Good Living with Aprilanne

Aprilanne gets into the Stand-Up Paddle Boarding craze in Half Moon Bay, CA

How can you strengthen your core, burn mega calories, and have a ton of fun in the process?  Stand-Up Paddle Boarding offers a serious workout burning an average of 800 to 1,000 calories and hour for men and 500 - 700 calories an hour for women!  The best part is - Stand-Up paddle Boarding makes exercise FUN while you are enjoying the great outdoors!  Check out my day in Half Moon Bay, CA with world renown Big Wave Rider and Maverick’s Surf Competition Founder Jeff Clark in the video below for the California Insider’s Guide to Stand-Up Paddle Boarding on boards crafted by Jeff Clark himself:

According to Extreme Sports Guru Steve Merrifield of DemoSport, San Rafael, CA - Stand-Up Paddle Boarding works every muscle in your body - and I can tell you from experience it is a great way to sneak in an awesome workout while enjoying yourself in the process!  I had a great time meeting Jeff Clark - and hope this post inspires you to give Stand-Up Paddle boarding a try!!!  For more information on buying or renting Stand-Up Paddle Boards visit Jeff Clark’s official website:

MaverickSurfShop.com

If you are looking to try out Stand-Up Paddle Boarding in the North Bay, check out one of our favorite sports equipment rental/retail spots:  DemoSport.com and tell them Aprilanne sent you! 

For ideas on where to dine in Half Moon Bay, CA watch California Living’s show segment on Sam’s Chowder House now online at CAInsider.com 

Planning a getaway to Half Moon Bay, CA?  Check out our primetime look at the Oceano Hotel & Spa now online atCAInsider.com

Aprilanne Hurley CN - is a Certified Health Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management in the Lifecycle.  Please forward your nutrition, dieting/weight loss questions to Aprilanne @ info@insidelooktv.com or post a reply below - thank you!

Site Disclaimer:  The content on this site is for informational purposes and is not intended to cure or treat any disease or illness.   Please consult with your doctor or health care provider prior to starting any new diet or exercise regimen.

CA Living features Sam's Anchor Cafe Crab Cioppino

Originally crowned the ultimate “brain food,” Omega 3 Fatty Acid rich fish such as salmon, trout, and halibut to name a few offer numerous health benefits due to their Omega 3 Fatty Acid properties. 

According to the Harvard School of Public Health – in addition to providing protection against heart disease and possibly stroke, higher does of omega-3 fatty acids are used to treat depression, and “new studies identifying potential benefits for a wide range of conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases and other autoimmune disease such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.” 

Omega-3 fats have been linked with health benefits such as lowering the risk of heart attack and may reduce irregular heart rhythms. Omega-3 fats work to prevent disease by regulating blood clotting and the contraction and relaxation of artery walls.  They also lower blood pressure and heart rates, improve blood vessel function, and at higher doses, lower triglycerides and may ease inflammation.

Since our bodies don’t produce Omega-3 fatty acids we need to rely on food sources containing them for numerous normal body functions, such as controlling blood clotting and building cell membranes in the brain.  It is however, always recommended that you seek to get your omega-3 from foods choices and not from supplementation.  Note of caution about supplementation - always, always, I repeat - ALWAYS check with your doctor or health care provider before taking a fish oil supplement. 

So what foods can you find Omega 3-fats in?  Omega 3- fats are found in fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout, herring, halibut, and sardines, as well as Omega-3 eggs that have been fortified with DHA.  Omega-3 fats in the form of ALA’s (alph-linolenic acid) can also be found in flaxseeds, walnuts, and soybeans.  ALA can be found in olive oils, canola oils, and in dark green leaf vegetables such as kale, spinach and Brussels spouts, as well as in some animal fats such as grass-fed animals. 

What about the health concerns regarding mercury and other environmental contaminants  found in some fish species?   According to JAMA - The Journal of the American Medical Association, “Overall, the health benefits of eating fish greatly out-weight the potential risks - especially when guidelines are used to reduce the small chance of being affected by these risks.”  “For men and women not of childbearing age, it is not clear that mercury exposure from typical levels of fish intake has any adverse health effects.  In contrast, fish intake has significant benefits for reducing the risk of death from heart disease, the number one cause of death.”  Pregnant and breastfeeding women should “avoid the 4 types of fish that are higher in mercury content:  shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and golden bass.”   In light of these cons however - research shows there are a multitude of beneficial health benefits associated with Omega-3 Fatty Acid rich fish and food sources and everyone should really strive to include two servings of fatty fish a week into their diets.  So why not start today?!  Try making the Authentic San Francisco Crab Cioppino Recipe we are featuring on the link below -compliments of Sam’s Anchor Cafe in Tiburon, CA (which also includes antioxidant rich tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil) - and you’ll discover a great tasting way to get more “fish” into your family’s diet - Enjoy!  Aprilanne

Sam’s Anchor Cafe Authentic Crab Cioppino Recipe on CAInsider.com   

Havard Reserch on Omega-3s

Pubmed.gov Research on health benefits and potential risks related to consumption of fish or fish oil.

JAMA - Benefits and risks of fish consumption 

Sam’s Anchor Cafe - Tiburon, CA

Aprilanne Hurley, CN - Aprilanne Hurley is a Certified Health Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management.  Please forward your nutrition and dieting/weight loss questions to Aprilanne @ info@insidelooktv.com or post below - thank you!

Site Disclaimer: The content on this site is for informational purposes and is not intended to treat or cure any illness or disease.  Please consult your Health Care provider prior to starting any new exercise or diet regimen.

Aprilanne's Top Ten Foods for health and longevity.

Proven “Top Ten Foods” for Health & Longevity!

Watch Aprilanne’s Top Ten  Foods for Health and Longevity On-Demand Now!

As seen on CA Living’s  “Health & Wellness” Special - below is a list of the Top Ten foods science has proven can make you healthier and help you loose weight when eaten as part of a nutritious diet in moderation and live longer:

 1. TOMATOES – TOMATOES ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF THE ANTIOXIDANT LYCOPENE – LYCOPENE REDUCES THE RISK OF CANCER BY 40 % - NOTABLY PROSTATE, LUNG, AND STOMACH CANCERS AND INCREASE CANCER SURVIVAL – AND HERE’S AN INTERESTING TIP – CONCENTRATED TOMATOES SAUCES LIKE THE ONES FOUND ON PIZZA AND IN PASTA SAUCES HAVE FIVE TIMES MORE LYCOPINE THAN FRESH TOMATOES AND CANNED TOMATOES HAVE THREE MORE THAN FRESH SO –THERE’S NO EXCUSE TO ALWAYS HAVING THIS POWERFOOD ON HAND ANY TIME YOU WANT A LYCOPINE BOOST!

2. OLIVE OIL – IT IS A MAJOR PART OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET – SHOWN TO HELP REDUCE DEATH FROM HEART DISEASE AND CANCER – HEART ATTACH SURVIVORS ON A MEDITERRANEAN DIET HAD HALF THE DEATH RATES OF THOSE ON AN ORDINARY LOW-FAT DIET, RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS. THE REMARKABLY LOW MORTALITY RATES AMONG MEDITERRANEAN POPULATIONS IS ATTRIBUTED TO OLIVE OIL – WHICH IS ALSO HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY.

3. RED GRAPES – THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES RED GRAPE JUICE AND WINE. CERTAIN RED GRAPES HAVE MODERATE ANTIOXIDANT POWER WITH PURPLE GRAPE JUICE TOPPING OTHER JUICES IN ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY – HAVING FOUR MORE THAN ORANGE OR TOMATO JUICE – RED WINE HAS ABOUT THE SAME ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY AS PURPLE GRAPE JUICE OR TEA. FRENCH RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS THAT DRINKING RED WINE IN MODERATION INCREASES LONGEVITY – BUT AS WE JUST TOLD YOU – YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH THE SAME ANTIOXIDANT BENEFITS WITH GRAPE JUICE IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE ALCOHOL.

4. NUTS – RECENT HARVARD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUND THAT EATING MORE THAN 5 OUNCES OF NUTS A WEEK CAN CUT HEART ATTACK DEATHS IN WOMEN BY OVER 40 PERCENT – AND HELPED PREVENT DEADLY IRREGULAR HEARTBEATS IN MEN. ALMONDS AND WALNUTS LOWER BLOOD CHOLESTEROL – AND NUTS ARE HIGH IN FAT – MOST IN THE GOOD TYPE MONOUNSATURATED AND OR OMEGA -3 FATTY ACIDS – SO IF YOUR WATCHING YOUR FAT INTAKE KEEP PORTIONS TO ONCE OUNCE.

5. WHOLE GRAINS THE MORE WHOLE GRAINS YOU EAT – THE LOWER YOUR ODDS OF DEATH A UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STUDY REVEALS. – MIDDLE AGED WOMEN WHO ATE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN ONE WHOLE GRAIN FOOD PER DAY HAD A 15% LOWER DEATH RATE TAN WOMEN EATING LOTS OF REFINED PROCESSED GRAINS. LOOK TO INCLUDE MORE WHOLE GRAIN DARK BREADS, AND CEREALS SUCH AS ALL BRAN AND OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL INTO YOUR DIET. WHOLE GRAINS CONTAIN ANTI-CANCER AGENTS AND HELP STABILIZE BLOOD SUGAR AND INSULIN WHICH MAY PROMOTE LONGEVITY.

6. SALMON AND OTHER FATTY FISH – THESE CONTAIN HIGH AMOUNTS OF THE TYPE OF FAT – OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS – THAT PERFORMS MIRACLES THROUGHOUT THE BODY – FIGHTING VIRTUALLY EVERY CHRONIC DISEASE KNOW – WITHOUT IT YOUR BRAIN CANNOT THINK YOUR HEART CANNOT BEAT PROPERLY - YOUR ARTERIES CLOG AND YOUR JOINTS BECOME INFLAMED. YOU NEED AT LEAST AN OUNCE OF A DAY RO TWO SERVING OF FATTY FISH A WEEK – BOTH RED AND PINK CANNED SALMON – SARDINES – MACKEREL HERRING AND TUNA ARE RICH IN ESSENTIAL OMEGA – 3’S.

7. BLUEBERRIES – ONE OF THE BEST ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOODS SAY TUFFS UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS. BLUEBERRIES ARE SO POWERFUL IN RETARDING AGING IN ANIMALS THAT THEY CAN BLOCK BRAIN CHANGES LEADING TO DECLINE AND EVEN REVERSE FAILING MEMORY. – AIM FOR A HALF-CUP OF FROZEN OR FRESH BLUEBERRIES A DAY.

8. GARLIC – GARLIC IS PACKED WITH NUTRIENTS KNOWN TO HELP FEND OFF CANCER, HEART DISEASE, AGING, AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS – GARLIC HAS PROLONGED CANCER SURVIVAL IN TIME AND EXTENDED ANIMAL LIFE SPANS ABOUT 5 PERCENT – WHICH IN HUMANS MAY ADD ABOUT FOUR YEARS - HERE’S A TIP FROM RESEARCHERS AT PENN STATE – LET CRUSHED GARLIC ‘REST ‘ ABOUT TEN MINUTES BEFORE COOKING IT TO PRESERVE IT’S DISEASE FIGHTING AGENTS.

9. SPINACH – THIS SUPER HEALTH PROMOTER IS SECOND AMONG VEGETABLES ONLY TO GARLIC IN ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY. IT IS ALSO RICH IN FOLIC ACID, WHICH HELPS FIGHT CANER, HEART DISEASE, AND MENTAL DISORDERS. BOTH RAW AND STEAMED CONTAIN HIGH ANTIOXIDANT AND OTHER ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT COUNT.

10. TEA – GREEN AND ORDINARY BLACK TEA PACKS THE SAME AMOUNTS OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND HAVE EQUAL BENEFITS EXPERTS SAY. HARVARD RESEARCHERS RECENTLY FOUND THAT DRINKING ONE CUP OF BLACK TEA A DAY CUT HEART-DISEASE RISK IN HALF. BE SURE YOU MAKE YOUR ICED TEA FROM BAGS OR LOOSE TEA – BECAUSE ACCORDING TO TESTS AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY THE BOTTLED AND INSTANT TEAS CONTAIN MINIMAL ANTIOXIDANTS.

Watch Aprilanne’s Top 10 Foods for Health and Longevity

*This information has been provided as a general healthy living guide - it is not intended to treat, cure, evaluate,or diagnose illness or disease. Please check with your doctor or healthcare provider before starting any new exercise or diet regimen and enjoy!

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We welcome your comments please email us: info@insidelooktv.com

What is Circuit Training?

Everyone complains about time these days - the lack of it, that is. Getting in shape and shedding pounds takes precious time, which can be at a premium. Circuit Training may be just the answer. It’s defined as the execution of a selected number of exercises in a determined sequence and time.

Circuit Training provides a one-stop total-body exercise session, combining strength training and cardio in a single workout. It can reduce body weight and inches, burn fat, and build lean muscle. It can also improve your overall strength and endurance and add variety.

Safety Guidelines:

1. Always check with your doctor or health care provider prior to starting a new exercise program.

2. Keep well hydrated during your routine and throughout the day.

3. Stop immediately if you feel pain, or experience shortness of breath and call your doctor.

4. Start each workout with a few minutes of low impact cardio, cool down and stretch afterward:

Performing a Circuit:

Choose three exercises to perform as a circuit. Beginners - perform once with a 2 minute cardio blast such as jogging in place after the second exercise. Add additional cardio blasts (see Intermediate/Advanced below) and add additional circuits as you progress in strength and endurance.

Intermediate/Advanced - Perform a 1 minute cardio blast after the first and third exercise and a 2 minute cardio blast after the 2nd exercise. Repeat your desired circuit (3 exercises - 3 cardio blasts) 3 times.

Your circuit can consist of a total body workout, or upper body, lower body, or core exercises. You can vary the program to add variety.

Do your circuit training 2 - 3 times a week, and remember to schedule a day off between each session to allow the muscles to repair and rest.

CA Living’s Beach Body Workout On-Demand™ offers a Total Body Workout in just 20 minutes with Circuit Training - no gym or fancy equipment required!

Cardio Blast Options: Run/Jog in place, Jump rope, mountain climbers, etc. (see video on right)

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Aprilanne Hurley’s Fitness Career began in the 1980’s, working as a Fitness Specialist with the Elaine Powers Figure Salons (East Coast) teaching “American Yoga,” and “Total Body Fitness.” As she progressed, the role of fitness in her life evolved into a passion for making fitness practical, accessible, healthy and fun for others through TV segments such as:

-”Mission Stay-Fit” - A comprehensive look at ways to get and stay fit.

-”The Stress - Fat Connection,” - A look at the effects of too much cortisol (a stress hormone) in the body, and how exercise counteracts the negative effects of this “stress hormone” on the body.

-Breast Cancer Prevention Special Report” - In Part - 2 of Aprilanne’s Special TV Report on “Breast Cancer Prevention” the focus was on the connection between stress and Breast Cancer, empowering viewers with ways meditation and exercise can be utilized to combat the negative effects of stress, and reduce their risk for diseases such as cancer.

We are looking forward to bringing you more Health & Fitness Special Features in the months to come - after all - “Good health is a big part of good living - California Living.” Aprilanne may be contacted at: info@insidelooktv.com

Keep the "Honeymoon Period" going when it comes to your health & fitness goals!

Beware of what in the “fitness world ” is refered to as the “Honeymoon Period” - this is the 6 week time period between New Years Day and Valentines Day. Similar to that blissful period of the Honeymoon in a marriage, in committing to a healthy lifestyle - the beginning is when there is a great deal of energy and enthusiasm.   The gyms are bustling, and we are diligently trying to eat right. So what happens? According to numerous studies - by Valentines Day, many people have fallen back into old habits, and the enthusiasm dies down.

The good news is - it only takes about *4 - 6 weeks for something to become a habit and probably less time for us to integrate something so totally that we are no longer aware of it. *Some sources indicated it can take as little as 21 days for an action to become a habit.

So how can you make your fitness commitments last beyond the “Honeymoon Period?”  Below are 3 easy Guidelines for Health & Fitness Success:

1. Keep Your Expectations Real:

While it would be nice, there are no magic pills or exercises that will whip us into shape overnight.  that said we do have the CA Living:Toned -By -Tonight Workout that will make your muscles look more defined for a big night out On-Demand, and the CA Living Beach Body Workout - a terrific 20 minute total Body Workout On-Demand for you to check out when time - or a lack of it is a factor in reaching your short term fitness goals.  

Keep your expectations realistic - aim to loose 1-2 pounds a week. You may experience more weight loss early on - which is natural - yet the healthiest weight loss plans will not shock your body into shedding large amounts of weight in an (unhealthy) short amount of time.

The secret is balance - your fitness goals are just one part of your life - and should not consume your every waking moment - nothing should - that would be a terribly unbalanced and unhealthy way to live. Most of us have jobs, families, and many other daily commitments beyond working out. Sure there are celebrities that lose weight or “get buff” for their next film who work at it 24/7 - but unless your planning to audition to be the next “Rambo” give it a rest! Your results will come - in time! By understanding this and keeping things in perspective you will be able to work towards your goals over a longer period of time.

2. Set up a Goal and Reward System:

It is important to have goals like - “I want to be in a bikini this summer,” - or I want to run a 5K or 10K this spring.” By setting up intermittent goals along the way and rewarding yourself for reaching these goals you will keep your enthusiasm high and have mini-milestones to look forward to achieving.

For example, going 30 days without eating junk food, or going down a size in your jeans are reasons to celebrate! By setting up non-food related rewards such as a day at the spa, a shopping spree (please don’t blame it on me), or a movie night out with your friends (hold the butter & salt please!), you will feel good about your progress along the way and be less likely to throw in the proverbial towel.

3. Work in that Workout!

What happens when we say to ourselves “I’ll get to it - right after I do this…or - I’ll do it tomorrow” - the “it” usually never happens because we did not consciously plan it into our daily or weekly routine. Create a schedule that works for you - three days a week - every other day, 30 - 60 minutes everyday - Making exercise a part of your life means making it work with the rest of your life.

The beauty of exercise is you can combine it with things you love, hiking, biking, rowing, walking - I know it’s easy to say and harder to do - but seriously, try scheduling an activity you love once a week. While the winter weather presents some challenges you can swim indoors, shoot hoops, or even play a game of tennis indoors - in Cali anyway!  You can also work with a trainer and create a kick-butt workout at your local gym and combine it with a fun spin or dance class to keep it interesting. Try adding kick boxing, yoga, or Pilate’s to your routine - you’ll challenge your mind and body in different ways and meet new people who share similar interests - a great fringe benefit!

All the best with your goals - Enjoy! Aprilanne

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness - please check with your doctor or health care provider prior to starting any new health or fitness regimen.