Do you see it?

Anywhere in this picture? 

Do you see a “good source of protein?” 

How about a closer look.

Apparently Pearson’s is unclear on what “a good source of protein” is.

Sure peanuts have protein, but to label a candy bar as such, is really stretching it. 

Along with your 8 g of protein you get 300 cals | 11g fat | 35 g carbs | 2 g fiber | 25g sugar

In my book this = a candy bar. 

Want a good source of protein?  How about, chicken, turkey, eggs, beef, salmon, fish, shrimp, lobster, crab, cottage cheese, greek yogurt…..

There are some definite no no’s when it comes to ab training for an apple.  Here are two of them:

1.  Weighted ab crunches or ab machines

2.  Weighted rotary twists or side bends

These will not flatten your stomach!  If you are wanting thicker and denser ab muscles than by all means stick to weighted crunches.  However, if you want a flat stomach and a nice hourglass shape than try any number of plank variations: 

Basic Plank (The key is doing these correctly!  It is not about how long you can hold the position.  Abs should be drawn in and glutes contracted the entire time.  When doing these with clients I start off with 1 set of 8 reps with a 3 sec. hold.  These are dang hard when done correctly!)

• Draw your lower abdomen inward toward your spine.
• In optimal postural alignment tighten buttocks and lift body up onto forearms.
• While maintaining the abdominal draw-in contraction, hold optimal alignment for 15 SECONDS and repeat 10 times.
• Your spine should be in a neutral position from cervical to lumbar and your glutes should remain tight without compensatory motion.
• Keep chin tucked in.
• Reduce time if necessary.  Form is more important than how long or how much!

Abs for a female apple take time and patience along with a properly designed exercise & nutrition plan.  Incidentally, research shows that apple shapes have issues with carbohydrate tolerance.  Apples will fair much better, on their quest to lose the belly fat, by swapping out some of those carbs for protein.  As the saying goes…..”abs are made in the kitchen”.

Need help in your quest for a chiseled middle?  I can help.  Contact me for a complimentary consultation.

My review to come.  Going to see it at the Lagoon Theater in Uptown at 3pm.  Stay Tuned!

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site – Hungry For Change? – Trailer and Photos

UPDATE:  Want to see Food, Inc. for FREE?  Click here.  If you live within driving distance of Minneapolis you can see if free on July 14th at 7:30pm.

P.S.  My official review is still forthcoming.  I have been busy researching and changing my entire family over to an organic lifestyle.

Poor nutrition, lack of exercise, smoking, excess alcohol, sleep deprivation, chronic stress & environment are all choices.  They are also the contributing factors to a classification of illnesses called lifestyle diseases;   cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes & obesity.  These diseases are PREVENTABLE by choosing to live a healthy lifestyle.  Let me repeat that, PREVENTABLE by choosing to live a healthy lifestyle.

Take a look at these more then startling statistics of CVD…

An estimated 80,000,000 American adults, 1 in 3, have one or more types of cardiovascular disease :  high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure & stroke.

• One of every three deaths in the United States, is due to cardiovascular disease.  This accounts for 56% of all deaths.

• 32% of CVD deaths occur prematurely, or before the age of 75.  Nearly 151,000 Americans killed by CVD are under age 65.

• Lifetime risk for CVD is 2 in 3 for men and more than 1 in 2 for women.

• CVD is the leading cause of death in males followed by cancer & diabetes.

• CVD is the leading cause of death in females followed by cancer & alzheimer’s.

• Coronary heart disease is the largest single killer of American males & females.

• 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure (hypertension).

• 69% of people who have a heart attack, 77% who have a stroke & 74% with congestive heart failure have high blood pressure.

• 37% of the American population age 20 and older has prehypertension.

Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics, 2009 Update, American Heart Association

Are you as startled as I am?  Disturbed?  Irritated?  I started this post earlier this morning & have continued to work on it over the afternoon.  Throughout the day, I have been bothered and agitated.  Why do we, as a society, chose gluttony, gratification & laziness over good health?   I know that sounds a bit harsh, but ask yourself, is it the truth?  Certainly we know better.  Or do we?

What role does our government play in all of this?  How about corporate responsibility?  What about the pharmaceutical industry?  I’m not one to fall prey to conspiracy theories, however, I do have a healthy skepticism when it comes to our government as well as the rules & regulations it imposes on our food supply as well as healthcare.

This excerpt, taken from an outstanding book by Mark Hyman, M.D. called Ultra-Metabolism, sums it up well:

Drug companies would have you believe that “bad”, or LDL cholesterol, is the single biggest factor in the development of heart disease.  But the truth is that the determining factor is the ratio of your total cholesterol to your “good,” or HDL, cholesterol.

The pharmaceutical industry promotes this unfounded belief not because there is scientific evidence that supports it but because the main class of drugs available for treating high cholesterol are statins, which mostly lower LDL, and these drugs are among the biggest-selling drugs in history.

The truth is that the ratio between your total cholesterol and your HDL is almost entirely determined by the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat, not by the amount of fat you consume.

“Bad” carbohydrates are a staple of the food industry and the low-fat diet.  Shifting from refined carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice and sugar in all its forms to “good” (healthy) carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, beans & unprocessed grains would lead to a dramatic reduction in all the diseases of aging and obesity.  But the food industry spends $30 billion a year on advertising to convince us to eat foods that include bad carbohydrates such as fast food, soda, snacks, chips, crackers, candy, etc.  The food industry makes up 12 percent of our gross national product, so it is both a health issue and an economic one.

I think we can agree there is some level of ir/responsibility that the government can bear the burden of, but the rest is up to you.  It’s time to take responsibility for your own health and PREVENT the diseases of lifestyle.

1. Nutrition.  Your nutritional intake should consist of: lean proteins, omega-3 eggs, an abundance of vegetables, colorful fruits, beans, brown/wild rice, nuts, seeds, oats, greek yogurt, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, & dark chocolate (85%).  (rule of thumb:  if it comes in a box don’t eat it)  Limit caffeine intake & get 8 glasses of water a day.  Take a high-quality multi-vitamin and Omega-3 Fish Oil.
2. Exercise.  Your heart is a muscle.  It can be strengthened by doing both strength training and cardiovascular training.  As Nike says, Just Do It!
3. Smoking.  If you smoke or use tobacco products, do whatever it takes to quit.
4. Alcohol.  Limit your alcohol intake.  If you must, red wine is best.  2-3 glasses per week.
5. Sleep.  Establish a regular sleep pattern and get 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
6. Stress.  Take time to relax.  Get a massage, read a book, turn off your cell phone, talk to a friend, get a pet & do your best to not sweat the small stuff.
7. Environment.  Be aware of the pollutants in your environment and avoid them.  The most common are household cleaners.

Are you concerned about your health?  Do you want help in creating a healthier lifestyle for yourself or your family?  I can help.  Contact me for a complimentary consultation.

The human body is amazing at adapting to the stress & duress we submit it to. After all, that is what it is supposed to do. Achieve homeostasis.

→We sweat to cool off and shiver to keep warm.

→A diet that is lacking in the right nutrients will result in sickness.

→Don’t eat enough calories to fuel your resting metabolic rate, the body will slow down to conserve energy.

These are just a few examples of how the human body fends off challenges in an effort to maintain balance.

So what does this have to do with achieving a lifetime of fitness you ask?

In my daily observances of gym goers, it is all too common to see people doing the same thing day after day after day after day.  Their bodies have long stopped changing from their exercise regimen.  They aren’t losing any fat and they aren’t gaining any muscle.  They have hit a plateau.  Stated differently, their bodies have just simply adapted to the stress of their exercise routine.

A current client of mine said to me, when I first met her, “I’ve been coming to this gym for over 10 years and still look the same as I did when I joined”.

“Training (whether it be strength training or cardiovascular training) is beneficial only as long as it forces the body to adapt to the stress of the physical work.”

What does that mean?

Let’s look at a common strength training exercise; a dumbbell bicep curl…

1.  Today I can bicep curl a 25lb dumbbell for 8 reps and it is quite challenging.  The final two reps are extremely hard but with a lot of mental energy I can do it (STRESS).

2.  Next week I curl that same 25 lb dumbbell for 8 reps and it is still challenging but noticeably takes less effort (ADAPTATION IN PROGRESS).

3.  Two weeks from now I can bicep curl a 25lb dumbbell for 8 reps and it’s a piece of cake (ADAPTATION has occurred).

4.  Three weeks from now I better pick up the 30lb dumbbell or do more reps with the 25lb dumbbell or the training effect will be nil or at best minimal.

Now let’s look at a common cardiovascular training option; walking on the treadmill…

1.  Today I get on the treadmill and walk for 30 mins.  I set the incline at 2% and the speed at 4.0mph.  I use a heart rate monitor to measure how hard my heart has to work and find my average heart rate is 140bpm.  My perceived exertion is that this is a challenging workout; I noticed my breathing and worked up a sweat (STRESS).

2.  Next week I get on the treadmill and walk for 30 mins.  I set the incline at 2% and the speed at 4.0mph.  My average heart rate is 135 bpm.  Huh?!  My heart rate is going down.  It didn’t feel quite as hard as last week.  I definitely felt like I got a workout, it was just a little easier (ADAPTATION IN PROGRESS).

3.  Two weeks from now, again I get on the treadmill and walk for 30 mins.  I set the incline at 2% and the speed at 4.0mph.  My average heart is 125 bpm.  Heart rate is down again.  This workout was a breeze.  (ADAPTATION has occured).

4.  Three weeks from now, I better increase the incline, go faster, or a little of both, or the training effect will be nil or at best minimal.

When it comes to strength training, there are different variables we can change in order to create additional stress on the working muscle(s).  We can add more weight, do more reps, take less rest time between sets, change up the exercise for a given muscle, train more frequently, superset, etc.  I don’t want to say the possibilities are limitless but we got lots of wiggle room.  As far as cardiovascular training goes, the way to measure intensity is by monitoring your heart rate.  How do you know what heart rate(s) you should be working out at?  That my friends will be saved for another time.

If you have hit a plateau and need help shaking things up, contact me for a complimentary consultation.

Benefits of Strength Training. 2-3 generations ago, physical jobs kept you in shape. Nowadays sedentary lifestyles are common: desk jobs, watching tv, driving car all day. Here’s what strength training can do for you:

Builds Muscle. Strength training builds muscle: the stronger you are, the more muscles you’ll have.

Burns Fat. Muscle burn calories. More muscle means more calories burned & thus a lower body fat. You can achieve a year-round body fat of 10% (women 15%) by combining strength training with healthy food.

Increases Health. Strength training increases endurance, bone density & testosterone levels. Strength training strengthens your joints, lowers cholesterol & improves your sleep. You’ll notice nutrition is important to get results in strength training. All leads to a healthier body & lifestyle.

Forges Character. Strength training teaches you persistence, sacrifice, self-control, responsibility & builds self-confidence. You’ll get out of strength training what you put into it.

Need help with your strength training program?  Contact me for a complimentary consultation.

A commercial or fad diet plan is in most cases a short-term solution that rarely becomes a lifetime of eating high quality nutrient dense foods.   To make healthy eating a permanent part of your lifestyle, start by making small changes over time.  You know, baby steps.

Are you ready to improve your nutrition?

Here are three things you can do to get started on achieving a lifetime of nutritional fitness:

1. Take a high-quality multi-vitamin and omega-3 fish oil supplement.

68% of the population is deficient in calcium, 90% in chromium, 75% in magnesium, 80% in vitamin B6, and 95% in omega-3 fats.

Less than 3% of men and 5% of women get the minimum number of fruits and veggies per day.

Baby Step: Start.  That’s right get yourself some multi’s and fish oil and just start taking them.  Believe it or not, by doing this, you will improve your nutritional fitness even if you never change what you eat.

2. Include a source of lean protein at each meal and snack.

You need protein to build and maintain muscle.

Eating protein can help your body burn up to 35% more calories in digestion.

Protein stimulates satiety and dampens hunger.

Baby Step: Start with breakfast.  Don’t worry about your snacks, lunches & dinners quite yet.   Just come up with 2-3 different breakfast options that include protein.  You can use my daily breakfast as Option #1:

1 Omega-3 Egg & 3 Egg Whites Scrambled with Peppers, Onion, Garlic & Mushrooms AND 2 slices Trader Joe’s Sprouted 7-Grain Bread with Butter

3. Eliminate processed foods.

That’s right, if it comes in a box don’t eat it.  Of course there are exceptions, however the more you can center your intake around real whole foods the better off you will be.

Baby Step: Again start with breakfast.  If you are like most people, breakfast is a bowl of cereal (comes in a box).  Go 7 days without the processed cereal and then start eliminating the processed foods from your mid-morning snack (remember it has to include some lean protein).

Do you need help with your nutritional fitness?  Contact me for a complimentary consultation.

1.  How do I get rid of “this” (extend arm out to the side and point to the stuff hanging down)?

2.  How do I get rid of “this” & “this” (stand with feet hip width apart and point to the inside and outside of your thighs)?

The answer to both of these questions is the same.  However, before I give away the answer, let’s take a look at what I frequently see women do, in an effort to get rid of “this”, “this” & “this”.

Illustrated above, we have three exercises that target the area(s) of this, this & this… a dumbbell kickback which works the tricep muscles, as well as the abductor & adductor machines, which work, you guessed it, the ab/adductor muscles.

Sidenote: These exercises aren’t necessarily good or bad, however, I have yet to include them in my client programs nor my own.

The misconception is that somehow doing these exercises will get rid of “this”, “this” & “this”.  I really wish it was that easy, as I got issues with my own “this”, “this” & “this”.  But, alas, while doing theses exercises will indeed work the underlying muscle, it will not get rid of the fat.  Which is really what THIS is.

Therein lies the answer.  In order to get rid of THIS you need to lose bodyfat.  Losing bodyfat is the result of a well designed program that includes resistance training, cardiovascular training and of course proper nutrition.

Is the ab/adductor your favorite machine and now you are confused on what you should do to get rid of THIS?  Contact me for a complimentary consultation.  Together we’ll come up with a plan to get rid of THIS once and for all.

P.S. Men, I did not forget about your “this”….and doing 100 crunches isn’t going to get rid of it.

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