Make lunches your friend with these healthy, portable ideas under 400 calories. Our collection of work-friendly lunch recipes allows you to spice up plain sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas and salads so you can proudly announce what you’re eating to your colleagues (not that you would). Check them out and get excited about packing your lunch this week!

CLICK on link below.

Taken Directly from MyFitnessPal’s Featured Recipes- June 4, 2015

If there is one fact in my profession that every client knows, but doesn’t “know,” it’s this: You’re not perfect.

You’re going to struggle. You’re going to have bad days. You’re going to eat more than you planned on eating, and you’re going to feel like doing nothing sometimes. It’s not a matter of “if.” It’s “when.” And after helping more than 1,000 people lose weight, I can tell you “when” is usually Friday.

Friday is the most common day when people get a case of the “screw its.” When perfect is no longer an option, they just throw the play book completely out the window. But these swings in consistency are death to long-term weight loss because they rob us of momentum. So I started trying to come up with a better plan and, luckily for all my clients, I’m a huge Civil War history nerd.

One of the great generals (and characters) in the Civil War was Stonewall Jackson. A tactical genius, Jackson appreciated that the most important factor in war (and the war that’s weight loss) is momentum. So he was moving forward, even when he was moving backward. One of his contemporaries summarized Jackson:

Excerpt From Hello Healthy Coach Stevo. Read more click on link

Summer Hours

Words matter, perhaps more than you realize. How you describe something expresses your underlying attitude about it, but the words themselves reflect back at you, shaping your thoughts and actions and impacting your success. Alot of research has been done with athletes — they achieve better results when they talk to themselves with positive, motivational language.

But this wordplay goes beyond sports to everyday performance. One study published in Psychological Science revealed the effect a small turn of phrase can have. In the study, participants who were asked to write the words “Will I” during what they thought was an unrelated handwriting task did better later at problem-solving and were more motivated than those who wrote “I will.” So approaching a task with the mind-set of a question or challenge had a more positive impact than using a declaration.

The bottom line is that what you say and how you say it shapes what you do. As a nutritionist, I am especially keyed in to the words we use around food and nutrition, and I see many popularly hashtagged terms hurting more than they help when it comes to our health and well-being. Here are five words I’d like to see banished from the food conversation.

[Ask us Ellie food, recipe and nutrition questions here]

Detox

While it is true that certain foods help your body’s detoxification systems do their critical work, the word “detox” mostly feeds the alarmist notion that our bodies regularly accumulate piles of harmful compounds and we have to do something about it fast. The treatment usually involves a special (and typically expensive) concoction or radical eating plan. In this way “detox” sets us up for a fear-oriented and extremist mind-set, where we think that we need something more advanced than regular healthful food to thrive and that some magic bullet can quickly erase the effects of partying, overindulging and generally not taking care of ourselves.

So scrap that word and strive for a balanced way of life that optimizes your liver, lungs and immune system, which thankfully are very good at consistently preventing toxins from building up. Eat plenty of vegetables and whole fruits, get enough sleep, exercise and water, and take it easy on alcohol. If you go off the rails one night or over the course of a weekend, you don’t have to do anything dramatic to repent. Just go back to normal the next day.

By Ellie Krieger

THE 5 WORST PICKS

1. Pastries Cinnamon rolls, packaged apple pies, and toaster pastries, these not-so-fresh, high-calorie baked goods are usually made with corn syrup and contain added preservatives to prolong shelf-life. These treats usually contain anywhere from 250 to more than 300 calories each and, much like a donut, won’t satiate your hunger for long.

2. Chips and crackers High in sodium and lacking real substance, snack crackers often contain trans fats in the form of hydrogenated oils. Chips, on the other hand, come in deceptively large servings and some are treated with BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytulene) to prevent spoiling, two controversial chemicals linked to cancer and hormone disruption.

3. Cookies They may satisfy your sweet tooth, but the bag of refined carbs and added sugars won’t do much to satisfy your stomach. Like pastries, packaged cookies also have added preservatives to increase shelf life. Additionally, most manufacturers have started swapping out hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fats) for palm oil, an oil loaded with saturated fat, the production of which has been linked to major ecological issues including deforestation and habitat degradation.

4. Candy Sweet or sour, the candy in most vending machines are little more than concentrated sugar packed with artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Downing a bag of Skittles won’t ease your hunger, but will likely lead to a sugar crash, caused by a sharp spike and drop in blood sugar, which can lead to sluggishness and—you guessed it!—more sugar cravings.

5. Soft-drinks We all know they’re not good for us. Sipping on soft drinks, such as soda, sweetened teas, and sports drinks, instead of water adds up to a lot of excess sugar and empty calories—and will quickly pack on the pounds.

THE 5 BEST OPTIONS

1. Nuts Frequent nut consumption has been shown to have health-boosting benefits, including weight control and decreased risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. A portioned-size packet of almonds or peanuts will provide some healthy fats, protein, and fiber to keep you satiated. Opt for lightly-salted or unsalted varieties when available.

2. Trail mix For those of us who love a sweet and salty combination, a bag of trail mix is a much better option than chocolate covered pretzels. Look for varieties with unsalted nuts and dried fruit, which offer a boost of protein, fiber, and some vitamins and minerals, rather than mixes solely made up of cereal and sugary candy.

3. Granola bars Portion-sized and usually under 200 calories, most granola bars contain some form of whole grain, like oats or flax, and nuts, which you’re your snack a healthy hit of fiber and protein.

4. Popcorn Popcorn is a whole grain that packs fiber and antioxidants, and it can be a great low-calorie snack. Just steer clear of kettle corn, which is sweetened with sugar, and stick to air-popped and low-salt popcorn instead.

5. Water Disregard the sweet, sugary sodas at eye-level and make water your go-to way to hydrate when thirst strikes. Save soda for occasions when it can be savored, like dinners out or weekend barbecues.

Excerpt from HelloHealthy

Author: Elle Penner, M.P.H., R.D., is the Registered Dietitian and Food & Nutrition Editor at MyFitnesssPal,

UMBC, in partnership with the YMCA of Central Maryland, is excited to announce the re-opening of the Y Preschool at UMBC, effective September 1, 2015. The UMBC Preschool offers quality instruction to children 2-5 years of age and provides development opportunities for young children to:

• Learn through imaginative play
• Develop cognitive and physical health
• Be independent and self-confident
• Become enthusiastic, inquisitive learners
• Develop character

The program also offers opportunities for UMBC students to work with the Y Center Staff to gain experience working at the Preschool in areas such as music, theater, geography, and STEM. The Y is looking to collaborate with other areas for academic research, internships, and direct learning.

Early Bird registration for UMBC faculty, staff, and students is May 1 – May 31, 2015. There are a limited number of enrollment spots available, so please register early to ensure you are able to take advantage of this opportunity.

In person registration is required. To schedule your in-person registration appointment, contact Betty Sterner at 410-747-4951. Please note, the $85 non-refundable registration fee will be applied to the first week's tuition.

Valerie A. Thomas, Associate Vice President of Human Resources

For many of us, it can be really scary and a bit intense to think about moving more and making changes to improve your health and fitness. Maybe your goal is to start running, perhaps for exercise or even for a race. But, where do you start? How long do you run? How fast? How often? There can be a lot to think about, which can be quite intimidating.

Here are some tools and tips to help you get fired up about your new fitness lifestyle, give you a heads-up on where to start, and what to expect when adding running or walking to your routine.

Everyone Starts Somewhere

A lot of people may be able to run faster and longer than you and that’s OK. Don’t be afraid to embrace your current level of fitness, and focus on making incremental progress. Simply moving more than you were before is a huge accomplishment.

Find the Right Shoes for You

Make sure that the shoes you wear when walking or running are a good fit for you. Your shoes are your foundation—you don’t want to hurt yourself or experience unnecessary aches and pains that could be prevented with proper footwear. If you can get your feet and stride tested at a specialty running shop, go for it! If not, just be prepared for some trial and error until you find the shoe that suits you best.

Pace or Length, not Both

A big mistake that runners (of all levels) can make is to run faster and longer at the same time. This can be a recipe for disaster; I actually had to find this out the hard way. Make sure you choose a goal and intention for each run or walk: Are you going to try and go farther or faster today? Focus on one metric at a time so that you don’t overdo it.

Walk and Talk

Going for a walk, or even a jog, can be more fun with company. Maybe you want to move more but are still feeling a bit intimidated or you lack motivation—then bring a friend! Talking can make the time go by faster, make it more enjoyable, and can be a good time for you to catch up with someone you might not otherwise get to see on a regular basis.

Get a Training Plan

Don’t be afraid to seek out help from experts. Training plans are designed and scheduled in a way to help you safely start where you are, and get you to where you want to be. Whether you want to be able to run 30 minutes without stopping or conquer your first 5K, there are plenty of good tools to help you find your way to success.

Be Prepared for “Off” Days

Some days you won’t feel like moving—that’s totally normal. As with anything new, there are going to be some complicated times and days when you have more motivation than others. On days when you’re well and uninjured but just don’t feel like training, lean on your workout buddies, or show up at your local running shoe store for a group run. Your friends will lean on you when their motivation runs low, so they’ll be happy to return the favor when you’re in need.

If you’re feeling really run down and exhausted in addition to lacking motivation, take an unplanned rest day. Often, one day off provides the mental break you need to get back into training the next day.

Author: Runtastic Blog