I Feel [SO] Pretty

So here it is...

My house still looks totally lived in (aka messy), but almost everything is crossed off my checklist for the day. My super awesome friends are coming into town to see me tonight, and I just signed my family and I up for a couple of great races in the next month. We're closing on our house in a month and my head is filled with all kinds of open tabs about what I need to get done when it comes to setting up the business at our new place and scoping out activities for the kids and such.

However, I had a great workout with Kai this morning (much better than having to squeeze myself between guys who only think they're stronger than me on the lifting platform at the gym) and I actually got in a shower in the morning for once. I don't ever feel ugly, but I never feel pretty. I don't really wear makeup, but not because I love how my skin looks without it, but because I don't really have the time nor do I feel like I would benefit from wearing it. However, this awesome girl was introduced to me a couple of weeks ago, and she brought Arbonne into my life. The constant skeptic that I am was totally against it, but I tried it out just to humor her. Holy moly.. what a life changer. I feel pretty. I felt pretty after three days, to be quite honest. The skincare is BOMB. I don't have crazy wrinkles, but I DO have age spots. I was that person who never wore sunscreen, then woke up one day at 25 and realized I had age spots already. I thought I was ruined. I don't know what the heck they do to their skincare (almost totally herbal blends with no bleaching agents and all GMO free and vegan), but it's magic. I feel good in my skin. I am wearing Arbonne makeup right now (just tinted moisturizer, bronzer and blush), but only because I'm actually going out tonight and I want to look a little more done up for my girlfriends, because you know how girls like to look good for other girls! Sorry guys!

Anyhow, it wasn't even the skincare that sold me... it was the baby line. I will spend and do almost anything on my babies. Kai has had eczema for 2 years now, and it has totally been taken care of thanks to the Arbonne baby lotion. It worked after 3 days! So, I thought I'd just try it on the husband for giggles since I've tried everything on his skin since we met. It smoothed out his skin in 1 day!

So just in time for Valentine's Day, I feel pretty again. Like, not pretty because I have been made-over, but pretty because I feel like I look on the outside the way I feel on the inside. I am so proud of my family for being awesome, happy for myself because I can help others for a living through personal training and nutrition, and I'm happy I can show that on the outside.

850.

850. 850. 850....

That's the number that has been filling my head for the past couple of days. Last year, I competed in a bikini competition. For 8 weeks, I dieted according to a plan my trainer gave me, lifted 3 times per week, and did cardio at least once per day for an hour each session, 6 days per week, until the last 2 weeks where I doubled up on cardio.

What is 850? It's the amount of calories I was eating on a daily basis. Why did I do that to myself? You'd think I would have known better, being a personal trainer and all. I guess I was blinded by ambition. I wanted to do a competition just to say I did it. I totally trusted my trainer who is very good at what he does. He trains people for bodybuilding competitions all the time, and his competitors always do very well. I don't know squat about competitions, and all that goes along with it such as posing, specificity of muscular striation goals and what not.

I've learned so much in the time since I did that competition. Not only was I only eating 850 calories, which is awful even without the consideration of the amount of physical activity I was involved in, but about 600 of those calories were from protein alone... animal protein at that. What happens when you eat that much animal protein and not enough carbohydrates from green vegetables to alkalize your system? Your body suffers from uric acid, and you can ultimately end up with kidney failure after awhile. Right after the competition, I went to the doctor because my kidneys were killing me, not really thinking about my major idiot move in following the diet, and my kidneys were in fact, in the beginning stages of failure.

I am going on 5 months postpartum, and I keep pushing myself to lose the weight like I did last time so that by the time I hit 8 months postpartum, I am at the same level I was at 8 months postpartum last year. Then I remember my 850 calorie diet that put me where I was last year, and I remember how exhausted, scatter-brained, and overall spread-thin I was last year. I may not, or will most likely not hit the 114 lbs I was at 8 months postpartum last year, but I will be stronger and much more physically fit. I am already moving way more weight than I was while training for that competition, and that excites me. I have two kids, am still breastfeeding, and eating a minimum of 1500 calories per day- on most days I hit around 2200 calories, and I feel great and am at my pre pregnancy weight.

The other day, I was discussing bodybuilding with a friend of mine. We were going over reasons why one would want to go through with competing. I think competing is a great thing, as long as you have a great coach who cares about your health, who can diet you properly, allowing for a great deal of vegetables and enough calories to sustain your physical activity. There is no reason to starve yourself for any goal. You may reach your goal more slowly, but you will be able to maintain and enjoy the end result much more.

I went over and over in my head whether or not to publish this. I didn't and don't want to offend anyone who I competed with, who dieted similarly, and still have the same coach. However, I think it is more important for people who don't compete to realize what some people do to reach that "goal body" in such a short amount of time, and that they shouldn't beat themselves up for not matching that so quickly. It's also important for people who would like to compete, to know that there are many competitors out there who eat a great diet (some eat way more than they would like to) and get incredible results. There are more than a couple ways to get results, go with what works for you. But 850 calories? That shouldn't work for anyone.

Feed your muscles, brain, and heart.

Got (non-dairy) Milk?

            Many disagreements exist regarding the health benefits of dairy, as well as the concerns of consuming raw, unpasteurized dairy. Much of the information concerning dairy is conflicting based on who is paying for the research and advertising. The choice of whether or not to consume dairy or what type of milk to consume is best made according to the priorities of the consumer, such as nutritional preferences, risks and benefits, and individual digestive reactions.

            The CDC and FDA post many warnings against consuming raw milk. These organizations claim that there are nothing but harmful bacteria and germs that have caused 79% of dairy related outbreaks between 1998-2011. However, other studies have shown that more illnesses have been recorded due to bacteria in deli meat. They also claim that almost no nutritional values and hardly any enzymes are lost in the pasteurization and homogenization processes. However, studies have shown better growth in children who drink raw human milk as opposed to pasteurized milk. Studies have also shown that enzymes and bacteria in raw milk protect people against asthma and allergies, and the hormones in raw milk strengthen the immune system. Due to the loss of lactobacilli bacteria through pasteurization, people who are lactose intolerant are more likely able to digest raw milk. Raw milk was found to be more digestible in 86% of lactose intolerant people.

            During pasteurization, the process of heating milk to kill bacteria, the milk is heated to 161 degrees for 15 seconds, or ultra-pasteurized, and heated to 280 degrees for a minimum of 2 seconds. The CDC claims that this does not significantly change nutritional value, but admits that some enzymes are inactivated and immunoglobulin are killed. Lactobacilli is killed which helps to digest lactose, and lipase is killed first in order for homogenization to even out the texture of the milk. Among enzymes killed in pasteurization are lipoprotein lipase, which increases the shelf life of milk once killed, plasmin protease, alkaline phosphatase, lysozyme which is the antibacterial, amylase, catalase, lactase, lactoperoxidase, and phosphatase. Milk contains 3.3% total protein, and the biggest cause for denatured proteins is the sensitivity of light of proteases, methionine and cystine. The high temperature of pasteurization causes whey and casein to interact but supposedly does not affect the nutritional value of milk, but only the functionality. After pasteurization, homogenization takes place so that the protein-heavy fat globules are broken down so there is not a cream layer on top and milk is more even throughout. This also makes the separation of whole, low fat, and skim milk easier. Because of the killing of lipase, there are an increased number of allergic reactions to the milk.

            The fat content in milk is another highly debated topic. Several decades ago, people only drank whole milk. Just a couple of decades ago, low fat milk was introduced to households and to school lunches by the FDA in attempt to make children healthier. However, whole milk is linked to lower body fat while low fat milk is linked to faster weight gain in children. The belief is that low fat foods makes one hungrier, and especially for carbohydrates. Not only does skim milk possibly cause a faster weight gain, but also with the absence of B vitamins combined with a person’s attempted metabolism of cow milk protein, homeocysteine is caused to buildup and that is a cocktail for heart disease. Also, in order to make milk appealing to children, flavored milks such as strawberry and chocolate are given to them that are filled with sugar, which negates any possible nutritional benefit of consuming milk, regardless of fat content.

            An array of health problems exists that are linked to dairy. Dairy is considered an inflammatory food that can cause arthritis flare-ups, as well as Rosacea and IBS. Alzheimer’s is also closely linked, as milk tainted with bovine tuberculosis is directly found in Alzheimer’s patients. 20-40% of dairy herds are infected with bovine tuberculosis. Also, Casein kinase 1 is found in the brains of patients, which builds up amyloid beta and notch cleavage.  As for Chron’s Disease, mycobacteria in cattle stops white blood cells from killing E. Coli by releasing the molecule mannose, and triggers the antibody protein ASCA. Infant ear infections are very likely caused by dairy, as there is 300% more casein in cow’s milk than human milk, and casein is very mucous forming. As for Osteoperosis and milk companies’ advertising that milk builds strong bones, the intake of milk has shown no effect on reducing the instance of fractures. This may possibly be due to increased urinary excretion of calcium when dairy is consumed. Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis could be caused by dairy as people have the same abnormal autoimmune response to milk. Diabetes may be caused by cows’ milk when children are given cows’ milk formula before 3 months of age. Autism is famously linked to dairy, as diets that eliminate diary, most importantly eliminating casein, get rid of the gastrointestinal problems that are thought to worsen behavioral problems in autistic people. As our immune system is such a large part of our digestive system, casein irritates the respiratory system and causes allergies. Prostate and breast cancer are also shown through studies to be caused by dairy, most specifically IGF-1, which is increased with the injection of rBGH in cows. The hormone oestrogen secreted in cow’s milk is thought to cause breast cancer. 

            Among all of the concerns with drinking dairy, there is the treatment of cows, as well as the results of what cows are treated with. Cows are given rBGH, bovine growth hormone, in order to increase their milk production. These cows then have diarrhea, and with the proximity of the utters to the excretion, the utters and milk are contaminated with the bacteria in the diarrhea. Farmers admit that about 90% of dairy products in grocery stores have fecal matter. These cows also suffer from mastitis, and with mastitis, they have somatic cells in their milk. There is an estimated 1,120,000 somatic cells in each spoonful of milk. This means there is approximately 1 drop of pus in every cup. This is not a huge serving of pus, but it just depends on how much pus the consumer is okay with consuming.

            The drinking of milk is thought to have begun 7500 years ago between the Central Balkans and Central Europe. Europeans seem to have the highest rate of lactase persistence and are the only people who can continue to digest milk without issues. Cultures who tend to be lactose intolerant are African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, American Indians, and Asian Americans. These cultures have lactase deficiency, which causes lactose malabsorption. At 3 years old, the age by which children normally wean, they stop producing lactase and rennin that helps them to digest milk.

            For all the controversy over whether dairy milk actually does a body good, there are several other milk sources that are beneficial to our health, and have good sources of vitamins and protein, among other nutrients. Whole milk has 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 35 mg of cholesterol, 8 grams of protein, 12 grams of sugar, and 120 milligrams of sodium per cup. All other sources have fewer calories, fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates (with the exception of rice and oat milk). Soy milk has between 70-130 calories, 2-4 grams of fat, 7-9 grams of protein, and 4-5 grams of carbohydrates. Almond milk has 30-50 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, and 1-5 grams of carbohydrates. Hemp milk, which is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, has 70 calories, 6 grams of fat, 8-20 grams of protein, and 1 gram of carbohydrates. Oat milk has 110-130 calories, 1.5-2.5 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, and 24 grams of carbohydrates. Coconut milk has 50 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, and 1 gram of carbohydrates. According to the numbers, coconut milk is a great milk source if fat is a nutrient preference, whereas hemp milk is a great alternative if one needs protein. Also available are goat milk, which is high in fat, sheep milk which is high in protein, and buffalo milk which is very high in fat. Most of these alternative milks are fortified with calcium; a nutrient for which dairy milk is widely drunk. However, the calcium in dairy milk is not easily absorbed. One must have Vitamin D in order to absorb calcium. The only natural source of vitamin D is sunlight, although vitamin D is added to dairy milk. As a matter of fact, the combination of retinol and saturated fat in dairy milk can actually weaken bones. Instead of drinking milk, calcium can be found in better sources such as leafy green vegetables, beans, and supplements.

            As for infants, human milk is higher in carbohydrates and amino acids cystine and tryptophan, which make it much better for infants to digest. Milk consumption in childhood, especially before the age of 3 months is linked to type 1 diabetes. Milk allergies are also the leading cause of ear infections in children. Milk also causes behavioral problems and asthma. Although enzymes and chemicals are added to infant formula in order to help them to digest the cow milk protein, more information should be provided to parents to inform them against using formula if the ability to feed their children breast milk if available. Giving children cow’s milk after weaning is also unnecessary and parents should be informed of milk alternatives and their benefits versus the use of dairy.

            Heard often, each argument depends on who is paying for the research. Each individual should weigh the benefits of dairy consumption. However, more information needs to be made more widely available to people in order to make informed decisions. Most importantly, people should have proper information so they can make good decisions for the sake of their children, as their decision can impact whether their children will get diabetes, asthma, allergies, eczema, issues with autism, bacterial infections, and even cancer. With all of the alternatives available, dairy milk is not the only option, or even the best option for all the benefits its consumption supposedly has.

References

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Feces than Fresh Milk - Videos the CDC Won't Show You." NaturalNews. N.p.,

22 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 July 2014.

"Allergist - Find an Allergist. Find Relief." Milk Allergy Information. ACAAI, n.d. Web.

23 July 2014.

Aubrey, Allison. "The Full-Fat Paradox: Whole Milk May Keep Us Lean." NPR. NPR,

12 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 July 2014.

"Calcium and Milk." The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health, n.d. Web.

22 July 2014.

Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M. Campbell. The China Study: The Most

Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications

for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health. Dallas, TX: BenBella, 2005. Print.

"Casein Kinase 1." ALZinfo.org. Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, n.d.

Web. 20 July 2014.

"Effects of Dairy Products on Chron’s Disease." National Center for Biotechnology

Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 22 July 2014.

"Fresh, Unprocessed (Raw) Whole Milk: Safety, Health and Economic..." A Campaign

for Real Milk. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014.

"Got Autism? Learn About the Link Between Dairy Products and the Disorder." PETA.

PETA, n.d. Web. 23 July 2014.

Green, Emma. "The Controversial Life of Skim Milk." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media

Company, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 23 July 2014.

Greger, Michael. "How Much Pus Is There in Milk? | NutritionFacts.org."

NutritionFactsorg. N.p., 8 Sept. 2011. Web. 20 July 2014.

"A Guide to Good Nutrition - Potassium and Sodium Guidelines - Dairy Products." A

Guide to Good Nutrition - Potassium and Sodium Guidelines - Dairy Products.

N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2014.

Hartke, Kimberly. "Stanford Study on Raw Milk Digestibility: Conflicting

Interpretations." Weston A Price. N.p., 26 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 July 2014.

Hartley, Jo. "The Amazing Health Benefits of Raw Milk." NaturalNews. N.p., 23 Apr.

2008. Web. 20 July 2014.

"Health Concerns about Dairy Products." PCRM.org. The Physicians Committee, n.d.

Web. 20 July 2014.

"Homogenization: A Closer Look." A Closer Look At Homogenization. N.p., 21 June

2012. Web. 20 July 2014.

"How Bacteria In Cows' Milk May Cause Crohn's Disease." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily,

13 Dec. 2007. Web. 20 July 2014.

"Milk Drinking Started Around 7,500 Years Ago In Central Europe." ScienceDaily.

ScienceDaily, 1 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 July 2014.

"Milk Protein." Milk Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014.

           

"More About Enzymes." More About Enzymes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014.

Nichols, Natalie. "Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives." SparkPeople. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July

            2014.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 July 2014.

 15 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 July 2014.

Spiegel, Alison. "Pasteurized Vs. Homogenized Milk: What's The Difference?" The

Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 July 2014. Web. 25 July 2014.

Shaw, Gina. "The Dangers of Dairy Products." The Dangers of Dairy Products. N.p., n.d.

Web. 20 July 2014.

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Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 July 2014. Web. 25 July 2014.

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National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 July 2014.

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Can Pose a Serious Health Risk. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.

HEALTHY not-so-chicken wings!

As you know, my 2 favorite foods are chicken wings and watermelon. I could eat that combo everyday of my life. I actually did for the first 16 years of my life, until something clicked and I broadened my horizons with a variety of food. Chicken wings aren't the healthiest food in the world, but, you can totally get a whole chicken and cut it up and marinate it with it's skin mostly pulled off and grill it to get the same satisfaction with none of the guilt!

Marinade:
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 cup sambal sauce
1/4 cup GF low sodium Tamari
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 inch chopped ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 T honey

Mix all marinade ingredients together and put in a zip top bag with a chopped up whole chicken (you can use boneless skinless breasts if you so desire, but you'd save a good bit of money by buying the entire chicken). Allow to marinate in the fridge for overnight up to 36 hours. If you don't have some of these ingredients, don't fret! Just omit them and you'll be fine, it will still be delicious. Grill the chicken for about 15 minutes or until done. Chop the chicken once slightly cooled and store for the rest of the week and add it to salads, or if you're weird like me and don't mind snacking on 4 oz of chicken alone, go for it.

roast chicken... what everyone must know

Roasting chicken is probably one of the easiest most important things to know when it comes to cooking healthy food and making quick and easy meals. I like to roast a chicken, pick it apart and eat it for the rest of the week. It's great on salads, in soup, in stir-fry, as just a quick snack, or eaten with brown rice. I like buffalo chicken so much that when I'm up for eating some without all the fat, I'll just pour on a tiny bit of butter mixed with a good bit of red hot sauce onto my pieces of chicken and I'm satisfied!

For those of you who aren't familiar with roasting chicken, you simply buy a whole chicken from the store, rinse it off and pull out anything that may be left inside such as it's kidneys... intestines, whatever. Pat it try with a paper towel. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray the chicken with a little cooking spray to make it crisp. Salt and pepper the chicken slightly and add any other seasonings you might like... I like to you my blend of spices Matt gave me which include rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and oregano. Pop it into the oven once it is at 425, and set the timer for 18 minutes per pound of chicken. For instance, if your chicken is 2.5 pounds, set the timer for 50 minutes. Use a meat thermometer at the end and make sure the breast is at least 180 degrees and the thighs are at 190 degrees. Allow the chicken to rest once out of the oven for about 15 minutes, then pull apart with your fingers. Either toss the carcass or boil it in some water with spices and make a broth :)

Forget them... run for it!

 The most annoying thing in the world, other than fad diets that do more harm than good, and all the women who refuse to lift sufficient weight because they thing they'll look like a beast overnight, is listening to all the hype about how bad running is. The terrible part about this commotion, is that the people who make these bogus claims are people who have no idea what they're talking about, who make assumptions based on correlating but non-causative events.

Several people tell me about their friend's uncle who had both of his knees replaced because he's been running all of his life. In reality, that uncle had his knees replaced because either A. lack of proper training or B. didn't listen to his body while running or resting like he should have. In Anatomy 301 in college, I wasn't even a runner yet. I didn't yet have that understanding about the wonders running does for you body. If someone even made such a comment with "wonders" and "running" in the same sentence to me, I would have thought they were crazy. However, I will always remember my professor explaining Wolff's Law: "Every change in the function of a bone is followed by certain definite changes in its internal architecture and and its external conformation." In Lehman's terms, Wolff's Law explains that a bone strengthens and deposits mass in response to the stress placed upon it. Running, with proper form, is actually great for you. It builds your bone mass better than any other aerobic activity. I say better only because you can withstand running for a longer period of time than plyometrics or other high intensity activities. For proper running form, check out Chi Running by Danny Dreyer. Pretty awesome stuff. I have not suffered any major injuries since I started following his Chi Running guidelines, and I actually run much faster and more efficiently.

Check out this article posted on Runner's World. Maybe you'll be inspired to go for a run :) 
10 Reasons Why Running is GOOD for You

I also get chastised by cyclists for running so much. They argue that running is hard on the body whereas cycling is so much more gentle and efficient. Again, I cite to them Wolff's Law. On a bike, you have no weight bearing pounding to signal your body to increase your bone density. Thus, over time you can actually decrease your bone mass by cycling and not doing any type of running or weight lifting exercises, due to the simple fact that bone mass decreases as you age naturally. Check out this article which explains my understanding.
Why Running is Better than Cycling

why vegetarian? why carnivore? why does it matter?

Many people talk to me about their vegetarian diets and others tell me about their meat-lover diets. Which one is better? Well, neither are healthy whatsoever if certain nutrients aren't found in the particular diets.

I love the move toward more Paleolithic, Caveman type diets these days. These diets enforce the importance of eating simple, unprocessed foods. Everything eaten is made by hand and at home, for the most part. However, I believe it is equally as important to understand that more protein does not necessarily mean more healthy. Our bodies can only digest a certain amount of protein. I wouldn't condone anyone eating more than 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight that they wish to weigh. For example, I weight 125 pounds, so I will not eat more than 125 grams of protein in one day. 25 grams of protein is usually the maximum amount of protein our bodies can handle at any given meal. Eating a 10 oz steak is not going to do your body good. Eating a 10 oz steak and no veggies at all can actually do your body a good deal of harm, in the long run.

I hate hearing people talk about how healthy they are because they don't eat meat so they don't eat all the fat or get the carcinogens to which meat eaters are vulnerable. The only reason this frustrates me, is because these vegetarians tend to be the same vegetarians who don't understand they need to eat some form of protein in order to keep their immune system healthy and fully functioning. Eating processed vegetarian foods is totally the opposite of what a healthy diet should consist of. I'm not talking about tofu and tempeh, because those are great sources of protein in the vegetarian diet. I'm speaking of the veggie burgers, pastas, fat and sodium-packed dairy, sodium and crap-packed tofu sausage, and other fake food. It is totally possible to have a healthy, nutrient-dense diet as a vegetarian. A soy-whey protein shake blend such as BodyByVi (which tastes like cake batter by the way), as well as Greek yogurt, nuts, tofu, tempeh, beans, and eggs and fish if not on a strict vegetarian diet, are perfect to satisfy your protein needs.

I am actually going to move toward more vegetarian/pescetarian eating habits. I was vegetarian for over a year, and did really well with my protein needs and maintained my active lifestyle. I feel as though I have been getting a little too excited about all the meat I've been cooking up, and am going to begin to explore the world of vegetarian cooking, once again, with the exception of seafood, eggs, and some dairy. I'm a big fan of challenges, so here we go.

this for that. no excuses!

Speaking for myself, I know I get cravings for things that will blow my entire day's worth of calories, and then some. At times, I will get the urge to have a cup of Coldstone ice cream. Now that that craving only occurs once in a while, I will get it and not feel guilty. When I say once in a while, I mean once a month I will have this need to get some creaminess, not once every week or every few days. For those of you who haven't gotten your cravings to stop occurring every day or once a week, here are some pointers, which I still happily use since the alternatives are so delicious. When you get a craving for something, just use one of the substitutes and you will feel just as satisfied!

bad: chips and queso/ good: carrots and hummus or celery and guacamole
bad: fries/ good: sweet potato fries, baked
bad: breading/ good: chopped nuts or oats then baked, not fried
bad: potato chips/ good: sliced, pam sprayed and baked potatoes sprinkled with parmesan cheese
bad: milkshake/ good: skim milk, chocolate syrup (or strawberries or vanilla extract) and lots of ice blended
bad: frappuccino/ good: coffee, milk, ice, raw sugar and flavored syrup blended
bad: ice cream/ good: make you own with milk and agave or honey
bad: regular cakes/ good: make your own with coconut oil or apple sauce and high fiber flours
bad: candy bars/ good: homemade granola bars or peanut butter and honey on banana
bad: peanut butter with oils/ good: peanut butter with nothing else but peanuts!!
bad: cranberry vodka/ good: club soda, vodka, and a splash of cranberry
bad: sweet tea/ better: half sweet half un-sweet tea

Let me know what you're cravings are and I will come up with something to replace it with! Oh, and remember if you don't indulge heavily, you are okay sticking with the same thing. In my experience however, I would get a bowl of ice cream every time I craved it, which was 3 times per week. Back then I had to replace them with protein shakes so that I wouldn't over indulge. Same thing with chips... remember these small handfuls of things add up. You eat 1 handful of chips, which can be 300 calories once a day for 10 days, you've gained almost a pound or more!!

bad:

sunday funday food routine

I mentioned previously that I prepare my food for the entire week on Sunday, so that when I'm super tired from work or whatever else I don't have the excuse to not be in the mood to make food. I do this when Jake is gone, because that's when I tend to not feed myself because I get too lazy to cook for myself. To have variety, I make a couple of things:

Grilled Chicken (normally my lunch): I grab about 2 packages of chicken breasts, each containing 3 breasts. Cut them all in half, holding the knife sideways so that you're cutting through the thickest part of the breast. East breast should then be roughly 3-4 oz each. Marinate them in the fridge overnight (you can do this on Saturday night so that you can cook everything on Sunday if you really don't want to do anything Monday). Pull the breasts out and grill them the next day. Throuout the week, I eat this with 1/3 cup of brown rice.
Marinade:
2/3 cup GF low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 jalapeno, if desired
1 T sambal sauce
1 tsp. honey or brown sugar

2.  Salad chicken (normally my dinner): I posted the recipe for this earlier, see previous post for Asian Chicken Salad. Just put all the chicken in tupperware after baked and cut into slices and keep to throw on salad for the rest of the week. If you really want to be prepared, you can put all the salads without the chicken in separate tupperwares so you can pull them out and have them ready to eat that much more quickly.

3. Fish (whatever meal you want): I have a bag of frozen fish in my freezer. I pull out a piece for dinner when I feel like I need to change things up, toss it into blackening seasoning, and throw it into the pan and let it sizzle for a few minutes and serve it on a bed of steamed veggies or brown rice. I also LOVE to make them buffalo-style- recipe to follow in a couple of days.

4. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks:
I make sure to have food every couple of hours to keep my metabolism buzzing. I put all my snacks in plastic baggies or in tupperware to throw in my lunchbox. These include:
1 apple and 2 T peanut butter or almond butter
1 cup baby carrots and 2 T red pepper hummus
1 pear and 20 almonds
1/2 banana and 2 T peanut butter
homemade granola ball (recipe to come in the near future)
1 baked sweet potato and 2 oz walnuts
1 grapefruit and 4 slices of turkey breast
1 serving of greek yogurt
2 whole deviled eggs

Here's an example of what my diet for a weekday would look like:
Breakfast: 1 smoothie or 1 bowl of oatmeal and a giant cup of espresso
Mid-morning snack: pear and almonds or any of the above choices
Lunch: Chicken and rice
Mid-afternoon snack: grapefruit and turkey breast, or anything above
Dinner: Salad with 3 oz. of chicken and glass of red wine

Sometimes I'll have a snack after dinner, and that will be some form of protein and very little carbs, but I don't do this less than an hour before bedtime. I also have my iced tea at every meal along with at least 8 glasses of water on top of that throughout the day. Now, my snacks aren't always this healthy. At times I'll reach for a slightly healthy oatmeal cookie with a glass of milk or a light protein shake, or a cup of popcorn. It happens, and you stay sane because of your meals you eat that aren't so perfect. But make sure you've got your pantry or fridge stocked with the not-so-healthy fall-back snacks so that you don't go out to Sonic or any other fast food chain and grab a greasy handful of fries or potato chips instead. If I didn't have GF chocolate cookies in my pantry to cheat with (I might only eat 3 per week) or my small handful of dark chocolate peanut m&ms to cheat with, I would probably go on a crazy binge and eat a bag of sweet potato chips or a whole cheesecake. Seriously, we're all human, so treat yourself like you're human.

get a dog and get moving!

I have never had a dog in my life, ever. My dad has had several, but I've just never cared for them much. I'm a cat person. I like that I never have to bathe my cat yet he always smells like a baby and can feed himself... he's the perfect busy/lazy person's pet.

A friend went out of town and I pet-sit for her. Panda, as you can see the reason behind the name, was the best remedy to get outside and enjoy the weather, however cold it was. Wow, when Jake and I have kids and they start to get lazy, I'm getting them a dog so they will have to get outside and get moving! I usually come home after work, take a nap before the gym, eat dinner, then go to sleep. Now, it's wake up extra early, take Panda for a walk, go to work, come home, take Panda for a long walk, go to the gym, eat dinner, and take Panda for her last walk. Oh man, I can't really remember the last time I took a walk. Not to mention, I did sprints with her in order to get her organs working so that I wouldn't have to be outside for long. I thought that would work, but it never really did... was a good thought anyway.

My point is, get a dog because you'll have to get moving. With a running partner, it's easy to say you've got a headache or you're tired or you haven't eaten yet. You're on your time even when you've got someone holding you accountable, because let's face it, you are your own boss whether or not you're trying to please someone else. With a dog, there are no excuses... you gotta go when she's gotta go!

heavy weights, my best friends!

Today's workout was great. I did an hour of spinning first thing in the morning, then an hour and a half of weights later in the day. I worked my chest, triceps, and shoulders today, using GVT for the last time on my upper body.

Too many times from too many people, I hear women not wanting to use heavy weight. I hate this... it actually makes me cringe. My mother used to tell me not to bench press, because that is why my chest was so broad, or so she thought. No, I was just fat. I love bench pressing as much as I safely can without being spotted. It's like an at-home breast augmentation if you ask me. That and dumbbell flys. In fact, I use more weight for my shoulder exercises than most women use for their leg exercises. That's terrible. My arms aren't big by any means. A couple co-workers actually make fun of me and say I have skinny little arms, but hey, they're incredibly toned.

So how about that? I increased my bench press and everything else (except for my super heavy squats) and actually lost weight, dropped body fat, and got smaller all around.  Unless you have a ton of testosterone, which the majority of women don't, you won't build big muscles without the help of supplements. Instead, challenging yourself with bigger weights will make you stronger, increase your bone density, and create a thermogenic effect so that you actually burn more calories sitting than you would while doing cardio with much less muscle mass. Think about it. I like the fact that I burn more calories with less effort and less time by using more and more weight. You will never find a client of mine using less than 5 lb dumb bells in each hand for their arms, or less than 12 lb dumb bells in each hand for legs, and that's on the light side, unless they have injuries which keep them from lifting without specific pain.

On the other hand, some men actually need to lay off the chest exercises so they can actually stand up straight... but that's another story :)

workin' it hard on the arms

Let me just say, I work with some really talented trainers at Fitness Together, and one of them challenged me with a GVT workout yesterday, so I used the technique on my chest and back and could barely drive or lift my arms in front of me last night. It's such a great workout, I decided I'm going to use it again today for my shoulders, triceps, and biceps. German Volume Training is normally used for people who are trying to gain size and strength, so I am mixing it up a little for myself, simply trying to tone and stay strong. Yesterday my leg was still bothering me so I didn't do any cardio in between, however the intensity of the weights itself was enough to keep my heart pumping. Today I will be working my shoulders and arms with 2 exercises each part, and :30 of "rest" between each set, which will be medicine ball twists or knees to elbows, changing it up for each exercise. Later on I'm going to test my leg out in a spin class since I still can't run, then take my mom with me to a hot yoga class. I'm pretty stoked about the workout(s) today!

just do it! but you gotta know when to just stop.

I haven't been posting any workouts late, I know, sorry. I got so excited that I can push myself hard again, that I pushed myself a little beyond my current limits. I get so frustrated with people who say they can't do something, when they really are just scared to push themselves. I wouldn't push anyone to do something they can't do, not including myself. I push myself past that limit pretty often, more so recently since my boundary has been closed in just a little and I haven't given it time to expand. You have to know when you need to rest. I did a ton of squats on Friday, rode, kickboxed and did hot yoga on Saturday which made me really sore that night. I woke up the next morning and couldn't say no to a run with this fluffy Panda and pet-sitting, so I took her out for a run on very sore legs, for 45 minutes. Toward the end of the day, I couldn't pick my left leg off the ground when I was walking, and going up an down stairs in my house was just out of the question. The next day at work I felt really foolish when I couldn't even get around work very easily and was in more pain than the day before. I was talked into seeing a doctor by a co-worker, and thankfully I took the advice.

If anyone hasn't heard my theory on doctors, you're in for a treat, well, not really. Just imagine the most negative thing you could hear anyone say. Then think of chiropractors and take it down that many more notches. I pride myself in actually HELPING people to get better, not worse. My money comes from people who succeed, who get healthier, who learn what their problems are and tackle them. However, my experiences with doctors shows me that they make tons of money off of keeping patients down, from the medications they can prescribe to patients whether they will actually help or not. Clients come to me all the time talking about how their chiropractor told them they could die if they took another step or their disc is going to explode if they twist even in the least... yeah I got the same spiel a couple years ago and I did some stretching and saw a good doctor and I'm all good now. Sure that chiropractor made a bit of money off of me, but never will I see them again and I learned a great lesson from it. Anyway, my point is that you have to know what you're doing, know when to keep going, know when to rest, and know which doctor to go to. My all-time favorite doctor is Dr. Joseph Marcil at SportsMED who does sports rehab, chiropractic, and hyperbaric oxygen. He's awesome and will never diagnose you with some crazy thing that doesn't exist nor try to keep cracking your back unnecessarily just to make you think he's doing something worth your money. I went there yesterday with a 2nd degree biceps femoris sprain and he did some massaging and whatnot, and I woke up today feeling much better. No worries, not working out anything but my chest and back today, but I do feel better.

no time? no problem.

I know that some people wonder how in the world I have the time to work out for so many hours a day. Well, it helps a ton that I work in the fitness industry, and even more so that I work in a studio where I have access to an entire room of equipment to myself without having to fight over anything. I work out between clients, after work, before work, I squeeze it in somewhere, because I know that I will feel so much better at the end of the day because of it.

You have no idea how often I hear clients and friends alike, complain about not having the time to exercise. How in the world do you not have time? Don't watch that tv show and exercise instead, or better yet, exercise while watching your must-see show. I have shows I like to watch too, and I just watch them the next day when they're available online or whenever I actually do have the time to sit down and do nothing. Also, wake up earlier! If you have to be at work around 8 AM, hello, you're not alone! Some of my co-workers and I are at work by 4:45 sometimes, and we all definitely find the time to exercise. If you go to work at 7, work out at 5! Or if you work at 5 AM and don't get off until 5 PM or have a long commute back and forth, then work out during your lunch break by going for a walk, climbing stairs, do some chair dips at your desk or squats or pushups! Or, I'm asked how I have the time to cook all my meals all the time. The trick to eating healthy, every 3 hours, is to prepare your meals in advance. On Sunday night, I prepare my meals for the week by grilling all of my meats or having my fridge stocked with all of my veggies that I pre-cut or my fruit that I pre-cut and my marinades and salad dressings already made.

Take today for instance. I have no time today. And by no time, I don't have 4 hours to work out. I have a 3 hour break which will be almost the only time I have today to eat a full meal and to exercise and run errands that I have been putting off. What in the world am I going to do? Easy, I've been pushing myself everyday all week so I won't feel bad about squeezing in a meer 45 minutes to run hills today. Everyone's got 30-45 minutes somewhere in their day, and as much as I hate working out in the middle of my day, I'm going to do it, because it's still time. Oh and the other thing, it frustrates me so much when I hear that you dont' have time. I heard a really great sermon, not sure who gave it, but it was said that by complaining that you don't have time, it's like saying that God made a mistake and isn't allowing you time in your day to do what you need to do. So think of it that way, and know that you have time, because you are given everything you need to have a good life, so you've got to do it for yourself and take advantage of every hour of the day. If you've got to wake up an hour earlier to exercise, go to sleep an hour earlier the night before and I promise you can get used to it after a while! No excuses. I'm tempted to miss a workout at times too, but I don't. The benefits far outweight the cost.

Just do it.

The Truth About Your Weight Gain

The Truth About Your Weight Gain

I absolutely love this article! Click on the link.

I also love the books he mentions, the Eat This, Not That collection as well as the Cook This, Not That book. Once you go through them, you will never again go to Five Guys, yuck! Always stick to whole foods that aren't processed! I had a client ask me today about why vegetarians seems to be overweight more so than meat eaters. Easy, many vegetarians eat processed foods in order to make up for their lack of protein from meat. My preference? Eat the real thing, meat! God made it for a reason. I'm not saying eat loads of it a day, but 4 oz per meal won't hurt the planet. Stick with grass-fed cow beef and cage free, all natural chickens that aren't loaded up with sodium from chicken broth. And Greek yogurt? Greek yogurt is my all time very favorite snack/ breakfast on the go. Chobani has 14 grams of protein and it's delicious with all natural fruit!

the 4 hour workout???!!

Many people ask me how in the world I work out 4 hours a day, or what in the world it is I do in the gym for so long. Trick is, I don't spend the whole time at the gym, sometimes I don't spend any of it in the gym. I'm going to share my workouts, hoping that it will inspire some of you to either copy me, or see that it's not as impossible as it seems and get moving! By NO MEANS do I believe you should work out for 4 hours a day. I believe that everyone should move as much as possible throughout the day. I believe that the average woman who consumes under 2000 calories a day should be actively doing cardio for 45 minutes per day 4-5 days a week, with 3 days of weightlifting for around 30 minutes, on top of that. The average man who consumes 2000-2500 calories per day should be doing at least 30 minutes of cardio per day with 3 days of weightlifting for around an hour. Better cardio=better heart health among everything else. Weightlifting= more muscles mass which means more bone mass, and come on, it's never too early to worry about that. And women do NOT need to be lifting any less than 5 lb weights for ANYTHING... unless you're rehabbing some injury under supervision.

For today:
Spin 1 hr
Crossfit endurance run from main CFE site, 6x400 m sprints, 2 min recovery
Weights: chest, triceps, shoulders and abs, 45 minutes
Kickboxing 1 hr

I space my workouts out, because I'm not a beast and can't be my best for hours in a row. Like I said, the average person can do any ONE of these workouts and stay healthy. I train people for a living and I like to have a good bit of experience across the board in order to help people of all disciplines. I also do it because I love the way that exercise makes me feel, but I definitely know when my body needs to rest and I listen when it does. Give it a few weeks and add another 30 minutes onto your workouts, see how wonderful your results are, physically and mentally.