Clean Eating Through The Holidays

Every year around the holidays I face the issue of clean eating with myself and with my clients. It is a definite hurdle to overcome with all of the office cookies, tempting treats and family members that may not share your sense of enthusiasm for health and fitness. My advice is simple...remember what your personal goals are and stick with them even through the holidays.

It is important to revisit your goals before the holiday season is here and really understand the long term effects of short term over-eating and lack of exercise. I have outlined some points to remember during the holidays that will keep you on track and healthy.

1. Keep your food journal handy and use it. If you have to write things down you have to be accountable and acknowledge where certain times, people, places may tempt you to stray.

2. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise not only curbs hunger, it relieves stress which during the holiday season can spell disaster for anyone trying to lose or maintain their weight.

3. Remember portion control. Can you eat a holiday cookie or piece of pie without freaking out? Yes. But remember, count those empty calories and keep track of the portion size and amounts of time that you eat those portions.

4. Think about what the holidays mean to you. With that said, the holidays are a time to reflect on your past year, spend time with those you love and share the memories. It is not a time to join each other in a food frenzy that leaves everyone grouchy, tired and unhealthy.

5. Be a role model. Think of yourself as a role model for good health. You can teach others the art of moderation and balance during the holidays. Teach your children how to balance exercise and good nutrition for a lifetime.

The holidays can be fun and healthy. If your goal is to lose weight, maintain your weight or train for an event, it is all up to you. Balance and moderation are the keys to a healthy holiday season and a happy new year!

Stress and Your Body

Stress affects the body in many ways. You may feel the immediate reaction of your stress by an elevated heart rate, fast pulse, stomach pain or the need to eat high fat or high calorie foods. This immediate reaction is the body's way of telling you that something is happening to the normal balance in your environment and it must react to protect itself. Often referred to the "flight or fight" reaction.

Stress is a normal reaction to change. Change happens everyday. You are faced with many obstacles in your path that will ultimately challenge your plans on a daily basis and this is life. How you deal with these quick and unplanned changes is the key to a healthy balance between things you can control and things that are beyond your control.
It is important to remember during times of stress that this too shall pass. Your time should be focused on dealing with the obstacle and trying to remove it from your path rather than what you cannot control. Living in the world of "what if" will ultimately only add more stress to your life. Developing a plan to deal with stressful times is an important first step in removing some of the harmful long term effects.

*Identify time or circumstances that cause you to feel a loss of control in your life.
*Write down how you tend to cope with these types of situations (ie. eat more, exercise less, lose sleep etc.)
*Develop a plan to cope with the stressful times. Talking to someone you trust, exercise, treating yourself to a massage or time alone may be some answers that relieve the tension at the time.
*Always refer back to your list and methods of coping to assist you in remaining calm and in control.

The long term effects of stress can be chronic and even deadly. It has been known to lead to cardiovascular complications such as high blood pressure, stroke, headaches, joint pain, back and neck discomfort and stomach ulcers. These conditions over time can lead the body into a state of disease and ultimately have consequences that you cannot control. So do yourself and your body a favor and deal with your stress in a productive and healthy way...your health is the most important thing you have!

Top 5 Things To Enhance Your Workout

1. Have a plan- Without a well designed plan it is nearly impossible to know where you are starting from and how you are going to get to your goal. Your plan should be detailed and time specific.

2. Put on the music- Load a workout play list to motivate you during your workouts and keep you mind focused on the beats per minute rather than the minutes left on your workout.

3. Eat a balanced diet-Proper nutrition prior to and following a good workout is an essential component to your performance.

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate-During a workout you lose precious water weight by sweating. This can also affect performance and recovery. It is important to have clear fresh water to drink-stay away from sugary performance drinks for normal workouts as these may slow your absorption rate.

5. Change your routine-The best way to keep things moving forward is to review your workouts periodically and make some changes. Keeping motivated and fresh is the key to enhancing your enjoyment and also making those changes you desire!

Making It Up Before It Happens

This sign is posted before you begin the long and arduous trail I hiked in Kauai, HI this May. If I had truly read the sign in it's entirety before I began my 7 hour trek I probably would have second guessed my intentions to finish.

The intention to finish the hike was set before I began. I wanted to do this hike. I wanted to experience the awesomeness of nature and the challenges that came my way. I did. Oh, boy I did. There were times of crossing streams, falling on rocks, holding onto cliff sides that were no wider than my foot and all the time wondering if I was going to finish without any serious injuries but also finish with my dignity. I am a personal trainer and it was in my nature to finish what I started...that is how you get to your goals right?

If I learned any lessons on this hike it was just that. If I had listened to the limitations on that sign and created obstacles in my head I would have turned around before I got to the waterfall at the end. I would have missed the bamboo forest that grew out of nowhere. I would have felt like I had failed and set up all of my experiences with that thought. Instead, I said to myself that I was going on this adventure to challenge myself and experience everything. Did I think about calling it quits at the half point...sure. I am human you know! The difference is I didn't because I didn't make up the end result before it happened. I let myself experience every step as it came, every moment as it unfolded and made a decision to carry on at that moment with the information I had in front of me. The real information. I was fine. I was strong. I was going to finish! I did and it was one of the most beautiful and rewarding hikes I have ever done.

In Her Own Words...

On an early pre-summer morning, a middle-aged woman awoke at 5:40 a.m. and sleepily dressed in her running gear, aware that her tee shirt that said “No Apologies” written across the front was donned with purpose. She proceeded to the kitchen to prepare her pre-run snack of flax toast, peanut butter and a banana. Drinking water, eating and checking her email was only the prologue to what promised to be a challenging morning.

Heading out the front door, tripping over the water sprinkler and almost being stung by a bee did not faze her, for she had but one goal in mind – conquer the ridge route. iPod on her waist (but not turned on yet), water bottle in hand, she slowly jogged East, facing the sunrise. Turning out of her neighborhood and starting up the path of doom, she had no doubts she would NOT be apologizing to anyone for failing. The trail lay ahead; a slow, steep climb. Breathing slowly, she stepped on a stink beetle (not intentionally) and increased her pace. Shortly, “the tree” was now in her line of vision, about ¼ of a mile ahead. She approached it with trepidation; thinking quickly on her feet “I cannot stop at the tree, I must forge ahead and finish this damn trail or I will be mad at myself all day.” The tree was suddenly behind her and she found herself at the summit, looking down at the little people in her neighborhood who were just stumbling down their driveways to get their newspapers, eat their fattening breakfasts and sit in a car on the freeway for an hour.

On she went, up three more hills to the finish line. But wait, this was not the end! Another four miles would be extremely cool, so she turned on her iPod and trotted down the street, thinking “I really have to go to the bathroom.” Luckily, only 2 miles away was the YMCA so off she went, with only one goal in mind – hit the head before a very embarrassing situation occurred. Sprinting to the Y with ease, business taken care of, she remembered there was one more big hill to conquer before she could easily jog it out on her way home. Throwing caution to the wind, she ran up the hill passing walkers left and right and dodging idiots with baby strollers and uncontrolled dogs. She made it to her driveway, tripped again over the same sprinkler head and entered her home.

For this middle-aged gal, the day started nicely. Dripping with sweat, she sat at her computer and emailed her trainer, for the wrath of the trainer if she failed would be more than she could handle. The Bosu would be lurking at every training session, and that would be too much for her to handle.

The End.

Packing a Healthy School Lunch

Preventing childhood obesity is a concern of many parents as the workweek gets longer, children are eating more fast food than ever and they are becoming less active and spending more time in front of the computer than outside being physically active. These familiar scenarios play out in millions of homes across the country and are having a negative and direct result on our children’s health. Statistics show that between 16-19% of our youth between the ages of 6 and 19 years old are overweight. These numbers are directly related to more serious adult conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other complications that can be life threatening as they age.

Prevention begins at home. By modeling good eating habits, providing nutritious options and monitoring how much your child is eating you can play an important role in shaping their future and ensuring a healthy adulthood. Below are some tips that you can begin today.

1. Provide an opportunity for your child to plan their weekly lunch menu with you. Children show more interest in a project if they play an active role. Make a menu, shop for the items and provide them with the tools to pick from each food group to make healthy choices. You can pre-pick certain foods and divide them into lists. For example, each column includes items from the list of sandwiches/wraps, vegetables, fruits, healthy snacks, beverages etc. Then they can pick one item from each list and make up a balanced meal.

2. Choose healthy foods. For breads choose whole grain or whole-wheat choices. Alternate between bread, tortillas and pita bread. Provide low-fat condiments such as mustard, low-fat mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and low calorie dressings. Choose fresh fruit and vegetables versus canned alternatives that are full of sugar and salts. Provide lean low sodium lunchmeats, tuna or fresh chicken for quick salads. If you include snack items choose pretzels, baked chips, carrots/celery, baked pita chips, whole grain crackers and low-fat cheese. These should replace cookies, cakes and high calorie processed foods. Yogurt, hummus and peanut butter are filled with nutrition and provide alternatives for other high calorie options with little nutritional value. It is always a good idea to make your own snack items so you know exactly what is going into each bite. Your children might even enjoy making a healthy choice to include in their lunch and share with their friends!

3. If you choose juice, make sure it is 100% juice. Some of them can contain only 10% juice and the rest of it is sugar. Low-fat milk and water are some of the best choices for children.

4. Make lunch fun! They can decorate their lunch bag with stickers, draw on their lunch containers with permanent markers and have a special cup they use decorated with a special theme or fictional character.

By making the experience fun and including your children in the process they will learn how to make healthy choices and know that when they are not with you they can choose the right foods that are going to provide them with the proper nutrition they need as they grow. Providing a healthy eating plan for your child is one of the best things you can do for them and you’ll be surprised how much the whole family will benefit!

Losing Weight or Long Term Success?

The fitness industry is a multi-million dollar money maker and we are the heaviest we have ever been. I sit every day with this conflict and consider the consequences that have led us here. Clients come to me that have been on every weight loss plan and diet and still fight with the ups and downs of weight loss. They lose weight only to gain it back over and over again. Sometimes even twice as much as they lost. They come with a list of reasons why the diet didn't work, why losing weight is difficult and a plan that will be the one that works for them this time.

The truth of the matter is that you must ask yourself this question. Do you just want to lose weight or do you want to make a permanent lifestyle change? Losing weight is easy. You take in less calories than you body burns. That is the easy part. The difficult part is keeping it off. Here lies the difference in these two options. The missing link is behavior modification.

In order for any lifestyle change to be permanent, you must modify your current behavior that is repeating the same results. In order to do that you must start with being honest with yourself and your behavior.

What are your goals?
What are you willing to change to achieve your goals?
What are the obstacles you will need to overcome in order to move forward?
What are you willing to give up?
What are you gaining?

These are all questions you need to ask yourself when making a true lifestyle change. You must stop following a "cookie cutter" program that is not designed for you. You will benefit from a program that takes into account your strengths and your weaknesses. You will begin to become stronger and the habits and behaviors that kept you from keeping your goals alive will be replaced by ones that encourage you to move forward.

In order for any plan to work, you must modify your behavior, your beliefs and your goals. It has to be something you want more than what you are doing right now. Just ask yourself...is this a moment in time or a lifetime I am seeking?

Be a Role Model

If you think you are not a role model for your children and or loved ones...check out this picture of my client and his adorable daughter. She is definitely learning that living a healthy lifestyle can be fun and brings great rewards! Her smile and enthusiasm for her accomplishment is what made this picture so inspiring.

Being a role model for others should be a great reward for paying attention to your own health and making it a priority in your life. By taking the time to incorporate healthy meals and snacks, family walks or hikes instead of sitting in front of the television and talking about health and wellness to others, you too can be a catalyst for change.

Take control of your life and inspire others to do the same!

Why Health is So Important in Tough Financial Times

The country is going through some of the most challenging financial times we have seen in decades and it is certainly being felt everywhere. The fitness industry is certainly not immune. It is extremely important for all of us, however, to take care of our bodies and to prevent costly health issues that could put a strain on our already tight budgets. Major medical issues are costly to everyone.

I talk to a lot of people that are struggling to make ends meet. This is not a time, however, to stop exercising, cancel your gym membership and forget that your health is the most important investment you will ever make. You can make changes to your expenses while maintaining preventative health alternatives. You can take a walk everyday instead of going out to lunch. You can ask a friend to work out with you and split the cost of a session. You can eat meals at home and invest the savings into a gym membership. It is important to remember that if you are unhealthy it is more difficult to be motivated to find a job or to even think clearly in times of struggle. Exercise has the benefits of not only assisting you in being physically healthy but also in providing mental clarity and giving you an outlet for stress.

Stress is a part of life. Stress, however, over time can have negative effects on the body such as the deterioration of the central nervous system, disease and cardiac complications related to elevated blood pressure. Exercise helps to counter these harmful stress hormones and provides the body with a release mechanism to help the body to come back to a neutral state.

If over time, your body is subjected to high levels of stress, non-nutritious foods and a lack of exercise, your body will respond in a negative way. It is clear that a pattern of repeated abuse will result in illness and possibly permanently change your health forever. At that point, it is too late to make changes. The damage is already done.

However, if you continue to put your efforts into your health, there is a 100% guarantee that the results will be positive and will repay you for a lifetime to come. The best investment is in your health so take care of yourself and those you love.

Looking in the Mirror

Committing to changing your lifestyle takes dedication, attention to detail and an honest look at your life. It is important to look at all the aspects of your habits that have brought you to the point of wanting to make a change. Although it is admirable to stand in the shadow of wanting to change, that is only going to fuel the self-doubt and sabotaging behaviors that brought you there.

When you take an honest look at your life you will notice all of the areas that keep you from making a successful step forward and staying one step ahead of yourself each day. It is important to look at what you are eating. You must write it down. You must be honest with what is going in your mouth, what it is linked to (i.e. is it hunger or is it emotional) and how those decisions are either pushing you towards your goals or away from them.

While running toward your goals you must also look at your cardiovascular routine. Are you just getting by each session, pushing only sometimes or are you always pushing yourself with new challenges and seeing the results as they unfold? It is important to set measurable, attainable and reasonable goals that will be challenging and give you the satisfaction of attaining and redesigning them as you go.

So as you look in the mirror and see your reflection be sure it is an honest one. One filled with the real you, the real challenges and the real accomplishments. The only image that counts for success is the one that drives you to be the best you can be.