Take off your shoes, now look at your feet? How well do you really know your feet? Are you wearing the right shoes for your workouts? I bet not!
Ask any professional athlete about their feet and shoes, and I bet you that they know all about them. Whether they pronate, supinate, overpronate.. sound like a foreign language to you? Then it is time to learn more about those things on the ends of your legs that do so much work. Through this website you can learn more about your feet and even get a little direction on what to look for as your looking for new athletic shoes. Need more help? Go to your closest running store to learn more about your needs depending on the fitness activity that you will be doing. Learn how you move and you will be on your way to reaching your goals in comfort.
You know you have to watch your Calories, Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat.. Sodium.. Are you getting enough Vitamin C? You are reading the labels but what does it all mean? You may be eating healthy foods but are you still having issues in losing weight because the Nutrition Labels don’t make any sense? Reading labels is a common problem with the Marketing companies of Major Food companies and grocery stores in the quest for getting your Dollars. But alas, you can go into the grocery stores with help and knowledge in hand! Once you understand the basics, you will become the next food label guru of your house.
Links: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html
* Breaks down the food label in simple and easy to read concepts
http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/food-label.asp
* How to not make common errors when reading nutrition labels
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-facts/NU00293
*Even simplier way to understand the labels
Healthy eating on the go is not an easy task. While restaurants have attempted to have healthier eating options, sometimes portion sizing and self restraint can be so difficult. Have no fear, there’s some helpful tools on the market to make your healthy lifestyle a little easier!
Are you trying to watch your calories but aren’t sure what your eating is made up of? Check out the Calorie Calculator! For $40, you can track 100s of foods in a device devoted to just healthy eating. Keep it in your purse or pocket, whip it out and track your food. Wham! Your eating has just gotten back to reality!
Your doing your daily cardio, eating right but still not sure why the weight isn’t coming off? Maybe it is time to get the Bodybugg. While this device isn’t cheap at $249*, it is a tool to tell you whats really going on by reading through your skin what your really burning. Look familiar? All the contestants for The Biggest Loser wear these devices to lose some major weight.
Need some help with Portions and not to keen on measuring your food? Check out the Portion pals! Plop it on a plate, and get the proper portions. Can’t get any easier than that!
I always pack my food for the day when I am at the gym servicing clients. Not only does it ensure proper portions, control on what I am eating, but it saves me a bit of cash too. The Bento box makes it easy! It is a set of stack able containers that allow you to take 3 meals on the go. Oh, and it comes in some fun feisty colors too. Yippie!
*Monthly or Yearly subscription is required.
I am always on the quest to find new ways to make exercise fun and entertaining. I will admit that the cold makes me want to bundle up with some hot tea and a good book. But, alas having exercise available right at home always makes it better.
While doing some exploring, I found corepoweryoga.com. For low daily, monthly, and even yearly rates, you can choose the yoga class that you want (or need) for the day. Just hit play and pull out your yoga mat! Whahoo! Want to try it out just to see what its like? Try it for a week for free! Are you an experienced yogi? Your covered too.
Since you have been so good at practicing your downward dog and meditating, its time for some new workout clothes! Check out zobha.com for fun colors, flattering pants and comfortable designed for the new you. Oh and did I mention that then have pants for tall girls? Oh yea, now we’re talkn!
I am an avid Vogue reader. It’s my thing. I look forward to that and W coming to me in the mail every month. Sure it has nothing to do with fitness, but who doesn’t love a little fashion! Vogue has articles each month in their Fitness section. While I admit that sometimes it is a little far out in concepts (yes, I get the science that they put in there.. but putting yourself in a freezer?), sometimes they do a good job of bringing a little reality to the fashion world.
For their January issue, there was an article called, “The Good Life” by Vicki Woods that hit the nail on the head for once! She talks about the 12 things that healthy people do on a daily basis for their lives: 30 minutes of activity a day, not smoking, meditation… and tries to bring these things into her life. Some she does a great job at, and like all of us, some she finds a struggle. Read about her path to having “The Good Life”.
While relaxing one day watching one of my favorite TV shows, I was greeted by a new commercial talking about High Fructose Corn Syrup (also known as HFCS). As a trainer and a healthy person I was furious! Why do you ask? The commercial says it is good for you right? Think again folks!
Welcome to consumer marketing! It is everywhere from the obvious TV to the grocery store. One of the things that is said in the commercial, “It is OK in moderation.” Moderation of HCFS is difficult since it is in everything! How often are you reading the labels of your food?
As I have written in a previous article, HFCS can bypass your liver and go straight into your metabolic pathway. What does that mean? Your body is more likely to store it as fat since it missed the processing that the liver does.
Always do your research prior to changing your eating habits. Its your body, you have the ultimate control.
You have decided on a new way to eat and get healthy, Congrats! But you find that you are only “good” when you are at home. How do you take your new heathy eating on the road with you??
Welcome to a new system called the Stax System! Designed by a trainer in Scottsdale Arizona, it is designed to portion out your Protein, Carbs and Fats into a manageble system. It keeps four of your meals cool for the day. Better yet, a timer that you can put on your keychain, refrigerator or even on your desk so that you never forget to eat! Thats what I call smart healthy eating!
We have all heard the word Frankincense used in religious rites, but it also has some natural healing properties as well. In Asia it is used to aide in digestion and healthy skin, though it must be pure to be ediable. As of May 2008 FASEB Journal announced that Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have determined that frankincense smoke is a psychoactive drug that relieves depression and anxiety in mice.[3] The researchers found that the chemical compound incensole acetate is responsible for the effects.[3]
For those with Osteoarthritis, it has been found that it can signifinately reduce symptoms in as little as seven days. For more information, please see this article.
Those of you with food allergies understand that it is diffucult to find yummie foods that will not A) Make you Comatoste, B) Put you in the hospital or C) put you in the bathroom in a fetal position for hours to come. Slowly the world is beginning to catch up and is offering options for all of us with issues.
Locally in KC, there is a great Gluten Free baker! Go visit: Astrocakes
Resveratrol has been in and out of the media for the last decade after scientists and doctors noticed the “French Paradox” of the French having great health despite higher fat diets. The discovery was a glass of red wine is good for your health in limited quantities. For those of us who like a good glass of wine, this was good news! But chronic alcohol consumption has side effects of causing fat to accumulate fat around the liver which may cause liver diseases such as cirrhosis and fibrosis or even worse, kidney failure. After further research, it has been decided that a red wine by-product, Resveratrol was the ingredient behind the wonder. It has since been used in studies for a variety of reasons and is made into supplements with a huge following.
What is this Resveratrol exactly? It is a Antioxident that has been not only found in red wine, but also exists in smaller quantities in: grapes, peanuts, dark Chocolate and cocca. In that Resveratrol can be an anti-inflammatory, lower blood sugar, aide in reducing fat cells, increasing athletic performance, and may reduce the amount of estrogen’s in women’s bodies, therefore inhibiting Breast Cancer initiation.
Information is continuing to evolve as research continues on the different uses of Resveratrol. Just last week information that, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the makers of a FDA approved myalli, used the compound to design the drug SRT1720. It was tested on mice that it “was about a thousand times more potent than resveratrol in activating an enzyme that helped the animals burn more energy and lower their insulin and glucose levels.”. When past research showed that it reduced the amount of fat cells and the effects of calorie restriction even while on a high fat diet, it is not a suprise that a large Pharma company would be soon be in the works for using the compound for fat loss. This same compound is going to be tested for a phase II trial for diabetics.
While there have been numerous studies going back and forth about the effects of Resveratrol, it appears that hearing about this powerful antioxident is not coming to an end soon. Instead, it should be something to keep our eye open about as research continues to go from Mice to Humans.
There is a new reality style show about Ruby Gettinger from Savannah, Georgia. The program debuted this November on the Style Channel about the her path to loosing weight from being at 500 lbs. She is spunky and interesting to watch as she openly discusses her struggles to get out of the danger zone.
Her path began as her Doctor informed her that if she does not do something soon, she will not live a long life. She has put together her own “Team” complied of her doctor, a Nutritionist, Personal Trainer and even a Psychologist to help her deal with her food issues.
Ruby’s determination and drive to work through her previous weight loss challenges is inspirational and encouraging. Check her out Sundays on the Style Channel 8/7C.
** This is not the website for Ruby. Please refer to the Style.com link. Thank you.
What does a Fit Body look like to you? Is it someone with a slim physique? Maybe it is someone who looks like they could move a car or outrun a cheetah! While mainstream media generally shows us photos of Celebrities in their swimsuits as being fit, maybe there is more than one definition! Check this out.
So the question is, what does a “Fit Body” look like to you?
Since I am a huge reader, I thought it might be a good time to start sharing my favorite reads with my readers, but I will begin with one book a week. To start it out, I will begin with my favorite as well as my clients favorite.
The Clean Eating Books by Tosca Reno, has been one that I have been sharing a lot lately that very simply teaches how to “Clean up” your eating. It discusses the different food groups, how to grocery shop, what you need in your Kitchen and lots, lots more.
The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever!
Wait, it doesn’t stop there! There is a CookBook that helps you learn how to have good tasting food that will get to your goals also:
The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean
Do you have children and have a difficult time getting them to eat their veggies? There is a book for that also:
The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids: Simple Strategies for Lasting Health and Fitness
Guys, we will not leave you out either. Robbert Kennedy has a book solution for you also.
The Eat-Clean Diet for Men: Your Ironclad Plan for a Lean Physique!
Clean Eating in a nutshell: Getting back to the basics and cutting out the prepared foods. I like to think of it this way; If your Great Grandmother wouldn’t understand it, then why are you putting it in your mouth?
As we all learned when we were little, our hearts are our lifeline to keeping us alive. As we get older, through lifestyle choices, genetics and even race, increases our risk to damage and diseases that hurt our important lifeline. From Stroke to Heart Attacks, this is a scary and serious matter. But you can do something about it by educating yourself and passing the information along to a friend. Are you wanting to do more? You can volunteer and help to get the information out to others in your community. For more information, please click this link
Authors note: Heart Attacks and Strokes can happen very suddenly and may be life threatening. Learn about the signs and risks to impower yourself in case it happens to you our a loved one. About two and a half years ago, I lost my father to a Heart Attack and other complications. It is my mission to prevent this sadness from happening to anyone elses loved one as much as possible.
Have you Ever Thought that You are Afraid to Lose the Weight? 5 Rules to Breaking the Fears TODAY!
Afraid to lose weight, sounds funny I know. But if weight loss has been on your #1 to do on your list for awhile, or you have tried and failed before, there might be something to this idea for you to think about.
Sometimes fear rings loudly in our ears when we are faced with something that we know that we are afraid of: Aging, War, Being Alone, Dying, .. you get the picture. Then there are those things that we want, but require us to do something that we may be afraid to do: Going back to school, Changing Careers, Weight loss.
Part of weight loss requires change. Change of how we eat and treat food, change in activites, and also change in the reaction to everyone around us. Those are big things! But, you can handle them by thinking these simple things I found in the book: Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway (r)
The Five Truths about Fear:
1. The fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow.
2. The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it.
3. THe only way to feel better about myself is to go out.. and do it!
4. Not only am I going to experience fear whenever I am on unfamiliar territory, so is everyone else.
5. Pushing through fear is less frighteniing than liviing with the underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness.
Put these simple 5 thoughts into action and break those Fears today! Want to read more about it? Check out the book for more clues!
I have to say, watching the Biggest Loser every year is truly inspiring. Not just when they are at the ranch busting their buts, but even more when they get back to their own reality. Juggling kids, jobs, Families and even their social life. Of course winning $250,000 and having the whole world watch you weigh in on a monster scale can be a big motivator, more importantly they want to do it for both themselves and their families. Can you do this also?
OF COURSE! As you watch the season, you see all the contestants reach their own “Ah HA” moment. You see them flick the on switch and the little twinkle in their eyes light up. They dig deep, they get emotional and so can you. What is the REAL reason you want to lose weight? I don’t mean just to wear a size 8, whats the real reason? Do you want to be able to play for hours with your kids? Run a marathon? Be able to carry in the groceries without help?
Find your own on switch and get emotional about your weight loss. Make those lifestyle changes of moving more, eating less and eating quality foods that really make you feel good. I know you can do it, and soon so will you!
Want to know more about the show? Click here
Morbidly Obese Man Walking
Obesity is a big issue all over the world, even more in the U.S. With the alarming rate of people diagnosed with Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol, it is something we hear about everyday.. but how much do we really know about this?
Did you know that when people are Obese, the fat exists in more than just in what we see? It can even exist around organs such as the liver, lungs and heart therefore making exercise and recovery take longer. Want to know more? Check out The National Geographic Channel show called The Science of Obesity. The more we know and understand, the better we can change!
OK ,OK.. so there is no such thing as a perfect Diet! You caught me. Of course this morning, Amazon.com sent me an e-mail telling me about several book options for the perfect diet for me. I do admit thought that I find all of that super interesting. and even owned a few that they already suggested. “Huh? Why?” You may ask? I like to have my hands on as much as you do. The more I know about what is being fed into your brains, the more that I can help you understand the information.
Now, as far as diets go. It is all very confusing and if you wait five minutes, that information will be then proven wrong! Yikes! The best way to choose what and how to eat is these basic ideas:
1. No Trans fats! = Yup, that’s what we call the bad fats. Not only can they increase your Body Fat, but can also do damage to other vital organs. Best to stay away from that.
2. Eat out as little as possible = Other than reason #1, Eating out puts the control in someone Else’s hands. Do you know what the ingredients are? Can you pronounce them? Not to mention the larger serving sizes, sodium and larger amount of Calories.
3. Drink your water = This is a basic, but something I felt that needed to be mentioned. Our bodies are 70% of the stuff therefore it is super important. So put down the energy drink and stay away from the soda. You could be dehydrated right now and not even know it!
4. Does it really make you FEEL good? = When I say good, I mean high energy for 3-4 hours, awake and alive. Not tasty and makes you full for 15 minutes and then really sleepy all of the sudden. Long lasting quality energy!
5. Has your Grandmother heard of it? = This is a easy concept. Chances are, she hasn’t heard (or gets) a lot of the food that’s on the shelves. Better yet, has her mother heard of it? The idea of preserving our food is still a fairly newer concept from the 50’s-60’s so there is a lot of new foods constantly put out on the market.
6. Do you understand the directions? = This is a big one. You got the book, check. Read Chapter one, check. Got the food, check. Now what? Read the book first and understand what you are getting yourself into. Why? If you don’t follow it, then it will not work.
7. Stick to it for the long haul. = In reality, any diet will work. The key is sticking to it and following tip number six. It will take you 30 days to start a new habit, it will take longer than that to get to your goals.
Have a question that you want answered? E-mail me at katemclin@gmail.com
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Every year Millions of people make New Years Resolutions ‘To Do’ Lists, how about Making a To Don’t list! Whats the difference? What are things that you learned this year that you do not want to repeat in the New Year? Those are things to list on your To Don’t list. Did you learn things about how you eat that you don’t wan to repeat? Do you not want to fall off of your workout wagon? Make a list and keep it on your fridge to remind yourself of your success in ‘08 and your new To don’t list for the New Year!
HAPPY NEW YEARS and go kick some Butt in ‘09!
With the New Year brings new changes. Not only in remembering to change the last digit (or sometimes the last 2 digits), but thinking about the year that has past and remembering what you like and didn’t like about it. It is sometimes hard to see a good year go, and a new one with unforeseen challenges come, but we all have to take it whether we like it or not.
The same thing applies to exercise. It can be a unforeseen challenge with hills and bumps in the road, but if we stick to our guns, we can make it through it all to the finish line. I like to think of exercise as an adventure. What Adventure are you going to tackle this year?
1. The biggest question I have gotten so far is, “How do I start??”. Set yourself reasonable goals in small steps or SMART goals. SMART stands for: Specific: Answer the 5 W of Who, What, Where, Which, Why. Example: I want to walk 3 times a week for 20 minutes for the next 2 weeks with my dog. Measurable: How do you know when you reach that goal? Also be specific. Example: I want to loose 2 inches off my waist in 30 days. Attainable: How are you going to reach that goal? When the goal is important to you, you will find ways to attain them. Realistic: Make sure that you are Truly willing and able to do what you have set out. Have you told yourself to do 1 hour of running a day when you have not ran for 10 years? A more reasonable goal will be 20 minutes of walking for the next 2 weeks and bump it up from there. Timely/Tangible: Something that you can see the end too. Keep the times shorter (1 week, 1 month, 3 months). If the goal is to finish in a year, it gives you a lot of time to put it off. Also make sure it is something that you can feel and keep you excited about! 2. Is weight training important? YES! Very important to young and old, male and female. Lifting increases your resting metabolism or makes you burn more calories when you aren’t moving. It can reduce chances of injury, make you stronger for regular life and a tighter leaner package all around. A note about weight training: Muscle weighs more than fat so the scale can trick you here. Muscle also takes up less space in the body than fat. Lets say that fat is the side of a loaf of bread, then muscle is the size of a carrot (Just talking size here folks, not weight). 3. Should I do an Hour of cardio a day? No, that’s not necessary especially when just starting out. (See SMART goals). 20 minutes a day to start is great (even 10 minutes at a time) and work up to a minimum of 30 minutes a day for just general heart health. After a few months, you want to continue to challenge yourself with your cardio. Increase the treadmill speed, increase the level on the elliptical for example. The more you do it, the more efficient your body becomes and the leaner you will be! 4. As Spark people talks about, food is VERY important. As they say, you are what you eat. Drink your min of 8 glasses of water daily, track your food and make changes as you learn and grow. Think of weight loss as a challenge. If you fall off one day and miss something, brush yourself off and hop right back on. Sometimes going backwards teaches us how to go forwards.
You see the commercials for the women that lost “30 lbs in 12 weeks”, see their before and after photos and WOW! You think to yourself, “I need to get on that stuff!”.. whoa! Wait! Not all supplements are created equal. The problem is that the FDA does not regulate all supplements.. yet (some things take time). That means that you have to do your research beforehand. Do you have High Blood Pressure? Diabeties? You may want to cross reference the Weight Loss Supplement with your doctor before purchasing because it may counteract with your medication. Do your research and be an informed consumer!
Here is an Article that may help.
I am always interested in books talking about new ways to look at food. Guess what? I found another one!
I believe in a little education when you are trying to make changes. You want to go forward and stay propelling that way, not go backwards. Have you heard of Structure House weight loss clinic? I bet not. They have been changing lives quietly for years, but they have now published a new book to share the knowledge. Go check it out!
The Structure House Weight Loss Plan: Achieve Your Ideal Weight Through a New Relationship with Food
This year I started something new, Knitting! I am sure that it is something that you think of your grandma or even your mother doing as you grew up, but knitting is also popular with the young. Not only that, but some of your favorite stars are knitting these days also. Knitting was brought to me by my wonderful mother after years of trying to convince me of the calming effects of it. Well, this year I figured why not give it a try again and actually finish something! After three weeks, I can say that I am hooked!
Here is what I have learned so far: Yarn stores are fun and dangerous at the same time. There is so many great textures and colors that you want to buy and use them all! There is knitting groups called “Stitch and Bitch” where you hang with your fellow knitters and chat about life and even get a little help on the project you may be stuck on. There is a great online community called Ravelry.com to meet up with other knitters (and Crocheters too), share your projects, chat in the forum and share patterns. I also learned that there is a Vogue knitting (but, the word on the street is the patterns aren’t always easy to understand) but I am still excited!
Knitting has even recently popped up in TV commercials. Yo-plait has a new commercial out with a woman surrounded by her Knitting just to keep herself from eating poor foods. I have to admit that I find the commercial entertaining, since I also find that I have to watch the time to make sure that I stop to get my eating in! You can’t do both at the same time.
As you know, knitting involves a lot of sitting and repeated movements with your hands, wrists and a little shoulders. It can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, tight shoulders, hip flexors and even lower back from all of the sitting. How about some fitness just for Knitters? E-Book coming soon!
Little 80's spandex to brighten your day
New year.. well how about a new blog? I’m bringing in some fun ways to think about exercise.. think of it as your new daily workout. Of course Spandex is optional.
Have you joined Twitter yet? Come Twitter with me! It is like text message, but share thoughts, ideas, links.. and more with everyone!
See me here: http://twitter.com/FitKate
