10 Thanksgiving Ideas to Revive Your Celebrations

by Sandra Koury | Nov 27, 2024 | All, Fun, Home, Wellness

Thanksgiving is an ideal time to reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives. It is also a time to recognize that, for many people, this time of year evokes difficult memories and is a time when being with family is not as joyful as it might be for others.

Knowing that with every life there is a unique history, we would like to offer 10 ways to observe Thanksgiving that can be enjoyed by anyone.

Before we dive in, however, we’d like to take a moment to thank you, our gym members, blog readers, and social media followers, for your continued support. We appreciate your trust in our team, your commitment to health and fitness, and the feedback you share to help us give our best!

Thanksgiving ideas to Revive Your Celebrations

01.

Invite a Friend or Family Member Who Might Be Alone for Thanksgiving

Even if your invitation is declined, everyone likes to feel included. Try broadening your invitation list this year and spread some feelings of warmth and welcome!

02.

Try Something Other Than Turkey

Every Thanksgiving, approximately 46 million turkeys are eaten! Save some turkeys from the dinnerplate and try alternative meat or plant-based choices.

You can easily make a main course out of fish, chicken, pot roast, and other meats, or take the vegetarian or vegan route and use hearty ingredients like mushrooms, squash, potatoes, cheese, and cauliflower to craft some delicious courses.

03.

Try Hosting a Friendsgiving

This seems to become more and more of a common practice with every passing year. Friendsgiving is essentially a Thanksgiving dinner that brings together your friends, their friends, and new people who become friends, over good food and great conversation.

With larger events, try asking your guests to contribute to the table by hosting a potluck-style event. This also encourage a diverse dinner spread because everyone’s cooking styles, food choices, and palates are unique!

04.

Spontaneous Exercise Challenge

Agree on the selection of a word like “Turkey,” “Cranberries,” “Thanksgiving,” or “Gravy”
Have each person pick a number between 1 and 5
Have each person pick a basic exercise like push-ups, jumping jacks, or squats

Any time someone says the word you chose in step 1, everyone in the room has to do their selected number of their selected exercise. The number and exercise will stay the same throughout the evening, and you’ll have fun trying to find your way around these common Thanksgiving words!

05.

Plan a Pre-Event Gathering to Help Disperse the Workload

Plan a simple Pre-Thanksgiving gathering with your intended guests before your actual holiday feast. If you are able, walking to the store can help you steer clear of holiday traffic and impossible parking situations. Everyone can carry an item and even help you with some early preparations like decorating or cooking before the main event.

06.

Serve the Less Fortunate

Whether you’re getting together with others or planning to enjoy some time solo, serving others is a great way to participate in the Thanksgiving celebrations.

All you need to do is a quick internet search to find places in your area where you can volunteer. Don’t stop at serving food, however. If you can, sit and talk with the individuals and families who arrive to be served. Hear their stories, treat them like human beings, make eye contact and remember their faces. These small gestures can make a world of difference.

07.

Plan Ahead

Even your hosts want to enjoy the gathering of their friends and family. You can help make sure that no one is left in the kitchen while everyone else enjoys the festivities by offering your help at least once or twice.

If you are the host, try setting the table the night before. Lay out the plates, cups, napkins, and silverware, and any other items that don’t need to be refrigerated. This can help make your event day run more smoothly and with less last-minute scrambling.

08.

Agree to Leave Debatable Topics at the Door

Some gatherings are particularly difficult because of discussions that become debates and debates that become arguments.

Agree with your guests, prior to your event, that debatable topics should be set aside for the duration of your gathering.

09.

Start a New Tradition

There are tons of simple but memorable things you can do to start a new tradition. It can be something like watching a certain movie, playing a game everyone loves, or creating a handmade addition for your cornucopia and adding a new one each year. This one is especially fun for new families or couples who want to commemorate each year of holidays in a special way.

If you want to go a little further, try signing up for a Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Trot! You can find events in your area, here.

10.

Get Creative with Your Leftovers

In the United States, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Thursday, November 28th. Canada celebrates early in comparison, and observed this holiday on Monday, October 14th. In either case, leftovers are a certainty with any feast.

Whether you’ve frozen your leftovers from the 14th or are expecting more than you can manage tomorrow evening, you can get creative with your leftovers and enjoy them in inventive ways. Check out these turkey ideas to put a fun and flavorful twist on your post-event meals.

For some delicious salad dressing recipes from our registered dietitian, read her post on Homemade Salad Dressings 101. Or, listen to our podcast to hear about how to navigate the path between Fitness and Food This Holiday Season. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!

What is “Toys for Tots” and How Can I Participate?

by Sandra Koury | Nov 20, 2024 | All, Home

From time to time, LA Fitness clubs across the country participate in the efforts of non-profit organizations. A campaign you’re most likely to be familiar with at this time of year, is Toys for Tots!

By now, you may have seen some donation boxes at your local LA Fitness. If you haven’t been entirely sure what those boxes are all about, you’re in the right place to find out.

What is Toys for Tots?

Toys for Tots is a charitable foundation organized and run by the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve. Its purpose is to bring joy and hope to America’s economically disadvantaged children through the gift of a new toy.

During the months of October, November, and December, new and unwrapped toys are collected and distributed to the less fortunate children in our communities.

Their efforts are largely supported by the work of U.S. Marines, Marine Corps League Members, Veteran Marines, as well as a diverse network of volunteers.

How it Works

With the help of qualified social welfare and community agencies, Toys for Tots is able to identify the children in each community who would benefit from the toy donations.

Local businesses, like LA Fitness, then agree to host a space for toy collection boxes where people can donate toys. For several weeks, the boxes are available and accessible to all who wish to donate. The toys are then received by Toys for Tots, sorted, and distributed just in time for the holidays.

How You Can Participate

It’s easy to participate in campaigns like this one simply by donating a toy at the participating LA Fitness club nearest you. If you’re inclined to go a step further, you can do any of the following:

Apply online as a volunteer. Simply Find Your Local Campaign, and click on the tab that says: “Get Involved/Volunteer.”
Become a Toy Drop Site. If your local Toys for Tots coordinator is still accepting applications, you can register your business as a Toy Drop Site. All you have to do is Find Your Local Campaign, hover over the tab that says “Get Involved/Volunteer,” and then select “Become a Toy Drop Site.”
Host a Toys for Tots Event. Once you have found Your Local Campaign, another option under the “Get Involved/Volunteer” tab is: “Host a Toys for Tots Event.” Not all localities will have this option, but you can check if it is available in your area by following these steps.
Donate. Toys for Tots has a multitude of ways that you can donate. You can contribute funds, participate in employer matching, and even donate your car! Visit their site to see all the ways you can donate.

If you do not see a toy donation box at your local LA Fitness, keep in mind that Toys for Tots relies heavily on volunteer assistance and they may not have had the manpower to serve every interested business in the area. If you would like to donate a toy but are unsure where to find a drop site, you can follow these steps* to find the closest participating location:

1. Find Your Local Campaign

2. Select your state and county from the drop-down menus and skip to step 4, or click the red button to enter your address and continue to step 3.

3. A list will appear that will show you the campaigns closest to the address you entered. Click on the first one, as that will be the closest one.

4. You will be redirected to the Toys for Tots website for the state and county selected. Find the tab at the top of the page that says: “Ways to Donate,” and choose “Donate a Toy” from that drop-down menu.

5. Here, you will find a list of all the businesses in that county that have a toy donation box. To make things easier, you can filter the list by zip code.

If you do drop a toy into one of our boxes, snap a photo for social media to help spread the word and encourage your friends to do the same! We can all be part of a child’s happiness this season, so let’s aim to make a positive impact however and wherever we can.

Keep an eye on the Living Healthy Blog for more ways to settle into the season of giving. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!

*Instructions are accurate as of November 14, 2019. Changes to the Toys for Tots Website after this date may not be reflected here.

How Much Protein Does Your Body Need?

by Sandra Koury | Feb 27, 2020 | All, Home, Nutrition

How Much Protein Do You Need Every Day?

This is a popular question that often comes from people trying to bulk or maintain muscle mass, and even from people just looking to keep their bodies healthy. In general, if you are at a healthy weight and your exercise habits are minimal, your protein intake should sit somewhere in the range of 0.36–0.6 grams per pound (0.8–1.3 grams per kilogram).¹ The lower end of this range is considered the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), or the amount needed to meet a person’s basic nutritional needs. For men, this is approximately 56-91 grams per day; for women, it’s about 46-75 grams per day.¹ However, you can calculate a more accurate number for your individual needs.

Despite the fact that we have some guidelines on how to determine your protein requirements, it really isn’t an exact science. Each individual should consult with a specialist to determine what is best for their body.

Calculating Your Protein Needs

According to the recommendations above, the math behind this is quite simple. Let’s do a quick example to demonstrate how it’s done. Again, this is using the most basic protein recommendation.

If you are 130 pounds, if this is a healthy weight for you, and if your exercise habits are minimal, you would want to multiply by the lower end of the range we mentioned above (0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight).

130lbs x 0.36g = 46.8g

This quick calculation shows that your protein consumption should amount to approximately 47 grams of protein per day.

If you like, you can go a step further. Since protein has 4 calories per gram,² you can multiply 47 by 4 to get the total number of calories you should consume from protein.

47g x 4 = 188

Now you know that 188 of your daily calories should come from protein.

Who Needs More Protein Than the Recommended Daily Amount?

Endurance Athletes

Endurance athletes need significantly more protein than sedentary individuals, about 0.5-0.65 grams per pound of bodyweight (1.2–1.4 grams per kilogram).¹

The calculation here would follow the same process, only you would replace 0.36 with a number within the new range. Of course, the more intense your endurance workouts are, the greater this number will be. Generally, a number within the range of 0.5 to 0.65 helps endurance athletes meet their protein requirements.

Let’s do a quick example using kilograms instead of pounds.

If you took your weight in pounds, you would first need to divide your weight by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. Let’s use 130 pounds again to demonstrate how this works:

130 ÷ 2.2 = 59.09

Next, multiply your weight in kilograms by a number within the new range. Keep in mind that this range changed too. It’s 0.5-0.65 grams of protein per pound, but 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram. Let’s use the lower end of the range which is 1.2.

59.09 x 1.2 = 70.91

This calculation shows that, if you are an endurance athlete, your minimum protein consumption should amount to approximately 71 grams of protein per day.

Strength Training Athletes

Athletes looking to increase muscle mass are advised to consume at least 0.55 and up to 0.91 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.21-2.0 grams per kilogram).³ Athletes who strength train regularly (and at an intense level) need just a little bit more. The recommendation is at least 0.68 and up to 0.91 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.5 to 2.0 grams per kilogram) every day.³

Older Adults

Older adults have increased protein needs as well, about 0.45–0.6 grams per pound of bodyweight (1–1.3 grams per kilogram).¹ According to our registered dietitian, the increased intake recommendation is partly to help maintain lean mass and partly to compensate for a slightly diminished ability to digest and absorb protein.² Healthline explains that increasing protein can also help prevent osteoporosis in older adults.¹

People Recovering from Traumatic Injuries

People recovering from serious injuries may also need more protein. The assumption is that, because traumatic injury induces hypermetabolism, protein requirements increase.⁴ While more work needs to be done to develop accurate energy requirements, some suggest that about 0.68 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.5 grams per kilogram) is an appropriate amount.⁴

Pregnant Women

A 2015 study found that the recommended protein intake for pregnant women is in fact lower than previously thought. Still, the overall amount is similar to the needs of a high performing endurance athlete! According to this study, these are the appropriate amounts of protein for the average pregnant woman:

During Early Pregnancy – 0.55 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.22 grams per kilogram).

During Late Pregnancy – 0.69 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.52 grams per kilogram).

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Protein?

The short answer is yes. According to a review from the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, the maximum safe protein intake is 1.14 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, or 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram.²

Medical News Today identifies the following symptoms associated with too much protein:

intestinal discomfort and indigestion
dehydration
unexplained exhaustion
nausea
irritability
headache
diarrhea

How do you reach and manage your protein intake goals? Share your ideas in the comments below! To stay in-the-know on trending health and nutrition topics, subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly highlights from the Living Healthy Blog.

This article should not replace any medical or nutritional recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.

Sources

Gunnars, Kris. “Protein Intake – How Much Protein Should You Eat Per Day?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 5 July 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day
James, Debbie. “Protein Percentages for Seniors: Q+A.” Living Healthy, 30 Jan. 2020, http://bloglafitness.azurewebsites.net/2017/07/18/protein-percentages-for-seniors-qa/
Coleman, Erin. “How Much Protein Do You Need When Lifting Weights?” Healthfully, 24 Dec. 2019, https://healthfully.com/393951-how-much-protein-do-you-need-when-lifting-weights.html
Frankenfield, David. “Energy Expenditure and Protein Requirements after Traumatic Injury.” Nutrition in Clinical Practice : Official Publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16998142

4 Common Stress Responses and What You Should Do Instead

by Sandra Koury | Feb 26, 2020 | All, Home, Wellness

Physical and biological responses to stress can really mess with our health. We experience varying levels of this emotion every day, so it’s good to draw some attention to some of the unconscious responses to stress that have the potential to damage our wellbeing.

Here are 4 things you probably do when stressed, along with 4 things you can do to cope with them:

Common Stress Responses

TENSING YOUR MUSCLES

When you’re stressed you may unconsciously clench your jaw, tighten up your shoulders, or clench your fists. You probably won’t realize it in the moment, but this habit can lead to pain down the road.

A tight jaw can lead to headaches or neck aches, and it can also lead to teeth grinding while sleeping. Teeth grinding can also be a source of pain as it can cause tooth sensitivity, receding gums, and headaches.

Do This Instead: Make a conscious effort to relax your muscles. When you notice you are feeling anxious or stressed, try doing a full-body scan in your mind and relaxing each group of muscles as you go.

OVEREATING

Eating has a special connection with stress. Psychology Today explains that stress involves the release of the hormone cortisol. When you have this hormone in your system, your brain sees it and automatically stops producing more so your system isn’t overloaded with it. However, the role it plays in your body is part of the reason why you feel comforted by eating.

Cortisol tells your body to prepare immediate energy for your muscles to either fight or flee from the stressful situation. When you “stress eat” you’re psychologically comforted by the fact that you are replenishing the energy stores your body has been demanding.

Do This Instead: When we have access to high-calorie foods, it’s more difficult to turn down the impulse to stress eat. Try to avoid stocking those foods or buy only a small amount. If you don’t have a lot, you’re likely to eat them less often because you’ll want to stretch your supply to last longer. The preferred solution, however, would be to address the source of the stress. That is the healthiest long-term solution.

NOT EATING ENOUGH

The opposite of stress eating can also be true. Sometimes, when your stomach is in knots, you’ll find you don’t have the desire to eat at all. The Cleveland Clinic explains that this is more about not noticing your hunger cues because you’re so focused on the stressor. It’s important to note this distinction because loss of appetite can also be a symptom of depression.

Do This Instead: If your stomach is in knots and you can’t seem to eat, focus on relaxing to melt some of that stress away. Keep a stress ball at your desk, take a minute to step outside, try some breathing exercises, or refocus your energy by giving yourself something to do.

GIVING UP

When things look hopeless, it’s often tempting to just stop trying. Whether you’re struggling to achieve something you’ve been working towards or have encountered an unexpected obstacle, throwing in the towel is a common stress response. The sudden rush of relief from no longer needing to work through a problem can make it easy for us to give up. This is also tied to feelings of anxiety.

Stress and anxiety can be good for you in small doses. They are good motivators and help you move forward with things that need to get done (for example taking a test or preparing for an interview). When they start to become overwhelming and cause you to withdraw from people, situations, or tasks more than is healthy, it’s a good time to address these emotions more seriously.

Do This Instead: Instead of throwing in the towel when you feel stressed, ask yourself some questions first. Why did your situation become the way it is? Are your worries realistic or are you blowing the problem out of proportion? Do you have feasible options you’re trying not to take because they look scary or difficult? Being honest with yourself can help you assess your situation better and help you decide if it’s really better to abandon your goal.

What are some ways that you combat stress in your life? Share your approach with us in the comments below! For more ways to care for yourself, read these reminders of why you are worth the self-love. Stay in-the-know and subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly highlights from the LA Fitness blog!

The Fact and Fiction of Gluten-Free

by Sandra Koury | Feb 21, 2020 | All, Home, Nutrition, Wellness

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a common term for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, triticale, malt, and brewer’s yeast.¹ It is what helps maintain the shape and texture of foods made with these grains. The list looks simple enough, but we have not yet considered the various products made from these grains that are then used in various foods. This can make it difficult to really know which consumables contain gluten.

For example, products like semolina, farina, spelt, farro, bulgar, emmer, and more, are all products made from wheat. If you see one on a food item’s ingredient list, you may not immediately know that it contains gluten.

What is the Problem with Consuming Gluten?

Consuming gluten typically isn’t a problem unless you have a sensitivity to or intolerance for it. People diagnosed with Celiac Disease experience the more serious side-effects because the intake of gluten actually causes damage to the small intestine. Not only does this hinder nutrient absorption, it can also result in symptoms like weight loss and diarrhea.² For these reasons, malnutrition is a serious concern for individuals with this condition.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity essentially means that, even though a person tests negative for Celiac Disease and negative for a wheat allergy, they still experience some of the milder side-effects. Typically, this means they may experience some intestinal symptoms, headaches, fatigue, and joint pain if they consume gluten.²

Busting the Myths About Gluten

Gluten-Free Diets Aid Weight Loss – MYTH

How surprised would you be to learn that the opposite can actually be true? Gluten-free foods can contribute to weight gain because food manufacturers will often add fat and sugar to help recreate the qualities that gluten gives to food.³ In fact, there is no evidence that supports the idea that gluten-free foods can help someone lose weight.³

The reason gluten-free diets are perceived as beneficial for weight loss probably comes from the fact that going “gluten free” can simply mean sticking to unprocessed foods. For example, avoiding glutinous foods (like cake, pasta, etc.) can mean a lower daily calorie count which is potentially what helps gluten free dieters lose weight.

Gluten-Free Labels Mean Zero Gluten Content – MYTH

Research has determined that there is a safe threshold in terms of gluten consumption. So, if a food is labeled as “gluten free,” what that really means is that it contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten.⁴Okay, but what does that even mean? We rarely quantify things this way. Parts per million refers to how much gluten there is in relation to all the other ingredients. This is not a fixed number. Some foods have a little more and some have a little less.

Each low-gluten food item adds to your overall daily intake. This means that if you consume too many “gluten-free” foods, you can accidentally consume more than the safe amount. Individuals with Celiac Disease are advised to consume no more than 10-50 milligrams per day.⁴

Gluten-Free Diets are Easy to Follow – MYTH

Following a gluten-free diet is actually pretty tough to adhere to, and if you don’t pay attention to what you’re eating (or if you stick to the same foods every single day), you may put yourself at risk for nutrient deficiencies. Not to mention that gluten-free foods typically aren’t enriched with the nutrients you’re already missing by avoiding gluten-containing foods.³

According to an article by the Gluten Intolerance Group, some of the most common nutrients that are difficult to obtain on a gluten-free diet include:

Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Folate
Iron
Calcium
Vitamin D
Magnesium
Fiber
Zinc

Which Foods You Should Avoid

If you need to go gluten-free, Healthline explains that the easiest way to avoid gluten is to eat unprocessed, single-ingredient foods. This means you should avoid foods like bread, pasta, cereal, cookies, muffins, pizza, crackers, and certain beverages like beer. You should also avoid foods made or topped with soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, certain broths or marinades, and even some salad dressings.¹

If you are going to consume grains, you are encouraged to stick to foods like quinoa, rice, buckwheat, tapioca, corn, and gluten-free oats.¹To be extra-safe, check the packaging for a “gluten-free” label on these items because many foods that are naturally gluten-free (like oats) may still be contaminated with gluten because they are processed or packaged in the same facility as gluten-containing products.

The lists go on for both the do’s and don’ts of gluten-friendly dieting, so be sure to check with a reputable source for a more complete list of foods.

Do you have any tips or tricks for gluten-free dieters? Share your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles like this one, subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly highlights from the Living Healthy Blog.

Sources

Raman, Ryan. “The Gluten-Free Diet: A Beginner’s Guide With Meal Plan.” Healthline, 12 Dec. 2017, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gluten-free-diet.
Kubala, Jillian. “Is Gluten Bad for You? A Critical Look.” Healthline, 6 Mar. 2019, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-gluten-bad#who-benefits
Fontenot, Beth. “Gluten: Fact and Fiction.” The Doctor Will See You Now, 28 Dec. 2011, http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/nutrition/art3542.html
Spector Cohen, Inna, et al. “Gluten in Celiac Disease-More or Less?” Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, 2019, https://www.rmmj.org.il/issues/40/articles/897