Get Your Shoulder Workout On.

Today was a "long" run day for me...aka three miles.  I actually decided to just go 3.1 miles to complete a 5k.  Usually on a Sunday I would do some lifting as well but I decided to just go for my run around the neighborhood, come home, do some ab work and roll out with my foam roller.  

So let's just pretend that I lifted today and I decided to workout my upper body, specifically my shoulders. There aren't many upper body exercises you can complete without the strength and range of motion of your shoulder muscles.  The rotator cuff is comprised of four small muscles which work in conjunction with the deltoid.  The deltoid encapsulates the shoulder joint and with the rotator cuff,  they work together to stabilize the shoulder joint. 

There are many ways to strengthen these muscles groups so I have picked out a few of my favorites.  I have learned that it's just as, if not more effective for me to work with a lower weight and do more repetitions than trying to lift as heavy as I can.  The deltoids and rotator cuff muscles are small so the motions you use in these exercises will feel a bit more difficult even if you aren't using very much weight.  

I have to always preface my photos because I feel like a doofus taking them...well, having my mom take them of me.  I want to look cool and like I've said before smiling is so not cool in fitness photos.  So instead of smiling I tend to just smirk or look blindly into the camera and they come off looking rather ridiculous.  So just focus on the exercises and not so much on the dork performing them.

Shoulder Press (Military Press)
**See, Military presses aren't as fun as I make them look so don't let me be deceiving.  
Start with your elbows at 90 degrees at about ear level and press them straight up from the starting point.  Lower back down to your ears and repeat.  With all of these exercises, take your time and just get in a good rhythm.  You always want to be in control of the weight and not feel like the weight is controlling you. 




Lateral Raise
Start with the weights at your side with your palms facing in.  With straight arms or a slight bend in them, raise the dumbbells so they are parallel with the ground.  Your palms should be facing the ground at the top of your exercise.  Lower both dumbbells back down to their starting point and repeat. 



Front Raise
Start with the dumbbells in front of you facing your body just like you did for the lateral raise.  With straight arms, raise both dumbbells until they are parallel with the ground.  Just like the lateral raise, your palms should be facing down when you're at the top of your exercise.  Lower both dumbbells back down to their starting point and repeat. 







External Rotators

This exercise you will be seated on a bench or I suppose you could sit on the ground too.  Start with the dumbbell in your left hand and bend your left knee so your foot is flat on the bench or ground.  Using your knee as a stabilizer, start with your elbow at a 90 degree angle on the inside of your knee with your palm facing down. From there you are just going to raise the dumbbell so that your forearm is facing towards the ceiling.  Your elbow should stay at a 90 degree angle the entire time.  Lower back down to the starting point and repeat.  This is a difficult motion for your rotator cuff so use something light and do more reps. 

A good workout for your shoulders would be:
Military Press: 3 set of 15 repetitions 
+
External Rotators: 3 sets of 25 repetitions

Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 25 repetitions 
+
Front Raises: 3 sets of 25 repetitions

I realize I'm repeating myself when I say use a lighter weight for higher rep workouts.  You can always decrease your reps and pick a heavier weight too.  Take a little bit longer rest in between sets if you're going to use heavier dumbbells. 

After this workout, you'll have shoulders like boulders as my friend would say.  Have fun and remember to keep good form, good posture and always breathe while lifting.  Feel free to add in some cardio and stretching to get a well rounded workout in.  Have fun having hurt so good shoulders! 
 
 
 
 

Tuna Salad Time.

I had dinner at my mom's house a couple nights ago.  I usually do at least once a week since we have the guilty pleasure of watching The Bachelorette.  For the record, there is not a show that goes by that we don't contemplate the reason we watch the show since it is nothing short of ridiculous.  I guess the main reason we do is it gives us time together and something to laugh about.

It was one of the 90 degree days that I went over there and my mom decided to make something light and delicious...tuna salad on a bed of spinach.  I really enjoyed my meal and yesterday I decided to make a batch of my own.  I would like to the share the recipe in hopes that you too can eat something light and healthy on days where the oven and stove just aren't an option. I should preface this recipe by saying that when I made it, I didn't measure out anything.  I just kind of guessed on how much to put in so the portions I have in the recipe are just a guideline that you can follow if you'd like.  If you like one veggie more than the other feel free to add more or remove an ingredient if you don't like it at all.

Veggie Tuna Salad
1 c. cucumbers, chopped
1 c. zucchini, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. red onion, chopped
2 cans tuna, drained...I used Trader Joe's brand tuna
1 handful of parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 c. parmesan cheese...or any other cheese you like
1/2 c. veganese (I used this instead of mayo but you can use whatever you'd like.  You can also substitute avocado for the mayo as well)
salt and pepper to taste

**Other optional ingredients: chopped tomato, brown rice macaroni noodles or any other veggie or spices you enjoy.

Mix all the ingredients together and serve over spinach or any other lettuce you enjoy.   Feel free to add in a couple hours of mindless reality television while you enjoy this easy and delicious recipe.

4th of July Tidbits.

Somehow this entry from the 4th of July got erased so disregard if you've already read it. :)
It's time for fireworks and parades and relaxing with family and friends this week.  I love this time of year.  I love getting up early to head over to my mom and step dad's condo for a traditional breakfast...piggies in a blanket (sausage link wrapped in a croissant),eggs, fruit and coffee.  I love finding our spot on the sidewalk to catch tootsie rolls and watch the Daley Debutantes march on by.  I used to be a little baton twirler after all.  Hard to believe me going from wearing pink leotards, make-up and tiaras to baller shorts and high tops. 

Last year it was hot as blazes out.  Everyone was overheated and uncomfortable to the point where it was almost dangerous to be outside for any prolonged period of time.  I'm thinking we will have a milder 4th this year but it's still important to stay hydrated and take care of yourself. 

So I came up with some ideas to help my family and I stay cool and comfortable and healthy.

1. Wear sunscreen.  I can't tell you how many times clients tell me how pale I am or how they need to wear sunglasses to the gym because my legs are so bright.  I've come to the point in my life where I've accepted the fact that I'm very fair skinned.  I would get burnt to a crisp often when I was younger and now I feel like I'm more aware of the potential risks of getting so burnt over and over again.  I want to protect my skin even if it means I'll look extremely pale in the middle of summer or get made fun of for it.  I also suggest using a daily moisturizer that has an SPF in it so your face is always protected even on those partly cloudy days.

2. Bring water bottles.  You can never have too much water.  I try to drink at least 100 ounces per day because of my activity level.   That doesn't change when I'm standing at a parade in the sun.  Last year a couple people in my family had some trouble with dehydration and heat exhaustion...now I know it's not going to be nearly as hot this year as it was last year but dehydration can happen no matter what the temperature is if you aren't consuming enough water.  A small cooler full of ice and H2O is always handy. 

3. Make some 4th of July inspired juices.   Some juice ideas for the day would be a lemonade inspired drink.  Peel and juice a bag of lemons, add your favorite berries or other fruit (I'm a big fan of the raspberries and strawberries)...you will probably need a few cartons depending on the size of your party.  Mix in some plain old seltzer water and possibly some stevia or even an apple to sweeten it up a bit.  Then just add some ice and there you have a great, refreshing juice that is freshly squeezed. 

Another juice idea would go more of a tropical route...pineapple and mango mixed in with some berries is always a safe and delicious choice.  You can always add a few cucumbers for a fresh taste that makes a lot of juice.  You wouldn't even be able to taste it but it will give you some volume and mix well with the fruits.

4. Wear light clothing and a hat. Protect your face with a hat or visor.  Dark colors on a warm day will only make you more attractive to the sun.  White shirts and tanks with red or blue accents is always a safe choice.

5.  Get your workout in before the festivities. I always like to get a good workout in on days I know will be filled with food.  I feel great starting my holiday off with a butt kicking.  Even if it's a quick run or an hour at the gym...You'll feel much better eating that grilled cheeseburger if you burned 500 calories a few hours before.

Hopefully these tips will help you have an even more enjoyable holiday.  My last tip is to go see some fireworks and enjoy the company of your family and friends.  Happy 4th everyone!

A Change of Pace...

Recently I decided I wanted to do something a little different with my workouts.  Every once in a while, I'll think about my routine and what I like about it and what I could change to make it better or more effective.  I've always really liked to resistance train and workout with my trainers.  I also enjoy boxing and kickboxing and try to do that two to three times a week.  The one part of my routine that I've decided I want to work on is the type of cardio I am doing.

I have always been the type that would rather run sprints at a high intensity for a shorter amount of time than run long distances.  So I've decided to welcome more interval training into my life.  I've also decided that I want to try doing some of these runs outside.  I've always been the treadmill type but I think it would be nice to at least be able to tolerate outdoor running when the weather is cooperating.

High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT training has many benefits.  Like I said before, the duration of your workout doesn't have to be as long when your intensity is high.  Everyone has 15-30 minutes in a day to get a quick and effective workout in.

This method of cardio helps build your endurance.  It conditions your heart to be able to recover quickly.  The way to know if you're able to endure more is to evaluate yourself after a high intensity interval.  How fast does your heart rate come down after a burst of speed?  How long does it take you to be able to feel ready to run another sprint?  These are good questions to ask yourself during your workout.  You should progress pretty quickly with consistency and effort.

You can do intervals anywhere.  Running outside or on a treadmill, using the stairmill, the bike or the row machine, are all options.  Cross training is always a great way to add variety and fun into your workouts. The less bored you feel while doing cardio, the better chance you'll have of sticking to it long term.

So here are some example workouts that I've done that I've found to be very effective...tiring but quick and challenging.

1. Tabatas.  Tabatas are 30 second intervals in sets of eight, each lasting four minutes.  There are a couple different ways to do them based on your fitness level.  Since each tabata is only four minutes long, I'll typically take a minute break in between and do four or five tabatas total.
Beginner: 10 seconds work, 20 seconds rest x8
Novice: 15 seconds work, 15 seconds rest x8
Advanced: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest x8
Side note:  you are responsible for choosing speeds that work for you.  Your work pace should obviously be very challenging and your rest is your down time until the next interval.  You can sprint and jog, jog and walk or speed walk and slow walk depending on how conditioned you are.

2. Shorter Distance Sprint and Jog: 1 minute work, 1 minute rest x5 followed by 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x10.  This will put you at a 20 minute workout not counting your warm up or cool down.

3. Longer Distance Run and Jog: 90 seconds work, 60 seconds rest x10.  Your work rate should be a pace that you could only hold for around three minutes.

These are just a few ideas that I've done and enjoyed.  If you're just starting out, I recommend shorter bursts of speed followed by longer rest periods and gradually work yourself into have the same rest time as your work time.  You know your body better than anyone so it's important to push yourself within your limits and make sure when your workout is finished, you are very tired.  

The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is the probably the best way to evaluate your workout since it's all based on each individual.  It is a scale from 1-10 where one would be sitting on the couch and 10 would be your absolute max effort.  When you are done with your interval workout, you should be around a 7 or an 8.

So get out there and start running or walking or climbing.  Tomorrow starts the first week of my 30 day challenge of getting myself to run outside.  I'm going to start off with a short amount of time and work myself up to a longer cardio session using these great interval ideas.

Happy cardio ya'll!

Soup in the Summer...I think so.

Though I know the weather has been getting warmer and the thought of turning on the oven or having the crock pot on all day is not very appetizing but I wanted to share a family favorite soup recipe.  It's pretty light, delicious and makes a very generous portion to eat for the week and be able to freeze some for later as well.
 
Stuffed Pepper Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. uncooked quinoa
28 oz. tomato sauce
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 peppers (any color...I used yellow and red), cut into chunks
1 yellow squash or zucchini, cut up in chunks
28 oz. water
1 serving vegetable or beef bouillon
Salt and Pepper to taste
 
1. Brown ground beef and rinse before putting into the crock pot. Rinse the quinoa as well.
2. Clean and cut up veggies.
3. Put all ingredients into crock pot.  I always see how thick the soup is at the end and add more water if it's too thick.
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until quinoa is fully cooked.

My mom makes this soup year round and I always really enjoy it.  We also have a small salad with veggies, nuts and a little cheese sprinkled on top and every once in a while some hearty bread to dip in it.

I hope you like it as much as I do. Happy cooking!

It's A Harsh Food World...

This past weekend was the third annual Brewer game tailgate with all of my cousins. I am so lucky to have them all in my life not just as family but as great friends.  We always have so much fun together.  I went into the day knowing that it was going to be one of those days where I would just enjoy myself and not worry so much about what I'm eating or drinking.  These are the days I can reward myself for working out hard and eating healthy for the most part on a regular basis. 

So anyways, enough babble about me and my eating habits and let's get down to the main reason I decided to write about this event.  There were about 41,000 people that were in attendance at the game. So let's do a little math...if over 2/3 of Americans are either overweight or obese, that means that about 27,000 of those fans are struggling with some kind of weight problem.  I looked around and I felt sad because of the way people treat their bodies and the struggles they must face everyday.  27,000 sounds like a lot of people which it is but that number unfortunately was not far off.  It's scary how unhealthy our world has become.

 Our country has become a fast food, processed, synthetic nation and I think it's only going to get worse.  There are so many options at the grocery store with partially hydrogenated oils (side note: did you know that regular Heinz Ketchup has high fructose corn syrup in it? probably not), aspartame and many other additives.  At this point, people don't even know what they are actually consuming. Not many people read the ingredient dextrose and immediately know it's another form of sugar. 

This event made me grateful for the job that I have and the active lifestyle I lead and also help so many others lead.  It makes me happy on a daily basis that I can have an impact on my clients whether it be a butt kicking workout or that extra motivation they needed that day. I'm helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives.
 
So what can you do to make some healthy changes in your life? Here are a few tips that may or may not help you whether you're looking to lose weight or just change it up a bit from the somewhat healthy routine you're  already in.

1. Shop on the outside loop of the grocery store.  Fruits, veggies, lean meats and dairy all have a tidy little place around the edges of the store. Pop tarts, Cheetos and cookies have landed a spot in the extended shelf life section along with all the other processed foods.

2. Shop organic when you can.  Brewers Organics has opened my eyes to the wonderful world of  delicious organic produce. 

3. Farmers markets are in full swing right now so take advantage of the fresh produce and farm fresh products.

3. Avoid fast food restaurants.  It's easier said than done when you're in a hurry but there is nothing good that's going to come out of ordering a Big Mac meal.  If you do need to eat on the fly, ask for a nutrition information packet before you order or make a healthy choice like going to Subway.

4. Focus on body fat percentage as opposed to BMI.  Here's why, when looking at myself,  there are a lot of 5'6", 160 pound, 28 year olds that don't have nearly as much muscle mass as me though according to my BMI, my healthy weight is around 140 which I've never weighed in my adult life nor will I ever for that matter.  My BMI doesn't take into account my lean to fat rate ratio which ultimately tells you what's going on inside your body.  For women, 23-25% is a good goal to shoot for as far as BF% and for men around 18% is decent.

5. Get active.  Get outside. Join a gym. Sign up for a 5k run. Park your car in the back of the parking lot and walk the distance in. Lift weights. Drink a lot of water.  Use a juicer to get your fruits and veggies quota met for the day. 

So go out there and make a change. Even if it's just one at a time. Don't become another statistic, take care of your body, it's the only one you get.

Sunday Shout Out to Quinoa.

Happy Father's to all the dads out there especially my dad, step dad and brother who are all wonderful fathers and I am unbelievably grateful to have each of them in my life.

There's only one more shout out that is going to happen in this entry and that goes out to yet another superfood that is packed with a lot of awesome, the lovely quinoa.

Contrary to what most think, quinoa is a seed, not a grain. It is actually in the same food family as swiss chard, spinach and beets.  One cup of quinoa contains 40 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fat.  It also has 20 percent of our total daily value of fiber.  It is one of the few plant based food sources that has all eight essential amino acids as well as an adequate amount of protein. Sounds like a vegetarian's dream food to me.

I am a big fan of quinoa because although it is not a grain, it is a good substitute for rice because it has a similar taste, just a different texture.  It can be eaten cold mixed in with a salad or hot as a side dish with your favorite spices.

One of my coworkers shared with me one of her top quinoa recipes that I would like to pass on to you.  Quinoa by itself is very simple to make so just tack on a few more ingredients and you have a full meal that tastes delicious and doesn't take a lot of time or effort to prepare.

Here is the list of ingredient for Quinoa with Artichoke and Parsley:
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, the recipe calls for frozen but I couldn't find them anywhere so I used the canned ones.  Make sure to rinse the hearts to get rid of excess sodium.
1 c. low sodium chicken broth
1/2 c. quinoa, uncooked
1 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. kosher salt.
*I also added in frozen edamame to incorporate more veggies.

1. Saute onion and thyme in olive oil for five minutes until onions are tender.  Add the artichokes and edamame and saute for 2  more minutes.  Add broth and quinoa and bring to a simmer.
2. Cook for 18 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed.
3. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, juice and salt.  Serve warm or room temperature.  Enjoy the deliciousness.

Now if I could just figure out what to make with my yellow squash, arugula and mushrooms this week...well whatever I come up with, I'm sure it will give me something else to blog about. Happy quinoa making everyone.

Ab Work is Fun.

It's nice to have a birthday and not actually feel like the age you are.  From now on, I fully intend to not look or feel a day over 28...that was always my Nana's plan and she did pretty well so I am just going to follow her lead.

A good way to start off my 28th year is to talk about the one part of the body that I think every client wants to work on no matter what age they are...their abs.  The one fact that most people don't want to come to terms with is that though it is important to strengthen your low back and abdominal muscles, a lot of the look and feel of them come from good nutrition and overall aerobic activity.  No one gets a six pack eating processed junk foods and sitting on the couch every day...obviously.

Strengthening your core helps stabilize your torso as well as helps reduce pain in your low back and hips.  I have started to incorporate more core, hamstring and glute exercises into my workouts to prevent these problems from becoming a constant issue.   My low back and hips tend to feel tight and for lack of a better word, tweeked at times,  though since I've started focusing more on prevention, I feel much better and you would too if you have the same aches and pains. 

So I have picked out of a few of my favorite abdominal exercises that not only work your abs but also work your hip flexors. Hip flexor strength is important for runners and athletes.  The stronger the glutes, hamstrings and hip flexors are the faster they will be. They also help prevent hamstring injuries by acting as a brake when large amounts of force are exerted to the hamstring. 

The four exercises I chose are all starting by lying on your back. 

1. Heel Slide:  Place your hands under your glutes to help bring you to a more neutral spine.  Then simply bring both knees in towards your chest.






 Push your feet straight out from your body.  The closer you are able to slide your feet to the ground, the more difficult the exercise will be.  If you need to modify the movement, just push your feet away from your chest higher so you're farther away from the ground.  As you get stronger gradually let your legs get closer to the ground.


2. Leg Raise: Place your hands underneath your glutes just like you did for the heel slide exercise.  Bring both legs straight up in the air to make your body into a 90 degree angle.  If you need a slight bend in your legs, that is just fine.  Chances are your hamstrings are super tight if you can't straighten out those legs so you better incorporate some stretching in while you're already lying on your back.

 











Slowly lower your legs straight down to the ground without touching.  You want make sure there is no stress on your low back so if you feel your back start to arch, that is a good place to bring your legs back up to make your 90 degree angle again.

3. Hip Raise: Place hands underneath glutes again. Lift both legs up perpendicular with your body.  The motion is going to be small when starting out but what you're trying to do is lift your hips up off the mat pushing your feet straight up towards the ceiling.  Control your hips on the way back down to your mat.  This exercise will work those low abdominal muscles.  A way to modify this would be to have bent knees instead of straight legs.  Bring your knees into your chest and then simply lift your hips off the mat and back down.

4. Bicycles: Hands can protect your neck for this exercise.  What you want to keep in mind is you never want to pull on your neck.  You want to think about lifting your shoulders off the mat.  Your hands are just there as a guide so a good rule of thumb is pretend you have a tennis ball between your chin and your chest.  Keep that space there to allow your to keep your shoulders back and in a good posture position.   One knee is going to come in towards your chest while the other leg is going to straighten out completely.  With your upper body you are going to meet your knee coming into your chest with the opposite side elbow and then switch sides without putting your feet on the ground.  This twisting motion will engage those oblique or side abdominals as well as hip flexors as you extend away from your body.

Do two sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise and feel the hurt so good burn.  These are great pairings because you can do one right after the other without really have to change positions.  Abdominal strength along with anything fitness related is all about consistency.  The more you do these exercises, the stronger you'll feel and the faster you'll see results.  Have fun and make sure to eat lots of organic veggies and fruits to help the six pack process.




 

'Tis The Grilling Season.

The smell of barbecue has been filling the air on and off for a couple of weeks now.  I love tailgating and cookouts and parties where I can sit outside with my family and friends and just enjoy the day.  One of my favorite easy grilling recipe incorporates a bunch of the veggies I got in my Brewers Organics deliveries the past couple of weeks. 

Here are the ingredients I used but you can really add any veggies you'd like. 
*Potatoes
*Bell Pepper
*Onion
*Carrots
*Zucchini
*Jalapeño for a good little kick
*Salt & Pepper
*Grapeseed Oil or even Coconut Oil if you want to add a little flavor to the veggies.  Both of these oils can be cooked at a high heat which is why I suggested them.
*Rosemary & Thyme are the spices I used but you can really use whatever you want depending on what kind of inspired dish you are trying to make.

1. Wash all the veggies, peel the potatoes and cut them all into small chunks.
2. Boil a small pot of water and put the cut up potatoes in it to make the cooking process go a little faster.  Usually the potatoes are the slowest to get soft so I like to speed up the process.
3. Using a mixing bowl, put all the veggies, including the semi cooked potatoes, into the bowl.  Add the oil of your choice along with all the spices you enjoy and mix them all up so everything gets covered.
4. Using a good sized piece of foil, put all the ingredients on the foil and fold them up.
5. Place on the grill for 15-20 minutes checking occasionally.  Once all the veggies are soft, take it off the grill and enjoy with your favorite protein and green salad or fruit salad.  Hopefully we get a good grill out day soon so you can try this.

Another recipe I like to add into my hot days or just eat for dessert some nights when I want something sweet is just made with the juicer.  I haven't talked about my juicer in a few entries and I don't want it to feel abandoned. All you really need are your favorite fruits.  Throw them in the juicer, put the juice into good portion sized containers, stick them in the freezer and you have a great cold healthy treat.  When I was younger we used to use ice trays as containers to freeze juice or a larger container with a plastic stick to make it more like a popsicle.  My favorite recipe uses mostly berries so it's a pretty color and tastes delicious.  I used strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and grapes to curb my sweet tooth.  It's like a whole fruit popsicle but better...and made exactly the way you like it.  The only thing really missing is the joke on the stick. 

Okay everyone, go outside, enjoy the weather and try both of these recipes...you won't be disappointed with the taste or the time it takes to prepare them.  Next up: My favorite  core exercises. 

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things.

In the last couple of weeks, I've become really interested in expanding my food horizons.  There are so many foods and superfoods out there that are just waiting to be eaten.  Here are a couple of my new favorites...


The first superfood that I mentioned in my last entry are chia seeds. Chia seeds are a gelatinous food because of the gel like substance they become when they get wet.  This helps with the digestive process and clearing out the digestive tract.  They have 27 vitamins, minerals and amino acids as well as fatty acids. They also have 42% of our daily fiber intake.  A good place to check them out and get more information is Nutiva.com.  I'm sure after you read all of this, you have to be wondering how to incorporate these magical seeds into your diet.  Well, you can pretty much mix them into anything.  I usually mix it into my kefir or yogurt but I've also just put a serving into water and let them set a bit and just drank them down.  You can put them in your juice or smoothies too.  They are tasteless so the sky is the limit when it comes to consuming them.

I've had a bunch of people that have read my blog say to me that they haven't heard of many of the foods that I eat.  I'm going to go ahead and assume that Kefir is one of those. Kefir is a fermented probiotic milk product.  Probiotics are beneficial in helping with GI functions as well as pushing the bad bacteria out of the small intestines during the digestive process. I tend to just treat it like yogurt even though it's thinner and drinkable and mix in muesli (whole grain granola), chia seeds and hemp seeds.  I also try to avoid a lot of sugar so I buy the  plain and just add stevia or truvia to it.  Add it to your smoothies or I suppose you could mix it in your juices or simply drink it to reap the benefits of this fast absorbing food (faster than yogurt). Check out Lifeway.net for more information.

I'd like to switch gears a bit and get into a little fitness  talk because I feel like it's been a while.  I hope you have been incorporating stretching in your exercise routines like I mentioned a few entries ago.  The next thing I suggest adding into your workouts if you don't already do them are some functional exercises.  They are called functional because they are motions that are used in everyday life. It can be something as simple as walking up stairs or sitting down and getting up from a chair.  The two exercises I'm going to introduce today are both just using body weight.  To challenge yourself you can always add weight as long as you are using proper form. 

The squat incorporates all lower body muscle groups such as quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.  When doing a squat, it's very important to protect your knees so technique is essential. 

Let me take a moment and preface the photos...first of all, I never, I repeat, never work out with my hair down.  I'd pass out of heat exhaustion or drown in my sweat.  I just couldn't find my ponytail holder.  Lastly, fitness photos where people are smiling are unrealistic and look pretty silly though for this photo of showing where your feet should start would be super awkward if I just mean mugged the camera hence the cheesy smile.  So here we go, let's squat.  Start with your feet shoulder width apart with both feet facing forward. Weight should be evenly distributed through toes to heels.

To perfrom the exercise, pretend you have a chair behind you...sit your butt back first as you start to bend your knees.  The weight should shift into your heels and you should be able to lift up your toes at the bottom of the exercise.  The reason for this is to make sure your knees are protected.  The rule of thumb is your knees should never cross the plane of your toes.  You can start by putting a chair behind you and lightly touching down just to get a feel for sitting back and allowing your weight to shift.  Lastly, always keep your chest up and shoulders back.  Good posture is alway key for any exercise you do.

The lunge is a little more complicated than the squat but also works the quads, glutes and hamstrings.  Start with your feet together and take an oversized step forward.  In this position you are going to keep good posture and instead of leaning into your front leg to perform the lunge, you are going to drop your back knee towards the ground.  This will ensure you are continuing to stand up tall and it will also protect those knee joints.  The same rule applies for lunges as they do squats...no knees should cross the plane of the toes.

So there you have it.  If you're a beginner just start out with body weight.  If you're a little more advanced feel free to hold onto some dumbbells to make the exercises more difficult. 

Go three sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise and you should start to feel the hurts so good burn.  You can always up your rep counts to challenge yourself.  Ask my clients, I'm not afraid to do sets of 50 reps with them...gosh they're lucky...maybe that will be the Memorial Day special.



 
 

A Day In The Life.

A couple days ago, I was talking to a client about nutrition and after about five minutes of healthy chatter, she asked me, "Well what do you eat every day?" I realized then that I'm asked that question quite often. Then the little lightbulb went on as I had just figured out what my next blog would be about. 

I try to take a realistic approach when dealing with clients and nutrition.  I know I've said it before but I'm not a perfect eater.  Some clients think it's just easier for me to keep my diet on track because I live the life of a personal trainer.  I feel like one of my jobs is to let my clients in on a little secret...that if there's a birthday party, I have cake and ice cream and if I go to a movie, I always eat popcorn. 

In the same breath, there aren't all that many times when I make unhealthy choices and one of the many reasons I work out six days a week is so I can enjoy special occasions once in a while and not feel guilty about it.   A healthy lifestyle requires consistency and discipline and just finding healthy choices that you actually like and can stick with.  There are so many fad diets out there that work temporarily until it's too hard to keep up and you quit.  The best diet to go on is the one where it doesn't feel like a diet.

 Exercise is very important and there are so many health benefits that come along with it.    My body has changed dramatically over the last four years because of the hard work I have put in and the amazing trainers that I work with at least three days a week.  

**Side Note: Even trainers need trainers for that extra push and accountability.  I wouldn't be where I am today physically if it weren't for their knowledge, support and motivation.  With that said, my body did the most changing when my diet (that didn't feel like a diet) was on point along with my exercise habits.  It all comes down to what you're consuming and how you're fueling your body.  From my experiences with clients, it seems to be the hardest part of the equation, resistance training + nutrition + cardio = success.

So enough babble...here's a day in the eating life of me.

Breakfast:
12-16 oz juice containing carrots, apples and lemon
1/2 cup 100% whole grain rolled oats - I mix in a tablespoon of peanut butter (go chunky!) and a spoonful of coconut oil.  I also add chia seeds sometimes. Superfood #2...I'll get into these little guys next time.

Snack:
Handful of Walnuts or Pumpkin Seeds
Banana
12-16oz green juice containing celery, kale, spinach, lemon, apples, cucumber and one teaspoon of spirulina.

Lunch:
Spinach salad with tomato, mushroom, 1/2 avocado, asparagus
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing

Snack:
1/2 cup Kefir - perhaps a better choice than yogurt that i'll also talk about next entry.
1/3 whole grain Muesli

Sometimes I'll have more green juice depending on hunger level as well as activity level that day.

Dinner:
Homemade Black Bean Burger
1 slice Ezekiel bread
1 tablespoon organic Ketchup
1/2 avocado

I always feel full and some days I'm hungrier than others so I just add in some other healthy foods and of course drink lots of water. Many of my clients have grown accustomed to food journaling which is super helpful to monitor where your calories are at throughout the day.  I suggest that as a starting place just to see what you're consuming...many are surprised by the amount of calories in.  Then you can figure out where you can start making some changes.

Well, it's a perfect day to grill out and use the great zucchini, potatoes and onions I got in my order this week and last. Enjoy the sun but make sure you wear sunscreen.

Stretching & Juicing..

5.11.13 Stretching & Juicing

So I realize I'm only 27...young, able bodied, healthy etc etc...but there are some days where I am starting to feel the 20 years of sports taking a toll on me. My knees crack and crunch when I bend down, my back hurts after certain lifting days and the range of motion in my shoulders just isn't what it used to be. I'm not writing this to have a mini pity party for myself, I actually had quite a wonderful day...my awesome nephew had his four year old birthday party and I celebrated Mother's day with my mom and step dad. No pity parties allowed after a day spent with family.

I only write about these aches and pains because they brought me to the realization that I am in need of a change in my routine. It's so easy to get stuck doing the same exercises on the same day every week without fail so I've decided to start focusing on my flexibility. It is one of those things that I know is so good for me but if I run out of time or energy, I typically skip it.

The main muscle groups I've been trying to increase flexibility in are my hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes and quads. All of these areas contribute to my on and off low back pain so I'm trying to lengthen and strengthen. I've also been taking yoga at least once a week which encourages lower impact exercises to help with balance and flexibility. If you currently don't take the time to work on your flexibility, I highly suggest joining the stretch party and just start by spending five minutes post workout just cooling down and working on it. The more consistent you are with it, the faster the results and more than likely, the better you'll feel. Here are two simple stretches you can start with:

Runner Stretch is a great for hamstrings. Stretch that opposite arm over to reach for your toes to feel a nice pull in those lats as well.

 This is a great stretch for hip flexors. If you can't grab your foot, that's okay, stay within your body's range of motion. Once you're in the correct position, try to sit up nice and straight for an even deeper stretch.

Back in the kitchen, I've been trying out some new food recipes as well as juice recipes. I've been using my juicer now for about three week now and I've really enjoyed it...though it takes a little bit of time to prepare, the nutrients I get out of each glass is well worth it. I actually enjoy healthy foods. I mean of course I was probably attracted to them at first because I know they are good for me but I actually really do like the taste. For me, fruits are a lot easier to consume so juicing helps me take in more veggies. Besides the color of the veggie juices, they are actually quite tasty.

Another plant based protein I've started incorporating in my juices is spirulina. It is actually a blue-green algae that is 65 to 71 percent complete protein (beef is 22 percent) with all essential amino acids in perfect balance. It also contains vitamin B12 which usually is only found in animal products. This superfood has helped me control cravings and has also helped balance out the decrease in meat protein in my diet. The label suggests one teaspoon a day and it's pretty flavorless. All you have to get past is the bright green color and the fact that it's algae.

So here's a good juice recipe to add one teaspoon of spirulina to:

1 cucumber

1 celery stalk

1 peeled lemon

6 kale leaves

*side note: Kale is a superfood...thanks Brewers Organics for adding this to the menu. It has the highest vegetable source of vitamin K and may help the risk of developing certain cancers. It’s a source of calcium, chlorophyll, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Kale is low calorie and also a good source of minerals, copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. It promotes eye and skin health as well. (thanks rebootwithjoe.com for all your fun veggie facts)

2 handfuls of spinach

2 apples

*you can also add a peeled orange or some carrots to sweeten it up a little.

While you're enjoying your nutritious green drink, I'm off to figure out what to make with the world's largest zucchini I got in my order this week..

 

Inspiration: Hungry For Change

So it's the weekend...I'm always happy to relax a bit, spend time with my family and friends and just get myself ready for the next week.  Last weekend, I decided to make some healthy lifestyle changes. 

It all actually started when a documentary was brought to my attention.  Typically, Netflix gives me the opportunity to spend countless hours watching entire seasons of mindless dramas like Friday Night Lights.  Though I was really sad to say goodbye to all my friends in Dillon, Texas,  I can't say I learned much from it besides how not dramatic my life is compared to tv shows most days. 

 Well, in this instance I was told that I should watch a documentary called Sick, Fat and Nearly Dead.  It is about an Aussie, Joe Cross, who comes to the US for 60 days to go on a juicing fast. He was obese, unhealthy and suffering from a chronic disease that required him to be on many medications with numerous side effects.  He was closely monitored by doctors throughout his journey because all he consumed were fruit and vegetables in juice form as well as tea and water.  Long story short, he lost around 100 pounds and was able to stop all of his medications and to this day he is feeling great and is actually very well known for his choice to take a stand and change his life.

There was another documentary that piggy backed off of it called Hungry for Change.  This really impacted me.  So many of the foods that fill our grocery store shelves are terrible for us.  Partially hydrogenated oils, aspartame and sugar are just a few of the topics health experts tackle.  It was almost as if I had a mini epiphany by the end of the documentary.   I mean I eat pretty healthy for the most part.  I have my days where I struggle or have a social event or family party to go to where the temptations are endless.  But in my day to day, I tend to make good choices. I just realized that there are some new things I want to incorporate in my everyday.  

The main change I decided I wanted to make was to start using a juicer.  Vegetables and fruits in their purest state are the most nutrient rich. So that is what I have been doing for the last week.  The baseline of this 'diet' that doesn't feel like a diet is broken down as follows: 50% of daily calories should be from veggies and fruit, 25% from protein and 25% from whole grains.  The more organic, grass fed, farm raised, cage free foods I can consume, the better. 

So for now, I will leave you with a yummy morning recipe that i've come to really like. 
The three ingredients are carrots, apples and a lemon.  The following information about these fruits and their benefits are from www.rebootwithjoe.com:

Carrots: richest plant source of vitamin A, and a good source of potassium.
Apples: contain antioxidants that help protect “good” cholesterol levels in the blood.
Lemons: High in vitamin C and anti-inflammatory.  Also contains natural anti-nausea and overall digestive-aid properties.

So take two carrots, two apples and a peeled lemon,  put them all through the juicer and just like that you'll have about 16 ounces of morning energy.  I'll have some rolled oats with peanut butter or eggs along with it to carry me through most of the morning.

So my journey has only just begun but I'm feeling motivated, energized and excited the reap the benefits of my healthy choices.

Well, I'm off to laugh at an episode of Modern Family before bed.

Just the Beginning...

4.29.13

Where to begin?  Well, for starters I’m Ashley.  I’m 27 and I’m a Certified Personal Trainer and have been for four years and counting.  I work at two different gyms with two very different styles which I love as my days are never the same.  I have the wonderful opportunity to help people reach their health and fitness goals on a daily basis,  (though some days they forget that I have their best interest at heart; one of my clients told me just a couple days ago I don’t believe in letting them breathe).

  I have learned over the years that in order for me to be a successful trainer, I need to practice what I preach, Mostly… there are going to be off days for me too contrary to what some of my clients might think.  I truly enjoy working out and feeling good about myself and wish for nothing more than everyone I come in contact with to eventually have the same experience. 

My active life all started when I was six and sports became part of my every day.  My mom even let me try baton twirling which lasted for a couple years…too many leotards and pink roller filled nights for me. So I left my baton behind and ended up playing three sports in high school and continued on to play basketball at the collegiate level. 

I’m still involved in basketball, playing weekend pick up games and have been the Head JV Girls Basketball Coach at Brookfield Central for five years so far which I absolutely love.  I have to admit that the years when I was playing sports everyday were some of the best days of my life.  I have made lifelong friends, learned discipline, motivation and perseverance which have helped me become successful in my career. I guess what I’m really trying to say through all this babble is fitness and wellness, have always been a way of life for me. 

Along the way I have learned a lot about nutrition and diet as well.  I have learned what works for me and what doesn’t.  I want balance, moderation and variety when it comes to food…and some ice cream here and there. 

Which I guess brings me to the reason I decided a blog would be kind of a cool addition.  I’m a realist, though like everyone I have my moments, but overall I want to portray a lifestyle to my clients that is healthy and active.  

So this blog will be twofold: first of all, I will be focusing mainly on diet and nutrition.  The majority of the people I work with enjoy or at least tolerate the exercise part of a healthy lifestyle, it’s what they do outside the gym that holds them back. 

Secondly, since fitness is part of my every day, I will make it a part of yours too…or at least four times a week. Yes, I know some of you are shaking your head thinking to yourself, “psht, this girl is crazy.” With that said, I’m excited to get this blogging journey started and have Brewers Organics with me along the way.  I will take a time out from writing when Glee is on though to practice my singing skills.