What's the game plan??

Hey there HEALTHYFITTERS!! Sorry for the extended delay between posts, it has been a very long month! Hope everyone is enjoying a good start to the summer! Today I would like to talk about goals and where you are headed with your health & fitness and how you plan to get there..

I know for most of the regular gym population, if you were to ask them what their goals are or why they are working out, most of them will tell you that there is no real reason or they most likely will say they want to lose weight or get big. OK, so you have this idea for healthy eating and going to the gym but my question is Why and How? I want to lose 20lbs., OK but why? What's the reason for losing the weight and why 20lbs.? Why not 10, 15 or 30lbs.? How do you plan to lose that 20lbs.? Another answer you will hear is I want to get big, I want to put on 10lbs. of muscle. Why do you want to get big? How long is it going to take you to get that 10lbs. of muscle? I think you see where I'm going with this.

You can't just go to the gym and do cardio for days and expect to come out looking like a Victoria Secret model, just like you can't walk in and start lifting weights and expect to be this huge guy that can't move his arms to wipe his ass! You have to have a game plan, know where your going and it doesn't hurt to know why! Not to mention a quality meal plan. So many of you think you know what your doing, but in reality you have no clue what's going on. If we are older, we think that what worked for us in high school is going to work for us now or you younger people listening to whatever the smoking hot fitness model or roided out, juice monkey featured in your favorite fitness magazines says to do, which will most likely not work for you. We have to remember that in the fitness world "we are not created equal". What works for one person may not work for another and so on and so forth. You have to find what works for you and your body type, a meal plan that works for you, along with your health and fitness goals.

When it comes to having a good game plan, you have to your homework, do some research. Take some time and read about what others are doing and what has and hasn't worked for them. Don't just grab a cookie cutter program and meal plan and expect these amazing results when it's not really designed for you. Seek the help of a professional, it can be a nutritionist, dietitian or a personal trainer. Your not alone out there and I promise you can obtain your goals in half the time if you take the proper, necessary steps to prepare a game plan for your health and fitness goals and needs. Don't be the guy who doesn't ask for directions cause he THINKS he knows where he is going. Ask for help, the health and fitness world is constantly changing and there is so much info out there and it can be sensory overload a lot you. Just remember the better prepared you are, the greater chance of success!!

BE THE PREDATOR, NOT THE PREY

WARM IT UP!!

How many of you really take your time warming up before you workout? How many of you walk into the gym, go straight for a piece of cardio equipment, spend about 5 minutes at a leisurely pace and not even break a sweat? How many of you avoid the equipment, instead do a few arm circles, maybe bend over at the waist, twist your upper body a few times and maybe if your lucky a few squats or lunges or the worst of the worst go straight into lifting weights with no warm up at all?? If you raised your hand to any of these charges, then we have a serious problem...

The importance of warming up before exercise then is down to multiple effects. Firstly, by stretching the muscles and joints you can help them to become more limber and subtle. This means that sudden movements, such as a high kick or awkward turn will be less likely to pull or tear your muscle. Tearing a muscle can be a serious injury that takes a long time to heal (not to mention being incredibly painful potentially requiring stitches) and keeps you out of the gym even in more minor cases. In one famous incident Sylvester Stallone managed to tear his entire pectoral muscle in half in a bench press competition with one of the then-strongest men in the world: Franco Columbu. Today you can still see that one of his pecs is far more vascular than the other as a result. The same goes for tendons and ligaments which can also tear causing severe pain and writing off your gym sessions for some time.

At the same time stretching your muscles has other benefits that are more to do with your performance and training than health and avoiding injury. For one, by stretching your muscles you will be able to use a larger percentage of them during each repetition. As you perform bicep curls for example your biceps will be able to stretch more during each curl, which will mean you train the entire length of the muscles. Furthermore, warming up with rush blood to the muscles, supplying them with oxygen, ATP and minerals thereby improving strength and endurance during training. The importance of warming up before exercise cannot be overstated for bodybuilders or anyone looking to improve their strength and the appearance of their physique.

This post was short, sweet and to the point! I don't need to go into great detail for warming up before we workout. We all know how important it is and we ALL need to take the time to do it. I warm up for about 15 to 20 mins before I workout and trust me it has paid off. I've never been seriously injured doing any of my crazy workouts or lifting heavy weights, but I definitely credit my warm up for that. Just take your time with a good warm up and really focus on the muscles you are going to train, but it's also equally important to warm up the entire body, get a good sweat going, get that blood pumping, that core temp up and the joints lubricated. Oh by the way... Don' forget to stretch after your workout but we will save that for another day!

BE THE PREDATOR, NOT THE PREY...

Are you doing too much??

Stop and ask yourself this question... How much time am I spending working out in the gym or just doing exercise on a weekly basis? How much are you doing? 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 or more days?? How much time are you spending in the gym or doing whatever type of exercise it is your doing? I think you see where I'm going with this... I'm talking about OVER TRAINING!

We get going with a gym membership and it starts off innocent enough, a body sculpting class here, spin class there, cardio combat 2 nights a week, a little Zumba, a few sessions with a trainer or we are just hitting the weights 5 to 6 days and before you know it your hooked, you become addicted, you have tunnel vision and all you see is the new you and how awesome your going to look! But wait.. What about a break? When do you take time to heal your body? Now you feel bad about even missing just one day and to tell you the truth, you could possibly be doing too much and that is a bad thing.

Do you feel like your really changing your body, getting stronger, burning fat and recovering properly? Are you reaching your fitness goals? I know we say to get out there, get in the gym and start moving that body of yours, but we can actually be doing more harm than good if we are not utilizing our time in the gym properly and allowing for proper rest and recovery. Do you feel worn down? Are your having trouble sleeping, are you restless or having trouble falling asleep? Do your joints ache? Are you moody? Are you sick more than normal? Do you have trouble getting excited for a workout and look at it as more of a job than a joy or stress release? If you answered yes to any of these you could possibly be suffering from over training. Some of you may already know this, but in case you didn't, working out is a stress on the body. Your body needs time to heal and recover after a workout of any type. When we workout, we break down muscle tissue, so it needs time to repair. We do all of our repairing while we sleep and if we are not getting a sufficient amount of sleep (8-9 hours) each and every night our repair process suffers and if you do another workout, you just continue to beat your body down and never fully recover.

I'm going to point a few fingers here, but this is the virtual "bitch slap" that some people need. So here it goes... Guys you cant continue to workout 5 to 6 days in a row, working individual body parts and expect to get jacked!! It wont happen if you do not feed your body properly and allow your body to rest and fully recover from those intense weight training sessions. Oh and here's another tip... If your going to lift heavy, lift with proper form and if it's too much, drop the weight down and use a manageable weight you can control. I can bench 300 pounds 3 inches too! Also lift some heavy weight! You can't get big doing high reps with low to medium weight, no matter how good "the pump" feels. Quality over quantity gentleman! Oh ladies don't think your getting off so easy! For the love of Pete get off the mother flippin treadmill and pick up some damn weights! Cardio will not and I repeat not make you strong and I hate to burst your bubble, but the 1 to 2 hours that you spend on the treadmill or doing time wasting cardio is all for not! They have found that doing mindless cardio for extended periods of time has been known to increase cortisol levels. For those of you that are not familiar with cortisol it's a hormone that actually breaks down muscle tissue. Yep, that's right! So even if you think that your burning fat from your endurance cardio sessions and you may to a point but then your body actually shuts off fat burning and starts burning muscle because that's where all the vitamins and nutrients are stored. So more often than not your losing muscle mass instead of body fat. That's something for you to think about next time you want to get on the stupid treadmill. Instead try some type of short, explosive circuits with ropes, kettle bells, jump rope, sprints. Be creative, do some research or ask a fitness professional for some ideas! Keep it the 20 to 30 minute range, keep it short, intense and you will get more out of it. I guarantee it!

I know I kind of went off there for a second but this is something I deal with and see on an day to day basis. I just want everyone to benefit from working out and eating properly and to achieve REAL results. Your workouts are very important, but your rest and recovery are equally as important! Train smart, get plenty of rest, eat clean and you will be surprised what you can do with your body...

BE THE PREDATOR, NOT THE PREY...

INFLAMMATION

So what if I told you that the foods you eat everyday are the cause of inflammation, pain, discomfort, headaches, joint pain, mental cloudiness, moodiness and disease. Are you ready to accept that the food you are consuming is the cause for all the conditions listed above? Guess what boys and girls, chances are this is EXACTLY what is happening. We want to blame it on so many other factors like genetics, allergies, environment and all that jazz. Is it so hard to believe that the way we eat affects the way we feel, move and think?! We are so quick to point a finger and to blame everything and everyone else instead of putting the blame on ourselves.

I know that I hit on nutrition with most of my posts but I want everyone to really understand how important nutrition is to your overall health. If we do not fix ourselves from the inside out, we will never obtain true health. If your GUT health is not at 100%, you can forget about the rest of your body responding and working at maximum efficiency. Proper digestion is vital for everything and for getting the most out of everything you eat. There are certain things we can take to take to aid digestion such as digestive enzymes and probiotics. Certain foods you can eat that have natural probiotics and digestive enzymes are organic sauerkraut, organic kimchee, Keir or yogurt from raw milk to name a few.

Jack Lalanne once said "If man made it, don't eat it. "If it comes in a box or bag, don't eat it." That's a pretty powerful statement! Here is a list of some of the top inflammatory foods. Don't be surprised when you see some of our old friends on this list!!

Sugar

Foods that convert into sugar quickly in the body have the potential to raise the level of blood sugar. In response to the rapid rise in blood sugar, the pancreas quickly releases insulin. Chronic and excessive overproduction of insulin can, over time, reduce the ability of the beta-cells in the pancreas to effectively release insulin, increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Blood vessels can become damaged because of too much insulin, leading to a host of conditions, including kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and nerve damage.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

 (HFCS) is used as a sweetener in most commercially produced snack foods. Consumed frequently and in large quantities, HFCS may lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans consume roughly 20 percent more "added" sugar per day than they did 20 years ago. This statistic does not even include the naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables and most dairy products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends no more than 6 tsp. of sugar per every 1,600 calories consumed. Most Americans consume 20 tsp. per day.

Refined grains

Refined grains are grains that have the bran and germ removed during processing. As a result, the nutrients that are in the bran and germ layers are also removed. Because the amount of fiber in refined grains is minimal compared to its original state, it is broken down quickly within the digestive system, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar. Sometimes referred to as "high glycemic" foods, refined grains reduce the body's sensitivity to insulin, causing "insulin resistance," which is known to contribute to excess weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
High consumption of refined grains is also believed to trigger excess production of pro-inflammatory regulatory proteins, throwing off the balance between the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins. The body responds to this imbalance by activating its immune system, and inflammation soon develops.

Dairy

Though rich in calcium, the casein in dairy products can trigger auto-immune disease, asthma and bronchitis, according to the University of Michigan Department of Integrative Medicine. Milk casein is a protein found in most dairy products that has a tendency to irritate the body's immune system. Researchers believe that when dairy cows consume a diet high in grain, they produce large amounts of omega-6 fats. Consuming too much dairy can create an imbalance between the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats and inflammation-causing omega-6 fats, triggering an inflammatory response. In addition, it is believed that up to 50 percent of the population is allergic to dairy. Consuming dairy products when a dairy allergy is present can also lead to chronic inflammation.

I just want all of you to really think about what you are putting in your body. Take the time, do some research, read my posts. We need to educate ourselves and take the time and invest in our everyday heath. You want to be around for a long time and continue to do the things you enjoy right?! Well it all starts with you. You have everything to lose and SO much more to gain...

BE THE PREDATOR, NOT THE PREY

Healthy Desserts!

So I can't just go and break your hearts with the whole cut out sugar post and not post a few organic dessert recipes! I have personally tried these and absolutely love them! ENJOY!!

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe

 

½ cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, melted

½ cup Almond Butter (creamy or crunchy)

¾ cup Brown Sugar, Sucanat or Muscovado Sugar

1 Egg

1 ¼ cup Blanched Almond Flour

½ cup Walnuts (optional or if allergic)

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Baking Soda

¼ tsp Cream of Tartar

¾ cups Organic Chocolate Chips or Chuncks (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Pulse walnuts inside a food processor until the texture of coarse sand.
3. Combine coconut oil, almond butter, sugar, egg, and walnuts in a medium bowl. Mix well.
4. In another small bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add to wet ingredients and stir to blend.
5. Add choc chips and stir to mix. Let dough cool within the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes (or maybe more, don‘t skip this!).
6. For regular sized cookies, make 1″ balls of dough and set on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and bake for 8-9 minutes.
7. Let cool around the baking sheet for some minutes before removing to some cooling rack. Store in a plastic container at room temperature.

Organic Banana Bread

2 cups almond flour

1 cup whole raw pecans

3 eggs

3 brown bananas

1 tbls raw honey

¼ cup coconut oil (melted)

1 tbls vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1. Process the bananas, eggs, vanilla, honey and coconut oil in a food processor (I used a Vitamix blender)
2. Add the pecans and process
3. Combine almond flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and add it slowly to the wet mixture
4. Process until all is well combined
5. Scoop the batter into a 7.5 x 3.5 loaf pan
6. Bake at 350 ° for about 45-50 minutes (or until you stick a tootpick in the center and comes out clean)
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool

CHANGE THE WAY YOU EAT, CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

PUT the CHOCOLATE down and back away slowly..

Happy Easter HEALTHYFITTERS! I hope all of you are enjoying a beautiful Sunday with your loved ones and taking time to be grateful for everything in your life!

I hate to rain on your parade, but that's what I do and why your reading this! :)

 

Today's post has to do with sugar and everything that comes along with it. Whether it's those delicious Easter treats that the big, furry rabbit left today or pies, cake, ice cream, Starbucks or whatever, it's hard to say no. You will just have a few right? "I just want to see how it tastes", "Oh it's just for the kids" or my personal favorite "I'm going to the gym later anyway." I've heard it all and may have even used the same excuses myself, but the truth is we are trying to justify our excuses for lack of will power. Problem is a few turn into a lot and before you know it you have eaten everything in sight minus the basket (unless it's made of pure chocolate).

When it comes to fat loss sugar is enemy #1. Did you know that every year most Americans eat at least their body weight in sugar?! According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the average adult in the United States takes in 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day, or a whopping 150 pounds a year, while teens pile in 34 teaspoons a day. That’s more than twice the amount of sugar we should be eating. This means that the average American is basically overdosing on sugar. Too much sugar can increase the chances for a host of diseases that can affect your mind and body. Mounting evidence suggests that flooding your system with the sweet stuff can play a role in obesity, heart disease, and cancer. It can also impact how you look or feel, doing damage to your skin or altering your mood.

Look, I love sweets as much as the next guy, but before you go reaching for something processed and full of refined sugar, look at grabbing some fruit or possibly organic berries. Yes I know that fruit has sugar in it, it's natural, not chemically altered and hasn't been added to the fruit. I understand that it's not the same, but you have become an addict and sugar is the drug, the more you have the more you crave. What makes it worse is that it's readily available and you can get it virtually everywhere and no one is going to stop you and it's not illegal. Sugar in my opinion is just as bad, if not worse than drugs and alcohol. Your not hurting anyone else, your just killing yourself from the inside slowly but surely.

It's a battle you have to fight each and every day, especially if you have a sweet tooth and over consume sugar. The choice is yours to make the change and the difference in your own body. Don't be slave to sweets and let it control your life. Cut out the bullshit and see how your body changes just by the way you eat. Keep it clean, keep organic!

CHANGE THE WAY YOU EAT, CHANGE YOUR LIFE...    

To eat or not to eat... Organically?!

I know this is something that a lot of you are curious about, but might not know too much on the subject. In my opinion, it's the only way to fly. Eating organically has helped me with so many aspects of my everyday life, changes in my body and my own physical fitness. I found myself having so much more energy, sleeping better, a leaner physique, stronger digestive health, mental clarity and I even seem to handle stress better, not to mention just feeling amazing!

The biggest argument/complaint is that eating organically is expensive. I understand that it is a bit on the higher side as compared to regular food prices, but we have to think about quality over quantity in this situation. Take a look at where your expenses are going and see what you can do to try and budget better. How often do you go out to eat? How much do you spend on one meal as opposed to going to the grocery store? How much do you spend at Starbucks or a night out drinking with friends? If your trying to change to a healthier lifestyle, nutrition is your key to success. If your unhappy with your your body and the way you feel, you really have to take a look at what you are putting in your body. If you put bad gas in a car what happens? It's the same with our bodies. If you eat cheap, low quality food, don't be surprised when you are sluggish, groggy and irritable. It all comes down to what your willing to sacrifice for your health.

Just remember that as much as we want big business to have our best interest at heart, all they are after is the all mighty dollar. The more they can mass produce to make a profit the better. So many of our foods are pumped full of and sprayed with chemicals, steroids and anything they can get away with to make more of what they are selling. Processed foods are some of the worst foods out there, anything chemically altered is just that, altered to taste a certain way. If it's not natural than where did it come from? What did they do to it to make it taste like that?? It's down right scary when you stop and think about!

Certain types of protein we want to be on the lookout for are grass fed steaks, lean ground bison, lean ground beef, cage free eggs, cartons of egg whites, lean ground turkey, skinless chicken breast or tenders, lean pork chops, venison or other wild game, wild caught salmon, wild caught tilapia, orange roughy, catfish, trout, rock fish or cod, wild caught shrimp, wild caught scallops, mackerel, herring fillets, sardines and naturally flavored protein powders (Sun Warrior, MRM)

Carbohydrates that we want are broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, mixed greens, arugula, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, brussel sprouts, asparagus, bok choy, garlic cloves, olives, raw fermented sauerkraut, swiss chard, sea vegetables, kimchi, squash, bell peppers, onions, green beans and collard greens.

We need to clean it up ladies and gentlemen. There is no other way around it! Your nutrition has to be and I stress has to be your number one priority. I would much rather have you eating clean and not working out rather then you working out and not really focused on your nutrition. Change the way you eat, change your life....


BE THE PREDATOR, NOT THE PREY..