Free Your Mind

One of the most common problems everyone faces at one point or another is the amount of sleep they get. Some people will average about 3-4 hours of sleep per night...others will not be able to fall asleep at a appropriate time due to the mind not shutting off...and others will sleep and wake up several times during the night. All of these examples are not good for anybody. We all know that we must get a good 8 hours of sleep like we did when we were growing up. We take for granted our sleep, but our sleep is probably if not the most important factor for real change within ourselves. Getting a good night rest helps people to be focused and alert for the next day...it allows for recovery and rebuilding in your body...it helps keep your cortisol levels balanced ...and it keeps your immune system strong. In the next paragraph I am going to give you some information about a natural herb that will help you find those good sleeping nights again.

A real happiness killer is not getting enough sleep. Experts say one in four people have trouble sleeping, at least occasionally, and the National Commission on Sleep Disorders estimates that folks spend $16 billion a year trying to sleep. Kava Kava to the rescue. Studies have shown that this South Pacific herb is as effective as Valium or Halcyon, without their side effects. A nightly dose of 150 mg not only cures insomnia in 50 percent of those trying it in as little as seven days, but it also abolishes nervousness and anxiety. Don't exceed the recommended dosage, and stay away from this supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have Parkinson's disease, are taking sedatives such as Valium (it enhances the effect; ditto for alcohol), or are allergic to pepper (it is derived from a pepper tree). Medical advice suggest you shouldn't take it for more than eight weeks at a time.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 27.

Preventive Solutions

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." 

We all know about intensity and we all know what comes with that intensity...muscles that are tight, tired, and sore.  It is important that you are aware of the things your body is facing and do the little things to prevent yourself from getting injured. 

One of the best preventive solutions is gradual stretching. Stretching involves the entire muscle/tendon complex, lengthening it so that the chance of an exercise movement's suddenly stretching these structures past their limits and causing damage is reduced.  Another preventive solution is warming up before you workout. Warming up pumps blood and oxygen to the area and literally raises the temperature of the muscles involved, allowing them to contract with greater force.

A Healthy And Delicious Fruit

One of the best foods you can eat during these summer days, especially the hotter days, is the healthy and delicious fruit- watermelon. But how many know all the true properties that watermelon can do for you? Watermelon has so many healthy properties it's not even funny. :) It is one of those foods that can help you lose weight, replace body fluids, prevent prostate cancer and provide a vital chemical called lycopene that fights free radicals. The body constantly produces free radicals as a normal part of metabolism. The chemicals are highly reactive and can bind with vital molecules in cell membranes, energy centers, and genetic material, triggering disease, genetic damage, inflammation and aging. And right at your fingertips and found in abundance in watermelon is lycopene (15 to 20 milligrams per two-cup serving), one of the most powerful antioxidants in existence.

It has the power to bind with cell-destroying free radicals, rendering them harmless. Watermelon is also high in fiber, Vitamin A, B6 and C, and tastes wonderful, but contains low calories. With low calories- you can eat all you want...it is GOOD FOR YOU! :) Studies have shown, the more you eat, the less fattening food you can eat, so in turn you will end up losing weight. So make sure you eat your watermelon...DO GOOD for your body and give it a delicious and healthy snack.

(Watermelon.org, May 2006)

Your Body Is Beautiful

I want to start this blog post by using a quote from Helen Keller, that was passed along to me from a very special friend of mine. I want to first thank this person from the bottom of my heart for everything they have done and continue to do for me. They are truly an example of what makes a true friend...someone you can count on and who will do the smallest thing to make you feel so special. There are not very many people in this world that carry this genuine and caring spirit, so it is very uplifting when you have someone like this in your life. I feel very lucky and fortunate to have the opportunity to have a friend like this in my life. Soooooo thank you so much for all of your encouraging words, for believing in me as a person and as a trainer, and most importantly for being my friend. I don't want to put this person on the spot BUT they know who they are! Thanks so much! You are truly the best.

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." -Helen Keller

**I can not touch this quote. It hits everything right on the head. It is amazing to really be inspired by words and really put the things you experience in your life in perspective. An amazing feeling when you can OVERCOME!

There are many problems when tackling the issues of nutrition and society. Most people in our society eat too much food and along with that they tend to eat the wrong foods. Many individuals are undernourished, but we can not forget the flip side to this dilemma. There are also a lot of people in our society that do not eat enough food and the foods that they do eat are not good nutritious ones. They too are undernourished. 

Most of the foods we do eat are added with chemicals and additives and are not natural for human consumption, and many have been shown to cause serious health issues.  I can go on and on about the negative sides and facts about nutrition, but the bottom line is what is "your" solution to the problems you face when it comes to nutrition. 

For one, you must begin by thinking positively and become optimistic with your food choices. You must understand that food is fuel for the body. In order for a car to run it needs gas...same concept goes for your body. In order for your body to function and perform, you must be fueling it and choosing the right foods to help it grow strong and be healthy. 

Below is some basic tips and strategies that you can apply to a lifelong nutritional plan. Your diet must provide an optimal mix of PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, VITAMINS, and MINERALS.

1. Protein is a component of every cell in the body. It is essential in BUILDING, REPAIRING, AND MAINTAINING BONES, MUSCLES, CARTILAGE, SKIN, AND BLOOD.
2. Carbohydrates are the most efficient form of energy for the BODY and BRAIN.
3. Fats are essential for cell membranes, hormones, and prostaglandins. It enables the body to produce HEALTHY HAIR, SKIN, and NAILS. It also serves as a transfer for vitamins A, D, E, and K.
4. Vitamins are an organic chemical compound necessary for growth, metabolism, and health.
5. Minerals are inorganic substances not produced by the body, which are required for proper bodily function.

One rule of thumb from me to you is to not count calories or nutrient ratios. Food consumptions should not become a chore. The best thing you can do is to keep it simple. Try to eat natural, wholesome foods...they will provide you with a perfect blend of essential nutrients. Just like I tell all of my clients, simply eat well-balanced meals and apply commonsense with the choices you make.

Helpful tips to remember:
1. Choose foods in there natural state...come as close to natural as possible.
2. Consume a small meal every couple of hours. By spreading your intake throughout your day, you will maintain a steady supply of energy. You will also keep your METABOLISM working throughout your day.
3. Always listen to your body. Your body will tell you when it needs food, but you must know when to stop eating. Your goal is to not stuff yourself full.
4. Always read food labels. Careful with items that are loaded with chemical ingredients and are impossible to pronounce.
5. Consume water as your primary beverage. Careful with sodas and juices. Fruit juice is high in sugar and often comes from poor quality, highly processed fruit.
6. Avoid all artificial and chemical sweeteners. For example, if you drink coffee, consume it without sweeteners. Sweeteners have been linked to numerous illnesses.
7. Consume natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, organic whole wheat grains, brown rice, nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), chicken and eggs, and beef.

So make a change if you haven't already and really pay attention to what you put in your body. You truly are what you eat. And 80 percent of any change in the body comes from your nutrition. You can spend 18 hours a week in the gym and never make a change. Treat your body as your temple, the place that holds the key to success in health and in life. Respect your body, it will work hard for you if you do the things that are essential to achieve ultimate success. KEEP MOTIVATED AND TELL YOURSELF EVERY DAY....YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO! YOU ARE IMPORTANT. YOUR BODY IS BEAUTIFUL.

Egg White Omelet With Whole Wheat Toast

Ingredients:
*4-6 egg whites (Extra Large)
*1/4 cup fat-free shredded cheese
*chopped veggies, like green peppers, onions, tomatoes
*2 slice whole wheat (or rye) bread

Beat egg whites and pour in pre-heated, Pam sprayed skillet on low to medium heat. Let cook for a couple of minutes, and then add fat-free cheese and vegetables. When egg whites are no longer runny, fold egg over the cheese/veggies and flip. Let cook for another couple of minutes, and then remove from the pan.

Toast 2 slices of bread. Eat plain, or with just a little all-natural fruit spread.

Omelet plus toast makes 1 serving.

Additional Notes: Put the omelet on the toast and eat like a sandwich. All the fat of an egg is in the yolk, but it is also a good source of protein. So you could add one egg yolk to your egg whites, if you like.

Enjoy! :)

Daily Reminders To Proper Nutrition

It is important to understand that in order to get in the best shape you not only have to work hard in the gym, but you MUST have the proper nutrition to fuel the results you are making. You must feed your body the right way, along with learning and developing the necessary eating habits that will promote the best overall results. As a trainer I have seen many people mistakenly think that losing fat is simply a matter of EXERCISING MORE AND EATING LESS. This conception has led many people to a dead end wall...but all this can be resolved by mastering what works for you body, timing, and balance.

I want to begin by discussing the idea of CLOCKING YOUR CARBS. Understand that too many carbs can give you unwanted weight gain and make you fat, but too few carbs for an extended period of time can slow down your metabolism. So this brings in the idea of TIMING! I want to give you a helpful tip that may be useful for you in your daily regimen.
**Consume a large sum of your daily carbohydrates at BREAKFAST AND AFTER TRAINING! Why?
**Eating at least 50 grams of FAST-DIGESTING CARBS first thing in the morning and immediately post-workout hinders training-induced muscle breakdown and keeps CORTISOL, a stress hormone that destroys muscle and slows metabolism, in check.

The next point I want to bring to the table is to MAKE CARBS WORK FOR YOU. First, you must understand that building MUSCLE is the best way to burn FAT in the long run and in order to do this you must make your workouts intense to get the results you want. Next, think about taking in 20 grams of whey protein and 20-40 grams of SLOW-DIGESTING CARBS (from sources such as fruit, sweet potatoes, or brown rice) 30 minutes before you strength train. This will help you power through you workouts with the required intensity. You want to keep your weight loads up and your rest periods short to burn through the PREWORKOUT FUEL!

Also, try to prioritize your SLOW-BURNING CARBS. Slow-digesting carbs consists of beans, whole-grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice and sweet potatoes. These carbs should constitute the bulk of your daily carbohydrate intake...don't forget that the exceptions being first thing in the morning and immediately after you workout. It is crucial that you understand why slow-digesting carbs are so important...they reduce the effect of insulin, the hormone that initiates both hunger and fat storage. Research confirms that athletes who consume slow-digesting carbs BURN MORE FAT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS WELL AS DURING EXERCISE!

So take these three tips and make them part of your daily reminder to proper nutrition, and I believe you will begin to see the first-hand changes you have been looking for. Hopefully, all these tips will continue to help you in your journey to proper nutrition and overall health and fitness.

Muscle and Fitness. 2008. pg.100.

Your Real Fountain Of Youth

So, So, So....We all want to look younger, right? And we all want to feel younger too, right? Well, we must do the right things to do this. Whether to avoid wrinkles, protect you heart, or keep your mind sharp...PROPER EATING IS THE ONLY REAL FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!

Here is a DID YOU KNOW fact for you..Dutch researchers found that people who took 800 mcg of folic acid every day--the amount in a serving of Total Whole Grain cereal--exhibited memories that were 5 to 8 years younger than those who didn't. WOW, THAT IS AWESOME!

Below is a list of some foods that you want to add to your eating plan because of all the great qualities they have to help you stay and feel young.

1. Sunflower seeds- have the highest natural Vitamin E content of any food around, and no antioxidant is better at fighting off the aging effects of free radicals. Other great sources of vitamin E include Swiss chard, Total cereal, and Propel Fitness Water.
2. Spinach and Beans- Researchers studied the diets of 400 elderly men and women, and found that those who ate the most leafy green vegetables and beans had the fewest wrinkles. The reason? Spinach and beans are full of compounds that help prevent repair wear and tear on your skin cells as you get older.
3. Red Wine and Grape Juice- Besides providing protection from heart attack and stroke, the antioxidants called polyphenols found in grapes can also help keep middle-aged skin from sagging.
4. Sweet Potatoes- Overexposure to the sun is one of the primary reasons people age prematurely. But European researchers recently found that pigments from beta carotene-rich foods like sweet potatoes and carrots can build up your skin, helping to prevent damage from ultraviolet rays.
5. Coffee- One of nature's most potent elixirs, coffee has been shown in numerous studies to retard the aging process, fight off Alzheimer's disease, and enhance short-term memory.

Zinczenko, David. Eat This Not That. Pg. 288.

Be Kind To Fruit

The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof." -Barbara Kingsolver

When I was growing up, my mom (a 3rd grade school teacher) made sure that my sister and I were both getting proper nutrition in our daily regimen. She believed in making healthy choices and rewarding us with foods we loved when appropriate. In the morning, she believed in breakfast no matter what (because it gave us energy and it helped with our focus in the classroom)...each breakfast was well-balanced and included some sort of fruit. She packed our lunches and again they were all well-balanced, which also included fruit and a cookie for dessert. Our afterschool snack was always some sort of fruit instead of cookies, candy, or donuts. Or when I would come in from riding my bike, I would say, "Mom, I'm hungry." And she would always answer, "Mija, get a piece of fruit to hold you over until dinner."

I believe that the fruit she had us eat gave us the energy we needed throughout our day, it helped us focus in the classroom, and because fruit has sugar...it tricked our bodies into thinking it was getting the sugar it craved for like a piece of candy or a cookie. I remember after eating my piece of fruit, I didn't have that sugar craving that I had prior to eating the fruit. Moms and especially if they are school teachers always know what is right. She somehow knew that fruit wouldn't give us that crash you experience with candy, cookies, and donuts. Or that hyperness you get when eating too much sugar from twinkies, candy, or cokes.

Now don't get me wrong, I have the sugar tooth in the family and I would always express my feelings of having fruit all the time while my friends were eating ding-dongs. I remember telling my mother it just isn't fair. It didn't matter though because she stuck to her guns and very rarely gave in to me. She knew what she was doing all along, which was building a strong healthy foundation for me and my sister. And that foundation has continued to be strong for both of us as adults. At the time I thought she was being unfair but now I know that she was giving me a special gift. She was having me eat the proper foods that were going to promote a strong, healthy body . She was training the body to be familiar with these foods and to know what to do with these foods, so we would grow up to be healthy.

Many people struggle with their weight as adults because of certain eating habits they had as children BUT I also believe that you can have a healthy foundation later in life. It is never to late to start making the right choices. I am always asked what fruits should I eat or what fruit would be good for me to eat before I workout. Below I have included the right fruits to choose before a workout (preworkout), in the morning, and after a workout (postworkout). I think you will find it very helpful and it will help you make the better choices if you haven't already.

PREWORKOUT
These fruits provide higher fructose than glucose for sustained fuel that won't block fat burning. Eat one or two servings.
1. Pear (1 medium)> Total Sugars-16/Fructose-11/Glucose-5
2. Watermelon (1 wedge)> Total Sugars- 18/Fructose-12/Glucose-6
3. Apple (1 medium)> Total Sugars- 14/Fructose-9/Glucose-5
4. Cantaloupe (1/2 melon)> Total Sugars- 22/Fructose- 12/Glucose-10
5. Grapes (1 cup)> Total Sugars-24/Fructose-13/Glucose-11
6. Strawberries (2 cups)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-8/Glucose-6
7. Raspberries (2 cups)> Total Sugars-10/Fructose-6/Glucose-4

IN THE MORNING
These fruits provide equal or nearly equal fructose and glucose to restocke liver and muscle glycogen to help halt muscle breakdown. Eat two or three servings.
1. Pineapple (1 cup diced)> Total Sugars-13/Fructose-7/Glucose-6
2. Honeydew melon (1 wedge)> Total Sugars-13/Fructose-7/Glucose-6
3. Orange (1 medium)> Total Sugars-12/Fructose-6/Glucose-6
4. Banana (1 medium)> Total Sugars-18/Fructose-9/Glucose-9
5. Blueberries (1 cup)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-7/Glucose-7
6. Nectarine (1 medium)> Total Sugars-10/Fructose-5/Glucose-5
7. Kiwi Fruit (2 medium)> Total Sugars-12/Fructose-6/Glucose-6

POSTWORKOUT
These fruits provide more glucose than fructose for restocking muscle glycogen and enhancing muscle growth. The last five fruits from the morning fruit category are also decent choices postworkout, for their ability to fill glycogen stores. Eat one or two servings along with white bread, baked potatoes, or a carb drink.
1. Cherries (1 cup)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-6/Glucose-8
2. Peach (1 medium)> Total Sugars-8/Fructose-3/Glucose-5

Stop And Eat

We eat for three main reasons...to provide the energy we consume to stay alive, to build and repair the body, and to enable parts of the body to function efficiently. Energy for INTENSE physical effort comes principally from carbohydrate, which is stored in your liver and in your muscles in the form of glycogen. There are three forms of carbohydrates: natural sugars (fruits and their juices), refined sugars (jam, honey, and soft drinks), and starches (complex carbs and found in foods like potatoes, pasta, and bread.

The other major source of energy is the fat that is stored around the body.  Fat has a higher energy density than carbs, which means that per gram it supplies more fuel: it is estimated that if all the energy stored in the fat reserves of a lean, 150-pound bike rider were there as glycogen, they would weigh about 275 pounds. Most people have enough fat in their bodies to fuel many hours of activity, which means there is no need to eat fat in any great quantity, particularly as any excess carbohydrate or protein is converted to fat and stored for future use.

Proteins play the major role in building up and repairing the body: they are found in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products, in vegetables such as beans, lentils and peas, and also in carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes and bread. In extreme situations, protein is also burned to produce energy.

Vitamins and minerals enable the body's processes to function normally. For example, Vitamin A is important for maintaining healthy skin, helping fight infection and maintaining good eyesight--One source of this vitamin is carrots. Fruits, vegetables, fish, dairy products, meat and eggs are all important sources of various vitamins.

The final element is fluid. The body can function for some time without solid food by running off  stored energy and protein, but without water, a vital part of  all bodily processes, death soon results. A drop in your body water, through sweating, of just two percent will reduce your performance, five percent will cause fatigue and ten percent could be fatal.

Your intake of energy providers is vital if you are not to run out of the "fuel" stored in the muscles and liver. Body repair materials are equally important if you are to rebuild the muscle fibers you break down as you train, and if you are to construct stronger ones, which is the whole point of training.

Fotheringham, W. Cycle Racing. Pg. 52.

Bolster Your Immune System

Here's an interesting fact for you...Did you know that you should hang with friends to bolster your disease-fighting power; Isolation can cause stress and zap your immune system.

Below is a list of foods that will warm up your cold, send the flu flying, and bolster your immune system.
1. Ginseng Tea- In a Canadian study, people who took 400 milligrams of ginseng a day had 25 percent fewer colds than those popping a placebo. Ginseng helps kill invading viruses by increasing the body's production of key immune cells.

2. Green Tea- EGCG, a chemical compound that is potent in green tea, has been shown to stop the adenovirus (one of the bugs responsible for colds) from replicating. Start pumping green tea into your system at the first sign of a cold and you should be able to stave off worse symptoms.

3. Oranges- The zinc and Vitamin C in oranges won't prevent the onslaught of a cold, but it might decrease the severity and duration of your symptoms. One orange provides more than 100 percent of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C.

4. Olive Oil and Avocados- Foods rich in healthy fats, such as olive oil and avocados, help reduce inflammation, a catalyst for migraines. One study found that the anti-inflammatory compound in olive oil suppresses the same pain pathway as ibuprofen.

Zinczenko, David. Eat This Not That. Pg. 285.

IMPROVE OVERCOME SUCCEED

Unfortunately, getting injured is part of life for any hard-training athlete. It's inevitable at some point during your career in the gym. But it is how you handle the injury that determines the outcome and how quickly you recover or heal. First, follow the RICE  principal of REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, and ELEVATION for the first week after an injury occurs and eat PLENTY OF GOOD NUTRIENT-RICH FOODS. You must consume extra protein, Vitamin C and Zinc to help speed recovery.

Try taking a Glucosamine supplement. Glucosamine helps repair connective tissue and will shorten your time away from the gym. Make sure to maintain your weight while recuperating...doing so will change your metabolism and slow down your healing abilities. Remember, it is always about the little things you do that will help you improve, overcome, and succeed. :)

Tips For Flexibility Training

When it comes to "The Big Three" of exercise--cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training--it’s pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring. 

However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week. 

How can you include an effective flexibility workout in your fitness program? Here are some guidelines: 

1. Think in Terms of Serious Flexibility Training, Not Just Brief Stretching. Squeezing in one or two quick stretches before or after a workout is better than nothing, but this approach will yield limited results. What’s more, generic stretches may not be effective for your particular body. The more time and attention you give to your flexibility training, the more benefits you’ll experience.

2. Consider Your Activities. Are you a golfer? Do you ski, run or play tennis? Do your daily home or work routines include bending, lifting or sitting for long periods? Functional flexibility improves “the stability and mobility of the whole person in his or her specific environment,” says physical therapist Deborah Ellison. She recommends an individualized stretching program to improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion). 

3. Pay Special Attention to Tight Areas. Often the shoulders, chest, hamstrings and hips are particularly tight, but you may hold tension in other areas, depending on your history of injuries and the existing imbalances in your muscle groups. Unless you tailor your flexibility training to your strengths and weaknesses, you may stretch already overstretched muscles and miss areas that need training. 

4. Listen to Your Body. Stretching is an individual thing. Pay attention to your body’s signals and don’t push too far. Avoid ballistic stretching, which uses bouncing or jerking movements to gain momentum; this approach can be dangerous. Instead, slowly stretch your muscles to the end point of movement and hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Older adults, pregnant women and people with injuries may need to take special precautions. 

5. Get Creative. Varying your flexibility training can help you stick with it. You can use towels, resistance balls and other accessories to add diversity and effectiveness to your stretching. 

6. Warm Up First. If you’re stretching on your own, don’t forget to warm up your muscles before you begin. Walking briskly for 10 or 15 minutes is a simple way to do this. 

7. Find a Flexibility Class That Works for You. Classes that include stretching are becoming more popular and more diverse. Some combine cardiovascular and strength components with the flexibility training; others focus exclusively on stretching. 

8. Stretch Yourself--Mind and Body. Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, says Ellison, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. You may also want to explore yoga or exercise inspired by the work of Joseph Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness. 

9. It’s Not Just for Wimps. Forget the idea that stretching is just for elderly, injured or unconditioned people. Many Olympic and professional athletes rely on flexibility training for peak performance. 

10. Do It Consistently. It does not help to stretch for a few weeks and then forget about it. Integrate regular stretching into your permanent fitness program. For inspiration, look to cats and dogs--they’re dedicated practitioners of regular stretching!  :)

HONEY, I SHRUNK MY GUT

TIME IS ALWAYS TO BLAME FOR NOT EATING BREAKFAST.  BEFORE WORK, MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET THE KIDS READY FOR SCHOOL, TAKE A SHOWER, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THEIR LUNCHES READY, ETC. AND SO THE RESULT IS THAT MANY OF US WILL TREAT BREAKFAST AS A LUXURY--SOMETHING THAT WE DO ONLY IF WE HAVE TIME!

LISTEN UP! THERE IS NOTHING GOOD THAT COMES OUT OF SKIPPING BREAKFAST. WITHOUT BREAKFAST, YOU'RE OPERATING ON RESERVES, PUTTING YOUR BODY IN A PSEUDO STARVATION MODE THAT TELLS YOUR BODY'S METABOLISM TO SLOW DOWN AND PROTECT YOU. 

SOLUTION: YOU NEED TO EAT! AND EAT HEARTILY.

BELOW IS A RECIPE THAT YOU CAN ZIP THROUGH FASTER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.

GREAT ADVICE TO TAKE TO HEART: WHAT YOU EAT THE FIRST HOUR YOU'RE AWAKE WILL HAVE A HUGE EFFECT ON WHAT YOU EAT FOR THE NEXT 16 OR 17. 

ALWAYS START YOUR DAY STRONG. BELIEVE THAT IF EVERY DAY OF GOOD EATING IS A RACE, THEN HOW WELL YOU START DETERMINES HOW WELL YOU FINISH!

1 cup 1% milk

3/4 cup plain instant oatmeal

1/2 cup blue or blackberries

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or pecans

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

Dash of cinnamon

*Mix all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 2 minutes.

Per serving: 459 calories

19 grams of protein

70 grams of carbohydrates

9 grams of fat (2g saturated)

9 grams of fiber

132 mg of sodium

Zinczenko, D. The Abs Diet. Pgs. 80-81.

Send Me To Sleep

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is what can I eat if I get hungry in the middle of the night. The best thing to do is to try to get back to bed without eating anything...that way you don't form a bad habit or a routine for your body. Another option would be a small protein shake. The key is to do as little harm as possible and get back to bed.

Did you know that milk, oatmeal, and bananas contain trace amounts of melatonin, the send-me-to-sleep hormone. So another option could be a small combination of these three ingredients. A packet of oatmeal with milk topped off with a slice of banana. Make sure you stay focused and only eat in the late evening if you are hungry.

The Power Of Stretching

One of the biggest mistakes many people do when they are training is they don't stretch at all or enough. Tight muscles contribute to shinsplints, plantar fasciitis, and muscle pulls, which could sideline you for weeks and may even take you out of the race completely. Did you know that improved flexibility also shortens your recovery time. According to Skip Stolley, Director of VS Athletics Track Club in Santa Monica, California, looser muscles are more receptive to glycogen replacement, which accelerates healing.

So here is your power...your muscles get the most benefit from stretching post-run. Ideally, you'd tack on a 15-minute flexibility routine to your workout (see runnersworld.com/whartons). No time? Drop a six-miler to a five-miler and use those leftover minutes to hit your calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes. "You aren't hurting your workout-you're enhancing it," says Stolley. "The benefits of stretching will do your body more good than could be done by running that mile."

So give it a try and give your body all the things to help it be strong. Give your body a little and it will give you a lot in return. Thinking of you always Firestar...keep pushing and keep striving!

Runner's World. April 2008. Pgs. 43-44.

Think-Do-Be POSITIVE

Thoughts play a critical role in determining your emotional responses to events. Your thoughts about yourself and your performance and your interpretation of specific situations have a direct impact on your feelings and behavior. Increasing the amount of positive self-talk can improve your exercise program—and your life in general. To enhance your self-talk, use these pointers:

1. Understand Self-Talk. Whenever you think about something, you are, in essence, talking to yourself. Self-talk serves as the vehicle for making perceptions and beliefs conscious.

2. Determine If You Need More Positive Self-Talk. Is your self-talk generally negative? To find out, try this simple exercise: Carry some paper clips in your pocket. Each time you make a negative self-statement, hook two clips together, building a chain. Just seeing the length of the chain at the end of the day may motivate you to make some changes! Keeping a daily record of your self-talk in a workout log can also effectively increase your awareness. Record the situation in which the self-talk occurred; the content of the self-talk; and the consequences, in terms of performance, emotion or both.

3. Recognize the Benefits. Self-talk can be used to correct bad habits, modify intensity, focus attention, build and maintain self-confidence and encourage exercise maintenance. Research by E. F. Gauvin reported in Exploring Sport and Exercise Psychology found that persistent exercisers use positive self-talk while dropouts and sedentary people use self-defeating, negative self-verbalization, such as, “How many times am I going to make that mistake?” or “I don’t like to exercise.” Self-talk can be used in many different situations.

4. Acquire New Skills. When learning new skills, use self-talk as cue words to focus your attention. For example, you might use simple cues such as “Stretch,” “Pull” or “Reach” to focus attention on your movement.

5. Break Bad Habits. To break old habits and make new responses automatic, you need to decide on the best instructional cues. The greater the change, the more self-instruction you require. For example, if you are a bodybuilder who drops your head while performing squats, you may want to repeat “Head up” throughout the exercise until the correct posture becomes second nature.

6. Initiate Action. Self-talk can be motivating. A runner can increase speed by using such cue words as “Quick!” or “Kick!” A golfer can improve his form by intentionally verbalizing cues like “Arm straight,” “Head down” and “Follow through.”

7. Sustain Effort. Once an exercise or movement has begun, sustaining effort or motivation may be a problem. Positive instructional cues like “Focus,” “Keep your feet moving” or “Hang in there” can help you sustain effort when you are fatigued.

8. Be in the Here and Now. During exercise the mind tends to wander and lose focus. Staying in the present is critically important to foster improvement and prevent injury. Commands like “Focus,” “Concentrate” or “Be here now” can bring you back to center. Using a specific set of verbal cues can help you keep your mind sharply focused on relevant tasks. Self-talk that focuses on the present can.

Love Always,
Dofitness

Get A Good Night Sleep

If you, like me, spend some nights tossing and turning, you might want to consider your diet as the culprit. Here's how: carbohydrates send tryptophan, an amino acid known to be a sleep aid, to the brain, while protein actually inhibits trytophan's sedative effect. So avoid high-protein dinners and just try to eat a well-balanced meal that contains carbohydrates (don't be afraid to eat carbs). Or you may be mineral deficient; iron, calcium, and magnesium all induce sleepiness. Try taking those supplements in the evening. 

Hunger can also keep you awake--maybe you're not eating enough (but don't overdo either; overeating can cause stomach pains that will keep you awake). And finally, maybe you're drinking too much alcohol. A drink can help you go to sleep, but it often causes wakefulness in the middle of the night and can interfere with the body's REM cycle, which is when the most restful sleep occurs.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health And Happiness. Pg. 53.

ATTENTION LADIES

What is one of the biggest age-related concerns all women face? Yes, you guessed it, the appearance of cellulite. Studies have shown that it's estimated that up to 90% percent of all women develop some cellulite after age 30, and the condition tends to worsen over time. Cellulite can form anywhere on the body, but it's most apt to appear on the back of the thighs.

What is cellulite? Cellulite is actually related to the composition of the skin. The skin and its underlying tissue have three fundamental layers: the top layer is comprised of a cellular-based tissue called the dermis. Its primary purpose is to protect your body from outside contaminants. The middle layer is made up of fibrous connective tissue called superficial fascia. It acts like an internal stocking to support the skin, holding body fat in place. The lower layer is made up of adipose tissue-plain old fat. It insulates the body, pads the internal organs, and provides a source of long-term energy.

It's the role of the superficial fascia that's responsible for the appearance of cellulite. In men, the superficial fascia is arranged in a crisscross pattern that is strong and consistent. Accordingly, fat is contained in a uniform matter subcutaneously (below the skin), leaving the skin surface relatively smooth and supple. In women, however, the superficial fascia tends to be irregular and discontinuous. It has a vertical distribution, forming honey-comb-like patterns beneath the dermis. Hence, when fat accumulates, it pushes up toward the skin's surface in clusters, giving the skin the lumpy, dimpled appearance known as cellulite.

As you age, skin begins to sag and loses it elasticity, and the superficial fascia becomes more and more irregular, thereby losing its ability to contain subcutaneous tissue.

The only real solution to combating cellulite is to undertake a regimented program of targeted exercise. A well-designed intense thigh-training program can help to substantially reduce, if not completely eliminate, any sign of cottage cheese thighs. Lean muscle tone helps smooth underlying fat, making cellulite less evident. And once body fat is reduced to acceptable levels, your thighs will be taut and toned.

The age-related accretion of body fat is largely due to a loss of muscle tissue, as women lose up to 1 percent of their muscle mass each year after the age of 30, and continue to do so throughout the rest of their lives. Muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in the body; the more you have, the more calories you burn. On the flip side, a reduction of muscle progressively slows metabolism, causing a gradual, but steady, increase in body fat.

It should come to no surprise that resistance training is the most important activity in staying lean. It's estimated that for each pound of muscle you add to your body, you burn approximately 40 to 50 additional calories a day AT REST. That means you're burning these calories around the clock-even while you're relaxing on the couch watching TV.

Another important fact is don't forget to stretch...Stretching is the best way to resculpt your body to eliminate the appearance of cellulite. Elongating the muscles and overlying fat decreases the uneven surface appearance of cellulite. Stretching will improve your posture and give you a thinner, smoother contour. Try to stretch on a daily basis...light stretching before you strength/cardio train and moderate stretching after you workout. Also, stretching throughout your day is beneficial for your muscles. It increases blood flow, and it teaches your muscles to become more flexible, which in turn will make you feel better and help you move better.

Since hips and thighs comprise more that a third of your overall lean body mass, it should be apparent how important it is to train them diligently. And ladies that is why I train you so hard on your legs. Why I push you in so many different ways, to the point of extreme fatigue in your lower body. Also, when you perform a strength/shaping exercise followed by an endurance/toning exercise, you will see nothing but successful results. Go intense and keep each movement/motion continuous...don't allow for your muscles to recover during each exercise...FEEL THE BURN! And if it hurts, remember what you are up against. PUSH THROUGH AND DIG DEEP!

www.fitnessRxmag.com
October 2006.

Some Of The Best Fat-Fighting Foods

"Success consists of a series of little daily victories." -Laddie F. Hutar
1. Apples, especially the skin, contain pectin, a soluble fiber that serves as nature's own appetite suppressant.
2. Beans, such as chickpeas and mature kidney or lima beans, have a high fiber content, making you feel full for longer and helping you eating less overall.
3. Eating three or four servings of low-fat dairy products a day enhances weight-loss efforts.
4. Muscles are 70 percent water, and muscles burn fat. A German study showed that drinking water raises your metabolic rate by 30 percent.
5. Eating nuts and seeds are important for leaning down. Nuts and seeds have sufficient fat-fighting amounts of protein and fiber when eaten in moderation.
6. Medium-chain fatty acids, the type of fat in coconut and palm kernel oils, take more calories to digest than the oils themselves provide.
7. Prepare a bowl of oatmeal as a quick and easy way to get cholesterol-fighting, fat-burning fiber.
And last but not least...WAKE UP WITH JOY IN YOUR HEART.

Making Change...

Putting it all together, one nickel and dime at a time...
"So yesterday I'm in the supermarket picking up a couple of things and as I check out, the cashier hands me my change. I dump 'em into my pocket. We do a lot of things without thinking twice and everywhere, the change starts accumulating--in cars, coat pockets, wherever. Why worry about a couple coins--they're not worth much, right? Wrong!

Listen up...All that change'll add up to hundreds. It may not happen overnight, but it will eventually. You just gotta have the patience to see the big picture. In the gym, it's like time unfolds in front of me. After all, time is all I do have...Time to do things right, time to take my time. In here, I won't shortchange myself by cuttin' corners--can't afford to with three weeks to go. In here, the change I'm making comes in denominations of 45s...and with every weighted pull-up, every last set, my change jar is slowly fillin' up."