It's like a dream come true."Gaining body fat is the result of a virus." Wouldn't that be great news gang? Well... Let me tell you about the AD-36 adenovirus. Adenoviruses are the same nasty bugs that cause the common cold. We all have these viruses in various forms in our body all the time. That last bit is a critical distinction. Remember that. The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana has been doing some really ground-breaking research on AD-36. AD-36 affects stem cells... more specifically fat cells, both pre-formed and post-formed.This means AD-36 can make MORE fat cells if contracted as an infant and make your fat cells larger if contracted as an adult. Or so the theory goes. To quote the study: "Earlier researchers have concluded that Ad-36 may be contributors to obesity by super-charging fat cells to grow and store more fat. Until now, though, those researchers thought the viruses targeted pre-fat cells (called pre-adipocytes), causing them to convert in higher numbers to fat cells and causing those fat cells to be larger. Those studies were in mice. Pasaricas work determines the virus targets stem cells in humans." The result? "In one test, a third of obese people had the rare and highly contagious virus compared to just 11 percent of thinner people. Weight gain can last three months until the body has built up resistance to the bug." Wow. Sounds like we have a winner here. A virus that you can catch that literally makes you gain body fat! All we need is... a vaccine! Right? Wrong. First of all, notice that 11% of LEAN people have AD-36. And at any given time, just like a cold or a flu virus, you could contract AD-36. If your body has 'never' been exposed to it, you may require about 3 months to build up antibodies to ward it off. Now, you can gain a lot of weight in 3 months... but come on. You cannot become obese in three months unless you are really, REALLY working at it. Plus, like most viruses, you build up immunity to AD-36. Researchers do not know how long the immunity lasts, but some theorize it could last years... some even decades. And let's not forget those 11% who are lean and have the virus. Why did they not all of a sudden get "sick" with body fat? Because they are not EATING or LIVING in a way that allows them to gain body fat no matter what nasty freakin' viruses may be floating about, that's why. That's right folks: It is always going to come down to the food we put in our body and the way we move.
Here's another hypothesis presented by
Sherry Strong, food philosopher and
nutritionist: "This could very well be
the result of nature creating a mutation
to encourage us to eat more due to the
fact our consumption of natural, whole
and organic foods is so low."
Brilliant observation... and one that makes complete sense. Even if a "virus" is responsible for 20% of our weight gain, what about the other 80%? We do not need a vaccine other than good food and a common sense workout plan. Here's the best -- The Pro-Fitness Plan <-- the "vaccine" for body fat Here's why I love our workouts: 1. They are designed for you to "burn" 3-5 days per week. 2. They are progressive and always changing. Put the two together and you have an absolute winner of a plan that's practical and enjoyable. 3. Plus, you get meal plans that teach you how to eat and when to eat and everybody gets my "Rapid Fat Los"manual free. That's 3 good reasons to stay inoculated against this virus Here's one more: You know better. You know that there's never going to be a magic pill for health, vitality, energy and looking your best. We can keep hoping... or you can take action and get what you want now. To me, that makes more sense than AD-36 "Super-Retro Fat-burning Vaccine" to hit the marketplace in 2021.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
What's Your Body pH?
A Dr. by the name of Dr. Morter discovered a very simple, yet effective way to test your body's pH level using little pieces of pH paper that you place into your mouth (if testing using your saliva) or in a stream of urine (if testing using your secretions).It's vital to know your body's pH, but it far more important to know how to control your ph level.You see, if your body becomes too acidic you'll be more prone to catching colds, to getting diseases, to getting fat, to being tired, sluggish, fatigued, stressed, and full of body aches and pains.Your body becomes acidic in many ways, but some of the most common ways are:- Watching or reading the news - yes, you heard me right, watching the nightly news can make your body acidic and when your body is acidic it retains fat - so watching the news can make you fat - OK that's a stretch, but inadvertently anything that causes your body to becomes acidic will eventually make you fat, stressed, and unhealthy.- A diet that lacks raw vegetables.- A diet high in starches, fat, sugar, and/or processed foods.- Lack of exercise- Stress at work - in fact, you can change your body from a healthy alkaline state to an unhealthy acid state within seconds simply by letting yourself get upset or frustrated, and when you allow yourself to get into this acid state your body immediately becomes less healthy and your metabolism immediately gets adversely effected.OK, now how can you stop all this acid living and start living an alkaline lifestyle which is conducive to health, weight loss, and proper energy levels - simply do the following:1.) Add more raw vegetable to your diet (at least 3 servings per day).2.) Drink more plain, fresh water (preferably distilled)3.) Try to eat mostly organic foods4.) Exercise at least 3 times per week, preferably 5 times per week - and don't over exercise because if you push yourself too hard you'll actually reverse the benefits of exercise and make your body highly acidic.5.) Avoid all soft drinks.6.) Avoid all white flour products and all white sugar products.7.) Avoid dairy products except for eggs8.) Avoid stressful situations whenever possible9.) Spend at least 5 minutes in the morning, 5 minutes in the afternoon, and 5 minutes in the evening thinking about all the blessings that you have in your life.10.) Take Nutrilite XX multi vitamin/mineral complex.(available at Pro-fitness)11.) Consume a 'greens drink' like the Greens plus daily detox. (Vita health in Tuxedo).
We will be testing everybody starting next week at Pro-Fitness for free. You need to have this done...not optional!
Next Tuesday's Pilates class is almost full.....so if you want to take part in this very important class you need to e-mail me asap. You snooze you loose gang. And what ever you don't use....you loose..and I think that you would all agree that core strength and flexability go fast if we do't work at it.
Don't be lazy...be lean!
Bri
A Dr. by the name of Dr. Morter discovered a very simple, yet effective way to test your body's pH level using little pieces of pH paper that you place into your mouth (if testing using your saliva) or in a stream of urine (if testing using your secretions).It's vital to know your body's pH, but it far more important to know how to control your ph level.You see, if your body becomes too acidic you'll be more prone to catching colds, to getting diseases, to getting fat, to being tired, sluggish, fatigued, stressed, and full of body aches and pains.Your body becomes acidic in many ways, but some of the most common ways are:- Watching or reading the news - yes, you heard me right, watching the nightly news can make your body acidic and when your body is acidic it retains fat - so watching the news can make you fat - OK that's a stretch, but inadvertently anything that causes your body to becomes acidic will eventually make you fat, stressed, and unhealthy.- A diet that lacks raw vegetables.- A diet high in starches, fat, sugar, and/or processed foods.- Lack of exercise- Stress at work - in fact, you can change your body from a healthy alkaline state to an unhealthy acid state within seconds simply by letting yourself get upset or frustrated, and when you allow yourself to get into this acid state your body immediately becomes less healthy and your metabolism immediately gets adversely effected.OK, now how can you stop all this acid living and start living an alkaline lifestyle which is conducive to health, weight loss, and proper energy levels - simply do the following:1.) Add more raw vegetable to your diet (at least 3 servings per day).2.) Drink more plain, fresh water (preferably distilled)3.) Try to eat mostly organic foods4.) Exercise at least 3 times per week, preferably 5 times per week - and don't over exercise because if you push yourself too hard you'll actually reverse the benefits of exercise and make your body highly acidic.5.) Avoid all soft drinks.6.) Avoid all white flour products and all white sugar products.7.) Avoid dairy products except for eggs8.) Avoid stressful situations whenever possible9.) Spend at least 5 minutes in the morning, 5 minutes in the afternoon, and 5 minutes in the evening thinking about all the blessings that you have in your life.10.) Take Nutrilite XX multi vitamin/mineral complex.(available at Pro-fitness)11.) Consume a 'greens drink' like the Greens plus daily detox. (Vita health in Tuxedo).
We will be testing everybody starting next week at Pro-Fitness for free. You need to have this done...not optional!
Next Tuesday's Pilates class is almost full.....so if you want to take part in this very important class you need to e-mail me asap. You snooze you loose gang. And what ever you don't use....you loose..and I think that you would all agree that core strength and flexability go fast if we do't work at it.
Don't be lazy...be lean!
Bri
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Could Candida be causing you to hold on to body fat?
Cleanse The Candida:
Excess Candida = Excess Body Weight, and Mental Depression
As you probably know, my speaking schedule takes me around the world and at those events, I'm blessed to meet some amazing people from the audiences.Some of these engagements are not fitness related, however ,as you know, I am always asked questions about training, diet and nutrition.
Well recently I was talking to a few very overweight woman who were very frustrated to say the least. They proceeded to tell me that "we've tried every program out there and I can't seem to lose weight".
Now, you have to understand that I have heard that same comment hundreds of times t, and I've trained myself to simply let it pass me by so I can truly focus on the individual in front of me and help them figure out the main obstacle that's holding them back from living life in their dream body.
Well within about 30 minutes I figured out that these woman probably had an overgrowth of Candida in their body. Granted, it was just a guess at the time, but my guesses are usually a pretty good starting point. Just ask Amy, I am very seldom wrong with my diagnosis. Inside family joke! Each of these women have taken many drugs for various ailments and an over abundance of antibiotics for you name it! Been on every fad diet and followed Oprah's training program at every gym in their city.
I asked them to do a few, simple things to clean themselves out and then to call me in 10 days with an update.
10 days later, all 4 women were 12 - 20 pounds lighter, full of energy, allergy free, and very excited and hopefull..
I can assure you, that if you've ever taken any antibiotics or almost any other drug, you have an overgrowth of Candida in your system too. And once you clean yourself out, your body will drop fat, you will become very healthy, you'll experience a massive increase in your energy level, you'll be able to digest your food far faster and more efficiently, and you'll rid yourself of many common allergies.
Here is the basics of what I asked them to do.
Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most common place that Candida overgrowth appears is in your intestines, but it can easily spread throughout your entire body. Excess Candida causes a whole host of horrible side effects like:
- headaches
- excess gas
- bloating due to the poor digestion of foods
- food cravings
- constipation
- cramps
- PMS
- allergies
- weight gain
- the inability to lose weight even on a good diet
- yeast infection
- acne
- fatigue
- depression
- stress
- and so much more...
But there are ways that you can help your body to fight off and clean out much of this matter.
First and foremost, you should clean out your digestive system with a thorough vegetable juice cleanse. When cleansing to make your digestive system healthy again, you should follow a juice cleanse for at least 10 days (up to 30 days).
Your lifestyle may make it difficult for you to just consume freshly squeezed vegetable juice all day long - but you can get by simply by adding 2 or 3 fresh vegetable juices to each day, and eating normal for the rest of the day. At the same time take Nutrilite Digestive Ensigms to replenish good bacteria.
After you've cleansed your body, follow these guidelines:
(1) Avoid added sugars (including fructose, honey, molasses, fruit-juice sweeteners, etc.) and all sugar-sweet foods and snacks, including cakes, cookies, candies, desserts, sodas, fruit-juice and ice-cream, even if they're made with sugar-substitutes like saccharine or aspartame (these substances may cause problems for some people who are allergic or sensitive to them). Stevia extract, which is a natural sweetener, is fine. If you can cut out sugars for 3 days, their "spell" will be broken and you will be able to resist them quite easily.
(2) Avoid white-starch foods, like white bread, cakes, cookies, white pasta, white rice, potatoes, and all refined flours, etc. Whole-grain flour, in moderation, is acceptable, unless you are a 'carbohydrate addict'; also whole-grain brown or wild rice, whole-grain pasta (usually available in the deli section of supermarkets), etc.
(3) Avoid all dairy products, except eggs.
(4) Increase your intake of essential oils, esp. omega-3 oils, which are very lacking in the western world's diet. These include: Fish oils, Flax-seed, borage and evening primrose oils. One tablespoon or three capsules of any of these, twice daily is the norm. Some of these oils can be used as salad-dressing, instead of olive or canola oil, or on whole-grain breads instead of butter.
(5) Add Acidophilus (or Primadophilus), to your diet, after breakfast and after supper daily. ( Digestive Ensigms)
These 5 tips along with a healthy diet like that laid out by the nutrition experts at Pro-Fitness Training should do the trick in helping you clean out any Candida overgrowth.
Give it a try..... it works!
Excess Candida = Excess Body Weight, and Mental Depression
As you probably know, my speaking schedule takes me around the world and at those events, I'm blessed to meet some amazing people from the audiences.Some of these engagements are not fitness related, however ,as you know, I am always asked questions about training, diet and nutrition.
Well recently I was talking to a few very overweight woman who were very frustrated to say the least. They proceeded to tell me that "we've tried every program out there and I can't seem to lose weight".
Now, you have to understand that I have heard that same comment hundreds of times t, and I've trained myself to simply let it pass me by so I can truly focus on the individual in front of me and help them figure out the main obstacle that's holding them back from living life in their dream body.
Well within about 30 minutes I figured out that these woman probably had an overgrowth of Candida in their body. Granted, it was just a guess at the time, but my guesses are usually a pretty good starting point. Just ask Amy, I am very seldom wrong with my diagnosis. Inside family joke! Each of these women have taken many drugs for various ailments and an over abundance of antibiotics for you name it! Been on every fad diet and followed Oprah's training program at every gym in their city.
I asked them to do a few, simple things to clean themselves out and then to call me in 10 days with an update.
10 days later, all 4 women were 12 - 20 pounds lighter, full of energy, allergy free, and very excited and hopefull..
I can assure you, that if you've ever taken any antibiotics or almost any other drug, you have an overgrowth of Candida in your system too. And once you clean yourself out, your body will drop fat, you will become very healthy, you'll experience a massive increase in your energy level, you'll be able to digest your food far faster and more efficiently, and you'll rid yourself of many common allergies.
Here is the basics of what I asked them to do.
Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most common place that Candida overgrowth appears is in your intestines, but it can easily spread throughout your entire body. Excess Candida causes a whole host of horrible side effects like:
- headaches
- excess gas
- bloating due to the poor digestion of foods
- food cravings
- constipation
- cramps
- PMS
- allergies
- weight gain
- the inability to lose weight even on a good diet
- yeast infection
- acne
- fatigue
- depression
- stress
- and so much more...
But there are ways that you can help your body to fight off and clean out much of this matter.
First and foremost, you should clean out your digestive system with a thorough vegetable juice cleanse. When cleansing to make your digestive system healthy again, you should follow a juice cleanse for at least 10 days (up to 30 days).
Your lifestyle may make it difficult for you to just consume freshly squeezed vegetable juice all day long - but you can get by simply by adding 2 or 3 fresh vegetable juices to each day, and eating normal for the rest of the day. At the same time take Nutrilite Digestive Ensigms to replenish good bacteria.
After you've cleansed your body, follow these guidelines:
(1) Avoid added sugars (including fructose, honey, molasses, fruit-juice sweeteners, etc.) and all sugar-sweet foods and snacks, including cakes, cookies, candies, desserts, sodas, fruit-juice and ice-cream, even if they're made with sugar-substitutes like saccharine or aspartame (these substances may cause problems for some people who are allergic or sensitive to them). Stevia extract, which is a natural sweetener, is fine. If you can cut out sugars for 3 days, their "spell" will be broken and you will be able to resist them quite easily.
(2) Avoid white-starch foods, like white bread, cakes, cookies, white pasta, white rice, potatoes, and all refined flours, etc. Whole-grain flour, in moderation, is acceptable, unless you are a 'carbohydrate addict'; also whole-grain brown or wild rice, whole-grain pasta (usually available in the deli section of supermarkets), etc.
(3) Avoid all dairy products, except eggs.
(4) Increase your intake of essential oils, esp. omega-3 oils, which are very lacking in the western world's diet. These include: Fish oils, Flax-seed, borage and evening primrose oils. One tablespoon or three capsules of any of these, twice daily is the norm. Some of these oils can be used as salad-dressing, instead of olive or canola oil, or on whole-grain breads instead of butter.
(5) Add Acidophilus (or Primadophilus), to your diet, after breakfast and after supper daily. ( Digestive Ensigms)
These 5 tips along with a healthy diet like that laid out by the nutrition experts at Pro-Fitness Training should do the trick in helping you clean out any Candida overgrowth.
Give it a try..... it works!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Last meal of the day....burn fat while you sleep
The secret.
The way to getting those last stubborn
pounds off. The key to getting your
fat-burning furnace crankin' hot. The key
to releasing natural fatburning hormones in
greater quantity as you snooze at night.
I'll cover one of these meals today.
Take your bodyweight and divide it by 10.
That's how many grams of protein I want you
to eat. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you
will be eating 15 grams of protein.
Increase this by 5-10 grams if you are a
bodybuilder.
Now, I'd like you to eat turkey - but not
just any turkey. Certainly not deli-style
sliced turkey. Go to your supermarket and
ask your butcher to slice up some real
non-processed white meat turkey breast.
Why turkey? Because turkey is sky-high in
protein, very low in fat, and has a lot of
tryptophan in it. Tryptophan helps you
sleep and can induce greater growthhormone
secretion. That means more bodyfat burned
at night.
Then, the kicker: eat one celery stalk for
every 75 pounds of bodyweight you carry.
Celery is a "negative-calorie" food. In
other words, you will burn more calories
digesting it than the food contains.
The end result will be a meal that's lower
in calories than the total calories you
consume, high in fiber, and perfect for
fatburning at night.
Eat this meal about 2-3 hours before
bedtime. Fill the time before bed with
drinking water or munching on celery.
Try this for a week and watch your bodyfat
start melting off.
The way to getting those last stubborn
pounds off. The key to getting your
fat-burning furnace crankin' hot. The key
to releasing natural fatburning hormones in
greater quantity as you snooze at night.
I'll cover one of these meals today.
Take your bodyweight and divide it by 10.
That's how many grams of protein I want you
to eat. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you
will be eating 15 grams of protein.
Increase this by 5-10 grams if you are a
bodybuilder.
Now, I'd like you to eat turkey - but not
just any turkey. Certainly not deli-style
sliced turkey. Go to your supermarket and
ask your butcher to slice up some real
non-processed white meat turkey breast.
Why turkey? Because turkey is sky-high in
protein, very low in fat, and has a lot of
tryptophan in it. Tryptophan helps you
sleep and can induce greater growthhormone
secretion. That means more bodyfat burned
at night.
Then, the kicker: eat one celery stalk for
every 75 pounds of bodyweight you carry.
Celery is a "negative-calorie" food. In
other words, you will burn more calories
digesting it than the food contains.
The end result will be a meal that's lower
in calories than the total calories you
consume, high in fiber, and perfect for
fatburning at night.
Eat this meal about 2-3 hours before
bedtime. Fill the time before bed with
drinking water or munching on celery.
Try this for a week and watch your bodyfat
start melting off.
Top 10 Ways to jump start Your Weight Loss
Been awhile since I posted a new article, but things have been crazy busy of late. However, as in all things, we get to the other side.....so here is the first of many to come as I have been working diligently to get you information that will help you reach your goals in 2009. Enjoy!
Top 10 Ways to Jump-Start Your Weight Loss:
1. Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.
2. Eliminate wheat- and flour-based products for the time being. And yes, that definitely includes bread and pasta.
3. Eat unprocessed foods. Ninety percent of what you eat should be a combination of (in this order of importance) raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and maybe a few fruits if necessary.
4. Reduce starch to one portion a day, and don't eat that portion during your evening meal. Best choices are beans, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal.
5. Don't overdo fruit: one a day maximum, and only the low-sugar, high-fiber variety. Apples, pears, plums and berries all are good choices. For now, fruit should be eaten alone or with something light, like low fat nuts. Lose the fruit juice completely.
6. Reduce or eliminate dairy for the time being, especially cow's milk. Exceptions: reasonable amounts of low sugar, fat free yogurt.
7. Lose the booze. Despite what the "studies" say, you lose no health benefits by giving up alcohol (including wine). There is nothing essential in alcohol that you can't get in fruits and vegetables without all the bad side effects that go along with it.
8. Stop using vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and corn. The supermarket kind is highly refined, and it oxidizes easily when heated, contributing to arterial plaque. Use olive oil instead, and apply it to food after the food is cooked when possible.
9. Watch which types of fat you're eating. The amount of fat you eat is probably less important than the kind of fat you eat. The worst are fried foods, margarine and foods that contain hydrogenized or partially hydrogenized oils. The best is omega-3, found in fish and flaxseed oil.
10. Obsessively drink water: At least 8 ounces for every 20 pounds of bodyweight you're now carrying around, each day. Every day. No excuses.
Top 10 Ways to Jump-Start Your Weight Loss:
1. Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.
2. Eliminate wheat- and flour-based products for the time being. And yes, that definitely includes bread and pasta.
3. Eat unprocessed foods. Ninety percent of what you eat should be a combination of (in this order of importance) raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and maybe a few fruits if necessary.
4. Reduce starch to one portion a day, and don't eat that portion during your evening meal. Best choices are beans, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal.
5. Don't overdo fruit: one a day maximum, and only the low-sugar, high-fiber variety. Apples, pears, plums and berries all are good choices. For now, fruit should be eaten alone or with something light, like low fat nuts. Lose the fruit juice completely.
6. Reduce or eliminate dairy for the time being, especially cow's milk. Exceptions: reasonable amounts of low sugar, fat free yogurt.
7. Lose the booze. Despite what the "studies" say, you lose no health benefits by giving up alcohol (including wine). There is nothing essential in alcohol that you can't get in fruits and vegetables without all the bad side effects that go along with it.
8. Stop using vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and corn. The supermarket kind is highly refined, and it oxidizes easily when heated, contributing to arterial plaque. Use olive oil instead, and apply it to food after the food is cooked when possible.
9. Watch which types of fat you're eating. The amount of fat you eat is probably less important than the kind of fat you eat. The worst are fried foods, margarine and foods that contain hydrogenized or partially hydrogenized oils. The best is omega-3, found in fish and flaxseed oil.
10. Obsessively drink water: At least 8 ounces for every 20 pounds of bodyweight you're now carrying around, each day. Every day. No excuses.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas Holiday Excuses!
The time of year for fitness excuses is here... December is probably the worst time of year where most people use excuse after excuse as to why they are letting themselves get fat and out of shape during "the holidays".
So with this post, I just want to give you some tips and motivation to do the opposite of what most people are going to do this december, and get yourself in BETTER shape during this busy season. This doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of anything during your parties with friends and family, but it DOES mean that you have to be sensible and stick to your fitness and nutrition plan when you're not in party mode.
First, the biggest excuse I've heard over the many years I've been doing fitness counseling is that they don't "have any time" to keep working out during the holidays.
Ok, I know we all may have a lot of family gatherings and holiday parties to go to during this time, but saying that you don't have time to keep yourself in shape is basically admitting that your health and fitness is not a priority in your life. If it was a priority, you'd make time.
So let's commit to a pact that we will not use the lack of time excuse this holiday season. Instead, if there are days that you don't feel that you have time to go to the gym for a full workout, schedule a 15 minute workout in for yourself at least 4 days/week either before or after work, or at whatever time you can fit in a 15 minute workout at home.
Anybody can fit in 15 minutes... that's all it takes. However, those 15 minutes need to be full of high intensity exercises that work your entire body. Even doing just some bodyweight circuits at home can keep you in great shape.
For example, you can rotate through 5 or 6 exercises such as lunges, bodyweight squats, pushups, mountain climbers, and lying leg thrusts in a circuit fashion, alternating between them for as many sets as you can do in that 15 minute time period.
If you work hard enough, you can get a great full body workout in only 15 minutes and then be ready to go for whatever holiday activities are on your schedule.
The second biggest excuse I've heard over the years from many people during the holidays is that there's no way they can control their eating during this time of year with parties and gatherings with all of the delicious food being offered everywhere. What many people have told me is that the 5 or 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years every year is just one massive free-for-all bingefest for them.
This doesn't make any sense though. For example, even if you were extremely busy with parties and gatherings and let's say you have 8 parties/gatherings to go to during these 5 weeks, that is still only 8 days out of 35 that you're going to be surrounded by party food for only a small time each day.
This means that if you're still eating super-healthy during the 27 other days and also during the other time available on the party days, you can easily still have at least 90% compliance with your healthy diet. If you can have 90% compliance, it is quite easy to stay lean instead of packing on the lbs during the holidays.
The important thing to keep reminding yourself is that the ONLY time you are going to cheat is during the parties and gatherings and not before, after, or for entire weeks at a time.
One thing I like to do if I know I'll be going to a holiday party or big meal is that I plan to get in a great weight training workout within a few hours (if possible) before going to the party. This way I know that my metabolism is already elevated from the weight training and some of the excess calories that I may consume can help towards muscle repair and glycogen replenishment instead of being deposited as body fat.
So I hope this post has helped to make sure that you stay on track with your fitness during the holidays. There are NO EXCUSES. There's no reason at all to wait until January to start on your fitness program, when it should really be a part of your everyday lifestyle.
Here's to getting in BETTER SHAPE, instead of worse this December!
So with this post, I just want to give you some tips and motivation to do the opposite of what most people are going to do this december, and get yourself in BETTER shape during this busy season. This doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of anything during your parties with friends and family, but it DOES mean that you have to be sensible and stick to your fitness and nutrition plan when you're not in party mode.
First, the biggest excuse I've heard over the many years I've been doing fitness counseling is that they don't "have any time" to keep working out during the holidays.
Ok, I know we all may have a lot of family gatherings and holiday parties to go to during this time, but saying that you don't have time to keep yourself in shape is basically admitting that your health and fitness is not a priority in your life. If it was a priority, you'd make time.
So let's commit to a pact that we will not use the lack of time excuse this holiday season. Instead, if there are days that you don't feel that you have time to go to the gym for a full workout, schedule a 15 minute workout in for yourself at least 4 days/week either before or after work, or at whatever time you can fit in a 15 minute workout at home.
Anybody can fit in 15 minutes... that's all it takes. However, those 15 minutes need to be full of high intensity exercises that work your entire body. Even doing just some bodyweight circuits at home can keep you in great shape.
For example, you can rotate through 5 or 6 exercises such as lunges, bodyweight squats, pushups, mountain climbers, and lying leg thrusts in a circuit fashion, alternating between them for as many sets as you can do in that 15 minute time period.
If you work hard enough, you can get a great full body workout in only 15 minutes and then be ready to go for whatever holiday activities are on your schedule.
The second biggest excuse I've heard over the years from many people during the holidays is that there's no way they can control their eating during this time of year with parties and gatherings with all of the delicious food being offered everywhere. What many people have told me is that the 5 or 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years every year is just one massive free-for-all bingefest for them.
This doesn't make any sense though. For example, even if you were extremely busy with parties and gatherings and let's say you have 8 parties/gatherings to go to during these 5 weeks, that is still only 8 days out of 35 that you're going to be surrounded by party food for only a small time each day.
This means that if you're still eating super-healthy during the 27 other days and also during the other time available on the party days, you can easily still have at least 90% compliance with your healthy diet. If you can have 90% compliance, it is quite easy to stay lean instead of packing on the lbs during the holidays.
The important thing to keep reminding yourself is that the ONLY time you are going to cheat is during the parties and gatherings and not before, after, or for entire weeks at a time.
One thing I like to do if I know I'll be going to a holiday party or big meal is that I plan to get in a great weight training workout within a few hours (if possible) before going to the party. This way I know that my metabolism is already elevated from the weight training and some of the excess calories that I may consume can help towards muscle repair and glycogen replenishment instead of being deposited as body fat.
So I hope this post has helped to make sure that you stay on track with your fitness during the holidays. There are NO EXCUSES. There's no reason at all to wait until January to start on your fitness program, when it should really be a part of your everyday lifestyle.
Here's to getting in BETTER SHAPE, instead of worse this December!
holiday alcohol choices
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The 5 Best and 5 Worst Cocktails
Across the board, studies keep telling us that a bit of alcohol in your diet enhances health and lengthens life span. But last time you hit the bar, you woke up feeling like someone was using a rototiller on your brain, leaving you to wonder, "How can this have been good for me?"
The truth is—it isn't. A hangover means you've done damage that needs to be reversed. Unfortunately, a common remedy is a greasy meal, which further damages your system and hinders all weight loss plans. But there's no doubt that a drink every now and then can help lift your spirits and diminish stress. But all cocktails are not created equal. Just like making smart choices with the foods you eat, imbibing with a plan can be the difference between extending your life and getting to know your Domino's guy on a first-name basis.
The Best
Red wine. Much has been written about its high antioxidant content and how wine drinkers are the healthiest sect of those who imbibe regularly. The difference between red and white wines is the grapes' skins. Whites don't have 'em, and they also contain more residual sugar, and sugar and alcohol is a bad combination.
Downside . . . The sulfates in red wine affect many people poorly, often leading to an inability to sleep. And if you can't sleep, you're offsetting all of the positive effects.
Light beer. Beer is a blend of barley and hops and, essentially, fairly healthy. It has some food value and its alcohol content is low. Light beer has about a third fewer calories than regular beer; a bottle generally contains less than 100. It's not a terrible snack by any means.
Downside . . . It's hard to drink just one. Because it's mainly water, it's not uncommon to see light beer drinkers wielding a 12-pack after work and 1,200 calories of beer will ruin anyone's diet.
Guinness stout. In Ireland, the saying goes that Guinness is food. And, sure enough, it tastes like it. Thick, rich, and syrupy, one Guinness can feel as satisfying as a case of Bud Light. However, it's not all that high in calories or alcohol and has a high iron count.
Downside . . . It can be addicting. When one doesn't do the trick anymore, you can quickly pile on calories. "Food" as it may be, most of beer's calories still comes from alcohol.
Top-shelf alcohol of any kind. Straight, on the rocks, or with water. The means of producing hard alcohol ensure that you're getting what you pay for. Cheap stuff isn't made with a high-quality distillation process, leaving it with all sorts of impurities and a taste that renders its main use to be mixed with non-alcoholic, and usually highly caloric, substances. Top-shelf stuff, whether it's bourbon, vodka, or even rum, is made to be consumed alone, or with water. Slowly savoring your drink is a great way to make sure that you don't overdo it. Cost is another. It's much better to slowly relish a glass of Blanton's than to power down a fifth of Old Granddad and Coke.
Downside . . . The cost of providing for your top-shelf-only habit could lead to enough extra stress down at the office to offset the stress you're relieving with your drink.
Vodka soda. Vodka is the purest of the hard alcohols and soda is mainly water. Add a couple of limes and you've got a clean and refreshing cocktail with very few calories.
Downside . . . It's so clean and refreshing, it's hard to be restrained. If you have four of these, you might as well have just had that strawberry margarita you wanted in the first place.
The Worst
Scorpion. Or just about anything you'll find at the Kon Tiki, Trader Vic's, or any place where drink is referred to as "grog." If there's anything worse than mixing a lot of sugar-based alcohols together, it's mixing them with a bunch of sugary juices in a bowl that's big enough for six. Drink one of these and be prepared to skip the entire drunken process and head straight to the hangover.
Long Island Iced Tea. Forget the word "tea." There are no antioxidants to be found in this concoction of five different alcohols, sweet and sour mix, and Coke. A few of these and you might as well put in a wake-up call to Domino's.
Red Bull and vodka. If you want to be a supercharged drunk, here ya go. One of the main offenders of the hangover is your inability to sleep well after a night on the town. Nothing enhances the chance of seeing dawn's early light like a couple of these. The only positive is that maybe you'll dance all night and work off the calories. Hopefully, you don't have to work the next day.
Jack and Coke. You might as well just mainline your whiskey. Nothing's better than Coke at creating a sugar rush. Adding alcohol to this mix creates the perfect atmosphere for a bar fight. The only saving grace is that being drunk impairs your reflexes. Losing a couple of late-night melees could lead to some restraint.
Piña Colada. The only thing more densely caloric than alcohol is fat and this baby combines the two, along with all the sugar you need to guarantee a hangover. The result is a virtually nutrition-free milk shake that contains half of your daily caloric requirement. The only possible bright side is that you're only likely to feel comfortable drinking one of these on an island where you have ample opportunity to shed the pounds you gained the night before.
The 5 Best and 5 Worst Cocktails
Across the board, studies keep telling us that a bit of alcohol in your diet enhances health and lengthens life span. But last time you hit the bar, you woke up feeling like someone was using a rototiller on your brain, leaving you to wonder, "How can this have been good for me?"
The truth is—it isn't. A hangover means you've done damage that needs to be reversed. Unfortunately, a common remedy is a greasy meal, which further damages your system and hinders all weight loss plans. But there's no doubt that a drink every now and then can help lift your spirits and diminish stress. But all cocktails are not created equal. Just like making smart choices with the foods you eat, imbibing with a plan can be the difference between extending your life and getting to know your Domino's guy on a first-name basis.
The Best
Red wine. Much has been written about its high antioxidant content and how wine drinkers are the healthiest sect of those who imbibe regularly. The difference between red and white wines is the grapes' skins. Whites don't have 'em, and they also contain more residual sugar, and sugar and alcohol is a bad combination.
Downside . . . The sulfates in red wine affect many people poorly, often leading to an inability to sleep. And if you can't sleep, you're offsetting all of the positive effects.
Light beer. Beer is a blend of barley and hops and, essentially, fairly healthy. It has some food value and its alcohol content is low. Light beer has about a third fewer calories than regular beer; a bottle generally contains less than 100. It's not a terrible snack by any means.
Downside . . . It's hard to drink just one. Because it's mainly water, it's not uncommon to see light beer drinkers wielding a 12-pack after work and 1,200 calories of beer will ruin anyone's diet.
Guinness stout. In Ireland, the saying goes that Guinness is food. And, sure enough, it tastes like it. Thick, rich, and syrupy, one Guinness can feel as satisfying as a case of Bud Light. However, it's not all that high in calories or alcohol and has a high iron count.
Downside . . . It can be addicting. When one doesn't do the trick anymore, you can quickly pile on calories. "Food" as it may be, most of beer's calories still comes from alcohol.
Top-shelf alcohol of any kind. Straight, on the rocks, or with water. The means of producing hard alcohol ensure that you're getting what you pay for. Cheap stuff isn't made with a high-quality distillation process, leaving it with all sorts of impurities and a taste that renders its main use to be mixed with non-alcoholic, and usually highly caloric, substances. Top-shelf stuff, whether it's bourbon, vodka, or even rum, is made to be consumed alone, or with water. Slowly savoring your drink is a great way to make sure that you don't overdo it. Cost is another. It's much better to slowly relish a glass of Blanton's than to power down a fifth of Old Granddad and Coke.
Downside . . . The cost of providing for your top-shelf-only habit could lead to enough extra stress down at the office to offset the stress you're relieving with your drink.
Vodka soda. Vodka is the purest of the hard alcohols and soda is mainly water. Add a couple of limes and you've got a clean and refreshing cocktail with very few calories.
Downside . . . It's so clean and refreshing, it's hard to be restrained. If you have four of these, you might as well have just had that strawberry margarita you wanted in the first place.
The Worst
Scorpion. Or just about anything you'll find at the Kon Tiki, Trader Vic's, or any place where drink is referred to as "grog." If there's anything worse than mixing a lot of sugar-based alcohols together, it's mixing them with a bunch of sugary juices in a bowl that's big enough for six. Drink one of these and be prepared to skip the entire drunken process and head straight to the hangover.
Long Island Iced Tea. Forget the word "tea." There are no antioxidants to be found in this concoction of five different alcohols, sweet and sour mix, and Coke. A few of these and you might as well put in a wake-up call to Domino's.
Red Bull and vodka. If you want to be a supercharged drunk, here ya go. One of the main offenders of the hangover is your inability to sleep well after a night on the town. Nothing enhances the chance of seeing dawn's early light like a couple of these. The only positive is that maybe you'll dance all night and work off the calories. Hopefully, you don't have to work the next day.
Jack and Coke. You might as well just mainline your whiskey. Nothing's better than Coke at creating a sugar rush. Adding alcohol to this mix creates the perfect atmosphere for a bar fight. The only saving grace is that being drunk impairs your reflexes. Losing a couple of late-night melees could lead to some restraint.
Piña Colada. The only thing more densely caloric than alcohol is fat and this baby combines the two, along with all the sugar you need to guarantee a hangover. The result is a virtually nutrition-free milk shake that contains half of your daily caloric requirement. The only possible bright side is that you're only likely to feel comfortable drinking one of these on an island where you have ample opportunity to shed the pounds you gained the night before.
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