Make Sure Your Hard Work at the Gym isn't Hidden

Unfortunately, you cannot ‘out-train’ a poor diet. When you work so hard building muscles and shaping your body, it is important to keep your body-fat low so the results can be seen. The late Jack LaLanne had said ‘exercise is king, nutrition is queen, put them together and you have a kingdom’.

Since each person is metabolically unique and has personal food preferences, diet really isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ program. But it is still important to use the following general guidelines:

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Fuel your muscles with lean protein such as fish, chicken, turkey, egg whites, lean cuts of beef, whey protein powder, tofu, or beans.
• Limit dairy to non-fat or low fat choices. Plain Greek yogurt is a good choice since it is high in protein and low in sugar.
• Choose whole grains such as brown rice, oats, amaranth and quinoa over processed carbohydrates. Fiber is your friend since it will keep you full.
• Eat healthy fats such as nuts, avocados, coconut, and olive oil but in moderation. They are healthy but still high in calories.
• Eliminate (or have in very limited quantity) refined starches and sugars. These are ‘empty calories’ that can quickly pack on pounds, add bloat, and prevent you from being lean.
• Be aware of ‘liquid calories’ and try to drink water as your primary beverage.

If you are trying to lose weight, it is best to aim for a gradual weight loss of one-half to two pounds a week for women, and one to three pounds a week for men. Quick weight loss doesn’t last. Instead of a ‘diet’, think of a lifestyle change that you can maintain.  To successfully lose weight and maintain the loss:

1. Use the guidelines above to make good food choices.
2. Find a reasonable desired weight and then calculate the estimated calories needed to maintain that weight. Multiply by 12-15 calories for light to moderate activity and 15-20 calories for higher levels of activity.
3. Create a calorie deficit for weight loss (to get to that desired weight) by subtracting 20% of the maintenance calories per day.
4. Try to eat the majority of calories during the day so you don’t ‘blow it’ at night by being too hungry.

For example, if your desired weight is 125lbs and you are moderately active, your maintenance calories are (125*15) 1,875 calories per day.  To reach that desired weight, create a deficit for weight loss by subtracting 20% of maintenance calories (375 calories) for a total of 1,500 calories per day. Again, weight loss should be no more than one-half to two pounds a week.

Soon, you will look great both in and out of your jeans!

Have a wonderful and healthy week

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

No Equipment? No time?

No excuse!

Here is something you can do at home, visiting relatives, at a hotel, anywhere. It combines fat-burning, heart-pumping exercises with strength conditioning and toning exercises. It requires absolutely no equipment and it is quick!

Circuit 1 – Scorching body fat

1. Jumping Jacks - keep heels on the ground and do not lock your knees.
2. Mountain Climbers - start in plank and, alternating legs, bring your knee into your chest and back.
3. Quick Feet - get into a squat stance and quickly run in place staying low.
4. Burpees – stand, squat down touching the floor, jump your legs out into a plank, jump back in and stand.
5. High Knees – run in place bringing your knees as high as you can.

Do each of these for a minute (beginners start with 30 seconds) and go from one exercise straight to the next one. Rest for a full minute, repeat the circuit, and rest for a full minute again. That is a total of 12 minutes. Move right to Circuit 2.

Circuit 2 – Lean muscles

1. Prisoner Squats – squat while holding your hands behind your head like a sit-up. Remember to stand slightly wider than hip distance, keeping feet forward and knees soft. Knees are in line with 2^nd toe.
2. Pushups – you can modify on knees if needed.
3. Walking lunges – you will need some space for this. Remember to keep your forward-leg toes in front of your knee so that your knee stays over your ankle.
4. Sit-ups – you can modify with crunches.

Do each of these for a minute (beginners start with 30 seconds) and go from one exercise straight to the next one. Rest for a full minute and repeat the circuit. That is a total of 9 minutes. The entire workout is only 21 minutes! If you have more time, repeat each circuit three times.

But make sure to make the time to go to the gym for a group exercise class, weight-room strength train, take Pilates, do yoga, go running, try cycling, dance at Zumba, or whatever else you enjoy.

Wishing you an active and strong week.

XOX
Photo credit: www.kristenjensen.com

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Pump It!

I just completed my Body Pump Initial Training last weekend and, (pun intended) I am Pumped!!! And I mean that both mentally and physically. I am so proud to have completed such an intense training, and my muscles are still looking pretty ripped from 3 days of nearly 10-hour workouts!

Body Pump is one of the ten Les Mills International programs. Les Mills International is a New Zealand company that is the world’s largest provider of choreographed exercise-to-music based fitness classes. Body Step is actually their first release, but Body Pump was the first program to be released internationally. Body Pump is a strength class using barbells and plates to build lean muscle. It is designed to improve muscle strength and endurance and burn tons of calories! The class is choreographed to music so the instructor must have the choreography and the timing perfect for each of the 10 tracks. The initial training consists of three 10-hour days in which you receive a grade of pass, pass withheld (meaning you need your Group Fitness Manager to help you where you fell short and then sign off), or a resubmit (meaning you need to take Day 2 over to be re-tested). After you pass the initial training, you have 3 months to learn ALL of the tracks and videotape yourself teaching an entire class. That DVD is sent to an assessment board to approve certification.

Day 1 - Most of the participants in my training were instructors I work with. It wound up being a wonderful bonding experience that brought us all closer. The Les Mills instructor, Kris, was wonderful. He had amazing energy, connection, and teaching skills. We started the first day on Friday at 12 o’clock. The training started with Kris leading us in a Body Pump class, which was a lot of fun. I had to do 10 pushups for being late from a break (I couldn’t get my DVD out of my computer), and I joked that I am ‘small but mighty’ and cranked out the pushups. However, as the day progressed and we did the class again and again, I didn’t feel anywhere near ‘mighty’ and my muscles were screaming. I felt like a pile of jelly! This day was the toughest educationally. We were sent home at 9PM with ‘homework’ to completely learn a track to present the next morning. I had Track 4 (Back). I stayed up until 11PM and then got up at 4:30AM and practiced until time to leave for class.

Day 2 – Saturday at 9AM I couldn’t wait to present my track since I was afraid I would forget it.  I felt so unsure but I surprised myself by nailing it! Actually we ALL nailed it even though we were equally nervous. We were so proud of each other and the cheering for each person was wonderful. Kris recorded us and then went through each of our presentations, first stating what we did nicely, and then providing his constructive criticism. We also presented the same track later that day with a chance to correct the earlier mistakes. Saturday was the most physical of the training. We did the class again and again, plus had a Body Pump Challenge. The challenge consisted of working with a partner to perform supersets at a max weight. For my partner and I, our squat weight was too heavy for us to even help each other get the bar on our shoulders so Kris had to take it on and off for us. We were given a full hour for lunch after, but knowing how physical the rest of the day would be, I just went home and had a protein shake. After presenting our tracks and receiving feedback, we left at 5:15PM to go home and learn a new track. Mine was Track 5 (Triceps). I practiced as soon as I got home and woke up early to practice some more.

Day 3 – Sunday started at 8AM and, like the day before, we went right to our track presentations. Day 3 was a tiny bit less physical than the previous day, and we did a lot of ‘fine tuning’. We did exercises for timing, correct form, coaching, and adding ‘magic’ to our classes. It was still very physical and we were pretty sore. Towards the end of the day we all just wanted to present our final tracks and go home and rest! And that is what we did, and I am happy to say that I passed as well.  I left feeling stronger than ever, in many ways. Although, I was not strong enough to teach Spinning at 5:45AM the next day. I was lucky to find a sub on short notice.

Now is where the next phase begins. I need to learn every track and then practice to perfection before I am recorded. It is nice to have more than 12 hours to do this though. I am listening to all of the music first since that is where the choreography begins. Then every 3 months it starts all over with a new release. So, if you are riding in my car, it is most likely you will be listening to Body Pump music. My daughter is looking forward to learning the tracks with me so that will be fun. I will keep everyone posted as to when I start teaching this class.

Although I am still tired today, I had a wonderful time. I learned so much, deepened friendship with some amazing women, and surprised myself with how strong I am.

Wishing you a strong and ‘pumped up’ week!

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Can a Plant or Pollen Allergy Turn into a Food Allergy?

A while back I woke up with very swollen lips. Well, actually ‘very swollen’ is a bit of an understatement; I looked like Mick Jagger with some very bad collagen implants! After I taught a Pilates class in a very dark room (I told the class we are going to focus on breath and awareness that morning), I grabbed my 3yr old daughter and hightailed it to my dermatologist’s office. I thought the reaction was from a cookie (I am gluten intolerant) I ate at a holiday party after having two (or more) glasses of wine.

My regular Dr. was not available so I saw her associate. He knew right away that my pumped up lips were not from a reaction to gluten, but he was determined to find out the cause rather that just treat it. After asking me tons of questions, he figured out that I had some mango the day before and, since I am severely allergic to poison ivy, the mango was a ‘secondary reaction’ to the ‘primary’ poison ivy allergy. He also told me that he noticed my chart shows an allergy to cashews as well and told me that cashews are also linked to poison ivy.

Although it was definitely a ‘eureka!’ moment at the time, it isn’t really that mysterious. The active ingredient in poison ivy that causes the reaction is urushiol , and both mangoes and cashews contain small amounts of it. Therefore, if someone is severely allergic to poison ivy (primary allergen), that person can have a reaction to the secondary allergen. I thanked him so much for figuring this out, and my daughter asked him if he could now fix ‘the crease right there on Mommy’s forehead’ (yes, thanks so much darling!). I left with a steroid cream and something else to add to the list of things I can’t eat (although it is only fresh mango that is a problem for me, I can still have Trader Joe’s mango sorbet).

This type of condition is not overly uncommon. I recently read an article in More magazine claiming that up to 10 percent of the adult population suffers from something similar, Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS), which is a pollen associated food allergy. The sufferer’s immune system sees a similarity between the proteins of pollen and those of certain foods and a reaction is triggered. This also happens in the adult years rather than in childhood since it takes repeated exposure to (in the case of OAS) pollen allergens, causing repeated stimulation of the immune system causing it to become so overly sensitive that it picks up on related proteins. My crossover allergy is similar to OAS.

Here are some common pairs of primary allergens and their secondary allergens. The proteins are similar. Also remember, this is only a problem for the few with very severe allergies to the primary allergen. Data from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology:

• Birch Pollen: apples, pears, peaches, kiwis, plums, cherries, celery, carrots, hazelnuts, and almonds
• Ragweed: bananas, melons, cucumbers, zucchini, and sunflower seeds
• Grass Pollen: tomatoes and oranges
• Mugwort Weed: apples, carrots, kiwis, coriander (spice)
• Dust Mites: Shrimp and other shellfish
• Poison Ivy: Cashews and mangoes
• Latex: Bananas, kiwi, papayas, avocados, and peaches

These allergies are hard to recognize and even harder to diagnose. The food allergy responses are often inconsistent. For example if you are allergic to ragweed, your immune system is heightened in the fall when ragweed is abundant and you may have a reaction to a cucumber then but not in the spring. Peeled fruits and vegetables can also cause much less of a reaction as well since the crossover proteins tend to be in higher concentration in the skins. Another obstacle is the fact that food allergies are very hard to diagnose in adults. It is important to pay attention to your body and to know what doesn’t feel right for you.

Please remember that these secondary allergic reactions are rare, but they can still be serious. Do not ignore any itchiness, swelling, or rashes. Also, the reactions often get worse with repeated exposure. I recently made the mistake of having a tiny bit of cashew and had to take Benadryl right away. I am lucky that it worked, since after repeated exposure I would eventually require an EpiPen. That was a lesson-learned for me though. I now read every label and make sure to tell people about my allergies at parties and restaurants. I have come to realize it is not embarrassing, or being difficult, but that it can be life threatening.  If you suspect that you may have a crossover allergy, please see your doctor since they can be very serious but they can also be very well managed.

Have a wonderful and healthy week

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Are you D-Fended or D-Ficient?

Today I was wondering when we would ever see the sun. It has been a long winter, followed by a damp and chilly start to spring. So, on the subject of the sun, I figured it is only appropriate to talk about vitamin D. After all, it is the ‘sunshine vitamin’.

Vitamin D, along with vitamins A, E, and K, are the ‘fat-soluble’ vitamins.  These vitamins all dissolve in fat and are stored in your fatty tissues. They each have a basic ‘super-power’. Vitamin A keeps your skin moist, vitamin E keeps reproductive organs healthy, and vitamin K enable you to make special proteins. Until recently, vitamin D was known only for its super-power of bone protection; we now know that it does way more than that.

Recently, studies have found that vitamin D is even more important that previously thought. In fact, the government upped the recommended intake from 200 international units (IU) to 600 IU and some say even that isn’t enough. WebMD suggests 200-400 IU/day for infants-teens, 400-800 IU/day for adults up to age 50, and 800-1,000 IU/day for adults over age 50. Exact deficiency percentages vary among sources, but it is safe to conclude that most adults and even more children are not getting enough vitamin D. That needs to be fixed since this super vitamin can cut the risks of these diseases:

• Cancer: Vitamin D helps to regulate cell growth. Cancer begins with abnormal or malignant cells, so enough vitamin D may help by fighting off these cells.
• Auto-Immune Diseases: Some recent studies suggest that vitamin D helps strengthen the immune system to reduce the risk of auto-immune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Bone Disease: It was already widely known that vitamin D is good for your bones, but it used to play second to calcium. Now researchers are finding that vitamin D is essential for bone health, maybe even more so than calcium!
• Depression: This is still debated among experts, but a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found women with low levels of D are twice as likely to suffer depression.
• Heart Disease: There are still inconsistencies with the research since low levels of vitamin D are linked to coronary problems, but taking supplements have not yet proven to lower that risk. But, the American Heart Association acknowledges that vitamin D is important to heart health because it helps regulate blood pressure.

Your skin makes vitamin D when exposed to the sun; some experts recommend 15 minutes of unprotected sun a day. I personally do not suggest being in the sun without sunscreen due to the obvious skin-cancer risk. You can get vitamin D through your diet if you include eggs (yolks contain vitamin D), fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna, and fortified foods. More and more foods are fortified with vitamin D now. Many people think of milk for vitamin D, but this is from fortification. My almond milk is also fortified with vitamin D and so are many cereals, orange juice, and yogurts. Just read the labels. I buy Stonyfield Farms yogurt for my daughter and choose the ‘YoKids’ over the ‘YoBaby’ (even when she was a baby) since the ‘YoKids’ is fortified with vitamin D. The best food source of vitamin D is cod liver oil with 1,360 IU (Department of Agriculture), but I would never drink that myself so I do not expect you to!

Personally, I take a supplement calcium/vitamin D in addition to my multivitamin. I also eat salmon and the occasional egg yolk. My Greek yogurt does not contain vitamin D so I occasionally have one of my daughter’s yogurts. Chobani Champions (the children’s version) is a Greek yogurt that contains 20% of vitamin D though. But, as you can see from my diet, I do require a supplement, as do most people. Also, most of the foods containing vitamin D are via supplementation so I opt to skip the ‘middle-man’.

Remember there can be ‘too much of a good thing’. Excess vitamin D can cause nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, confusion, heart rhythm abnormalities, and kidney stones (Mayo Clinic).

So, enjoy the sun (when we finally get to see it) using sunscreen, and make sure to get enough vitamin D through diet and supplements.

Have a wonderful week; the forecast does show high temps coming soon!

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

HIIT Training

Have you ever noticed the people at the gym putting in their time on the elliptical, treadmill, or bike for 60 minutes looking bored and staying the same? Or worse, is that you? It can make you think that cardio is a waste of time! Especially when you hear that strength training increases your metabolism and burns fat (this is true and you do need to strength train). So, do we even need to do cardio to stay lean and healthy? The answer is YES! Cardiovascular training is both necessary and effective, if done correctly. To be effective, you need to be efficient. Who wants to waste their time at the gym? If you want to read a magazine, wait until after your workout and read it with a nice cup of coffee as a reward for your hard workout. Instead of doing a lame 60 minutes of cardio, it is much more efficient to do an intense 20-30 minutes. Welcome to HIIT and Tabata!

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of interval training that alternates short bursts of maximum intensity with longer levels of lower to moderate intensity. Since it pushes you briefly out of your aerobic zone, it also trains your anaerobic energy systems. You hit your anaerobic energy systems during the max intervals, and then use the recovery intervals to replenish your glycogen stores. HIIT burns much more calories than long duration steady cardio, both during the actual exercise, and also after since it takes your body longer to recover from each session. This is referred to as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and represents the additional calories your body will burn as needed to return to its pre-exercise state. HIIT also has been shown to maintain muscles while muscle loss may occur with long duration steady cardio. Often, in a quest to get lean, exercisers lose hard earned muscle by doing too much long duration steady cardio. Remember, the goal is to lose fat rather than weight. HIIT cardio will preserve your muscles while scorching body fat. As Charlie Sheen would say, “Winning!!!’

There are many ways to do HIIT. Basically, you alternate short sprints with slightly longer recoveries. Spinning is a form of HIIT and below is an example of a treadmill interval workout. You can make up your own HIIT workout with any form of cardio and make it fun.

Time (minute)	Speed	Incline
0:00-5:00	4.0	2.5
5:00-6:00	6.0	1.0
6:00-6:30	7.0	1.0
6:30-8:00	5.0	1.0
8:00-8:30	8.0	1.0
8:30-10:00	4.0	1.0
10:00-11:00	6.5	1.0
11:00-13:00	5.0	1.0
13:00-13:30	8.5	1.0
13:30-16:00	4.0	1.0
16:00-16:30	8.0	1.0
16:30-18:00	4.0	1.0
18:00-18:30	7.5	1.0
18:30-20:00	5.0	1.0
20:00-20:30	8.0	1.0
20:30-22:00	5.0	1.0
22:00-23:00	6.5	1.0
23:00-24:00	5.0	1.0
24:00:25:00	7.0	1.0
25:00-30:00	4.0	2.0

Tabata Training is a form of HIIT. It is the most intense, yet the shortest duration. You really need to just remember 20/10/8.

Tabata intervals follow this structure:

1)    Push hard for 20 seconds

2)    Rest for 10 seconds.

3)    Repeat this eight times.

The entire session lasts only 4 minutes; you go completely all out for 20 seconds and then completely stop for 10 seconds. An example of a sprint tabata on a treadmill is to go as fast as 9.0 or 10.0 for 20 seconds and then just hop off the belt to the side of the treadmill for 10 seconds, hopping back on to full speed and repeat this eight times. Tabatas are so versatile that you may even do these with kettle bells, squats, burpees, and pushups, just to name a few. You must use your large muscle groups for tabatas though. It would not have the same effect with a triceps kickback. I also suggest using a timer or doing these with a personal trainer so you can go all out without worrying about time.

There is still a time and place for Long Duration Steady cardio.  If you are new to exercise, it is important to first build up an aerobic base and that is done by working at a light to moderate pace, increasing your time gradually. HIIT is for an advanced fitness level. A beginner will also see results initially with steady-state cardio. But, there is the ‘Law of Diminishing Returns,’ so once you get to a stronger fitness level, you will need to kick it up using HIIT. It is fun and you will enjoy the challenge and love the results. Even for the super-fit, long duration cardio is great for mental clarity. I sometimes enjoy a long run just to clear my head, but for fitness I do HIIT cardio and strength training.

Enjoy a happy and healthy holiday week.

XOX