When I am going over food logs or discussing health/fitness with my clients, I tend to uncover some common misnomers or "a-ha" moments that seem to come up quite a bit. So I'm going to quickly name off the most popular of these and maybe it will be something that you didn't realize that will help you in your everyday life.
1. I am not big on eating snacks such as chips, corn chips, etc. But, if you have a need to eat something like that with a sandwich (every so often), did you know that there are "baked" options that can be healthier alternatives. Now when I say healthier, I don't mean chalked full of nutritional value. What I mean is that they have less cholesterol and saturated fats then there un-baked counterparts. So instead of Doritos or Lays, why don't you try Baked Doritos or Baked Lays.
2. Just because a bread says wheat on it doesn't automatically make it a healthier choice. To make it truly healthy (compared to other breads), it should say "100% Whole Wheat" or "100% Whole Grains." Otherwise, the regular wheat breads are just colored white bread.
3. If you are using ground meat for say tacos, don't assume that ground turkey is better than ground beef. You still have to look at the nutritional label to see how much fat is in there. If you see them proclaim a ratio like 85/15 or 90/10 on the package, that isn't ideal. If you want a lean ground meat, regardless if it is beef or turkey, look for "93/7 or higher."
4. Ice cream is "not healthy." Some of you laugh, but I get this argument every so often. Even "natural" ice cream made with real ingredients and milk is not healthy. You can get your calcium from other foods that don't have nearly as much sugar in them as ice cream. Even low fat ice cream is not good. You don't want to know about the special ingredients they add to the ice cream to make it taste good.
5. You deplete all nutritional value of a potato if you load it up with toppings. Cheese, sour cream, butter, and bacon aren't wise choices for a potato if you are eating healthy. Use some of those butter flakes or be very conservative with the amount of butter you put on, but that is it. The same goes with a salad. If you put all those great vegetables in a bowl to eat, don't drench them with a fatty ranch dressing. There are a few good fat free dressing out there that can make a salad taste good. Yes, they have some sugar in them, but it is better than the saturated fat of the other dressings.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Athletes, It Is Time To Get In Shape
I wanted to inform you of a couple specials we will be doing through the end of this month.
Functional Movement Screens - You have heard me talk about the FMS, these past few weeks and I just can't tell you how informative this screen is. Regardless if you are an athlete or someone wanting to improve your health, this can be an indicator if all your muscles are firing properly AND if you have injuries in your future. The FMS is included in all our assessments, but now until August 31, you can ask for a FMS for just $50. If you are part of a sport team, tell your coach about it and I will provide a group rate. This could determine which of your athletes will be playing more than others because the others will get injured this season. I will also discuss what exercises you would need to do to improve your movement patterns if that is deemed necessary.
Speed Program For Basketball Players - With school starting soon, that means that basketball players should be getting in shape for their season. I know tryouts are over 2 months away, but for today's game you are expected to be in great shape by the time tryouts start. From now until August 31, we have two rates for our semi-private training services that we want to offer for any new athletes or athletes we haven't seen in 6 months or longer. You can train with us for 1 month (twice a week) plus an assessment for $370. Or you can train with us for 2 months (twice a week) plus an assessment for $625. Your month will begin on your very first training session, not your assessment date. We have done wonders for individuals in a two month span, decreasing their 20 yard dash time by .2 of a second and increasing their vertical 2-3 inches. We know what we're doing and we want your athlete to be the best that he/she can be.
To take advantage of either of these offers contact us today for the remaining details.. Remember, you have until August 31, to get started.
Functional Movement Screens - You have heard me talk about the FMS, these past few weeks and I just can't tell you how informative this screen is. Regardless if you are an athlete or someone wanting to improve your health, this can be an indicator if all your muscles are firing properly AND if you have injuries in your future. The FMS is included in all our assessments, but now until August 31, you can ask for a FMS for just $50. If you are part of a sport team, tell your coach about it and I will provide a group rate. This could determine which of your athletes will be playing more than others because the others will get injured this season. I will also discuss what exercises you would need to do to improve your movement patterns if that is deemed necessary.
Speed Program For Basketball Players - With school starting soon, that means that basketball players should be getting in shape for their season. I know tryouts are over 2 months away, but for today's game you are expected to be in great shape by the time tryouts start. From now until August 31, we have two rates for our semi-private training services that we want to offer for any new athletes or athletes we haven't seen in 6 months or longer. You can train with us for 1 month (twice a week) plus an assessment for $370. Or you can train with us for 2 months (twice a week) plus an assessment for $625. Your month will begin on your very first training session, not your assessment date. We have done wonders for individuals in a two month span, decreasing their 20 yard dash time by .2 of a second and increasing their vertical 2-3 inches. We know what we're doing and we want your athlete to be the best that he/she can be.
To take advantage of either of these offers contact us today for the remaining details.. Remember, you have until August 31, to get started.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Top 5 Tips For Shopping Correctly For Food
There are so many misconceptions out there about what is good and what is bad when it comes to buying food. In this day and age, you can get a nutritious meal, you just have to plan for it appropriately. I am constantly amazed by how many people really don't know how to cook food in general. If it isn't microwavable, they are dumbfounded. If you want to be successful with your nutrition plan, I'm sorry, but you will have to suck it up and learn the basics on how to cook.
With that in mind, you have to have an idea of what to look for when you go grocery shopping. So here are my top 5 tips of for grocery shopping so that you can make the correct choices:
1. To find a good protein choice, you need to look at the meats available. Chicken or turkey breasts (boneless, skinless) are good as is fresh fish (which is stocked with omega fatty acids). In a pinch, the frozen options for these meats are satisfactory. If you like red meats, try something with a loin (like pork loin) in it. This is usually a leaner cut. Try to stock up when the price is good and freeze the meat, so you can use it later. For the sake of this newsletter, I'm not going to discuss protein choices if you are a vegetarian. That is a topic for another day.
2. I'm going to say a word, but I don't want you to get scared....CARBOHYDRATES. There has really been a misguided perception towards carbs. Processed carbs are very bad, but whole carbs are essential. You need carbohydrates for energy. So, get your carbs from potatoes, sweet potatoes, 100% whole wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, fruit. Processed carbs to avoid are foods such as cookies, crackers, regular pasta, doughnuts, pop.
3. I really think fruits (which I mentioned earlier) and vegetables are the key to keeping you healthy throughout the year. Fresh vegetables are the best, but sometimes you might not know how to prepare them properly. So, your next option is frozen veggies, followed by canned veggies. There is a decrease in nutritional value as you go through your choices, but I don't think it is that big of a difference. I have canned mixed veggies daily.
4. There are some fats that are good for you, some would even say essential. Some good choices for those would be canola oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, almonds, walnuts. These have essential fatty acids that taken with the right portions can really benefit you.
5. Finally, AVOID a lot of flour products, those boxed juices, most dairy (you can get a lot of your calcium with fruit and vitamin D with sunlight), all sugars, processed snacks. These provide hardly any nutritional value when you pop them in your mouth, but tons of calories.
So I hope that helps you out next time you go shopping. Remember, if you plan ahead and stay organized, just like you should be doing with most things in your life, this can be a rather painless process. Pretty soon, this could be a lifestyle change for you.
With that in mind, you have to have an idea of what to look for when you go grocery shopping. So here are my top 5 tips of for grocery shopping so that you can make the correct choices:
1. To find a good protein choice, you need to look at the meats available. Chicken or turkey breasts (boneless, skinless) are good as is fresh fish (which is stocked with omega fatty acids). In a pinch, the frozen options for these meats are satisfactory. If you like red meats, try something with a loin (like pork loin) in it. This is usually a leaner cut. Try to stock up when the price is good and freeze the meat, so you can use it later. For the sake of this newsletter, I'm not going to discuss protein choices if you are a vegetarian. That is a topic for another day.
2. I'm going to say a word, but I don't want you to get scared....CARBOHYDRATES. There has really been a misguided perception towards carbs. Processed carbs are very bad, but whole carbs are essential. You need carbohydrates for energy. So, get your carbs from potatoes, sweet potatoes, 100% whole wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, fruit. Processed carbs to avoid are foods such as cookies, crackers, regular pasta, doughnuts, pop.
3. I really think fruits (which I mentioned earlier) and vegetables are the key to keeping you healthy throughout the year. Fresh vegetables are the best, but sometimes you might not know how to prepare them properly. So, your next option is frozen veggies, followed by canned veggies. There is a decrease in nutritional value as you go through your choices, but I don't think it is that big of a difference. I have canned mixed veggies daily.
4. There are some fats that are good for you, some would even say essential. Some good choices for those would be canola oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, almonds, walnuts. These have essential fatty acids that taken with the right portions can really benefit you.
5. Finally, AVOID a lot of flour products, those boxed juices, most dairy (you can get a lot of your calcium with fruit and vitamin D with sunlight), all sugars, processed snacks. These provide hardly any nutritional value when you pop them in your mouth, but tons of calories.
So I hope that helps you out next time you go shopping. Remember, if you plan ahead and stay organized, just like you should be doing with most things in your life, this can be a rather painless process. Pretty soon, this could be a lifestyle change for you.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Being Able To Predict Future Injuries
If you are a fan of our Facebook page, then hopefully you have been able to see the posts about our new Functional Movement Screen. Recently, I had traveled to Indianapolis to attend a seminar that would get me certified to perform a Functional Movement Screen (FMS).
So, if you are scratching your head asking what the heck is an FMS, then let me explain.
As a little kid, we had great flexibility and movement. But, as we grew older and developed movement patterns, sometimes we wouldn't do things correctly, but the "easier" way. With today's technology and modern science, we definitely don't have to move like our forefathers did back in the day. Our movement patterns became "incorrect" movement patterns.
Because of this, we develop strength deficiencies and muscle imbalances. Thus, are body isn't properly lined up and we are prime to set ourselves up to acquire various injuries or "itis" issues. That is where the FMS comes into play. The FMS is a test that scores you on 7 different movements. The maximum score you can get is a 21. The number you are trying to shoot for is 15 or above. Anything 14 or below, the research has shown you have a drastically increased chance of getting injured. You also want to look for any symmetry differences between your right and left. You want to address those as well.
By correcting these issues, you will be better balanced, have your muscles firing appropriately, and thus will have a more efficient moving pattern. This is a great test for someone who has had some nagging injuries, aches, or pains that they can't identify why they have them.
Now, if you have had some prior surgery before then this must be taken into account when doing the testing. But, if the doctor has said you are able to do anything and everything with no repercussions, then you should do this test to see if everything is firing normally.
So to detect if you are prone to future injuries, we are implementing this FMS with our own individual assessments. These will be included with your personal training sessions if you are a wellness client. If you are an athlete, the FMS will be included with the individual assessment you purchase. If you just want to get screened, but aren't currently training with us, the cost will be $75. Contact us today to get scheduled. You will be put through the FMS, we will discuss the results with you, and go over the corrective exercises you need to do to help your issues.
We can also do the FMS with various sports teams. These are great indicators if your athletes are operating as efficiently as possible. The research has great evidence in the fact that if your athlete scores lower than a 14 on this screen, they will greatly increase their chances of having an injury during the season, thus they won't be able to play. Contact us today, to see if we can put your team through an FMS.
This is a great screen that I firmly believe will be able to help you become healthier and avoid a lot of nick nack problems that we automatically chalk up to "old age." Check it out today.
So, if you are scratching your head asking what the heck is an FMS, then let me explain.
As a little kid, we had great flexibility and movement. But, as we grew older and developed movement patterns, sometimes we wouldn't do things correctly, but the "easier" way. With today's technology and modern science, we definitely don't have to move like our forefathers did back in the day. Our movement patterns became "incorrect" movement patterns.
Because of this, we develop strength deficiencies and muscle imbalances. Thus, are body isn't properly lined up and we are prime to set ourselves up to acquire various injuries or "itis" issues. That is where the FMS comes into play. The FMS is a test that scores you on 7 different movements. The maximum score you can get is a 21. The number you are trying to shoot for is 15 or above. Anything 14 or below, the research has shown you have a drastically increased chance of getting injured. You also want to look for any symmetry differences between your right and left. You want to address those as well.
By correcting these issues, you will be better balanced, have your muscles firing appropriately, and thus will have a more efficient moving pattern. This is a great test for someone who has had some nagging injuries, aches, or pains that they can't identify why they have them.
Now, if you have had some prior surgery before then this must be taken into account when doing the testing. But, if the doctor has said you are able to do anything and everything with no repercussions, then you should do this test to see if everything is firing normally.
So to detect if you are prone to future injuries, we are implementing this FMS with our own individual assessments. These will be included with your personal training sessions if you are a wellness client. If you are an athlete, the FMS will be included with the individual assessment you purchase. If you just want to get screened, but aren't currently training with us, the cost will be $75. Contact us today to get scheduled. You will be put through the FMS, we will discuss the results with you, and go over the corrective exercises you need to do to help your issues.
We can also do the FMS with various sports teams. These are great indicators if your athletes are operating as efficiently as possible. The research has great evidence in the fact that if your athlete scores lower than a 14 on this screen, they will greatly increase their chances of having an injury during the season, thus they won't be able to play. Contact us today, to see if we can put your team through an FMS.
This is a great screen that I firmly believe will be able to help you become healthier and avoid a lot of nick nack problems that we automatically chalk up to "old age." Check it out today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)