forms will be in Article Folder on Monday Feb. 25th) --5K GRR is at 7:45am on Saturday Mar. 8th (meeting location TBD)

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Keep Up The Good Work!

February 20, 2008 – 10:37 pm
Everyone keep up the good work! As we move into the second half of Commit To Be Fit I want to congratulate Karen and Tarnesha for the outstanding job they have been doing. Remember that nutrition is just as important as it is coming in to workout. Each week we are moving closer to our goal but we need to work even harder over these last weeks! Keep it going!!Scott SacharskiWellness Director Flagler YMCA

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The Best Time to Exercise

February 14, 2008 – 9:26 pm
  Jennifer Joy Wellness Director Winston Family YMCA  Let’s get real:  the fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar business with every doc, jock, and yogi wanting a piece of the pie.  It is amazing the trends, gadgets, and weight loss books that bombard our senses each and every day that claim to want to make us perfect- or at least manage our “trouble spots.”  Without sounding too cynical, understand that many, if not most, wellness or health “experts” are hoping to make a buck off their unique niche or perspective- it’s commerce; it’s free market.  So how do you wade through all the informational mess without feeling duped?  How do you know I don’t have my own shtick I’m trying to sell? Read the entire article, http://www.firstcoastymca.org/globals/pdf/winston/winstonArticleGetReal.pdf

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Great Job Participants!

February 12, 2008 – 8:17 pm
Great job to all of our participants.  It has been exciting for the first couple of weeks.  I am proud to have seen you trying new classes that you may never have tried before.  Variation is the key to being in shape.  Keep coming to those classes!  We just had our nutrition meeting and it was great. The feedback I have received has all been positive and motivating.  Our overall goal of 100 pounds lost is a tough one but I am confident we can reach it!  Excellent job everybody! Scott Sacharski Wellness Manager Flagler YMCA 12735 Gran Bay Parkway, Suite 201 Jacksonville, FL 32258 904.370.9622  (fax) 904.296.1385 YMCA of Florida's First Coast www.FirstCoastYMCA.org

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Welcome To The NEW Commit To Be Fit Challenge

February 4, 2008 – 10:00 pm
Commit to be Fit is in its 3rd week and things are going very well!  We had four branches from our association participating in January’s challenge:  Flagler, Williams, Winston, and Yates.  We have a total of around 40 members in the CTBF program this go round, and we’re looking to expand the program to more branches during the next session in May.  I applaud all the hard work that I’ve seen so far with our Williams CTBF group, and I’m sure that I speak for Jennifer, David, and Scott at their respective branches.  Keep up all the good work, because we’re all glad to have you in the program and we’ll keep pushing you hard to reach your goals!! Tim Burrows Wellness Director Williams Family YMCA

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Commit To Be Fit Reunion at Barco-Newton

January 2, 2008 – 4:40 pm
The first Barco Newton CTBF Reunion was held on Monday, December 17th, and went very well.   Bill, Melinda, Julie, Shelly and Vicki (from our Spring CTBF) all came and had a great time.  The Holiday Season is upon us and I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  However, do not let the holiday-eat-till-you-explode sneak up on you.  Have your goodies "in moderation" and remember to go outside and enjoy an after dinner walk.  Workout the rest of your guilt at the Y! (See you in FLEXX, Step or Abs)   The next Reunion Meeting will be January 28th at 5:30pm.  Please be sure to bring your food diaries.    Happy Holidays to you and yours!

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Spiritual Wellness

December 10, 2007 – 10:18 pm
Jennifer Joy Winston Family YMCA Wellness Director ‘Tis the season to be jolly about something!  While you are fa-la-la-la- la-ing your way through the masses at the mall, this is the perfect time of year to reflect on the final tenet of the wellness journey.  Again, I am not here to preach any one value-system or decide whether or not you can say, “Merry Christmas” to a stranger. My hope is that you will contemplate the spiritual dimension in its basic sense:   to recognize our search for meaning and purpose in human existence, resulting in actions that mimic or “line up” with our beliefs and values. It is the action part that is so tough, is it not?  There you are, humming “O Holy Night” to yourself one moment, and then griping to the sales staff the next second because the store is out of the latest and greatest gadget or toy!  Any spiritual ...

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