50 THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER/ DO: 
#1. Always eat in a relaxed environment and chew your food till it becomes liquid in your mouth.
#2. Sleep 7 plus hours a night.
#3. Drink half your body weight in ounces per day and add a pinch of sea salt to each litre.
#4. Avoid drinking water with meals.
#5. Eat a breakfast high in protein and fats.
#6. Avoid sugar..its a drug not a food!
#7. Exercise daily and try to make it something you enjoy.
#8. Reach out and call a friend or meet for coffee.
#9. LAUGH at others and LAUGH at yourself.
#10. Learn something new.
#11. Sleep in a very dark, cold room and wear warm slippers.
#12. Take a day break from electronics.
#13. Go for a walk outside and hold hands (preferably with someone you know)
#14. Eat free ranged, grass fed organic when possible.
#15. Use natural soaps and cosmetics.
#16. Avoid drinking from plastic bottles and never heat food in plastics.
#17. Make your owns meals, learn to cook, take a cooking class.
#18. Eat vegetables in heaps especially those in the cruciferous family.
#19. Stop grazing, snacking and eat actual meals. 
#20. Eat like an athlete ONLY if you are an athlete.
#21. Drop the protein shaker cup and have some salmon.
#22. Prepare food and dont leave tomorrows lunch to chance.
#23. Cook in batches.
#24. Perform compound movements like: squats, deadlifts, pull-ups. and avoid machine based training and single joint exercises like calf raises and bicep curls.
#25. Don't squat in front of the mirror at the gym.
#26. Break a sweat when you train.
#27. Take a class, work with a coach, go dancing.
#28. Take supplements based on needs not on fads. Hire somene to audit your needs if you don't know them. 
#29. Take advice from an expert not a salesman.
#30. Choose healthy role models and strive to be the best YOU can be.
#31. Realize "ripped" "shredded" "swole" or whatever other current bullshit terms people are using have nothing to do with health.
#32. Visible abdominal muscles are not a marker of health, strength or happiness.
#33. Gluten free means nothing when you are eating crappy alternatives
#34. Avoid all processed foods and breakfast cereals are 99 percent crap.
#35. Fat burners are a waste of your money and 99 percent have NO science backing them. The other 1 percent can be usefull after all else in your life is sound.
#36. Sleep is SO SO SO important.
#37. Take Vitamin D it acts on every single cell in the body.
#38. Get good quality fats in your diet Ie- avocados, cold water fish, cocount oil, farmed eggs, grass fed beef, bison, game.
#39. Eat wild game when possible.
#40. Take a break from food for a day once a month.
#41. Eat on demand meaning you don't need grains, potatoes, squashes, pastas, breads etc. unless you are expending excess energy in a big way or you are trying to gain weight.
#42. Have a hot bath with some lavendar and read a book. 
#43. Avoid TV and computers before bed.
#44. Use a slow cooker and have chili or stew for breakfast. The idea that humans needs grains, OJ and Bagels for breaky is a good idea to shorten ones life.
#45. Drink herbal teas and green tea.
#46. Drink coffee because you enjoy it not because you NEED it. Take a 10 day caffeine break and see what you are like without it.
#47. Lose friends or acquaintances that provide nothing but stress and don't let family or anyone take advantage of you.
#48. Delete you facebook account for a few weeks and live in the real world.
#49. Have sex on a monday morning at 7am (again preferably with someone you know).
#50. Hormones, food, movement, sleep, relationships, self love, goal setting, visualization, self talk, friendships and laughter are all ingredients to a life filled with happiness. Strive to be better than yesterday and make small incremental changes continuously. If you need help seek out a friend or a professional and make tomorrow a great day!

SLEEP HYGIENE CONSIDERATIONS

#1. Get to sleep by 10:30 p.m. If you need time to wind down before you sleep, make the appropriate adjustments. Getting in bed at 10:00 p.m. and reading until 11:00 p.m. defeats the purpose.

#2. Minimize your exposure to bright lights, particularly fluorescent lights, for at least two hours before going to bed. If you don’t have dimmer switches try lighting your house with candles or lamps with low wattage bulbs.

#3. Sleep in a room that is completely dark. Purchase black out curtains or use blankets if necessary.

#4. Avoid consumption of stimulants (caffeine, sugar and nicotine) after lunch.

#5. Drink plenty of water. Our bodies have very little water reserve and dehydration stimulates stress response.

#6. Try unplugging all electrical devices in your bedroom, including clocks, TV’s and lights.

#7. Avoid confrontation and negative thoughts prior to bed. Consider keeping a journal and writing ten things you are grateful for before bed.

* Remember whenever light stimulates your skin or eyes, regardless of the source, your brain and hormonal system think it is morning. In response to light, your hormonal system naturally releases cortisol. Cortisol is an activating hormone that is released in response to stress. Our natural cortisol levels are meant to peak in the morning and begin dropping in the afternoon. Decreasing cortisol levels allow the release of melatonin and growth and repair hormones. Physical repairs primarily take place between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. After 2:00 am the immune and repair energies are more focused on mental repair, which lasts until we awaken.

 

The other day we were asked a question in regards to detoxing and it went something like this “What are your thoughts on performing a detox and aren’t our bodies set up to detoxify naturally?”  This is a great question and I would like to address it today in my blog. To begin I would like to say that yes, absolutely our bodies are totally built for detoxification and we have numerous pathways of elimination that include our digestive tracts, lungs, kidneys and our skin. When we run into problems is when one or more of these pathways of elimination become overwhelmed and then we begin to see signs of toxicity. Common examples are skin disorders such as acne or eczema. Oftentimes there is a problem with elimination and by cleaning up the gut and detoxifying the body, better results can be found than by using topical treatments alone.

The body is a great healer but even when fed clean organic food and quality water it can use a little help. Our current world is a different place than it was when our hunter-gatherer ancestors ran around chasing food and collecting fruits and veggies. Nowadays we breath toxic fumes, use hair products, skin products, household cleaning agents and numerous other things in our day to day life that greatly add toxic load to our pathways of elimination. Furthermore, when our ancestors ran around they often went through times of famine (especially winters) and this allowed the body a break from the work of digestion and gave it time to work on ridding itself of things that were not meant to stay. Today not many of us ever suffer famine as we live in the world of monster grocery stores and ice-cream and strawberries are available at 2:30am in December…..you get the point.

So what are a few things to consider when performing a detox? Most people require or at least benefit from supplements because they don’t want to change their lives for too long and their systems have been out of balance for too long. We also want phase 1 and phase 2 of liver detoxification to be equal or at least for phase 2 to be faster than phase 1 so we don’t increase reactive molecules and reabsorb what we are attempting to rid ourselves of. Personally, I believe the best methods for cleansing include consuming less food overall with a focus on fresh, organic, seasonal fruits and vegetables. One should consider decreasing meats and excess fats and completely avoiding processed foods, dairy, sugars and grains especially wheat and consume lots of quality mineral rich water. Herbs to support the liver, kidneys and lymph system are also very valuable to assist what nature already gave us. There are many other useful techniques that can be used in conjunction with diet therapy and they may include dry brushing, contrast showers, exercise or steam/sauna, to name a few.

This is a quick overview of why we can always benefit from a little detox program and spring is the best time to begin a cleanse, so consider doing a little house cleaning soon!

There is a good chance you have never heard of Azodicarbonamide unless you are a chemist but that doesn't mean that it is not all around you or even in your lunch.

Azodicarbonamide is a yellow, orange or red crystalline powder chemical compound that is used in the production of foam plastics. You can find azodicarbonamide in synthetic leathers, shoe soles and yoga mats among various other products. But guess what azodicarbonamide is also used in the production of food and has been given a “GRAS” rating in the United States and Canada. “GRAS” means safe and this means that under the name E927 azodicarbonamide is finding its way into some of the most popular foods in our society. It should be known that Europe and Australia have banned the use of E927 in food but here in North America we are still giving it a pass. The U.K. has identified azodicabonamide as aggravating to the respiratory tract and the World Health Organization has also found links to respiratory issues including allergies and asthma.

So I understand that we have an innocent until proven guilty policy, but when it comes to our health as human beings I believe that we may need to rethink this and one must wonder if big dollars aren't at stake here.

So where will you find the old running shoe in your food? E927 is a flour bleaching and improving agent that makes bread nice and chewy and found commonly in Subway sandwiches, McDonald’s buns, Burger King Buns, Wendy’s buns, Arby’s buns and Dunkin Donuts to name a few. There are definitely many other reasons you should refrain from fast food, but consider this food for thought next time the kids are in the back seat munching on flip-flops!








Tags- Calgary Personal Trainer, Calgary Personal Training, Nutrition, Precision Fitness and Nutrition, Fitness, Health, weight loss,Calgary nutrition, Calgary weight loss, healthy living, fat loss, Calgary wellness, 

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 Many people when trying to lose weight will cut their calories to extremely low amounts and hit the treadmill ...what a friggin' disaster! Crash diets don't work lemon juice fasts don't work and multi-marketing companies selling shake diets don't teach anybody anything. Why?

When you go on a highly restricted diet you begin to lose weight, but that weight after a few days is coming from both fat and muscle. Muscle is metabolically active, meaning that it needs energy (calories) to keep it going. Fat, on the other hand is metabolically useless. 
Translation- although you will lose weight when crash dieting you will also degrade muscle so when you're back to your normal caloric intake you are now less efficient at burning calories because you are now less muscle than before. Make sense?  Total body weight is not the most important factor; your body fat to lean muscle ratio is a way more valid numerical value. Muscle only takes up about 60 percent of the space fat does. The key here is to build more muscle which will raise your metabolic rate and at the same time lose fat. Translation- look better and take up less space. 

Here is another reason that the crash diet method does not work, your body is smart and it is set up for survival when you restrict your calories too much and for too long the thyroid slows down your metabolism which again makes you less efficient at burning fat.

Now as far as shake diets or any other multi-marketing fad diets go, sure they will work to burn some weight, hell if I feed you small rations of rice and beans or bread and water you will lose weight too! But what have you learned about being healthy and eating right from this approach and how long will it be till you return to your old ways?  It is time to get the weight off naturally using a healthy method that will be sustainable for good!

So....here are the meat and potatoes! (Sorry no potatoes allowed).

#1. Train hard 3 days a week (if you are reading on the treadmill or using those little pink weights ...YOU'RE DOOMED! )

#2. Run 20 minute intervals 2 other days per week.

#3. Start counting calories to get an idea what you are taking in. I hear trainers and nutritionists say it is unhealthy to count calories and becoming neurotic about counting is unhealthy but have you seen our population? By counting calories for a week of two you will get an idea for where you actually stand and you hopefully will become more aware of the choices you make.

#4. Figure out your lean body mass and multiply it by 12, this will give you your target caloric intake. Example- I weigh 150lbs my body fat percentage is 8. This means my lean body mass is 138lbs (the other 92 percent). 138 x 12= 1656. This is my daily caloric intake to shred off lbs.

#5. Vary your daily caloric intakes by eating more on your training days and less on your other days. Example- My calories per day are 1656. 1656 x 7 days of the week =11592 per week. So I'm going to eat 2000 each day I train (3 days per week=6000) and eat the remainder 1397per day for the other 4 days. This is hard and does not need to be done immediately but it keeps the body guessing (remember the thyroid and your metabolism) and gives you more energy when energy is needed (training days). If you don't think you are this disciplined skip this step but remember it when your weight loss plateaus.

#6. Operation green face! What does this mean? It means if it is a veggie it counts as green and if it has a face its protein. Avoid potatoes and yams. Your food should fit into these two categories.

#7. Limit grains, bread and rice as much as possible.

#8. Limit fruit to 2 servings a day. 

#9. Eliminate dairy as much as possible.

#10. Now that you know your lean body mass multiply that x 1 and this is your target protein intake in grams. Example I am 138lbs lean body mass so 138 grams of protein.  Protein is essential in building muscle and you are training hard. Furthermore, up to 30 percent of the calories in protein are used to break it down and protein will limit catabolism of muscle.

#11. Eat 20 percent of your daily caloric intake from fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram so get out the calculator. (Avocados, meat fat, coconut oil)

#12. Drink plenty of water!


#13. Have a re-feed meal once per week where you enjoy what ever you want. (Don’t get stupid).

#14. These steps are difficult and highly regimented and act only as a guideline, every human is different and this is why invoking the help of a professional will always help.

#15. Pain is only temporary so get moving, eating and being healthy! 



We have helped many people (including ourselves) shred pounds and with some hard work and discipline I am confident that you too can succeed. Please share this with anyone you feel would benefit.

When in the pursuit of a healthy body, protein, carbohydrates and fats are all important macro-nutrients to consider but all the calorie counting and portion sizing are useless unless you are actual digesting your food properly. I do numerous nutritional intakes and one of the most common things I come across is symptoms of an under-active stomach, this usually isn't an issue with young people (but they are not reading this).

As we age our production of HCL (hydrochloric acid) decreases, as does our digestion in general. If you are concerned about body image and muscle mass you should be concerned about HCL. Why? This is because protein digestion starts in the stomach and it makes no difference how much of that stuff you shove down your gob if you are not breaking it down. You must be extracting the amino acids you need to build muscles, support immune function and create neurotransmitters or else you are destined for a weak body, both when it comes to physical capacity and immunity as well as a plethora of mental issues that include the all too common depression.

So what to do?  Ingesting lemon juice and/or apple cider vinegar prior to meals wakes the digestive system up and also alkalizes the body as an added bonus, but here comes the money shot are you ready for it?  Chew your food 20-30 times and assure that what goes down your throat is thoroughly masticated. Did I lose you? Did you wanted some fancy enzyme or trick that was going to appear on Dr.Oz next week?  Well that’s not going to happen because they are no dollars to be made here. When we chew our food numerous times we allow for pre-digestion in our mouth, and it also warms up that big old tank of a stomach for the protein. Do you know that no carbohydrate or fat digestion takes place in the stomach?  Well it’s true, so by chewing you are at least allowing salivary enzymes a chance to help you out.

For you horror buffs, think of this! If you are trying to dissolve a body and you put it in acid (your stomach) it's going to go faster in small pieces. Now that's just gross but the food you eat and your stomach are the same so you have to chew that crap. Start digesting and you will benefit from the nutrients. Too many people have now become ducks and take a bite and swallow, that’s just another problem with our fast paced world. Food is our fuel and supports everything we do yet we treat it like a red headed step-child. If you want to function well eat slowly, eat methodically and stop eating in the car or on the run.

I challenge you all to try and count to 20 chews before swallowing, believe me it’s harder then it sounds but can benefit you more than you can imagine.

EXTRA CREDIT- The art of chewing stimulates the parasympathetic system (the one responsible for relaxation and repair) could you benefit from any of that?








Tags- Calgary Personal Trainer, Calgary Personal Training, Nutrition, Precision Fitness and Nutrtion, Fitness, Health, weight loss

A GREAT WAY TO START YOUR DAY

 

Chia lemonade

1-2 tablespoons whole raw

1-2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice

In a large glass of water

Why Chia? These seeds have been used for thousands of years and are an excellent source of protein as well as omega fatty acids. Chia is also chalked full of valuable minerals and vitamins and most importantly an excellent source of fibre. Fibre helps decrease blood sugar spikes and is extremely important for detoxification and proper bowel movements.

Why lemon juice? Fresh squeezed lemon juice is a great source of antioxidants including but not limited to vitamin C. Lemons stimulate the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid which is needed for proper metabolism of protein and is also imperative for the production of intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is needed to assimilate B12 in the body which is extremely important to prevent fatigue and depression. Lastly lemons although acidic have a polar effect and actually help keep the body in a more alkaline state which is important for the prevention of many disorders and disease.

There are two ways to enjoy this drink: #1. You can add the ingredients and drink immediately if you enjoy the crunchy taste of the seeds or #2. You can add the ingredients and allow to sit for 20 minutes, this will give the chia seeds time to absorb the water and become very soft (my favorite).





Tags- Calgary Personal Trainer, Personal training, Calgary Nutritionist, Precision fitness and Nutriton

Calories-80
Fats-2 grams
Carbs-4grams
Protein- 11 grams

INGREDIENTS:

2lbs ground turkey (or chicken) You know we advocate organic free ranged!
3 egg whites
1 cup quick oats (sorry slow cooked oats which are better don't work here)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dry yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
4 tbsp of hot sauce (as you like)

DIRECTIONS:

#1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
#2. Spray muffin pan with olive oil
#3. Mix all ingredients together in one large bowl
#4. Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.
#5. Bake for 40 minutes

Makes 12 muffins.

Serving size- that one is up to you!

Pair with a mixed green salad and you styling!

2.7 million Canadians that have diabetes, 90 percent of those are type 2 which is the type we create through poor diet and lifestyle. 1 out of every 10 people are expected to have diabetes by 2020, 1 million Canadians are living with undiagnosed diabetes, 5.4 million living with pre-diabetes! These statistics are absolutely alarming and very sad because diabetes can have some very unfortunate consequences. 

Here is a crash course in diabetes:

We have all heard of insulin, cells, the liver and the pancreas and these are all key players when it comes to blood sugar regulation. When we eat a meal the food digests and enters the blood stream and then elevates your blood sugar levels. The brain sensing the raised levels sends a message to the pancreas to release insulin; this insulin will help transport the sugar that all food is broken down in to into the cells of our body.

Our livers (assuming you have not lost yours to organ thieves!) have the capacity to store a few hundred calories worth, our muscles also store sugar (slowly), but guess which cells are very proficient at storing sugar? You guessed right if you said “fat cells” these little guys especially the ones located around your belly and ass love to store sugar! This fact is important for other reasons of course and unless you are trying to develop a spare tire or junky trunk not what you want. 

Ok back to diabetes!

So the above process is normal and is meant to happen to maintain homeostasis in our body. Here lies the problem; we all know that if we are overworked we become burnt out and this process is exactly the same when it comes to digestion. When we eat smaller meals and more healthy options low on the glycemic index our digestion takes longer because real foods take longer to be processed in the body before they get to the blood. The problem is we now have a population who eat garbage, nutrient void foods daily.

Fruit juices with added sugar, processed breads, cereals, fruit roll-ups, pizza pops, chips, chocolate, fruit, granola bars, bagels etc. the list is endless and unfortunately misleading marketing campaigns from greedy food companies exploit us and our children. Ever seen or heard these words:

Did you get your fruit today?
NO, well have some V8.
Did you get your fibre? 
NO, well have some special K, nutra grain bars etc. because they are great sources of fibre.
Studies show that after a workout our body needs protein and carbs…..well guess what chocolate milk is a good source of both.
(JUST A FEW OF THE NUMEROUS FALSE AD CAMPAIGNS WE ARE BOMBARDED WITH DAILY)

What are we telling people? So the truth is when we eat these processed foods the above process of quick blood sugar spikes occurs repeatedly and eventually your cells say enough is enough. Of course usually weight gain around the mid-section accompanies this process but slow down skinny because one does not have to be overweight to develop diabetes. So essentially what is happening is little doors on your cells start to close and do not allow the sugar in which of course is why we have higher fasting blood glucose levels. Then to make matters worse the brain tells the pancreas to send out more insulin and eventually the Beta cells, the ones responsible for insulin production in the pancreas become burnt out too and now you are headed for DIABETES.

SO what to do? 

#1. Eat a diet which contains plenty of good quality vegetables.
#2. Eat good quality cuts of meat.
#3. Keep your fruit consumption to a few pieces per day (less for weight loss).
#4. Stop eating from boxes, packages, take away restaurants.
#5. Exercise! (This is a fitness site!)
#6. Stop eating white foods – sugar, rice, bread, flour, pastas, bagels, muffins.
#7. Chew your food thoroughly.
#8. Don’t eat when on the run or stressed.
#9. Eat smaller more frequent meals.
#10. Supplement with Chromium. 

There are more but start here and remember even if you are pre-diabetic or already diabetic the same rules apply. There are varying levels of distress associated with diabetes and the key is to be the best you can be. 

LET’S REVERSE THOSE STATISTICS.

Protein Black Bean Brownies

(Makes about 12, or 6 servings)

1 can Black Beans (rinsed and drained)

3 scoops Protein Powder (vanilla or chocolate)

6 packs of Stevia (or liquid to taste)

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

1/4 cup Almond or coconut milk

2 Eggs (for those with egg allergies use silken tofu -1 quarter cup for each egg and blended very smooth)

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

For Flavour: 1 tbsp Ground Coffee OR 1/2 tsp peppermint extract OR 1/2 tsp coconut extract

Top with a few chocolate chips or unsweetened coconut flakes before baking.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Blend all ingredients except chips/ coconut flakes in a blender. Pour mixture into muffin baking cups until 3/4 full. Top with chips or flakes and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool and enjoy!