Woodstock Fit Body Bootcamp

Feeling Stress & Inflammed Can be Helped By Changing Your Diet

2011-12-31T09:41:00.000-05:00

Reduce your risk with anti-inflammatory foods

You may think of inflammation as something that happens when you sprain your ankle or get a sore throat. But did you know that low-level inflammation (which you may not feel at all) can be a significant risk factor for heart disease?

Many experts now recognize that an anti-inflammatory diet can be a powerful tool for reducing your risk of heart disease. As a bonus, the same approach can help lower your risk of many other conditions as well, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression.

Here are some tips on creating an anti-inflammatory diet:

Use olive oil, nuts, and avocodo as your primary sources of fat.
These foods are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help to quell inflammation.

Increase your intake of omega-3 fats.
Omega-3 fats, especially the EPA and DHA forms, are powerfully anti-inflammatory. Good sources include fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, fish roe (caviar) and fish oil supplements.

Decrease your intake of omega-6 fats.
A diet high in omega-6 fats can lead to the over-production of inflammatory chemicals in the body. Vegetable oils such as corn oil are the primary source of omega-6 fats in the diet.

Eat loads of fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables, especially the brightly-colored ones, are packed with antioxidants that help quell inflammation and repair inflammation-related damage. Aim for five servings of vegetables and up to four servings of fruits every day. Excellent choices include spinach, red and green peppers, broccoli, leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, berries, citrus fruits, and melons.

Limit your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Foods made with sugar and/or white flour create high blood sugar levels, which can aggravate inflammation. To keep blood sugar levels steady and inflammation at bay, limit your intake of foods with a high glycemic load, such as candy, pastry, cakes, cookies, soda, juice, breads and other baked goods. See also below how sugar negatively effects your immune system.

Spice it up.
Vibrant spices like ginger, curry powder, chili powder, garlic, and onions all have potent anti-inflammatory properties. Incorporate these ingredients into your meals and recipes as often as possible.

Use the IF Rating system.
The IF Rating system shows you the inflammatory (or anti-inflammatory) potential of foods you eat. Foods with a high IF Rating are considered anti-inflammatory. Foods with a negative IF Rating are considered inflammatory. It's not necessary to eliminate all foods with negative IF Ratings. The goal is to balance your choices so that the the total iF Rating for all the foods you eat in a day is in the positive (anti-inflammatory) range.

Sugar: Your Immune System and Heart Disease

-Don’t Blind Your White Cells

-Your Diet, Mood, Stress and Genetics All Play A Role

“Most people worry that they eat too much between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when really they should be worried about eating too much between Christmas and Thanksgiving.” Anonymous

The chance of dying from cancer, heart disease, stroke, viral or bacterial infections, like pneumonia, depend on the strength of your immune system. We could all die, if it were not for our immune system’s ability to fight foreign invaders and chronic inflammation in our body. Our immune system’s response depends on our diet, stress, genetics and our mood. Our nutrition can up regulate or down regulate our genes for life or death.

Getting A Cold Or The Flu?

Around the holidays people tend to eat more sugary foods and refined carbohydrates, thus, having a direct and negative effect on their immune system. Adults tend to get 2-4 colds or flu a year. The common cold’s increased occurrence is when the air is colder and less humid, we don’t get as much sunshine (vitamin D) and is more common around the holidays when our defenses are down from our intemperance in our diet.

Holiday Cheer Or Holiday Fear

Increased sugar intake boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin, our happy mood brain chemical. This suggests that eating sugar can make you feel better when you are depressed. Your mood may temporally improve from the sugar high; but, you will pay a high price. Numerous research studies have shown that increased sugar intake dramatically decreases your immune response. Short-term hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) negatively affects all major components of your immunity.

Sugar Blinds Your Immune System

Your white cells (leukocytes) are the primary mediators of the immune response. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that is a first line of defense that swallows up (phagocytosis) foreign cells or bugs. High sugar loads in the body turn off the neutrophils radar for several hours, depending on the amount of sugar ingested. High glucose levels increase the risk of infections from Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and E coli. In diabetics, high glucose levels increase the risk of Klebsiella pneumoniae. In healthy adults, eating simple carbohydrates like: glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey and orange juice significantly decreased the ability of the neutrophil to engulf bacteria. The greatest effect was one to two hours after the sugar consumption, but lasted for up to five hours before the fasting control values of normal white cell function returned to normal.

Sugar And Heart Disease

But sugar doesn’t cause heart disease? Can it? The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC), a community-based cohort of almost 16,000 people from four states (North Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland and Minnesota), found that HbA1c levels taken in 1990-1992 and tracked for 10-12 years, correlated with coronary heart disease events, hospitalizations and deaths.

HbA1c Predicts Heart Disease

The researchers found that Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)-a measure of long-term blood glucose level-predicts heart disease risk in both diabetics and non-diabetics. An elevated blood glucose level is the defining feature of diabetes. It has been argued whether elevated glucose levels contributed independently to increasing heart-disease risk, until now! In participants with diabetes, the researchers found a graded association between HbA1c and increasing coronary heart disease risk. Each 1-percentage-point increase in HbA1c level was associated with a 14 percent increase in heart disease risk. Non-diabetic persons with HbA1c levels of 6 percent or higher had almost a two-fold greater heart disease risk compared to persons with an HbA1c level below 4.6 percent.

Stress And Your Immune System

Stress, through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, modulates the immune system. The adrenal glands produce cortisol in response to stress, which suppresses the immune response. Stress can reduce neutrophil activity, change the type of chemical mediators called cytokines produced by the white cells, decrease cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CD8) and natural killer cells. It is now known that increased stress can lead to increased respiratory infections, due to a stress related decrease in your immune response.

What Can I Do? Seven Recommendations

Recommendation #1: Cut out the sugars and refined carbohydrates in your diet and eat more raw food to improve your immune system function.

Vitamin A : is required for the growth and activation of B-lymphocytes, increases macrophages, improves T-lymphocyte function and is critical in maintaining sufficient levels of natural killer cells.

Recommendation #2--5,000IU of vitamin A a day extra while sick.

Vitamin C can reduce the duration and frequency of the viral common cold and flu symptoms.

Recommendation #3--1000mg of Vitamin C every several hours, no maximum.

Vitamin B6 improves lymphocyte differentiation, maturation and antibody production.

Recommendation #4--100mg of B6 a day, maximum.

Zinc improves white cells immune function such as neutrophils, natural killer cells, T lymphocyte function and B lymphocyte development, antibody production and macrophage activity.

Recommendation #5–add an extra 15 mg of zinc a day. Literature suggests that greater than 100mg a day of zinc actually depresses the immune system.

Vitamin D up-regulates the gene called cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad spectrum antibiotic in our white cells.

Recommendation #6--5000IU of Vitamin D a day.

Recommendation #7--Read your Bible daily for its healing qualities & Exercise Daily

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth up the bones.” Prov 17:22

References:

Zabriskie, N., “Holiday Immune Support: Sugar+Stress = Vulnerability To Colds And Flu,” Vitamin Research News,, Nov 2008;22(11):1-5.

Reiche, E.M., “Stress And Depression-induced Immune Dysfunction: Implications For The Development And Progression Of Cancer,” Int. Rev. Psychiatry, Dec 2005;17(6):5150527.

Selvin, E., “Meta-Analysis: Glycosylated Hemoglobin and Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes Mellitus,” Archives of Internal Medicine, September 12, 2005;14(6):421-431.

Smolders,I., “Effects Of Dietary Sucrose On Hippocampal Serotonin Release,” Britsh J Nutr., August 2001;86(2):151-5

Patel,K.L., “Impact Of Tight Glucose Control On Postoperative Infection Rates And Wound Healing In Cardiac Surgery Patients,” J Wound Ostomy Continenced Nurs., Jul-Aug 2008;35(4):397-404.

Alba-Lourerio, T.C., “Neutrophil Function and Metabolism In Individuals With Diabetes Mellitus,” Braz J Med Biol Res, Aug 2007;40(8):1037-44.

Rall, L.C., “Vitamin B6 And Immune Competence,” Nutr Rev, Aug 1993;51(8):217-25.

Gorton, H.C., “The Effectiveness Of Vitamin C In Preventing And Relieving The Symptoms Of Virus-induced Respiratory Infections,” J Manipulative Physiol Ther., Oct 1999; 22(8):530-3.

Mossad, S.B., “Zinc Gluconate Lozenges For Treating The Common Cold: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study,” Ann Intern Med., Jul 1996;125(2):81-8.

Cannell, J.J., “Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D,” Epidemiol Infect., Dec 2006;134(6):1129-40.

Cannell, J.J., “Use Of Vitmain D In Clinical Practice,” Altern Med Rev., Mar 2008;13(1):6-20.

Overcoming Obesity , Depression and nearly Dying...A clients Journey To Better Health

2011-12-17T23:13:00.000-05:00

RODNEY FREDRICK CELEBRATES HIS 74LB WEIGHT LOSS !

RODNEY'S BOOT CAMP STORY

I joined Fit Body Boot Camp as a result of being sick and tired of being "sick and tired" I had low energy, not to mention the growing list of risk associated with obesity, and I was disgusted with my looks. I knew much of my problem was rooted in the fact I was severely depressed and gained over 250lbs. Since 2002, I lost two children days after birth, I was successfully treated for cancer, and I lost my younger sisters and mother to disease. I managed to function for a long time with all this baggage. I didn`t care about life all I felt was grief and I packed more lbs on an already fat body. I was functional enough to make sure the house and our kids (son and niece) were maintained. Eventually I prayed to God that he would help pull me out of this place because I realized the feelings and the high fat foods were getting me ready for a really big casket! My wife was patient loving me through the process. (I don't know how she did it). My prayers were answered gradually I started to slowly emerge from this fog and I started having the will to do better.

My frustrations actually began In my mid twenties I became less active ( I stopped running, lifting weights,etc). I became focused on school and work which was less physical. I began packing on the lbs. I went on diets that would give me results but I would go back to the same old` bad habits. Eventually the weight gain would always come back with a vengeance. I continued this cycle for 10+ years, I eventually gained over 250 lbs.

I tried everything to lose weight Slim Fast, medical weight loss, fasting , and gyms. Prior to Fit Body, I was scheduled for gastric bypass but our insurance change and I couldn't have the surgery. Once I knew this was not going to happen, I began focusing on getting back into exercise. I knew I couldn't be the Lone Ranger...I needed help ! I wanted to align with people who had similar goals something I didn’t get when I tried the 'big-bad-gym mill'. ( I remember once a trainer charged me $ 90.00 fee for just for asking a question about a machine. I Got rid of the fee and the gym.

What I like the most about Stacy’s boot camp is that there is a group of people who are supportive of each other. There is no competition and most of all no boring treadmills or machines. I like the variety, Stacy keeps things from being predictable and I like challenges. I believe that is what has kept me here for nine months.

The results I have got from boot camp are I have more stamina, I have dropped 4 pant sizes. The day before this writing I pulled out a pair of new pants I could not fit in two years ago, (just as a test to see where I am). They fit fine! I have lost 74lbs and counting!

My advice for others who may be frustrated about getting started with exercise program is

You must be willing to change. lt doesn't matter how many people or reports published saying fat kills, nothing happens until you turn the corner in your will. I think real change is sustained by deliberate and planned and acted on over time. You can’t be swayed by fads and somebody`s ideal of what you should be...you have to do it for yourself! Others can motivate but in the end YOU gotta do the work! What’s beautiful and sexy is you being the best you( healthy and active enjoying your life). You must realize that extra stuffing is covering up the real healthier version of yourself. Concentrate on moving more exchanging bad habits for good ones, the body will change. Honestly, if I had 5 or 10 vanity lbs to lose, I probably wouldn`t be toying around with my metabolism. I have seen some beautiful women talking about how much of a whale they were at size 8 or 10. People need to make lifestyle changes and stop dieting, let diet and exercise be a new norm not a temporary fix.

What keeps me focused is my mental picture of what I will be when I`m done. My goals are to continue being more active with my family and go back into law enforcement. What also keeps me going is the positive feelings and changes both in body and mind and compliments from people who are noticing my progress. I know I have ways to go but these are good sign posts. I feel so much better, if I miss a workout I don’t feel as well that day. I know this might be taboo but I don’t completely deny myself of things I enjoyed. Once in a while I will eat that piece of cake or wing dings or whatever...just in moderation. I found that I want healthy choices not that junk. I crave things like fruit, grilled fish and chicken, it didn’t happen overnight (neither did the nearly 300 lbs gain). Also there good alternatives to some of the things I used use to scarf down and keep the best at bay.

I make choices that will change my life. Thank you Stacy and Fit Body Boot Camp;I haven’t felt this good in a long time!

Rodney is a true inspiration for anyone who is struggling with weight issues. He had courage to change, he had the courage to come to a group class and participate in a challenging workout. Although he had an extra 250lbs to carry, he was able to lose weight through moderation in food intake and attending boot camp for exercise. He started class with some modifications but shortly was able to build up his endurance to running and doing all the exercises in class. He loved the challenge and proved to be one strong boot camper! He will be missed tremendously in class and we wish him the best of luck as he and his family move to Jacksonville, FLA. We are so proud of you Rodney!

I have no doubt that Rodney's journey will continue on because he gets it and he has the determination to overcome anything that life puts in front of him. He has overcome a lot in his life and those struggles have strengthen him and given him the internal motivation to stay on the road to good health.

May God Keep Blessing You and Your Family!

From Your Friends at STA-FIT & Fit Body Boot Camp

Being Thankful Today Can Help Lift Up Someone !

2011-11-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

GET FIT & MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

There are many reasons to give thanks and sometimes we find ourselves focusing on all the things that we don't have or complain about what seems in the big scheme of things really insignificant. Holidays are tough for a lot of people that have less.

It is hard to watch as American's are being gluttonous over these next few months, stomachs being overstuffed with even seconds and thirds, while so many are doing without even one serving. Can we be content to eat just enough and push away all the food that ends up on our hips, thighs, and gut?

Burn the Fat and Feed the Hungry is a challenge to make a change this year and get fit and help those in need. Fit Body Boot Camp in Woodstock is doing our annual food drive for Must Cherokee ( a local food bank) that helps those in Cherokee County who need food for their family.

The other day I stopped myself for complaining about having to go to the grocery store and buy food; I was tired from a long day and really just wanted to go home and chill. I immediately thought about the food drive that I am doing and all the people who would love to be able to have this priviledge, so I made sure to buy extra food to donate that day. So, if you are feeling blessed today and would like to help out and maybe even start a fitness program or recommit to your fitness goals, then please bring a bag of groceries and for you donation you will receive either :

Two week free membership to boot camp
12 week in home downloadable fitness kickstart program
$100 dollars off 1st month of unlimited boot camp

I I feel blessed this thanksgiving for my health, that I have a home, that I can go to the grocery store and buy food for my family and prepare a meal. I also feel blessed to be in a position to help empower change in my clients life with good healthy habits as well as someone who may need a meal this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving to All My Readers...May you be blessed this Season!

Low Carb Pumpkin Muffins

Here's a muffin that isn't sugary, starchy and devoid of nutrients – like the muffins at your favorite coffee shop. These muffins are rich in beta-carotene and contain half an egg's worth of high quality protein. The delicately sweet flavor will satisfy and have you coming back for more.
Servings: 12

Here's what you need...

1/2 cup coconut flour (find at natural foods store)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canned pureed pumpkin
6 eggs, beaten
3 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 pecans for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil muffin pans.
In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, place the pumpkin puree then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add melted coconut, honey and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, blend with a whisk until most lumps have disappeared.
Spoon into prepared muffin pan, filling each muffin 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden.
Place on wire rack to cool.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 127 calories, 7g fat, 230mg sodium, 11.7g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 5g protein.

No Time to Cook , Shop, and Prepare Healthy Meals!

2011-10-30T18:36:00.000-04:00

Save Time, Save Money, No cooking or Cleaning, Lose Weight with Gourmet Food!

So are you tired of planning your meals, preparing and cooking, spending time grocery shopping and cleaning dishes, if so I have a solution for you!
I recently met with a Food Delivery company that provides food especially for fitness trainers and their clients. I have been researching companies like this for over a year to find a solution for my busy clients. Clients who are struggling with cooking healthy good tasting meals with guaranteed results and at a low cost. I found it and would like to share it with you!
The food has no preservative and it taste good! I got to sample the food myself plus they off 100% money back guarantee. Since their food is designed as a solution for personal trainer's clients, the meals are all portioned out and all you have to do is microwave it 90sec. The meals are basically higher protein, vegetable, nuts with no carbs except your veggies...that way it guarantees you fast results with no prep time cooking meats. You don't have to spend your Sunday cooking your meat for the week. The best thing is it can be as low as only $10.50 per day for 5 meals (3 meals plus 2 snacks). The servings are good size because there are no pasta, rice, etc..you get bigger portions of meat and veggies.
I don't know about you, but I am sure you spend more on bad fast foods!
CLICK ON AD BELOW TO GET MENU OPTIONS!

Other systems like nutrisystem and Jenny Craig taste bad, cost more, less food per pound and are processed carbs!

I have negotiated a coupon code for all of my clients to try this for a limited time. If you are ordering use my name as trainer and enter in caps coupon code STAFIT for $20.00 off.
I really would like you all to get awesome results and if you are struggling with your food, here is an easy way to get results. If you have any question and would like me to help you with this please call me. I can help you select foods and order for you. If you are not a member or client but subscriber to my newsletter you can receive this offer as well.

If you are interested in quick starting your weight loss and fitness please contact me! Special boot camp rates available when purchase your meal!

What You Can Learn From Cavemen about Your Heatlh

2011-10-01T12:02:00.000-04:00

What You Can Learn From Cavemen

How would you like to be naturally lean, muscular and energetic? To effortlessly maintain a low body fat, rippling muscles and picturesque health?

Mark Sisson, an athlete, coach, and student on a lifelong quest for exceptional health, happiness, and peak performance (his words), penned the book, "The Primal Blueprint" to show you how to do just that.

At 55, he weighs 165 pounds with 8 percent body fat, eats as much food as he pleases, and rarely gets sick. He also says he's healthier, fitter, happier and more productive than ever.

So what is Mark's secret?

In his words, "Modeling your 21st-century life after our primal hunter-gather ancestors will help you greatly reduce or eliminate almost all of the disease risk factors that you may falsely blame on genes you inherited from your parents

Weight loss does not have to involve the suffering, sacrifice, and deprivation we've been conditioned to accept but instead is a matter of eating the right foods (plants and animals), avoiding the wrong foods (processed carbs—including grains—and trans and partially hydrogenated fats), and exercising strategically, for far fewer hours than you might assume, to reach your desired fitness goals."

Here are The Ten Primal Blueprint Laws:

Law #1: Eat Lots of Plants and Animals
The bulk of the caveman diet is animal protein (organic, free-range, or wild sources of meat, fowl, and fish), a plethora of colorful veggies and fruits, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, their derivative butters, certain oils, and avocados).

Law #2: Avoid Poisonous Things
For the caveman this meant staying away from poisonous plants. For you this means staying away from sugars, sodas, chemically altered fats, processed, packaged, fried and preserved foods. It also means cutting out grains.

Law #3: Move Frequently at a Slow Pace
The caveman spent several hours each day moving around at a low-level aerobic pace. This helped develop strong bones, joints, and connective tissue.

Law #4: Lift Heavy Things
Frequent bursts of intense physical effort were a daily part of the caveman's life. Biochemical signals would be triggered that prompted improvements and adaptations in muscle tone, size and power.

Law #5: Sprint Once in a While
For the caveman a fast sprint meant the difference between being eaten and staying alive. Little did he know that those sprints were helping to increase his energy levels, improve athletic performance and minimize the effects of aging by promoting the release of testosterone and human growth hormone.

Law #6: Get Adequate Sleep
The rising and setting of the sun dictated the length of the caveman's day. For us things are a bit trickier. Adequate sleep helps the immune system work optimally, and promotes the release of hormones that enhance brain and endocrine function.

Law #7: Play Without a TV or computer to entertain himself, the caveman would engage in hours of leisurely outdoor play. Relaxed play releases endorphins and provides a balance for mental stress.

Law #8: Get Adequate Sunlight
It's impossible to obtain adequate vitamin D from diet alone. Getting regular sun exposure allows for proper vitamin D production, critical for healthy cell function.

Law #9: Avoid Stupid Mistakes
Observation and self-preservation were key factors in the survival of a caveman. Today's world is full of distractions that leave us oblivious and careless. Take, for example, texting while driving.

Law #10: Use Your Brain
The human brain separates us from the animals. Intellectual stimulation is an important part of healthy brain function.

Rave Reviews: Despite its stringent requirements, the caveman diet is converting new followers by the boatload. Most people report losing 10 or more pounds in their first month and that they no longer feel bloated and sleepy after meals.

Should You Jump on the Primal Bandwagon? So, in light of the evidence, should you put down your whole wheat bagel and low fat cream cheese in exchange for a hunk of meat and pile of veggies?

Hold your horses.

Though the caveman diet has been proven to promote weight loss, times have changed. Could you really practice all of the Primal Laws while maintaining your modern life?

Yeah... I didn't think so.

So, where do you go from here? You want to lose weight, to protect yourself from disease and to look and feel great.

A great solution, that doesn't require drastic change, is to take 3 bits of advice from the caveman—advice that will promote weight loss, decrease your risk of disease and will get you looking and feeling great.

1. Make Plants and Animals the Focus of Your Diet: This will quickly lead to weight loss and increased energy. Don't be so hard on yourself that everything you put in your mouth has to be caveman approved – but make it the majority of your diet.

2. Cut Out Processed Food: The simplest way to promote weight loss and to encourage good health is to eliminate processed foods from your diet. When you replace processed foods with fresh produce your results will be immediate. Not only will you feel healthier, you will have more energy than you'll know what to do with! * Want to eat a Caveman approved dinner? Check out my recipe below*

3. Exercise: Since you will need an outlet for all that extra energy, acquire a new hobby—one that gets you moving. Have you ever met a lazy caveman? Of course not. (And this is not just because you were born a few centuries too late!) Cavemen were forced to be active in order to survive. Hunt dinner. Build a fire. Move a fallen tree. Create shelter. You get the idea If you want a lean, muscular body then exercise must become a part of your daily life.

This is where I come in. Let's meet one-on-one to design an exercise program that will fit your unique goals.

Call or email today to get started.

WILD BLACKENED CATFISH

Any caveman would be proud of this catch! Wild caught catfish is delicate and flaky, with loads of flavor. Catfish contains healthy fatty acids, provides complete protein, is a source of vitamin B-12, and is low in mercury. Pair it with dark leafy greens and some fruit for the perfect caveman meal.

Servings: 4

Here's what you need...

2 teaspoon olive oil
4 fillets wild caught catfish
blackened seasoning (try Cajun's Choice)
1 lemon, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a glass pan.
Coat the catfish fillets in the olive oil. Generously apply the seasoning to both sides of each fillet.
Line the fillets in prepared pan, and top with sliced lemon.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until flaky.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 160 calories, 9g fat, 120mg sodium, 0g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, and 17g protein.

New 6 Week Outdoor Running Boot Camp for novice to intermediate runners.

2011-09-02T16:14:00.000-04:00

New 6 Week Outdoor Running Boot Camp for novice to intermediate runners.

12 sessions in 6 weeks in duration. We meet Mon. and Thurs. 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Each run is a little different. We may do hill training one day, a slow tempo run on another, or play The Amazing Race on another. Running Boot Camp is FUN!

Truly, all ages, shapes, fitness levels and abilities are in Running Boot Camp. This is a very motivational running group! We are heavy on camaraderie, and very light on competition.

Mandatory Pre-Assessment and Informational Clinic will be Saturday October1st at 9am at the World of Gymnastics.

Workout Session starts on Oct. 3rd - Nov. 17th.
* The end of the session we will do a 5K TEAM RUN Detail of the race TBA.

What is Running Boot Camp?

Running Boot Camp is an outdoor running program for co-ed groups offering world-class running instruction & motivational techniques. This program is packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach your fitness and running goals quickly! No matter what your age, size or fitness level, you can achieve great results. The only requirement is that you must be able to run 1-mile without stopping to walk. The speed of the mile doesn’t matter. We will run on Monday & Thursday Evenings . Running Boot Camp will run concurrently with Fit Body Boot Camp. The goal here is to learn how to run more efficiently, increase your speed and have fun doing it!

This running program is unlike any other. There is NO COMPETITION. You will feel motivated and empowered! There are 5 different running terrains that we utilize from week to week throughout the Woodstock/Canton Area.

Why Running Boot Camp?

* Learn proper form & breathing techniques
* Increase speed, efficiency & endurance
* Increase muscular strength
* Conquer fears of running
* Personal coaching
* Camaraderie & accountability
* Learn Myofascial Release Techniques (Foam Rolling)
* Learn injury prevention techniques
* Strengthen legs & core
* 2-5% body fat reduction
* 5-12 lbs. of body weight loss

5 Different Running Terrains/Locations:
We run/train on different types of terrain to promote muscular joint support.

* High School & Collegiate Track Surfaces
* Gravel/Granite
* Concrete
* Asphalt
* Grass

Daily Workouts

* Hill Training / Stair Workouts
* Slow Tempo Runs
* Running Games / Fun Runs
* Leg Strengthening Workouts
* Endurance Work
* Muscular Strengthening & Interval Training for Speed
* Stamina Building

Assessment day

Assessments are designed to establish a baseline of your timed mile run and track improvements! We will test your mile run the first and last week of your session. It doesn’t matter where you start - the key here is progress! If you come to all of your scheduled classes and commit to your goals you will show significant progress at the end of your session! Most participants take anywhere from 30 seconds to even 3 minutes off their time.

What You Will Need:
Yoga Mat (when needed)
Good Running Shoes
Water Bottle & Towel
Positive Attitude

Suggestions: Polar Heart rate monitor - track heart rate training zones for intensity. There are different styles and cost varies depending on features. If you are trying to lose weight also I would purchase the calorie tracker feature as well.

Foam roller -Flexibility and self myofasical release to prevent running injuries.

Cost: 2 workouts a week for 6 Weeks
12 Running Workouts and Seminar for $199 (recommended for maximum results)
Special promotional rate $144.00 ( $12.00 per session) through Sept.22nd

If you are a current boot camper and would like to add this 6 week class in addition to current morning boot camp special rate of only $75.00($7.90 per session). Must continue morning boot camp program payment in order to qualify for this discount. Ask about family member discounts.

Be the runner you have always wanted to be!

More info and to register online at http://www.impactfitpro.com

Spinach, Mango, and Red Quinoa Salad (with Chicken)

2011-08-04T18:11:00.000-04:00

Crisp baby spinach blends with sweet mango, tender chicken and a sprinkle of red quinoa in this refreshing salad. Complete with your veggies, protein and wholegrain, this salad is a balance meal in and of itself.
Servings: 2

Here's what you need...

2 cups baby spinach
1 small carrot, shredded
2 Tablespoons red onion, minced
1/4 cup red quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup ripe mango, diced
1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
2 Tablespoons lowfat salad dressing (Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing)

Place the spinach, carrot, onion, quinoa, mango, and chicken in a medium bowl. Toss with dressing.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 248 calories, 4.7g fat, 301mg sodium, 25.5g carbohydrate, 3.4g fiber, and 25.5g protein.

Burn More Fat with Krill Oil

2011-07-17T09:12:00.000-04:00

Burn More Calories With Krill Oil

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD

Increased body fat and a sluggish metabolism may not be entirely your fault.

Sometimes, no matter how well you eat and how much you exercise, your body fat levels barely change; especially if you have been overweight for awhile. Women experience this more than men due to other hormonal and physical differences.

Now, it’s true that weight loss is hard, otherwise it wouldn’t be worth so much to people to lose those stubborn pounds.

Body Weight Frustration Can Be Solved!

But not everyone is willing or able to undergo surgery, or take medications and eat like a mouse to lose weight. And they don’t have to.

Luckily, scientists are discovering new ways to change our cellular makeup with simple, but powerful, dietary strategies so that it’s easier for people to eat less, burn more calories, and shed unwanted fat.

All this may sound too good to be true, but it’s actually real. You can add or subtract specific foods and nutrients from your diet, and make a drastic difference in your metabolism, without having to starve yourself to do it.

However, before I share some of this exciting research with you, I must first make this disclaimer:

There is NO magic bullet in existence for weight loss!

Losing fat is a multi-factorial effort. It takes consistent and good eating habits, regular and effective exercise, and the right mindset to make it happen. Without these all in place, no new scientific discovery will make any difference in your weight or health.

Now, on to the science:

Researchers have recently discovered that certain systems in our body are responsible for appetite and metabolism. One of these systems is called the endocannabinoid system (called ECS).

Some people may recognize the word cannabinoid and think it’s related to marijuana. And, in fact, they are right, which I’ll explain more below.

The ECS is a complex signaling system located in the brain and many other tissues, and is comprised of special receptors (CB1 and CB2), proteins and ligands (such as AEA and 2-AG), that play an important role in physical and emotional responses to stress with appetite and energy regulation.

This system is thought to affect a wide variety of physiologic processes including nociception (pain sense), motor control, memory and learning, food intake, and energy balance.

Several studies have demonstrated that in obese or diabetic rodents and humans, activity of the ECS is elevated in adipose tissue, liver, and pancreas, also in the brain, particularly the hypothalamus. These people also have increased levels of the ECS ligands, anandamide (AEA) and 2- arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).

Activation of the ECS increases food intake, decreases energy expenditure, and disrupts glucose and lipid homeostasis by inducing insulin resistance - which is not good for health or body composition at all.

On the flip side, blockage of the ECS receptors and ligands in the lab through pharmacological means or genetic knockout of ECS receptors in mice, decreases food intake and body weight, and markedly improves insulin sensitivity, glucose, and lipid homeostasis in obesity.

With respect to marijuana, the chemicals (primarily THC) in this plant are shown to act directly on ECS receptors in the brain and greatly increase food-seeking behavior, while decreasing energy expenditure (munchies anyone?).

Marijuana Munchies Are Rooted In Our Brains

The EC System was actually named when scientists discovered the receptor in the brain (and then other organs) that were responsible for the actions of cannabis (aka, marijuana). The endocannabinoid system was essential to life and relates messages that affect how we relax, eat, sleep, feel pain, forget, and protect. But most interesting right now is its role in body weight regulation and hunger.

As such, the EC System is being investigated in great detail so scientists can find ways to decrease its activity and help people with greater appetites and lower energy output to lose weight and be healthier.

Krill Oil and the Endocannabinoid System

Scientists are now looking for ways to restore normal tone and activity to the ECS in obese and diabetic people that have abnormalities with this system.

Some pharmacological antagonists have been tried without success, as they have been shown to have psychiatric side effects, such as increased incidence of depression and anxiety.

However, recently, triumph with supplemental krill oil has been found.

Krill Oil is Better Than Pharmaceutical Drugs

In obese rats, krill oil, more so than fish oil, was able to down-regulate the ECS in different tissues, helping rats eat less and lose body fat.

Even though both oils caused an increase in blood levels of EPA and DHA (the omega-3 fatty acids in marine oils), krill oil was more effective at inhibiting the ECS and caused greater decreases in fatty liver and fatty heart.

Recently, the beneficial effects in humans of krill oil supplementation were shown, as well.

Sixty-three normal weight, overweight, and obese men and women were given either 2 grams of krill oil, 2 grams of fish oil, or 2 grams of olive oil for 4 weeks.

At the beginning of the study, it was found that the obese men and women, but not the overweight, had increased levels of AEA, while both overweight and obese people had higher levels of 2-AG (than normal weight people). This supports other findings that show that high 2-AG levels are associated with high body fat levels rather than just high BMI.

After 4 weeks, the krill oil was able to significantly decrease levels of 2-AG in the obese and overweight subjects, while the fish oil and olive oil did not do anything. Both the fish oil and krill oil had a positive and similar effect on blood EPA and DHA levels, but the krill oil was better at reducing endocannabinoid levels.

Krill oil is more potent in this regard because of the more efficient utilization of krill oil fatty acids into cellular tissues due to its unique molecular phospholipid structure. Compare this to fish oil, which has a triglyceride structure.

A Phospholipid Has Only Two Fatty Acid "Tails" While A Triglyceride Has Three

Since this study was so short (4 weeks), there were no significant overall changes in the participants' body fat levels or cardiovascular disease risk. However, longer studies will probably show benefits similar to animal studies conducted for a greater length of time.

Overall, krill oil has the ability to help people struggling with high body fat levels, enhanced appetite, and sluggish metabolisms better than fish oil and other common cooking oils. A dose of just 2 grams of day can have a great effect on the energy regulation system in the body, as long as the length of time consumed is more than just 4 weeks.

Discover Why Krill Oil Is 47 Times More Powerful Than Regular Fish Oil>>

References:

Central endocannabinoid signaling regulates hepatic glucose production and systemic lipolysis.
O'Hare JD, Zielinski E, Cheng B, Scherer T, Buettner C. Diabetes. 2011 Apr;60(4):1055-62.

Endocannabinoids may mediate the ability of (n-3) fatty acids to reduce ectopic fat and inflammatory mediators in obese Zucker rats. Batetta B, Griinari M, Carta G, Murru E, Ligresti A, Cordeddu L, Giordano E, Sanna F, Bisogno T, Uda S, Collu M, Bruheim I, Di Marzo V, Banni S: J Nutr 2009, 139:1495-1501.

Krill oil significantly decreases 2-arachidonoylglycerol plasma levels in obese subjects.

Banni S, Carta G, Murru E, Cordeddu L, Giordano E, Sirigu AR, Berge K, Vik H, Maki KC, Di Marzo V, Griinari M. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2011 Jan 30;8(1):7.

We are a GMP Rated facility, so what we say is in the bottle is really IN the bottle. Sure, it's extremely difficult to get certified, but we feel the extra effort is worth it. Don't you agree?

FEEL BETTER FAST
and Reduce or
END YOUR HEALTH PROBLEMS with Body Weight, Pain, Memory, Heart, Vision, Energy, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Sex, Sleep, Immune, Liver, PMS for Women, Mood and more

New Type of Fish Oil Proven 47 Times Better For Your Health Than Regular Fish Oil

GO TO htpp:// www.STA-FIT.GETPROGRADE.COM
Coupon code: EFA15 (**Sale End Sunday July 17th at 11:59pm EST**)

(This offer can not be combined with any other offer and the 15% discount applies to your first month's shipment only if you purchase Prograde Smart Ship products. All recurring shipments will renew at the normal absolute lowest price listed with FREE SHIPPING)

Dear Friend,

        Now you can ‘upgrade” your Omega-3 rich Fish Oil capsules to ones that are proven 47 times more effective for your health using an ORAC rating …. and for no additional cost!

      As you know, leading natural health experts recommend everyone should be taking Fish Oil. The main reason is the Omega 3 antioxidants in it reduce health-killing free radicals in your body.

        But this breaking new research proves you should upgrade from your regular fish oil because a new kind works much better. It gives you more of the health benefits you want most – now and in the future.

        The news is that Krill Fish Oil has proven far superior to regular Fish Oil for your health. In fact, a recent McGill University study by R.Bunea, M.D., K. Farrah, M.D. and L. Deutsch, M.D. showed:

Good Cholesterol rose 10 times more than with regular fish oil. (HDL 44% vs. 4.2%)

Bad Cholesterol dropped 16 times more than with regular fish oil. (LDL 32% vs. 2%)

PAIN reduced 3 times more in only seven days than with regular fish oil (-30 vs. -10; study at Western Ontario and McMaster University WOMAC scores)

Here are more proven clinical study results …

FASTER and EASIER WEIGHT LOSS by improved glucose metabolism and stabilization of blood sugar levels

BETTER HEART HEALTH by reducing inflammation

Prevention of blood clots and high blood pressure that lead to heart attack and stroke

Reduced risk of death from heart problems. “It reduces the risk of forming a blood clot – a major factor in heart attacks” write authors Dr. Frank Ryan and Dr Reg Saynor, who turned 80 earlier this year, looking barely a day over 50 – a fact he credits to this SuperFood supplement!

Decreased joint pain

Improves mood and provides relief of PMS symptoms for women

As you can plainly see, you get a lot more health benefits to make you feel and look your best, relieve your health problems naturally, and help prevent serious illnesses.

Fish Oil with their Omega 3’s Are “A Must” For Good Health
… This Discovery Gives Your Body Even Better Omega 3’s …
With 47 Times More Antioxidant Power Than Regular Fish
Oil!

        Prograde ® EFA Icon Krill Fish Oil ™ is a revolutionary and quantum improvement for your health.

        You see, the fish or crustracean we use to get our fish oil from is NOT the cheap stuff, but is Krill oil. Krill fish oil is very different than regular fish oil. If you haven’t heard of Krill before, its because its very hard to get. Krill are small crustaceans found in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Ocean. The extraction of oil from Krill is a relatively new technology.

        Prograde ® EFA Icon Krill Fish Oil ™ is much better for your health than regular Fish Oil for many reasons including …

        #1. The antioxidant power is 297 times greater than vitamin A or E, and 47 times greater than regular fish oil! Regular fish oil is very low in antioxidant content. This is measured by the standard ORAC value.

        #2. Its most powerful antioxidant effects are produced by astaxanthin which is NOT contained in regular fish oil . It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, which helps to both protect and stimulate the brain for a better mood, better memory and clearer thinking.

        #3. This is important: Krill Oil contains phospholipids which form a microscopic barrier that helps cells filter out toxins and free radical damage that can result in serious illnesses. Regular fish oil does NOT contain this.

        #4. It has 500% better absorption by your body than regular fish oil, according to U.S. Government National Institutes Of Health.

        #5. There is NO fishy aftertaste or digestion problems. No “fish burps”, or acid reflux that often occur with regular fish oil.

        And if all that isn’t enough to get you to upgrade now, get this …

Regular FISH OIL Comes From
A POLLUTED FOOD SOURCE!

        That’s right! A high percent of regular fish oil is highly contaminated with toxins like mercury, lead, arsenic, PCB’s, the radioactive strontium and other pollutants from industrial waste in the water.

        In fact, The FDA and EPA have issued health alerts warning against eating certain fish for young children, women who are pregnant (or may become pregnant) and for nursing mothers. According to the Mercury Policy Project, a 132 pound woman who eats 12 ounces of canned tuna a week could exceed the EPA’s “safe limit” by 350%!

        Is farm-raised fish is a healthier option? No. These fish farms use hormones, chemicals and antibiotics so farms can earn more profit, and the fish can still have mercury and poisonous PCBs.

        On the other hand, KRILL are tiny deepwater crustaceans at the very bottom of the food chain and completely free of unhealthy toxins and pollution commonly found in regular fish oil.
        Want even more proof? Doctors in Japan have already switched their patients from regular fish oil to krill oil. The health benefits reported have been amazing!

This Could Even SAVE YOUR LIFE!

    The HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH found that Omega-3 deficient diets cause up to 96,000 preventable deaths annually in the United States. This is even more deaths than from high Trans Fat intake!

    The average American diet is severely deficient in the Omega-3 vitamins DHA and EPA. You CANNOT get enough from eating fish because you’d have to eat Salmon or a similar fish 6 to 24 times A WEEK depending on your current health!

    The best way to get your life-vital Omega-3’s each day is by taking EFA Icon Krill Fish Oil ™. It contains ALL and the BEST Omega-3’s your body needs PLUS a large amount of health-improving, life-extending antioxidants NOT found in regular fish oil!

“Return To Youth” and “Second Youth”
Reported By People Like You!

        Your health and vitality could soon return to a younger state – how you felt 5, 10, or even more years ago!

        EFA Icon Krill Fish Oil ™ helps rejuvenate the cells, glands and organs of your body, so they function as if you were much younger … so you look and feel much younger than you do now!

        Our Krill Fish Oil contains phospholipids form a microscopic barrier that helps your cells filter out toxins that can result in life-threatening illnesses. They also protect against oxidative stress caused when damaging free-radical molecules break through weakened cell walls.

        The EPA and DHA molecules in our Krill Fish Oil are attached to phospholipids, making them more bio-available and better absorbed by the body than other fish oils. And because of Krill’s high phospholipids and antioxidant content, there is no fishy aftertaste. Regular fish oil lacks this phospholipids complex.

Up To 21 Times More Effective Than Regular Fish Oil
For YOUR HEART HEALTH!
It Lowers Inflammation, Cholesterol and Triglycerides!

        The Alternative Medicine Review reported a double-blind clinical trial showed Superba Krill Oil to be effective for the support of healthy cholesterol, triglycerides and blood lipids.

        It prevents plaque buildup in your arteries. It REDUCED POTENTIAL DEADLY FAT IN AND AROUND THE HEART REGION 21 times more than regular fish oil!

        And if you have high blood sugar, it has been shown to reduce levels of a compound in the blood linked to heart disease. The peer-reviewed Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases reported a daily supplement cut levels of harmful homocysteine by 22 per cent, compared to less than 1 per cent in the placebo group!

Reduces Symptoms Of PMS For Women

        A major study showed it significantly reduced the physical and emotional symptoms of PMS and “was much more effective than regular fish oil”.

        This was a double-blind, randomized clinical trial reported in the journal Alternative Medicine Review.

        This can mean less or NO MORE IRRITABILITY, MOODINESS, BLOATING, breast tenderness or FATIGUE.

4 Ugly Truths Kept Hidden From You
About Regular Fish Oil

        #1. Contains Very Little Antioxidants. Regular fish oil has just 3% of the health-restoring, life-extending antioxidants found in our Prograde® EFA ICON KRILL FISH OIL ™.

        #2. Poor Absorption by the body. You lose up to 80% of the listed DHA and EPA from regular fish oil no matter which brand you take, according to national absorption testing. This is because your body can’t efficiently break down the triglycerides needed to gain access to them.
        #3. Fish Burps And Digestion Problems. These are common for many people who take regular fish oil capsules.

        #4. Toxins and contaminants. The regular fish used is from polluted water and often has high levels of heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and other toxins.

This Can Be YOUR BETTER LIFE Soon!

The exciting news in this letter is really about your opportunity to live healthier, happier and longer!

Now you can have better health and a longer lifespan to enjoy the things that really make you happy like:

Spend more time with the people you love and have fun with!

Golf, shop, do whatever you love more!

Feel more excited, happy and positive!

Make your social / dating life or marriage truly something (more) special!

Learn exciting new things!

Meet and become friends with new, exciting and fun people!

You see, this supplement creates a force-field-of-armor to heal you and strengthen your heart, arteries, bones, muscles, joints, organs and immunity so you can enjoy a better life starting today!

EASIER WEIGHT LOSS!
“Lower Body Weight, Smaller Stomach, Lower Hip Size”!

        A new study by Dr. Monahar Garg at University Of Newcastle concluded this changes levels of “hunger hormones” like ghrelin and leptin, which control appetite.

        The result: faster and easier weight loss because you will be less hungry all the time!

        The study showed people experience a feeling of fullness for longer. This was true even hours after eating meals!

Improves Memory, Thinking, Mood
and Prevents Mental Decline!

        In a recent study, people improved their concentration and working capacity 60.2%, ability to focus 39.0%, planning skills 50.1%, social skills 48.9%, driving capacity and road-safety skills 34.5% This was scored using Barkley’s Executive Function Scoring.

        In another study published in the Archives Of Neurology, those who consumed enough had 60% less risk of memory problems.

        It helps with the generation of new nerve tissue in the brain, something that no one ever dreamed possible until now! This is why it works so well for improving mental cognition --- and preventing mental decline.

Prevents or Ends Eyestrain, Eye Fatigue and Cataract
Formation!

        As you work away at your computer, your eyes are bombarded with bright light and visual stimulation at a close distance. The natural result from this is eye fatigue.

        Results of clinical trials suggest the antioxidant Astaxanthin in our supplement works to prevent eyestrain and eye fatigue!

        Dr. Mary Boesche, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Utah School of Medicine, notes: “In randomized, placebo-controlled studies, symptoms of eyestrain decreased in the subjects who took astaxanthin supplements.”

Astaxanthin has also been shown to lower risk of cataract formation and age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of legal blindness for people over 55 years of age.

An Italian study showed Astaxanthin can actually improve visual function in patients who are in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration.

Now … You Get A Much More Effective Source Of Omega- 3’s… with 47 Times More Antioxidant Power To Relieve Your Health Problems and Feel Your Best … For about THE SAME COST as if you bought regular fish oil!

        I’m so excited for you to start feeling better – your health problems gone -- your energy level higher … preventing serious illnesses … feeling better than you have in years!

        That’s why I want to take away any reason not to respond now with my personal 100% 60 day money back guarantee. No questions asked. No weasel clauses. You have nothing to lose, so click below right now or call 1-888-943-8776 to receive your shipment right away!

Yours for better health,

Jayson Hunter
Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS
Prograde Nutrition

P.S. “What if I take a good Multi-Vitamin daily?” Does it give me enough life- enhancing antioxidants? No – not even 15% of the dosage your body needs! Prograde® EFA Icon Krill Fish Oil ™ has many times more antioxidants than ONE A DAY ® or CENTRUM SILVER ® and other Multi-Vitamins.

        “What if I eat healthy and get regular exercise?” Do I need this? Absolutely! Your body still needs protection from the onslaught of toxins and free radicals that cause aging, and the health problems from aging!

Place your order toll free today!
1-888-9GETPRO (1-888-943-8776)
Mon-Fri 9am-7pm EST
Or use our 100% secure online ordering system below.

GO TO

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$10 instant savings on every bottle

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Save Time with Auto-Delivery – your products will be shipped every month right to your door automatically.
Never worry again about running out of your favorite Prograde product
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No contracts – you can cancel your Prograde Smart Ship delivery program anytime by logging into your account. There are no contacts to sign and you are never locked-in.

* Health Benefits of Krill Study

* Pain Management Study

Hasn't Felt This Good in Years

"I've been using Prograde's VGF 25+ for Women, EFA Icon and Longevity for just over a year now. I can honestly tell you I haven't felt this good in years! The products don't upset my stomach at all, unlike other brands, and I can really tell the difference in my health*. If you're looking for nutritional products that actually deliver results, then look no further than Prograde. "

Carol Moore, Age 43, Jupiter, FL

Great Flavor AND Results

"Prograde products don't just have great flavor, they deliver serious results. Since I started using Prograde Lean, EFA Icon, VGF25+ and Cravers just three weeks ago, well, I have already seen great results! Thanks for the great products!"

Jason Amigliore, Continuum Fitness, Tampa, FL

Thank you for a quality product!

My wife and I love how good we feel when we take Prograde’s VGF and EFA Icon and wanted to thank you for putting out a quality product I can be proud to sell to clients. AND the great thing is: my clients spontaneously tell me how pleased they are too! My family and I thank you and your team. Cheers,

Daniel Iversen, Portland, OR

Feeling much better already after a couple weeks

I recommended Prograde to my brother who was looking for a quality supplement for his current training.. He said he's LOVING the VGF 25+ and Workout.. Said he's feeling much better already after a couple weeks!* He purchased the Platinum Package of VGF25 +, Workout, and EFA Icon.. You guys have got it down with quality that's for sure!

John Cortese, Cortese Performance Training, San Luis Obispo, CA

Especially Love The EFA Icon!

My husband has high cholesterol, not because of his diet or lack of fitness, but because of a hereditary condition, and with the use of your Prograde EFAs, I am pleased to say he has been able to get off prescription medication that he had been using. As well, I enjoy your newsletters and recipes and share them with others. I find them all very helpful!

Thank you Prograde Team!!!

Sincerely,

Angela Coupe
Hubbards, Nova Scotia, Canada

I Have Been Using Prograde For 6 Months And I Love It!

I have chronic, long term arthritis in both knees and hips and I was taking Celebrex, but it causes its own set of issues, as you know. Among other things, I started taking Prograde supplements, lost about twenty pounds and started regular daily exercising.

OMG, my life has never been better. No pain AT ALL in my knees other than the usual stiffness and slight difficulty up and down stairs. Otherwise, I run 2K a day, walk everywhere, do aerobics and dance for hours. I could not have imagined such a thing just six months ago, so I just wanted to let you know. I am forwarding your website link to everyone I know and urging them at least to try.”

Lyn Kemp
Ontario, Canada
I Have Been Using Prograde For Over One Year Now!

"I've been using Prograde products for over a year and can really tell they are working by the way I look and feel and doctor's reports.

I'm 70 with multiple sclerosis and people are telling me constantly how good I look; how much energy I have!

I have a full-time glass art business, so I'm busy too. And thank you, Jayson, for all your incredible ideas, research and recipes! You are all fantastic people and professionals at the same time!"

Judi Hartman
Flagstaff, AZ
We Don't Know If You'll See The Same Results, But Check Out Grace's!
"Just received my lab results since taking krill oil. Amazing results! My doc told me everything was within normal limits. I thought he made a mistake, so I went to records to retrieve a copy, I had to see it for myself: CHL: 185/Tri: 86/HDL: 66.

Thanks Prograde!"

Grace Alvarez-Gutierrez
Waynesville, MO
Thank You So Much For This Amazing Product!

"I was so hesitant to order the Metabolism, VGF 25+Woman and the EFA icon pills. I don't really like taking pills and EVERY vitamin I've ever taken has made me nauseous. I take ALL of these pills no problem! and after just 4 days I am feeling so great and already lost 1 lb! Thank you so much for this amazing product =)"

Diana Sanchez Kloster

I Am Slowly Becoming Addicted To Your Products
“I ordered EFA Icon last month and started taking it immediately. I also take the Longevity, the VGF 25+ and the Protein powder. I am slowly becoming addicted to your products and have lost 12 pounds over the last 2 weeks. I've of course included a healthy meal plan into all this and feel amazing!"

"My knee pain is gone and my energy level has gone up significantly. Your products are amazing!"
Annette Flores
Napoleon, OH

*We don't know if you will experience the same or similar results as these Prograde customers. Your experiences may not be as positive.

For all orders being placed from outside the continental United States:  
The handling fee for all other orders outside of the U.S. is $3.95, regardless of the quantity ordered. Please note, additional duties and customs fees may apply. Unfortunately, our Prograde Smart Ship service is only available to residents of US and Canada at this time.

All orders shipped to countries other than the United States and Canada will be processed and shipped within 1 to 2 business days. Orders are shipped to Canada via USPS to Canadian post and should arrive within 5-7 business days from the day it is shipped. All other international orders are shipped via USPS and should arrive within 12-14 business days from the day it is shipped. Should your order not arrive after 14 business days please check with your local post office to see if they are able to locate your shipment before contacting us. If your local post office is unable to locate the package we will contact the shipper and open up a claim to have them search for your shipment. This could take anywhere from 30 to 60 days and no guarantee is given that the shipment will be found. No refunds will be issued during the claim period.

Due to various Customs policies, we cannot guarantee delivery for any orders outside of the United States, especially for orders of more than a 90 day supply of a specific product. If the customs office in your country does not deliver the shipment or returns your order to us - either because you did not have permission to import such supplements or because such supplements are banned or are undeliverable at the address provided. This means we will not be able to reship your order, should it not arrive. A refund will be issued as follows: We will take the total amount of your order and subtract your shipping charge. We will also subtract any other outside charges we may have incurred during shipping, such as quarantine fees or warehousing fees, if applicable. Additionally, any duties and customs fees that may be due upon delivery are the responsibility of the customer. Each country has different laws and regulations regarding the purchase of products from other countries. You are responsible for making sure that buying nutritional supplements from the United States is allowed. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience.

To read more about customs laws and international shipping please click this link and check out "More International Information"

Select References:

Simopoulos AP, Fatty Acids in health and disease and in growth and development, American Journal Clinical Nutriton; 54:438-463

Deutsch L. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2007

Stone NJ, Fish consumption, fish oil: lipids, and coronary heart disease. Circulation, 94:2337-2340.

Kalmijn S, van Boxtel MP, Ocké M, et al. Dietary intake of fatty acids and fish in relation to cognitive performance at middle age. Neurology. 2004; 62(2): 275-80.

Innis SM. Dietary (n–3) fatty acids and brain development. J Nutr. 2007; 137: 855-859.

Lagarde M, Bernoud N, Brossard N, et al. Lysophosphatidylcholine as a preferred carrier form of docosahexaenoic acid to the brain. J Mol Neurosci. 2001; 16: 201-4.

Schaefer EJ, Bongard V, Beiser AS. Plasma phosphatidylcholine docosahexaenoic acid content and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: the Framingham Heart Study. Arch Neurol. 2006; 63(11): 1545-50.

Sinclair AJ, Begg D, Mathai M. Omega 3 fatty acids and the brain: review of studies in depression. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007; 16 Suppl 1: 391-7.

Wainwright PE. Dietary essential fatty acids and brain function: a developmental perspective on mechanisms. Proc Sci Nutr. 2002; 61: 61-69.

Anderson ML. A preliminary investigation of the enzymatic inhibition of 5alpha-reduction and growth of prostatic carcinoma cell line LNCap-FGC by natural astaxanthin and Saw Palmetto lipid extract in vitro. J Herb Pharmacother. 2005;5(1):17-26.

** Notice: WARNING: If you are allergic to shellfish, have a blood coagulation disorder, or are taking anticoagulants such as Warfarin (Coumadin), do not use Krill Oil.

My knee pain is gone and my energy level has gone up significantly. Your products are amazing!”

Annette Flores

Napoleon, OH

Hasn't Felt This Good in Years

"I've been using Prograde's VGF 25+ for Women, EFA Icon and Longevity for just over a year now. I can honestly tell you I haven't felt this good in years! The products don't upset my stomach at all, unlike other brands, and I can really tell the difference in my health*. If you're looking for nutritional products that actually deliver results, then look no further than Prograde. "

Carol Moore,
Age 43, Jupiter, FL

Great Flavor AND Results

"Prograde products don't just have great flavor, they deliver serious results.
Since I started using Prograde Lean, EFA Icon, VGF25+ and Cravers just three weeks ago, well, I have already seen great results! Thanks for the great products!"

Jason Amigliore
Continuum Fitness, Tampa, FL

Thank you for a quality product!

My wife and I love how good we feel when we take Prograde’s VGF and EFA Icon and wanted to thank you for putting out a quality product I can be proud to sell to clients.
AND the great thing is: my clients spontaneously tell me how pleased they are too!
My family and I thank you and your team.
Cheers,

Daniel Iversen,
Portland, OR

Feeling much better already after a couple weeks

I recommended Prograde to my brother who was looking for a quality supplement for his current training.. He said he's LOVING the VGF 25+ and Workout.. Said he's feeling much better already after a couple weeks!*

He purchased the Platinum Package of VGF25 +, Workout, and EFA Icon.. You guys have got it down with quality that's for sure!

John Cortese,
Cortese Performance Training, San Luis Obispo, CA

We don't know if you will experience the same or similar results as these Prograde customers. Your experiences may not be as positive.

Would You Like To Learn How to Train for a 5K or Increase Your Running Speed, Lose Weight & Burn Fat?

2011-05-16T12:42:00.000-04:00

New 6 Week Outdoor Running Boot Camp for novice to intermediate runners.

12 sessions in 6 weeks in duration. We meet Mon. and Thurs. 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Each run is a little different. We may do hill training one day, a slow tempo run on another, or play The Amazing Race on another. Running Boot Camp is FUN!

Truly, all ages, shapes, fitness levels and abilities are in Running Boot Camp. This is a very motivational running group! We are heavy on camaraderie, and very light on competition.

Mandatory Pre-Assessment and Informational Clinic will be Saturday June 4th at 9am at the World of Gymnastics.

Workout Session starts on June 6th - July 21st with the week of July 4th off.

* The end of the session we will do a 5K TEAM RUN Detail of the race are below:
Date Saturday, July 23, 2011 @ 8:00 AM
Additional Date Information

5K-8:00am, 1K Fun Run-9:00am
Address
Cherokee High School - Hwy 5
930 Marietta Hwy
Fees
5K - $20/$23 on race day / 1K Fun Run - $10 anytime
Registration Closing Date
Thursday, July 21, 2011 @ 9:00 PM
Additional Information
The 5K will start at 8:00am.
The 1K Fun Run will start at 9:00am.

COURSE
The 5K course begins in front of Cherokee High School and ends in Boling Park. This is a VERY FAST, FLAT COURSE which takes you along the Etowah River. The last 1.5 miles of the race is on the trail.
The 1K Fun Run is run entirely inside Boling Park.
OPTIONAL pre-registration and packet pick-up is Fri. July 22nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Dept.- Recreation Center South Annex located at 7545 Main St. in Woodstock.Saturday, July 23, 2011 @ 8:00 AMSaturday, July 23, 2011 @ 8:00 AMCherokee High School Hwy 5

What is Running Boot Camp?

Running Boot Camp is an outdoor running program for co-ed groups offering world-class running instruction & motivational techniques. This program is packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach your fitness and running goals quickly! No matter what your age, size or fitness level, you can achieve great results. The only requirement is that you must be able to run 1-mile without stopping to walk. The speed of the mile doesn’t matter. We will run on Monday & Thursday Evenings . Running Boot Camp will run concurrently with Fit Body Boot Camp. The goal here is to learn how to run more efficiently, increase your speed and have fun doing it!

This running program is unlike any other. There is NO COMPETITION. You will feel motivated and empowered! There are 5 different running terrains that we utilize from week to week throughout the Woodstock/Canton Area.

Why Running Boot Camp?

* Learn proper form & breathing techniques
* Increase speed, efficiency & endurance
* Increase muscular strength
* Conquer fears of running
* Personal coaching
* Camaraderie & accountability
* Learn Myofascial Release Techniques (Foam Rolling)
* Learn injury prevention techniques
* Strengthen legs & core
* 2-5% body fat reduction
* 5-12 lbs. of body weight loss

5 Different Running Terrains/Locations:
We run/train on different types of terrain to promote muscular joint support.

* High School & Collegiate Track Surfaces
* Gravel/Granite
* Concrete
* Asphalt
* Grass

Daily Workouts

* Hill Training / Stair Workouts
* Slow Tempo Runs
* Running Games / Fun Runs
* Leg Strengthening Workouts
* Endurance Work
* Muscular Strengthening & Interval Training for Speed
* Stamina Building

Assessment day

Assessments are designed to establish a baseline of your timed mile run and track improvements! We will test your mile run the first and last week of your session. It doesn’t matter where you start - the key here is progress! If you come to all of your scheduled classes and commit to your goals you will show significant progress at the end of your session! Most participants take anywhere from 30 seconds to even 3 minutes off their time.

What You Will Need:
Yoga Mat (when needed)
Good Running Shoes
Water Bottle & Towel
Positive Attitude

Suggestions: Polar Heart rate monitor - track heart rate training zones for intensity. There are different styles and cost varies depending on features. If you are trying to lose weight also I would purchase the calorie tracker feature as well.

Foam roller -Flexibility and self myofasical release to prevent running injuries.

Cost: 2 workouts a week for 6 Weeks
12 Running Workouts and Seminar for $199 (recommended for maximum results)
Special promotional rate $144.00 ( $12.00 per session)through June 1st.

If you are a current boot camper and would like to add this 6 week class in addition to current morning bootcamp special rate of only $75.00($7.90 per session). Must continue morning bootcamp program payment in order to qualify for this discount. Ask about family member discounts.

Be the runner you have always wanted to be!

More info and to register online at http://www.impactfitpro.com

Pushups For Charity

2011-05-11T14:15:00.000-04:00

Teresa, Eric and Kathy our top pushup 101, 142, 131 total pushups in 90 sec.

Woodstock Fireman

Deann who had two strokes and lost neurological function on right side did pushups off wall with one arm!

Woodstock Police join in on the Fun

90secs of pure chest explosion!

Woodstock Fit Body Boot Campers won the Challenge!

Boot camper kids doing pushups too!


We support our troops!

Push-Ups Event Nets $4,000 for Wounded Warriors

Woodstock, GA – April 30, 2011

Firemen, Policemen and a contingent of Woodstock's “Regular Joe’s & Jane’s” competed in a Push-Ups for Charity event on Saturday, April 30 at the World of Gymnastics & Cheer facility on Bells Ferry Road to raise awareness and more than $4,000 in funds for Wounded Warrior Project.

Organized by STA-FIT/Fit Body Boot Camp owner Stacy Ward, the community fitness event challenged participants to perform as many push-ups as they could in 90 seconds , and to collect pledges and donations that directly support our Wounded soldiers.

“The Police and Fire Department really helped by their participation,” Ward said. “The kids were so excited that they were there to do push-ups with them.”

Ward said she is proud of her Fit Body Boot Campers, who helped raise more than $4,000 to help our troops in need. Boot Camper Eric Gurvin was the top male push-up performer, with an impressive 143 push-ups in 90 seconds and female participate Kathy Freund with 133!

WSBTV Channel 2 news anchor Justin Farmer also participated on the Regular Jane’s & Joe’s team, completing 105 push-ups in 90 seconds.

The event was sponsored by several local businesses and community leaders, including the Woodstock Fire Department, the Woodstock Police Department, Wal-Mart, Pure Taqueria, Right Wing Tavern, Revive Day Spa, Atlanta Martial Arts, Zest and Zing Cafe, Alex n Sis, World of Gymnastics, World Class Consignments, Chick-fil-A, Radiant Health Nutritional Store and STA-FIT Health Solutions & Fit Body Boot Camp.

Ward said she plans to host the event each year in Woodstock. Push-ups for Charity is a National Movement hosted by several fitness experts nationally to help raise awareness in our community with fitness, show support for our troops, and to make a difference in the lives of those who benefit from the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP seeks to assist those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world.

Fit Body Boot Camp meets Monday-Friday at 6 a.m. and Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:15 a.m. at World of Gymnastics & Cheer. For more information, call 678-881-9881 or visit www.fitbodybootcampga.com.

Does Our Metabolism Really Slow Down As We Age?

2011-05-09T11:26:00.000-04:00

Here is an Interesting Article from my Partners at Prograde

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD, CSCS

It’s Mother’s day, and as I sit down to write on this topic, I can’t help but wonder:

“Am I going to look like my mom when I’m her age?”

Not that my mother is ugly or anything, but she certainly has a little more “junk in the trunk” than I’d like to have.

And, her arms jiggle a bit when she waves; not like a tray of Jell-O, but they definitely have a softness to them that makes me cringe inside a little (Mom, if you’re reading this… I love you!!).

For the guys: I’m sure when you first met the woman you are now married to (or plan to marry), you checked out her mother to see what her future hotness potential would be.

If her mom was a bit chubby, no problem – most mom’s are, right? But, if her mom shared a similarity to a Beluga Whale, you probably thought twice about your decision.

Or men, when you look at your dad, is that how you want to look like when you’re his age?

For most guys, probably not, but for some, it’s a possibility; especially if your dad looks like George Clooney.

Whomever it may be, mom, dad, you or me, we all want to know: Is it possible to maintain our leanness and muscularity as we age? Or, should we just enjoy it while we’ve got it and not fight fate?

Well, first think about this: About 40% of the calories we expend every day, called our Total Energy Expenditure, is due to the amount of activity we engage in.

Part of this activity is exercise, but another part is called NEAT, which stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis and consists of spontaneous physical activities such as fidgeting, but also any activity outside of formal exercise programs (like washing dishes or sweeping).

Both of these together are called Activity Energy Expenditure or AEE.

Now, compare your AEE now, to your AEE 10, 20 or even 30 years ago? Are you doing the same amount of physically activity, which includes gym or game time, plus daily movements as your younger years? Or, are you considerably less active?

If you’re like most North Americans, you’re probably a lot more sedentary than you used to be. From long commutes to work, to hours on an office chair, to lengthy business meetings and then busing your kids to soccer practice, then gymnastics and Tae Kwan Doe, you definitely move a lot less now than you did when you were younger – especially if you have kids.

For myself, 10 years ago I was walking to and from my classes at college all day long. Then, I’d hit the gym for at least 2 hours (yes, it was a long time, but I didn’t really like studying and used every excuse not to), followed by working long shifts as either a server or clerk where I was constantly on my feet. Also, if I ever had to go anywhere other than school or the gym, I’d bike or walk, but never, ever drive.

Compare that to now, where I have to drive everywhere (I swear, I’ve driven more in the past 5 years than I ever have in all the previous years of my life, not by choice, but because it’s now impossible to walk or bike), I sit for many hours at a computer writing articles like this, then, I manage to get in at least a few hours of teaching exercise classes, followed by house work and chasing around a 13 month old.

Yes, it’s not complete laziness, but it’s definitely a lot less than a decade ago.

And, this decline in activity impacts how many calories we burn each day, in addition to how much muscle we have (you’ve heard the phrase “Use it or lose it”, right? Well, it’s true).

So, this is the first issue. If you want to prevent your metabolism from dropping when you get older, and do everything possible to not end up looking like your overweight parent, you’ve got to keep moving!

Specifically, exercising with a mixture of both aerobic and strength activities is going to give you the best bang for your buck. Physical activity also preserves lean muscle mass, so in addition to a fast metabolism, you’ll keep your toned tummy.

Researchers have shown that aerobic capacity and exercise volume are positively correlated with the amount of calories your burn each day. This means that both the intensity and amount of exercise you do is important.

Further, for men, maintaining a high energy intake along with high energy expenditure is important for keeping their metabolism going strong. For women, this isn’t found to be the case. But, calories are important for giving you the energy to actually be physically active.

Regular physical activity additionally has the benefit of helping people maintain normal cognitive function, such as memory, processing time, and executive function, while reducing or delaying the risk of late-life dementia.

Sounds pretty good, right? Then get off your butt and get moving to help not only keep your leanness, but preserve brain power!

But can we really prevent out metabolism from slowing down?

According to experts in this area of aging research, it looks like no matter what we do, we can’t really prevent our metabolisms from slowing down completely.

It’s just like aging: there’s no such thing as anti-aging. Regardless of what we do, we’re still going to age. The Fountain of Youth doesn’t really exist.

Don’t waste your money on the admission fee

As we age, the metabolic function of our muscles and organs change, such that we become worse at oxidizing (burning) fats and carbs, and better at storing them. We also have a harder time making muscle and other important tissue like healthy skin and bones.

However, older adults who are more fit are proven to have more muscle and less fat, but the rate of decline in muscle loss and metabolic rate is similar for all adults regardless of fitness level.

But the bottom line is that if you start out with more muscle, it’ll take longer to break it down and you’ll still have more than your sedentary roommate in the nursing home when you die.

What should we eat to maintain a fast metabolism?

Recently, a large group of researchers collected prospective data from a cohort 3,075 older adults in something called the Health, Aging and Body Composition (ABC) study. From this information, many different discoveries have been found, but one of them that was particularly applicable to this discussion was what healthy older adults eat to stay lean.

Although this study only used food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to analyze diet, which is subject to reporter bias, it was found that there were six dietary patterns that were associated with healthy survival over a 10 year period:

1.   Fruit
2.   Vegetables
3.   Whole Grains
4.   Poultry
5.   Fish
6.   Low-fat (not fat-free!) Dairy

Basically, when you include plenty of fruit and vegetables, which are rich in age-fighting antioxidants, whole grains like rice (not bread!), turkey, chicken, eggs, and salmon, along with low-fat yogurt, you’re getting nutrients that help you live a long, healthy life.

It also suggests that red meats may not be the answer to a long life, but that may be up for debate as the FFQ often lumps red meat with processed high-salt, nitrite-containing meat products. And, not-so-healthy vegetable oils/soy bean oils, are usually combined with good oils like olive and flax, so it’s hard to say these are life-shortening or not.

In addition to this data, we can compare with information from the dietary habits of healthy centarians (people who live healthily past 100 years). From the well-researched book, Blue Zones, by Dan Buettner, five Blue Zones have been identified in the world:

•   Sardinia, Italy
•   Okinawa, Japan
•   Loma Linda, CA
•   Nicoya Peninsula, Cost Rica
•   Icaria, Greece

In these areas, there are certain common nutrition and physical habits that they all display:

•   They consume plenty plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds and real whole grains (grains, not breads)
•   They do not smoke
•   They drink moderate wine and tea
•   They do not stress when they eat
•   They include powerful spices like turmeric and cayenne
•   They maintain a consistent high level of physical activity

Now, since I’ve never really seen these Blue Zone people in person, I can’t say if they’re incredibly lean and attractive, but what I do know is that most of them are much leaner than most older North American adults, and don’t suffer from dementia or a decline in quality of life – which is just as important as keeping your six pack of abs.

Living Long and Living Lean

So, ladies: if you want to avoid the thunder thighs and tummy pooch that your mother carries around, and guys, if you want to avoid your dad’s beer gut, do everything you can to stay very physically active your whole life and eat real food, not processed junk.

Don’t let kids get in your way of a healthy exercise routine and daily movement. Instead, be active with your kids, and that doesn’t mean just driving them around to every activity you can cram in their day. And, don’t make the excuse that you have to eat excessive amounts of candy, or refined foods because that’s all your kids eat. If you let them only eat that, it’s your own issue, but don’t fall into the same trap yourself.

If you’re not a parent, don’t let work or extended happy hour ruin your daily lift or run. Your life (and lean body) is too important to throw all away in just a few years of a new corporate position. Work is not life, and it won’t buy you liposuction when you develop more cellulite lumps than a bowl of cottage cheese.

And Mom – I do love you, but I’m going to do everything I can to not have your thighs Love, Me

References:
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010 Dec;65(12):1369-74. Epub 2010 Aug 30.
The effect of midlife physical activity on cognitive function among older adults: AGES--Reykjavik Study. Chang M, Jonsson PV, et al

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Feb;58(2):219-26.
Association between fitness and changes in body composition and muscle strength. Koster A, Visser M, et al. Health, Aging and Body Composition Study.

Nutrition. 2010 February; 26(2): 152–155.
Body composition changes with aging: The cause or the result of alterations in metabolic rate and macronutrient oxidation? Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D.* and Dympna Gallagher, Ed.D.

Osteoporos Int. 2010 Apr;21(4):543-59. Epub 2009 Sep 25. Review.
Sarcopenia: etiology, clinical consequences, intervention, and assessment. Lang T, Streeper T, Cawthon P, Baldwin K, Taaffe DR, Harris TB.

Health ABC information: http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ScientificResources/HealthABCDescription.htm

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Woodstock, GA. Residents CRAZY for Pushups! - pushups, boot camp, Woodstock bootcamp charity

2011-03-31T09:20:00.000-04:00

Woodstock, GA. Residents CRAZY for Pushups! - pushups, boot camp, Woodstock bootcamp charity

Couples Exercise Makes the Heart Grow Fonder and Stronger

2011-03-27T08:48:00.000-04:00

Fit Body Boot Camp of Woodstock Draws Couples to 6am Workouts

Michelle & Steven Shannon & Steve

George & Lyshia

Pilar & Todd

Couples Exercise Makes the Heart Grow Fonder and Stronger

Fitness experts tout the benefits of having an “exercise buddy” to keep you motivated and to hold you accountable to your fitness regimen, which in turn helps you reach and maintain your exercise and diet goals.

Fit Body Boot Camp members are taking that one step (or jumping jack) further, enlisting their spouses as their buddies. After all, it's easier to commit to 6 a.m. Boot Camp if your significant other isn't still snoring in the bed!

In 2010, Michelle and Steven Dodd of Woodstock were the first couple to make the commitment to attend the pre-dawn class together. “Woodstock Fit Body Boot Camp has not only invigorated our bodies, but also our marriage!” says Michelle. “Spending quality time together as a couple every morning in a healthy, positive way makes every day a great day.”

As with most long-term participants, Michelle and Steven have noticed positive changes with regard to losing weight and inches, but also have found that they feel more energetic throughout the day and are stronger overall. “We encourage more couples to join us each day at Fit Body Boot Camp and get the great results that we have in our bodies and in our relationship as husband and wife,” Michelle says.

Pilar and Todd Neal of Ball Ground joined the class in December, 2010, after Pilar learned about the benefits of Boot Camp from colleagues in Cartersville. “We both knew we were drifting off-track,” Pilar says. “We needed some outside motivation to help us reach our goals of better health and fitness.”

They had discussed working out together, “butI couldn't see Todd doing a yoga class with me,” Pilar says. She researched boot camp classes online and found Fit Body Boot Camp with Stacy Ward in Woodstock. Since the class is indoors, weather is not a deterrent, so the couple was able to begin immediately.

“Fit Body Boot Camp not only offered us a great workout opportunity and access to a personal trainer and customized nutrition plan, but five days a week we have a standing 'date' at 6 a.m,” she says. “With today's busy lifestyles, how many couples can say that?”

Shannon Fannin has been attending Fit Body Boot Camp since October and has made a commitment to attending the 6 a.m. class. The combination of meeting the folks with whom Shannon works out each morning and seeing how much she enjoys it prompted Steve to try the class with her in February. He has since made the commitment to joining Shannon when his work schedule permits, and they have begun to support each other with their diet as well.

George and Lyshia Valdez of Woodstock only recently joined the group, following a visit to the doctor for their annual physical exams. “My wife and I had put more focus into having good careers and raising good children,” George says. “We found out we had been neglecting the most important people in our lives, and that was us!”

Lyshia saw an ad for Fit Body Boot Camp in Woodstock and joined immediately. “Within a week I saw changes in both her appearance and – more importantly – her spirit,” George says. “Lyshia would come home after every workout and couldn't stop talking about the fun she was having, and about how everyone was so supportive at Boot Camp.”

Lyshia's excitement about the program rubbed off, and George joined just three weeks later. “I'm a man and we're stubborn to the bone, but after my first day, I was hooked!” he says. “I didn't have to prove that I was some sort of gym work-out, tough, strong muscle-building 'man's man.' Everyone had the same goal – to lose weight, feel good about yourself and get healthy.”

As with the other Boot Camp couples, George and Lyshia recognize the positive effect working out together has on their relationship. “Both of us working out together, giving high-fives and pushing each other not only makes us stronger but also makes our relationship stronger because it shows support, accountability and best of all, love,” George says. “It shows my wife that I love her and the family enough to get off my rear and take some time from my day to make sure I'm healthy enough (to) live a longer, healthier life.”

Sta-Fit/Fit Body Boot Camp owner/trainer Stacy Ward is encouraged by the growing trend of couples working out together. “Exercise success is greater when you have support from family and friends,” she says. “These couples have decided to support each other in making positive changes in their life together. It strengthens your bond because you are engaging in an activity together. You also become more attractive to your significant other at the same time, and build positive self-esteem together.”

Muscles and overall health aren't the only things these couples are building, Stacy says. “The old saying, 'The couples that play together, stay together,' rings true for these couples,” she says. “They are not only strengthening their bodies, but also their love for each other. Priceless!”

Fit Body Boot Camp meets Monday through Friday at 6 a.m. and Monday-Wednesday-Friday at 9:15 a.m. inside the World of Gymnastics/World of Cheer building at 104 Victoria North Court, off Bells Ferry Road in Woodstock. Call 678-881-9881 or visit www.fitbodybootcampga.com for information.

# # #

Fitness Boot Camps & Achieving Any Goal

2011-02-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

How to Achieve Any Goal

Do you have unmet goals?

You aren't alone. In fact, many people live with unfulfilled aspirations and the self-help industry is booming.

Unfortunately, many widely used self-help techniques fail to deliver results.

Case in point: You've probably heard of the "Yale Goal Study" in which researchers were said to have interviewed the graduating Yale seniors in 1953, asking whether or not the students had written down specific goals that they wanted to achieve. Then twenty years down the road the researchers looked up each student and discovered that the 3% of the class who had written down their goals had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% combined.

Very compelling story, but complete fiction.

The "Yale Goal Study" never happened, though motivational speakers and self-help books have quoted it for years.

Best selling author and psychologist Richard Wiseman went on a mission to craft a no-nonsense response to the bogus self-help techniques. Using a diverse range of scientific data he uncovered a proven approach to achieve any goal.

The following 5 successful techniques (Do This) and 5 unsuccessful techniques (Not That) are from Wiseman's book, 59 Seconds Change Your Life in Under a Minute.

Do This: Make a Step-by-Step Plan.
If you are serious about achieving your goal, then you need to create a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

Successful goal-achievers break down their overall goal into sub-goals. Each sub-goal needs to be concrete, measurable and time-based.

Not That: Motivate yourself by focusing on someone that you admire.
Studies show that focusing on someone you admire is not a strong enough motivator to see you through your goal.

Do This: Tell Other People About Your Goal.
How badly do you want to achieve your goal? If you want it bad enough, you'll tell your friends and family.

This technique works on two levels. First, you've put yourself on the spot by letting the world in on your goal, so it's all-eyes-on-you. Failure would be public. Second, your friends and family are there to offer support and encouragement. Don't underestimate the psychological power of having someone in your corner.

Not That: Think about the bad things.
When you focus on the negative it becomes your reality.

Do This: Focus on the Good Things When Achieving Your Goal.
Remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goal.

Make a checklist of how life will be better once you have achieved your aim. This gets your focus on a positive future, one that's worth the effort.

Not That: Try to suppress unhelpful thoughts.
Rather than trying to erase that image of chocolate cake from your mind, learn to deal with the reality of temptation head-on.

Do This: Reward Your Progress.
Studies show that attaching rewards to each of your sub-goals encourages success.

Your rewards should never conflict with your major goal. When aiming to lose weight, never use food as a reward.

Not That: Rely on willpower.
Willpower alone rarely gets anyone to their goal.

Do This: Record Your Progress.
Make your plans, progress, benefits and rewards concrete by expressing them in writing.

Use a hand-written journal, your computer or a bulletin board to chart your progress. This process is priceless for maintaining motivation.

Not That: Fantasize about life after achieving your goal.
Daydreaming is fun, but simply fantasizing about your new life will not make it a reality.

Are you ready to achieve your fitness and weight loss goal once and for all? Call or email me now to get started on the process that will put an end to your yo-yo dieting and your fat jeans.

Now is your time to get into the best shape of your life.

If you are ready to reach your goals our Fitness Boot Camp will change your life if you are willing to try it!
Our Fitness Boot Camp can be reviewed on thumbtack.com.

How to Train for a 5K- Couch Potato to 5K

2011-02-16T15:21:00.000-05:00

CLICK THIS LINK FOR MORE Couch to 5k - Couch Potato to 5k ? Running Program that Works.

FIT BODY BOOT CAMP WILL BE DOING A 5K TOGETHER ON MARCH 12, 2011 AT BOLING PARK!
DETAILS - WARRIORS PRIDE 5K - Benefits CHS baseball program ( My son's high school team)
PRE-REGISTRATION THROUGH FEBRUARY 26

http://PORTAL.CHEROKEE.K12.GA.US/SCHOOLS/CHEROKEE-HS/ATHLETICS/BASEBALL

WEEK FIVE : FINDING YOUR TRUTH

2011-02-11T17:46:00.000-05:00

STEP1: FACE YOUR FEARS

Last week we got really honest with ourselves. We all want to better ourselves, yet to do so means that we must admit to our weakness. In order to really transform our lives on a profound level in body, mind, and spirit, we have to look within. Self acceptance is critial component of our growth. Most of us have walls so high and layers so deep that we live in an almost numbed state. We walk around in a fog of distraction making it hard to change our patterns of action because of the disconnect from ourselves.

The first step to moving forward and living your most authentic life is accepting that you are not responsible for someone else’s hurtful or negative behavior, but you are accountable for your reaction to it and how you allow it to affect your life.

It is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you!

Although you can’t change the past, you can use pain or past trauma as a catalyst for creating the most extraordinary life ever, if you choose to!
I don’t know about you , but most of us who have gone through tough times were shaped and molded by those times. Those times have either made you stronger or weaker by your perception. What lessons did those times give you? What did you learn about yourself? How can we avoid those situations in the future?

Some situations are out of our control which is one of the biggest reasons we develop fear. Fear of losing control! However, we are responsible for all our emotions, whether they’re negative ones such as envy, jealousy, insecurity,procastination,guilt, anger, resentment, or anxiety; and postive ones like patience, forgiveness, compassion, love, strength, understanding, motivation, or empathy.

It is a natural human condition to alleviate pain in whatever way we know how or have learned through watching our parents cope growing up. Even doctors prescribe us medication to numb ourselves. If you have never been taught how to communicate effectively and find resolution to your problems, more than likely you are going to deal with it in an unhealthy way. This cycle is so important to break , especially for those of us who have children now. The way you are dealing with life right now is having an impact on your children. Learning how to break the cycle is just as important for you as it is for you teaching your kids how to cope with life.

One of the hardest things for me now as a parent is to watch my son experience the hardships of life. It is really hard not to want to step in and control things, however ,it is important that we guide them in a healthy way but sometimes allow for tough love and let them learn how to effectively cope and allow for healthy communication. You can easily see patterns in your children’s coping skills. Are they a reflection of how you handle things?

How do you cope? Do you numb it with a tub of ice cream, anesthetize it with alcohol, drugs,distract it with t.v, internet, elude it by finding someone new to love, gossip, shop and gamble beyond our means, or spend years living in anger and resentment.

Making peace with yourself is liberating!

When someone can evoke extreme emotions within us, we must realize that it’s never really about them or the situation we’re in. Our defensive reaction is because the other person has triggered an association to a past pain, which is a feeling we would do anything to avoid. He or she has hit a nerve, or trigger- a fear deeply embedded in our psyche. If you often find yourself upset, let down, or trying to control others (using anger,perfectionism, manipulation, or excessive pleasing), you need to look at your deepest fears about yourself. Until we are willing to rise above our past, our triggers, fears, and guilt; they will keep resurfacing and manifesting themselves in our lives.

Addictions of all kinds like food, alcohol, and self sabotage are simply coping mechanisms that we develop to allay those fears. The numbness may have subsided but the reality of why the addictions or bad habits was orginally formed is still buried deep within us. And no matter how much we want to make changes on the outside , until we do the work on the inside, we will all eventually fall back into old patterns.

As long as we have attachments and judgements about who we wish we were, or our self-defeating ego tells us we are- we can be triggered and we will continue to try to escape the shame and feelings of inadequency. Once you face your truth that no one or nothing has power over you and you are completely responsible for your own actions and your own choices. Once you own your reactions you can own your choices and you don’t have to turn to food or destructive behaviors to escape your fears!

Here is an exercise to do when experiencing fear: Practice feeling it instead of feeding it.

Focus on your breathing by taking controlling deep breaths, and ask yourself honestly what am I most afraid of right now? What fear has this person or situation triggered in me?

SUMMARY OF WEEK FIVE: TRUTH

Body:
Eat balanced diet with the right amount of healthy fats
Stay youthful by stimulating your natural growth hormone by – exercising, getting restful sleep, don’t eat after 7:30pm or within 3 hours of going to bed, avoid sugary food , especially in evening, because it halts your release of growth hormone because of excess insulin.
Mind:

Become body aware. Identify the physical signs that your body sends to you when your upset.

Soul:

Send energy to the things that light you up and make you feel wonderful; and stop exerting energy trying to hide, cover up, and justify who you are.

Week Four: Courage

2011-01-09T16:22:00.005-05:00

WEEK 4 : COURAGE

This weeks focus is on courage. It takes courage to set your life into motion, believe in yourself, to follow your dreams. Are you willing to step into a life of courage now that you’re in your fourth week? This is when people begin to start self-sabotage.

Will you separate yourself from those who talk about it from those who do it! Do you give so much to others that there is no time for your needs?

I see this a lot from busy moms, nurses, and teachers, and even myself sometimes. You dedicate yourself to others hoping that one day everyone will wake up and see how wonderful you are. There is nothing wrong with self-less giving as long as you don’t forget to give to yourself as well. Sometimes you may throw yourself into taking care of everyone else, so you don’t have to focus on your own hopes and dreams (what a noble-sounding excuse for not stepping it up for ourselves!)

Could it be that we’ve been victims of circumstance so long that we’ve forgotten who is in control. Don’t be a victim! It is better to die in charge than die the thousand deaths of a victim.

You are the boss of your own life! As you step off your self- defined treadmill, be willing to look at your life through different lenses and ask yourself, ‘What would courage have me do, change, or say (even if it scares me) in order to move me out of feeling helpless and disempowered and into feeling free, hopeful, and inspired? What would courage ask me to hang on to while I ride out the storm? And what would it ask me to throw overboard?” Only courage can turn your boat around and put you back into the flow.

STEP 1: Take a reality check

There is no point in going any further with this 12 week program if you aren’t being honest with yourself. You will only get out what you put into it. If you haven’t lost weight it is time to write down your foods again for at least 3 days or until you do start to lose weight and get really serious with yourself:

Are you eating junk food even just a little here and there?

Are you sneaking a cookie or munching on chips?

Have you conquered sugar and begun eating light healthy carbs?

Are you eating low-fat protein at every meal and having a salad every day?

What are you eating for breakfast?

How much water are you drinking?

Obviously, I ‘m not able to watch your every move. I can give you information and guide and inspire you, but if you’re not sticking to the program, you are fooling no one but yourself. Make sure you are reading each week steps and doing them; increase your intensity of your workouts.

I compare this program to taking birth control pills: It won’t work if you use it sometimes.

Daily effort + daily choices = success. It is time to get serious.

STEP 2: Relinquish the Need for Approval

We all want to be liked, valued, and appreciated; and when we are not, we feel rotten. Our need for approval usually starts at a young age. When did we get this inaccurate assumption that if you gave up yourself, others would give you more?

Get out your journal and take a look back in time. Shine a light on this pattern and begin by making a list of what you believe limited you in your life and how.

What pivotal moments changed your life?

What did you hear, see, or feel on a daily basis while you were growing up?

How did this make you feel about yourself, and how has it held you back?

Now this exercise is not intended to blame your parents for any unhappiness and make you feel like a victim. It is important to understand that everyone has had a critical moment in our childhood that we’ll always remember. These experiences become embedded in our psyche, causing us to form beliefs that stay with us and dictate our choices sometimes as adults.

Looking at your list, ask yourself if you feel that your life would be better if others had treated you better.
Do you believe that most of your disappointments and failures have been out of your control?
Was one of your own parents held back in their own life?
What messages regarding opportunity and expectation did you learn from them?
Did you see a mother who gave too much but resented it at the same time?
Has an illness or condition impeded your progress?
Has it been unfortunate circumstance, or was it specific people who’ve held you back?
If so, are you still angry or resentful with them?

Here is your first clue: Self- sabotage comes from repressed anger. “I’m not angry anymore,” you might say. Yet if you continually sabotage your efforts, then there is a good chance that you haven’t dealt with your pain.

You have tucked it away because showing anger is unacceptable, so instead of lashing out to the world, you have chosen to beat up yourself. Buried deep, you create walls-layers of protection- so that no one can hurt you again. No one can get close enough. It feels safer this way. But soon your protection becomes your captor. You feel stuck and helpless.

Well, a lot of times we will search for comforts in foods, shopping, gambling, or numb ourselves with alcohol, drugs or combination of escapes even too much television. Often these outlets become bad habits. This self-destructive need for approval only disappears when we begin approving of ourselves, loving ourselves, and getting rid of the anger and forgive ourselves and those situations.

The truth opens the door to healing and living with inner peace.

Once you begin to be honest with yourself about what you feel, why you’re stuck, whom you blame, what you use to cope, and what you’re afraid of, you will feel a thousand pounds lifted from you.

Breaking through these layers will help you break through the layers you have been putting on your body. If you have struggled with weight problems and have been unsuccessful in keeping it off, I highly suggest really digging through these exercises of the mind and soul as well as the physical exercises.

In reality, truth is always easy. It’s the lies we tell ourselves and the world that weighs us down and keeps us immobilized in fear, convinced that we have no other option. Lies keep us disillusioned. Disillusionment keeps us in denial: thus, addictions are virtually impossible to overcome.

Open your journal and begin with this sentence: The truth is………….See where it leads you.

STEP 3: Do Something You Love

We all get so caught up in life that we forget to live. This week create a list of things you liked before you got so caught up and busy. Pick one thing and try to do it this week for at least one hour.

STEP 4: Start Eating Lean Protein

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products are the most obvious sources of protein; but there are many others such as nuts, beans, and lentils. The primary role for protein is to build and repair close to 300 billion cells daily, including muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Although carbs and fats supply you with energy, every cell in your body is constructed from protein you eat.

When protein enters stomach they break down into amino acids. The human body is unable to produce essential amino acids, so you must obtain them through foods. The amino acids are sent to work on building and repairing skin, enzymes, muscles, bones, and hair.

How important are they for weight loss? The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. Without adequate amounts you will have a difficult time making and keeping muscles. Protein doesn’t stimulate insulin production and isn’t converted to fat easily. It helps elevate your metabolism because of the thermal effect of breaking them down. So, every time you eat lean proteins your body is burning more calories and with that incorporate exercise each day and you will ramp up your metabolism.

All foods have a thermal effect, however, high fat foods such as butter or oils have virtual no thermal effect, and carbs are far less thermal than protein. A study, conducted in Spain found that protein could increase the metabolic rate by 25-30%, compared to carbohydrates that increase only 4%. Keep in mind that proteins can have high saturated fats and you must be careful not to over consume meats and dairy. Eating smaller portions spread out through the day are better when incorporating proteins in each meal. Remember that there are vegetarian sources like temph, tofu that you can incorporate as well.

STEP 4: Learn to Relax

Close your eyes and take deep breath through your nose, holding it for 3 sec. and then exhale through your mouth. Do this several times until you feel more relaxed. In a world full of deadlines and pressure, we’ve have forgotten how to relax. Poorly managed stress is our nation’s number one silent killer. Try taking 5min. each day to turn off the outside world so that the mind and body are at rest. Stats have shown that it can lower your biological age by 12years. And lower your incidence of heart attack and other illness. Biological age is determined 15-20% by your genes and 80-85% by lifestyle- that is how we eat, exercise, our total stress factor, and disposition.
Prayer, meditation and stretching are great ways to distress..

SUMMARY FOR WEEK FOUR: COURAGE

Body:
• Start eating lean proteins and avoid dark meats and limit egg yolks and high fat dairy
• Try a protein shake to supplement your requirements if you are struggling to get enough
• Continue with 4-5x per week exercise for at least 60min. or accumulate at least 300min. per week for weight loss. Add stretching into your daily routine.

Mind:
• Monitor your progress
• Check to make sure you are not falling back to old patterns
• Decompress stress in your life

Soul:
• Discover your truth
• Relinquish the need for approval
• Do something you love

WEEK 3 : ACCEPTANCE AND RAISING YOUR ENERGY WITH H.O.P.E ( High On Positve Energy)

2011-01-02T18:01:00.006-05:00

WEEK 3 : ACCEPTANCE AND RAISING YOUR ENERGY WITH H.O.P.E ( High On Positve Energy)

STEP 1: Get Real

Feeling fit and healthy is certainly not the only step to achieving contentment,but it is one of the first. It is usually fair to say that how you look and feel is symbolic of what’s going on in your life. That doesn’t mean that if you have a perfect body that you will have a perfect life. It is more about how you accept yourself and knowing that you are making an effort to be the best you can be not by unreasonable standards of what you may see on T.V or magazines.

It is unhealthy to compare yourself to someone else with a completely different body type and genetic makeup. However, you can inspire yourself by looking at images of people with the same type of body type makeup that look the way your body can look with a little effort on your part.

It is possible to use weight training and controlled eating to completely transform your body, but you also need to understand that just because you can get there is it reasonab le to think you will be able to maintain it forever without relentless effort.

The reason I am saying this is if you desire a body builder model physique and you are over 30% body fat and very little muscle on your frame; you can achieve dropping body fat down to 14% and adding muscle to your frame that gives you a dynamite body. Once you achieve this you must keep up with your training regime and eating properly or you will go back to the way your body was before. So, keep in mind when you are creating a vision of how you want to look, create this vision with what is reasonable for your life and something that you can maintain and be happy with.

Visions of you should not be images of perfection but images of healthy bodies feeling energetic.

Remember if our bodies are a reflection of how you would like your spirit to shine in the world, what reflection would you like people to observe in you. A confident person full of energy and life? What does it take to feel full of energy?

To start with , you would eat energetic foods that nutrish your body,hydrate your skin and lubricate your joints. These are the same foods that eaten with the correct calorie intake will also help you have the body you desire and give you the energy to make your workouts more effective.
Having effective workouts would then give you the ability to have more strength and muscle tone. These foods also help your body to recover better from your workouts and give you strong immunity to help you feel better.
Better quality of foods also have been proven to give you a better outlook of life and feelings of well-being. Projecting these feelings out in the world will make you more attractive to others and give you confidence.

Have you ever noticed that even people that are not perfect by society appear very attractive because of their confidence about themselves. These are not negative type people who complain about everything and lack confidence. These are not people who have low energy and low esteem.

I am not saying that if you have low energy that you are not attractive but you would probably be more attractive to others if you were able to projected more confidence and energy. Most people are attracted to what they are lacking and if you look around in the world the majority of people complain about lack of energy. Why does this parellel with the majority of the U.S. being overweight ? We live in country now where most of us eat unhealthy foods and don’t get enough activity so of course no one has any energy.

In "YOU: Being Beautiful," Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen write about improving the outward signs of beauty by caring for your skin, hair and body.
Being healthy and energetic play a huge role in your appearance, so the doctors focus on how to power up your energy levels in order to look and feel your best.

Read excerpts from "YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty" below.

YOU Test: Zapped

When's the first time you feel tired during the day?

a. When I awaken, even after sleeping a full eight hours every day for a week.
b. Morning, or at the latest midafternoon.
c. Whenever I move.
d. Whenever I have to deal with my boss.
e. Not until after a day of working 12 hours or more.

Results:
If you answered anything other than E, it could be a sign that the energy systems in your body are either slightly or completely out of whack— causing you to tire even at times when you should feel vital and energized.

So what starts the process that steals your energy? What sets up the dominos, and what causes your first domino to fall? We don't know all the answers for sure, but we do know a few things that make your cellular energy plants—those mitochondria—inefficient.

Insulin Resistance:
We become inefficient in getting the sugar to our production plants and distribute it into fat storage rather than into cells that need to use it to produce energy, such as muscle cells.

Viruses and Other Infections:
Acute infections as well as chronic, low-grade infections can eventually cause the fuse to blow. We often see the buggers invade and fray the wires from your fuse box, reducing the amount of energy that can be supplied. Or the lines get frayed from lack of nutrients to keep them repaired (for example, lack of the healthy fat DHA).
That starts the "out of energy" cascade after a pregnancy or after an injury, when your immune system is vulnerable. Viral particles have been identified in the nuclei and mitochrondria of many cells of folks with serious energy deficits like fibromyalgia. Once one area feels less energetic, you put more demand on another area, furthering that cascade, so a little wire fraying by viruses can make you feel exhausted much of the time.

Sleep Problems:
Many people always have trouble falling asleep. Additionally, many of us (yes, we are guilty here at times) develop less than optimal habits that worsen our ability to sleep or obtain full sleep time and then we have to fight a vicious cycle. And when your immune system needs all the energy it can get—such as when it's fighting an infection for you—not resting your energy supply adequately acts to overheat those wires and worsen your energy problem. That weakens the energy your immune system can borrow from other parts of your energy stores. So you feel more tired.
When your body gets too little sleep or poor-quality sleep (not deep enough or not enough dreaming), you tend to have more pain (the lack of sleep doesn't allow you to refresh fully the neurotransmitters you have that normally suppress pain). And that extra pain drains the line of energy, too—so you feel wiped out very near the start of the day. Sleep is important to feeling beautiful.

Hormonal Imbalances:
Your hormones are like the dimmers on your headlights—when you need bright lights, you turn on certain hormones to increase the energy sent to that area (for example, your immune system) and to decrease usage elsewhere. This fine-tuning starts in your hypothalamus and pituitary. Thus, there's a strong association between hormonal issues and energy issues.
We see these changes primarily with slow-functioning adrenal and thyroid glands, but small, important changes happen minute to minute. Stress causes increases in cortisol, which increases sugar in the bloodstream and insulin resistance—and that wastes energy in distributing sugar into fat instead of where it is needed to produce ATP.
The tough part here is that it's not always clear what the best ways are to deal with hormonal issues. Case in point: We physicians aren't sure whether to treat the numbers or to treat the symptoms patients have. We often try to "normalize the numbers from blood tests" even if we're not eradicating the symptoms.
The so-called normal range of blood levels for many hormonal levels is defined as the middle 95 (95!) percent of people with those levels; the top 2.5 percent are considered high and the bottom 2.5 percent are considered low. Unfortunately, that's just not good math for the individual. It's like saying that if the number that is normal is size 6 to 11 in shoes, then a 6 shoe will be okay for you, even if you have a size 4 foot. Not a good fit, but you'd be wearing a "normal"-size shoe.
Instead, we docs can choose to treat the symptoms as long as the treatment doesn't cause levels that are very abnormal on blood tests. Here's one example of why treating the symptoms (it's what docs learn to do—most important, listen to the patient) and not just getting a number on your blood test in the 95 percent range is important.
If a T3 (free thyroid hormone) level up to 1.4 is normal but we have to get up to 1.5 to eradicate your symptoms, we think we should listen to you and do that, periodically backing off to see if you can be symptom free with less thyroid hormone. Because when hormones aren't regulated to levels that are right for you, you've got a dimmer that keeps flipping from producing power full-time to producing power half-time. So that lack of thyroid hormone means your energy factories can't use the food you've eaten to produce those ATPs efficiently. That makes you feel tired.

YOU Test: Thyroid Tester
The thyroid gland is your body's gas pedal, so it controls how much get-up-and-go you have. Since blood tests for thyroid function are not always reliable, how do you know to ask your doc if you need a trial of natural prescription thyroid? Just take this test:

1. Are you tired even after a low-key weekend?
2. Have you gained more than ten pounds since your fatigue began?
3. Do you often have a body temperature under 98 degrees?
4. Are you achy more than one hour a day?
5. Do you have high LDL cholesterol or low HDL cholesterol?
6. Do you like the house warmer than your spouse does?
7. Do you have dry skin?
8. Do you have thin hair?
9. Do you have heavy periods?

If you have chronic fatigue or pain and have at least three of the above symptoms, you should ask your doc to consider testing your blood for thyroid dysfunction. If it's positive, she might give you a trial of Armour Thyroid by prescription. This form has the active thyroid hormone (called T3) in it, and many experts in this field find that it works better than the more commonly used Synthroid. No data prove this difference, but some patients swear it made the difference to them.
Scoop Up, Power Up
Some ill-advised folks might say that the greatest nutritional discovery of the last decade has been the Baconator (at a whopping 830 calories, we don't think so).

The real nutritional heroes: DHA and ribose.

DHA:
The active form of omega-3 helps constitute nerve membranes and keeps the nerves to your muscles firing, as well as helps encase muscles. You can get this in fish oils or from the algae that fish eat. Try 600 mg of DHA a day (equivalent to 2 grams of fish oil if you like that taste better).
Ribose:
This special sugar is made in your body and doesn't come from food; it helps build the energy blocks of your body. Of all the things you can do to combat the effects of knee-dragging fatigue, taking a daily ribose supplement is the one that seems to really turbo-charge some people who have diseases associated with low energy. (The only side effect is that some people feel too much energy, if that's possible.)

The data aren't good enough to recommend ribose for all of us. But if you want to give it a try Dr. Oz recommends to start with 500 mg three times a day for a week or so until you get used to the taste (or find a smoothie, coffee, or tea to put it in). Then go to 5 grams three times a day for three weeks to get a sense of the effect. Then you can scale back to 5 grams twice a day.
By the way, since we know you're wondering: Each 5-gram scoop contains only 20 calories, since ribose isn't metabolized as a sugar. Taking it won't increase your chances of becoming mistaken for a Sea World attraction. In fact, since it is a bit sweet, you might think of it as a sugar substitute.
As an aside, ribose has been shown to relieve fatigue, soreness, and stiffness after exercise, and some professional athletes have reported muscular benefits after taking ribose (again, the data are too weak to say it does or doesn't work well, since the studies just haven't been done).

Find Your Chia
Say the word chia, and most of us immediately think of little green pets. But we want you to think of chia for another reason: A whole grain used by the Aztecs as their main energy source, chia can help restore energy levels and decrease inflammation because of its omega-3 fatty acids.
Similar to cornstarch, chia can be used as a thickening agent and as a substitute for whole grains in your diet. Whole grains, of course, are especially important because they help stabilize blood sugar levels, as opposed to causing the spikes and falls that can occur when you eat sugars and refined carbohydrates. Here's one way to use chia.

Chia Muffins
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chia seeds, ground (use a coffee or spice grinder)
11/2 cups whole wheat or whole grain flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt or salt and pepper to taste
16-ounce can organic pumpkin (make sure there is only pumpkin listed in the ingredients list)
2 egg whites
1/4 cup high-quality canola oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients.
Fold the wet ingredients and nuts into the dry ingredients, stirring only until dry ingredients are moistened (don't overmix).
Spoon into paper-lined or greased (with canola oil) muffin tins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Store completely cooled muffins in resealable plastic bags in the freezer. Makes about a dozen.

Get Rid of Infections
While most of us want to treat infections because of their acute symptoms, we can't ignore that they can have chronic implications as well. Since inflammation and infection can be two of the dominos in the cascade of low-energy symptoms, one of your goals could be to monitor your body so that infections don't linger.
That means regular flossing to decrease the risk of gum inflammation, regular use of a neti pot to reduce sinusitis, and probiotics for treating such infections as prostatitis, bowel infections, and vaginitis. Many infections are viral, in which case good sleep, frequent hand washing, and food choices that avoid all simple sugars and saturated fats can help.

From YOU: BEING BEAUTIFUL by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. Copyright © 2008 by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Oz Works, LLC. Reprinted by permission of Free Press, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc, NY.

Emotional Energy and "The Second Wind"

Have you ever been really tired and then pushed yourself to go do something anyway? Perhaps it was a dinner with a friend or attending a talk or lecture? Somewhere inside that period, the tiredness disappears and is replaced by what we often call "a second wind." That "second wind" is energy that you are producing. It isn't something you have to wait for, you can produce that energy at any time once you understand the steps that created it in the first place.

Discovering emotional energy:
This energy is derived from something that sparks our emotions or our passions. We receive new information, or hear old information in a new way. Or perhaps we are around someone who emulates energy, and their passion excites the energy within us.

Caution:
Remember that energy fluctuates, so as easily as you can build it - you can also destroy it. There is no quicker way to become tired than spending time around negative people or listening to negative news. All stimulus influences our energy one way or the other. Watch for stimulus that are influencing your energy levels negatively. Example: Watching a round of Headline News will catch you up on the day's Headlines. But does watching additional programming help or hinder? What about reading? Are your choices uplifting and inspiring more energy or are they energy sappers?

Put it into Practice:
To use Emotional Energy in your everyday life, you need to discover what produces this energy for you personally. Create a page in your notebook for listing your energy-producers.

Here are a few that are on my list:
1. Listen to music that uplifts me.
2. Have coffee, dinner or lunch with someone who I find inspiring.
3. Read a book that I find inspiring or motivational--something that really "speaks" to me.
4. Make sure I start my day off with positive emotional energy through my "Good Morning" routine ( Boot Camp).
5. Ask myself each morning, "How can I make a difference in someones life today?" and then remain personally accountable for being the best "me" possible.

Physical Energy

Of course we can't "talk" about energy without including the physical element. However, if you are overwhelmed by the thought of a new health plan, keep reading. Little changes can make a big difference in your energy production. Many of us are aware of the "big steps" we should take, so I have tried to focus on little changes that make a big impact. If you would like an overview of the big changes, I really recommend spending a few minutes at this site: [http://www.agingresearch.org/calculator/]

I found Expert Thomas Perls on CNN with Larry King and found his research quite interesting and revealing. This free, online test is a great way to look at the "gaps" in your life. Odds are where you fall short on the health score are many of the same areas where you can improve and create more energy. This is an online life-expectancy calculator that is geared around his study of "Living to 100." It is very comprehensive and the results are equally comprehensive. This does a great job of tackling the "big areas" and some of the little areas, too.

Now let's look at some other physical areas and break down positive changes you can easily make:
Somebody bring me some water! Here is site that you can access your unique water needs. It includes a formula for learning how much water you need based on your specific weight. http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/water.htm

Your personal zzzz quota:
Recent research shows that the optimum amount of sleep is 7.2 hours. However, some people still need more and others need less. Figuring out your own personal quota can go a long way toward regulating your energy. Ideally you want to get the same amount of sleep each night to maintain optimum energy levels (you should also go to bed at the same time each night). Discovering your "zzz quota" takes a bit of work, but is well worth it. (Besides, how else will you get the permission to practice sleeping?) Before beginning, make sure you are not completely drained or fatigued otherwise you are going to overcompensate on your sleep. Spend a week getting more sleep so you are "fresh" to begin your study. Then for one week, go to bed EARLY enough that you can wake up naturally without an alarm clock. Write down how long you sleep for each of the 7 days, then average it out. This is your personal "zzz quota." Keep in mind this can change depending on what you are going through in your life, so it is good to "re-check" once or twice per year.

Sleep preparation:
Make sure that you stop eating at least 3 hours prior to going to sleep to allow everything to digest. Avoid caffeinated beverages after dinner. Make your room "sleep friendly" by turning off the television and playing relaxing music.
The affects of food: Since food is our primary energy source, it makes sense that good food will produce good energy and poor choices will effect us negatively. Reduce refined sugar in your diet as much as possible. Avoid meals that are high in carbs during the second half of the day and focus instead on protein. Protein provides more stable energy than carbs which keep our body going like a roller coaster!

Reduce starches and breads:
Bread, rolls, bagels, pasta -- starches often slow people down. Try going a week or two with minimal starches and see if this helps your energy level. You can conduct the same experiment with caffeine.

Pop those vitamins:
At minimum take a good daily vitamin. While you may not see a huge change, over long term usage, this can help prevent many of the conditions that sap energy. The key here is consistency. Choose something you do daily and put your vitamins and a bottled water next to that item. Examples: next to car keys, toothbrush, coffee maker, computer.

Food patterns:
Consider keeping a food journal to see how your energy fluctuates with your food consumption. Make adjustments to your food intake based on your discoveries. Remember that eating too little can be just as energy sapping as eating the wrong foods. Work on a balanced diet and don't forget your breakfast! Studies have shown that those who eat breakfast have more energy. If you have a hard time eating breakfast, find a simple solution. I often grab a breakfast bar on the go. A lean sandwich can also be made the night before and enjoyed in the morning. You don't have to eat "breakfast foods," but you do need to eat breakfast.

Exercise:
You knew I would say it sooner or later! Getting your body moving is one of the quickest ways to increase energy. Give any exercise program about 3 weeks to start giving you energy - the first three weeks can be tiring as we snap our bodies out of their comas! A recent Prevention article shared how doing just 10 minutes of LIGHT weight lifting repetitions caused a focus group to feel a 45% increase in their energy level. Pick up some light weights (5-10 pounds) at your local discount-mart and use them by your television at night.

Put it into Practice:
It is important to recognize that energy isn't a "one size fits all" formula. I encourage you to experiment with each concept, paying attention to how it impacts your energy level. Choose one area to start with from the above list and schedule a "start date" on your calendar this coming week.

Productive Energy

Aristotle said, "We become what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit." When we repeatedly step forward, we propel ourselves forward even further. When we continually stand still, we dig a bigger rut. When we continually move backward, we dig a big hole.
To truly understand productive energy, think of a time when you were fatigued and then became inspired to do something. Perhaps it was reading a book, writing, or organizing, or completing pages in a scrapbook. Before you knew it, you looked at the clock and hours had passed--even though you were tired earlier. What changed? Well you didn't eat anything or exercise. The change was in what you were doing. Your attitude and productiveness elevated - thus elevating your performance and your energy.

Make a list ... and make sure to check it twice:
The first step in building productive energy is to be focused on the right track. Have a clear list of what you want to accomplish with clear and attainable timelines. Make sure to star three items for the day that will allow you to feel good about the day regardless of what bumps pop up in your path.

Get started early:
Make sure to start your action list early in the day to build momentum. If you have problems with procrastination, consider enrolling in early exercise class.

Recharge:
In order to be productive, you must have balance and that means learning what you personally need to recharge. Some people need quiet time each day, others just need a good night's rest. Discover what helps you recharge and work that it into your to-do lists.

Forget revving your engine and just go...
The great thing about productive energy is you don't have to prepare or spend a lot of time thinking about it. Often we over-think and would be much better off following the Nike slogan. Push yourself over inaction and you'll discover that productive energy is ready and waiting for you whenever you need it.

Put it into Practice:
Read through these four tips and "star" which seems to speak to you the most as a way to increase your Production Energy. Schedule time to work in that area this month.

Spiritual Energy

Spiritual energy can be thought of as "soul food." It isn't anxious or stress-filled motivation energy, but a calm and centered energy. Think of a time where you have experienced deep relaxation or a time where you have been moved by a sermon or religious reading/teaching. That centeredness is spiritual energy. The beauty of spiritual energy is that it is steady and fulfilling. It doesn't rely on "highs and lows" to keep recreating itself. It comes from listening instead of talking and "being present" instead of "trying to get somewhere else." Because this is a quiet and calm energy and doesn't shout loudly for our attention, it is often the most neglected. Finding "peace" seems like an "extra" that many of us don't have time to pursue. Yet, within that peace, lies an ever-renewing source of energy. I would dare say that living without it is dangerous--and trying to live well without it, quite difficult.

Qualify spiritual practice: What does spiritual practice mean to you? It could be daily time for reflection or meditation; or daily Bible study or religious reading or prayer time. Take some time to think of where you have found spiritual energy in the past and if you are making room for spiritual energy on a daily basis.

Make a pact: Make a pact with yourself not to starve yourself of this soul food. Remember this is a quiet energy that won't shout for your attention, so it is important to nourish and commit to it.

Keep a spiritual journal: Make entries of your spiritual practice time and record what you learn and discover. Use this as a source to return to again and again to inspire continued spiritual development.

Journal: Journal about what life means to you and the concept of "purpose." What is your purpose? At the end of your life, what do you want to have completed here on earth and why? Use your journal to keep in touch with your purpose. You can also try writing about what"personal peace," means to you.

Form a group: To stay on track with spiritual practice, consider a partner or group to touch base with on a regular basis.

Put it into Practice: Choose one of the above ideas to work with and schedule the time to do so on your calendar.

Your Turn: Make an energy action plan incorporating these different action steps into your life. Also, start an Energy Journal and take notes of what changes work for you and how your energy is influence by your efforts.

STOP the cycle of self-loathing now: Stop beating yourself up and putting yourself down by saying aloud( even to yourself)that you hate your thighs , rear end, or anything about yourself. When a pessimistic thought jumps into your head,refuse it. Pick out attributes that you really like and focus on that. If you are a mother who has a daughter, make sure that she knows that you feel happy living inside a woman’s body-if you don’t for her sake, fake it!Exercise and eat healthy so that you will look and feel your best but throw away ideals of perfection.

STEP 3: Surround Yourself with supportive, loving, Positive People- H.O.P.E
High On Positive Energy

How the people around you respond to your desire to lose weight and take back control of your lifeis crucial to your success. So look at the people you spend the most time with: Have they helped you in th past support you? Do they achieve their own goals? Are they positive, or do they complain about their lives constantly? Are they possessive or jealous of your time? Such individuals wil have a greater influence on your accomplishments than just about any other external factor, so , ideally they should be success driven,spirtually enlightened indiduals who inspire you and make you want to be a better person.

Countless clients have told me that once they began to lose weight and look goood, their friends and family members started to make negative comments, tempt them with bad food, or pull away. They may feel that you are changing and it makes them feel negative or insecure about themselves..Remember misery loves company. You can reassure them but remember they are responsible for their own fears.

Setting your boundaries are important. Are you going to quit if your mate doesn’t like your new eating plan? Will you give up if your friends don’t think you are fun anymore? You need to explain to them that if they love you that they need to support you. There are times when you will feel like giving up, and you’ll need to hear them say, “Keep going, I believe in you”!
Don’t give insecure or negative people power over your life.

Start to eliminate the drainers in your life.
I am not suggesting you toss away your loved ones’ needs out the window in search of self, but let them know that you will be a better friend wife, mother, husband, or father once you begin to take better care of yourself, everyone should feel safe. Don’t feel selfish or guilty that you need to nutrish your needs. Create a healthy balance between family life or friend time with your time. This is one of the reasons why I have suggested to busy moms especially to exercise early in the am before everyone else wakes up and your day is pulled in the many directions of family, job, and all the other things that can distract us from exercise.

SUMMARY OF THE WEEK THREE:
ACCEPTANCE AND RAISING YOUR ENERGY WITH H.O.P.E

Body

Understand and monitor your energy through eating good foods
Start exercising regularly and get adequate sleep

Mind

Find some realistic and healthy role models.

Soul:

Don’t give your personal power away to negative people in your life. Take notice who you surround yourself with; and choose supportive ,loving, and postive individuals.

FINDING YOUR PASSION

2010-12-29T17:43:00.009-05:00

WEEK 2 : PASSION

Last week we focused on becoming aware of yourself and what you eat-discoveries that will be extremely important for you. One day you’ll suddenly be conscious that you're listening intuitively to your body’s needs and at that point, food will become a pleasure and will no longer control or threaten you.

STEP 7: DISCOVER YOUR PATH

You may feel that you have no idea what your passion is or even how to find it. Have you ever heard the saying” you can’t see the forest for the trees”? well, many of us have wandered down a path that led us so deep into the forest that we felt lost and unsure. We’ve completely lost our bearings and don’t even know where we are anymore.

Passion isn’t to be confused with obsession or unbridled intensity, nor is it about sexuality. To live with passion is to “move to the beat of your own drum”- to face fear and do it anyway!

Discovering and following your own way can feel frightening; and you may feel guilty, afraid, or even too proud to admit that you are on the wrong path. Fear holds most of us back- but conquering it appears harder than it actually is. Simply facing what frightens you is the biggest step. The alternative is to live a life not fully lived, leaving you feeling stuck. Helpless, waiting, and wondering. I’ll often tell my clients to fake it till you make it”. Imagine someone you admire and ask yourself what choice she or he’d make in your same situation.

I want you to get out your journal . Relax in quiet spot without distractions( no phone, t.v, computer, etc..) the first thing I want you to think about is how you want to feel.. Scan over words and write down whichever ones intrigue you. Without judgement or justification, simply notice the words that most inspire , soothe, fascinate, or excite you:

Abundance, acceptance, accomplishment, achievement, acknowledgment, adoration, adventure, affluence, ambition, appreciation, ability, assertiveness, attractiveness, awareness,balance, beauty, belonging, bliss, boldness, bravery ,brilliance, calmness, celebrity, charm, cheerful , cleanliness, clear-mindedness, cleverness, closeness, comfort, commitment, compassion,confidence, connection, consciousness, consistency,contentment, contribution, conviction, coolness,
courage, creativity, curiosity, daring, dependable
desire, determination, devotion, devoutness, dignity, directness, discipline, discovery, diversity, dreaming, dynamism, eagerness, ecstasy, education, effectiveness, efficiency, elation,elegance, eloquence,empathy,encouragement, endurance, energy, enjoyment, entertainment,enthusiasm, excellence, excitement, exhilaration,experience, expertise, exploration, expressiveness,extravagance, faith, fame, family, fashion, fearlessness, feistiness, ferocity, fidelity, fierceness, financial independence, firmness, fitness, flexibility,focus, fortitude, frankness, freedom, fun, generosity, gentility, giving, grace,gratitude, gregariousness, growth, harmony, health, heart, helpfulness, heroism, holiness, honesty, honor, hopefulness, humility, Imagination, independence, ingenuity,, insightfulness, inspiration, integrity, intelligence,intensity, intimacy, intuition, intuitiveness,Inventiveness, joy, justice, keenness, kindness,knowledge, leadership,learning, liberation,liveliness, logic, longevity, love, loyalty,making a difference, mastery, maturity, mindfulness,modesty, motivation, mysteriousness, neatness, open-mindedness, optimism, order, organization, originality, outlandishness, passion, peace, perceptiveness, perfection, perkiness, perseverance, persistence,persuasiveness,philanthropy,piety,playfulness,pleasure,poise,

polish,popularity,potency,power,practicality,precision,preparedness,privacy,

productivity,professionalism, prosperity,prudence, punctuality, purity, realism, reason,reasonableness, recognition, recreation, refinement, reflection, relaxation, reliability, resilience, resolution, resolve, resourcefulness, respect, rest, restraint, reverence, richness,, sacrifice, sagacity, saintliness, satisfaction, security, self-control, selflessness, self-reliance, sensuality, serenity, service, sharing, shrewdness, significance, silence,stillness,simplicity, sincerity, skillfulness, solidarity, speed, spirit, spirituality, spontaneity, spunk, stability, stillness, strength, success, support,temperance, thankfulness, thoroughness, timeliness, tranquility, transcend'valor, victory vigor,virtue, vision, vitality, vivacity, warmth, watchfulness,wealth, willingness, winning, wisdom, wittiness,wonder, youthfulness, zeal.

As you look over the words, say out loud, I want to feel_______ and say each word in your list to see if your body speaks back to you. Ask yourself , Does that really light me up? Is that specific emotion really important to me? And compare and narrow it down to top 10 words - these words should be the ones that most captivate you.

Remember it is not how you are going to get there but why you want to get there that is more important and how you want to feel.

Why do you want to lose weight? Etc.. Once you discover how you want to feel, it makes figuring out what choices you need to make that much easier!

Deeper questions to think about:

When you think back over your adult life when were you the happiest?
What made you feel great about yourself when you were a kid?
What hobbies or activities did you love?
When do you feel true joy?
Will getting in shape make you happier? Why haven’t you done it before now?
Why do you want to be in better shape?
What are you most afraid of in life? What has that fear cost you?

These are your burning desires and could include things such as: "I want to feel sexy and confident. I want more energy or to feel proud of myself. I want security and well-being. I want to live a long and healthy life," and so on,burning desires are different from your goals-they're why you want to accomplish something, so they strengthen the intensity of your focus. These burning desires must be written down. Once you've done so, make a photocopy of your list tape it up where you'll see it every day, such as beside the toilet paper holder or on your bathroom mirror. Read it daily, or anytime you're feeling discouraged or disheartened.

Things always seem harder without purpose. It's a strong, burning desire gives us the drive to succeed.
Having a goal helps you create an effective plan of action because it just the right amount of pressure needed to actually accomplish the aim! Goal setting requires thought, keeps you on track,you stay focused. Although life is full of unexpected,without direction you'll simply coast along, wondering what you should be doing.
Goal setting is vitally important to setting your life In motion and getting the ball moving! Your goals for the next 12 weeks should be challenging

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-Bound

Summary of Week Two: Passion

Body
• Choose natural, "dark-colored" fibrous fruits and vegetables such as berries and salads; and avoid white colored" carbohydrates such as white potatoes, white bread, white rice, white sugar, and white pasta.
• Try to eat three healthy meals and two snacks every day.
• Start tightening and toning your muscles with your boot camp workouts

Mind
• Create your list of Burning Desires and your Self-
Proclaiming Declaration, and refuse to bring attention
to your weaknesses.

Soul
• Discover your path. Begin by figuring what revs you
up, without judgment or justification. You don't need
to know how you're going to get there yet. First you
need to know where there is....

AWARENESS

2010-12-20T14:48:00.006-05:00

This week is about Awareness

It is important for this to work that you write down in a journal your discoveries...

Step 1 Figure out what you crave

Many clients complain to me that they eat well and or exercise but still can’t seem to lose their bulge. Haven’t we all know those who exercise for hours or who’s constantly on diet and never looks any different...It’s not about working hard, it about working smart. Understand what your body needs to excel at optimal levels. In order to discover the right formula for your body, you must become conscious of your current eating habits and coping skills. Are there certain times of day when you fell tired, or there types of food you always seem to crave? By answering the following questions you may be able to identify some of your food weakness and start making healthy changes in your diet.

1. When you go to movies , you prefer

a. Candy, chocolate, or popcorn
b. Nuts or beef jerky
c. An alcoholic drink before or after movies

2. A late-night treat might include

a. Cookies, chocolate, cake, ice cream, cereal, french fries,crackers
b. Chicken wings, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, or nuts
c. A nightcap glass of wine

3. If you rushed into the house hungry and grabbed something quick, you’d pick

a. Apiece of fruit, glass of juice, a soda , cookie, candy bar, bread, muffin,some chip
b. Cheese, meat, yogurt, or peanuts
c. A beer or glass of wine

4. Your favorite part of a traditional thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is the

a. Cakes, pies, potatoes, pasta, yams, or stuffing
b. Turkey, ham, roast beef, or gravy
c. Toasts you make with the family or friends

5. Which would be the hardest for you to give up completely for one month?

a. Comfort foods such as ice cream, cake, chocolate, soda, fruit, pasta, bread, potatoes, cereal, or chips
b. Seafood, red meat, pork, poultry, eggs, cheese, or luncheon meat
c. Alcohol

Scoring
If you predominantly answered (a) you crave carbohydrates. Although vegetables, and fruits should be the staple of a healthy diet since that is where we get all our vitamins and fiber. Too many of us are eating an exorbitant amount of carbohydrates, with far too much coming from refined sugars. Refined sugars, such add those in candy, soda chocolate, sauces, dressings, condiments, and cookies and are easily stored as fat: similarly, white bread, white rice, and white potatoes are high in starch and are also easily stored as fat. The appetites even if the product is labeled no or low fat... the are more people eating fat free foods and gaining weight –than ever before because they tend to overeat them thin king they are healthy.
If you answered (b) mostly you crave protein. It is essential and it speeds the metabolism and has little effect on insulin production. It is the building blocks of lean toned muscles... Although protein isn’t easily stored as fat, the saturated fat in many dark meats and mil products is. Here no or low fat is vital choices.
If you answered mostly( c). you crave alcohol. Alcohol slows your metabolism and is a depressant. It has nearly 2 x amounts of calories of carbs and protein –one glass of wine a day will put on extra 10lbs per year! Alcohol increases risk for cancer especially breast cancer in women. It is also dehydrating-it can make your eyes, face, and hands appear puffy and give your skin a bumpy fat like cellulite on skin. It also lowers will power and can sabotage your good eating habits

Ste p 2 Become aware of your eating patterns

The key to becoming healthier understands your relationship you have with yourself. Before you can manifest positive changes, you must first figure out where you are right now and how you got there. Self awareness…and it the first step towards discovering if food plays more of a role in your life than to feed your hungry tummy.
Here are some questions to help you think about awareness

• Do you eat breakfast daily?
• Do you eat within two to three hours of bedtime?
• How long to you go between meals?
• Do you eat foods simply out of habit?
• Do you crave junk food at certain times of the day?
• Do you feel that specific foods go hand in hand with certain events, such as movies and popcorn, beer and baseball games?
• Are you an emotional eater?
• Do you eat out of boredom?
• Does food provide you comfort when you’re upset or stressed?
• Do you feel tired a lot, especially by 2 or 3 in afternoon?
• Do you have bowel movement daily without aids?
• Do you take heartburn meds such as Tums?
• Do you feel bloated by the time evening comes?
• Do you have PMS?
• Does alcohol make the good times better and bad times better?
Now think back to your childhood or teen years and look at your family. See if your choices now simply continue those patterns and support those beliefs:
• Was dinner a celebration, a time to come together each night around table, where you bonded with your family and ate healthy meals?
• Was it first-come, first served land could you eat whatever you wanted
• What was the emotional atmosphere like in your home as a child?
• How did your parents comfort themselves when they were upset or stressed out? How did they comfort you? How did you comfort yourself?
• Was fast food a staple of your diet?
• Did you learn poor eating habits from your family?
• Did your parents exercise? Where they in shape?
• What do you remember being told about your body?
• Was your family overweight?
• Did you eat out of boredom?
• When did you struggle with your weight or body image and what was happening in your life
• Did you have a rough childhood or teenage life

Please don’t get me wrong here... I don’t want to suggest that every person out there who has body fat to lose has deep emotional issues, or that anyone who eats a bowl of ice cream or glass of wine is repressed or on a verge of a breakdown. Sometimes you wake up and feel rotten for no particular reason, be it lack of sleep, PMS, a virus, or extra workload. You just need to accept that you periodically feel blue-it isn’t a life shattering event. A hot cup of coffee and chocolate bar can occasionally work wonders, and even a super sized hamburger meal or banana split isn’t the end of the world, but I want you to consider the possibility that food may play more of a role in your life than you realized...

Ask yourself

• Do you eat when you really need sleep?
• Is it harder to stay on track at night when you’re tired and physically drained? Do you binge when you’re on your period or ovulating?
• Do you feel a lack of self restraint when faced with a decadent meal?
• Are you an all or nothing kind of person- that is strict on your diet , then after one night of too many food or alcohol, you give up completely?
• If you love the taste of something, do you continue eating it after you are full?
• Do you listen to your body’s true desires?
• How do you feel an hour after eating too much or when you’ve gone too long without meal?
• Do you feel you deserve a treat after you have been good?
• Are you bored and feel you are in a rut?
• Are you pursuing your dreams

Whenever you feel as though something outside of yourself has a hold over you, you’re oppressed by it? Too often your sense of power with statements such as I can’t live without it. The realization and acceptance that you can and will live as long as you have yourself... is empowering...In retrospect, temporary abstinence from anything is actually liberating, even though it’s tough at the time. You’ll discover how strong you really are. The thing you thought you couldn’t live without is now an occasional want, not a need. Once you relinquish any dependency-whether on chocolate, mashed potatoes, wine, you can begin to truly enjoy it..
.
Step 3 Eliminate sugar

What you eat, how much you eat, is even more important for weight loss success. Some foods speed up your metabolism and help you burn body fat, while others will impede your success. This week we will focus on carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are all sugars…fruits, vegetables, cookies, granola bars, cereals...Even foods we think of as protein of fats are actually loaded with sugar..Beans, lentils are high in carbohydrates, as are ice cream, milk, yogurt, and salad dressing. Be aware of what percentage is from carbs. Most people who struggle with weight are eating 80% carbs….When eating high glycemic foods you will experience a surge in blood sugar...your body wants to maintain homestasis, so it send s out hormone insulin to remove sugar from bloodstream and stores it in your cells, then you dip, and body sends out signal to eat again….Hunger pains, headache, cravings, fatigue, depression sets in…As these dips in our blood sugar go up and down so does our moods and behavior.. Sugar is a powerful drug...It is similar to nicotine cravings... Once you get off roller coaster, you won’t want them as much...but it takes time and a little willpower...

Step 4 Eat breakfast

It is the most important meal of the day. Studies show those who lose weight and keep it off successfully eat breakfast daily, as this meal elevates the metabolism and helps burn body fat. If you try to restrict calories by not eating breakfast, you will slow your metabolic rate... When you miss meals and don’t exercise, it’s like you’re throwing big wet log on the campfire, The secret to eat the right foods first thing in am...are eating those that crank your metabolism…are low in sugar and saturated fat and high in protein, vitamins, and fiber..

Step 5 Drink water

Research shows that not drinking enough water may increase fat deposits because the liver can’t function properly... Water will fill stomach, making you less hungry, it will improve complexion, flush toxins and help you metabolize food better.

Step 6 Exercise

Try to go for a minimum of 3x per week...Exercise first thing in morning is the best for raise metabolic rate...Try to exercise on empty stomach or just something really light...You may have to get up a little earlier but the benefits outweigh sleeping in…Exercise is a nature’s prozac..3 x per week has been showed to help mild depression and was just as effective as other mood altering disorders as taking antidepressants...Moving your body will have profound effect on your temperament...You are 99 percent more likely to miss a workout if you plan to do it later…

SUMMARY OF THINGS TO WORK ON THIS WEEK

Body

Go for 3 xs per week exercise sessions, preferably in the morning...
Focus on eliminating sugar
Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily

Mind

Use a journal to become aware of your eating patterns to figure out what you craze
Soul

Look back to when you first started gaining weight...what was going on in your life?

NEXT WEEK WE WILL MOVE ON TO ANOTHER TOPIC….IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR DISCOVERIES WITH US YOU CAN IN BOOT CAMP OR COMMENT ON MY BLOG ANONOMOUSLY…..

Here is Great research on benefits of krill oil omega-3 for fat loss

2010-12-15T19:19:00.004-05:00

Here is Great research on benefits of krill oil omega-3

Check out the research my partners at Prograde have done on this great supplement.

Astaxanthin for Endurance & Fat Loss

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD, CSCS
Have you ever wondered why krill oil was brightly colored red instead of yellow like other marine omega-3 lipids? Well, this red shade is not only pretty to look at, but it can help you burn more fat and increase your athletic endurance; added benefits we’re all looking for.

This pigment responsible for giving krill oil it’s unique color is a special red carotenoid called astaxanthin. If that isn’t just a mouthful enough to say, it’s also has been demonstrated to have a laundry list of pharmacological effects including as an anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory agent. But, what we’re going to focus on here is fat loss and endurance.

Sources of Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a colorful antioxidant that occurs naturally in a few different foods – mainly of marine sources. It’s the primary reason some fish and seafood are colored red; the pink flesh of salmon is a perfect example. However, you have to be careful: many farmed fish are given a synthetic version of astaxanthin in their diet, or their flesh is dyed with it before being sold in the market because astaxanthin is lacking in farmed fish feed. In the wild, salmon and other fish get astaxanthin naturally from the microalgae they eat. In fact, microalgae is the greatest naturally-occurring source of astaxanthin; shrimp, krill and salmon are red from eating it.

Another place to get astaxanthin in human diets is from bright yellow egg yolks, but again, this usually comes from synthetic form of astaxanthin fed to chickens; organic chickens are fed natural compounds containing astaxanthin, so that’s your best bet. Most red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are colored due to other natural carotenoids, like beta-carotene. The best way for humans to get astaxanthin naturally is to eat a diet of wild salmon, trout, seafood, and organic chicken eggs, and take supplements rich in astaxanthin, like krill oil.

Fat Loss, Endurance and You

A group of Japanese researchers recently demonstrated that mice given astaxanthin in several different doses along with a high fat diet had significantly lower body weight and body fat levels compared to mice fed a high fat diet of the same calorie level. Astaxanthin also reduced liver weight, liver triglyceride content, and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. What this means is that when added to a high-fat, high-calorie diet, astaxanthin prevented mice from becoming overweight with a fatty liver and high blood fat levels. The way astaxanthin did this was not by reducing the digestion of absorption of dietary fat, but instead by increasing the usage of fat as an energy source. This was supported by a decrease in the respiratory exchange ratio (RER), which indicates that fat was used for fuel, instead of carbohydrates.

Mice can run on treadmills too!

In another Japanese study, mice were given astaxanthin along with a daily exercise routine (and if you’ve never seen mice run on a treadmill, you’re really missing out). They were divided into four groups: sedentary, sedentary plus with astaxanthin, running exercise, and exercise plus astaxanthin. After four weeks the animals in the exercise groups were placed on a treadmill to test a range of physical parameters. Similar to the study above, astaxanthin increased fat usage during exercise and accelerated the normal decrease in body fat that occurs with regular exercise. It did this by increasing the movement of fats into the mitochondria for energy production via enhanced carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) activity (a transport protein for fat located on the cell membrane). What this means is that astaxanthin supplementation spared muscle glycogen (a normal fuel source for exercise) and used fat stores instead.

Finally, mice given astaxanthin in doses of either 1.2, 6, or 30 mg/kg body weight for 5 weeks along with regular swimming exercise were shown to have a significant increase in exercise time to exhaustion (meaning they swam longer) than mice given a placebo. Blood lactate levels (a marker of exercise fatigue) were lower in the animals given astaxanthin, while blood non-esterified fatty acid and glucose levels were higher (indicating that astaxanthin spared blood energy sources). Overall, astaxanthin improved swimming endurance when given for only a short period of time.

What Dose is Needed for Humans?

Many people criticize animal research as being irrelevant to humans, but that’s not entirely correct. True, we’re a different species, but our enzymes, muscle function and metabolisms are scarily similar. Plus, there’s only so many humans you can poke holes in before someone starts to get suspicious. But I digress…

The doses used in these animal studies can be converted to human doses. All of the studies above used the same astaxanthin doses. At the lowest level of 1.2 mg/kg for mice, this translates to a dose of 0.1 grams (100 mg) for humans. At the minimum, humans can still take a dose of 0.012 grams (12 mg) of astaxanthin from all dietary sources and see results over no astaxanthin at all because research with humans have shown this dose to be effective for reducing blood triglyceride levels and increasing healthy blood HDL cholesterol levels. Further, doses have been suggested to accumulate over time, since it is fat-soluble, so lower doses would act as higher doses with longer durations of supplementation.

Astounding Astaxanthin

Overall, astaxanthin holds promise as a fat-burning, exercise-enhancing, health-improving dietary nutrient. By eating a diet rich in red-colored seafood like salmon and shrimp and supplementing with natural sources of astaxanthin from oils of krill and microalgae, you can increase the tools to keep your body lean, fit, and free of disease. And, in this age of chronic diseases and foods full of high-calorie anti-nutrients, we need all the tools we can get.

Go to www.stafit.getprograde.com to purchase yours today!

Resources:

Ikeuchi M, Koyama T, Takahashi J, Yazawa K. Effects of astaxanthin in obese mice fed a high-fat diet. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2007 Apr;71(4):893-9. Epub 2007 Apr 7.
Aoi W, Naito Y, Takanami Y, Ishii T, Kawai Y, Akagiri S, Kato Y, Osawa T, Yoshikawa T. Astaxanthin improves muscle lipid metabolism in exercise via inhibitory effect of oxidative CPT I modification. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Feb 22;366(4):892-7. Epub 2007 Dec 17.
Ikeuchi M, Koyama T, Takahashi J, Yazawa K. Effects of astaxanthin supplementation on exercise-induced fatigue in mice. Biol Pharm Bull. 2006 Oct;29(10):2106-10.
Yoshida H, Yanai H, Ito K, Tomono Y, Koikeda T, Tsukahara H, Tada N. Administration of natural astaxanthin increases serum HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin in subjects with mild hyperlipidemia. Atherosclerosis. 2010 Apr;209(2):520-3. Epub 2009 Oct 14.
Fassett RG, Coombes JS. Astaxanthin, oxidative stress, inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Future Cardiol. 2009 Jul;5(4):333-42.

Uncover A Healthier Mind,Body, and Spirit in 12 Weeks

2010-12-15T15:56:00.009-05:00

Uncover the New You In 90Days

Beginning the journey….

Starting this journey, we must set some baselines of where you are and where you would like this journey to take you. A vision of how you want to see yourself, how you want to feel, and want you want to change.
The truth is we all know what to do. We need to move our bodies more, we know we need to drink more water, we know we should eat more fruits and vegetables, we need more sleep, we know, we know, we know…Yet three to four weeks after we start that diet or join the gym, something triggers us to begin to self-sabotaging- and within a few more weeks, we’re back to our old patterns. We feel defeated, frustrated, and soon self-punishing begins.

Why is it that only a small percentage of people can stick to a healthy lifestyle? What is that ever-elusive secret to success? And how do we keep it up for a lifetime?
After working with many clients over the years, I’ve discovered that although we must nourish ourselves with the right balance of healthy foods and exercise to look and feel fantastic, until we transform ourselves from within, diets and exercise are futile. We may lose weight, but our problems will just manifest themselves in another way. Therefore, your focus can’t be just about your body. For the most part weight loss and significant weight gain aren’t about weight: they are about something going on much deeper. The body is merely just a messenger, sending us warning signs when we’re disconnected- and weight gain is just one of them. A heart attack is an extreme warning that things aren’t working properly but small yet significant signs will tell you when something in your life is out of balance, if you will listen...

Your Body

Your body is your vehicle for being. In others words, it’s like the ship that sails on this “ocean” we call life. Your body allows your soul- or captain of your ship- to float and flow in this physical world.
A healthy body- or an unsinkable ship- is the most important thing you’ve got, yet sadly, it’s not until we face a serious health scare that we realize it. Frantically, we then try to undo the damage we’ve haphazardly and unnecessarily done to ourselves!

Christopher Reeves-superman- remarked in one of his last interviews that so many able bodied people live more paralyzed lives than he. How frustrating it must be to those who are faced with life-threatening health condition or those living undernourished country to watch so many of us totally disrespect our bodies!
The fact remains that your body is your temple and must be treated with love, honor, and respect. Thinkof building your temple from the bottom up, like a pyramid. If the foundation isn’t strong, you can’t build a stable structure. The bricks and mortar are made from the nutrients you put into it, while exercise reinforces the integrity of the structure. You need to make sure that; your body thus getting the correct balance of foods, in the right combo. and amounts.

Our brain, for example, is composed of 50% Essential Fatty Acids (EPA’s). When given the right nutrients and plenty of oxygen (from exercising), your brain’s “circuits” work effectively: Hormones are excreted in the correct amounts. Serotonin (your feel good hormones) is released and then absorbed into your receptor sites. We feel stable, balanced, and content. Yet, if we don’t eat foods high enough in these EFA’s daily, our brain begins to short circuit and soon we feel depressed, foggy, and lethargic. We then blame it on life, when in reality “our computer” has become bogged down and is desperate to be “defragmented”.

Our bodies need to have a perfect formula for optimal health-weight gain, irritable bowels, skin breakouts, heartburn, allergies, and headaches are just a few signals that we’re of balance. And heart disease, diabetes, and cancer- which are all on the rise in North America-are extreme warning signs that the body isn’t being nourished properly.

You’re Mind-

Your mind is merely the navigational tool for your spirit (your captain), who’s sailing the ship. Your mind was never intended to direct your life, yet for most of us that’s exactly what governs our choices and behaviors (and as we all know, our mind can be our greatest ally or our worst enemy. For most it is the later!
On this journey, you will come to understand and get better control over your thoughts. You’ll learn to silence that negative voice inside our head so that you can start to hear the whispers of your spirit again. You’ll learn how to identify self-defeating patterns raise your emotional baseline, and alter your self-limiting core beliefs.

Core beliefs are different from logical beliefs. After all how often do you logically know the right answer or give great advice to others, but can’t follow it yourself?

Core beliefs are your deepest, trusts views about yourself and life. They’re the number one indicator of your success, since your choices will always support your core beliefs not your logical beliefs.
For example, if you believe that exercising is hard, it will be... and even if you began to enjoy an exercise program, you’d end up quitting it...If You believe you will never lose weight, you won’t...not permanently! As silly as it sounds, your mind would rather be right than happy. You might not consciously realize it, but when you don’t truly believe that you’ll succeed, you’re defeated before you start. When many of us begin to see success happening, we sabotage it because it doesn’t line up with what our brain believes will inevitably happen. In other words, we ruin it before we can fail.
It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy: one that most people aren’t even aware they’re making! Perhaps you too truly believe that you’re like that helpless ship, being tossed around in the stormy seas and have no control over your destiny. You must know that it’s not true. Granted you can’t change the size of the ocean waves or the way the wind blows, but you can change the way you set your sails.
So what are your core beliefs? What do you believe about yourself? What do you believe about life?

Do you believe that you’re a beautiful, fit, strong, sexy, intelligent, spiritual, grounded, successful, kind, loving, insightful, inspired, and worthy woman or man?

If you want to know what your core beliefs are, all you have to do is look at the circumstances of your life today. It’s that simple. Simply look at what is showing up for you and that will tell you exactly what you believe.

Your core beliefs developed from the time you were little based on what you heard and saw from your parents, siblings, extended family, and teachers. They are primarily driven, however, from the messages you learned about being a woman from your mother or being a man from your father. You either rebelled or embraced their role, and you created a whole slew of beliefs based on your experiences(which is why they are never true)- they’re only perceptions of truth) You learned about men from watching your dad. You learned about money, intimacy, relationships, parenting, and even how to handle stressful situations or deal with confrontations from seeing what your parents did.
So, if your present circumstances aren’t what you want (this is why wanting isn’t enough), then it is time to do the work of shining light on your core beliefs and then rewriting your life script. Until you are honest with yourself, without judgment, or shame, you will continue to set yourself up to get exactly what you believe you’re worthy of.

Recognizing your “emotional baseline” is also a critical component to changing your self-defeating patterns.

Patterns that develop in our early years as we lean certain behaviors from our parents. Unknowingly, most of us re-create the same emotional atmosphere in which we grew up. We always regress to our learned behaviors during a crisis, and it is at these times that one can best judge a person.

Unsuccessful people lose focus, allowing negative emotions to take over, convincing themselves they didn’t really want it in the first place. They often don’t even realize that they’re self-sabotaging. I see this all the time with clients.

In addition, our body is designed to regulate all our systems with a certain zone. This is called homeostasis. And although we often think of this from a physiological perspective- for example- the way our body tries to maintain a constant blood sugar level- it also seeks to maintain an emotional homeostasis. If you grew up in an angry home with your emotions’ marinating” in anger, your body’s emotional baseline would be that of anger. In other words, over time your body would become addicted or comfortable with anger and dysfunction and as an adult your system would want to re-create that same emotional atmosphere even though your logical mind knows it’s not healthy.
Your past will predict your future unless you can change your self-limiting core beliefs and shift your emotional baseline to a higher, happier level.

Your soul or spirit-

Your soul is the mastermind of your life. It is inspired, joyous, accepting, passionate, courageous, and willing. It believes in you. It believes in life. It knows that what is will always find a way and that fighting what is is futile. It believes in your dreams, and it never gives up on you. Your soul is your gut instinct- your intuition. It is the gentle nudge you fell when something resonates as truth.
Your soul will be with you long after your boat has sunk and your navigational tools have rusted away. It is the true essence of who you are. It was created in love, sees the endless possibilities for your life, and always guides you with perfect precision. It is you’re most trusted and worthy advisor. All you have to do is allow it...

Sadly, few of us do. Instead we get in the way. We stop listening. We stop allowing. And soon we begin to believe all the negative messages we’ve heard over our lifetime. We let our mind take over. We become afraid, and that fear immobilizes us, so we try to numb it...run from it...escape it...Addictions. Eating disorders, bad habits, and depression begin to manifest.

We feel inadequate. We feel unsure. We stop trusting. What’s more, we’re not sure that we can trust ourselves. We’re not sure that we will make the best choices for our own lives- for our own bodies, health, joy, passion, and needs-let alone anyone else’s.

The truth is that we’re taught to override our own instincts from the time we’re little. We are taught to disregard our own innate wisdom, especially when it comes to anyone in authority: Teachers, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, even Corporate America and tell us what to do, how we should look and feel, and what to change about ourselves so that we’ll be happier. We listen without questioning, almost like sheep. Then one day, maybe 20,30,40,50 years later, we wake up, look in mirror, and barely recognize that person staring back. How did we lose ourselves? Why is our body failing us? Where did those dreams for our lives go? And who will save us??

Nuture yourself with life instead of food .

These 12 weeks are about finding the secrets within what is right for you and creating harmony of living, loving, moving, eating, giving and receiving that is unique to you.

It takes time and effort to travel deep. You must face your fears, discover your truths and learn to listen to your body. No matter what pace you’ll make substantial progress, only to be thrown a curveball that might temporarily set you back...Let the setbacks empower you instead of cripple you to move forward with resolution, and persistence... this will require patience, focus, and effort. It is the small and often seemingly insignificant daily decisions that will have the most impact on your future…So don’t think letting things slide is okay…it does add up..

Too many people say they want to achieve success, but don’t stay focused long enough to accomplish it.

They are great on the good days, but they give in on the hard days.

Yet if you were to spend a week with most successful person you know, you’d discover that it’s not that they necessarily work harder than average person:

It’s that they’re consistently focused on their objective.
Each day they do small significant things that will bring them success...
Their focus and daily choices determine where their lives are headed.
They don’t hope everything will work out-they stay focused until it does.
They always have a plan B.

We all know that plan is the diet we’re supposed to follow and are when everything is running smoothly in our lives. Plan A is exercising every day, eating perfectly, loving our lives, and having willpower. But what happens when Plan A fails...You need a Plan B...

Challenge is a part of all success, but it’s up to you to develop staying power and accountability for your reactions when challenged. Since you’re probably overwhelmed with life, the last thing you needed is a confusing, belittling program that leaves you feeling even worse about yourself when it fails.
Decide what you want. Form a plan of action. And stay focused until you achieve it...

Each week I will focus on different topic for self journey...

Get started with your journal today!

Exercising in the A.M.

2010-12-10T16:09:00.003-05:00

Exercising in the A.M.
How getting up early gives you the advantage.

When the sun begins peaking over the horizon, you shouldn't be burying your head underneath a pillow, praying it will get dark and turn into night again. Instead, you should take advantage of the early hours to get in an hour of exercise. Why? Because the benefits far outweigh your desire to sleep in a bit.

Benefit #1: You'll Lose Weight
Exercising during any time of the day is proven to help you obtain and maintain a healthy weight. However, recent research hints that exercising in the morning gives your weight-loss goal an extra push. How's it do this? By improving your life a few ways all at once.

The first change is that working out during the first few hours of the day helps you sleep better, whereas working out in the evening can actually make it more difficult to sleep at night. Since healthy sleep habits assist your weight-loss goals, it only makes sense to want better sleep. Working out in the morning also helps your metabolism to get high early on in the day and stay there throughout your day. In addition, exercising early puts you in a healthy mindset from the moment you wake up, helping you make better decisions later in the day.

Benefit #2: You'll Stick with It
Another reason morning workouts benefit you is the ease with which you can stick with them. Whereas it can be difficult to find time during your busy day to squeeze in exercise, making exercise the first thing you do during the day ensures you get in some calorie-burning time no matter what the rest of the day may bring.

Think you may not have the strength to stick with an early morning exercise regimen? Remember that in addition to sleeping better, early exercising gives you increased energy and gets the blood pumping throughout your body. This helps you fire on all cylinders, whether you have a big meeting coming up or have to pull a double shift at the warehouse.

Benefit #3: You'll Get a Raise
As if an energy boost in the morning and increased metabolism weren't reason enough for working out in the morning, this early-morning fix-all may be just what your career needs. If you're skeptical, think about your attitude at work. Have you been down in the dumps? Too tired to go the extra mile?

Working out first thing in the morning may give you the boost you need to get past these issues. Once your boss recognizes your improved can-do attitude, your sudden willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, and the infectious smile you carry everywhere you go, you may find yourself on the fast track to promotion. And to think-all of this just because you woke up a few minutes early for some running, weight lifting, bike riding, swimming, or calisthenics!

Creative Morning Routines
Getting your exercise every day is no easy task. Getting it in before the rest of your family is awake can be even more difficult-especially if you've not a morning person.

To make sure you get your fill of morning exercises, keep these tips in mind.

•Leave the car at home. Once you've eaten a healthy breakfast, hop on your bicycle or grab your running shoes and get to work the old-fashioned way by your own power. Just be sure to keep an extra change of clothes on hand so you don't have to wear your sweaty outfit all day.
•Do something fun. Everyone has different interests. To make sure you get up every morning and get in some exercise, make your routine fun. Whether you prefer kayaking, bike riding, or push-ups, implement this into your early morning routine and you'll have fun as you improve your health.
•Come to early morning boot camp. Wish there was a class at 6 a.m. ? We got it! Find some likeminded folks and work to become a teacher of the class. As a teacher, missing class isn't possible, so you'll be sure to get your routine in first thing in the morning, even when you'd rather stay in bed.

4 Great Tips To Prevent Overeating At Any Meal

2010-12-09T07:37:00.004-05:00

4 Great Tips To Prevent Overeating At Any Meal

These tips were from my partners at Prograde that I thought were interesting and wanted to pass it on to you...

we talk a lot about eating the proper nutrients

Eating more protein…

Eating much less processed carbs…
Staying away from sugar…

And all those things are important. But these 4 tips are really, really simple and very, very powerful.

Eating fewer calories is going to go a long way in helping you keep the fat off.

I especially love tip #4. Thanks again, Stefanie from the Prograde community!

Stefanie’s tips to avoid overeating:

1) drink a full glass of water before your meal
2) serve yourself on a side plate instead of dinner plate to control portions
3) wait 20 minutes before getting seconds.
4) use a blue colored plate (blue decreases appetite, red and yellow increase it)

Go to www.stafitgetprograde.com for great supplements and products!

Spinach & Egg White Wrap

2010-12-01T16:54:00.005-05:00

This wrap is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's ready in a flash, tastes amazing, and is filled with lean protein, veggies and whole sprouted grains. Try it today, but don't be surprised if you get hooked!
Servings: 2

Here's what you need:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup tomato, finely chopped
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup egg whites
dash of salt and pepper
2 sprouted grain tortillas
2 Tablespoons pesto (purchase it pre-made, or combine 1/2 cup walnuts, 2 cups basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice in a food processor and blend until it becomes a paste.)

Directions Spread a tablespoon of pesto over each tortilla and set aside.
In medium sized skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden. Add the tomato and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it is soft and wilted. Remove the veggies from skillet, set aside in a bowl.
Pour the egg whites into the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the egg is no longer runny.
Arrange half of the egg whites in a line down the center of each tortilla. Top with half of the veggies and then fold the ends up and wrap like a burrito.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 288 calories, 10g fat, 28g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 21g protein.

Are You Powerless to Holiday Pounds?

2010-12-01T16:27:00.002-05:00

The season of deck-your-waist-with-extra-pounds is officially here.

So what are you going to do about it?

Will you join the masses who faithfully gain 5 pounds between November and January?

Or will you do something different this year?

It is entirely possible to avoid the dreaded holiday chub by following this simple strategy:

All About Power
To begin, it's important that you approach your goal from a place of I can rather than I can't.

Most diet and weight loss plans begin by outlining everything that you can't eat. You can't enjoy the buffet at your office holiday party. You can't taste the fudge that your aunt Frances made. You can't partake in the seasonal coffee drinks. You can't, you can't, you can't.

It shouldn't be surprising when the diet only last a few days before your inner rebel breaks out and defies all the rules by mowing through an entire plate of Christmas cookies in one sitting.

When you begin from a place of can't, you forfeit all of the power.

On the other hand, when you approach your goal from a place of I can, the power swings back into your favor. Use these 3 steps to re-gain your power:

Focus on positive action.
Rather than obsess over what you can't eat this holiday season, I want you to take the positive action of exercising into your own hands. Every time that you complete a workout feel the surge of empowerment that comes with the accomplishment.

Schedule positive action.
The next step is to concretely schedule your workout sessions. I advise that you exercise even more during the holiday season than normal, since you will be taking in more calories. If you normally exercise 3 times each week for 30 minutes, then plan to exercise 5 times each week for 45 minutes.

Reward yourself for positive action.
At the end of each week take the time to reward yourself for successfully completing each scheduled workout. Don't use food as a reward, since you'll be taking in extra calories as it is. A massage, a new outfit, a leisurely hour spent at a coffee shop, or even a well deserved nap are all great ways to reward yourself.
What You Believe
The people who won't gain any weight this holiday season already know it. How? They've decided not to gain weight, and they believe it.

Do you believe that you won't gain weight this year? Or are your past failures keeping you less than confident?

Let's create a strong belief that you won't be powerless to holiday pounds.

In his book, Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins explains 4 steps needed to create a belief:

Step One: Identify the basic belief. I won't gain weight this holiday season.

Step Two: Reinforce your belief by adding new and more powerful references. This means focusing on the reasons that you don't want to gain the weight. Get out a sheet of paper and list all of the cons to you gaining an extra 5 or 10 pounds over the holidays. Spend a lot of time on this step. Reiterate to yourself over and over why you don't want to gain the weight.

Step Three: Find a triggering event, or create one of your own. Disturb yourself. Try on your bathing suit, or better yet go out and try on bathing suits in dressing rooms with that awful lighting. Try on your skinny jeans. Try on last year's cocktail dress. Try on that outfit at the back of your closet that you still can't fit into.

Step Four: Take action. Get started on your exercise program – right now. Taking action is the most important step, and the most rewarding.

Call or email me right now, I'll help you get started on an exercise program and guide you step-by-step all the way to success. Who knows? I may even get you to your New Year's Resolution before January even starts.

Give yourself the power to overcome holiday pounds – get started

Do You Want to Get Rid of Cellulite?

2010-11-11T18:16:00.005-05:00

The Best Way To Beat Cellulite

I wanted to past this article on to my readers to help explain what cellulite is and how to minimize it!

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD

Cottage cheese Orange Peel Rice Pudding

Even though this sounds like it, I’m not talking about food here. These are just some of the names given to an undesirable skin condition known as cellulite that plagues the backsides and tummies of women all over the world.

Sure, some men are affected by it, but for the most part, women’s biggest fear about wearing a bikini in the summer is the dimply appearance of her butt and thighs or mid-section. And, women don’t even have to be considered “chubby” or “fat” to have cellulite in the most awkward of places. Even our beloved, so-called perfectly thin actresses have cellulite that they work incredibly hard to hide.

But why is it that women are mostly stricken with mattress-like backsides and how do we prevent it or minimize its appearance?

What is cellulite?

Cellulite consists of several alterations in your skins normal structure, coupled with circulation issues (fatty areas of cellulite tend to have low blood flow and are cold to the touch), and changes with the fat cells themselves.

If you have cellulite, there isn’t much you can do to abolish it, but you can definitely reduce it’s appearance.

Even Babies Have Cellulite

My first realization about cellulite came when I noticed my 7-month old daughter had a cottage cheese-like appearance to her cute little butt cheeks when they were slightly squished.

At first I was upset – why does she have cellulite? How is this possible? But then I realized my own battles with cellulite were partially out of my control. Females, by virtue of our hormonal environment and body structure are stricken with cellulite from the very beginning.

Normal, healthy, fatty tissue development (growth of new fat cells, not fat cell size) begins in the womb and continues until a child is 18 months old. It then picks up again during puberty. In today’s society, with all the junk food and excessive calories, some children are in a constant state of fat cell growth and potentially new fat cells.

Fatty tissue near the skin consists of two layers separated by a facial layer. The more external layer is called the areolar layer, which is formed by globular and large fat cells (adipocytes) arranged vertically; here the blood vessels feeding the fat cells are numerous and fragile. The deeper layer is called the lamellar layer and the cells are fusiform, smaller and arranged horizontally; the vessels here are larger. The second layer increases in thickness when a person gains weight, mainly due to the increase in fat cell volume which presses against the outer, areolar layer, making it more pronounced.

In women, the outer areolar layer is thicker and the skin covering it is usually thinner which is the case right from birth (and explains my daughters dimply butt cheeks). As a woman ages and gains more body fat from an increase in the inner lamellar layer, it makes the fat cells in the areolar layer more visible.

Female hormones can be evil

When women start to hit puberty, the battle with thigh cellulite commences. The femoral region of a woman (the back of the upper thigh) is very responsive to her very unique hormonal profile.

Estrogen increases the response of thigh fat cells to anti-lipolytic alpha receptors (preventing fat breakdown and loss) and stimulates an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) that stimulates fat growth. This can occur in the gluteal region and abdomen as well, but is usually localized to the back of the legs.

Prolactin (the breast-feeding hormone) is another hormone that makes cellulite more visible because it increases water retention in the fatty tissue, which makes each cell look larger and more lumpy.

So, most women are going to have some issues with cellulite, just because they are women.

Insulin make cellulite more visible

One of the greatest influences on cellulite appearance is the blood glucose-regulating hormone insulin. Whenever you eat carbohydrate, your body releases insulin to manage the influx of glucose (from carbs) into your bloodstream. In an ideal world, your muscle cells recognize this insulin and invite the glucose into muscle cells to be used for energy or stored for later use (as glycogen).

However, in the case of most sedentary people, insulin sends the carbs to fat cells to be turned into fatty acids and stored as triglycerides (called lipogenesis). This makes fat cells in the lamellar layer bigger, causing fat cells in the areolar layer to be squished out and more visible.

Unless a person is a constant exerciser or exercises incredibly hard every day, high carb diets will cause your body to produce more fat. Insulin also stops your body from using fat as fuel and can cause your body to store more water, pushing cellulite out for the world to see.

Change your lifestyle, smooth out cellulite

Of all the things under our control with respect to cellulite, there are two major things we can change to minimize its appearance. With cellulite, you either have it, or you don’t (lucky girl!), but if you have it, you can make it look less pronounced despite never really being able to get rid of it.

First and foremost – get off your butt! Consistent physical activity (no, not armchair football) decreases your body’s insulin levels naturally and makes your muscle cells more receptive to burning up carbs and fats for energy.

Daily exercise also increases muscle mass, which helps decrease body fat. It increases circulation in your lower extremities, providing more blood to thigh fat cells and enabling them to be used as a energy source. Finally, it improves rigidity of your tendons and muscles, making fatty areas seem smaller and less pronounced.

You’ve got to think: all that sitting on your behind, day in and day out, does not do much for improving blood flow to your thighs or making your butt look any smaller. So, get up and move as much as you can -- every day. Even consider investing in a stand-up desk, so your butt can get a break.

Second - eliminate simple carbs, sodium, alcohol and manufactured fats from your diet.

You now know carbs are the major promoters of insulin, but not all carbs are bad and timing is important. High-fiber carbs from non-starchy vegetables (like greens and colorful veggies) produce the lease amount of insulin and some starchy veggies (like sweet potato, squash and peas) produce a bit more insulin, but their high fiber content is important. Fiber helps keep your body regular (along with adequate water intake) which improves blood flow in your lower limbs.

Simple carbs, like those used in Prograde Workout, and even fruit carbs are used best by your body after exercise, and sometimes before. At this time, your muscles are primed to use that insulin for repair and re-growth instead of for fat storage.

High sodium, processed foods, like those microwave lunches, have to be packed with sodium to prevent spoilage. This sodium causes water retention and makes cellulite look worse than it is. On the same note, watch out for sodium in canned foods (soups, fish) and focus on fresh, non-processed items as often as possible. Sauces, like soy sauce and teriyaki are also a no-no as they can be both high in sodium and simple carbs.

Alcohol is also an issue – this chemical acts just like insulin, causing your body to store fat and create fat and preventing it from using it for energy. Light beer is not going to help you cause at all. Just limit or stay away from alcohol all the time and your fat cells will be smaller and you’ll be happier.

Manufactured fats, such as those found in most boxed and packaged foods are incredibly problematic. First, the poor quality of these fats, which can be trans fats or just excessive polyunsaturated fats, loved to be stored by the body. They also increase inflammation, which leads to water retention and decreased fat breakdown. Finally, they’re often associated with high simple carb foods (cake anyone?)

The best diet to reduce the appearance of cellulite is one that contains high quality, whole-food proteins that are not laced with preservatives, sodium, and sugar (foods like organic beef and chicken, organic eggs and purified whey proteins), plenty of colorful vegetables and fruits to provide fiber, antioxidants and potassium to balance sodium, and plentiful whole food fats, especially those high in unsaturated fats like avocados, egg yolks, fish, fish oil and krill oils, and olives and olive oil.

Don’t believe the hype- just do what Mother Nature told you to do

Everyday you’re going to be bombarded with some product, or some new fancy diet that proclaims to be the terminator of all cellulite, but don’t buy into those claims.

Fighting the dimply look of cellulite isn’t really that hard – you just need to eat real food, food that Mother Nature gave us, and exercise or move your body every day.

Or, pick the right parents and ask for thick skin. But, Iif it was that easy, the world wouldn’t be so interesting.

Click The Button Below To Discover What's On Sale This Week at my partners at Prograde nutrition store!

www.stafit.getprograde.com

References

Cellulite: a review. Rossi AB and Vergnanini AL. JEADV (2000) 14: 251-262

Don't be a Victim of Seasonal Weight Gain

2010-11-03T17:59:00.010-04:00

Fall is definitely in the air: leaves are falling, as are the temperatures, and our motivation to get in shape or stay in shape may be waning as we opt toward sleeping in and eating comfort food.

If you're prone to seasonal weight gain, changes in mood and motivation levels, fall is the perfect time to give yourself a pick-me-up in the form of fun, exhilarating exercise. If you start your day with coffee and a donut and get discouraged by your mid-morning energy crash (and mid-winter weight gain), you'll be amazed by the difference in the way you feel when you engage in regular exercise and are vigilant about your food choices.Here are a few foods you might add to the diet as they may help to promote serotonin production in the body:

Bananas, brown rice, cottage cheese,
almonds, walnuts, chicken, and figs.

According to the experts at Web MD, up to 3% of the U.S. population may suffer from “winter depression” or “Seasonal Affective Disorder” (SAD), and those who suffer from year-round depression often find their symptoms become worse when the days are shorter during the winter months.

While many sufferers may seek medical help to deal with their symptoms, self-treatment may be as simple as starting or maintaining a sensible diet and exercise program.

SAD sufferers often crave carbohydrates as a way to cope. But sugary sweets provide a quick, temporary fix that may also pack on the pounds. A sensible, balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables and proteins can help alleviate cravings, and choosing complex carbohydrate foods such as whole grains and starchy vegetables is a better option than candy or caffeine.

Another great way to head off the blues is to exercise, and working out with a friend helps keep you from “cocooning” and avoiding others – another symptom of SAD. Plus, when you have a workout partner, they'll hold you accountable and you'll be less likely to skip a day.

Physical activity can help alleviate symptoms of depression, according to staff reports from the Mayo Clinic. Just a 30-minute walk or a planned workout at the gym can relieve stress, and may leave you happier and more relaxed than those who don't participate in an exercise regimen.

Get a jump-start on your winter workouts by starting your fitness routine today. Just think, you'll be that much more prepared for your 2011 summer swimsuit body as well!

Join us for a Free week Trial and beat the Blues and the Bulge!

Herb-Coated Halibut with Zucchini and Whole Wheat Couscous

2010-10-15T15:35:00.004-04:00

Not only is this meal delicious, it's also incredibly healthy. A tangy herb paste coats both the fish and zucchini, which roast on the same pan. The entire meal is ready in 30 minutes – perfect for busy weekday dinners.

Servings: 4

Here's what you need:

•6 scallions, chopped
•1 cup packed fresh cilantro
•1/2 cup packed fresh mint
•3 Tablespoons olive oil
•1 Tablespoon chopped, peeled fresh ginger
•3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
•Salt and pepper to taste
•1 zucchini, cut into spears
•4 skinless fillets firm white fish
•1 cup dry whole-wheat couscous

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Throw the scallions, cilantro, mint, oil, ginger, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a food processor and pulse until a coarse paste forms. Season with pepper.

2.Toss zucchini with 3 tablespoons herb paste in a bowl. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 5 minutes.

3.Rub remaining herb paste onto both sides of fish fillets. Push zucchini to edges of baking sheet, and arrange fish in center, leaving about 1/2 inch between each fillet. Roast until fish is opaque and semi-firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare directions. Serve fish and zucchini over couscous.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 354 calories, 10g fat, 29g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 32g protein.

Are you in a Slump?

2010-10-15T15:00:00.005-04:00

The Power of Change

Do you wish you could change something about your life right now?

I'm here to argue that change can happen in an instant.

I know this goes against popular thought. Most people believe that change has to be worked at for months or even years. We expect to try and fail numerous times before we ultimately give up or succeed.

How many people do you know who struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to take hold.

Is there something in your life that you want to change? Do you have weight to lose? Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have a pair of pants that you wish you could fit into?

What is keeping you from making a positive change in your life?

According to professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, it's the getting ready to change that takes time. In the end there's a single instant when the change occurs. Robbins goes on to outline three specific beliefs that you must have in order to instantly create a lasting change.

Belief #1: Something must change. Do you sort of want to get into shape, or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few pounds sound nice, or is living another day in your current body unbearable? In order to make a lasting change you must be convinced that the time has come.

Belief #2: I must change it.

It is vital that you take full responsibility in making the change. Sure, others may assist you, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to need this change enough to make it your personal mission—no one else will do it for you.

Belief #3: I can change it.

Don't let past failures get in your way. The truth is that you do amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are capable of losing weight or making any other positive change in your life.

Why do most people fail to make lasting change? They leave it up to willpower. This works for awhile, but you'll always revert back to what's comfortable. The solution?

Change what you're comfortable with. Get out of your comfort zone...conqueror it...it will improve your self confidence...and make you a better person....

You've probably heard that humans are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain and 2) to gain pleasure. When you want to change a behavior pattern the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don't want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.

You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night. You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.

It's time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack. Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.

You are capable of making a big change in your life. Start by calling or emailing me for your no obligation fitness consultation. Let's reach your potential together!

Remember, change can happen in an instant.

Booty Building Secrets

2010-09-18T16:13:00.002-04:00

Booty Building Secrets
Seems like everyone has been asking how to shape up their behind lately, so I've decided to let you in on a few of my closely-guarded booty-building secrets.

Most of my clients have one of the following things to say about their bum: 1) Help! My bum is too big; 2) Help! My bum is too saggy; or 3) Help! My bum is too flat.

Now let's tackle each of these challenges with solutions that will give you the best booty ever!

I. Help! My bum is too big.
If you are suffering from an over sized behind then do the following 3 fat-blasting workouts to reduce, tighten and shape your bum.

Fat-Blaster #1: Run

Running is a great way to burn off extra body fat while developing strong glutes. Follow these 4 tips to target your glutes while running:

1.To target your glutes focus on extending your hips and keeping your chest lifted.
2.Roll all the way forward onto your toes with each step, in order to engage more of your glutes.
3.Run up hills, stairs, or on the treadmill at an incline.
4.Run on a sandy beach or gravel path – the uneven surface forces you to work harder to stabilize your lower body.
Fat-Blaster #2: Elliptical

The elliptical works well for streamlining your behind – but only when used properly. Follow these 4 tips to get the most from your elliptical workout:

1.Posture matters. Don't drape your upper body over the front of the elliptical machine – this will bring the focus to your quads and lower back instead of your glutes. Instead keep your back straight and posture good.
2.Put the incline of your machine higher than seven percent. This will ensure that the emphasis is on your glutes instead of your quads.
3.Push down with your heels with each stride. Also sink down into a squat for 30 second intervals while striding.
4.Let go of the handles. This will force your core to stabilize you.
Fat-Blaster #3: Swim

Swimming laps is a sure way to burn tons of calories. Follow these 4 tips to get the most from your time in the pool:

1.Start each lap with an explosive push from the wall. Place the soles of your feet flat against the side of the pool, bend your knees and explode forward with your legs.
2.Use flippers. Sounds silly, but try a few laps with a kickboard and flippers and you'll quickly feel the intense emphasis on your glutes.
3.Vary your kick. Go from flutter to froggy kicks to target all of your glutes.
4.Try some in-water squat jumps: stand in chest-level water with feet shoulder width apart, toes turned out. Bend your knees and lower your hips down then explode upward, pushing through your heels.
II. Help! My bum is too saggy.
The solution to a saggy bottom is to target your glutes. Try the following 3 bum-lifting exercises at home – these require no equipment.

Bum-Lifting Exercise #1: Hyperextension with leg curl
Lie facedown on the floor with your arms extended above your head and knees together. Bend your knees and curl your heels toward your glutes, contracting your glutes. Lower your feet back toward the floor, raise your chest and shoulders up and hold for one count before returning to the start position. Do 15 repetitions.

Bum-Lifting Exercise #2: Plank pull
Get into a plank position with hands directly under your shoulders and feet spaced shoulder width apart. Contract your core, lift your left leg with flexed foot, then raise your heel up in a quick motion for 15 reps. Keep your core contracted throughout the exercise and back flat. Repeat with right leg.

Bum-Lifting Exercise #3: Side-lying bicycle
Lie on your right side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and legs stacked on top of each other. Bend your right knee back slightly. Lift your left leg about 6 inches into the air, then draw if forward to a 90 degree angle, keeping your foot flexed. Swing your leg back, pointing your toe and extending your lower back. Do 15 repetitions and then repeat with right leg.

III. Help! My bum is too flat.
In order to build a shapely behind you'll need to head to the gym. The following 3 booty-building exercises will give your bum a serious shape-changing workout.

Booty-Building Exercise #1: Dumbbell Squat
Place your feet wider than shoulder width apart, and turn toes out. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you squat down, keeping your back straight and tummy pulled in. Exhale as you press up through your heels and return to a standing position. Do 15 repetitions.

Booty-Building Exercise #2: Dumbbell Lunge
Stand with feet together and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you lunge forward, keeping your lunging knee directly over your ankle. Exhale as you push off with your lunging heel, and return to the starting position. Do 15 repetitions and repeat on the other leg.

Booty-Building Exercise #3: Straight-legged Deadlift
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your thighs. Inhale as you bend forward at the hips, keeping your back flat. Lower the dumbbells down until you feel a pull in your hamstrings. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you exhale and straighten your legs, focusing on contracting your glutes. Do 15 repetitions.

Want to get your best booty as quickly as possible? Call or email me now to get started on a unique fitness program that will get you on the fast track to your best booty ever.

Woodstock's Fit Body Bootcamper Shares Her Story

2010-09-18T16:06:00.005-04:00

I have been a “Couch Potato” almost my entire life. Being a designer and living in a big city with my laidback personality, exercising was just not my thing…But during the last couple years, my weight has risen above healthy guidelines and my cholesterol has gone up above normal. Even when I tried eating pretty healthy diet, things were not changing much… The idea of exercising had been brought to me by my family and doctor. I tried to work on an elliptical and the bow flex in my home. But it was just a chore, a duty and responsibility…May this year, I decided to give Stacy’s Fitness Boot camp a try, partly out of curiosity, partly I was looking for something that might break through the chore concept – AND, it did! After just two weeks of camp, I decided that I love this program and I am going to stay with it!
Let’s be honest, it was not easy when I first started (still not), I told Stacy and the rest of our team that my entire body hurt so much that even my hair was hurting… Stacy keeps encouraging me and keeps pushing me as far as I can go. She provides great advice on my diet and my workout routines even outside of class. Each class was a blast to me: the bouncy gym floor, the energetic music and the artistically chosen workout combinations… The classes have slowly changed my posture, my body tone (I could do “ZERO” push up before I join the camp, now I can do almost 15 before I fall on my face). My back, arms and legs are much stronger and my energy level has been boosted. Whenever I feel down, I come to the camp and workout. Exercising is not a chore anymore, it is therapy to my body and mind.
During the classes, I have met different types of team members, some are not as strong like me, some are athletic like Stacy. We have different motivations for coming to work out together. But we have the same goal: to be healthy and stronger. We sweat together, we laugh together, we encourage each other and share great ideas. We are a team and we are friends. Stacy carries a great leadership in her, she works with us, she pushes us, she teases us, she laughs with us, but she NEVER lets us slowdown! …
By working out with this great group of people and Stacy, I have learned that staying healthy and strong is not a short term solution, goal, or just a responsibility; it is a type of life style we are choosing to live. When you are healthy and stronger, you have better attitude towards life and life will be good back to you. Stacy’s Fitness bootcamp has helped me to shift my life style to a higher level. I am proud to be part of it and I am committed to this life style!

Yan Hughes
Designer / Owner of 5E Web Design Studio

My Bootcamp Experience & My New Attitude

2010-09-03T21:08:00.006-04:00

FRANKIE, T. AGE 55

HOW EXERCISE GAVE ME A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE!

In August of 2009 I signed up for Stacy Ward's Fit
Body Boot Camp. I have no idea why. Yes, I was
over weight but I had been for years and yes, I was
out of shape but I always had been. Exercise for me
consisted of shopping, cleaning and occasional
walks.
Once again, I was ready to try and do something that
would help me lose my extra weight and become
physically fit. I was excited and hopeful to try this.
Previously I had joined gyms, exercised in water and
even hired a personal trainer and none of these
endeavors worked for me. After a few weeks or
months I would quit. Upon quitting I would tell
myself various lies such as "it doesn't really
matter" , "I look alright" , "I can't afford it" , or
"it takes up too much time."
My first week of boot camp was humbling. After the
third day, I came home and cried. No longer could I
escape the fact that I had used and abused my body
for several years. The warm ups alone wore me out
and after one session felt sick, I Spiritually recognized

that I had not been a good steward of the
body God gave me and that became my motivation
to continue.
Continuing was a challenge. I became aware of how
uncomfortable I was moving my body. All the jiggling
and bouncing of flesh embarrassed me. My inability
to complete or even do some of the exercises
embarrassed me. How I looked embarrassed me.
But I continued to remember why I was doing this;
To honor God, not myself.
My eating became more intentional and appropriate.
I needed food to keep me fueled not to medicate
me, soothe me or fill me up. I continued to battle
the negative self talk in my head that went
something like this; "You can't do this", "You are
not an athlete", "You look ridiculous" or my all time
favorite "This is too hard." I had to seriously and
deliberately change my thinking. A friend gave me
this advice, "the body will do whatever the mind
tells it to do." I recited this often in class.
Fit Body Boot Camp, along with Stacy's online
counseling and food log has facilitated me in losing
35 pounds thus far. More importantly, my workouts
at boot camp enabled me to go on a weeklong
mission trip in hot and humid Honduras this past
June. During this trip we mixed and laid concrete
floors, built chimneys, and walked for miles to
various home sites. I could not have been part of this
a year earlier. It would have been too physically
demanding for me. To be able to participate was a dream
come true.
The greatest benefit to me from boot camp has been
how it has reversed my thinking. I see myself as a
capable woman who is meant to continue her
personal growth so she can live the life God intended
her to live. I am very excited to see what the next
30 years bring. For that reason, I am continuing on in
boot camp and now my husband has joined. Next
month I am returning to Honduras on another mission
trip.
Additionally, boot camp has worked for me because I never
get bored. The routines are always different and I
hever know what Stacy has planned. It has also
worked because I have learned to pace myself and
not compete with anyone else in the class. If
competition motivates you, there are plenty of
opportunities in class to compete, it's just not in my
nature. I love working out in the facility we use
because the floors are cushioned and it's easy on my
joints. None of these factors were a part of -my
previous exercise attempts.
Fit Body Bootcamp meets you wherever you are;
mentally, physically or emotionally. Stacy Ward's
knowledge of exercise science and nutrition is
endless. Her commitment and excellence in what
she does is-apparent. Believe me, whether you are
an advanced athlete or a weary Mom, this program
will work for you. Stacy will work for you. The
question remains, will YOU work for yourself

Setting Goals & Staying Focused

2010-08-23T20:38:00.003-04:00

Setting Goals & Staying Focused
By Beth H : Woodstock's Fit Body Bootcamper

I've always considered myself fairly healthy. While never an “exercise junkie,” I've always been active and aware of my diet – I rarely eat meat and try to watch what I eat.

In my teens and 20s, during the Flashdance! Generation, high-impact, knee-pounding exercise was all the rage... complete with cropped t-shirt, headband and matching scrunchie and leg-warmers. (What were we THINKING?)

In my 30s, with two small children running around, toddler-chasing was my primary form of “exercise,” although I'd load the kids up in the stroller a few nights each week and tackle the hills in my subdivision. Charity walks were my big thing during that time as well, and I felt good to walk-run a 5k and claim my t-shirt at the finish line.

At 40 I realized that the health issues I'd started developing – stress, hypertension, stiff joints and insomnia – weren't necessarily age-related. They were a direct result of my lack of a regular exercise regimen. I didn't want the “middle-age spread,” which I noticed with alarming regularity in my peer group in the carpool line or at the grocery store. I also realized that my clothing size had slowly crept upward and I was now wearing double-digits in pants... not good!

So I started walking regularly. My dog loved it, I met the neighbors and I started feeling better about myself. But my weight wasn't changing and my waist size wouldn't budge. I accepted that I was middle-aged and that I had attained a new “set-point.” (Amazing what we tell ourselves!)

I was at a women's networking event one evening and won a month's trial of a new fitness regimen that I'd been hearing so much about: FitBody Boot Camp. This Boot Camp was indoors! I thought, “I can do anything for a month,” and I designated the next 30 days as my fitness do-or-die time, setting the alarm for 5:15 a.m. and commuting to the gymnastics facility to work out with my new peer group.

Although the workouts were very difficult at first, I was hooked. After just a week, I felt stronger than I had in a very long time, and inches were coming off. I hadn't lost an ounce of weight, but I was standing up straighter, I had more energy and I was sleeping better. So I decided to continue.

After two months, I had finally lost weight – more than 11 pounds! And my body looked good. My double-digit clothing was now too big, and I retrieved the old Size 8's from the back of my closet.

In March, I ran another 5k – and this time I ran the whole time! So I set my sights on a huge goal: running the Peachtree Road Race.

Over the next several months, I participated in FitBody Boot Camp three or four (sometimes five) days each week, and felt a huge difference in my overall wellness. My blood pressure dropped to what it was prior to my having kids and I had lost nearly 20 pounds; I felt calmer, experienced less stiffness and slept better than I had in years! And by the time 5:15 rolled around each day, I was “raring to go!”

I turned 44 on the 4th of July, and I gave myself the most incredible gift: running my first Peachtree Road Race. What a party! I told myself that I would just run the best I could, walk if I had to up the hills (never stop running when you're going downhill! It's a personal rule!) and make it to the finish line smiling. Well, I ran the whole 6.2 – and I was smiling as I crossed the finish line!

Nothing can compare to attaining a goal like that. The pride, the energy, the congratulations from family and friends! I'm recruiting folks to run with me next year – and I'm grateful for the group of us from FitBody Boot Camp-Woodstock who ran together this year.

My goal when I started my fitness regimen was to increase my stamina enough to run a 5k, then the Peachtree. My new goal is to be as healthy and active in my 60s and 70s as I am today. I'm laying the groundwork now, and I realize that a daily workout commitment is key to helping me attain my goals.

I know folks who work out at home, others who go to a big-box gym, and some who prefer to do like I do and attend Boot Camp or work out in a small group or with a personal trainer (Stacy does that too, by the way!). Whatever your preference, make sure it's something you enjoy. You'll experience better results and come up with fewer excuses!

Beth H.

Mean & Clean Burrito

2010-08-03T19:35:00.006-04:00

Mean & Clean Burrito
Here's a healthy burrito recipe to sink your teeth into. Whole grains, lean protein and crunchy veggies make this a recipe that you'll come back to time and again. Serve with a side of your favorite salsa.
Servings: 1

Here's what you need...

•1 sprouted grain, flourless tortilla
•1 Tablespoon hummus
•1/3 cup cooked brown rice
•1/4 cup cooked black beans
•1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped (or baked tofu)
•2 Tablespoons fresh corn kernels
•2 Tablespoons chopped cucumber
•1/4 cup shredded arugula
•3 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1.Warm the tortilla in a dry skillet. Spread the hummus evenly over the tortilla.
2.Top the tortilla with rice, beans, chicken and veggies.
3.Fold the two sides of the tortilla in over the filling, then flip up the bottom edge and roll tightly.
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 380 calories, 7.8g fat, 45g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, and 31g protein.

Burn Fat Faster

2010-08-03T19:32:00.001-04:00

Tactics for Faster Results
Have you ever been frustrated over a lack of results from your workout routine?

If so, you are in good company. Even the most seasoned athletes experience times when their results plateau.

When you continue to put in the same effort day after day with little or no results it is safe to say that you've hit your own fitness plateau.

Your body adapts quickly to any repetitive routine. The definition of 'insanity' is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results. This holds true for your workouts. When your results stop then it's time to do something new.

I have good news - the following 4 tactics are guaranteed to crank your workouts up to the next level and to deliver the fast results you want.

Tactic #1: Focus on Negatives

Each time that you do a weight lifting repetition you are utilizing three types of strength. These are:

1.Positive strength: the motion of lifting the weight.
2.Static strength: holding weight in a contracted position.
3.Negative strength: the motion of lowering the weight.
Most people completely miss the benefit of the negative in each repetition by allowing the weight to drop quickly with little control. It is understood that the negative portion of a repetition is just as important as the positive portion, and possibly more important.

Focus on the negative portion of each repetition by lowering the weight very slowly. Concentrate on the negative contraction, and make each repetition count.

If you are advanced, then use a training partner to assist you in moving heavier-than-normal weight into a contracted position, then lower it very slowly.

Another way to utilize negative repetitions on a machine is to lift the weight using two limbs but then lower it with just one. For example, use both legs to lift the weight on a leg extension machine, but then lower it back down slowly using only one leg.

Tactic #2: Do a Drop Set

Drop sets have long been used to fight off exercise plateaus. This technique is great for adding muscle strength, endurance and for increasing the cardiovascular benefit of your workout – resulting in more fat burn.

Here, in a nutshell, is how to do a drop set: When you perform an exercise to exhaustion, don't stop there. Drop the weight by 80% and do another set.

You could take it a step further by dropping the weight twice, making it a double drop. Or drop the weight three times for a descending drop set.

Use this technique only once or twice per workout, on the final set of the exercise.

Tactic #3: Modify the Exercise

There are certain exercises that are considered 'staples' in the gym.

The squat. The lunge. The chest press. The shoulder press. The bicep curl. You get the idea…

While you shouldn't throw these exercises out the window, find creative ways to modify the familiar motion in order to challenge your muscles. Try these exercise modifications:

•Squat on a Bosu ball or balance board.
•Place a weighted bar across your shoulders and do walking lunges.
•Use an exercise ball for chest presses instead of the bench.
•Do a full squat between each repetition of shoulder presses.
•Do a shoulder press between each repetition of bicep curls.
Tactic #4: Use Active Rest to turn each workout into High Intensity Interval Training

Every minute of your workout is an opportunity to increase intensity and to burn more fat. Don't waste precious minutes with long rest periods between exercises.

While it is important to catch your breath if you feel winded, most of the time you would benefit more from an active rest than a passive one. Perform one of the following activities for 30 seconds between exercises and turn your regular workout into High Intensity Interval Training.

•High Knees with Alternating Punches: Alternately bring each knee high to your chest in a quick jumping movement while alternating forward punches at shoulder level.
•Burpees: Start in a sanding position and bend at the waist. Once your hands hit the floor, push your entire body back, extending your legs until they're straight and you're in the push-up position. Go down for a push-up, and when you push yourself up, jump slightly to bring your feet back near your hands. Finally, jump in the air with your arms fully extended over your head.
•Side-to-Side Jumps on Bench: Stand on one side of an exercise bench. Place the foot closest up onto the bench, jump up and switch feet, then land on the opposite side of the bench.
•Mountain Climbers: Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart on the ground in a push-up position. Bring one knee to your chest and then back to the starting position, alternate each leg quickly.
•Side-to-Side Ab Twists: With feet close together, jump and twist your legs left to right – holding your abs tight. Keep a bend in your knees and swing your upper arms with each twist.
•Jump Lunges with Pop Squat: Start in a lunge position, lunge down then quickly jump up, switching your leg position in midair, land in an opposite leg lunge. Once you've done both legs, jump straight into a squat.
•Medicine Ball Squat Jumps: With feet wider than shoulder-width apart hold a medicine ball at chest level. Squat down until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Explosively jump up, raising the medicine ball straight over your head.
If you'd like a sure-fire way to break through your fitness plateau and to melt away unwanted fat, then contact me for a fitness consultation.

Call or email today – I look forward to hearing from you.

Preparing for Race day..

2010-07-09T16:41:00.004-04:00

It's summertime and the calendars are full of athletic events – 5k, 10k, Triathlon and more.

Even those who train regularly must pay more close attention to their body's warning signs in excessive heat, and should be certain that they train adequately to prepare their body for running in hotter weather.

Experts recommend building up your body's tolerance for hot weather running by spending a few weeks ahead of your race running shorter distances and gradually building up to the mileage you will need to run your race. They advise running in the morning or evening, when the humidity is at lower levels – and always pay attention to smog alerts, as pollution can make training more difficult.

Prior to any run, be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Hydrate within an hour of your workout, then take another drink every 20 minutes while you run. Sports drinks and protein drinks can help replenish electrolytes lost during a run, but whatever you choose, be sure to drink plenty after your run as well to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

As with any exercise, be sure to stretch before (and after) you run to allow your muscles to prepare for the stress of the run and help you avoid injury. We're all familiar with hamstring and calf stretches, but it's important to stretch the upper-body as well.

Wear comfortable, lightweight clothing for your run, preferably in light colors. A tank top or shirt made specifically for running in the heat is more desirable than a t-shirt, which can trap perspiration. And be sure to always wear socks made of synthetic fibers to wick away moisture, helping you to avoid blisters and athlete's foot. If you purchase new running shoes, break them in over several short runs to avoid injury – including blisters – during your race.

Don't wear a hat. As most of your body's heat is lost through the top of your head, covering your head will result in trapping the heat and making you more uncomfortable. Do pour water over your head to cool down, if necessary.

Wear sunscreen for your race, and be aware of areas that may normally be covered by a t-shirt if you have switched to a tank top or singlet, but be aware that some sunscreens can actually slow down perspiration and increase your core body temperature.

Use common sense when running in hotter temperatures. Don't push yourself to be as fast or go as far as you usually do. Symptoms of heat disease include an intense headache, nausea, disorientation or confusion, sudden muscle weakness, sudden cessation of sweating, feeling chilled or faint, abnormally rapid breathing and unusual heartbeat. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop, find shade or air conditioning and call for help.

Remember, your race should be an enjoyable experience. Preparing ahead of time will make it more fun and help you avoid injury.

Happy running!

For anyone who would like to run in a fun 5k for a great cause in Canton,Ga. check out the race on July 24th at Boling park..some of our bootcampers will be in this one..Etowah River Run Road & Trail 5K Benefiting Anna Crawford Children's Center
Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Time: 8:00am - 6:30pm
Location: Boling Park-Cherokee High School- 930 Marietta Hwy, Canton GA 30114

2010-05-16T11:19:00.004-04:00

FUN CAMPS AND PROGRAMS FOR THE FAMILY!

Starting June1st-thru the summer World campus will offer daily summer camps for the kids or babysitting and drop off rate to attend Fit Body Fitness classes on Monday –Wednesday- Friday from 9-10am. Children for drop off rate must be 6 months or older and must reserve space ahead of time for the hour. Prices for drop off are $3.00 for under 3yrs. and $5.00 for children 4yrs and up.

Fitness classes are for adults and children ages 13 and up. Parents must attend classes with children under 16years of age. Fitness classes are designed for cardio conditioning, fat burning, strength and endurance. This is a fun but challenging way to get into great shape. We will incorporate running drills, speed, agility training, bodyweight, kettle bells, bands, weights, and fun challenges that will have you burning over 700 calories in less than 45min. The program includes coaching and healthy eating meal plans for the family. Whatever your goals may be we will design the right program for you. This personalized program is a fraction of the cost for personal training and gives you better results.

Come join the group camradiere and support of our boot camp and have the body you desire this summer while your children play in the foam pit and bounce house with their friends.

For more information on the summer camps for kids please contact World Campus at 770-516-6898. For boot camp info call Stacy at 678-881-9881.

The Skinny on Sugar Addiction

2010-05-14T21:29:00.003-04:00

The Skinny on Sugar Addiction

When I think of addiction, I go right to alcohol or drugs. But one of the most common (and most dangerous) addictions is sugar addiction.
Like most narcotics, eating a diet high in sugar gives you a “high,” and can help to mask negative feelings like loneliness, depression, resentment, or fear. In fact, sugar has opioid or narcotic properties, meaning it acts like an endorphin in your body. But, like any drug, this lift is short-lived, and soon you need more and more sugar to achieve the same effect.

There is also physical withdrawal from sugar. Need to break sugar addicions from the onset. And within four to five days, many of the participants experience sugar withdrawal. This can take the form of shaking, anxiety, low energy, and extreme cravings as they come off sugar. And research has shown this detox to be very real.
In a study published in the June 2002 issue of Obesity Research, scientists deprived rats of food for 12 hours, then fed them a glucose solution for the next 12 hours. Withdrawal was then induced using either 24 hours of food deprivation or the withdrawal drug naloxone. In both cases, the rats showed signs of withdrawal, including teeth chattering, shaking, and tremors. Researchers concluded that withdrawal from repeated, excessive sugar intake created symptoms that were similar to those of withdrawal from morphine and nicotine.

Sugar Wreaks Havoc on Female Hormones
Sugar depletes your body of important nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This leaching actually leads to cravings and binges as your body desperately seeks to replenish the nutrients that have been taken away.
It also increases estrogen levels, which can exacerbate estrogen dominance and worsen menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopause problems.
Sugar Sabotages Weight LossIf you have a few extra pounds you have been fighting to lose, then sugar may be the culprit. Sugar is a born enemy of natural weight loss. Sugar contributes to false fat, increases inflammation, and can worsen digestive problems. It also provides empty calories, meaning you tend to overeat sugary, starchy foods without ever really feeling full and satisfied.
So, if you are looking to lose weight, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and regain appetite control, cut the sugar…today!
Sugar Damages Your SkinSugary foods overstimulate your sebaceous glands and can trigger excess oil production. They can also contribute to blood sugar imbalances, which can worsen symptoms of anxiety and stress, both of which can lead to breakouts. Who needs acne at our age!
Sugar also has a vasoconstrictive effect, which translates to decreased circulation to the skin. This can lead to wrinkles and sallow-looking skin. So wrinkle-free skin is your goal, then losing the sugar is the best natural skin care program you can find.
Overcoming Sugar AddictionBeating any addiction can be difficult, and sugar is no different. I have found that the best way to break your sugar addiction is to go cold-turkey. This means no candy, bakery items, sugary coffee drinks, etc. Nada. Nothing.
This will take about five days to completely break. In that time, lean on fruits when you need a sweet treat, and drink lots and lots of water and herbal tea to help flush the sugar out of your system.
You can also try using to of the nutrients Dr. Lark recommends for controlling your appetite and reducing cravings. These include 5-HTP and chromium.
5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin, a critical neurotransmitter in your brain that influences mood and diminishes hunger. Take 50 mg of 5-HTP twice per day. Take it with half of an apple and 50–100 mg of vitamin B6 to facilitate uptake into the brain.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that is necessary for controlling blood sugar and helping to reduce food cravings. Aim for 100–200 mcg of chromium picolinate once or twice per day.

Guiltless Zucchini Pasta with Turkey

2010-05-03T16:23:00.003-04:00

Guiltless Zucchini Pasta with Turkey

Here is a guiltless way to prepare spaghetti that the whole family will love. To create angel hair noodles out of zucchini you simply need a small kitchen gadget called a spiral slicer. This ingenious tool is well worth the small investment – with it you'll quickly and easily make delicious, fiber-filled noodles.
Yield: 4 servings

Here's what you need:

•4 zucchini, ends trimmed and run through a spiral slicer
•1 teaspoon olive oil
•1/2 cup chopped onion
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•1 (20oz) package lean ground turkey
•2 cups spaghetti sauce
•Salt and pepper to taste

1.Place the spiral-sliced zucchini in a large bowl and set aside.
2.In a medium sized skillet heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft.
3.Add the turkey to the skillet and cook until fully browned. Add the spaghetti sauce and mix until fully incorporated. Remove from heat.
4.Mix the sauce with the zucchini noodles in the large bowl and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 292 calories, 8g fat, 26g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 27g protein.

Having Fun a Great Way to Get Fit!

2010-04-26T15:31:00.003-04:00

When you think about the best things of childhood, among them are likely spending time with friends, playing kickball or baseball with makeshift items as bases, climbing the monkey bars and swinging on the swings, playing tag in the backyard, riding your bike for miles...

And you performed most of these activities without even thinking about it, while laughing with the friends who were doing the same things as you!

That's the way it is at FitBody Boot Camp in Woodstock. Every weekday at 6 a.m. (and Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:15 a.m.), a group gathers at World Campus to run, jump, lift weights, do push-ups and pull-ups, jump rope and more – all while laughing and enjoying themselves.

These aren't hard-bodied athletes, either. They're men and women with jobs and families who choose to start their day having fun in a way that just happens to have some beneficial effects on their overall health!

The music is loud and activities change quickly. One minute, the group is sprinting across the room; the next, they're pushing mats across the floor, tossing a ball or pulling against their own weight with a fitness tube.

Boot campers can often be heard encouraging one another - “You can do anything for thirty seconds!” - followed by high-fives and smiles while they grab a sip of water between activities.

If you're looking for more fun in your life, consider joining the FitBody Boot Camp class at World Campus and bring some of those great childhood memories back!

21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Program

2010-03-19T17:21:00.000-04:00

21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Program is Back!

Hey,Stacy Ward here,

I’ve been getting a lot of emails asking if we have fast solution to help with the shrinking the waist, hips and buns area…

Well, we offered this once and I ran out of spots, so here goes again!

… while there is no quick fix (I don’t care what the infomercials claim) I did go to the drawing board and crafted a NEW 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Program that’s right up your alley – if you want fast results.

You probably know that our Fat Burning Boot Camp is pretty much full, but we do have room for another small group so I thought I’d let you know that my NEW 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program starts Monday, March 29th and the best part is that the 21 day program is discounted to only $97 and INCLUDES a fat loss meal plan program too.

The only catch is that the camp is almost full and we can only take on 12 more participates. So if you’re ready to fit into your skinny jeans again and want to firm and tone your body all while dropping inches and pounds then make sure to register for our 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Boot Camp.

Here’s how to register…

Just call my office at 678-881-9881 and let me know that you want in on the 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Boot Camp and we’ll get you all dialed and ready for Monday or simply click the "Buy Now" button below and your are guaranteed a spot!
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21 Day Rapid Fat Loss

The class will take place Monday – Friday, 6AM or Mon.-Wed.- Fri., 9:15 AM at World of Gymnastics in Woodstock,Ga.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Stacy Ward, CPT, NASM
678-881-9881

White Bean Ratatouille

2010-03-19T12:36:00.000-04:00

White Bean Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a dish of cooked vegetables that originated in southern France. It is hearty and satisfying, like comfort food, with none of the guilt. This version contains white beans which add protein and have a wonderful texture. Serve it hot or cold, either way this dish is sure to please.
Yield: 8 servings

Here's what you need:

•1 large-size globe eggplant, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
•1 tablespoon water, for sautéing
•2 medium-size red onions, sliced
•3 medium-size zucchini, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
•2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch squares
•4 garlic cloves, minced
•1/4 cup dry white wine
•1 cup vegetable stock
•4 tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped (or 2 cans - 15 oz each – fire roasted diced tomatoes)
•1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
•1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
•1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
•2 bay leaves
•2 (15oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
•Salt and fresh group pepper, to taste
•1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1.Steam eggplant cubes for 10 minutes. Heat the water in a large-size sauté pan, add onions and cook, for 5 minutes.
2.Add zucchini and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes. Add steamed eggplant and cook another 5 minutes, then add garlic.
3.Add wine and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-high and stir in tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.Add beans to skillet, stirring well to combine. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender but not mushy and liquids have thickened, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
5.Remove skillet from heat, remove the bay leaves, and stir in chopped basil.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 195 calories, 1g fat, 38g carbohydrate, 11.5g fiber, and 9.5g protein.