Vegetables are a fantastic way of getting healthy antioxidants, phytochemicals and complex carbohydrates into your diet.  In the winter I always roast up a huge try of root vegetables to have on hand to add to everything.

BASIC ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

Serves 2

Approximately ½ pound assorted root vegetables (carrot, potato, sweet potato, parsnip, turnips, shallot, onion) washed, peeled and cut into 1 ½” – 2” pieces

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.

Place vegetables in a large roasting pan covered with foil.

Sprinkle with the oil and salt and pepper, toss to coat.

Place the pan in the oven.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules.  She specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Roast for 20 minutes, stir the vegetables and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.  The cooking time will depend on the vegetables you are cooking and how large they are cut.

The vegetables are done when they are slightly browned and soft.

Most of us are aware of the importance of drinking enough water. Getting our daily dose of water helps our organs perform their functions, keeps our skin clear and hydrated, and allows physical action in our bodies to flow smoothly. Even with this knowledge, it can still be challenging to drink all the water our bodies deserve daily. In the summer, when we tend to play hard, sweat and spend prolonged time in the sun, drinking plenty of water is critical. Those who are not drinking enough may experience poor digestion, sluggish thinking, skin breakouts, headaches, bad breath and general fatigue.

To start your day right, set a large glass of water by your bed each night and drink it when you wake up. Drinking water first thing in the morning pulls out toxins from the previous day and freshens your system for the day ahead. Keep a bottle of water accessible throughout the day, whether you are on the go or at a desk. Having a bottle of water close by will remind you to take a sip when thirsty. The first sip will usually let you know how much more water you need. A sip or two may be enough, or you may need a big glass. If you drink most of your daily water before early evening, you most likely will not be thirsty before bed. This is good, because drinking before bed and then waking to use the bathroom disturbs your peaceful night’s sleep.

What about quality? Some people like bottled water, while others prefer filtered water. The key is to like the taste of the water you are drinking, and the water should agree with your body. If the taste of plain water is unappealing, experiment to see how you can make it tasty and drinkable. Try adding a few mint leaves, a wedge of lemon, a sprig of parsley, slices of cucumber, a twist of lime or a squeeze of orange to make water more tempting, or to jazz up your routine. Also, drinking tea or juice and eating raw fruits and vegetables contribute to the hydration process. So, splash in the waves, swim in the sun, drink plenty of water and enjoy the summer fun!

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules.  She specializes in helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Stefanie Lester Coslow is a native New Yorker currently residing in Chicago with her husband and two kids and teaches at CorePower Yoga throughout their Chicago locations. In a former life, she was an accountant at a TV Rep firm who studied Psychology at school, talk about yin & yang.

Ahhh, the lazy days of summer……. Is it me or do those days seem to be not quite as lazy and the whole season seem a whole helluva lot shorter the older we get??

Fall’s a beautiful season, yes, I get that, my birthday’s even in the fall, and I love my birthday (maybe more so in my younger days), but I’m a summer baby at heart. Autumn, to me, symbolizes the end of my favorite season and the beginning of my most dreaded one. And, in Chicago, that favorite one is way too short, and, that other that shall not be named, is WAY too long!!

As a parent, Fall also means a lot of change, kids off to school, new schedules to adjust to, homework to tackle….. In case I haven’t said it before, I am not a huge fan of change, it makes me very anxious. I end up adjusting and adapting fine in the long run, but at first, I tend to freak out a bit. (If my hubby just read that, he’s laughing and nodding his head). Right now, with the school year just getting underway and our schedule being turned a bit upside down, I feel like a chicken without my head. I’m guessing some of you may feel the same way…..yes? No? Am I crazy??

So, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the best thing you can do for your mind, your body, and your soul is to get some regular exercise. It doesn’t have to be everyday, but even just a few days a week can work wonders. It will help lower your blood pressure, help you to de-stress, ground and center you, increase your energy and vitality, help you find some time for you…..Shall I go on? So, pick your poison, whether it’s a vigorous cardio workout, a gentle, restorative stretch, or somewhere in between, just carve out a little time and get moving, it’ll do wonders.

Here are a few of my favorite yoga poses to help calm and restore:

1. Seated mediation – come to a comfortable seat, cross legged if accessible, eyes gently closed, hands on your lap facing up, touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your middle finger. Turn inward and and tune into your breath. Practice your ujayi breath as I described a few weeks ago, seal your lips and inhale and exhale through your nose. Make your breath slow and deliberate.

2. Seated back bend – Sit on your heels, place your palms on the floor behind your back, fingertips pointed away from your body. Inhale and lift your gaze, puff up your chest, exhale and trace your gaze across the ceiling, open your heart up towards the sky. Gently close your eyes and breath.

3. Seated forward fold – Have a seat on your sits bones, extend your legs out long in front of you, lift up thru the crown of your head, hollow out your belly, and melt your torso over your legs. Reach your hands to your shins, your ankles, soles of your feet…..where ever accessible. With every inhale, lengthen out your spine, with every exhale, fold deeper. Challenge yourself to get your chest as close to your thighs as possible.

4. Seated spine twist – Still seating on the floor, bend your right knee in, keep your left leg extended long, twist and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. Actively press your elbow into your knee to deepen the twist. Lengthen your spine and gaze over your right shoulder. Hold for a few breaths and repeat on the opposite side. Twisting is a great aid for digestion ….little trick I learned, always twist right then left, ascending colon then descending colon, enough said….

5. Supta Baddha Konasana (say what?!), or simply reclined bound angle – Lay on your back, knees bent out wide like butterfly wings, bring your soles of your feet to touch. Close your eyes and rest one hand on your belly the other hand on your heart, breath.

6. Happy baby – Lay on your back, bend your knees out wide, stamp the soles of your feet onto the ceiling and hold onto either the inside or the outsides of your feet. Keep your low back on the floor. Gently pull your legs down towards the floor and either rock from side to side or hold still.

And 2 last all time favorites:

7. Child’s pose – sit back on your heels, splay your knees out wide, big toes touch, stretch your arms out long in front of you and rest your forehead on the ground. Press the space between your eyebrows, your third eye center, into the floor ….imagine it’s a reset button. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and breath.

8. Last, but certainly not least, savasana, or corpse pose – Lay on your back, arms by your sides, arms and legs spread out wide. Palms face up to receive energy, down for grounding. Close your eyes and let your body sink into the ground. Let any thoughts that come into your mind fall right back out. Relax your jaw and release any tension from your face. Just be.

There are so many poses and so many different forms of exercise that feel great in the body. That was just a sampling. I hope you are able find peace and tranquility, and some “you” time even in periods of stress and change.

Namaste,

Stefanie

Guest Blogger:  Naturally Nourished Woman is a virtual holistic health care facility for women. It’s a place a woman can come to feel inspired, empowered and informed. A Naturally Nourished Woman is a woman who wants to be in the driver’s seat of her own health, happiness and well being. She wants to live an honest, natural and organic life while helping to improve the lives of those she loves-including herself. Naturally Nourished Woman offers services from holistic practitioners, who meet strict criteria, from across the country, for women across the country who are truly ready to awaken and transform their lives.

Have you ever felt a pounding in your chest as if you’re having a heart attack? Felt the sweat forming above your brow, experienced shortness in your breath or felt as if your life was “spinning out of control”? You’re not the only one. According to the American Psychiatric Association about 25 million Americans are affected with anxiety disorders and these are often the very same people who are also working through depression.

Many people find seeking out help with their anxiety embarrassing. They may feel as if there’s a weakness in character if they go to a mental health specialist for help because they are supposed to be able to handle this on their own. There is no shame in seeking out help; in fact it could save your life. Depression and anxiety are the two emotions most of connected with heart attacks. It’s something to think about if you’re on the fence about getting help.

As for the people who do seek out the aid of a mental health specialist such as a psychiatrist, and are dealing with moderate to severe anxiety or depressive conditions, medication might be necessary. But no matter where you stand mild, moderate or severe depression I encourage you to consider the empowering benefits of food.

Many people have been able to relieve themselves of mild depression, panic attacks and anxiety by simply making different choices in the foods they eat every day and in improving the quality of those choices.

I’m a walking testimony to this and my health counseling clients would agree. A client I worked with several years ago had been prescribed an anti-depressant medication to help her with her mild depression. She explained to me that it made her feel “disconnected” with the world around her and it was difficult to concentrate. So together we created a simple plan to add more greens into her diet as well as other nourishing foods specific to her bio-individuality. Because her lifestyle included a lot of processed foods, I made sure she understood that I didn’t mean green food that was artificially colored green, but actual food that was green, leafy and textured. I gave her a healthy shopping tour, some recipes, and a private healthy cooking class, in addition to her regular bi-weekly health counseling sessions. This client was a woman who was busy, did not like to cook and was fearful of the kitchen. Initially she was not enthusiastic about the changes I suggested, but as she began to take action and apply the gradual changes she began to feel her mood lift, have more fun with her food and started forming her own recipes. She was actually having fun in the kitchen!

During her health counseling process, she discussed each step of her personalized program with her doctor, and her doctor was quite supportive. Within 6 months of her program she no longer needed her anti-depressant medication. In fact, two months after we concluded her health counseling sessions, her father with whom she had a very close relationship, passed away. Never once did she feel she needed to go back to her medication. She felt she was now empowered with the knowledge of how to care for her own health on all levels-physically, mentally & emotionally. And even now, as we talk from time to time, she explains that she’s experiencing a feeling of health and happy satisfaction in her life that she’s never felt before, and owes it to her experiences with health counseling for opening her eyes.

So what’s the connection between what we eat and our moods? There are lots of very complex answers, but in short, it comes down to this…when we eat foods that aren’t real, whole foods and aren’t filled with all the nutritional bits and pieces nature intended us to receive, we weaken our health physically, mentally and emotionally. Anti-nutrient foods such as white bread, Oreos or potato chips, must rob your body of essential nutrients in order for you to digest, metabolize and eliminate them. So if you are always consuming highly processed, artificially flavored, genetically modified, chemically enhanced and refined foods, you are already starting off in the negative. Eating these foods on a regular basis creates a compounded effect in your body and ends up creating health conditions that could have prevented simply by making better choices. Think of it this way, a drop in a bucket certainly won’t create a flood. But if you gather enough of those drops, eventually the bucket will overflow and has the potential of creating chaos. Your choice in food works the same way.

Back in school one of my teachers once explained the idea of “enriched” foods this way: if you have a $100 in your back pocket, then give it to me, and I hand you back only $80…how “enriched” do you feel? The same process happens with man- made foods. We just can’t copy nature no matter how hard science tries. By eating foods that are not 100%, we inevitably feel the lack and begin to try to fill that void with foods that also are lacking whole nutrition for our body and mind. All we need to do is simply improve the quality of our foods and make them specific to our individual daily needs.

I don’t know anyone who wants to feel anxious, depressed, insecure or short tempered yet every day by not eating real whole foods we make that choice. Health counseling is a fantastic, empowering vehicle for people who are already working with a mental health specialist on issues such as a lack of self esteem, depression, anxiety, panic attacks or an inability to handle stress as well as for those who simply want to be able to apply all the great knowledge they’ve learned about healthy eating into their daily life.

By improving the quality of your foods, and making sure they’re the most optimal foods for you, you’re more readily able to make the progress in your therapy you are searching for and to be open to your therapist’s suggestions. Because you are actually feeding your brain, it gives you the ability to achieve the mental, emotional and physical results you so deeply desire. Even my clients who are not currently working with a mental health specialist and have been attending my self- help workshops, have found that the work we are able to do together supplements what they are currently achieving on their own. This allows for even greater growth and profound self discovery- not to mention improved overall health!

So now I’d like to take a few moments to share a few foods with you that will get you started towards improving your moods and your overall health:

After suggesting drinking more water, eliminating the number one addictive substance today is the first place I have most of my clients start. What is the number one most addictive substance? It’s not a street drug or even a prescribed medication, but it is an addictive substance. I’m talking about refined sugar. Surprised? Sugar is classified by nutritional researchers and doctors as an addictive substance, because with only one taste we crave & desire more immediately, and because quitting suddenly creates withdrawal symptoms such as depression, headache, mood swings & fatigue. Sugar cravings are not actually bad, they are a very natural and simple way your body communicates that it needs more glucose for brain function as well as serotonin for relaxation.

Instead of giving in to this addictive substance, which burns off rapidly, causes you to crash and contributes to your depression, anxiety, malnutrition and weight gain, go for the natural high! It’s much longer lasting and better for you. Plant foods, otherwise known as serotonin boosters, are a fabulous way to satisfy those sweet cravings and helps harmonize your moods. Foods that have a sweet sensation to your system such as beets, broccoli, carrots, and celery are all foods that are high in Tryptophane. Tryptophane converts to serotonin and offers viable nutritional support for mild depression. Even nuts can help! According to Dr. Andrew Saul, who contributed to the movie FOODMATTERS, was quoted as saying “2 handfuls of cashews give you the therapeutic equivalent of a prescription dose of Prozac.”

I also encourage you to play with your food! Experiment! In recipes that call for sugar, replace it with pure maple syrup, molasses or local honey. Be creative and invent a new recipe with veggies such as carrots, onions, corn, beets, sweet potatoes or yams. Show your body you love it. Let your mind know you’re in charge. Because once you do, you will discover a hidden power inside of yourself and a new outlook on life!

A family favorite recipe:

Bugs Bunny Soup
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 5-6 carrots, diced
• 1T Earth Balance or olive oil
• Water
• Sea salt & pepper

In a medium pot over medium flame, add olive oil or Earth Balance. Allow to melt, then add in onions, carrots and celery. Sauté until onions slightly translucent. Add in water to cover veggies completely. Allow to come to a boil. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for 15 minutes, the puree` with hand blender. Serve warm or cold! You could even garnish with sliced shallots and serve with homemade corn bread!

This is the basic curry recipe I use for my quick, throw together curries on a cool fall night.  Chickpeas are loaded with fertility enhancing folic acid as well as non-heme iron.

BASIC VEGGIE AND CHICKPEA CURRY

Serves 4

1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1large onion, diced

2 cups vegetables, cut into 1″ pieces

1-14 1/2 oz. chickpeas, washed and drained

1tablespoon curry powder

1- 14 1/2 oz. low-fat coconut milk

Heat the oil in a large saucepan.

Add the onion and saute to soft, about 7 minutes

Add the beans and vegetables * and cook about 5 minutes or until vegetables are starting to soften.

Add the chickpeas, curry powder and coconut milk.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes.

*Depending on the vegetable depends on when you will add it to the curry.  Cauliflower and broccoli will be added at this point.  Green beans, bell peppers or squash should be added about 10 minutes before the end of the cook time.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules.  She specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Having trouble fitting a full exercise routine into your life, here are a few ideas to help you get more physical:

• Choose activities you like. A lot of different things count as exercise: dancing, walking, gardening, playing basketball. Choose whatever gets you moving.
• Try a pedometer. Pedometers are cheap and easy to use. Best of all, they help you keep track of how active you are. Build up to 7,000 steps a day—or more.
• Piece your workout together. You don’t need to get all your exercise at one time. Ten minutes morning, noon, and night can give much of the same benefit as 30 minutes all at once. (My Quicky Workout does this!)
• Exercise with a friend. Finding a workout partner can help keep you on track and motivate you to get out the door.
• Take lunch on the move. Don’t spend your lunch time sitting. Grab a quick meal and hit the gym or go for a walk with coworkers.
• Park in the back of the lot and walk
• Pace while on the phone
• Stand instead of sitting
• Walk down the hall to tell a colleague something
• Schedule dates with friends around activities instead of food
• Go for a walk after dinner
• Get off the subway or bus before your stop
• Join a sports team
• Get off your butt while watching TV
• Play!

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules. She specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Stefanie Lester Coslow is a native New Yorker currently residing in Chicago with her husband and two kids and teaches at CorePower Yoga throughout their Chicago locations. In a former life, she was an accountant at a TV Rep firm who studied Psychology at school, talk about yin & yang.

For those of you who read my post last week, you know I was a wee bit stressed about my trip home to NY/NJ and trying to fit it all in. Little did I know, life was going to throw a few curve balls into my already hectic plans, namely, my sister’s family came down with strep throat so, we couldn’t see them, and Hurricane Irene struck the NY/NJ area keeping us house bound for the better part of two days. I tried to convince everyone to hop a plan to Chicago, it was gorgeous there, but no dice, so we braved it.

Then, cabin fever started to set in, mine way worse than the kids. We watched some movies, played a lot of memory and bingo, did the same puzzles over & over again, it was fun and the kids had fun, but halfway through the second day I felt like I was about to climb the walls. I know, I know, I have tools in my arsenal and could have had fun leading a yoga class for my kids, done my own yoga practice by myself, found a good workout On Demand to do, but I just felt sluggish and lazy. Can I blame it on all the rain and grayness? My desire, and somehow lucky ability to sleep in a bit later at my parents house? My raging sinus headaches? OK, fine, I was just lazy, plain and simple. It happens to the best of us, do as I say, not as I do.

Couple this with my previous two glutenous “let’s party while it’s still summer” weekends and having to catch up on all my favorite NY foods that I’ve missed, and yuck, I was not feeling like myself. But hey, I need to have NY pizza, (that’s partially a lesson, I had to teach my Chicagoan kids that it’s not called “cheese pizza” but actually just “a regular slice”, we had to have bagels, and of course, Chinese food (there’s nothing like, and I dare you to find a decent one outside of the NY area, a good egg roll). Even bakery cookies are different, and way better (in my opinion) in NY. Luckily I have a pretty fast metabolism and good genes on my side, but still…..

To say by Sunday evening my brain and body were mush is a bit of an understatement. So I forced myself, and set my alarm for early the next morning, picked out a class that sounded interesting and was something new to me (kettlebells!) and got up and went to the gym. I can’t even describe how good it felt. I so badly needed to sweat and to get my heart rate up, I needed to push and challenge myself. I felt alive again. It was just what the doctor ordered.

Since then, the weather has gotten nice and we’ve been running around spending time with family, catching up with friends, and enjoying our vacation (which, of course includes enjoying the local cuisine – in moderation). I’d LOVE to get to the gym again or get to work out one way or another (my husband keeps saying I should take up running), but at this point, we’ll see. We’re nearing the tail end of our trip and I finally got to see my amazing nieces and nephew, still have so many people I’d love to see, and fun things we want to do. Again it’s all about balance.

But when we get back to Chicago and back into our routine, I’ll be back with a vengeance. . At least I know the one thing that has always helped me physically and mentally still does.

Namaste,

Stefanie

Guest Blogger: Naturally Nourished Woman is a virtual holistic health care facility for women. It’s a place a woman can come to feel inspired, empowered and informed. A Naturally Nourished Woman is a woman who wants to be in the driver’s seat of her own health, happiness and well being. She wants to live an honest, natural and organic life while helping to improve the lives of those she loves-including herself. Naturally Nourished Woman offers services from holistic practitioners, who meet strict criteria, from across the country, for women across the country who are truly ready to awaken and transform their lives.

Every once in a while, we all need to go through our closet. I know, it’s a horrible thing, looking through everything that has been accumulated during time, deciding what to keep and what to toss. The closet I have in mind, however, is not the physical one where were keep our clothes and outdated sports equipment. It is in our mind and soul.

We all carry things around with us that do not serve us anymore, if they ever did. Carrying these things around have a high price. We have old emotions that hold up space and will not allow new emotions to grow. Also, unrealistic expectations stick around, keeping us from moving ahead. There may be limiting beliefs that keep us from our full potential. Old hurts that, whether resolved or unresolved, cause us to hold back. All of these things can build up and become a part of us.

Letting go is very empowering. It is a statement that you, and you alone, choose what to go forward with and what to leave behind. It is a severing of things that do not serve your higher good. Following is a ritual that you can use when you want to let go of some of these things.

The first step is to determine what is no longer supporting you. Whether it is your own unrealistic expectations of yourself, something someone else said to you in a weak moment, old ways of looking at something or any myriad of limiting beliefs, get it out in the open and look at it. Let go of things that are totally out of your control. They will work themselves out, and it does not serve us to worry over them. Also, look at the people in your life. If there is someone you have chosen to include in your life who does nothing but put you down and wear your spirit out, maybe you should consider letting them go as well. If you carry around embarrassment over something that happened years ago, let it go. Chances are you are the only one who remembers it anyway!

Sit with these things and examine them. Formally make up your mind that you are letting them go. Let your intent surround each thought or belief. For instance, if you wish to be rid of pain from an old relationship, visualize the pain in anyway that makes sense to you. Maybe it will be a red ball, or the word “pain” written in ragged letters. Surround your image with a white light to heal it and announce that you are letting go. You can do this verbally or not.

Write them down on a piece of paper. Envision these thoughts flowing physically from you onto the paper. The paper is now a tangible representation of the thing you wish to let go of. Following our example from above, write down on your paper “pain from old relationship”. Imagine that the paper is now the manifestation of that pain. Intend that it is so. A word of caution, though – if what you are letting go of is a relationship with a person, and you have given it the proper consideration to sever the relationship, DO NOT send them a letter! You may decide to talk it out with them, and repair the relationship. The severing of a relationship is a serious thing, not to be taken lightly. It is regrettably necessary at times, but it should not be done without due considerations. And do not put into writing words that you may never be able to take back.

Dispose of your paper. A classic way of doing this is tossing it into running water such as a stream. If your paper and ink are non-toxic and biodegradable this may work well. Consider, though, using toilet paper for your paper and flushing it away. Imagine it being taken from your life and just being flushed away. You can also bury the paper (off the land where you live!) and walk away without looking back. Another method is to burn the paper, taking care that it is in a fireproof container lined with sand, or even better in a fireplace or bonfire outdoors. Or, use some other method that is meaningful to you.

After all of this, you may wish to take a relaxing bath. Add some scented bath oil (lavender for relaxation, rose for love and healing or any scent you feel drawn to). Relax and feel how light you are now that you have let go of things that were causing you so much tension.

It is a good idea to periodically check in with ourselves to see what we want to move forward with, and what needs to be let go. Letting go leaves room in our lives for what is important and gives those things room to grow.

This high quality complex carbohydrate will help keep sugar levels under control.

I developed this recipe one lazy night after cooking all day.  I had left over wild rice, sautéed a piece of chicken and had dinner in 15 minutes.

FRUITY WILD RICE

Serves 2

1 cup wild rice, cooked

1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1 tablespoon red onion, minced

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced

Combine

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules.  She specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Stretching is another important part of a safe and effective fertility exercise routine, although it won’t do much for fertility it will keep your muscles safe and elastic and able to move easily through its entire range of motion.

I recommend stretching both before and after exercise, each for different reasons.  Stretching before an activity (after the warm-up) improves the ability of the muscle to work to full range of motion and reduces the chance of injury.  Stretching after exercise ensures muscle relaxation, increases normal resting length, increases circulation to joint and tissue structures, and removes lactic acid, which causes muscle soreness and stiffness.

When doing strength training, it is best to do your stretching before, as I just mentioned and between sets, while muscles are warm and recovering.  You want to stretch the muscle you just worked.  It’s also a very good idea to stretch afterward too.

When doing your cardio, you want to stretch after your warm up and after you’re done with your workout.

Here are some points to follow for any passive stretching session.

• Always complete a warm-up session prior to stretching
• Stretch until a mild tension is felt, then hold, don’t bounce
• Stretches should be held for about 30-60 seconds
• Avoid stretches to the point of numbness or a tingling sensation is felt
• Focus on the stretch and avoid any distractions
• Try to relax the muscles throughout the stretch, as this will help to alleviate any unnecessary tension within the muscle.
• Do not hold your breath, breathing freely helps you relax and get the best stretch
• Do not bounce

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules. She specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.