It was recently brought to my attention that I could probably eat cardboard with a few spices and it wouldn't bother me at all.  Fortunately for me, cardboard has no nutritional value.  I don't know, I guess I'm just weird that way. 

It's said that some people over-indulge with food to meet other needs besides nutrition.  This type of person tends to go overboard with the sauces, sugars, breads, etc.  I'm just the opposite.  I mainly eat for function.  And if it was a choice between a flavorful meal that would take an hour to make or eating right now a nutritious meal but with little flavor, I'd probably pick the latter of the two.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy a flavorful and nutritious meal, it's just that often times my schedule gets so busy that I skimp.  No, I refuse to go grab fast food, or some other highly processed food substitute.  No, I admit it, I'm willing to skimp on taste.

So believe me when I tell you I am really excited and appreciate this recipe book-- Gourmet Nutrition by Dr. John M. Berardi, Michael Williams and Kristina Andrew.  It is full of quick, tasty, good for you meal options all in one spot.  The authors probably saved my life and don't even know it.

Now I can stop eating cardboard. 

I refuse to waste your time with any hoopla about something that tastes good when it doesn't, just because it meets some nutritional number guide. I am actually coming to appreciate taking my break and enjoying my meals these days.  And believe me that is a nice change of pace.

So don't forget to cut and paste these to your filing cabinet on recipes so you'll be ready for next year.

No more excuses!


Recipe #1: Chai Blueberry Oatmeal (Chai_Blueberry_Oatmeal.doc)


Recipe #2: Turkey Sausage and Yam Hash Browns (Turkey_Sausage_and_Yam_Hash_Browns.doc)


As always, let me know what you think.  I always appreciate your feedback.

In this day and age when you say you're going to do something, you better darn well do it.  I'm sure we are all tired of the "Oh, let's do lunch".  And you don't hear from the person for weeks or months.

A handshake and your word is pretty much all you really have when it comes to establishing your integrity.  In this day of information (overload in some cases), it's pretty easy to have something witty or interesting to say.  But how many people actually back it up with action?  It has been my experience that those individuals are few and far between.  A mentor of mine once told me, "under promise and over deliver".  When it comes to establishing your credibility follow through on what you tell others you are going to do. In fact, over deliver on what you committed to doing.  It let's people know that they can count on you, that your word actually means something.

Well, in keeping with my promise to make sure you are ready for the coming year with lots of recipes to help keep you on track and not spend hours in the kitchen preparing food, here are two more to add to your file called "recipes". 

I sincerely want you to have a variety of meal choices that are tasty, good for you and are easy to prepare (take as little time as possible).  Goodness knows, we all have enough to do in our daily lives.  Spending hours in the kitchen to create a nutritious, tasty meal is not to motivating.  In fact it will just increase the chances of you getting off track and grabbing some highly processed alternative to a good meal.

So let's keep it simple.

Recipe #1:  Microwave Orange Roughy (Microwave_Orange_Roughy.doc)

Recipe #2:  Chicken a la King Kong (Chicken_a_la_King_Kong.doc)


Remember, plan your meals in advance.  It will make the day so much easier, and I'll bet, make you much more productive as well.

I don't know about you, but not too many years ago when this time of season would roll around I would be filled with dread.  It would take everything I had to maintain the quality of service for my clients (vacation workouts, updated workouts, nutrition modifications, special reminders regarding stretching and rolling to keep lose, etc.), begin my own Christmas shopping, make sure I was able to get my own workouts in, as well as get the all important necessary down time -- 'cause I'm a bear if I don't get my sleep.

Over the years this pattern became a pain.  I mean I would literally start to despise the coming holiday season right around Halloween.  I could almost hear the clock winding up to begin the countdown.  And believe me that is no way to enjoy the holiday season.  I like you had worked hard all year.  This should be a time you kind of slow down and appreciate all that you have accomplished.  A time to enjoy family and friends after a busy and productive year. But what was I missing in order to create that experience?

What I finally came to understand is it's all about the plan.  If I plan in advance, the gift purchasing is easy.  I just do a little each week, starting early in November.  Then it all goes smoothly.  My "to do" list doesn't seem so overwhelming and everyone feels appreciated -- including me (because I made time for myself).

The other interesting bit of knowledge I've picked up over the years is that this process of advanced planning pretty much works for anything.  If you just take a few moments each week to get clear on where you're headed, it all tends to go rather smoothly.  Just doing a little each week. Don't leave it to the last minute and try to cram it all in.

Keeping that thought in mind, I figured why not share some recipes with you so that you can stock up on all the options, and start the new year off ready to kick some butt.  No more wondering what should I eat that is healthy for me. No more waiting till the last minute because you can't think of any healthy choices.

Instead just be sure to create a folder in your filing system labeled "Recipes" and just place the ones I share with you in that file.

Now of course you may want to take the time to organize them in certain categories like breakfast, lunch and dinner, but other than that you should be pretty much set.  Just copy them and paste them in your file.  Then as you begin planning for your success in the coming year, you'll be all set with lots of options.  People will think you're some kind of super-human because you have so many delicious and easy to make meal options.  They'll watch your body transform and wonder how you had time over the holidays to become so prepared.  Just cut and paste.

Your success is that easy.  Just take a moment to do a little planning. 

Below are two breakfast options to get you up and running right each morning.  While everyone else is slowly waking up after getting to the office, you'll be fired up and ready to take on the day -- and transforming your body at the same time. A Win-Win. I like that.


Recipe #1 Maple Walnut Apple Oatmeal (Maple_Walnut_Apple_Oatmeal.doc)

Recipe #2 Raspberry Mocha Shake (Raspberry_Mocha_Shake.doc)

These easy to prepare and very tasty options are courtesy of Gourmet Nutrition by Dr. John Berardi, Michael Williams and Kristina Andrew

I just finished listening to a gym member rave about some new book they picked up that they just swear is the "BIG SECRET" to losing weight.  This person went on and on about how easy it is to prepare the food, how much they like the options for food, and probably most importantly -- how much they enjoy the taste of the food.

I've been in the Health, Fitness and Wellness Industry for over 25 years.  I've seen literally tons of fad diets come and go. I've seen just as many people rally behind these so called "big secrets" as if they were the fountain of youth. And though some stayed on the band wagon, many became disenchanted with diet "X" and moved on to the next fad.  Only to rally around that one as the new "big secret", etc.  I think you get the point.

What I'm trying to say is that the program that works, the "Biggest Kept Secret" is you finding a program, a structure that works for you. It's not the program, there are literally hundreds of diet books on the shelves of any bookstore.  The secret is you.  Are you willing to make the commitment to preparing your food in advance?  Are you willing to say no to the abundance of holiday treats that will be coming your way shortly.  And if you can't say no, only taste -- don't feast on dead calories.

There is nothing you can't accomplish if you truly put your mind to it.  This is just a matter of taking baby steps and getting your feet wet.  Plan one meal per day that you are committed to eating properly no matter what. In a week or so, make it two meals, etc. Next thing you know, you'll have your own Big Secret!

Here are two recipes to help you create your own "Big Secret".

1.)  Steamed Halibut (Steamed_Halibut.doc)

2.) Baked Chicken Strips (Baked_Chicken_Strips.doc)

These tasty and quick to prepare meals are courtesy of Gourmet Nutrition by Dr. John Berardi, Michael Williams, and Kristina Andrew

It's the second Monday of November and we are stepping closer and closer to that frantic time when the holiday schedules and long lists sometimes have each of us over extending ourselves.  And as you know, if you over extend yourself often enough, you can set yourself up for a battle with a winter cold or flu -- Yuck.

Did you know that if the cold or flu is not full blown often times a moderate workout will speed the healing process? Many times people avoid their workouts all together as soon as they feel a bit sneezy or congested.  When in fact, if you're just beginning to feel the effects of an oncoming cold or flu, moderate exercise can increase certain aspects of your natural immune system so that you fight off or significantly decrease the affects.

Jeffrey A. Woods, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois says, “It is okay to exercise if you have a simple head cold or congestion — in fact, it may improve the way you feel. I would avoid heavy, prolonged exercise with a head cold, though.”  In general, moderate exercise, such as a leisurely jog or walk, may prop up your immune response and lessen the duration and severity of a mild infection, but be honest about your condition.

On the other hand researchers caution, “If you don’t feel well, especially if you have fever or body aches, I would recommend stopping daily exercise until you are recovered.”

Exercise and Your Immune System


Remember that old saying, Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Well it's true.  For one, you've been fasting all night long (called sleeping), your body needs some healthy calories to begin your day. Second, it kicks your metabolism on and starts the fat burn. Third, if you don't have breakfast you actually increase your chances of storing fat and gaining weight (due to the body's increased insulin response from skipping breakfast). And let's be honest, if you don't start your day with a nutritious breakfast you are more likely to grab something unhealthy later in the morning, to calm those screaming cravings for real food.

So here are some great ideas to keep you on track as we begin the hectic holiday schedule.  Remember to make you part of your daily list.  It will make getting through each day easier and make you easier to get along with.

Breakfast Ideas That Take 5 Minutes or Less


Plain and simple, exercise can help you fight off the initial affects of a pending cold or flu and yes, eating breakfast is as important as your mother used to tell you.  Only now there's research to prove it.

I can't say it enough.  If you're serious about making changes in your body there are 2 specific things you've got to do:

1.) Plan and if possible, prepare your meals ahead of time to make sure you stay on track with your nutrition, and

2.) You've got to get your daily exercise. And if you can't do it daily, start with 1 day a week and build to a minimum of 3 days per week.
                                                                                                                                                                                       
That being said, I can't tell you how often I hear people complain about how hard it is to stay on track with food.  Now of course when questioned they readily admit that they are not sticking to any real food plan, they just kind of wing it all day.  And of course at the end of a few weeks they wonder why they don't see any changes in their body composition.

I know it's a worn out cliche, but if you don't plan for your success how do you think it will happen?

The 2 largest complaints I hear from people when it comes to sticking to a food plan, is that the food is tasteless and uninspiring, and they don't have time.  Well, here are two recipes below that are big on flavor and easy to prepare. They taste good and are darn good for you. Even better is that they don't take any longer to prepare than any other home cooked meal. 

As you know, this month is all about keeping it simple.  Here are two simple recipes to help you stay on track.

Salmon or Sole in Parchment on a bed of Greens & Julienne Root Vegetables
(Salmon_or_Sole_in_Parchment_on_a_bed_of_Greens.doc)

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Problem is most people eat a cold cereal or worse.  Well here's an option that tastes great, takes almost no time to make and is packed with nutrients.

Leafy Green Protein Shake (Leafy_Green_Protein_Shake.doc)

These are courtesy of Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD "The Kitchen Vixen"
eat2liv@earthlink.net

Thanks Elizabeth for keeping the daily grind full of nutrients and flavor.

I'm feeling a little bit down today.  I don't know exactly why, but I guess I'm really seeing the other side when it comes to the advances in technology.  I mean don't get me wrong, I appreciate the multitude of features on my cell phone, the vast TV channel selections, the advances in medicine, and our ability to create more green technology.

The problem that has me down is, it unfortunately seems as though people think that fitness and body transformation should happen at the same speed as technological advances. And what really sucks about that is. . . . . . The Body Doesn't Work Like That ! I like to call it Spray Tan Fitness (more on that next week). It seems people believe you can just show up at the gym, talk most of the time they're there and expect to get results. Kind of like getting a spray tan (which is not a bad thing, since it keeps you away from ultraviolet rays, it just doesn't work when it comes to fitness).

Sure you can drop a few pounds quickly by cutting out certain food groups for a short period of time. But it's not a lifestyle you can maintain and so the weight comes back. Sure you can get certain surgeries done to get you to lose weight, but from what I read you risk your life by having the surgery. Sure you can even take certain pills to assist you. But low and behold, when you come off of them you have to do the work of proper nutrition consistently and daily exercise.

I want you to understand, if there was a quick fix to weight loss, or avoiding pain, an easy way, I'd have found the book or product, found out where they sold it and for how much, and sent you an email each day to tell you about it.  Sadly the truth is, it will take some level of work and effort on your part to change your body.  There are no quick fixes, no magic pills, no creams, no potions.

However, on a brighter note, the ways to lose weight, keep it off, get out of pain and stay that way, are all pretty simple. You commit to doing the simple tasks on a daily basis and you will get results, 9 times out of 10.

So in keeping with the theme this month, here are 3 More Easy Ways to Change Your Body. They are straight and to the point. And guess what?  If you apply them, they work like magic.

Check out the video below and let me know what you think.

Over the past couple of months we've gone through some pretty deep stuff; getting in The Zone, finding your Big Rocks, etc. This month let's keep it simple and to the point. 

Today I want to share with you some basic and to the point ideas to help you create a successful weight loss and keep it off program.  It's largely about the planning.  Funny thing is, so is gaining quality muscle -- it's all in the planning and consistency.

Check out the video below to get your 3 Critical, Ready to Apply Strategies to Transform Your Body.

 

I’m going to make this post as straight and to the point as possible.  I was asked a couple of days ago what do I think about eating red meat.

 

First off, I admit I do on occasion consume red meat.  When I do, I try to make sure it is a free-range or organic lean steak.  That being said, understand that red meat is not for everyone. 

What's interesting is that as I sat and really gave thought to this question I realized the question is not so much about "eating red meat" as much as it is about the choices we make regarding food quality.

As you know, I don’t believe in one size fits all when it comes to nutrition.  Everyone is unique in their genetic make-up, activity level, and tastes, and thus have different tolerance levels and even allergies to certain types of foods.

There are 3 MAJOR concerns I have when discussing food choices, nutrition strategies, or "diets".

 

1.) What is your blood work telling you? Knowing your genetics/family history is a good indicator regarding what types of foods will or will not work with your body. Your blood work is a good indicator as to whether the food choices you are making are either helping or hurting your body. Be aware of how you feel after eating.

 

2.) How active are you each day? The body is a survival machine.  We were built to be active.  We spent hundreds of years running, jumping, climbing, avoiding predators, hunting for food and generally being active from sun up to sun down.  This activity level in addition to the climate largely dictated what types of foods were available to our ancestors.

 

3.) What kind of food quality choices do you make? Now in the age of convenience, highly processed foods, and a largely sedentary population, what is acceptable and healthy nutrition becomes a bit more tricky. When choosing a protein source, it should be a lean protein source that is either free-range or organically grown.

 

What I’m trying to communicate is that if you follow the previous outline I provided on how to construct your meals AND engage in challenging exercise 4-5 times/week, you will be able to tell very quickly which types of foods work for your body and which do not.

 

It is not so much the food type that is the issue in this day and age, it is the way the food is produced that is really more of the problem.  Food raised and processed in unsanitary conditions is no good for anyone.  At the same time understand it is the WAY the food is produced, NOT the food itself that is the issue. I mean really, when you were a kid, did you ever think you would have to pay to have clean water to drink. Times and activity levels have changed and so must the way we chose the food we put in our bodies.

Don't forget the blog post in which I discussed how you should construct your meals each day.  Here’s the link to refresh your memory (tips for constructing your meals).

So, to keep it simple, make food choices that are as natural as possible.

*Chose free-range or organic whenever possible,
*Remember to keep your leafy green vegetable servings high and
*Minimize your starchy carb intake, and for goodness sake
*Get out there be as active as you can to help your body process the food you have taken in.

 

As always, let me know if this information was helpful.

HELP!

 

I’ve been blog posting largely based on the experiences I have had or presently have with clients.  So far I’ve shared information on using self-massage techniques to help get you out of pain, information on carbs and generally how to create meals that will keep you on track, how to get rid of painful wrists and shoulders, and how stress may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts, and finally I shared with you how to assess the magic bullets that the media is constantly trying to sell you.

 

What I realized however is that while I may think the information is valuable and important, that doesn’t mean you do. So I thought the best way to improve the quality of the post that I put up is to ask you, “Is anyone experiencing pain issues I have not addressed, or has a nutrition question that might assist you with?"

 

I believe this whole social media thing is a great opportunity to share valuable information and network at levels never seen before.  Though I realize that this is often the case, I would like to use this social vehicle to inform and empower as many of you out there as possible, to assist you in getting out of pain, get into your best shape, and improve your overall quality of life.  Yeah, I know it’s sounds kind of corny, but hey, it’s the gift I have and I want to share it.

 

Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.