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Are your kids going back to school???…Then it’s a perfect time to replace some of the
unhealthy foods that might have been in the previous years packed lunch…so
maybe it is a good time to start this school season off with packing a healthy
lunch for the children… as you well know…the school cafeteria may not be
the best choice…It’s also good to remember…kids are growing and developing…so naturally they
have some different nutrition needs… so packing a healthy lunch…has to
include nutrients that a growing child would require…Also adults can apply these principles to packing their own nutritional lunch
as well…Hydration…
Here in the desert especially…drink lots of water…every function of the body
requires water…so be sure to include water in your packed lunch…Gatorade is not a sports drink…it
is high fructose corn syrup…and it is making kids fat…There is nothing remotely
healthy about Gatorade for children or adults…high fructose drinks such as soda
pop and juice drinks are loaded with empty calories…which are known to be in
direct relation to weight gain and obesity in adults and children…Protein…
Protein should be an essential part of any healthy
lunch… protein supports growth and helps maintain lean muscle … protein
sources… fish…nuts…eggs…chicken… turkey… lean tender loin pork and beef…organic
is best…
Cheese…hot dogs…salami…bacon and sausage and lunch meats are not a healthy
choice…Whole grains…
Whole grains are one of the major building blocks of
a healthy meal…the key word here is “whole” meaning not refined or
cut grains…
White bread…bagels…pasta and rice have been stripped of the nutrients and
minerals… as a result these items are higher on the glycemic index and
convert quickly into sugar…resembling a simple carbohydrate instead of a
complex carbohydrate… avoid refined white grain and cut grains…such as steel
cut oats……
Healthy whole grains: oatmeal… brown rice… quinoa…millet… bulgur…whole-wheat
or sprouted grain bread…barley…whole grain cereal and whole wheat pasta…Veggies…
When it comes to veggies…dark green and variety are
the key… to make sure you are getting all of the necessary vitamins, minerals
and phytochemicals…Fruit…
Ok…if you are following my phase one nutrition
plan…then fruit is not for you…and you also know why…For those who are not…fresh fruit is filled with fructose…vitamins…nutrients…minerals
and fiber…so if the children are overweight…fruit will not help reduce
weight…fructose is fructose and fruit is loaded with it…If you are going to choose fruit… choose fresh fruit…dried fruit, with no added
sugar…
Remember fructose has a negative effect on blood sugar levels and the extra
calories will be stored as fat…Healthy Fat…
Six grams per meal is a healthy standard…virgin olive
oil…coconut oil…macadamia oil…are some healthy choices and they can be mixed
for even more health benefit…Easy on the animal saturated fat and cholesterol…eliminate
trans-fatty acids… contained in hydrogenated foods….
Ok… now you have the tools and facts to pack a healthy lunch… remember that
eating right is only half of the equation…exercise is just as important when it
comes to health… fitness and weight loss…
If you haven’t already started on a fitness program…call or email today to set
up a consultation…480-802-2222 or chandlerfitness@spartan-training.com -
Results are ordinary when effort is ordinary…
Results are extra-ordinary when effort is extra-ordinary
Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be? Most people, even the fitness buffs, are in a constant fluctuation between their ideal body and a body that is not quite ideal. So how do we sway this struggle in our favor? Quite often the difference between the body that you have today and the body that you wish you had is made up of simple daily decisions.
#1.Eating small meals every 2-3 waking hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage…make sure that these are healthy meals containing balanced amounts of protein 20gm. Carbohydrates 30gm. and fat6gm…
#2.The easiest way to effortlessly lose weight is to not eat three hours before bed. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night.
#3. A great way to burn off excess fat is to walk or jog for as little as 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning. Performing a calorie burning activity right when you wake up is more effective since your body is depleted of calories, and is forced to pull energy from fat stores. A personal trainer can help you identify your ideal target heart rate for maximum fat burn.
#4. The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Beverages such as this contain high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat.
#5.During your workouts do exercise that incorporate compound movements rather than simple ones. This will not only help in burning more calories, but will also tone more muscle at once! A few good compound movement exercises include: squats, clean and press, dead lifts, bent over rows, and lunges.
#6. Want to effortlessly drop 30 lbs in one year? Millions of people drink an average of 2 regular soft drinks a day, which is a total of 300 calories. When you add these extra 300 calories up over a year, they result in over 30lbs of weight gain! Say no to soft drinks, and say goodbye to your unwanted pounds!
#7. Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance than fat itself, when eaten in excess.
#8. Set fitness goals for yourself, write them down and post them where you will see them everyday. Your goal may be to lose 10 pounds, to lose 3 inches off your waist. Make sure that you are very specific with your goals; vague goals will get you nowhere. A qualified personal trainer can help you set your goals and guide you to them.
#9. Pump some iron! Did you know that 1 lb of muscle burns 30-50 calories per day, while 1 lb of fat only burns about 9 calories per day? The more muscle your body contains the more calories you burn each day. Resistance training has been called the fountain of youth – and it really is!
#10. Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If you have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don’t desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes.
#11. Make a habit of weighting and measuring yourself monthly and tracking your gains and losses. This will prevent gradual weight gain from creeping up when you least expect it.
#12. Drink a large glass of water before every meal. It may seem like a chore, but drinking a large glass of water before eating is a great way to partially fill you up and prevent you from overeating.
#13. When lifting weights, try slowing down the speed at which you lower the weight. Lowering weight in a controlled manner will add strength and tone to your muscles and decrease the chance of an injury.
#14. Eating right when you wake up is vital to breaking the fast your body goes into every night. 2- 3 hours after you eat your body shuts down your metabolism and acts as if it needs to store food. In order to communicate with your body that it is healthy, well fed, and not in need of extra fat storage you need to start your day off with a small meal and continue to eat small meals every 2-3 hours.
#15. Try the straight leg raise for a challenging ab workout. Lay on your back with your hands under your low back, legs straight out in front of you, with your lower back on the floor, exhale as you pull your legs straight up into the air. Inhale as you lower your legs back down to the matt. This exercise helps to strengthen and flatten your lower abs.
#16. Eat complex carbohydrates instead of simple sugars for a leaner body. Your body is in constant need of carbohydrates to be converted into glucose and used as fuel. When your body has extra glucose it will be stored as fat for later use. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, take longer to break down into glucose, and will therefore be less likely to be stored as fat than simple carbohydrates such as table sugar, or fruit sugar.
#17. Make sure that you are exercising in your “Fat Burn Zone” during cardiovascular workouts by checking to see if you can hold conversation without breathlessness. Your body needs oxygen to aide in fat burn, so make sure that you are breathing deeply.
#18. Want to spend 5 seconds a day to encourage weight loss? Drink a glass of cold water every night right before you get into bed. Your body will have to heat this water up to your body’s temperature of 98 degrees, and it will have to burn a few calories in the process! This sets your body up to burn calories as you sleep! When you make this 5 second activity a habit, you will be excited to find yourself losing weight easier than ever before.
#19. Your body needs a variety of nutrients to function at its peak and burn fat. Find new, healthy alternatives to your daily meals, and substitute them frequently. Make sure that you are eating 2 to 3 servings of vegetables every day, of dark green different colors.
#20. Losing patience with exercise? The key to weight loss and fitness gains is to consistently give your body new challenges. Mix up your workouts every few weeks, and don’t be afraid to try something new! Hire a personal trainer who can help you add new excitement to your fitness program.
#21. Water is needed for every function of your body, including the burning of fat. Try drinking a big glass of water in the morning, before meals, while exercising, and before bed. Drink up – it’s good for you!
Take the time to incorporate these tips into your daily lifestyle, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results! To gain the most from these tips I suggest that you hire an experienced personal trainer who can guide you all the way to your goals.
Remember that healthy weight loss takes time, be patient! Make an effort towards your goal everyday and don’t get discouraged! Now go g
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Healthy body…healthy mind…healthy spirit…the effects of exercise on physical well-being…in particular coronary heart disease are well understood…however the positive effects that exercise has on mental well-being…such as stress anxiety and depression… are just now being recognized for their positive effects on mental health…i came across this article…a case of a depressed man who had heart diseases… and i thought it might be an appropriate example…
”He was so despondent that he wanted to die. Because his heart was weak, he thought the best way to commit suicide without embarrassing his family was to run around the block as fast as he could until he killed himself. After several futile attempts at causing a fatal heart attack in this manner, he discovered to his surprise that he began to feel better and eventually chose to live instead of die.”
basically the findings on the effects of resistance training on mental well-being have shown that…exercise helps to decrease… stress anxiety depression anger and confusion…
so the question might be…why does exercise have this positive effect on mental well-being?
Biochemical response…
a well-known example of a biochemical response…would be the feeling of euphoria following intense resistance training session… this is caused by an increases in plasma -b-endorphin…this is however only a temporary condition… but it is one of the main reasons you always feel better after exercise…also norepinephrine and serotonin are elevated following acute exercise…which are the mechanisms for improved mood…given the fact that many anti-depressant medications also work by increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters in the brain… logic follows that this is the means by which exercise operates…
Physiological response…
a lot of the feelings experienced as stress anxiety and depression …arise from belief of how or what the body is feeling at that moment…if we perceive muscle tension in our neck as stress… then it is stress… and so we react in a way that is consistent with stress responses…elevations in pulse and breathing rate can be perceived and experienced as anxiety…which in turn creates a feeling of anxiousness…so it is that exercise results in lower blood pressure…slower pulse…and an easier more rhythmic breathing…which in turn affect our perceptions of depression and anxiety… so there is a relationship between physical fitness and reduction of depression and anxiety… the increase in cerebral blood flow and improved muscle relaxation which help to decrease stress…are a direct result of physical fitness…
Psychosocial response…
it is a fact…exercise and physical fitness… improve our perceptions of self-worth and self-esteem…and it can also be a motivation to exercise…even though we might be stressed or depressed…whether we are aware of it or not…body image affects us…sometimes even to the point that our every move is guided by it…eating patterns…the way we dress… exercise habits…even the way we walk or hold ourselves is in some way related to our motivation to feel good and have a healthy body image…healthy body image and self-esteem are always in relation to one another…the effects of exercise such as loosing fat and improving muscle development and definition…are a means to improving healthy body image and therefore self-esteem…and positive self-esteem is related to a healthy mental well-being… improving the bodies physical appearance through exercise…contributes to positive self-esteem through the realized ability we have in bringing about change in the body… so it just goes to say…healthy body…healthy mind…healthy spirit…
if you need help achieving bodymindspirit health…then contact spartan training for a fitness consultation…
call or e-mail today…i look forward to hearing from you…
Easy Slim Down Tip
Do you want a smaller waist? Try this easy slim down tip: Don’t eat carbohydrates after 4pm. Instead stick with lean protein and green veggies. This will prevent late afternoon and evening snacking and will quickly result in a slimmer waist.
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…insights into weight loss..
what’s in your kitchen??? will either help you lose weight or gain weight…ah…but what about the rest of the family…what about the kids you say…
which is more healthy for the entire family…healthy meals and snacks or unhealthy junk food filled with high fructose and high fat…chips and dips and donuts and processed food…is not only making you fat…it is making your children fat…
if you want to treat the children…and the rest of the family…treat them to a healthy nutritious meal…
maybe it is time to re-evaluate…
what’s in your refrigerator…
today is the day…to throw away the unhealthy items in the refrigerator…beverages containing high fructose corn syrup or sugar… consuming liquid calories is one of the quickest ways to gain weight…if they are not healthy for you they are also not healthy for the family…
replace with: water…lemon water helps in weight loss…it is known as the elixir of life for the body…and the pectin fiber found in lemon helps reduce cravings…
the truth is…most people are partially dehydrated…a condition that is harmful to your health and slows your weight loss efforts…so you should always keep plenty of cold water on hand for proper hydration…
today is the day… to get rid of the high fat dairy products…butter…cream cheese…whole milk…cheese…and yes yogurt is filled with sugar…don’t fall for the low fat yogurt…read the label…
replace with: skim milk…low fat cottage cheese…plain low fat yogurt…fresh nutrient-rich dark green veggies…veggies and fruit are a great source of fiber…vitamins and nutrients…and are a vital part of a maintaining a healthy ph balance…remember though if you are following my phase one nutrition plan…the fruit is for the rest of the family…
today is the day… to dump the high fat meats…sausage beacon hot dogs ribs of any kind…remember to read the labels when buying meat…and no breaded meat period…chicken is low fat until you fry it…so nothing fried…
replace with: lean meats…white fish…skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey…pork tender loin…not pork chops…there are numerous choices when it comes to lean meats…
what’s in your freezer…
today is the day… the ice cream has got to go…may as well get it over with now…save yourself from that temptation…don’t buy ice cream…frozen fruit…has got to go as well…just another form of sugar containing 60% fructose…frozen pizza and any of the numerous tv dinners and other processed food…
replace with: lean turkey burgers or veggie burgers…frozen vegetables…frozen fruit for the rest of the family…frozen fish…frozen chicken breast… home-made portioned meals…try spending some time on the weekends to cook up healthy meals… and then freeze them in portioned containers…during the week you can simply reheat and enjoy…
today is the day…to get rid of the frozen breakfast food…french toast…waffles and pancakes… are highly processed and contain loads of unnecessary sugar…
replace with: whole grain bread and muffins…a slice of whole grain bread into the toaster…is much more healthy than a frozen waffle… a little natural peanut butter or almond butter…makes for a much healthier breakfast…
what’s in your pantry…
today is the day…the pantry is the home of most junk food…sugar-filled high fructose cereal…if sugar or high fructose corn syrup are listed as ingredients on your cereal box…it’s got to go… it will only add inches to your waist…white bread/rice/pasta…these highly processed products promote weight gain and a plethora of other health problems… do not buy “white” bread, rice or pasta – especially if you want to lose weight… chips/crackers…chips and crackers may be fun to munch on…but the extra calories will quickly add up… to weight gain… cookies and cakes and candies shouldn’t be a regular part of your families nutrition plan…so keep them out of your house…it’s ok for the family to enjoy a dessert once in a while…it’s quite another to routinely eat processed sweets at home…
replace with: whole grain oatmeal… there’s a big difference between instant sugar-filled oatmeal and whole grain oatmeal…whole Grain Bread/Rice/Pasta…whole grain is the best choice you can make…it is filled with healthy fiber… and is less likely to contain harmful waist-expanding ingredients…almonds and walnuts and peanuts are a healthy alternative to chips and crackers…with nuts…be sure to practice portion control…put a handful of almonds or others nuts into individual bags for pre-portioned snacks…dried fruit is a great alternative…when the family wants to munch on something sweet…just make sure that you buy dried fruit that doesn’t contain added sugars…
talk with your family members about the healthy changes that you’re making…and try to get everyone’s support…
it’s not easy when everyone is juggling busy schedules and fast food… is so readily available…but on the other hand…family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids…children like the predictability of family meals and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids… kids who take part in regular family meals are…more likely to eat healthier…and less likely to snack on unhealthy foods…and research shows…families who sit down to a family dinner…the children are less likely to smoke…use marijuana…or drink alcohol…also family meals offer the chance to introduce kids to new foods and to act as a role model for healthy eating…your teenagers may turn up their noses at the idea of a family meal…which is not surprising because they’re busy and want to be more independent…however…studies show that teens still want their parents’ advice and counsel…so use mealtime as a chance to reconnect…also consider allowing your teenagers to invite a friend to dinner…this will help to involve your teen in meal planning and preparation…keep mealtime calm and congenial…no lectures or arguing…always choose the most nutritious food… at a time when everyone can be there…this may mean eating dinner a little later to accommodate a child who’s at sports practice or dance studio…it can also mean setting aside time on the weekends…such as sunday brunch…when it may be more convenient to gather as a family…
stocking up on healthy foods…
kids…especially younger ones…will eat mostly what’s available at home…that’s why it’s important to control the foods that you serve for meals and have on hand for snacks…begin by working fruits and vegetables into the daily meals…
make it easy for the kids to choose healthy snacks…keep fruits and vegetables on hand…and other healthy snacks…
serve lean meats for lunch and dinner meals…fish…eggs…beans and nuts…are a good source of protein…
for breakfast…whole-grain breads and whole grain cereals so kids get plenty of fiber…
limit fat intake by avoiding deep-fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods…such as broiling…grilling…roasting…and steaming…also choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products…
put a limit on fast food and low-nutrient snacks…such as chips and candy… soda and fruit-flavored drinks…but don’t completely ban favorite snacks from your home…just be in control and make them “once-in-a-while” foods…
be a role model…
the best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself…kids will always follow your lead…your everyday eating habits is the greatest influence you can have on the children…by eating healthy and not overindulging…you will be sending the right message…
also serve appropriate portions and do not overeat…verbalize to the children…about how you are feeling full from the meal… especially with younger children…you might say… “this is delicious, but I’m so full…i’m going to stop eating…” also…parents who are always dieting or complaining about their bodies or being fat or overweight… may foster these same negative feelings in their kids…so keep a positive approach about food…
don’t argue or battle over food…
it’s easy for food to become a source of conflict…as a parent you might find yourself bargaining or bribing kids so they eat the healthy food instead of junk… it may be better to give the kids some control in the form of choices…but to also limit the kind of foods choices available at home…so it’s a good idea for parents to control which foods are available to the child…both at mealtime and between meals…also you should establish a predictable schedule of meals and snacks…that way both parents and kids know when to expect the next meal or snack…
don’t force kids to clean their plates…doing so teaches kids to override feelings of fullness…
don’t bribe or reward kids with food…avoid using dessert as the prize for eating the meal…instead you might give the kids a hug…or some of your time… or praise or recognition…
allow the children to be involved…
most children will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner…talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal…some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal… when you are at the store…teach kids how to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for…
and at the end of the meal…don’t forget to praise the chef…or thank the children for all the help…
school lunches can be another learning experience for children…if you can get them thinking about what they eat for lunch…you might be able to help them make positive changes… giving attention to what kinds of foods they’d like for lunch or go to the grocery store to shop together for healthy packable foods…
also…another important reason why kids should be involved…it can help prepare them to make healthy decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat… they might not suddenly want a salad instead of french fries…but the mealtime habits you help create now can lead to a lifetime of healthier choices…
You know that weight loss comes as a result of healthy eating and consistent challenging workouts… Call or email today to get started on a fitness program that will get you on the fast-track to your best body ever…480-802-2222
